Reviewed by Ian Lipke David Baldacci has tried his hand at historical fiction in his latest book Strangers in Time. While the meaning of the title eludes me, and the classification of the book not being given as Young Adult, these lose any importance in a cracking story of fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters and fifteen-year-old Holly
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Unlike many novels, the title of this book is immediately linked to the story it tells. I was fascinated to discover that the journey of this story forms a circle. It begins with a university student’s experience watching a lyrebird and continues twenty years later with the same woman, now a
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Blanche D’Alpuget has been praised for her non-fiction works, particularly her biographies. With The Bunny Club, she has ventured into the popular genre of the murder mystery. This novel is spiced by the making of celebrity, wealth, beauty and a quest for erotic sex; its cardinal ingredients. Evelyn Sinclair is the
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve To say Little Red Death is a murder mystery with a difference is an understatement. It twists and winds through a clever plot that is intricate and unpredictable with surprises emerging right through to the very last pages. Detective Lyla Rondell is efficient and dedicated to discovering the truth and of
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton A remote island is obviously a place of isolation and the vulnerability that such isolation can induce. Laura McCluskey sets her novel on the island of Eilean Eader, located in the harsh Atlantic Ocean west of mainland Scotland. It is portrayed as a cold and forbidding place where the inhabitants focus
Reviewed by Rod McLary The genre of crime fiction is a very broad church – from the genteel novels of Agatha Christie to the elegant prose of P D James to Ian Rankin’s gritty streets of Edinburgh, let alone the Australian crime novels imbedded in the Australian landscape. But here is a new crime novel
Reviewed by Ian Hamilton The body count by the end of this murder mystery is very modest: one dead man (although there are three fatalities if you count Horace the prize-winning bull and Frank the corgi). We are placed in a small rural town with the delightful name of Myddle. It is located on the
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Janice Hallett’s latest thriller has to almost be read without pause, as it grabs the reader’s interest and unrolls a plot that weaves and twists until the end. For the bulk of the book, no actual crime emerges to solve; however the dynamic between characters has an edgy ominous tone. Ben
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve The cosily indulgent title suggests an account of how family and others might deal with doing the best for an exceptionally intelligent child. This is not remotely like the plot of this surprising novel. A thriller, a psychological delving into the possible impact of motherhood and a scary supernatural experience all
Reviewed by Rod McLary Natalie Conyer first came to my attention when her book – her second book – Shadow City was published in Australia in 2024. I reviewed it in these pages and said: The author has crafted a taut and tense novel which engages the reader from the beginning and doesn’t ease up
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve A combination of factors contributes to the excellence of a crime/mystery novel. Michael Connelly’s thirty-ninth is a splendid example of this in that The Waiting has a clever plot, convincing and authentic details, and a variety of Californian characters. Together they make this book one that a reader will find impossible
Reviewed by Rod McLary It has been thirty-four years since Patricia Cornwell’s first novel Postmortem was published and Dr Kay Scarpetta emerged as new protagonist in the crime genre. The novel won four major awards [the Edgar, Creasey, Macavity and Anthony] – it was the first book to ever win all four awards in the
Reviewed by Rod McLary Midnight and Blue is the twenty-fifth book in the series featuring John Rebus – the detective from Police Scotland. Aficionados of the series will know the history of John Rebus from his early days as a detective through to his becoming Inspector Rebus; and his fall from grace when he was
Reviewed by Rod McLary John Banville is one of the world’s finest living writers. He has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize and is believed to be a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. In 2006, he began writing crime novels under the non-de-plume of Benjamin Black and has written seven novels featuring
Reviewed by Rod McLary The Valley is Chris Hammer’s seventh book and, like his previous six, it is firmly placed in the Australian landscape with an intricate plot and engaging characters. And also like the previous books, it is an immensely satisfying read. Detective Sergeant Ivan Lucic and Detective Senior Constable Nell Buchanan are assigned