Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Readers of books by Australian author Léonie Kelsall will already be familiar with the fictional town of Settlers Bridge and the businesses Ploughs and Pies and Tractors and Tarts. What they may not know is that her latest book, The Homestead in the Eucalypts, was in fact the first book set
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke When reading this latest book by Fiona McArthur, I was reminded of segments from Macca’s Sunday programs and his book, Why I Live Where I Live: Australia All Over by Ian McNamara. Back to Birdsville certainly shows how this isolated location in outback Queensland, where the state abuts both the Northern
Reviewed by Rod McLary Serial killers are not common in Australia with the exception of two infamous examples who won’t be named here. So when crimes of this nature occur, perhaps more attention is given to them than would be in [say] the United States. The heinous crimes affect many people – the friends and
Reviewed by Richard Tutin When Australian radio was in its “Golden Age” during the 1940s and 50s, one of the mainstays of programming were drama plays and serials. People gathered around the sets of the day to listen to their favourite shows. They were keen to find out more about the fortunes of their favourite
Reviewed by Rod McLary There are some novels which defy easy categorisation – and Oblivion is one such novel. It is a lyrical and strangely moving story of an unnamed narrator as he travels through the East on an unspecified and rather mysterious task. The narrator spends his time in those detached places such as
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve The winner of The Australian/Vogel prize for young hitherto unpublished authors of fiction is eagerly awaited, for it has launched some of our finest writers, amongst them, Tim Winton. First Year tells in convincing detail of the life of a very young drama student who has left her Gold Coast home
Reviewed by Rod McLary The alliterative title of this debut novel gives some indication of its nature – a tender, heartwarming and whimsical look at the borrowed life of Frederick Fife. But what does ‘borrowed life’ mean? Well, that is the theme of the novel. The setting up of the situation takes a little time.
Reviewed by Rod McLary From time-to-time, there are novels which grab the reader from the first line and never let go. When these novels come along – and there are so many of them – they are a joy to read; even more so when it is a debut novel. Anyone’s Ghost is such a
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Previously I have not had the pleasure of reading any of the work by Australian author, Petronella McGovern, and found her latest book, The Last Trace, to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I have since discovered that Petronella’s first novel, Six Minutes, was published in July 2019 and debuted on the
Reviewed by Rod McLary The evocative title and cover image – a teenage boy with bloodied knuckles – offers a preview of what will be found within the book’s covers. This debut novel by Daniel Tamone explores the far-reaching effects of family violence and the challenges inherent in any attempt to leave them behind. The
Reviewed by Rod McLary This debut novel by Jordan Prosser falls within a genre named ‘cyberpunk’ – that is, a novel set in a dystopian future with a combination of ‘lowlife and high tech’ and one where society is collapsing into a state of decay. The setting for the novel is a barely recognisable Australia
Reviewed by Patricia Simms-Reeve Jessie Tu’s debut novel, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, presented an author who is remarkable in her wide ranging talent. Her second book, The Honeyeater, does not disappoint. There is the same narrative brilliance and quiet intensity, relating the story of Fay, a translator bringing a modern English novel
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke This novel has nothing to do with Elvis Presley’s song or the 2015 American psychological thriller film of the same name. Instead, it is a coming-of-age story about family, friendship, love, stereotyping and a strong connection to the past. There is a rebel, a dead letter office, a mystery from the
Reviewed by Wendy Lipke Australian author, Maya Linnell, has become well known for her rural fiction books about realistic people in small towns. She gathers inspiration from her own rural upbringing and the small communities she has always lived in and loved. Her affection and respect for Australia’s flora and fauna shines through in her
Reviewed by Antonella Townsend I have long since thought the publishing industry’s insistence that novels fall into a genre straight-jacket somewhat unnecessary, not to mention unimaginative. Breaking through the mundane, Kaliane Bradley’s debut novel The Ministry of Time creates its own mixed-genre benchmark. Written in the first person, our narrator is a bi-racial, jaded, civil