New releases coming in February. FICTION My Own Dear Brother, by Holly Müller: An unforgettable, nightmarish coming-of-age story set in rural Austria towards the end of the Second World War (Bloomsbury Circus, RRP $33). I’ll See You in Paris, by Michelle Gabl: A story that winds together the lives of three women born generations apart, but who […]
On the bookshelves: February 2016 Read Post »
Best-selling author Peter James is back with the 11th book in his Roy Grace crime series. Nick Walton’s fiance Logan has just driven into the underground car park of the building in Brighton where they live when she calls him on her cellphone. She is very obviously terrified and as Nick struggles to comprehend what
■ REVIEW: You are Dead
Latest Roy Grace book a good read Read Post »
It’s human nature that we have a fascination with the lives of the rich and famous, but sometimes the lives of the incredibly wealthy are also incredibly sad. Reclusive heiress Huguette Clark died in 2011 at the age of 104. On the surface, you could assume she had lived a fabulous life, having been born
■ REVIEW: Empty Mansions
Fairy-tale life that turned sad Read Post »
James Patterson is always a good option for holiday reading and the sixth novel in the best-selling Michael Bennett crime thriller series is – as always – easy to read and packed with action. No surprises there I suppose: Patterson might turn out a gazillion books every year but (fortunately) for the most part they
■ REVIEW: Gone
Patterson provides good holiday reading Read Post »
The word “inspirational” is often bandied about when it comes to biographies of the famous and wealthy, but this story of a teacher who simply wanted to carry on doing what he loved best is one of the few times “inspirational” is the appropriate description. David Menasche was a high school English teacher in
■ REVIEW: The Priority List
Inspiration top of ill teacher’s list Read Post »
There’s nothing quite like getting your hands on a new Jack Reacher adventure and this one’s a cracker. Action hero Reacher, the ex-military cop who is now something of a one-man army, is back and as the title of the book would suggest, this time it’s personal. Someone has taken a pot shot at the
■ REVIEW: Personal
Fresh insights into what makes Reacher tick Read Post »
The average Kiwi fish and chip shop these days is a bit different from those of my long-ago youth: they’re as likely to feature framed prints, arty menus, glossy plants and fancy-schmancy tartare sauce as they are a pile of magazines that includes a three-month old Auto Trader and tiny plastic packets of good ol’
Poster a trip down memory lane Read Post »
Set during the 1970s, this book came across as trying to be as much of a history lesson as it was a murder mystery, telling the story of the women who carved out their place in the police force of Atlanta. The story starts off with a hiss and a roar, with cop Jimmy Lawson
■ REVIEW: Cop Town
Misogyny distracts from juicy plot Read Post »
I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but I missed the buzz over author Nick Trout’s earlier novels. The biggest buzz of all has been about 2013’s The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs. I eventually managed to catch up on that particular wee gem while I was on holiday in Aussie last year, and fell
■ REVIEW: Dog Gone, Back Soon
Return to the manor a treat Read Post »
I wasn’t really expecting to enjoy this book but am pleased to say I was proved wrong. Let me begin by owning up to one thing in particular: I’m not greatly enamoured of Bear Grylls. While his fans watch his various “boy’s own adventure” TV shows and no doubt puff out their chest in collective
■ REVIEW: True Grit Junior Edition
Grylls delivers – and some Read Post »
