Rebecca Budde is nearly 16, the middle of three daughters belonging to a C of E vicar, John, and his wife, Ruth. Rebecca’s life is turned upside down when her father transfers parishes to a small, hidden away country village. She takes it the hardest, having to leave her home town, her friends and, more […]
■ REVIEW: Word Ghost
Teen angst meets mild Gothic horror Read Post »
DI Logan McRae has a lot on his plate. His girlfriend is lying in hospital, he is living in a caravan park because his flat has blown up, a local criminal godfather type is wanting his help and, to top it all off, there seems to be a psycho murderer on the loose. A bestselling
■ REVIEW: Close to the Bone
Offbeat mix of styles but a sound read Read Post »
Write about what you know about is a long held maxim – and so Australian author Alex Miller has. As a younger man he spent time in the Queensland highlands working as a stockman. He conjures up a time and place and brings it to life: hard, hot and dry, low scrub and a story
■ REVIEW: Coal Creek
Idiosyncratic voice draws you in Read Post »
For his part in the third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart has won prestige, legendary status and, sadly, enemies within Christian Europe itself. As a result, his journey home becomes fraught with danger. Storms and pirates fade into insignificance when he is detained by Duke Leopold of Austria, a man with a grievance against Richard.
■ REVIEW: A King's Ransom
Well-researched look at medieval politics Read Post »
Gareth Ford is working long hours in the iron ore industry in Western Australia. He is a solo parent with plans for improving his future. But then his past starts to catch up. When Gareth’s housemate is found dead, the local police discover that he has a file and it is flagged. This is because
■ REVIEW: Marble Bar
Plenty of smooth action in Aussie thriller Read Post »
As a young novice monk in a Buddhist monastery, Tao’s life is simple, ordered and inward looking. All that changes when Kai enters his life. Kai is a young dragon whose arrival spells disruption and adventure for Tao, whom he has sought out because he believes they are linked. On their perilous journey of discovery
■ REVIEW: Blood Brothers
Engaging tale set in China Read Post »
An old-age pensioner living the quiet life in a London suburb, Joan’s world is rocked when her name is linked to a spy scandal dating back to the 1940s. Gradually, as she is interviewed by British security services, the tale is told in a series of flashbacks of how she had indeed become part of
■ REVIEW: Red Joan
Youthful enthusiasm leads to treason accusation Read Post »
This is a New Zealand environmental thriller with a message or two. Set in the Waikato, Sam Miro is a young, highly regarded researcher working on environment monitoring. When some of his study farms start to show odd results, further investigation uncovers sinister forces at work. Someone has deliberately created an environmental disaster in order
■ REVIEW: Unearthed
Kiwi angle helps lift tone of novel Read Post »
This is an almost local novel with part of the story set in Dunedin and Central Otago. It follows the adventures of Lockie Steele as she travels to Argentina in search of material for a new book. It is here that she comes in contact with the Mabon family. Seriously wealthy and connected, they persuade
■ REVIEW: The Silver Gaucho
Confusing but interesting tale Read Post »
War Clouds Gather is the latest instalment in Peter Watt’s broad-reaching family saga that spans the world but has its heart firmly placed in Australia. The story takes up in the late 1930s. The Depression years are drawing to an end, fascism and communism are in a struggle for the hearts and minds of Europe and
■ REVIEW: War Clouds Gather
Period drama with ‘Wilbur Smith’ feel Read Post »
