General fiction - Books By George

■ REVIEW: Reach
Another memorable effort from Kiwi author

Successful artist Quinn lives with Marcus, who left his wife for her and subsequently lost contact with his young daughter as a result of that breakup. Quinn is busily preparing for an upcoming exhibition, but as the deadline for her exhibition approaches, Callum, a deep-sea diver with a love of the ocean, enters their lives. As […]

■ REVIEW: Reach
Another memorable effort from Kiwi author Read Post »

■ REVIEW: War Clouds Gather
Period drama with ‘Wilbur Smith’ feel

General fiction

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 »

■ REVIEWS: NYPD Red 2 | Unlucky 13 | First Love
James Patterson: prolific and entertaining

General fiction, Mysteries & thrillers

The prolific James Patterson never seems to run out of ideas for novel. Sure, most of them involved murder, but it’s nice to see he can produce a bit of romantic fluff, too. Sure, he has his critics – mainly having a crack at the sheer volume of his published efforts — but it’s hard

■ REVIEWS: NYPD Red 2 | Unlucky 13 | First Love
James Patterson: prolific and entertaining Read Post »

■ REVIEW: The Tea Chest
Author brews up a good read

General fiction

Kate Fullerton is the co-owner of The Tea Chest in Brisbane – a boutique tea store that focuses on creating perfect blends. When an opportunity comes up for Kate to open in London, she wavers before taking it on. She’s leaving behind her husband and children to take a gamble. Leila and Elizabeth are also

■ REVIEW: The Tea Chest
Author brews up a good read Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Crazy Rich Asians
Rich vein of humour uncovered

General fiction, Humour

We all enjoy a sneaky peek into the lives of the fabulously rich and, over the years, those financially blessed citizens have copped more than their fair share of sniggers at the hands of some very clever writers. From Evelyn Waugh to Henry James, there is a “rich” (pardon the pun) tradition of having a

■ REVIEW: Crazy Rich Asians
Rich vein of humour uncovered Read Post »

■ REVIEW: One Hundred and Four Horses
African saga a welcome improvement

General fiction

After the last, very bad, African saga I read, I decided that I would read no more about that troubled continent, first met through Wilbur Smith and followed up with Bryce Courtney. The fact that this story is about real life was not an extra draw card; you can distance yourself from the experiences of

■ REVIEW: One Hundred and Four Horses
African saga a welcome improvement Read Post »

■ REVIEW: A Treacherous Paradise
Engrossing, dark story of tragedy

General fiction

Best known as author of the chilling Kurt Wallander crime novels, Henning Mankell has certainly opted for a change of pace with his latest novel. A Treacherous Paradise is a complex and powerful historical novel set in early 20th Century Sweden and Mozambique. Based a true story (A Sullied Angel), it tells the story of

■ REVIEW: A Treacherous Paradise
Engrossing, dark story of tragedy Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Birthright
Missing the period minutiae

General fiction

Birthright is the third book in the Banquo’s Son trilogy. Fleance, the son in question, is now king of Scotland. He is married and his wife, Rachael, is pregnant with an heir. All should be well, with his claim to rule seemingly secure. Alas, he of course, is in for stormy weather. An illness is

■ REVIEW: Birthright
Missing the period minutiae Read Post »

■ REVIEW: I Take You
Unhappy wife meets gardener

General fiction

Australian author Nikki Gemmell has a great handle on delivering well-written erotica. A co-worker introduced her work to me last year, lending me With My Body and then, shortly after, The Bride Stripped Bare. Each story had me completely captivated. When I picked up Gemmell’s latest book, I Take You, I didn’t realise it was

■ REVIEW: I Take You
Unhappy wife meets gardener Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Midnight in St Petersburg
Sweeping tale of love and loss

General fiction

It’s Russia, 1911, and young Jewish woman Inna Feldman has taken her destiny into her hands and travelled to St Petersburg. Her own family are long dead and the relatives she’d lived with are now emigrating so as to escape a threatened pogrom. Feeling slightly abandoned and in fear for her own safety, she is

■ REVIEW: Midnight in St Petersburg
Sweeping tale of love and loss Read Post »