While not as fast-paced as some crime novels, Bones of the Lost will drag you into the story from the very first page and keep your attention to the very end. In this 16th novel to feature forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, what at first appears to be a standard hit- and-run case proves to be […]
■ REVIEW: Bones of the Lost
Forensics queen a winner again Read Post »
Journalist Jane Tolerton helped set up the World War I Oral History Archive back in 1987, and using those interviews, she has compiled a fantastic book. It’s hard to imagine just what it was like to be a New Zealand soldier during World War I, but these stories, told in the soldiers’ own words, offer
■ REVIEW: An Awfully Big Adventure
Humour, heartbreak of war Read Post »
Last Stand of the Dead Men is the latest in the Skullduggery Pleasant series. Skullduggery is a living skeleton who is part of a shadowy world of magic hidden amongst us ordinary humans. His blend of magic and fighting skills have served him well in helping to keep this hidden society safe, especially his home
■ REVIEW: Last Stand of the Dead Men
Classic tale of evil versus worse Read Post »
E Lockhart’s novel We Were Liars has been making waves on the book blogosphere for some time and has been recommended to listeners of all the book podcasts I listen to. It promised to be original and thrilling which is always exciting to lay your hands on. I couldn’t wait to read it. We Were
■ REVIEW: We Were Liars
Compelling and edgy Read Post »
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 »
This sweetly addictive book features the heart-warming stories of Christchurch dogs. After the devastating Canterbury quakes, we heard the many stories of survival and loss that came out of the city. But beyond those tales of human suffering and/or joy, there were also stories of the city’s dogs. For they suffered alongside their human counterparts,
■ REVIEW: Quake Dogs
Four-legged survival stories celebrated Read Post »
Ghosts of Parihaka is the fifth book in the six-book Aotearoa series and keeps the story of myth and legend ticking along at a great pace. Matiu Douglas is able to slip between modern New Zealand and the parallel ghost world of Aotearoa. One of his friends is now a ghost, his enemies have stolen
■ REVIEW: Ghosts of Parihaka
David Hair keeps myth, legend ticking Read Post »
A century and a half ago, a young German man set sail on a four-month journey on the Swedish ship the Equator to begin a new life in New Zealand. Friedrich Krull arrived in New Zealand as the country was heading for the New Zealand wars. Krull was keen to experience the traditional Maori way
■ REVIEW: An Indescribable Beauty
European take on young NZ Read Post »
Whatever your politics, you’ll find it hard not to have a giggle at a few of the offerings in this little book. Columnist-author-publisher Paul Little has added captions to a selection of photographs of Prime Minister John Key as he goes about his daily duties as leader of our patch of paradise. Some of them
■ REVIEW: 50 Shades of Key
50 shades of political humour Read Post »
Written from the heart, this beautifully produced book is a must-have for hunting enthusiasts, both practising and armchair. He doesn’t exactly detail how he’s managed it, but Peter Ryan has done a fair amount of hunting and fly fishing in many parts of Africa and South America, as well as in Australia and New Zealand.
■ REVIEW: Wild South, Hunting and Fishing the Southern Hemisphere
A must-have for hunters Read Post »
