Allen & Unwin - Books By George

■ REVIEW: Everybody's Fool
Sequel full of grit and quirkiness

A decade after Nobody’s Fool, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Russo’s returns to the same characters for a new novel: Everybody’s Fool. Set in the not-so-salubrious American town of North Bath and taking place over a weekend, this new novel has all the heart, grittiness and quirkiness of the first book. The good-hearted but stroppy and […]

■ REVIEW: Everybody's Fool
Sequel full of grit and quirkiness Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Word Ghost
Teen angst meets mild Gothic horror

General fiction

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 »

■ REVIEW: Coal Creek
Idiosyncratic voice draws you in

General fiction

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 »

■ REVIEW: The Priority List
Inspiration top of ill teacher’s list

People

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 »

■ REVIEW: Dog Gone, Back Soon
Return to the manor a treat

General non-fiction

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 »

■ REVIEW: Who Killed Scott Guy?
Compelling case for the defence

NZ books, People

It’s an interesting title because while journalist Mike White doesn’t offer any facts or opinions about who did kill Scott Guy, he presents an abundance of evidence about who didn’t. White investigated the 2010 murder of Feilding farmer, husband and father Scott Guy for a year and sat through the entire five-week trial of the

■ REVIEW: Who Killed Scott Guy?
Compelling case for the defence Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Snake Bite
Not-so-gentle coming-of-age story

Romance, Younger readers

Jez is 17, bored in a downtrodden Canberra suburb, and coming to realise she’s in love with her best friend, Lukey. It’s summertime and Jez has little to do but hang out, get high and argue with her mum. She takes it for granted that she and Lukey will be hanging out together, but then

■ REVIEW: Snake Bite
Not-so-gentle coming-of-age story Read Post »

■ REVIEW: The Bassett Road Machine-Gun Murders
Gangland killings a shock

General non-fiction, NZ books

This book was published to mark the 50th anniversary of a shocking crime that drew a line in New Zealand’s criminal history and heralded a more sinister era. Set against a backdrop of six o’clock closings, a Chicago-style underworld, bent cops, prostitution and the lure of a quick buck or two, the book helpfully provides

■ REVIEW: The Bassett Road Machine-Gun Murders
Gangland killings a shock Read Post »

■ REVIEW: Marble Bar
Plenty of smooth action in Aussie thriller

Mysteries & thrillers

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 »

■ REVIEW: The Gods of Guilt
Cracking good read

Mysteries & thrillers

This was my first encounter with the very popular “legal-thriller” genre and so I had no reference point against which to compare it. After reading The Gods of Guilt, I doubt that it will be my last encounter. The main character is Mickey Haller, an LA-based defence attorney who comes with the usual “baggage” of

■ REVIEW: The Gods of Guilt
Cracking good read Read Post »