SHOOT THROUGH by J M Green, Book Review: Dark & deadly humour
I have been a huge fan of J M Green’s Stella Hardy crime series. I was thoroughly entertained by her debut novel Good Money and felt she lifted the bar even higher with Too Easy (Book 2).
I have always thought of Stella Hardy as a ‘modern Australian’ diamond in the rough. She forgives herself for the occasional lapse in judgement, lets her curiosity guide her and is quick to back herself in a fight (quite literally). She exudes guile, resilience and grit, in a similar vein to Shane Maloney’s ‘Murray Whelan’ and Peter Temple’s ‘Jack Irish’.
But in Shoot Through (Book 3) those historic lapses in Stella’s judgement are haunting her. Ghosts of the past are coming out of the woodwork to settle old scores. Could Stella have finally met her match? Continue reading >>
July – August 2019 Book Releases for your Reading Wishlist
When it comes to fiction scheduled for publication in July and August 2019, we readers really are spoiled for choice.
This list features 12 books that have particularly caught my eye, including:
highly anticipated new titles from bestselling authors such as Adrian McKinty and Kate Forsyth, and award-winning writers Deborah Levy and Yoko Ogawa
feisty females leads
quirky science fiction and social satire, and
what can only be described as romantic candy for bookworms
Warning: I take no responsibility for the impact reading this may have on your own book wishlist. Continue reading >>
HERE AND NOW AND THEN by Mike Chen, Book Review: Brimming with heart
I was impressed by the effortless credibility of Mike Chen’s execution of time travel. So many wonderful little details are woven seamlessly into the story fabric — everything from hover cars, food trends and social diversity being the norm. But as impressive as Chen’s deft plotting and world-building is, he never forgets that his characters must remain centre stage.
Leading man Kin Stewart is highly personable and his emotional struggles feel authentic. His flawed honesty, intrinsic goodness, heroic stoicism and loyalty to family, are each in isolation traits we might aspire to. Chen’s female characters also exude a wonderful mix of feisty strength and vulnerability. I think it is this layering and nuance that make Kin’s relationship journey with each such compelling reading. Continue reading >>
ANIMAL PEOPLE by Charlotte Wood, Review: Quietly uncompromising
In 2015 I stumbled across a short story by Wood called Nanoparticles in my library’s online catalogue. It was a literary gem. I knew I had to read more from this author.
Animal People is a highly impactful little novel. The narrative contained spans a single day, and at only 280 pages can also be read in one. You’ll certainly want to read it in a single sitting if you have the luxury of doing so.
This is the literary art form at close to its best. All its components are unassuming in isolation. Even its lead Stephen would prefer to be so… or at least his feelings of social anxiety lead him to think that way. Everything from his morning routine, his observations, actions and human interactions (when he cannot avoid them) at first seem so commonplace. And the prose itself so spare. Continue reading >>
