I read this, the latest novel from Maya Linnell, a few months ago and it was just what I needed at the time. We were in a period of constant rain and, from inside the house, I could see many plants in my garden drowning. It was difficult to believe that my dahlia tubers would […]

I’m fortunate that the Friends of our local library organise monthly author talks. I’ve been to several this year and have benefitted from listening to the authors’ stories. Some share how they became writers, some talk about their writing processes, while others share the research work that goes into their books. This morning, at the […]

This is an absorbing story that challenges as it unravels. With its strong feminist focus, the storylines are played out against the myths about powerful women (aka ‘witches’) in remote Scottish islands. Luda is a photographer who moves with her two teenaged children from drought-stricken Australia to a collection of islands in Scotland’s harsh north […]

Set in South Australian wine country, Jane Harper’s third and last novel in the Aaron Falk series is another thriller. One year after Kim Gillespie disappeared at a busy local festival, leaving her baby unattended in her pram, Falk visits the valley for a christening. As he meets more of the town’s residents, he realises […]

The latest book in the Strike series finds detective agency business partners Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott involved in the investigation of the death of Edie Ledwell. Edie is co-creator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, and had earlier visited the agency to request help tracking down the true identity of the unknown […]

Living in a small rural town can have its challenges. Inter-related families, the stress of keeping small businesses and farms working, and the threats that some people see to their ‘traditional’ ways of life. Sometimes it takes a newcomer to town to sort through the complexities and offer a different way of looking at the […]

The Woman in the Library is a book within a book – or is there another one as well? It’s a confounding story because I was never really sure what to believe compared to what the author wanted me to believe. That’s what makes it so appealing. The story begins when a woman’s scream shatters […]

Why do I often discover a new-to-me series in book three? I guess it’s a test of the story, that it can be read as a stand-alone rather than needing to start at the beginning of the series so I understand the backstory. Veronica Blackstone is a writer for hire. She writes advertising copy, love […]

Detective Emilia Hart becomes involved in a case where a high-profile man is shot. When more bodies of men continue to turn up murdered in a similar style, she identifies a link between the victims: they had all been perpetrators of violence against women or children. While working the case and juggling her complex personal […]

Oh, Elizabeth Zott, how I wish I had met you. Impossible, you may say, Elizabeth Zott is a fictional character. She can’t be known outside Lessons in Chemistry, the life-affirming novel that shows us we all have the ability to change ourselves – and the world around us – if we try. I disagree. I’ve […]