Nina and Simon are a young couple who spend a weekend at his family’s cabin but only Simon comes home. Soon after, Nina’s parents report her missing and continue to push the police for answers. Meanwhile, Simon’s parents hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm to protect him as it becomes increasingly clear that his […]
Book review: Uncle Paul
A new discovery for me! This mystery by Celia Fremlin is a total delight. It’s gripping and twisty with an ending I did not see coming. It is meticulously plotted. Celia Fremlin used language beautifully and the book also contains lines that made me laugh out loud. First published in 1959 and republished as an […]
Newsletter: December 2023
Hello! I hope you enjoyed your December and are ready to welcome a new month and a new year. The summer solstice has passed but I know the hottest months of our Australian summer are yet to come, though we have already had a couple of scorching days. My hydrangeas did not enjoy those days! […]
Three favourite blue flowers
Blue + flowers = yes, please! It was a tough task, choosing so few, but here are my three favourite blue flowers. Bluebells With their elegant, arching stems and pretty bell-shaped flowers, bluebells are a welcome sight in my spring garden. They hold a special place in my heart and you can discover the reason […]
Book review: The Sign of Four Spirits
Regular followers will know of my love for an engrossing cosy mystery. I always enjoy the books in Vicki Delaney’s Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery series and the latest, The Sign of Four Spirits, did not disappoint. Gemma Doyle is the co-owner of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium. As a pragmatic woman, she wants nothing […]
Writers’ Circle
I mentioned in my November newsletter that the first meeting of a local writers’ group that I am facilitating was happening on Wednesday. I was anxious that no one would come so I was relieved when eight other writers arrived. We chatted about ourselves and what we were writing for thirty minutes and, for the […]
Growing epiphyllums
Picture this scene. I was at the Collectors’ Plant Fair at Hawkesbury Racecourse some years ago, admiring the variety of plants on display. I was drawn to the wall of dahlia flowers (of course) and started to ponder which ones to buy. It was overwhelming so I wandered away, planning to come back. Then I […]
Newsletter: November 2023
Hello! I hope you enjoyed your November and are ready to welcome December. We had a deluge of rain (102 mm) overnight so the garden is happy. Now it needs to soak into the parched ground to be truly useful. November is epiphyllum flowering time at my place. Look at these stunning blooms! They only […]
Book review: The Mystery Writer
Wow. Sulari Gentill sure knows how to captivate us with complex story lines. In The Mystery Writer, Theodosia Benton leaves her attorney job and shows up at her brother’s home with only two suitcases and an unfinished novel. She has many doubts about her life, including whether she is capable of becoming a successful writer. […]
Enjoying quiltmaking
I remember Gwen Marston saying this at a workshop I attended with her some years ago. Making quilts is my hobby, it’s not a business for me. I don’t sell anything. If you make quilts for pleasure, perhaps remembering this quote from Gwen could be useful to you, too, when you feel overwhelmed by all […]