Review: All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan

All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan is a young adult novel about Lara Laylor, a teenage girl in Year 10 at a school in Melbourne. It doesn't sound like the type of book I usually read does it? But when I tell you Lara's history teacher gives each of his students an unsolved mystery from history as part of an assignment and Lara chooses the Somerton Man, you can see the instant appeal.

The Somerton Man was an unidentified man found dead on a beach in Somerton Park near Glenelg, Adelaide in December 1948. He didn't have any ID and the labels on all of his clothing had been removed. His cause of death couldn't be determined, but he died propped up and reclining with his legs crossed which made him look like he was resting or sleeping with a cigarette in his hand. Police circulated a photo of the man's corpse in suit and tie in an effort to identify him but his remains were never claimed. A plaster death mask was also taken of his body from the shoulders up prior to burial to assist in identification. This cast still includes hairs from his body which have since been DNA tested.

Adding to the mystery, a tiny scrap of paper with the printed words 'Tamám Shud' (meaning it is finished or it is done) was found rolled up in his pocket. The scrap had been torn from the page of a book which was eventually handed into Police after being found on the front seat of a car. What are the chances? The book had a series of letters inscribed in the back which have never been decoded as well as a phone number. The phone number was traced back to a nurse who lived 400m from where the Somerton Man's body was found but denied knowing him.

In the novel, Lara researches the mystery of the Somerton Man and considers the theories he was a European immigrant or a spy. Lara is ultimately glad the nurse chose to keep any knowledge she had to herself but I was yelling at the page while enjoying the reports and testimonials about the case interspersed throughout her first person narrative.

Naturally, the assignment takes a back seat as Lara negotiates problems in her social life, auditions for the school musical, deals with the absence of her older sister and looks into the mystery disappearance of her history teacher.

All That Impossible Space by Anna Morgan is a young adult epistolary coming of age novel but I'll admit being mostly there for the connection to the Somerton Man. Who do you think he was? I think he was a spy and knew the nurse.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Traced by Catherine Jinks

* Courtesy of Text Publishing *

Traced by Catherine Jinks is possibly the first novel I've read set in Australia during the early stages of the pandemic. It's 2020 and Jane is a contact tracer working for New South Wales Health, and during the course of her daily tracing calls she speaks to a victim of domestic violence named Nicole. Years earlier, Jane helped her own daughter escape a violent situation and recognises Nicole's fear of discovery by her abusive partner. Jane and her daughter Tara are still in hiding from her ex Griffin, but Jane's shocked to find the person on the phone is also afraid of a man named Griffin.

The story unravels from there as Jane attempts to help Nicole into a refuge while keeping her location secret from Griffin and trying not to break too many rules at work in the process.

Alternate chapters take us back to 2014 and Jane's life before Tara met Griffin. The reader slowly learns what went wrong in the relationship and how the two women escaped before returning to the present narrative and Griffin's renewed interest in tracking them down.

Griffin is a real piece of work, he's manipulative, obsessive and controlling and this book could be a trigger for readers who have suffered at the hands of a gaslighting domestic abuser. As a character in this book he was a well-written villain and the perfect contrast to Jane's determination to protect her family at all costs.

The Australian setting was enjoyable and the references so Sydney and the surrounding areas were an unexpected pleasure, including this one:

"The only personal thing I knew about Michelle was that she lived in Kellyville and ate salads for lunch." Page 71

I have family living in Kellyville so that was a nice surprise on the page. Both narrative arcs - 2014 and 2020 - are packed with tension to make the reader squirm and boy did I fidget and clench my fists at the scenarios Jane was dealing with in both timelines.

The action really ramped up at the end towards a satisfying climax and I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Traced is recommended for those who enjoy domestic thrillers and is the third* book I've read from Catherine Jinks so I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for her next thriller.

* Panic (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a psychological thriller set in the world of sovereign citizens and an excerpt from my review is featured on the publisher's website, while The Attack (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) is a dual timeline domestic noir novel.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt

* Copy courtesy of Text Publishing *

The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt is a suburban whodunnit set in the Melbourne suburb of St Albans. Recently separated, Jamie is in his mid thirties and has moved back to Carnation Way to look after his Dad who has dementia.

Claire is a middle aged woman also living on Carnation Way and when she goes missing, Jamie wonders if her disappearance could be connected to the discovery of a body next door thirteen years ago.

Unfolding in alternating chapters - Jamie's in the present and Claire's thirteen years earlier - the characters were immediately identifiable and the novel contains many enjoyable Australian references. I liked this one from Claire because who doesn't love fresh stationery?

"... and so it was off to Officeworks the very next day. I already had pens and notebooks, but is there anything better than fresh stationery?" Page 15

No there isn't and I was just at Officeworks on the weekend! Back to the book and Lovitt has a great sense of humour that reminded me a little of Benjamin Stevenson's light and relatable writing style. Here, the author is able to strike a surprise sombre note with mention of the late Michael Mosley and then make the reader chuckle immediately afterwards:

"I had a ready line for that, one I'd planned to use with Andrew if I ever did anything clumsy in front of him. I told her that Michael Mosley says balance is an excellent indication of life expectancy, and I said, if that's true, I've been dead for four years." Page 160

As you can see, Claire is a likeable character with a great sense of humour. She's also curious about her surroundings and started a diary the day the body of a teenage male was found underneath the house of one of her neighbours.

Thirteen years later, Claire goes missing and Jamie is determined to find out what happened to her by nosing about, chatting to the neighbours and unearthing all manner of secrets; including some about his Dad. Jamie is also a very likeable character:

"By the time I'd finished my second cup of tea, during which I'd had nothing to do but listen and stress-eat as Tess related her story in detail, we'd made it through a whole pack of Tim Tams and half an Arnott's Tina wafers, though in truth, 'we' implies a degree of participation by Tess not reflected in reality." Page 298

Longer term followers of Carpe Librum may have noticed that Zane Lovitt has been featured here before. In 2016 I ran a giveaway for his collection of short stories entitled Crime Scenes and he's clearly been working hard since then.

Published today, The Body Next Door by Zane Lovitt is a double cozy mystery and Aussie whodunnit that plays out in a very entertaining way and is highly recommended for fans of Benjamin Stevenson and the lighter side of Jack Heath.

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Review: Bored of Lunch Healthy Slow Cooker Even Easier by Nathan Anthony

I use my slow cooker all year around and recently came across Bored of Lunch Healthy Slow Cooker Even Easier by Nathan Anthony at the library. Written by a Northern Irish home cook, the book contains 'recipes with minimal prep, all under 500 calories' and I was keen to give one of them a go.

First up was the Chorizo Carbonara Orzo from Page 166 based on the mouthwatering photograph in the book. After learning orzo is called risoni here in Australia, this meal was a disaster. It took 2 hours longer to cook than the recipe mentioned so we had to have something else for dinner that night while we waited for the chicken stock to be absorbed. When it was finally finished cooking, the taste and texture wasn't very nice at all so we won't be making that one again, ever. The left over risoni went into the bin too.

Next up was the Pork with Creamy Apple Sauce from Page 176 which was a real hit. I haven't cooked pork tenderloins before and sitting in the slow cooker among the diced apple they looked like gross tongues. It was also our first time using creme fraiche in a recipe but it was lean and tender and a hit with the husband so I think it'll be on the menu again.

All in all, one hit and one definite miss before it was time for this little hardback to go back to the library. Nathan Anthony's latest book, Bored of Lunch Six Ingredient Slow Cooker sounds like it might be worth checking out at some point. Published in December 2024 it's not available at my local library yet but I'll keep an eye out.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

My Rating:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★