Review: The Good People by Hannah Kent

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *

Burial Rites by Hannah Kent was a sensation a few years ago and readers who loved it will also enjoy her latest novel The Good People. Despite being set in different countries, both novels are set in the early 1800s and contain Hannah Kent's ability to conjure and describe the landscape, lifestyle and superstitions of the time.

Set in Ireland in 1825, in a small rural community full of Gaelic superstitions and folklore, the novel is essentially about the lives of Nance (an elderly healing woman) and the recently widowed Nora.

Incredibly evocative, the lives of these two women intersect and slowly build towards a climax that demonstrates just how little control women had over their lives at the time.

Inspired by a true event in history (just as Burial Rites was), Hannah Kent's signature writing style creates a dark and fearful atmosphere that had me worrying for Nance.

Here's a quote from Page 257:

"Sean knocked the feathers out of Peter. Punched him everywhere except the roof of his mouth and the soles of his feet, as I heard it. Brought him down into the mud and stomped the face of him so that, once the men had dragged Sean off - swinging all the while - the bellows boy was out in the yard, picking teeth like flowers."

Another memorable quote from Nance on Page 261:

"Sean Lynch has been against me for long years. If I had it in for him, he'd have been pissing bees and coughing crickets long before now."

I just love the visual of picking teeth like flowers and coughing crickets. In January 2014 I wondered if Burial Rites was a one-off (based on her intense personal connection) and if Hannah Kent could throw herself with equal abandon into another novel. A few years on and she's answered my question without doubt. The Good People is just as descriptive and emotive as her award winning debut, I just didn't find the actual story as engaging or all-encompassing.

Recommended for readers of historical fiction.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

P.S. Reading The Good People better prepared me to understand several episodes in the TV series Outlander, which dealt with faeries and changelings. Without this historical novel under my belt, I wouldn't have understood half of what was going on.

Guest Post by Bram Connolly, author of The Fighting Season about reading and military fiction

Author Bram Connolly

Today's guest post is from Bram Connolly, author of The Fighting Season where he takes the reader deep into an authentic world of high-intensity combat few have experienced. Having served in the Australian Army for 20 years, he knows firsthand about war, mateship, violence and survival.

Here Bram Connolly explores how the realities of war are portrayed in books, the nature of military fiction, and how reading gave him a tactical advantage. Over to you Bram.

The very first book I can remember being given to read was Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott. Written in 1820, this book sparked my interest in early British history. Thinking back, it was also when I realised that an author could take a reader on a journey. The images that played out in my head had been conveyed by someone in a different place and time. This concept of time travel for the reader forms the basis of how I write now.

It would be safe to say that English was the only subject I took seriously at school. There were some great books on the reading list: Animal Farm and 1984 (George Orwell), The Call of the Wild (Jack London), and All Quiet on the Western Front (Erich Maria Remarque). The fact that I still joined the Army after reading All Quiet on the Western Front proves that its brutal lessons were lost on me. I came to understand the realities of war some twenty years later.

In my last few years in the military, the operational tempo increased. The imperative was for me to read books that directly supported my main goal: winning on the battlefield and bringing my soldiers home. The following books were crucial in my development as a Special Forces officer.

1. The Other Side of the Mountain: Mujahedeen Tactics in the Soviet-Afghan War by Lester W. Grau 

This is mandatory reading because history does repeat. Understanding how the Mujahedeen operated and learning about what the Russians endured was crucial in knowing how the Taliban would respond to us being there too. Grau has written over a hundred academic papers and his research was thorough and probing. It’s safe to say that this book gave me an advantage tactically on the battlefield.

2. On Killing and On Combat by LTCOL Dave Grossman

These two books are essential reading for any leader who intends to take men in to battle. The psychology of how to kill is important to understand, but conversely the psychology of dealing with men after they have killed is crucial for their long term wellbeing. These books served as the basis for the lessons I developed to help inoculate my soldiers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Time will tell if it was effective. As a platoon we went to great lengths to ensure we discussed the events that took place on the battlefield and to contextualise the actions we had to take in order to survive.

These books have influenced how I go about my business now.

Finally, I believe there are two types of stories in the genre of military fiction. Both have their place and I am not espousing one over the other; that’s up to the reader’s taste or mood at any one time.

First, there is the escapism of well-written and well-researched second-hand accounts created in the mind of the author. This style of book is full of Hollywood explosions, complex combat scenes where everything and anything is possible and the characters are designed to be loved and loathed. Then there is authentic military fiction that brings intimate knowledge about the tactics, weapons and explosive effects and raises questions of morality. This is witnessed truth, raw and realistic. 

Given my military background coupled with my area of academic study, I see the latter style of authentic military storytelling as my responsibility. The books that I have read in the past, some that I still treasure, have been a major influence in how I now go about this.

Happy reading,

Bram Connolly

(Click here to read an excerpt of The Fighting Season).

Author Bio

Bram Connolly joined the Australian Army as a seventeen year old and rose through the ranks to retire from Special Forces as a Major in 2011. In a distinguished twenty-year career (over fifteen years in Special Forces) Bram was deployed to Somalia, East Timor (twice) and Afghanistan (twice). In 1997 Bram was selected on Australia’s first course for service as a commando. In 2002 he was selected on the first course run for domestic counter terrorism outside of the Special Air Service Regiment. He spent five years as an operator in the Tactical Assault Group and was the Officer in Charge of Selection for Special Forces before departing from service life. Bram was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for leadership in battle in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Bram Connolly is now a writer and stay-at-home dad to his two sons and recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in international relations, majoring in societies and peace studies. He lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where his wife works as a human resources executive for a global company.

Winner of The Cleanskin by Laura Bloom announced

Thanks to those who entered my international giveaway last week to win a copy of The Cleanskin by Laura Bloom. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 23rd September and the winner was drawn today. Congratulations goes to:

Veronica

Congratulations Veronica, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. If you're in Australia, you'll receive a print copy and if you live overseas, you'll receive an ebook. I'd like to thank The Author People for this prize.

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Troubles Keeper by Susan May

* Copy courtesy of the author *

Rory Fine has the ability to lift the worries and concerns of a person just by touching them. A handshake or the briefest touch can leave people feeling lighter, happier and as if their troubles have just disappeared. In fact, Rory takes those troubles and stores them away in his mental attic until he can dispose of them later. What a guy!

What do you think a man with this type of gift would do for a living? Counsellor, doctor or emergency worker springs to mind. Nope, Rory drives a bus and uses his gift to alleviate the worries and concerns of his regular passengers; and they love him for it.

One day Rory picks up a negative energy, something dark and powerful, and that's where The Troubles Keeper by Australian author Susan May really kicks off.

Reminiscent of Dean Koontz, I was far more interested in Rory than the thrilling circumstances he finds himself drawn into, and would have been happy to learn more about him and his youth given the chance. The character reminded me a little of the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz, where I'm always more fascinated by his gift than what he 'gets up to' in each book. I wanted to stop and sift through the troubles Rory takes from people and was somewhat reluctant to be pulled into a thrilling ride to pursue the owner of the dark energy.

The Troubles Keeper has a touch of everything to keep the reader entertained throughout, including elements of crime, science fiction, the paranormal and the age-old motivators of love and revenge. Recommended for fans of Dean Koontz and Stephen King.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Friday Freebie and Blog Tour for The Cleanskin by Laura Bloom

RRP $26.99 AUD

*Copy courtesy of The Author People * 

Today's Friday Freebie is part of the The Cleanskin blog tour, so be sure to check out the next stop on the tour on 18 September over at Reading, Writing and Riesling.

Blurb
I needed someone I could trust. Someone others would trust. Someone with no criminal record. With no previous involvement. A cleanskin. Someone to come over, do the job, and go home …

Some days, even Halley can’t find the person she once was. She’s changed her name and no one – least of all her husband and son – knows of her past. No one except Aidan, who turns up one day in her small Australian town and shatters the façade she’s built so carefully.

Aidan is on a mission. But why is he still taking orders from his brother in an English jail – at the cost of his own happiness?

When Aidan forces Halley to face what she’s done, what they discover not only changes their understanding of what happened back then, it changes everything now.

Laura Bloom deftly goes to the dark heart of The Troubles to explore the lingering damage wrought by sectarian conflict on communities, families and individuals. Based on real events, The Cleanskin is a story of intense human relationships with a cast of flawed and entirely believable characters.

Author Bio
It’s the people traditionally left out of the frame who interest Laura the most, as well as what happens after what would be the climax in many stories. A couple reuniting after the war, in In The Mood; a woman who has changed her name and started a new life, only to find her old life catching up with her, in The Cleanskin; what happens when you break up with the perfect person, in Choosing Zoe.

Laura grew up in Sydney and has travelled widely, including living for spells in Germany, India, the UK, and – as a baby – in New Guinea, which is where she began her love affair with the subtropics, and where she later received possibly the world’s smallest traditional tattoo.

Laura’s novels have been shortlisted for the NSW Literary Awards, the ABC Fiction Prize and the Young Australian Readers’ Awards and published in France, the US and the UK. She now lives in a small subtropical town near Byron Bay with her chosen family, including her godson and her son – who has autism. 

Giveaway
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Review: The Colouring Book of Cards and Envelopes - Nature by Rebecca Jones

RRP $14.99 AUD
Published May 2016

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

The Colouring Book of Cards and Envelopes - Nature by Rebecca Jones has got to be one of the most beautiful books I've received for review this year.

Containing 24 cards and envelopes to colour, this book is so cute I didn't want to tear out a single card from the perforated pages. Eventually I did of course, and took great care to colour one in and give it to a loved one (who enjoyed the personal touch).

Illustrated by Rebecca Jones and printed on high quality paper, each card and envelope has the illustration quality of Secret Garden that adults and youngsters will enjoy colouring. 

This little treasure is perfect for stationery lovers as well as readers and budding artists of any age who love to colour in and add that personal touch for a loved one. For those on a budget, I'd like to point out that each card (with envelope and sticker seal) costs only $0.63 cents each. What a bargain!

C'mon, you know you want one.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

Winner of The Fence by Meredith Jaffe announced

Thanks to those who entered my giveaway last week to win a copy of The Fence by Meredith Jaffe. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 9th September and the winner was drawn today. Congratulations goes to:

Amanda B

Congratulations Amanda, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. Pan Macmillan Australia will mail your book out to you and I'd like to thank them for this prize.

Carpe Librum!

Review: Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster Australia *

It's 1501 and Margaret Tudor (sister to the future Henry VIII) is our narrator in Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory.

The sisters in the title are Margaret Tudor, her younger sister Mary and her future sister-in-law Katherine of Aragon. All three sisters will become Queens in their own right - of England, Scotland and France - but it's how they get there that kept me enthralled. 

In fact, after the first page I knew this was going to be a 5 star read and was already mourning the fact it was going to end too soon for my liking.

Three Sisters, Three Queens is primarily a story of sibling rivalry, envy, greed and the pursuit of true love. The importance of delivering a male heir and subsequent miscarriages is the cause of much angst and grief for the sisters, but also competition between them. 

Secret weddings, betrayals and invasions take place and Henry VIII's overarching influence over each of the women is evident. When the women are in his favour, his attention and support is like the sun, and when he turns his back on Margaret, it almost costs her life.

I'm confident Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory will make it into my list of Top 5 Books for 2016. It's the perfect entry point for YA readers looking to dip their toe into historical fiction who may not know where to start. As well as offering a completely new perspective on the rule of Henry VIII and for me a welcome introduction to Margaret Tudor and her life in Scotland.

Incredibly accessible, the history of the early 1500s unfolds in this novel like a TV drama series, leaving me wanting to binge-watch episode after episode, or in this case, chapter after chapter. Brilliant!

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

Friday Freebie to WIN a copy of The Fence by Meredith Jaffe

RRP $32.99

* Copy courtesy of Pan Macmillan Australia *

The Fence is a quick-witted dramedy of domestic discord between two new neighbours. Click here to check out the free reading group notes and enter below for your chance to win a print copy.

Blurb
Gwen has lived on Green Valley Avenue all her adult life. Here she brought her babies home, nurtured her garden and shared life's ups and downs with her best friend and neighbour, Babs. So when Babs dies and the house next door is sold, Gwen wonders how the new family will settle into the quiet life of this cosy community.

Frankie has high hopes for the house on Green Valley Avenue. More than just a new home, it’s a clean slate for the mother who has moved her brood from Sydney's inner city to the leafy north shore street in a bid to save her marriage.

To maintain her privacy and corral her wandering children, Frankie proposes a fence between their properties, destroying Gwen’s lovingly cultivated front garden.
To Gwen, this as an act of war.

Soon the neighbours are in an escalating battle about more than just council approvals, where boundaries aren’t the only things at stake.

Author Bio
Meredith Jaffé is a writer and occasional book critic and regularly chairs panels, presents workshops and interviews fellow authors for various literary events and writers' festivals.

As a keen believer in the power of literacy, Meredith volunteers at The Footpath Library where she manages their annual EPIC! writing competition for school children. She is currently working on her next novel in between riding her horses and enjoying farm life with her family on the beautiful NSW south coast.

Giveaway
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Review: Dark Aemilia by Sally O'Reilly

Little does she know it, but author Sally O'Reilly wrote this book just for me.

Set in London during the late 1500s and the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Dark Aemilia has it all: Shakespeare, plague, sorcery, witchcraft, witty dialogue, great writing and hot sex scenes. I mean come on! Sally O'Reilly, I love you!

And the cover, oh the cover, simply stunning.

Based on a real person, Aemilia is an inspirational woman born before her time, thought to be Shakespeare's dark muse, struggling with the role of women in society and how little power they had over their destiny. She was England's first female poet, and in O'Reilly's hands she's intelligent, proud, headstrong and passionate.

Here's a great quote from Page 129:
"...all my other little aches and torments have gone. Those besetting symptoms that all of us in London must put up with: soot-wheeze, ale-runs, head-gripe, back-ache, lassitude and dread-belly - not to mention sundry scabs, carbuncles and lesions of the skin - all such ailments have vanished."

And this from Page 270:
" 'Leave this house', I say. 'Get out, you scripture-spouting, fish-cold arse-wart. Or I'll call down a curse which'll curdle the guts in your belly'. " 

Brilliant writing, richly evocative and an intelligent story, I loved and adored this novel and didn't want it to end. 

Dark Aemilia is for lovers of historical fiction, witty dialogue, Shakespeare and the darker side of London in the 16th Century. Yes please! I can't wait to see what talented author Sally O'Reilly writes for me next. A tale worthy of the Bard I'm sure.

My rating = *****

Carpe Librum!

And another quote from Page 270, because I just have to:
"I'll broil your brain in its shallow skull! Mangle your preachifying words into Bedlam babble, and corrupt your skin into a thousand worm-infested sores! I'll make you pray for Hades as a respite from your pain! And I'll twist your mind to such distraction that you'll tear off all your limbs to find relief and sanity! Do you hear me, you pox-groined, foul-nosed turd-stain?"

Review: How to Watch the Olympics - An instant initiation into every Olympic sport at Rio 2016 by David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton

RRP $24.99 AUD
Published July 2016 by
Allen & Unwin and Profile Books

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

I love everything about the Olympics and always watch as much as I physically can, with gymnastics, diving, weightlifting and synchronised swimming being some of my favourite events.

Reading How to Watch the Olympics - An instant initiation into every Olympic sport at Rio 2016 by David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton was the perfect preparation and I learned a lot about different sports that I didn't know beforehand.

Set out alphabetically by sport, this handy reference guide was informative without being overwhelming and entertaining with a light sense of humour throughout.

Some tidbits were memorable, like this one from the sport of badminton on page 76: 

"The shuttlecock may be mere cork and feathers but struck correctly it can split a watermelon in two."

While enjoying the Olympic footage, I often found myself recalling knowledge from the book: "oh, they don't have to row inside their lanes, they can row across the buoys as long as they don't interfere with anyone else" and "in synchronised swimming they can't touch the bottom of the pool, and the spectacle they put on before they dive into the water is called deckwork which isn't included in the scoring."

How to Watch the Olympics was a great companion for armchair Olympic viewers like me and I'll be sure to have it beside me in 2020 for the Tokyo Olympics.

My rating = ***1/2

Carpe Librum!

Review: Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

This review is going to be very unpopular. Lily and the Octopus seems to be the 'it' book at the moment, and many readers, bloggers and reviewers I know have fallen in love with this book. I just didn't. I might cop some flack for this but I have to be honest, I hated Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley.

The best parts were every segment of dialogue from Lily the dog. Great voice and amusing dialogue.

The reason I hated this book was because I couldn't stand Ted, the main character. I thought he was a self-absorbed, narcissistic, self-indulgent, vacuous man and I just couldn't warm to him or his plight.

And that was even before I got to the magical realism that didn't quite work and a 30 page dream sequence that had me hoping the finish would arrive soon.

I know I'm going to be in the minority of readers here, but sometimes that happens. This book wasn't for me, but I know it has made readers laugh and cry and provided enjoyment for plenty of others.

I was going to give this book 2 stars until I checked my own rating scheme. Two stars for me means not a good read, didn't really enjoy this one, whereas one star means terrible read, don't bother. I really wouldn't bother with this one and it was a terrible read for me, so one star it is.

My rating = *

Carpe Librum!

Winner of The Falls by B. Michael Radburn announced

Thanks to those who entered last week's giveaway to win a copy of The Falls by B. Michael Radburn. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 5 August and the winner was drawn today. Congratulations to:

Elias Zanbaka

Congratulations Elias, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. Pantera Press will mail your book out to you and I'd like to thank them for this prize.

Carpe Librum!

Blog Tour for Maggie's Kitchen by Caroline Beecham

Today I'm participating in the Maggie's Kitchen blog tour thanks to Allen & Unwin. I'm sharing a recipe straight from Maggie’s Kitchen by Australian author Caroline Beecham so I hope you enjoy it. Looks delicious doesn't it?

Woolton Pie Recipe
The combination of oatmeal and vegetables is what makes this dish one of the most significant from the Second World War; both foods were home-grown and both full of nutrition. Oatmeal was added to many dishes because it increased the food’s nutritional value and made it go further. The basic Woolton pie would only have contained potatoes, swedes, carrots, leeks, cauliflower or whatever was in season, but here sweet potato and broccoli are used for extra flavour, although you can use any combination of your most-loved vegetables.

Woolton Pie from Maggie’s Kitchen by
Caroline Beecham

Ingredients
450g/16oz each diced potatoes, swedes, carrots and cauliflower (or
sweet potato and broccoli)
4 spring onions, sliced
1 tsp vegetable extract (or Bovril or Oxo)
1 tbsp oatmeal
Chopped parsley
225g/8oz sliced potatoes or pastry for topping
½ cup grated cheese
Gravy (to serve)

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. 
Place vegetables, vegetable extract and oatmeal in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. Allow to cool and then place in a pie dish, sprinkle with parsley then cover with potatoes or pastry crust and cheese. Bake until topping is browned and serve with steaming hot gravy. Serves 4–6.

About the Book

Published by Allen & Unwin
RRP $29.99, available now

When the Ministry of Food urgently calls for the opening of British Restaurants to feed tired and hungry Londoners during the Second World War, Maggie Johnson is close to realising a long-held dream.

But after struggling through government red-tape and triumphantly opening its doors, Maggie's Kitchen soon encounters a most unexpected problem. Her restaurant has become so popular with London's exhausted workers, that Maggie simply can't get enough supplies to keep up with demand for food, without breaking some of the rules.

With the support of locals, and the help of twelve-year-old Robbie, a street urchin, and Janek, a Polish refugee dreaming of returning to his native land, the resourceful Maggie evades the first threats of closure from the Ministry. As she fights to keep her beloved Kitchen open, Maggie also tries desperately to reunite Robbie with his missing father, as well as manage her own family's expectations. Ultimately, she can no longer ignore the unacknowledged hopes of her own heart, and the discovery that some secrets have the power to change everything.

More Info
Find out more information about Maggie’s Kitchen follow Caroline Beecham on Twitter @CarolineBeecham

Review: Out of the Ice by Ann Turner

* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *

Out of the Ice by Australian author Ann Turner is set on a remote Antarctic Island and is a great book to read in winter huddled under the covers.

Laura Alvarado is an environmental scientist sent to make a detailed report on an abandoned whaling station where not all is as it seems.

The wildlife in this region of antarctica (whales, penguins and seals), the isolation and the freezing cold elements form a great backdrop to the novel and are well-written. The scenes that take place in the creepy and abandoned town of Fredelighavn were the highlight of the book for me, and successfully conveyed the horrors of the whaling industry and echoes of the past.

The male dominated environment of the nearby British station was captured well although I never really warmed to Laura and some of her decisions were frustrating.

Out of the Ice is being promoted as a tense and eerie thriller but I have to disagree with this categorisation. I found it to be an eerie slow burn until the last quarter of the book, when it takes a sudden turn and becomes a fast-paced crime novel. The ending was too neat and tidy for my liking and the romance unbelievable. 

One thing I will take away after reading Out of the Ice is a desire to visit Nantucket.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!

Friday Freebie to WIN a copy of Aussie thriller The Falls by B. Michael Radburn

Excerpt of my review

* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *

Last week I reviewed The Falls by B. Michael Radburn and those who saw the review will know I really enjoyed it, giving it four out of five stars.

The Falls was published this month, and as promised, you now have the opportunity to win a copy for yourself and find out first hand why I enjoyed this Aussie thriller so much.

Blurb
A week of despair... a century of evil.

Damaged but not yet broken, park ranger Taylor Bridges believes his ghosts are in the past - until a raging forest fire in an isolated canyon of The Falls lays bare the remains of a young woman… and a decade-old killing ground.

After the police enlist Taylor in their investigation, the evidence bizarrely points to a deranged preacher who reigned over The Falls a century ago.

But when a crucial witness and a policewoman disappear, it’s clear that a disciple of The Falls’ dark history is on the loose.

Author Bio
Writing from his farm in the hauntingly beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW, B. Michael Radburn's work reflects both natural and supernatural environs. Described as “Ian Rankin meets Stephen King”, Radburn is the author of three full-length novels: The Crossing, Blackwater Moon and The Falls.

Radburn loves his family, jamming out the blues and his motorcycle! He also loves giving back and inspiring others from all walk of life – his Harley Davidson chapter (Sydney HOG) works with Father Chris Riley’s Youth off the Streets program. Radburn uses these opportunities to talk to youth living rough in Sydney – offering reading and writing as “therapy” and sharing his own teenage experiences.

Giveaway
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Winner of Bad Blood by Gary Kemble announced

Thanks to those who entered last week's giveaway to win a copy of Bad Blood by Gary Kemble. Entries closed at midnight on Friday 22 July and the winner was drawn today. Congratulations go to:

Anne_MB

Congratulations Anne, you'll receive an email shortly and will have 7 days to provide me with your postal address. Echo Publishing will mail your book out to you and I'd like to thank them for this prize.

This Friday I'll be giving away a copy of The Falls by B. Michael Radburn, and you can read my review of it here.

Carpe Librum!

Review: The Falls by Australian author B. Michael Radburn

Published August 2016

* Copy courtesy of Pantera Press *

The Falls by Australian author B. Michael Radburn is the second in his Taylor Bridges series although it can easily be read as a stand alone. (The first novel in the series was The Crossing and you can see my review here).

Taylor Bridges is a Park Ranger who is drawn into a local missing persons case in country Victoria. The novel is centred around a disused mine (pictured on the cover) and some of the scenes are almost cinematic in quality. 

Radburn really knows how to write about the Australian bush, and with a deadly bushfire scorching the earth, I could almost smell the ash at the crime scene and hear the tinkle of the glass apple trees in an orchard not too far away. I also experienced a jolt of recognition at the mention of Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale and appreciated the familiar rural setting. 

Taylor makes for a refreshing protagonist and I don't know of any other author who has a Parks Ranger as their main character, but it works. My favourite character though by far was Gordo, the ex-Navy chopper pilot, and his unique expression made me smile every time I saw it on the page. (You'll have to read it to find out, no spoilers here).

Radburn mentions in the Acknowledgements section that his daughter designed the cover of The Falls and I must day she's done an amazing job. The cover has an eerie quality to complement the storyline and the shiny (spot UV) Bendigo Tool Co. logo on the back is a touch of artistic genius.

I recommend The Falls for fans of crime and mystery novels and those looking to discover more Australian authors. Readers in Victoria will enjoy it just a little more owing to the setting.

My rating = ****

Carpe Librum!

You'll have the chance to WIN your own copy of The Falls by B. Michael Radburn in a giveaway here on Friday 29 July 2016.

Review: The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine

RRP AUD $29.99
Published 22 June 2016

* Copy courtesy of Allen & Unwin *

When a novel includes a crumbling estate, an inheritance, a mystery and a dark secret then I've got to read it and The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine has it all.

Set in Scotland, the landscape is truly the main character in this novel. It's wild and atmospheric and you can almost feel the wind in your hair, lick the salt spray from your lips and hear the squawk of the birds in the air. 

Unfolding in dual time frames, we learn the present story from Hetty Deveraux (2010) and the past from Beatrice in the early 1900s.

I preferred the chapters from Beatrice's point of view, as I found Hetty to be a real push over. I was often frustrated by her actions and was desperate for her to make a stand but it works for the novel.

The mystery unfolded at a steady pace, but it wasn't a big surprise at the end. I would have preferred a little less focus on Blake's artwork and less about his passion for bird collecting, but all in all, The House Between Tides is a solid debut for Sarah Maine. 

Readers who enjoy Kate Morton's novels will feel at home with Sarah Maine.

My rating = ***

Carpe Librum!