All the Reviews

I'm not going to pretend that I didn't wonder if the dreaded "second book syndrome" would appear with Benjamin Stevenson's EVERYONE ON THIS TRAIN IS A SUSPECT.

This second novel in the series (not his body of work overall), features Ernest Cunningham, of EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE fame, a book, which to be frank never really felt like it was going to leave the possibility of a follow up in its wake. Shortage of people after the accelerated body count being part of the problem, the other being the enclosed space cleverness which felt like it would be a more ... Read review

Set in France in the aftermath of the First World War, THE GREAT SWINDLE is loosely a crime novel, owing to the fraud perpetrated as part of the ongoing action. What it really is, is an exploration of the treatment of returned servicemen, the damage - physical and mental - that war leaves in it's wake, and the similar damage societal pressure causes.

In what turned out to be a massive book (I was reading an ebook version of it and didn't twig to the size until well into the story), Lemaitre introduces the reader to the three main characters on the battlefront - in an apt ... Read review

The collection of cases covered by Emily Webb's SUBURBAN TRUE CRIME go back to the 1940's, through to more recent times, covering a wide range of different murders and disappearances that have occurred in Australian suburban locations.

In the author acknowledgement at the front of the book she provides some context for this collection:

It's been several years since my books MURDER IN SUBURBIA and SUBURBAN NIGHTMARE were published in 2013 and 2016 respectively.

SUBURBAN TRUE CRIME features some cases that were included in

... Read review

I'm behind with this series, and heartily confused about the order in which to read them. But this fortuitous find in a neglected stack of purchased books, is blurbed as the "long-awaited sequel to 1222". Which I did really enjoy. It's also listed as the 9th Hanne Wilhelmsen novel, but I do remember at the time that I read 1222 (the 8th) it was the only one in translation I could get. Or something.

OFFLINE is an interesting undertaking for a number of reasons. Written after the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway, the car bomb in Oslo, then the shooting of 69, mostly young ... Read review

The second in this YA / Kids series from New Zealand writer, Helen Vivienne Fletcher, CURSES AND COUSINS follows on pretty closely from the earlier book, FAMILIARS AND FOES. Closely enough that it would probably be a good idea for kids to read both books in order, just so they have a feel for Adeline, Coco and Hemi. 

Listing the characters in that order is on purpose - Adeline and Coco were a closely knit unit before Hemi and Adeline became partners in the first novel, expectant parents in this one. Coco, an assistance dog, has been with Adeline and through a lot of stuff ... Read review

Fiona Sussman’s fifth novel pieces together a suspicious death, a fatal illness and erratic behaviour within a group of lifelong friends.

Full review at: Newtown Review of BooksRead review

To be short and precise, I found this book absolutely fascinating. Insightful, informative, and clear eyed. Mandatory reading for anyone trying to work out what the hell is going on in this world.Read review

I've had this book in the queues for such a long time, one to dip in and out of at those moments when a bit of amusement was required, I thought. Until the day I wasn't dipping, and couldn't put it down.

Told very much in his own voice (I think there was a ghostwriter involved / not sure), this is a rollicking roam through the life, times, trials, triumphs and tribulations of the (to my ears at least) greatest band ever. Full of very funny one-liners and some utterly brutal honesty about a life that's been lived to the edges always.

There's plenty here for ... Read review

ECHO LAKE is the debut thriller from screenwriter, producer and author Joan Sauers. Set in the sleepy, scenic vista of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Rose McHugh has just moved to the area, as a result of a tumultuous divorce. This is an area she loved to visit when younger, and the little, slightly wonky cottage she's bought is just the sort of picturesque scene that she can imagine living out her days in, her faithful canine by her side.

The cover of this book has a few clues about the styling here - with one quote referring to it is a compulsive cosy, ... Read review