All the Reviews

Cutting the Cord, Natasha Molt

An assassin thriller with a twist CUTTING THE CORD features Amira Knox, a member of a secret terrorist group - the Authenticity Movement. Raised in the group, after being adopted by the leader as an infant, Amira and her siblings have been trained as an elite group of assassins, tasked with the elimination of affluent Europeans, identified as enemies of the movement's purpose by her father.

What you end up with in CUTTING THE CORD is a classic thriller styled novel, with an unusual premise in that this assassin is searching for meaning in her own life, increasingly aware ... Read Review

A New Name for the Colour Blue, Annette Marner

Every now and then a book sneaks into my reading pile that absolutely and utterly defies this reader's ability to describe it, the affect it had, and the experience of reading it. A NEW NAME FOR THE COLOUR BLUE was simply amazing. Beautiful, moving, haunting, fragile and deceptive: actually deceptive doesn't cut it, sneaky is better, in a good, clever and enlightening way. Incredibly sneaky in the way it weaves a tale of domestic violence, of control and expectation, grief, abandonment, and the pain of growing up and away from family; into the slide into acceptance of the past and how ... Read Review

Death of an Agent, David McGill

DEATH OF AN AGENT is the fourth "kiwi spy story" featuring ex-detective / spycatcher Dan Delaney. Historical crime fiction, based on real-life events this is a series that's been getting better and better, with this outing pleasingly comical in some places, as well as a rip-roaring yarn into the bargain.

Set in 1965, Ru Patterson, NZ's leading broadcaster is organising a protest against US President Johnson's envoy - Henry Cabot Lodge - to pressure New Zealand to send troops, whilst around him, the anti-Vietnam war protests are expanding. When Patterson is found ... Read Review

The Other Passenger, Louise Candlish

Wanting what others have fast becomes a fatal obsession in The Other Passenger.  Whether that be your job, your house, your bank balance or your relationships, perhaps there is always someone in your circle of friends and acquaintances who feels that for you in particular, it all came a bit too easy.

Unable to cope with the suffocating commute that is the London underground, Jamie has been instead working nine hours a day at a café not far from the Thames.  For a man in his late forties, it’s a bit of a step down from his previous corporate position, but as time goes on, ... Read Review

Maskerade, Terry Pratchett

I've said before how much I particularly love The Witches subset of the Discworld novels, and I think this is possibly my favourite of them all. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg are particularly resourceful, difficult, funny, enterprising and very determined in their desire to sort out the mess at a big city opera house, when a shadowy Phantom figure is killing people and frightening the living daylights out of many others. They are aided in their quest by a famous opera singer who is well sick of foreign food for reasons that aren't known to many - except the enquiring mind of Nanny ... Read Review

See You At the Toxteth, Peter Corris

It is more than fitting that the final word from Peter Corris would be curated by his wife, and long-time editor, Jean Bedford. The chosen short stories are perfect examples of his work, and the 'ABC Of Crime Writing' is every bit as insightful, acerbic, funny and thought-provoking as you'd want it to be. The columns from Newtown Review of Books are the icing on the very satisfying cake that is SEE YOU AT THE TOXTETH.

Those of us who were lucky enough to be around when Corris first started writing the Cliff Hardy novels will remember many of the original collections from ... Read Review

Dead Man Singing, Frances Housden

As the blurb puts it - could a rock-star's first big hit have predicted his death? First in what looks like it's going to be a series DEAD MAN SINGING introduces Detective Joni Johns and private investigator Frankie Buchanan who find themselves investigating the death of rock star Jim Munro. Johns because it's her job and Buchanan when he's hired by the members of Munro's band - We Own the Night. Only problem is that Johns is the person responsible for ending Buchanan's police career, so needless to say there's a bit of tension there.

Given the reference to the first big ... Read Review

Fauna, Donna Mazza

In the near future, a child is created using the DNA of three parents; mother Stacey, father Isaac, and a long deceased ancestor of mankind.  This child will not be able to hold a passport, live a normal life, or even be issued with a birth certificate.  She is Fauna.

Stacey and Isaac, a young Western Australian couple, prepare to embark upon the perilous journey into parenthood for the fourth time.  They have agreed to partner up with LifeBlood, a clinical research company that offers financial incentives for parents to create and nurture a genetically modified child.  ... Read Review

The Safe Place, Anna Downes

The London life of a young actor can be one of flopped auditions, money scrounging, crummy rentals and the occasional spot of couch surfing. Emily Proudman has just lost her day job as well as her agent, so at this point is absolutely open to all opportunities that could save her from yet another begging phone call to her parents. The Safe Place is a reminder that when an offer appears  too good to be true, it requires closer scrutiny.

Bang in the nick of time Emily receives an enticing proposition from her former boss, the gorgeous multi-millionaire Scott Denny, that may ... Read Review