All the Reviews

Dark Suits and Sad Songs, Denzil Meyrick

I've been listening to the audio versions of the DCI Jim Daley series, of which this, DARK SUITS AND SAD SONGS is the 3rd outing. At this point I'd be loathe to recommend readers step into this series just anywhere as the back story to these characters, their personal trials, tribulations, affairs, rocky marriages, solid marriages, friendships, drinking problems, and the physical and psychological fall out from earlier cases, all combine to form a big part of your connection with them, and this place. Particularly with this novel, as the lead up to Daley's own boss being investigated ... Read Review

Snake Island, Ben Hobson

There is little sympathy to be found anywhere for a man who beats his wife.  Caleb Moore finds this out soon enough into his stay in prison, convicted for the assault that has finally severed his shaky marriage to Melissa. The prison staff are fine with turning a blind eye to a little lay justice, which comes in the form of visits from a local thug, Brendan Cahill.

Caleb’s father Vernon, who has not visited Caleb for the last two years, learns of the attacks and knows that the time for staying away is now over.  Much like Agamemnon petitioning Achilles for the return of ... Read Review

Last Seen Leaving, Catherine Lea

The blurb for LAST SEEN LEAVING outlines a particularly interesting concept - high-flying, New York District Attorney, with a happy personal life is struck down by a viral eye infection which renders her blind. Now running a small, suburb based law practice, her ex-fiancée is reported missing in New Zealand, and his mother receives a ransom note, and a gruesome example of the kidnapper's intent. Syd Shaeffer is contacted by Spinelli's mother which leads to her heading for New Zealand to try to find the missing man.

Now I will admit that if you sit down and think about ... Read Review

Goodwood, Holly Throsby

Small town living in 1990's Australia is big in GOODWOOD, which is interesting as this is a slow burning, confined, seemingly "small" story in the life of 17 year old Jean. She lives in Goodwood, a small town, near a bigger town, with her mother, near her grandparents, surrounded by people she knows, or is somehow related to, all of whom are known, related to somebody. It's the sort of town where you go to the bigger town to do the big shop, but the local town is where you get the essentials - and the gossip - and the support and understanding. There is so much that rings true about ... Read Review

Slugger, Martin Holmén

The final instalment in the Harry Kvist series, SLUGGER, is again, brutal, unflinching, desperate, dark, sad, demoralising, and beautiful. Just like the rest of the series, only more so.

If you're new to these 3 novels (CLINCH, DOWN FOR THE COUNT and finally SLUGGER), then this is a series that can work as a set of standalone novels, but are much better in order. Harry Kvist is, on the face of it, a violent, dark and conflicted character. Ex-boxer, standover man, out homosexual ... Read Review

Flamekeeper, TW Lawless

FLAMEKEEPER is the 5th book in the Peter Clancy series, and the first not to be set around the mean streets of Melbourne, within the context of The Truth Newspaper. A real-life sensationalist weekly paper that liked nothing better than personal scandal and a spot of stirring of the pot (some of us are likely to still remember The Truth - it folded from memory around 1995).

Clancy, and his mate Stella Reimers, are good old fashioned newspaper hacks, although Reimers has risen to the lofty heights of news editor of her hometown newspaper, the San Francisco Daily, which sees ... Read Review

Why Neville Shot Gus, David Owen

WHY NEVILLE SHOT GUS is a novella with author foreword and afterword, from Tasmanian based author, David Owen, best known for his series of crime fiction novels featuring DI 'Pufferfish' Franz Heineken. 

The foreword explains how this project came to be:

Tell it like it is (was).

In the year 1999 I accepted an invitation to edit Tasmania's prestigious quarterly literary magazine Island. I supplemented its part-time salary through various means, one being teaching creative fiction writing as an Adult

... Read Review

The Perfect Wife, JP Delaney

Upon awakening in what she first thinks is a hospital bed, Abbie’s immediate thoughts are of her husband and young child.  Abbie knows that there has been a terrible accident. The memories that Abbie brings forth though are not recent ones, as it has been five years since the car crash which resulted in a death. That death was her own, and Abbie’s memories of before are in fact the result of an upload. 

It takes time for fragments of Abbie’s life as a wife and mother to begin to trickle back into her (re-created) mind.  Abbie’s newly created physical self is mostly like ... Read Review

Qubyte, Cat Connor

QUBYTE is the 10th in the "Byte" series from NZ Author Cat Connor, featuring FBI Agent Ellie Iverson. A series that probably would be best read in order, and is definitely one for readers who enjoy a spot of supernatural goings on with their crime fiction.

This is a series that I've dipped into and out of over the previous 9 books, with some of those I have read working better than others. Ellie is a strong character, with paranormal visions, she's got a good strong team around her and these books are nothing if not action packed. 

In QUBYTE the action is ... Read Review