Book Review: TRACED by Catherine Jinks

 

 

Title: TRACED

Author:  Catherine Jinks

Read: January 2025

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description (Goodreads):

 

Jane is a contact tracer. She has to call a lot of people and some of them don’t want to talk. Various reasons—tax or immigration issues, infidelity. Domestic abuse.

Jane knows all about that. She and her daughter Tara have spent years in hiding from Tara’s manipulative and terrifying ex. Now, as Jane talks to a close contact, she realises the woman on the phone is scared of the same man—and he’s close. Too close.

Suddenly the past comes slamming back into the present as Jane realises she and Tara can’t keep running forever.

One day, they’re going to be found.

My musings:

 

This book was utterly terrifying! TRACED starts with our main protagonist, Jane, a covid-19 contact tracer, calling people who have unwittingly been exposed to the virus and reminding them to isolate for 14 days until they have been declared virus-free. Nicole, her latest client, sounds absolutely terrified when she hears that her cousin has just tested covid-positive. She confides in Jane that she is scared that her fiancé, who controls her every move, will be furious that she allowed her cousin to visit, and that she is afraid for her life. At first, Jane thinks that Nicole is overreacting – but once she hears who her fiancé is, she knows that Nicole’s life truly is in danger.

 

We soon learn that Jane speaks from experience: her own daughter Tara only narrowly escaped from the clutches of her abusive, controlling ex, which involved changing her name and moving to a place he would never think to look for her. After being so very careful, Jane has once more crossed his path, and she is terrified that he will come after her and Tara.

 

TRACED was a taut domestic thriller with a constant undercurrent of danger that built tension as it raced towards its utterly terrifying finale. It was frightening and confronting to witness Jane and Tara’s well-grounded fears and their feeling of helplessness as once again the noose threatens to tighten around their necks, despite all their efforts to stay under the radar. I found Jane’s voice extremely compelling, to a point where I fervently wished death upon one particular character in the book. I was biting my nails as the inevitable showdown neared!

 

TRACED surpassed all my expectations and is my first 5-star read for the year. If you love an original, enigmatic protagonist, then Jane is the perfect character. A race against time in an atmospheric Australian setting, fighting a very real battle many women in our society face every day – which is perhaps one reason this book was so terrifying. Jinks is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more of her books in future. Highly recommended!

New favourite for 2024: HERE ONE MOMENT by Liane Moriarty

 

Title: HERE ONE MOMENT

Author:  Liane Moriarty

Read: September 2024

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: all the stars! 🌠

 

Book Description (Goodreads):

 

If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.”

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

My musings:

 

I just finished reading and had to sit quietly for a little while to collect my thoughts on this heartfelt, poignant story. The thing I LOVE about Moriarty’s books is the way she makes me care about her characters, and HERE ONE MOMENT was a prime example. At work, I caught myself wanting to discuss Sue’s terrible predicted fate, and how Paula could possibly protect little Timmy, and that of course Leo would have to give up work immediately. I remembered just in time that these were just fictional characters, even if they felt so very real to me. At this point, I also want to give credit to Caroline Lee and Geraldine Hakewill for their brilliant audio narration!

 

For a book that heavily featured death and dying, it left me feeling warm and optimistic, even if there were many themes I will undoubtedly ponder for a while. Surely everyone has at one stage contemplated their own mortality, and the things that really matter in the big scheme of things. Perhaps it is a sign of growing up or ageing (or becoming a bit wiser and wearier) that we find it easier to focus on the things that are important to us, as the sand in our hourglass is steadily making its way down the tube. I know that this theme is not new, but what would you do if you knew how long you had to live? Would you change anything? How would you want to spend the time you had left?

 

Sometimes having to keep track of a multitude of characters can dilute their emotional significance, but not so here. I just LOVED these people and found myself caring very deeply about their fate. And as in a magic trick, Moriarty takes it one step further, slowly unveiling the identity of the “death lady” and the events that have led to those fateful hours on the delayed flight. As the novel was steadily nearing the end, I found myself fervently wishing to spend more time with these characters who I felt I knew so intimately by now. To be able to elicit such strong feelings for such a large group of people is proof of the skill of Moriarty’s writing. It offers just the right selection of snapshots out of everyone’s lives that let me fill in the rest and make these fictional characters appear real. I certainly felt like I knew everyone quite intimately by the time the story concluded.

 

I’m not sure what else I can say, except that I loved everything about this book. With just the right balance between intrigue and heart, and a multitude of themes relevant to our times (across a wide range of age groups, demographics and genders) it utterly captivated my attention. I feel that my words are inadequate to describe the book’s emotional impact on me and highly recommend it to anyone who has ever contemplated their own mortality. Such a wonderful, deep and touching read, a definite favourite for me!

Book Review: CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS by Shankari Chandran

 

Title: CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS

Author:  Shankari Chandran

Read: July 2024

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description (Goodreads):

 

Welcome to Cinnamon Gardens, a home for those who are lost and the stories they treasure.

Cinnamon Gardens Nursing Home is nestled in the quiet suburb of Westgrove, Sydney – populated with residents with colourful histories, each with their own secrets, triumphs and failings. This is their safe place, an oasis of familiar delights – a beautiful garden, a busy kitchen and a bountiful recreation schedule.

But this ordinary neighbourhood is not without its prejudices. The serenity of Cinnamon Gardens is threatened by malignant forces more interested in what makes this refuge different rather than embracing the calm companionship that makes this place home to so many. As those who challenge the residents’ existence make their stand against the nursing home with devastating consequences, our characters are forced to reckon with a country divided.

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens is about family and memory, community and race, but is ultimately a love letter to story-telling and how our stories shape who we are.

My musings:

 

CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS is one of the best and most relevant books I have read so far this year! Don’t be fooled by the cosy cover and title, because this story is gritty and confronting in parts. It will touch your soul and break your heart.

Cinnamon Gardens is a nursing home, and if there is a similar place in real life, please sign me up! Started up by Sri Lankan immigrants, the place truly cares about its residents, taking not only their bodily needs but also their spiritual and cultural preferences into consideration. The food alone sounded divine, and the activities nurturing, provided by people who really care. I loved the concept so much! Exploring both the beginnings of the nursing home, going back into the early lives of its founders, as well as its current fate, was a journey I won’t soon forget.

The most difficult reviews are those of books that are so well written that my words will do them an injustice, and CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS definitely falls into that category. Chandran manages to pack a lot of content into the book’s 384 pages, all relevant in Australia today. I learned so much about Sri Lankan culture and the country’s troubled history, and reflected on parallels drawn between its colonial history and Australia. The theme of the migrant experience and racism features prominently and also offered a unique angle from the author’s family’s own experience. I loved the way Chandran brought her characters to life, they all felt very real and dear to me.

CHAI TIME AT CINNAMON GARDENS was a bookclub choice, and there was so much to discuss! As stated before, my words feel totally inadequate summing up my reading experience and the reflection it prompted. I feel that everyone living in Australia today needs to read this book! It both warmed my heart and broke it and I shed many tears over the fates of its characters. Highly recommended!

 

Book Review: TO THE RIVER by Vikki Wakefield

 

Title: TO THE RIVER

Author:  Vikki Wakefield

Read: March 2024

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

The Kelly family has always been trouble. When a fire in a remote caravan community kills nine people, including 17-year-old Sabine Kelly's mother and sister, Sabine confesses to the murders. Shortly after, she escapes custody and disappears. Recently made redundant from marriage, motherhood and her career, journalist Rachel Weirdermann has long suspected Sabine made her way back to the river-now, twelve years after the 'Caravan Murders', she has the time and the tenacity to corner a fugitive and land the story of the year.

Rachel's ambition lights the fuse leading to a brutal chain of events, and the web Sabine weaves will force Rachel to question everything she believes. Vikki Wakefield's compelling story is about class, corruption, love, loyalty, and the vindication of truth and justice. And a brave dog called Blue.

My musings:

 

After a somewhat disappointing start to my reading year, it came as a wonderful surprise to stumble across an unexpected gem, TO THE RIVER, a beautifully drawn story of resilience and justice despite disadvantage and corruption.

Sabine Kelly has been on the run from the law for 12 years after being accused of setting fire to a caravan park when she was only seventeen, killing nine people, including her own mother and sister. Journalist Rachel Weidermann has been fascinated by Sabine’s story since she first read about it and has been tirelessly investigating Sabine’s fate in the hopes of locating her and being able to write an expose’ that will save her flailing career. Through a weird twist of fate, Rachel and Sabine meet, setting a chain of events into motion that will put them both in danger.

I loved Sabine from the start, despite her murderous reputation, and my heart broke for her as we get to find out more about her childhood and years on the run. Rachel was initially a bit more difficult to warm to, but in the end she won me over as well. Wakefield writes with insight and a lot of heart, which shines through in all her characters. Each and every one of them (including Blue, the blue heeler) quickly took on shape in my head until they felt like real flesh and blood people as familiar to me as old friends. Further complimented by the backdrop of an atmospheric river and small town setting, the story soon swept me up and kept me captivated until the end, and I was sad to turn the last page and lose the connection to characters that had become very dear to me in the process of reading.

TO THE RIVER was the first book I have read by Vikki Wakefield but it won’t be my last – I just loved her writing style and the way she portrayed her characters. It’s always exciting to discover a new author to love, and I look forward to reading many more of her novels in future.

Book Review: ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID by Tracey Lien

 

Title: ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID

Author:  Tracey Lien

Publisher:  Harlequin Australia

Read: July 2022

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

 

Book Description:

 

Just let him go. These are the words Ky Tran will forever regret. The words she spoke when her parents called to ask if they should let her younger brother Denny out to celebrate his high school graduation with friends. That night, Denny—optimistic, guileless, brilliant Denny—is brutally murdered inside a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, an indifferent police force, and the worst heroin epidemic in Australian history.

Returning home to Cabramatta for the funeral, Ky learns that the police are stumped by Denny’s case: a dozen people were at Lucky 8 restaurant when Denny died, but each of the bystanders claim to have seen nothing.

Desperately hoping that understanding what happened might ease her suffocating guilt, Ky sets aside her grief and determines to track down the witnesses herself. With each encounter, she peels back another layer of the place that shaped her and Denny, exposing trauma and seeds of violence that were planted well before that fateful celebration dinner: by colonialism, by the war in Vietnam, and by the choices they’ve all made to survive.

Alternating between Ky’s voice and the perspectives of the witnesses, Tracey Lien’s extraordinary debut is at once heart-pounding and heart-rending as it probes the intricate bonds of friendship, family, and community through an unforgettable cast of characters, all connected by a devastating crime. Combining evocative family drama and gripping suspense, All That’s Left Unsaid is a profound and moving page turner, perfect for readers of Liz Moore, Brit Bennett, and Celeste Ng.

My musings:

 

ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID is one of those books that starts off as a mystery but then ends up being so much more, leaving you emotionally exhausted at the end of it. If a book haunts my thoughts long after I turned the last page, I know that it has struck some deep emotion with me somewhere.

Ky, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, returns to her childhood home in Cabramatta after the violent death of her younger brother Denny Tran, killed at a local restaurant. Even though the murder happened in front of dozens of witnesses, everyone claims not to have seen anything, and the police investigation has come to a dead end so far. Dealing with her own grief and the heartbreak Denny’s death has caused her parents, Ky starts asking questions – someone just had to have seen who killed her brother. So why is no one talking?

Even though ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID centres around a murder, it is more than just a mystery. In her debut novel, Lien explores what it’s like to be an immigrant in Australia – and to be the child of immigrant parents. It is also an exploration of grief and guilt that transcends race and culture – because parents grieving for their child speak a universal language that is understood with the heart rather than words. The mark Denny’s death left on his parents broke my heart, especially as they are trying to get answers and find justice in a culture that is foreign to them, with many barriers standing in their way. Ky, on the other hand, also has burdens only a child of immigrant parents can understand. On top of her own grief, she juggles her parents’ expectations, the role of the “good child” she was cast into, the problem solver and translator, the one that got out and made a better life for herself.

The social commentary on immigrant life in Cabramatta thirty years ago was an eye opener for me, and added a lot of depth to the mystery. I loved the way Lien included other narrators in addition to the voice of Ky, our main protagonist. One character in particular really spoke to me and made me forge a deeper emotional connection to the story than I would have otherwise done.

 

Summary:

 

In summary, dealing with the struggles of immigrant life in Australia, inter-generational trauma, grief, guilt and the way children of immigrant parents feel torn between two cultures, ALL THAT’S LEFT UNSAID was a mystery with a powerful message that really touched my heart. If you love Celeste Ng’s or Amy Tan’s books, then you should definitely read this one.

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: NO HARD FEELINGS by Genevieve Novak

 

Title: NO HARD FEELINGS

Author:  Genevieve Novak

Publisher:  HarperCollins AU

Read: May 2022

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

 

Book Description:

 

Penny can't help but compare herself to her friends. Annie is about to become a senior associate at her law firm, Bec has just got engaged, Leo is dating everyone this side of the Yarra, and Penny is just ... waiting. Waiting for Max, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, to allow her to spend the night, waiting for the promotion she was promised, waiting for her Valium to kick in. Waiting for her real life to start.

Out of excuses and sick of falling behind, Penny is determined to turn things around. She's going to make it work with Max, impress her tyrannical boss, quit seeing her useless therapist, remember to water her plants, and stop having panic attacks in the work toilets.

But soon she's back to doomscrolling on Instagram, necking bottles of Aldi's finest sauvignon blanc, and criticising herself with renewed vigour and loathing. As her goals seem further away than ever, she has to wonder: when bad habits feel so good, how do you trust what's right for you?

My musings:

 

Quite a few years have passed since I was in my late twenties, and yet I could instantly relate to Penny, Genevieve Novak’s protagonist in NO HARD FEELINGS. Penny is at that stage in her life where some of her friends have moved on, getting married, having babies or being caught up in high flying careers. None of these things have yet worked out for Penny herself, and she feels stuck, waiting for her on-again, off-again boyfriend Max to finally commit to a relationship or getting her long awaited promotion at work. Every time she thinks she is close to her goal, something goes wrong and she is thrown into despair. Is it any wonder her two best friends are losing patience with her?

Novak writes with honesty and heart and a generous dose of self-deprecating humour that made me chuckle even as Penny goes through moments of despair. There was something original and refreshing in Novak’s prose that kept me reading late into the night and stay engaged, despite being able to predict where the story was headed.

NO HARD FEELINGS is a coming-of-age story of sorts, as Penny slowly comes to grips with her own self, which she has been trying very hard to suppress in her desire to belong and live up to the expectations she has put upon herself by constantly comparing herself to others. Even though I am almost twice Penny’s age now and already had two children by the time I was twenty-seven, many of her observations still rang true, especially her desire for purpose and belonging. Let’s be honest, some of Penny’s self-doubts and insecurities will be encountered by most of us at some stage in our lives, and Novak’s observations are spot on (even though I felt like yelling at Penny in frustration at times, especially when she goes back AGAIN to her jerk of an ex-boyfriend).

 

Summary:

 

All in all, NO HARD FEELINGS was a pleasure to read and a book I may have passed by if I had not arrived on my doorstep one morning courtesy of the publisher. Thank you, it would have been a terrible shame to miss this one! I laughed, I raged and I deeply felt for Penny. To be so emotionally involved with a character is the sign of a great story, and I recommend it to women of all ages who have ever felt stuck or a bit lost in their life. A feel-good read that ticked all the boxes.

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins AU for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY by Sulari Gentill

 

Title: THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY

Author:  Sulari Gentill

Publisher:  Poisoned Pen Press

Read: May 2022

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

Book Description:

 

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquility is shattered by a woman's terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers sitting at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.

 

My musings:

 

I’m trying to decide where to start with my review of THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY, because this book is unlike anything I have ever read. If you think that Sulari Gentill broke the mould with her previous book, AFTER SHE WROTE HIM, then you will be thrilled to hear that she has done it again! The book within a book theme may not be new, but Gentill has added elements to it that were unique and clever and had me eagerly anticipating the course of action the story would take.

 

I am torn – on one hand I want to tell you all about the brilliant course this book took (call it a “twist” for lack of a better word), on the other hand I absolutely don’t want to give you any spoilers. When the moment came, I was so taken aback that I gasped loudly, waking my dog out of a deep sleep. So I am going to take the latter option and keep my mouth tightly zipped, even though I am dying to discuss it!

 

I can safely give away that the story features a book-within-a-book and correspondence from one of the author’s devout fans who is giving feedback on her novel as she is writing it. The story also contains a solid mystery that was fun to solve, so really it ticked all the boxes for me. But most of all, it was original and intriguing and made me grin a few times with that subtle Aussie humour that maybe only Aussies get, but which was refreshing and quirky.

 

Sorry folks, I am going to leave it at that! Let’s just says that THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY will appeal to readers who are looking for a mystery that transcends all the boundaries and breaks the mould of the sea of same-old books out there. When you get to the spot in the novel that I am (not) talking about, you will know, trust me! I enjoyed every minute of it and look forward to what crazy idea the author will cook up next.

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE TRICKY ART OF FORGIVENESS by Meredith Jaffe

 

Title: THE TRICKY ART OF FORGIVENESS

Author:  Meredith Jaffe

Publisher:  Harper Collins Australia

Read: April 2022

Expected publication:  out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Diana Forsyth is in the midst of planning the Big Party, a combined celebration of her husband Will's 60th and their 30th wedding anniversary. The whole family is flying in and unbeknownst to Will, Diana is planning a Big Surprise.

But then she finds a torn scrap of paper hidden inside the folds of one of his cashmere sweaters, with the words, I forgive you. And all of a sudden, Diana realises she's not the only one keeping Big Secrets.

As empty nesters who have just downsized from the family home, she and Will are supposed to be embracing a new promise of glorious freedom - not revisiting a past that Diana has worked very hard to leave behind.

A witty, poignant and insightful exploration of marriage: the choices we make - or don't make, the resentments we hold, the lies we tell and what forgiveness really means.

My musings:

 

I've always enjoyed how Jaffe explores the depths of relationships, so was immediately intrigued by the premise of a woman who discovers a mysterious note among her husband's things. The best thing about novels centring on everyday life is that you can put yourself in your characters' shoes and ask: "What would I do in that same situation?" It's perhaps a sign that the relationship is not going so well that Diane feels she can't discuss the note with her husband of thirty years, but instead lets doubts and suspicions overwhelm her. It probably also doesn't help that her husband Will is absent for most of the book, so we only get to hear from Diana’s' perspective, as she relives the highs and lows of their marriage. I usually enjoy a slow-burning, character driven story, so savoured the slow unveiling of secrets, which lay at the heart of the marriage crisis. Being set in Australia, the book was relatable to our time, even though perhaps more to the middle aged rather than the younger reader.

 

As usual, Jaffe writes with insight and heart as she compares a marriage to a landscape, with all its highs and lows, valleys and peaks. I found Diana relatable and easy to warm to, and her dilemma seemed believable. THE TRICKY ART OF FORGIVENESS contains many themes which will resonate with a variety of readers, such as grief, guilt, forgiveness, regrets, the empty nest syndrome and how the choices we make will steer our lives along one particular path. A book full of heart that prompted reflection.

 

 

 

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE MURDER RULE by Dervla McTiernan

 

Title: THE MURDER RULE

Author:  Dervla McTiernan

Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Read: February 2022

Expected publication: 4 May 2022

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

First Rule: Make them like you.

Second Rule: Make them need you.

Third Rule: Make them pay.

They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system.

They think I’m working hard to impress them.

They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row.

They're wrong. I’m going to bury him.

What attracted me to this book:

 

Dervla McTiernan’s Cormac Reilly books are one of my favourite crime series, so I was excited to hear that the author had a new stand-alone book coming out this year. I love a good legal thriller, too, so this sounded like the perfect story for me.

My musings:

 

Hannah Rokeby is a law student with her own agenda – to avenge a great injustice done to her mother before Hannah was born. Ever since she discovered her mother’s diary, Hannah has been determined to bring the perpetrator to justice. The opportunity presents itself when the Innocent Project at the University of Virginia takes on the case of Michael Dandridge, who is in prison for allegedly raping and murdering a young woman. Wrongfully incarcerated, according to the project’s founder, Professor Rob Parekh and Michael himself, who keeps proclaiming his innocence.  With ingenuity and some cunning, Hannah makes certain that she is included in the team investigating the case – but she is following her own agenda.

 

With Hannah’s thirst for revenge disclosed early in the story, I soon became invested to find out more: what, why and how? I’m usually not a great fan of diary entries as POV, but in this case they worked well to give motive to Hannah’s quest. With her background as a lawyer, the author presents us with an intriguing premise that worked well for me for the first ¾ of the book. Sadly, the last ¼ lost a lot of credibility, with many unanswered questions remaining in the end. Whilst I could understand Hannah’s motives (despite the troubled relationship she had with her mother), some of the other characters seemed to be driven by agendas that were never fully explained, and I was left feeling like I had overlooked some crucial bit of information that tied it all together. Whilst the action ramped up nicely in the final chapters, it did so at the expense of believability, both regarding the last courtroom scenes as well as character development of some of the secondary players. This may have all been excused if I had understood the prime motivations, but as I came to the end, I was scratching my head in puzzlement and flicking back to earlier chapters to see what I had missed.

 

 

Summary:

 

It’s difficult to rate a book that initially had me glued to the pages, but left me feeling disappointed with the final reveal. I still love McTiernan’s writing style but feel that the character development here was nowhere as convincing as in her Cormac Reilly series and in some parts appeared stereotypical to me (which Cormac Reilly definitely was not). One of the things I always loved about McTiernan’s previous novels was that they offered something unique in terms of characters and setting, whilst this one seemed a bit like your run of the mill American law enforcement novel. Whilst the concept of THE MURDER RULE was intriguing and it was entertaining enough, it didn’t have the same impact on me as the Cormac Reilly series and I would love to see the author return to her Irish settings or perhaps an Australian one in future.

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS by Vanessa McCausland

 

Title: THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS

Author:  Vanessa McCausland

Publisher:  HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Read: January 2022

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Sylvie is a lover of words and a collector of stories, only she has lost her own. She has no words for that night at the lighthouse when their lives changed forever. What happened to cleave her apart from her best friend and soulmate, Kase?

 

Sylvie yearns to rekindle their deep connection, so when Kase invites her to the wild Tasmanian coast to celebrate her 40th birthday, she accepts - despite the ghosts she must face.

 

Through an inscription in an old book, Sylvie and Kase discover their mothers have a history, hidden from their daughters. As they unpick what took place before they were born, they're forced to face the rift in their own friendship, and the question of whether it's ever okay to keep a secret to protect the person you love.

My musings:

 

THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS is the third book I have read by Vanessa McCausland, and I enjoyed every one of them. In her latest books, she once again creates a beautiful, atmospheric Australian setting (this time in Tasmania) and complex characters whose relationships appear authentic and moving. As with her other books, THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS touched my heart as each character has to overcome their own struggles. And like in THE LOST SUMMERS OF DRIFTWOOD, the story revolves around the themes of friendship, family secrets, grief, reinventing yourself and ultimately healing and hope.

 

Readers who love the theme of female friendships in all its complexity will be pleased with McCausland’s portrayal of Sylvie and Kase, best friends at school and soul sisters, until a tragedy tore them apart. Now, over twenty years later, the friends meet again for Kase’s 40th birthday celebrations on a small Tasmanian island near Bruny. To repair the rift that cleaved their worlds apart, they must first face up to the truth of what happened when they were just teenagers ....

 

I love the way the author portrays her female protagonists, endowing each with a rich history that makes them relatable in many ways and gives them unique, multi-layered personalities as with people you meet in real life. And whilst the author has taken a theme that is very relevant today and close to her heart, you will find no preaching or lecturing here, just a gentle tug on your conscience and your heartstrings as she takes you by the hand and leads you down the path of her story with all the tumultuous emotions connected to it. Set in three different timelines – the 1960’s, 1990’s and today, three generations of women are linked by a secret that will have far reaching effects on all of them.

 

 

Summary:

 

THE BEAUTIFUL WORDS transcends multiple genres: part mystery, part drama, there is also a light sprinkling of romance, leaving the reader with a sense of hope and light despite the dark themes explored here. McCausland is a talented storyteller who knows how to bring her characters and her settings to life with language that flows a smoothly and gently like the waves lapping against the beaches in her story, which made it a real treat to read. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary books centred around female friendships and family secrets that linger in your mind and heart long after the last page has been turned.

 

 

 

Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE WAY FROM HERE by Jane Cockram

 

Title: THE WAY FROM HERE

Author:  Jane Cockram

Publisher:  Harlequin Australia HQ

Read: January 2022

Expected publication: 2 March 2022

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

Three generations of women. Three generations worth of secrets. Will a cache of letters from beyond the grave hold the key to unravelling them all? The answer to that question lies at the heart of this addictive and atmospheric novel from the author of The House of Brides.

Growing up, the Anderson sisters could not have been more different. Susie, the wild one, had an adventurous life while Camilla— Mills—followed a safer path. When Susie suddenly dies, Mills falls apart. Until she receives a bundle of mysterious letters from her estranged sister to be read in the case of her death. Each letter instructs her to visit a place special to Susie, both to spread her ashes but also to uncover some truths Susie has long kept hidden from her family.

What attracted me to this book:

 

I love sister mysteries, and family secrets, so THE WAY FROM HERE was the perfect book for me, as it spun both themes into a suspenseful story that touched my heart.

My musings:

 

Camilla has always been the sensible, rational Anderson sister, whilst Susie was the wild, spontaneous, rebellious one. When Susie dies tragically just before her 40^th birthday, Camilla is left with just a bundle of letters from her sister, urging her to go overseas and visit places from Susie’s past that changed her life and put a distance between the sisters that Camilla could never fully explain. Intrigued, Camilla sets off to France to walk in her sister’s footsteps and solve the mystery of what happened to her that long ago summer that had such a lasting effect on Susie’s life ....

 

I loved the way Cockram portrayed Camilla and Susie’s sister relationship, a bond that seems tenuous at times and yet draws the siblings together time and time again, despite the differences in their personalities. Camilla’s quest to find out about her sister’s past was as touching as it was intriguing, and I was instantly hooked and fully invested in finding out the answers for myself. It certainly also helped that Cockram sets her story on a picturesque little French island, adding some delicious armchair travel to the mix. The more clues Camilla uncovered, the clearer it became that this was one family mystery that would go deeper than just your average misstep on a youthful backpacking adventure. We learn how all the women’s fates in the family are connected, from the sisters to their mother and grandmother, each of their decisions affecting the rest of their lives as well as future generations.

 

 

Summary:

 

THE WAY FROM HERE is a story about three generations of women bound by a secret that will have far-reaching effects on all of their lives. All relationships are wonderfully drawn, dipping into a well of emotions that touched my heart and made me connect to each character on a visceral level until I felt like a participant in the story rather than just a casual observer. Nellie, Margaret, Susie and Camilla each have unique voices that tell their side of the story as we gradually uncover the dark shadow that has lain over the family for generations. Intriguing and bittersweet, this book will appeal to readers who love a good character driven sister mystery.

 

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Australia HQ for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.