Book Review: THE ROME AFFAIR by Karen Swan

 

Title: THE ROME AFFAIR

Author:  Karen Swan

Read: June 2021

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

Book Description:

 

1974 and Elena Damiani lives a gilded life. Born to wealth and a noted beauty, no door is closed to her, no man can resist her. At twenty-six, she is already onto her third husband when she meets her love match. But he is the one man she can never have, and all the beauty and money in the world can't change it.

2017 and Francesca Hackett is living la dolce vita in Rome, leading tourist groups around the Eternal City and forgetting the ghosts she left behind in London. When she finds a stolen designer handbag in her dustbin and returns it, she is brought into the orbit of her grand neighbour who lives across the piazza - famed socialite Viscontessa Elena dei Damiani Pignatelli della Mirandola. Though the purse is stolen, Elena greets the return of the bag with exultation for it contains an unopened letter written by her husband on his deathbed, twelve years earlier.

Mutually intrigued by each other, the two women agree to collaborate on a project, with Cesca interviewing Elena for her memoirs. As summer unfurls, Elena tells her sensational stories, leaving Cesca in her thrall. But when a priceless diamond ring found in an ancient tunnel below the city streets is ascribed to Elena, Cesca begins to suspect a shocking secret at the heart of Elena's life.

 

My musings:

 

THE ROME AFFAIR was another bit of wonderful escapism through the pen of Karen Swan, a new go-to author for me when the travel bug strikes. And what could be better than exploring the “eternal city” through the eyes of a rich cast of characters who are all full of life – and secrets!

 

I have come to value Swan’s ability to conjure up locations with a sense of time and place that instantly transports the reader into another world. As a former fashion journalist, Swan is familiar with the glitz and glamour (as well as the dark side) of Europe’s rich and elite, which she pens in rich and varied detail. Elena, the “principessa” living in her spacious Roman palazzo was a truly intriguing character to get close to – even more so because she had so much to hide!

 

Swan’s stories are always multi-layered. There is romance, yes, but it’s so much more. A young, enigmatic heroine who is hired by the rich countess to write her biography – and unearth an old family mystery. A city where secrets are buried, where underground passages lead to unpalatable truths, where gilded facades may hide ugly realities. But also a city full of joy, of love, of life. And of course there is the Italian heartthrob whose smouldering dark eyes will make one character (and the reader) swoon.

 

Swan strikes the perfect balance with THE ROME AFFAIR, delivering escapism spiced with mystery and intrigue and plenty of food for thought and reflection. Each character is so richly drawn that the story rolled out almost movie like in front of my eyes, evoking the sight, sounds and smells of Italy. This is armchair travel at its best! I was thoroughly intrigued by the truths young Cesca discovers about her employer, and the tragedies that lay behind the rich facades of the city’s most prominent houses. It was one of those rare dual timeline books where both stories were equally compelling to me, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

 

If you enjoy great armchair travel and also want some pleasant escapism that still offers a rich and intriguing storyline, then I highly recommend picking up THE ROME AFFAIR.

Book Review: CONSOLATION by Gary Disher

 

Title: CONSOLATION

Author:  Gary Disher

Publisher:  Serpent’s Tail

Read: June 2021

Expected publication: out now

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

 

Book Description:

 

Winter in Tiverton.

Constable Paul Hirschhausen has a snowdropper on his patch. Someone is stealing women’s underwear, and Hirsch knows enough about that kind of crime—how it can escalate—not to take it lightly.

But the more immediate concerns are a call from the high school, a teacher worried about a student who may be in danger at home. Another call, a different school: a man enraged about the principal’s treatment of his daughter.

A little girl in harm’s way and an elderly woman in danger. An absent father who isn’t where he’s supposed to be; another who flees to the back country armed with a rifle. Families under pressure. And the cold, seeping feeling that something is very, very wrong.

 

My musings:

 

Three things made me fall instantly in love with the Paul Hirschhausen series: 1) it’s set in rural Australia; 2) Hirsch is just such a decent, likeable cop who really cares about his community; 3) the events happening in the series are not far-fetched, twisty stories but reflect the darker side of a real-life small community (it’s all very relatable). Plus, Garry Disher is a seasoned author who knows how to spin a good yarn!

 

In the midst of a cold, South Australian winter, Constable Paul Hirschhausen (“Hirsch”) has a few problems on his hands. Someone in the community has been stealing old ladies’ knickers off their clotheslines, leaving the senior citizens of Tiverton and Redruth up in arms. On top of that, Hirsch is sent on a welfare check to a remote farmhouse to address a teacher’s concerns about one of her home-schooled pupils. And, just as he is trying to sort these issues out, a parent goes berserk at the local school, prompting pupils and teachers to barricade themselves inside the classrooms until the fracas has died down. It’s all in a day’s work for Hisch, who spends his days driving around the area to check on the vulnerable members of his community and making sure that law and order is being upheld by the rowdier ones.

 

There are many different storylines and multiple characters that drive the many threads Disher weaves together in CONSOLATION, which made for an intriguing and fast-paced read with the hallmark atmospheric setting that makes this series so compelling. Disher isn’t out to trick his readers with sleighs of hand, killer twists or red herrings galore, and yet it takes a clever armchair detective to follow all the clues and solve the mysteries in the same time as Hirsch does. I love Disher’s innate understanding of the obstacles a lone copper in a small rural town faces on a daily basis: the isolation, the weather, the fact that everyone knows everyone else’s business, just to name a few. I also appreciated the undertone of menace as evil crawls out of the cracks and makes the town an unsafe place.

 

CONSOLATION, just like its prequels, is a novel that reads like a good yarn at the local pub, catching up on all the town gossip, the speculation and the scandals. It’s both a comfort read as well as one you will be loathe to put down because of the many different mysteries Hirsch is juggling, and you really want to find out the answers.

 

Summary:

 

CONSOLATION has a little bit for everyone: crimes to solve, lots of intriguing backstories, true to life characters and the bleak, vast landscape that typifies Australian noir. I highly recommend this series to readers who love an atmospheric read told by a master of the genre and led by one of the most likeable small town cops you will ever encounter in a crime novel. I look forward to my next Hirsch-fix!

 

 

Thank you to Netgalley and Serpent's Tail for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Book Review: THE DISAPPEARING ACT by Catherine Steadman

 

Title: THE DISAPPEARING ACT

Author:  Catherine Steadman

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Australia

Read: June 2021

Expected publication: 7 June 2021

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2

 

Book Description:

 

Once a year, actors from across the globe descend on the smog and sunshine of Los Angeles for pilot season. Every cable network and studio looking to fill the rosters of their new shows enticing a fresh batch of young hopefuls, anxious, desperate and willing to do whatever it takes to make it. Careers will be made, dreams will be realized, stars will be born. And some will be snuffed out.

British star Mia Eliot has landed leading roles in costume dramas in her native country, but now it's time for Hollywood to take her to the next level. Mia flies across the Atlantic to join the hoard of talent scrambling for their big breaks. She's a fish out of water in the ruthlessly competitive and faceless world of back-to-back auditioning. Then one day she meets Emily, another actress from out of town and a kindred spirit. Emily is friendly and genuine and reassuringly doesn't seem to be taking any of it too seriously. She stands out in a conveyor-belt world of fellow auditionees. But a simple favor turns dark when Emily disappears and Mia realizes she was the last person to see her, and the woman who knocks on Mia's door the following day claiming to be her new friend isn't the woman Mia remembers at all.

All Mia has to go on is the memory of a girl she met only once . . . and the suffocating feeling that something terrible has happened. Worse still, the police don't believe her when she claims the real Emily has gone missing. So Mia is forced to risk the role of a lifetime to try to uncover the truth about Emily, a gamble that will force her to question her own sanity as the truth goes beyond anything she could ever have imagined.

 

 

 

My musings:

 

I love it when authors use their very specific background knowledge as a base for a novel because it usually makes for an intriguing, authentic insight into another world. With her acting background, Steadman allows us a glimpse into Hollywood life in her latest novel THE DISAPPEARING ACT, spicing up the story with a generous sprinkling of murder and intrigue.

 

English actress Mia is auditioning for movie roles in LA when she meets Emily, another hopeful actress from out of town. Minding Emily’s bag and car keys for her whilst she is in the studio, Mia becomes concerned when Emily fails to return to claim her possessions, and Mia’s calls to her mobile remain unanswered. Her suspicions grow when the next day, a stranger turns up on Mia’s doorstep claiming to be Emily and asking for her bag and car keys back. And so starts a story full of mystery and intrigue – who really is Emily? And what has happened to the girl Mia met at the auditions?

 

As soon as I met Mia, I immediately warmed to her. Despite her rise to fame through her movie role as Jane in Jane Eyre, she has remained refreshingly down to earth. A recent break-up with her long term partner, who has left her for another, younger woman, has left her heart broken and has shaken her self-confidence. In the dog-eat-dog world of LA, her innocence renders her as alien as a fish out of water, which is why she is instantly drawn to Emily, who is the only smiling, friendly face around. Through Mia we also get a glimpse into some of the quirks of the Hollywood scene, which I found thoroughly intriguing.

 

Once Mia starts looking into the mystery of Emily’s disappearance, things start to take on a sinister turn, putting Mia’s own life in danger. I was hooked!

 

Even though some suspension of disbelief was required to buy the whole premise of the final reveal, and even some of Mia’s actions, I found the story entertaining and intriguing until the end. Some readers may find Mia a bit naive, but I was touched by her honesty and innocence, which made her more relatable for me. A special mention must go to Steadman’s inclusion of a real-life mystery into her story, the suicide of actress Peg Entwistle, who jumped to her death from the “H” of the Hollywood sign in 1932, and whose body was discovered by a hiker a few days later. Her sad death becomes a symbol of the ruthlessness of Hollywood and has a special significance for Mia – I will say no more.

 

 

Summary:

 

In summary, THE DISAPPEARING ACT offered a fascinating insight behind the glamour of Hollywood, incorporated into an intriguing mystery. It will appeal to readers who are able to suspend disbelief for the sake of a few unexpected twists and a finale I definitely could not have predicted. I really enjoyed Steadman’s writing style and her insider glimpses into the life of an actress, which made for an authentic and compelling read.

 

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

Book Review: KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS by David Bell

 

Title: KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS

Author:  David Bell

Publisher:  Berkley Publishing Group

Read: May 2021

Expected publication: 6 July 2021

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Book Description:

 

After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There's just one problem: Connor didn't write the book.

That’s all you need to know – trust me!

My musings:

 

School, university or college settings have become new favourites in thrillers ever since reading the likes of THEY NEVER LEARN by Layne Fargo and MAGPIE LANE by Lucy Atkins. So I was instantly intrigued by the premise of Bell’s English literature professor who plagiarises the novel of one of his missing-believed-dead student. However, he may not have been so eager to embark on this fraudulent path to literary success if he had known the consequences! I will leave it at that, because the less you know, the more you will enjoy the many twists and turns in this clever novel.

 

I love books that steer you in multiple directions like an out-of-control three-wheeled racing car, screeching around blind corners as if the devil was in pursuit. Just as I thought we were on the highway to truth, we turned into yet another dark alley. I saw in hindsight how cleverly Bell has laid all his little traps, from Connor’s past history to the mystery appearance of yet another student character, who initially plays a peripheral role. Like a spider intricately weaving its web, Bell drew me in slowly and hooked me totally until I knew all the answers. And as the web tightened around Connor, the tension increased – what should he do? Admit to the plagiarism and lose his job, his reputation and the trust of his friends and colleagues, or become the suspect in a murder case? Maybe you think that this is an easy answer , because isn’t he a cheat and a liar? Well, yes, BUT ... there is so much more to the story here.

 

I’m already blabbing too much, so I will cut this short: KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS is a twisty, multi-layered mystery that will not only blindside you with each and every one of its twists and turns, but also present a true ethical dilemma or two. With an enigmatic and yet troubled lead character, Bell will take you on a journey you won’t want to exit until all is revealed. The college setting added an extra touch I very much enjoyed. Recommended to readers who love a twisty mystery with a bunch of characters who all have something to hide.

 

 

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

Book Review: INVITE ME IN by Emma Curtis

 

Title: INVITE ME IN

Author:  Emma Curtis

Publisher:  Random House UK

Read: May 2021

Expected publication: 2 September 2021

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 all the stars!

 

Book Description:

 

To those who think they know her, Eliza Curran has it all: two healthy children, a stunning home and a wealthy, adoring husband. No one would guess the reality of her life: trapped in an unhappy marriage to a controlling man, she longs for a way out. When she takes on a new tenant, her life changes unexpectedly. Dan Jones is charming and perceptive, and quickly becomes a close friend to the whole family. But Dan's arrival threatens to tip Eliza's fragile world out of balance. And when someone has as many secrets as Eliza does, the smallest slip could destroy everything.

 

My musings:

 

If I tell you that I felt furious almost the entire time whilst reading this book, then you may think that contradicts my next statement: I loved this book! It's only a very skilled author who can elicit such a strong emotional response, and I would have walked through fire for our main protagonist Eliza to free her from her overbearing, bullying, controlling bastard of a husband!

From the very first moment Dan and Eliza meet and he cheekily introduces himself as her future tenant in the newly renovated flat she is renting out, we hear that Eliza is deeply unhappy. After ten years of living with a man who watches her every move and is emotionally abusive, she is desperate to leave her marriage. But her husband Martin holds some type of power over her, and she is trapped. Is it any wonder then that she would easily be charmed by her handsome, easygoing new tenant?

It's at this point that any similarities between INVITE ME IN and other likeminded domestic suspense stories end. As Eliza's trap tightens and she is becoming ever more desperate, lonely and isolated, I would have willingly finished off her nasty husband myself. Again, it's only a very skilled author who knows how to release her readers' inner psychopaths ;) And of course it's not as straightforward as that ...

When the twist came, I was and I wasn't surprised. I knew that the author would wait for an opportune moment to pounce and send her readers into a tailspin. But I had no idea how evil and twisted this plot development would turn out to be!

I'm not going to give anything else away. It's best to enter this story blind and let yourself get swept away in its emotional maelstrom. INVITE ME IN is that rarest kind of thriller- one that both chills with a constant sense of menace and danger and also blindsides you completely. I enjoyed every minute of it and read it in almost one sitting because I couldn't tear myself away. It will easily make it onto my favourites list this year and I highly recommend it to readers who may have become a bit jaded by the predictability of the domestic noir genre. As each dysfunctional character stumbled towards the inevitable finale, there was nothing predictable or formulaic in this story. Well done Emma Curtis!

 

 

 

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