Adult Fiction
Dreams, secrets and a murky past
29 June 2009|
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Sofi, Lena and Natalya grow up together in Soviet Russia. Sisters and cousins, their bond helps them through hardship. But they each harbour dreams and ambitions that are impossible to achieve under the communist regime. Sofi invents a ruthless and dangerous scheme which nets them enough money to travel to London and achieve their dreams. However it also nets them an enemy who threatens to ruin their newfound happiness. Is the importance of family enough to keep them together when the spectre of their past threatens to tear their lives apart? An enthralling saga; like Kate Morton, I found Gold Dust hard to put down. Kimberley Freeman is a Brisbane writer, who also writes under the name Kim Wilkins. If you like this novel, you should try Duet by the same author. Author: Kimberley Freeman Reviewed by: Phoebe |
Smugglers, spies and lies
29 June 2009|
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In The Blackstone Key, Miss Mary Finch is a young lady lacking in both money and prospects, but certainly not curiosity or intelligence. So when she receives a letter from her long estranged uncle, she jumps at the chance to escape her dreary life at a ladies school. Her journey takes an intriguing turn as she encounters a dying man who has a strange connection to her uncle. Could he be involved in smuggling arms to France? As she investigates further, she befriends Captain Holland and Mr Deprez. Each man holds a stake in the war between England and France. Mary must choose who to trust, and perhaps, who to give her heart to… Set at the turn of the eighteenth century, the attention to detail by historian Rose Melikan in her first novel makes this a compelling read. If you like your period dramas, this is a good cosy mystery to curl up with! Author: Rose Melikan Reviewed by: Phoebe |
For the child in us all…
29 June 2009|
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I read White Fang many years ago as a child and liked it a lot so I decided to revisit it as an adult and see if my perspective on this Puffin Classic had changed at all. It hadn’t. I loved it and think that Jack London is a talented writer who has managed to tell a story from over 100 years ago about a canine which contains as much truth and reality as any human struggle relevant to life today. The story centres around White Fang, the grey wolf cub born of Kiche who is half dog and half wolf, and the aging wolf One Eye. Throughout his development he discovers the harsh laws of nature in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. We learn how the environment shapes his character to become fiercely independent in his daily struggle for survival. London uses a narrative style for most of the book so you see things from White Fang’s point of view which makes for a great read. It’s a story about the bitter realities of life as well as perseverance, hope, love, nature, and redemption. Don’t be put off by some squeamish parts in the story as it is the Alaskan frontier from over 100 years ago after all. Author: Jack London Reviewed by: Kim |
Self help with a spiritual twist
26 June 2009|
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Allison DuBois is known as the inspiration for the TV show Medium. She claims to see what is on both sides – the living and the dead – and says she frequently encounters spirits of those who have passed on. As part of her life’s work, she comforts families who have lost loved ones and has helped the Police locate missing persons and find dangerous criminals. Secrets of the Monarch: What the Dead Can Teach Us about Living a Better Life draws on the similarities of the monarch butterfly, whose survival as a species depends on its predecessors’ actions several generations before, and the influence our ancestors have on us as individuals. Throughout the book, she passes on life lessons she’s learned through communicating with the dead as some aspects of life and death are leaps of faith while others are conscious choices that we can all make to better our lives and those of future generations. Dubois believes that as we already know how our story will end, we need to make the most of life each and every day to positively affect our story to make it the best tale we can and to be the best person we can. Author: Allison Dubois Reviewed by: Kim |
A kidnapping and a disappearance
25 May 2009|
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When miner Mick Prentice disappeared in the 1980s it was commonly believed that he had broken ranks with striking miners and headed for greener pastures, leaving behind a wife and young daughter. Twenty years later, Mick’s daughter must find a donor for her dying child, and finding Mick alive is her last chance. Meanwhile, a journalist on holiday in Tuscany uncovers a key piece of evidence in an unsolved kidnapping case. Gaining access to the reclusive and extremely wealthy father of the kidnapped woman, the investigative journalist has the scoop of her life. DI Karen Pirie finds herself with pieces from both cold case puzzles. McDermid, author of the Wire in the Blood series of mysteries, has produced another quality nail-biter with A Darker Domain. Author: Val McDermid Reviewed by: Rowena |
