Candice Fox Archives

Book review: 2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox

March 17, 20253 min read

2 Sisters Murder Investigations by James Patterson and Candice Fox is the second in the series featuring lawyer turned investigator Rhonda Bird and her (now) sixteen year old half-sister Barbara (Baby). It’s been over three years between books and though I did enjoy the first, I liked this more. I was very drawn to Baby’s character in the first book but here Rhonda plays a more pivotal role. I should also mention that there are fewer (barely any) references to Rhonda’s weight… which bothered me (and other readers) in the first book.

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Book review: High Wire by Candice Fox

September 23, 20242 min read

It occurred to me when reading High Wire by Candice Fox that the Aussie author has moved more into the thriller territory with her standalones. They’re less about the mystery (the who or why) and more action-packed edge-of-your-seat stuff. I was unsure how I felt about that as I very much enjoyed Fox’s earlier character-driven series. I needn’t have worried however as she’s still able to deliver on the character development front, it’s just that they’re underpinned by a race against time and the inevitable, rather than Ah-ha! moments.

And though I think of myself as less of a thriller-fan, here I was gripped. We know who the baddies are and learn fairly quickly about their agenda, but Fox manages to keep some secrets from readers and (as we’ve come to expect from her) is somewhat callously irreverent with readers’ fragile hearts and allegiances.

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Book review: The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

February 24, 20243 min read

The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox is a sequel to the 2019 collaboration, The Inn. I really enjoyed that book and loved the characters in particular. It was slated as a standalone but I said I hoped there were more and…. ask and you shall receive. Though not always obvs.

And I loved this sequel just as much. I literally lapped it up, having returned home from a several-day work trip, I ran a bath and dove right in. To the book, not the bath (into which I stepped carefully).

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Book review: Fire With Fire by Candice Fox

February 12, 20233 min read

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Aussie writer Candice Fox. Her series (Eden Archer; Crimson Lake; and Harriet Blue) gave us some quirky, often-annoying, but endearing characters I’ll long remember. I enjoyed her 2022 release The Chase but struggled a bit as we were given a number of leads and I didn’t connect as much as usual and my attention (and affection) was diluted. I was pretty much alone in my thinking though as the book won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction.

Fox’s latest, Fire With Fire, delivers on multiple fronts and she’s introduced some fabulous characters I very much hope to meet again. Fox is a great storyteller but I believe the magic in her work comes through the characters she creates and manages to humanise within such a short amount of time… building on that with each outing and offering them a story arc that doesn’t necessarily involve growth and evolution but rather everything from redemption to revenge.

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Book review: 2 Sisters Detective Agency by James Patterson and Candice Fox

October 1, 20213 min read

2 Sisters Detective Agency by James Patterson and Candice Fox is the sixth collaboration between the prolific US author and Aussie crime fiction writer Fox. I very much enjoyed their Harriet Blue detective series as well as The Inn, which I’d hoped may become part of a series as I liked some of the characters it introduced.

I always wonder how they manage the paired writing (though a friend and I are attempting to also do just that) but most of the books reflect both styles… Patterson’s short sharp chapters that keep you turning the pages, and Fox’s eccentric characters and smart blunt prose.

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Book review: The Chase by Candice Fox

April 19, 20214 min read

I adore Candice Fox’s writing and am a huge fan of her many series and two standalones (The Inn and Gathering Dark – both of which may, of course, still become part of a series). Fox manages to create eccentric, weird or even slightly sociopathic characters that are eminently likeable. Protagonists AND antagonists we come to care for deeply. She has a natural yarn-spinning ability. I’ve seen her speak at events and met her so I know she’s quick-witted and kinda irreverent and this is reflected in her writing.

I’ve had her latest release, The Chase, for a while but held off on reading it as I’m participating in a blogging tour that kicks off today. With yours truly. My brother visited at Easter so I kindly let him have a shot at this book first and he read it in a day and really enjoyed it. And I’ve seen nothing but good reviews, which bodes well for Fox’s latest.

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Book review: Gathering Dark by Candice Fox

March 30, 20203 min read

I’m always sad when Candice Fox ends a series, but I should know I don’t need to wallow for long as she’s always back with the next big thing. I wasn’t entirely ready for her Crimson Lake series to be over (and perhaps it isn’t?!) but I was able to take solace in the fact she was working on something new. I note this isn’t officially called number 1 (#1) but I’m crossing several limbs it is as I really liked the characters she introduces here.

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Book review: The Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

July 29, 20194 min read

The blurb for this bills it as a ‘standalone’ novel. However… I’d be surprised if this doesn’t become a series – assuming it’s well-received that is.

Patterson and Fox establish an excellent cast of characters (though they also kill off a few!!!) – and it feels like we’re on the precipice of getting to know some of the mysterious guests of the inn more. And I’d certainly like to do so.

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