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Allen & Unwin AU

Book review: Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins

Book review: Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins

3 min read

Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins is lawyer Ruth Dawson’s third rodeo. I didn’t realise that when I started reading and it wasn’t until there’s reference to her ‘reputation’ and later, the presence of a police officer known to Ruth, that I thought to look through my site and Goodreads to check. Sure enough I first met Ruth in The Bluff*.

It’s interesting this isn’t billed as part of a series like Ruth Dawson #3 or anything, although I guess it means it won’t put off those who haven’t read The Bluff and / or How To Kill A Client. And this book is easily read as a standalone. The events here are a little too close to home for Ruth as a homeless man is found dead in the grounds of an apartment building she’s just moved into.

four-stars

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Book review: A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan

Book review: A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan

2 min read

A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan is a coming of age story told from the viewpoint of 10 year old Alix, holidaying with her 15 year old sister Vanessa and parents at a beachside holiday house in New Zealand. This was a nostalgic read for me as it’s set in 1985/86 and references cassette tapes, Walkmans and Dolly magazine. It’s also quintessentially NZ/Australian in some ways as Alix describes the hot sticky weather, BBQs and her father spends much time watching the cricket.

three-half-stars

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Book review: Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald

Book review: Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald

Out in Nowhere by Fleur McDonald is the latest in the loosely linked series featuring Detective Dave Burrows. We met Constable Mia Worth in the previous book in this contemporary series (McDonald has also penned a series featuring a younger Dave Burrows) and she’s front and centre here as well. And her doggedness and sense of unease pays off ensuring a killer doesn’t get away with murders written-off as accidents.

four-stars

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Book review: The Waiting by Michael Connelly

Book review: The Waiting by Michael Connelly

The Waiting by Michael Connelly offers readers multiple bangs for their buck. Or rather, several mysteries in one book. Renee Ballard and her open-unsolved crimes team are pursuing several old crimes and in the present Renee is hand-delivered an unwanted case of her own when her gun and badge are stolen. We’re also offered two Bosches for the price of one as Harry’s daughter Maddie – a cop herself – brings an old unsolved crime to Renee’s team.

four-stars

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Book review: The Valley by Chris Hammer

Book review: The Valley by Chris Hammer

The Valley by Chris Hammer is the fourth in the Ivan Lucic / Nell Buchanan series and again the former journalist offers an investigation that becomes personal with Nell discovering a link to a murder victim. And again Hammer is able to combine a whodunnit with social commentary on the (former) logging industry and its workers clashing with environmentalists; the impact on mining as well as mother nature on their surrounds; the need to balance the environmental AND economic sustainability of small communities; also moving into ecotourism, clean energy and pumped hydro.

four-stars

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Book review: The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern

Book review: The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern

3 min read

I was taken on a walk down memory lane to my old life in international development in The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern, as our lead character is a water engineer who’s dedicated his life to providing safe drinking water in developing countries. But he’s back home in his parents old house with his visiting son when this opens and avoiding work calls and emails so seemingly on more than an extended break.

four-stars

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Book review: Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald

Book review: Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald

2 min read

Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald is the latest book in the ‘young’ Detective Dave Burrows series. He also features as a second character in a present day series and I suspect this one must be getting close to catching up to that as I note he first appeared in 2009.

Here his mentor and boss Bob has been undergoing cancer treatment and is off work. Despite that (and because Bob is bored) Dave involves him on a work trip checking stock but enroute they get waylaid after hearing about an explosion at council offices.

three-half-stars

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Book review: Glenrock by Lee Christine

Book review: Glenrock by Lee Christine

I was initially disappointed that Glenrock by Lee Christine wasn’t going to feature some of the characters from her earlier work but very much enjoyed those she introduced here and now hope to see / meet them again. She introduces a few plot linesĀ  – something that sometimes frustrates me if they ultimately connect in a very nebulous way, but that’s not the case here. She offers two or three distinct storylines that are all connected and merge in a way that isn’t contrived or coincidental. Rather there’s an obvious causal relationship that effortlessly (and tragically) plays out.

four-stars

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