A Woman of Intelligence

Karin Tanabe 

Book blurb… 

An exhilarating tale of one remarkable woman’s journey to find her purpose, and herself, in post-war America. Hailed as ‘whip smart’ by Australian Women’s Weekly.

New York, 1954. A Fifth Avenue address, parties at the Plaza, two healthy sons and the ideal husband: what looks like a perfect life for Katharina Edgeworth is anything but.

As a single girl in 1940s Manhattan, Katharina was a translator at the newly formed United Nations, devoting her days to her work and the promise of world peace – and her nights to cocktails and the promise of a good time.

Now the wife of a beloved pediatric surgeon and heir to a shipping fortune, Katharina is trapped in a gilded cage, desperate to escape the constraints of domesticity. So when she is approached by the FBI and asked to join their ranks as an informant, Katharina seizes the opportunity. A man from her past has become a high-level Soviet spy, but no one has been able to infiltrate his circle.

Enter Katharina, the perfect woman for the job.

Navigating the demands of the FBI and the secrets of the KGB, she becomes enthralled by her secret mission. But as those closest to her lose their covers, and their lives, Katharina’s secret soon threatens to ruin her.

My thoughts…

Stories with strong women are my go-to but I have high expectations that the characters are real and not cliches. This novel hit the right notes. A good blend of soft and hard, good and bad. Great read.

This review is also published on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5142160120

The Butterfly Collector

Tea Cooper 

Book blurb… 

What connects a botanical illustration of a butterfly with a missing baby and an enigma fifty years in the making? A twisty historical mystery from a bestselling Australian author.

1868 Morpeth Theodora Breckenridge, still in mourning after the loss of her parents and brother at sea, is more interested in working quietly on her art at the family’s country estate than she is finding a husband in Sydney society, even if her elder sister Florence has other ideas. Theodora seeks to emulate prestigious nature illustrators, the Scott sisters, who lived nearby, so she cannot believe her luck when she discovers a butterfly never before sighted in Australia. With the help of Clarrie, her maid, and her beautiful illustrations, she is poised to make a natural science discovery that will put her name on the map. Then Clarrie’s new-born son goes missing and everything changes.

1922 Sydney When would-be correspondent Verity Binks is sent an anonymous parcel containing a spectacular butterfly costume and an invitation to the Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball on the same day she loses her job at The Arrow, she is both baffled and determined to go. Her late grandfather Sid, an esteemed newspaperman, would expect no less of her. At the ball, she lands a juicy commission to write the history of the Treadwell Foundation – an institution that supports disgraced young women and their babies. But as she begins to dig, her investigation quickly leads her to an increasingly dark and complex mystery, a mystery fifty years in the making. Can she solve it? And will anyone believe her if she does?  

My thoughts…

I am a lover of Tea Cooper’s books and she’s done it again. Fantastic conceptualisation and characters to support her sublime storytelling style. 

The way the author entwines elements of nature through her stories is what captivates me. The historical side of all of the author’s stories are very well researched and blended with fiction in a way that the reader becomes a part of the character’s journey.

Not much more to say other than to sing the praises of Tea Cooper.

This review is also published on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5142148009

Next in Line (William Warwick, #5)

Jeffrey Archer

Book blurb…

International bestseller Jeffrey Archer returns

*Special Collector’s Edition with foiled design on the cover board, exclusive to the first print run while stocks last*

THE UNPUTDOWNABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER

‘Only someone like Jeffrey Archer . . . could have written a compelling story like this. Every page bristles with suspense and the ending comes at you with the force of a tank round’ DAVID BALDACCI

London, 1988. Royal fever sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the ‘people’s princess’.

Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite Royalty Protection Command, and its commanding officer. Entrusted with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply have to be the best. A weak link could spell disaster.

Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive – and unique – responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the security of the country – and the Crown – in its sights. The only question is which target is next in line…

Over My Dead Body hit #4 in the Sunday Times bestselling charts on 4th June 2022.  

My thoughts…    

This story was enjoyable and a good read, however the placement of the Royal Family seemed strategic. I felt like it was cashing in on The Crown’s (TV) success.  

I thought it was going to be about Diana, but soon discovered the plot line to be parallel to another, more crime based.

Saying that, I still enjoyed the plot and relationships between the characters as well as the challenges they faced.

Jeffrey Archer fans will certainly enjoy the story.

This review is also published on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5142136215

Retribution

Sarah Barrie

Book blurb… 

Once a vigilante, now a cop … but Lexi Winter still plays by her own rules. A fast-paced, suspenseful thriller for readers of Candice Fox and Sarah Bailey.

Ace hacker, ex-prostitute, Jack Daniels drinker and part-time vigilante Lexi Winter is now working with the police, with a new enemy in her sights and an old foe on her mind.

Most probationary constables would baulk at chasing a drug dealer into a train tunnel in the dead of night – not Lexi. But when she emerges, injured but alive, to face the wrath of her boss it’s clear that while Lexi may now be in uniform, she has as much trouble with authority as ever. Just to prove it, Lexi is quietly using her hacking skills to investigate a notorious drug-dealing Sydney crime family with links to her old prey, the paedophile Damon Vaughn.

As her colleague Detective Sergeant Finn Carson investigates a death on a Sydney building site that leads him to the picturesque Wondabyne train station on the Hawkesbury River, Inspector Rachael Langley oversees an enquiry that is becoming ever more complex as multiple lines of investigation seem to interweave.

What they don’t know is that Lexi is the only one who can unravel them – if only she would toe the line …

My thoughts…

This is the second Lexi Winter novel I have read and I enjoyed both stories.

I would not like to walk in Lexi’s shoes. She certainly lives a life of danger.  The structure and plotting is well done and leads a reader down a path hand in glove with the police investigation. I always feel like I’m a part of the story with a Sarah Barrie book.

Really, really, really good (and three ‘really’ ratings are rare for me!) Well done and I look forward to the next story.

This review is also published on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5142123487

Daughter of the Hunter Valley

Paula J. Beavan

Book blurb…  

Alone. Near destitute. But brave and determined. Can Maddy beat the odds to create a new home in the Hunter Valley? An exciting Australian historical debut, perfect for readers of Darry Fraser.

1831, New South Wales

Reeling from her mother’s death, Madeleine Barker-Trent arrives in the newly colonised Hunter River to find her father’s promises are nothing more than a halcyon dream. A day later, after a dubious accident, she becomes the sole owner of a thousand acres of bushland, with only three convicts and handsome overseer Daniel Coulter for company.

Determined to fulfil her family’s aspirations, Maddy refuses to return to England and braves everything the beautiful but wild Australian country can throw at her – violence, danger, the forces of nature and loneliness. But when a scandalous secret and a new arrival threaten to destroy all she’s worked for, her future looks bleak … Can Maddy persevere or should she simply admit defeat?

A captivating historical tale of one young woman’s grit and determination to carve out her place on the riverbank.

PRAISE:

‘Richly detailed, inspiring and romantic – this engrossing story of a brave young woman overcoming insurmountable odds brings to life the early years of the Hunter Valley with clarity and authenticity.’ – Tea Cooper, author of The Cartographer’s Secret  

My thoughts…

Tea Cooper describes this story as engrossing and I could not agree more.

Maddie is indeed a woman of substance and strength who demonstrates what is needed to survive in the harsh early days in the Hunter Valley.  She is strong-willed, brave and vulnerable at the same time. Exactly what I enjoy about novels with a strong woman at its heart.

The best thing to happen to Maddie is Daniel, a man who stands by her side even though he does not have to.

Do they fall in love? Is the ending satisfying?  I highly recommend you read their story.

Looking forward to the next book by this author.

This review is also published on https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4975426177

Take Your Breath Away

Linwood Barclay

Book blurb… 

A missing woman. A husband suspected.

The truth will … Take Your Breath Away. Linwood Barclay is…

‘A suspense master’ Stephen King   
‘In a class of his own’ T.M. Logan
‘One of the finest thriller writers in the world’ Mark Billingham

It’s always the husband, isn’t it?

One weekend, while Andrew Mason was on a fishing trip, his wife, Brie, vanished without a trace. Most people assumed Andy had got away with murder, but the police couldn’t build a strong case against him. For a while, Andy hit rock bottom – he drank too much, was abandoned by his friends, nearly lost his business and became a pariah in the place he had once called home.

Now, six years later, Andy has put his life back together. He’s sold the house he shared with Brie and moved away for a fresh start. When he hears his old house has been bulldozed and a new house built in its place, he’s not bothered. He’s settled with a new partner, Jayne, and life is good.

But Andy’s peaceful world is about to shatter. One day, a woman shows up at his old address, screaming, ‘Where’s my house? What’s happened to my house?’ And then, just as suddenly as she appeared, the woman – who bears a striking resemblance to Brie – is gone. The police are notified and old questions – and dark suspicions – resurface.

Could Brie really be alive after all these years? If so, where has she been? It soon becomes clear that Andy’s future, and the lives of those closest to him, depends on discovering what the hell is going on. The trick will be whether he can stay alive long enough to unearth the answers…   

My Thoughts…

This story was fantastic and plotted to perfection.  

I thought I had the storyline sorted but I was so wrong!!!!  (Bonus stars for doing that, Linwood Barclay.)

I love a story that has me constantly guessing, and the level of suspense in this novel is truly breathtaking.

Did he kill her?  Is she still alive? 

If he didn’t do it, who did and why is she back if he killed her?  See what I mean? So may questions.

This was a great story and brilliant storytelling.

This review is also published on https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5142089046

The Perfect Family

by Robyn Harding

Book blurb…  

‘A roller-coaster ride … For fans of Celeste Ng, Gillian Flynn and Liane Moriarty.’ Booklist (starred review)

The bestselling author of The Party explores what happens when a seemingly perfect family is pushed to the edge by cruel, vindictive and increasingly dangerous attacks.

Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family. Affluent and attractive, with two well-mannered kids almost out of the nest, they live in a beautiful house in a well-to-do neighbourhood. Their jobs are fulfilling; their children are thriving; the world is their oyster.

Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers, but no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret – kept not only from the outside world but from each other.

As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their ‘perfect’ façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it.

‘Robyn Harding is at her twisty, devious best … A propulsive, constantly surprising read that both entertains and chills.’ Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

My Thoughts…

A favourite storyline for me is the slow implosion of what might seem like a perfectly happy and normal relationship/family. This novel is one such example and the storytelling is very well done. 

Structure is most important in this type of story. When and how to drop clues and information is crucial. A difficult, complicated story to tell with complicated people, but really well done. 

This story kept me reading because I found it fascinating that a family could be so secretive, when the truth would have solved all their problems. Good messaging.

This review is also published on https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5142066986

Do No Harm

by Jack Jordan

Book blurb…  

My child has been taken. And I’ve been given a choice… Kill a patient on the operating table. Or never see my son again. The man lies on the table in front of me. As a surgeon, it’s my job to save him. As a mother, I know I must kill him. You might think that I’m a monster. But there really is only one choice. I must get away with murder. Or I will never see my son again.

I’VE SAVED MANY LIVES.

WOULD YOU TRUST ME WITH YOURS?

DON’T MISS THE HEART-STOPPING THRILLER OF 2022

#DONOHARM

My Thoughts…

This story had me intrigued from the opening page.  Even though I have seen this plotline in movies, the writing compelled me to read.

This is a story about a mother that will do anything, like most mothers, to save her child.  As a surgeon, however, she is torn.

Does she save him and get away with murder?  

You will need to read this story to find out just what lengths this mother will go to.

A true page-turner.

This review is also published on https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/16377613-jeannette

Still by Matt Nable

Book blurb…

Darwin, Summer, 1963.

The humidity sat heavy and thick over the town as Senior Constable Ned Potter looked down at a body that had been dragged from the shallow marshland. He didn’t need a coroner to tell him this was a bad death. He didn’t know then that this was only the first. Or that he was about to risk everything looking for answers.

Late one night, Charlotte Clark drove the long way home, thinking about how stuck she felt, a 23-year-old housewife, married to a cowboy who wasn’t who she thought he was. The days ahead felt suffocating, living in a town where she was supposed to keep herself nice and wait for her husband to get home from the pub. Charlotte stopped the car, stepped out to breathe in the night air and looked out over the water to the tangled mangroves. She never heard a sound before the hand was around her mouth.

Both Charlotte and Ned are about to learn that the world they live in is full of secrets and that it takes courage to fight for what is right. But there are people who will do anything to protect themselves and sometimes courage is not enough to keep you safe.

STILL is an evocative, page-turning thriller from a brilliant Australian writer. If you loved THE DRY and SCRUBLANDS, you will love STILL.

My thoughts…

I did love The Dry and Scrublands. And I did enjoy Still. There are many characters in this story, and I felt real emotion for them and their situations. I sure I hoped the bad guys would get what they deserved.  I admit being surprised by some characters and their methods for getting eve.  

Ned played a great role and the author loaded him with conflict. (I am glad he found his way out of the pub. The characters in this story can sure drink! But that’s Darwin! 

As for the setting…. I loved the setting. I was there in the mid 80s and the author’s depiction of the landscape and the storms took me back.

This review is also published on Goodreads

The Last Night in London by Karen White

Book blurb…

A captivating story of friendship, love and betrayal – and finding hope in the darkness of war. For fans of The Paris Seamstress and The Pearl Thief.

London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.

London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …

My thoughts…

Combine romance with wartime London, insert a mystery from decades earlier, structure the plot over two time periods (and do it well – both time threads equally compelling) and you have powerful storytelling and real crowd pleaser.

I did find myself drawn to the earlier story thread. Not because one time period was better than the other. I just find the ‘older ways’ combined with the hardship of war more intriguing.

Overall the duel timeline worked well. I found Colin a little tiresome and a weak character.  I also felt Maddie’s backstory was not strong enough (convincing enough) to prevent the relationship from blossoming. 

All that said, it was an enjoyable, light read.

This review is also published on https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4664816812

Published by Simon and Schusterhttps://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Last-Night-In-London/Karen-White/9781761101465