Sally Hepworth’s latest novel, The Mother’s Promise, should come with a “Tissues needed” warning. I cried. More than once. Chances are you will, too. Here’s the blurb: The bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives delivers her most powerful novel yet. Alice and her daughter Zoe have been a team of two all their lives. With no family…
It’s been a while since I’ve immersed myself in some Scandi crime … what a terrific book to start with. Stefan Ahnhem is a new author to me, but he clearly has what it takes to deliver a gripping read. Two countries in the grip of winter. On the coldest day of the year, Sweden’s…
Natasha Lester’s A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald was one of my favourite reads of 2016. Her commitment to writing inspires me, so I was more than a little keen to read her next novel, Her Mother’s Secret. Here’s the blurb: 1918, England. Armistice Day should bring peace into Leonora’s life. Rather than secretly making cosmetics…
A book dealing with the modern-day experience of selfies, social media and cyber-bullying … it’s the kind of read that’s right up my alley. And Wendy James delivered the goods. With a bite. Here’s the blurb: Blogger Lizzy’s life is buzzing, happy, normal. Two gorgeous children, a handsome husband, destiny under control. For her real-life…
I’m a sucker for a good thriller, one full of false leads and an intricate plot that keeps me turning pages. So, is that what I got from Find Me by J.S. Monroe? Rosa committed suicide five years ago. But is she really gone? Because her boyfriend gets a cryptic email – apparently from Rosa….
Author Danielle Hawkins won me over with Dinner at Rose’s, and kept me with Chocolate Cake for Breakfast. Here’s the blurb of her latest novel.: On the outskirts of a small New Zealand seaside town, Lia and her friend Anna work serious hours running their restored cafe. The busy season is just around the corner,…
Due to finishing my first novel and taking up a new role as a publisher with Serenity Press, I’ve been reading more than I’ve reviewed this year. I no longer request many books from publishers, although I haven’t run out of advance copies yet. And I haven’t consistently updated Goodreads or my Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2016 links….
I’ve come to enjoy reading short stories more and more as I experiment with the form, and there was a lot for me to learn in Fine by Michelle Wright. Here’s the blurb: Fine shines a light into the quiet corners of human life. By observing the traumas, doubts and isolation of its characters, the…
I’ve heard so many good things about Rashida Murphy’s book, The Historian’s Daughter, that I had to read it for myself. Here’s the blurb: In an old house with ‘too many windows and women’, high in the Indian hills, young Hannah lives with her older sister Gloria; her two older brothers; her mother – the Magician; a colourful…
Regular readers will know how I long to visit Italy one day. For now, I have to content myself by travelling vicariously through books like Only in Naples by Katherine Wilson. Here’s the blurb: Katherine is fresh out of college when she arrives in Naples to intern at the US Consulate. There she meets handsome,…
