In Double Madness, Caroline de Costa’s debut crime novel, an undercurrent of danger runs through a Far North Queensland setting already heavy with humidity and stifling secrets. One for crime fiction lovers who prefer their stories edgy, the novel is a solid debut that takes readers into the sordid underbelly of psycho-sexual depravity, from blackmail to murder, from cheating to fetishes. When…
Double act author A J Rich (Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment) build on themes introduced in the classic 18th-century French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, also known as Dangerous Liaisons. I’ve seen the 1988 film version and the play – both are fascinating – so I had high hopes for The Hand That Feeds…
Lyrical prose and rich description sets apart Naked: A Novel of Lady Godiva as an historical novel of note. Eliza Redgold’s distinctive writing style paints a stunning portrait of Lady Godiva, a woman who rose above the challenges and restrictions of her time to defend her people and land. As the blurb says, “We know her…
Imagine you are driving late at night. It’s raining heavily and you don’t know the area at all. You might be lost. You pull over to rest in a tiny, empty town. And then someone bangs on the window, pleading for help. Behind her is a man. What would you do? This split-second decision forms…
I haven’t read any of French author Michel Bussi’s novels before After The Crash, but I think that’s about to change. I was hooked fast by this novel. Here’s the blurb: On the night of 22 December 1980, a plane crashes on the Franco-Swiss border and is engulfed in flames. 168 out of 169 passengers…
If you’re a fan of Honey Brown’s contemporary suspense thrillers, take note – her latest novel, Six Degrees, is suspense of a different kind, a “will-they-won’t-they-how-will-they” kind. However, while Six Degrees represents a departure from Brown’s earlier work, the storytelling is equally good. In reality, Six Degrees is made up of several different stories, connected by…
I’ve never seen the TV series Dexter so the marketing pitch “Fans of Dexter will love Normal” doesn’t do much for me. I’m guessing it will for Dexter fans. All I knew to expect was an anti-hero who looks normal to outsiders, but believes it’s normal to hurt people … which most of us would…
I love a good psychological thriller so I was keen to get stuck into Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica (author of The Good Girl). Here’s the blurb: She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away….
A heady novel of love, intrigue and taking chances, Fiona McIntosh’s The Last Dance is a book made for reading in bed all night long. I’ve had this on my shelf for a while, but as I do sometimes, I left it for a while, wanting it for the right moment (I do that with…
I really enjoyed Nicky Pellegrino’s The Food of Love Cookery School so I was excited to receive her newest novel, One Summer in Venice. The blurb ticks a few boxes for me – food and Italy, for starters. Have a read: ‘This isn’t a mid-life crisis OK? For a start I’m not old enough yet…
