It is so lovely for the NZ Listener to do a feature about my writing life and inspiration! Check out their latest edition!

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ongratulations to Amelia Wright who won the competition to be named one of the characters in book two of Elastic Island Adventures! I hope everyone will enjoy the fictional Amelia in Port Mugaloo! I wonder who will win the competition to have their name as a character in book three?

A Year at Hotel Gondola is Nicky Pellegrino’s tenth novel, and it has all the trademarks of her previous books – food, friendship and love, all with an Italian backdrop. This time the action is set in Venice. Kat Black is a fifty-year-old adventurer and TV presenter who has spent her life travelling to far-flung destinations, never staying in one place for very long. But when she arrives in Venice for work, she ends up falling in love with an Italian man, Massimo. She commits to spending a year in Venice, where she will help Massimo run his guesthouse, Hotel Gondola, while writing a book about the experience.

At the back of Kat’s mind is something her mother has said to her, that seems to influence her decision to spend a year in Venice. ‘Twenty good years. That’s what you’ve got left at your age.’ So Kat decides to embark on the greatest adventure of her life – a committed relationship. Kat looks forward to a year in Venice, and for her book plans to write about her experiences as she lives them – the food she eats, the recipes she collects, the people she meets, and about Massimo who she is still getting to know.

But everything is much more complicated than Kat would have first thought. Massimo is run off his feet at the hotel, and it’s difficult to find time together. His ex-wife is poking her nose in where she shouldn’t, and Kat is uncomfortable with her influence in Massimo’s life. Then there is Kat’s new exotic older friend Coco who is larger than life with many lovers, but Coco doesn’t like the clothes Kat wears and has many opinions about Kat’s life. There is also the charming widow Ruth, who sees people’s energy as colour, and who likes to paint, but who is reluctant to consider romantic love again. It doesn’t help when Kat meets Dante, a fellow foodie, and she finds it much easier to talk to him than Massimo. Her friends in London are taking bets that she won’t last the year with Massimo – but even if Kat does, what happens once the year is over? Will she just go back to her travelling ways or will she be in a loving relationship?

The structure of this novel is nicely done that the chapters alternate between Kat and Kat’s book that she is writing. It was interesting to see Kat editing her life in the chapters from the book, and it added another layer to the story seeing what Kat was omitting.

A Year at Hotel Gondola is a novel of a woman discovering herself and learning there are many things in life she has missed out on, despite her enviable success. It’s a story of a woman making mistakes and learning that relationships take effort and honesty – and that she needs to go through some heartbreak and look at some home truths to come out the other side.

The streets of Venice come alive as we walk them beside Kat, and it’s full of the sights, smells and sounds of this romantic city. A Year at Hotel Gondola is a warm and engaging read, with relationships and food at its core. The recipes scattered throughout the book are a welcome bonus. A Year at Hotel Gondola is both delicious and delightful!

The Lucky Galah is one of the most original books I’ve read in a long time. Set in Western Australia in the sleepy town of Port Badminton, the story opens in 1964. The race to go into space is on, and NASA installs a satellite dish at Port Badminton, and the techies begin moving in from the East Coast. Evan Johnson moves there with his beautiful wife Linda, and they move into a home by a poor local family who keep a pink and grey galah in a cage by the outdoor dunny.

The brilliant thing about this book is that it is narrated by Lucky, the galah. She tells us all the comings and goings in this small town. Lucky yearns for freedom and finds that her fate is linked to Evan Johnson. We discover that on the day Evan’s fortune fell, Lucky’s rose.

The Lucky Galah captures a particular period in history and examines the balances of power between the sexes in a time of change. It also captures the heat and isolation of rural Australia, the excitement of the space race, and the dynamics of people in a small town. It’s also a book about passion and longing, and without giving too much away, there is a tragic affair that underpins the book.

Out of all the characters in the book, Lucky was my favourite! I felt her frustration of being caged and wanting freedom, her exhilaration when she finally gains freedom, and her ups and downs, her rages and moods, and also her sweetness and curiosity. The Lucky Galah is a quirky, literary novel that is surprising and insightful. It’s hard to believe this is a debut novel, as this is a very accomplished work.

Macmillan, RRP $34.99

The Family Next Door is a book that explores the secrets of a small community at Pleasant Court during a Melbourne heatwave. On the outside, this would seem the safest of suburbs with happy families enjoying raising their children, perfect suburbia. When Isabelle arrives, she doesn’t fit the mould. She is single and childless, and she is renting, whereas everyone else married with children and they own their own home. And she is very interested in her new neighbours – and seems to know too much about them. It turns out she is there to uncover a secret, but it soon becomes apparent that other secrets are lurking behind the pleasant community.

Essie is a mother of two, and she made a dreadful mistake with her first child that she regrets – and although she has recovered, she fears she might make a similar mistake again. Meanwhile successful real estate agent Ange seems to have it all with her husband and his movie-star looks and her perfect children, but it is soon clear that things are not what they seem. And Fran has taken to running obsessively since the birth of her latest child – but what is she trying to run away from? All these stories collide and escalate as a Melbourne heatwave descends on the suburb.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and it explores themes that are meatier than the opening pages suggest. It deftly explores the notion of how little we sometimes know our neighbours, even when we see them on a regular basis. The reader discovers that all of the characters have secrets, some of which are explosive and life-changing. The characters are nicely rounded and believable, and the plotline is very nicely done. I enjoyed it was set in Melbourne, somewhere a bit closer to home, and it has a great sense of place. The Family Next Door is skilfully written. If you like books by Liane Moriarty, Jojo Moyes and Jodi Picoult, I predict you will love this novel.

Kristin Hannah is the bestselling author of the much-praised The Nightingale, and her new novel, The Great Alone takes us to the vast wild expanses of Alaska. But once again Kristin Hannah has written an extraordinary novel with a wonderful sense of place, unforgettable characters and a plotline with loads of emotion and heart. I loved this book!

The novel opens in 1974 and Ernt, a Vietnam veteran who as a POW, is a changed man from his former happy self. Since he has returned from Vietnam and has dragged his wife Cora, and his daughter Leni around the USA, always looking for a fresh start. But then he inherits a cabin in Alaska and he uproots his family one more time. Leni is thirteen-years-old, and we see most of the story through her eyes. The unbelievable beauty of the Alaskan landscape, but all the terrible brutality, where one mistake could mean death in the unforgiving wildness. Slowly, over the summer the family transform their rundown cabin into something that resembles a home, with the help of the local community. Leni starts again at another school and quickly makes her first real friend, Matthew, the son of one of the oldest families in the area. But as winter approaches, her father’s demons return, and then it feels nothing it safe anymore as they share their isolated home with a man who is increasingly unstable.

The Great Alone is an intimate story of family love and people tested beyond endurance. It’s also an epic tale of survival against the elements. The Great Alone is beautifully written novel with a great deal of heart. I challenge anyone to read the ending and not cry, or to read the story as it unfolds and not be completely captivated. I would highly recommend this wonderful novel – it is outstanding!

Macmillan, RRP $34.99

The Innocent Wife is a claustrophobic, atmospheric and creepy psychological thriller.

Samantha is a 31-year-old school teacher from England who is drawn to the story of Dennis Danson, who has been arrested and imprisoned for the murder of a young girl in Florida’s Red River County. He is on death row for this heinous crime. But many people, including Samantha, believe Dennis is innocent. There are many questions about the original case, and back when Dennis was standing trial as an 18-year-old, to Samantha’s eyes, he just seemed too handsome and charming to be a murderer.

Samantha and Dennis begin exchanging letters just as another true-crime documentary is being filmed, hoping to uncover the truth and free a man who has been wrongly convicted. Samantha decides to leave England and come and visit Dennis in prison – and not long after she has completely given up her old life to marry him and campaign for his release.

But when the campaign is successful, Samantha is thrown into a marriage with a man who is different from what she first thought, and she finds herself being increasingly afraid as new facts and behaviours begin to emerge. Was Dennis the victim of a conspiracy, which he has taken the fall for – or is he a coldblooded killer? To make things more complicated, is it Samantha’s insecurities that are really to blame for her current state of mind?

This is a page-turning thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end, and it piles on the psychological tension as the story progresses. Dennis remains an enigma, in many ways, while the reader learns enough about Samantha’s life to feel very worried about her mental state. The Innocent Wife becomes increasingly creepy as the novel comes to a dramatic conclusion. Probably not to be read late at night, but very compelling nonetheless.

Penguin Random House, RRP $37.00

White Chrysanthemum is a beautifully- written novel that shines a light on the terrible plight of so-called ‘Comfort Women’ during the Second World War. It is a riveting, powerful account that left me feeling devastated for the real-life women who were forced into sexual slavery.

Hana and her little sister Emi are part of an island community of haenyeo – they come from a long line of proud women who make their living from deep sea diving off the southernmost tip of Korea. Hana is sixteen-years-old and has been warned to stay away from Japanese soldiers, but one day when she is swimming, she sees a Japanese soldier walking towards where her younger sister is guarding the day’s catch on the beach. Hana can only think of saving her sister, and she swims as hard as she can towards the shore, managing to hide her sister, but in doing so she is taken captive by the Japanese soldier.

At this point, the novel switches between the two sisters – Hana who has been abducted and taken to be a prostitute by the Japanese military, and Emi as an older woman, looking back on her life and revealing her own difficulties. White Chrysanthemum is a brave and bold book and one that highlights terrible atrocities of the Second World War that I knew little about previously. In the Author’s Note, Mary Lynn Bracht says, ‘Some historians believe fifty thousand to two hundred thousand Korean women and girls were stolen, tricked or sold into military sexual slavery for and by the Japanese military during Japan’s colonisation of Korea.’

It’s a heart wrenching read, but also an important one to share. The author has done an excellent job with this sensitive and difficult subject matter. The sister’s love for each other pulls the storyline into the light, but it doesn’t shy away from revealing the atrocities that were inflicted on women, and sometimes young children during this period of history. Highly recommended.

Penguin Random House, RRP $37.00

When Cassy’s family said goodbye to her at Heathrow airport, they never imagined there was a chance that they might never see her again. It was supposed to be a short holiday in New Zealand with her boyfriend, before returning home to be a bridesmaid for a good friend. But in New Zealand, the double blow of finding out she is pregnant and splitting from her boyfriend leaves Cassy in a vulnerable position, and she is lured to a remote valley called Gethsemane. Slowly, she is drawn into the clutches of a doomsday cult, run by its charismatic leader, Justin, and her family fears they will never see her again. As Cassy becomes more and more entrenched in the group's rituals and beliefs, her frantic parents fight to bring her home before Justin's prophesied Last Day comes to pass.

See You In September is a fascinating book, that fictionalises what might happen in these extreme cults – that a culture of sustainable living and family values that seems admirable has a dark side, preying on the vulnerable who become dependant on the community and making it very difficult for them to leave. Justin, their charismatic leader, is an interesting character – and although the book ends in tragedy (the reader knows this from the opening page) – it explores what type of personality might create a community like this. And then there is not just Cassy, but others, who have been lured into the community – many who don’t see the danger until the end. Through the book there is considerable tension wondering if Cassy will go back to England to see her parents, or if she will remain in the cult – and the tension builds as the community prepares for the end of the world. See You In September is a riveting, intelligent novel that is thought-provoking and compelling. This is an excellent story and recommended read.

Allen and Unwin, RRP $32.99

The Woman in the Window had me hooked from the opening pages. This is a beautifully written thriller, with exquisite characterisation. Anna Fox suffers from extreme agoraphobia, and she hasn’t left her New York home for ten months. She is simply too terrified to go outside. She orders in everything she needs, and depends on her tenant and visits from a couple of other people for company, and the chatroom of the Internet. Her lifeline to the outside world is from her window, where she observes her neighbours coming and going. When the Russells move in across the park, she is drawn to them. They are a family of three and they echo her old life. One evening Anna witnesses a brutal stabbing from her window, however, but no one believes what she has seen. Police and neighbours think she is a crazy woman who drinks too much. Even she starts to doubt what she has witnessed as she tries to uncover the truth.

The Woman in the Window is a superb thriller that captures the old black and white Hollywood movies that Anna watches throughout the novel. It has a Hitchcockian feel to it, and it is Anna’s backstory that is just as suspenseful as the current mystery of the woman who Anna witnessed being stabbed, but that no one else will admit to having seen. Anna is a complicated, traumatised woman who used to work as a psychologist helping children, but now her home is filled with ghosts, and the happy family she had is no more. But what happened to her ten months ago that caused her to abandon her professional life, a hostage to her fears? What trauma has her on a cocktail of medication, and even though she knows she shouldn’t be mixing the medication with alcohol, why is she drinking from morning until night?

The reader finds out the heart-breaking backstory at the same pace as things escalate in the neighbourhood as Anna searches for the truth about what she has seen. This is a well-crafted thriller and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is made into a movie one day. It is atmospheric and told with a great deal of flair.

HarperCollins, RRP $35.00

The Chalk Man is a debut physiological crime thriller that is a cracker of a read! Reminiscent of a good Stephen King novel, I devoured The Chalk Man in one sitting. It was simply unputdownable!

The novel starts with the discovery of a young girl’s body in the woods, her body in pieces, and her head taken, never to be found by the police. For the twelve-year-old gang of friends, the story perhaps goes back further, to when Eddie first met the Chalk Man. The Chalk Man gave Eddie the idea of doing chalk drawings as a way to leave secrets between their group of friends – Fat Gav, Metal Mickey and Hippo. But then the chalk drawings led them to the body of the girl in the woods.

Thirty years later and Ed thought discovering the murdered girl was in the past, but then he receives a letter containing two things: a piece of chalk and a drawing of a stick figure, and the nightmare and mystery seems to start all over again.

The Chalk Man is a brilliantly plotted book, with memorable characters and plenty of tension as the story unfolds, alternating from 1986 to 2016. It is atmospheric and captures so well a group of 12-year-olds, and then their older selves after the discovery of the murdered girl. Reading this I kept changing my mind about who the killer was likely to be, C.J. Tudor is a wonderful tease! Nothing is quite what it seems to begin with, and the reader discovers most of the characters have secrets, even the children. The Chalk Man captures the haunting nature of childhood and is a skillful and increasingly tense read.

Penguin Random House, RRP $37.00

Author Lee Child has created a bestselling series of books featuring hero Jack Reacher, the tall lone stranger who arrives into town not usually looking for trouble, but trouble has a way of coming to him. In Lee Child’s latest book, The Midnight Line, Jack Reacher sees a West Point class ring from 2005 in a pawn shop. It makes him curious. It is a small ring, clearly owned by a woman cadet, and it would have been her graduation present to herself. Jack Reacher is a West Pointer too, and he knows how much blood, sweat and tears went into graduating – so he asks himself one simple question – why would she give it up?

It becomes a quest for Reacher, as he tracks the ring back to its owner, step by step, encountering criminals and junkies along the way. Will he find her? Will she be okay? If not, he will want justice for her at any costs. What he eventually finds is not what he would have imagined…

I think this may be Lee Child’s best thriller yet. I was gripped as the action draws closer to the missing woman. And I don’t want to do any spoilers, but when Reacher finally encounters the missing woman she has a story that you won’t want to miss. She is a character who is strong, but damaged, living on the edges of society after tragedy – and it delves into some very interesting themes, while still being an unputdownable thriller.

The tagline on the front cover declares ‘A righteous avenger for our troubled times – we all need Jack Reacher’ which I think is nicely put and reflective of the novel. Lee Child is one of the world’s leading thriller writers, and after reading The Midnight Line, it is easy to see why.

Penguin Random House

I am thrilled with the announcement that the prestigious Gourmand World Awards have selected "Everyday Strength" that I co-authored with Sam Mannering as the winner selected to represent New Zealand in the Health and Nutrition category. The awards event will be Saturday May 26 and May 27 2018 in Yantai, China.

I was enchanted by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent’s charming debut novel The Reader on the 6.27, and I am even more in love with his second novel, The Rest of Their Lives.

The Rest of Their Lives follows the story of an unlikely grouping of characters. Ambroise is an embalmer, living in a small French town with his feisty grandmother, Beth. He spends more time with the dead than he does with the living, and despite being a good looking and personable young man, his profession is the kiss of death to any serious relationships with women. Most bolt when they discover what he does, or become unhealthily interested causing his relationships to end quickly. Even his estranged father, who has a Novel Prize in Medicine, despises what Ambroise does as a vocation.

At the same time, Manelle spends her days caring for the elderly in their homes, with a mixture of clients, most of whom she adores spending time with, but with at least one who works to make her life difficult. There isn’t much energy after a busy day except spend a solitary evening home alone.

But then Ambroise and Manelle’s worlds collide when eighty-two retired chef Samuel decides on a trip to Switzerland. This becomes a road-trip like no other, with Ambroise’s grandmother Beth, also in the thick of things.

This is a truly charming novel that celebrates and affirms life, despite the many scenes of Ambroise preparing the recently deceased so they can be viewed by their loved ones. The characters are larger-than-life and completely loveable, and the storyline looks like it is heading in one direction, before a welcome surprise takes the novel down a completely different road, beautifully drawing together a number of strands. This is a novel with wonderful characters, and ultimately a sense of joy at how precious life is.

Macmillan, RRP $34.99

www.nzbooklovers.co.nz

I adored Alyssa Palombo’s first novel The Violinist of Venice, and her latest novel is another passionate novel of love, art, and history. Simonetta Cattaneo was considered a great beauty during the 15th Century, and when Marco Vespucci, a handsome young man highly favoured by the Medici in Florence, asks for her hand in marriage, she accepts with little hesitation.

As soon as Simonetta arrives in Florence from Genoa, she is welcomed into a glittering circle of poets, politicians, artists and writers, and all the men she meets are taken by her beauty. But Simonetta is educated and is eager to learn more about the arts, and the famous Medici family open up their home and their library to her. As she settles into married life, she strikes up a friendship when Sandro Botticelli paints a portrait of her. Later in the book he asks her to pose for another, much more elaborate and intimate portrait – his masterpiece The Birth of Venus.

Meanwhile, Simonetta must find her place in Florentine society and navigate the new world around her, and even with her fabled beauty – will her husband stay faithful to her? Tension is created by the many men who profess to love her, her beauty sometimes feeling more like a curse than a blessing.

Alyssa Palombo has taken the few facts that are known about Simonetta, who was a fabled beauty, and the possible relationship she may have had with Sandro Botticelli, and created a rich historical novel, full of period detail, art and passion. It’s a wonderful read and glimpse into a bygone era.

Macmillan, RRP $34.99

Gordon McLauchlan is the author of more than twenty books, and his latest book is a very accessible history of the New Zealand Wars with a great deal of insight into this troubled time.

‘What I have tried to do here is to write a short, accessible story of the New Zealand wars in the hope that a wider range of people will gain some understanding of what happened here in the nineteenth century and built it into their understanding of who New Zealanders are and where we have failed and where we have triumphed,’ writes Gordon in his introduction. I believe he has succeeded admirably in his aims.

The opening chapter puts the New Zealand wars in the context of their time. Firstly, with the dreadful loss of life amongst Maori that was inflicted during the Musket Wars of the 1820s. Secondly, the British Empire was at its peak of power and continuing to expand into other countries. White settlers came to New Zealand seeking a better life for themselves, but skirmishes between Maori and Pakeha became inevitable when it came to problems over land ownership, before becoming full out war in some areas. Gordon McLauchlan goes into the reasons for the struggle between Maori and the colonial powers, the major battles and the consequences for New Zealand afterward.

Gordon also brings to life the key players during this time and examines the way the British consistently underestimated the ‘savages’ and their fighting abilities – where in fact, the Maori were disciplined, strategic fighters and with formidable pa defences. This is a history of misunderstandings and conflict, fierce battles and terrible utu, but also bravery and people doing their best to achieve peace. It’s a fascinating read and a fabulous introduction to this period of New Zealand history.

Bateman, RRP 29.99

Hakan Nesser has been referred to as one of Sweden’s best crime writers, so I was intrigued to read his new novel, The Darkest Day. It’s a compelling and disturbing read, and quite unlike anything else I have read before in this genre.

Karl-Erik is celebrating his landmark 65th birthday on the same day his daughter Ebba is celebrating her 40th birthday. The immediate and extended family gather to celebrate in the quiet Swedish town of Kymlinge in December. From the opening pages it’s clear that some people in the family are very unhappy, and although people try to put on a festive face, there are many things simmering under the surface. Karl-Erik’s wife, Rosemarie, is having strange dreams where she must choose between killing her overbearing husband or killing herself. Meanwhile, her son Robert is at a very low ebb after a disastrous stint on a reality TV show, shaming not just himself but the entire family. Ebba is worried about her eldest son Henrik, clearly the favourite son, who doesn’t seem to be himself. Sister Kristina doesn’t seem to be quite herself either, and alcohol and late-night revelations create a situation that couldn’t have been foreseen.

Before the weekend is over, not one, but two members of the family are missing. Inspector Barbarotti is called on to solve the cases, but to determine what has gone on he needs to unravel the family secrets in the process. What happens on that darkest day is what consumes the reader until the final pages.

The characters in this novel are exceptionally well-written, even when we get inside individual minds and see their most disturbing thoughts. I thought The Darkest Day was very well done,

and I would definitely read more books by this accomplished and highly original author.

Macmillan, RRP $37.99

MAcm

I must admit that at first I was put off from reading this book, as I thought three authors in the mix might end in a book that was inconsistent or bland (from authors having to agree to the consensus). But I’m so pleased I decided to read it despite my misgivings! Take Three Girls is a fabulous novel for young adults – and also people who are older who might be interested in what teenagers have to face these days, with social media adding to pressure to an already fraught time.

The novel features three captivating characters. Ady, is one of the popular girls and she appears to be very confident and ‘together’, and despite her family living in a good part of town with all the outward trappings, her family is struggling with her father’s alcohol and drug problems. Clem is on the swim team, but has lost her joy of competing, and is in her first serious relationship, unfortunately with the wrong person. And she is also struggling with her relationship with twin sister, Iris, keeping her at a distance. Then there is Kate, the quiet, dreamy boarder, with brains and a passion for music.

The girls are forced together as part of the Year 10 Wellness programme, which aims to confront some of the problems that adolescents face and teach them some life skills. But the major problem all the girls are facing is beyond the skills of the school – they are all targeted by PSST, a toxic website that is pure cyber-bullying. Ady, Clem and Iris form a friendship that surprises and enriches their lives.

Take Three Girls is a wonderfully engaging story, which explores friendship, belonging and identity. Having three authors work on the book has only enriched each character’s storyline, while the overall book is cohesive and works towards a very satisfying conclusion, and ending that will cheer the heart.

Take Three Girls is a YA novel that stands out from the pack for its superb characterisation, engaging storyline, and gritty themes. This is a first-class book which I would highly recommend.

Macmillan, RRP $19.99.

This is a powerful novel, one that you will need to keep the tissues handy when reading. Single mother Alice has raised her daughter Zoe on her own as she has no family to speak off. Alice has never revealed the identity of Zoe’s father. Mother and daughter are a tight unit, and Alice is very protective of her daughter, especially as Zoe has social anxiety disorder, which makes being a fifteen-year-old at high school even more fraught. But they are doing okay and are fine on their own.

But then Alice is diagnosed with cancer, and she has to reach out to other people to help out with Zoe while she goes through surgery and treatment. Kate, her oncology nurse, and Sonja, her social worker, soon become crucial to her and Zoe’s lives. But Kate and Sonja are battling their own personal battles, and soon the three lives of these women become even more intertwined. This is a emotional, heart-felt read, as each of the characters is forced to confront their deepest secrets and fears. This is a first-rate novel, and through it all it shows the strength of a mother’s love for her daughter, even in the darkest of times.

This is a chilling, but compelling crime novel about a serial murderer, and how those murders impacted on the many people who were associated with the case. Seven years ago, Detective Paul Hoskins and his partner solved the case of the decade when they found more than 30 bodies in the crawlspace of Jacky Seever’s home. Sammie Peterson was the lead reporter on the case, and the news made her career. Meanwhile, Seever’s wife, Jacky, claimed she didn’t know her husband was committing these terrible acts, that he was a loving husband and pillar in the community.

But seven years on, Hoskins is working in the basement of the police station, Sammie is selling make-up at the mall, and Gloria is trying to live in a world that condemns her – their lives ruined by getting close to the killer. But then bodies start to show up again, copycat murders in the trademark style of Seever, and a new nightmare is set to start. All the while Seever is watching…

This is a step up from most crime novels and it’s strength is exploring what happens to the police, media and family after such terrible crimes, and how this level of evil permeates their

lives. This is a book with plenty of twists and turns, but it never gets too far fetched. A stunning debut.

Zoe is devasted when her husband Ed is knocked off his bike on his way to work and he dies. Her loss is made worse that they had been arguing the morning he left, and she never got to tell him that day that she loved him. A couple in trouble for some time, Zoe has so many regrets of their time together, and can’t reconcile herself to the fact that she doesn’t have time with Ed to make things right. But then she knocks herself out and when she wakes up she is in the past and she soon learns she is getting to relive many of the pivotal moments in their relationship – so each time she wakes up she is determined to enjoy the additional day she gets to spend with Ed – but she also starts to hope that she can influence the future by making positive changes, clinging to the hope that she can prevent his death.

This is a bittersweet love story with an intriguing premise. Zoe is back in time and she knows what each day will bring, so the reader gets to learn their backstory, but always with the hope that the changes she is bringing will result in a different ending. No spoilers here though – you will need to read for yourself to see if the ending does indeed change.

Set in 1965, New York, one morning Ruth Malone wakes to find that her two young children have gone missing. It is every mother’s worst nightmare, that is just about to get worse. Her children are soon found murdered, and attention quickly turns to Ruth herself. To the police she isn’t acting like a grieving mother. She doesn’t cry, is always perfectly well made up. Then there is her clothing, which is too provacative. There is the fact she is estranged from the children’s father. Then there are the empty liqour bottles and the love letters from men who are not her husband. Although there is little hard evidence, the police are sure she is the murderer and they are determined to catch her out and convict her. But Pete Wonicke, a tabloid reporter, is on his first major assignment, and as he digs deeper into the case, he becomes convinced of her innocence, but he also becomes drawn to her tragic beauty, like many other men around her.

This is a story about a woman who doesn’t like herself and who is judged for the way she looks. It’s also a story of obsession, and as you read further into this novel you see the lengths that the men Ruth encounters will go to, to help her, or to bring her down. This is a exceptionally well-written book, and while it is dark, and the tone and content get darker still as the novel progresses, Ruth’s character is utterly believable as a woman of the times who doesn’t fit in and is miserable because of it, looking to find her happiness in all the wrong places. This novel is a searing, heart-breaking tragedy, and the ending will leave you stunned.

This is the twentieth novel from this bestselling author, so you are in very capable hands. Stacey Grant loses her high-flying job and feels like it is the last day of her life. As she struggles with the contrast of her previous professional life for one that now consists of long boring days at home with her dog and ailing mother, at least she knows she has her oldest friends to rely on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby have been best friends since the early days of university.

But her friends are having personal problems of their own, and a betrayal that was supposed to remain a secret is revealed as Stacey struggles with life away from the corporate world. Soon long cherished friendships are pushed to the limit. This is is a very believable and engaging read that is character-driven and relevant to any one living in the modern world. It’s no wonder this author has sold millions of copies of her books around the world, she is a very able storyteller.

This is a perfectly crafted novel for children, with an edge of realism even while the main characters are plunged into a fantastical faraway world. Sam Donnelly has been sent to stay with his aunt over the school holidays as his mother is extremely sick. His twin cousins are bullies, so life becomes most unpleasant. But when he finds a gold medallion at the beach, it is the start of a wild adventure, with his friend Jackson along for the ride, as they are plunged into another realm.

Jackson and Sam are appealing characters, children to really care for. I also loved the palpable sense of adventure and the imaginative creatures that the children met on their travels. This is a riveting read, and I hope there will be more from this talented author in the future.

The Song Journey is an intriguing story of time travel, love, loss and family, all underscored by a love of music. Singer Julia MacAllistair receives a unique gift from her great-grandmother Etty, also a singer, before she dies – five pieces of sheet music from different eras. Only when Julia plays the first piece on her piano does she realise the powerful gift she has been given when she is transported back in time. Five sheets of music equates to five different periods of time and places – including Chicago in 1906, NZ in the 1940s, and Vietnam in the 1960s. In each she meets strangers and family that will have a huge impact on her life.

This is a novel that has it all – adventure, history, romance, and a wonderfully compelling main character. The reader is drawn into a tale where Julia discovers that her future depends on escaping the tragedy of her family’s past. It is lyrical and surprising, a highly originally novel that is immensely enjoyable and emotionally satisfying. I look forward to reading more from this wonderful writer in the future.

In 1944 Tess DeMello was planning to marry the love of her life, handsome doctor Vincent, who is specialising in working with patients who have contracted polio. She plans to finish her nursing qualifications, they will marry, and she will work alongside her husband while raising a family. But when Vincent goes away to Chicago to help with the infantile paralysis epidemic there, they end up spending much longer apart than both had anticipated. Long enough for Tess to go out with a friend to Washington. Dinner out with two strangers turns into a one-night stand for Tess – and then an unexpected pregnancy. Tess had been saving herself for her wedding night, and she knows Vincent will be devastated by her actions. She feels she has no choice to marry a stranger, Henry Kraft, the father of her unborn child.

Henry turns out to be a man of wealth, from a family of standing in Hickory, North Carolina. At first, he is kind, and Tess wants for nothing materially. But Henry is increasingly secretive, and she soon finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage of appearances. And Henry’s family and friends think Tess is a gold-digger and treats her with disdain. Tess becomes increasingly unhappy until a polio epidemic reaches their town, and Tess begins working at the hospital finally finding solace and meaning in her work.

The opening premise of this novel that the lovely Tess would sleep with a stranger after having too much drink just doesn’t seem credible (and later you will wonder at Henry sleeping with a stranger too). But apart from that, I thought that it was a fabulous book. The characters are very well drawn, and the mystery of Henry and the secrets he is keeping will keep any reader turning the pages. It tugs at the heartstrings and the ending was very satisfying. A great book to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Jesse Holt is an experienced family lawyer, but when one of his cases results in tragedy, he flees from Auckland to the South Island, looking for solace, and wanting to keep the world at a distance. But then he meets Lisa Dillon, a party-loving woman who lives in the moment, and she gets under his skin like no one else ever has, despite his best intentions. Jesse has to make a decision, to let her into his life, finally revealing his own personal tragedy, or to push her away like he has been doing to everyone his entire life.

A Southern Shelter is a classic romance with a twist. Yes, there is plenty of heat between Jesse and Lisa as the story progresses, but the book also touches on serious social issues – in this case, family violence. This is Anya Forest’s fourth novel, and it was enjoyable to read a book with a New Zealand setting and its identifiable locations. Anya Forest is a writer to keep an eye on.

This thrilling historical novel is completely unputdownable. Set in the Second World War, intelligence lieutenant Nathan Blum spends his days in America decoding messages from occupied Poland, but he is frustrated with not being able to do more. Fighting the Nazis is particularly personal for him as they murdered his family in the Krakow getto that he escaped from. When he is sent on a mission – that looks like it could be a suicide mission – to risk his life to rescue one man from Auschwitz, there is little hesitation.

What unfolds is a gripping story that highlights the horrors of the Second World War, but also the bravery of people fighting against evil. The book is inspired by the author’s father-in-law, who never spoke about his experiences of the war or growing up in Poland. This is a wonderful story, much of it based on truth, that lingered in my mind long after finishing the book. It’s packs a powerful emotional punch, but ultimately is a story of hope.

A skilfully written literary novel, The Necessary Angel takes us into the world of books, with a tale peopled by academics, writers and lecturers immersed in literature. Set in 2014, the novel follows the story of Max, an expat Kiwi who ‘had lived in Paris long enough to feel at ease’ who is married to a French woman. But their relationship has changed with Max now living estranged from his wife in the downstairs apartment, while she lives with the children upstairs.

Living in a sort of relationship limbo, Max is drawn to several women, and the story follows his relationships and infidelities, in a world where literary criticism is also a key part of the story. This is also part of Europe where terrorism and migration issues are constantly in the background.

When an artwork is stolen, the novel takes off in a new direction as a mystery, and the reader is rewarded by a surprising, but satisfying twist at the end. As we follow the characters through the backstreets and courtyards of Paris, the French city comes vividly to life.

The Necessary Angel is C.K. Stead’s first novel in five years, and it shows a novelist in masterful control of his material. It’s not a quick read, but an intricate read with love and fidelity at the core. But it is also a novel about literature and the importance of books in everyday life. The pages burst with discussions about books between the characters, but readers shouldn’t worry if they are not familiar with all the works – it is an interesting aspect of the novel even if you haven’t read all the books the characters discuss.

C.K. Stead has won many awards for his writing, and I predict he will win more for The Necessary Angel. This is a novel that is edgy and intellectual, elegant fiction that inspires curiosity to turn the pages. And the publisher should be congratulated for the stunning cover – it’s a beautiful cover and very much in keeping with the content of the book.

When visiting her local prison, DI Vera Stanhope comes face to face with an inmate, John Brace, who is a disgraced former detective superintendent. Vera played a key part in putting him away for his involvement in the death of a games keeper. But John now claims he has information about the disappearance of Robbie Marshall, an old friend, who disappeared in the mid-nineties. In exchange, John wants Vera to keep an eye on his daughter and grandchildren. His daughter has been struggling since her husband walked out.

John tells Vera where Robbie’s body can be found, but when they go and investigate, they find two skeletons instead of one. And as Vera works on the cold case, past and present seem to merge. Her deceased father, Hector, was one of the ‘Gang of Four’ at a glamorous nightclub called the Seagull. John is in imprison, her father is dead, Robbie appears to have been murdered, so that leaves the mysterious fourth member of the group, ‘the Prof’, to be tracked down. To make things more complicated, Vera starts to suspect that the mother of John’s daughter, who everyone thought was dead, could, in fact, be still alive.

This is a great read if you like a whodunnit with great characters and plenty of pace. Vera is a solid, down-to-earth police officer, who you can’t help but like, and I enjoyed that the twists and turns of the plot weren’t too outlandish and that the story was emotionally engaging. There are plenty of surprises at the end of the book, but they were all satisfying developments with plenty of character development. This is assured storytelling, so it’s no surprise Anne Cleeves books are bestsellers, and they have been made into a TV adaptation.

Kath Bee is well-known as a songwriter, winning awards for her songs such as Individuality and Dad I Wanna Be A Camel. Now her most popular song, Dragons Under My Bed is published as a picture book, with beautiful illustrations by Lisa Allen.

Dragons Under My Bed tells the story of a family of dragons who live under a young boy’s bed, that come out at night after Mum turns off the light.

He hears them giggling, and they have glowing eyes of red. And when they come out from under his bed they enjoy making a huge mess in his room, throwing clothes, toys and books onto the floor. Of course, when Mum comes to investigate who is making all the noise, the family of dragons disappear back under the bed, and the little boy’s story of the dragons is never believed.

This is a delightful story that is fun to read aloud, and it has plenty to interest children on each page with the colourful illustrations. As a bonus the book has a downloadable link to an accompanying song.

I asked Milla McKenzie-Brown, who is nine years old, to add some comments to my review. Milla says, ‘It’s a very funny storyline and easy to read, and I liked that there is a song that goes with the book. I thought the illustrations where funny too, and added a lot to the book. Sometimes kids make a mess and blame it on a monster, so I liked this element of the book. I’d give Dragons Under My Bed a 9 out of 10.’

Air Born thrills from the opening pages. 17-year-old Tyler has been experiencing back pain, but it has been ignoring it as he doesn’t want to miss out on doing his first solo skydive. But during his skydive, the completely unexpected happens when wings emerge from his back – wings that save his life at the time but destroy the life he knew. To make things even worse, his skydive is caught on camera and is an instant viral hit. People speculate it confirms the existence of angels; others believe it is the result of genetic engineering; still others think it is a hoax and that the wings are strapped on. All the attention, especially from sinister radical groups, forces Tyler to go on the run, leaving behind his friends and family and his dreams of becoming an officer in the air force.

With his altered body, as well as having wings, Tyler also has acute hearing and vision, and he is more worried about avoiding the cameras and phones that are everywhere in the modern age that could capture him in his new form.

But the Internet attention also brings others forward who are like him – and they band together finding out what it is like to be the first of a new species. Miguel is the first to find him, and they find comfort knowing they are not alone. When Tyler wants to give into despair, Miguel believes there must be a reason for them to have their wings. Soon there are seven of them…

Air Born is the first in a four-apart young adult series, Generation Icarus, which is perfectly pitched to its target audience with compelling characters, a fantastic page-turning plot and taut, well-paced writing. It is action-adventure from start to finish, and a very enjoyable read. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series as they publish.

Jane Harper’s first novel, The Dry, published to worldwide acclaim, and film rights were snapped up by Reese Witherspoon. The burning question is her second novel, Force of Nature, as good? I think it is easily as good, if not better, than her debut novel. Force of Nature is a compelling, page-turning read with excellent characterisation and tension that is ramped to the highest level from the opening to the end.

Five women very reluctantly go on a corporate ‘team-building’ hike, far away from their BaileyTennants office, through the muddy tracks of the rugged Girlang Ranges. Only four of them come out the other side. Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk, who was also a key character in The Dry, returns – and he has a particular interest in the missing women, Alice Russell. She was due to give them information as part of their investigation into alleged fraud at BaileyTennants, a family-run business. But now she is missing, maybe dead. Does this relate to their investigation? At the same time the five women were hiking through the bush, there was also five men from the office hiking a separate track – including the chief executive. Are they involved somehow? Or is her disappearance due to the growing tension among the five women, all of which agree that ‘Alice had a mean streak so sharp it could cut you.’ Or has it something to do with a twenty-year-old serial killer case that took four victims in horrific crimes all those years ago?

The novel deftly takes chapter about between the women lost in the bush, and the search for Alice after the other four make it out. Jane Harper does an excellent job drawing out all the back stories of the women, so as the book progresses you understand the deep resentment many of them harper towards Alice – a woman it is very easy to dislike. Jane Harper also does an excellent job following the story of Aaron Falk, who is investigating with his partner Carmen, and slowly getting closer to the devastating truth. Force of Nature is ultimately a corporate retreat that goes horribly wrong, and instead of teamwork, there is suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. An excellent thriller, simply first rate.

This delightful picture book asks the question, ‘What makes mums so special?’ And it turns out that there are many, everyday things that make mothers special, and I’m sure families will respond well to the story and charming illustrations that depict a variety of family situations that are relatable and gently humorous. One of my favourite spreads is ‘My mum is the best mum in the world because…she lets me do her hair.’ The expression on the mother’s face as two of her children pull and prod her hair is priceless! Another favourite spread is ‘My mum is the best mum in the world because…she really loves my cooking.’ Mum is graciously accepting a plate of leaves, flowers, stones and a peg. Oh, and it even has a snail to complete this ‘delicious’ offering.

The Best Mum in the World is the perfect book for Mother’s Day, or any time of the year, to celebrate our mums. It is a wonderful blend of well-considered text and heart-warming illustrations, that will be highly entertaining for children.

The Best Dad in the World by Pat Chapman was awarded a Storylines Notable Book Award 2017, and I wouldn’t be surprised if The Best Mum in the World is an award winner in the future too.

I asked Milla McKenzie-Brown, who is nine years old, to add some comments to this review. She says, ‘I like the way they put different mums on each page. This book is great for kids who love their mums, for little kids who enjoy reading, and perfect for Mother’s Day. I think the book is a good way to show kids to do things like this and see if their mums like it. I love the book in lots of ways!’

Award-winning novelist Paddy Richardson latest novel Through the Lonesome Dark is a departure from her previous crime novels. In this compelling historical novel, she looks at a dark time in the past. Set on the West Coast of New Zealand before the First World War, it follows the story of Pansy, Clem and Otto from children to adults.

As young children, the three friends love living in Blackpool, and they spend hours swimming in the creek and playing. But the harsh realities are that this is a mining town, and when they are of a certain age, the boys are destined to go down the mine, and Pansy is facing a life of domestic drudgery. The sheer hard work of the adults in this novel is unrelenting and realistic of the era – a time that wasn’t for people who didn’t have physical stamina.

Pansy is the key character in this novel. She is a clever girl and could get a scholarship and go to school in Greymouth. She has a good relationship with her father until this issue comes up and he stops her from following her dreams. Her father is a man who is quick with his fists at the pub and home, and her mother has slowly become a punching bag. As World War I approaches, things become even more fraught when Clem goes away to war and is part of the NZ Tunnelling Company.

Paddy has obviously done extensive research on this time in history. Clem’s experiences of being a tunneller during the war are particularly fascinating. Through the Lonesome Dark is an engaging, at times heart-breaking novel from this experienced and versatile author. I predict this novel will win awards as it is so well-written, the characters are so well-drawn, and the setting is so real you feel like you are there.

I’m a huge fan of Michael Robotham’s tightly constructed thrillers, and The Secrets She Keeps didn’t disappoint. Michael Robotham has a great gift for characterisation, so the reader is quickly drawn into the very different lives of two women. Agatha thinks that Megan Shaugnessy’s life is perfect. Megan is beautiful and married to Jack, a successful TV presenter, and they live in a perfect house, with two perfect children and another on the way. Megan has a popular mummy blog and lives a life that seems charmed. By contrast, Agatha works at the local supermarket, and we slowly learn about her troubled background. Her partner is in the navy and away at sea, and Agatha envy’s Megan’s flawless life – the sort of life that she wants for herself. But Megan’s life is far from perfect, and the secrets they both hold close will soon bring them on a collision course.

This is an excellent character-driven novel with plenty of psychological suspense. Agatha is arguably the most complicated character, but she becomes someone you care for despite her actions. And we are drawn into Megan’s ‘perfect’ world, to find a caring marriage that has lost its shine, but will hopefully have enough love in the tank to face what they will be forced to endure as the book progresses. It’s difficult to say any more without giving the plot away, but with the course of events, both Agatha and Megan learn a lot about themselves and the people they love. And they will be forced to re-examine what they perceive as the ‘perfect’ life at the end of it all.

This is Michael Robotham’s twelfth novel, and once again he delivers a book that is suspenseful and that tugs at the heart. The Secrets She Keeps is first rate writing from an accomplished author who knows what he is doing.

Andrew Gross is a bestselling author who is making thrillers set in the Second World War his trademark, and The Saboteur is another novel that is set in this territory. It is an action-packed, thrilling novel that will keep you gripped until the final pages. Based on some of the most daring real-life events of WWII, it is the story of Kurt Nordstrum and his mission, along with a team of highly skilled operatives, to sabotage a factory in the inhospitable mountains of Norway to prevent Germany from gaining the upper hand by developing an atomic bomb.

Kurt Nordstrum feels he has nothing to lose in taking on a mission that he has little hope of returning from it alive. His fiancée was murdered by the Germans, and he has been forced to find a new future without her in the Norwegian Army. The mission involves being parachuted into a remote mountain and a heavily guarded factory, and it could change the course of the war. But then he meets another woman, someone he sees a future with – but their mission puts her in danger. What will he choose? His country and his mission? Or his chance of love?

The first part of this book is one hundred percent thrilling action, but the second half of the novel offers an insight into the core of Kurt Nordstrum’s personality, showing a softer, more vulnerable side, before the action ramps up again. It’s a gripping read, especially learning that is based on real-life events. Andrew Gross knows how to structure a page-turning read. The Saboteur is a compelling novel, that will leave you breathless in places. This was a highly satisfying read, made even more fascinating for the author’s notes at the end. I look forward to more books by this exciting novelist, and I hope he continues to write novels set during this period of history as he does such an excellent job with this type of material.

The opening of this debut novel captures a vivid scene. Ragnvald is dancing the oars aboard the ship he has been serving on for the whole journey to and from the North Sea. This moment of light relief suddenly turns deadly when the captain of the ship, Solvi, attacks him without warning, leaving him to die in the icy ocean.

From this point on, the novel follows the plight of Ragnvald – rescued by a fisherman from the sea, and intent on justice or revenge – and his sister Svanhild, back in the village, who will have to submit to marriage to someone of her stepfather’s choosing in the near future.

Linnea Hartsuyker captures Viking-Age Norway at a challenging time in history – where there are a hundred petty rulers who are happy to kill to keep claim parcels of land, and there are allegiances, plots and counterplots. There is also prophesied that a high king is rising.

Linnea is descended to King Harold Fairhair, and she has clearly taken great interest in her famous ancestor from so long ago, and the book is obviously well-researched. But the research doesn’t get in the way of her creating strong characters with her brother and sister protagonists, and also that of Solvi, who becomes a pivotal character for both Ragnvald and Svanhild, even though it creates conflict between the siblings. The book blurb promises a book that is a ‘Viking Game of Thrones’ and in many ways, this is a good comparison. There is lots of action, violence and battles, although it is not as raunchy as the TV series, there is certainly affairs of the heart at centre stage.

The Half-Drowned King captures a fascinating time in Scandinavian history, and it certainly reveals what life would have been like. The seafaring, farming and warring elements of their society are all there, as well as the restricted role of women, often destined to be political pawns. It’s the first of a new trilogy, and it will appeal to readers who like historical fiction or epic fantasy.

This is a remarkable historical novel. It is 1942, and the battle of Stalingrad is just beginning. Benya Golden, a Russian Jewish writer, has been imprisoned in the Gulags for a crime he didn’t commit, doomed to die in the dreadful conditions. But then he is offered a strange chance of redemption – by joining a penal battalion of criminals and murderers who are ordered to fight the Nazis. By shedding their own blood in battle they are promised their freedom. The odds of success are unlikely, but Benya chooses to join the Russian cavalry. On a hot summer day in July 1942, they charge a line of German tanks, breaking through into enemy territory.

This is when the novel is at its most terrifying – Benya behind enemy lines, not knowing who to trust. Nazis, Cossacks, Italian, traitors or friends? But then he meets an Italian nurse, also alone and desperate after the death of her husband – and it turns into one frantic ride to stay alive.

The novel also has a subplot concerning Stalin’s daughter Svetlana and her love affair with a much older man – and the scenes switch from the beautiful but terrifying grasslands of Central Russia, and the Kremlin. Both Stalin and Hitler are characters this sweeping historical novel, that has a tender love story at its core, a contrast in many ways to the horrors the novel details. This is an action novel, with survival, courage, life, and death on every page. It’s an extraordinary real life time in history, and the author has created believable and compelling fictional characters that show the depth and transformation of love, even in the midst of darkness. This novel is extremely well-written and is highly recommended. I thought the ending was pitch perfect – truly outstanding and very well considered.

Pieces of You is a page-turning and compelling young adult novel that I hope every teenager, and their parents, will read. Fifteen-year-old Rebecca McQuilten moves with her parents from Dunedin to Auckland. She desperately misses her old friends and feels very lonely. When she accepts an invitation to a party in an attempt to fit in, she feels even more lonely. And when she leaves the party early, things go from bad to much worse. It’s only when she meets her outgoing sixteen-year-old next door neighbour, Cory Marshall, that she can begin piecing her life back together again – before the unthinkable happens.

This is a novel that sets the bar very high. Eileen has the right amount of teenage angst and emotion, while at the same time exploring some very difficult topics in a very sensitive way. Through her main characters, Rebecca and Corey, the author examines low self-esteem, self-harm, rape, teenage mental health, and suicide. But she does it in a way that gently sheds light on these subject matters, and shows how people can find better ways of coping with some of the serious things that can happen in life, through opening up to other people: friends, parents, and therapists.

Don’t be fearful that this is a novel that is too heavy, however. There are some moments that may make you cry – and certainly, the climax of the book is heart-wrenching – but there are many enjoyable moments along the way, and I particularly liked Rebecca and Cory’s love of poetry and literature, something that permeates the novel. This is a superb novel with wonderful characterisation at its core, and even if the storyline is hard to read as a plot, it also has a sense of hope. It was wonderful to read this debut novel by this talented New Zealand writer. I certainly look forward to future books from her.

The story is well-known – on 28 April 1789 Fletcher Christian and his followers took control of the HMAV Bounty, disposing of Captain William Bligh and leaving him adrift in the ship’s launch. Many books and movies have covered the mutiny, but Graeme Lay explores the enigmatic character of Fletcher Christian in this well-written and well-researched novel, and the author has created a page-turning read that brings history to life. Fletcher of the Bounty is an enthralling saga, which grips from the opening page to the last. The author explores Fletcher’s early life and his decision to join the Royal Navy, even though there was no seafaring tradition in the Christian family. Then Graeme Lay shows how a friendship may have formed between Fletcher and Captain Bligh, before things went terribly wrong after leaving Tahiti, the men having to give up a life of ease in paradise and their Tahitian lovers. On the return journey, discipline goes out the window, morale is at an all-time low, and Fletcher is contemplating taking his own life before he decides to take over the ship instead.

After the mutiny, the men are reunited with their Tahitian women, and together with the mutineers eventually sail to remote Pitcairn Island to start a new society, a Utopia of freedom and equality. But their new paradise is soon shattered by violence as tensions between the settlers explode to breaking point, the conflict between the European mutineers and the Tahitian men proving to be deadly.

Fletcher of the Bounty is an excellent historical novel, a well-considered blend of fact and fiction. It’s an action adventure tale – especially some of the scenes on the high seas – and it is also a tender love story. I would highly recommend the Fletcher of the Bounty for its excellent characterisation, it’s heart-palpitating action, and its thoughtful examination of this famous mutiny.

What a delightful read this novel is! And the main reason is the wonderful character Lola Quinlan, a flamboyant and eccentric 85-year-old woman, who is sassy and funny, and about to go on a trip of a lifetime. Lola decides to return to her birthplace, Ireland, more than 60 years after immigrating to Australia. She enlists the help of her much-loved granddaughter, Bett, to join her, along with her great-granddaughter Ellen, to join her on this historic trip. But when Lola gets to Ireland she wishes she hadn’t made the trip as she remembers all the reasons she left Ireland in the first place.

Meanwhile, there is plenty of drama for the rest of the family around this time. Bett is a journalist and has agreed to let her flaky sister Carrie, write a blog while she is away. The local town is a flutter with the news that a new TV show is going to be filmed in the region, and Carrie is excited that she will be interviewing the main actor, a household name around the world. But their interview is nothing like Carrie expected, and when a photograph goes viral there are ramifications that couldn’t possibly be anticipated. And why is Bett’s husband being so secretive? Is he having an affair, like Carrie suspects? And Bett’s job seems to be on the line, so is this the right time to be going away, and how will her husband cope looking after their young twins? And then there is Ellen, how will this teenager cope with the limited phone time that Lola has imposed on her, in this age of selfies and instant updates?

The Trip of a Lifetime is a warm, engaging read with a big heart. There is a real sense of family throughout, and all the characters are quirky and well-drawn. But Lola is the clear star of this novel. With her funny one-liners, her colourful, over-the-top outfits, and her sense of fun and adventure. But it’s also a novel about Lola’s past, one that has been hidden from her family for all her adult life – and how the trip to Ireland brings old hurts to the surface again. Monica McInerney is a fabulous storyteller. This is a light, easy read that will make you smile. It oozes with warmth and laughter and the messiness of family life and love.

Set in 1929 in Western Queensland, An Uncommon Woman is a novel about a young woman, Edwina Baker, finding her way in a world that is ruled by men. Even though the world is changing, and attitudes are becoming more progressive, Edwina is stuck on the family farm in a life of servitude. She is expected to be a compliant daughter and sister, before one day being married off to a suitable man of her father’s choosing. But Edwina has brains and ambitions, and she wants more than this for her life. She wants to go out into the world; she wants to achieve things. It grates that her brother Aiden will inherit the family farm when she is the one with business sense.

When the circus comes to town, Edwina is banned from going to the showground by her overbearing father. But when she defies him, it sets in chain a serious of events that will change Edwina’s life forever. She meets two young men, Mason and his modern city friends, and Will, a labourer who also dreams of escape like she does. With these new friendships comes innovative ideas and curious complications.

Nicole Alexander is a talented storyteller, and it is easy to invest time in this page-turning book. Edwina is a fabulous character – at times refreshingly naïve, at other times smart and strong – and it is her journey that makes this novel worth reading, as she battles against the rigid norms of the time, wanting to find her own place in it. Her father, Hamilton, at first seems an overbearing, pompous bully of a man, but as the novel progresses, the author skillfully reveals more of his nature, so he ends up as a rounded albeit, still flawed individual.

Feel the heat and hardship of farming life in Western Queensland at a volatile time in history, and enjoy a rollicking read that will soon have you devouring the final page. While the conclusion is satisfying, it does hint there might be another book in the offering with Edwina at centre stage. I certainly hope so as readers deserve to discover what happens in the next installment of her young life. Not least, is whatever becomes of the lion cub that was stolen from the circus at the beginning of the book…

A novel with the Vietnam War at its core, The Nam Legacy follows the love affair between Evelyn Hallet and Jack Coles. Set mostly in New Zealand during the 60s and 70s, the novel moves between rural life and the city lights of Auckland, before the action moves to Vietnam. Evelyn is a beautiful girl with a stunning voice, and even though they get engaged, Jack doesn’t want to hold her back or stand in her way of pursuing a successful singing career. He keeps himself busy on the farm and with his rugby, but eventually, Evelyn’s long absences to Auckland start taking their toll, and in a moment that will change everyone’s lives, Jack signs up to go to Vietnam.

Jack serves for 18 months in Vietnam, and the action moves to this part of the world. When he finally returns home, he is a changed, damaged man. Will Evelyn and Jack’s relationship survive the traumas of the Vietnam War?

The Nam Legacy is a book that examines post-traumatic stress and the Vietnam conflict, and it is clear the author has done much research to write this novel. When the author moves the action to Vietnam, the tension goes up many notches. Carole captures the 60s and 70s period well, and Evelyn and Jack are both well-drawn characters. I particularly enjoyed following Evelyn’s career as a successful singer, and these scenes provided many enjoyable moments to the book. Jack’s decisions to join the war, and then his actions in Vietnam at times didn’t feel plausible, but I guess this was the author’s intent. Young men went off to this war without fully considering what the implications were, and once over there, may have done things that would appear to be out of character. You will need to read the book to the end to see if Evelyn and Jack’s love survives, but The Nam Legacy certainly lives up to its title in a book that goes beyond the Vietnam conflict to explore the ongoing legacy of war, long after the conflict has ended.

With shades of Clave of the Cave Bears and The Hunger Games, Slave Power is the first in a new series. Set in the East of the Black Sea around 300 BC, this is a tale of Amazon Tribes under threat from slave traders who are showing no mercy as they attack the peaceful tribes living on the Plains. Fifteen-year-old Melo is a gifted rider in the Wild Horse Tribe, and she is destined to become a leader in her female warrior clan. But Mithrida, another young woman in the tribe, is motivated by envy and has other plans for Melo. And larger danger looms as the tribe prepares itself for a possible attack by slave traders.

Meanwhile, Sofia, a young priestess-in-training on the Holy Island, has questions about the strangers who have landed on their isolated part of the world. It’s not long before the worlds of priestesses, warriors, traders and slaves collide. But the Wild Horse Tribe live by the ‘Peace Way’ – will this succeed or be their downfall?

Slave Power is a pleasure to read. It is fast-paced with plenty of action and adventure, but also wonderful characters that you will care for – strong female protagonists who are a delight. I also enjoyed the way Melo and the Wild Horse Tribe looked for ways to cooperate in the midst of conflict in the hopes of achieving a peaceful resolution. You will need to read the book to see if they were successful!

Slave Power is a novel that gripped from the opening page with its pacey plot and dynamic characters. While technically a novel for young adults, this book will be enjoyed by an older audience as well. I am so pleased this is the first in a planned series as I can’t wait to devour the next installment!

A Column of Fire is a doorstop of a book, but completely gripping from the opening pages – so don’t be daunted by the size of this novel. It’s the third instalment in The Kingsbridge series that started with The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. Starting in the year of 1558, Ned Willard returns home to Kingsbridge, determined to marry Margery Fitzgerald. But her family has conspired against him, and she is set to marry Bart Shiring – and that puts in chain a series of actions that result in him joining the secret service for Queen Elizabeth.

A Column of Fire has a vast array of characters – some real-life historical figures, others fictional – but Ken Follett has done a fabulous job of taking the stories of a few families that we follow throughout the book. It’s a time in history when cities are torn apart by religious hatred, and there are plots and counterplots to dispose of Queen Elizabeth and to put Mary Queen of Scots on the throne. While Elizabeth tries to ensure peace, but nonetheless there are massacres and bloodshed during her reign. Over a turbulent half-century, the love between Ned and Margery seems doomed, as do the affections of other thwarted lovers on the either side of a religious divide.

A Column of Fire is truly an epic tale that has obviously been meticulously researched, and the strength of the book is its memorable characters. Several are dastardly villains, some are heroes, but most are people trying to make their way in the world during uncertain times, when religion and true faith, politics and scandals, revenge, power and love, were all driving forces for people’s decisions, whether good or bad. This is a book that has the horror of ‘heretics’ being burnt at the stake, of dangerous sea journeys and battles, and of royal courts and intrigue. It is a book of ill-advised marriages and alliances, of people of faith risking all to spread The Word, and of Elizabeth precariously ruling from her throne with the help a small group of loyal spies. From the bad decisions of Mary Queen of Scots to massacres, to the plot to kill the King by Guy Fawkes and others, this is historical fiction that is gripping history anyway, but Ken Follett makes the book emotionally engaging with his fine characters. The first books in the series have sold 38 million copies – this book is sure to sell many millions more.

The Roaring Silence is a collection of articles, interviews, poetry, fiction, prose, and art on the sensitive subject matter of suicide. It is a book that aims to demystify suicide and inspire conversations about suicide prevention. It is a visually appealing book, with artwork and photographs that are thought-provoking, sometimes challenging, but always presented with care. All of the contributors to The Roaring Silence have experienced suicidal thoughts, or have survived a suicide attempt, or have lost a loved one to suicide. There are also people working in the mental health field. They have certainly been courageous in sharing their work in this book. It is wonderful to see the variety of expression on this subject matter, and I think the diversity of the pieces will resonate in different ways with readers. The interviews are particularly useful, but in many ways the poetry, fiction and art are equally as illuminating in showing what it is like to be affected by suicidal thoughts or to have lost a loved one to suicide.

Suicide is a subject that has been shrouded in shame and secrecy for too long. This book promotes sensitive discussion on the subject and shows how creative expression can be transformative and healing. And there are important messages in the book. Kristina Cavit stresses the importance of kindness, the section Sticks ‘n Stones looks at how students can stand up against online bullying. Another chapter with Manu Fotu talks about how suicide prevention is everyone’s business. There is information about who to call to get help. The poetry section of the book is elegant, thought-provoking, and insightful. The artwork in the book requires time to contemplate. I thought the image by Grant Alexander was particularly poignant. A chipped plate with the number ‘564’ represents the number of people who died of suicide in New Zealand last year. Then there are the longer fiction pieces, all of them thought-provoking in different ways.

I applaud the people who contributed to this book, and I’m sure this book will go on to inspire and assist people who may be struggling with anxiety or depression, and for families with someone who has committed suicide.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful novel. It’s mix of exotic location, engaging characters and a lively plot keep the pages turning to the end.

Francesca Hackett has fled London, and she now lives in Rome working as a tourist guide, trying to forget about the reasons she left her previous life behind. But one day she finds a designer handbag in her rubbish bin, and when she returns it to the owner, the grand socialite Viscontessa Elena die Damiani Pignatellis dell Mirandola, she is drawn into a world of privilege and intrigue. Elena is delighted to have her handbag returned, especially as it has an unopened letter in it, written by her husband on his deathbed, twelve years earlier.

Elena likes Francesca on their first meeting, and she invites her to write her biography – something that publishers have been chasing her to do for years, and she has finally decided to tell her story. All she asks is that Francesca doesn’t research her on the Internet as Elena wants to tell her side of the story without Francesca being influenced by the many scandalous articles that have appeared in print over the years. Because what a life she has lived! Born into a wealthy American family and a famed beauty, she was already onto her third husband at the age of twenty-six. And then she met the man who would be her love match – but he is the one man she couldn’t have.

Things get more complicated when Elena’s garden collapses, and experts are called in to evaluate the situation, discovering an ancient tunnel under the building. When a priceless diamond ring is found in the tunnel, Francesca discovers that Elena has been keeping some secrets from her, one of which is especially shocking…

I thought this was a fabulous read. The only thing I wasn’t convinced about was the twists right at the end of the book – they just weren’t believable. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying this book overall, as there is just so much to cherish about this lovely novel, set in the captivating city of Rome.

This is a lovely novel, with three central characters, who are staying at a Regency house near the Brighton sea. Georgie has followed her partner to Brighton but is a bit stuck on how to occupy her time until she takes on a journalism role for a local paper. It’s a great way for her to learn about the city, but it’s not long before she’s got herself in trouble. Rosa has run away from London and is starting over as a sous chef with a demanding boss. But when one of the tenants of their house is rushed to the hospital, she is forced to look after her stroppy teenage daughter which leads to many challenges. Meanwhile, Charlotte is grieving a terrible loss and is avoiding people full stop. But the elegant elderly lady who lives on the top floor forces her to confront the outside world again, with far-reaching consequences.

The House of New Beginnings is certainly a novel of three stories: equal time is devoted to Georgie, Rosa and Charlotte’s lives. But the novel goes off in different directions when the character’s lives intersect, making it a more surprising read. This is a warm-hearted story about second chances. Believable, enjoyable and engaging.

This is the third novel from author Mark McGinn featuring lawyer Sasha Stace. I haven’t read the first two books, but that was no barrier to reading this excellent crime novel.

Sasha Stace is a dedicated, feisty lawyer, looking to make a difference when she takes on defence cases. But she is disillusioned after a difficult rape trial, so when she is approached to become a judge, she looks it with considered interest. But then one more criminal defense case comes her way that she can’t refuse. Her former partner is defending the charge of murdering his wife, Lottie, the woman he had an affair with and then left Sasha to marry. To make things more complicated, the lawyer seeking Sasha’s help is the daughter she gave up for adoption thirty years ago. The stakes are high when she discovers that the prosecutor is prepared to fight dirty to make his case.

Sasha is a memorable, well-rounded character who has an admirable moral core, despite many pressures thrust on her with her new case. The plot is pacy, and the courtroom scenes are particularly engaging. This was a page-turner with plenty of twists and turns that I devoured to the end. It was refreshing to have a novel of this calibre set in New Zealand – I thoroughly enjoyed the local settings. Presumed Guilty is definitely to be recommended.