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Here’s an excerpt: Light, fast-paced, humorous, and yes, sharp, this Perth-based series is a lot of fun to read. As the cover declares, Delacourt has created a heroine Janet Evanovich fans will love – only this lanky lady is pure Aussie. You’ve not met anyone quite like her.
Reviewed by: Amanda Wrangles Long before Charlaine Harris became uber-famous with True Blood fans, she was a crime writer. In fact, she still writes crime, and yes, sometimes those crimes involve werewolves, shapeshifters, telepathic waitresses and vampires. And sometimes they involve young women who find dead bodies for a living. When a bolt of lightning struck a young Harper Connelly through the window of the family’s trailer, it left her with more than a weird, spider-webby scar on her weakened leg – it also left her with a new ability. Harper finds bodies – not ghosts – but she is able to ‘feel’ what caused their demise Grave Sight is by and large a crime novel, but obviously, due to the protagonist’s special talent, it also crosses into the paranormal genre. And that is where the real fun begins. In Grave Sight, we’re introduced to Harper and her sorta-kinda-mostly-sometimes brother; Tolliver. This dynamic duo of dysfunctional family life traipse their way across the USA, helping people find lost (dead) loved ones. For a price, of course. Harper has learned to take hold of her ghastly gift by getting in, doing the job of finding the body if there’s one to be found, getting paid and getting out of town again as quickly as possible. Not that she’s a charlatan – no – Harper is the real deal; it’s just that people tend to get a little freaked out by those that dare to charge a fee in this type of circumstance. But hey, a girl’s gotta eat. When Harper and Tolliver are first approached by Sybil Teague to find the missing Monteen ‘Teenie’ Harris, the deal sounds simple enough. Teenie went missing the day Sybil’s son was shot dead in the local woods. Teenie is described by the folk of small town Sarne as being ‘wild as a razorback’, but Harper thinks there’s more going on than a couple of crazy teens gone wrong. When the mystery of what happened to Teenie is solved the first time Harper enters the woods and senses her body hidden in a shallow grave, things get interesting. The hostile local sheriff and most of the townsfolk find it hard to believe Harper and Tolliver had no prior knowledge of what now appears to be a double murder, and Tolliver winds up in jail on trumped up charges. Without Tolliver to protect her, a scared and weak Harper must find the killer (or killers) on her own – with a little help from a good looking deputy. Grave Sight is very much a small-town saga with a large cast of interesting characters. Their lives weave intricately through one another’s, staining each other in the worst possible ways. It comes down to Harper to untangle what it was that happened in the distant past that caused the violent deaths of the teens, and who it is that wants to frame Tolliver so badly now. Harper is sarcastic, witty and wry. She’s definitely cut from the same mould as Sookie Stackhouse – Harris’ most famous heroine – and I like her almost as much. She’s insecure, needy and relies too much on Tolliver, but Harper is also real, human and easy to empathise with. You just can’t help liking her and championing her strange relationship with Tolliver, of which we learn more about in Book Two: Grave Surprise. -Mandy Wrangles. Grave Sight, first published in 2005. Published in 2007 by Gollancz (Great Britain) Paperback, 263 pages ISBN 978 0 57507 9 236 Reviewed by: Amy Parker
When I heard he was starring in a procedural crime show, my first thought was, ‘Okay, this is going to be weird.’ As it turns out, I was right – but in the best possible way… Castle is different from most crime shows, in that the title character isn’t a cop. Or a special agent. Or, in fact, A quote from the show’s opening montage: There are two kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people: psychopaths and mystery writers. I’m the kind that pays better. The Concept Richard Castle is a mystery writer, who uses the fact that the mayor is a huge fan of his bestselling novels to follow around one of the NYPD’s finest detectives (Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic). This is on the pretext of using her as inspiration for his next novel.
Forget the fact that this scenario would never actually happen in real life. As a TV show, it’s a refreshing change from the usual police-team dynamic, and this is not a show that takes itself seriously! Add in the fact that Beckett is a fan of Castle’s novels, and that the sexual tension between them is off the charts, and you have the recipe for great televisual drama. Supporting Players Other characters? Castle has a bunch of them. Each episode gives us an insight into Castle’s home life – his teenage daughter and flamboyant actress mother live with him, and the family banter is both heartwarming and hilarious. On Beckett’s side, we have her junior detectives, Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan. They’re a fantastic double Stick with it, though. Castle has just powered past the mid-point of season three in the States, and ABC has just ordered a fourth season. Looks like Nathan Fillion gets to be awesome on prime time TV for a little while longer! I’m very delighted to say that Sharp Turn will be book of the month for Tara Moss’s Book Club on 13th Street in February. Fingers crossed my In Conversation will also be up there. The 13th Street website has recently undergone a face lift and some of the content is still to be reinstated. When it is, you MUST check out Tara’s In Conversation with crime authors. They are really fabulous interviews. I particularly love the ones with Kathryn Fox and Neil Cross.
ISBN: 9781846057618 Reviewed by: Kylie Fox
“Tick Tock” is the latest offering from mastermind, James Patterson – the author who has given us the likes of the Women’s Murder Club series and the Alex Cross series. This is the fourth book in the Michael Bennett series and with the growth of this character, I think he may soon be giving Alex Cross a run for his money. Bennett is a NYC detective, single father of ten adopted children; he’s smart, he’s funny and he can kick some serious butt. Michael Bennett is supposed to be taking a hard-earned beachside vacation with his children, his grandfather and his nanny/love interest but the discovery of a bomb in the NYC library has him recalled to work in a hurry – especially when it’s discovered that the bomb has his name on it – literally. But the bomb is just the beginning. This killer is recreating the greatest and most horrific crimes that NYC has witnessed and nobody is safe – not even Bennett’s family. Nobody knows the enormity of the plans that this killer has and it’s up to Michael Bennett to find out – and stop him in time. “Tick Tock” true to the form of James Patterson, is a breath-takingly fast-paced action thriller. Every chapter leaves a reader on tender-hooks and forces them to continue reading. It is, in the best sense of the word, absolutely un-put-down-able! The tension created by the crime itself juxtaposes perfectly with the tensions that Bennett feels in his personal life and in his knowledge that he can’t always keep his children safe. The hard-nosed, smart-arsed cop is made all the more real because of his interactions with his children. The plot is intricate and well crafted – with the culprit revealed in a clever twist that will leave readers guessing. If you’ve read James Patterson before, you’ll love this one. If you haven’t, start now – you don’t know what you’re missing out on. This is the first of six books to be released by James Patterson in 2011 – check his website for more details.
By: Amy Parker So, your loved one rushes out the door without explanation after a strange ringing in his shoe; her wardrobe consists mainly of trenchcoats and deer stalker hats; his address book contains no names – just initials. Something’s up, right? Here’s the definitive guide to working out whether your loved one is a secret agent. ***
1) Do they have to work a lot of overtime? There are two things that could be going down: either an affair or a series of covert undercover operations. Try tailing your loved one to an ‘extra evening shift’. If he or she is heading off for an illicit rendezvous, you should be able to find out where they’re headed. If they manage to evade you after driving you round the block three times… they’re an agent. 2) Do they have super-agent combat skills? Try sneaking up on your loved one for a hug. If you end up in an affectionate embrace, don’t worry. If you end up with a split lip, a broken wrist and a gun pointed at your head before they realise you’re not an enemy spy… they’re an agent. 3) Do they speak many languages you didn’t know about? Wander up to them when they’re distracted and ask them how their day was in a foreign language of your choice – one they haven’t told you they speak. (Suggestion: buy a phrasebook or two!) If you’re met with a blank stare and a ‘huh?’, leave it a few days and try again with a different language. If they reply in the same language, then realise that they shouldn’t have and try to cover it up… they’re an agent. 4) Do they have a network of agents close by as backup? Mess up the house, leave a fake ransom note on the kitchen table, and hide close by. If your loved one calls the police in floods of tears, they’re clean. If they take out a concealed weapon, clear the house, take out a cell phone you didn’t know they owned and call for backup… they’re an agent. 5) Do they have an elite team at an ops center somewhere, ready to support them?
Wait until your loved one has an important deadline, then download as many potentially virus-containing files as possible to their computer. If they scream with frustration and go nuts trying to run anti-virus so they can get their report done on time, that’s normal. If they wait until they think you’re out of earshot, then call someone to tell them that national security might be at risk… they’re an agent. *** Are you nodding your head right now? Does everything add up? Time to decide if you blow the whistle or change your name to 99 and join him!
By Kylie Fox
The image of armour-clad Ned Kelly has become synonymous in Australia with the Aussie legends of a “fair go” of bucking the system – he has been immortalised as our own Robin Hood-like cult hero. So what is it that makes a convicted horse-thief, cattle-rustler, bank robber and police murderer such an important figure in the collective consciousness of Australians? Are we really so hard up for a cultural identity that a bushranger and outlaw is the best we can come up with? Over the thirteen decades since Kelly’s capture, we’ve immortalised him in film, literature and song and he was recently an addition to a Legends of Australian poster by artist Hugh Fleming, alongside the likes of Saint Mary MacKillop, Sir Donald Bradman and Dick Smith. Has he earned his place there? Even the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, arguably the biggest world stage Australia Surely the last couple of centuries have given us more to add to our identity than that. So, what were the events that marked Ned Kelly as a hero forever? Here’s a brief outline of the criminal life of Edward “Ned” Kelly. Early Life Ned was the son of an Irish man sentenced to deportation from Ireland to Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania). When he had served his time, he relocated to Victoria where he married Ellen. Ned was the second surviving child, and eldest son, of Red and Ellen Kelly, with six younger siblings to follow. Ned’s family did it tough but not much is known of his early life. However, it does seem that unlike many of the contemporary killers that we’ve become acquainted with, Kelly wasn’t “born bad”. One story has a very young Ned risking his own life to save that of another boy from drowning. The boy’s family presented Ned with a green sash which he is reported to have been wearing all those years later, beneath his armour for the final showdown. One has to wonder if that was an act of contrition, a symbol of the one act in his life that he was actually proud of.
They finished by saying, ‘I’d recommend reading this extract if you’ve never read any of Marianne’s books before and reckon you’ll want to rush out and pick up a copy shortly after.’ Read the rest of the review here.
plus Sentients of Orion and Parrish Plessis sets, and the Glitter Rose collection! About Writers on Rafts Writers on Rafts is an initiative of Queensland Writers Centre and author Rebecca Sparrow to raise money for the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal. More than 150 Australian authors have pledged prizes.
The initiative is being coordinated by Queensland Writers Centre, but because their own building (the State Library of Queensland) has been affected by flood, they are currently not able to access their offices to answer the phone, so please them email for now.
ISBN: 978-1-4087-0200-0 Reviewed by: Kylie Fox Trick of the Dark is written by the undeniable “queen of crime”, Val McDermid and in this, a stand-alone novel, she proves once again why she’s earned that title. Set at Oxford College, where McDermid herself once attended, it introduces us to a new character, Dr Charlie Flint – psychiatrist and expert witness in criminal cases – a character that I hope we get to read a whole lot more about. Charlie’s career is in tatters after her testimony allows a man to be set free – and to go on and brutally murder four women. Her ex-tutor at Oxford, Corrina Newsam, asks for help and Charlie jumps at the offer hoping it will give her the chance to redeem herself. Corinna’s daughter, Magda, was widowed on her wedding day and all evidence points to the groom’s business partners as his murderers – but Corinna is convinced that millionaire businesswoman and misery-memoir writer (and her daughter’s new lover) Jay Macallan Stewart is responsible for his and a string of other deaths. Charlie is thrown full-swing into the investigation, acting as amateur sleuth rather than psychiatrist, to uncover the truth – but every step she takes and every discovery she makes, leads her closer to danger. Typical to McDermid, this story unfolds with twists and turns in abundance; with characters that grow with every page; with messy relationships and with the perfect balance between all the worst attributes that humans can possess with some of the best. The plot, though intricately woven, is believable and made all the more real by the dynamics of the characters’ relationships. I pride myself on being able to “solve” most crimes that I read and though I had figured out the “whodunit” of Trick of the Dark, I was still left with several surprises along the way – right until the final pages. This book is an absolute page-turner, a psychological thriller that holds the reader in its grasp and I can only hope we see a return of the awesome Charlie Flint in the near future.
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