LAPD lieutenant detective Decker and his wife, Rina, have willingly welcomed fifteen-year-old Gabriel Whitman, the son of a troubled former friend, into their home. While the enigmatic teen seems to be adapting easily, Decker knows only too well the secrets adolescents keep—witnessed by the tragic suicide of another teen, Gregory Hesse, a student at Bell and Wakefield, one of the city’s most exclusive prep schools.
Gregory’s mother, Wendy, refuses to believe her son shot himself and convinces Decker to look deeper. What he finds disturbs him. The gun used in the tragedy was stolen—evidence that propels him to launch a full investigation with his trusted team, Sergeant Marge Dunn and Detective Scott Oliver. But the case becomes darkly complicated by the suicide of another Bell and Wakefield student—a death that leads them to uncover an especially nasty group of rich and privileged students with a predilection for guns and violence. Decker thought he understood kids, yet the closer he and his team get to the truth, the clearer it becomes that he knows very little about them, including his own charge, Gabe. The son of a gangster and an absent parent, the boy has had a life filled with too much free time, too many unexplained absences, and too little adult supervision.
Before it’s over, the case and all its terrifying ramifications will take Decker and his detectives down a dark alley of twisted allegiances and unholy alliances, culminating at a heart-stopping point of no return
This story is evenly divided between the perspectives of Lieutenant Decker and fifteen year old Gabe, both personalities come off as pretty relaxed and easy going, until a problem hits. Then they are on their toes and fast thinkers.
I enjoyed the fact that even at the age of fifteen, Gabe was a very intelligent boy, but like most teenage boys the thought of sex drives most of his storyline. I believe that the relationship that slowly builds between Yasmine (14) and Gabe (15) was incredibly romantic. Although in the more mature scenes between them, I had a hard time picturing her as visually looking “10-12″ years old (as she is described by the author). The connection they had together from their love of music, piano, opera was a nice pace of story to break up the intense detective work that the lieutenant was going through.
The Lieutenant and his staff are working to figure out how the boy that committed suicide got the gun. This detective work, along with the additional suicide of a girl that attended the same school, starts to trigger more questions. As the deceased teenagers property starts to turn up missing the school and it’s students are getting inspected further and further as they try to connect the missing links.
There is very clearly a gang of students that stand out and the only question is why is there a “mafia” group at a prestigious high school, and what is their involvement with guns and drugs.
The story raps up with some very dangerous Gun Games. With a combination of sex, drugs, gangs and guns this story reads like a gangster movie.
- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition first Printing edition (January 3, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0062064320
- ISBN-13: 978-0062064325
 Number one bestselling author Janet Evanovich teams up with award-winning author Dorien Kelly to deliver a sparkling novel of romantic suspense, small-town antics, secretive sabotage, and lots and lots of beer.
Kate Appleton needs a job. Her husband has left her, she’s been fired from her position as a magazine editor, and the only place she wants to go is to her parents’ summer house, The Nutshell, in Keene’s Harbor, Michigan. Kate’s plan is to turn The Nutshell into a Bed and Breakfast. Problem is, she needs cash, and the only job she can land is less than savory.
Matt Culhane wants Kate to spy on his brewery employees. Someone has been sabotaging his company, and Kate is just new enough in town that she can insert herself into Culhane’s business and snoop around for him. If Kate finds the culprit, Matt will pay her a $20,000 bonus. Needless to say, Kate is highly motivated. But several problems present themselves. Kate despises beer. No one seems to trust her. And she is falling hard for her boss. Can these two smoke out a saboteur, save Kate’s family home, and keep a killer from closing in…all while resisting their undeniable attraction to one another? Filled with humor, heart, and loveable characters, Love in a Nutshell is delicious fun.
Published January 3rd 2012 by Macmillan Audio
I have come to learn that Janet has some similarities in most of her stories. A girl, down on her luck, broke and single. With her newest novel Love in a Nutshell she keeps these similar themes as a newly divorced Kate, has moved back to her family home called “The Nutshell” she intends on restoring it and turning it into a bed and breakfast.
Without any money to do repairs and the added frustration that she only has 4 months to restore it and pay current the landlord’s fees, she turns to the local bar owner Matt, for a job. It so happens that Matt is currently trying to figure out who is trying to sabotage his business, so after some determined arguing from Kate, he agrees to higher her with the condition that if she finds out who is behind the incidents that she will get the $20, 000 bonus.
As Kate is trying to make friends at work and figure out who does what around there, Matt and his family and other business dealings are introduced to us as well. We get to see each of their personalities with some humor and take interest in their lives and what they are going through. In my opinion Matt’s character stood out the most in this story. He is a level headed businessman that also has heart and cares for others. He reminded me a lot of Sam Merlot from the Sookie Stackhouse series.
Kate on the other hand seems so involved in everything going on around her, playing detective, dealing with her divorce and money issues that for the majority of the book the real mystery and detective work is really downplayed. When the story really starts rolling and things begin happening is really where all the fun is and Kate gets herself into some funny, sad and dangerous situations.
The audio book is told from both characters (Matt and Kate) perspectives, and I really enjoyed that their personalities came through strongly. However, I’m going to admit I found Matt’s side of the story more interesting.
Kate comes across as being really unsure of what her future holds, but for the next four months, she is going to fight tooth and nail to show that she can accomplish the restoration of The Nutshell. Matt on the other hand, has great family support, is really well off with several businesses and a even though somebody is out to sabotage him, has a lot of good friends.
The relationship builds slowly between the two and when it does, there is really no sex or mature content in the book. It is a fun, light read with a fantastic climatic and dramatic ending.
Thanks to MacMillan Audio for the sample.
 Road to the Soul – Kim Falconer
Journey By Night – Kim Falconer
Eona – Alison Goodman
Burn Bright - Marianne de Pierres
Angel Arias – Marianne de Pierres
Reviewed by Mandy Wrangles
 Waking the Witch is the twelfth book in Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series and opens with a fantastic cross-genre premise.
Savannah Levine is a private investigator in training. She also happens to be the orphaned daughter of a black witch and a demon and isn’t afraid to throw her inherited power around. At 21 and working in her guardian’s detective agency that specialises in all things supernatural, she’s dying to prove herself with a case of her own. In this story, she gets her chance. Three young women have been murdered in the fading factory town of Columbus in what looks like ritualistic killings. With her guardians away, Savannah takes on the case as a favour to an associate and at first glance it looks like nothing more than a garden-variety human set-up. But on closer inspection, things get nasty – especially for Savannah.
Savannah is gutsy, smart and pragmatic. She’s one of those characters you can’t help but love; she’s sassy and laugh-out-loud funny at times. But she’s also sensitive and flawed; a romantic at heart. Just don’t annoy her or you might find yourself on the wrong end of her temper and a particularly nasty spell!
Waking the Witch is a typical investigative crime novel at its heart, with supernatural elements thrown in. As Savannah digs deeper into Columbus’ inner workings, she finds her lists of suspects growing longer and longer. There’s the dirty local entrepreneur who bullies the townsfolk (and his wife, it seems) for his own means and also happens to have a ‘past’ with one of the dead women. There’s the cult leader and his harem of cookie-baking lost-girls just out of town with an interest in the occult, family members and associates of the victims, two of whom were anything but innocents. Even the local cops might know more than they’re letting on.
And then – there’s the love interest. I’m not going too far into this particular sub-plot – mainly because it’s not the focus of the story. There’s just enough to make you care about the characters involved, but this is by no means anything close to a romance novel.
This is the first book of Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series that I’ve read. I generally never read a series out of order, however the author’s website makes it clear that each book is a stand-alone and reading order is irrelevant. For most of Waking the Witch, I found this true. There’s just enough back-story to fill the reader in on what they need to know, without overdosing on useless information. Throughout the story, I didn’t feel lost or out of the loop. Unfortunately, I did feel let down by the climatic ending. As a crime novel, this story is tightly told, the reveal not overly obvious, and multiple twists kept me reading. But unless you’ve read previous books in this series, the ending will disappoint. I have to admit I felt ripped-off after investing time in a novel I was enjoying only to find a character that was given only a very fleeting mention at the start of the book (in back-story) become the catalyst at the end.
My recommendation? Read this series in the order it was released, you’ll get far more out of it.
Published by Orbit
Paperback, 325 pages
ISBN – 978-1-84149-806-5
 THE GENESIS FLAW
L.A. LARKIN
ISBN: 978-1-74196-788-3
Reviewed by: Kylie Fox
The Genesis Flaw is one of the most fast-paced, educated thrillers I’ve read – ever – and it had me from the very first line.
He kicked the leather chair away and instantly the rope snapped tight.
The book opens with a suicide written in third person but very much from the point of view of the soon-to-be deceased. It was horrifying, intriguing, but most of all, believable. Larkin didn’t pull any punches with this death – the final thoughts, the final sights and the recalled memories are all on display, as are those last desperate attempts of a dying body to fight the mind that has made this decision. But there is no turning back – Tony Mancini, CEO and Senior Vice President of one of the biggest companies in the world, manufacturers of genetically modified foods is dead.
While his body still swings in his office, an intruder appears and is chillingly satisfied with the sight before him. He removes the suicide note that has been left on the desk and leaves the room. What secrets were contained within this last communication? Why would a man of such standing reach such a dramatic conclusion?
Within pages the reader is faced with yet another, very different, death. Serena Swift, our central protagonist, loses her father to cancer – an illness that she is sure has been caused by GeneAsis – the very company that Mancini had worked for.
And so it begins. Serena embarks on a mission to prove that GeneAsis was responsible for her father’s death and bring them to justice.
What she discovers is more far-reaching than she, or anyone else, could possibly imagine. Could GeneAsis’ genetically modified foods be responsible for thousands of deaths and birth defects worldwide?
And would a company like this, one of the largest, and richest, corporations in the world, really not disclose the negative effects of their products, thus choosing profits over lives?
This story is particularly poignant in a world currently obsessed with corporate greed and so much of this book has parallels to real world events that it’s a terrifying read. How much do we really know about the products we consume and the practices of the companies who produce them?
Serena soon learns that nobody – or almost nobody – can be trusted. This company is so powerful that government bodies, police departments and a fair portion of the world’s media is on its pay roll. Serena turns to a childhood friend (with whom a certain amount of “history” is shared), John, an expert computer hacker, for assistance, and together they take on GeneAsis, attempting to take it down from the inside.
The stakes in this novel couldn’t be any higher. People are dying and millions more could die as a result of GeneAsis if they aren’t stopped. But with an unscrupulous company set to make billions of dollars, stopping them is never going to be easy. How Serena survives is a miracle unto itself!
Larkin has created a set of characters who are all too believable, from the heroes and villains at the core, to the large cast of supporting characters at the periphery. Their motives are clear and all of their actions are led by these.
This book doesn’t let go until a most satisfactory end. This was the most impressive part for me; there was no cop out at the end. The characters stayed true to form even at the conclusion.
A fantastic, smart read that I most certainly recommend.
 Hi all – here are my five in no particular order.
Stuart MacBride – Shatter the bones. Love Logan and Steel.
Lee Childs – The Affair. What’s to say, Reacher is the man.
Val McDermid – Trick of the dark. Always surprises.
Marianne de Pierres – Burn Bright and Angel Arias. A new world to play in.
Sue Grafton – U is for undertow. Gotta love Kinsey.
 Open Secret: The Autobiography of the Former Director-General of MI5
Reviewed by: Janette Dalgliesh
You would expect an autobiography from Dame Stella Rimington, the first woman Director-General of MI5, to be fascinating. And you’d be right.
But perhaps not for the reasons you might expect.
This is not the licence-to-kill world of James Bond, even though Judi Dench’s “M” was apparently inspired by Rimington. This is the real world of a major secret service, seen through the eyes of a woman who worked “at the coalface” for many years, and who believes passionately in the importance of openness and effective communication.
As she puts it “excessive secrecy harms the position of our vital security services rather than protecting it”.
It’s also the world of a working woman, treading the familiar path of juggling career, husband, children and social change. But it’s a brutal and uncomplaining insight into the extra burden faced by a woman working for an idiosyncratic, secretive and—at least to begin with—antiquated secret service replete with eccentric characters, internal tensions and mind-bending bureaucracy.
Following the terrors of a childhood in the Blitz, Rimington did not start out with any concept of working in the secret services. She attained a degree in English from the University of Edinburgh and began a career as an archivist, demonstrating from the beginning a respect for accurate and well-managed information.
The path which took her from those everyday beginnings, via the restrictive life of a diplomatic wife, and on to the top position at MI5 is remarkable. Not because it’s full of conspiracies and secrets and danger and adventure—although there are plenty of those sprinkled liberally throughout —but because it’s the story of a real woman, with a set of experiences that most of us can relate to.
It’s true that most of us have not been forced out of our homes by an intense and poorly managed media circus, following the announcement of our appointment to a job. And most of us haven’t had to lie to our children about our work. But we can relate to the initial feelings of helplessness and frustration at seeing our loved ones impacted unfairly by our career choices. And we can relate to the moments of taking charge, to find the best solution available at the time.
And that’s what appeals so much about Rimington and her story. She has a quintessentially commonsense approach to everything, whether it’s an urgent call from her child’s school interrupting an important meeting, car troubles in Afghanistan or a sensitive first contact with a wannabe KGB defector.
Her loyalty to the democratic process, and her capacity to remain detached from any particular political ideology, shine through every page. But they don’t stop her from sharing revealing moments in her dealings with the leaders of the day. One of my favourite stories was the much-anticipated first visit by former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to MI5. No doubt Thatcher’s reputation as the “Iron Lady” helped motivate staff in ensuring everything was perfect for her arrival. But after all their hard work, Thatcher’s only concern appeared to be that her whisky wasn’t strong enough.
When Rimington joined the service in 1967, many of the old paradigms still existed. By the time she retired in 1996, she had been instrumental in triggering, implementing or overseeing many significant changes. With typical modesty, she credits many other people for those changes, but it’s clear that her presence and her actions over the years provided a major contribution.
 Rimington was the first woman permitted to undertake field work, and it was her cleverly subtle tactics which finally set MI5 on the path to gender equity in pay and conditions. As Director-General she successfully oversaw the publication of a small booklet about MI5 which revealed publicly, for the first time, details of the service’s activities, operations and duties. Behind the scenes, she was involved at senior levels during the long overdue legislative changes which created better accountability and controls for the service.
Perhaps the clearest demonstration of these major cultural changes lies in the area of recruiting.
In the earliest days of the secret service, born in 1909, and for many years afterwards, new staff were recruited via a discreet tap on the shoulder from someone already inside. In 1967, Rimington herself only discovered she was actually working for MI5 after she agreed to assist one of the First Secretaries at the High Commission in India with his office work. Not surprisingly, this approach to hiring staff resulted in a cloning of existing staff and a resultant intensifying of eccentricities and paranoia. In recent decades the system has been radically overhauled and the old boys’ club approach dissolved.
These days, of course, one applies to join MI5 online. I can’t help thinking Rimington would thoroughly approve.
If you’re looking for a spill-the-beans spy romp, this might fit the bill. Rimington certainly spills plenty of beans, not on operational details (which, as she points out, would put lives at risk), but on the deeper, far more important aspects of the secret service.
If you’re in the market for plenty of conspiracies, eccentricities, plots and counter-plots, and an intriguing insight into the mind-twisting machinations of government and the Civil Service, this would do very well.
And if you like a well-told insight into the very human lives of those who take responsibility, usually unknown and unheralded, for our safety—then look no further. This is the book for you.
Reviewed by Cels Jansink:
 There’s a new designer in town- and she has Pandora in her sights. Who knew the fashion industry could be so venomous.
It’s now been two months since Pandora first moved to the mysterious Spektor to live with her equally mysterious Great-Aunt Celia. And it’s certainly been anything but boring. She’s encountered counting-obsessed vamps, ghosts, zombies and a myriad of characters she never thought possible.
Now there’s a new threat to New York, and Pandora seems to be a beacon for the strange and unexplained. As if dealing with her snarky boss and trying to work out just what being “The Seventh” means wasn’t enough, she’s again found herself barrelling head first into more trouble. And then there’s Lieutenant Luke…….
The Spider Goddess will deftly ensnare you in its web from the very first page, and hold you tight to the very last. Packed with mystery, evil intentions and things that go bump in the night, Pandora’s world is breathtakingly addictive. The plot has almost a liquid feel and will sweep you away on its current as you pick through the layers of mystery right beside Pandora. Moss has created a world that is dark, Gothic, uniquely funny and often downright terrifying without an overt morbid feel. Pandora has fast become my favourite heroine and I can’t wait to see what danger she leads us into next.
If you haven’t entered the mystifying Spektor yet- make it your next must visit destination. Just beware you may never look at spiders the same way again, or leave home without pockets full of rice.
The next stunning Pandora adventure “The Skeleton Key” is due for release in 2012.
The Spider Goddess- Tara Moss
Pan Macmillan
ISBN:978-1-7426-1003-0
324 Pages.
 Fatal Flaw by Sandy Curtis
Published by Clan Destine Press
Trade Paperback, 259 pages
ISBN: 978 0 980 790 092 (pbk)
ISBN: 978 0 987 160 447 (ebook)
Reviewed by: Gaile Hughes
A tantalising read that I fully recommend!
Fatal Flaw, by Queensland author Sandy Curtis, is a powerful, intense thriller about power, betrayal, old loyalties and how past actions and events can shape the future. It also explores the relationship between children and their parents and emerging love through friendship.
Mark Talbert works for the government in a very secret capacity; his major brief is terrorism. Having been shot in the line of duty, he’s taking some time out to reassess his life when he receives a message that cuts short his trip trekking the Queensland highlands – and changes everything.
There has been a break-in at home and his father murdered.
Mark returns home for the funeral, but it is soon apparent that not all is as it seems.
Comforting his step mother at the service is his old childhood friend Julie. Julie, now a single mum, was someone he could always feel comfortable with and confide in. Later, over drinks, he is surprised at the depth of his feelings for her and the intense sexual arousal that sparks between them. Exchanging phone numbers they part with a sense of anticipation.
Mark stays at his father’s house to put all of his affairs in order. Within days, another break-in, this time the intruder knocking Mark unconscious. Surely two break-ins at the same residence and within days of each other cannot be coincidence?
A visit soon after from Mark’s agency informs him that Julie’s father is in business with ‘persons of interest’. Mark is ordered to investigate him, will this deception cost him their new and beautiful relationship?
Seemingly unrelated deaths may be connected to both Julie and Mark’s fathers, and Mark must stay one step ahead of the enemy in order to keep Julie and her son Andy safe. Then her father unknowingly places her in the hands of a terrorist, one who is about to unleash unspeakable horror on the city. However, is there more than one enemy at work?
I loved this story because it had all the usual suspects of a murder, intrigue, international terrorism, and good versus evil, all interwoven with a beautiful love story.
This is Sandy Curtis’ sixth book and the second outing for Mark Talbert, (Dangerous Deception). It is a fast moving, intriguing suspense thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
 The Broken Ones
Stephen M Irwin
Hachette Australia (2011)
ISBN: 978-0-7336-2713-2
Reviewed by: Gaile Hughes
Grey Wednesday happened, and the world changed forever.
The Broken Ones is certainly a different take on genre bending. The story is set in Brisbane a few years in the future, and blends police procedural, supernatural mystery and spec fiction with a touch of grim horror.
The hero Oscar Mariani is a flawed and rumpled, yet incorruptible detective, working in the newly created Nine-Ten Investigation Unit. The unit was formed to deal with crimes related to events that have occurred since ‘Grey Wednesday’, the day the world was thrown into chaos and the unthinkable happened – the dead have risen and everyone is haunted by an ever present, silent and eyeless spectre.
Crime and corruption are rife, and murders and suicides are commonplace. The governments have failed to deal with this catastrophic event and the police are losing control as the economy and resources begin to disintegrate and society fragments.
An apathetic Detective Mariani and his small department are under threat of closure, when a new murder snaps him out of his lethargy. A ritualistic serial killer is murdering young women, and Mariani gets caught up in an investigation that no one wants him to follow.
The world Irwin has created is a bleak place, the horrors visual and grim, with Brisbane portrayed as a wet, sodden and broken city. The story has multiple twists and turns and is tautly plotted, with enough creepiness to keep you awake until the wee hours. The cast of characters are colourful and richly developed; although there is often a surfeit of adjectives. However, it provided rich sensory insights for the reader.
Readers should be aware that the story includes the brutal killing of an animal and, although it does relate to a later event, I felt that it was unnecessary and could have been omitted.
Brisbane author Stephen M Irwin’s first book THE DEAD PATH was published in 2009. It was described as one of the scariest stories of the year. With his second novel THE BROKEN ONES it seems he has taken the readers on another creepy and haunting ride.
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