Review: East of Alice

Title: East of Alice

Author: Annie Seaton

Publisher: 3rd November 2022 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 340 pages

Genre: romance, contemporary, mystery, suspense

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A gem-fossicking discovery echoes through time and leads to a dangerous journey through the red dust outback. A gripping mystery from Australian author Annie Seaton.

Gemma Hayden has returned to her hometown of Alice Springs for a new job as a primary school teacher. It's been six years since her family broke apart following the disappearance of her twin brother. And the scars still run deep.

Hard on the heels of her homecoming, Saul Pearce, the man she once loved, is reposted from Parks and Wildlife in Darwin back to Alice. When an old car wreck is uncovered, washed down the river to Ruby Gap, Saul investigates only to find that the wreck belonged to Ethan, Gemma's twin - and there's a coded note for her in the glovebox.

Joining forces, they trek through the rugged outback, piecing together clues that not only bring them to the attention of a criminal organisation, but lead them to uncover an even older puzzle ... One now lost to the history books.

With targets on their backs, will they unearth the truth in time?

My Thoughts

Having read Annie’s previous books I came in with high expectations as she is renowned for writing a great mystery. East of Alice makes it ‘three for three’ for me and I am now a fully fledged Annie Seaton fan. Having a dual timeline - turn of the century (1900s) and contemporary - the story unfolds from two main perspectives of the same family. I enjoyed this book so much as both stories are well told with a list of engaging aspects - mystery, action, adventure, danger, romance - all set in one of the most isolated locations in Australia. 

‘It’s not all for nothing,’ he murmured quietly as she clung to him, his khaki shirt bunched in her fists. ‘We’ve come this far, Gem. And we won’t give up until we search every bit of this ground. If that tin’s here, we’ll find it.’

Annie has once again completed faultless research in her endeavor to transport her readers. Ruby Gap and its history had me running off to Google and tied in with a sensational thriller/mystery made this a highly compelling read. There was so much to learn from not only the history of settlement in the area but also, as in Annie’s previous books, the contemporary storyline. The story itself is a good one! It is a slow build up but once it gets going the escalating tension will easily see you flying through the pages to a satisfying end. The two main characters, Gemma and Saul, are on their own journeys and I was really glad of the way Annie laid out their romantic relationship. Romance is not the sole focus here and the way the storylines plays out is most realistic. I also appreciated the minor step back in time with another mystery from last century which unfolded alongside the present day one. It added a nice touch with a fitting conclusion for closure. 

‘Gemma closed her eyes and tipped her head back. Total and absolute quiet. The encompassing silence of the outback cocooned her; she was home in the place she loved.’

East of Alice is certainly a book worth looking into on a number of levels. Annie takes the reader in directions they certainly would not be expecting. This is an another great read with its gripping tale, detailed descriptions of the Australian outback and relatable characters. If you haven’t read a book by Annie I highly recommend you do so - you won’t be disappointed. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Osprey Reef

Title: Osprey Reef

Author: Annie Seaton

Publisher: 27th October 2021 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 464 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: women’s fiction, mystery

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Love. Greed. Revenge. And a desperate search for answers ... Against the stunning backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef, two women in different eras discover how their hearts and fortunes are swayed by the secrets of the sea.

2019: Bethany Kristensen faces her toughest challenge to date, skippering the family charter business. With rivals doing their utmost to undercut her prices and reputation, the Kristensens' operation hangs by a thread. Winning the tender for a new scientific research program headed out to the farthest edge of the reef is her last chance to keep the business going. But when rumour and vandalism turn to outright sabotage, things take a drastic turn...

1934: Stella Booth flees a future of domestic drudgery in small-town outback Queensland, heading for employment and an independent life in Mackay. But fate has other plans and an accident en route sends her life spinning in a most unexpected direction...

Linked by a family mystery, decades apart, Bethany and Stella will both need to dig deeper than ever before they forge their place among the turbulent seas of the reef.

My Thoughts

Annie's previous books have all been fabulous five stars for me - I just love her tales incorporating environmental issues, a mystery with romance in two timelines - what a winning combination. Once again in her latest offering, Osprey Reef, Annie ticks all those boxes with an inter-generational tale of a family and their relationship with the sea - none other than the magnificent Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s coastline.

‘…out on the reef …. you’re well aware of coral bleaching on our reefs? Greenhouse gas emissions have seen unprecedented bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef and it’s been worse than ever in the past three years.’

Osprey Reef is a clever dual timeline story filled with suspense, regarding the mystery surrounding a supposed disappearance at sea in 193os to the current time of 2019. It was everything I have come to expect from Annie’s books as she certainly knows how to deliver a captivating tale. She draws in the reader who becomes fully engaged and invested in the characters of both timelines and the events unfolding in their lives. 

Beautifully written, well researched with Annie’s knowledge of the environment shining through. It truly adds to the layering of this story with depth and understanding. Both timelines contain intriguing drama filled plots and an engaging cast of characters. All of this is tied together with family secrets and fall outs. This book truly has a little bit for everybody whether it be history, conservation, exotic locations, romance and worthy drama with an unexpected twist at the end. 

‘ I’m looking forward to Osprey … I’ve taken a few trips out there and it's the most awesome diving. The coral is still untouched by the issues that impact it closer to the coast.’

Set time aside to curl up with this book and be transported to the stunning Australian coastline. I loved both timelines, so two stories for the price of one really as you wait for answers to unfold and hope for connections to be made. Osprey Reef is one book I certainly have no hesitation in recommending.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Undara

Title: Undara

Author: Annie Seaton

Publisher: 22nd July 2019 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 400 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: mystery, thriller

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Within the treacherous caves of Undara, a betrayal will test the bonds of friendship and family. A page-turning new eco-adventure for readers who love Di Morrissey. When entomologist Emlyn Rees arrives at Hidden Valley she wants nothing more than to escape her marriage breakdown by burying herself in the research team's hunt for new species of insects in the depths of the dramatic Undara lava tubes. However, little does she suspect she will be the key to solving a mystery that's more than one hundred years old.

Travis Carlyle is initially resistant to letting some city folks tramp over his cattle station, but soon the researchers' findings and a growing friendship with Emlyn bring opportunities to turn around his struggling farm. With a broken marriage behind him and children to care for, Travis needs to plan for the future and this could be his family's best chance.

But when things start going wrong for the farm and around the dig site, Emlyn and Travis are at a loss to understand why. Are they cursed with bad luck, or is there a more sinister force at play? Are the tall tales of enigmatic stockman Bluey turning true? As the unseen saboteur grows bolder, Emlyn and Travis are caught in a race against time to save the station ... and their lives.

My Thoughts

I had the pleasure of reading Annie’s ‘Whitsunday Dawn’ and thoroughly loved it (review HERE). So it was with great anticipation that I came across her next read, ‘Undara’.  According to Queensland (Australia) Parks:

‘Undara’ is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘long way’. The park protects one of the longest lava tube cave systems in the world. About 190,000 years ago, a large volcano erupted violently, spewing molten lava over the surrounding landscape. The lava flowed rapidly down a dry riverbed. The top, outer-layer cooled and formed a crust, while the molten lava below drained outwards, leaving behind a series of hollow tubes.

How fascinating! Annie has certainly done her research on this one! I had never heard of it and aside from the fictional narrative, I was blown away by the non fiction research and detail provided in this read. Undara has certainly made it onto my travel bucket list now! So it really is a moment of genius to set a thriller/mystery around this fantastic natural phenomenon. There was so much to learn not only about the tubes themselves but, as in Annie’s previous book, the present day scientific work going on there is also well worth a mention. 

‘Emlyn looked up at the sky; the stars out here were incredible, and she held her breath as she gazed at the glowing pinpricks of life that formed a solid band of light from east to west. It soothed her and put everything in perspective. As a speck of microcosmic dust, her life was insignificant, her existence miniscule, so there was no point giving in to her emotions.’

The story itself is a good one! It is a slow build up but once it gets going the escalating tension will easily see you through to a satisfying end. The two main characters, Emlyn and Travis, are on their own journeys and I was really glad of the way Annie lay out their relationship. Romance is in no way the focus here and the way the storylines play out is most realistic. I also appreciated the minor step back in time with another mystery from last century which unfolded alongside the present day one. It added a nice touch with a fitting conclusion for closure. 

Undara is certainly a book worth looking into on a number of levels. Annie takes the reader in directions they certainly would not be expecting. I highly recommend this book and for no other reason than Emlyn insists on drinking tea out of a cup as we do here at Great Reads & Tea Leaves! 

‘David had always smiled at her insistence that you should only drink tea out of fine china. She picked up the cup and twirled it around. It had come from a Royal Albert tea set that Gran had left to her, and she carried it everywhere she went. The gold rim was chipped, and the once-bright flowers had faded, but holding it always soothed her.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Whitsunday Dawn

Title:  Whitsunday Dawn

Author: Annie Seaton

Publisher: 23rd July  2018 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 352 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: mystery, romance, historical fiction,

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

With the pristine beauty of the Whitsundays under threat, can they expose the truth in time? Australian author Annie Seaton brings to life a new area of romance — Eco-Adventure. Perfect for fans of Di Morrissey. When Olivia Sheridan arrives in the Whitsundays as spokesperson for big mining company Sheridan Corp, it should be a straightforward presentation to the town about their proposed project. But when a handsome local fisherman shows her what ecological impact the proposal will have, Olivia is forced to question her father's motives for the project.Struggling with newly divided loyalties, Olivia is thrown further into turmoil when she is mistaken for a woman who disappeared more than sixty years before. When it becomes clear that Captain Jay is also keeping secrets, Olivia realises that there is more to these sunshine–soaked islands than she ever expected. Seeking to uncover the truth, Olivia is drawn into a dangerous game where powerful businessmen will stop at nothing to ensure their plan goes ahead, even if that means eliminating her…Against the epic Far North Queensland landscape, this is the story of two women, separated by history, drawn to Whitsunday Island where their futures will be changed forever.

My Thoughts

Whitsunday Dawn by Aussie author Annie Seaton is my first read of hers and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A dual time narrative (always a fave of mine when done well) from WWII to present day to. You will find both narratives captivating as the author seamlessly weaves an intriguing and suspenseful mystery. What better than an engaging historical fiction combined with a modern day crusade to help save Australia’s Great Barrier Reef! All of this is set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Whitsundays and it will have you wishing you could visit the islands some time soon.

The historical narrative is set during the war years with the seemingly imminent invasion of the Japanese to Northern Australia. I loved learning about life on the island for Lily and her family, with an overall tale that will surely pull at your heartstrings. The current day narrative throws light on the Great Barrier Reef and its surrounds. Present day issues of greed and corruption in pursuit of the almighty dollar, but at what cost? An interesting insight into power - those that have it and the will of people power to try and make a difference. It was wonderful to watch the personal growth of Olivia as she comes to terms with how to truly make a life for herself.

Both stories have romance, suspense  intriguing drama filled plots and an engaging cast of characters. All of this is tied together with family secrets and fall outs. You will appreciate the love interests in both timelines, you will have an understanding for the good and bad sides of families and people in general. This book truly has a little bit for everybody whether it be history, conservation, exotic locations, romance and worthy drama with an unexpected twist at the end.

Set time aside to curl up with this book and be transported to the stunning Whitsunday from the seemingly idyllic life on the island of the 1940s to present day quests to save a natural heritage.  Both timelines I loved, so two stories for the price of one really as you wait for answers to unfold and hopeful for connections to be made. Whitsunday Dawn is one book I certainly have no hesitation in highly recommending.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release