Review: A Dangerous Game

Title: A Dangerous Game

Author: Mandy Robotham

Publisher: 16th January 2025 by Avon Books UK

Pages: 384 pages

Genre:  Historical Fiction, mystery, thriller

Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

London, 1952. Seven years after the chaotic aftermath of World War II, London is coming alive again, with jazz clubs and flickering cinema awnings lighting up the night sky.

But for widowed Helen ‘Dexie’ Dexter, she’s still a woman in a man’s world. She longs to prove herself as an officer in the London Metropolitan Police, yet she’s stuck intervening in domestics and making tea for her male colleagues.

Then Harri Schroder arrives, seconded from Hamburg to the Met. Haunted by the loss of his wife and child, Harri is unlike any man Dexie has ever known. Compassionate and sharp-witted, he sees her not as a threat, but as an intelligent, canny officer full of potential.

And when Harri is tasked with hunting down a Nazi war criminal-turned-respected-businessman, with connections to the upper echelons of British society, it’s Dexie he turns to for help.

But as their bond deepens, a deadly fog engulfs London. Dexie and Harri must expose the fugitive before he vanishes, risking everything for justice – and each other…

My Thoughts

Mandy Robotham is an auto buy for me as you are always guaranteed a great read. Once again her story is from post World War II - on this occasion, 1952 London during the Great Smog. It was at times frightening to be on the streets of smoggy London as our two leads battled not only the elements but also Nazi war criminals. Who are the leads? None other than  ‘your beloved grumpy Inspektor, Harri’ from Mandy’s last book, The Hidden Storyteller. Mandy states, “... in writing the closing pages of my previous book, The Hidden Storyteller, I sensed I wasn’t finished with Harri - he needed space to show us more of his unorthodox policing methods, to shed some of his cynicism, and to heal” - and we could not be happier! To read another story with Harri is reward enough - he is such an endearing character and although he berates his ‘self-conceit that he can actually right the wrongs of an entire war’, you can’t help but cheer him on!

‘You mean former Nazis - war criminals and murderers - are now employed by various security services? As agents? That governments are now rewarding these bastards for doing the Fuhrer’s bidding? You can’t be serious.’

Interestingly, this is a story of not only historic details surrounding the infamous London Smog but also incorporates a thriller detective drama. Mandy does well in combining the gripping tale of a Nazi war criminal on the loose. Towards the end the pace is fast with danger and several tense moments for all involved and readers are sure to be cheering loudly for Harri and Dexie.

‘She can’t die, not here or now, not from a bloody fog!’

Congratulations Mandy on yet another winning book. I have read and adored all your books and cannot recommend them highly enough. 'A Dangerous Game' is a fabulous thriller with a dash of romance. A tale of cat and mouse espionage during the real-life 'Great Smog' of 1952 where it's estimated some 4,000 - 10,000 people died.

‘The hunters have become the hunted.’

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: Verity

Title: Verity

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: 25th January 2022 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 314 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: thriller, mystery, suspense

My Rating:  4 cups

Synopsis:

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity's recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen's feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife's words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

My Thoughts

‘The clever and talented Verity is no longer in there. Was her body the only thing that survived that wreck? It’s as if she were an egg, cracked open and poured out, and all that’s left are the tiny fragments of hard shell.’

There has been so much written about Colleen Hoover - her books are everywhere! This particular novel is not her usual style or genre, therefore demonstrating her obvious ability as a writer. Verity ranges from the suspense, thriller, intrigue right up to the very dark and disturbing. It is creepy, sinister and psychologically unsettling.

The writing and story is of a level where you are unsure if you truly love it or hate it, if you side with the characters or are opposed to them. It is certainly a disturbing story that enthralls readers as it totally messes with their minds. Is that a good or a bad thing? There will be moments where you might forgive yourself for thinking you were reading a Stephen King novel. Is this the same Colleen Hoover famous for her romance books? Well, she certainly stepped outside of the box for this one. For sure there is romance and plenty of sex scenes but more of the psychological thriller type.

So if this is a genre that appeals to you, a read that is equally disturbing and thrilling because it’s clever, then be sure to check out Verity. 

‘No matter which way I look at it, it’s clear that Verity was a master at manipulating the truth. The only question that remains is: Which truth was she manipulating?’

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: Madam

Title: Madam

Author: Phoebe Wynne 

Publisher: 1th May 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 435 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: mystery, gothic, thriller

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

For 150 years, Caldonbrae Hall has loomed high above the Scottish cliffs as a beacon of excellence in the ancestral castle of Lord William Hope. A boarding school for girls, it promises that its pupils will emerge ‘resilient and ready to serve society’.

Into its illustrious midst steps Rose Christie, a 26-year-old Classics teacher and new head of department. Rose is overwhelmed by the institution: its arcane traditions, unrivalled prestige, and terrifyingly cool, vindictive students. Her classroom becomes her haven, where the stories of fearless women from ancient Greek and Roman history ignite the curiosity of the girls she teaches and, unknowingly, the suspicions of the powers that be.

But as Rose uncovers the darkness that beats at the very heart of Caldonbrae, the lines between myth and reality grow ever more blurred. It will be up to Rose – and the fierce young women she has come to love – to find a way to escape the fate the school has in store for them, before it is too late.

My Thoughts

If the speculative fiction of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ intrigues you, then Phoebe Wynne’s debut novel is something you may be interested in. Set in a remote Scotlish peninsula on cliff tops high above the sea, the scene is well and truly set for a gothic style mystery.

‘This place is all about traditions, honour, rules .... which means what? Turning a blind eye when things go wrong?'

Caldonbrae Hall, a prestigious girls boarding school with a long history of tradition, has just hired a new teacher which had not happened for a decade. Whilst excited to be honoured with such a position as the new Head of Classics, it does not take long for Rose to realise all is not what it seems. Phoebe provides puzzle pieces, slowly revealing and inviting her readers to start putting them together to reveal the truth behind the closed doors of Caldonbrae Hall.

The setting is, of course, perfect for the unfolding thriller - the Scottish wilds - with tumultuous storms and even the historic Hall itself lending to the vibe with secret passageways and winding hallways. I found the inclusion of Greek mythology through Rose’s position as Classics teacher to be clever. It enriches the story with excerpts from the Classics - strong women such as Medusa and Boudicca - and how they cleverly can reflect and inspire the present day events.

‘Classics is more than language - more than history, literature and society. It's an entire culture and philosophy, a civilisation that we still continue to imitate today, without even realising it.' She faced him properly. 'It's the study of people. And sometimes, I understand the Greek and Roman civilisations more than I do our own.’

Although the story takes place in the 1990s, due to the remote location and way the school is run, it feels like it should be from a different era. Yet, I guess that is what the author was after - a place that possibly stopped in time? Although I wished for some characters to be developed further, it really is an impressive debut that will keep you guessing as to how events will ultimately unfold. Embrace both the gothic and thrilling premise of what could possibly be going on behind elitist closed doors. 

‘Sometimes as women, we have to rescue ourselves, instead of expecting someone else to.' Rose sat forward. She realised she felt bolder with the storm still in her skin. That's the best thing a woman can do - learn how to rescue herself, without the need of a man; without the need of anyone.’               

                                                                                                               

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

Review: Other People's Houses

Title: Other People's Houses

Author: Kelli Hawkins

Publisher: 3rd March 2021 by HarperCollins Publishers Australia

Pages:326 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The perfect house. The perfect family. Too good to be true.

Kate Webb still grieves over the loss of her young son. Ten years on, she spends her weekends hungover, attending open houses on Sydney's wealthy north shore and imagining the lives of the people who live there.

Then Kate visits the Harding house - the perfect house with, it seems, the perfect family. A photograph captures a kind-looking man, a beautiful woman she knew at university, and a boy - a boy that for one heartbreaking moment she believes is her own son.

When her curiosity turns to obsession, she uncovers the cracks that lie beneath a glossy facade of perfection, sordid truths she could never have imagined.

But is it her imagination? As events start to spiral dangerously out of control, could the real threat come from Kate herself?

My Thoughts

Admit it! We all dream about living in a fancy house and wonder what the life of its occupants to be. Well, put that premise on steroids by mixing in a mystery thriller and you have a super crime debut from Kelli that kept me turning the pages to the very end. 

‘The front door loomed, with all its promises. Promises of lives lived, of children growing and grown, of nightly dinners around a kitchen table. Of scuff marks on walls and broken light fittings and empty picture hooks. Everyday stuff. Family life.’

Set in Sydney, the plot follows Kate each weekend as she trudges around to open homes often ‘lifting’ a small memento from each. Kate is suffering terribly after the ‘tragic accident’ that occured ten years previous with the death of her then five year old son, Sascha. With one particular home, she becomes obsessed not only with the house but also the people and the seemingly perfect lives of the father, mother and son. It could have been her. Should have been her. What she does find upon further investigation, however, upsets her and sets her on a path of no return. There are flashback chapters that slowly deliver the life Kate led before the accident and puzzle pieces that Kelli invites you to move around in your minds eye. 

‘Entering that house, I’d  experienced an actual burst of real happiness for the first time since Sascha died. There was something about it that was so open and welcoming I immediately pictured what it might have been like to live there. What my life might have been.’

In many ways Kate was a difficult character to like despite the tragedy she had to endure. Everything from her alcoholism to irrational actions - often driven by drink - could leave the reader perplexed. I found myself questioning the state of her overall health, for example, if her drinking and bad diet had been that prolific for ten years - yet I suspended it all in favour of a mystery that engaged me and challenged me to read to the very end in an afternoon. You will, of course, have your suspicions, yet Kelli delivers a writing style with a plot full of twists and turns that you cannot help but rush to find out exactly how things will end up with Kate’s obsessive behaviour. I definitely recommend reading Other People’s Houses for lovers of this genre. 

‘People make mistakes, Kate. We forgive them. We move on with our lives.’  ‘You make it sound so simple.’  ‘It is. Look, I’m not saying it’s not hard. It’s bloody hard. But we make choices. The people in your life are in it because they want to be. It’s that simple.’ 

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

Review: The Last Tiara

Title: The Last Tiara

Author: M.J. Rose

Publisher: 2nd February 2021 by Blue Box Press

Pages: 437 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

From New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller M.J. Rose comes a provocative and moving story of a young female architect in post-World War II Manhattan, who stumbles upon a hidden treasure and begins a journey to discovering her mother’s life during the fall of the Romanovs.

Sophia Moon had always been reticent about her life in Russia and when she dies, suspiciously, on a wintry New York evening, Isobelle despairs that her mother’s secrets have died with her. But while renovating the apartment they shared, Isobelle discovers something among her mother’s effects—a stunning silver tiara, stripped of its jewels.

Isobelle’s research into the tiara’s provenance draws her closer to her mother’s past—including the story of what became of her father back in Russia, a man she has never known. The facts elude her until she meets a young jeweler, who wants to help her but is conflicted by his loyalty to the Midas Society, a covert international organization whose mission is to return lost and stolen antiques, jewels, and artwork to their original owners.

Told in alternating points of view, the stories of the two young women unfurl as each struggles to find their way during two separate wars. In 1915, young Sofiya Petrovitch, favorite of the royal household and best friend of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna, tends to wounded soldiers in a makeshift hospital within the grounds of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg and finds the love of her life. In 1948 New York, Isobelle Moon works to break through the rampant sexism of the age as one of very few women working in a male-dominated profession and discovers far more about love and family than she ever hoped for.

In M.J. Rose’s deftly constructed narrative, the secrets of Sofiya’s early life are revealed incrementally, even as Isobelle herself works to solve the mystery of the historic Romanov tiara (which is based on an actual Romanov artifact that is, to this day, still missing)—and how it is that her mother came to possess it. The two strands play off each other in finely-tuned counterpoint, building to a series of surprising and deeply satisfying revelations.

My Thoughts

M.J Rose delves into historical fiction once more in her latest, The Last Tiara. I am never sure what I will find in opening one of Rose’s books - some hit the mark and some miss. I am happy to say that on this occasion, it was a definite ‘hit’ for me. She has undertaken and written a fabulous historical tale which invokes a real sense of place combined with romance and intrigue. 

‘She was fascinated with how lives can change after one tiny moment that didn’t even seem consequential at the time, but in retrospect altered the trajectory of life.’

Always a sucker for anything concerning Russia and the loss of its monarchy, this is a story told in alternating chapters between Sofiya's life in Russia from 1915 through 1922, and her daughter, Isobelle in 1948. When Isobelle discovers a hidden tiara after her mother’s death, she embarks on a journey of discovery as her mother failed to disclose so much of her Russian youth to her. So much credible detail is provided on a range of themes from Russia and the time of revolution to Isobelle trying to cement her female self into the working life of New York just after the Second World War. 

‘My mother’s life before she came to America - well, she kept that from me. She was secretive about almost every part of it. When I found the tiara, I suppose I thought it would lead me to … answers about her past. And about mine.’

There is some romance for Isobelle as she takes steps to uncover the secrets her mother seemingly hid so well. Yet it is the story of the tiara that captivated me; I love a good historical mystery and believe Rose has done a fabulous job on this occasion as I was so easily transported to the various locations and time periods. The ending is intense and that just topped off a winning read. 

M.J. Rose has done her research and brought to life a possible scenario surrounding the last tiara from the House of Fabergé made for the Russian Imperial family. Anyone who is a fan of historical fiction and intrigue, especially surrounding fine art and jewellery you won’t be disappointed.

‘I move my head, and the tiara seems to wink at me. I don’t like the sight. It’s not a beautiful object, not anymore. Now, it’s just a remnant of another era, another life.’

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

Review: The Survivors

Title: The Survivors

Author: Jane Harper

Publisher: 22nd September 2020 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 384 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: contemporary, fiction, mystery, crime, suspense

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

The compelling new novel from Jane Harper, the New York Times bestselling author of The Dry.

Kieran Elliott's life changed forever on the day a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences.

The guilt that still haunts him resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal town he once called home.

Kieran's parents are struggling in a community which is bound, for better or worse, to the sea, that is both a lifeline and a threat. Between them all is his absent brother, Finn.

When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away...

My Thoughts

‘It’s just ...’ Mia thought for a moment. ‘When someone dies, it’s pretty easy to only remember the good things, don’t you think?’

Finally, I get my hands on a Jane Harper book. This author has quite the reputation in Australia and has secured her place as one of our country’s top crime fiction novelists. So, my expectations were high going into this read and I do believe it lives up to all the hype.

The Survivors is not only a murder mystery, but a strong, emotionally driven tale about families and grief. A solid cast of characters are realistically portrayed in this small Tasmanian town with Jane’s sense of place holding much appeal. On this occasion, in a small seaside town, she presents a real who-dun-it.

‘Who did this?’ Bronte’s mother’s words cut through the air. She waited. No-one made a sound. Her gaze continued its slow crawl. Every single person was staring back, but Kieran saw more than one drop their eyes as the woman turned their way.’

Jane cleverly incorporates past and present memories/flashbacks - woven within rather than chapter separated. There are quite a few characters in the line up to keep track of, but in turn, that allows for a solid lineup of suspects. Once you get these characters in order - both past and present - you are set to move the puzzle pieces around to come up with a short list of suspects. Jane is very clever at dropping the subtle hints and clues that get her readers wondering if that was a pertinent piece of information. Slowly these pieces start to connect together with character traits and activities coming together. 

I would like to say however, that this story is more than just your classic murder mystery. There are small town dynamics, family fallouts and past grievances - all adding up to present a well rounded story. Jane’s writing draws you into all this, with emotionally charged, character driven stories that are whole and complex. There are interwoven loyalties and past conflicts that add another layer to an already emotionally charged tale. It makes for compelling reading. 

I can now firmly agree with the majority that Jane Harper has firmly established herself as one of the best writers of the mystery-thriller genre in Australia. 

‘The Survivors?’ ‘Yeah.’ She tilted her head as she scrutinised the three figures. Kieran waited, watching the salt water wash against the sculpture. ‘Are they supposed to be happy or sad?’ Pendlebury said suddenly. ‘I mean, is it a celebration of the people who made it, or a memorial to the ones who didn’t?’

 

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