Review: A Shadow at the Door

Title: A Shadow at the Door

Author: Jo Dixon

Publisher: 3rd January 2024 by Harlequin Australia, HQ  & MIRA

Pages: 400 pages

Genre: crime, mystery, thriller

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of The House of Now and Then comes a vividly portrayed story that reveals the darkness of greed and desire where people will stop at nothing to get what they want. No matter the cost ...

After a brutal attack and the breakdown of her marriage, life has taught former TV star Remi Lucan that it's safer to not rely on anyone. Instead, she's buried herself in Hobart, transforming her dilapidated sandstone house back to its former splendour, and it has been her proudest achievement. Better than her short-lived acting career. Definitely better than being a smile-on-command trophy wife. But when she runs out of money, her wealthy ex-husband tries to force the sale of the property and Remi realises her only option is to lower her defences and take in tenants. At first her biggest problem is adjusting to the intrusion of two unlikely housemates, but when a series of 'accidents' turns ugly, it becomes clear these incidents are more than pranks. Someone is out to get Remi, and they won't stop until they destroy her...

My Thoughts

Atmospheric Tasmania provides the perfect setting for this engrossing psychological thriller. Herein, Jo Dixon provides strong characters that readers will become invested in and find themselves eagerly turning the pages. This is a quick and wonderfully escapist read. 

‘Her beautiful home was also her sanctuary. She wasn’t leaving. Here, she’d finally felt safe and at peace.’

For me, the greatest strength of this book is the contrasting cast of believable characters. The villains may be a little too villainous, however, Jo provides an eclectic and realistic mix of characters that really cements the tale and is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers. Good writing has you suspecting multiple people and even though I worked out early on who it might be - there is still much to unfold in the timing and events to a fitting conclusion. My favourite characters were the housemates, both very different, but added real depth and reality to the storyline. 

‘She was alone in her old house with barely enough superficial interaction to keep her from becoming a shuffling, mumbling hermit. It wasn’t social or glamorous, but it was the life she had chosen. And still wanted.’

A Shadow at the Door is Jo’s second novel and now firmly establishes her as a writer you will keep coming back to. The pacing is good and even though you may guess correctly early on, there are plenty of twists and turns scattered throughout to keep you fully engaged to the very end. This book hooks you from the outset with the second half really bringing it home. Mystery and thriller lovers are sure to enjoy this one. 

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: The Search Party

Title: The Search Party

Author: Hannah Richell

Publisher: 3rd January 2024 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 352 pages

Genre: mystery, thriller, suspense

Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

Five old friends reunite for an idyllic glamping holiday on the rugged Cornwall coast, but tensions rise when a storm leaves them stranded and someone goes missing. Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. 

Eager for a dry run ahead of their opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion and a relaxing weekend. But the festivities soon go awry as tensions arise between the children (and subsequently their parents), explosive secrets come to light, and a sudden storm moves in, cutting them off from help as one in the group disappears.  

Moving between a police investigation, a hospital room and the catastrophic weekend, The Search Party is a propulsive destination thriller about the tenuous bonds of friendship and the lengths parents will go to protect their children.

My Thoughts

I have read and loved Hannah’s previous books, so it was with great anticipation that I opened The Search Party and I was not disappointed. Such a well written and atmospheric story that will have you frantically turning pages to a most fitting and suspenseful ending. 

‘She keeps asking herself, how could one weekend spiral so dreadfully out of control?’

Basically this is a glamping trip that goes horribly wrong! Told from multiple points of view and moving back and forth in time, Hannah is very clear on character voice and timelines (she even includes a list of names) and pay attention to chapter dates so as never to be confused. The two timelines are the weekend away itself and then interspersed with police interviews in the aftermath. This is such an extremely clever technique in drip feeding character and plot clues along the way. 

‘Maybe their reunion weekend had brought the wildest, truest sides out in all of them  - one way or another.’

Three families are partaking in this glamping experience for the weekend and the various dynamics between the characters and has much to do with how events play out. There are disagreements, past histories, missing campers all played against a raging storm on the Cornwall coast. Tension builds, tempers fray, friendships are strained and it all comes to a raging and violent conclusion inline with the storm. 

‘It was as if the elemental wildness of the place had got under his skin, altered him. All his emotions rising to the surface.’

The Search Party is such a suspenseful and entertaining read you will find it hard to put down. There are many dramas and unfolding layers that will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing to a fitting conclusion. 

‘In that moment, twenty years of friendship, of camaraderie, of pints in pubs and late-night bonding over music, of toasting each other’s weddings and children, of standing shoulder-to-shoulder through life’s ups and downs went skittering away on the wind.’

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: Homecoming

Title: Homecoming

Author: Kate Morton

Publisher: 4th April 2023 by Allen & Unwin Australia

Pages: 630 pages

Genre: mystery, thriller, historical fiction 

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959: At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek on the grounds of the grand and mysterious mansion, a local delivery man makes a terrible discovery. A police investigation is called and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most shocking and perplexing murder cases in the history of South Australia.

Sixty years later, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for almost twenty years, she now finds herself laid off from her full-time job and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call out of nowhere summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and been raced to the hospital.

Nora has always been a vibrant and strong presence: decisive, encouraging, young despite her years. When Jess visits her in the hospital, she is alarmed to find her grandmother frail and confused. It’s even more alarming to hear from Nora's housekeeper that Nora had been distracted in the weeks before her accident and had fallen on the steps to the attic—the one place Jess was forbidden from playing in when she was small.

At loose ends in Nora's house, Jess does some digging of her own. In Nora's bedroom, she discovers a true crime book, chronicling the police investigation into a long-buried tragedy: the Turner Family Tragedy of Christmas Eve, 1959. It is only when Jess skims through the book that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this once-infamous crime—a crime that has never been resolved satisfactorily. And for a journalist without a story, a cold case might be the best distraction she can find…

An epic novel that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, and how we protect the lies we tell. It explores the power of motherhood, the corrosive effects of tightly held secrets, and the healing nature of truth. Above all, it is a beguiling and immensely satisfying novel from one of the finest writers working today.

My Thoughts

Did you hear that audible sigh? That was me, turning the final page on Kate’s upcoming new release, Homecoming. Just when you think the next book could not possibly rival the last she wrote (over 5 years ago) - she proves you wrong. Once more Kate delivers to her fans a storyline that is seamlessly woven together. One is never lost, in fact, the enhancement is beyond measure - the craftsmanship sublime.

‘It never failed to amaze Jess, the power of the written word to impart not only knowledge, but experience. This was her first time physically in this house; but Daniel Miller had taken her to Halcyon in 1959 and thus she already knew

it.’

This is an intricate and complex tale of families and home all bound together with a mystery that will thrill you to the very end. There are lies, there are secrets and when the final twist is revealed, there is the liberation of finally uncovering the truth. Kate reveals how the past may haunt the present. The breadcrumb of clues are strategically placed and revelation comes with impeccable timing, but wait! Just when you think you hold the key in your hand, it reveals another closed door! No! So once more you return to Morton land as she keeps digging deeper and deeper into the heart of her characters; as the intricate layers, with twists one could not guess, just keep coming. 

‘For all that 'home' was considered a word of warmth and comfort, policemen knew better. Home is where the heart is, and the heart could be a dark and damaged place.’

Moving over some 50 years and three generations, roaming from London to Sydney yet at its heart is the call of the Adelaide hills - this is a story that will consume you. Morton is the Master! Page after page where you lose yourself in the character, in the mystery, in the haunting house and its surroundings and in, most importantly, the wonder of her words. I simply don’t know how she does it - the time and place, the tears and turns - it all feels so real. In many respects - especially book lovers out there - it is as if Kate were writing the book to you …. for you. I highlighted so many quotes that truly spoke to my heart - this could not be fiction. This is Kate and I thank her for writing how I feel on paper - her storytelling is second to none as she eloquently transports her readers to another place and time. 

‘Reading shapes a person. The landscape of books is more real, in some ways,

than the one outside the window. It isn't experienced at a remove; it is internal, vital.’

I can say, without a doubt, this is one of the best books I have ever read. Kate is always in my top three authors as her writing is so immersive and I am lost in her words. Homecoming is stunningly beautiful and heartachingly told about the secrets we keep, the hurt we bring to those we love and the absolute joy of finally reaching ‘home’. Thank you Kate for bringing me home. 

‘Home, she'd realised, wasn't a place or a time or a person, though it could be any and all of those things: home was a feeling, a sense of being complete.’

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: The Next Girl

Title: The Next Girl

Author: Pip Drysdale

Publisher: 30th November 2022 by Simon & Schuster Australia

Pages: 368 pages

Genre: thriller, crime

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

Promising Young Woman meets High Fidelity in the dark and twisty new thriller from the bestselling author of The Sunday Girl, The Strangers We Know and The Paris Affair.

A bad day at work. A drunken night. A rogue Instagram follow. That’s all it takes to ruin a life … 

The question is, whose life will be ruined? When Billie wakes up in a strange guy’s bed, her first thought is: what happened last night? She can't even remember meeting him. And how the hell did she get to Coney Island?

Then reality bites and the memories flood in – the reason she was in that bar, drinking to start with: today she's going to get fired. Because yesterday her law firm lost a big case: Samuel Grange v Jane Delaney. And it looked like it was her fault.

It wasn't. Yet now Samuel Grange is free to drive off into the sunset in his stupid Porsche and do it all again to another woman. And all Billie can think is: What about the next girl? And the one after that? But there is nothing she can do to stop him.

Unless ... She could expose the truth about him on her own. Then everyone would see what he was really like. And he wouldn't be able to do it again.

The problem is, the only way to protect the next girl is to become the next girl. And, well, that could be a little risky ... even deadly.

My Thoughts

‘Because the only way for me to protect the next girl is if I am the next girl.’

The Next Girl is a standalone psychological thriller by bestselling Australian author, Pip Drysdale and I was so excited to finally sample her writing. All up I found an intelligent and interesting plot, with strong characters written in a most conducive way - this book kept me on the edge of my reading seat!

I liked Billie - complex and flawed - characteristics that make her totally believable. The story unfolds with her speaking to the reader which, to me, really hits the mark - it felt like reading her personal diary. Interspersed throughout is the crucial backstory where the reader learns about a past that helps make total sense of current unfolding events. I was hooked from the very beginning and eagerly turned the pages to find answers. 

‘I'm not sure how many more lies I have in me.’

This is a book that is fast paced and completely engaging as it is overflowing with suspense. The details are spot on, especially concerning the technology references which I loved. A domestic thriller that will hook you in and keep you guessing until you have all the puzzle pieces to complete the picture. 

‘I always thought that if I ever got caught for doing what I do, there would be some glory in it. That people would understand why. They might even applaud it.’

The suspenseful atmosphere Pip creates with twists and turns and both snappy sentences and short chapters were all impactful. This is a book that is sure to appeal to many. With the classic ‘whodunnit’ flavoured with many other serious and heavier themes including sexual violence, vengenance and revenge, coercion and control. This fast paced thriller with stalker vibes, several suspicious characters and a murder mystery is a read that completely drew me in. 

‘When I tell people I was drawn to working in the law because 'I wanted to help’, they always look at me like I'm a silly little girl with too much faith in the system. Like the world has some nasty surprises in store for me. But I’ve already had those nasty surprises; my way of helping isn't what they think it is.’

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: Apples Never Fall

Title: Apples Never Fall

Author: Liane Moriarty

Publisher: 14th September 2021 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 460 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: fiction, mystery, thriller, suspense 

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

The Delaney family love one another dearly—it’s just that sometimes they want to murder each other . . .

If your mother was missing, would you tell the police? Even if the most obvious suspect was your father?

This is the dilemma facing the four grown Delaney siblings.

The Delaneys are fixtures in their community. The parents, Stan and Joy, are the envy of all of their friends. They’re killers on the tennis court, and off it their chemistry is palpable. But after fifty years of marriage, they’ve finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. So why are Stan and Joy so miserable?

The four Delaney children—Amy, Logan, Troy, and Brooke—were tennis stars in their own right, yet as their father will tell you, none of them had what it took to go all the way. But that’s okay, now that they’re all successful grown-ups and there is the wonderful possibility of grandchildren on the horizon.

One night a stranger named Savannah knocks on Stan and Joy’s door, bleeding after a fight with her boyfriend. The Delaneys are more than happy to give her the small kindness she sorely needs. If only that was all she wanted.

Later, when Joy goes missing, and Savannah is nowhere to be found, the police question the one person who remains: Stan. But for someone who claims to be innocent, he, like many spouses, seems to have a lot to hide. Two of the Delaney children think their father is innocent, two are not so sure—but as the two sides square off against each other in perhaps their biggest match ever, all of the Delaneys will start to reexamine their shared family history in a very new light.

My Thoughts

‘Everyone had secrets.’

I really wanted to ‘love’ this book given my association with tennis and Liane’s reputation, and whilst it had some fantastic elements, it was not the blockbuster I had hoped for. Liane is Australian writing royalty and this latest offering has been highly anticipated by her huge fan base. Apples Never Fall is a suburban mystery tale that sees complex, tension filled,  family issues come under Liane’s unique microscope of satire and clever observations. 

Liane is the master of layering a story with lots of small, seemingly insignificant details and moments, that give you pause to ponder what is really going on behind closed doors. This is a book where a copious amount of effort has been put into the background story and character analytics of all those involved. Here you will find Liane’s trademark blend of wit, humour, especially in relation to domestic issues and a gentle mystery is added to this complex family drama. The problem is that it is super long in some sections that I feel could have been better edited t0 pack that real punch that I was looking for in the mystery aspect.

At its heart, this is the story of family, a look at the dynamics and everyday life of its members. This is where Liane truly shines and people are sure to relate. So whilst the mystery is not what many were expecting, I cannot help but feel she was striving for something more than the classic thriller. It’s clever, it’s thought provoking and it is most entertaining. 

‘Once your mother has momentum no-one can beat her,’ Stan always said, and he was talking about tennis but every single thing Logan’s dad said about tennis could also be applied to life.’

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: Our Woman in Moscow

Title: Our Woman in Moscow

Author: Beatriz Williams

Publisher: 6th June 2021 by HarperCollins Australia

Pages: 432 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, spy, thriller 

My Rating: 4 cups

Synopsis:

In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. The world is shocked by the family’s sensational disappearance. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Or have the Digbys defected to Moscow with a trove of the West’s most vital secrets?

Four years later, Ruth Macallister receives a postcard from the twin sister she hasn’t seen since their catastrophic parting in Rome in the summer of 1940, as war engulfed the continent and Iris fell desperately in love with an enigmatic United States Embassy official named Sasha Digby. Within days, Ruth is on her way to Moscow, posing as the wife of counterintelligence agent Sumner Fox in a precarious plot to extract the Digbys from behind the Iron Curtain.

But the complex truth behind Iris’s marriage defies Ruth’s understanding, and as the sisters race toward safety, a dogged Soviet agent forces them to make a heartbreaking choice between two irreconcilable loyalties.

My Thoughts

"In this terrible war - this war between communism and liberal democracy - communism will win, because it does not care about how many lives it devours."

Our Woman in Moscow is a cold war thriller based loosely around the Cambridge Five - a ring of spies who passed information to Russia during and right after WWII. Based on real incidents and people, Beatriz has once again written a well researched novel that addresses not only espionage but also trust and family bonds. A tale of two sisters, moving back and forth across time and countries - 1940 Rome, 1948 London and 1952 Moscow.

“And what I have done this summer, I have done to repay my debt - the debt I owe her, the debt I owe t0 …  all who came before me and saved me without knowing it.”

Spies and espionage during the early days of the Cold War - love it! The story is divided into two time frames, with 1952 and Ruth trying to get to her sister, and the years leading up to Iris’s situation. Through alternate narratives of each sister, as well as a KGB agent at Moscow Centre, the reader learns of the sisters' history and how their falling out years before led them to their current life situation. I found the  character development - even secondary characters - to be well done. Beatriz’s writing of setting and sense of place draws you in as if you are right there facing all the intrigue and conspiracy. 

‘I know what he must be thinking. Nobody likes a shrew, do they? A woman who insists on having her own way. Oh, a man in my position would be hailed a great leader! Firm, decisive, independent, uncompromising. But a woman who stands up for herself and those she loves - well, that’s Palin mean and selfish, isn’t it?’

This is a story of sacrifice and fortitude as Beatriz cleverly combines the historical detail with strong female protagonists. If reading about the push of communism in the early 1950s is of interest to you, then you will enjoy this fictional tale. A tale of love and loyalty, defection and deception, family and betrayal all woven together into a highly entertaining read. 

“When is it possible to feel and to think at the same time? Never.”

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.