MYSTERIES in PARADISE

Review: THE WOLF, Samuel Bjork

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 30 May 2026 02:42:25 +0000

This edition read on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZV2P3QY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Transworld Digital, 2 November 2023
Charlotte Barslund (Translator)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 415 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781787636996
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529193039
Book 4 of 5 ‏ : ‎ Holger Munch & Mia Kruger

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

It was one of Sweden's most notorious unsolved cases: two young boys abducted and murdered, their bodies brutally, artistically arranged.

But eight years later, when two other boys are found in similar circumstances, it looks like the killer might be back - this time in neighbouring Norway.

Led by veteran detective Holger Munch, the investigating police are baffled. There are no clues, no leads to follow. In desperation, Munch drafts in a trainee from the Police Academy, Mia Kruger, a young woman with an uncanny ability to see beyond the facts. Little does he know that Mia is battling her own demons and will soon find that her life and that of the case are entwined in ways no one could have imagined....

My Take

Although this novel is listed as #4 in the Munch & Kruger series, in chronological terms it is the first in which Mia Kruger makes an appearance. A lecturer at the Police Academy alerts Holger Munch to unusual nature of one of his trainees, Mia Kruger. Munch invites her to join his newly created homicide team even though she is only in her early 20s and has not completed her police training.

In her first case Mia takes on the role of a profiler, in a case where two 11 year old boys have been murdered and their bodies have been posed symbolically. Munch gives Mia a lot of latitude because she is obviously able to see patterns which most detectives miss. The novel is very complex and comes to a conclusion when another two 11 year old boys go missing.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read 4.4, I'M TRAVELLING ALONE #1

About the author
Samuel Bjork is the pen name of Norwegian novelist, playwright and singer/songwriter Frode Sander Øien.

Series
Holger Munch & Mia Kruger
1. I'm Travelling Alone (2015)
2. The Owl Always Hunts at Night (2017)
3. The Boy in the Headlights (2019)
4. The Wolf (2023)
5. Dead Island (2024)
6. The Bomber (2026)

Review: MAIGRET IN VICHY, Georges Simenon

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 29 May 2026 06:34:42 +0000

this edition from my local library
first published 1968,
this edition published by Penguin Random House UK Classics 2025
translated by Ros Schwartz 2019
ISBN 978-0-241-78818-9
171 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Inspector Maigret and his wife take a much-needed rest cure in the spa town of Vichy, where they quickly become used to the leisurely pace of life. But when a woman who they regularly pass by on their daily strolls is murdered, Maigret can't help but offer his assistance to the local investigation – no matter where it leads.

My Take

Maigret and his wife have slipped into a quiet routine in Vichy, taking the waters and walking for hours every day. Maigret isn't really ill, just tired. On the recommendation of his doctor, they will be in Vichy for 3 weeks, taking the cure. They take delight in observing others who are doing the same.

And then a woman they see regularly is murdered. The detective in charge of the investigation is someone Maigret trained and he jumps at the chance to participate although he delights in not being in charge. He wants to know the woman's background and is even more curious when he meets her sister. The tale he eventually uncovers is a sordid one indeed: one of great duplicity.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.4, MAIGRET & the MAN on the BOULEVARD

4.5, MAIGRET & THE HEADLESS CORPSE

4.3, PIETR THE LATVIAN

THE LATE MONSIEUR GALLET

4.4, THE RULES OF THE GAME

4.2, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE TRAINS GO BY

4.3, THE CARTER OF LA PROVIDENCE

4.3, LOCK NO 1. Maigret #18

4.0, MAIGRET IN NEW YORK

4.2, A MAN'S HEAD

4.4, THE CAT

4.4, THE TRAIN

4.5, THE LITTLE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL

Review: OUR HOLIDAY, Louise Candlish

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 29 May 2026 05:28:39 +0000

This title read as an e-book on Borrow Box through my local library
Format: eBook
Imprint: HQ
ISBN: 9780008614638
Pages: 384
Publication Date: 4th July 2024
A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick
longlisted for the 2025 Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award

Synopsis (publisher)

Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.

But there’s trouble in paradise…

A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. By the end of the summer, families and friendships will be torn apart and Pine Ridge will be known for more than its sun-drenched beaches.

It will be known for murder…

My Take

Set in an English coastal town where many locals are in temporary housing such as caravans, while there are many holiday rentals which are only taken up during August. A local campaign against second-home owners NJIA (Not Just In August) are particularly incensed by in-comers who are adding extra cottages to their land, and are conducting a campaign against them. There are several side plots which add to the story.

Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

5.0, THE OTHER PASSENGER

4.7, OUR HOUSE

4.8, THE ONLY SUSPECT

4.6, THE HEIGHTS

Review: THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING FRENCHMAN, H. L. Marsay

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 23 May 2026 07:51:33 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (AmazonAU)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CXP7YRDP
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tule Publishing, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 13 August 2024
Print length ‏ : ‎ 276 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1962707633
Book 3 of 4: The Lady in Blue Mysteries

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Even in war, your enemies can linger too close to home…

While war and revolution continue to ravage Europe, Dorothy Peto embraces her new role at Scotland Yard as she and several detectives investigate a series of jewel thefts. Then Dorothy is tasked with assisting the inscrutable Inspector Derwent and the charming Colonel Lamarchant to find a missing French aristocrat. Their enquiries take them to a country house in Yorkshire, that’s been converted to a hospital for wounded soldiers and was the last place the Frenchman visited. However, the more questions they ask, the more questions they have.

When the body of a man suspected of being the marquis is discovered, the investigative team returns to London, but the dead man is a stranger. Dorothy speculates that the death, the jewel thefts and the missing Frenchman may be connected. She finds herself tangled in a web of conscientious objectors, Irish republicans and communist agitators, and not everyone is who they appear to be.

My Take

I must confess that I haven't read earlier titles in this series but this one seems to work well enough as a stand-alone. However while the story was interesting, it didn't feel particularly enriched by the historical period in which it is set.

It comes with this disclaimer: Inspired by the remarkable life of Dorothy Peto, the Metropolitan Police’s first female superintendent.

My rating: 4.4

I have also read

4.4, A LONG SHADOW -#1

4.4, A VIKING SHADOW - #2

4.4, A GHOSTLY SHADOW -#3

4.4, A ROMAN SHADOW -#4

4.5, A FORGOTTEN SHADOW #5

4.5, A CHRISTMAS SHADOW #6

Review: THE LITTLE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL, Georges Simenon

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 22 May 2026 23:37:54 +0000

this edition from my local library
first published 1956
translated from French 2021 by Sian Reynolds
ISBN 978-0-241-48706-8
186 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

The poignant story of an outsider falsely accused of murder from the celebrated author of the Maigret series

She was beautiful, full of vitality, and he was sixteen years older, a dusty, lonely bookseller whose only passion in life was collecting stamps.

Jonas is used to his young wife disappearing. Everyone in the town knows that she goes off with other men. This time, however, he tells a small lie to protect her, saying she is visiting a school friend. It is a lie, however, that eats into him like an illness, provoking hostility and resentment against this timid little Russian-Jewish bookseller, who always thought he had been accepted. As suspicion mounts, his true, terrifying isolation is revealed.

My Take

Jonas had always thought of them as friends, but this time when his young wife disappears, the villagers turn on him. His background is that he is a Russian-Jew, whose family fled the Revolution, and he had almost forgotten that and thought they had too. But when young Gina leaves him they remember everything that makes him different and he becomes an outsider.

This is a sad story for there is no way back for Jonas as Simenon explores his final path.

I read this to discuss with my U3A Crime Fiction Reading Group. Our focus this month is Georges Simenon.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.4, MAIGRET & the MAN on the BOULEVARD

4.5, MAIGRET & THE HEADLESS CORPSE

4.3, PIETR THE LATVIAN

THE LATE MONSIEUR GALLET

4.4, THE RULES OF THE GAME

4.2, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE TRAINS GO BY

4.3, THE CARTER OF LA PROVIDENCE

4.3, LOCK NO 1. Maigret #18

4.0, MAIGRET IN NEW YORK

4.2, A MAN'S HEAD

4.4, THE CAT

4.4, THE TRAIN

Review: THE TRAIN, Georges Simenon

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Thu, 21 May 2026 05:28:23 +0000

Read as an e-book on Libby per my local library
first published in 1961
e-Publisher ‏ : ‎ Melville House Publishing, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 6 October 2011
Print length ‏ : ‎ 154 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1935554468
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1935554462

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Against all expectations Marcel Féron has made a “normal” life in a bucolic French suburb in the Ardennes. But on May 10, 1940, as Nazi tanks approach, this timid, happy man must abandon his home and confront the “Fate” that he has secretly awaited.

Separated from his pregnant wife and young daughter in the chaos of flight, he joins a freight car of refugees hurtling southward ahead of the pursuing invaders. There, he meets Anna, a sad-looking, dark- haired girl, whose accent is “neither Belgian nor German,” and who “seemed foreign to everything around her.” As the mystery of Anna’s identity is gradually revealed, Marcel leaps from the heights of an exhilarating freedom to the depths of a terrifying responsibility—one that will lead him to a blood-chilling choice.

My Take

Marcel Feron has poor eyesight, and has had tuberculosis, so he is not required for war service. He is married, his wife is heavily pregnant and they have a 5 year old daughter. As the German tanks approach the French village where he lives, he and his neighbours flee to the local railway station with no idea where the evacuation trains will take them or what the future holds for them. When they board a train the women and children are put at the front in the first class carriages and the men are allocated to the rear carriages, which are mainly cattle trucks. The train meanders through France and Belgium and eventually is separated into two sections and Marcel has no idea where his wife and daughter have gone.

However a young woman and he pair up in the rear carriages and become an "item" in ways that Marcel could not have envisaged when his journey began.

This is really a novella although the story is "complete". It explores what happened during the evacuations at the beginning of World War II, the uncertainty that civilians felt, and the way people behaved once they were "released" from their normal lives. At one stage German planes strafe the railway lines and stations and some civilians are killed. Marcel will survive this episode of his life, and indeed locate his wife and child, and resume his life in the Ardennes. For those of us who have only ever read about the impact of war, this is a rare glimpse of "there but for the Grace of God ...."

I have read this for my U3A Crime Fiction Reading group where our author this month is Georges Simenon.

My rating: 4.4

I have also read

4.4, MAIGRET & the MAN on the BOULEVARD

4.5, MAIGRET & THE HEADLESS CORPSE

4.3, PIETR THE LATVIAN

THE LATE MONSIEUR GALLET

4.4, THE RULES OF THE GAME

4.2, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE TRAINS GO BY

4.3, THE CARTER OF LA PROVIDENCE

4.3, LOCK NO 1. Maigret #18

4.0, MAIGRET IN NEW YORK

4.2, A MAN'S HEAD

4.4, THE CAT

Review: THE MISSING CASE OF THE MISSING CRIME WRITER, Ragnar Jonasson

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sun, 17 May 2026 04:17:20 +0000

this edition published by Penguin Random House UK 2026
English translation by Victoria Cribbs
ISBN 978-0-241-71111-8
314 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

One winter evening, bestselling crime author Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing.

There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective, Helgi, to crack the case before it's leaked to the press.

As he interviews the people closest to her – a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge – he realises that Elín’s life wasn’t what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than her stories.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of a very unexpected life, before someone else goes missing . . .

My Take

A central theme to this novel is why people disappear. Helgi occupies an office once occupied by Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir whom we met in THE DARKNESS when she had been forced into early retirement and then disappeared. No explanation has ever been given for her disappearance and occasionally Helgi thinks of her.

However the case he is working on at present is the disappearance of a popular crime fiction novelist who has apparently ceased writing after publishing 10 very popular novels over a period of twenty years. He learns from her friends that she has done disappearing acts before.

Helgi has other problems on his mind too - a new girlfriend is being stalked by one he walked on after she had become violent towards him.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.7, REYKJAVIK - with Katrin Jakobsdottir

4.6, OUTSIDE

Review: THE GAMBLER, J. P. Pomare

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 16 May 2026 00:51:20 +0000

This edition from my local library
published by Hachette Australia 2026
ISBN 978-0-7336-5308-7
330 pages
#2 in Vince Reid PI series

Synopsis (publisher)

A highly charged crime-thriller - launching an electrifying new series featuring PI Vince Reid - by multi-award-winning prince of the twist, J.P. Pomare.

PI Vince Reid is visiting an old friend when he's offered a case he can't refuse: Why did a respected local woman open fire at a political rally, killing a promising young university graduate? It's easy money, he's told. A sure thing.

But as Reid delves further into the case, the stakes are higher than he imagined. There are invisible players pulling the strings. Will he walk away a winner or pay for the ultimate gamble with his life?

My Take

An intriguing thriller. The original investigation is concerned with why a young woman is shot dead at a political rally. Was the target the female politician? Did the shooter miss? Vince Reid begins by looking at the victim and her friends. And then he watches the CCTV footage of the shooting and realises something.

There is an interesting side story about scams and how they work, how you influence what victims believe.

Recommended.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.6, IN THE CLEARING

4.8, CALL ME EVIE

4.8, TELL ME LIES

4.7, THE WRONG WOMAN

4.7, HOME BEFORE NIGHT

4.8, 17 YEARS LATER

Review: WHISTLE, Linwood Barclay

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 11 May 2026 23:52:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book through my local library on BorrowBox
eBook, Imprint: HQ
ISBN: 9780008735005
Pages: 432
Publication Date: 5th June 2025

Synopsis (author)

Linwood Barclay enters new territory with a supernatural chiller in which a woman and her young son move to a small town looking for a fresh start, only to be haunted by disturbing events and strange visions when they find a mysterious train set in a storage shed.

Annie Blunt has had an unimaginably terrible year. First, her husband was killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident, then one of the children’s books she’s built her writing and illustrating career on ignited a major scandal. Desperate for a fresh start, she moves with her son Charlie to a charming small town in upstate New York where they can begin to heal.

But Annie’s year is about to get worse.

Bored and lonely in their isolated new surroundings, Charlie is thrilled when he finds a forgotten train set in a locked shed on their property. Annie is glad to see Charlie happy, but there’s something unsettling about his new toy. Strange sounds wake Annie in the night—she could swear she hears a train, but there isn’t an active track for miles—and bizarre things begin happening in the neighborhood. Worse, Annie can’t seem to stop drawing a disturbing new character that has no place in a children’s book.

Grief can do strange things to the mind, but Annie is beginning to think she’s walked out of one nightmare straight into another, only this one is far more terrifying…

My Take

A thoroughly creepy read which I wasn't expecting (I didn't read the blurb before picking it up.) Don't let my description put you off - the story is well crafted and gets you thinking, plenty of little mysteries to solve. I hope the blurb doesn't reveal too much - blame the author - it is from his site. He calls it a "chiller".

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7, NEVER SAW IT COMING

4.4, BROKEN PROMISE

4.4, A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS

4.7. LOOK BOTH WAYS

Review: THE REDLINE, Adrian Hyland

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 09 May 2026 02:36:33 +0000

This edition an e-book made available through my local library on BorrowBox
ISBN: 9781761153556
Published 25 / 11 / 2025
Pages: 336
QBD Books
#3 Jesse Redpath series

Synopsis (publisher)

An open road. A dead cop. A killer in the hills ...I flicked on the torch, swept the surrounds. Nothing. Then I directed the beam into the trees on the other side of the road.

Up on a high, jutting branch, something moved. It may have been a white face, a pale body, a curved leg. Or it may have been none of those things. Was it human? Too quick for me to tell. A ripple, a blink and it was gone. But it seemed to leave an afterglow, an impression upon the fabric of the night.

I took a deep breath. What had I seen? It had appeared to be a pair of piercing eyes in a pale visage. It could almost have been an owl, so compelling was its gaze, so swift its departure. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, a distorted shadow?

There was a crunch of leaf in the litter below and it was gone.

Whatever it was, it sent a chill through me.

It's the festive season in the Windmark Ranges and Sergeant Jesse Redpath's day is going from bad to worse. It begins with her having to arrest the usual drunks and troublemakers and ends with the death of a colleague out on the Redline road. A death which may or may not have been an accident.

Jesse learns there have been other deaths and disappearances in the ranges, and that the local rumour mill suggests the perp is an elusive, semi-mythical character who goes by the name of 'Anarchy'.

Beneath the charm of a close-knit community, a darker truth festers, and Jesse's driven to expose it, no matter the disruption to the valley's fragile tranquillity.

My Take

Three years since we have had a novel from Adrian Hyland.

Jesse Redpath is filling in for a colleague on leave and is a little older than we last met her but no less enthusiastic about her job. This novel turns out to be a fast pace thriller.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

5.0, GUNSHOT ROAD

4.5, CANTICLE CREEK -#1

4.7, THE WIREGRASS -#2

The Redline is the third in Adrian Hyland’s Australian regional crime series featuring Sergeant Jesse Redpath. The books are is set in a group of small towns in the fictional Windmark Ranges, a few hours drive from the centre of Melbourne. This entry is named after a local road that has earned the nickname “the redline” due to the drivers who redline their cars while speeding along it.

Review: NEVER LIE, Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 04 May 2026 07:17:00 +0000

this edition from my local library
large print, Gale Publishing, 2024
ISBN 978-1-4205-1398-1
388 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Sometimes the truth kills…

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they've found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale's sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor's mysterious disappearance.

My Take

McFadden is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

There are multiple narrators in this story, and at least two time frames. Just when you think you know what has happened you are delivered a ball from left field and you have to make a re-assessment.

Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

4.7, DEAR DEBBIE

4.6, THE HOUSEMAID

Review: OUTSIDE, Ragnar Jonasson

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sun, 03 May 2026 03:09:00 +0000

this edition published by Random House 2022
translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb
ISBN 978-0-241-49366-3
324 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . .

In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends break into an abandoned hunting lodge, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.

But nothing can prepare them for what's inside...

With no other option, they are forced to spend a terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched. As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it's clear that what they've discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.

Nor the only thing to be afraid of...

My Take

The story opens with the group of four friends battling through a snow storm to find shelter in an abandoned hut. They have come to this remote area in Iceland to hunt ptarmigan but the weather has closed in. They were university students together but haven't met for a number of years, so this is a sort of reunion. The snowstorm emphasises how treacherous Icelandic weather can be. The days are short and darkness closes in quickly. When they find the hut the door is padlocked and they need to break in.

Terrified by what they discover inside, they decide that two of them will go back for help.

We gradually piece together bits of the past through narratives from each of the group.

A very atmospheric thriller.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7, REYKJAVIK - with Katrin Jakobsdottir

Review: JAXON WITH AN X, D. K. Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 02 May 2026 03:44:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08CF3HB3K
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Conjuring Reality LLC, Published : ‎ 21 July 2020
Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1950293049

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Six-year-old Jaxon Lathan disappeared while playing in a park. Ten years later, he’s found wandering a deserted highway.

The boy’s family races to the hospital to see him, but they are shocked at the sight. The bubbly youngster has been replaced by a scarred and emaciated teen. As they begin to bridge the lost years and rebuild their bonds, they must wrestle with their own guilt and demons.

Fearing other children are at risk, the sheriff follows the clues deep into the Great Smoky Mountains. He finds half-buried secrets, a twisted family, and his own missed opportunities. When he peels back the last layer of the mystery, the revelation shakes everyone.

All Jaxon has dreamed for years is to be with his family. Has too much happened or can he find his way home?

Jaxon with an X is an emotionally charged standalone literary fiction novel. If you like rural settings, broken families learning to heal, and stories of personal endurance, you’ll love D.K. Wall’s absorbing tale.

Empathy, compassion, forgiveness and hope. There is a light at the end of the dark, twisting tunnel.

My Take

The tale of a little boy who has been missing for ten years, one of a number of abductions, a case unsolved despite extensive application of police resources, and time spent in jail by the boy's father.

A stunning read particularly as Australia has been reeling recently from the disappearance of 4 year old Gus Lamont.

My rating: 4.5

About the Author
D.K. has lived his entire life in the Carolinas and Tennessee-from the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains near Maggie Valley to the industrial towns of Gastonia and Hickory, the cities of Charlotte and Nashville, and the coastal salt marsh of Murrells Inlet.Over the years, he's watched the textile and furniture industries wither and the banking and service industries explode, changing the face of the region. He uses his love of storytelling to share tales about the people and places affected. Today he's married and living in Asheville. Surrounded by his family of rescued Siberian Huskies known as The Thundering Herd, D.K. is hard at work on his next novel.

Review: DEAD FALL LAKE, S. R. White

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:13:00 +0000

this edition supplied by my local library,
published by Headline Publishing 2026
ISBN 978-1-03-542666-9
261 pages
#5 in the Dana Russo series

Synopsis (publisher)

Deep in the Australian wilderness, a famed sinkhole renowned as a stunning freediving spot attracts people from all over the world. But there’s a dark, puzzling mystery when a local sports hero – and the glamorous face of a high-adrenaline video channel – is found dead far beneath the surface.

Despite diving the sinkhole hundreds of times, his lifeless body is discovered dressed in normal clothes, handcuffed to a supply line. With no witnesses – and evidence submerged 30 metres underwater – how can Detective Dana Russo unravel such a shocking case?

My Take

The historical setting is Covid in 2020 in remote Australia (perhaps Western Victoria). The detectives have had to come from Carlton and the pandemic means that there are all sorts of restrictions related to social contact and mask wearing is mandatory. While I have read a number of novels written during the pandemic, not so many are set in the period. (Here are some I've read)

In addition the two female detectives are both "damaged" in some way and bring their own limitations to the investigation. The sinkhole has been used in the past in colonial Australia as a place of execution and makes the death of a free diver even more macabre or ironic. The sinkhole has vertical sides and very clear filtered water.

I found the investigation quite technical and slow reading at times. I hadn't really managed to pick the murderer - perhaps not enough clues for me?

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, HERMIT - #1

Review: HOUSE OF CORRECTION, Nicci French

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:25:00 +0000

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD**
This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B089T6R8VW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 September 2020
Print length ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471198571

Synopsis (Amazon)

In this heart-pounding standalone thriller from bestselling author Nicci French, a woman accused of murder attempts to solve her own case from the confines of prison--but as she unravels the truth, everything is called into question, including her own certainty that she is innocent.

Tabitha is not a murderer.

When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake. She'd only recently moved back to her childhood hometown, not even getting a chance to reacquaint herself with the neighbors. How could she possibly be a murder suspect?

She knows she's not.

As Tabitha is shepherded through the system, her entire life is picked apart and scrutinized --her history of depression and medications, her decision to move back to a town she supposedly hated . . . and of course, her past relationship with the victim, her former teacher. But most unsettling, Tabitha's own memories of that day are a complete blur.

She thinks she's not.

From the isolation of the correctional facility, Tabitha dissects every piece of evidence, every testimony she can get her hands on, matching them against her own recollections. But as dark, long-buried memories from her childhood come to light, Tabatha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced she's a killer. Tabatha needs to prove them all wrong.

But what if she's only lying to herself?

My Take

After her lawyer advises her to plead guilty, Tabitha, who can't really remember what happened on the day of the murder, decides she will take on her own defence. She is thorough in her preparation but there is so much working against her, she is really unsure that she will be successful. A fascinating read.

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

4.3, BLUE MONDAY

4.5, TUESDAY'S GONE

4.7, WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY

4.7, FRIDAY ON MY MIND

5..0, HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?

5.0. THE LAST DAYS OF KIRA MULLAN

5.0, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

Review: THE HAWK IS DEAD, Peter James

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:31:00 +0000

this edition published by Pan Macmillan 2025
ISBN 978-1-5290-9007-9
470 pages
Roy Grace #22

Synopsis (publisher)

Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes – the train is derailed.

A tragic accident or a planned attack?

When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.

Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.

Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe – and in mortal danger.

Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again . . .

Roy Grace is back with his most difficult case yet in the gripping new instalment from number one bestselling author Peter James.

My Take

I am of course familiar with the Roy Grace series, possible more from television than from the books, as I have discovered in checking what I have actually read (see my list below). I recognise now that it something I should remedy.

This was an excellent read, well constructed, with a credible plot, and also elements of humour such as the naming of the king as HMTK, and little puzzles to engage the reader.

I should point out that there is a plot similarity with a book that I read some weeks ago where the late Queen was the sleuth: 4.4, A THREE DOG PROBLEM - written in 2021. I won't discuss the elements of similarity - you will recognise them when you come across them.

My rating: 5.0

I've also read

Review: RURAL DREAMS, Margaret Hickey

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:05:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
Published: 7 January 2025
ISBN: 9781761351105
Imprint: Penguin eBooks
Pages: 240

Synopsis (publisher)

From award-winning crime writer Margaret Hickey comes a collection of captivating short stories celebrating the Australian countryside.

Margaret Hickey’s Rural Dreams takes a look at life outside the big smoke, featuring the kind of characters you might expect in the country – as well as some you might not.

A football coach ponders obsession . . . a mouse plague dictates school yard politics . . . a failed playwright asks ‘who gets the farm?’ . . . and a young woman returns to her fire-ravaged town.

People we know. People we grew up with. Some of them might even be us . . .

Funny, heartbreaking and true, Rural Dreams highlights the richness of life on the land and showcases the beauty of lives lived outside city walls.

My Take

This book consists of 18 short stories, of varying lengths, many with shared themes, nearly all connected in some way to Australian life, many related to how the country has a pull for those born there.

Short stories often tell you a little more about what an author thinks about.
These told me that, perhaps unexpectedly, Margaret Hickey and I have had some similar experiences: growing up in a country town where you had to go to the city for further education; the pull of the local team on a Saturday morning, in my case tennis at the end of a long train journey; the travel overseas where enough is enough and all you want to do is be "home".

The ones that struck me the most were

Saturday Morning
Fowler's Bay
The Precipice
Mind Your Language
The Wanderer

The one where we see the crime fiction writer emerge is The Precipice. That has stuck with me.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.7, CUTTER'S END - Mark Ariti #1

4.6, STONE TOWN - Mark Ariti #2

4.5, BROKEN BAY - Mark Ariti #3

4.8, CREEPER

4.6, AN ILL WIND

Review: WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, Nicci French

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:29:00 +0000

This edition published by Simon & Schuster 2026
ISBN 978-1-3985-2419-4
434 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

After nearly thirty years in prison for the murder of his university friend Leo Bauer, Tyler Green is finally free. Meeting up with the group of friends who were there the night that Leo died, Tyler is looking to reconnect – but he’s also looking for answers. When another friend is found dead that night, his new found freedom is put in jeopardy. Detective Maud O’Connor is called to investigate – but can she discover the truth, or is Tyler Green never going to be free?

My Take

Tyler Green, young university student, convicted of murdering one of his friends, spends nearly 30 years in gaol as a result. He knows he didn't commit the murder which means that one of the others did. Now, nearly 30 years later, he has been freed under licence and he is determined to find out who did.

He arranges to meet everyone at dinner and to confront them all at once. At the very least he wants them to understand what losing 30 years of his life has been like. And then he wants to wash his hands of them. But things don't go well and before the night is out another is killed in the same way, each of his friends has been confronted by some home-truths, and Tyler is back in prison.

Detective Maude O'Connor is under a lot of pressure to solve this murder quickly and it takes all of her intuition to get it done. The story moves at a cracking pace.

Highly recommended.

My rating: 5.0

I've also read

4.3, BLUE MONDAY

4.5, TUESDAY'S GONE

4.7, WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY

4.7, FRIDAY ON MY MIND

5..0, HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?

5.0. THE LAST DAYS OF KIRA MULLAN

Review: WOLF HOUR, Jo Nesbo

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:53:00 +0000

This edition published by Harvill Secker 2025
ISBN 9781787303775
Translated from the Norwegian by Robert Ferguson
417 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2016. When a small-time criminal and gun dealer is shot down in the street, all signs point to Tomas Gomez, a quiet man with a mysterious past—and deep connections to a notorious gang—who has seemingly vanished into thin air. Other murders soon follow, and it appears Gomez is only getting started. Meanwhile, Bob Oz, a down-and-out suspended police officer with a dubious past of his own, becomes fascinated by the case: he is obsessed with the notion of hunting down a serial killer who only he can understand, a killer with a story as tragic as his own.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2022. An enigmatic Norwegian man with ties to Minneapolis—a self-described crime writer—has traveled to the United States to research the Gomez case, in the hopes of writing a book about it. But as his investigation progresses, the writer’s seemingly neutral position reveals itself to be more complicated than the reader is initially led to believe.

Wolf Hour is a twisty and unforgettable thriller in classic Jo Nesbø style, which bears out Vanity Fair’s observation that “Nesbø explores the darkest criminal minds with grim delight and puts his killers where you least expect to find them. . . . His novels are maddeningly addictive.”

My Take

As always, Jo Nesbo provides an intriguing challenge for the reader with a time frame spread over at least six years, at least two "voices", and multiple plot threads. Clues to each of these are plentiful but you have to keep your wits about you. By about mid-way I suspected I had solved the "puzzle" but that was not confirmed until nearly the end, and I wasn't totally right. This is a book that you will want to keep reading.

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

Review: THE GIRLS IN THE GLEN, Lynne McEwan

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:51:00 +0000

This book read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
ISBN: 9798217263943
Published May 18, 2023 by Canelo
Pages 352
#3 in the DI Shona Oliver series

Synopsis (publisher)

If the dead could speak, what secrets would they tell?

With her daughter on an archaeological dig, the only bodies DI Shona Oliver expects to find are long-dead. But when a corpse from the 1980s is unearthed, Shona quickly realises that it may be one of the missing “Girls in the Glen”, victim of a notorious serial killer.

Shona’s superiors want her to stop looking to the past, and focus on a fresher crime scene. The attempted shooting of a local politician who likes to stoke controversy.

As Shona finds herself pulled between crimes past and present, she soon realises that the secrets buried on Beild Moss are reaching into the present day.

But when even her own officers are keeping things from her, who can she trust? Especially when more lives may be at stake

My Take

This story brings together a number of themes: the Border reivers and the Debatable Lands between England and Scotland; the resentment of locals to those they consider "outsiders"; archaeology, as well as unsolved cold-case crimes. In addition there are the personal matters involving Shona's husband Rob under investigation for financial mismanagement, her relationship with her daughter Becca, a rather prickly teenager, as well as local political issues.

All makes for an engrossing many faceted tale.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7, IN DARK WATER - #1

4.6. DEAD MAN DEEP - #2

Review: BIDDING FOR REVENGE, Victoria Tait

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:16:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09VQWZJGW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 19 August 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915413031
Book 3 of 12 ‏ : ‎ A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Synopsis (Amazon)

Stolen antiques. An unexplained death. Can an amateur sleuth tell a fake from the real deal before a deadly scam claims another victim?

Trainee antiques expert Dotty Sayers is thrilled but apprehensive when she’s trusted to source period furniture for a local celebrity. Buoyed by the opportunity, she agrees to join her company’s triathlon team during the quiet summer months in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds. But the race turns deadly when a fellow competitor collapses and dies.

With only a young sergeant willing to question whether the athletic woman’s death was accidental, Dotty turns her attention to rumours of counterfeit furniture and a high-stakes antiques scam. She alerts the police to a suspicious phone call, only to be horrified when her tip places an innocent life in danger.

Can Dotty see through the sham and appraise the evidence to ensure justice is served?

Bidding for Revenge is a British cozy mystery featuring a trainee antiques expert turned reluctant sleuth, a charity triathlon that ends in tragedy, and a counterfeit furniture scam in the heart of the Cotswolds. It blends small‑village charm, gentle humour, and intriguing fraud as the novice investigator juggles workplace loyalties, police scepticism, and determined bidders while following clues others overlook. Ideal for readers who enjoy amateur sleuths, community‑centred mysteries, and puzzles tied to art, antiques and village life.

My Take

This series is developing nicely. Dotty, whom I thought was a bit weak as a sleuth in the first book in the series has become more assertive, observant, and outspoken. There are a number of sub-plots as well as characters who re-appear. It is almost as if a whole landscape is gradually being revealed.

The antiques theme is being well developed.

You really do need to read the series from the beginning.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.3, FAKE DEATH - #1

4.4, VALUED FOR MURDER - #2

Review: THE SITTAFORD MYSTERY, Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:32:00 +0000

This edition read on my tablet as a free downloadable pdf
Originally published 1931
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0046REG94
this edition Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (October 14, 2010)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
AKA THE MURDER AT HAZELMOOR (title for USA publication)
My original review (2009) and then another in 2022

Synopsis

A seance in a snowbound Dartmoor house predicts a grisly murder…

In a remote house in the middle of Dartmoor, six shadowy figures huddle around a small table for a seance. Tension rises as the spirits spell out a chilling message: ‘Captain Trevelyan… dead… murder.’

Is this black magic or simply a macabre joke? The only way to be certain is to locate Captain Trevelyan. Unfortunately, his home is six miles away and, with snow drifts blocking the roads, someone will have to make the journey on foot…

My Take

I am re-reading this novel with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading Group and look forward to discussing it with them. I think it works quite well as a stand-alone mystery that has some romantic elements thrown in.

So here are some of the elements in the novel we will discuss

The role of the seance as the harbinger of death. How did that work? Who was it that told the gathering that the message was for Major Burnaby?
What are the relationships between the various characters? (How did they keep track of the characters? There are a lot of them)
Why have Miss Willett and Mrs Willett really taken Captain Trevelyan's house?
What is the role of Emily Trefusis in solving the murder?
How effective is Inspector Narracott and what is the role of Mr Duke?
Who are the most memorable characters? What makes them so?
Which are the most effective red herrings?
This novel is a stand-alone, although I think at this stage Agatha Christie was still looking for a suitable sleuth. Will Inspector Narracott appear in future novels do you think?
What does the isolation of Sittaford House make you think of? What about the escaped convict scenario?
How credible is the secondary plot (the Willett scenario)
What did you think of Charles Enderby? How good is he as a journalist?
Why did the murderer commit the murder? Is the reason given plausible?
Why did ITV decide to turn it into a Marple rather than leave it as a stand-alone. How does changing the plot for television make it more attractive?

We usually watch a television version of it after our discussion but of course the ITV version is a Miss Marple, with a very much altered plot. I have put that at the bottom of this page in case you don't want to know the details. I am not sure whether the group will want to watch this as it is so dissimilar to the original.

One of the things we are finding as a reading group is how difficult it is to borrow an Agatha Christie novel (a printed book rather than an e-copy).

My rating: 4.5

All my Agatha Christie Reviews.

The Television version

The Sittaford Mystery is the fourth episode of the second series of Agatha Christie's Marple. It was broadcast on ITV by Granada Television on 30 April 2006. The screenplay was written by Stephen Churchett and the episode was directed by Paul Unwin. It was an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name although originally Miss Marple was not involved.

Synopsis

When Clive Trevelyan - Member of Parliament, war hero and heir apparent to Prime Minister Winston Churchill - is killed, Miss Marple sets about to solve the case. Trevelyan has made his fortune many years before in Egypt having secretly uncovered a lost tomb. He is killed during a major snowstorm when there are no police available. There are several possible suspects including Trevelyan's ward, James Pearson and his fiancée Emily Trefusis; his political agent, John Enderby; a journalist Charles Burnaby; a visiting American Martin Zimmerman; and several other apparently disinterested parties. A convict has also escaped from Dartmoor prison. Miss Marple concludes that Trevelyan's murder is related to his days in Egypt and sets about to identify the murderer.

Comparison with the original story

The Sittaford Mystery was not originally a Miss Marple book. Some plot elements from the original are retained but spun together differently to result in a totally new story. Most of the characters are new and even the few who have some part of the original names now have totally different backstories.

The identity of the killer is not the same as in the novel.
Several characters have different names than in the novel.
Several characters are omitted or changed.

Review: VALUED FOR MURDER, Victoria Tait

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:12:00 +0000

Read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TRXWWNG
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 10 June 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 194 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915413000
Book 2 of 12 ‏ : ‎ A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Synopsis (Amazon)

An antique TV show. A dead celebrity expert. Can a shy amateur sleuth step into the lime-light and expose a murderer?

Dotty Sayers is enjoying her job in a Cotswold auction house. When she’s offered a place on an antique TV show, she nervously agrees to a makeover and is surprised by the admiring glances she receives. But working at a historic country hotel, she realises the production is in jeopardy when, at the bottom of the circular staircase, one of the experts is found dead.

Dotty can’t help wondering if the death was accidental or if someone else was involved. She promises to stay in the background and leave the investigation to the police, but this amateur detective can’t help uncovering clues. When she returns from viewing a priceless sculpture, and finds her British blue cat missing, she knows she’ll struggle to keep the show on the road.

Can Dotty emerge from behind the scenes and identify the killer?

Valued for Murder is a British cozy mystery featuring a shy but determined amateur sleuth, a behind‑the‑scenes antique TV show, a suspicious “accidental” death in a country‑house hotel, and a missing beloved cat. It blends small‑village charm, light humour, and a slow‑burn personal journey as Dotty steps out of the shadows, navigates prickly TV personalities and nosy locals, and pieces together clues the professionals overlook. Perfect for readers who enjoy closed-circle whodunits, gentle peril rather than gore, and character‑driven mysteries set against quintessentially English, Cotswold scenery.

My Take

As you can see, I have persisted with this series and I have found this outing marginally better that the previous one FAKE DEATH. Dotty is showing potential and is a stronger character. The plot has a couple of nice elements.

So I will be reading more.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.3, FAKE DEATH - #1

Review: FAKE DEATH, Victoria Tait

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:49:00 +0000

This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TLDS3G1
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 8 April 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 198 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838436100
Book 1 of 12 ‏ : ‎ A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Synopsis (Amazon)

One dead body. Multiple identities. Can an amateur sleuth see through the charade before she becomes the next victim?

Young widow Dotty Sayers is delighted with her new auction house job in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds, until she discovers she’s about to lose her home and her chance at a fresh start. Disguising her disappointment, she reluctantly takes part in an autumn parade, but the day’s pageantry is tarnished when an unknown man is found dead.

The police ask Dotty to appraise items from the victim’s home, but rather than learning his name, she uncovers a trail of false identities. When one of them leads to a client, her search for the truth takes a fatal turn.

Can Dotty unmask the killer before she becomes the next victim?

Fake Death is the first book in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, a British cozy set in the Cotswolds among an auction house and close-knit village community. Featuring a young military widow turned amateur sleuth who is still finding her feet and building a found family, it delivers a clue driven mystery with multiple identities and no graphic content, perfect for readers who enjoy traditional whodunnits, antiques, and small town secrets with a modern, character focused touch.

My Take

This novel has all the hallmarks of the beginning of the series - a lot of characters, heaps of information to absorb. For me, the name of the main character took a bit of getting over (see my note elsewhere about coat-tails) and I also found her a bit "soft" as a character. Straightening out who is who and who does what in the antiques firm that Dotty has joined was a challenge. So in reality it is a series that you really need to read from the beginning, one where accumulated knowledge will be an advantage.

The setting seems rather loosely based on those television shows we all watch like Antiques Road Show and Bargain Hunt. The extra element of a crime or two happening in this setting has potential but to be honest Dotty is going to have to get stronger to be a satisfactory sleuth.

In addition a number of the other characters seem to have extensive background stories attached to them, only partially revealed, and at times I had the feeling of having come in in mid-conversation.

My rating: 4.3

About the author - website

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she developed a lifelong love of tea and British traditions. Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Murder, She Wrote, she writes cozy mysteries infused with her signature British charm.

Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative. With intrigue, surprises, and gentle humour, Victoria’s page-turning stories are the perfect blend of mystery and charm—best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

Review: THE HOUSEMAID, Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:14:00 +0000

this edition from my local library
paperback edition published 2023 by Bookouture
ISBN 987-1-4087-2851-2
328 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

My Take

Another excellent twisty tale. You just get used to the direction this book is taking, and think you have it all figured out, and it goes around another corner. And I don't think anything prepares you for the way it ends.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

4.7, DEAR DEBBIE