This alleged thriller is pretty stupid; full of massive, illogical, gaping holes in the plot and burdened with a thoroughly self absorbed protagonist, Isa. The only bit that rings true is Isa’s love for her baby, whom she lugs from place to place with a startling lack of planning, all the while being uniformly awful […]
The Golden Child by Wendy James
Can bad children come from good mothers? The answer of course is a resounding yes- we’ve all read We Need To Talk About Kevin. This novel takes us into the world of privileged twelve year old girls: a fairly terrifying place to be. Though not as compelling as Kevin, The Golden Child is an interesting and absorbing […]
Why Did You Lie? by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
What do four people in an isolated lighthouse, an American couple gone missing after a house swap and a policewoman whose husband has apparently tried to commit suicide have in common? Well you have to read this little winner to find out. Sigurdardottir’s thriller, set in Iceland, fosters a creeping sense of ill ease rather […]
I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
This disturbing little thriller will make you believe in ghosts again. Try not to be alone when you’re reading it at night. Seriously. It has all the best elements of Sigurdardottir’s writing; an isolated village in Iceland, a mystery with something deeply sinister at its core, and people being picked off one by one. Beautiful and […]
The Mistake by Wendy James
This novel, ostensibly about an unregistered birth and missing baby, also cleverly captures the subtle class wars aflame in a country town in the New England region (Armidale, thinly disguised). The protagonist is Jodie (ever noticed how no one calls their daughter Jodie anymore, or Kylie, or Tracey? But I digress). Jodie has ‘married up’ […]
Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner
This is a good one – better than Steiner’s previous novel Missing, Presumed. The main character, Dectective Inspector Manon Bradshaw, is now working on cold cases and struggling to make her twelve year old son feel the love. Manon’s dry humour and masterful use of the f word make her good company, especially when pregnant […]
Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
A head lies undisturbed in a box in a basement for more than thirty years following a volcanic eruption. Beside it are two bodies, both with heads attached. Intrigued? Read on. This is a classic Sigurdardottir thriller, set in a remote part of Iceland and starring her down to earth and dogged lawyer protagonist, Thora […]
The Lost Girls by Wendy James
This little Australian gem is a study of grief, guilt and the profound way it can mess people up – not just individuals, but entire families. The body of fourteen year old Angie is found some time before another young girl’s. Both have been strangled and a serial killer is suspected but never caught. Twenty […]