Brilliant. This book is like Jane Austen among the eucalyptus, but with so much more sex.
Australian
Riptides by Kirsten Alexander
This slow burning thriller from the author of the Half Moon Lake is the literary equivalent of an icy cold beer on a hot day; deeply satisfying.
Life Before by Carmel Reilly
A familiar although tragic story; a car accident involving a teenage drunk driver results in the death of his mate. Just when you think things can’t get much worse for the families involved, they do. Jump to the present and one of the family members is presented with disturbing news, forcing her to confront the […]
Six Minutes by Petronella McGovern
Such a pleasure to be able to recommend a thriller set in the Australian Capital Territory. Of course this is about a missing child; the most nail biting thrillers usually are. Lexie Parker and her three year old daughter Bella attend a regular playgroup in a small village outside Canberra (fun fact; the village, named […]
Eight Lives by Susan Hurley
Awesome Australian scientific thriller. David Tran came to Australia from Vietnam as a child refugee and has grown into a brilliant scientist. The immunology drug he invented could be enormously successful but first it needs to be tested on humans. What David does next leaves everyone reeling, battling with guilt and unanswered questions. Every character […]
The Lost Girls by Jennifer Spence
This beautiful Australian novel is about choices and the inevitability of loss. The protagonist, Stella, finds herself in the past and tries to change her daughter’s fate, but can she? Is it possible to save people from exercising their own free will? I’m not usually a fan of novels involving time travel but here it’s dealt with […]
The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth
Diana is not the kind of mother who wants her children to be happy. She would rather they faced real hardship and became wise and resilient. It’s an admirable philosophy, but maybe not so easy to admire if you happen to be one of her children, or their partners. Though financially well off, Diana refuses to […]
The Missing Pieces of Sophie McCarthy by B.M. Caroll
The writing in this book reminds me a great deal of Liane Moriarty; no wonder Liane provides a recommendation on the cover. Though the end of Sophie McCarthy is gripping, it’s less of a thriller and more an exploration of one devastating accident and its consequences, from several perspectives. Sounds a little Truly Madly Guilty, doesn’t it? But […]