Fiction

15 November 2011

Chet and Bernie are the Little Detective Agency. Bernie handles the interviewing and the abstract thinking, Chet’s role is tracking and identifying. They are successful enough to raise envy from a competitor. Chet is the narrator of this tale of a missing boy and corrupt police. His delightful,... More..

21 October 2011

A little ‘To kill a Mockingbird’, a little ‘Arabian nights’. A progressive teacher comes to a small Georgia town. Her enthusiasm for all things Middle Eastern infects the children in her care. They devise a production of ‘Sinbad’ and the whole town becomes involved, but dark racism threatens to... More..

4 October 2011

John Holliday is in Dodge, exiled from his beloved family and Georgia as the humidity there aggravates his consumption. Mind you, dealing faro in smoky hotel rooms, sipping bourbon isn’t great for his health either. The infamous Doc Holliday and Earp brothers as they might really have been. Cao More..

31 August 2011

On a trip to interview a long-standing resident of a 1950s housing development, Rosie is somehow transported back in time to the 1950s when the new housing was both exciting and pleasant. She is welcomed as an American reporter, a role she accepts as it explains some of her befuddlement with... More..

31 August 2011

When is a yeti not a yeti? A tall fur-covered youth is found in Westland. He chooses to be mute, but when offered friendship, he relents and speaks. People are fearful of him, yet curious and Ba himself is ill-equipped to cope in modern New Zealand Cao More..

30 August 2011

Despite having a low magical ability, Jennifer has great organisational skills and so is an ideal person to be running a magical employment agency. Magic seems to be on the decline, the elderly and eccentric contractors for the agency able to do less and less. Then Jennifer is chosen to be a... More..

3 June 2011

The narrator is appalling; he is depraved and murderous. Yet in addition to those who want to kill him, there are people who want to preserve him because he is the last of his species, and their lives will have no meaning without werewolves. A story told by a predator who is also prey. cao More..

23 May 2011

Two stories in parallel, in one Kate is infatuated with Richard, an intense, sensual man, in the other she is hiding from him on the Isle of Wight. Can she trust her instincts when she meets people who appear to be decent and kind? cao More..

23 May 2011

Would you do what you can to save the life of a child or would you abide by the ethics of your profession? Henry is a medical specialist researching a congenital disease which causes premature aging. He discovers a ‘non-symptomatic positive’ who may hold the key to curing these children. Can Henry... More..

18 March 2011

Jack Reacher is travelling all over the USA with nothing more than the clothes on his back and the stuff in his pockets. He is arrested in a picture-perfect little town for a murder he hasn’t committed. Fortunately Jack is an ex-military policeman; he puts his skills to use to solve the murders and... More..

15 March 2011

Children of human nobility and pegasi (yes, flying horses) nobility are required to form a partnership, a kind of arranged marriage without the sex. The two species have much goodwill between them but can not communicate easily. Horse mouths are not made for words, gestures made without the benefit... More..

11 March 2011

A family of bonobos live in a language laboratory with scientists who are studying them. They have been taught American Sign Language so can converse with their humans. One awful day the lab is attacked, the bonobos 'liberated', they are tranquillised and end up living in a sealed house where their... More..

11 March 2011

Some books are so good that you don't want to put them down, some are so good that you stop reading every so often so that you can think about what you have just read. This is one of the latter. At the funeral of an old friend, Alistair realises how empty his local church was. He and a few friends... More..

8 March 2011

A four-year-old girl goes missing from a playground while she was with her nanny. The mother’s cousin, lawyer Trish Maguire, through her own investigations finally discovers what happened to the little girl. The strength of this story lies in the descriptions of its characters. The author... More..

1 March 2011

When a 14-year-old girl has to write an essay entitled ‘Who am I?’ it is the start of a mysterious journey for her. Lauren was adopted but her parents are unwilling to provide her with any information surrounding the adoption. When she discovers a website for missing children, she suspects that she... More..

28 January 2011

‘…In a distant time and far-off kingdom, life is hard…there’s little to offer hope, and many turn to the legends of Jackaroo…Hidden away…Gwyn discovers a package – a cloak, a mask, a sword…Jackaroo?’ If you like historical fantasy you will enjoy this as you read... More..

28 January 2011

The latest instalment of the happenings at 44 Scotland Street is as pithy as ever. McCall Smith has a dry sense of humour and captures the Edinburgh psyche perfectly. His characters, while somewhat larger than life are incredibly entertaining and insightful. He also brings the city to life for... More..

28 January 2011

Jasper is the scapegoat for all minor crimes committed in an Australian town. He finds the hanged body of his girlfriend but knows that his innocence of her murder will not be believed. He asks for Charlie’s help to discover the true murderer. Jasper falls into the trap of believing that a recluse... More..

7 December 2010

This is a sequel to The Diary of Pelly D, and is set in the new colonies 10 years after the gene wars of the City Five and the concealed atrocities of the first book. ‘Sisters always stick together’, and Kat and Tanka face many challenges to their sisterhood and safety as they move with their... More..

11 October 2010

Following on from The Crossing, we read what the four escapees from Marawa Island have had to contend with to survive. They are forced to get along with each other, assisting and pooling their skills in an effort to survive the gruelling struggles ahead. Through these adventures we discover various... More..

24 September 2010

The back of the book sums up this story this way, ‘When a Dream becomes a Living Nightmare’ and this is a thrilling drama about kidnapping and drugs, set in Columbia and the USA. What happens when the people you trust turn out to be bad people? This is what an ordinary young couple have to face... More..

19 August 2010

The Crossing, the first of the Blood of the Lamb trilogy, is set on a fictional Pacific island, Onewere, three generations after an apocalyptic event (a solar flare) in 2012 threw the world into complete chaos. At that time, a large cruise ship, Star of the Sea, had foundered near one of the... More..

16 August 2010

Henry has written a bestseller, but can't get anyone to publish his second project. One of his readers makes contact via letters and Henry, intrigued, goes to visit. He finds a taxidermist, talented at his craft but anti-social, who has written a play about Virgil, a howler monkey and Beatrice, a... More..

16 August 2010

This novel begins with the reintroduction of the Lampton family who featured in the 2009 collection of short stories Singularity. It is very satisfying to explore this family’s relationships in more depth. The uncomfortable but loving relationship between Simon Lampton and his adopted daughter Elke... More..

16 August 2010

This is Sadie Jones’ second novel and focuses again on the fifties, but this time the story is set on the island of Cyprus during the Emergency, a time of unrest between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots who are both fighting against the Colonial forces of Britain. It is a story of idealism gradually... More..

16 August 2010

The story is set in the fifties in Britain and tells of the lives of the middle classes as they hang on to a way of life that they have known and which disappeared with the onset of the Second World War. The author recreates the repressive social mores and highlights the plight of those who rebel... More..

9 August 2010

The latest of the Roy Grace detective series set in Brighton, England. This held the number one position in the Sunday Times Book Review for several weeks. After a New Year’s Eve ball a woman is brutally raped in a top hotel on the way back to her room. A week later another woman is attacked in... More..

24 June 2010

Their marriage had always been more of a partnership than a romance but now David was becoming increasingly helpless and depressed from the effects of sheep dip poisoning. Fiona was glad that she ran a Bed and Breakfast in their Welsh farmhouse, both for the income and the company it provided. An... More..

17 June 2010

Swoon is right! This is a bit of magical romantic silliness and also the name of the town that the story is set in. Is the very attractive Sinclair (Sin to his admirers) a ghost, a golem or something even more sinister? His very presence seems to cause the otherwise well-behaved locals to give... More..

4 May 2010

History graduates Mike, Eileen and Polly time-travel back to England in WWII to make first-hand observations of civilian behaviour. It is not as straightforward as they might hope and, after several weeks, they find that their 'drops' won’t open and they can not regain their own time. Blackout has... More..

4 May 2010

Two fairies, expelled from the Greenwood and bereft of their magic, learn to make do in the mundane world. They find compensations in the form of new foods and technology. They make unexpected allies and discover purpose. In their former lives they meddled with humans without consequence to... More..

11 March 2010

Miles fails his physical entrance exam to the military academy, so goes on a jaunt to see his grandmother, then accidentally acquires a mercenary fleet. He is no Luke Skywalker, being crippled and frail but he has a mind that can turn on a dime and he has great insight into what will motivate... More..

10 March 2010

Eoin Colfer has written the 6th book of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series. It is true to the spirit of the original, the improbable made fact. Vogons are still bent on destroying Earth in all dimensions, Ford Prefect is still annoyingly optimistic and lazy, Zaphod Beeblebrox has... More..

3 March 2010

This book is really two parallel stories intertwined together, and it is not until the very end that the connection between the two narratives is explained. The characters in the book are a mix of misfits, criminals, policemen and ordinary people whose lives merge together to make an enjoyable... More..

4 February 2010

Here is a must-read novel by a local writer that warms the cockles of one’s heart. It is filled with characters, computers, guardian angels and incidents that have one laughing out loud while absorbing some of the world’s greatest philosophic truths about human fallibility and frailty. It is highly... More..

2 February 2010

An intelligent, humorous, and beautifully written book that I couldn't put down, with wonderfully eccentric characters whose lives you become entwined with, and a completely unexpected ending. The 'action' takes place in a small and elegant apartment building in Paris, where a handful of wealthy... More..

2 February 2010

This novel is as much about the human condition as it is an historical novel. Thomas Rooke, a somewhat naïve young lieutenant in the British Navy, arrives in New South Wales with the First Fleet. Gifted with an ear for languages and the ability for mathematics, he is tasked with setting up an... More..

29 January 2010

Jasira is thirteen. Her mother doesn’t want her, her strict Yemeni born father has met and disapproved of her boyfriend and the kids at school are calling her “towelhead”. Saddam Hussein has invaded Kuwait and America is on the brink of the first Gulf war. Looking for affection and experiencing the... More..

29 January 2010

I chose this thriller as I was challenged to read a novel from a genre I don’t usually read, and it was highly recommended. I started to read somewhat reluctantly, but very soon I was drawn in to the story and couldn’t put it down. David Hunter is a forensic anthropologist, called to the remote... More..

28 January 2010

We are once again invited into the adventurous life of academic Robert Langdon, a Harvard University professor who constantly finds himself in life-threatening situations while solving ancient mysteries. In this book, Langdon must unlock more ancient mysteries to save his friend Peter Solomon from... More..

28 January 2010

Another excellent book from this Australian writer. It tells the stories of two women and their families, starting in England in 1968 with decisions made then and the subsequent consequences. The setting flips from England and Western Australia between the 1960s and 90s with all the current... More..

28 January 2010

A story set in Russia in 1933, under Stalin’s rule. Sophia and Anna become close friends in the Davinsky labour camp in Siberia, where they barely survive in conditions similar to the concentration camps of WWII. Anna is dangerously ill, so together they contrive Sophia’s perilous escape from the... More..

18 January 2010

The Other Hand’, or ‘Little Bee’ (USA title), is a very moving book focussed on how human beings of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds react to sudden and terrible adversity. Two years before the events of the novel, the two main characters meet on a beach in Nigeria where truly horrific... More..

24 December 2009

The study of insects was considered either lunacy or satanic rural Somerset in the late1600s, but in London, entomology was just emerging as a field of study. Eleanor Glanville has been entranced by butterflies since she was a child. She learns to catch, display and study them much to the disgust... More..

24 December 2009

A sequel to ‘The Russian Concubine’, this book follows the story of Lydia Ivanova, who is searching for her father being held in a Russian prison camp. The story moves between Russia and China, the homeland of Lydia’s lover, Chang An Lo. Lydia is a very strong and tough seventeen year-old who has... More..

23 December 2009

A different slant on the story of the Holocaust, seen through the eyes of nine year-old Bruno, whose father is the Commandant in charge of Auschwitz. Bruno is too young to understand what is happening around him, but the reader already knows the tragic events that unfold. An easy but... More..

23 December 2009

What is a minor immortal in Ancient Greek mythology doing in 21st Century America? Living in a trailer park and working a restaurant of course! ‘M’ senses a change coming in his life and as the accidents accumulate he is apprehensive. He is kind and cautious but a man with a metre-plus sweep of... More..

23 December 2009

Mary Anning came to life for me in this novel based on the real-life fossil-hunter. I found the female characters to be particularly well-drawn and memorable - Mary, her friend (initially mentor), Elizabeth, and Mary’s strong though uneducated mother, Molly. This is one of the real strengths in a... More..

23 December 2009

Mundane title, stellar story. The war is Vietnam and Lizzie is angry at her beloved Marine husband for choosing duty over family and putting himself in harms way. Interspersed with her domestic trials and victories are his descriptions and tender letters home. Her faith is severely tested when... More..

17 November 2009

Set in Australia in a small mining town, this is a story told through the eyes of a young girl using the first person. The reader glimpses family life falling apart because of the actions of her older sister, and the impact this has on three generations. In parts sad, in parts amusing, this is an... More..

4 November 2009

Set in Nantucket Island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, this book follows the fortunes and dramas of a Boston banking family who have been spending their summers in the huge house that has been in the family for generations. This summer they are all gathering for Nona's 90th birthday,... More..

4 November 2009

If you are of a sensitive nature, then I would advise you to not read this book, number three in the series. However, if you enjoy a little of the macabre and some black humour, then this is a chuckle out loud read. In attempting to find a serial murderer in his home town of Miami, Dexter allows... More..

15 October 2009

A school teacher has an affair with a female student.. With such a theme you might expect the novel to be a bleak tract on a community unravelling or even shattering, with people, especially young people, especially girls, falling about ruined. Not so. Above all the novel is witty. Characters... More..

15 October 2009

Starting in 1939 and set in the small town of Augusta Falls, Georgia, twelve year old Joseph Vaughan, after hearing of the brutal murder of a young girl, sets up The Guardians with his friends to protect their neigbourhood. However, despite their efforts the murders continue for the next decade and... More..

15 October 2009

Among other things, the author is Professor for the theory and practice of medicine at Stanford University as well as an excellent writer. This story is about an unusual child, in an unusual setting who lives through unusual circumstances and one book I just couldn't put down. Set in Addis Ababa... More..

14 October 2009

I found this book engrossing and moving. Set in the present in England, it tells of two interwoven relationships, which are intricately enmeshed in a way hard to imagine but easy to believe because the characters are so well delineated by the author. It is written with such authority that even... More..

14 October 2009

This novel is set in 1960 in a department store in Sydney named Goodes, which is a fictionalised version of the Elizabeth Street store David Jones. The story is very character focused and centres on four females who work in the ladies’ cocktail frocks section. Patty and Fay are ordinary young... More..

13 October 2009

This debut novel from Tiffany Baker is an absolute treasure to read. I quickly became engrossed in the story of Truly, born with a genetic condition that keeps her growing until she is larger than everyone around her. This is ultimately a love story set in small town America, about family dramas... More..

13 October 2009

John le Carre turns his storytelling talents to the ‘War on Terror.’ Set in Hamburg, the story tells of a half-starved young Russian man claiming to be a devout Muslim, an idealistic young German civil rights lawyer, and a sixty-year-old banker, who form an unlikely alliance to get the young... More..

13 October 2009

A woman travels from New Zealand to Ireland to attend a conference, but is actually on a quest to find her father who walked out on the family when she was a young child and was never seen again.Layers within the story uncover areas of relationships with family, lover and friends. Limestone is the... More..

13 October 2009

In a nutshell, this is a book about a woman’s journey to understand who she once was. Set on board a cruise liner, which in itself supplies an interesting background, the story involves a number of disparate characters who each help her towards the resolution she has so far been denied. There are... More..

13 October 2009

Each story is tantalising, ending with possibilities yet to come. Many seem to be from the view of someone who is somewhat divorced from the conventional world, maybe even mad. In "Eyes of the Soul" a window treatment firm provides a fantastic solution to a dismal view...or does it? CAO More..

12 October 2009

For someone who is dead, Grace is having a lively time of it. She was shot while buying cigarettes (smoking is bad for you) but doesn't realise at first. She lives in a limbo, an almost copy of her old neighbourhood but occasionally, very rarely, she can step back into our world. The first time... More..

12 October 2009

A busload of variable teens and a team of scientists who have managed to transport creatures who may or may not be demons to our world. You just know that these groups are going to collide, but the villains and heroes are unexpected. An exploration of the ethics of way-out-there science within a... More..

12 October 2009

An eighty year old woman on her way to have lunch with the Queen has a car accident. As she awaits rescue she remembers her life with grace and gratitude. Beautiful writing.EO More..

12 October 2009

In a follow-up to the novel Boy in the World, Jay continues his search for his father. We left him in Ethiopia under the caring wing of Sister Bridget. But he still feels the pull to find his missing father - the link between his past and his future, and the piece that will complete the jigsaw... More..

21 September 2009

This first novel by poet Alison Wong is set in Wellington between 1905 and 1920. It is beautifully written, almost poetic but it deals with real life, real politics and tragic situations. There are descriptions of Chinatown, its inhabitants and activities, and the issues that it raises, racism and... More..

14 September 2009

Although starting and finishing in the present in a prison cell in Guantanamo Bay, at the core of this story is the atomic bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945. The lives of characters from three very different cultures are cleverly interwoven in a tale of love and loss. In this beautifully... More..

14 September 2009

Written in truly voluptuous language, this is a delightfully realistic view of life through the eyes of eight year old Nyree and her younger sister Cia. Living in Rhodesia during the days of the "Terrs" and the fall of the white government, their idyllic life is to be changed forever when a... More..

14 September 2009

This is an absorbing story about a Republican First Lady, Alice Blackwell. The similarities to Laura Bush are plain - both were school librarians, both involved in a car crash in which someone was killed, and both married into wealthy, privileged families. Alice is depicted compassionately - her... More..

9 September 2009

Just when you thought life couldn't get any worse for poor Florence, it does, because in her family - and what an interesting bunch they are - things seem to happen in threes. She even gets a surprise when her one and only child arrives back into the country. Not that this is a depressing book by... More..

9 September 2009

If you enjoyed Lewycka’s A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and Two Caravans you will love this read. It is a witty, fast-paced combination of eccentric characters who will have you laughing all the way.PT More..

26 August 2009

Having read and enjoyed Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. The Host was written for an adult audience, and is about aliens invading Earth and taking over the bodies of human beings. The story follows one particular alien and her human "host", and as... More..

19 August 2009

The story begins with the murder of an illegal African street vendor in a busy Venetian campo while he was attempting to sell his fake designer handbags to a group of American tourists.This book deals with issues surrounding immigrants, race and immigrant labour. The detective Guido Brunetti must... More..

19 August 2009

Sunny Cooper is still recovering from her unusual upbringing on a commune, dealing with her relationship with her mother and haunted by her younger sister's death, when she suffers another personal tragedy and decides to start life afresh. She moves to the small town of Harmony on San Miguel... More..

19 August 2009

This is one of the feel-good books of the year. Set in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, canny, big hearted businesswoman Grace Tungaraza is a professional with a successful cake baking business. You are drawn into her life and learn about the strength of women who have endured the horror of genocide... More..

17 August 2009

When Bunty discovers her husband is having an affair, she is more concerned about how she will maintain the lifestyle she has become accustomed to than sorry that her marriage is about to end. With no money of her own and few work skills, having spent her time as a ‘stay at home’ mum watching... More..

17 August 2009

Laz is well-liked, loved and admired by his family and friends but he does have the habit of checking out of his life occasionally. At first, his wife Grace was alarmed by his disappearances, but he always returned with never a whiff of infidelity. But now he has been gone for several weeks. Grace... More..

3 August 2009

Charlotte Wood dedicated this novel to her parents whose love story inspired her to write it. The book is divided into four parts. The first part is set in 1963 in Australia and involves the meeting of Martin and Jocelyn who form a deep and loving relationship. Family problems come between them and... More..

3 August 2009

The latest in the series about Marcus Didius Falco, a private investigator in Ancient Rome. Falco looks into the sudden demise of Theon, the Chief Librarian at the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt. A great read – amusing and fascinating.P.O. More..

3 August 2009

This is the most delightful story of two men and their tussle to ask a lady to a ball – which becomes a “bird – hunt”. Read on to see what unfolds.D.J. More..

3 August 2009

Deborah O’Roake a young DA is investigating a gang violence case and exposes fraud and drug trafficking. Early on she meets Cage Guthrie and of course, they fall in love and work together on this case. An enjoyable, relaxing read – a romantic suspense novel with a fantasy twist.H.B. More..

30 July 2009

Maggie McElroy, food writer, goes on a “working” trip to China to write about a young up and coming chef, Sam Ling, while also investigating a paternity suit against her late husband’s estate. This is an entertaining story with fascinating information on the food culture of China. Lots of strands... More..

30 July 2009

A page turner from start to finish. A psychological thriller, the title tells it all. Set in Minnesota a crime that was not solved, until now. Who really did kill Laura Star. you will find more of his titles at hereGarfield. More..

20 July 2009

Death by water is a tale of a woman detective, solving mysteries and uncovering secrets. The story begins on a cruise liner where a series of jewellery thefts from first class passengers have taken place. Phryne Fisher has being hired to solve the mystery of stolen jewellery Kerry Greenwood has... More..

20 July 2009

Based on a true story, this is a stunning book about an unusual subject and a different view of the American settlement of the west. Vivid and believable characters, outstanding bravery, brutal realities and the clash of cultures make this an unforgettable read. AH More..

20 July 2009

Set during the time of Edward IV, this book takes you into the world of the silk merchants and women's lives of the time. This well researched book brings to life the social and political scenes of this era and breathes life into real players at the court of the king. The story moves along at a... More..

17 July 2009

Intense and moving, this story of love, discovery, and the transformational power of music is set in the extraordinary situation of a hostage takeover.Strong friendships and bonds forged among the most unlikely people attest to humanity’s needs and desires being mutual and universal. Our continual... More..

17 July 2009

Coping with a terminally ill friend may not be everyone’s idea for the theme of a book, but this is written with humour and honesty, and is anything but gloomy. The reader finds that there is great empathy with the friend, who has been coerced into looking after her ill, but at times infuriating... More..

17 July 2009

Adam Dalgliesh and his team are called to a private clinic to investigate the death of an investigative journalist. A good read again from one of my favourite authors, though I did find this one slightly more predictable than any of her earlier books. Still worth taking home though. SJC More..

17 July 2009

Another great read from Kate Atkinson in the Jackson Brodie series. Crime, humour and good characters in the story of the consequences of a crime committed 30 years ago. Read “Case Histories and “ One Good Turn” to get to know Jackson Brodie. In each book he is just one of a good cast of... More..

17 July 2009

A beautifully told story of the tragic consequences of the wars in Afghanistan since the Soviet invasion. A Russian woman, an American ex-spy, a Special Forces soldier and a soldier of the Taliban are together in the home of an English doctor whose wife and daughter have been murdered by the... More..

7 July 2009

Book 10, in the No1. Ladies Detective Agency series, doesn’t fail to please if you need a dose of Botswana and its characters. Mme Ramotswe holds on to those who are dear to her, including her overworked and overloaded tiny white van. These stories are always a cure for downheartedness and Mme... More..

3 July 2009

If you’re in the mood for a truly delightful read then The Earth Hums in B Flat, the debut novel by Mari Strachan is the book for you. Set in a small Welsh town in the 1950s the story centres around the inquisitive and slightly ‘odd’ 12 year old Gwenni Morgan and her quest to solve the mystery of... More..

3 July 2009

At first one is tempted to think that Passage is an over-long book. But it builds and builds to the very end, and all the strands come together in one long rope that holds more questions than answers. Connie Willis writes about uncomplicated time travel coupled with wonderfully atmospheric... More..