Tag Archives: new release

Book Review: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

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An elderly gentleman, Theo arrives in the town of Golden. No-one knows who he is or anything about his background let alone why he has turned up.

He soon becomes a presence when entering a café, he sees a number of portraits for sale by a local artist. He decides to purchase them one at a time and give them to the person in the painting.

He quickly becomes embroiled in peoples lives by his kindness, generosity and friendship.

It’s a lovely idea that a person who has lived a long life can give something back to people in the form of art imparting wisdom along the way.

Levi takes us on a journey with each portrait involving the reader in the lives of the recipient as well as a growing appreciation for the kindness of this one elderly man.

However, I was disturbed about themes about illegal immigrants and anti-abortion and the underlying sense of disapproval. After a while the bestowal of the paintings and the recipients life story became a little repetitive and I found myself losing interest on occasion with some of the characters. Perhaps some editing may have helped. The last quarter of the book was better bringing everything together with a few surprises.

It’s a highly rated book and for many it does resonate, but for me that wasn’t consistent enough. The writing at times was a little too flowery, the characters were too real to be true and it almost felt like a series of fables. The argument for religion appeared to become more heavy handed as the novel progressed. There was even a sermon which really was hardly warranted. I wasn’t expecting a Christian fictional novel.

I did like it but I didn’t love it. Maybe my expectations were too high after the hype.

A New Novel Is Coming!

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I’ve been off line for most of the year while I write my sixth novel called Stanley Place. It will be out later in the year. I’m excited to share more with you coming months.

While I haven’t shared any book reviews for a while, I haven’t stopped reading so the reviews will roll out so watch out for them in the coming weeks.

Book Review: Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell

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I’ve read a spate of Irish authors in the last couple of years and here is another one to add to the list.

It’s a powerful story and if you’re looking for a tension packed novel then this one is for you.

Ciara, a mother with two small children lives with a controlling and emotionally abusive husband. In one impulsive moment of desperation, she hastily grabs some clothes, puts her children in the car and escapes from the family home. With no money, no home and no job she is adrift in a system difficult to navigate during Ireland’s housing crisis.

The themes of abuse, coercive control as well as systemic issues where women face an uphill battle just to feel safe and secure is played out well in this story.

There are a range of emotions from sympathy to outrage to helplessness. And while this may be set in Ireland these issues are certainly not isolated to that country. I’d suggest it’s endemic across the world where patriarchal systems fail to cater adequately for women who need help. The author has put this front and centre which is why this is a powerful novel, shortlisted for a number of prizes.

It’s not all doom and gloom though as Ciara finds support not just from her family but also friends who provide a crutch for her, emotional as well as physical. Heart-wrenching at times, it’s  a hopeful read.

Book Review: Ghost Cities by Siang Lu

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What a crazy wild ride this book took me on. It was fantastical as it was imaginative, absurd yet amusing. Ghost Cities also won the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award.

This is a dual timeline, dual character novel where one time line is set in ancient Chinese times where a powerful and dictatorial Emperor governs with cruelty. The other timeline is present day centered on Xiang ,a Chinese translator who is fired from his job because he doesn’t speak or read Chinese. He is then known as #BadChinese and becomes an humiliating internet sensation. He attracts the attention of an eccentric film director known as Baby Bao and offered a media role at his giant movie set in a Chinese empty city.

Each timeline parallels the ruthlessness of the emperor/director who without any accountability do whatever they please for their own self-satisfaction.

Ghost Cities reminded me of the Truman show while the ancient times explored the cruelty of dictators. Indeed, the petulance of the emperor reminded me of American politics while other aspects were reminiscent of numerous dictators around the world who have and continue to create havoc for their hapless citizens.

There are stories within stories about master manipulators, chess games, mountains, architectural beauty and decadence along with undercurrents of subversion, both small and large.

It’s a truly interesting book which has multiple levels, and I found myself drawn into the ancient world a little more than the present day. There were times where I devoured sections and some parts which dragged, namely the present day which meandered a little too slowly for my liking.

Overall, however, this one is worth trying if only for the bizarre and bold telling.

Book Review: A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan

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Set during a summer holiday on a New Zealand beach, a family of two adults, a ten-year old Alix and her fifteen year old sister Vanessa spend their summer enjoying the beach. This is a summer that will impact each of them.

The holiday house, the heat, the beach and the feel of summer are beautifully described all told through the eyes of the Alix who is smart and observant of everything going on around her. And there is plenty.

She meets a young boy Kahu who tells her about a missing nine-year-old girl who was thought to have been swept out to sea a few years earlier and they set about to solve the mystery of her disappearance. But as children do, they become distracted and explore only to stumble on things they don’t understand.

This is a story with mystery as well as tension as the author explores family relationships, teenage angst and creepy neighbours.

This isn’t an overly long book but it packs in a lot. It seems slow paced in the beginning but it all serves a purpose to build and distract for when we look away for a second something else comes into focus. The second half of the book ramps right up as the tension escalates and we fear for Alix when she walks headlong into  a few difficult  situations, we’re not sure she can get herself out of.

The ending is quite satisfactory leaving the reader to bring together the loose ends without the need to be told. Yes we can draw all of our own conclusions.

I really enjoyed this one. The writing is tight, the characters from a child’s point of view, have depth and it draws you right in.

This is so much more than a who done it. Check this one out.

Book Review: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

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This is a breathtaking and moving novel about a family of four who live on a remote island called Shearwater, which houses the world’s precious seed bank. The island, close to Antarctica is eroding rapidly and climate change is well and truly wreaking havoc. The island was once host to research scientists who have since gone leaving only the caretaker family, a man and his three children. They are to save the seed bank from the rising ocean until a ship comes for them. To complicate matters, the teenage daughter, Fen finds a woman, Rowan washed ashore during a storm and herein lies the mystery of why and how she got there.

Sound intriguing? It is and it’s a page-turner you won’t want to put down. Quite apart from the exquisite writing which is evocative of a harsh landscape, McConaghy provides depth with each character and a tension packed mystery.

The family don’t know why Rowan is there and she equally mistrusts them despite the fact that they nurse her back to health. Dominic, the father has raised his teenagers, Raff and Fen and nine-year-old, Orly for the last eight years. Their mother is there with them in spirit and we learn later what happened to her. Rowan is herself a victim of a devastating bushfire and there are secrets everywhere. However, Rowan provides a connection with compassion and is a conduit to heal not just for her but for each member of the family.

Orly is an unusual child who feels the weight of the job to save the seeds. The idea of how important they are is portrayed from his point of view which at times is a bit of an information dump. Despite his intelligence it takes a leap to see him as a nine-year old voice and this is the only minor downside.

The family live in a lighthouse in a place as inhospitable as it comes. As a reader, I felt the howling wind, the horizontal rain and the bitter cold. I was also moved by the plight of the penguins, seals and whales once brutally hunted but now thriving in the remoteness despite the ticking time-bomb of a rapidly vanishing land.

McConaghy doesn’t allow us to read lightly and we can’t avoid the picture she paints of what could and will be in all of our futures. Mixed with this though, is hope for the family and Rowan as they prepare the move to the mainland leaving behind the ghosts which have haunted them.

This is McConaghy’s third novel and I think her best yet. I loved it.

Check this one out.

Book Review: The Valley by Chris Hammer

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This is the fourth book in the series about Detectives Nell Buchanan and Ivan Lucic. Not that I’ve read the entire series but I have read The Tilt so I must catch up on the others. It doesn’t make much difference if you have or haven’t read them.

This one is still a page-turner about the murder of a local entrepreneur in a place called The Valley and so sets the scene for the two detectives’ investigation. However, Nell discovers that the victim is a close relative, that her birth mother had lived there and had known the local policeman. This sets the stage for more intrigue not to mention a bit of conflict of interest which doesn’t seem to matter all that much. You have to take a leap of faith with the connection to make it all believable.

There is graft and corruption as well as greed, of course, theft and robbery all rolled in with twisted family ties.

I enjoyed the writing, the description of the place (the map in the front sort of helped) and the dual narrative. Sometimes the detail around gold-mining lost me.

It all makes for a thrilling and adventurous tale which is difficult to put down. Give up your weekend for this one.