Those Who Perish by Emma Viskic -a review

Those Who Perish (Caleb Zelic #4) by Emma Viskic

A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE
Deaf PI Caleb Zelic has always been an outsider, estranged from family and friends. But when he receives a text that his brother, Anton, is in danger, Caleb sees it as a chance at redemption.

A REMOTE ISLAND
He tracks Anton down to an isolated, wind-punished island, where secrets run deep and resentments deeper.

A KILLER IN THE SHADOWS
When a killer starts terrorising the isolated community, the brothers must rely on each other like never before. But trust comes at a deadly price…

Published 28 April 2022|  Publisher: Pushkin Press |  RRP: AUD$29.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  Abbey’s |  A&R |  QBD

My Blurb (3.5 / 5 stars)

I have a love-hate relationship with this series. I love the setting, the prose, and the characters. I absolutely abhor the angst Caleb have about Kat and Ant. Especially Kat and the on-off vibe of their relationship. I guess this is an inherent part of Caleb’s personality that has been mentioned in the book and therefore, it’s like watching a car crash where you know it’s going to be bad and you don’t really want to see it but you can’t turn your head away. That’s exactly how I feel about this whole series.

As always, Caleb stepped into a mystery bigger and ever more dangerous but this time, as he’s about to become a father, he really needed to question his involvement. And yet, things got out of hand very quickly with his life and those he loves in danger. Of course, the ending is never what I thought it’d be with all the miscommunications and misunderstandings adding to the complexity of the twists and turns that ends with a big splash.

My thanks to Pushkin Press for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

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Emma Viskic is an award-winning Australian crime writer. Her critically acclaimed debut Resurrection Bay was shortlisted for two CWA Daggers and won five Australian awards, including the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut. Its sequel, And Fire Came Down, won the Davitt Award for Best Adult Novel while Darkness for Light won the Readers Choice Award. Emma studied Australian sign language (Auslan) in order to write the Caleb Zelic thrillers, of which Those Who Perish is the fourth.

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website |  facebook |  twitter |  instagram

The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci -a review

The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci

Having survived combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and been decorated with medals, Travis Devine mysteriously leaves the Army under a cloud of suspicion. And at thirty-two years old, he’s swapping fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda for a different kind of danger in the cut-throat world of high finance.

His daily commute on the 6.20 a.m. train into New York’s financial district, to his new job as an analyst at the minted powerhouse investment bank Cowl and Comely, takes him into a world where greed, power, jealousy and ambition result in the financial abuse of the masses and the enrichment of an elite few. But it is on this daily journey that he passes a house where he sees something that sounds alarm signals he cannot ignore.

A close friend of Devine’s, Sarah Ewes, is the first victim and the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death at Cowl and Comely compel him to investigate further. As he digs deeper, he discovers strange coincidences and unnerving truths. As the deaths pile up, and the major players show their hands, he must question who he can trust and who he must fight.

Published 28 June 2022  |  Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia  |  RRP: AUD$34.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s  | QBD

My Blurb (4 / 5 stars)

I have to admit that while I’m a huge fan of a couple of Baldacci’s series (Atlee Pine &  John Puller), I just couldn’t get into the others. My interest in this one is really geared by the idea of this protagonist’s  9 to 5 grind, which basically is also my life (thanks, Financial lines!), until life threw a huge spanner in his way. This made a great thrilling read (but I don’t want that kind of spanner in my life, lol).

Travis Devine is an easily likeable character. He’s highly intelligent and also physically capable man. And he wants truth and justice to prevail but sometimes, that just doesn’t happen in real life. Due to a misstep, he is now punishing himself and redemption seems far away especially when the past came back to haunt him. There is no choice for Devine now but to dive in and find the killers as well as deal with the underhanded world of Wall Street. 

He is definitely a hit with me. Baldacci definitely knows his craft and kept the pace tight yet the human interest of Devine and other characters were truly touching. I don’t think the whole mystery is quite wrapped up yet though I could be wrong but I think, I hope, that this is just a set up (a first book) for a series. I’d love to see Travis Devine again and hopefully, see him more settled in his role.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring most recently Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US.

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  instagram

The Falcon by Isabella Maldonado -a review

The Falcon (Nina Guerrera #3) by Isabella Maldonado

A serial killer wants to play. FBI Agent Nina Guerrera has no time for games.

Six female undergrads at an elite university vanish. The media descends. The families demand action. And as Special Agent Nina Guerrera follows clue by chilling clue, she realizes she’s tracking the most cunning predator of her career.

The case takes a turn for the worse, and the bizarre, when several victims are found perfectly preserved. No signs of violence, no hint of how they died. Just more evidence that the killer is cruel, calculating, and a master of mind control.

With her mission compromised, Nina must face her greatest failure—and greatest fear—to stop a deadly hunter before he claims another prize.

Published 28 June 2022 |  Publisher: Thomas & Mercer  |  RRP: AUD$25.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s

My Blurb (4 / 5 stars)

Special Agent Nina Guerrera is definitely one of my favourite fictional crime buster. She’s oh-so-broken but yet oh-so-kick-ass!! And her loyal teammates are just the perfect foil to her solitary warrior outlook. As the mystery to her background was pretty much resolved in the last book, I was curious where the author was going to take Nina next and whether it will be comparably thrilling… no worries there, she’s definitely got me engaged and I really can’t wait to see Nina develop as a character in future.

I don’t want to give too much away but The Falcon was an intriguing mix of Egyptology, psychology, falconry, technology, and so many other interesting bits which made the read really fascinating. There were some images which may be a lot paper in print but I had to skip reading because it was just too small on my basic kindle. Plus, one particular incident which didn’t quite make sense to me but as I read an uncorrected proof, this might’ve been fixed for the final print. Otherwise, this series is becoming one of my favourites and I can’t wait for book 4.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

Award-winning author Isabella Maldonado wore a gun and badge in real life before turning to crime writing. The first Latina to attain the rank of captain in her police department, she retired as the Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During more than two decades on the force, her assignments included hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander. Selected to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, she uses her law enforcement background to bring a realistic edge to her writing. She lives in the Phoenix area where her uniform now consists of tank tops and yoga pants. Instead of bad guys, she chases around her young son when she’s not handcuffed to her computer. THE CIPHER, the first book in her new series featuring FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, was published in November 2020 and the sequel, A DIFFERENT DAWN, will be published in August 2021.

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website  |  twitter |  facebook |  instagram

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill -a review

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

In every person’s story, there is something to hide…

The ornate reading room at the Boston Public Library is quiet, until the tranquillity is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who’d happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer.

Published 7 June 2022|  Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press  |  RRP: AUD$29.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s  | QBD

My Blurb (4.5 / 5 stars)

Woah, I thought I was ready for whatever Sulari Gentill can throw at me after that mind-bending twists of Crossing the Lines but she’s got a mean throwing arm! The Woman in the Library is a clever, imaginative thriller and so much fun to read.

The structure of the book is that of a letter from “Leo” and a chapter of story (which is found above in book description). At first, I did wonder which is “real” and which is fictional [remember, Crossing the Lines?!]. However, the author has something quite different in mind in this novel so it wasn’t quite that long before all is revealed and pretty soon, instead of one mystery, we have 2… Bonus!

As much as I enjoyed reading about the four strangers drawn together as friends, I was also very much drawn to the other mystery for which we pretty much only get Leo’s letters to read by. And yet, because of that limited scope, it’s that much more creepy and therefore, thrilling.

Another brilliant offering by a much loved author, Sulari Gentill, and one I’d highly recommend as it was very much an irresistible page-turner.

My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

Once upon a time, Sulari Gentill was a corporate lawyer serving as a director on public boards, with only a vague disquiet that there was something else she was meant to do. That feeling did not go away until she began to write. And so Sulari became the author of the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries: thus far, ten historical crime novels chronicling the life and adventures of her 1930s Australian gentleman artist, the Hero Trilogy, based on the myths and epics of the ancient world, and the Ned Kelly Award winning Crossing the Lines (published in the US as After She Wrote Hime). In 2014 she collaborated with National Gallery of Victoria to write a short story which was produced in audio to feature in the Fashion Detective Exhibition, and thereafter published by the NGV. IN 2019 Sulari was part of a 4-member delegation of Australian crime writers sponsored by the Australia Council to tour the US as ambassadors of Australian Crime Writing.

Sulari lives with her husband, Michael, and their boys, Edmund and Atticus, on a small farm in Batlow where she grows French Black Truffles and refers to her writing as “work” so that no one will suggest she get a real job.

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website |  facebook  |  instagram  |  twitter

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride -a review

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride

Introducing an original and intriguing new lead character, Stuart MacBride’s new novel showcases a crime-writing master at the top of his game.

‘We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.’

It’s been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast.

Now isn’t the time to get distracted with other cases, but Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh doesn’t have much choice. When Benedict Strachan was just eleven, he hunted down and killed a homeless man. No one’s ever figured out why Benedict did it, but now, after sixteen years, he’s back on the streets again – battered, frightened, convinced a shadowy ‘They’ are out to get him, and begging Lucy for help.

It sounds like paranoia, but what if he’s right? What if he really is caught up in something bigger and darker than Lucy’s ever dealt with before? What if the Bloodsmith isn’t the only monster out there? And what’s going to happen when Lucy goes after them?

Published 3 May 2022|  Publisher: Penguin Random House  |  RRP: AUD$32.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s  | QBD

My Blurb (4.5 / 5 stars)

I was excited to receive this book in the mail since I was totally in the mood for a crime read. While I’ve heard of this author, I’ve yet to read any of his books so while I can’t tell his fans if this new book is as good as his other books, I can tell you that I’m keen to explore his backlist now.

Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh appears to be the standard protagonist of a police procedural novel in that she’s like a dog with a bone when presented with a case and she is broken. There’s something in her past which we learnt of later on in the novel. She mostly gets along with her team and has a loyal partner though he seems a lot younger and immature in comparison to her. Herein lies the humour which breaks the bleakness of the novel and I really enjoyed the dynamics between these two.

I was caught by surprise by some of the language and maybe that’s because I’ve never read his books before or maybe I don’t read enough Scottish books but I don’t think I’ve ever heard some of these words before: hurple (I love the sound of this word! Say it out loud to yourself and see what I mean), clarted (only cuz it rhymes with farted – I’ve been hanging out too much with my boys), dunt, sook (as in ‘sucking a cigarette’ and not ‘being a sook’), etc. This may be a reason in itself to read more of MacBride’s!

What started as a pretty solid police procedural changed in a somewhat unpredictable way approximately 3/4 through the novel. At first, I wasn’t sure if I like this change because it turned into a psychological thriller which I’m not a fan of… I didn’t mind the ending but I’m still not sure whether I like it or not; maybe that’s TBD after I read the sequel 🤣

My thanks to Penguin Random House for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

Stuart MacBride is the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. He’s also published standalones, novellas, and short stories, as well as a slightly twisted children’s picture book for slightly twisted children.

Stuart lives in the northeast of Scotland with his wife Fiona, cats Gherkin, Onion and Beetroot, some hens, some horses, and an impressive collection of assorted weeds.

Find author on:  goodreads  | facebook  |  website  |  twitter

Blog Tour: You Should Have Seen This Coming by Shani Michelle – an Excerpt + giveaway INT

You Should Have Seen This Coming
Shani Michelle
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: April 12th 2022
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

A teen girl who sees visions of the past must use her gift to save a kidnapped classmate in Shani Michelle’s high-stakes YA thriller You Should Have Seen This Coming!

Hayden sees the past. Just touching an object will occasionally give her flashes of the previous owner’s memories. And if that memory happens to be a deeply hidden secret, then she has no problem making you pay for your crime, in cash.

Cassie sees the future, and it sucks. She will randomly wake up from dreams filled with disasters that she feels compelled to stop, and she would really like to stop watching her boyfriend fall in love with someone else!

But when Cassie tries to warn Hayden that her latest blackmailing scheme is a trap, she knows she’s really in trouble. All her visions warn her of the upcoming kidnapping, nothing she does stops it. And it’s all Hayden’s fault!

Can Hayden’s gift help her find Cassie before it’s too late?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

Author Bio:

Shani Michelle is the author of YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING. She also works in TV news. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her husband, family, friends, reading, watching way too much TV, and coming up with new story ideas. (She’s also written several rom-com and middle grade novels as Shani Petroff)

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GIVEAWAY! a print copy of You Should Have Seen This Coming
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EXCERPT

No one does a good saunter anymore. I shake out my arms and loosen my body before I
meander into the girls’ locker room Tuesday morning, doing my best to channel an old-timey
sheriff in a Western film. Time to show the elite who’s boss.
Brooke Tamison and Fiona Gavini are standing off to the side.
Both look up as I approach.
“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” I ask, stopping right in front of them.
Brooke’s whole body goes rigid. “We’re in the middle of something, Hayden. Get out,”
she commands. Her dark green eyes narrow into slits and her nostrils flare. She’s perfected the
look of someone in charge, I’ll give her that.
A for effort, but she’s not fooling anyone. She’s scared of me. The little tremble in her
voice is a dead giveaway. I can’t really blame her. In my two months and change at Lightsend
High, I’ve developed quite the reputation.
“Just what I need,” Fiona mumbles, throwing her head back, hitting the locker behind
her.
I cringe. She couldn’t have meant to hit it that hard. I almost ask her if she’s okay, but
then I remind myself that she’s the enemy. One of the school’s we-think-we’re-above-the-law-
and-better- than-anyone crowd. The ones I can’t stand. The ones I’m taking down.
She lets out a sigh. One of defeat? Surprise? Disgust? It’s hard to tell.
“You know . . .” I shake my head. “If you’re gonna have a clandestine meeting, you really
should come up with someplace more original. You’re making it too easy. It’s like you want to
be caught.”
I take a seat on the wooden bench in front of them.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about or what you ‘think’ you know,” Brooke says,
using her fingers to make quotation marks, “but this is between Fiona and me.”
She puts her hands on her hips and glares down at me, but regardless of our positions,
we both know who’s in power.
I make sure to give her my sweetest smile. “Now it’s between the three of us, isn’t it?”
She knows she’s in trouble. They both do. I am the school’s self-appointed Robin Hood.
Taking from the rich, spoiled, and corrupt, and giving to the poor—i.e., me. It’s the only after-
school activity I find remotely entertaining.
“How do you keep doing this?” Fiona asks.
Now it’s my turn to play clueless. “Doing what?”
She sighs again.
We both know what she’s talking about. She wants to know how I keep finding out all
this dirt on everyone. If I told her, she wouldn’t believe me, so I don’t bother to explain.
Not that this instance needed any noteworthy skills. Not with Brooke. She’s a special
kind of egomaniac. The kind that doesn’t believe anyone will dare cross her. The kind where
you just have to wait, listen, and watch, and you’ll have something on her in no time.
“You’re just as bad as all the people you hate,” Fiona tells me.
She’s saying this to me?
I don’t dignify it with an answer.
Not when the people she’s talking about told so many brutal lies about Leighton
Chutney that she’s now being homeschooled. Or hit a dog with their car and just left it there. Or

put laxatives in Kristoff McLeigh’s protein shake before his big football game with all the scouts
watching.
Not even the same playing field.
I get justice. Or at least, a little revenge. So what if I pocket something on the side?
“Stop talking,” Brooke hisses at Fiona, before turning her attention to me. “You don’t
have anything on us.” The glare she flashes could make blood turn cold.
“No?” I ask, plucking the thumb drive Fiona’s been holding from her hand. She really
should have stashed it in her bag.
“Two cheaters for the price of one. Well, price of two. You can both pay up,” I say, lying
back on the bench. I want to take in and savor every second of this. Sure, there are people at
Lightsend who’ve done worse than Brooke, but this is personal. Brooke’s the one who went
Mean Girls on me when I started school here. The compliments on my clothes that everyone
knew were really insults. The whispers. Trash talk. Blocking my car in for hours. Spilling coffee
on me. And little Miss Fabulous Fiona was always along for the ride. “Or if you prefer,” I
continue, “I can let Mr. Thadwell know that one of the school’s top students got there by
cheating, and another had a side business that helped her do it.”
“That drive proves nothing,” Brooke scoffs.
“Come now,” I say, matching her condescending tone. “Do you really think this is all that
I have on you?”
Truthfully, yeah, it is. But she doesn’t need to know that. I’ll find something else. I
always do.
I toss the drive up in the air and then catch it in my palm. Right as it smacks my skin, my
whole body shudders.
Now? Really??
There’s nothing I can do but watch.

All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes -a review

All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

Something deadly and mysterious stalks the members of an isolated polar expedition in this haunting and spellbinding historical horror novel, perfect for fans of Dan Simmons’s The Terror and Alma Katsu’s The Hunger.

In the wake of the First World War, Jonathan Morgan stows away on an Antarctic expedition, determined to find his rightful place in the world of men. Aboard the expeditionary ship of his hero, the world-famous explorer James “Australis” Randall, Jonathan may live as his true self—and true gender—and have the adventures he has always been denied. But not all is smooth sailing: the war casts its long shadow over them all, and grief, guilt, and mistrust skulk among the explorers.

When disaster strikes in Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea, the men must take to the land and overwinter somewhere which immediately seems both eerie and wrong; a place not marked on any of their part-drawn maps of the vast white continent. Now completely isolated, Randall’s expedition has no ability to contact the outside world. And no one is coming to rescue them.

In the freezing darkness of the Polar night, where the aurora creeps across the sky, something terrible has been waiting to lure them out into its deadly landscape…

As the harsh Antarctic winter descends, this supernatural force will prey on their deepest desires and deepest fears to pick them off one by one. It is up to Jonathan to overcome his own ghosts before he and the expedition are utterly destroyed.

Published 29 March 2022|  Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books |  RRP: AUD$26.50

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s  |  QBD

My Blurb (3 / 5 stars)

This book appealed to me because I recalled a couple of Antarctica thrillers which I enjoyed though I think neither was historical. Nevertheless, I thought that would add to the thrill (difficulty without tech etc) however I didn’t really count on the horror bit of the story. I’m not a huge fan of horror because for some reason, they just confuse me. I read & loved some paranormal, magical books but for some unknown reason, I just don’t get horror. It’s not particularly scary so I guess I just missed the point?

The novel opens with our protagonist’s family receiving news of the loss of their elder 2 sons whom it appears to have had ambitions for an Antarctica expedition adventures. What do you do when the 2 older brothers whom you worshipped were ripped away from you? Well, you do what they have always wanted to do! But well, there is the barrier of your perceived gender and your parents so the only thing to do is to stow away and hopefully prove yourself while onboard. Things never truly go smoothly for an expedition to the unknown but this time, there were other factors at play and not everyone can see them…

It is possibly my initial expectation of the book which influenced my thoughts on this book because I keep expecting a twist of the psychological thriller variety but it never happened so while accept some paranormal activity as possible, I didn’t find it scary. Since I didn’t find it scary nor was there any particular surprising twist, I found this book to be rather long and uneventful (yes, despite all the tragic incidents).

My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for ecopy of book via Edelweiss+ in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

Ally Wilkes grew up in a succession of isolated—possibly haunted—country houses and boarding schools.

After studying law at Oxford, she went on to spend eleven years as a criminal barrister, learning how extreme situations bring out the best (or worst) in human nature.

Ally now lives in Greenwich, London, with an anatomical human skeleton and far too many books about Polar exploration. When she isn’t writing or reading horror, she’s usually to be found hanging upside-down (like a bat) from her aerial silks. 

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website |  facebook |  twitter |  instagram

The Liars Beneath by Heather Van Fleet – a review

The Liars Beneath
Heather Van Fleet
Publication date: January 27th 2022
Genres: Thriller, Young Adult

A romantically dark YA thriller set in the backdrop of Iowa’s suspenseful farmlands.

After a tragic accident ends her best friend’s life, 17-year-old Becca Thompson succumbs to grief the only way she knows how: by wallowing in it. She’s a fragment of the person she once was—far too broken to enjoy the summer before her senior year. But when Ben McCain, her best friend’s older brother, returns home, Becca must face her new reality head on.

She isn’t interested in Ben’s games, especially since he abandoned his sister during the months leading up to her death. But when he begs for her help in uncovering the truth about what really happened the night of his sister’s death, Becca finds herself agreeing, hoping to clear up rumors swirling in the wake of her best friend’s accident.

An unhinged ex-boyfriend, secret bucket lists, and garage parties in the place Becca calls home soon lead her to the answers she’s so desperate to unveil. But nobody is being honest, not even Ben. And the closer Becca gets to the truth—and to Ben—the more danger seems to surround her.

Clearing her best friend’s name was all she wanted to do, but Becca is quickly realizing that the truth she craves might be uglier than the lies her best friend kept.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

My Blurb (3.5/5):

The Liars Beneath sounds like just my kind of read. I was totally in the mood for a romantic suspense and this did not disappoint. I pretty much just devoured it in a day, really. I loved this BFF’s brother trope.

To begin with, I was really frustrated with the protagonists, Becca Thompson. So she had some concessions for wallowing after the death of her BFF but then her continual stubbornness and blindness about Ben McCain nearly drove to the wall. However, I guess that was got me to keep reading because I just couldn’t wait for the scales to drop from her eyes and heart. I love a good slow burn 😉

The mystery itself is rather slow going til the last third of the book when things were shaking down. It took some time for Ben to get Becca to cooperate and then, it took some more time because they had trust issues to begin with. In the end though, I loved that Becca learnt so much and developed to be such a strong character especially when it comes to Ben.

The Liars Beneath was a fairly easy read especially after Becca has gone over the wallowing in grief hurdle. As the story is told solely from Becca’s perspective, it’s only then that I feel the story begins. There were some flashes from the past which I found hard to read because they all seemed to be tinged with sadness. However, I enjoyed the mystery twist and definitely, am on board with the romance.

My thanks to Xpresso Tours for ecopy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts

Author Bio:

Heather Van Fleet is a stay-at-home-mom turned book boyfriend connoisseur. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, a mom to three girls, and in her spare time you can find her with her head buried in her Kindle, guzzling down copious amounts of coffee.

Heather graduated from Black Hawk College in 2003 and currently writes Adult contemporary romance. She is published through Sourcebooks Casablanca with her Reckless Hearts series and Bookouture with her Red Dragon series.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest

Wild Dogs by Michael Trant -a review

Wild Dogs by Michael Trant

Wild Dogs is a page-turning action thriller set in the WA outback, introducing Australia’s answer to Jack Reacher.

In the drought-ridden rangelands of Western Australia, Gabe Ahern makes his living trapping wild dogs for local station owners.

Still coming to terms with his wife’s death – and the part he played in it – the old bushman leads a solitary life. Until one morning, when he rescues a young Afghan man, Amin, from certain execution.

Now, with a gang of people smugglers on his tail and the lives of Amin’s family on the line, Gabe is drawn into a ruthless game of cat and mouse. His main opponent is Chase Fowler, a kangaroo hunter with bush skills as wily and sharp as his own.

As the old dogger and roo-shooter go head to head, Gabe will need all his cunning to come out of this alive…

Published 1 February 2022|  Publisher: Penguin Random House  |  RRP: AUD$32.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s  | QBD

My Blurb (4 / 5 stars)

I finished reading this over the weekend and began watching Reacher on Prime with hubby. And you know what… I’d love to see this one adapted to screen; it would be so amazing!! I can just imagine the vast dry outback scenes contrasting with all the greens and wildlife ones. I can totally see too that Jack Reacher and Gabe Ahern will see eye to eye in how they approach this problem Gabe had to face.

As the main protagonist, Gabe Ahern, isn’t the sort of character you’d see as a hero but he knows what’s right and that’s what he’d do. Mostly. When it matters. When he instinctively rescued an Afghan man, Amin, he did not expect to be drawn into a trouble deeper than his whiskey bottle. But he stepped right up and got done what needed to be done.

As this novel involves Afghan ethnicity and people smuggling, I found that author has handled this in a very respectful way. Even as others formed / spoken certain stereotypical opnions to Amin, they were rebuked and they accepted with grace. Characters opined on people smuggling and expressed (& provided for readers) thoughts when fully confronted (face to face) with the problems. It seems a distance away but it is not… I have enjoyed this part of the novel very much.

I have to admit at having rolled my eyes as the “Australia’s answer to Jack Reacher” bit on the book description but it really ramped up my expectation of this book. I won’t tell you exactly what I thought after I read it because it’s mostly spoilerish but be assured that Wild Dogs was a definitely a high-charged thrilling read.

My thanks to Penguin Random House for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

Michael Trant is a WA country boy now residing in Perth after a variety of careers ranging from farmer, marine draftsman, pastoralist and FIFO pot washer.

Michael writes with an authentic rural voice, drawing on his experiences to open readers to places and lifestyles foreign to many. He has a passion for farming, writing, and gaming, the order of which vary throughout the year. He still works on farms as a tractor driver, mainly to annoy those teachers who claimed no one would pay him to stare out a window all day.

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website  |  twitter  |  facebook  |  instagram  |  tiktok

Mercy by David Baldacci -a review

Mercy (Atlee Pine #4) by David Baldacci

Mercy is the gripping follow up to Long Road to Mercy, A Minute to Midnight and Daylight featuring Special Agent Atlee Pine from one of the world’s most favourite thriller writers, David Baldacci.

THE HUNT IS FINALLY OVER.

FBI agent Atlee Pine is at the end of her long journey to discover what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, who was abducted when the girls were just six years old – an incident which destroyed her family and left Atlee physically and mentally scarred.

She knew her sister and parents were out there somewhere. And she had to find them. Dead or alive.

Atlee and her assistant, Carol Blum, discover the truth. But the truth hurts. And hurt makes you tough. So how tough do you have to be to forgive?

As they uncover a shocking trail of lies, greed, fear and revenge, they must face one final challenge. A challenge more deadly and dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

Published 26 October 2021|  Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia  |  RRP: AUD$32.99

Buy it at: Dymocks |  Booktopia |  A&R  |  Abbey’s  | QBD

My Blurb (4.5 / 5 stars)

Fans all over the world have been waiting for this moment! The moment when Special Agent Atlee Pine finally finds out what happened to her twin sister, Mercy, when they were separated as children. Mercy is a thrilling conclusion to this mystery as well as a spellbinding story of women’s resilience and strength.

Pine and Blum travelled the country in tracing those involved with Mercy’s kidnapping. As always, things never go smoothly as there are many other external factor that come to play. Slowly, complexity and tension build up until the explosive ending that is typical of Baldacci’s novels. I really don’t know whether this is a final Atlee Pine novel because all 4 books have been about her and Mercy. That’s pretty much done now and that last scene in the book sounds like a farewell to me. Either way, I’m very happy with this finale.

Honestly, this is a tough review to write without spoilers! So please forgive me for being more vague than ever but just believe me when I say that this is an unmissable finale though if you haven’t been following the series, you very much need to read them starting from book 1, Long Road to Mercy.

My thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for this copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts

About the author

David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. A former trial lawyer with a keen interest in world politics, he has specialist knowledge in the US political system and intelligence services, and his first book, Absolute Power, became an instant international bestseller, with the movie starring Clint Eastwood a major box office hit. He has since written more than forty bestsellers featuring most recently Amos Decker, Aloysius Archer, Atlee Pine and John Puller. David is also the co-founder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across the US.

Find author on:  goodreads  |  website  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  instagram