Category Archives: Text Publishing

December 27, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: Shelter by Catherine Jinks

Title: Shelter by Catherine Jinks
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 327 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Meg lives alone: a little place in the bush outside town. A perfect place to hide. That’s one of the reasons she offers to shelter Nerine, who’s escaping a violent ex. The other is that Meg knows what it’s like to live with an abusive partner.

Nerine is jumpy and her two little girls are frightened. It tells Meg all she needs to know where they’ve come from, and she’s not all that surprised when Nerine asks her to get hold of a gun. But she knows it’s unnecessary. They’re safe now.

Then she starts to wonder about some little things. A disturbed flyscreen. A tune playing on her windchimes. Has Nerine’s ex tracked them down? Has Meg’s husband turned up to torment her some more?

By the time she finds out, it’ll be too late to do anything but run for her life.

Review:

Shelter by Catherine Jinks is a poignant mystery set in the Australian bush.

After her divorce from her abusive husband, Keith, Meg Lowry starts over with the couple’s only daughter, Emily. But when Emily moves away, Meg purchases land and a house outside the small town of Bulwell. She does not have much but she is content working a couple of days a week in town. Given her own struggle to escape her marriage, Meg is quick to say yes when a friend asks her to allow Nerine and her two daughters to stay with her for a short time.  Meg soon has serious reservations about Nerine who is jittery and frightened her violent husband Duncan will find her and their daughters, Analiese and Colette.  Exhausted and worried, will Meg give in to Nerine’s pressure to borrow a gun to protect them?

Meg has serious regrets about not leaving Keith sooner so she does not hesitate to help Nerine. She knows the detrimental effects abuse has on children, so she does not allow her own concerns to change her mind about assisting Nerine and the girls. While Nerine is difficult to calm down, Meg adores Ana and Colette.

Nerine does not like the isolation and wide open spaces which make up Meg’s property.  She has wild mood swings and she refuses to believe Meg’s reassurances they are safe. As strange things begin to occur around her house,  Meg cannot decide whether her Keith is to blame or if Duncan has found them.  Nerine is fixated on obtaining a gun and Meg’s resistance begins to wane. Will borrowing a gun calm her temporary houseguests fears?

Shelter is a dark and gritty mystery that has a unique plot and an atmospheric setting.  Meg is a sympathetic character who is flawed yet likable. Nerine is irritating but her children are absolutely adorable. Meg’s property and the surrounding area spring vibrantly to life. With stunning plot twists, Catherine Jinks brings this riveting mystery to bittersweet conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this brilliant mystery to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Catherine Jinks, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Shelter, Suspense, Text Publishing

November 25, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: White Throat by Sarah Thornton

Title: White Throat by Sarah Thornton
Clementine Jones Series Book Two
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Looking out over an ebb tide from the back verandah was like watching God paint stripes…

Disgraced former lawyer Clementine Jones is on the shores of paradise—Queensland’s Great Sandy Straits—trying to outrun her past.

Bored with her house-sitting gig, she becomes a reluctant recruit to the local environmental group, campaigning to save an endangered turtle as developers close in. Then a body is found at the base of a quarry, and Clem’s world is turned upside down.

The police say suicide. Clem’s convinced it was murder. She also knows she’s the only one interested in tracking down the killer.

Well, the only one apart from her friend Torrens, ex-con and reformed standover man. And he’s got his own fight on his hands.

Review:

The second novel in the Clementine Jones series, White Throat by Sarah Thornton is a spellbinding mystery.

Clementine “Clem”  Jones is house-sitting while she tries to decide her future.  With a lot of free time on her hands, she helps out a friend who is trying to protect an endangered turtle. A big corporation’s plans to open the mine will add jobs to the economy but the it will also destroy the turtle’s habitat. Clem does not want to be in the spotlight but after a tragic death, she knows she has to unearth the truth about what happened.

Clem is well aware her past will always find its way into her present so maybe the anonymity of a large city is where she needs to be. An unexpected job offer is weighing on her mind as she becomes embroiled in the investigation in a death that police have been quick to rule suicide. Clem needs to eliminate people from a large pool of suspects, so she devises a plan that will hopefully disguise her true motive for asking questions.

Clem’s friend Matthew Torrens needs an out of the way place to lie low for a while. While he stays with her, she wrestles with her conscience on quite a few fronts where Torrens is concerned. She does not want to involve him too deeply in her investigation but he possesses expertise she needs. Feeling more and more guilty over a secret she is keeping, their friendship and Torrens’ future hangs in the balance as she comes closer to making a major decision.

Clem’s list of suspect is varied so she is flying by the seat of her pants more than she would like. She makes a few missteps with some of the people she questions, but she slowly but steadily makes progress. Unbeknownst to Clem, the murderer will go to any lengths to prevent her from uncovering their identity. Will Clem bring them to justice before it is too late?

White Throat is riveting mystery with a clever storyline and likable lead protagonist. Clem and Torrens are flawed and they remain works in progress. The plot is interesting and well-developed. The investigation is intriguing with plenty of action. With a plethora of viable suspects and motives, Sarah Thornton keeps the murderer’s identity tightly under wraps until the mystery’s action-packed conclusion. Old and new fans will enjoy this newest addition to the Clementine Jones series.

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Filed under Clementine Jones Series, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Sarah Thornton, Suspense, Text Publishing, White Throat

November 1, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: Consolation by Garry Disher

Title: Consolation by Garry Disher
Paul Hirschhausen Series Book Three
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In Consolation, Tiverton’s only police officer Constable Paul Hirschhausen is dealing with a snowdropper. Someone is stealing women’s underwear, and Hirsch knows how that kind of crime can escalate. Then two calls come in: a teacher who thinks a child may be in danger at home. A father on the rampage over at the primary school.

Hirsch knows how things like that can escalate, too. Families under pressure. Financial problems. But it’s always a surprise when the killing starts.

Review:

Consolation by Garry Disher is a suspense-laden mystery which takes place in rural Australia. Although this newest addition to the Paul Hirschhausen series can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the entire series.

Working alone in a one man station, Constable Paul “Hirsch” Hirschhausen is responsible for the inhabitants inside and outside of Tiverton. He begins and ends most days taking quiet strolls around town to ensure all is well in the local community. Hirsch also spends a couple of days a week driving through the vast countryside where he checks in on vulnerable families. Sometimes in the course of his duties, Hirsch takes care of a myriad of cases that sometimes take startling turns.

Due to their rather isolated location, Hirsch is sometimes asked to take care of things that are not always within his purview. When local teacher Clara Ogilivie expresses concern about a homeschooled student she supervises, Hirsch makes a judgment decision to call on the family.  With the property secured behind a locked gate, he is curious about what might be going on. Not one to allow a locked gate to stop him, Hirsch makes a shocking discovery.

Meanwhile, back in town, Hirsch is trying to catch a snowdropper who is targeting people in Tiverton and Redruth. He is also attempting to catch a traveling gang who are fleecing citizens. In the aftermath of being targeted, one of the victims uncovers a possible theft that leads Hirsch to a very unexpected suspicion. But finding who is behind all of these crimes takes time and patience.

Another very unanticipated case sends three people on the run and leads to escalating confrontations and thefts in the outlying area. When his boss Sergeant Hilary Brandl is injured on the job while assisting him in his investigation, Hirsch becomes the interim boss. He must deal with outside agencies who take some of his cases off his hands. He grudgingly hands over the information he has amassed, but Hirsch finds it difficult to stop searching for evidence.

The most disquieting case directly involves Hirsch and he is unsure of how to handle the situation. He is unnerved by anonymous texts he is receiving and graffiti at the station.  Although he tries to keep these unsettling happenings to himself, he does confide in his girlfriend Wendy Street and Sergeant Brandl.  Is the person Hirsch suspects responsible for what is going on? And if not, then who is?

Consolation is a multi-layered mystery with a likable lead protagonist. The various investigations are intriguing and move at a steady pace. The rural setting is vibrantly developed and provides added tension and urgency as Hirsch works on the various cases. With shocking plot twists, Garry Disher brings this riveting mystery to a breathtaking conclusion. Old and new fans of the Paul Hirschhausen series are going to love this latest installment in this brilliant series.

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Filed under Consolation, Contemporary, Garry Disher, Mystery, Paul Hirschhausen Series, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Text Publishing

October 12, 2020 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Long Shadow by Anne Buist

Title: The Long Shadow by Anne Buist
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

Write down something about yourself, as a mother, that worries you.

Psychologist Isabel Harris has come to the outback town of Riley because her husband Dean is assessing the hospital—the hub of the community—with a view to closing it down. Isabel, mostly occupied with her toddler, will run a mother–baby therapy group. But on the first day she gets an anonymous note from one of the mothers:

The baby killer is going to strike again. Soon.

Then a series of small harassments begins.

Is it an attempt to warn Dean off? Or could the threat be serious? A child was murdered in Riley once before.

As Isabel discovers more about the mothers in her group, she begins to believe the twenty-five-year-old mystery of a baby’s death may be the key to preventing another tragedy.

Review:

Set in a small rural town in Australia, The Long Shadow by Anne Buist is an intriguing mystery.

Psychologist Isabelle Harris, her husband Dean and toddler Noah are temporarily living in a town on the verge of dying out. Dean is examining the small hospital amid rumors he plans to shut it down. While he works long hours, Isabelle is in charge of a mother’s group with five women from the local community who are struggling a bit with motherhood. Sophie Barclay is married to the son of a prominent family and she is a little high strung. Róisín Reardon is the oldest person in the group and she dearly loves her daughter but she leaves most of the childcare duties to her husband. Zahra Souri is still struggling in the aftermath of her hospital stay for postpartum psychosis. Kate McCormack loves her daughter but she is an emotionally distant mum. Teagan Moretti is still pregnant and wants nothing more than to be a good parent to her unborn child. From different walks of life and socio-economic backgrounds, there are tensions and resentments between the women that Isabelle works hard to push aside during their weekly meetings. The first gathering is off to an inauspicious start due to the worrying note that a baby’s life might be in danger. With a still unsolved murder of a baby from twenty-five years ago, Isabelle takes the warning seriously.

Isabelle is used to uprooting her life as she follows Dean from city to city. However, this latest move is the first time they have been sent to such an isolated town. Isabelle has her own difficulties as a parent and she still experiences anxiety over Noah’s safety. Their temporary home is isolated and she is a little jumpy since Dean works late into the evening. The stress she is experiencing highlights the problems in their marriage and Isabelle is hoping they will work through their issues.

Isabelle reports the note to the local police but she is a little dissatisfied with their response. She quietly begins researching the town and the earlier kidnapping and death of the baby.  Despite her growing unease after some worrisome events, Isabelle refuses to stop trying to find answers as she becomes concerned that someone in her group might be a target. When her worst fears are realized, she frantically tries to unearth the truth.

The Long Shadow is a clever mystery with a very atmospheric setting. The characters are well-drawn and the small town vividly springs to life. The community’s struggle to survive and the residents’ worries about the fate of the hospital result in fraught confrontations. Isabelle and the women in the group each make considerable progress over the course of their sessions. Although the storyline is interesting, the pacing is a little uneven. Despite a few unanswered questions, Anne Buist brings this engaging mystery to a twist-filled, mostly satisfying conclusion.  Fans of the genre will enjoy this well-written mystery.

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Filed under Anne Buist, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, Text Publishing, The Long Shadow

November 18, 2019 · 11:58 pm

Review: Cold Fear by Mads Peder Nordbo

Title: Cold Fear by Mads Peder Nordbo
Matthew Cave Thriller Book Two
Publisher: Text Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 357 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A thrilling new novel from the author of The Girl Without Skin.

When Danish Journalist Matthew Cave’s half-sister Arnaq disappears, leaving behind only a trail of blood, he realises they are both pawns in a game of life and death.

As a young US soldier stationed in Greenland, their father took part in a secret experiment with deadly consequences. Accused of murder, he was forced into hiding.

Desperate to discover the link between these two disappearances, Matthew is joined by Tupaarnaq, a young Inuit woman, who returns to Nuuk to help her only friend—and to settle a few scores of her own.

But, as things begin to unravel, Matthew begins to wonder: Is the father he has been searching for his entire life actually a cold-blooded murderer? And is Tupaarnaq really who he thinks she is?

Review:

Cold Fear by Mads Peder Nordbo is a dark and gritty mystery set in Greenland.  This newest release is the second book in the Matthew Cave Thriller series.  While it can be read as a standalone, I strongly recommend reading book one in the series for important background information.

Newspaper reporter Matthew Cave is still reeling from the discovery of his half-sister, Arnaq.  When he goes to visit her, he is further stunned when he receives a letter from his father, Tom, who has been missing for over two decades.  While he plans to go see Tom, Matthew first goes to visit Arnaq whom he learns is with her friends in a deserted town. Not long after he and his friend, Tupaarnaq, visit them, Aranaq and her friends go missing. As they try to find the missing teens, Matthew and Tupaarnaq are soon caught up in a situation in which long ago events involving Tom put everyone in danger.

In 1990, Tom, who is a sergeant in the US Marines, is stationed at Thule Air Force Base. Tom and three other marines are participating in an experimental military program.  They are closely monitored as they are given a drug that could radically alter military operations in extreme cold condition. However, as the drug’s dosage is increased, Tom and the others begin experiencing dangerous side effects.  The situation culminates with Tom going on the run and completely disappearing for decades.

In the present, Matthew and Tupaaranaq find themselves in perilous circumstances. They have no idea what they are walking into and soon after their arrival, someone dear to Matthew is murdered. After Arnaq vanishes, they return to the desolate town in hopes of locating her and her friends.  Unbeknownst to them, they have stumbled into a conspiracy that could have far reaching political implications for Greenland. Will they untangle the twisted web of deceit and secrets before it is too late?

Cold Fear is an intricately plotted mystery that is quite atmospheric. The characters are interesting and multi-layered. The plot is well-developed and rife with shocking twists and unexpected turns. This second installment in  Mads Peder Nordbo’s Matthew Cave Thriller series is a riveting mystery that fans of Nordic fiction are sure to enjoy.

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Filed under Cold Fear, Contemporary, Mads Peder Nordbo, Matthew Cave Thriller, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Suspense, Text Publishing