Review: ONE DOWN, Diana Wilkinson

• 
   this edition provided by my local library
  
• published by Boldwood Books 2023,
• large print edition,
• ISBN 978-1-83751-006-1
• 494 pages 
• aka THE COUPLE IN APARTMENT C
  

Synopsis (publisher)

A twisty unputdownable thriller from Diana Wilkinson, author of the Number One bestseller The Girl in Seat 2A

I’m not being paranoid. It’s all there in the crossword clues…in black and white. There’s no doubt the threat is real. Today, the answers spell out my murder.

Is Nathan, my estranged crossword-setter husband, really planning to kill me? Or is it someone closer to home?

I check the door is bolted, slither to the ground, and count down the seconds to noon. There’s nothing left to do, and no one I can call. Who’d believe me anyway? The lady on the ground floor has already left the building, and my new boyfriend is on holiday. Or is he?

A tread of footsteps. A rap at the door, and I close my eyes, hold my breath…

A smart and unsettling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and Claire Douglas

My Take

I'm not much good at cryptic crossword puzzles so the bits in here where the author appeared to be trying to teach me how to interpret the clues just sort of left me cold. But nevertheless the plot is very creepy. Someone does appear to be trying to scare the life out of Amanda by personalising the clues in the daily cryptic crossword. Her estranged husband Nathan is one of the anonymous setters of the puzzles in the local paper and certainly she knows that a number of the clues are ones that he has created. But is he trying to kill her?

Amanda has other problems too - she is an alcoholic, she has been responsible for a child's death, she seems to be emotionally unstable. All of which makes for a good read.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.7. THE GIRL IN SEAT 2A
• 4.6, YOU ARE MINE
• 4.5, 4 RIVERSIDE CLOSE

Review: PHEASANTS NEST, Louise Milligan

• 
  this large print edition provided by my local library
• published by Allen & Unwin 2024
• ISBN 978-1-03876-825-4
  
• 317 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

She wonders if they have discovered her missing yet. Has it broken in the news? Who has been assigned to cover her story? Have they started spooling through her social media and pulling out photographs? Constructing a narrative about who she is and what possible reason any person has to kidnap or (let's be frank) kill her? She tries not to let out the whimper that's building in her sternum, at the thought that he might. Kill her, that is. He might kill her.

Kate Delaney has made the biggest mistake of her life. She picked the wrong guy to humiliate on a girls' night out and now she is living every woman's worst nightmare. Kate finds herself brutalised, bound and gagged in the back of a car being driven god knows where by a man whose name she doesn't know, and she is petrified about what's in store for her.

As a journalist who is haunted by the crimes she's had to report over her career, Kate is terrifyingly familiar with the statistics about women who go missing—and the fear and trauma behind the headlines. She knows only too well how those stories usually end.

Kate can only hope the police will find her before it's too late, but she's aware a random crime is hardest to solve. As the clock ticks down, she tries to keep herself sane by thinking about her beloved boyfriend and friends, escaping into memories of love and happy times together. She knows she cannot give way to despair.

As the suspense escalates, Kate's boyfriend Liam is left behind, struggling with his shock, fear and desperation as the police establish a major investigation. The detectives face their own feelings of anguish and futility as they reflect on the cases they didn't solve in time and the victims they couldn't save. They know Kate's chances of survival diminish with every passing hour.

Acclaimed and award-winning writer and journalist Louise Milligan has written a stunning and surprising thriller with a gigantic heart: a gripping, propulsive and brilliantly original debut. 

My Take

Kate Delaney is snatched on her way home from a night out with the girls. At first no-one knows that she has been taken, and then where she is and who she is with: essential clues for solving an abduction.

So tension builds for we the readers know what has happened to her and the question is whether she will be found in time. Where is his abductor taking her, and how will he resolve this situation? Meanwhile her boyfriend, and then the police are looking for her. How much time will they waste in following false leads, before they get to what needs to be done?.

I had some of the puzzle solved by over half way through,and had in mind who would be instrumental in solving the puzzle. Even so, there was some doubt about whether Kate's rescue would come in time.

For my liking the blurb on the back of this book told the reader a little too much of the story.

My rating: 4.4

About the author

Louise Milligan is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist for ABC TV's Four Corners, the Australian national broadcaster's flagship current affairs documentary program. She is the author of two bestselling non-fiction books: Cardinal, The Rise and Fall of George Pell and Witness, An Investigation into the Brutal Cost of Seeking Justice. Her books have been awarded multiple prizes, including the Walkley Book Award, the Davitt Awards Best Non-Fiction Crime Book, the Melbourne Prize for Literature People's Choice Award, the Victorian Premier's Literary Award's People's Choice prize, the Sir Owen Dixon Chambers Law Reporter of the Year Award, a Press Freedom Medal and a shortlisting for the Stella Prize. Louise's journalism, particularly her coverage of historical institutional child abuse and the experience of women in the criminal justice system and parliament, has broken national and international news, sparked government inquiries and led to profound cultural change and law reform. She started her career in newspapers and is a former High Court correspondent and political reporter. Born in Ireland to an Irish mother and Scottish father, Louise moved to Australia as a child. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children. Pheasants Nest is Louise's first novel.

Review: 4 RIVERSIDE CLOSE, Diana Wilkinson

• 
  this edition provided by my local library
  
• published 2020 by Bloodhound Books
• ISBN 978-1-913419-43-1
• 304 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

A seemingly innocent social network draws residents of a North London cul-de-sac into a web of manipulation and murder in this psychological thriller.

How well do you know your neighbors? . . .

From the outside, Caroline and Jason Swinton have an idyllic life. But when the cracks start to appear, the residents of Riverside Close are drawn into a dangerous game.

When Jason’s body is discovered in a house on the Close, everyone becomes a suspect. Could his lovely wife be responsible for his murder? Or do the neighbors have a motive for wanting him dead?

As the secret lives of those living on the Close are gradually revealed, it becomes clear that someone is hiding something they will stop at nothing to protect . . .

My Take

This is the third novel I've read by this author whom I discovered a few weeks ago, and I guess you could say I'm hooked.

There are only 4 houses in Riverside Close and No. 4 is up for sale. Most of the characters come from the close but there is one couple Caroline and Jason, the founders of Join Me?, who live nearby. On the surface Join Me? is an innocent idea, offering activities particularly for bored housewives or people who have plenty of time on their hands, but also, plenty of money. But Caroline and Jason's intentions are not so innocent.

Very good read.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.7. THE GIRL IN SEAT 2A
• 4.6, YOU ARE MINE
  

Review: YOU ARE MINE, Diana Wilkinson

• 
  this edition made available by my local library
  
• This edition published by Boldwood 2023
  first published 2020
• ISBN 978-1-80549-788-2
• large print edition, 491 pages 

Synopsis (Fantastic Fiction)

How far would you go to stop the love of your life from slipping away?
Jealousy can be a killer…

Ten years after her boyfriend Mitch’s mysterious disappearance, Rebecca finally learns the truth about what happened.  When he returns a happy ending appears within their grasp but there is no escape from the past. And Arthur, Rebecca’s friend who has formed an unhealthy obsession with her, has no intention of letting her go.

When Arthur realises that Mitch is the only person standing in the way of his happiness, his thoughts turn to murder…

When love and obsession collide, the results are deadly.

 My Take

Three time-frames, half a dozen narrators: the reader certainly needs to keep their wits about them with this novel, to keep track of the plot threads.

The author often uses two narrators to describe what has happened, to give their versions of the action, but one after the other. But there is a sort of time slippage, just to keep you on your toes. Sometimes the windows of time are not exactly the same.

And, in the beginning, not all of the characters actually know each other, although perhaps they know they exist. It's almost like a Venn diagram with intriguing mysteries thrown in.

The Prologue describes a rather bloody murder, but we need to wait until almost the end to know who has killed who.

Cleverly structured, and yet quite plausible.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7. THE GIRL IN SEAT 2A

Review: SEVEN SISTERS, Katherine Kovacic

• 
   this edition published by Harper Collins Publishers 2023
  
• ISBN 978-1-4607-6188-5
• 310 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

SHORTLISTED FOR BEST CRIME FICTION IN THE 2023 NED KELLY AWARDS

Men get away with murder all the time. Now it's our turn ...

Naomi started grief counselling prepared to run for cover as soon as her therapist, Mia, pulled out a crystal or tried to align her chakras.

When Mia suggests that she join a support group, Naomi is sceptical: how could she begin to describe what it felt like to lose her sister, Jo? How could she possibly share her loss and rage to a room full of people? How could she express her helplessness that Jo's killer walks free on a suspended sentence?

And how could she share her deepest desire to see Jo's killer dead by her hand?

In the group sessions, Naomi finds that her experiences and her anger are shared between the other members: Gabrielle, Brooke, Katy, Olivia and Amy. Under the enigmatic leadership of Mia, a plan begins to take shape.

I'll kill yours if you kill mine ...

My Take

Based on a scenario developed by Patricia Highsmith and Alfred Hitchcock in Strangers On a Train. 

The setting is New South Wales.

This plot will have you watching to see how the threads develop. You'll think about how Mia has put this therapy group together, and assessing what its success depends on. For each of the 6 women in this group, as well as Mia the therapist, have something in common - grief they haven't been able to get over. 

Each of the characters is well drawn. Are there any weak links? Will they all be able to carry through their part?

Once you've finished reading, there are some reading questions provided on the final pages.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE PORTRAIT OF MOLLY DEAN - #1
4.6, PAINTING IN THE SHADOWS - #2 
4.5, THE SHIFTING LANDSCAPE - #3 

Review: WE SOLVE MURDERS, Richard Osman

• 
   this edition published by Penguin Viking 2024
  
• ISBN 978-0-241-60837-1
• 444 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Combining the heart and humour of The Thursday Murder Club with a puzzling international mystery, welcome to the blockbusting new series from the biggest new fiction author of the decade, Richard Osman.

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job . . .

Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy? 

My Take

I wasn't prepared for the complexity of this plot. There is a lot to get your head around, and a lot of new characters to become familiar with. There are glimmerings of humour but not too many outright belly laughs, although some develop by the end. The quirkiness that was a feature of the previous series is there - scenarios that you feel could only come from Richard Osman's brain.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.5, THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB  
• 4.3, THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE 
• 4.6, THE BULLET THAT MISSED
• 4.8, THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE

Review: THE LEDGE, Christian White

• 
  this edition published in 2024 by Affirm Press
• ISBN 9-781923-0226829
  
• 325 pages 

Synopsis (publisher)

When human remains are discovered in a forest, police are baffled, the locals are shocked and one group of old friends starts to panic. Their long-held secret is about to be uncovered.

It all began in 1999 when sixteen-year-old Aaron ran away from home, drawing his friends into an unforeseeable chain of events that no one escaped from unscathed.

In The Ledge, past and present run breathlessly parallel, leading to a climax that will change everything you thought you knew. This is a mind-bending new novel from the master of the unexpected. 

My Take

The blurb is right - this novel is mind-bending. Just as you thought you had it all worked out, there  is another solution. As you protest but... but .... but, you concede it is all there in plain sight.  

This is his best novel yet.

At the end, think about the discussion questions provided after the novel finishes.

My rating: 5.0

I've also read

• 4.4, THE NOWHERE CHILD
• 4.5, THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW 
• 4.6, WILD PLACE
• 4.9, THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW