Review: MISTAKE CREEK, Rachel Amphlett

• 
  this edition a library book(large print) from my local library
  
• Saxon Publishing 2015
• ISBN 978-0-6483664-1-6
• 376 pages
• Author website 

Synopsis (author website)

One road out. Six strangers. And a killer who hasn’t finished yet.

Nina O'Brien returns to the remote Mistake Creek Truck Stop to settle her father’s affairs and sell the crumbling remains of her childhood home. She doesn't expect to be fighting for her life.

As a savage, drought-breaking storm lashes the Central Valley, triggering flash floods and landslides, Nina and a small group of travellers barricade themselves inside the truck stop’s walls, cut off from the rest of the world.

The phone lines are dead, the power is out, and the only road to safety is submerged.

The fragile sanctuary shatters when a bloodied, incoherent stranger collapses across the threshold. He brings more than just his injuries – he carries a chilling warning.

Don't trust anyone.

After the discovery of a murdered traveller and trapped with strangers who all have something to hide, Nina realises that the most dangerous element isn’t the storm – it could be the person standing right next to her.

On a night defined by suspicion and betrayal, Nina must outmanoeuvre a killer who is just getting started…

Street‑sharp crime thriller with pressure that never lets up and knife‑clean turns. Ideal for readers who want page‑turning suspense with a strong sense of place. Perfect for fans of Jack Gatland, Andrew Turpin and Jack Slater. 

My Take

Set in California, this story is a fast paced thriller, focussed on a plot to release a poison into the air breathed by citizens of a city, by disgruntled ex-soldiers. The execution of the plot takes place during a storm which brings flooding and the collapse of communications. FBI agents have infiltrated a cell of dissidents.

I see that the author has dual American and Australian citizenship and thought there were many Australian overtones in the writing (although there were no direct references to Australia). Very readable.

My rating: 4.6

About the author Author website 

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.

USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett has published over 40 titles featuring detectives, vigilantes and assassins. Her fast paced, gripping reads have readers hooked from page one, and are available from major retailers and libraries worldwide.

Rachel’s stories are available in eBook, print and audiobook formats from libraries and retailers as well as her own shop on this website.

A keen traveller and accidental private investigator, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship. 

Review: THE PREDICAMENT, William Boyd

• 
  This edition made available as an e-book through my local library on Libby
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin (General UK), Publication date ‏ : ‎ 14 July 2026
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1405978414
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1405978415 
• Gabriel Dax #2 (in trilogy)

Synopsis (publisher)

Gabriel Dax returns in this elegant, twisting mystery of espionage and obsession and takes the reader deep into one of history's most infamous assassinations.

Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. Dax is sent to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA.

As political turmoil erupts, Gabriel's reluctant involvement deepens. His escape plan leads him to West Berlin, where he uncovers a chilling realisation - there is a plot to assassinate magnetic young President John F. Kennedy. In a race against time, Gabriel must navigate deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes have never been higher.

The Predicament, the second novel in the bestselling espionage trilogy starring Gabriel Dax, William Boyd weaves a masterful tale of suspense, loyalty, love and the dark temptations of spy craft.

My Take

Espionage is not really my "thing" but experience has shown me that William Boyd tells a good tale and this one deals with an era I have lived through and refers to events that I have known about.

A good tale, with excellent characterisation. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.7, GABRIEL'S MOON - #1

4.6, RESTLESS 

Review: WHITE NOISE, Mercedes Mercier

• 
   This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MZRBGGS
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 June 2022
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1460714652 

Synopsis (AmazonAU) 

Someone knows your secrets. Someone knows your shame. And they won't stay buried for long.

A searing, dark and dangerous thriller from an exciting new voice

When prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming is assigned charismatic inmate Justin Jones to assess for parole, alarm bells ring. Working with some of the state's most damaged criminals, she knows Jones is too dangerous to release, but he's got everyone fooled . . . She needs proof.

Laura knows all about damage. Her own painful mistakes have destroyed her marriage and she's been refused access to her daughter. Step by agonising step, she's rebuilding her life and her relationships, but it's a hard road. What does she have to do to prove she can be trusted?

Laura's not taking any chances with Jones, and as she races to find evidence before his parole hearing, she digs deep into his life - and is shocked by what she finds.

But as she edges closer to the truth, Laura falls victim to a series of increasingly personal attacks, and secrets from her past threaten to unhinge everything she holds dear - her job, her family . . . even her sanity.

Sometimes redemption is out of reach. But revenge will do just fine.

My Take

 Prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming is meant to be doing the final sign off on the release on inmate Justin Jones but to her mind he is too anxious to be released by a particular date. Laura cannot be sure that he will not re-offend but she can't put her finger on the exact reason. She is going against the recommendation of the colleague from whom she has received the case, as well as against her boss.

But she is sure there is something... 

An interesting look inside how the prison parole system works, as well as being a satisfyingly complex story.  

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, BLACK LIES 

Review: PERIL AT END HOUSE, Agatha Christie

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• Originally published 1932
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0046RE5C2, re-published 14 Oct 2010 by Harper Collins
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 254 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007422692
• Hercule Poirot #8 

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Nick Buckley was an unusual name for a pretty young woman. But then she had led an unusual life. First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches. Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed.

Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick’s sun hat, Hercule Poirot decides the girl needs his protection. At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn’t been committed. Yet.

My Take

Here is another one full of twists and turns, red herrings and misdirection.  It looks as if Nick Buckley's life is under threat and, although he has retired, Hercule Poirot feels he must protect her. It seems that the threats must be being carried out by someone close to her, perhaps a member of her household. However Poirot makes a mistake and a murder happens, but the truth is unexpected.

I have read this several times before. This time for discussion with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading group. 

My rating: 4.5

Previous reviews

1932, PERIL AT END HOUSE

All my Agatha Christie novels