Review: ENTRY ISLAND, Peter May

• 
  this edition provided by my local library
  
• Published by Quercus UK 2014
• ISBN 978-1-78206-221-9
• 534 pages

Synopsis (Publisher)

A detective is haunted by the feeling he knows his murder suspect – despite the fact they have never met.

IF YOU FLEE FATE…

When Detective Sime Mackenzie is sent from Montreal to investigate a murder on the remote Entry Island, 850 miles from the Canadian mainland, he leaves behind him a life of sleeplessness and regret.

FATE WILL FIND YOU…

But what had initially seemed an open-and-shut case takes on a disturbing dimension when he meets the prime suspect, the victim’s wife, and is convinced that he knows her – even though they have never met.

And when his insomnia becomes punctuated by dreams of a distant Scottish past in another century, this murder in the Gulf of St. Lawrence leads him down a path he could never have foreseen, forcing him to face a conflict between his professional duty and his personal destiny. 

My Take

Sime  Mackenzie probably should have been given leave rather than assigned to this case. Insomnia combined with his marriage breakdown and then the fact that his wife is the CSI for the case should have been enough to excuse him. But he is chosen because he speaks English as do the inhabitants of Entry Island.

When he meets the wife of the dead man he is convinced he has met her before. He also wears a signet ring that she recognises. It turns out that there is a perfectly rational explanation, but I get ahead of myself. When the rest of the team become convinced of Kirsty's guilt, because all the evidence Sime accumulates points to her, Sime feels they are wrong.

Meanwhile the author takes the opportunity to go back to the Highland Clearances to prove to us that history can repeat itself.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• THE RUNNER
• VIRTUALLY DEAD
• FREEZE FRAME
• 4.7, THE BLACKHOUSE
• 5.0, THE LEWIS MAN
• 4.5, EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE
• 5.0, ENTRY ISLAND
• 4.9, COFFIN ROAD
• 4.8, LOCKDOWN

Review: MURDER IN TUSCANY, T.A. Williams

• 
  This edition published in 2022 published by Boldwood Books
• ISBN 978-1-80483-218-9
  
• 410 PAGES (large print)
• made available by my local library

Synopsis (publisher) 

A brand new cozy crime series set in gorgeous Tuscany…It’s murder in paradise!

A remote retreat…

Nestled high in the Tuscan hills lies Villa Volpone, home to renowned crime writer Jonah Moore and his creative writing course. It’s also the last place retired DCI Dan Armstrong expected to spend his retirement! Dan’s no writer, but maybe this break will help him to think about the next chapter in his own life story?

A gruesome murder…

But only days into the course, Jonah Moore is found stabbed to death with his award-winning silver dagger! And Dan finds himself pulled out of retirement with a killer to catch.

Eleven possible suspects.

The other guests all seem shocked by Jonah’s death, but Dan knows that one of them must be lying. And as he and Italian Commissario Virgilio Pisano begin to investigate it quickly becomes clear that everyone at Villa Volpone has secrets to hide…

But can Dan discover who the murderer is before they strike again?

A gripping new murder mystery series by bestselling author T.A. Williams, perfect for fans of Lee Strauss and Beth Byers.

My Take

Recently retired London DCI Dan Armstrong was given a two week creative writing course as a retirement present by his former colleagues. The focus of the course is a surprise to him, and several times he has thought of not attending. But the location in Tuscany is a drawcard.

The fact that the writer who has initiated the course is found dead after a couple days, stabbed to the heart in his dining room while Dan is visiting the police in Florence becomes an added bonus.

The case ends up changing the direction of Dan's life.

An enjoyable cozy read.

My rating: 4.3

About the author
T A Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and is now turning his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series will introduce us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, will be published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

Review: SCRUBLANDS, Chris Hammer

• 
  This novel read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079Z1VHZL
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Allen & Unwin (1 April 2019)
• 384 pages
• #1 in Martin Scarsden series
  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Winner of the 2019 CWA Dagger New Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel

In an isolated country town brought to its knees by endless drought, a charismatic and dedicated young priest calmly opens fire on his congregation, killing five parishioners before being shot dead himself.

A year later, troubled journalist Martin Scarsden arrives in Riversend to write a feature on the anniversary of the tragedy. But the stories he hears from the locals about the priest and incidents leading up to the shooting don't fit with the accepted version of events his own newspaper reported in an award-winning investigation. Martin can't ignore his doubts, nor the urgings of some locals to unearth the real reason behind the priest's deadly rampage.

Just as Martin believes he is making headway, a shocking new development rocks the town, which becomes the biggest story in Australia. The media descends on Riversend and Martin is now the one in the spotlight. His reasons for investigating the shooting have suddenly become very personal.

Wrestling with his own demons, Martin finds himself risking everything to discover a truth that becomes darker and more complex with every twist. But there are powerful forces determined to stop him, and he has no idea how far they will go to make sure the town's secrets stay buried. 

Hammer published his debut novel Scrublands in August 2018. It shot straight to number one for four weeks and stayed on the bestseller lists for months. It has sold in excess of 80,000 copies.

Earning outstanding reviews in Australia and overseas, Scrublands—set in a dry, dusty outback town—has established Hammer’s place among an elite handful of Australian thriller writers, who have made ‘Aussie noir’ a publishing success here and internationally.

My Take

My earlier review: 4.7, SCRUBLANDS

I am re-reading this novel over 4 years after I originally read it in order to lead a discussion in my monthly U3A Crime Fiction group.

So what I have done is compose a list of discussion points based around the complex and interlaced plot lines we see in the novel.

1.  Martin Scarsden's career - what has happened to him in the past? (in the trunk of a car for 3 days). As a result he thinks his career as a journalist may be at an end.
   He recognises that instead of reporting events without involvement, he has become part of them. In what ways is this true?
2. Martin is sent to Riversend by his editor at Fairfax Press to write a piece about how the town has recovered from what happened there nearly a year ago. How/why does he get side-tracked?
3. The unsolved mystery - why did Byron Swift shoot 5 people outside the church, and then force the constable Robbie Haus-Jones into shooting him?
   - Byron Swift's background
   - the involvement of ASIO - money being sent out of the country to Dubai attracts attention (they don't realise where it is going, think maybe it is going to Jehadists) What is the thread here?
   
4. Harley Snouch - Mandy Blonde's story - did the rape happen?
5. Why did Mandy's mother tell her to put her affairs in order by the time she was 30?
6. The disappearance of the two female German backpackers a year before.
   The story took a backseat when the church massacre happened.
7. Codger Harris, ex bank manager. Why he has become a recluse.
8. Where is Harley Snouch getting the money to renovate Springfields?
9. The wealth coming into the town. Accepted by people as money that the priest is contributing. They don't want to know how it is being generated.
10. The bikies riding through the town. Who are they?
11. What happens at Scrublands? Shooting. Drug factory.
12. The role of fire - what is burnt?
13. Martin's relationship with Mandy.
14. Did you take any notice of the chapter titles? Are they significant?
15. The role of the drought - the heat - what is the significance of coming of the rain?
16.  The profile of the town. How would you sum it up?
17. The suicide of Herb Walker, the sergeant at Bellington.
18. The cutthroat nature of the media. The media feeding frenzy. Why is Martin dismissed by Fairfax?
19. The car crash of the two boys. The death of Allen Newkirk. Why is he a significant character?
20. How satisfied were you with the final explanation? Did everything come together for you? Why did Byron Swift crack? Whose fault was it?
21. Where there any factors/events in the novel that struck you that have not been covered in the pointers above? e.g. the connections between Byron Swift and Avery Foster (ex SAS) and the veteran living in Scrublands.
22. Riversend was once more prosperous than it is now. What signs are there of this prosperity? What blows has it been dealt? (effects of location, drought, changes in technology)
23. What does Chris Hammer do particularly well?
    

From Ten Questions to Chris Hammer

There was a lot going on in Scrublands, with several crimes and interwoven plot-lines.

The drought-ravaged setting played a large part in Scrublands. 

Reading Group Questions

From Together We Read discussion group

• Despite being set in a fictional town, Scrublands has a strong sense of place. What elements does Chris Hammer include to achieve this?
• What assumptions at the beginning of the novel did you think could not be true? Did any of the twists and turns surprise you?
• What did you think of the ending of the book? Were all your questions answered? 

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

• 4.7, SCRUBLANDS
• 4.4, SILVER
• 4.6, TREASURE & DIRT 
• 4.8, THE TILT 

Review: THE YOUNGER WIFE, Sally Hepworth

• 
  This edition made available by my local library as an e-book on Libby
  
• Published: 26th October 2021
• ISBN: 9781760784980
• Length: 336 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

The moment she laid eyes on Heather Wisher, Tully knew this woman was going to destroy their lives.

Tully and Rachel are murderous when they discover their father has a new girlfriend. The fact that Heather is half his age isn't even the most shocking part. Stephen is still married to their mother, who is in a care facility with end-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Heather knows she has an uphill battle to win Tully and Rachel over, while carrying the burden of the secrets of her past. But, as it turns out, they are all hiding something.

The announcement of Stephen and Heather's engagement threatens to set off a family implosion, with old wounds and dark secrets finally being forced to the surface.

A garage full of stolen goods. An old hot-water bottle, stuffed with cash. A blood-soaked wedding. And that's only the beginning . . . 

My Take

Every one in this family has secrets: in the case of the younger women, even the new fiance, burdens they have carried for years. And why does the wife with dementia, Pam, keep saying her husband is a terrible person?

This is a book that just gets you in. You want to know more. Everything surfaces under the stress of the impending divorce, engagement and marriage. 

Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

4.5, THE MOTHER IN LAW

Review: THE LIFELINE, Margaret Mayhew

• 
  This edition supplied as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08NWBZ7XY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joffe Books crime fiction and cozy mysteries (November 18, 2020)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 185 pages
• #6 in the Village Mystery series 

Synopsis (Amazon)

A CHILLING DISCOVERY IS MADE IN ONE OF THE MANOR'S GREENHOUSES

When a chilling discovery is made in one of the manor’s greenhouses, the Frog End villagers rely on the Colonel to reluctantly solve another baffling mystery.
Major Cuthbertson stumbles across a body among the fragrant tomato plants. A bloody spade lies next to the face-down victim.

Ruth Harvey has taken over the manor in Frog End, where she runs a successful plant-selling business and provides gardening therapy for some of her husband Dr Tom

Harvey's troubled patients. They include embittered Lawrence Deacon, lonely Joyce Reed, widowed Tanya Carberry and wheelchair-bound Johnny Turner, the young victim of a horrific motorbike crash.

Gardening at the manor quickly becomes a much-needed lifeline for the group, and all seems to be going well – until the major stumbles across a body among the tomato plants in one of the greenhouses. Once again, the manor is the scene of a brutal murder – and, once again, the Colonel reluctantly finds himself drawn into solving the mystery.

DISCOVER A BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN PICTURE OF ENGLAND WITH A WICKED MURDERER FOR THE COLONEL TO WEED OUT

Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, Agatha Christie and Stella Cameron.

My Take:

I have inadvertently read #6 in this series instead of #5 which I will get to later.

The main characters of the series have been well established in earlier books, but, unfortunately, instead of assuming we've all read the earlier titles, the author has resorted to the "potted plots" technique and given readers a short summary of what has gone before. The result is, to be quite honest, a bit tedious. I estimate that as much as 40% of this book is taken up with re-telling what we already knew. Disappointing, although there are a couple of issues for discussion that come out of the main plot.

This is the last book in the series, in fact, the last book the author has written, and I have enjoyed the series. The Colonel (we never do find out his surname, do we?) is a well drawn character, who inadvertently becomes involved in the solving of local murders. His relationships with other members of the village of Frog End provide interest and depth to the book without becoming too personal.

In the main the books are each a quick and satisfying read.

My rating: 4.3 

I've also read

• 4.2, DRY BONES - Village Mysteries #3
  
• 4.4, OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE - - Village Mysteries #1 
• 4.4, THREE SILENT THINGS - Village Mysteries #2 
• 4.3, DRY BONES - Village Mysteries #3
• 4.3, THE SEVENTH LINK- Village Mysteries #4

VILLAGE MYSTERIES SERIES
Book 1: OLD SOLDIERS NEVER DIE
Book 2: THREE SILENT THINGS
Book 3: DRY BONES
Book 4: THE SEVENTH LINK
Book 5: BITTER POISON
Book 6: THE LIFELINE

Review: THE ONLY SUSPECT, Louise Candlish

• 
  This book made available as an e-book by my local library on Libby
  
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (March 8, 2023)
• Length: 432 pages
• ISBN 13: 9781398509801

Synopsis (publisher) 

Wrong time. Wrong place. Wrong man.

Alex lives a comfortable life with his wife Beth in the leafy suburb of Silver Vale. Fine, so he’s not the most sociable guy on the street, he prefers to keep himself to himself, but he’s a good husband and an easy-going neighbour.

That’s until Beth announces the creation of a nature trail on a local site that’s been disused for decades and suddenly Alex is a changed man. Now he’s always watching. Questioning. Struggling to hide his dread . . .

As the landscapers get to work, a secret threatens to surface from years ago, back in Alex’s twenties when he got entangled with a seductive young woman called Marina, who threw both their lives into turmoil.

And who sparked a police hunt for a murder suspect that was never quite what it seemed. It still isn’t.

No one else could have done it. Could they?

My take

Not even Alex's wife Beth knows who Alex really is, and what he has done. In fact, as a reader, you will make assumptions about who Alex is, and you won't always be right. For this plot has many twists and many red herrings.

Things get worse when Beth invites a pregnant friend to live with them. This arrangement turns out to be far more permanent than temporary and Zara has her suspicions about Alex. 

And then, for a surprise birthday present, Beth sends Alex's DNA off for testing, ostensibly to give him details about his origins, but actually prompting a nasty surprise.

This is one of those books where you won't see the eventual results coming.

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

5.0, THE OTHER PASSENGER
4.7, OUR HOUSE

Review: JUDGEMENT DAY, Mali Waugh

• 
  This edition available as an e-book from Amazon on Kindle
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BN9TW1SY
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Macmillan Australia (February 28, 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 312 pages 

Synopsis (Amazon) 

Family law judge Kaye Bailey is found murdered in her chambers. Is this the work of a disgruntled complainant? Or an inside job by a jealous colleague? Or is there something even more insidious at the heart of this brutal act?

Detective Jillian Basset is just back from maternity leave, struggling with new motherhood as she tackles the biggest case of her career. As her work and home lives get messier and messier, though, something's going to give.

Exploring the murky underworld of the justice system and setting a cracking pace, Judgement Day is a gripping thriller from a fresh and compelling new Australian voice.

My Take

Here is a new Australian author to watch.

An Australian family law judge is murdered just hours after her colleagues are told that she will be the next Chief Justice of the Family Law Court. There is no lack of suspects, because Kaye Bailey was extremely outspoken.

It becomes her first case after maternity leave for Detective Jill Bassett. Jill thinks she will be happier returning to work, as she is certainly deeply uncomfortable with motherhood. She buries herself in the case, troubled by her relationship with the Acting Detective who has filled her shoes for the last six months. She would prefer to be working on her own, but things improve on the working front, at the same time as things at home go into a downward spiral.

This novel had me totally hooked.

My rating: 4.7

Author Information
Mali Waugh has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monash University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne. She has previously worked in a library and a chocolate shop, and now works as a lawyer. This is her first novel.