Promise by Tony Cavanaugh

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Genre - Mystery, Australian fiction

As critiqued by Graeme Blundell - not for the faint-hearted.  Not a pretty ending, but as an Australian the book makes you plough through in light of knowing our countryside and its areas. A very good crime story, complex and quite a shocker as to what is involved with these types of killers.

The storyline is written around Noosa and Trewantin in the Sunshine Coast of Queensland.  Darian Richards, after sixteen years as the head of Victoria’s Homicide Squad, has had enough and retired to Noosa hoping this would drive away his nightmares of homicide cases he endured.

A deranged serial killer is stalking the Sunshine Coast and young girls have vanished, all blonde and pretty.  The killer knows how to stay under the radar, how to hide in plain sight and how to hurt and kill.  Darian gets involved during his own personal time to try and catch the killer.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville

Tunnel Vision by Sara Paretsky

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Genre - Mystery

Vic Warshawski  is a private investigator who is always struggling to make ends meet. She is also an advocate for the homeless, particularly women and children whom she has a great empathy with.  The story is a bit of a slow start, when she finds a destitute family in her basement.  However, the storyline gets very involved and whilst only 1 party is murdered, Vic finds herself in plenty of hot water from the police force, government hierarchy and the not so nice people out to end her demise.

A good read, and one that eventually you can’t put down.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

A Distant Land by Alison Booth

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Genre - Australian fiction

Alison Booth born in Melbourne and grew up in Sydney and spent 2 decades in the UK and returned to Melbourne.  She is also a Professor of Economics at the Australian National University.

9 year old Zidra Vincent met Jim Cadwallader in their beautiful home town of Jingera. Jim ended up as a respected war correspondent in Cambodia and Zidra a reporter at the Sydney Morning Herald.  Jim is exposed and captured by the Viet Cong and his family are advised of him being shot.  Zidra who has always wanted to end up with Jim is absolutely devastated.

In the meantime Zidra is embroiled in protecting her very good friend who is fighting for the rights of the aboriginals in Australia, and is being followed by a Government sleuth who pressurizes her to spy, for the sake of her family.  Zidra, learns more about what is happening with her friend Daisy and gives her a tape to record any meetings that are held with this fictitious named-sleuth. This ends up with Zidra’s writing a front-page explosive article on politics and government wrong-doing for which she is widely congratulated.

A very good fictional read and most believable considering Australia’s participation in the Vietnam War at the expense of freedom.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

Die Easy by Zoe Sharp

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Genre - Suspense Fiction

Once a special forces soldier and now turned bodyguard, Charlie Fox whose personal life is in turmoil with her lover, Sean Meyer. Charlie and Sean are working as bodyguards for the wealthy at a fund-raising event in aid of the ravaged are of New Orleans from cyclone Katrina.  A robbery explodes into a vicious and deadly hostage situation on a Paddle Steamer owned by the wealthy, and both Charlie and Sean find their clients in dire circumstances fighting for all their lives.

A good thriller with unexpected twists to keep you in suspense.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

Suspect by Robert Crais

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Genre - Suspense, Thriller

Maggie is a german shepherd trained to detect IUD’s etc in Afghanistan with her handler Peter, who gets involved in an ambush.  Peter is killed and Maggie stays with him with snipers shooting at her.  They manage to get the dog on the helicopter for treatment.

Scott an LAPD cop is not doing too well after being shot during a hijacking where his partner was killed and himself nearly losing his life.  After recovery, but not completely, Scott wants to still work in the Police force and his only option is to be part of  the infamous LAPD K9 regiment.  This is where Maggie finally ends up with problems associated with sudden noises and no confidence.  Scott wins Maggie over and is after the 4 gunmen who killed his partner and nearly himself. Once again Maggie puts herself on the line for Scott.

You have a certain empathy with the dog and its handlers and can’t help but being over-awed at their capability.  Excellent storyline and a book for the home library.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French

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Genre - Psychological Suspense, Thriller

At first, this is slow reading and makes you wonder where the story will take you, but in keeping along the lines of a Psychotherapist, as a reader it is necessary to persevere to appreciate the depth of the story line.

Psychotherapist Frieda Klein assists the police when they discover a body found in the flat of Michelle Doyce who has a mental disorder.  Straight away the police think it a ‘slam dunk’ into the death of the body.  Not the case.  Frieda uncovers a possible identity as that of the body being Robert Poole.  However, we find out that Poole has been dead from 6 years.

In reading Frieda’s lifestyle, her work, patients, friends and police colleagues who are very involved into her way of living within her expectations.  Frieda is unable to discover the real truth, and more bodies are found supposedly suicide cases. Just when you think all is sorted out, a final twist leaves you in suspense.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

The Catch by Tom Bale

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Genre - Thriller

Two friends Robbie and Dan are thrown into disarray after a simple favour turns into tragedy.  Robbie, who works for his mother’s company Compton Property Services likes to deal behind his mother’s back if it means a bit of cash on the side.  He asks his good friend Dan to accompany him to the local pub and arrange for his sister Cate to hand over an envelope to his client O’Brien who has been indirectly blackmailing another party.

All things turn sour, O’Brien gets hit accidentally by Robbie and Dan who try to cover it up and not admit it was them.  A third party (Blakes) come into the scheme wanting crucial information O’Brien has that would make them very wealthy.  However, nothing stops them from arranging the demise of people who get in the way, and Cate ends up at the wrong end of the scheme.

A very good read and the final outcome is a bit of a surprise, as it does not leave you completely at rest with the result.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

Shiver by Karen Robards

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Genre - Romance, Suspense


Samantha Jones is a young mother earning a living driving a tow truck and picking up repossessions in one of the seediest parts of town. She is picking up a new BMW and finds someone in the boot who has been shot and beaten. This person is Danny Panterro under the alias Marcos, who is working undercover for the FBI and found himself near death’s door until Samantha collected his car.


They are running for their lives from a drug running mob who want to kill Danny and anyone who stands in his way. They escape with Samantha’s son Tyler and are put into protective custody. Is this all? They are found out and once again on the run.

A good read with the mob style cruelty in the mix.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat