Choked by Tania Carver

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Genre - Thriller

Marina Esposito is a criminologist who escapes her house fire with her husband, who is found seriously injured. However, their 3 year old daughter is missing, and Marina herself was helped out of the house but blacked out with the explosion.


Due to these suspicious circumstances, Marina believes her missing daughter and own rescue from the fire may be due to someone has her in mind to use her skills by way of kidnapping her daughter. Good read and plenty of drama.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville

Taking Eve by Iris Johansen

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Genre - Thriller

A must read before her next book published HUNTING EVE, available for sale July 16, 2013. Eve Duncan, a forensic sculptor whose task is to bring closure to families by recreating faces to unidentified bodies, mainly children. Her 7 year old daughter was taken and murdered, and whilst Eve has moved on she has not forgotten Bonnie as she begins her journey into peace.

However, this is not the case. Eve is captured and has to recreate a face of a father’s son who was shot, and whom Eve thinks the head as being a very evil force. She exposes a dark past of the son and is reluctant to recreate the likeness, but is under dire threat and kept prisoner by the father. Just as you think she may be able to escape, you are left in the lurch to wait for the next book HUNTING EVE.

Good thriller and keeps you on your toes.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

Bloodline by James Rollins

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Genre - Thriller

History goes back to 1025 in Galilee concerning an ancient citadel where a Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure long hidden within the fortress’s labyrinth. The Bachal Isu, the presumed staff of Jesus Christ is a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change human longevity for ever.

This ‘new’ technology affects the modern-day version of DNA making it even more priceless. A government appointed agency, SIGMA, end up being in a race against time to save the President’s first unborn grandchild, with his daughter Amanda and her husband’s unscheduled cruise to get away. Overpowered by other professional forces at sea, Amanda’s husband was killed and her own life and that of her baby boy at stake.

A race against time, the elements and that of evil seeping through all pores of the opposition. Great reading.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo

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Genre - Thriller


A frantic call in the middle of a dark, cold and wet winter’s night is placed to the Chief of Police, Kate Burkholder by one of the Amish community. The Amish community keep to themselves, but lately have been persecuted with events they turn a blind eye to, because of their religion and lifestyle.


Kate finds the parents of 3 children dead in a hog pit, which is in the barn and unless fresh air is around, the pit emanates lethal gases that kill in a short period of time. Is this the reason why they died or is it something more sinister involving the Amish or outsiders?


Very good read and insight to the Amish lifestyle at the same time.


---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara Henry

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Genre - General Fiction

Freelance writer Troy Chance is snapping photos during a Winter Carnival in a little Adirondack mountain town. She discovers whilst snapping photos during an ice-cutting machine exercise on the Saranac Lake, a face under the ice is discovered and recognised as Tobin whom everyone thought just left the township.

The face belonged to a very wealthy son of a family whose parents did not have great feelings for, and Tobin’s sister Win arrives in the township to oversee the situation. All is not what is seems and a merry dance is led until the final discovery as to why Tobin died in such circumstances. Is his family to blame, or was it his girlfriend who resides in the same boarding house as Troy and has some pretty dark secrets?

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

The Vanishing Point by Val McDermid

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Genre -Thriller

Stephanie Harker in charge of five year old Jimmy is travelling through O’Hare airport security, and whilst undergoing security herself, finds a uniformed agent leading her boy away.

The authorities are unaware of Jimmy’s existence, they just see a woman out of control and behaving most erratically. Stephanie ends up telling her story to the FBI and it becomes clear that all is not well with the kidnapping of Jimmy. Can she get Jimmy back and who is to blame?

An exciting read leading you on a merry chase and one you need to finish.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Bookchat

July Top 10

Here's the latest Top 10 Reads for July to keep you busy during these cold, winter nights. All titles are available on our catalogue for loan or reservation - check individual titles for details.

Also, be sure to check out more of our bookshelves and author events at Goodreads. See you there!

Eastern Regional's July Top 10 2013

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