Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT THE SILENT KOOKABURRA by @LizaPerrat #TuesdayBookBlog #Thriller

Today’s team review is from Terry, she blogs at http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry has been reading The Silent Kookaburra by Liza Perrat

THE SILENT KOOKABURRA by Liza Perrat

5 stars

Every so often I find a real gem in the review team submission list, and this was one of them.  I thoroughly enjoyed it; Liza Perrat is an excellent writer.

The story takes place in the early 1970s in a quiet town in New South Wales called Wollongong, and is narrated by eleven year old Tanya, who lives with her alcoholic but not unlikable father, Dobson, her disturbed mother, Eleanor, who has miscarried many children, and her grandmother, Nanna Purvis.  It’s sad, tragic and funny, all at the same time.  Behind the story of everyday life lurks the shadow of child abuse, madness and murder, but these are dealt with so cleverly that the book doesn’t seem particularly dark.  If you can imagine that.

Eleanor finally manages to carry a child to term and Tanya is sure their family life will improve, but events take several turns for the worse, and she has to deal with great uncertainty about her future.  I wouldn’t have thought I’d like a whole novel written from the point of view of such a young girl, but one reads so much between the lines as Tanya reveals more to the reader than she understands herself.  Danger and intrigue is added by the appearance of the mysterious, seedy Uncle Blackie, the various nosy neighbours, the girls who tease Tanya for being fat, and her Italian friend Angela’s are-they-drug-dealers-or-aren’t-they family.

On the verge of adolescence, Tanya veers between excitement about becoming a woman, and comfort eating her way through her disintegrating family life.  One question remains in her mind, and is still there at the end of the book, an epilogue that takes place forty years later.

The characterisation in this book is brilliant.  Nanna Purvis is hilarious, a real old Aussie matriarch, and the atmosphere of the family’s slightly backward way of life of 45 years ago is so well portrayed.  I notice from the Author’s Note that Liza Perrat lived in Wollongong, and there are many popular culture references to the time, including items of food that Ms Perrat must have eaten back then, but, unlike other books in which this occurs, I didn’t find it contrived, or as if it was a deliberate strategy to press nostalgia buttons.  It worked (I particularly liked Nanny Purvis and her Iced VoVos).

It’s really, really good.  You won’t be disappointed.

Book Description

All eleven-year-old Tanya Randall wants is a happy family. But Mum does nothing besides housework, Dad’s always down the pub and Nanna Purvis moans at everyone except her dog. Then Shelley arrives –– the miracle baby who fuses the Randall family in love for their little gumnut blossom.

Tanya’s life gets even better when she meets an uncle she didn’t know she had. He tells her she’s beautiful and could be a model. Her family refuses to talk about him. But that’s okay, it’s their little secret.

Then one blistering summer day tragedy strikes, and the surrounding mystery and suspicion tear apart this fragile family web. 

Embracing the social changes of 1970s Australia, against a backdrop of native fauna and flora, The Silent Kookaburra is a haunting exploration of the blessings, curses and tyranny of memory. 

Unsettling psychological suspense blending the intensity of Wally Lamb with the atmosphere of Peter James, this story will get under your skin.

About the author

Liza grew up in Wollongong, Australia, where she worked as a general nurse and midwife for fifteen years.
When she met her French husband on a Bangkok bus, she moved to France, where she has been living with her husband and three children for twenty years. She works part-time as a French-English medical translator, and as a novelist.
Several of her short stories have won awards, notably the Writers Bureau annual competition of 2004 and her stories have been published widely in anthologies and small press magazines. Her articles on French culture and tradition have been published in international magazines such as France Magazine and France Today.

Spirit of Lost Angels is the first in the historical “The Bone Angel” series set against a backdrop of rural France during the French Revolution. The second in the series, Wolfsangel, set during the WWII German Occupation of France, was published in October, 2013. The third in the series, Blood Rose Angel, set during the 14th century Black Plague years was published in November, 2015.

The Silent Kookaburra, a dark psychological suspense novel set in 1970s Australia, was published in November, 2016.

Friends, Family and Other Strangers From Downunder is a collection of 14 humorous, horrific and entertaining short stories set in Australia, for readers everywhere.

Liza is a co-founder and member of Triskele Books, an independent writers’ collective with a commitment to quality and a strong sense of place, and also reviews books for Bookmuse.

Goodreads | AmazonUK | AmazonUS | Twitter Available on kindle countdown until March 30th just 99p/99c

 

GRIND by Edward Vukovic @RutegerJones Australian setting for a #coffee themed book.

Grind by Edward Vukovic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Grind is a contemporary piece of literature set in Melbourne, Australia and follows five different characters towards an end when it is revealed how they are all connected. Throughout the story coffee is a common thread linking them all. The book is primarily written in first person from multiple points of view.

Ziva is Eastern European, with a gift of sight, she reads the signs left by the dregs in strong Turkish cups of coffee. She has come to Australia, following her brother and his wife, but she struggles to make friends and fit in.

Isaac owns a bar, he mourns the loss of his wife who died several years ago, he owns a dog he names Dante and he writes poetry.

Simon is a struggling estate agent, when he’s late for work one day a colleague takes the call about a property he’s been trying to sell for ages and makes the deal. His day gets worse when he finds the others in the office have also stolen his supply of precious coffee and it tips him over the edge, sending him on a dangerous drinking spree.

Michel is a mysterious homeless man with a shocking past and one he tries to escape, fearing violence from the bosses he stole from, he hopes his new life will keep them away, instead his past deeds return in an innocent form to haunt him.

Danielle is a schoolgirl who brushes the lives of all the other characters as they meet her one by one at a traffic light crossing.

This book takes a bit of getting into, especially as there is no indication which character each new chapter is about. The first person narrative is not necessarily the fault, but perhaps helpful chapter headings with just the character’s name would ease the reading experience. As it is, each new chapter takes a bit of time to work out who is talking and it interrupted the flow of the story for me.

The good thing is that there is plenty of rich writing to indulge in and the coffee theme is fun and well done. I particularly enjoyed Ziva’s coffee cup readings. Harder for me was the teasing out of the characters, it took a long while to understand that there were several characters and that the story had changed to someone new, meaning I had to re-read sections. We got to know the characters from their background story build ups but not from any striking dialogue or minds-eye visualisation.

AmazonUS | AmazonUK | Goodreads | Twitter

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Book Description

“Ziva’s love of coffee is double-edged. Throughout her life, she gives her talent freely to those desperate for a glimpse into destiny’s promise. Predicting the future with chilling accuracy, she understands the cost and has sworn never to divine her own truth. Having fled the economic aftershocks of the Balkan war, she struggles adjusting to her new life and clings to the remnants of her past, until she meets Isaac. Against her better judgement, Ziva ‘reads’ for herself and what she sees will change her life irrevocably.

Told from the perspective of multiple characters, Grind follows the plight of Ziva, an ordinary immigrant with an extraordinary gift, and highlights the impact we have on each other through the interconnectedness of chance encounters.”

About the author

Edward Vukovic is a Melbourne-based writer and novelist. He has work published across numerous publications including The Journal, The Adviser, The Roar and Shoot Farken. When he’s not writing about his poor parenting skills or fantasy football you will most likely find him hurling instructions at the television, steadfast in his belief that the players of whatever sport he’s watching at the time are actually listening to his ranting.

Edward is married to his wonderful and talented wife Vesna and is a proud, if sometimes bewildered, father to his amazing son Oliver.

#NewEngland #Fall road-trip diaries, travelling with our toddler #Travel #MondayBlogs

If you’ve been following these recent Monday blog posts you’ll know we like road-trips

Fall Colours

Catch up with some of them here;

LA and back on a packet of crisps

Building US west coastal road so we could drive on

Australia

New York

Mauritius

New Zealand

Today’s road-trip is about when we went back to the US for a 10 day Fall trip to New England with our two year old.

Our trip began with an evening arrival in Boston, Massachusetts, this time I was armed with my stroller for use in the airports, which can be taken right up to the aeroplane doors and is essential for toddler travel. Our first stop was the coastal town of Portsmouth in New Hampshire. Coming from England and seeing familiar place names out of the environment we knew them in was a little strange. We also found that New England had more toll roads than we’d experienced before in the US.

Getting our fill of the number of states in this area of the US, we went over into Maine and visited Portland, enjoying the coastal road views and taking in some shopping.

The fall colours were amazing and we took our time enjoying scenic river banks. I fell in love with the covered bridges which are a tradition of New England. Built with roofs to keep the bridges open during the winter months. Stopping off at one of the many maple syrup farm shops we were invited around their little museum and given a talk about the maple extraction process. An added bonus was the local stories of the covered bridges being “sweet-heart” bridges, a place to meet your sweet-heart out of site of prying eyes.

We headed into the White mountains and slowly drove to the top of Mount Washington on some very tight and steep roads. (Approximately a 30 drive up and a 30-45 mins drive down) There’s a cog railway train you can take up but the 3 hour round-trip time was going to be too long to entertain our toddler on. For rally enthusiasts there is a “Climb To The Clouds” racing event each July on the Mount Washington auto- road where rally drives race to the top. The record stands at 6 mins and 9 secs set in 2014.

In Conway we stopped off at the steam railway centre

Our travels took us to Vermont and Burlington, we dined in one of those old fashioned train diner cars turned into a family diner and then indulged our daughter at the Vermont Teddy Bear factory, where we took the tour and she made a bear.

We did consider heading across to Niagara Falls, but we didn’t have the time this trip. Instead we headed back towards Boston, taking in the Boston Tea Ship which amazingly our little girl remembers today.

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Next Trip – Denver, Colorado and a rocky mountain white out experience.

RED DIRT by E.M. Reapy #Bookreview #Contemporary #Australia @HoZ_Books

Red Dirt by E.M. Reapy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Red Dirt is the tale of 3 young Irish travellers who have gone to Australia to escape the Irish recession. They are full of hope, wanting experience a new better life, but reality throws obstacles in their way, temptations and causes acts of desperation.

The book opens in a back-packers hostel in Perth. Murph and Shane have failed a job interview due to their heavy drinking and drug taking, yet they continue to drink away their money. At rock bottom they agree to a job on a farm picking fruit in the outback, dragging a new fellow, Hopper with them. The drinking and drugs lead to an accident which haunts Murph for months.

The farm is rough, and life harsh. They befriend Fiona, the Irish sticking together. When tempers boil over, Murph, Shane and Fiona leave. But back in Perth Murph is restless with fear and leaves Fiona behind.

The next part of the book is Fiona’s tale, abandoned in a cheap hostel by Murph, with money running out, she sinks to an all time low. She’s so broke she’ll do anything and is taken out into the bush to house keep for a very rough family. Escaping with only the clothes she stands in, Fiona spends days alone in the bush until she finds hope in the form of a kind couple.

The third part of the book is Hopper’s tale, his own reasons for being in Australia and how he arrived at Perth, it brings the story to a full circle.

This book delves into the depths of humanity as the three characters search for answers and put some personal demons to rest. It isn’t for the faint hearted 277 F-bombs, heavy drinking and drugs abound and definitely don’t read this if you are about to send off your off-spring back-packing around the world.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Rosie’s Book Review Team #RBRT OUTBACK PROMISE by @maggiebolitho #SundayBlogShare

Today’s team review is from Terry, she blogs at http://terrytylerbookreviews.blogspot.co.uk/

Terry chose to read Outback Promise by Maggie Bolitho

Outback Promise by Maggie Bolitho

4.5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed by me as part of Rosie Amber’s Book Review Team

I liked this book a lot. Maggie Bolitho has the sort of innate gift for the written word that makes my editing/critiquing hat fall off unnoticed, allowing me to just read and enjoy, which is, of course, the best way.

Outback Promise is about the marriage of Ros and Grady. Six years after their four year old son, Cadel, was killed in a tragic accident, their marriage has faltered, and they decide to go on a three month trip across the Australian Outback to ‘find each other’ again.   This story was not one that immediately appealed to me as a story about a family losing a child is possibly the last sort of book I’d want to read (I am childfree and like to read for escapism, mostly!), but the Outback aspect appealed a great deal, as it’s something I’d love to do.

I was pleasantly surprised. The first half of the book follows one of my favourite structures: alternating chapters between past and present, to show how the characters got to where they’re at now. I didn’t find the bits about Cadel’s death and Ros and Grady’s subsequent pain to be something I had to wade through at all, as I’d feared; Ms Bolitho’s writing is clear and spare, never wordy or contrived, and it was actually very moving.

The Outback trip starts approximately half way through and at first I feared that I was about to read pages and pages of emotional zig-zagging, but it picked up quickly, with two notable highlights: a ghastly couple called Nestor and Max who they met at one campsite (I loved them, a terrific piece of writing, they were drawn so perfectly I could actually see them!), and an encounter with a couple of poachers.

I very much enjoyed reading about the trip; I would have liked to read more description about the landscape and how they reacted to it, but that’s only personal preference; the book is about the marriage, after all. My favourite characters tended to be the secondary ones, but they all ‘worked’. I didn’t particularly warm to Grady, and only a little more to Ros, who I found a trifle self-absorbed, though this isn’t a criticism of the book; Ros is a woman with much ‘baggage’, and she began to understand herself better as the story came to a close. There was one incident near the end that really spoke to me. Grady had been out on a boat with friends, she’d stayed behind because she suffered from seasickness. Afterwards she was expecting him home and wanted to do the romantic dinner thing, but he stayed in the pub, having a rip-roaring time with his friends. He wanted her to join him, but she said no, because it didn’t fit in with her idealistic image of how their evening would be. I wanted to shout at her, “Go! He wants you to be there, think about what he wants and be spontaneous!” ~ because Grady didn’t want a ‘romantic’ meal, he just wanted her to join him.

I was completely absorbed in the story all the time I was reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written, contemporary, relationship-based drama. I’ll certainly read more by this author.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

 

Love, Desire and Betrayal by Margaret L Sharp

Love, Desire and Betrayal by Margaret Lynette Sharp

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Love, Desire and Betrayal. I liked this anthology of stories, but I didn’t love them. They are well written and edited and the storylines are familiar and will have many of you nodding your heads and remembering first loves and parental disapproval. Each story had a love element and parental influence in the form of guilt or strong opinions. There were strong selfish characters, some betrayed and others desired more. With short stories, they often end leaving you with missed feelings of wanting to know more and I get a little frustrated as I pick up the next story. It’s a personal thing and not one to detract from the author’s book.

This is a collection and the lay out needed to be tweaked a little, a couple of stories had book bios at the start and I didn’t want to read them before I started chapter one, I felt a bit less of the introduction pages and more of a mix of different stories would have kept me entertained.

If you are a short story fan and like a mix of contemporary with an Australian backdrop then this book should be for you.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
View all my reviews on Goodreads

Guest Author Dallas Sutherland

Today we are joined by Dallas Sutherland author of yesterday’s book The Landland Chronicles: The Greying. Here is a link to the post if you missed it. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5FV

Let’s find out more about Dallas and his book.

Where is your home town?

I live in Eumundi which is a small hinterland town on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It’s just north of Brisbane. The weather is great all year round, not too hot, and not too cold in the winter. There is some talk of Eumundi becoming a Book Shop town. This will be amazing, especially for local authors. The town is also known for its thriving market which operates Wednesdays and Saturdays.

2) How long have you been writing?

I always loved to write when I was a child. Then I had a break for many years while working in various jobs. It was not until I began to study Literature at university that I rekindled my love of writing. So, to answer your question, I’ve been writing seriously for about 18 years, but not putting out anything for publishing during much of that time. Most of my writing has been academic: essays, plays, poetry, that sort of thing.

3)What is the one idea which started this book?

A sense of loss and grief

 

4) Tell us about Ogam.

There are many variations on the origin of Ogam Script, or Ogham (pronounced O em). From a mythological point of view, and one that I like, it was an alphabet thought to be used by the ancient Druidic Celts. There are about 25 letters in the alphabet and these were used to pass on ancient wisdom and knowledge. The letters was usually inscribed onto a wooden staff carried by Shaman/poets. A series of lines, or cuts, were made on the edges of stones and pieces of wood. There were several of these Ogam alphabets; the most widely known was one where each letter related to a sacred tree. Others related to people, places and objects. Ogam was also used to mark boundaries of property, whereby letters were carved into stones. Variations of Ogam Script can be found in Ireland, Wales, England, and Scotland.

 

Other sources report that Ogham was the invention of Oghma the legendary champion of the early Irish race of the Tuatha De Danann. Much later sources report that Ogham originated in fourth-century Ireland and Britain and that it was primarily derived from the Latin alphabet, and also from Nordic runes.

Whatever the case might be, I like to think that it is a magical alphabet that might pop up again and again in fantasy stories. Hence, my inclusion of it in The Greying.

5)You have some great creatures in the book can you describe the Homunculi and the Firbog to readers?

I’ve named the Firbog after an Irish mythological race, the Fir Bholg, because I like all those tales about the earliest peoples who invaded and conquered Ireland, and who were in turn forced to flee by subsequent invaders. There is a great sense of mystery which surrounds their physical appearance and also their magical abilities. My Firbog, of course, are an entirely different kind of race. There is some magic that goes with them, but they resemble canines in their facial appearance, and the thick fur-like hair which covers their bodies and limbs reinforces the idea. The Firbog are warlike and tend to bark quite often.

An Homunculus is a little man, or manikin. He derives from the middle ages and the word has its roots in Latin. Alchemists first defined the idea that a human spermatozoa or egg-cell could contain a miniature preformed human being (preformation). In this sense, if that were possible to do, then the little man or homunculi could be made and enlarged to a certain degree, and would then be available to do the bidding of the creator. My Homunculi are puppets of the evil Queen Berilbog who has created them. Or has she? I guess you will have to read the book to find out. They are small, stealthy, and sinewy, and are commanded by the Firbog. In The Greying they are able to fly on the backs of the many-headed-winged-things. They know how to fight, too. I had a lot of fun bringing them into being.

6) Who are the Pitterpatterdell?

These creatures are gatherers of people’s souls. They do the bidding of their masters, the Fair Folk. Pitterpatterdell also tend the gardens inside the City of the Fair Folk and look after the sacred stream. Soul gathering is carried out in Dead Wood, although not many people travel to Dead Wood these days, so there is not a lot of soul gathering to be done.

 

7)What has happened to the Senescent tree?

The ancient Senescent tree is near the end of its life, which is what the word ‘senescent’ actually means. It is no longer capable of reproducing. The trunk and branches of the tree hold the wisdom of the Pictish people. There is much magic to be learned from the tree if only Josh O’Tosh, the last of the warrior Pictish priests, is able to receive more instruction. Josh’s role is to guard both the tree and Dead Wood. He doesn’t want the Bigriverlanders to cut it all down for firewood or farmland. The whole wood is dying, and Teah must find a way to help Josh bring it back to life.

 

8)What was your favourite character name in the book and why?

I like the name, Dalff. I think it’s because Meah calls him two-effs from time to time. Dalff sounds like an old name that should belong in a faery tale or a fantasy story, but it also has that modern, trendy double-f on the end of it– you know, like a lot of new made-up names these days.

9)Give us a hint about the next book in the series.

In the next book (it might be called The Thinking) Meah gets to combine both the power of the thinking and the magical properties of her mother’s Book of Colours with some surprising results. The Biggo disappears and returns from time to time, Auntie Beryl makes a grand re-entry, the Firbog push forward with the greying, and Landland is in confusion. I introduce some elves, giants, trolls, and a few other things. Readers will find a lot more metafiction here as well. It’s all designed to work towards the master plan, but you might have to wait for the third book to find out who is really in control of the master plan.

10)Where can readers find out more about you?

You can find me at:

dallassutherlandauthor.com

dallasws.wordpress.com

goodreads.com/author/show/6071182.Dallas_Sutherland

amazon.com/Dallas-Sutherland/e/B00KDXPHFC/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

If you sign up on my website to The Biggo’s email newsletter about The Landland Chronicles, then the Biggo will send you a free poster map of Dead Wood.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Thank you Dallas and Good Luck with the next book.

 

 

 

Guest Author Penny de Byl

Today our guest is Penny de Byl author of yesterday’s book Lost Souls. Here is a link to my review. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5EF

Let’s find out more about Penny and her book.

1) Where is your home town?

Gold Coast, Queensland Australia. Though I was born in Toowoomba, grew up in Central Queensland and live for a couple of years in Europe.

2) Is this your first fiction book?

It is my first published fiction book.  Over the years I have started a few but they were never finished.

Before this I published four textbooks on computer science, artificial intelligence and computer game development.

3) What was the one idea behind the book?

The main idea behind “Lost Souls” is that there are phenomena in life that cannot yet be explained by science.

4) Tell the readers what was strange about the people who were dying?

Otherwise healthy people were dropping dead without warning and all found with amniotic fluid in their mouths.  The liquid that surrounds the developing baby in the womb.

5) How had the people for the 5 year Antarctic experiment been chosen?

They were chosen from an international pool of experts in their field.  There was an interview process and the CEO of the biotech company held numerous Skype interviews with the researchers before selecting them for the expedition.

6) What as going to be the biggest challenge in the dome?

The biggest challenge while living in the hermetically sealed environment was to become self-sufficient with respect to food production.  As is revealed during the story other considerations such as physical, mental and spiritual health of the inhabitants is as equally as important as nutritious for the smooth operation of an enclosed social environment.

7) How did Zoe get her team to Sydney if the case had been closed down?

When the case was closed the first time, Zoe and Nick “took a vacation” to Sydney as Zoe knew in her gut there was more going on than first revealed.

8) What lines did they cross to get some of their evidence?

Zoe and Nick pose as a pregnant couple to gain access to a medical clinic while they are not officially on duty.  Nick illegally obtains medical records from an unmanned computer terminal and later in the story, Zoe breaks into a records archive to gather the evidence they need to support their case.

9) Will we be seeing more about this off-world experiment in a second book?

In the second book “The Chaldean Legacy” the characters find themselves running the first fully functioning space station orbiting the sun halfway between Earth and Saturn.

The team are involved in experiments to examine off-world food production and waste reclamation.  They are also involved in in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) in which minerals and ice are mined from nearby asteroids.  In addition, the space station is begin used as an off-world genetic repository for storing a library of all life on earth.

10) Where can readers find out more about you and your writing?

www.pennydebyl.me

 Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Thank you Penny and Good Luck with the next book.

 

Lost Souls by Penny de Byl

Lost Souls: Book One of the Disciples of Cassini Trilogy by Penny de Byl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lost Souls begins in Melbourne, Australia with the puzzling cause of death of David Layton. We are introduced to Detective Inspector Zoe Moore who will be leading the investigation.

Next the book introduces us to Marcela Warrick arriving in Sydney at Everjein Enterprises. She is an ecologist and is about to go on a five year experiment to simulate the possibility of inhabiting and surviving on other planets. In a world race to create off-world technology Everjein have created an experiment in Antarctica and a carefully selected team are about to spend the next five years in Biojein, learning to grow their own food and continue the human population, replicating a situation similar to living on Titan. Marcela meets fellow Biojein inhabitants and in just a few days they find themselves in Antarctica.

Meanwhile Zoe has a second body with a puzzling cause of death. Farid Husain died at exactly the same time as David Layton. Research into both men revealed letters from Everjein Enterprises. When a third body turns up, Zoe’s investigation is shut down from above. But it doesn’t stop her and the team going to Sydney themselves to continue digging into an IVF system which looks like it links people dying at the same moment a mother gives birth. They uncover a drug called JQ2 but the doctor they really need to speak to is unavailable for the next five years.

In the Biojein dome complex the inhabitants must adjust to growing their own food. An IVF program is also underway with experiments on a hormone to speed up the human incubation period. But there is also a sinister side to the experiment. Marcela has a suspicious accident and something in the water killed her plants. She quickly begins a relationship with Barrett and finds herself pregnant. But most shocking is finding Jason Reid naked and near to death in the gardens. Constans Rijnder the Dutch Counsellor for the project must try to help keep things under control as Barrett is left in charge of the project and becomes under increasing pressure.

Back in Sydney, Everjein’s lawyer Warfield tries to keep the police at bay and the media quiet but with eight day communication blackouts and hours of delay between messages to simulate the off-world experience it’s a hard job. On top of this as the police dig deeper he too wonders if Barrett has been breaking the medical ethics law with his IVF programmes.

This book is an interesting concept with the off-world experiment. It took a while for me to connect with several of the characters. The science and the medical details are very good and reflect the author’s background. I picked up on Azaleas and Rhododendrons being used to describe the same situation. To me they are the same plant family but one is a large plant and the other a small shrub, I think one or the other should have been used. I also found a reference to Polar bears which I didn’t think went with the Antarctica region. I felt the book could do with one more run through editing which would take it from a shaking 4* to a more solid 4-4.5*.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Penny will be our guest author here tomorrow, do come back and find out more about her and her book.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Forgotten Garden features the most delightful magical garden in a coastal cottage in Cornwall. Spanning generations the garden means different things to the different characters. This book is about finding answers and peace, it spreads across the world and back again in its duration.

The first location is London 1913, we meet a stow-away on a boat and hear about the lady known as The Authoress. Next we go to Brisbane, Australia, 1930 and a birthday celebration for Nell. Her father decides to reveal the truth about her parentage. The information sets Nell on a journey to find her real parents, and it’s one that her grand-daughter Cassandra continues after Nell’s death.

A central character to the book is Eliza Makepeace and her book of Fairy Tales, many of which are included in the story. Her surname could well summarise the book in one word. The story, extends over a century, has many twists and turns, revealing what love and loyalty mean to the different people.

A long book at over 600 pages, but one I really enjoyed.

Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

View all my reviews on Goodreads.