Kristy McCormick

Touted as “the only author who dares to tell it like it really is” Martina Cole sure knows how to pack a punch. Her novel, Hard Girls, is not for the faint hearted. The book is set in the tough streets of East London and explores the harsh reality of living, and working, alongside London’s gangland.

A young and beautiful prostitute is found brutally murdered. The details of the killing are horrific and the police are determined to catch the killer, for certain fear that they will strike again. And strike again they do – this time the victim is even more horribly mutilated than the last and the police are worried this is just the beginning of something really big.

DCI Annie Carr is on the job – but it’s her first big case and she needs help. Kate Burrows is a retired DCI who is called in to consult and who has had plenty of experience with murderers. And plenty of experience with criminals too. And when it looks like her lover, notorious crime boss Patrick Kelly, is somehow linked with the prostitutes being killed things get even messier.

Annie and Kate are determined to find the killer, but as more bodies are found there are simply no clues left behind. They battle to find leads, but end up finding more dead ends than anything else. Kate’s contacts in the crime world are tight-lipped too – no-one wants to be seen to be helping the ‘filth’ if they can avoid it.

Hard Girls is a well written, tightly woven thriller – if you can pick the killer before the last couple of chapters then you are certainly doing better than I did. Aside from the murders and the race to solve the case though, there is also a great side story of life in the crime world. The story of Patrick Kelly, crime boss, and his dealings with all sorts of legitimate (and not so legitimate) businesses, shady characters and his fight to stay on the straight and narrow for his policewoman lover makes for great reading also. I must admit I was quite fascinated with the life these men (and women) lead – all dodgy business deals and a hierarchy that could literally spell the difference between life and death if you mess with it!

Overall, I enjoyed this book – but be warned, descriptions of the murders are gruesome and quite disturbing. Some of the language also took a bit of getting used to – Cole uses terms that are clearly very common in East London but not so much here. They don’t detract from the enjoyment of the story though and in actual fact really add another dimension to the characters and the environment in which they live. Recommended for all die-hard crime fans.

Available now: Hachette RRP$24.99

Kristy

Related posts:

1. Dark Places Guest Editor Kristy McCormick The second novel from author...
2. James Patterson’s Swimsuit Guest Editor Kristy McCormick From the author dubbed ‘the...
3. I, Alex Cross By James Patterson Guest Editor, Kristy McCormick As a long time James...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Andrea Parks

In 1906, a little girl is born on a spice farm in Southern China. Unwanted – because she is a girl – she is an encumbrance to her family and is nearly buried alive in the middle of a mustard field by her father.  Meanwhile, Pai-Ling, her beautiful concubine mother, violently ends the suffering she endures at the cruel confiscation her newborn daughter.  Saved by the appearance of a white fox “fairy” in the night, Li X’ia’s story begins, Red Lotus by Pai Kit Fai.

Li X’ia’s strong spirit prevails as she fights successfully against her father’s attempts to bind her feet and increase her worth. She is hated by her father and is treated abysmally. At the ripe age of eight, Li X’ia is a bad luck charm to her family and is sold to a silk-weaving factory. Living in relative safety and happiness with the other child labourers, picking silk worms every day, for four years, she learns (secretly) to read. At the crossroad of her twelfth year, she is faced with three hopeless choices. Ultimately, she chooses her self-respect and therefore is subjected to an untimely and painful attempt on her life. The luck that she experienced in the mustard field as a newborn follows her to the river. Li X’ia is saved by a European merchant, Ben Devereaux, who changes her life.

Of course, they fall in love (not a spoiler, just inevitable) and a baby girl is born of this romance. However, Li X’ia’s luck runs out and the bad karma that has run parallel to her good luck, finally overthrows her and tragedy ensues.

Siu-Sing is the legacy of love left behind – the daughter of Li X’ia and Ben Devereaux. She is thrust into the isolated life as a disciple of the way of Tao. Her mother and grandmother before her had little or no support, no instruction, nothing but instinct to guide them. Red Lotus trains to fight off the bad luck that surrounds her and she is well-prepared for whatever comes her way. She heads out into the world to find her mother and her father, and reclaim her birthright.

Red Lotus is a colourful depiction, and fantasy, of how a woman might have triumphed in turn-of-the century-China, with some skill and a little luck on her side. It is an interesting and uplifting story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Available now: Hachette RRP$32.99

Andrea

Related posts:

1. The Good Luck Girl Guest Editor Kristy McCormick The second novel from author...
2. The Best Day Of Someone Else’s Life Guest Editor Kristy McCormick Although Kerry Reichs’ two novels...
3. The Neighbour, Lisa Gardner Kristy McCormick Sandra Jones – a young, pretty mother,...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tina Gamble

The Moorehawke Trilogy (II)

Alone for the first time in her life, Wynter Moorehawke travels unprotected in bandit-infested mountains, searching for missing Prince Alberon.

Every tyrant who ever threatened the Kingdom is gathering to Alberon’s table, and the forest is alive with spies and wolves. Within these crowded shadows, Wynter remains determined to find the rebel prince and heal the rift that has come between the King and heir.

New friends. Old enemies. Who can you trust?

Celine Kiernan’s novel, The Crowded Shadows, is the second instalment in The Moorehawke Trilogy. It follows protagonist Wynter Moorehawke, as she searches for the Rebel Prince Alberon. Up high in the mountains – in the crowded shadows – sometimes friend and foe can blur the line.

Not having read the first novel, The Poison Throne, I would say that it is not necessary for readers, new to the series, to have read the prior novel to accurately follow and understand the storyline. Though having said that, I would highly recommend getting both, as I am now heading to the bookstore to buy a copy of The Poison Throne, as Kiernan’s second novel, The Crowded Shadows, absolutely captured my mind and blew me away.

Enter Kiernan’s world, full of fantasy, adventure and romance. This novel reminds me a lot of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. Akin to C.S. Lewis, Kiernan has a great writing style, with strong storylines, and characters to love, including – a strong, realistic protagonist – with complex and flawed leads that will draw you in, and pull you under.

It is books like this that remind me so many times, why I love reading. It is the writer’s gifted ability to create a world, so believable that you can almost feel yourself alive in a foreign land. All around you, their world and it’s character’s come to life – full of infinite possibilities – you see the world through another’s eyes, and if you are lucky enough, the writer will even let you feel what their characters are feeling. This novel is mastery at work.

The Crowded Shadows is a fast paced, consistent, and truly memorable journey into a far off land. The characters are strong and well written – and much to my great relief – flawed. You will find no perfect plastics here; here you will see a true test of will, as each character is hit with challenges that will affect both their personal wellbeing and that of the kingdom. It is a triumph among books, and journey worth taking.

For fans of fantasy and adventure, here is this year’s must have.

Available now: Allen & Unwin RRP$19.99

Tina

Related posts:

1. Interview with Isabelle Merlin Guest Editor, Tina Gamble Take a trip to France...
2. The Eternal Kiss: Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire Guest Editor, Tina Gamble ‘There’s an allure to vampire...
3. I Heart Hollywood, Lindsey Kelk Keryn O’Donnell Having not read the first instalment (I...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Keryn O’Donnell

Ever reached a point in a relationship where you become TOO comfortable with your partner? Where the spark and magic seems to have simmered away into bland, monotonous, every day life? Ever dreamed of having that ex who shattered your heart into a million pieces suddenly reappear in your life, begging for forgiveness and desperate to have you back? That Loving Feeling by Carole Matthews is written for women who love a good girly read.

Well Juliet Joyce, married for 25 years to husband Rick, mother of two problematic children, and silently suffering the turmoil of her mother moving in with her family after her parents separate and father announces he is gay, has her world turned completely upside down (more so) when her past love returns to her life after abandoning her at the altar many moons ago.

With the dramatic reappearance of Steven in her life, it’s hardly shocking that Juliet is thrown into the dilemma of trying to work out the difference between her head, her heart and all the craziness in between.  While the answer to the reader seems obvious (we love you Rick!) let’s face it, if it was you it would probably be a case of easier said than done.

You can’t help but feel Juliet’s pain on her emotional rollercoaster to sort out the mess that is her life. Given she has been stuck in a rut for far too long, feeling unappreciated and worn out, she is a great character for any mother who is exhausted and slightly underwhelmed with her own life to relate to.

I did find it frustrating that Steven was allowed to breeze back into her life as easily as he did, given the pain and embarrassment he had caused her when they broke up, but this just cemented my desire for Juliet and Rick to sort themselves out and get back on track.

Poor Rick, a lovable character with such innocence in his bumbling actions, Tom and Chloe are spoilt and hard to warm to, while Juliet’s parents are both great characters that help build the feeling of chaos that surrounds the family.  These guys, teamed with a few other key characters help to build the story and add much of the drama and twists to the plotline.

Overall That Loving Feeling is an easy-on-the-brain read, good to curl up on the lounge with over a quiet weekend.

Available now: Hachette RRP$29.99

Keryn

Related posts:

1. The Pissed Off Parents Club, Mink Elliot Tina Gamble Are you PI**ED OFF with your: A)...
2. I Heart Hollywood, Lindsey Kelk Keryn O’Donnell Having not read the first instalment (I...
3. Hollywood Ending, Kathy Charles Guest Editor, Keryn O’Donnell Quirky and eccentric, Kathy Charles’...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Keryn O’Donnell

Having not read the first instalment (I Heart New York), I was apprehensive about jumping into I heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk with no background knowledge – fortunately this was no problem at all. With enough background knowledge served up about both the plot line and the characters, you feel instantly at home by the end of the first chapter of I Heart Hollywood.

Angela sounds like a normal girl from the get-go. She has been burnt by love in the past, has embarrassed herself profusely in major social situations, and has those early relationship nerves and jitters that aren’t always depicted accurately (or at all) in female fiction. So when she is offered the opportunity of a life-time in her career – to go to Hollywood for a week and interview the latest, greatest and hottest male celebrity of the moment, it takes the thought of having to see an ex when he flies into her new hometown, to leave the new boyfriend at home and flee to the land of glitter and lights to embark on the task at hand.

With best friend in tow, Angela heads to Hollywood where she quickly learns that it isn’t all glitz and glamour like she had fantasised. While Hollywood seems to be nothing but pretentious, a nice contrast arrives in James Jacobs, the heart-throb himself. Down-to-earth and friendly, James and Angela become fast friends and as we see everyday in the real-life media, suddenly a story is spun. Instantly Angela’s world is thrown into chaos as she is quickly trying to defend herself to anyone and everyone – especially her boss and of coarse the beautiful boyfriend.

While it is a slightly predictable storyline, it has been teamed with some crazy-yet-relatable characters and a few funny situations including a happy ending, Lindsey Kelk is able to whip up a light, buttery-sweet novel in I Heart Hollywood for easy consumption with her witty writing that really hits the chick-lit spot.

A good giggle guaranteed.

Available now:  HarperCollins RRP$24.99

Keryn

Related posts:

1. Hollywood Ending, Kathy Charles Guest Editor, Keryn O’Donnell Quirky and eccentric, Kathy Charles’...
2. Hollywood is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean Tina Gamble Lesson # 1: Fake it till you...
3. Do you want a hollywood ending? Guest Editor, Kellie Leonard from Never Shopped Out Paige...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Samantha Singer

“It’s official…the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”; or so says Lana Vidler, author of Meals Men Love, the light blue cook book that takes us back to the 1950s and right back into the kitchen.

Now, I love to cook and I love to cook for my boyfriend. Yes, it is tough deciding what to make as I’m never sure if he’ll be fond of the recipes that often appeal to me. Enter Meals Men Love. Vidler’s recipe book is divided into Breakfast (which according to Lana many men don’t seem to like or have the time for); Light Meals, Finger Food and Entrees; Soups; Salads & Sides; Sauces & Marinades; Main Dishes; and Desserts & Biscuits.

While the recipes are basic enough to follow and produce rather tasty food, it’s the book’s little extras that sets Meals Men Love apart from other recipe books on the shelf. Vidler has catered for the clueless chef, recommending which sides and desserts best complement each main and for the utterly confused cook, she has set out a basic guide to catching a man in three courses; giving twelve different dinner options of either three-course-meals or mains, sides and desserts. Using her recommendations, along with her simple directions to cooking steaks, using butter and understanding serving sizes; cooking has never been easier.

Based on the success and hype of her book, Vidler’s soufflé star is rising perfectly but on sidelines, the feminist argument that the book’s marketing is sexist and that it’s not the responsibility of the woman to cook for her man is rising too. What’s important to keep in mind though is that simple to follow cook books as such are getting us all back into the kitchen for a home cooked meal, as opposed to the take-out and freezer meals that some have become so accustomed to.

I tried out a few recipes for the boyfriend’s birthday and they went swimmingly (see pics below)

Overall, I’d say Vidler did a great job creating a book of quick, simple recipes that are suitable for couples both young and old (as well as families).

My culinary challenge was sampled by not only the boyfriend but my parents and 16 year old sister. While unsure if they liked the sausages or not, everything set before them (for each course) was devoured!

Our dinner went like this:

Bruschetta: Because I Love You  p.30 (The favourite)

Spinach Salad: p.52 (Refreshing with the surprise of bacon bits, meant to be served hot but I served it cold)

Saucy Sausages: p.100 (The combined flavour of curry powder and tomato sauce was very interesting and a tad confusing to the palate)

First Dinner Lemon Tart: p.158 (Delicious served with vanilla ice-cream but the base was a bit soft)

To Try Next Time:

Strawberry Surprise        p.170 (the surprise is they’re hollowed out with nutella inside! shh)

Available now: Meals Men Love RRP$19.95

Sam

Related posts:

1. Girl By Sea, Penelope Green Guest Editor, Jane Rowley All those carbs and a...
2. How to Love Amanda Cole Author of I Hate Cinderella How to...
3. Pop Princess Guest Editor, Tina Gamble So, you just found out...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Emma Bradshaw

I still remember the first time I logged on to Scott Schumann’s revolutionary and now much imitated site The Sartorialist. Like a shameful many things in the past I was late to get on The Sartorialist bandwagon, but that fateful first day I was passionately hooked. I spent all day clicking through image after image until I had seen them all. At the end of that day I felt sartorially inspired, in awe of the photography, like I had travelled the globe and in possession of a newfound penchant for scarves and bicycle riding

As a devoted lover of books when I got my hands on a hardcopy version of The Sartorialist I have to say it is a real pleasure to be able to flick through Schumann’s images rather than click through.  A great deal of thought has clearly gone into the order of the photography, and it succeeds in really creating a mood. Schumann’s strengths lie in capturing people naturally, making incredible use of light and in his knack for style.

As a writer I often wish the website has more words, I’d love to hear about what led to each photo being taken. While the book doesn’t go quite that far Schumann does enlighten us every couple of pages with a paragraph about the subject, it brings a new level of enjoyment and understanding to his work.

The book may feature some of its subjects – particularly Giovanna Battaglia – a little too much, and I would have liked to have seen more of people such as our own Christine Centenera, but overall this is a book you will flick through with infinite pleasure for years to come.

Available now: Penguin RRP$49.99

Love and musings,
Em
xx

Related posts:

1. My Look Book: March 2010 My Look Book’s March 2010 issue is now live...
2. The Complete Book of Sister’s, Luisa Dillner Guest Editor, Samantha Singer “A sister is for life:...
3. Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern Guest Editor, Jane de Graaff from I Ate It All...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Andrea Parks

Serious investigation into a serious crime is what we get in Evidence. In this, his 24^th novel in the Alex Delaware mystery/crime thriller series, Jonathan Kellerman is an expert, and well, he’s written 24 bestselling novels…need I say more?  He smoothly sets the scene with a grisly crime and promptly moves his detectives to work on the business of solving it.

Milo Sturgis, homicide detective and Alex Delaware, psychologist, immediately get moving to find out who killed and posed two bodies, one male and one female, in a not-so-subtle, compromising position. The two victims are found in an ugly, ostentatious, and unfinished mansion in a high-end gated community in Los Angeles. Totally deliberate, and totally nasty.  The male victim, Desmond Backer, is traced to a recently defunct architectural firm that was not only highly dysfunctional but highly unproductive. The colleagues Desmond Backer leaves behind are suspects. His employer, Helga Gamein, is a most interesting character whose oddly anti-social and unfeeling demeanour makes her the favourite suspect.

Not so fast! Seemingly simple to start, the plot seriously thickens. Desmond Backer has a semi-sordid past that includes many ex-lovers and a possible involvement with eco-terrorists. The other victim is finally identified as an old girlfriend with similar ties. That, combined with the nature of the murder, sends Milo and Alex off in a few different directions. Jealous lover? Eco-terrorist? Endless possibilities.

A whole new realm of possibility is introduced when the conspiracy of silence surrounding the owner of the mansion is broken. The owner turns out to be as wealthy as a pharaoh but hasn’t been seen for years, secreted off to his family’s country somewhere on the other side of the world. Once this truth surfaces, the investigation shifts yet again. And as the threads from all different directions start to get pulled in tighter and tighter, the industrious Milo and Alex get closer to the murderer. Diligent and methodical, both work almost as one throughout the investigation. And I start turning pages faster and can’t stop reading…

This was my first Alex Delaware novel and I was wondering if I would miss out on something by not having read the earlier books in the series. Not the case at all. Although the relationship between Alex and Milo is clearly based on a rich, shared history – and this makes me want to find out how they arrived at this juncture, after 23 previously solved crimes. Fans will enjoy this story and readers new to this author will find it thoroughly satisfying.

Available now: Hachette RRP$19.99

Andrea

Related posts:

1. Smash Cut, Sandra Brown Guest Editor, Andrea Parks When one of Atlanta’s most...
2. I, Alex Cross By James Patterson Guest Editor, Kristy McCormick As a long time James...
3. Hard Girls, Martina Cole Kristy McCormick Touted as “the only author who dares...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tina Gamble

‘There was a new monster in town, it seemed – would its presence awaken the one I kept hidden?’

John Cleaver’s not your average teenager – fifteen, a mortician, and a sociopath, with a decidedly different interest – serial killers.

Most of your average teenagers would count it lucky to have never witnessed a dead body. John, however, would consider it a severe disappointment – fortunately for him, his mother and aunt run the town mortuary.

With a vicious murderer stalking the town, tearing his victims to shreds – John tries to gain control of his darker impulses, in order to defeat the monsters that plague the town and himself – even if by doing so, John may never regain control again.

Dan Wells novel I Am Not A Serial Killer is an exhilarating and darkly comic read that brings new life to teen fiction. It is original, bold and, at times, viciously gruesome, but all in all, rather addictive.

Wells introduces a darkly compelling character that will draw readers into his mindset and create an intriguing look at the world through the eyes of a fifteen-year-old sociopathic boy, on the hunt for a killer.

I Am Not A Serial Killer is a perfect read for teens wanting to take a step out of the norm, without delving too deep in either the horror or paranormal genres. Touching briefly in both, while displaying some wicked humour, gory details, and vicious descriptors, Wells novel is a light read that will intrigue, disgust and amuse, all at the same time.

‘… It would not be the last. That was, after all, the defining trait of serial killers: they kept on killing.’

Available now: Hachette RRP$19.99

Tina

Related posts:

1. How to Date a Vampire, Sophie Collins Tina Gamble Hot girl for a cool guy: The...
2. A Letter from Luisa, Rowena Mohr Guest Editor, Tina Gamble It all started with one...
3. The Cassandra Chronicles Tina Gamble ‘People like to say it will all...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Kristy McCormick

I am not tech savvy. I do not tweet and to many of my friends eternal frustration I am not on Facebook. Apparently it would make their social lives easier if I were.

And I have to say, after reading Roadside Crosses by Jeffery Deaver, I am not all that sure if I want the internet and all that it encompasses to be that big a part of my life.

The story starts with the discovery of a ‘roadside cross’ by a highway patrol trooper. You know the type – you see them after fatal car accidents by the side of the road. The problem with this particular roadside cross is that it is dated for the following day – the day the police find a kidnapped teenage girl in the trunk of a car, left for dead.

Special Agent Kathryn Dance is a kinesics expert with the California Bureau of Investigation. Basically, that means she is an expert in body language and uses this expertise to her advantage when interviewing and locating criminals. As this case progresses though, she begins to wonder whether there will be any use for this talent at all. The teenage victim leads Dance towards an online community – including a blog called the Chilton Report – that has accused another teenager of the crime. The blog spirals out of control as accusations and criticisms – some of it very personal – are posted online for the whole world to see.

Has the teenage victim of this cyber-bullying snapped? Is he seeking revenge for those who have posted comments about him and his family online or is there far greater evil at play here?

The book follows the development of the case and the race to find the attacker as the number of attacks escalates, and Kathryn Dance needs more than her kinesic skills to help her win this one. Because the attacker is targeting his victims via the blog.

This novel is an interesting take on the blurring between the ‘synth’ (or online) world and the real world. Many of the characters spend hours each and every day in online worlds – developing characters, buying real estate, and bartering for possessions. They have virtually no contact with the world outside their computer screen. And it also questions the use of blogs – some of the comments posted are hurtful and leading directly to vicious attacks but the man behind the blog won’t stop it or pull any of the threads related to the attacks. Freedom of speech and all that!

For me this was a fascinating look at the online world – how quickly a few hurtful comments can spiral out of control, or how scary it is that there are people out there who really don’t live in a world outside their computers. And another thing that really stuck in my head – remember that whatever you write, or post, to a thread on a blog – it doesn’t go away! So don’t do it lightly!

Overall the book was a good, punchy thriller with a fast paced storyline and a really interesting and appropriate theme. It also had a surprise ending. But I have to admit, I might just wait a little longer before I add my profile to Facebook.

Available now: Hachette RRP$22.99

Kristy

Related posts:

1. I, Alex Cross By James Patterson Guest Editor, Kristy McCormick As a long time James...
2. Ghostgirl: Homecoming Guest Editor, Tina Gamble ‘Heaven couldn’t be a phone...
3. Are you a shoe princess? Of course I had to have a copy of...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.