Review: THE LIGHTS OF LILLY PILLY CREEK, Abbie L. Martin

• 
   this edition an e-book on Amazon
  
•  ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CGMQGMBV
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Abbie Allen Publishing (13 December 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
• #3 in the Lilly Pilly Ghost Mystery series
• author web site  
  

Synopsis ( Amazon)

Get ready for a festive dose of mystery and merriment in the charming Australian town of Lilly Pilly Creek.

In the third instalment of the Lilly Pilly Creek Ghost Mystery series, amateur sleuth Jones and her spectral sister Autumn are back at it again. With the Lilly Pilly Creek Christmas Lights Competition making a comeback after thirty years, the town is buzzing with excitement. But the festivities take a dark turn.

A shocking discovery awaits Jones and Autumn when the gardener, who has been landscaping at The Memory Bank, is found dead. Jones, Autumn, and her friends Wren, Atlas, and the dashing Hugo find themselves once again destined to unravel the mysteries surrounding the untimely death

Amidst the drama, Jones and Autumn grapple with their own emotions as they delve into the journals left behind by their Grandmother, discovering a personal mystery they must resolve.

Join Jones and Autumn in this heartwarming and suspenseful holiday story, where the tapestry of friendship, love, and a hint of the supernatural intertwines for a Christmas in Lilly Pilly Creek which is destined to be unforgettable. 

My Take:

Another very readable (if not very credible story). I am enjoying the Adelaide Hills setting, the cozy plots, and the character development. Even if ghosts are not your thing, you may enjoy the mysteries and the hints of romance.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.4, THE GHOST OF LILLY PILLY CREEK =#1

4.3, THE BRIDE OF LILLY PILLY CREEK - #2

Review: THE WOLF TREE, Laura McCluskey

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CXK1WL9Y
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (February 28, 2025)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages  

Synopsis (Amazon)

A gripping and atmospheric debut crime thriller set on an isolated Scottish island ... where outsiders are not welcome.

'There's always someone whispering about something.'

On a small island off the coast of Scotland, an isolated community is grieving. Eighteen-year-old Alan Ferguson was found at the foot of the lighthouse - an apparent suicide.

DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to investigate. A raging storm keeps them trapped on the island for five days. And the locals don't take kindly to mainlanders.

As George and Richie question the island's inhabitants, they discover a village filled with superstition and shrouded in secrets.

But someone wants those secrets to stay buried. At any cost.

My Take

DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart have 4 years of working together, but recently George was severely hurt at the hands of a druggie. After months of recuperation the question is whether George is ready to resume work. 

It looks as if this case will be a fairly soft one, probably over in a day or two, but they have 5 days on the remote island to carry out their investigation. The victim has already been buried and not everyone is willing to talk to the police. There are layers of secrecy and years of tradition. There are some residents who obviously resent the presence of mainlanders.

And towards the end, a resolution you will not see coming.

This is an excellent novel for a debut title, an Australian author no less. Well worth reading. An author to watch.

My rating: 4.8

About the author:

Laura McCluskey is a Melbourne-based writer, editor and actor. She created the production company Sibylline Films and co-founded Three Fates Theatre Company. The Wolf Tree is her first novel. 

Review: THE PATIENT, Tim Sullivan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Libby supplied by my local library
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book; 1st edition (March 3, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 390 pages
• #3 in the DS George Cross series  

Synopsis (Amazon)

No fingerprints. No weapon. No witnesses. Can DS Cross prove it was murder?

THE DETECTIVE

DS George Cross doesn't rely on guesswork and he has no time for false assumptions. He is a detective who goes off the evidence in front of him, not 'hunches' or 'gut feelings'. He does not know what these are.

THE CLOSED CASE

When a young woman is found dead, the Bristol Crime Unit is quick to rule it a suicide as the woman had a long history of drug abuse. But her mother is convinced it was murder, saying that her daughter had been clean for years and had been making strides in a new therapy programme.

THE ANSWER

As an outsider himself, DS Cross is drawn to cases involving the voiceless and dispossessed and, here, the evidence states that this woman was murdered – Cross just has to prove it. But under pressure from his boss to shut down the case, and with numerous potential suspects, time is rapidly running out to get the answers that this grieving family deserve.

My Take

One of the blurbs for this series says that you don't need to read this series in order. I strongly disagree, and it is not just the George Cross in me saying that. There are certain plot element that persists sequentially from story to story. If you are a "faithful" reader, I'm sure you will agree. 

George becomes curious about an older woman whom he see hanging about his office at the MCU. After she has been ejected, he listens to her story and agrees with her that there is a case to be investigated. In this case George's interest is provoked by something that was missing from the crime scene. 

Yet another that confirms that this is an impressive series to read.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• 4.5, THE DENTIST- #1
• 4.6, THE CYCLIST - #2
  
• 4.6, THE POLITICIAN -#4
• 4.5, THE MONK - #5
  

Review: THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, Michael Robotham - a re-read

• 
  This edition an e-book for Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N7SVPRI
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sphere (11 July 2017)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Agatha is pregnant and works part-time stocking shelves at a grocery store in a ritzy London suburb, counting down the days until her baby is due. As the hours of her shifts creep by in increasing discomfort, the one thing she looks forward to at work is catching a glimpse of Meghan, the effortlessly chic customer whose elegant lifestyle dazzles her. Meghan has it all: two perfect children, a handsome husband, a happy marriage, a stylish group of friends, and she writes perfectly droll confessional posts on her popular parenting blog—posts that Agatha reads with devotion each night as she waits for her absent boyfriend, the father of her baby, to maybe return her calls.

When Agatha learns that Meghan is pregnant again, and that their due dates fall within the same month, she finally musters up the courage to speak to her, thrilled that they now have the ordeal of childbearing in common. Little does Meghan know that the mundane exchange she has with a grocery store employee during a hurried afternoon shopping trip is about to change the course of her not-so-perfect life forever…

With its brilliant rendering of the secrets some women hold close and a shocking act that cannot be undone, The Secrets She Keeps delivers a dark and twisted page-turner that is absolutely impossible to put down.

My Take

I've actually read this twice before: once shortly after it was published,  and also two years ago.

I've read it a third time to refresh my memory, and to lead a discussion with my U3A Crime Fiction group, where I've nominated Michael Robotham as one of two Australian prize winning authors we will discuss. The other is Garry Disher.

Originally written as a standalone, in it Robotham attempted "two voices" for the first time, and also introduced us to psychologist Cyrus Haven. 

For the discussion with my U3A group I found the following "AI-generated" questions online. I will see how they go with my group. I suspect they are based on the television series rather than the book.

"The Secrets She Keeps" invites questions about the complex motivations of both Agatha and Meghan, the nature of their secrets, and the societal pressures surrounding motherhood, including:

About Agatha's motivations and past:

•  What drove Agatha to make the drastic decision to kidnap Meghan's baby?
•  How did Agatha's past experiences with motherhood and loss shape her actions?
• To what extent does Agatha believe she is acting in the best interests of the baby?
• How does Agatha rationalize her actions to herself?
  

About Meghan's perspective:

• How does Meghan's public persona as a social media influencer impact her perception of the situation?
• How does Meghan's relationship with her husband, Jack, change throughout the story?
• Does Meghan ever suspect Agatha's true identity and intentions?
• How does Meghan grapple with the trauma of losing her baby and the subsequent investigation?

Exploring the themes:

• How does the series portray the complexities of motherhood and the pressures placed on women to be perfect mothers?
• What commentary does the show make on the dangers of online privacy and social media scrutiny?
• How does the narrative explore the concept of maternal instinct and its potential for extreme behavior?

 Not all of my group will have read the book recently. Some will be telling us about other Robotham books they have read. I'd like to know what has stuck in their mind from this book in particular.

My rating: 5.0

I've also read

BOMBPROOF

SHATTER #3

SHATTER (audio)

BLEED FOR ME #4

5.0, THE WRECKAGE #5

4.8, SAY YOU'RE SORRY #6

5.0, WATCHING YOU #7

4.8, IF I TELL YOU... I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU (edit)

5.0, LIFE OR DEATH Shortlisted for the 2015 CWA Gold Dagger

4.8, CLOSE YOUR EYES

5.0, THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS

5.0, THE SUSPECT #1 (audio)

4.8, LOST #2 (audio)

5.0, THE OTHER WIFE

4.8, GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL -Cyrus Haven #1

4.8, WHEN SHE WAS GOOD -Cyrus Haven #2

5.0, WHEN YOU ARE MINE 

5.0, LYING BESIDE YOU - Cyrus Haven #3

5.0, THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS

5.0, STORM CHILD - Cyrus Haven #4

Review: THE BRIDE OF LILLY PILLY CREEK, Abbie L. Martin

• 
  This edition an e-book from Amazon
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C7CMDG59
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Abbie Allen Publishing (August 26, 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 214 pages
• Book #2 in the Lilly Pilly Creek series  

Synopsis (Amazon)

The second instalment in The Lilly Pilly Creek Ghost Mystery series finds sisters Jones and Autumn embroiled in yet another local mystery. Jones has been assisting Iris, a bride-to-be, in creating a memory box for her wedding. But at the final dress fitting disaster strikes. Iris collapses, leaving everyone shocked.

Invisible to all but Jones, Autumn decides to use her ghostly skills to aid in unravelling the mystery surrounding Iris's sudden collapse. Together, they delve into the secrets of Lilly Pilly Creek, determined to uncover the truth.

Jones and Autumn follow the clues that lead to trouble brewing between two rival farming families. With her friends Wren and Atlas, and her spectral sister, by her side, Jones races against time to uncover the truth and bring the culprits to justice.

As they investigate, Jones must also navigate her feelings for Hugo, the bartender next door, as well as the constant fear that her ghostly sister Autumn could at any moment be lost to her forever.

Join them on this captivating journey of courage, love, and unbreakable bonds that will leave you breathless until the very last page.

My Take

There was just enough in this story to keep me interested.  It includes references to a little known tourist attractions of the Adelaide Hills, "ghost" mushrooms. 

I still have my reservations about Jones' ghostly sister Autumn, but I will continue with the series.

My rating: 4.3 

I've also read

4.4, THE GHOST OF LILLY PILLY CREEK =#1

Review: THE MONK, Tim Sullivan

• 
  This edition an e-book supplied by my local library on Libby
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B2FDB5T2
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book; 1st edition (April 27, 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 414 pages
• #5 in the DS George Cross series  

Synopsis (Amazon)

To find a murderer, you need a motive . . .

THE CASE
DS George Cross is called to investigate when the body of a monk is found savagely beaten in a woodland near Bristol.

THE QUESTION
Nothing is known about Brother Dominic's past. How can Cross unpick a crime when he doesn't know anything about the victim? And why would someone want to harm a monk?

THE PAST
They learn that Brother Dominic had no enemies – or, at least, none that are obvious. But his past reveals that he was once a wealthy man, that he sacrificed it all for his faith.

For a man who has nothing, it seems strange that greed could be the motive for his murder. But greed is a sin after all . . .

My Take

I am thoroughly enjoying this series. This book is a little longer than the earlier ones that I have read.

George is thrust into a new environment, the abbey where the murdered monk lived, and to his surprise he finds it engaging. George is his usual meticulous self, going over the clues in fine detail.

Highly recommended. Off to find another in the series...

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.5, THE DENTIST- #1

4.6, THE CYCLIST - #2

4.6, THE POLITICIAN -#4

 

 

 

Review: BETTER LEFT DEAD, Catherine Lea

• 
   This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJG69T13
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ David Bateman Ltd (October 2, 2024)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 357 pages
• #2 in the DI Nyree Bradshaw series
• author website 
  

Synopsis (publisher)

DI Nyree Bradshaw and her team have their work cut out for them once again. Local woman Lizzy Bean has been found dead, garrotted with a piece of wire. Lizzy’s property, a 1950s beach house overlooking a pristine Northland bay, is overflowing with rubbish. Inside the house is even worse.

As Nyree and her team delve into the case, clues begin to reveal an intricate web of connections involving a local crime syndicate, a kidnapped woman, and a group of ex-foster children haunted by the past.

Meanwhile, Nyree’s own past is catching up with her. Forever racked by guilt that she has failed her son who is currently in prison for murder, Nyree might finally get a chance to redeem herself in his eyes . . . but it comes at a steep cost. 

My Take

This second in the DI Nyree Bradshaw series lives up to the promise that I detected in the first in the series and I'm looking forward to more.

The action in this story is linked to a 20 year old case, and the scenario is very tangled. In addition Nyree's own life becomes tangled as she discovers she has a granddaughter who needs her.

An excellent read.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE WATER'S DEAD - #1