This didn’t age too well lol. The main police detective is ‘famous� I assume from solving some high visibility crime cases in the past � we don’t go iThis didn’t age too well lol. The main police detective is ‘famous� I assume from solving some high visibility crime cases in the past � we don’t go into why she’s so lauded, or if we did I missed it. My main gripe was that this experienced detective seems to fall into immediate infatuation with a lady teacher, Sybil - and then has an affair with her while the case is still active and Sybil is still an active suspect. Despite never having a same-sex relationship before, Sybil also immediately falls in love with Carol. One of the teachers was routinely having relationships with his students � which the staff and students all seemed to know but did nothing about. The way Carol’s police offsider talked about it was very dated � “Hell, Carol, you seen the girls around here? They look a million dollars and they’re not kids, you know. I can understand how Pagett felt.� (p47). The media reporting on the case, a reporter exclaimed � “nubile young beach goddesses from Bellwether High�. (p73) Ew. The teachers were getting offers for exclusive interviews from ‘Behind the News� lol � I remember watching that at school. I don't think I'll continue with the other 17 books in this series lol - though it was fun reading about a fictional Aussie detective in Sydney. For more bookish goodness, check out FishbirdCentral.com :) ...more
This was just ok for me. I didn’t find the main crime/plot very interesting, so was mostly reading as the police procedural flow was comforting lol. WThis was just ok for me. I didn’t find the main crime/plot very interesting, so was mostly reading as the police procedural flow was comforting lol. Why a small town murder should comfort me is something I might need to unpack in the future. Content warning for readers around suicide. I don’t find Matthew Venn a charismatic character lead, but it is a nice change to have a detective with a quieter personality that can still command respect from their team and is clever enough to unravel the crimes. I find it strange that we don’t read mostly from Venn’s perspective � jumping alternately from Jen and Ross’s detective POVs� which does help to present a more rounded view of the proceedings, but I’d like to spend more time in Venn’s head. I appreciated that the relationship with Venn's mother has progressed, and that his husband is quite a different offsetting personality. I’ll pick up book 3 in the series, but am curious to read some of the Vera books (love Vera TV Show) to see if there’s something I’m missing in Cleeves’s writing, or if its just this series I’m not head over heels with. Check out FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish goodness :)...more
This was my first real foray into Sanderson's work, and I loved it! Strong female lead with a fixation on mugs (happens to the best of us), well plottThis was my first real foray into Sanderson's work, and I loved it! Strong female lead with a fixation on mugs (happens to the best of us), well plotted and paced - and left me feeling sad to say goodbye to the characters, which hasn't happened to me in a long time! There are talking animals, pirates, a true-love's quest, evil sorceresses and spore monsters - what's not to love?! The story is narrated by a cursed cabin boy called Hoid - who I'd be keen to read more about - and highlights the importance of friendship, kindness and common sense while adventuring. I'm now fully onboard to read some more of the Cosmere universe tales. Head over to FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish content :)...more
This was fun to read, and I vaguely remember watching the tv show when I was a kid. What’s the fascination of watching historical households go about This was fun to read, and I vaguely remember watching the tv show when I was a kid. What’s the fascination of watching historical households go about their daily chores? Similar to the voyeurism of watching vlogs about people doing their grocery shopping on youtube I suppose lol. I liked the drama of the interactions between the servants downstairs and the differing levels of interest in the goings on in the house. The servants having to be aware of what’s going on and where the main household family are, as they don’t want to be seen or heard unless asked for, and cleaning up after them - while the family barely see them as people until there’s an inconvenience. Was surprised that the story spanned a fair bit of time, and got dark in places � with suicide and the ill effects of being on the street if you were found without placement. Lady Marjorie renames a servant called Sarah as ‘Clemence is not a servant’s name� (p8) - which was wild. Sarah didn’t mind though, as ‘When she was a little girl she had been very fond of a spaniel called Sarah� (p8) lol. All in all a quirky and enjoyable read. Head over to FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish goodness :) ...more
Really enjoyed this one & will hunt down some more of Koryta's work to add to my TBR. As we piece together what happened out on the yacht, we find outReally enjoyed this one & will hunt down some more of Koryta's work to add to my TBR. As we piece together what happened out on the yacht, we find out more about Israel's backstory - why he went to prison for murder, and the wider implications for the island. The island setting was atmospheric, and the intergenerational family dynamics were interesting and at times hard to read - trigger warnings for child abuse. I listened to a lot of this on audio, which was done well too. This book was nominated for 'Best Novel' 2024 Edgar Allan Poe Awards! The final scenes were quite heartfelt and cinematic, and if you saw me well up, no you didn't. Defs recommend!
"Let people tell you war is grand, and do not reprove them. Let them tell you the jingle of the sword and spurs and the whooshing sounds of a mounted "Let people tell you war is grand, and do not reprove them. Let them tell you the jingle of the sword and spurs and the whooshing sounds of a mounted knights armour are the music of a medieval balladeer, and do not reprove them. But never let them tell you there is rhyme or reason to war, lest you join the lunatics who have perpetuated its suffering from the cave to the present.' (p218)
I love James Lee Burke's writing, he always manages to capture a sense of place so well. This book alternates character perspective each chapter, which I often don't enjoy - but in this story it worked well to showcase how everyone tends to see themselves in a gracious light, while their actions to others may seem the polar opposite. There is a constant undercurrent of violence throughout the novel - as the story is set during a very volatile time - and content warning for sexual assault. This was hard to read at times, but also an interesting glimpse into a place and period of history I know little about. 'Flags on the Bayou' also won Best Novel in the 2024 Edgar Awards!
I'm enjoying the characters in White’s Dana Russo Series, however felt this story was lacking compared to the other two. It felt liked White had a faiI'm enjoying the characters in White’s Dana Russo Series, however felt this story was lacking compared to the other two. It felt liked White had a fairly simple idea for a crime and the culprit, but not a lot of decoys along the way. I felt like this could have been a lot shorter. We seemed to be going over the same ground a lot � treading water. A lot of explaining and summarising the investigation due to the lack of other real suspects. The prison angle was explored slightly, but mostly we stay with the sisters and I felt we arrived at a resolution a little too easily. While the weakest of the books so far for me, I’m still a fan of White and will read the next one in the series. Check out FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish goodness :) ...more
Yay! Another great Aussie crime read :) This was well paced with interesting characters and had some good twisty reveals at the end. Set in a fictionalYay! Another great Aussie crime read :) This was well paced with interesting characters and had some good twisty reveals at the end. Set in a fictional small Australian town called Nannine in central NSW � “far enough off the highway that no travellers passed through searching for hot pies and public toilets.� (p3) � small enough to only have a small convenience store/post office as a grocery store. The pub is the main hub of the town - “The town had faded back to a few essentials, and its primary industry now was stubbornness.� (p5). Great small country town vibes. Mina’s sister Evelyn went missing when the twin girls were younger (Mina 9 yrs old) & the case remained unsolved. With his own personal reasons for taking on the case, PI Land Holland starts to investigate. Told from 2 POVs � Lane and Mina in varying chapters. I didn’t want to put this one down, which is a good sign of a great read. Would definitely recommend. Head over to FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish goodness :) ...more
I really enjoyed this one � well paced and good characters. Avery is clever, resourceful and practical. The estate of Tobias Hawthorne has been sendingI really enjoyed this one � well paced and good characters. Avery is clever, resourceful and practical. The estate of Tobias Hawthorne has been sending Avery letters � very much a Hogwarts feel � and Libby had been ignoring them thinking they were spam. Another Hogwarts reference when Avery visits the house for the first time � “It was like stepping into Buckingham Palace or Hogwarts and being told that it was yours.� (p60) Tobias Hawthorn’s net worth was 46.2 billion dollars - wowza! - and Avery will inherit pretty much all of it, under the condition that she lives in the house for a year. Hawthorn had 4 grandsons that were basically disinherited, along with other members of the fam. Avery feels attracted to all the brothers at one point or another which is kinda annoying and I could have done without all the mooning over Grayson and Jameson � we get it, she thinks they’re hot. Thankfully the rest of the story was paced quickly enough to move past it. I liked that none of the brothers were outwardly cruel. They were in their own world dealing with their own family history, but were still remarkably inclusive � even though they were also recognising that Avery was a piece in a puzzle that their grandfather had set. An interesting read and intrigued to read book 2. Check out FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish goodness :) ...more
“There were always bullies, but the adults were still in charge. Now? Now the bullies rule. Different game, brother, a whole different game. We play b“There were always bullies, but the adults were still in charge. Now? Now the bullies rule. Different game, brother, a whole different game. We play by the bully rules now.� (p183) Really torn with this one. I’m definitely interested to see what’s behind the creation of the dome and the kids and animals mutating and developing supernatural powers. On the other side, this is mainly a ‘battle� between really sick bullies and really young kids that are trying to stand up for themselves and work out what’s going on. With everyone over the age of 15 disappearing, the young kids left have few skills in which to build a functioning group dynamic. Some characters read a lot older in their actions than what I’d expect would happen. Quite early on they realise that a house-to-house search to make sure kids aren’t trapped inside/stoves left on etc / is necessary. Didn’t love how pretty much all the female characters are sidelined by ‘caring� duties or as sidekicks for the boys � Astrid’s brother/Mary with the preschoolers/Diana with Caine. I read a review early on where a reader noted that she winced whenever Quinn said ‘Brah� which got under my skin too. His character annoyed me the most � which speaks to Grant’s writing, I believed him enough not to to like him lol. I liked that the animals were mutating too and had powers. This leaves a lot of questions for the next book in the series. An interesting read. Check out FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish goodness :) ...more
I wasn't sure I was going to get along with this book at the outset, as when we're first introduced to our protagonist he's cheating on his wife for tI wasn't sure I was going to get along with this book at the outset, as when we're first introduced to our protagonist he's cheating on his wife for the millionth time - not my fave character trait. The plot barrels along though and Joe King Oliver is soon battling his way through a corrupt police system, trying to clear his name and also solve a case involving a few more dodgy cops. Written in 2018, Mosley still retains a lot of pot-boiler swagger in his dialogue which is a kick to read - "...you're twelve miles of bad road." (p50)... "America was changing at a snail's pace in a high wind, but until that gastropod mollusk reached its destination I had a .45 in my pocket and eyes on all four corners at once." (p127). I was a bit creeped out in places where Joe kept focusing on what his daughter was wearing. It didn't tip into anything gross, but let's move on dude and maybe focus on your own pants. We do also get a reference to Mosley's famous novel 'Devil in a Blue Dress' on page 295, which was fun - "Willa was wearing a blue dress reminding me of the femme fatale of one of my favourite novels."  I was a fan by the end of this one, and will definitely pick up Book 2 in this series. This book also won 'Best Novel' in the 2019 Edgar Awards. "I learned that reading is important, that law is an ever-changing variable equation, and that a man is a fool if he works alone." (p214). Check out FishbirdCentral.com for more bookish content :)...more
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