A dark shadow has been cast over the friendships of Lisa, Nicole and Samantha as they attempt to recreate a life changing Outback trek that has left a nightmarish imprint on their psyches. The inanimate austerity of rock and sand is occasionally lifted by the reflected light of the sea whose changing tides begin to mirror … Continue reading “The Geography of Friendship by Sally Piper”
Author: Rich Jones
The Truth Waits – Susanna Beard
The waves wash silently over cold flesh as time passes unnoticed; a life extinguished by violence lies unloved with distant screams falling unheard onto silent sand. The deadly discovery triggers an emotional storm whose negative energy is further polluted by the uncovering of a bullying and sociopathic criminal class living off the fear of the … Continue reading “The Truth Waits – Susanna Beard”
The Key to Flambards by Linda Newbery
Imagine the Famous Five tweeting their thoughts for the day before rambling into the countryside in search of adventure and jolly japes. The Key to Flambards manages to depict this surreal fictional jump as the nostalgic undertones of Enid Blyton seep into the Facebook generation with every turn of the sepia tinted page. The green and pleasant land of … Continue reading “The Key to Flambards by Linda Newbery”
Murmuration by Robert Lock
Starlings provide the panoramic perspective on a town whose fortune has been made from the hypnotic impact of the sea but whose ultimate demise is overseen by a pier whose physical permanence has been gradually eroded by the tides of time. The murmuration of winged guardians are the town’s avian hard drive, able to host … Continue reading “Murmuration by Robert Lock”
A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia
Heloise Chancery is an exotic Victorian sleuth, a cat walk Sherlock with a wardrobe to die for and not a deerstalker to cry over. She has a charisma that adds colour to a London landscape shrouded in grey, a celebrity in an era when the paparazzi hounded their prey in a horse and carriage. With … Continue reading “A Necessary Murder by M J Tjia”
Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung
Lucy Lam is on the verge of drowning in the oestrogen filled waters of Laurinda school but manages to prevent an emotional shipwreck by regaining her sense of self just as the life-boats are being lowered. Much like the Vietnamese boat people she is descended from she demonstrates a resilience and desire to survive seemingly … Continue reading “Lucy and Linh by Alice Pung”
Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin
Genesis might conjure up childhood memories of Sunday school and the beginning of the bible but in the lead character we have a namesake who is perversely the signifier of the end when an unplanned pregnancy leads to the melt down of a youthful relationship and a fatal decision. This perfect storm of high emotion … Continue reading “Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin”
Tale of a Tooth by Allie Rogers
Colour and sound convey the emotional ebbs and flows of a deteriorating relationship observed through the innocent eyes of Danny whose sensitivities to light and noise hint at a mental imbalance that struggles to find clear expression. The syntax and language are articulated in the voice of a young child allowing the reader to regress … Continue reading “Tale of a Tooth by Allie Rogers”
The Zero and the One by Ryan Ruby
Pembroke College Oxford is the educational cauldron for two brilliant but damaged egos whose diverse backgrounds trigger an attraction of opposites in which a mutual need to define their own destinies leads to a catastrophic denouement. Zach is the American Svengali whose Ivy League background is at odds with Owen’s provincial upbringing but their coming … Continue reading “The Zero and the One by Ryan Ruby”
The Teacher’s Secret by Suzanne Leal
A much maligned vocation slowly suffocating under the weight of bureaucracy is the catalyst for an ideological clash between Terry the free spirited educator and Laurie the newly appointed, results driven head teacher whose risk averse business model views children as commodities rather than individuals. Suzanne Leal presents a rich array of characters inhabiting an … Continue reading “The Teacher’s Secret by Suzanne Leal”