Imagine Tony Robinson and his Time Team shifting their focus from archaeology to palaeontology, travelling back to the 19th century and setting up camp on the American frontier – this could take reality tv back to the future and in the process breathe life into prehistoric times. A stretch of the imagination undoubtedly but in … Continue reading “Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel”
Author: Rich Jones
Lilly’s House by Cassandra Perkins
Necromancy is suggestive of sorcery and black magic but in Lily’s House this gateway to the afterlife is initially more subtle and understated before assuming a deeper significance as the family tree unravels with Jen struggling to accept her grandmother’s death and its mystical fall out. The seaside setting imbues the story with golden hues … Continue reading “Lilly’s House by Cassandra Perkins”
Medea’s Curse by Anne Buist
Sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll might not provide obvious comfort to victims of abuse but in Doctor Natalie King we are confronted with a forensic psychiatrist whose approach to mental healthcare is more black book than text book. In a race to reveal the injustice of a seemingly tainted underclass the Ducatti riding maverick … Continue reading “Medea’s Curse by Anne Buist”
The Strays by Emily Bitto
A bohemian existence that challenges the social norms of pre-war Melbourne society is given innocent perspective by the childhood friendship of Eva Trentham and Lily as they live an often feral but intellectually stimulating existence in a nascent artistic commune In this boot camp for developing talent Evan Trentham is the Simon Cowell of his … Continue reading “The Strays by Emily Bitto”
The Blackbird Singularity by Matt Wilven
Matt Wilven’s immersive writing style could well result in a spell of intensive therapy as the reader is taken on an incursive journey into the head of a father struggling to deal with the sense of loss brought about by the death of his son. Vince’s filial dependency on Charlie is replaced in grief by … Continue reading “The Blackbird Singularity by Matt Wilven”
Wild Life by Liam Brown
Down and Outs rehabilitating themselves by living off the land paints an incongruous picture of back to basics self help but in these bucolic surroundings we see the Good Life descending into a testosterone fuelled version of Lord of the Flies. Don’t be fooled by this seemingly green oasis in an urban sea of grey … Continue reading “Wild Life by Liam Brown”
Timed Out by Barbara Lorna Hudson
Retirement prompts Jane to realise that she has sailed largely unaffected through life’s emotionally rocky waters and unless she starts to embrace living the tides of time are likely to wash her away unnoticed. The mental stimulus of a career in the social services has left her feeling empty and her antidote is to embark … Continue reading “Timed Out by Barbara Lorna Hudson”
Lingua Franca by William Thacker
Miles Platting is a man whose ambition is driving his love affair with the commercial power of language. However his conscience is desperately clinging to the coat tails of his naming rights agency’s vision of transforming the material fortunes of a town by rebranding its identity from the meaningful and permanent to the lightweight and … Continue reading “Lingua Franca by William Thacker”
Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron
Alex and Freddy are just your everyday robotic children – mischievous, innocent and quite clearly metallic. At a glance they could be your typical bots (sorry boys) next door but their extraordinary powers make normality a superhuman stretch of the imagination. The fantastical is subtly balanced with the everyday as humorously highlighted by the gentle … Continue reading “Mega Robo Bros by Neill Cameron”
The Wacky Man by Lyn G Farrell
The Wacky Man isn’t mad he’s bad so don’t be fooled by this faintly cartoonish title as there is nothing slapstick about a story which highlights the shattering of family normality by an abusive father whose emotional meltdown has a life changing impact on those closest to him. Irish nationalism and English xenophobia are the … Continue reading “The Wacky Man by Lyn G Farrell”