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By Mary Stanley
Millicent McHarg, an eccentric and forthright novelist, is adored by her three granddaughters. When the eldest, Prunella, nicknamed Plumpet, is found hurt and bewildered in her own bed on Christmas morning following a party the night before, her family must at once deal with the emotional pain, and try to solve the mystery. With Plumpet's sisters' help, Millicent prepares to take a grandmother's revenge...
London. Headline Book Publishing. 2023. 320p.
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Dean Koontz
Loop me in, odd one.The words, spoken in the deep of night by a sleeping child, chill the young man watching over her. For this was a favorite phrase of Stormy Llewellyn, his lost love, and Stormy is dead, gone forever from this world. In the haunted halls of the isolated monastery where he had sought peace, Odd Thomas is stalking spirits of an infinitely darker nature Through twoNew York Timesbestselling novels Odd Thomas has established himself as one of the most beloved and unique fictional heroes of our time. Now, wielding all the power and magic of a master storyteller at the pinnacle of his craft, Dean Koontz follows Odd into a singular new world where he hopes to make a fresh beginning—but where he will meet an adversary as old and inexorable as time itself. St. Bartholomew’s Abbey sits in majestic solitude amid the wild peaks of California’s high Sierra, a haven for children otherwise abandoned, and a sanctuary for those seeking insight. Odd Thomas has come here to learn to live fully again, and among the eccentric monks, their other guests, and the nuns and young students of the attached convent school, he has begun to find his way. The silent spirits of the dead who visited him in his earlier life are mercifully absent, save for the bell-ringing Brother Constantine and Odd’s steady companion, the King of Rock 'n' Roll. But trouble has a way of finding Odd Thomas, and it slinks back onto his path in the form of the sinister bodachs he has met previously, the black shades who herald death and disaster, and who come late one December night to hover above the abbey’s most precious charges. For Odd is about to face an enemy who eclipses any he has yet encountered, as he embarks on a journey of mystery, wonder, and sheer suspense that surpasses all that has come before. From the Hardcover edition.
NY. Harper Collins. 2006. 378p.
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By Fiona McIntosh
Evie, a widow and stationmaster’s daughter, helplessly looks out for the weekly visit of the handsome man she and her sister call The Southerner on their train platform in the wilds of northern England. When polite salutations shift to friendly conversations, they become captivated by each other’s reticent manner. After so much sorrow, the childless Evie can’t believe love and the chance for her own family has come into her life again.
With rumours coming out of Germany that Hitler may be stirring up war again, local English authorities have warned against spies. Even Evie becomes suspicious of her new suitor, Roger. But all is not what it seems.
When Roger is arrested, Evie comes up with an audacious plan to prove his innocence that means moving to Germany and working as a British counter-spy. Wearing the disguise of dutiful, naïve wife, Evie must charm the Nazi Party’s dangerous officials to bring home hard evidence of war mongering on the Führer’s part.
But in this game of cat and mouse, it seems everyone has an ulterior motive, and Evie finds it impossible to know who to trust. With lives on the line, ultimate sacrifices will be made as she wrestles between her patriotism and saving the man she loves.
From the windswept moors of the Yorkshire dales to the noisy beer halls of Munich and grand country estates in the picture-book Bavarian mountains, this is a lively and high-stakes thriller that will keep you second-guessing until the very end.
Penguin. Random House. 2021. 434p.
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Minette Walters
CRIME & MYSTERY. In 1970, Harold Stamp, a retarded twenty-year-old was convicted on disputed evidence and a retracted confession of brutally murdering his grandmother the one person who understood and protected him. Less than three years later he is dead, driven to suicide by isolation and despair. A fate befitting a murderer, perhaps, but what if he were innocent? Thirty years on, Jonathan Hughes, an anthropologist specialising in social stereotyping, comes across the case by accident. He finds alarming disparities in the evidence and has little doubt that Stamp's conviction was a terrible miscarriage of justice. But how far is he prepared to go in the search for justice? Is the forgotten story of one friendless young man compelling enough to make him leave his books and face his own demons? And with what result? If Stamp didn't murder Grace Jeffries then somebody else did, which means there's a dangerous killer still at large.
Crows Nest, Australia. ALLEN & UNWIN. 2003. 408p.
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By Tea Cooper
In The Talented Mrs. Greenway, readers are invited into the mysterious world of Agatha Greenway, a renowned painter with a shadowy past. As her intricate and captivating artwork takes the art world by storm, whispers of her enigmatic life story begin to spread.
Set against the backdrop of the bustling art scene in New York City, this gripping novel explores the boundaries between art and reality, fame and anonymity, and the price of hidden truths. As Agatha's carefully constructed facade starts to crumble, readers are taken on a journey that blurs the lines between perception and deception.
With masterful storytelling and a keen eye for detail, The Talented Mrs. Greenway is a compelling exploration of artistry, ambition, and the secrets that lie beneath the surface. Dive into this mesmerizing tale and uncover the hidden layers of Agatha Greenway's world.
Discover the truth behind the talent in The Talented Mrs. Greenway.
Australia. HQ fiction. 2023. 378p.
USED BOOK-MAY CONTAIN MARKUP
By Jane Harper
Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.
The hike through the rugged Giralang Ranges is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.
Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case - and Alice knew secrets. About the company she worked for and the people she worked with.
Far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell Falk a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. And as he delves into the disappearance, it seems some dangers may run far deeper than anyone knew.
Pan Macmillan Australia, Sep 26, 2017, 377 pages
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By Mark Brandt
In the heart of the Australian outback lies the small town of Wimmera, where everyone knows everyone and secrets run deep. In Mark Brandi's gripping novel "WIMMERA," the tranquility of this close-knit community is shattered by a devastating event that exposes a dark truth hidden for years.
As childhood friends Ben and Fab struggle to come to terms with the haunting secret they share, the tight bonds holding Wimmera together begin to unravel. Brandi's masterful storytelling unravels the layers of mystery and trauma, drawing readers into a world where loyalty and betrayal go hand in hand.
"WIMMERA" is a compelling tale of friendship, survival, and the lengths to which people will go to protect those they love. With its vivid prose and atmospheric setting, this novel delves into the complexities of human nature and the chilling consequences of buried secrets resurfacing in a town where silence speaks louder than words.
Australia. Hatchette. 2017. 269p.
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BY JULIAN LEATHERDALE
In the murky world of Kings Cross in 1932, aspiring crime writer Joan Linderman and her friend and flatmate Bernice Becker live the wild bohemian life, a carnival of parties and fancy-dress artists' balls.
One Saturday night, Joan is thrown headfirst into a real crime when she finds Ellie, her neighbour, murdered. To prove her worth as a crime writer and bring Ellie's killer to justice, Joan secretly investigates the case in the footsteps of Sergeant Lillian Armfield.
But as Joan digs deeper, her list of suspects grows from the luxury apartment blocks of Sydney's rich to the brothels and nightclubs of the Cross's underclass.
Death in the Ladies' Goddess Club is a riveting noir crime thriller with more surprises than even novelist Joan bargained for: blackmail, kidnapping, drug-peddling, a pagan sex cult, undercover cops, and a shocking confession.
From the shadows of bohemian and underworld Kings Cross, who will emerge to tell the real story?
Sydney - Meldourne• Auckland • London. Allen & Unwin.. 2020. 398P.
