Dench, Judi (2023) Shakespeare: The Man who Pays the Rent. M. Joseph.
In a series of conversations Judi Dench reminisces about her Shakespearean roles over the past seven-decades. She takes us through the plays and her roles, from Lady Macbeth and Titania to Ophelia and Portia, sharing vignettes, revelations, triumphs and disasters. A love letter to Shakespeare with a chance to revisit the Bard’s plays. A memoir for devotees of Shakespeare and Judi.
Rating: 3/5
Fforde, Katie (2024) Island in the Sun. Century.
I have been a longtime fan of Katie Fforde’s warm tales and have read every one of her 30 titles! An annual summer treat. However I am tiring of her dated stereotypes. The cast of this title is led by a guileless (and feckless) Cass who seeks to appease the men in her life, whilst denying her own talent. Cass’ father implores her to go the Caribbean island of Dominica to help the son of an old friend win an archeological prize. Not wanting her to go alone, he sends her with a carer, his friend and neighbour Ranulph. Dominica has recently been ravaged by a hurricane, and Cass and Ranulph help with the recovery. While all this is going on Cass single-handedly finds a missing petroglyph. There is romance, a bad guy, an archaeological dig and plenty of promo for Dominica in the mix. I really struggled with this one
Rating: 2/5
McKenzie, Dinuka (2024) Tipping Point. HarperCollins.
Christmas is coming and DS Kate Miles’ career is about to implode. Her estranged brother Luke is home for the funeral of a close friend, who has committed suicide, when a second friend is found shot in his home paddock. Is this a coincidence or is it a reckoning? Luke has been recently fired from his city job and is now generally drunk and disorderly causing strife for Kate and her family. When he is identified as a person of interest Kate is forced to stand down from her beloved police role. Ever tenacious Kate seeks the truth. This is Kate’s third outing. Another great Aussie rural crime read with a compassionate and intuitive detective at its heart.
Rating: 4/5
Simon, Nina (2023) Mother-Daughter Murder Night. William Morrow.
Real estate mogul Lana’s cancer diagnosis sends her to convalesce with her estranged daughter Beth, and her fifteen-year-old granddaughter Jack, on the edges of Monterey Bay’s Elkhorn Slough. But antsy Lana doesn’t do boredom. The discovery of a body in the slough and a subsequent murder accusation turns Lana, and her family, into amateur detectives. Their sleuthing soon uncovers deceitful acts, family conflicts and land disputes amongst the local conservationists and ranchers, exposing the women to danger. Feisty whodunit with heart.
Rating: 3/5
Bailey, Sarah (2024) Body of Lies. Allen & Unwin.
DS Gemma Woodstock, in her third outing, is back in her hometown of Smithson on maternity leave. When a series of crimes occur in the town, including a stolen corpse, an abandoned baby and a murder, Gemma asks to join the investigation. While balancing the demands of a baby daughter, and a pre-adolescent son, she discovers shocking secrets about her own family that puts her in real danger. As she searches for the truth she finds that nobody is who she thought they were – who can she trust? Another gripping thriller from Sarah Bailey.
Rating: 4/5
French, Tana (2024) The Hunter. Viking.
In this sequel to The Searcher we find that Cal Hooper, the former Chicago cop, has settled in his new home in a rural townland in the West of Ireland. His contentment is enhanced by his budding romance with local woman Lena, and his nurturing of wayward fifteen-year-old Trey. When Trey’s long absent father returns, with a stranger and a money-making scheme, Cal and the townland are abuzz. Is there gold in them thar hills? Cal will do whatever it takes to protect Trey from her feckless father and his big con. A wonderful ensemble cast with lots of set pieces played out in the pub and ‘over the fence’. A richly textured tale of twisted loyalties, complex relationships, moral ambiguities and retribution. A must-read!
Rating: 5/5
Hawkins, Rachel (2024) The Heiress. St Martins Press.
The death of North Carolina’s richest and most notorious woman, Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Kenmore, brings her adopted son and sole heir Camden, and wife Jules, back into the family fold at Ashby House. His childhood trauma had led him to reject his significant inheritance to live the quiet life as a teacher in Colorado, but now his relatives want to formalise the details of Ruby’s will. After they arrive Ruby’s dark secrets begin emerge, and the odious relatives threaten Cam and Jules’ very future. The story is told alternating between letters from Ruby and chapters narrated by the couple. A twisty atmospheric thriller. Page-turner.
Rating: 4/5
Twenge, Jean M (2023) Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers and Silents – and What They Mean for America’s Future. Atria Books.
Twenge outlines the drivers in generational shift in her analysis of data from mined longitudinal national surveys. She outlines the characteristics of the generations from the 1925-1945 Silents through to the 2013-2029 Polars, with the Boomers and Millennials getting the most attention. Some fascinating insights into attitudes, lifestyle choices and blame, with explanations why generations talk past each other. A broad data-rich US-centric study.
Rating: 4/5
7:30 Bookclub 