Lyn: The Mystery Case of Rudolph Diesel by Douglas Brunt
Lyn described this as a fascinating read. The author is an investigative journalist who has tried to explain the disappearance of Rudolph Diesel by looking at family records, diaries and other clues.
It begins to sound like a murder mystery.
Rudolph Diesel invented the internal combustion engine but only wanted it to be used for peaceful purposes. Despite this, the Germans used it for their weapons in World War 1.because of this, Diesel defected to England but vanished on the journey. Was it an accident, murder or suicide?
Well worth reading.
Judy J: Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
The story begins on a delayed flight from Hobart to Sydney when an older woman walks through the cabin pointing at passengers and predicting how and when they will die. The plane lands safely but everyone on board will be forever changed, especially the six passengers whose predicted deaths loom in the very near future.
Some will live their lives differently, some will try to ignore it while other obsess over it, affecting their lives and those around them. Judy thought there was a little too much emphasis on the life of the psychic.
There are some surprising connections by the end and some satisfying and heart-warming conclusions for a few of the characters.
A little too long but an interesting read.
Bev: Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald
The story is set in a small country town in Western Australia where not much happens.
One day ,the Government building which houses all the local and state services, explodes.
Is it someone who holds a grudge?
Detective Dave Burrows from the Stock Squad is sent to solve the problem.
An interesting story said Bev.
Rosemary S: The Olive Sisters by Amanda Hampton
Adrienne Bennett is a successful businesswoman with an enviable lifestyle but when her business goes down her life falls apart and her self-confidence quickly crumbles. She is forced to move from her beautiful Sydney apartment to the small rural community of Duffy’s Creek and the run-down olive grove she has inherited from her grandparents.
In a parallel narrative we follow Adrienne’s grandparents who had worked hard to establish the olive grove as a legacy for their family.
Rosemary described it as a good, light summer read.
Pat: The Complete Book of Heroic Australian Women by Susanna De Vries
Pat was particularly taken with the stories of women who lived in the outback during the 1800’s particularly the amount of work they had to do. With the men away for many months they had to battle flood, drought, lack of medical help and who knows what else. It was humbling to read.
Judy A: The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk
The setting is 1913, in the Guesthouse for Gentlemen on Göbersdorf which is now in Western Poland. The real town was the first place in the world to specialise in the treatment of tuberculosis. Young 24-year-old Mieczyslaw Wojnicz has come to stay to get treatment at the famous sanitorium and the narration is centred around his character. While this group of 5 men are not having treatment they gather in the guesthouse, imbibe the hallucinogenic local liquor and pontificate about world events, politics, religion, the inferiority of women, which was sometimes interesting and sometimes was skimmed by Judy.
Strange things start to happen in the mountains around there, including mysterious deaths which affect the villagers and the guests – things which seem to happen regularly every November.
Judy described it as an interesting read, and she would like to read more of the author’s work.
Prue: The Gray Wolf by Loise Penny
Louise Penny is sometimes referred to as ‘the Agatha Christie of Canada’. This is the 19th book featuring Inspector Gamache and set in the little town of Three Pines.
The story is a murder/mystery where a domestic terrorist is trying to pollute the waters of Montreal.
She writes beautifully, it’s easy to read and her characters are always interesting.
The book gets more exciting as the story is revealed and little snippets link this book and characters to previous books although it does work as a standalone read.
Prue thoroughly enjoyed it.
Helen: The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas
The book tells the tender love story between two guys of different backgrounds. It is raw and carnal and explicit in the description of gay sex. The story is a standout observation of the human condition and cultural wars.
Helen liked the story but thought some of these passages were a distraction.
Kerrie: Astray by Emma Donaghue
Kerrie is particularly fond of this author’s writing and the genre of short stories.
All the characters have gone ‘astray’ but the stories are set in different times and continents.
Some are emigrants, stowaways , lovers or even runaways but added to this is her ability to put you in the place whether it be Ireland, San Francisco or the many other wonderful worlds she creates all based on a little bit of fact.
Joan: Patriot by Alexei Navalny
This is the memoir of the author fearlessly opposing the corruption in Russia by Putin and his cronies. The first part was written while he was in a German hospital recovering from poisoning by Russian agents.
With his return to Russia he was again arrested on trumped up charges and died in a prison in solitary confinement in the northern Russia .
He was a true, fearless patriot in every sense of the word.
Val: The Wild Science by Raynor Winn
This is the follow up the couple’s journey chronicled in The Salt Path as they walked 630 miles after finding themselves homeless.
Having returned, they now face the difficulty of going back to a normal life. Fortunately, they are offered the tenancy of an overrun farmhouse in Cornwall. The house is decrepit as are the surrounding gardens. Again it is the physical work that has helped the author’s husband who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Not satisfied with this challenge, they also start walking again, this time in Iceland.
They are a great believer in that life in the countryside is good for you and how vital is that instinctive connection to nature.
Jo: Malice in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope
Even though she is only a house sitter, Thea Osborne accompanied by her faithful hound Hepzie, seems to find herself in situations where there are bodies and mysteries to solve.
The author has written over twenty ‘cosy crime books’ , eleven of these feature Thea Osborne and all set in the glorious English countryside.
Rosemary W: Juice by Tim Winton
A man and a child live in the wilderness in a post-apocalyptic scenario. This has happened very slowly, not from one event and is set 200 years in the future.
The story revolves around living in this desert landscape and how to maintain decency as it descends into savagery.
The title refers to the ongoing need for power.
Winton writes beautifully, a good page turner, but this could be our future.
Margaret: Smoke by Michael Brissenden
The author was previously a journalist so the book is well researched and covers many themes.
It is set in a small town in California, where a body is found following fires sweeping down the canyons. There is police corruption, mystery, murder and betrayal. The characters are convincing and there are some subtle hints that could be related to Australia. The plot moves along, and it comes to a surprising ending.
Margaret thought it a brilliant book.
Kris: The Time of the Child by Nial Williams
This is a beautiful story about the small village of Faha in Ireland. The doctor in the town is helped by his eldest daughter Ronnie, his wife having died and other daughters left home.
A newborn baby is found after the travellers from the fair have left town. The baby was considered dead, but the doctor revived her and Ronnie took over the care. Will she be able to keep her?
It was the 1960’s and with the church being very powerful what would be the future of this abandoned child?
FEBRUARY - The theme is MUSIC. Choose your own title, fiction or non fiction.
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