reviews
looking for your next great read?THE GLASS MAKER by Tracy Chevalier
"An epic literary feast across centuries capturing the essence of the Muranese glass makers. A twist exists throughout the exquisite narrative - a stone that skips from 1486 to modern day. It can be a risky, clunky tool when you use 'time travel' in fiction, but...
BOOKSHOP DETECTIVES – DEAD GIRL GONE by Gareth & Louise Ward
"A refreshing, nostalgic whodunit writing style set in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand." Fictional book-store owners, Garth and Eloise Sherlock provide a barrel of laughs as they reference familiar tasks and happenings in book store life until a mysterious package is...
WELCOME TO GLORIOUS TUGA by Francesca Segal
Set on the fictional South Atlantic Island, Tuga de Oro, a vibrant array of characters deliver colourful plots to provide pure escapism amongst the weighty tomes on my to-be-read stacks. Veterinarian researcher and devout introvert Charlotte Walker heads to 'the ends...
THE CALL by Gavin Strawhan
"If you could take a snapshot of current real-life New Zealand the The Call captures in in all its shades..." Not since I read Fiona Sussman's debut novel The Last Time We spoke (2017) have I been able to read a book that is so honest and provides all the context of...
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE by Sue Williams
"On reading the last page my curiosity piqued with more questions than answers in this deeply moving account of one family's fight to freely live in safety. I say more questions than answers because I sense the author was unable to divulge the true extent of the...
AMMA by Saraid de Silva
"Amma is like a forced look into a mirror to understand how silence can harm, unspoken words can breed misunderstanding and an inability to reassure the next generation can fester brokenness." Three generations - Josephina, Sithara then Annie. From Singapore to Sri...
RETURN TO BLOOD by Michael Bennett
"Former Auckland detective Hana Westerman cannot shake her policing instincts when a cold case collides with a new body discovery...it's deeply personal and there are more questions than answers." As Hana Westerman, former employee of the Auckland Criminal...
WILD DATE PALM by Diane Armstrong
"Bold siblings set up an intricate spy network to ultimately save their small Jewish outpost - but it sets up the strategic win of The battle Of Beersheba." Historian fans will be aware of the Battle Of Beersheba, but few would have delved into the strategic position...
THE GREAT DIVIDE by Cristina Henriquez
"The Panama Canal is a human feat of engineering magnificence, but who built it, at what cost and who had gathered in Panama in 1907?" The Panama Canal transformed global trade and industry by giving ships passage through from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean. But...
THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah
"Some books leave you wrecked and ruined with several tissues by your side...this is one." The Women is profound, so confronting and will find its way beneath your skin seeping into your soul. It's a tale hard to shake and it is time now to hear the stories of...
THE SECRETS OF THE LITTLE GREEK TAVERNA by Erin Palmisano
"Romance, delectable Greek cuisine, dependable friends with a touch of magic..." Charming characters come together on the Greek Island of Naxos, particularly the little village of Potamia. Meet Cressida, Mago and Nefelli...these intuitive, creative women are exactly...
THE MYSTERY GUEST by Nita Prose
"A classic who-dunnit style with intriguing narrative that will hold your attention until the pieces fall into place..." The location and hotel are not identifiable which enhances your imagination but the age-old mystery to solve is refreshing in a literary landscape...