CANBERRA WEEKLY 22 JULY 2021: CANBERRA WINTER READING
In last week’s Canberra Weekly, 22 July 2021, I reviewed three books to read over a cold winter’s night in Canberra.
First up was Catherine Steadman’s captivating The Disappearing Act (Simon & Schuster), which is a highly entertaining mystery with a very engaging narrator. It also has a good eye catching cover.
In the Canberra Weekly, I said:
“The Disappearing Act by actress and author Catherine Steadman is a witty, lively and totally beguiling thriller that really hooks the reader in. The story about a British actress who travels to Los Angeles for the chaos of the ‘pilot season’ and finds herself caught up in a mysterious disappearance is well told and very captivating. The central character, Mia Eliot, is a terrific narrator, and her easy flowing storytelling quickly catches the reader up in its thrall. The pacing is brisk, and Catherine pulls off some wicked twists towards the end. The warm LA settings also make for the perfect fictional escape from a Canberra winter. Recommended.”
I also did a longer review on the blog a month or so ago: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/strong-reliable-female-narrators-late-june-reading-by-michael-robotham-catherine-steadman-and-jane-casey/
Providing a change of pace, for me, was Susannah Hardy’s Loving Lizzie March, a light hearted romantic comedy set in Sydney.
In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Sydney author Susannah Hardy also has a background in acting, and her debut novel Loving Lizzie March is a fun, warm-hearted romantic comedy with a good dollop of wit. The story about a failed fashion designer, Lizzie March, who finds herself pregnant to super-hot bad boy Jake Wheeler is an enjoyable romp through dating mishaps, romantic mix-ups and some mild stalking. The story unfolds smoothly, and Lizzie is an endearing central character, even if she is occasionally exasperating. Some serious issues underpin the story and there are touches of poignancy as Lizzie desperately searches for the wrong Mr Right. Good rom-com fun!”
Finally, John Connolly’s dark tale of vengeance, The Nameless Ones, with its evocative wintery cover, provides a good change of mood.
It is one of my favourite thrillers of 2021 so far. In the Canberra Weekly I said:
“Much darker reading is provided by John Connolly’s The Nameless Ones. Although part of his Charlie Parker series, the focus this time is on the assassins Louis and Angel. When a colleague of theirs is brutally slaughtered in a canal house in Amsterdam, Louis and Angel set off to Europe to track down the killers, who are led by the brothers Vuksan, notorious Serbian gangsters and war criminals. As usual, Connolly brings a poet’s eye to the storytelling and there are some lovely, evocative passages amid the harshness of the plot. There are also the trademark touches of the supernatural. A richly textured thriller that grips to the end.”
I also did a longer review a few weeks ago: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/the-nameless-ones-by-john-connolly-hodder-stoughton-july-2021/
So, some good reading for any time of the year!