Review: Still – Matt Nable

Still

Matt Nable

Hachette Australia

ISBN: 9780733644740

RRP $32.99

Description:

STILL is an evocative, confronting and page-turning thriller from a brilliant Australian writer. If you loved THE DRY and SCRUBLANDS, you will love STILL.

Darwin, Summer, 1963.

The humidity sat heavy and thick over the town as Senior Constable Ned Potter looked down at a body that had been dragged from the shallow marshland. He didn’t need a coroner to tell him this was a bad death. He didn’t know then that this was only the first. Or that he was about to risk everything looking for answers.

Late one night, Charlotte Clark drove the long way home, thinking about how stuck she felt, a 23-year-old housewife, married to a cowboy who wasn’t who she thought he was. The days ahead felt suffocating, living in a town where she was supposed to keep herself nice and wait for her husband to get home from the pub. Charlotte stopped the car, stepped out to breathe in the night air and looked out over the water to the tangled mangroves. She never heard a sound before the hand was around her mouth.

Both Charlotte and Ned are about to learn that the world they live in is full of secrets and that it takes courage to fight for what is right. But there are people who will do anything to protect themselves and sometimes courage is not enough to keep you safe.

My View:

The hype did not mislead, this is a brilliant read! Powerfully written; emotive, evocative, filmic, tragic, an expose of historical violence and racism in a remote town, intriguing with more than a few dead bodies (and some nearly so).

This book is a time capsule of the 60’s in regional Australia; the idea of women’s rights, women as directors of their own destiny, is just starting to surface, witness the Stolen Generation policy in action, the fear it generated, the family disruptions, as we are taken back to the not to distant past, a past that can be confronting and challenging.

Women’s rights, racism, violence, corruption, revenge and the isolation of distance intersect and interact in often heart-breaking scenarios, yet there is hope. There is an amazing read. Be prepared to be transported to another time and another place. Be prepared for nail biting tension… and crocodiles.

I will most certainly be looking for more reads by this author.

P S Love the cover art.

#FridayFreebie – Nancy Business – R W R McDonald

Description:

Tippy, Uncle Pike and Devon are back for another camp cozy crime mystery from the award-winning author of The Nancys.

It’s been four months since Tippy, Uncle Pike and Devon were together for Christmas. Now back for the first anniversary of Tippy’s father’s death, the Nancys are reformed when Riverstone is rocked by an early morning explosion that kills three people and destroys the town hall.

A new case is born and the Nancys re-form. Is the accused bomber really guilty? Is there a second bomber? And if so, does that mean a threat to destroy Riverstone Bridge is real? And is asparagus a colour? Once again, it is up to the Nancys to go against the flow and ignore police advice to get to the truth.

It’s great to be back in Nancy business again, but this time it’s all different. Uncle Pike and Devon can’t agree on anything and Tippy is learning hard truths about the world and the people she loves the most. Can the Nancys stay together to do their best work and save the town? Or will the killer strike again? When everyone is right, does that make you wrong? And can Tippy ever trust anyone again

** Thanks to the lovely people at Allen & Unwin Australia I have a copy of the new release “Nancy Business” to give away to one lucky Australian resident. Its easy. In the comments simply tell me where this series is set. Giveaway closes 25th June and the winner will be randomly selected from all entrants. Good luck.**

Overnight Cinnamon Buns: Food for the Soul – Lucy Lord

It’s winter, time to get baking. Cinnamon scrolls/buns are one of my favourites.

Recipes and images taken from Food for the Soul by Lucy Lord, published by HarperCollins.

Overnight cinnamon buns with a maple cream cheese glaze

225ml milk

1 tbsp active dried yeast

90g granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp

550g strong white bread flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or use vanilla extract)

2 large eggs

75g butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING

6 tbsp butter, at room temperature

180g soft dark brown sugar

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

FOR THE MAPLE CREAM CHEESE GLAZE

120g cream cheese

3 tbsp butter, at room temperature

75g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or use vanilla extract)

4 tbsp maple syrup

pinch of salt

1. Gently warm the milk in a pan until it’s ‘bath-water warm’, then pour into a jug and add the yeast and

the tablespoon of sugar. Stir to mix and then leave to activate for 5 minutes, or until it goes foamy.

2. Put the flour, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the 90g granulated sugar,

vanilla, eggs and melted butter and then pour this into the bowl of flour along with the activated yeast milk.

Mix with a spoon until a dough forms.

3. Turn out on to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until a smooth dough is formed and

the dough is no longer sticky. Transfer this dough to a clean and lightly oiled bowl, then cover with cling film

and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, grease and line a 30 x

20cm baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

4. Without disturbing the risen dough too much, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a large rectangle,

about 40 x 60cm. Spread the softened butter all over the dough rectangle, leaving an unbuttered

1cm border on all sides. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle this all over the dough, using

your fingers to press it into the butter.

5. Starting at a long edge, tightly roll the dough up like a Swiss roll, pinching at the end to seal and keep a tight

roll. Use a very sharp knife to score and then cut the roll into 12 slices, each about 4cm thick. Trim off any

loose ends.

6. Place the rolls in the greased baking tray, cover tightly with cling film and place in the fridge overnight, or for

at least 12 hours.

7. When you are ready to bake, remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge, uncover and allow to come

to room temperature for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan

8. Bake for 20–25 minutes until starting to turn golden around the edges and the dough is firm to touch and

hollow when tapped with a wooden spoon.

9. Make the cream cheese glaze by combining everything with a hand-held electric whisk in a small bowl.

10. Remove the cinnamon buns from the oven and whilst they are still warm and in the baking tray, generously

spread the glaze over the top. Enjoy warm or keep for 2–3 days in an airtight container at room temperature

or up to 5 days in the fridge.

NOTE

• If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook attachment to mix and knead the dough.

• These can be frozen once baked or after the first proving; allow to defrost overnight in the fridge and then bake as above.

Review: Flourish for Mums – Sonia Bestulic

Review: Flourish for Mums – Sonia Bestulic

Flourish for Mums

Sonia Bestulic

Big Sky Publishing

ISBN: 9781922387998

Description:

This book is a warm hug for mothers. Motherhood is a personal journey of self-discovery. A mix of feeling delight and wonder, to challenged and overwhelmed – often, all in one day! FLOURISH for Mums is your perfect companion to cultivate 21 healthy ways to let go of unrealistic expectations and create space to celebrate your unique parenting pathway. Filled with uplifting anecdotes and supportive strategies, while busting big misconceptions – this is personal, yet universal in its strong, yet gentle messages. Handbag friendly and always ready to provide a dose of inspiration. Dear mum, it’s time to relax – replenish – FLOURISH.

My View:

There is so much “real” in this book. So much that resonates. It is promoted as a book for new mums but I think this book has a much bigger audience; it’s a book we can all find something to take with us on our life’s journey.  A book for life.

“If I had to summarise the experience of self-forgiveness; it would look a little like this:

SELF-FORGIVENESS

= Self -Awareness

  = Acknowledgement

     = Self- kindness

     = Openness to listening

        = Learning

           = Acceptance

              = Owning

                  = New space for personal growth

Review: Flourish for Mums – Sonia Bestulic

…. tune in and listen to yourself.” P98

#FridayFreebie : The Bombay Prince – Sujata Massey

Thanks to the lovely people at Allen & Unwin Australia I have one copy of the just released book, The Bombay Prince to give away to an Australian resident.

Description:

The redoubtable Perveen Mistry makes her triumphant return to solve a shocking murder on the streets of 1920s Bombay’Perveen [Mistry] is much more than a sari-clad Miss Marple: she’s Bombay’s first female lawyer as well as a keenly intelligent sleuth, a trail-blazing woman balancing the weight of family tradition with her own dreams . . . a deliciously satisfying read!’ Kate Quinn, The New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code

November, 1921. Edward VIII, Prince of Wales and future ruler of India, is arriving in Bombay to begin a four-month tour.

The Indian subcontinent is chafing under British rule, and India’s only female lawyer, Perveen Mistry, isn’t surprised when local unrest spirals into riots. But she’s horrified by the death of Freny Cuttingmaster, an eighteen-year-old student who falls from a second-floor gallery just as the prince’s grand procession is passing by her college.

Freny had come for a legal consultation just days before her death, and what she confided makes Perveen suspect that her death was not an accident. When Freny’s death is indeed ruled a murder, Perveen knows she can’t rest until she sees justice done.

‘Fantastic! . . . Anyone who likes Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries will love this.’ Bri Lee, bestselling author of Eggshell Skull, on The Satapur Moonstone

‘Massey has created the best gumshoe of them all – the utterly wonderful, exceptional Perveen Mistry. Bright and brilliantly aware.’ The Maitland Mercury on The Satapur Moonstone

**For your chance to win simple tell me the name of either book one or two in this series ( in the comments). Entries will be randomly selected on the 12th of June 2021. Good luck.**