missing girls

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Review: Under the Midnight Sky – Anna Romer

Under the Midnight Sky

Anna Romer

Simon and Schuster Australia

ISBN: 9781925184457

 

Description:

Chilling secrets buried deep in wild bushland drive this thrilling new novel from bestseller Anna Romer

 

When an injured teenager goes missing at a remote bushland campground, local journalist Abby Bardot is determined to expose the area’s dark history. The girl bears a striking resemblance to the victims of three brutal murders that occurred twenty years ago and Abby fears the killer is still on the loose.

 

But the newspaper Abby works for wants to suppress the story for fear it will scare off tourists to the struggling township. Haunted by her own turbulent memories, Abby is desperate to learn the truth and enlists the help of Tom Gabriel, a reclusive crime writer. At first resentful of Abby’s intrusion, Tom’s reluctance vanishes when they discover a hidden attic room in his house that shows evidence of imprisonment from half a century before.

 

As Abby and Tom sift through the attic room and discover its tragic history, they become convinced it holds the key to solving the bushland murders and finding the missing girl alive.

 

But their quest has drawn out a killer, someone with a shocking secret who will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

 

My View

I really enjoyed this darker, haunting, contemporary read from this author who never disappoints. On the surface this is a gritty mystery, dig a little deeper and you will find it is a contemporary exploration of the cycle of violence/trauma and how it can affect the individual and generations.  I loved how this theme was discussed via the dual time line incidents: mysteries in both generations.

Typical of Anna Romer there is her trade mark use of old documents (in this case a diary), an old building with a  Gothic charm- with secrets of its own, mystery and a little romance. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and I hope you will too.

 

 

 

 

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Post Script: Ink and Bone – Lisa Unger

ink-and-bone

Ink and Bone

Lisa Unger

Simon & Schuster Australia

ISBN: 9781471150487

 

Description:

The explosive new thriller by the New York Times bestseller, Lisa Unger.

 

Twenty-year-old Finley Montgomery has always been different. She’s never been able to control the things that happen to her – not even the pain of a new tattoo or the roar of her motorcycle can drown out the chaos. When she moves to her grandmother’s house in the small town of The Hollows in upstate New York, Finley is hoping to a fresh start.

 

Then a detective shows up. He knows about Finley’s unusual gifts and he wants her help. There’s a little girl missing and the police investigation has gone cold. Now, time is running out. Only Finley can uncover the truth – but can she find the answers before it’s too late?

 

 

My View:

I am a big fan of Lisa Unger, I love how she weaves the paranormal into the everyday, ordinary lives we live, the narratives do not seem incredible, they read as possible, and I am open to the suggestion of the type of paranormal experiences she reflects in her writing. Indeed as life imitates fiction and vice versa I have recently made acquaintance with someone who has explored “the afterlife”, hauntings etc and “virtually “ met up with an old school friend who “sees/feels/experiences “  violent deaths that occurred as she passes by old crime scenes. (Eerily this sounds very much like the protagonist in Australian author Melanie Casey’s Cass Lehman and Detective Ed Dyson series) but I digress.

 

Ink and Bone is a very satisfying though dark read, missing children are themes that are emotionally charged and grim, happy endings are not generally the outcome.   This narrative is no different – grim, dark, powerful and emotional yet it is the characters – their strengths and attitudes that lighten this read.

 

If you have read the three novellas that Lisa Unger “The Whispers” series you will have made acquaintance with some of the characters and locations in this novel. And this is where the element of reader satisfaction is called into play – the relationships developed here are gems! Finley reads as any young person trying to establish her own way in life; almost independent, trying news ways, making mistakes… Her grandmother is a delightful character too   – supportive, intuitive and with special “talents” that are a family trait.

 

All in all in all an immensely satisfying read – wonderful three dimensional characters and an intense, suspenseful read. Add an unreliable narrator who provides such a wonderfully wicked bittersweet twist to this ending…you gotta love this author and this book.

 

 

 

 

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Post Script: Pretty Girls – a Novel – Karin Slaughter

Cover Pretty Girls

Pretty Girls

 A Novel

 Karin Slaughter

Random House, Cornerstone

Cornerstone Digital

ISBN: 9781473507876

 

Description:

The compelling new standalone novel from the Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author of Unseen and Cop Town.

  

With a missing girl in the news, Claire Scott can’t help but be reminded of her sister, who disappeared twenty years ago in a mystery that was never solved.

But when Claire begins to learn the truth about her sister, nothing will ever be the same.

My View:

A narrative that will chill you to the bone! Outstanding!

 

This novel should come with a warning, several warnings actually.

 

  1. Do not start preparing meals or doing anything else that requires you attention when you start reading this book. I was fortunate – I just managed to rescue the dinner in the oven before if became charcoal. Then I finished the book.
  2. Book a yoga or Pilates class or a session of massage for after you finish reading this book – your body will be so tense you will need assistance to wind down after you finish reading this fantastic book.
  3. Second thoughts a night cap might also do the trick.
  4. Once you have read this you cannot “unread’ the images- be warned- graphic violence.
  5. Be prepared to read about truly strong heroines, who do not heed my warnings of not to open that door, or not to go there or to listen to their intuition; especially that little voice in your head that says “do not trust that cop.” They won’t pay you any heed! And you will still be filled with tension.
  6. Be prepared – to read the most outstanding book in the sub-genre Domestic Noir.
  7. Be prepared to read this in one sitting – you just have to know how this will end.
  8. You wont be the same after you have read this.
  9. And finally there are no star ratings that can do this justice – I say 10 stars!!!!