February Good Reads

I read some great crime fiction in February, including Wimmera by Mark Brandi, and have just dived into Scrublands by Chris Hammer. Mark and Chris are my co-panellists of “Blood and Dust”, a session exploring the popularity of Aussie noir at the upcoming Newcastle Writers Festival. Our session will be chaired by our fellow crime writer Jaye Ford and I’m looking forward to being part of the festival. Now, without further ado, here are my good reads for the month.

Disclaimer:
Being a crime fiction addict and lover of series books, expect lots of my reading to fall into these categories. You can also expect to only hear about the books I have enjoyed – but as I have honed my selections to my tastes over the years, I am rarely disappointed, and I get that reading enjoyment is subjective anyway. I love to jump over to Goodreads and share the books I’ve enjoyed with the reading community, and this led me to posting my standouts in a “Good Reads” column each month.

The Choice (standalone) Samantha King – 4 stars
What if a masked gunman made you choose between your children? UK psychological thriller The Choice sees stay-at-home mum Madeleine confronted with this horrific choice on the morning of her twins’ tenth birthday. Afterwards, she lives with her decision and the devastating loss on the fringe of what is left of her family, unable to find all the pieces of her fractured memory, and unable to break her silence. The twist coming into part two of this book rather surprised me (in a good way). From there it was like watching a train accident. It’s coming, coming, coming…and it brings out the inner rubbernecker. I enjoyed the many twists, even when they seemed inevitable. Madeleine’s character and a good dose of tension through most of the story kept me keen. The ending didn’t surprise but did what it needed to do to complete an enjoyable read.

The Day She Disappeared (standalone) Christobel Kent – 4 stars
UK psychological thriller The Day She Disappeared is set in a small seaside town, during summer, at a time when Nat is struggling with her own issues. But she doesn’t believe her friend and co-worker at the local pub, Beth, has just upped and left. She doesn’t believe the tone of the text messages that follow, purportedly from Beth. But Nat struggles to find anyone who feels likewise. Local police have their hands full enough with the murder of a young male – though surely the two events are connected? Who is watching Nat? Who can she trust among the men who figured in Beth’s life and in her own? And then there’s old Victor, who sees something – though he isn’t quite sure what or who, but it’s enough to scare him almost to death. And now someone is stalking him too. Will Nat and Victor come out of this safely? It took me a while to get used to author Christobel Kent’s style and to get the hang of the various characters and their interconnected stories, but the payoff was always sensing the danger to Nat and her fears for Beth were genuine, a connection with Nat, the missing Beth, Victor, Sophie and other characters, and the writer’s style and rhythm that ended up working perfectly with the gentle build in this story and an ending I thoroughly enjoyed. In all, I’d recommend this book at a time when you can concentrate on it.

The Dead Girl in 2A (standalone) Carter Wilson – 4.5 stars
I was fortunate to receive an advance review copy of this powerful psychological thriller, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.
The Dead Girl in 2A grabbed me from the first page, kept me hooked to the end, and evoked surprising emotion throughout. It is still resonating with me now that I have finished. Lines such as: “A responsibility to life, to complete whatever journey this is with more joy and less resignation. To be better today than what I was yesterday, and better still tomorrow.” It is a quite rare treat to take away such life lessons from a fictional crime story. This book is about Jake and Clara who meet on a plane, apparently by accident, and are struck by an undeniable familiarity and connection. It is about what happens to them both after they get off that plane and are confronted by the manipulative figure who has orchestrated their meeting and so much more. It is twisty, lively and worth a read.

Wimmera (standalone) Mark Brandi – 4 stars
Wimmera is a well-written and brave Australian story – and it is not for every reader. Its positives must come with mention of trigger warnings. This literary rural crime novel deals with the very dark societal issues of incest, child suicide, family violence and paedophilia, and how these themes interplay, especially in a small-town setting. The first half of the book is told by Ben in 1989. His pre-teen voice is authentic, and the setting evocative. I am reminded of my coming of age years with the many references to culture – relatable for me as a female a few years older than Ben and his mate Fab, despite being raised in outer suburbia rather than small-town Australia. There is a definite ring of truth to the taboos, stigmas and unspoken issues of that era. To Ben’s confusion about his young friend Daisy’s suicide and the rumours abounding it. To his growing awareness of his sexuality. And to the trust adults show other adults, sometimes misguided, and of a well-bred child’s acquiescence even when his warning bells sound. The story cuts forward to Fab; a man now. A bit of a loner, with few ties but still stuck in the rural setting though wanting—no, planning—more. And missing his old friend Ben. The final part is a murder trial and the coming together of past and present, unveiling of dark secrets and yet still concealing a key part of the truth from authorities and the public…until, finally, the last bit can be told. And then there is some hope for the future, but with all that in the past, that hope is clouded and distant. Author Mark Brandi manages the dark story of Wimmera with finesse, with a strong, authentic Australian voice and a keen understanding of rural communities, and I’ll look out for more by him.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve just started Scrublands by Chris Hammer – enjoying it so far! And I’m looking forward to more great crime books in March. Happy reading!