I enjoyed Second Glance by Jodi Picoult which is set in 2001 and partly in 1932 in Vermont. A developer wants to build on land which some believe is a Native American burial ground. Ross Wakeman is a paranormal investigator who wants to confirm whether or not the property is haunted. Ross finds a ghost, Lia who lived in the house 70 years ago. Ross falls in love with her and is convinced she was murdered there. He tells the police and Eli then recovers the files regarding this "cold case". There were a couple of suspects in the case. Eli eventually works out what happened on the night Lia died. It was a good story when the reader may need to suspend belief with some of the scenes. 31/2/5
I enjoyed Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves which is set on Shetland with DI Jimmy Perez investigating the murder of a woman after her house is hit by a landslide. If not for the landslide, it was unlikely the body would have been discovered for some time. Jimmy's senior officer Willow comes to the island to help with the investigation. There is a hint of romance here but Jimmy is still grieving the death of his fiancee Fran and he's now responsible for her daughter Cassie. There are a number of possible suspects as they find out why the mysterious woman was in the house. I found the story a bit slow but probably mirrors the pace of life on the island. 4/5
Yesterday I had a very enjoyable lunch with the ladies from the Crime Book Club. We meet from February to November each first Wednesday of the month at 1.00 pm at the Mount Ommaney Library, newcomers welcome. All you need is a love of the crime and mystery genre, throw in a good murder. We met at the Jindalee Hotel and had a delicious meal. The service was good and we enjoyed chattering away, finally leaving the hotel later in the afternoon. We had a "lucky dip" where we each brought a pre-loved book in good condition which we have enjoyed, but happy to part with. We were all pleased with our"new" book which we can read over the Christmas/New Year break. We'll look forward to doing it all again next year.
I enjoyed Quentins by Maeve Binchy which is a book that has sat unread on my shelf for more than 10 years. When I ran out of books to read (a crisis) I began reading it. The main character in the story is a restaurant called Quentins. There are a number of small stories and continuing threads which tell about the people associated with the restaurant. There is Quentin himself and how he established the restaurant, the people who run it, the woman who loved it from an early age who was conned by a wealthy married man, her parents and many many others. It is a lovely story. 4/5
We had a lovely get-together for Christmas lunch yesterday. Not all our ladies were able to come but we also were delighted to see a former member who travelled quite a way to join us. It was interesting to hear everyone's news and I told them about our recent holiday cruise around Australia. 
I read the Best of Adam Sharp by Graeme Simsion but did not enjoy it as much as his first book, The Rosie Project. Set mainly in England and France, Adam is contacted via email by Angelina, his "love that got away" 20 years earlier when Adam was working in Australia. Adam's marriage to Claire is a bit rocky so Adam engages in an email flirtation with Angelina. Adam enjoys playing the piano and singing outside his work. Angelina is married to Charlie and they are coming to stay at their holiday house in France for a week and invite Adam to join them. Adam is delighted to be seeing Angelina again so accepts the invitation then discovers he is part of a game between Charlie and Angelina. I found this tedious and silly. The characters are awful. Angelina is a spoilt brat. Disappointing. 3/1/2/5
I enjoyed My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith which is mostly set in Tuscany. English food writer Paul Stuart is recovering from a breakup with his girlfriend and decides to go to a small Italian village to write his next book. Somehow he is unable to get a rental car but there is one vehicle available for his use - a bulldozer. He makes friends with the local people and meets a young woman and there may be a romance. Other women vie for his attention, including his ex-girlfriend. It is really a romantic story. 3/1/2/5 
I enjoyed Killing the Lawyers by Reginald Hill which is set in a town in England. PI Joe Sixsmith is learning his new occupation after being made redundant from his factory job. He is a quirky character who owns a cat called Whitey and an aunt called Mirabelle. When Joe receives a letter from an insurance lawyer declining his claim for his damaged vehicle, Joe goes to see the lawyer in question. Unfortunately, shortly thereafter there is a tragic incident. Joe is questioned and he tries to find out how this happened. On another case Joe investigates who is behind threats to a young local athlete telling her to "throw" a race. There are many suspects for this one. An easy read. 31/2/5
I enjoyed Blood Sympathy by Reginald Hill which is set in England. PI Joe Sixsmith is asked to investigate when someone confesses to murdering his whole family. Sixsmith is a quirky character desperately trying to make a success of his new career, which was forced upon him after being made redundant from his job as a lathe operator. He has a cat called Whitey which he takes everywhere. Another problem occurs when a local shopkeeper's business is burnt and the proprietor knows who did it. These people are doing it tough. Sixsmith is a lovely character as are they all. 3/1/2/5
I read Cadillac Jukebox by James Lee Burke, a Dave Robicheaux story. Det Robicheaux is asked by an election candidate to ignore calls from an ex-Klansman about whether or not he was actually guilty for the murder of a civil rights activist. The body-count is high in this story. 4/5
I very much enjoyed The Bone Seeker by M.J. McGrath. It is set in the Arctic in an Inuit community. A young girl goes missing and teacher, Edie Kiglatuk, asks her police friend Derek Palliser to investigate. The reader learns a lot about the native culture in the region which I found very interesting. The names were a bit difficult. Edie and Derek discover a disturbing truth about how major world powers have abused and misused the area where the Inuit live. These powers go to great lengths to ensure the public does not discover what happened. 4/5
I very much enjoyed Home by Harlan Coben. Myron Bolitar investigates when a boy who was kidnapped 10 years previously is thought to be seen in London. This teenager and his friend had been kidnapped from his home and not seen since. The parents of the boy who is found insist the teenager is their missing son. Myron then tries to find out what happened to the other boy. This story will keep you guessing before the truth is revealed. I read the Kindle version. 41/2/5
I very much enjoyed The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney. She wrote The Tenderness of Wolves which was also a great book. This one is set in England where PI Ray Lovell has been hired to find a woman missing from a gypsy community for six years. The story is narrated by Ray as he tries to find Rose. Other chapters narrated by JJ, a young boy living in the community. Ray is from gypsy descendants so it was relatively easy for him to penetrate the secrecy surrounding the group. They were very private people. This is a great story, well written, with a good twist. 41/2/5 
This is a sweet story, The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, which I enjoyed. Jean Perdu runs a bookshop on a barge moored in Paris. He still loves Manon who left him 20 years before, leaving him a letter which he's never read. When he does read it, he changes his life, taking his barge on a "road trip" along the rivers heading south with a young author and two cats, picking up people along the way. It is a love story, more than one love story. Jean loves his books and prescribes books for his customers which will make them feel better whatever their circumstances - such is the power of books. A delightful read. 31/2/5
I very much enjoyed This Sweet Sickness by Patricia Highsmith, first published in 1960. The edition I read was published in 2016 with an introduction by Sarah Hilary. The story is set in late 1950s USA where the main character, David, is still obsessively in love with a former girlfriend, Annabelle, who has married someone else. He buys a home in the name of another man and decorates the house as if Annabelle will one day live there with him. During the week, he lives in a boarding house and goes to his house in another town on weekends, telling people he is visiting his sick mother. We meet other characters along the way, but the reader is drawn to David's mind as he becomes increasingly obsessed. This is a great psychological crime story. What will David do next? I'd never read Patricia Highsmith before but when Jennifer Byrne's Book Club featured this and the whole panel loved it, I had to read it. However, it wasn't easy to find. Fortunately, I found it had been recently re-published. I'll be looking for more of her books now. Highly recommended. 5/5
We had a very enjoyable meeting at our hostess' home last night. She had family visiting and it was lovely to meet them. Three of members weren't able to come as they are travelling interstate or overseas. Our hostess bought some great books for us to read and I'm looking forward to reading a couple of them. We had a delicious supper - see the beautiful and scrumptious Raspberry Ricotta Cake. It's always so good to get together with these ladies, sharing stories. We're now of an age when most of us are grandmothers and how wonderful is that.
I very much enjoyed Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave which is set in London and Malta during World War II. The main characters are Mary who has had a privileged life but wants to make a worthwhile contribution to the War effort. In London, although unqualified, Mary is given a school to teach children who have not been evacuated in to the countryside (children that the country people don't want). Mary matures here in a hostile environment. The other main character is Alistair who has enlisted in the Army and is sent to Malta. These characters become people we get to know and we care about what happens to them. It is a horrific insight in to the terror and the matter of fact way people deal with these terrible situations when they could die at any moment. There are a number of minor characters that we meet along the way and they are all interesting. I enjoyed the banter between Alistair and his superior officer in Malta where they were under siege and starving. Highly recommended. 5/5
I very much enjoyed Our Souls At Night by Kent Haruf (his last novel). Set in a small American town with two elderly people Louis and Addie developing a strong friendship. Addie approached Louis inviting him to stay the night and talk. They acknowledged they were both lonely and they each welcomed the friendship. They did not try to hide that they were meeting and ignored those who tut-tutted about it. This is such a beautiful well-written story. It is only a small book, 179 pages, so easy to read and enjoy. This book featured on Jennifer Byrne's Book Club (this link to iView - Series 10, episode 12) and it is one of the few books which the whole panel loved. Highly recommended. 5/5
I very much enjoyed The Strays by Emily Bitto, a new Australian author. The story is mainly set in an "artists' retreat" in 1930s Victoria. The narrator is Lily who in 1985 receives an invitation to a "retrospective" of a prominent artist. She looks back on her first day at school when she met Eva who became her best friend. Eva's father was the artist, Evan. Due to a set of circumstances within her family, Lily goes to live with Eva and her family. Evan and his wife Helena are quite well off for the time and invited a group of artists to live and work on their property. It was a sort of Bohemian lifestyle which Lily found very attractive. But there were hidden secrets within the household which impacted on Lily and cause a long estrangement. So Lily is conflicted when she receives the invitation after so many years. This is a beautifully written story. The author won the Stella Prize in 2015. 41/2/5
I enjoyed The Heist by Daniel Silva which is another Gabriel Allon "thriller". Gabriel is an Israeli spy who enjoys repairing old masters and is working on a painting in Venice when an art world identity is found dead at his home on Lake Como. Then begins a complicated story about retrieving stolen art work involving billions of dollars. The "Holy Grail" of stolen art is a Caravaggio painting. Stolen art is sold in a very black market never seen by the public. It is used instead of cash and props up corrupt regimes. A lot of this is likely true and the author is well-advised by unnamed sources in the intelligence world. The story requires the close attention of the reader. 31/2/5
I very much enjoyed Try Not To Breathe by Holly Seddon which is set in England. The story is told from the viewpoint of several characters over different time periods. In 1995 teenager Amy is attacked and has been in a coma for 15 years. Her former boyfriend Jake, often visits her in hospital. Her doctors believe she has brain activity. Journalist, Alex, needs a good story to reignite her career so she investigates the attack on Amy, trying to discover the culprit. It is a very good suspenseful story especially as it gets closer to the end. Recommended. 41/2/5
I very much enjoyed Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. The story begins in countryside India in 1984 when Kavita gives birth to a daughter. A short time later, she again gives birth to a daughter and she takes her to an orphanage in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai). Later an American couple adopt the girl, calling her Asha. The story moves through time so the reader still knows what happens to Kavita and to Asha in her life in America. Kavita never stops thinking about her daughters and wonders what happened to Asha. This is a beautifully written story and it shows the reader the gender imbalance in India. 41/2/5
We had a lovely meeting at our host's home last week. Most of us were there this time. Two of our ladies were overseas. One in the USA and the other in London. Those who were on holidays last time told us about their travels. They had many stories to share. Our host provided a delicious supper and she bought a number of great new books.
I read Touch & Go by Peter O'Sullivan which is set in Brisbane. Dan, a lawyer, investigates a sexual harassment case. The victim, Kim, is later murdered and Dan's wife, Elise, is accused of the murder. Dan was caught in a compromising position with Kim. S and Elise saw them and her motive is thought to be jealousy. Dan does not believe Elise killed Kim and he tries to discover who did. The case goes to trial and a conviction seems inevitable. 3/5
I enjoyed reading Friendship by Emily Gould which is set in England. Best friends Bev and Amy are nearing 30 and not married. They face challenges as Bev finds she is pregnant after a "one night stand" and Amy is not enjoying her job. Their lives turn in different directions and their friendship is tested. Will their friendship survive? 4/5
I very much enjoyed Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang which is a biography of the last empress of China. This story is well-researched by the author who wrote Wild Swans. The story begins in the mid-1850s when the Emperor chooses some concubines. The Empress Cixi dies in 1908 so her story is also the story of China for the years that she lived. It is a very interesting story, almost reads like a suspense novel as the reader is always thinking - what will happen next? The Empress has a lot to deal with during her life including foreign invasions, assassination attempts, weak Emperors, political machinations. I knew nothing of this story and am very pleased to have learned about it. The writing is excellent and compelling, not at all dry. Anyone interested in history would enjoy this book. Highly recommended. 41/2/5.
I enjoyed Not Just Black and White by Lesley and Tammy Williams. The authors Lesley and daughter Tammy are Aboriginal women who are telling their story as a memoir/oral history. Most of the book is Lesley telling Tammy about her life, which was fascinating. Lesley was born in the late 1940s at the Aboriginal settlement of Cherbourg under the "Protection Act". As a child, her life was rich in love from her extended family but their lives were strictly regulated. Lesley and her contemporaries were educated so they would be suitable for working on properties as housemaids. Lesley was sent to work at outback properties and was not always treated kindly. Later she was sent to work for a wealthy family in Brisbane and this experience helped change her life. Lesley went on to live her life devoted to her family ensuring her children had a good education. She was a courageous woman who raised awareness of the "stolen wages" issue where aboriginal workers wages were put in a "trust fund" by the government which they were not able to access. Lesley's story is about a brave woman who overcame life's challenges with grace and pride. Recommended. 4/5
I enjoyed Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves which is a "Quick Reads" book. Quick Reads is part of the Reading agency, a national (British) charity that inspires more people to read more. The books are written by bestselling writers. This book was 93 pages and slightly larger font so easy for most of us to read in a sitting (or in my case lying in bed). The story features one of Ann Cleeves best known characters - Shetland Detective Jimmy Perez. DI Perez is asked by his ex-wife Sarah to investigate an apparent suicide of a young female teacher in the village where she lives. So he comes and stays in the village hotel to determine whether the teacher did or did not commit suicide. 4/5 
I very much enjoyed Letters to the Lost by Iona Grey which is set in two time periods - 1943 and 2011. In 1943 a married woman, Stella, falls in love with an American airman, Dan. Their story is told when in 2011 a young woman, Jess, finds refuge in an empty house after breaking free from a violent boyfriend. Jess sees the house hasn't been lived in for a very long time. Jess discovers Dan's letters to Stella, which tell part of her story. Jess becomes obsessed with finding out how their story ended. I found all the characters all seemed very real so much so that I was caught up in the story and also wanted to know what happened to Stella and Dan, quite suspenseful. Jess also has a story and we learn about what happens to her. It is a thick book, just over 500 pages, but it is easy to read. Highly recommended. 5/5
I very much enjoyed The Dry by Jane Harper, an Australian debut author. Federal police officer, Aaron Falk, returns to his childhood town for a funeral of his childhood friend Luke Hadler and his family. He is persuaded to stay on for a few days to help the local police sergeant investigate the deaths. Aaron and his father left the town 20 years earlier following the suspicious death of one of Aaron's friends. Now the past returns to haunt him. The reader finally learns the truth. This is a very well-written suspenseful story. Hard to put down. Highly recommended. 4/1/2/5
I enjoyed The Italian Wife by Kate Furnivall which is set in 1930s Italy when Mussolini was in power. Architect Isabella Berotti is sitting in a cafe when a woman asks to leave her small daughter with her for a few minutes. Then shockingly Isabella witnesses the woman plunge to her death from a nearby tower. The little girl is taken to an orphanage and Isabella is left with the mystery as to why the girl was left with her. Isabella later meets a photographer, Roberto, and she starts to realise they are living in dangerous times. Ten years earlier her husband was assassinated and she survived the same attack. She wants to know why her husband was killed and finds everything is connected. Isabella and Roberto become romantically linked and together they solve the mystery. 31/2/5
I very much enjoyed Margot at War by Anne De Courcy which is a biography of Margot Asquith, wife of H.H. Asquith who was Prime Minister of Great Britain just before and part of World War I. This period included the Suffragette movement and Irish Home Rule. It was fascinating to read about Margot's life and the man she loved. It gives a very personal insight in to their lives. It was interesting that most of the British people, including the government, did not see the danger ahead till almost the last minute when Germany invaded Belgium. Prime Minister Asquith had a complicated personal life which included a love for his daughter's best friend. He seemed an efficient Prime Minister who did his best to avert a war but when it happened he moved swiftly to mobilise the country. Margot loved him unconditionally though being aware that she shared him with his daughter and her daughter's friend. Some parts I found appalling including his pursuit of this young woman (writing love letters during Cabinet meetings) while men were losing their lives on the battlefield. This is a "behind closed doors" look at prominent people including some who were responsible for the huge losses on the western front. Highly recommended for those interested in this period of history. 5/5 
I enjoyed Day Four by Sarah Lotz which is set on a luxury cruise liner somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. Strange things start happening on Day Four. Somehow there seems to be no way of communicating with the world beyond the ship. On board there are a number of highlighted characters with chapters devoted to each. The most significant is a personal assistant to a psychic who communicates with people who have "passed on". The psychic gradually expands her special group who are on the cruise to be with her when she does her "performances". As each day passes, the fate of the ship becomes more uncertain, and really weird. I've just learned this is a sequel to The Three, but it can stand alone. 4/5
I enjoyed most of All That is Lost Between Us by Sara Foster which is set in the English countryside. We are almost immediately intrigued when the main character Georgia is intent on telling her best friend/cousin Sophia about her secret. Before Georgia can reveal her secret she is prevented from doing so when an incident occurs. The story is told in turn by other members of Georgia's family. Her parents are having marital problems and this has an effect on how they treat their children. The reader is left wondering what could be so bad that all this drama is played out. Of course, eventually is revealed but do we really care. 4/5
