Bones to Ashes

I've finished Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs and found it very disappointing - boring even. Forensic investigator, Tempe Brennan, seems obsessed with finding out what happened to a childhood friend, Evangeline, who suddenly "disappeared". This friend has a sister Obeline. Now that everyone is "grown up" Brennan is given a skeleton to examine and possibly identify and she starts to imagine it might be Evangeline. Brennan's "boyfriend" policeman, Ryan, has a number of disappearances and murders of young girls which all seem to be connected. Brennan's sister, Harry, comes on the scene and together they find Obeline, who tells them Evangeline was murdered many years previously. In the end, the truth is unconvered, but who really cares!! 2/5

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson was such a fantastic book!! The story builds slowly, about an old man, Henrik Vanger, from the corporate world who wants to know, before he dies, what happened to his beloved niece, Harriet, who disappeared in mysterious circumstances 35 years earlier. Vanger hires disgraced investigative journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, who recently lost a libel case brought by billionaire financier Wennerstrom. Blomkvist is still determined to expose Wennerstrom but is forced to "lay low" for a while so uses this time to investigate Harriet Vanger's disappearance. Some time into the investigation, computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, is brought in to help and the clues unfold with totally unexpected results. This is a brilliant story, well written - so the author's untimely death is a blow to readers. This book is the first of a trilogy which was written before his death so we at least have two more books to look forward to. 5/5.

The Forgotten Children

I was quite disturbed by The Forgotten Children - Fairbridge Farm School and Its Betrayal of Australia's Child Migrants by David Hill as I found it hard to comprehend that children, and some were very young, could be treated so poorly. The farm school was established in 1938 and continued into the 1970s with its aim to bring impoverished British children out to a better life in Australia. Not all were orphans, and some parents were persuaded to hand over guardianship of their children to this scheme "for their own good". However, the reality was far removed from the way the scheme was presented. Children as young as four were brought to this harsh environment where hard work on the farm took priority over emotional needs. They lived in barracks, ate from metal plates, did not wear shoes, suffered severe punishments, worked long days and had minimal education. The aim was to make the boys "farmers" and the girls "farmers' wives" but they mainly became labourers and servants after the leaving the farm school and found it difficult to adjust socially and emotionally on the "outside". David Hill and his two brothers came out in the 1950s but they were fortunate because their mother came out later and they were reunited. David did not experience much of the suffering that others did so his story is not typical. He researched the archives of the instigators of the scheme and other records to give the reader a complete picture of this blot on our history. It is well written and researched and uses oral history to tell the story of many of the individuals who went through Fairbridge. An enlightening read that makes you wonder how this escaped the notice of fair-minded people at the time. 4 1/2/5.

March Book Club

We had a lovely meeting at Vee's place last night and she gave us a delicious supper - the cherry cake was wonderful! Sandy is gearing up (bought a lovely new dress) for her daughter's wedding in April in the Cook Islands - how romantic!! Leonie may be off to Asia to fulfil a dream. Marilyn has a very busy month ahead with travel and her Mum's 90th birthday!! Marilyn may be off to Brazil after all, so an exciting time for her. Sadly, Di was not well enough to come last night - we hope she will be well soon. Liz is enjoying retirement as well as some relieving work - much less pressure. We all read some great books and Vee bought some great news ones including The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which received a great review on the weekend.

Undertow

I've read Undertow by Sydney Bauer which is an "okay" legal thriller but the so-called murder scenario seems very far-fetched. Set in Boston, a young white girl drowns in tragic circumstances while with her "African-American" friends. One friend's mother is accused of murder because she left the girl in the water while she went to rescue the other three. The drowned girl's father, a prominent politician, seeks revenge. I thought the idea of someone being charged with murder under these circumstances with the supposed motive being that the "murderer" hated white people was ridiculous. The drowned girl's parents were also not believable. The story was well written and interesting for the courtroom drama and had a little twist at the end but I didn't find the story credible. I'd be interested in reading another book by this author with a more believable storyline. 2/5

Marley & Me

The story Marley & Me by John Grogan is about the author's life with his pure-bred labrador, bought as a puppy. Marley grows old as John experiences early marriage, three children and moves states within USA. From the start, John and wife Jenny realise Marley is a challenging and expensive dog to own as he is destructive, mentally unstable, and often socially unacceptable. His antics often try his owners' patience. But Marley is a loving, fiercely loyal dog more than making up for his difficult traits. Grogan says that Marley taught him what really mattered in life - "loyalty, courage, devotion, simplicity, joy." It's quite a sweet story - but this is not a dog I could see myself owning. The thought of being sprayed with dog slobber!!! Ugh!!! 3 1/2/5

The Good Guy

I've finished The Good Guy by Dean Koontz, another fast-paced thriller as Tim Carrier attempts to save a woman from a contract killer after a case of mistaken identity. Then follows a hectic chase of life and death as they attempt to outwit the cold blooded murderer who loves his work. The killer has an inflated opinion of himself, believing he is above mere mortals and the reader has an insight into his deranged mentality. The chase is exciting and unfortunately there is "collateral damage" along the way. The author thinks up some wonderfully imaginative scenarios and the reader is not disappointed.