A previous NZ Booklovers Award winner, Fiona Sussman’s latest crime novel is yet again first-rate. DS Ramesh Bandara heads up a homicide investigation with few leads. The victim was found strangled at a building site in coastal Mangawhai, with little for them to work with. But then his colleague Hilary Stark spots surprising parallels with a case she worked on years before, the murder of a clinical psychologist. When they discover the victim in Mangawhai was on the same decade-old reality dating TV series as the clinical psychologist, the investigations seem linked. It is not long before Bandara and Stark are trying to unmask the identity of a potential serial killer, all the while their slow-burning relationship seems to be heating up. They are like chalk and cheese, but they prove to be a formidable professional team. Will their unique partnership spill over into their private lives? Hooked Up is an addictive read, and the writing is superb. It delivers a page-turning read with superb characters, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. A murder mystery, the novel also sheds light on the downside of so-called ‘reality TV’ and the real-life long-term psychological harm for some contestants. A clever premise delivered well.
The unforgettable detective duo from The Doctor's Wife are back, and this time the stakes are even higher.
When DS Ramesh Bandara is asked to head up a homicide investigation in a small New Zealand beachside town, he has no idea he's stumbled onto something much bigger. With little to go on, the investigation is frustratingly slow to get off the ground, but it's Bandara's unconventional colleague, Hilary Stark, who spots similarities with a murder case she worked years before.
Overnight, their suspect list expands to include the cast and crew from a controversial reality TV show, Hooked Up, that…
Set in London in 1944, the lives of three unlikely strangers collide when a bereaved bookshop owner and two teenagers scarred by World War II meet. Charlie Matters is an orphan living rough on the streets of London. While he lives with his gran, he has given up on school (without her knowledge) and theirs is a hand-to-mouth existence. Sometimes he earns a few coins from doing some odd jobs, but more often he is forced to steal to help them survive. He has managed to avoid the falling bombs, but in his young life, there is no certainty. Molly Wakefield has been living in the countryside after being evacuated years early, but now she is coming home, expecting a joyful homecoming with her well-off parents. But when she returns to her home, only her old nanny is still there. Her mum is in a nursing home, and she is unsure if her father is alive or dead – he has simply disappeared. Charlie and Molly’s lives intersect when they seek solace at The Book Keep, a book shop owned by a grieving widower, who is burdened by secrets surrounding his beloved wife’s death. Can they help each other survive this challenging time? Bestselling author David Baldacci shows his versatility with this fast-paced historical fiction with its unforgettable characters. It’s a novel of healing and hope, brilliantly plotted and impeccably researched.
A woman only known in the footnotes of history, Fulvia is brought powerfully to life in this engrossing historical novel set during the Roman Empire. Raised in the countryside by a wealthy but unimportant Roman family, she yearns for power and influence, so she seizes the chance to escape to Rome when her father dies. There, Fulvia marries the aristocrat Clodius, but at first, he seems more interested in partying than politics, and he almost derails their lives when a prank goes terribly wrong, causing great scandal. It's perilous times for people in Rome, with intrigue swirling around the city constantly, as different factions compete for power. Fulvia is determined to forge her own path, her status linked to Clodius, but as time passes, she is emerging as the real power behind her husband. But Rome is a brutal, dangerous place, and Fulvia soon finds out that the stakes are deadly and her ambition won’t be without a cost. Fulvia is meticulously researched, and the writing grabs you and doesn’t let go with its pace, but Kaarina Parker also expertly brings this era and location to life. Fulvia is an unforgettable heroine, rightfully centre-stage in this exceptional novel
In the dying days of the Roman republic, a remarkable woman steps out of the shadows and beyond the boundaries imposed on her sex, driven by an unstoppable ambition. Kaarina Parker's stunning debut novel, told in the compelling voice of this brilliant woman from history, brings Fulvia and the society in which she lived vividly to life.
Born into a wealthy but unimportant family, Fulvia is raised in the peace of the Etruscan countryside but longs for a life of excitement and influence. When her father dies and her inheritance is threatened, she makes her way to the city of…
A passionate tale of freedom and love in Victorian Dunedin by bestselling New Zealand author Karen McMillan is a page-turning saga set in extraordinary times.
Dunedin, 1890: Suddenly orphaned at the tender age of twenty, Greer Gillies is reduced to working as a humble servant at Larnach Castle, a far cry from her dreams of literature, fashion and music. And as she struggles with the stark reality of grief, she finds her journey has only just begun as the decade proves transformative for women’s progress.
Greer’s discovery of newfound friendships and a supportive community becomes a catalyst for change, echoing the progressive spirit of the times. But as she grapples with affairs of the heart, betrayal, the threat of lost love and social upheavals, her resilience shines through. Greer becomes a symbol of courage, daring to pursue her dreams, follow her heart and find her place in a world that promises a better future.
Spanning the last decade of the 19th century, this page-turning saga not only explores the healing power of friendship and love but also celebrates the pivotal role women played in one of New Zealand’s most turbulent eras. Greer is an independent woman of her time, and her journey stands as a beautifully imagined account that captures the essence of a historical milestone when women’s voices rose above the tumult.
