The Half Burnt House

Alex North

Penguin Random House

This dark and twisty thriller tells the story of Katie Shaw and her timid younger brother Chris, who was viciously attacked when they were teenagers. 

Years later, now married with a young daughter, Katie gets a call from a detective who is searching for her missing brother. He is a suspect of a brutal murder that took place in a half-ruined house that once belonged to a notorious serial killer.

With complex characters expertly knitted into an intricate plot, I was puzzled as to how they were all connected, but as the novel progressed all of the jigsaw pieces fell satisfyingly into place. A very gripping read. BO

The Girl with the Red Hair 

Buzzy Jackson

Michael Joseph

Paper Plus Ashburton Top Read

World War II fiction is a congested genre but this one caught my eye as it is based in the Netherlands on a true story, that of Hannie Schaft. While she isn’t Jewish, her two closest friends are and as the Nazi occupation ramps up, it becomes harder to ignore the danger they are in. Making the decision to hide them in the attic bedroom of her parents’ house is her first major step towards occupation defiance. She goes on to join the local resistance group, making a name for herself as ‘the girl with red hair’. 

Today there are monuments to Hannie, celebrating her for standing up for what wasn’t right. It is captivating to read about her bravery, and that of her fellow resistance members. NG

The Glasgow Smile

Chris Stuart

Original Sin Press

Deep in the tangled inner-city laneways of Melbourne a woman is found murdered in a graffiti-covered recess, oddly propped up against a disturbing portrait on the wall. Detective Inspector Robbie Gray leads the case with the help of her colleague, Constable Mac. Was this death intended to be symbolic amidst rising civil unrest, white extremism and a corrupt government? Or is the victim’s family involved, desperate to hide their secrets?

Robbie and Mac are facing their own personal demons, and when an arrest is made, they discover that not all killers hold a weapon.

Brilliant landscape imagery woven throughout a well-crafted, unpredictable plot makes this gritty crime novel a must-read. BO

Echo Lake

Joan Sauers

Allen & Unwin

Recently divorced historian Rose leaves the city to start a new life in a sleepy town in the Southern Highlands. Fulfilling a childhood dream, she buys a rustic cottage surrounded by bushland and birdsong and soon settles in to the remote country way of life. One day she discovers a roll of film buried in her garden, containing pictures of a woman who went missing several years earlier. 

With extra time on her hands, Rose uses her historical research expertise to delve into the mystery, but when another woman ends up dead, she begins to suspect several of the village locals and soon fears for her own life.

An entertaining, slow-burn thriller. BO

The Last Days of Joy 

Anne Tiernan 

Moa Press 

This is a beautiful debut novel that made me laugh out loud, and moved me to tears. The writing is honest, the story highly perceptive and full of dark humour. It has been described as a ‘page turner portraying the madness and messiness of family life’ … I couldn’t put it any better. 

When Joy’s children receive the news that she only has days to live, they rush to her side. As the story unfolds, we are welcomed into the complex history of this family – each with their own secrets and challenges to overcome. There is Frances, the ‘perfect’ middle child, Conor, the high-achieving son and acclaimed writer, and youngest Sinead. As the secrets come out, will they survive as a family or fracture further apart? LD

Strange Sally Diamond

Liz Nugent

Penguin Random House

This dark yet moving novel tells the story of Sally Diamond – a socially awkward recluse with trust issues.After she is questioned by police for disposing of her father’s body, she begins to discover the horrors of her early childhood, of which she remembers nothing. When she receives messages from a stranger on the other side of the world who seems to know details of her past, Sally’s life is turned upside down.

Sally Diamond is a truly unforgettable character – the star of a deeply emotional, twisted and compelling story. Be aware that this is not a light read, with themes of abduction, abuse and trauma. BO