Category: Mystery/Crime

The Frozen River – Ariel Lawhon

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Bridget In Maine, 1789 real life midwife Martha Ballard delivered babies and kept daily notes of her work, community and surroundings. As an advocate for women she spoke up on behalf of a local woman at a rape trial. In… Continue Reading “The Frozen River – Ariel Lawhon”

What We Can Know – Ian McEwan

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Sally In 2014 a great poem is read aloud and never heard again. For generations, people speculate about its message, but no copy has yet been found. In 2119 the lowlands of the UK have been submerged by rising seas.… Continue Reading “What We Can Know – Ian McEwan”

Flashlight – Susan Choi

READ FOR BOOKERTHON One summer night, a man disappears while walking with his daughter on a Japanese beach. Born Korean, Serk has a complicated relationship with his past. His daughter and American wife become disorientated, facing the challenges of ordinary life all the while… Continue Reading “Flashlight – Susan Choi”

Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout

READ FOR WOMEN’S PRIZEElizabeth Strout returns the reader to the town of Crosby, Maine, and finally brings together characters from her past fictional successes: Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge and Bob Burgess. There is a shocking crime committed, relationships examined and many stories told as… Continue Reading “Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout”

Wild Dark Shore – Charlotte McConaghy

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny sub-antarctic island that is home to the world’s largest seed bank. It is being destroyed by climate change and while the Salts await rescuers, a woman washes… Continue Reading “Wild Dark Shore – Charlotte McConaghy”

Stone Yard Devotional – Charlotte Wood

READ FOR BOOKERTHON A grieving, unnamed narrator attends a spiritual retreat at a convent, departs and returns again with no plan of leaving. As an atheist she is committed to giving back through hard work rather than praying. Set over Covid, the narrator finds… Continue Reading “Stone Yard Devotional – Charlotte Wood”

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead – Olga Tokarczuk

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jo Janina lives alone in a desolate, snowy part of Poland near the Czech border. She studies astrology, over analyses everything and has a fiercely protective nature for the animals of the region. She becomes concerned when the police don’t… Continue Reading “Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead – Olga Tokarczuk”

Birnam Wood – Eleanor Catton

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS A guerilla gardening group and an immigrant billionaire are both using beautiful New Zealand land illegally. Unsurprisingly they discover one another and clash but when trouble strikes there is benefit in them colluding. A political and eco thriller about… Continue Reading “Birnam Wood – Eleanor Catton”

Pet – Catherine Chidgey

READ FOR NZ BOOK AWARDS Pet is a psychological thriller, about 12-year-old Justine and her fascination with her glamorous new teacher Mrs Price. She, and many of her classmates, are determined to be the teacher’s pet, clambering to help or do after-school jobs and… Continue Reading “Pet – Catherine Chidgey”

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby van Pelt

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Jodie Remarkably Bright Creatures features an all-knowing giant Pacific octopus as its key narrator. Marcellus knows only captivity and is astute in his observations of those observing him, which helps connect missing family members. Day 1,361 of My Captiv- Oh,… Continue Reading “Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby van Pelt”