Flaxmere Book Chat Reads for February

Spartan Gold by Clive Cussler

This author is one of the most well-read at Flaxmere Library and where better to start than with the first of the Fargo novels featuring husband and wife treasure hunters, Sam and Remi Fargo. This story features a WWII German submarine, an exotic location in the Bahamas and a priceless bottle of wine the baddy will do anything to get hold of. Adventure in spades.

The Golden Land by Di Morrissey

Morrissey writes a gripping and well-researched drama which usually gives the reader something to think about. In ‘The Golden Land’ a Gold Coast mother is drawn to Burma by the discovery of an artefact while cleaning out her mother’s house. Another exotic location to keep the reader well entertained.

Into the Labyrinth by Sigge Eklund

This novel explores the psychological impact on a couple when a child is abducted. Told through the eyes of four characters, this is a haunting, and sometimes chilling thriller that builds to a jaw-dropping ending. Not a cheerful read by any means, but certainly gripping.

The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palombo

You can almost hear the music as you read this novel about a young violinist, Adriana d’Amato, and her desperate desire to learn music against her father’s wishes. She is drawn to study with Antonio Vivaldi, and the secret lessons evolve into an affair, forbidden as Vivaldi is a priest, while Adriana is being lined up for suitably patrician marriage. Play Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as you read this for a totally immersing reading experience.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Looking back, who are the people who have had a big influence on your life? For Mitch Albom it was the college professor he’d studied under twenty years before. Then when the old man was dying of motor neuron disease, Albom visited each Tuesday and their conversations are a like a series of tutorials on how to live. First published in 1998, Tuesdays with Morrie has become something of a treasure.

The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

If you think you’ve read every Agatha Christie, you might be in for a surprise. The Unexpected Guest was written by the queen of crime as a play; here we have it rewritten as a novel by Charles Osborne. When Michael Starkwedder runs his car into a ditch, he arrives at an isolated house to find himself helping a woman concoct a cover story for the murder of her husband. An unexpected treat for Christie fans.