At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier is a novel set across two time-frames. The first is 1838 with James and Sadie Goodenough battling to build a living as orchardists in Ohio – a story of a broken marriage and frontier life. Then in 1853, Robert, their youngest child, makes his way to California at the time of the goldrush and here he works for a naturalist. Suddenly for Robert, the past makes an unexpected reappearance. An intriguing story, expertly told.
The Death Season is number 19 in Kate Ellis’s DI Wesley Peterson/Neil Watson series where crime and archaeology come together. This book describes a cold-case murder of a child going back to 1979, but when Wesley delves into the crime, suddenly there are more deaths. Neil also has a puzzling mystery to solve from 100 years ago and a ruined village that fell into the sea. A terrific read where an old story and a new story run parallel.
Where the Rēkohu Bone Sings by Tina Makereti weaves a story around the history of the Chatham Islands Moriori. Twins Lula and Bigs have mixed parentage, rediscovering their Māori roots when their mother dies. The plot travels from the Chatham Islands to London and from 1935 to the 21st century, evoking the complexities of being Moriori, Māori and Pakeha. A well-told, intriguing story that will make you want to find out more.
The Shadow District by Arnuldar Indridason is another story where the past catches up with the present, this time in Reykjavik beginning in World War II. The shadow district of the title is a rough and dangerous part of the city where many years ago a woman was found strangled. Then 90 years later an old man is found dead, smothered at his home, and where retired detective Konrad finds newspaper reports about the first death. What connects the two? A complex and engaging mystery.
The Secretary is a psychological suspense novel by Renee Knight, the author of Disclaimer, although we like this new book even better. It is a story about the enduring devotion and loyalty of Christine, PA to Mina Appleton, and who over the years has been watching and listening and learning secrets. Think Mrs Danvers from Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, but for a modern audience. A novel about what happens when obsession takes over from devotion, with a thrilling surprise ending.
Kin is the first novel in Krisjansson’s Helga Finnsdottir series set in Iceland during the time of the Vikings – the year 970 to be precise. Viking warlord, Unnthor Reginsson has brought home a chest of gold, but trouble brews when his children return home with vengeance in their hearts. When a murder takes place, adopted daughter Helga steps in determined to solve the mystery and save an innocent life.
Platform Seven is by Louise Doughty, the same author that brought us Apple Tree Yard. It’s another spine-tingling and unsettling thriller, this time the narrator is a ghost at a railway station who witnesses a suicide. The ghost, Lisa, is a suicide who took her life in the same place so she is aware of what is going to happen but is powerless to stop ti. Two deaths on Platform Seven in less than two years – surely there’s a connection.
The Bucket List by Georgia Clark is a novel that follows twenty-five year old Lacey Whitman when she discovers she has a gene that predisposes her to breast cancer. She isn’t ready to lose her breasts until she’s had a chance to do her ‘boob bucket list’. So begins a year of sexual exploration, as well as life lessons about making choices and planning a future. A funny, sexy yet thought-provoking read.
Posted by Hastings Library Book Chat
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