Book Chat's November Highlights

Thrillers in coastal settings, memoirs from New Zealand's past and some hauntingly atmospheric fiction are just some of the themes that popped up at Hastings Library's Book Chat last week.

Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic introduces a different kind of sleuth, deaf former cop, Caleb Zelic. When a childhood friend is murdered Zelic has to deal with feelings of guilt while trying to prove his innocence and find the killer. He will be using his special detection skills - a particular knack for reading body language - in this face-paced thriller. We loved this book and are glad there are two more in the series to go on with.

Station Life in New Zealand by Lady Barker is an old kiwi classic, reprinted in a nice new edition. It's an interesting window into early settler life, describing some difficult times over the three years of her stay in the country. Barker went on to become a journalist and author of many more books, including a sequel to Station Life, two volumes of verse and books about cookery. This book still reads well 150 years after its first publication.

The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan is the third Cormac Reilly mystery, set in Galway and the surrounding coast. Again Reilly's superiors and much of the police team seem to be ready to bring Reilly down. When a child abduction case goes horribly wrong, Reilly must justify the actions of his team while young Garda Peter Fischer smells a rat when he's sent to the tiny police station in Roundstone run by his father. Another complex and engaging read with plenty of interesting Irish atmosphere.

The Silk House by Kayte Nunn is told over three time periods, bringing together the textile trade, silk weaving, herbology and witchcraft. Australian history teacher, Thea Rust, doesn't believe in ghosts when she takes up a position at an exclusive girls' school. But she might be due for a rethink as the plot builds towards a surprising revelation in a Gothic story perfect for a dark stormy night. A novel that keeps you turning the pages.

A Thin Slice of Heaven by Paul Wah is a historical novel based on the life of the author's great-grandfather, Ng Leung Kee who migrated to New Zealand in 1880 to become a merchant in Wellington. Returning to China with his grandson in 1922, Leung Kee faced a horrendous series of setbacks, including the child's kidnapping, during what was one of China's more stormy political periods. An enlightening and heart-felt read.

This Is Happinesss by Niall Williams is a novel describing the arrival of electricity in the tiny Irish parish of Faha through the eyes of seventeen year old Noel - who senses things will never be the same. An engaging look at a small community, its characters and the quirks that make it unique as well as a story about love and loss and how the past can never let you go.

Stop the Clock by Gordon McLoughlan is the last book written by this well-known New Zealand commentator and journalist, who passed away earlier this year. It describes the process of growing old and gathers together pieces of wisdom, anecdotes and observations from those that have grown old before him. An insightful as well as entertaining book that will make you stop and smell the roses.

The Secrets of Strangers is the latest book by Charity Norman and describes what happens when a group of people are thrown together in a hostage situation. Told with Norman's trademark empathy for characters on the edge, this is a powerful tale which gives understanding for the desperate acts of the hostage taker. As the hostages also contemplate their own demons, the line between right and wrong stars to blur.

The Lightkeeper's Wife by Karen Viggers is set on Bruny Island off the coast of Tasmania. It describes Mary, old and frail, who returns to spend her final days on the island where she dwells upon the regrets and memories from decades ago, when she lived there with her husband and young family. A terrible secret and the events that forced them to leave are revealed in this enthralling story.

Posted by Hastings Library Book Chat