It seems I got a little caught up in life and completely missed a round up, so I’m just going to make this one a bumper issue with four months highlights instead of two. Let’s see how the stats change if we up time-frame.

Since April we have seen 93 reviews of 57 books by 47 Authors, by 24 reviewers (none of them me, because that’s how far my life went crazy). Our most prolific reviewers were Brenda with 19 and Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews with 8.

Nicola Moriarty’s The Ex was the most popular read, reviewed 7 times, also making Moriarty the most reviewed author.

Devils’ Lair and Sarah Barrie came in second with 6 reviews, tying with The Accusation and Wendy James as well as The Boy in the Photo and Nicole Trope.

Honourable mention has to go to Annie Seaton who had 3 different titles reviewed, Daintree, Kakadu Sunset and Undara.

Looking at that quick snapshot of top performers sees all books on my TBR pile (bookcases) or I have read, except for The Boy in the Photo and I would love to read that. I haven’t read Nicole Trope for the longest time and I would love to again.

Our oldest release is Blood and Circuses (Phryne Fisher #6) by Kerry Greenwood, it was reviewed twice and they were different editions with different release dates but I’m going with Allen and Unwin in 2005.

 

Claire said: “This was my favourite book in the Phryne Fisher series so far. Phryne outdid herself with her sleuthing this time, playing the part of a circus performer.”

Ashleigh says: “This is a very good series, that highlights various aspects of society at the time, and is thoroughly enjoyable, and they are quick reads as well. I have fourteen more books to go in the series, and hope to get through them soon.”

 

There are so many amazing books reviewed this round-up, and many of them on my towering TBR mountain, that I’m just not sure where to start. I think we will look at the most popular titles to begin with, though The Ex isn’t the front runner, in actuality it’s a four way tie for top spot because one of the reviews for The Ex was logged twice. On the other hand, I have actually read The Ex but it’s not reviewed because I haven’t had the time

Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out is back after a much needed hiatus, and I’m enjoying reading her reviews again”. She would recommend The Ex, saying: “A compelling story of love, betrayal, and revenge, The Ex, offers enthralling twists and turns, even though I found, in part, I was able to predict the path the story would take. The pace was just about perfect, and I finished it very quickly, even for me. The characters are intriguing, and Moriarty deals sensitively with issues raised concerning Georgia’s mental health.”

Over at Goodreads Jennifer says: “You’ll need to read it for yourself. While some aspects of this story are predictable, others took me by surprise. If you enjoy well-crafted characters dealing with some difficult issues, if you enjoy love stories with a twist, you may also enjoy this. To write more about the story would spoil the read.”

The Ex was also reviewed by Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews, Veronica @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf as well as Cloggie Downunder and Carolyn Scott on Goodreads.

 

Nicole Trope is an author I have enjoyed reading over the years, but unfortunately I have fallen a little behind. The reviews coming in for The Boy In The Photo are overwhelmingly positive and hopefully one of these days I’ll get around to it. I’ve just discovered this one has a double-up log so there were only 5 unique reviews, but it’s certainly still up there.

Brenda reviewed The Boy In The Photo on Goodreads, and she had this to say: “The Boy in the Photo is an incredible psychological thriller by Aussie author Nicole Trope, with a spectacular twist at the end! Set in Sydney as well as a small country town near where I live – where I drive through often – it was eerily familiar. The twists and turns, the emotional heartbreak, the family dynamics – all came together to create an excellent read which I highly recommend.”

The Boy In The Photo was also reviewed by Carolyn, Cloggie Downunder and Jennifer on Goodreads, and Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out. Overall it seems this is an emotionally charged, character driven thriller that addresses abduction and the fallout when the son returns 6 years later, a completely different boy.

 

Sarah Barrie is an author I only started reading with Bloodtree River, and it made me want to keep her on my radar so Devil’s Lair is a book I am really looking forward to reading. It’s received some rave reviews and I look forward to bumping up my priority list.

Shelleyrae says: “Blurring gothic sensibilities with psychological suspense, The Devil’s Lair by Sarah Barrie is a gripping thriller that kept me compulsively turning the pages until the early hours of the morning. I experienced an almost visceral reaction to the sense of unease that builds as the story unfolds, finding myself startling at every unexpected noise outside my darkened window.”

Brenda, on Goodreads, thought: Devil’s Lair is an incredible psychological thriller by Aussie author Sarah Barrie. Set in the dense Tasmanian bush, the danger and breathtaking imagery jumped off the pages. Tense, gripping – the twists and turns were spectacular. I thoroughly enjoyed the well-crafted characters and loved the story. Highly recommended.

Reviews were also posted by Jennifer, Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews, Helen and ReadRoundOz.

The Accusation by Wendy James is also getting rave reviews, it’s one that intrigued me from first sight and is clamouring for attention on he shelf. When am I going to get all the extra hours in a day that I need to read. I’ve just discovered that it’s inspired by a 18th Century case so the modern setting will make for some interesting changes.

Heidi @ but books are better says: I can firmly say that THE ACCUSATION  is one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year, and features amongst other greats of Australian crime fiction to have hit our shelves recently. There is a special quality to Australian mysteries that captures the effects of a vast and isolated land on the human psyche, and ratchets up tension. James has used all of these elements with perfection to create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that kept my heart rate up and my mind churning in an effort to solve the mystery.

Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews includes this paragraph in her review: Wendy James is a decorated Australian novelist, especially in the field of contemporary and crime fiction. Domestic noir is her forte and she definitely sends us in a spin with her latest novel. Filled with contradictions, plenty of grey areas and more questions than answers, The Accusation will keep you riveted from the opening paragraph to the last sentence.

The novel is also reviewed by Jennifer, Tracey Carpe Librum, ReadRoundOz and Cloggie Downunder.

That’s probably enough for today but there are so many other great crime novels reviewed and if you want to check out all of the crime novels that have been reviewed you can head to the AWW Books Reviewed page and search by Genre. It will put all of the reviews at your fingertips.

We would love to hear about the great crime reads you have enjoyed recently.