Working nights and having all of the children home all of the time is starting to take it’s toll and the exhaustion is setting in; so this round-up comes to you from a chaotic socially distanced place that will hopefully offer a period of quiet to take a look at the stats and share some of the fantastic crime reads that our reviewers have been enjoying through these trying times.
This round-up period sees a total of 69 Reviews of 36 books by 31 authors. I know the actual review count is a little lower because at first glance I can see a couple of repeat entries in the table but my overtired mind can’t manage to fix the numbers.
Dervla McTiernan makes a massive impact on the stats for this round-up with 12 reviews (though 1 is a duplicate) across the 3 Cormac Reilly novels. The Good Turn is a relatively new release that we featured last round up, it was reviewed 8 times in this period which makes it the frontrunner by far.
Riptides is another title featured last time round that was read by another 2 reviewers this period.
The End of Cuthbert Close by Cassie Hamer garnered 5 reviews by reviewers we see every roundup.
Theresa Smith Writes says: There is plenty going on within this story to keep you intrigued and entertained. Cassie Hamer has a sharp sense of humour that often had me laughing out loud for the duration. If you’re looking for something to just sit back and relax with while social distancing, I can recommend The End of Cuthbert Close as a good choice for your next read.
Over on Goodreads Cass Moriarty says: What Cassie Hamer does so well is to write about real life in a relatable and familiar way. All of the conversations you have had with your girlfriends about juggling work and kids and family obligations are in this book. All the arguments you’ve had with your partner about whose career is more important and who does the lion’s share of the household duties are in in this book. All the secret thoughts you’ve ever had about schooling (dare I say, at the moment, HOME-SCHOOLING?), gripes about neighbours, complaints about your workplace, hidden resentments or your private anxieties about your own life trajectory and where you are going – they are all in this book. It’s like the author has read the minds of all the people around her – particularly the women – and committed them all to the page.
Also on Goodreads are reviews by Brenda, Jennifer and Helen.
Sheerwater by Leah Swann is another brand new release that has been reviewed 5 times this period and the feedback has been pretty positive.
Carolyn reviews on Goodreads and she has this to say: This is a heart-rending novel that begs to be read in one sitting. Two little boys, Max and Teddy, are ripped apart from their mother and my heart was in my mouth for the whole book with the suspense of wishing them reunited safe and sound.
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out writes concise reviews that I always enjoy and part of her review states: Alternating primarily between the perspectives of Ava, her estranged husband Laurence, and their oldest son, 9 year old Max, Sheerwater is a harrowing tale, skillfully executed by Leah Swann.
Cloggie Downunder, on Goodreads, says: Even as the reader learns from the various strands of the story exactly what has happened and who is responsible, the tension ramps up and the anxiety for the boys’ safety is intensely felt. At certain points, some readers may need to do the reading equivalent of hands in front of the eyes during the scary bit of the movie: shut the book for a while and do something else.
Theresa Smith Writes closes her review with: Sheerwater is a novel that will leave an impression upon anyone who reads it. I have a feeling I will be seeing more about this novel within the next year, perhaps listed for prizes. I don’t often get hunches like that, but the last time I did was after I read The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood, and we all know how that turned out!
Charlotte Pass by Lee Christine was released in February and it has attracted 4 positive reviews from regular reviewers. On Goodreads it was reviewed by Jennifer Cameron-Smith and Helen Sibbrett while also reviewed by Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews and Bree @1girl2manybooks.
Bree @ 1girl2manybooks says: There’s something for everyone in this one – a strong setting which will be both new to some readers and yet familiar in many aspects as well, very well fleshed out main characters and a good mystery where you end up wanting to find out what happens just as much as the police do, plus there’s a little bit of romance too. It was a perfect read for me, engaging and well written with a gripping story and characters I really wanted to find the answers.
The Shifting Landscape is a new release from Echo Publishing that gained 3 reviews, it was released March 31st so I’m sure it will find it’s way into future round-ups as we get further from release date.
Brenda closes her review with: The Shifting Landscape is the 3rd in the Alex Clayton Art Mystery series by Aussie author Katherine Kovacic and I really enjoyed it. Set on land which originally belonged to the Gunditjmara people, Kinloch homestead featured dominantly. I know the area of Hamilton and the road Alex took through Ballarat and Dunkeld to get there, having travelled on it many times myself, and it was great to visualize the trip Alex was taking. The nearby mountains, the beautiful landscape, the intriguing mystery which threaded its way through the book – and Hogarth! What a marvel of a dog! I definitely need a cuddle 😉 Highly recommended.
The Shifting Landscape was also reviewed by Cloggie Downunder on Goodreads and Amanda @ Mrs B’s Book Reviews.
Red Dirt country is the only one of the new releases in this round-up that I have actually read, and I loved it. It was also reviewed by Veronica @ The Burgeoning Bookshelf and Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out.
Veronica says: With themes of racial divide, bad blood handed down through generations, breaking down long held perceptions of crooked cops and a generation trying to make a better future for all Red Dirt Country is an engrossing and credible read.
Mic Loves Books review contains the passage: McDonald has woven a gripping tale of generations old hurts, and secrets, brewing under the surface and a few brave men willing to buck the trends of the past and see justice done. The characters are sensitively drawn and all have their tale to tell, many of them not pretty and not what we would like to think is still happening in the 21st Century.
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, and I’m off to see what else I can catch up on so that I can get some reading done. Please tell us who’s helping you survive the isolation of social distancing.
Have a great evening and a reading filled weekend.
Thanks Michelle!