Review: The Satanic Mechanic by Sally Andrew

 

Title: The Satanic Mechanic {A Tannie Maria Mystery #2}

Author: Sally Andrew

Published: 7th July 2016, Text Publishing

Status: Read February 2024

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My Thoughts:

Though it was way back in 2015 that I read the first book of Sally Andrew’s debut cozy mystery series featuring Tannie Maria, an agony aunt for a rural South African newspaper, who dispenses advice and recipes, when the Crossing Continents Reading Challenge called for a book set in Africa, the series immediately came to mind.

The Satanic Mechanic picks up not too long after the end of Recipes for Love and Murder. Maria has grown more comfortable with her role as the Love Advice and Recipe Column for the Klein Karoo Gazette, a position which she takes very seriously, dispensing common sense and comfort to those who write in, always coupled with a recipe that reinforces her support. If you are a foodie, the dozen or so recipes Andrews includes in Satanic Mechanic including West African Chicken Mafe, Venus Cake and Mosbolletjie Bread, will surely delight.

Maria’s romantic relationship with Detective Henk Kannemeyer has also progressed, however Maria, who experienced terrible domestic violence at the hands of her late husband, is finding intimacy difficult due to PTSD. Recognising her need for help, Maria joins a somewhat unconventional support group run by a man nicknamed the Satanic Mechanic, who has an interesting backstory. Andrews writes sensitively of Maria’s issues, and her struggle to resolve them.

The PTSD support group is the setting for one of the murders, which is preceded by the poisoning of a Bushmen representative involved in a legal stoush with corporate interests at a local fair. Finding herself at the scene of both events, Tannie Marie can not help but get involved, much to the chagrin of a worried Henk. To be honest I felt the mystery plot didn’t have the impact it probably should have, but it still held my interest.

One of the main elements I really appreciate in this series is how well the story’s are grounded in their setting. Not only with regards to descriptions of Tannie Maria’s physical environment, but also how smoothly Andrews interjects snippets of Afrikaans into the narrative. In Satanic Mechanic Andrews also touches on some of the cultural and political issues that affect the country, particularly with regards to tension surrounding the rights of Bushmen (or San peoples).

I enjoyed revisiting this series, and though I don’t feel immediately compelled to move on to the last two published books featuring Tannie Maria, I would like to read them eventually.

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Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

 

Title: Listen For the Lie

Author: Amy Tintera

Published: 14th March 2024, Bantam UK

Status: Read March 2024 courtesy Bantam/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

Lucy Chase murdered her best friend, at least that’s what everyone thinks, including the voice in Lucy’s head, even though she remembers nothing, and the police can’t prove it.

Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera is a darkly hilarious mystery in which Lucy reluctantly returns to her hometown for her grandmothers birthday at the same time as a popular true crime podcaster, Ben Owens, decides to open an investigation in an effort to solve the five year old case.

Lucy is a fantastic character, and carries the book effortlessly with her first person narrative. I delighted in her acerbic wit and bold attitude. Not surprisingly, Lucy always has her guard up, except around her grandmother, who is equally outspoken. Their bond is a delight, and Beverley nearly steals every scene they share. It’s Beverley who convinces Lucy to cooperate with Ben.

Transcripts from the podcast are used to provide details about the crime, and the interviews reveal new pieces of the puzzle. The residents of Plumpton have plenty of secrets and I enjoyed how the mystery played out. It’s not a complex plot but there is plenty of drama and intrigue, and separating gossip from truth to determine what really happened the night Savannah was murdered is a challenge.

Despite all the humour Tintera does touch on serious issues including domestic violence, PTSD, and obsession. The tension develops well as Lucy and Ben grow closer to learning the truth, and there is an exciting and satisfying climax. Short chapters and snappy dialogue support the fast pace of the novel.

A fun, quirky and compulsive mystery, I found Listen For the Lie to be a delightful read.

++++++++

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Review: What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

 

Title: What Happened To Nina?

Author: Dervla McTiernan

Published: 5th March 2024, HarperCollins Australia

Status: Read February 2024 courtesy HarperCollins/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

What Happened to Nina? is a stand alone mystery from bestselling Irish born Australian based author, Dervla McTiernan.

When Leanne Foster discovers that her daughter’s boyfriend has returned home from a week’s getaway the couple took at his family’s rural retreat, she’s puzzled. Having not heard from Nina, Leanne and her husband try to speak with Simon Jordan, only to be stonewalled by his parents who advise them that the couple broke up and their son has no idea where where Nina could be, before shutting the door on them. It’s the same story, more or less, that Simon gives Detective Matthew Wright who is assigned to investigate after the Foster’s report their daughter as a missing person, but to Nina’s parents it just doesn’t make sense.

Unfolding from multiple points of view, it is the aftermath, rather than the crime itself that is the focus of What Happened to Nina? Desperate to find their missing daughter the Foster’s are willing to risk anything for answers. Meanwhile Simon’s wealthy parents go to extraordinary lengths to protect their son from any suggestion of wrongdoing. I really liked how McTiernan represented the perspectives of the parents, particularly the mother’s, both of whom are faced with the unthinkable.

To be honest though the plot as a whole feels sort of derivative. McTiernan seems to have been heavily inspired by the real-life case involving the murder of Gabby Petito, not only with regards to the facts of the crime, but also the involvement of social media and its impact on the investigation. Had I been less familiar with the case I think I would have found the story more absorbing. That said, the twist at the end was hugely redeeming.

Though there were elements of What Happened to Nina? that I was impressed by, overall I found it underwhelming. A good read, just not a great read.

++++++++

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Review: All the Words We Know by Bruce Nash

 

Title: All the Words We Know

Author: Bruce Nash

Published: 27th February 2024, Allen & Unwin

Status: Read February 2024 courtesy Allen & Unwin/Netgalley

++++++++

My Thoughts:

Told from the perspective of Rose, an elderly woman with dementia, All the Words We Know is an unusual literary mystery.

When Rose learns her Scrabble partner has fallen to her death, she is sure that it is no accident but can’t quite recall why. It has something to do with the golden Scare Manager and the Angry Nurse, and perhaps her son’s dirty bottom and the password he needs. To make sense of what is wrong, Rose must sort through the present and the past, the understood and the unknown, the remembered and forgotten.

With a clever use of language, Nash draws the reader into Rose’s world as she roams the halls of the aged care facility. The narrative is surprisingly playful, humour deftly tempers the sharp-edged pangs of loss and frustration. Muddled words and puns add a layer of lightness, even absurdity at times. Moments of lucidity fade into the labyrinth of forgetting, so that parts of the narrative feel circular, but Rose slowly makes progress. We get glimpses of the truth that Rose is searching for, but as an unreliable narrator, it’s often as murky for us as it is for her.

I admire what Nash has accomplished with this unique novel. All the Words We Know, is clever, poignant, and entertaining.

++++++++

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Review: Body of Lies by Sarah Bailey

 

Title: Body of Lies {Gemma Woodstock #4}

Author: Sarah Bailey

Published: 27th February 2024, Allen & Unwin

Status: Read February 2024 courtesy Allen & Unwin

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My Thoughts:

Body of Lies is the fourth and final book by Sarah Bailey to feature Detective Gemma Woodstock, and though I’ve (strangely) not read any of the earlier series instalments this worked perfectly well as a stand alone.

Set about a year after the events of Where the Dead Go Gemma has returned to live in her home town with her partner, their new baby daughter, and her young son from her previous marriage. She’s visiting her father, hospitalised after a heart attack, when the body of an unidentified woman killed in a car accident is stolen from the morgue. Though still on maternity leave when Body of Lies opens, Gemma can’t help but involve herself in the mystery and when an infant is later found abandoned, which she suspects is related, she decides to return to work early.

There is a lot happening in Body of Lies, and Gemma quickly finds herself with more questions than answers. Several well crafted red herrings complicate the investigation that grows to include a pub brawl, a brutal murder, and a local cult. With the main action taking place over a few weeks, Gemma slowly makes the connections necessary to piece the complex case together, unwittingly putting herself in mortal danger as she does so. The root of the crime is unexpected, and perhaps a touch fantastical, but certainly adds shock value to the plot.

Gemma’s personal life is similarly complicated in this novel. Already struggling with the dilemma of balancing motherhood with her career, the sensitivity of her son to his father’s recent death, and her insecurities regarding her current relationship with Mac, Gemma is devastated when she learns the identity of the stolen body and the secrets it reveals about her past, putting her at odds with almost everyone she is close to. Gemma is a complex character, well portrayed with realism and nuance.

A gripping police procedural with a compelling lead, Body of Lies is a great read. As this is the last book which will feature Gemma, an epilogue set around three months after the dramatic end of the investigation proves to be satisfying.

++++++++

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Review: Glenrock by Lee Christine

 

Title: Glenrock

Author: Lee Christine

Published: 30th January 2024, Allen & Unwin

Status: Read January 2024 courtesy Allen & Unwin

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My Thoughts:

Lee Christine has moved from the NSW southern highlands to the mid coast for the setting of her newest novel, Glenrock.

After Justice Maurice Tempest is found shot dead in Glenrock State Conservation Park, Senior Sergeant Callan O’Connor and his partner suspect organised crime involvement, especially when the body of a known enforcer is later found nearby, but something isn’t adding up.

There is a lot happening in Glenrock but Christine manages the multiple threads skilfully, connecting seemingly disparate events in a manner that is both clever and credible. Several red herrings contribute to the intrigue, and though most of the action comes nearer the end, there is a good amount of tension throughout. I raced through Glenrock in an afternoon, absorbed in the unfolding mystery.

I like the character of Callan who is a good cop, and a good man. Though his life is not uncomplicated, he isn’t the jaded, hard-drinking loner that is so common in the genre. I enjoyed the relationship that developed between Callan and journalist Angela. Angela is smart and independent, and her background contributes another layer of interest to the plot.

As my children have been to a couple of scout camps at Glenrock (in Newcastle, NSW), I’m familiar with the novel’s setting, which is a bonus. Christine’s descriptions deftly evoke the area and its surrounds.

With a compelling, well crafted mystery and appealing characters, Glenrock is another excellent novel from Lee Christine, and I’m already looking forward to her next.

++++++++

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Review: One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall

 

Title: One of the Good Guys

Author: Araminta Hall

Published: 9th January 2024, Macmillan

Status: Read January 2024 courtesy Macmillan

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My Thoughts:

“And I know, historically, it’s been hard to be a woman but, my God, it’s hard to be a man right now.”

A provocative and thought-provoking novel, One of the Good Guys by Araminta Hall explores the gendered dynamic of power, the mythology of the ‘good guy’, and feminine rage.

Told in three parts primarily from the perspectives of three individuals but also through newspaper articles, podcast transcripts, Tweets, and WhatsApp chats from third parties, One of the Good Guys has an interesting structure.

Cole is the first to tell his story, that of a good guy baffled by the breakdown of his marriage who has taken refuge on a remote stretch of coast in the South of England. Melissa’s story starts seven years earlier and charts the course of her marriage to Cole. The third properly introduces Lennie, explains how and why she became involved with both Cole and Melissa, and the fate of two missing young women.

There’s a mystery here, more than one really, but it’s the complexity of the characters that offers the real intrigue. There is a thread of unreliability in each narrative that deliberately keeps the reader off balance. The way in which Hall manipulates the reveal of information is very clever, exposing conflicting points of view that forces continual reassessment of everything.

Dark, compelling, and powerful, One of the Good Guys is an impressive novel that unashamedly challenges society’s complacency with regard to violence against women. An important read.

++++++++

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Review: The Good Dog by Simon Rowell

 

Title: The Good Dog {Detective Zoe Mayer #3}

Author: Simon Rowell

Published: 30th January 2024, Text Publishing

Status: Read January 2024 courtesy Text Publishing/Netgalley

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My Thoughts:

The Good Dog is the third excellent book in Simon Rowell’s series featuring Victorian homicide Detective Zoe Mayer and her trusted service dog, Harry.

When Zoe is called to the scene of a bullet ridden body on Mount Macedon, Harry’s discovery of a second body in nearby bushland suggests they may be looking at a case of murder-suicide. Yet it soon becomes clear to Zoe and her new partner, DC Ben Tarro, that the crime scene has been staged.

I quickly found myself invested the suspenseful plot of The Good Dog. There are plenty of suspects for the crime – the dead men, recently acquitted fraudster Piers Johnson, and his lawyer Antony Peterson, have several enemies, especially among those who lost a lot of money in Johnson’s investment scheme. There are twists in the investigation that keep things interesting, and the identity of Zoe and Ben’s quarry is likely to surprise more than a few readers.

The pacing of the novel works well, with the urgency of the investigation accelerated by threats levelled at the dead men’s wives, the ransacking of Johnson’s home, and the kidnapping of Peterson’s teenage daughter. The eventual confrontation between Zoe, Ben, and the killer in particular is tense and exciting.

Zoe is a strong, appealing character and her relationship with Harry, a golden retriever, who not only serves as Zoe’s anchor when her PTSD is triggered, but is also a useful investigative tool, is a great feature of the series. Ben’s introduction seemed inauspicious, and he still feels a little insubstantial, but he proves to be a good partner for Zoe over the course of the novel.

If you enjoy well-written police procedurals The Good Dog, along with its prequels, The Long Game and Wild Card, are a treat that will leave you begging for more.

++++++++

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Review: The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland

 

Title: The Wiregrass {Jesse Redpath #2}

Author: Adrian Hyland

Published: 7th December 2023, Ultimo Press

Status: Read January 2024 courtesy Ultimo Press

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My Thoughts:

The Wiregrass is another excellent instalment in Adrian Hyland’s Australian crime series featuring maverick Senior Constable Jesse Redpath.

Set a year or so after the events in Canticle Creek, Jesse has transferred from the Territory to the Windmark Ranges in Victoria where she’s been appointed as the officer-in-charge at the small rural town of Satellite. She’s still familiarising herself with the area when a wild storm lashes the mountain, and she responds to a horrific accident where a tree has crushed a man in a tractor. There’s something about the scene that nags at Jesse, and when she returns later it’s clear to her that the tree was deliberately felled.

Jesse is an intuitive and determined investigator, but also impulsive and headstrong, which is how she comes to be in the bed of the victims neighbour when the Special Operations Group burst through the door the next morning. She should be horrified, but despite only having met Nash Rankin the night before, and some damning evidence suggesting his guilt, Jesse’s certain he is innocent, and sets out to prove it.

There’s plenty of tension and action in The Wiregrass as Jesse starts to dig for alternative motives and puts some nasty and dangerous characters off side. Despite being warned off, and more that one attempt on her life, she refuses to stop pushing for the truth. The plot is clever and complex, with multiple suspects including drug dealers, dodgy operators, and cultists in the mix. I was caught up in the mystery, eager for Jesse’s instincts to prevail and Nash to be exonerated.

As I have come to expect from Hyland the setting of The Wiregrass is effortlessly atmospheric, evoking the bleak, wintry weather and dense bush of the Victorian ranges.

A captivating and absorbing novel, The Wiregrass is a terrific read, and I’m already looking forward to the next.

++++++++

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Review: Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

 

Title: Vendetta {Lexi Winter #3}

Author: Sarah Barrie

Published: 15th November 2023, HQ Fiction

Status: Read December 2023 courtesy Harlequin/Netgalley

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“Cop or criminal? When you’re undercover, the lines can get a little blurry.“

My Thoughts:

Vendetta is the third exciting instalment in Sarah Barrie’s series featuring vigilante turned cop, Lexi Winter.

I love Lexi, she’s smart, brave, and kickass, if also somewhat reckless and unpredictable. She doesn’t hesitate when her former neighbour Dawnie asks for her help to rescue Dannie’s husband Morris, and reacts quickly when she is unexpectedly confronted by her past. It’s not an easy thing for her to do, but with the stakes escalating Lexi has no choice but to revive old affiliations, and go undercover with the one of the city’s most dangerous motorcycle gangs.

Still struggling with all of the rules that come with her new job as a police officer, Lexi’s issues with some of the more inflexible members of the force, including her spiteful colleague, Cass, come to a head in Vendetta. This leads to a very tense situation amongst the team, leaving Lexi wondering just who deserves her loyalty. I enjoyed the drama that played out, and the surprise twists that unfolded.

There’s plenty of suspense and fast paced action in this instalment too. Lexi’s life is at risk, not only from the violent members of the motorcycle club, but also from a former gang member looking for explosive revenge against both the club, and the police.

With its fantastic lead character, tense drama, and thrilling action, the Lexi Winter series is an excellent crime series, and Vendetta another absorbing read. I can’t wait for the next one.

++++++++

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