The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges

 

I’m about to contradict myself so here goes: I don’t like fantasies and I don’t read fantasies; however, I have just read a fantasy and I loved it. Myra Malone is a recluse; she spends her days in her mother’s attic with a minuscule mansion - not a doll’s house, as she insists. She constantly redecorates the rooms, collecting and making tiny pieces of furniture. Gwen, Myra’s friend since childhood, has encouraged Myra to blog about the mansion and she has a large, devoted following of people who try to recreate some of her rooms in their own houses, as well as sending Myra miniature pieces of furniture themselves.

The magical mystery element of the story involves Alex, scion of “a respected, blue-blooded family”, whose fortune is in their furniture stores. Alex has come home from China, where he was teaching in a private school, to help his father who has been diagnosed with cancer. He has taken up temporary residence in the family’s mansion; there is a portrait of his paternal grandmother on the wall but he has no real memory of her.

A complicated, utterly fascinating story emerges, moving backward and forward in time and told from differing viewpoints. There was mystery and fantasy but enough realism for me to remain enchanted, which I think is the right word here, through to the lovely ending.

I recommend The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone to admirers of creative, imaginative writing. Simply put, Audrey Burges has a wonderful way with words. 

5 out of 5 from me!

Published by Macmillan

Exiles by Jane Harper

 

Aaron Falk is visiting in the South Australian wine growing region so from the outset you have an enduring, attractive character in a beautiful part of the world. The story is absolutely riveting: a mysterious disappearance which has been investigated thoroughly still hasn’t been solved twelve months later and it starts to play on Falk’s mind. The friends he is visiting are at a total loss regarding what happened to Kim and why her baby daughter was abandoned in a safe spot at the annual wine festival.

Falk has met a woman and his sweetness and vulnerability are utterly charming. I love the the atmosphere Jane Harper creates around them. After living through the trauma caused by a natural disaster for the past three months I could feel, and was grateful for, the peace and happiness flowing from those scenes in the book. What brilliant writing!

It was such a good, satisfying mystery. I thought I had worked out the who and possibly the why, but I couldn’t figure out the how. There was a second mystery waiting to be solved as well and for that I hadn’t come up with a who, why or how, which is always a good way to be.

I’m going to come right out and say it: this is Jane Harper’s best book ever! I humbly offer a 5 out of 5 rating.

Published by Pan Macmillan

Fling by Joseph Murray

 

I once knew a couple who had three failed attempts at IVF. The emotional toll was heavy on both of them but the wife was physically exhausted as well. When Fling opens, Tara and Colin have just been told that their third attempt has failed and, rather than recognising Tara’s utter distress, Colin insists that they start again. I had no sympathy at all for him after that.

There then follows what could have been a sweet, cute, warm and funny story. I never give the plot line away but the middle section of the book involves people sending crude text messages to each other, when emotionally intuitive understanding is what should have worked.

There are lovely passages throughout the book and it would have worked better, for me, if they had predominated. Take out the unrealistic, insensitive bits and it is a nice story.

I think about three and a half for the clever, often funny dialogue and the occasional glimmers of empathy.

Published by Pan Macmillan