The Stranger at the Table by Cassie Hamer

 

 I’m on a roll! I keep discovering brilliant Australian women writers, and here is another: Cassie Hamer. The Stranger at the Table is completely different to any other book I’ve read in a long time. It is a sensitive, insightful exploration into the lives of a family and how they are affected by the withholding of secrets. There’s a fine line between hurting someone “for your own good” and self preservation.

My children are way into adulthood but whenever I read about  parents’ actions causing unintentional consequences for following generations I think: (a) I wish I could go back and be a perfect mother; or (b) I’ve dodged several bullets there! 

Marianne, the main character in Stranger at the Table, is trying to integrate back into a stable life with her husband and her two precious daughters. She has had to be brave and strong and to trust and rely on the love and support of her husband, mother and sister; however, nothing is as it seems in this absolutely riveting story, and there are many twists and turns to come.

I’ve been deliberately obscure in this precis, but if there is anyone out there who hasn’t already read The Stranger at the Table, this is an attempt to whet your appetite without giving anything away and thereby ruining the absolute pleasure of getting stuck into an unforgettable book. If you are a fan of Liane Moriarty, Cassie Hamer is your woman!

Published by Harper Collins

A Shadow at the Door by Jo Dixon

 

I

I bought A Shadow at the Door because I enjoyed The House of Now and Then so much. This one is a lot more dramatic, so much so that in the beginning I was starting to think the negativity was a bit overdone; however, balance was restored quickly and a splendidly compulsive story was underway.

The main character, Remi, is a former television star who, having divorced her wealthy and powerful husband and while recovering from a vicious physical attack, has undertaken to restore her once beautiful old Hobart home. A series of damaging events, including an online campaign to damage Remi’s income from her audiobook reading job, has eaten into her finances; and meanwhile, Remi’s ex, Simon, has a mortgage over his half of the property which formerly had been in their joint names, and he has started threatening Remi with foreclosure if she is late making payments. 

Reluctantly, Remi decides to rent out two of her rooms and so she meets Josephine and Emerson who become principal players; from this point on as the story progresses the suspense, the tension, the final build up are all riveting.

Tasmania is featuring a lot in books and movies lately, and Australia keeps producing world class writers. I’m now looking forward to Jo Dixon’s third book.

Published by Harper Collins 

The House of Now and Then

 

This is a dual time/dual plot line book. Tom has arrived in Australia from England in 2017 on a mission to deliver a sealed package he found in his deceased father’s belongings to a lady named Pippa, with whom his father obviously had a connection in 1986, in Sandy Bay, Tasmania. Meanwhile, Olivia has retreated from Sydney to Sandy Bay, trying to escape her shameful past and a vengeful enemy; Olivia is staying in a house owned by Eloise, the same house where Pippa had been staying in 1986. 

This clever book never becomes convoluted, despite its myriad characters, times and stories. It has mystery, intrigue, romance, and the good and bad aspects of the internet and especially social media. I even identified in a self-absorbed way with one part of the story, having also been found unconscious on a dark country road one night long ago, after coming off the back of the obligatory (in those days) motor scooter. Quite took me back to my misspent youth!

I’m sure a lot of people have read The House of Now and Then since it was first published but I discovered it just this week  on the Parkes Library Borrow Box. I recommend it highly to those who haven’t yet read it and who love to get their teeth into a good, twisty, vibrant piece of story telling.

Published by Harper Collins

Book People by Paige Nick

 

Book People by Paige Nick is in a class of its own: very clever and very funny; well, very funny if you’re a reader and have never had to cope with a mean, nasty review. What writer wouldn’t want to hit back at such a thing! What would I have done if a stranger had ever smacked one of my children? The problem here is the writer and the reviewer are both unhinged to start off with. 

 Norma runs an online book review club. She has left her job as an accountant and, at 42 years of age, taken up an internship with a publishing company. Unfortunately for Norma, she lives with Steve, a lazy, layabout wannabe author who spends his days on the couch wearing big headphones, mucking about on his laptop and hacking Norma’s credit card.

Harry is a ferociously self-promoting author, the victim of the aforementioned mean, nasty review. He is married to Victoria, a surgeon whose tolerance for his obsessive nature is wearing thin.

This a terrific read. Unlike Harry’s nemesis I don’t comment at all on books I haven’t liked but I liked this one. A lot! I’m going to look for more of Paige Nick's books now; what a find this one has been. Thank you, Tony!

Published by Pan Macmillan South Africa