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Good Reading : July 2012
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good reading july 2012 33 crime woM word of mouth Cold Grave Kathryn Fox Cold Grave impresses not only with its excellent plotting but also with the amount of research that went in to making the storyline credible. Dr Anya Crichton is on holiday on a cruise ship with her ex-husband and young son. As a qualified forensic professional she initially becomes bound up in the case of a young girl found dead and stuffed into a cupboard after being sexually assaulted. What Anya discovers in the course of her investigation is a group of young male passengers who have no respect for women. Far from the jurisdiction of the police, they see a cruise – with its lack of any real security – as an opportunity to intimidate. However, when a crew member is shot, Anya’s investigation widens and she finds herself enmeshed in a web of intrigue that brings to light the Third World working conditions of most of the employees and a cover-up that reaches to the highest levels. Against this background her own life is threatened as she uncovers truths many want hidden. Cold Grave is more than a whodunnit; it is an exposé of an industry that is often a law unto itself. This is an excellent read that I devoured in one sitting. Macmillan $27.99 Reviewed by Linda Irving Budapest Noir Vilmos Kondor October 1936, Budapest, Hungary: a beautiful woman lies dead with just a Jewish prayer book in her elegant handbag. Zsigmond Gordon, a crime reporter, is on the scene before the body is taken away. He’s been alerted to the suspicious death by a police officer at headquarters who is keen to receive the spotter’s fee offered by Gordon’s newspaper. He’s intrigued when the autopsy on the supposedly unknown woman is given high priority and surprised when the police fail to follow up the finding that a murder had been committed. The reporter decides to investigate but finds he cannot do it alone. He asks Krisztina, his life partner, and Opa Mór, his grandfather, to help. Neither is keen and both try, without success, to talk him out of taking on such a dangerous task. A disturbing scenario gradually emerges from their investigations and the city’s dark underbelly of corrupt politicians, sleazy pornographers, high-class prostitutes and rigged boxing matches is in danger of being exposed. Gordon and his family are threatened with violence. The reporter’s deductive skills amazed me; the multi-faceted development to ensure that the baddies got their just deserts surprised me. A commendable debut to a promising series. HarperCollins $24.99 Reviewed by Clive Hodges July 2012 main Visit our Q&A page this july as we get to know a dog-loving author and a racy writer. In the first half of july we chat with Nigel Allsopp, author and world authority on dogs. Nigel has spent his life working with dogs, including 15 years as a military dog trainer in the Royal New Zealand Air Force Police. Nigel currently serves as a senior constable in the Queensland Police Service, working with a dog that detects firearms and explosives. Nigel chats to us about his latest book, K9 cops, which looks at the vital role that police dogs play in Australia and around the world. Head over to the gr website where the Q&A is now live! later in the month we get to know saucy British author Victoria Fox. While studying English at university, Victoria wrote her first – and unpublished – ‘bonkbuster’ that started her love of writing racy novels. After a stint in publishing, Victoria quit to write novels full of glamour, sex and scandal. We chat to Victoria about her latest novel, Temptation island, a raunchy and scandalous story about an island that may be heaven on earth – or the devil’s playground. www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au Be sure to check out the website for the exclusive extracts and discussion questions mentioned below. exTracTs The lavender Keeper by Fiona McIntosh Kath’s Miracle by Kathleen Evans & Sarah Minns The Mistake by Wendy james The Patchwork Marriage by jane Green Mary Bennet by jennifer Paynter discussion QuesTions Empress Orchid by Anchee Min Brightness Falls by jay McInerney The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins Check out our online calendar for dates of upcoming author tours, writing courses, festivals and other book-related events. what’s on the website july 2012 t a l ksabou t he r memo ir WhenWeRemember TheyCallUsLiars L i terary pubs oftheworLd Sicilian adventureS CreATivewAyS w i ThpAper suzanne covich 32_33_WOM_g.indd 33 7/6/12 9:58:11 PM
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