A MAN CALLED OVE
Author: Fredrik Backman
Publisher: Sceptre
ISBN: 9781476738024
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

I don’t normally read contemporary or literary fiction, in the same way I like to avoid getting a nasty skin rash — through avoidance. But after reading a couple of reviews, and seeing it listed on a couple of blogs as a book to read. I found myself staring at the cover in my local bookstore and thinking, okay, maybe this won’t be so bad. Maybe I won’t get a skin rash, vomit, swoon or faint from cracking open its pages. So I bought it.

Sure enough, I checked myself regularly through out the reading process and, no rashes. I did, however, laugh a lot—because of Ove’s droll observations and the awkward situations he found himself dealing with—and smiled at the nicknames he gave everyone in his neighbourhood, including the mangy cat. I was also left shaking my head in wonder, when the seemingly innocent act of drilling a hole in the ceiling turns out to be a lot more than drilling a hole in the ceiling.

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THE STOCKHOLM OCTAVO
Author: Karen Engelmann
Publisher: Ecco
ISBN: 9780061995347
Genre: Historical Fiction

THE STOCKHOLM OCTAVO is a wonderfully written historical thriller full of intrigue, lady’s fans—and yes, I mean those kind of fans. Fans women use to fan themselves with, and more, with a deft hand, secretly signal to friends and lovers—hinting at mystery, murder, and a dash of romance. This story is as much about cartomancy as it is about history, and is decked out with an unusual cast of characters, ‘The Eight,’ who Emil Larsson must find in order to achieve what he thinks is his destiny.

Set in Stockholm, Sweden, at the end of the eighteenth-century, we find out Emil Larsson’s destiny isn’t his own, it’s tied up with that of the King of Sweden. All of which is the author’s way of opening up the various levels of society represented in the story, from seedy gaming houses and tap rooms, to the lofty levels of the government and royal palace and sumptuous world of Gustav III. Revolution is brewing on many levels, as the world in which Emil finds himself, is undergoing tumultuous change.

Engelmann’s writing is fluid, graceful, and wonderfully nuanced, sucking the reader into the story where the descriptive prose conjure locations, activities, and conversations that evoke this world, perfectly. This is not by any means a fast, action-packed story, but a slowly nuanced complex story told from a number of POV, centred around Emil Larsson. A story that paints a richly detailed world of manners, morals, and a belief a person can rise above the station they’re dealt in life if but given a chance or, dealt the right hand of cards.

An enjoyable, immersive experience. Highly recommended.

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME
Author: Laura Dave
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781501171352
Genre: Thriller

I do love me a thoroughly twisted and suspenseful mystery and The Last Thing He Told Me is exactly that. Laura Dave throws Hannah, step-mum to Bailey, right in at the deep end of the ocean and, I might add, us along with them. We’re left peering over Hannah’s shoulder the whole way, as she desperately tries to figure out what’s going on and, just who the hell her new husband is, before all is lost.

This is as much a character study of Bailey and Hannah as it is a mystery, and Laura Dave does a great job of slowly unraveling said mystery one breadcrumb at a time, leaving the reader in the dark as much as Hannah and Bailey. I had my suspicions and, just when I thought I knew what was happening, the author adds a whole new set of wrinkles. And that’s when you realise you have no idea who Hannah’s husband Owen is anymore than Hannah does.

The tensions throughout are never over played, and there’s just enough going on by way of mystery to keep us guessing as to who Owen actually is, and why he’s vanished at the start of the novel. And boy, when you find out, how the past stitches into the present, and just where or, I should say, what the future holds, it’s totally not what you’re expecting. The twists are so damn clever. All of which I can’t talk about here, in this review least I spoilt the surprises. You will just have to find out for yourself. And let me tell you, they were well worth the subtle build up.

We have a small supporting cast who are all well delineated and play their parts well. But the story is, at its heart, not just a mystery but a story of a woman and teenager bonding and coming together in the face of a dawning revelation.

It’s about how Dave takes these characters, throws them off a cliff, and then, shows us how they not only survive, but help one another in the face of uncertainty and mounting adversity.

The Last Thing He Told Me is tightly written, taut and suspenseful, and a thoroughly absorbing mystery that doesn’t let up until the last page. So if, like me, you love slow-burning cleverly-written thrillers, then this one is a definite must.

Simply put, this is an excellent read.

DIAL A FOR AUNTIES
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 9780593333037
Genre: Murder Mystery

Dial A for Aunties is an absolute blast of fun-filled, darkly twisted humour. And don’t get me started on the complicated family dynamics, which adds not only more humour but also a great deal of depth to this over-the-top family caper that’s worthy of it’s own sitcom.

Truly, Sutanto nails the archetypes of Ah Mas and Ah Yis perfectly, so much so I was nodding my head knowingly and grinning like an idiot. Yes, I’ve met some of these women in my own childhood, and remember them all with fond memories. They always all know what’s best even when they have no idea what’s best!

At it’s heart, Dial A for Aunties is both a comedy of errors and a heartfelt romance. Sutanto delivers on every level with the melodrama and humour, thanks to the idiosyncratic nature of the four sisters, while giving us a twisted joyride courtesy of the unexpected ‘death’, and throws in a bit of hot romance to stir our emotions even further. So that, when we’re not feeling it for poor dutiful Meddelin ‘Meddy’ Chan, we’re either laughing our socks off at the situation—which goes from bad, to worse, to OMG I can’t believe this happening—to swooning along with Meddy over the love of her life, Nathan.

Sutanto gives us the best kind of romantic comedy with plenty of misdirects, heartbreak, moments of sheer OTT fun, and suspend-your-sense-of-disbelief laugh out loud moments, as the 3 aunties and Meddy’s mother do their best to help their beloved niece and daughter get rid of the body … I never stopped laughing or shaking my head as hapless Meddy tries desperately to extract herself, and her aunties, from events as they spiral out of control.

I loved the aunties and their biting banter, and the wonderful insight into the family dynamics of their Chinese Indonesian heritage, traditions, and rituals. This is a fabulously entertaining and engaging read that tips into the territory of farce and the ridiculous which will make you laugh, while the romance will happily make you grin from ear to ear.

Sit back, let loose with Meddy and her meddlin’ aunts, and have some fun!

THE WINDSOR KNOT
Author: SJ Bennett
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 9780063072534
Genre: Murder Mystery

This debut novel from the imaginative and decidedly twisted mind of S J Bennett is one of the best reads I’ve had this year, and that’s saying something given the quality of reads I’ve had of late. But what Bennett has done is capture the essence of Her Majesty, QEII, and turned her into a veritable royal Miss Marple in this lovely homage to Agatha Christie. Our much beloved sovereign is on top form in THE WIDSOR KNOT, sleuthing her way quietly through her ninetieth birthday celebrations, at Windsor Castle, during the spring of 2016.

For me, Bennett really captures both the best of a Christie novel, with an MC second to none. Updating for a modern sensibilities, complete with multiple murders, a clever, layered mystery, and political intrigue that is spot on—with a ‘hot button’ topic and issue ripped directly from today’s headlines. Throw in a great supporting cast of characters not least of which, aiding and abetting Her Majesty is Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, who’s the perfect foil to QEII. And you have a smart, elegant, clever murder mystery that delivers on so many levels.

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