Whether you are wanting some down time or something to do on the beach, the festive season is the time to catch up on reading and enjoy an on the spot fantasy get away.
Here are some summer reads to consider:
The One Man: Andrew Gross
MacMillan, paperback, RRP $29.99
Few people break into a prisoner of war camp, but that’s what the US government does in a desperate bid to stop the war machine.
To do so, the rescuers need to find one man, a physicist, who holds knowledge necessary to make dramatic changes. The rescuers must find him and break him out of Auschwitz before it is too late.
The One Man is an interesting twist on a familiar theme and well worth the read.
Bone by Bone: Sanjida Kay
Allen and Unwin paperback, $29.99
The consequences of bullying are taken to the ultimate level in Bone by Bone.
Nine year old Autumn isn’t having the best time at school and her mother Laura feels unable to help.
When she finds her daughter being taunted, she takes matters into her own hands with the consequences having a far reaching effect.
Bone by Bone is an unsettling tale of what could be.
It is also a tale of strength, courage and love.
It is told in date order, with the story emerging from both mother and daughter.
The Steel Kiss: Jeffrey Deaver
Hachette Australia paperback, $29.99
If Amelia Sachs had caught the killer in the first chapter, The Steel Kiss would not have had immediate impact.
Instead, her pursuit is interrupted by what first appears to be a freak accident involving people trapped in the workings of an escalator.
But as Sachs investigates, a connection starts to emerge with the modus operandi of the killer being that of working machinery.
It’s a smart and sophisticated move for this technological age and an interesting twist on the usual murder mystery novel.
Closed Casket: Sophie Hannah
Harper Collins paperback, $29.99
Hercule Poirot is back in Closed Casket.
In typical Poirot fashion, the characters find themselves as characters in a mansion where every person is a player and possible suspect in a murder.
Central to the theme is Lady Playford who had summoned her dinner guests to the house, there to make an announcement about the alteration of her will.
Poirot has much to solve, most notably the reason for her decision to change, which may ultimately truly find the killer.
Lovers of Poirot will be thrilled to read this latest addition.
Black Water: Louise Doughty
Allen and Unwin, paperback, $29.99
Can two people find love in tragic circumstances?
That is what happens to Harper and Rita who are drawn together through former tragedy and potential danger.
Their relationship flourishes as their situation flounders and the pair save each other on various levels.
Black Water is set in various locations, including Indonesia during the massacres of 1965, Holland and California.
It’ historic background is fascinating in itself.
