The Blackhouse

A friend recommended this trilogy of books set on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, and I must thank her very much for introducing me to another great series of Scottish crime novels.

Detective Inspector Fin McLeod had been trying to solve a murder in Edinburgh when he was sent to Lewis Island to investigate a crime that may have been committed by the same person. Lewis Island is where he grew up, the place that he left eighteen years previously and had only returned to once in that time to attend the funeral of his aunt.

The victim of the latest crime was one of the bullies when Fin was at school and, as he investigates the death, memories of his past life on the island are revealed. This novel is about Fin rediscovering himself and re-evaluting his life as well as solving the crime. As the  story unfolds Fin discovers that he has been lured back to Lewis Island for revenge, but why?

I enjoyed reading this book and must thank the NBN for once again not working, providing me with a day without the internet that could be spent reading.

The Girl in the Painting

Tea Cooper's latest novel is The Girl in the Painting. For two thirds of the book it is largely written in two sections telling the story of Michael and Elizabeth and how they came to Australia in 1862 plus the continuation of their story when they meet Jane and invite her to join their family in 1906. Eventually the two stories converge into one for the remainder of the novel.

Both Elizabeth and Jane are very good at maths and help keeping track of the financial accounts of Michael's business ventures. All appears to be going well until one day they visit the technical college where Elizabeth sees an item that causes her to faint. Jane is determined to try and discover what is upsetting 'Aunt Elizabeth' so much. When the family agrees to host an art exhibition at their auction rooms it soon becomes obvious that some of the paintings have triggered memories of events occurring during Elizabeth's childhood in England. It takes time before the mystery of the paintings is revealed.

This is a work of fiction but the author includes a section at the end of the book where she briefly refers to some of the true events used in the novel. A book that is hard to put down once you start reading it.

Nothing New: a history of second-hand

On a trip to England with the Australian overs 70s cricket team in 2018, as well as watching the cricket there was opportunity to explore the aea where the games were being played. On this trip many of the WAGs (wives and girlfriends) regularly spent much time exploring charity shops (opportunity shops or op-shops in Australia).

In Nothing New: a history of second hand, Robin Annear provides a history of the trend for purchasing and sometimes repurposing second hand items, not just in Australia but developments in other countries. Second hand clothing for general wear or fancy dress immediately springs to mind but the author also looks at scrap metal yards, antique and vintage stores, lost and found, recycling, trash and treasure markets, garage sales as well as the growth and operation of of op-shops.This is not just a study of second hand goods today but a history of how used goods have been collected, distributed and sold for hundreds of years. The concept of second-hand is definitely not new.

Jane in love

Jane Austen is well known and loved for six novels written in the early nineteenth century - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park.

Over the years many re-imaginings of these books have been created especially in film and on television (a new version of Emma is currently in Australian cinemas), but also as new interpretations or extensions of the stories in works by a variety of authors such as Death comes to Pemberley by P D James.  Seth Graeme-Smith even produced a book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (also made into a film). The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler is a novel based around the lives of of six people who regularly meet to discuss the works of Jane Austen.

There is also a wealth of non-fiction based on Jane Austen's life and work. A few examples that I have read include A Dance with Jane Austen by Susanah Fullerton, A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 reasons why we cannot stop reading Jane Austen edited by Susannah Carson and Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence.

The Age (Spectrum) 15 February 2020 page 22 reviewed four new novels influenced by the writing of Jane Austen or aspects of her life - The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greenly (Charlotte Lucas- life after marrying Mr Collins); The Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow (Mary from Pride and Prejudice); Miss Austen by Gill Hornby (Cassandra Austen) and Jane in Love by Rachel Givney. There is also a new book on Regency clothing - Dress in the Age of Jane Austen: Regency Fashion by Hilary Davidson.

In Jane in Love, the author supposes what might happen if, in 1803, a 28 year old Jane (who looks as if she will be a spinster all her life and is consequently strongly encouraged by family members to find a partner to marry) actually visits a dubious marriage counsellor to find true love. When she finds herself transported to moderen day Bath Jane is amazed by her new surroundings and the technology of the 21st century. She forms friendships with Sofia Wentworth, an actress involved in the making of a film version of Persuasion, and her brother Fred. In this modern Bath, Jane is surprised to learn that she has written six novels which are read and studied and that there are museums created to record her life and work. However as Jane acclimatises to this modern world she discovers that reference to her works and former life is disappearing resulting in the need to decide whether to stay in the 21st century with her new friends or return home to salvage her literary career.

This entertaining book by Rachel Givney will be enjoyed by many readers of Jane Austen's fiction and the world she has created.

Review: Jane in Love- on choosing the heart or the pen Better Reading 11 February 2020

Egyptian Enigma

In the third volume of the Intermillennial Sleuth series we are transported back to Egypt in the nineteenth and twentieth dynasties as Elizabeth and her team of sleuths investigate likely candidates for the body in the Golden Tomb.

After Henry and Elizabeth spend a holiday visiting Ancient Egyptian sites and exploring Egyptian history they return with a plan to investigate the mystery of the Golden Tomb with the aim of trying to discover the identity of bodies, not only in the magnificent tomb itself but also another seven bodies located in a secret section of the tomb complex. As the investigation continues we learn not only about people living in Egypt thousands of years ago but also about some of the processes used in modern archaeology.

During the novel we also learn more about Elizabeth's multicultural family and her challenges at work in the library and at the university where she is a tutor.  There is also a mystery as to who stole Elizabeth's diary in Egypt and what item was an intruder seeking in Taid's library.

As usual there is a small collection of recipes at the end of the book along with a glossary of terms plus notes on the historical research on which this 'cosy crime' story is based. 

Mayan Mendacity

This is the second volume in the Intermillennial Sleuth series by L J M Owen. Dr Elizabeth Pimms continues to work in the library and is also offered another project to investigate numerous skeletons and a fractured urn located on a Guatemalan island. As her investigations continue we learn of the life of Six who lived in Tik'al almost three thousand years ago.

Elizabeth is also encountering difficulties with relationships - with her boyfriend, Luke, and a fellow worker in the library, Mai. To further complicate her life someone is interfering with the skeletons that she is investigating, making it difficult for her to carry out her research and write her report on time.

Food is a theme that runs through this novel and some of the recipes for dishes mentioned are to be found at the end of the book. There is also a set of questions that may be useful for book clubs plus some historical notes plus translations of some of the non-English terms used in the story. This is an easy to read archaeological detective novel delving into mysteries from the past.

The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys is a collection of forty untold stories of under-age soldiers from Australia and New Zealand who fought in the First World War. The youngest boy was just thirteen years while the others were mid teens. In 1914 the legal age for enlistment was nineteen.

In 2017 Paul Byrnes discovered a list of 170 under-age soldiers recorded on the Australian War Memorial's Roll of Honour. To be included on this list the soldiers had died. It was probable that some under-age soldiers had survived the perils of war so the author began an investigation into the lives of these young men and his research resulted in this selection of the stories collected. Why did they want to go? How did they slip through the system?

Many under-age applicants were sent home before troops left Australia or New Zealand but some stilll went to war. As authorities realised that incorrect information had been provided on some of the application papers attempts were made to keep under-age soldiers away from the fighting but this was not always possible.

These stories usually have photos of the young men and attempt to provide background information of their life before they enlisted as well as information about their military experiences. The book is an important contribution for attempting to understand the impact of war on families and generally the home front.

Goldenhand

Many years ago I read the first four books, Sabriel, Clariel, Lirael and Abhorsen, in the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix. Recently I came upon the latest title in the series, Goldenhand, and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this magical, and often dangerous, world.

Lirael now has the title Abhorsen-in-Waiting and is living at the palace at Belisaere with her half sister, Sabriel, the Abhorsen. Lirael mourns the death of her best friend the disreputable dog and carries of small model of the dog in her possessions.  When Sabrriel and her husband are on holiday Lirael is called to deal with a sinister magical sighting some distance away and while rectifying the situation she once again discovers a friend, Nicholas Saye, who has been injured and needs to be taken to safety. Meanwhile Ferin from a clan in the North arrives at Belisaere with an urgent message for Lirael. However as she is being pursued by dangerous beasts the guards will not allow her entry to the palace.

The reader then follows the story of Ferin as she attempts to avoid her pursuers and carry out her mission plus the story of Lirael's attempts to to find a safe haven for the injured Nicholas. Once Ferin's message is delivered it  is revealed that they are all in great danger and Lirael must travel into Death to finally dispatch The Witch with no Face who is threatening to destroy the kingdom.

A story with many twists and turns plus lots of powerful magic. It is also a story with characters questioning their past and hoping for a new future.

Against all odds

In June 2018 in Thailand, twelve junior soccer players and their coach decided to explore a cave after their match. While they were exploring, the cave system flooded and they were trapped. Craig Challen and Richard Harris were two Australian cave divers involved in the international effort to rescue these young football players.

As well as being experienced cave divers Craig Challen and Richard (Harry) Harris were asked to be involved in this operation because of their medical experience - Harry was an anaethesist while Craig was a retired vet. Two British divers had located the boys in the cave system but the problem was how to get them safely out before the flood waters rose further. A possible solution was to sedate each boy who would then be guided out through the cave system in the care of an experienced cave diver. Craig and Harry travelled to Thailand to assist in this project.

Each chapter is written by either Craig or Harry as they recount their experiences and especially their thoughts and fears experienced during the dangerous operation. Throughout the book it is stressed that these two men were just part of an experienced team from many countries of the world working together on this rescue mission. For those of us who watched the regular reports of the mission on television this book provides an account of the story from the point of view of those involved, rather than the media.