The Way It Is Now

The Way It Is Now is another enthralling crime novel from Australian author, Garry Disher. 

Set on Victoria's Mornington Penninsula, initially in January 2000 but mainly from December 2019 - February 2020, the novel is involved with events affecting the family of Charlie Deravin. After Charlie's mother disappeared, Charlie spent the following twenty years trying to establish what had happened to her. Currently on suspension from the police force he uses part of the time to revisit events before and after the disappearance of his mother. Charlie's father, a former policeman, is considered by the locals, family members and some of the police as the main suspect, however Charlie is not convinced that his father would commit such a crime.

At the time of his mother's disappearance a young boy also disappeared from a nearby campsite and when the remains of two bodies are discovered in the same grave it seems probable that there is a connection. Charlie uses trusted contacts to help research information for him, especially when it is obvious that some of his former colleagues want to keep him quiet, not just in the investigation of this case but also his involvement in the retrial of another case currently before the court.

During the investigation Charlie reconsiders his future debating whether to return to the policeforce. He also needs to evaluate his relationship with Anna. The arrival of a new virus reported in different parts of the world also makes an appearance in the novel.

The Way It Is Now is another great addition to the excellent crime novels of Garry Disher and to the ever growing collection of Australian crime writing.

Showtime!

Showtime! by Judy Nunn is a show stopper. 

Set between 1882 and 1919 it is the story of the Worthing family who left England to try their luck in the world of show business in Australia. From taking part in stage shows to running their own production company, the family grows to one of the best known names in the Australian entertainment industry. However all does not always run smoothly and antagonism between Will Worthing and Michael Carlovsky becomes a threat to their growing success.

In this novel Judy Nunn introduces the reader to a range of entertainment options at this time from involvement in boxing troops, trapese and acrobatic acts, magic and illusion, dance, singing and theatrical plays as well as the arrival of film. The effect of the opening of Luna Park in Melbourne also features.

Events occurring in Australian history are often mentioned including the coming of Federation, votes for women and visits by members of the Royal Family. The greatest outside impact is, however the First World War.

Judy Nunn has written another memorable novel, this time about the entertainment industry and its role in major Australian cities at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. The book is also the story of multiple generations of two families determined to make an impact in the Australian entertainment industry, despite hostilities that might exist between some of the protagonists.

Girt Nation: the unauthorised history of Australia volume 3

The past years of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown weaknesses in the Australian federal system of government with the states frequently working independently to protect the welfare of constituents. Girt Nation by David Hunt examines the years leading up to federation, often providing information about events not normally publicised. Girt Nation is a sequel to Girt and True Girt.

This volume largely tells the story through incidents in the lives of politicians such as Alfred Deakin and Henry Parkes plus poets and authors such as Banjo Patterson and Henry Lawson. Topics discussed include the rise of unions and the Labour Party, not to mention wholesale discrimination against Chinese and other immigrants leading to the establishment of the White Australia Policy plus, of course, discrimination against women. Involvement of the colonists in the Boer War and Boxer Rebellion is also discussed as is the rise of larrikin gangs in the cities. The book proves that nothing is new as the author describes the array of conspiracy theories and extreme beliefs, religious and otherwise, that existed in the period of Australian history leading to Federation.

David Hunt definitely looks for the quirky, often amusing aspects of history when telling his story but the reader soon becomes aware that this only highlights the miracle that Federation ever occurred with all the differing opinions and attitudes at the time. Unfortunately it is not difficult to think of parallel events, incidents and attitudes occurring in society today. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in Australian history.

The Beekeeper's Secret

When Tansy Butterfield decides to make contact with an aunt who is estranged from the family she is unaware of the minefield of family secrets that will be unleashed. 

Tansy's aunt, Maria Lindsey, is a former nun now working at Honeybee Haven on the Sunshine Coast where she cares for her bees as well as running a number of projects to raise money to send to an orphanage in Cambodia. She has remained hidden from her family since leaving the nunnery but is aware that all is about to change, especially when she recives a letter concerning an enquiry into the activities of some members of the Catholic Church with whom she once worked.

Since leaving the church Maria has found peace with her hives of bees. Throughout The Beekeeper's Secret by Josephine Moon, the reader learns much about beekeeping and the importance of bees to the environment as Maria learns to trust people again and to enjoy life. meanwhile other members of her family also begin to realise that they must face life's challenges and adapt to change.

Miss Dior

The name Dior is synonymous with French fashion and people immediately think of the clothes designed by Christian Dior. However there is another member of the family, Christian's sister Catherine, who played an important, but little recognised role, in this period of history.

Miss Dior: a story of courage and couture by Justine Picardie is a wonderful tribute to the resilience of many of the French women who suffered in German run prisons and concentration camps during the Second World War. 

At the centre of this work of non-fiction is Catherine Dior who worked for the French Resistance until she was captured shortly before Paris was retaken by the Allies. After incarceration and being tortured by the Nazis, Catherine and the other women associated with the Resistance and the SOE were forced on trains and transported to German slave camps including Ravensbruck. There they remained until eventually being released by the Allies and returned home.

The author uses the limited records she has been able to locate to tell the story about Catherine and her fellow prisoners. The Germans kept few records about their prisoners but a number of the survivors later wrote about their experiences and some were witnesses at war trials. Catherine herself spoke rarely about her experience, except at an inquiry into the treatment of prisoners in Paris.Instead she retreated to a quiet life with her partner, growing flowers, especially roses often for the perfume industry.

As well as telling the story of the French women who provided information to the Allies about the activities of the German occupying forces, this book is also about the development of fashion industry for which France is famous.

Chapters in the book tell the story of the Dior family before the occupation of Paris by the Germans, life in occupied Paris, the role of the resistance movement, the survival of the couture industry in Paris  during the German occupation of the city, relationships of the people of Paris with the Germans, the power of the black market and of gangs that roamed the streets, the brutal incarceration of prisoners in Germany who were treated as slaves until they died, the growth of the French couture and perfume industry as well as Catherine's retreat to the peace of country life when she returned to France. There is also a section on war crimes tribunals and how the Allies basically decided to overlook war time attrocities in order to encourage the redevelopment of Germany and strengthen the alliance against Russia.

There are many photographs throughout the book helping to documents events before and after the war as well as showing part of the collections of clothes created by Catherine's brother at the end of the 1940s and the 1950s. Christian Dior was famous for creating a range of women's dresses referred to under the title, The New Look. Photographs of models and famous women, including members of the Royal Family and actresses, wearing his dresses feature in some chapters.

Catherine maintained a close relationship with her brother, Christian. Although Catherine was not involved in her brother's business interests, Christian named his first perfume and one of his special dresses, Miss Dior, honouring his sister.

At the back of the book a note on sources is followed by a detailed bibliography and index.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in French and German history during and immediately after the Second World War and also for a useful description of the French fashion industry involving Christian Dior.

Recent novels written about this period of history include:

The Riviera House by Natasha Lester 

The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester

The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Still Life

 In Still Life, the 6th book in the Karen Pierie series by Val McDermid, Karen and her team investigate two cold cases.

When a body is discovered by fishermen in their nets, solving the crime appears to be a normal police investigation until the connections to the deceased are made to two men who disappeared ten years previously. The investigation uncovers crimes relating to fraud and forgery as well as murder.

In the second case, Karen is asked to investigate when the sister of a woman killed in an accident finds a campervan containing a skeleton in the garage when she is sorting her sister's possessions. Who is the body and how did she end up in the garage?

In both these cases it soon becomes obvious that the perpetrators of the crimes have taken on new identities in order to live new lives undetected.

Karen also has her own issues to deal with when she discovers that the man who killed Phil is about to be released from gaol. She is also still sorting out her feelings for Hamish.

Still Life is another excellent addition to the Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid.

The Great Silence

The Great Silence by Doug Johnstone is the third part of a series of books about the Skelfs, a family of women running two businesses - a funeral parlour and an investigation agency. They took over the businesses when Dorothy's husband died.

When Dorothy takes Einstein for a walk she is surprised when the dog brings her the foot of a human. Dorothy is determined to locate the body that the foot belongs to so it can be properly buried. But this is not the only puzzle being investigated. When sightings are reported of large cats at large in the area it is necessary to discover who owns the animals causing havoc in the neighbourhood. Then there is the case brought to the agency by members of a family concerned that their mother's younger lover is going to prevent them from inheriting the family fortune. For something different, there is also the case of Hannah's tutor who thinks he is receiving messages from space.And why does Abbi's father suddenly want to see her?

Continuing the story from the previous two books, Jenny's ex-husband is still on the run and terrorising family members including kidnapping his young daughter.

As the women run the funeral business and investigate mysteries they also have to deal with personal challenges. This book provides another installment concerning the lives of this courageous family.