The Distant Echo

It was December 1978 in St Andrews, Scotland when four university students, after a night on the town, discovered the body of a woman lying in the snow at the Pictish cemetery on Hallow Hill. Alex (Gilly), Davey (Mondo), Sigmund (Ziggy) and Tom (Weird) Had first met at secondary school in Kirkcaldy and referred to themselves as the Laddies fi' Kirkcaldy. Finding the body of Rosie Duff, a local barmaid, in the snow changed their lives, especially when the police (and the town) treated the four men as suspects, not witneses. However, after a prolonged investigation, the police were not able to establish Rosie's killer.

Twenty-five years later it was decided to reopen the investigation into a number of cold cases, including Rosie's murder. ACC James Lawson is in charge of the cold case squad and DC Karen Pirie is responsible for reviewing the evidence for the Rosie Duff Case. With new methods of investigation, including DNA, it was hoped that new information could be uncovered leading to a conviction. However the boxes of evidence relating to Rosie's murder have disappeared. Then two of the four main suspects die in suspicious circumstances and it is feared that the other two will meet the same fate.

Over the years I have seen a number of recommendations for Val McDermid novels and I am glad that I have finally read one. As well as dealing with the procedures for solving of case the author, in The Distant Echo, also allows the reader to get to know the suspects who are under investigation. This book introduces Karen Pirie who goes on to feature in a series of novels. I look forward to reading other books by Val McDermid.

Still

Darwin in 1963, a rough and ready town at that time in the far north of Australia, is the setting for this novel, Still, by Matt Nable. Darwin at this time could be a dangerous place. This gripping, often dark, crime novel is another welcome addition to the ever expanding Aussie Noir genre.

Senior Constable Ned Potter discovers the body of a man when he is out patrolling countryside near the town. Several days later he discovers a shallow grave containing the bodies of two more men. All have been beaten or stabbed and also shot twice. Meanwhile Charlotte Clark discovers a badly injured Michael Roberts who asks for help but won't tell her what happened. There is obviously a connection between these events and Ned Potter realises that other police are involved, at least in the cover-up of these crimes.

This is a story of murder, corruption, violence, abuse, racism, isolation, alcoholism and of course crocodiles cruising the neighbouring rivers. The two stories from the perspectives of Ned and Charlotte provide the accounts of horrific events plus dangers faced by those trying to solve the crime and bring the perpetrators to account.

A major feature of this novel, however, is the setting - the town and the surrounding landscape and also the weather. Darwin is always hot and there are two seasons - wet and dry. The humidity in the wet season is extreme. The title of the book refers to the stillness that occurs as a storm approaches - the calm before the storm.

Thursdays at Orange Blossom House

Sandrine runs regular yoga classes at Orange Blossom House, named after the orange blossom orchids growing in the front garden of her home in Cairns, in Far North Queensland. It is at one of these sessions on a Thursday evening that three women meet, become friends and support each other through individual challenges.

Dorothy is in her early thirties and desperately wants a baby. She and her husband own a small cafe in Cairns. Patricia, in her mid forties, teaches English at the local high school and spends the rest of her time looking after her parents. Her mother has dementia and tends to disappear if not watched closely. Grace Maud, in her mid 70s, has moved back into Cairns after managing a sugar cane property out of town. Although Grace Maud still owns the property it is managed by her son. She is adjusting to her new lifestyle.

Through regular yoga sessions the three women begin to relax and recognise when their stress levels are rising. They also learn to re-evaluate what is important in their lives and that it is OK to trust other people and to ask for and accept help. 

This is a heart warming story set in the beautiful tropics of Far North Queensland, a place where I have spent many wonderful holidays before COVID-19. In Thursdays at Orange Blossom House, Sophie Green has captured the essence of this special environment and has introduced us to three strong, caring women.

The Last Guests

The Last Guests by J P Pomare, New Zealand born author now living in Australia, is a pychological thriller that you possibly would not want to read late at night. You might also not want to read it if you are a user of airbnbs. This is a book about secrets, not knowing who to trust, voyeurism and surveillance, the ability to trace people on various devices plus the intrusive power of the deep web.

Cain is a former member of the NZSAS and served in Afghanistan where he was injured. He and his wife, Lina, live in Auckland where Cain is trying to run a gym while Lina is an ambulance worker. Money is short, not helped by Cain's love of gambling. Lina owns another house that previously belonged to her grandparents near a lake in the Rotorua region of New Zealand. When visiting friends one evening, the suggestion is made that the house by the lake would be a great location for a WeStay property. A little work would be needed to make it ready, but not an impossible task to undertake. Lina eventually agrees to the plan as they need the money. Then the nightmare begins.

The Grandest Bookshop in the World

The children's book, The Grandest Bookshop in the World by Amelia Mellor was published last year. Set in Melbourne in the 1890s this is a fantasy set in Coles Book Arcade, a large bookstore established at 299 Bourke Street, Melbourne, in 1883 by E W Cole. 

The characters in this book are all members of the Cole family who are engaged in saving the book arcade from the evil Obscurosmith, Magnus Maximillan. To regain the book arcade the children must solve a series of puzzles set by the Obscurosmith and it soon becomes obvious that this magician does not believe in playing by the rules. The story is a race against time as the children seek and solve the clues left for them. Meanwhile the arcade is disintegrating around them and the bands on the rainbow are fading.

My nine year old grandson and I have been sharing the reading of this book and enjoying the magic and adventures of Pearl and Vally as they race against time to save the store and their family. 

The Grandest Bookshop in the World - information.

A number of books have been written about E W Cole and his book arcade including Under the Rainbow: the life and times of E W Cole and E W Cole: chasing the rainbow. 

A brief summary online can be found in Museum of Lost Things - Coles Book Arcade - and Timeout - The Completely True and Absolutely Bonkers Story of Coles Book Arcade.

This was one of three books on the shortlist for the CYA section of the ARA Historical Novel Prize - 2021 Historical Novel Society Australasia

Winner of the 2021 Australian Book Industry Awards - Book of the Year for Younger Children 7-12 years

Under the Rainbow

The Coles Book Arcade was a feature of late nineteenth century and early twentieth century Melbourne. Under the Rainbow by Richard Broinowski recounts the story of E W Cole, the inspiration behind the book arcade. 

Edward William Cole was born on 4 January 1832 in Kent England. Leaving home at 18 to try his luck in London, Cole then travelled to South Africa and from there to Victoria to try his luck on the goldfields at Castlemaine. He soon discovered that he could make more money selling goods to the miners and their families than mining for gold.

Next stop Melbourne where he sold books from a barrow at the Eastern Market. In 1873 Cole started selling books on a small scale at 158 Bourke Street, near Swanston Street. In 1883 he moved the business further up Bourke Street to a larger arcade opposite where Myer is now located. Over the years Cole expanded and restructured the business until the multi-story arcade stretched from Bourke Street to Collins Street, with a first floor walkway over Little Collins Street.

Cole did not just sell books but also established galleries to sell a range of merchandise including ornaments, stationery, toys, music and art. There was a fernery, a restaurant, attractions to entertain children such as puppets and a mechanical hen that laid metal eggs, live monkeys in a cage plus an aviary of birds and a band to play music for patrons. But the arcade was primarily a large bookshop selling new and second hand books.

In 1875 Cole advertised in the newspaper for a wife and chose Eliza Jordan. They had six children - Edward, Vally, Linda, Pearl, Ivy and Ruby. Ruby contracted scarlet fever and died in 1890.

Cole was responsible for a number of publications on a variety of subjects but perhaps his most famout was a series of Cole's Funny Picture Books which he wrote for children.

Edward William Cole died died on 16 December 1918. The business continued for a number of years but finally closed in 1929.

This book is a celebration of the life of Edward William Coles, an astute businessman and marketer, and his important contribution to Melbourne's history.

Joint winner of the Judges Special Prize in 2021 Victorian Community History Awards

The Long Call

This year I have read all the books in the Shetland and Vera series by Ann Cleeves - a great way to spend time during the series of COVID-19 lockdowns we have had in Melbourne. Consequently I was interested in trying her latest series. In 2019 Ann Cleeves published The Long Call, the first book in the Two Rivers series. In this book we meet Detective Inspector Mathew Venn and his team who live and work in North Devon, near the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge.

We first meet Matthew Venn at his father's funeral. His family belong to a strict religious sect and he became an outsider when he denounced the beliefs of the group. Consequently he observes the service from outside the church building. At the end of the service he receives a phone call alerting him to the discovery of a body on the beach not far from where he lives. The murder of Simon Walden is his first big case in this region where he grew up and left many years ago.

As Matthew Venn, Jen Rafferty and Ross May attempt to discover information about the victim in order to solve his murder, two women with learning disabilities disappear. The murder victim and the two women have links to the Woodyard, an art centre which also houses facilities for people with disabilities. The Woodyard is managed by Matthew's husband, Jonathan, and governed by a committee of management made up of town leaders.

As the novel progresses we meet a number of the key players in the community and gradually secrets are revealed. For the police a major focus is to locate the missing girls and discover how their disappearance is linked to the murder. Another interesting crime series to watch out for.

The Long Call is currently being made into a television series.