Something to Hide

I decided to borrow this book from the library as I had seen a good review for it somewhere and was aware that Elizabeth George was a popular author. Something to Hide is the 21st book in the Inspector Lynley series of books which has a faithful following. Elizabeth George is an American author who sets this series of crime novels in England. She has obviously done a great deal of research for this book, especially about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Nigerian community which features in the storyline of the book. However at 622 pages it is not only far too long but also could have benefited from a good edit

Part one of the book introduces the reader to the variety of characters involved in the story which slowly begins to come together in part two. Acting Detective Superintendent Lynley and his team are called in by Scotland Yard to investigate the murder of a policewoman in her home. Teo Bontempi had been working on a task force investigating FTM in the London area. FTM is illegal in England and in most other countries but is still practised by some communities who believe that FTM cleanses girls and makes them pure for marriage. When Teo was murdered the police hierarchy obviously wanted the crime quickly and quietly solved before the tabloids discovered the story.

The reader follows the events that occurred between 21 July and 16 August. Intertwined with the main story are sections dealing with relationships between some of the characters. The continuation of FTM in some communities is a topic that we should be aware of. However in this book there is too   much repetition and too many characters creating a complex and often tedious reading experience. I can now say that I have read a novel by Elizabeth George but It is highly unlikely that I will read any more.

The Jane Austen Remedy

The Jane Austen Remedy is the memoir of Ruth Wilson who at the age of seventy decided to leave her family and spend time on her own in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. A lover of reading, especially the novels of Jane Austen which she had been reading and rereading since the 1940s, Ruth hoped that spending the time to reread these books again, explore the characters and look critically at what Jane Austen is saying may help her to reflect upon her own life and the issues she currently faced.

As well as discussing the works of of Jane Austen and what information we have about the author herself, Ruth also refers to other works of literature which have left an impression on her life. The books cause Ruth to reflect upon her life and why choices were made. As she rereads these books, she gradually comes to an understanding of why she feels the way that she does about life and relationships and how she can adapt to relate to people better but also maintain her independence.

Eventually the decision is made to move back to Sydney after she reconnects with her husband and the decision is made that Ruth and her husband should live apart together. Ruth decides to return to her studies and at the age of eighty-eight graduated from The University of Sydney with a PhD based on a study of the empathy in the works of Jane Austen.

Nabbing Ned Kelly: the extraordinary true story of the men who brought Australia's nortorious outlaw to justice

Historian David Dufty has meticulously trawled through police and other government records to try and discover what really did happen during the two year police hunt for the outlaw, Ned Kelly, and his gang, who operated in central northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. The result of the research is the book, Nabbing Ned Kelly, which unmasks many of the myths surrounding the Kelly Gang and their supporters.

It is true that some members of the Victorian police force in the nineteenth century were incompetent but there were members of the police force who were dedicated to bringing the bush rangers to justice. Unfortunately the gang had many supporters who were prepared to supply false information to the police and / or intimidate anyone who did not support the Kellys.

Stealing horses, bushranging, removing railway tracks to derail a train carrying police, taking hostages, robbing banks and murdering three policemen were some of the activities undertaken by this group. Yet there are many people who still believe and propagate the myths that have grown up about the Kelly Gang and their so called persecution by the police. 

Novels and poems have been written and films and television programs made about Ned Kelly and his followers. Some newspaper reports at the time and subsequent articles over the years have clouded the true story.  Dufty's book takes a critical look at the reign of the Kelly family in the region and systematically provides facts from the police records to unravel the Kelly myths.

Another historian, Grantlee Kieza, has written the book, The Kelly Hunters: the desperate manhunt to bring down Australia's most nortorious outlaw, also published this year, on the same theme.

Orphan Rock

Domique Wilson in Orphan Rock has written a family saga set primarily in Sydney and France. The novel encompasses the period from the latter part of the 1800s until the beginning of the Second World War - a broad sweep of Australian and World history.

We first meet Bessie in a children's home where her mother left her years earlier. One day she is called to the office where she meets her step-father who has come to take her home. Bessie leaves the children's home without the opportunity of saying good-bye to her best friend, Lottie, and it is many years before they meet again.

In her new home Bessie has a good relationship with Cornelius, her step-father, but it is obvious that her mother is not pleased that Bessie has returned. The plot follows the ups and downs of Bessie's life  as she struggles to work out who she really is and how she really wants to live her life. The second part of the book deals with the life choices of Bessie's daughter, Kathleen, as she also struggles to adapt to changing environments and attitudes.

It is the history that forms the background to this family saga that I found really interesting. Bessie lives in changing and challenging times. It is a world where men make the decisions and once a woman is married she is expected to conform with his beliefs, opinions and do as he asks. However times are changing and some women seek the right to make their own decisions at home and politically. When Bessie starts working with Louisa Lawson she encounters the movement for female suffrage and begins to realise that attiudes can change. But in some cases the situation becomes worse as attitudes of distrust towards people from other countries and cultures increases when the colonies move towards Federation and the introduction of the White Australia Policy. This is a major theme of the novel. 

The author is particularly interested in the events occurring in Australia that affected the lives of ordinary people, particularly those with little money struggling to keep a roof over their heads. The financial crisis of the 1890s, including bank closures, and the 1930s Depression are two such events. During the timespan of the novel there were also major outbreaks of illness affecting the community including smallpox, consumption and the Spanish Flu. The practice of sending people to asylums for no real reason is also an issue in the novel. Two major world wide events, of course, affecting the lives of Australians at the time were the First and Second World Wars.

It is against this background of world and local events and attitudes that we follow the lives of Bessie, Lottie and Kathleen as they struggle to survive.

Greenlight

Eliza Dacey had been found dead in a vineyard four years earlier. An arrest was made almost immediately but to some, including TV journalist Jack Quick, the evidence for the arrest appeared shaky. Jack investigated as well as reported on the case via a podcast and a series of television programs and eventually the arrested man was released from gaol. Then another murder occurred. Had the original murderer killed again or was this a copy cat murder?

Greenlight, by Benjamin Stevenson, is set in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney. As well as exploring who committed the murder of the two women the novel examines the power of the press, especially television, to manipulate information provided to suit a particular viewpoint. As the investigation continues, Jack re-examines the selected segments that went to air and wonders how his actions in making the television program may have led to the events that followed. Jack wants to correct the damage he may have caused and also find out what really happened.

Another contribution to the growing genre of Aussie Noir.

Beautiful Little Fools

In 1925 F Scott Fizgerald published his novel, The Great Gatsby. In 2021 Jillian Cantor published her novel, Beautiful Little Fools, which is a retelling of The Great Gatsby from the perspective of the female characters Daisy, Jordan and Catherine.

In 1917 Daisy Fay first met a soldier, Jay Gatsby, and an attraction was immediately formed. Then Jay went to war and at home Daisy's life changed dramatically when her father and sister, Rose, died in a train accident. When she met the wealthy Tom Buchanan Daisy agreed to marry him and after a while their daughter, Pammy, was born. Daisy now lived in palatial houses in America and France and had all the money she required, however she soon learned that her husband, though sometimes loving, was not faithful to her.

Jordan lived near Daisy and they became good friends and confidants. Jordan loved playing golf at a time when it was difficult for women to be accepted on the golf course but she was determined that that should change. Jordan's life changed when it was discovered that she was in a relationship with one of the other players. 

Catherine was a suffragist and was involved with organisations working for the rights of women as well as the right of women to be able to vote. Catherine's sister, Myrtle, was unhappily married to George Wilson who was known to physically abuse her. Catherine had been in a relationship with Jay Gatsby and asked him to help her sister become independant from George. The result was that Myrtle ended up in a relationship with Daisy's husband, Tom.

Most of the action in the story takes place in 1922 when Jay Gatsby discovers where Daisy lives and purchases a property across the water from her. He is now rich and is known for the extravagant parties he holds in the evenings. He is determined to once again be involved with Daisy, but she is not interested in his advances. Gatsby trys to enlists Jordan to assist with his plans threatening to expose her secret if she doesn't. Catherine is also furious that Jay set up a situation where her sister became involved with Tom Buchanan.

Then in August 1922, Jay Gatsby was shot by his swimming pool. It was assumed that Myrtle's husband had killed Gatsby and then committed suicide - case closed. However a detective, Frank Charles, is not convinced when he discovers a diamond hairclip in the woods near where the muder took place. He has three suspects who he believes are covering for each other - Daisy, Jordan and catherine. Can he find the truth?

Love in the time of Bertie

I started reading books in the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith many years ago and it is always good to drop in and visit the residents at that address and catch up with what they and their friends have been up to. Love in the time of Bertie is the fifteenth book in the series.

The books are set in Edinburgh and most of the characters live in apartments at 44 Scotland Street or are friends of the residents. In each book we learn of the events and ideas that are currently concerning the residents and how they decide to deal with them. Although often the stories are a continuation of what has occurred in previous books this is a series that you can delve in and out of and still enjoy the experience. The author includes several story lines in each book, providing two or three short chapters on a story before moving onto another story. Each book therefore consists of a series of interwoven narratives.

In this book Domenica Macdonald and Angus Lordie go to dinner with Matthew and Elspeth, Angus re-evaluates his ideas about art and Domenica befriends a student from downstairs; Big Lou meets Fat Bob; Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori de Montagna and Antonia Collie plan to buy a new apartment; while Bruce Anderson is approached to become involved in a spurious business deal and is struck by lightning. 

Bertie's story becomes more complicated as Irene, his mother who moved to Aberdeen, has decided that Bertie needs to spend three months with her. Stuart, Bertie's father, and Nicola, his grandmother, are forced to comply with the demand and reluctantly send Bertie to his mother. To say that Bertie is  unhappy with this proposal would be an understatement. Bertie and his friend, Ranald Braveheart MacPherson, plan to find a solution.

Focusing on relationships, love and community spirit and written with humour and wry observation of human life, Alexander McCall Smith provides us with another enjoyable slice of life at 44 Scotland Street.