Heroines of the Medieval World

Heroines of the Medieval World by Sharon Bennett Connolly is a study of some of the women who became part of history, for a variety of reasons, in a male driven world. History of the time was usually written by men for men so not a great deal is known about the lives of women during this period. However some do stand out and the parts of their stories that are known are included in this book.

Sections of the book include The medieval ideal, Heroines in religion, The medieval mistress, Scandalous heroines, The disinherited heroines, The pawns, Captive heroines, Warrior heroines, Women who ruled, True Love, Literary heroines and The survivors.

The reader can choose which section they want to read and in which order. A number of the stories in the book are of women in our family tree including Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland, and the family of Robert I of Scotland who were imprisoned by Edward I of England. The book contains detailed notes, bibliography and index.

All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a novel set in France and Germany during the Second World War. Although most of the story is set during the war there are also sections set in the 1930s and more recently. The novel largely consists of alternating chapters telling the experiences of Marie-Laure in France and Werner in Germany. There is also the story of a German Army Officer who is determined to find a special stone that he believes will cure him.

Marie-Laure and her father escape from Paris to Saint-Malo and move in with Marie-Laure's great uncle. Marie-Laure is blind but her father has made models of the streets where they live to assist her in navigating her local area. Werner is an orphan living in a children's home with his sister, Jutte. He is a very bright boy with the aptitude to use and repair short wave radios. This ability earns him a place in a military school where he can expand his knowledge but also learn to be a soldier. 

The novel describes the experiences of these young people from different countries as their lives are drastically altered by war. As the story progresses the effects of war on ordinary people becomes more obvious as the shortage of food increases and bombing intensifies. Still these two young people strive to keep alive and help others when they can. Throughout the novel both the characters have access to short wave radio which they use in different ways - the radio waves providing the light we cannot see. 

All the Light We Cannot See won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015. 

The King's Ransom

Gabriella Rose is a successful recovery agent who travels the world locating stolen objects to return to their rightful owners. She has just completed an operation when she is approached by her ex-husband, Rafer Jones, seeking her assistance to help his cousin, Harley, who is the president of a private bank that insured some famous items that have now gone missing. Harley is accused of being involved in the crime and fears that his life may be in danger.

The stolen items include the Rosetta Stone, an Egyptian solid gold sarcophagus plus a collection of famous paintings and other objects. Gabriella and Rafer team up travelling from New York to London, Egypt, Italy locating the missing objects to return to their owners. Meanwhile Gabriella is being followed by people who also want the items and are determined to collect them and keep them for themselves.

In The King's Ransom Janet Evanovich has written a fast paced mystery laced with the humour you would expect from a Janet Evanovich book. The King's Ransom is the second book in the Recovery Agent novel series.

The Black Wolf

In the novel, The Grey Wolf, when Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team discover a plot to poison the Quebec water supply they keep much of the investigation secret in order to avoid panic in the community. Although the immediate danger now appeared to be over, the team discovers that danger still threatens their country and their work is far from over. The Black Wolf is still at large but who is he and who can the team trust in their investigation.

In The Black Wolf by Louise Penny  the threat of danger increases as Armand Gamache and his team learn what is going on and the growing threat to Canada. Conspiracy theories beginning on the Dark Web are now entering the wider internet community. A vicious campaign of misdirection is launched against Gamache putting his career and life in danger. The fear of the effects of climate change appears to be behind the threat of impending danger to Canada from their neighbouring country in the south. It is essential that the person behind the plot needs to be identified and removed.

The Black Wolf is the continuation to The Grey Wolf which should be read first though brief summaries of events in the previous book are inserted throughout the plot. The Black Wolf is a gripping story, though a little convoluted at times, with the tension growing as the end of the book approaches. Some of the premises which seem unbelievable in the book have actually occurred since the book was first written. Throughout the novel Armand Gamache and his team retreat to Three Pines where the inhabitants are supportive of their friends but remain in the background. Another excellent novel by Louise Penny.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith set in Botswana and featuring as the main character Mma Precious Ramotswe. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is also the title of the first book in the series published in 1998. By 2025, twenty-six titles in this series had been published. The books were also adapted as a television series.

I have read a selection of these books over the years and enjoyed spending time with the main characters as they examine and reflect on aspects of life as well as solve a crime or two on the way. Many years ago I gave my mother a copy of this title which she enjoyed and lent to her friends. Consequently I included new titles as birthday and Christmas presents for a number of years.

A summary of a number of the titles I have read can be found under the link for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

Harry Potter books

In 1997 the first of a series of fantasy books was published which created enthusiastic response from readers throughout the world. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone introduced young and old readers into the world of a young wizard and his friends as they fought against evil powers. It was not long before J K Rowling became known as a writer throughout the world. When a new volume of the series was released people would queue to purchase the next book. Waiting lists for the books in libraries were huge. It was not unusual to be travelling on a train and watching adult passengers read Harry Potter books, especially when there was a reprint with covers designed to attract adults.

The seven books in the series are:

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)

    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) 

    Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire (2000)

    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)

    Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2005)

    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).

The first two books were written for upper primary school age readers and provided a readable fantasy based  adventure story. The author had anticipated that the readers would be older as each volume was published so the later volumes in the series were written for older readers than the first two and often had darker themes. The system did not work when younger children started reading the books after the later volumes had been published and then immediately attempted to read books written for teenagers and young adults. Each book in the series also had many more pages than the initial two books.

I read six of the seven books in the series. I decided against Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as I was not in the mood to read a darker themed book at the time. Generally I enjoyed reading the series as an adult, however I thought that the last two volumes, in particular, could have been given a more thorough edit. 

Harry Potter has turned into an empire with films and other materials relating to the series of seven books. 

A Man Called Ove

In 2014 A Man Called Ove by Swedish author, Fredrik Backman, was published in English (translated by Henning Koch from the 2012 Swedish  original). It was a very popular title in the public library where I worked but I did not have the opportunity to read the book until this month. In 2015 the film of the novel was released in Switzerland. In 2022 there was an American remake of the film with the title now A Man Called Otto and names of many of the characters changed - no comment!

Ove is a lonely man whose wife had recently died and then he learned that he no longer had a job. Ove had a reputation for being difficult to live with and a determination that things had to be done in a certain way. He had had numerous battles with officials (men in white shirts) but if anything needed to be fixed in the local community, it was to Ove that people turned.

Ove regularly visited his wife's grave, planted new flowers and spoke to her of his problems. He was determined to join her but before he could carry out his plans Ove was always interrupted by neighbours requesting his help. Then he was adopted by a cat. When a family with young children moved next door Ove gradually found new reasons for existing. He also needed to support an elderly neighbour who council officers wanted to remove to a home.

A Man called Ove is a study of grief, loyalty, friendship and community spirit. It is also a book written with humour as Ove learns to accept his present life as well as the life he once had.

The Killing Stones

Jimmy Perez now lives with his partner, Willow, on the Orkney Islands.When the body of a childhood friend, Archie Stout, is found Jimmy is determined to discover the truth about his death. The murder weapon was a Neolithic stone that had been removed from the local museum. As the investigations continue secrets long held in the local community are gradually revealed.

Once again we soon become familiar with the islands, this time in Orkney while the previous books involving Jimmy Perez were set in Shetland. We also get to know the local villagers and discover that there are many secrets that may, or may not, be relevant to the case.

Settle down to once more becoming immersed with Jimmy Perez and his family as he investigates the death of his friend as well as subsequent deaths.

Scotland's Medieval Queens

In Scotland's Medieval Queens, Sharon Bennett Connolly examines the lives of the Queens of Scotland from Saint Margaret (1045 - 1093) to Margaret of Denmark (1456 - 1486). The author provides a study of part of Scotland's history through the lives of the women who held positions of power, usually in a time of turbulence and often violence

This was a time when there were conflicts between the Scots and the Vikings as well as frequent disputes with the kings of England. The French were also interested in what was going on in Scotland. 

Much of the book explores the role of the Scottish queens in the running of the country, especially when their husbands were involved in battles. The lives of members of the royal families, especially the women, were often in danger if they were captured and used as hostages.  

This work examines an important period in the history of Scotland as it strived for independence. 

Wolf Hour

Shortly after I started to read this book there was a news alert that there had been a massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Groups of people were meeting at the beach to celebrate the beginning of Hanuka, an eight day Jewish festival. Two men, a father and son, fired at the gathering on the beach from a small bridge and initially killed fifteen people with another forty admitted to hospital. Reading a novel which largely deals with the effects of uncontrolled gun crime in the USA therefore had a greater impact on me than it would have if I read it at another time.

Wolf Hour by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo and translated by Robert Ferguson is a crime novel primarily set in Minneapolis in October 2016 with some chapters set in September 2022 when a Norwegian author arrives to research the dramatic events that occurred in the city six years earlier. A man is shot by a hitman but the event receives little coverage in the news.  During the book there are a number of killings mainly revolving around past events  that occurred in the local crime world, involving gun related crime.

The story is told from different perspectives so the reader must concentrate to follow the initial chapters but it is soon easy to become immersed in the plot and the lives of some of the main characters. Homicide detective Bob Oz is a good but troubled detective with an aversion to guns. We gradually learn of his back-story as well as the back-stories of many of the characters he investigates. The second amendment features throughout the book as the targeted characters are involved in crime and gangland wars. The climax builds as a National Rifle Association conference is to be held in the city.

Jo Nesbo has written another gripping crime novel which also focuses on the stories behind the crimes being committed as well as their impact on the victims and their families. A major theme questions why the right to own a gun is such a feature of American culture. 

Silent Bones

When a landslide reveals a skeleton buried under a major road the Historic Cases Unit is called in to investigate. Eleven years previously, investigative journalist Sam Nimmo had disappeared shortly after the murdered body of his fiancee had been discovered. Sam had been the prime suspect but now it appears that he was a victim, not a killer. Meanwhile the brother of person who died in another cold case visits the HCU with possible new evidence to his brother's death. 

Karen Pirie and her team work tirelessly to understand what really happened to cause these deaths plus another death which had initially been considered an accident. As the investigations continue it becomes obvious who was behind the crimes. But, although HCU might be able to establish what happened, collecting enough evidence to convict the suspects is another challenge, especially when the suspects are part of Scotland's rich and powerful elite.

Silent Bones is the third book in Karen Pirie series of crime books written by Val McDermid. 

White Male Stand-Up

In 2021 I read the memoir by Alan Davies, Just Ignore Him, which described the sexual abuse that Alan received from his father as a child. In White Male Stand-Up the author discusses the effects of this abuse which continued into his adult life causing the rising, from time to time of the 'angry young man'. It is only when his friend, Jo Brand, convinced him that he needed help that he started to see a therapist.

Alan Davies started to write this book after a diagnosis of possible bladder cancer caused him to reflect on his past relationships and the development of his career as a well known British comedian and actor. This book provides a list of names of British comedians as Alan Davies describes starting his career as a stand-up comedian before working regularly on radio and television. He is probably best known for his work on Jonathan Creek and the television series QI but there were many other projects along the way, not all successful.

White Male Stand-Up provides an overview of the development of the British comedy scene. The book also examines how events suffered early in a life can have a continued affect on a person's life for many years until the realisation that outside help may be required to assist in understanding the situation and moving on.

The Circle of Days

Once again Ken Follett tackles a family saga set in ancient times. This time it is the rebuilding of part of Stonehenge [the Monument] in 2500 BCE. Several communities live close to each other in the valley, plains and nearby woods. A group of priestesses operates at the monument, conducting services which allow for the understanding of the seasons and time in general. Few people can count but the priestesses have devised a system for recording the weeks, months and seasons as the sun rises and set throughout the year. The biggest festival is midsummer.

The monument where the services are held is partly stone with an inner circle made of wood. When some of the locals wreck the wooden structure, it is suggested that the large stones from the quarry should be transported to the monument to replace the wooden structure. It is many years before this plan can be eventually undertaken, especially as some of the male members of local communities do not like the priestesses taking a key role in the endeavour.

The Circle of Stones by Ken Follett Provides an insight into what life may have been like living in the farming, herder, wood-lander and mining communities of the time. Life is made more difficult during years of drought and other natural disasters. For some of the leaders force is the only way to gain ascendancy over other groups and this can lead to tragic results. Meanwhile Joia and her followers are determined to complete their mission.

Pix: the magazine that told Australia's story

In the 1950s and 1960s I can remember my father sometimes bringing home copies of the magazine Pix. I often enjoyed flipping through the pages to look at the wide variety of photographs. I therefore borrowed a copy of this book from the library as soon as the book was published.

Pix: the magazine that told Australia's story is a large book containing full scale photographs as they would have appeared in the magazine. The State Library of New South Wales has digitised many of the images (available on Trove) and recently held an exhibition showing a selection of the photos that portray everyday Australia in the past.

The first edition of Pix was  published in January 1938 and publication of the magazine continued until 1972. The book contains short essays on the publication of the magazine and making the exhibition but it is the images themselves that are the main feature of the book. Exploring the large sample of black and white images in this book is a great way of exploring life in part of the twentieth century.

Wild Dark Shore

The Salt family are caretakers of a small island, Shearwater, near Antarctica. Everyone else has left. The island is particularly important as it houses the world's largest seed bank. A ship is due shortly to remove the seeds from the island to deposit safely at another location. However a severe storm is threatening to destroy the island and only a selection of the seeds can be saved in time. Then a woman's body washes up on the beach. She is still alive but the Salt family wonder why she has come to this island in the middle of nowhere.

It is obvious that something sinister has happened on the island and secrets are being kept, but the new arrival has secrets of her own. As the storm makes life on the island more dangerous the island occupants must decide if they can trust each other. Is it possible for them to make changes in their lives?

However the fate of the environment is the main theme of the book as the effects of global warming impact severely on the island.

Wild Dark Shores  by Charlotte McConaghy is a tension driven novel as the extent of the danger to the island inhabitants becomes apparent and the island occupants must determine their future plans.

This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in January 2026. 

Wild Dark Shore won the 2025 Dymocks Book of The Year.

Last One Out

A new novel by Australian author, Jane Harper, is always something to look forward to. Last One Out is set in a New South Wales town that is rapidly being destroyed by a nearby coal mine. Many of the residents have sold their properties to the mining company and have moved elsewhere. But some are determined to remain. There is resentment from some of the remaining residents to those who have left the town. There is also resentment to the constant noise of the mining machinery and the dust that settles everywhere.

Each year Ro Crowley returns to the town to commemorate with family and friends the memory of her son, Sam, who disappeared on his twenty-first birthday, five years previously.  There are some clues to where he went prior to his disappearance but no-one appears to know where or why he is gone. Sam's father, Griff, still lives in the town but he is about to lose his job and has to decide what to do next. Sam's sister, Della also comes to the town to support her parents. A friend of Griff had committed suicide several years before Sam's disappearance. This therefore is not a happy time for the family or for the community.

However Ro feels that this year she may finally learn the answers regarding the disappearance of her son.

Last One Out is primarily a novel about family and community relationships that develop over time in an outback town. Like Jane Harper's other novels the environment is important. This novel is a study of how people cope with challenges in an outback community under threat. It is also a study of how people cope in times of difficulty plus the determination to discover the truth.

 As Ro investigates, a former friend of Sam makes this statement when talking to community members - 'When Sam asked me why I was still here, it was a bloody good question, and it's one maybe we could all do with making ourselves. ... And to honest about it. Because there's no prize for being the last one out.' (p 308).

King and Outlaw: the real Robert the Bruce

In the 1950s a cousin of my grandmother had a genealogist in the UK investigate the story that our family, like thousands of others, had a direct link to Robert the Bruce. The story was confirmed. Many years later I decided to check the theory for myself and discovered not only family links to Scottish royalty but also to English royalty in our family tree. These discoveries make reading British history more interesting.

In King and Outlaw the author, Chris Brown, has set out to provide an account as to who Robert the Bruce - King Robert I of Scotland - really was as a person, a leader and outlaw. The main chapters are A Man Who would be King, King Robert's War and King Robert's Scotland. There is also a useful list of the people who appear in the book, a timeline, a glossary and maps of Bannockburn.

The author has used the limited available resources from medieval times to provide this historical account of troubled times within Scotland as well as between Scotland and England. At the back of the book Chris Brown dispels some of the myths about Robert the Bruce. The chapter on King Robert's Scotland provides useful information as to how most Scottish people lived their lives while instability was occurring around them.

King and Outlaw is a readable account of this important period in Scottish history as well as an account of the life of a man who was determined to claim the throne that had belonged to his ancestors.

Five Found Dead

Agatha Christie wrote her crime novel, Murder on the Orient Express in 1934. The book has become a classic and the story has been made into films and television shows. Many authors have also used ideas from the book as a basis for their work. One recent example is Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Australian author Benjamin Stevenson. Another Australian author, Sulari Gentill has written a new book, Five Found Dead, which involves a journey on the famous train, the Orient Express.

Joe Penvale and his sister, Meredith, board the Orient Express in Paris for a well earned holiday. Joe, an author of crime fiction, also hopes that the trip will provide inspiration for his second novel. Little do they realise the drama about to unfold.

The first evening is spent meeting some of their fellow travellers but next day they discover that the cabin next to their cabin has become a crime scene. Shortly afterwards COVID cases are discovered in one of the carriages and part of the train is in lockdown. The passengers are not allowed to leave the train and there is a killer on board.

Several of the passengers have been involved with law enforcement and the manager of the train calls them together to try and solve who is behind the mounting deaths occurring on the train. But can all of these experts also be trusted? 

Sulari Gentill has written a humorous who-done-it with a large collection of suspects and many people trying to solve the case. Meanwhile Joe accumulates much source material for his next book. Five Found Dead is an entertaining crime fiction book with plenty of puzzles to solve.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published in London on 19 December 1843. It has become a classic as a book and has also been produced as a play performed before Christmas. There have also been films based on the novel, including The Muppet Christmas Carol and television productions. Other authors have also based books on Dickens' work.

In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by Marley's Ghost who warns Scrooge that he will be visited by The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Future. When each ghost appears Scrooge is taken to view events from his past, the present and the possible future if he does not change his miserly ways. Through these visits Scrooge learns not only the true message of the Christmas season but how life should be lived.

This novella of eighty-five pages includes a mixture of humor and compassion as Scrooge realises that he has to change his ways in order to live a good life. Two of my grandchildren have shared the reading of this book with me as part of their year seven reading.

The Frozen River

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is a work of historical fiction set in Maine, USA. It is based on the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife in the settlement of Hallowell. The story occurs from November 1789 to April 1790, covering a long, cold winter when the river is frozen solid. At the end of each section there is a flashback to events that occurred earlier in Martha's life. The story is primarily told from Martha's viewpoint.

The story begins when a group of men try to navigate the river on a raft before the river finally freezes over. When one of the men falls into the river he discovers a body frozen in the ice. The men manage to get their companion out of the water and safely to shore but then questions arise as to who the man in the frozen river is and how and why he came to be there.

As one of the local midwives in the region Martha is called upon not just to assist women who are pregnant and to deliver their babies safely, but she also assists with other medical emergencies as required. Much of the book concerns the role and treatment of women in a male driven community. One challenge faced is the arrival of a young Harvard trained doctor who is reluctant to accept the knowledge collected by women over time. The courts also provide harsher sentences for women than for men and Martha spends much of her time trying to assist local women in a variety of ways.

When the body is removed from the river, Martha is the first to examine it and comes to the conclusion that the victim was hanged before he entered the river. The new doctor also investigates the body and concludes that the man died from injuries after he entered the river. Several court cases follow and Martha is also involved in defending the honour of a woman who accuses two men of raping her. Martha keeps a day-book recording events in the community and this provides important evidence used in the trials. 

 The Frozen River is the Monash University Alumni Book Club book for January-February 2026. 

 Reviews:

The Frozen River - Portobello Book Blog

The Frozen River - Marmalade and Mustardseed 

Information about Martha Ballard:

Martha Ballard 'Delivered' - marthaballard.com 

Who was Martha Ballard - DoHistory 

Martha Ballard - Historic Hallowell

Other novels about midwives:

Lisa Lee. Lady Tan's Circle of Women

Lauren Chater. Gulliver's Wife

Philippa Gregory. Tidelands 

Murder on North Terrace

Murder on the North Terrace is the sequel to the Death of Dora Black by Lainie Anderson. This novel is set in Adelaide in September 1917. Kate Cocks and Ethel Bromley continue to work in the Women's Police Branch of the South Australian Police Force. Their main role is to ensure the protection and well-being of local women but from time to time they also assist with general police enquiries. However when the body of a board governor of the Art Gallery is found beneath a controversial painting hanging in the gallery, Ethel Bromley is seconded to the Detective Branch as members of her family have connections to the gallery. This leaves Kate Cocks with the task of managing Women's Police Branch on her own. 

There is general unrest in the city as wounded soldiers return from overseas. Meanwhile there is a recruitment drive to find another 150 soldiers to serve overseas.  Hotels are popular locations for soldiers to congregate and, especially near closing time, many drunk soldiers can be found on the streets. This can result in increased danger to young girls passing by.

One of the cases that Kate Cocks encounters is a fifteen year old girl who has been raped by a soldier and left in the bush. Kate is determined to find the perpetrator, especially when the girl attempts to commit suicide. Another case involving the time of Kate Cocks is a man who is attempting to turn his life around after struggling with injuries he received during the Boer War. 

The attempt to solve the many crimes occurring at this time is set against the background of life in Adelaide during the First World War. This is a work of historical fiction but many of the people mentioned did exist and some of the events did occur. At the end of the book, the author provides an explanation of how she came to write the novel. I really enjoyed reading this crime novel set in an Australian historical setting with the emphasis on the role of women at the time.

Gravity Let Me Go

Noah Cork has spent his life as a crime journalist. Then one day he found a message in his letterbox which led him to discovering a murder in his neighbourhood. Although the killer was still unknown, Noah wrote a true crime book about how the body was discovered. The book is a best seller but he did not anticipate the aftermath when the book was published.

Set in a Brisbane suburb, Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton is an account of the chaos that occurs in Noah's life after the publication of the book. For the six months spent writing his book Noah had neglected his family and now fears that his marriage is disintegrating. But although he vows that he will no longer investigate the subject of his book, Noah still has to follow up loose ends and new clues.

This book is a complex study of relationships and misunderstandings as well as the resolution of crimes committed in a supposedly quiet suburban neighbourhood. Writing his book has disturbed memories of Noah's past as well as the need to come to terms with what is really important in his life.

Gravity Let Me Go - ABC

Free Falling: love, murder and mayhem in the suburbs - Indaily Queensland 

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief

Once again Ernest Cunningham finds himself investigating a mystery. This time Ernest and Juliette are at the bank trying to obtain a loan for Ernest's detective agency. They did not imagine that they would find themselves among a group of ten hostages as one man attempts to rob a bank. They also learn that the brother of the bank manager is missing. This is not an ordinary day.

As you would expect Ernest is determined to discover what is going on and why, especially as the bank robber does not appear to be in a hurry to leave the bank. He is also not interested in the money in the till but just demands one dollar from the vault. 

Ernest provides the reader with a detailed account of his observations as to what is occurring in the bank, including alerting the reader to possible clues as he attempts to solve the mystery. Ernest also provides us with an account of different types of theft, not just cash. As we learn about the characters, many have reasons to want money urgently. But who would also resort to murder to obtain what they want.

 Once again this easy to read, often amusing, crime novel keeps the reader guessing as to what is really going on.

The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress

In The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress, Sue Williams has written another work of historical fiction set in the early days of the new Colony of New South Wales. Philip Gidley King initially sailed with the First Fleet to the new colony at Sydney Harbour but was then sent with a small party of convicts to establish another settlement at Norfolk Island.

This novel deals with his relationship with Ann Inett, one of the female convicts also sent to Norfolk Island. Ann becomes Gidley King's housekeeper and eventually his mistress. They have two sons. Then Gidley King returns to England to provide a report about the new colony to officials. Before returning to New South Wales, with a promotion, he marries Anna Josepha Coombe who returns to the colony with him. 

The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress describes the relationship that develops between the two women and their families and their life in the colony. It is an account of the early years of colonial life in New South Wales, especially the tensions developing between the Governor and his supporters and the Military. 

ABC Top 100 Books of the 21st Century 71-100

Last weekend ABC Radio National announced the top 100 books enjoyed so far by readers in the 21st century.

Of the books that rated from 71-80, I have read five of the titles. My order (number 1 to 5) for the books listed in the top 71-80 would be:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 

by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 

The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do 

The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku 

Where is the Green Sheep by Mem Fox (excellent children's picture book)

Of the books that rated from 81-90, I have read two of the titles. My order (number 1 to 2) for the books listed in the top 81-90 would be:

 Chai Time at the Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandren

Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood 

Of the books that rated from 81-90, I have read three of the titles. My order (number 1 to 3) for the books listed in the top 81-90 would be:

The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams

 True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 

I have read thirty-seven titles from this list of 100 titles. Some of the books in the list I read before I started this blog and I will eventually add posts for these titles.

This has been an interesting exercise looking at the titles that respondents to the survey voted for. There are many other titles that I would have included in such as list but we all have different tastes in reading. The list, however has provided some interesting titles for my To Be Read list.

ABC Top 100 Books of the 21st Century 41-70

Last weekend ABC Radio National announced the top 100 books enjoyed so far by readers in the 21st century.

Of the books that rated from 41-50, I have read four of the titles. My order (number 1 to 4) for the books listed in the top 41-50 would be:

 The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

All That I Am by Anna Funder 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling 

Of the books that rated from 51-60, I have read three of the titles. My order (number 1 to 3) for the books listed in the top 51-60 would be:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander MaCall Smith

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 

 

Of the books that rated from 61-70, I have read only one of the titles. 

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

ABC Top 100 Books of the 21st Century 11-40

Last weekend ABC Radio National announced the top 100 books enjoyed so far by readers in the 21st century.

Of the books that rated from 11-20, I have read five of the titles. My order (number 1 to 5) for the books listed in the top 11-20 would be:

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

Still Life by Sarah Winman

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

 Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 

 

Of the books that rated from 21-30, I have read three of the titles. My order (number 1 to 3) for the books listed in the top 21-30 would be:

The Dry by Jane Harper

Honey Bee by Craig Silvey

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton 

Of the books that rated from 31-40, I have read five of the titles. My order (number 1 to 5) for the books listed in the top 31-40 would be:

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Breath By Tim Winton

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas 

I need to write blog posts for Dirt Music and The Slap. 

ABC Top 100 Books of the 21st Century 1-10

Last weekend ABC Radio National announced the top 100 books enjoyed so far by readers in the 21st century.

Of the books that made the top 10, I have read six of the titles and have now placed reservations in the library for three of the remaining four titles. My order (number 1 to 7) for the books listed in the top 10 would be:

The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams 

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel 

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 

I will add to the list when I have read the other books listed in this group. 

 

The full list of ABC Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. 

 

My Top 10 books selected from the ABC Top 100 List would be: 

The Book Thief By Markus Zusak

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams 

The Secret River by Kate Grenville

The Dry by Jane Harper

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 

by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell 

 The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton 

 Honey Bee by Craig Silvey

Still Life by Sarah Winman 

Legacy

Martin Scarsden is once again the main character in this novel by Chris Hammer. We first met Martin in Scrublands, Silver and Trust. In this latest novel, Legacy, Martin and his family attend the launch of his latest book involving the investigation of a Melbourne crime family when the police evacuate the hall before a bomb explodes. Martin fears for the welfare of his family who are removed to a place of safety. On the advice of Jack Goffing from ASIO, Martin takes on a new identity and then disappears to Paroo in outback New South Wales where he hopes he will not be recognised.

So begins a fast paced thriller with Martin attempting to remain incognito as he tries to discover who has set out not just to kill him but also to totally discredit his reputation. He also discovers a long standing feud between two families - the Carmichaels and the Stantons. He considers this as a possible topic for a new book but his investigations lead to additional danger including an attempt on his life.

There are parallel stories in the book. As well as Martin's story we meet Ecco who has been employed by Clay Carmichael to write the family story. Her investigations lead to the discovery of a mystery that occurred more than one hundred years earlier. She also learns about a murder committed twenty years ago and the disappearance of  Clay's daughter, Chloe. Information from Chloe's diaries provide additional information.

Once again, when the police become involved, we again meet Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchannan from the Homicide Squad who have featured in other Chris Hammer novels. The environment of the outback is a feature of the story, especially the flood waters travelling into New South Wales from northern Queensland, hopefully resulting in the regrowth of pasture for any livestock remaining after a drought.

Legacy is another excellent addition to the genre often referred to a Aussie Noir.

The Impossible Fortune

The Thursday Murder Club members had seen little activity for almost twelve months and then, suddenly, they were in the thick of an investigation once more. When the club members attended a wedding, Elizabeth was approached by a man who feared he was in danger. Elizabeth and the team once again enjoy the opportunity to become involved in an investigation.

The main mystery concerns trying to crack the secret code for a cryptocurrency fortune which appears to be the centre of events, including kidnapping and murder occurring, threatening their normally quiet community. In The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman, the fifth book in the Thursday Murder Club series, the reader once again becomes immersed in the lives of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, plus their friends, as they carry out their investigations. Another exciting adventure with a group of older people who demonstrate that they are more than capable of solving crimes.

Braiding Sweetgrass

As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two streams of knowledge together. This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in January 2026.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teaching of plants was published in 2013.  In 2022 another edition, Braiding Sweetgrass for young adults was published. 

An aim of the books is to acknowledge and celebrate our reciprocal relationship with the earth resulting in a wider, more complete understanding of our place and purpose in the land. Although Kimmerer is writing about indigenous people and their relationship with the environment in North America, the philosophy expounded also applies to other countries, particularly Australia.

Other books by Kimmerer include The Serviceberry: an economy of gifts and environment, Gathering Moss: a natural and cultural history of mosses, How to Love a Forest: the bitter sweet work of tending a changing world and This Book is a Plant: how to grow, learn and radically engage with the natural world.

Mischance Creek

Constable Paul Hirschhausen (Hirsch) runs the one person operated police station in Tiverton, north of Adelaide in South Australia. Part of the work of a country cop is to know the local community well and he starts each day by walking around the town first thing in the morning. But he is also responsible for the welfare of the many properties surrounding Tiverton. The main police station is at Redruth about a thirty minute drive from Tiverton.

Each November Hirsch conducts a firearms audit which involves checking that all weapons in the community are registered and stored securely. This also allows him to do a welfare check on those living in his area of responsibility as well as the opportunity to notice if anything usual or illegal is occurring in the region.

One day he assists the driver of a car which has ended up in a ditch. Initially he surmises that the driver is a tourist but then discovers that Annika is visiting the area to try and discover what happened to her parents when they visited the area several years before Hirsch came to the district. Her father's body had been found in a mine shaft but her mother had simply disappeared. Hirsch becomes interested in this cold case as well as maintaining his daily routine.

When a skeleton is found Hirsch works with the investigation team sent to solve the case. It is not long before links are found to other suspicious activity in the region. He also has to contend with several locals who are 'sovereign citizens' as well as another group who promote conspiracy theories.

Garry Disher has become one of my favourite Australian crime writers. In Mischance Creek the local environment and the range of country characters add an important element in the resolution of the crimes occurring in what should be a quiet country area of South Australia. Mischance Creek is the fifth book in the Hirsch series of novels.

In the Woods

A young girl is found murdered near an archaeological site and Detective Rob Ryan Detective Cassie Maddox investigate. This case poses additional difficulties for Ryan as memories of events that occurred in the nearby woods when he was a child haunt him. As the investigation continues memories of the past gradually resurface.

In the Woods by Tana French is psychological study of manipulation leading people to believe and act in ways they may not have in ordinary circumstances. The reader becomes involved with the revelations of why characters act the way that they do and how their actions affect the lives of others, sometimes with disastrous results.

 This title was the Dervla McTiernan Book club that isn't a book club book selection for September 2025.

Katherine Swynford: the story of John of Gaunt and his scandalous duchess

Katherine de Roet (1350-1403) became the third wife of John of Gaunt (1340-1399), a son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. Initially Katherine had married Sir Hugh Swynford who died in 1371. She became the mistress of John of Gaunt and they had four children. When John of Gaunt's second wife died he married Katherine and insisted that their children should be recognised as part of his family. Alison Weir has proved us with a dramatic account of this period of English history.

 

In her historical study, Katherine Swynford, Alison Weir sets out to provide an account of Katherine's life from the scant records available. The interest in the life of Katherine and John of Gaunt has increased over the years especially since the publication of the novel, Katherine, by Anna Seton which was published in 1954. Detailed notes plus a select bibliography, notes, index and family trees are provided.

 

NB: This book was published in the United States with the title Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster by Alison Weir

 

Katherine Swynford - Alison Weir  

She-Wolves: the women who ruled England before Elizabeth

In 2010 historian, Helen Castor, had published the book, She-Wolves: the women who ruled England before Elizabeth. In 2012 a three part television series with the same name was made. A She-wolf was a derogatory term suggesting that a female leader, by nature, would have to have serious character defects. During the medieval period there were many women who held positions of power but were not allowed to be queens in their own right in England.

The women who are the focus in Helen Castor's study are Empress Matilda, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Isabella of France and Margaret of Anjou. These women lived during a period in history when only men had the official power to govern a country or territory but women were used as a means of increasing that power or gaining more land or riches. In reality these women made an impact on life in England during often difficult times and often were regents when the official ruler was fighting in France or on crusade. This did not necessarily make them popular with some of the barons and church hierarchy who wanted to increase their power.

She-wolves - Historical Association 

Medieval she-wolves (part one) - History - the interesting bits

 Medieval she-wolves (part two) - History - the interesting bits

See How They Fall

The Turner family meet to spend Easter together at the family property, Yallambee, in New South Wales. Sir Campbell Turner, who had created a family business that traded worldwide, had recently died and part of the reason for the family get-together is for his three sons, Jamie, Duncan and Hugo, to discuss the distribution of the family fortune. But before the weekend ends one person will be dead and a six year old girl will be seriously ill in hospital.

Initially See How They Fall by Rachel Parks reads as a mystery novel with the need to discover who committed the crime, but it soon becomes obvious that it is much more than that. The story is narrated by Skye, the wife of Duncan Turner, and Mei O'Connor who is investigating the case. The corruption that has occurred within the Turner family is gradually revealed along with the extent that family members will go to cover up the family's crime activities.

As the novel develops into a psychological thriller it is difficult to stop reading as the reader encounters another twist or turn as the exploits of this dysfunctional family are revealed. The Turner family is used being above the law. Skye and Mei are determined that this time the truth will be revealed.

See How They Fall is a debut novel for New Zealand writer, Rachel Paris. I look forward to reading her next book. 

 This was the Monash University Alumni Book Club book for October 2025. 

Review: See How They Fall - Debbishdotcom  

Review:See How They Fall - Aotearoa New Zealand Review of Books  

People absolutely hate me - The Spinoff  

See  How They Fall - Goodreads 

King John and the road to the Magna Carta

John (1166-1216), the youngest son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, was not expected to become king. When King Henry II divided his lands in Britain and France among his sons, John was very young and not included. This caused him to be given the nickname, Lackland, by family members. For much of his life John lived in the shadow of other family members, especially his brother, Richard the Lionheart.

Shortly after John's brother, Richard became king, King Richard I took part in the Third Crusade (1190-1192). John eventually ruled England, especially when money was needed to pay the ransom after Richard was captured on the way home from the Crusade. Richard returned to England for a few months before spending the rest of his life in Normandy until his death in 1199. John then officially became King John of England and his family's lands in France.

John faced many challenges during his reign especially the opposition he faced from many of the barons, from the Church hierarchy, including the Pope, and from the people who objected to the increased taxes imposed to fund his attempts to win back his French lands lost in France. The French king was also threatening to invade England and there were problems in other territories, especially, Ireland, Wales and with the Scots.

Unfortunately John strongly believed in the tradition of sovereign power which he found impossible to sustain in a time of unrest and demands for change. After losing the French possessions, the subsequent First Barons' War (1215-1217) divided the country and several months later Prince Louis of France arrived on the southern coast of England and with the assistance of some of the barons took over London. Eventually King John and the barons met to create a document that became known as the Magna Carta.  

In  King John and the Road to the Magna Carta, Stephen Church provides a detailed study of the events that led to a change in the power of the monarchy plus the prelude to the eventual creation of a parliament. Detailed notes and bibliography can be found at the end of the book.