The Endless Sky

The Endless Sky is the 31st novel by Australian author, Di Morrissey. I read a number of her earlier titles many years ago and especially enjoyed those set in the Kimberley. This novel is mainly set in western Queensland among fossil fields in the red earth or in a set of secluded underground caves. 

Nicole and Stacie travelled to the region to seek a setting for a television show. They did not know what to expect when they set out but soon discover a new world with scenery they have not previously experienced. In the outback they learn about the world of fossils and the meaning of the land to the local indigenous people. When they are told that the caves and surrounding area are under threat from a secret potential development they decide that they should use their program to expose the impending threat to the area. A man that they met early in their adventure disappears so they naturally want to know what happened to him and why he left the camp.

As with Di Morrissey's other novels the setting of the book is a focal point and her descriptions of the landscape and sky are impressive. However much of the story is told through the dialogue of the characters and this does not quite work as disappointingly the dialogue resembles a monotone voice after a while. The book has an important story to tell but, in my opinion, it is not a must-read novel.

Eleanor: A 200 mile walk in search of England's lost queen

In December 2024 Alice Loxton walked from Lincoln to London to follow the path taken to carry the body of Queen Eleanora from Lincoln to Westminster Abbey in December 1290. 

Queen Eleanor had died in the village of Harby near Lincoln on 28 November. Eleanor's body remained at Harby for three days before being taken to Lincoln. From there the funeral procession continued to London where Eleanor's body was buried at Westminster Abbey on 17 December. The procession stopped at twelve locations on the almost two hundred mile journey. 

King Edward I later ordered that a series of memorial crosses should be erected indicating the places the procession stopped when carrying Eleanor's body back to London. Twelve monuments known as Eleanor Crosses were erected. Three of the Eleanor Crosses remain almost intact today at Geddington, Hardingstone and Waltham Cross. 

 In writing Eleanor, Alice Loxton not only describes the challenges of making such a journey today, she also reflects on what the journey would have been like 700 years ago. Throughout the book the author reflects on the life of Eleanor and how she has been almost forgotten through the intervening years. However, if people look carefully, there are glimpses of her past to be found in the three Eleanor Crosses that survived the destruction of the Reformation and the English Civil War, plaques showing where other crosses once stood plus more recent memorials to remember the queen.

Alice Loxton, during the walk, also observes other indications relating to history and in doing so has provided a readable, entertaining account of past events and their significance. This is a book written for members of the general public to read and enjoy. If they wish, readers can then explore some of the topics further in other sources. At the end of the book the author provides a list of books and other sources to explore for further information plus a list of places and organisations that people might want to visit.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eleanor and now plan to read other books by Alice Loxton. 

Evil Bones

Not her normal line of investigation, but when a decorated body part is found attached to a tree forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan, is asked to investigate. It turns out that this is one of a series of mutilated animals that have been found. Concern grows as the killer is selecting larger animals for each kill. Could the next find be human? Temp and Detective Slidell work together to identify the killer before any more lives are lost.

Evil Bones is another fast paced crime novel by Kathy Reichs and is the 24th book in the Temperance Brennan series of crime novels. Another good read.

A Slowly Dying Cause

Checking this blog I found a post I wrote in 2022 for Something to Hide by Elizabeth George. In the final paragraph of the blog post I made the statement - I can now say that I have read a novel by Elizabeth George but it is highly unlikely that I will read any more. Unfortunately I have repeated the mistake made in 2022.

A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George is number 22 in her Lynley novel series. The murdered body of Michael Lobb is found in the family tin and pewter workshop. The case is investigated by Detective Inspector Bea Hannaford and her team and as the investigation proceeds it is realised that this is not a straight forward case, though they eventually make an arrest. Much later, detectives from London, Thomas Lynley and Barbara Havers, become unofficially involved in the investigation.

A large part of the book involves an employee of a mining company trying to convince Cornish landowners to sell or lease their property. At each visit we read the same spiel which becomes monotonous after a while. The sexual activities of a variety of characters feature throughout the book. The fate of the roof of Thomas Lynley's family home also takes up many pages. Throughout the novel pages from the journal of the murdered man are inserted, providing additional information. 

Elizabeth George, an American author, has made her name creating books within a perceived English setting. With a series of 22 books, obviously many people enjoy reading her novels. I almost gave up reading the book but then the author returned to the investigation, so I finished reading the 640 pages of the novel.

The Long Night

After meeting a new friend Em is kidnapped on the way home and so begins a night of terror. At the same time her mother, Jodie, is also attacked and is told that her daughter will be safe provided that Jodie does as she is told. Jodie has assistance from a friend who helps her hunt for her daughter. Neither of the women knows why they are targeted.

In The Long Night Christian White has written a fast paced thriller describing the ordeal of the two women as they try to escape the terror they are faced with. As the story progresses the novel inserts events in Jodie's life that occurred twenty years previously into the present action. For part of the book the two stories are meshed together as the women attempt to escape from their ordeal.

The Long Night is another Australian crime thriller that demands that the reader keeps reading to discover whether / how the women survive their ordeal of one long night.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

I almost didn't read this book but I am glad that I did. Two children, Sam and Sadie, met in a hospital where Sam was a patient and Sadie was visiting her sister who was also a patient. The two children bonded over playing computer games and so their friendship began. They did not see each other for many years until they met again at a railway station when they were both college students.When they discovered that the love of computer games had continued and they were both interested in designing games they decided to design a game together. Sam's friend Marx joined the team as a producer and the company, Unfair, was formed.

Computer games do form the background of the book but the novel is primarily about the relationships between the characters and how they cope with the challenges that life brings. As their company grows and the the importance of deadlines increases the main characters have to make decisions about work and relationships. Life is not always kind and can their friendship survive?

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by  Gabrielle Zevin is a novel about relationships and friendship, rivalry, creativity, tragedy and survival in a sometimes unkind world. The characters must decide what they really want in life, whether it be in the world created by computer games or in the actual world in which they live.

The title, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, comes from the Shakespeare play, Macbeth. Marx once suggested it as a possible name for their company. Marx described a game as the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea is that if you keep playing, you could still win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever. (page 405) The author suggests that this philosophy should also apply to how we view our life and its challenges.

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

The Long Shoe

Matt Giles lives with his girlfriend, Harriet, and his cat, Goodmonson, in a rented apartment. He has just lost his job, the lease of the apartment is about to expire and then Harriet disappears. But when Matt is offered the opportunity to move into an apartment block that Harriet had admired Matt hopes that the move might convince Harriet to return. There is one problem. The building owner expects Matt to report any suspicious activities of his neighbours to him. 

The Long Shoe by Bob Mortimer is a humorous mystery novel written by British comedian Bob Mortimer in his normal dry style. There is a host of eccentric and possibly dangerous characters who may be involved with the wrong side of the law.  The story is revealed through the observations of Matt, Harriet and their former neighbour, Carol. Matt's conversations with his cat also add to the story. Matt needs to find Harriet but also needs to decide how he wants to live the rest of his life.

It's a Scorcher!

'It's a scorcher!' is a phrase often heard on a hot day in Australia and it certainly applied yesterday when the temperature reached 42 degrees. In contrast, today the temperature has returned to the mid-twenties. In his latest book William McInnes has compiled a selection of memories as to what makes an Australian summer. 

It's a Scorcher! tales of the Australian summer consists of meandering humorous observations on a broad range of topics illustrating how William McInnes and his family celebrated summer over the years. Many of the anecdotes refer to growing up in the second half of the twentieth century. 

Ten chapters are devoted to general observations about summer plus cricket (playing cricket as well as the Boxing Day Test, the Australian Open, Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, watching television, biscuit tins reused each year, walking barefoot and then buying thongs, going to the beach, variety of swimwear and the many festivals held during summer in Australia. References to television and radio programs from the past may bring back memories of times gone by. 

Reading It's a Scorcher! will encourage readers to remember how their families enjoyed summers in Australia in the past as well as in the present.

Jasper Jones

Set in 1965, Craig Silvey has written a coming of age novel set in a remote Western Australian mining town. Thirteen year old Charlie Bucktin recounts the events that resulted from a knock on his bedroom window one night when Jasper Jones asked for his help. Charlie agrees to go with Jasper and they discover the body of a sister of a friend hidden in the bush. If they go to the police they know that Jasper will be accused of murder because he has Aboriginal heritage. They therefore decide to hide the body while attempting to determine who the killer might be.

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey is largely a book about relationships, often in dysfunctional families. It is soon obvious that the town has many secrets and the situation becomes worse with the fear that other crimes have / might occur. Trying to discover the truth proves to be a challenge. Meanwhile Charlie strives to maintain his friendship with his best fried, Jeffrey Lu, whose family are refugees from South Vietnam, as well as with Eliza, a girl he admires. Most of the story occurs in the summer holidays, however, Charlie also attempts to reduce the bullying that he encounters from a group of fellow students.

The novel Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey was published in 2009. It won the Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year for 2010, Indie Book of the Year Award and the Western Australian Premier's Book Award for Fiction. It was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin award and a number of other awards. Jasper Jones was produced as a play in 2024 and was released as a film in 2017.

A Gentleman in Moscow

It is 1922 and Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to house arrest at the Hotel Metropol where he lives. However instead of returning to his large apartment he is relegated to a small room on the sixth floor. For the next thirty plus years the Count readjusts his life to the changing circumstances, not just personal changes but also evolving changes in Russian politics.

In A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles we observe the Count's interaction with the hotel staff and some of the guests. As the hotel is opposite the Kremlin we also encounter through hearsay, if not in person, some of the movers and shakers of the time. But it is the Count's observations about life in Russia that hold our attention. The Count also forms special friendships with other guests and staff, particularly nine year old Nina who becomes a special friend. 

Amor Towles, in this work of historical fiction, has created a memorial character in the Count as he adjusts to the many changes occurring in Russia during the first half of the twentieth century.

Murder in the Cathedral

Phryne Fisher and Dot Williams have been invited to Bendigo by Phryne's friend Lionel Watkins to attend his enthronement at the cathedral as Bishop of Bendigo . Phryne correctly suspects that Lionel also has another reason for her to visit him at Bendigo and he agrees to explain his concerns after the service. However all does not go to plan and during the service a member of the clergy is murdered. Phryne immediately becomes involved in assisting the police with their enquiries.

Much of the plot involves differences among the clergy working in the cathedral as well as differences between religious groups in general. Initially there is no shortage of suspects for what appears to be an impossible crime to solve. However as possible suspects are ruled out Phryne suspects a different reason for the murder.

Murder in the Cathedral by Kerry Greenwood is number 24 in the Phryne Fisher series of crime novels. As the author died earlier this year, it will also be the last. The books do not have to be read in order but some events in the story would be clearer if the last few books have been read, especially Death in Daylesford. Kerry Greenwood also wrote the Corinna Chapman mysteries which I enjoyed reading.

The House of Wolf

The House of Wolf by Tony Robinson is the first volume in a trilogy about events in the life of Alfred the Great who was king of the West Saxons from 871 to 886 and then king of the Anglo Saxons from 886 to 899. This is a work of historical fiction loosely based on a biography, The Life of King Alfred written in 893 by Asser, a Welsh monk. Throughout the novel chapters alternate with an account of life in Wessex, events occurring in Rome and Viking invasions of England. In this volume the story begins in 857.

King Aethelwolf (Aethelwulf) ruled Wessex but it was a divided country. His power in the kingdom was challenged by most of his children, Aethelbard (Bear), Aethelberht (Hawk), Aethelswith (Swift), Aethelred (Red), and Aethelfraud (Alfred) who was exiled from his family and spending time in Rome. There was also an older son who is not mentioned in the book. Vikings made occasional invasions along the coast and Aethelwulf travelled to Rome to obtain military assistance in defending his territory. However authority in Rome, particularly in the church is divided, and although an agreement is devised it is not concluded. 

Much of the story in the novel involves the differences between the older children as they vie for power, ignoring the threat to their country from outside forces. The older sons are particularly determined that their sister, Swift, should not have too much territory. Meanwhile in Rome, Alfred is works with some of the clergy to establish a school for impoverished students and generally help the poor. This view of Christianity is not approved by all sections of the church in Rome. As the threat of Viking invasion increases in many parts of Europe, division grows in the church hierarchy.

In The House of Wolf, Tony Robinson has commenced a readable fictional account of  life in Anglo Saxon times. I look forward to reading the next installment. Tony Robinson is visiting Melbourne in February 2026 to talk about his life including participation in the television series Blackadder, Time Team and other history related documentaries plus the writing of The House of Wolf.