I so wanted to ‘like’ EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE by Peter May but, in the end, this one was a little too staged, with sluggish pacing. Moments that could have and should have been tense, and dramatic, were lost amid the travelogue descriptions that sucked up more than their fair share of page length. It’s all very well to set the scene, but quite another to go on and on with too much incidental detail, that it becomes tedious.
\nThe characters themselves were under developed and, at times, a little too opaque, if not, obvious. The plodding French detective who smokes too much. The far-left leaning reporter who dresses like a film star. To the femme fatale psychologist MacLeod falls in love with who seems to be as clueless as Enzo. Never mind that one too many of the situation they found themselves in—whether finding convenient clues on Google, to someone standing on a plaque dedicated to a dead dog—were all a little to contrived for my liking.
\nThe lead character of Enzo—has already enjoyed an amazing life with two daughters by different women, a divorced wife, a dead mistress and a drastic career change resulting in moving to another country. All this before the book even starts—sounded too much like a drop-out hippie (think Scottish comedian Billy Connolly) rather than the respected forensic specialist turned professor he’s supposed to be. And for someone who was supposed to have been at the top of his game, a specialist in his field, he doesn’t know how to use a computer, is somewhat laughable. Suspension of disbelief is stretched to the max.
\nAdd in the fact that he’s perpetually being on the derogatory side when in the company of women, from eyeing and ogling a 23 year-old student’s breasts to lusting after a woman he’s only just met, and the ex of one of his (supposedly) closest friends. It make the man come across as lecherous. Or, as a Scot might say, a dirty old man! Maybe the author was pouring a little bit too much of himself into Enzo than is considered healthy. Either way, it didn’t endear the character to me in any way, shape, or form.
\nThat said, if you like the simplistic kind of murder mysteries, where the befuddled hero steadfastly unravels all the arcane clues to their conclusion—contrived or otherwise—then you might like this. Otherwise I suggest you look elsewhere.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-24T10:36:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/24/extraordinary-people-by-peter-may/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/08/the-windsor-knot-by-sj/", "title": "The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett", "content_html": "This debut novel from the imaginative and decidedly twisted mind of S J Bennett is one of the best reads I’ve had this year, and that’s saying something given the quality of reads I’ve had of late. But what Bennett has done is capture the essence of Her Majesty, QEII, and turned her into a veritable royal Miss Marple in this lovely homage to Agatha Christie. Our much beloved sovereign is on top form in THE WIDSOR KNOT, sleuthing her way quietly through her ninetieth birthday celebrations, at Windsor Castle, during the spring of 2016.
\nFor me, Bennett really captures both the best of a Christie novel, with an MC second to none. Updating for a modern sensibilities, complete with multiple murders, a clever, layered mystery, and political intrigue that is spot on—with a ‘hot button’ topic and issue ripped directly from today’s headlines. Throw in a great supporting cast of characters not least of which, aiding and abetting Her Majesty is Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, who’s the perfect foil to QEII. And you have a smart, elegant, clever murder mystery that delivers on so many levels.
\nWith sneak peeks into life as we might imagine it, within the walls of Windsor castle, and the daily life of a long-serving Queen. Not to mention, the involvement of the Met Police and MI5 who are left high and dry when you have the resource to hand that the Queen does. Razor sharp observations, droll and as dry as the Sahara, our erstwhile sleuth, Her Majesty the Queen of England, is one of the most unusual characters to pop up solving crime in, well, a long time. And some of the throw away scenes between her and Philip are, well, priceless.
\n\n\n“Last thing you want is to be discovered in a royal palace with your goolies out.” “Philip!” “No, I mean it. No wonder everyone’s keeping it hush-hush. That, and protecting your fragile nerves.” The Queen threw him a look. “They forget. I’ve lived through a world war, that Ferguson girl, and you in the navy.”
\n
I can still hear the Queen’s quiet, lilting voice echoing in my head along with that of Rozie, the Queen’s accomplice in crime-solving. Two wonderfully written characters, piecing together a series of nasty murders that all lead back to … well, that I cannot tell you, it would spoil the fun. Just go pick up your own copy and find out for yourself just who did what, to whom and why. The Windsor Knot has all the hallmark signs of being a long-running, best-selling cosy-mystery series that I, for one, am going to thoroughly enjoy reading.
\nLong may you reign, Lilibet!
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-08T15:28:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/08/the-windsor-knot-by-sj/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/07/the-perplexing-theft-of-the/", "title": "The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown by Vaseem Khan", "content_html": "Inspector Ashwin Chopra (Retd) a former member of the Mumbai police, is now one of my favourite characters. In this second installment of the Baby Ganesh series, we find Chopra settling into retirement as a private investigator, working out of an office in his new digs, a restaurant named after his wife, Poppy. This wonderful gem of a story fairly zips along at a motorised rickshaw pace, combining a number of threads that both delight and amused. And even if we think the arrival of both Queen Elizabeth and the Crown Jewels on a visit to Mumbai might seem impossible, we believe because Khan makes us believe.
\nCertainly I believe in Khan’s characters, who are all well drawn, including Chopra who is thoughtful, kind, intelligent, and a tad old-fashioned. He wistfully hankers for another time and is aware enough to realise how odd that makes him seem in the eyes of others. But it’s his integrity that stands out, Chopra lives in a world where bribery and corruption are the norm but he steadfastly refuses to give in, and let it consume him.
\nWhimsical, endearing, and upbeat, this mystery is told with a twinkle in the author’s eye. Chopra’s wry observations are engaging and humorous, offering up brief glimpses into life for millions in the bustling metropolis that is Mumbai. And while the story focuses on the theft of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, Chopra and his associate, Rangwalla, Baby Ganesh, and young Irfan—a street beggar turned waiter at Chopra’s restaurant—are seen chasing down leads on a number of cases.
\nI loved that we get to see Rangwalla and Chopra’s wife, Poppy, off on their own adventure, tracking down a stolen bust at the school where Poppy works. It’s these fun excursions elsewhere that add so much more to the depth and overall enjoyment of the read. As each character struggles to piece together and solve their own mysteries in these fun side-plots.
\nThis is, at once, both a cozy mystery, and a lighthearted comic look at Indian life and culture. There is wit, drama, mystery and plenty of fun, with characters whose lives you become invested in, as this quirky, off-beat, mystery resolves itself to a very satisfying conclusion. And what’s not to love about a Cadbury chocolate loving baby elephant, named Ganesh?
\nGo on, you know you want to have a read!
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-07T15:29:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/07/the-perplexing-theft-of-the/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/06/the-silenced-by-anders-de/", "title": "The Silenced by Anders de la Motte", "content_html": "There are, I am sure, plenty of well written books that I have yet to read, but until I discover them THE SILENCED by Anders de la Motte has to be one of the best plotted novels I’ve ever read. Certainly up there with the best of them. Showing a depth and skill mastered by few, de la Motte has woven together a deeply compelling story as seen from a handful of characters. Each of these finely detailed personas tells a part of the story, and each chapter seamlessly dovetails into the one before, and the one after, at a thrilling pace that never lags.
\nThe dialogue is crisp, snappy, and yes, in places, darkly funny. From observational quips by various characters offering up snippets of detail, to snarky comments about colleagues and their habits, Anders never misses an opportunity to dress a scene, or fill out the background on a character. All without so much as slowing down a riveting pace that, at times, is almost blistering. And then again, at times, also thoughtful. The author manages to find that perfect balance and delivers a thoroughly engrossing read.
\nI was hooked from opening scene, and interplay between the young Detective Inspector, Julia Gabrielsson, and the newcomer to her division, Amante, complete with his own tortured history. These two opposites are thrust into the depth of what seems to be a cover-up (at best) or worst, something deep, dark, and very ugly; A conspiracy with far reaching consequences.
\nAnders, for his part, builds the pace and reveals just enough to keep the reader guessing each step of the way, as characters begin to reveal their true nature, and more, test their allegiances. From the wily police commissioner, Oscar Wallin, to the slippery politician Jasper Stenberg, to Stenberg’s father-in-law, Karl-Erik, always plotting in the wings. Everyone is not who they appear to be, including the once shining hero, David Sarac, the pivotal character who, in the end, just wants to set the record straight before he dies.
\nEveryone has an agenda or an axe to grind, and Anders never misses a beat showcasing them all within the majesty of the city that is Stockholm. In and of it self, a character.
\nTHE SILENCED—an action-packed thriller from beginning to end—is the ultimate story of power struggles, brutality, corruption, and betrayal!
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-06T15:23:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/06/the-silenced-by-anders-de/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/05/the-silent-girls-by-erik/", "title": "The Silent Girls by Erik Rickstad (DNF)", "content_html": "I can’t go on. I mean it, I simply cannot go on … reading this book. This is one long monotonous boring read. It’s the equivalent of a long straight driveway covered in grey chippings. This endless ribbon of uniform grey that stretches off into the distance, hard and uneven under foot, unyielding in form or feature. That’s how reading THE SILENT GIRLS feels.
\nThere’s a total lack of any emotional depth to the characters, and while the author tells us a great deal about the main protagonists past, we know nothing about him. It’s like he had a past and then, popped up in the future, as a middle-aged man looking after his dead sister’s daughter. And therein lies the problem with not only the characters, but the lack of story itself.
\nWe’re told everything, I mean, everything, but nothing. There’s a lot being said, but it has nothing (so far) to do with the story and reads like way too much filler. And while this is supposed to be a murder mystery, there is no murder, so far as I can tell.
\nI read 90 pages last night, and stopped at chapter 15. Chapter FIFTEEN, and nothing has happened.
\nThere’s possibly a missing girl, but even by chapter fifteen, after pages, and pages of filler, we still don’t know if the girl has run away, been kidnapped, or is lying dead somewhere. Because we have no breadcrumbs, no hints, no nothing about anything or anyone. We have plenty of descriptions of the countryside in up state Vermont. We know about Frank Rath’s distant past. But not why he went from being a promising detective to a washed out PI.
\nThe only evil lurking seems to be in the imagination of the author, but he’s not up for telling us about it, yet!
\nOh, don’t get me wrong. He opens the book with a superfluous prologue that does nothing for the story (so far as I’ve read), and seems to be there only to shock. Look, here’s something nasty. But even reading it just left a dull taste in my mouth because it’s so badly written as to be a weird scene lifted from a Stephen King novel. It tells the reader how evil (this being a very young child at that) people can be.
\nAnd like the scene between Rath and the run-away young woman’s father—who may or may not be a pimp, who may, or may not sell drugs—it comes at you from out of left field. One minute the two men are testing each other’s testosterone levels, and then?
\nBang! Our PI with supposedly a bad back is pushing a man twice his size and weight down onto the floor in a weird confrontation that is disjointed and out of place. The whole scene is badly constructed and had me re-reading it to make sure I hadn’t missed something, it was so preposterous.
\nThe author has Rath eyeing up every woman and female child as if (a) they’re an affront to his maleness and manhood which he needs to lock away, or (b) reacting like a pervert staring at a young girl, or getting aroused by a sales woman racking her fingernails on his wrist. Which is kind of disturbing on so many levels, let me tell you.
\nI cannot empathise with Frank Rath on any level, nor any character so far, and I am so bored with the writing I felt my eyes glazing over as I read. Tedious, plodding and lacking any interest or impact, you could say it’s criminal that this one ever got published.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-05T09:25:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/05/the-silent-girls-by-erik/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/04/the-liar-by-steve-cavanagh/", "title": "The Liar by Steve Cavanagh", "content_html": "The one thing you can be certain of when reading a Steve Cavanagh, Eddie Flynn novel, is great plotting. Always cleverly twisted with plenty of red herrings, mis-directs, and side-bars to make you wonder where the plot’s heading next. And so it is with THE LIAR the third in the Eddie Flynn series of legal thrillers.
\nThrow in a great, well delineated set of characters with their own idiosyncratic tics, and you have the perfect delivery vehicles for said twisted plot.
\nEddie Flynn is one of those wonderfully nuanced characters with plenty of chinks in his battered armour. But even when he’s employing somewhat dubious methods you know he’s doing it for all the right reasons.
\n\n\n“Doing something illegal, so long as I believed it was right, normally didn’t bother me. This bothered me. If I came out of this in the next ten minutes without being arrested I promised myself I would take a step back for my own good.”
\n
Eddie has heart, Eddie is a shades of grey hero with an iffy past. One that helps him outsmart, and sometimes, out manoeuvre the bad guys. And with a Cavanagh novel, you’re never quite sure just who the bad guys might turn out to be.
\nThe secondary characters are just as well-fleshed out as Eddie. And I have come to really enjoy Eddie’s meet ups with both Agent Harper, a feisty firecracker of a personality with a great gut instinct, and Judge Harry Ford, a man with a perchance for wisdom, who enjoys a good nightcap, or three.
\nIt’s also the secondary plot lines—something Cavanagh pays great attention to—that adds such depth to this series. There is always, but always, something else going on, not quite in the background, that usually ties-in, in some way, with the main plot; usually with consequences. This time around, it’s an old case of murder that Judge Harry Ford lost when still a defence lawyer. A case that still haunts him and for good reason.
\nSet at a blistering pace, with plenty of twists and turns, THE LIAR is as much a page turner as earlier books in this series. An addictive, fast, fun and thrilling read, you won’t be disappointed with THE LIAR.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-04T15:22:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/04/the-liar-by-steve-cavanagh/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/06/01/the-sweetness-at-the-bottom/", "title": "The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie by Alan Bradley", "content_html": "The central focus of this novel is the character of Flavia de Luce, the 11 year-old phenom who narrates and carries the entire weight of this suspense-mystery novel. And she does it admirably, or, I should say, the author has created a character so well defined, so well fleshed out, with an array of quirks and foibles that, as a character, gives her such great depth. Quite something for a middle-aged male author to achieve. He’s made it so that Flavia de Luce is not only believable, she feels as real as any of my nieces … if they had lived in the 1950s, that is.
\nFlavia de Luce jumps straight out at you, grabs you by the arm, and starts talking to you as if you were a co-conspirator in her life and the unfolding mystery that lands on her doorstep — literally. Her thoughts are effervescent bubbles that pop to the surface, one after another, in a constant stream, bringing to life the action, the scenery and the characters that populate The Sweetness At The Bottom Of The Pie. And, through her, her thoughts and actions, the whole story comes brimming to life with the kind of detail that is also, at times, laugh out loud funny.
\nThere is a great deal of astute and observational humour in this novel, that had me laughing, smirking, and nodding my head with a smile. I felt transported back to another time, and got lost in a 50s English countryside that felt, well, almost familiar to me. The places and setting were all lovingly described, and given their own little quirks as was Buckshaw, the de Luce’s country estate. Each as much a minor character in the story, as were the supporting characters themselves, who added just enough to carry the plot along at a delightful, slow-burn.
\nThis is not a fast-paced, action-packed story, but a gentle bicycle ride through the winding back roads of Village life, its pace and setting reminiscent of a really good Agatha Christie novel. It’s all about the build up, about finding and fitting together the clues. Looking at suspects, making deductions and following ideas and inspiration in the way you imagine a young Sherlock Holmes might do.
\nThis is most definitely Flavia de Luce’s story, and the other characters, including her immediate family, are there in support, and, as such, are not as fully defined in nature. But that isn’t to say they are paper thin, on the contrary, they all pop off the page with their own set of quirks and foibles — from the two older sisters Ophelia and Daphne, to her recluse stamp-collecting father, and his faithful servant and friend, Dogger.
\nAlan Bradley has created a richly detailed world that feels like it should exist, somewhere within the folds of the English countryside. Not only that, he’s populated a string of villages and homes with just the kind of characters you come to expect, if you’ve read a good Agatha Christie novel. And more, he’s made them all quite unique to this little corner of the world. A world that I’ve fallen in love with, along with the delightful Flavia de Luce and her family. I’m looking forward to seeing what other mysteries and murders Flavia will get involved in, and solve.
\nWelcome to the world of an 11 year-old Miss Marple, armed with a bicycle named Gladys.
\n", "date_published": "2026-06-01T09:31:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/06/01/the-sweetness-at-the-bottom/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/31/force-of-nature-by-jane/", "title": "Force of Nature by Jane Harper", "content_html": "Jane Harper has done it again. She has captured lightning in a bottle not once, but twice. With FORCE OF NATURE she has crafted a second beguiling novel, with a tapestry of threads that crisscross throughout the story weaving a masterpiece of misdirection till the final reveal. A surprise, I for one, never saw coming. The clever red herrings, the subtle misdirects, she does it all to perfection. You think you know what’s going on? You don’t. And believe me, I’m pretty good at sussing out the culprit early on. Not this time around.
\nHarper’s oh so believable cast of characters—highlighting the best and worst of human nature under duress, and in a hostile environment—are people you might know, people you might have met or worked with, people who, as the story progresses, start to come apart. I loved every scene and every page detailing what happened to the five women as they set out on what should be, a bonding weekend. As they dissolve into a female version of Lord of the Flies. Every bitching, snide remark, every possible slight, and hurt revealed. Every fibre of these women is shredded, slowly and surely, to they become their own worst enemies.
\nFor me, this is writing at its best. The detail, the emotion, the pain and the secrets, are all slowly laid bare for us. Every scab is picked at till it bleeds, and we see what’s beneath the thin veneer of respectability. Five women from the same company, but from different strata, thrown together and then, go feral. But there is so much more than that, so much more than the in-fighting. Lives and secrets opened up along with the lies and deceit. And why people do what they do. Harper gets in there, beneath the skin, and exposes it all.
\nAaron Falk, who was, for the most part, the focus of THE DRY, takes almost a back seat in FORCE OF NATURE, as Harper alternates chapters featuring the slow dissolution of the five women, and between Falk, his new partner, Carmen, and the search for the missing woman. Each dynamic has its part to play in the story as a whole, and each chapter dovetails cleverly to keep you guessing. I liked how we got to see a bit more of Falk’s history with his father, filling out more of his own backstory, while not deflecting from the story at hand, the missing women lost in an unforgiving outback.
\nA rugged brutal landscape that is the perfect backdrop to this kind of story, and a character in and of it self. All adding to the tension that slowly builds towards a heartbreaking reveal. Nothing and no one is ever what they seem, and Harper makes sure we are left wondering right up till the last few pages about the who, why, and how.
\nClever twist and turns, so that you never quite know what’s going to happen next, or what these women might say or do next, is, believe it or not, a gripping read. Try it for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-31T15:33:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/31/force-of-nature-by-jane/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/30/dial-a-for-aunties-by/", "title": "Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto", "content_html": "Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto is an absolute blast of fun-filled, darkly twisted humour. And don’t get me started on the complicated family dynamics, which adds not only more humour but also a great deal of depth to this over-the-top family caper that’s worthy of it’s own sitcom.
\nTruly, Sutanto nails the archetypes of Ah Mas and Ah Yis perfectly, so much so I was nodding my head knowingly and grinning like an idiot. Yes, I’ve met some of these women in my own childhood, and remember them all with fond memories. They always all know what’s best even when they have no idea what’s best!
\nAt it’s heart, _Dial A for Aunties _is both, at once, a comedy of errors and a heartfelt romance. Sutanto delivers on every level with the melodrama and humour, thanks to the idiosyncratic nature of the four sisters, while giving us a twisted joyride courtesy of the unexpected ‘death’, and throws in a bit of hot romance to stir our emotions even further. So that, when we’re not feeling it for poor dutiful Meddelin ‘Meddy’ Chan, we’re either laughing our socks off at the situation—which goes from bad, to worse, to OMG I can’t believe this happening—to swooning along with Meddy over the love of her life, Nathan.
\nSutanto gives us the best kind of romantic comedy with plenty of misdirects, heartbreak, moments of sheer OTT fun, and suspend-your-sense-of-disbelief laugh out loud moments, as the 3 aunties and Meddy’s mother do their best to help their beloved niece and daughter get rid of the body … I never stopped laughing or shaking my head as hapless Meddy tries desperately to extract herself, and her aunties, from events as they spiral out of control.
\nI loved the aunties and their biting banter, and the wonderful insight into the family dynamics of their Chinese Indonesian heritage, traditions, and rituals. This is a fabulously entertaining and engaging read that tips into the territory of farce and the ridiculous which will make you laugh, while the romance will happily make you grin from ear to ear.
\nSit back, let loose with Meddy and her meddlin’ aunts, and have some fun!
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-30T15:35:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/30/dial-a-for-aunties-by/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/29/and-fire-came-down-by/", "title": "And Fire Came Down by Emma Viskic", "content_html": "This is the second book in the Caleb Zelic series and, like Resurrection Bay, is relentless in its pacing as Caleb once again is trust into the centre of a murder mystery. Continuing a few months on from the aftermath of events that took place in book one, Caleb, beset by nightmares, is barely making a go of it and struggling physically and mentally. When, out for a run, he’s approached by a homeless man and given a cryptic note asking for help. Unable to resist, of course, Caleb follows the down-and-out to a dark alley and, everything from there on in goes to hell in a hand basket!
\nPoor Caleb, you have got to feel for this guy. So well written by Viskic he feels like someone you know or should know—a friend of a friend—he seems so familiar. Fighting the world on several fronts not least of which is battling through an ordinary day dealing with talking people, we get to know so much more about Caleb, and just how hard it is to be deaf in a speaking, hearing world. Viskic does an outstanding job of making us feel and live through Caleb’s eye. And yes, his ears too. Every missed word, every simple situation made all the more difficult by the obstacles he faces.
\nBut Caleb is undaunted by his hearing impairment, and though he struggles, it’s made him who he is, more acutely aware of others in a way we cannot comprehend. And Viskic really reflects this so well in her writing. How he interacts with others and, just as importantly, how they, in turn, interact with him. It’s all so brutally honest.
\nIt’s also both jarring, and so cleverly done. This is what makes for a far more interesting read, because Viskic’s characters are working within this framework, along with us, the reader. Making Caleb one hell of an interesting character never mind he’s determined, stubborn to a fault, and never, but never give up once he’s committed to doing something. In this case, finding out who killed the woman in the red dress.
\nWith plenty of mystery, false leads, any number of ruses and misdirects, Viskic keeps things moving along at a decent pace, and never flags with both the plot, details, or character involvement. Even down to the secondary characters carried over from Resurrection Bay. We’re treated to more details and background, learn more about the community itself, where Caleb grew up, including more involvement with his younger fucked up brother, Ant.
\nIt all makes for a thoroughly absorbing read. I was so invested in what was going on, I read this one in three very nail biting sittings. So determined to find out what was going on, who the killer or, killers, where, and whether or not we’d see Caleb get back together with Kat, his estranged wife.
\nAnd Fire Came Down takes on a lot and delivers lightning in a bottle for a second time. Tense, fraught, razor-sharp observations and, as I said, relentless. Caleb takes us on another journey of discovery, both personal and emotionally, as well as thematically. And while the ending ties up a number of threads by the end, it also poses a few more that we just know are going to be answered in the next instalment, in Darkness For Light.
\nWhile this might read OK as a standalone, I suggest reading Resurrection Bay first, as it will give more depth and background to the characters, plot, and setting. Never mind, just what makes Caleb tick.
\nAnother outstanding read from beginning to end, I highly recommend this series.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-29T09:38:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/29/and-fire-came-down-by/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/23/resurrection-bay-by-emma-viskic/", "title": "Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic", "content_html": "First of all, let me just begin by saying this debut novel by Aussie author, Emma Viskic, is outstanding. Truly a remarkable novel on just about every level. It’s not long, at just 280 pages, so I read this in one frantic, page-turning day!
\nLet’s start with the well crafted, well delineated characters. I love Caleb Zelic who narrates the story. He’s such a great down-to-earth character, feisty and oh so different from the usual MC in that he just happens to be deaf. This makes for a wholly unique POV both in the visuals and descriptions, and more, the dialogue.
\nChoppy and jarring, we see the world how Caleb hears it. With broken sentences that obviously make for a few comic and laugh out loud moments. And, of course, because of this difference, we feel every ounce of Caleb’s frustration. His determination to not to give in, stubborn to the last. Which inevitably causes clashes with both his work partner, Frankie—who, by the way, is another excellently flawed character—and his ex-wife, Kat. It’s only when we learn why Kat and Caleb spilt that we understand the weight of emotions involved.
\nThis thread of the plot is wonderfully written. The tug and pull between the two characters are at the heart of Caleb’s state of mind. And provide a lot of the backstory to Caleb. And I love Kat as a character too, along with her family, of whom I’m sure, we’ll see a lot more of. I especially want more of Kat’s mother, Maria!
\nAnd then there’s Frankie—Caleb’s 57 year-old, ex-cop partner and on the wagon drunk—with an acerbic wit who’s a great counterbalance to Caleb. Throw in a clutch of secondary characters that were so well written, I felt like I knew them. And Viskic has assembled the perfect cast for this taught, tense mystery full of twists and turns I was caught out several times.
\nThe plotting is superb, as we follow Caleb and Frankie trying to figure out why Caleb’s friend, Gary, has been murdered while investigating a fraud case. What on the surface seems straightforward enough, becomes a deadly race against time, as one by one, people close to the case begin turning up dead.
\nI can’t tell you how much I enjoyed RESURRECTION BAY and the almost, at times, poetic descriptions Viskic writes:
\n\n\n“. . . she was a study in tones: her skin a smooth wash of burnt umber, sienna touches to her hair, the unexpected flash of blue eyes. The genes from all her Koori ancestors distilled to a heady perfection.”
\n
There are moments of heart-pounding terror, as seen through Caleb’s eyes, to moments of joy and heartbreak with ex-wife, Kat. And some very funny moments with Frankie, that keep this one light and entertaining, counterbalancing the moments of off-camera violence when the heavies start to slice-and-dice people. And then, there’s an ending I never saw coming, as Viskic throws in a cleverly disguised curve-ball that threw me for a loop.
\nThis is an amazing debut, with believable characters, brisk pacing and plotting that might make your head turn in the wrong direction. Hang on for the ride. Now, I can’t wait to grab a copy of the second in the series, AND FIRE CAME DOWN.
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-23T15:56:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/23/resurrection-bay-by-emma-viskic/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] }, { "id": "http://alexink.micro.blog/2026/05/16/the-defence-by-steve-cavanagh/", "title": "The Defence by Steve Cavanagh", "content_html": "Steve Cavanagh has done an outstanding job of writing a riveting thriller that grabs you from the opening line, right on through to last page. Setting a pace that makes you feel you can smell the burnt rubber from the Ninja road bikes in one chase scene that would give Steve McQueen a run for his money.
\nTHE DEFENCE is no ordinary, pedestrian courtroom drama, far from it. With a taut tight time frame mixing high-tension action with nail-biting moments where Eddie Flynn, our erstwhile hero, has to figure out his next move, or face the prospect that he might be the reason his daughter dies. The battle of wits and skills is on from the get go.
\nThe tension rolls off the page in waves, like the mirage-inducing heat in the desert. But Eddie comes with a background and just enough know-how to use a combination of brains and brawn. Battling not only his past, and the demons that still haunt him, but the Russian Mob, hell bent on using him in their own twisted game of cat and mouse.
\nCaught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, Cavanagh has us second guessing everyone’s motives, from the Feds, prosecutor, and witnesses on down. And Flynn isn’t in the clear either. Despite doing his best to run the gauntlet between the Russians, the Italian mafia, and the Feds pinning everything on him, we just know we’re in for one hell of a roller coaster ride.
\nAnd boy, does Cavanagh deliver!
\nFrom moments where we’re not sure what’s going on, and who we think Eddie can trust, to a couple of near-death stunts that John McClane would be proud of in any Die-Hard movie. Con man turned lawyer, Eddie Flynn, is risking it all for the woman who stole his beating heart: his daughter.
\nThe characters, including the low-lifes, are well-drawn, and have enough depth to make your skin crawl. The pacing is such that you will not want to put this one down, as I found out, reading it in just two page-turning sessions. The scene is one we’re all familiar with, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
\nIf you’ve seen any Die-Hard type movie of the last twenty years, you will know what to expect. The unexpected, lots of twists and turns, and a hero who simply will not give up, under any circumstances.
\nWith plenty of layers, mis-directs, heart-pounding action, and adept sleight of hand, THE DEFENCE has something for everyone—including, a great story.
\nEddie Flynn is my new anti-hero hero and Judge Ford is not far behind!
\n", "date_published": "2026-05-16T12:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://alexandrawolfe.ca/2026/05/16/the-defence-by-steve-cavanagh/", "tags": ["Book Review","Crime Fiction"] } ] }