Promising authors

Well, I have been on the read since my last blog.  I have found four books that I read in the last month - and thought I would capture my thoughts before they were lost in the fog of bookland.

I called this blog promising authors for a couple of reasons.  Two of the books are from Australian authors: one from Katherine Howell (Silent Fear) who has a few books under her belt now; and the other from Tony Cavanaugh - a first novel (Promise) from a writer and producer of Australian drama.  The third book was by Felix Francis - who has finally come into his own after co-writing a few books with his late father - the rather famous writer of novels about every aspect of racing that you can imagine! The last book in this group was by another relatively new author (one previous book) called Mohsin Hamid (The Reluctant Fundamentalist).  All books - and all authors do show lots of promise (and of course, one of the books is called "Promise").

Starting with Katherine Howell, I have been very impressed to see the depth of her writing grow with each book.  This is her 5th (I think) - all based in Australia and around the lives and traumas of women in the police and emergency services.  She weaves in their private lives and relationships around work dramas and does it so well.  Silent fear follows paramedic Holly who attends a shooting death in a park and is confronted by her brother - who she has been avoiding for many years.  Holly is an ex-addict and prostitute and, while she is coping with the murder and avoiding her brother,  a work colleague - an ex client - threatens to expose her.   Ella is the police woman who ends up on the case and tries to get past the avoidance by Holly to crack the case and protect her as well.  The story works well and does Australia proud.

So too does the book by Tony Cavanaugh.  I bought the book for a number of reasons while searching for a good read to take on my holiday to Noosa.  It had a compelling cover, it was Australian, the hero was likened to Harry Bosch - my favourite Michael Connolly detective - and.... it was set in Noosa!!!  Not just Noosa, but the very street that we were to be staying in in Noosaville - Gympie Terrace!  The book was about an ex Melbourne homicide cop who couldn't take it any more and ran off to seclusion in Noosa.  However, a serial killer was on the loose in the Sunshine Coast and he ended up caught up in the events - and at odds with the local cops.  He has this long paragraph about why the Sunshine Coast was the perfect place for a serial killer...awash with tourists...little villages with art galleries and lattes...vast areas of bushland...calming sounds of waves...waiters and bartenders with Canadian passports and Swedish innocence... Some mixed messages there to promote the Sunshine Coast!  It is a good read - though living up to its description of being "top-noch Aussie noir" with the serial killer appearing in the first person within the pages.

Now, beyond our shores....The Reluctant Fundamentalist was a fascinating read - about a Pakistani who studied in the US and got a job with a high class American asset valuation company - around the time of September 11 - and how it brought back his sense of self and culture.  Intermingled was a love story - but a hopeless one - sweet but tragic.  What was fascinating was that the whole book was a "conversation" between the narrator and an American seated in a cafe in Lahore.  I say conversation, but it was really a monologue.  It was a diverse that was excellent and worked well.  A true find!

Finally to Felix Francis.  Another first person story - an ex-jockey, now financial advisor finding himself caught up in a mix of murder and fraud while he manages his relationship with his mother and girlfriend - all with some fascinating twists.  I think Felix has done it - captured the essence of his father's legacy and added in elements of his own. Now if only David Gammel's wife would continue to write in his style after being so excellent with finishing the Troy series!

So there is the latest quartet of books!  All good reads and recommended.  I am now edging back into some books on theology and even new age.  So I shall report in due course.  Meanwhile, happy reading!