Vintage Australia, 2014. ISBN 9781864711523
Recommended for anyone with a sense of humour.'Do you ever feel like
you might have just one more chance to get on top of your life and
make things happen?'
Andrew Van Fleet has been a long-distance husband, father and son
for some years as he flitted from one location to another
trouble-shooting for his huge company (BDK) - turning around
corporate disasters, salvaging failing business empires and
moderating company debt levels - sort of like a corporate Superman
really. As he nudges his 50th birthday, he realises it's time
to relinquish the demands of his position and reconnect with his
home and family by taking a step down to manage BDK's Brisbane radio
station and restore it to its former glory.
After all he has the right pedigree, his dad having been one of
Brisbane's top radio announcers in times past and growing up
surrounded by music and records. Dad, Casey, now resides in the
family home's granny flat following bowel surgery and his wife's
death, along with a rather unattractive bulldog named Winston.
Andrew's wife Robyn, all medical efficiency epitomised, is pleased
to have her husband home - if only because he's the one who can make
the best coffee in the coffee machine. Their twins Abi and Jack are
routinely self-obsessed with the usual teen pursuits and pretty much
distant from a father who hasn't been around much.
Andrew faces not only the challenge of becoming the radio station's
general manager, with no real knowledge of the industry, but finds
he is surrounded by the digital age which seems to have passed him
by. Wife, kids and even father, not to mention all and sundry at the
radio station seem to be permanently glued to their iPads and other
devices. Andrew on the other hand is so technologically dyslexic
that he can't even manage his new mobile phone.
His other nemesis is trying to tame the radio station's leading star
- a fading middle-aged announcer, Brian Brightman, who styles
himself as the epitome of 'shock rock jock' and is openly scathing
of both Andrew's arrival and moral issues in general.
Within this framework Nick Earls takes the reader on a hilarious
road trip through Andrew's journey to establish himself into his
'new normal' as he fumbles his way through family relationships,
becoming the bad new boss of radio and finding his own place as the
dreaded 50 looms nearer.
One cannot help becoming engaged with Andrew as he struggles with
his return to suburbia and 'real life'. His awkwardness with almost
any situation is endearing and resonant. All who have raised
teenagers recognise the anxieties he has around his children, all
who have found that after a length of time - and distance - intimate
relationships blur around the edges and all who have aging parents
who need both support and understanding will immediately identify
with Andrew's dilemmas. His difficulties in establishing some kind
of order at the radio station as the new boss will also be familiar
to any who have stepped into a new workplace and been at a complete
and utter loss.
As always, with any Nick Earls book, I snorted with laughter
throughout. In fact, finishing the last couple of chapters yesterday
at my hairdresser's, I had to show the book and do a 'book talk' to
everyone because I was so openly shaking with giggles.
If you are like me, a Nick Earls devotee, do yourself a favour and
put this on your 'to read' list without delay.
Sue Warren
Rivertime by Trace Balla
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316337
Highly recommended for around Year 3 upwards. Every now and then a
book comes along and you just look at it amazed. This apparent
picture book is really a graphic novel that recounts an
extraordinary trip along the Glenelg River undertaken by a small boy
and his Uncle Egg, as they observe the birdlife, people, country and
all of nature.
From the magnificent end papers detailing the wildlife encountered
to the beautiful illustrations (ink and colour pencils I believe) to
the beautiful flow of action and pictures which echo the river's
meandering, this is just sumptuous.
Meeting many interesting people along their trip, Clancy and Uncle
Egg find out more about the traditional owners of the lands through
which they pass and encounter quirky characters. There is such a
richness in this book and while beautiful in itself, lends itself
perfectly to so many teaching points including maths, time,
environmental issues and ecosystems, mapping, natural wildlife,
Indigenous culture, literacy and more. The illustrations and format
would be terrific springboards to storyboarding, art activities,
illustrated journals and scientific diaries.
It is impossible to do this justice in a review - I strongly
encourage you to add this title to your Primary level collection.
Download a free pocket sized birdwatching
guide or teaching
notes from the Allen & Unwin site.
Sue Warren
1914 by Sophie Masson
Australia's Great War series. Scholastic, 2014. ISBN
9781743622476.
Sophie Masson is to be congratulated for writing about Australians
in the Great War without feeling an obligation to open with
Gallipoli in 1915. She introduces brothers Louis and Thomas Julian
who are French on their father's side and Australian on their
mother's, and places them in 1914 Sarajevo where Mr Julian is posted
as a diplomat. Significantly, moving in diplomatic circles, the boys
have firm friendships with an English boy, a Russian brother and
sister, a Serbian boy and an Austrian boy. These relationships
prompt a deeper consideration of later events.
The Julian brothers yearn for careers as journalists and the visit
of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand affords them the
opportunity to write for publication via a newspaper friend of their
father's. The boys witness the assassination of the Archduke by the
Serbian Gavrilo Princip and submit a photograph with an article
which are printed in papers hungry for news. The complex
geo-political history prior to this event and the subsequent
invasions by Austria and Germany which lead to war are explained by
the author using narrative and dialogue.
When France is threatened, Thomas enlists, to the great sorrow of
his mother, and he cautions Louis, still underage, to resist the
temptation to follow him as this would be too great for her to bear.
Other factors come to prevent Louis' enlistment, yet he finds his
own place in the conflict as a war correspondent. This enables him
freedom and mobility to witness and report various battles and is a
clever device used by the author to present a much broader view than
could be gained by an ordinary soldier.
Historical fiction is a great teacher and Masson works hard to
explain the military tactics and chronology of battles taking place
in Belgium and France. The monstrous scale of destruction and the
unrelenting misery for civilians and soldiers enduring the new
trench warfare is admirably depicted. This story teaches that
courage and service to one's country and fellow citizens do not have
to be demonstrated through warlike activity. Readers will think
deeply about the real and perceived pressures which influenced young
men to serve when most of them had no concept of the unspeakable
ways they could be killed, wounded or mentally traumatised.
Rob Welsh
Jasper Zammit: Soccer legend by Deborah Abela
Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780857983206.
(Age: 10+) Recommended. Deborah Abela obviously greatly admired Johnny Warren,
captain and vice-captain of the Socceroos from 1964 to 1974. Johnny
was involved in the sport for 50 years and Deborah has drawn on his
experiences when writing the Jasper Zammit series. She introduces
every chapter with Johnny's reflections on the game.
This edition contains all three books, The game of life, The
striker and The finals.
In The game of life, we are introduced to Jasper Zammit, a young
player for the Rovers. He is not a very effective member however as
he tends to drift off into a world of his own, one in which he is
the star player of his team.
Jasper's Nannu had been a professional soccer player and he loved to
help Jasper train in the backyard every afternoon. His Nannu had
lived in the converted garage of Jasper's home ever since his wife
died. Jasper loved to hear his grandfather's stories and look
through his many photo albums.
One day a new player, Liliana, was introduced to the team. She was
unlike any girl that Jasper had known. She was loud and boisterous
during practice but it became obvious that she was a very talented
player. Within a short time Jasper and Lil had become close
friends. Lil certainly brought a lot of energy and laughter to the
team.
Jasper really appreciated that both his parents regularly came to
watch the games and he looked forward to discussing the play with
them as well as his Nannu. That was to change when his father's new
boss expected all his staff to work much harder and longer hours.
His father was pressured into working on weekends and had to miss
the games. After a time, the strain was too great for Mr. Zammit and
he quit his job. Jasper was dismayed to discover that his father's
boss was Lil's father. He worried that their newly founded
friendship might not be able to survive...
This book deals with friendships and family relationships as Jasper,
his family and his friends discover what is truly important in life.
In The striker, a new student at Jasper's school, Aamir, is
experiencing problems. He is a recent refugee from Afghanistan and
has little English. Jasper remembers his grandfather's stories about
coming to Australia from Malta after World War II and how difficult
it had been for him. He befriends Aamir and discovers his new
friend's love of soccer. Jasper is convinced that Aamir would be a
great asset to his team the Rovers... But things never go smoothly.
In this book, Deborah Abela explores issues of friendship and racism
within communities and the importance that sport has.
In The finals, the Rovers have been playing well and expect to be
in the finals. However Coach Wallace must suddenly take his wife to
Hungary leaving Bill Riley to take over the coaching position. Coach
Riley is determined that the Rovers make the finals and sets up a
grueling training program. Is Coach Riley taking the game a bit too
seriously...? In this book, Deborah explores motives behind people's actions as
Coach Riley is challenged by Jasper's grandfather.
This is a great publication for all young people that are interested
in soccer. Girls and boys are both important to the team and lots of
issues are introduced and discussed in ways that make them very
relevant to the reader. The only downside is that the size of the
book may put off some potential readers.
Lyn Poole
Whiffy Wilson, the wolf who wouldn't go to school by Caryl Hart
Ill. by Leonie Lord. Hachette, 2014. ISBN 9781408325858.
(Age: 3-8) Recommended. Picture book. School. Learning. Whiffy
doesn't know how to hold a pen, he has never been to school. He
cannot write his name or count to ten, and when his father tells him
it is time for school, his response is that school is boring and he
will not go. But calling on his friend, Dotty, to play one day, he
discovers that she is going to school, and so will not be around for
him to play.
She wonders if he is scared of going to school, and encourages him
to go with her. At school, he finds a totally different place than
the one he imagined. Dotty shows him where to hang his coat and
takes him to the loo. During the day they do all sorts of things,
making dough for biscuits, painting and drawing, joining the dots to
make a picture and playing football. At lunch they have pizza and in
no time it is time to go home. Whiffy is amazed and ready to go the
next day but it is Saturday.
In rhyming stanzas of four lines, the text evokes the fun of the
school day, exposing Whiffy's fears to be baseless, and showing the
sorts of things done at school. And the illustrations capture the
way the children feel about going to school, as well as the fun they
have during the day.
For those people who have some reluctance about going to school,
this book is a perfect foil, and for those who would like a funny
read about schools, then this fits the bill perfectly.
Fran Knight
Superhero School: The revenge of the green meanie by Alan MacDonald
Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9781408825235
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Alan MacDonald is a master of exciting
stories that lead the young reader through incredible adventures. In
Superhero School, Stan Button dreams of becoming superhero Dangerboy,
taking on evil super villains at every turn. However Stan is just a
regular boy attending the local school; that is until an invitation
arrived to attend an interview at the newly opened Mighty High.
Thinking that Stan might be offered a scholarship to attend, Mrs.
Button was only too happy to take Stan for the interview. When Miss
Marbles began by asking some very strange questions, Mrs. Button
became quite concerned but Stan had a feeling that something was not
as it seemed.
It was not looking particularly promising but then Miss Marbles
asked Stan to start the following week. It soon became apparent to
him that Mighty School was no ordinary school, but one that taught
the skills needed for Superheroes.
But... where there are superheroes there are always super villains... When
the school comes under attack from a Super Meanie, Stan and his
fellow students get the chance to show their super powers. Superhero School is well written and easy to read. Nigel Baines
brings the story to life with his great illustrations. Hopefully
this is just the beginning of another of Alan MacDonald's fun
series, which include The troll trouble series and The history of
warts series.
Lyn Poole
Rescue on Nim's island by Wendy Orr
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316788.
(Age: 9+) Highly recommended. Conservation, Sustainability, Island
life, Adventure. After the first two successful stories of Nim and
her island (Nim's island, and Nim at sea) it is a
pleasure to read another about this resourceful child living with
her father, Jack on a remote island now a wildlife sanctuary.
Conservation and sustainability are the undeniable themes of this
book, and are woven skillfully into the story. Jack has allowed a
group of scientists on the island to further his research into
biofuel using algae. Nim is surprised that he has said yes to this,
because they remain very strict about the island's location although
in the first two books, the wonderfully ironic Troppo Tours cruise
shop seems to sail by regularly, in one causing the death of Nim's
mother.
But now with two sets of scientists and their children along with
the reappearance of Edmund, the scene is set for some nasty work by
one pair of intruders, with hints about their real agenda coming
early, when Nim finds that they are last minute replacements for an
expected husband and wife team of biologists.
Nim has discovered a new cave system on the island and when the
children explore it, find a fossilised turtle alongside a nursery
colony of bats. She shows the other children and together they fight
to protect the site from the opportunistic pair, putting their own
lives in great peril.
An exciting read, full of the sorts of adventures that will grab the
readers to the end of the tale, this book is one which will
entertain and inform students about conservation and all it entails,
in the tradition of Colin Thiele's environmentally concerned
stories, and would make an excellent read aloud. Two films have been
made using these books.
Fran Knight
Badudu stories by May L. O'Brien
Fremantle Press, 2014. ISBN 9781922089823.
(Age: 6-10) Recommended. Chapter book, Aboriginal themes, Early
learning, Western Australia.
Four short stories, first published by May L. O'Brien in 1994 have
been collected together to contribute to the growing store of
literature about Aboriginal history. In these tales, O'Brien tells
short snappy stories of her time at the Mount Margaret Mission, near
Kalgoorlie where she received her European education. In some
schools it was forbidden to speak their native tongue, but not so
here. She was encouraged to learn English but the children were able
to speak their own languages outside school hours.
In these stories O'Brien tells stories which reflect the
difficulties in learning a new language and its idioms.
The first, Smartie pants, tells of a young boy eager to play
football for the school, but unable to do so until he can understand
more English and so take instructions on the field. He finally
achieves this but is taken aback when someone calls him smartie
pants. Fun is had when the teacher explains this phrase to the team.
Another, Which Jack? is similar in tone where a new boy
without any English at all, brings Jack the boy from his class,
instead of the implement for changing a car tyre.
Each of the four stories is funny, reflects difficulties in learning
a new language and the patience shown by the other children and
staff.
O'Brien attended this school, and so her stories are infused with
the atmosphere and feel of the school and its cohort. The
illustrations add more to the background of the school. The book has
a short biographical piece about O'Brien and the school she
attended, as well as a map, and several pages of the language spoken
and used in the text, Wongi. These are delightful stories stand on
their own, and most useful in a class where Aboriginal
understandings is being discussed.
Fran Knight
Cryptic casebook of Coco Carlomagno and Alberta: The quivering quavers by Ursula Dubosarsky
Puzzles and illustrations by Terry Denton. Allen & Unwin, 2014.
ISBN 9781743319512.
(Age: Middle primary and adults) Highly recommended. This is a new
to me series by the ever reliable Ursula Dubosarsky. This is a funny
mystery when Alberta receives a coded letter from Coco to come to
fly to South America and help him solve a mystery. La Bella
Cucharita the stupendous guinea pig opera star is about to return to
the stage for the first time since a disaster earlier in her career.
A series of threatening coded notes have been received by her and
Coco is puzzled by their meaning.
In a scenario familiar to readers of an old fashioned mystery and
with the swagger of Cary Grant in a Hitchcock film, Coco and
Alberta, must solve the mystery before the diva hits the fourth
quaver. In the meantime a series of daring jewel thieves are
thrilling the guinea pigs of Buenos Aires
Readers are invited to help solve the puzzle with lots of clues
being provided. The beautifully illustrated pictures capture the
scenes and provide further visual clues. As well we learn a few
words of Spanish. This is an enjoyable and visual read on so many
levels. Terry Denton's illustrations will draw the visual readers in
and the puzzles and codes are sure to engage.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Alberta may be the word spy! Ursula
Dubosarsky's books are always a treat. It is delightful to be able
to highly recommend this book for middle school primary years and
adults of all ages.
Michael Jongen
The Last Apprentice: The Painted War by Imogen Rossi
Hot Keys Books, 2014. ISBN 9781471402616.
Recommended by readers 12+. Imogen Rossi's A Painted War,
the conclusion to The Last Apprentice series illustrates a
Renaissance like no other. With magical paintings and a
paintbrush-turned-key, this novel puts a spin to a classic historic
moment of time. But did it fulfil my need for a book that was going
to keep me on my toes? This book unfortunately didn't hit the mark
with me. Although the concept was well thought out and original, it
had lost its spark. A Painted War is a classic tale about
good vs. evil and the struggle of faith when things are looking
down.
The story is set in the magical city of La Luminosa whose evil city
sister, Oscurita is threatening to invade. Kooky and sharp heroine
Bianca knows of Oscurita and the secrets that lie there but only a
few have faith in her and believe that there could be such a thing.
Forced to watch Oscurita's Duchess, Edita trick Duchess Catriona of
La Luminosa into a faux friendship, Bianca must find a way to save
Duchess Catriona and her beloved La Luminosa. With evil lurking in
every crevice and the clock ticking, Bianca and her band of devoted
friends need to solve the mystery at hand before its too late.
An element of this novel that I dearly enjoyed was the friendship
and the loyalty, faith and dependability that came with the package.
The tight bond between Bianca and her companions is unmistakably
rich in love.
Teaching this novel to a class is recommended as it will provide
lessons on the morals of loyalty, faith and trust. On top of that it
also offers up a twist on the Renaissance era that is much loved by
loyal history fans. Older readers whom thoroughly enjoyed this tale
would also enjoy Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden as it
is solely based on history.
Samantha May (Student)
Ciao EJ! by Susannah McFarlane
EJ12 bk 18. LemonFizz Media, 2014. ISBN 9781921931666.
Recommended for readers from 8-10 years of age. Emma Jack's
eighteenth mystery adventure takes the SHINE Stars off to Italy.
Famous statues are mysteriously being targeted, stained with black
paint and the combined skills of the team are needed to
investigate the problem.
This novel has all the elements the fans love. There's EJ12's
expertise in cracking codes, new charms for their bracelets with
special powers, an evil mastermind with a wicked plan and a team of
talented girls whose goal is to defeat the enemy.
EJ12's charm bracelet equips her for a variety of challenges, she
confidently rides a Vespa scooter through Roman traffic, guides her
gondola through the canals of Venice and uses special treats to
befriend some angry animals. Contessa Carini and her evil Shadow
agents cause havoc in the major Italian cities of Rome, Venice and
Florence as they search for the five special keys needed to open the
treasure. Emma's friends are also keeping a secret from her and
collaborating with her enemy Nema.
Susannah McFarlane continues the excitement and adventure with this
great addition to the EJ12 series.
Rhyllis Bignell
The Graveyard Book volume 1 by Neil Gaiman
Graphic adaptation by P. Craig Russell. Ill. by Kevin Nowlan, P.
Craig Russell, Tony Harris, Scott Hampton, Galen Showman, Jill
Thompson, Stephen B. Scott. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN: 9781408858998.
This graphic version of the very popular Graveyard Book
covers the first half of the story with different illustrators for
each chapter. The story opens with the murder of a family in their
home by a mysterious intruder. The sole survivor, the youngest
child, wanders out of the house and into a nearby graveyard where
the resident ghosts take him in and name him Nobody, Bod for short.
They keep him safe with the help of Silas, who inhabits the space
between life and death and can bring the boy food from the outside
world. Bod explores his world within the graveyard and has
adventures involving Ghouls, ancient Sleers and a young witch but in
the background there is always the sinister 'Jack' whose task of
annihilating the family is unfinished. The story has adapted very
well to a graphic novel format as each chapter finds the boy two
years older and the episodic adventures are complete in themselves.
The dramatic supernatural beings lend themselves to vivid images and
the graveyard environment is well imagined and consistent. Fans of
Manga will find the supernatural beings owe something to this style,
especially the Indigo Man, and the different graphic styles add
another dimension to the story. Sometimes the text on dark
backgrounds and near the book's gutter is hard to read but it is
mostly clear and easy to follow. Fans of Neil Gaiman's work will not
be disappointed and this graphic adaptation will make the story
accessible to a wide audience.
Sue Speck
The sequin star by Belinda Murrell
Random House Australia, 2014. ISBN 9780857982056.
(Age: 12+) Recommended. Belinda Murrell is an accomplished
Australian writer of teen fiction and the Lulu Bell series for
younger readers. The Sequin Star is one of several stories that she
has written that involve a journey back in time for the young
heroine.
In The Sequin Star Claire, while clasping her grandmother's small
brooch, is catapulted back to 1932. Stranded in a place and time
that is unfamiliar to her, Claire takes on a job with the Sterling
Brothers Circus and befriends young performers Rosina and Jem. Even
though she is desperate to find a way to return to her own time,
Claire is fascinated by the people she meets and thoroughly enjoys
being part of the circus family. As it becomes obvious that a young
man, Kit Hunter, is besotted with Rosina, Claire watches on with
apprehension. After all, Kit Hunter is destined to become her
grandfather and she worries that Rosina may become more than a
friend to Kit.
Kit is the son of a very wealthy businessman in Sydney and young
Rosina is quite flattered by the attention. Kit invites the trio to
the opening of the newly constructed Sydney Harbour bridge and then
later to a ball at his family home. When Kit disappears in
mysterious circumstances and a ransom note is discovered, Claire,
Rosina and Jem become desperately worried and frantically try to
find him.
Time travel always makes for a fascinating storyline and when
Belinda skillfully adds the dimension of actual historical events,
she delivers a truly wonderful story. Her depiction of Australia
during the Great Depression years is illuminating as she portrays
the extent of poverty experienced by many families. The young
reader, as well as Claire, also learns of Australia's brush with
communism and the formation of the New Guard by Colonel Eric
Campbell. This is a great read for those young girls who still want
to believe in magic!
Lyn Poole
Billy is a dragon series by Nick Falk
Ill. by Tony Flowers. Random House Australia Children's, 2014.
Billy is a Dragon: Shadow Shifter. ISBN: ISBN 9780857983152.
Billy is a Dragon: Eaten Alive. ISBN: 9780857983176.
Billy is back with two more exciting adventures for newly
independent readers. When Billy was bitten by a lizard at his local
petshop something totally weird happened. Billy became a
were-dragon! At times just a normal boy and at other times - look
out! A real fire breathing dragon able to take on all comers.
Billy's third adventure, Shape Shifter, sees his annoying teenage
sister kidnapped by werewolves. Their leader's evil plan is to seize
Billy's powers but with the help of his assorted, somewhat odd,
were-friends - Benny the were-hamster, a couple of were-chickens -
and of course, his best friend, Jeannie - Billy is ready to rescue
Becky. He knows he can trounce that arch-enemy, Scratchhook,
the Shadow Shifter and makes no apologies for singed fur.
In the fourth exciting story, Uncle Chunk comes to visit- which is
really strange because Billy's family has not seen him for years. So
why is he suddenly reappearing and why is that he seems to know all
about Billy's secret? To add to all this, the nasty Miss Hicks (yet
another werewolf) is back at school, Scratchhook is still pursuing
Billy and it's getting more and more difficult to know exactly who
to trust. Billy discovers that his family are just as
much his real support as his were-friends and when Dad refuses to be
bullied by Uncle Chunk any longer and Billy's dragonish secret is
revealed to his parents, he knows that he can do anything.
There is certainly a very obvious talking point in these about not
judging by looks alone, as well as that our parents love us even if
we are were-dragons, which teachers could explore after a
read-aloud.
Lots of illustrations and funky fonts especially for onomatopoeia,
good sized text and plenty of action, these are two more great
stories for both boys and girls from about 6 and up to add to your
shelves.
Visit the author and illustrator webpages and
read excerpts
here at Random House.
Sue Warren
Every word by Ellie Marney
Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743316511.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Crime, Thriller, Melbourne, London,
Sherlock Holmes. When Rachel Watts hears her boyfriend, Mycroft has
boarded a plane for London, accompanying the forensic investigator,
Dr Walsh, she is devastated. She knows that he has been distracted
by the news of a recent carjacking in London, where the conservator
at the Bodlean Library in Oxford has been killed, but she has no
idea how much this has absorbed him until Angela tells her he has
gone. She is gutted. If he had told her they were over as a couple,
she could have accepted this and then helped him through the
investigation, but just to jet off leaves her distraught. She
decides to go with Alicia to London and without much ado, books a
ticket, grabs her backpack and goes. She has never been on a plane
before and no one knows she it coming to London, let alone leaving
Melbourne.
As with the first in this series, Every breath, the pace is non
stop, the characters credible and well formed, the plot sparkling
and the story inventive. That it gives a nod to the Sherlock Holmes
mysteries gives another level of entertainment in this wholly
satisfying mystery.
But in London, a copy of the First Folio of Shakespeare's plays has
been stolen and the murder of the conservator is part of the plot,
so the brains of Mycroft and Watts are stretched as they help the
investigative team and Dr Walsh, and with the added level of the
death seven years before of Mycroft's parents in a similar way, the
thriller moves along very quickly. Being kidnapped by the Colonel
means torture to get to the bottom of the hereabouts of the Folio,
but the plucky duo survive all means of extracting information,
eventually turning the tables on their kidnappers with deadly
results.
This is a heart stopping read, and entwined with unrequited love, a
sexual longing which is never quite realised, the book will be a
hit.
Fran Knight
