Malcolm Knox finds a lot to like about God of Speed by Luke Davies in "The Sydney Morning Herald" which "is one of those memorable novels that is more strange than perfect. It has its patchiness....The short-chapter structure is mostly satisfying but in the early stages there were times when I wanted it to slow down, allow its weirdness to unravel at a slower pace. Like a beautiful yet over-modest person, it didn't seem to want the attention it merited."
Damien, on the "Crime Down Under" weblog, believes that Michael Robotham has found his niche in Shatter: "In just three books Michael Robotham has established himself as a master storyteller whose new releases are much anticipated both home and abroad. He consistently crafts impressive thrillers around intriguing scenarios. Shatter continues the trend and brings back the protagonist from The Suspect, Joseph O'Loughlin...Combine the hard work gone into character development with Robotham's free-flowing writing style, evidence of a natural storyteller at work, and readers will have no trouble becoming fully involved in Shatter."
On the "Happy Antipodean" weblog, Dean delves into the archives and looks at Old Blastus of Bandicoot by Miles Franklin: "While Franklin doesn't swerve to avoid emotion -- there are as many teary moments here as in Bleak House -- she avoids at all costs extraneous verbiage. This book is tight as a drum and, like that instrument, responds to good reading with gusto."
Joan Barfoot in the "Timmins Daily" is impressed with Identity Theory by Peter Temple: "Most powerfully, though, almost every word is written with rage, as Temple sets his clear, fierce gaze on the collateral damage caused by greed and ambition -- the evils men do, sometimes thoughtlessly, but too often deliberately and viciously, and just as carelessly."
Short Notices
The "Create Readers" weblog looks at Pagan's Daughter by Catherine Jinks: "The fifth book (although it can easily be read on its own) in the series based around the character Pagan Kidrouk, this is an action-packed book which gives a clear and detailed picture of life in the middle ages without being didactic or losing pace."
Sally Murphy reviews The Children by Charlotte Wood: "[this] is an insightful novel, looking at family relationships and the effects of death and illness on these connections, as well as on the impact that being exposed to violence can have on an individual. Moving through the long and emotional days of the family's bedside vigil, the story offers the multiple viewpoints of the different players, so that the reader is drawn into the differing perspectives of the family members and comes to care about what happens to them."
