An Ill Wind

 An Ill Wind

Margaret Hickey

Reviewed by Helen

When a body is found hanging from one of the three hundred wind turbines in the small country town of Carrabeen in Victoria it seems that suicide is what has happened here, did Geordie Pritchard owner of the wind farm, local wealthy philanthropist kill himself?

Detective Sergeants Belinda Burney and Will Lovell are married and Belinda is very pregnant they moved to Carrabeen nearly one year ago to the town Belinda grew up in so as she can be close to her father who is ill, they are only here for a year before they move back to Melbourne, now they must find out what happened to Geordie and it seems that what they uncover points to murder not suicide, was it the turbine haters.

What they are uncovering is taking them in many directions and there is more happening when another local falls into a silo and says he was pushed and then one of the teachers at the school is found murdered there are more questions than answers, will they find out what really happened is it one culprit or more than one?

This story started a little slow for me but then wow it moved in so many different directions there are twists and turns throughout the story that had me turning the pages and coming up with no answers, I thoroughly enjoyed this one, fabulous characters they are strong and determined but real people, I would highly recommend this one to any reader of a good crime, mystery, thriller story.

My thanks to Penguin AU for my copy to read and review.

5 stars

July 1, 2025 by Penguin Au

The Stolen

 The Stolen

Vikki Petraitis

Reviewed by Helen

Senior Detective Antigone Pollard is pleased that she left Brunswick to make her home in Deception Bay a place that she spent most of her childhood, she is living on her grandmother’s farm with her dog Waffles and now with a new boss Amanda Filipovic and her partner Wozza it is summer and crime is slow, that is until a bay is kidnapped.

Antigone and Wozza throw themselves into the investigation they must find baby Ethan as fast as possible but when they discover who took the baby and there is an accident but still no baby, the press is hounding them and the mother of the baby will they find Ethan before something happens to him is he lost or has someone got him?

Antigone’s mother Dr. Jilly arrives back in Deception Bay with a family secret, Antigone has a DNA test to help with this, could she have a sibling or could she finally find out who her father is?
Then new boss Senior Sergeant Amanda Filipovic is in an accident and in hospital and the old boss Bill Wheeler is back and making life very hard for the team and causing problems with the investigation, what really happened to Amanda that night?

Vikki Petraitis has again pulled me in in another unputdownable story that had twists and turns, her leading character, Antigone fights for the woman and the way they are treated by many of the men in this town, this story takes in a lot of issues that plague the world today domestic violence, media reporting that is so bad towards woman and so much more, but the more she uncovers the more that it appears that some of this might be linked to the first case she worked on in Deception Bay, will Antigone get the answers in the next book?

I do highly recommend this one and I can’t wait for the next book, a fabulous story that will keep the reader turning the pages.

5 stars

September 2, 2025 by Allen & Unwin

17 Years later

 17 Years Later

J P Pomare

Reviewed by Helen

When Aussie journalist and podcaster Sloane Abbott decides to investigate a cold case about the murder of a wealthy family in Cambridge, New Zealand, she is shocked about what she uncovers, Bill Kareama was charged and put in jail seventeen years ago he has never confessed and the more Sloane investigates the more she uncovers, she searches out people who helped over the years and one of them is TK Phillips who started out as Bill’s physiologist who then became his friend and biggest supporter in trying to get Bill a re-trial, together can they find the answers they want and get to the truth of what happened all those years ago?

This is a twisty, fabulous thriller it is a real page turner as Sloane and TK put themselves in danger to get the answers they are searching for, every time I thought I had the answer it changed, who did murder this family if it wasn’t Bill, but was it Bill there are so many flaws in the original investigation it had my spinning, fabulous characters in this one both now and 17 years before, a must read.

This is a story that I would highly recommend to any reader of a great thriller, I loved it from start to finish twisty and awesome.

5 stars

July 31, 2024 by Hachette Australia

Out of the Woods

 Out of the Woods

Detective Margot Phalen Series #5

Kate Wiley

Reviewed by Helen

We are back with Detective Margot Phalen and she is still hunting the Redwood Killer, he is at the moment San Francisco’s most elusive killer and her and her partner Wes Fox are not giving up, too many young woman hade been murdered by his hands and what she has uncovered already leads them to some of the city’s most powerful families and the police department and they must tread carefully, but Margot will get her man and anyone involved.

And there is also the cold cases that she is working with the FBI and her notorious serial killer father Ed Finch now he is offering to lead them to his last killings but he has another proviso will Margot give in to him to find those last bodies and if she does what will happen one thing for sure she is sure that she will never visit her father in jail again.

This is a fabulous ending to this wonderful series I have really enjoyed reading it, Margot is a wonderful character that I have gotten to know, her life has been hard but her strength to go forward shows her courage and is there a chance that her relationship with Wes will finally move forward past just work partners? And what of her father Ed, how will that end? And will they as a team bring down the Red wood Killer and stop more killings? I do highly recommend this one and the series.

Good news is that we will see more from Margot in a new spin off series that I look forward to.

My thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for my copy to read and review.

4 stars

August 20, 2025 by Storm Publishing

Dark Mountain Ambush

 Dark Mountain Ambush

A Western Edge Mystery #2

Nicole Helm

Reviewed by Helen

We are back in Marietta with Sam Price and now Nate Bennett at Honor’s Edge Investigations, after working together in their last case and seeing two people close to them charged with murder, they are now a team and a good one but still there is a tension because of what has happened between the two families over the last fifteen years, this is why Sam is so shocked when Aly Cartwright and Landon Bennett ask them both to come to the Bennett ranch where they are asked to investigate vandalism on Aly’s car.

Aly has lived on the Bennett ranch since she was born her father was a ranch hand there and now she is, her and Landon are now a couple and Aly was once Sam’s best friend but there has been a lot of water under the bridge since then and now Aly’s car has been vandalised and a couple of days later the mother she never knew arrives in town is she here for good or bad, it is time Sam and Nate looked into this as well, what answers will their investigation bring?

Eldest Bennett brother Cal arrives home as well with his own problems and Aly’s neighbor and friend Jill Harrington are all helping in some way the investigation digs deeper the answers they find pull in different directions, will they find answers or is there more danger coming?

This is a fabulous story such a great mystery it had me turning the pages to get answers, there are fabulous characters in this one all characters have been hurt in their past and by family in some way or another but they still show strength and courage to get to the truth which must prevail, I do highly recommend this one and am very much looking forward to another one in this series.

My thanks to Tule Publishing for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

August 6, 2025 by Tule Publishing

Nameless

 Nameless

A Karin Baxter Mystery #1

Mel Hammond

Reviewed by Helen

Karin Baxter grew up in the mining town of Nameless in the Pilbra region of Western Australia, her father worked with the mining industry and Karin loved it but when her father died in a terrible accident fifteen years ago her mother packed her and her two brothers up and moved them to the suburbs of Perth, never touching the money that was deposited into her bank account, these days Karin is an award winning investigative journalist and is returning to Nameless for the wedding of her best friend, is it also time to find out what really happened to her father all those years ago?

Karin has arrived in town in her van with her dog Trouble and meets up with not only Jess the bride to be but the other bridesmaid Bec and the guy who was the love of her life all those years ago Lukah and plans begin on the wedding but Karin also starts asking questions about what happened to her father and is getting warnings to leave the past alone, this of course just pushes her more to find the answers and when she is handed a USB she really starts uncovering secrets from the past, secrets that just might pull apart the towns big wigs but will it also hurt the people who are so very close to her.

This is a nail biting mystery set in a fabulous setting with wonderful characters and yay it is the first in a new series, Karin is strong and capable but the betrayal and secrets she uncovers is shocking but together her and her friends ensure that the truth will come out, with Karin’s investigative skills I am sure that there will be more for her to uncover and of course being with the friends she dearly loves is a good reason to stay in town.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, it kept me turning the pages to get the answers that were being asked, this is one that I would highly recommend to any reader who loves a good mystery.

My thanks to the author for my digital copy to read and review.

5 stars

June 25, 2025

The Palazzo

 The Palazzo

Kayte Nunn

Reviewed by Helen

This one was intriguing and kept me turning the pages, newly widowed beauty entrepreneur, Vivi Savidge is about to celebrate her fortieth birthday and decides with the help of her ever faithful assistant Jade to book the Palazzo Stellina in the foothills of The Italian Alps for a week of celebrations with some of her family and closest friends but this week will end with a body and these people uncovering secrets that they have all held for many years, who died and was there a murder?

Vivi’s sister Alice and her sixteen year old twins Mia and Isla, old friend Carolyn who lives in Turin and also Pete and his new husband Nick from Boston arrive at this beautiful Palazzo owned and run by disgraced chef Marco who lives there with his elderly grandmother Stella.

The book starts with the discovery of a body and then goes back each day of their visit there is a lot going on with each guest and also Vivi has been getting mysterious text messages and emails that are threatening blackmail, Vivi is worried that the blackmailing threats are coming from one of her guests, could it be?

The week is hot, the food is fabulous there is plenty to drink and entertain the guests but answers need to gotten, this one did certainly keep me turning the pages, I don’t think I liked any of the characters much they all seemed a bit selfish to me but it is a great story and one that I would highly recommend to any reader of a good mystery, thriller.

4 stars

June 4, 2025 by HarperCollins Au