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A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

Where Romy grew up, if someone died you never spoke of them again.

Now twenty-two, she has recently escaped the toxic confines of the cult she was raised in. But Romy is young, pregnant and completely alone – and if she is to keep herself safe in this new world, she has some important lessons to learn.

Like how there are some people you can trust, and some you must fear. And about who her family really is, and why her mother ran away from them all those years ago.

And that you can’t walk away from a dark past without expecting it to catch up with you…

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood is a suspenseful novel about the dark and dangerous world of cults. When the majority of the members of a dark and secretive Doomsday cult are found dead in an apparent poisoning suicide, the sole adult survivor, Romy, must learn to navigate the real world. She’s 22, pregnant, and full of secrets. What really happened at Plas Golau and how did everyone die?

The structure of the novel is what will keep readers utterly absorbed in the story. The novel switches back and forth, between past and present. Slowly, we come to understand what Pla Golau was really like, who was in charge, how the commune ran, and how they all died.

We come to realise just how brainwashed all the cult members were. They’re all preparing for the end of the world, but there are many cracks in the foundation of their cult. Everyone is assigned chores each day, with strict rules that they must follow. Lucien (Father) chooses a new girl each solstice to begin sexual relations with in the hope of getting her pregnant. But no one seems to question how young the girls are, and how Lucien only seems to choose the attractive ones each year.

Romy’s mother joined the cult when Romy was a baby, and so Romy is never considered very special because she wasn’t ‘created’ in the commune. However, her mother gives birth to two children while in the cult and the middle child — Eden — is the daughter of Lucien. And she’s doted upon by the other cult members. Even after the mass suicide, when Romy, Eden and their brother Ilo are still alive and trying to navigate the real world, Eden has a sense of entitlement. She thinks she’s some sort of saviour because Lucien is her father.

“It is very quiet. Not really. It’s just a completely different sort of loud from the rural sounds of Plas Golau. The sound of traffic outside, the rumble of the machines downstairs. I have the windows open, for the heat is stifling on a sunny day in October.”

Alex Marwood builds tension and unease really skilfully — as you read the storyline of the past, you can see the deaths coming. You can also sense a lot of other incredibly problematic and disturbing things that are happening within the cult.

There are a group of vile boys who make a habit of preying on young, drunk girls whenever the cult celebrates the solstice with a boozy party. Lucien’s son returns to the cult — now an adult — and he appears to have a hidden agenda. And whenever children die, which seems to happen fairly often, their bodies disappear and they are never spoken about again.

The writing is sharp and evocative. The reader gets a strong sense of place from The Poison Garden — Alex Marwood has done a fantastic job of capturing the entire world of Plas Golau. I found it easy to imagine all of it. Personally, I loved the ‘past’ storyline more than the present storyline, but I think that’s because of my fascination with cults.

“She stays until she’s sure I’m not going to burn myself to death. She shows me how to work the gas cooker, how to turn on the TV and where the meters are for the payment keys, and advises me to clean the fridge before I put anything in it.”

The only flaw I noticed with the book is the characterisation of Aunt Sarah. SPOILER ALERT: the evolution of her character doesn’t make much sense to me, and I felt like it didn’t fit in with how she was initially presented to readers. She’s a single woman whose reckless sister left the family decades earlier after falling pregnant at a young age. She distanced herself from her parents, and when the mass suicide happens at Plas Golau, Sarah’s sister is named as one of the dead.

Sarah’s niece and nephew — Ilo and Eden — are suddenly landed with her from social services. They’re teenagers but completely clueless about how the world works. They’re obviously very traumatised and disturbed by their years in the cult. Sarah is overwhelmed by their presence in her life, but she wants the best for them. She’s helpful, instructive, and she fights on their behalf when there are issues at school.

But then, and this is seriously spoilery, at the end of the novel she follows Romy and Ilo to a commune established by another dangerous cult leader. What? Huh? Why is Sarah there? I understand Romy and Ilo’s motivations, but Sarah? That ending didn’t feel organic. Sarah doesn’t seem like the kind of character who would join a cult.

“He squalls his way into the world when the fruit harvest is at its height and Romy doesn’t hear about it, or notice that her mother is missing, for two days. Anyone at Plas Golau who can walk and understand simple instructions is out in the orchards, and his birth has attracted none of the pleasurable anticipation that Eden’s did.”

Despite that, I highly recommend The Poison Garden, particularly if you’re intrigued by suspense, thriller, secrets, and cults.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Poison Garden
Alex Marwood
August 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

Gravity is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty

Abigail Sorensen has spent her life trying to unwrap the events of 1990. It was the year she started receiving random chapters from a self-help book called The Guidebook in the post.

It was also the year Robert, her brother, disappeared on the eve of her sixteenth birthday.

She believes the absurdity of The Guidebook and the mystery of her brother’s disappearance must be connected.

Now thirty-five, owner of The Happiness Café and mother of four-year-old Oscar, Abigail has been invited to learn the truth behind The Guidebook at an all-expenses-paid retreat. What she finds will be unexpected, life-affirming, and heartbreaking.

Gravity is the Thing is an exquisite novel from Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty, a charming, heartwarming story about family, love, and hope. It’s about self-discovery and self-worth, and it’s about the complexities of relationships. This is one of my favourite books this year.

I fell in love with Abigail Sorensen from the very first page, from her trip to the airport all the way through the book until the very final moment. She’s observational, witty and hilarious, but she’s also caring and compassionate. Her voice is instantly relatable and she invites you into the book with her storytelling.

She’s also emotionally scarred. When she was a teenager, Abigail’s brother went missing and she’s never let go of him from her mind. She’s never given up hope that she’ll find out where he went or what happened to him. This retreat she’s been invited to seems like a ridiculous venture with no useful outcomes, but Abigail feels like she might get some answers by going. She feels drawn to this retreat. She somehow feels like Robert’s disappearance and The Guidebook are connected.

“Now we are in a field. Wilbur is handing out sacks that smell of horses and hay. He is shouting instructions. We are climbing into the sacks, lining up side by side for a sack race. Unexpected! The strange awkward loping of a sack race. (I am winning the race for a moment! Then tipping sideways into rutted grass. Bruising my hip. Coming in last. Oh well.)”

Abigail’s journey in the present is intercepted with flashbacks to the past — to Robert’s disappearance, to her marriage and its subsequent breakdown, to the birth of her son. The transition between past and present is effortless and allows for ease of reading.

The book is also peppered with chapters from The Guidebook that Abigail has been sent through the years. The Guidebook chapters have a habit of reflecting Abigail’s life, and they’re a timely delivery to her door each time.

Additionally, the mystery surrounding Robert’s disappearance does get solved by the end of the book, and it’s one of the major things that drives the pace of the book. As Abigail’s experience with the retreat continues, little clues are dropping into her life and she starts to feel like she may be able to solve the mystery, all these years later.

“Much of my sixteenth birthday was wasted being furious with Robert, at the same time as secretly thinking that his absence meant a surprise party for me, at the same time as being faintly frightened that something was wrong.”

I’ve read a few of Jaclyn’s books, and I love how well she weaves everything together and brings it to a close. Any loose bits of information are answered or explained, and the reader feels complete when they close the book.

I highly recommend this to readers. Gravity is the Thing is poignant, filled with beautiful writing and glorious characters. The premise is incredibly unique, and will draw readers in and keep them hooked until the very final page.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Gravity is the Thing
Jaclyn Moriarty
April 2019
Pan Macmillan Publishers

The Rip by Mark Brandi

A young woman living on the street has to keep her wits about her. Or her friends. But when the drugs kick in that can be hard.

Anton has been looking out for her. She was safe with him. But then Steve came along.
He had something over Anton. Must have. But he had a flat they could crash in. And gear in his pocket. And she can’t stop thinking about it. A good hit makes everything all right.
But the flat smells weird.

There’s a lock on Steve’s bedroom door. And the guy is intense. The problem is, sometimes you just don’t know you are in too deep, until you are drowning.

The Rip by Mark Brandi is an urban crime novel set in Melbourne.

The plot itself is not overly complex — two friends live homeless on the streets of Melbourne, with the young girl’s dog, Sunny. They’ve both come from troublesome childhoods and adolescent years, but they have learnt how to live as comfortably as they can. They feel safe where they are. Until they meet Steve.

“It’s funny how quick it happens and without you really noticing. Anton said once that it’s like walking out into the sea, and you think everything’s fine and the water’s warm, but when you turn back you’re suddenly miles from shore. I’ve never been much of a swimmer, but I get what he means. Like, being caught in a current or something. A rip.”

This book is raw and emotional, rich and powerful. These characters are troubled and flawed, but they draw the reader in. Mark Brandi is such a wonderful writer. He captures dialogue so well, and even with very little plot, he is able to engage an audience. The Rip is predominantly character-driven, and it’s fantastic.

Truthfully, this was going to be one of my favourite reads of the last 12 months. This was going to be a book that I would shove in people’s faces and demand that they read. This was, by far, one of the best examples of writing I’d come across.

…until I got to the end of the book.

The ending makes no sense to me. It’s almost like Mark wrote a few chapters and then cut them out of the manuscript. There’s a mystery in the book surrounding Steve and his bedroom, and the mysterious barrels. That mystery is never explained. All of a sudden, the plot jumps forward in time with no explanation of what happened in between. Sure, there’s a quick mention of a ‘court case’ but that’s it. What was in the barrels? We can guess, but what really happened?

The first thing I did was look at reviews online, and I found comfort in knowing many many other readers felt the same anger and frustration at the ending as I did. All the brilliant writing and masterful work Mark Brandi put into this book felt completely wasted at the end.

“I take Sunny by the rope and walk quickly up the street. He follows me for a bit, but gives up once I get round the corner. Look, I’m not ungrateful or anything — the food was nice, the apple pie especially — but it seems like everything comes with strings attached. With some people, anyway. Like, they can’t just do you a favour without expecting something in return, you know?”

The Rip is full of beautiful writing, with characters who are fragile, yet incredibly strong. The book is engrossing and riveting and I loved it all, until the end. Many readers will love this. But many readers will not love the ending.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Rip
Mark Brandi
March 2019
Hachette Book Publishers

Half Moon Lake by Kirsten Alexander

‘They said he was their boy. And so he was . . .’


In 1913, on a summer’s day at Half Moon Lake, Louisiana, four-year-old Sonny Davenport walks into the woods and never returns.

The boy’s mysterious disappearance from the family’s lake house makes front-page news in their home town of Opelousas. John Henry and Mary Davenport are wealthy and influential, and will do anything to find their son. For two years, the Davenports search across the South, offer increasingly large rewards and struggle not to give in to despair.

Then, at the moment when all hope seems lost, the boy is found in the company of a tramp.

But is he truly Sonny Davenport? The circumstances of his discovery raise more questions than answers. And when Grace Mill, an unwed farm worker, travels from Alabama to lay claim to the child, newspapers, townsfolk, even the Davenports’ own friends, take sides.

As the tramp’s kidnapping trial begins, and two desperate mothers fight for ownership of the boy, the people of Opelousas discover that truth is more complicated than they’d ever dreamed . . .

Inspired by the real life kidnapping of American boy Bobby Dunbar, Half Moon Lake by Kirsten Alexander is a fascinating crime novel set in the early 20th century.

This book is about many things, not just a missing child. It’s about class and the treatment of black people in southern America in the early 1900s. It’s about reputation and family, and the opinion of others. It’s about making the wrong decision and then being forced to live with it and work with it, because the ramifications of acknowledging your mistake are too damaging to imagine.

“While he hadn’t expected effusive thanks from a man of John Henry’s stature, Tom had thought his kindness to the man’s wife might have elevated him in his eyes.”

The reader is left wanting more. What happened to Sonny? Where is he now? Who took him? What’s going to happen to Mary and John Henry and Grace? The suspense draws the reader in and keeps them turning the page.

The cast of characters all reflect the time and era that the book is set. Mary and her husband John Henry are upper class, wealthy and implement their influence on those lower down. They get away with what they want. Sure, they have their issues — Mary’s mental state has declined since her son went missing and her father treats her horribly and blames her for the disappearance — but they shield their pain from the outside world and put on this act that they’re coping just fine.

Wealth and status can influence justice in this story, and we see it a couple of times. John Henry is on track for a career in politics and is therefore able to manipulate opinion and processes just because of who he is and where he hopes to go. Other people obey him, and are scared of betraying him.

But how far is he willing to go to keep his wife happy? How far is he willing to go to keep his political career on track?

“Esmerelda felt sorry for Mr and Mrs Davenport sometimes. The reunion hadn’t brought them the peace they’d yearned for. She heard their arguments, barely muted by closed doors. And Mrs Davenport’s mood changed at the whim of the child.”

The blurb of this book makes you believe that this boy could be Sonny Davenport, but in actual fact, it’s made clear pretty early on that Sonny’s mother lies. She desperately wants her boy back, so she convinces herself that this little boy — whose real name is Ned — is actually hers.

When the real mother Grace Mill comes forward and the kidnapping trial ensues, the truth starts to seep out.

The book is rich with emotion and pain, as two women fight for the right to claim this young boy. Grace is an unwed mother and very poor, and she is judged because of her appearance and social standing. Mary, Sonny’s mother, is from a wealthy, well-respected family and therefore more people are likely to side with her.

“John Henry decided to stage the viewing after Christmas. If he had to do it – and it seemed he did – he’d not allow it to ruin the Christmas celebrations his wife had put so much effort into.”

I wondered if more attention should’ve been given to the gossipy nature of the town. Given the time this was set, and the crimes that have been committed, the scope of the gossip around town and the number of people trying to insert themselves into the drama felt kind of small. I didn’t get a strong sense of that ‘small town huge news’ atmosphere where everyone is whispering and passing on news and eavesdropping.

Additionally, I was left feeling dissatisfied with the ending, in a way that made me feel like the ending actually weakened the story. It was too abrupt to seem deliberate, too unresolved to be pleasing.

Recommended for fans of crime, thriller and mystery novels.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Half Moon Lake
Kirsten Alexander
January 2019
Penguin Random House Publishers

REVIEW AND AUTHOR INTERVIEW: The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth

Someone once told me that you have two families in your life – the one you are born into and the one you choose. Yes, you may get to choose your partner, but you don’t choose your mother-in-law. The cackling mercenaries of fate determine it all.

From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they’ll never have the closeness she’d been hoping for.

But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. But the autopsy reveals evidence of suffocation. And everyone in the family is hiding something…

From the bestselling author of The Family Next Door comes a new page-turner about that trickiest of relationships.

The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth is a complex, emotionally charged novel that will keep readers engaged, entertained and eager for the next page. I loved it.

Lucy shares a rather complicated relationship with her mother-in-law Diana. She’s prickly, to say the least. She’s harsh, blunt and she speaks her mind. At times she makes Lucy feel small and unimportant and like she doesn’t matter. Lucy lost her own mother at the age of thirteen, and she is disappointed that her relationship with Diana is so fraught and tried.

And then Diana is murdered.

“In the three days since Diana died, I haven’t cooked a meal, done a load of laundry or been to the supermarket. I haven’t disciplined a child, helped anyone with homework or hidden any vegetables in spaghetti sauce.”

I loved that Diana’s character never changed. Her personality and her reasons for her decisions may not make a lot of sense to readers, but she’s the kind of person who remains the same person throughout the novel.

Sure, she warms to Lucy and she learns to admit when she’s misjudged someone, but she has values and morals and she sticks to them. She’s an interestingly unique character and I quite liked her, even if some of her decisions had catastrophic results.

The basis of Diana’s difficult behaviour is that she had a really difficult childhood and she had to build her extravagant lifestyle from nothing. She thinks the best thing that she can do for her children is give them no money and very little help, thereby forcing them to build their lives themselves and not rely on other people when in need of help.

“After Tom badgered me for years, I finally relented and allowed Ollie and Nettie to attend schools with term fees high enough to feed an entire Afghan village for a year. Years later, I’m still doubtful as to whether the schools were any better than the local ones.”

The novel keeps you guessing, wondering who Diana finally frustrated enough for them to murder her. Because Diana is, at times, very infuriating. And I imagine being her child would be incredibly difficult at times.

Sally Hepworth builds tension well, maintaining a consistent pace throughout the novel so that the reader feels like they’re getting enough enough information to piece together the story, but not too much that the ending is predictable or obvious.

Sally also illustrates motherhood and parenting really well, showing readers the harsh reality of what it’s like when you’re looking after a baby, especially if you’ve got other children you’re looking after too. The book switches back and forth between present and past and we read about Lucy’s journey into motherhood, but we also read about Lettie — Lucy’s sister-in-law — and her struggles with fertility. She and her husband desperately want children but Lettie struggles to fall pregnant and her and her husband struggle to save the money to pursue alternate means of conceiving, such as IVF or surrogacy.

“She glances over her shoulder, then spins on her stool so she is facing me. She’s lost weight. Her eyes look more prominent in her face. And her hair has a dull look, like it hasn’t been washed in a while.”

This book seems to blend a number of different genres — it’s a mix of literary fiction, but also family saga, crime, thriller and mystery. It’s a delicious concoction that I devoured.

The Mother-In-Law is an astounding book, difficult to fault. Recommended for all readers of any genre.

The Mother-in-Law is available now, Macmillan Australia, RRP $29.99.

***

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH SALLY HEPWORTH

Firstly, tell us a little bit about your latest novel, The Mother In Law?

The Mother in Law is a novel about the investigation into the unexpected death of a wealthy matriarch, and mother-in-law. But on a deeper level it is about the relationship between that matriarch, Diana Goodwin, and her daughter-in-law, Lucy, and the difficulties they have as they try to forge a relationship.

Here is how my publisher describes the book:
From the moment Lucy met Diana, she was kept at arm’s length. Diana is exquisitely polite, but Lucy knows, even after marrying Oliver, that they’ll never have the closeness she’d been hoping for. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice, the matriarch of a loving family. Lucy had wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was ten years ago. Now, Diana has been found dead, leaving a suicide note. Lucy and Oliver wonder if her treatment for cancer had worn her down.

The autopsy finds that Diana didn’t have cancer, but it does reveal evidence of suffocation. Someone wanted Diana dead. And everyone in the family is hiding something…

What does a typical writing day look like for you?
I work 10 hours a day, 4 days a week. On those days, my day tends to look like this:
-8am: I arrive at the library, go through my emails and clear my inbox.
-9am: I do any writing related work that isn’t writing (for example if I have an article to write, or a Q&A to complete, or a cover to approve, I’ll do that first).
-10am: I move into the book part of the day. If I’m writing a first draft, I’ll focus on work count—around 2,000-3,000 words a day. If I’m editing, I’ll focus on how many pages I want to edit (3-5 chapters per day). I don’t always get to my goal, but it helps to aim for something.
-1pm: lunch
-2pm: more writing / editing
-5pm: Clear my inbox again.
-5:30pm I walk home.

What do you think is vital when writing suspense and mystery?
Unanswered questions are really the definition of suspense, aren’t they? I think so. I can’t quit a book if there are questions yet to be answered. Maybe that’s just me? Ideally your story should start with one or two unanswered questions, and then more should be introduced as the story goes along.

What element of novel writing do you most struggle with?
Editing. How I loathe editing! I adore creating a first draft, for me that is when I feel the energy flowing. But editing seems to exercise a different muscle, and for me, it doesn’t matter how often I do it, it is a muscle that is out of shape. What can I say? I prefer building to renovating ☺

What element of novel writing do you think is your biggest strength?
I think I’m quite good at keeping the pages turning. I achieve this through short chapters, creating cliffhangers at the end of each chapter, and leaving plenty of unanswered questions dangling throughout the book.

What do you think is key to writing relatable, realistic relationships?
I try to look to my own relationships, and the relationships of people I know, to create situations that feel real. It also helps to step into each character’s skin, see the world through their eyes, and understand what drives them, what motivates them. Writers need to be deeply empathetic to create authentic characters, and be prepared to explore a point of view that is different to their own. They also have to steer away from making a character a villain, simply because they have made a poor choice. The best people (in fiction and in real life) have flaws and strengths, failings and assets.

What have you learnt with each new book you’ve written? Has your writing process improved?
Honestly I’m not sure my process has improved! It feels just as muddled as ever. In fact, I’m constantly plagued by the idea that someone else is doing it better (fortunately all my writer friends also feel like this, so I figure it’s just part of being a writer). As for what I’ve learned, it’s been different for each book, but the most important thing I’ve learned is that eventually I will finish this book (even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time).

Finally, what are you working on next?
I’m currently editing my 2020 book, which is about three couples who end up at a swingers party.

Thank you to the publisher for mailing me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Mother-in-Law
Sally Hepworth
February 2019
Pan Macmillan

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