JESS JUST READS

A BOOK REVIEW BLOG

House of Longing by Tara Calaby

Charlotte has always known she is different. Where other young women see their destiny in marriage and motherhood, the reclusive Charlotte wants only to work with her father in his stationery business; perhaps even run it herself one day. Then Flora Dalton bursts through the shop door and into Charlotte’s life—and a new world of baffling desires and possibilities seems to open up to her.

But Melbourne society of the 1890s is not built to embrace unorthodoxy. When tragedy strikes and Charlotte is unmoored by grief, she finds herself admitted to Kew Lunatic Asylum ‘for her own safety’.

There she learns that women enter the big white house on the hill for many reasons, not all of them to do with lunacy. That her capacity for love, loyalty and friendship is greater than she had ever understood. And that it will take all of these things—along with an unexpected talent for guile—to extract herself from the care of men and make her way back to her heart’s desires.

Set in 1890s Melbourne, Tara Calaby’s debut novel House of Longing is set within the walls of the Kew Asylum, which opened in 1872 and housed people with mental illness. Tara’s novel pivots around a same-sex romantic love story but is also a tale of bravery amidst the terrible treatment that women were experiencing in the asylum.

We meet Charlotte shortly before she experiences two life-changing moments –she meets and falls in love with the beautiful doctor’s daughter Flora, and Charlotte’s father dies unexpectedly. The grief triggers a breakdown that ends with Charlotte inside Kew Asylum. There, she meets a large group of incredible other women, all battling their own demons and trying their best to survive.

“The fourth evening was the coolest yet. The two of them drew in close to the fire for warmth, and Flora burrowed into Charlotte’s side in such a way that Charlotte couldn’t help but wrap an arm around her.”

The story feels like it has two phases – the first, following Charlotte and Flora’s love story, and Charlotte’s devastation at the passing of her father; the second, Charlotte’s journey in the asylum, and teaming up with the other patients when they start to experience abuse and neglect at the hands of the staff. The second half is the strongest part of the story, and the pacing increases from here.

Tara is incredibly skilled at characterisation – there was a real threat of the women in the asylum merging together and feeling a bit same-same, but Tara crafted characters who all felt individual and unique. I could picture them all as I read them, and they each had their own distinct personalities.

“But Charlotte wasn’t listening. Her dreams had been swelling within her for months and she could no longer hold them inside her heart.”

House of Longing explores a woman’s expectation from society in the late 1800s. A same-sex relationship, which wouldn’t be accepted by those around them, and Charlotte wants to defy society’s pressure that she marry a man purely because that’s what other women do. She can survive, and run her father’s shop, on her own.

Admittedly, the pacing is a little slow to start. Once Charlotte was in the asylum, I was left wondering where the story was headed. The storyline slowed a little as we were introduced to the setting, but once Eliza is pushed down the steps the story starts to ramp up and the pacing maintains for the rest of the story.

“She was too exhausted to cry with any real passion, but tears seeped from her eyes as she brought her knees up towards her chest, and wrapped her arms around the scratchy skirt of the borrowed dress.”

An engaging romance and heartfelt tale of courage among disadvantaged women, Tara’s debut House of Longing is suitable for fans of historical fiction. Readership skews female, 25+

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

House of Longing
Tara Calaby
June 2023
Text Publishing

Drowning by T.J. Newman

Six minutes after takeoff, Flight 1421 crashes into the Pacific Ocean. During the evacuation, an engine explodes and the plane is flooded. Those still alive are forced to close the doors—but it’s too late. The plane sinks to the bottom with twelve passengers trapped inside.

More than two hundred feet below the surface, engineer Will Kent and his eleven-year-old daughter Shannon are waist-deep in water and fighting for their lives.

Their only chance at survival is an elite rescue team on the surface led by professional diver Chris Kent – Shannon’s mother and Will’s soon-to-be ex-wife – who must work together with Will to find a way to save their daughter and rescue the passengers from the sealed airplane, which is now teetering on the edge of an undersea cliff.

There’s not much time. There’s even less air.

With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, Drowning is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them – against impossible odds.

Written by flight attendant turned bestselling author T.J. Newman, Drowning is her second novel and breakneck thriller, this time centred around a commercial jetliner that sinks to the bottom of the ocean with passengers trapped inside – still alive. We follow the rescue operation to save them.

Another gripping disaster procedural to keep you hooked, Drowning largely centres around twelve passengers aboard a doomed flight that crashes into the Pacific Ocean on its way from Honolulu. The aviation thriller moves between the passengers aboard the sunken plane, and the rescue team working around the clock to save them.

“The fire spread in every direction as razor-sharp pieces of the plane littered the water’s surface like fallen leaves. The air reeked of smoke and jet fuel. Passengers who had evacuated early and managed to swim away from the plane were huddled together, holding on to a portion of the wing tip that was still floating. They thought they were far enough out – but the fire was stalking them.”

Newman’s writing is direct and palatable. There is a surprising amount of emotion to the characters, bubbling under the surface of this psychological thriller. T.J. Newman has taken her personal experiences as a flight attendant and turned them into a really engaging, digestible story. And from what I’ve read, her first novel Falling is just as enthralling.

A lot of the story centres around Will, an engineer, and his daughter Shannon, who are both still haunted by the accidental death of Shannon’s sister years earlier. His estranged wife Chris is part of the rescue mission and coincidentally possesses a lot of skills that come in useful when trying to save the passengers. There are also a few other staple passengers inside the plan – pilot Kit, elderly couple Ruth and Ira, and another young girl around Shannon’s age.

Because quite a significant number of passengers survive the crash, and they’re involved in such a high-stake, tense situation, team work is one of the vital components to their survival. There’s quite a bit of conflict within the plane as Will tries desperately to rally the group and agree on methods of survival. With elderly and children amongst the survivors, that also heightens the stakes as the air starts to run out on the plane.

“Outside, the waterline rose against the fuselage until window views of blue water replaced blue sky for the twelve souls that were still trapped inside. As the last of the tail slipped into the water, bubbles whirled in the plane’s downward suctioning draft. Against the vast expanse of the open ocean, the massive commercial jet was like a child’s toy in a bathtub.”

The book does, naturally, require you to suspend your disbelief. Whilst the book is based on a very real, possible scenario, the stakes are certainly heightened for the purpose of entertainment. Personally, I would’ve preferred the line of communication between the passengers and the rescue team be completely severed – the phone calls seemed a little too easy, given the circumstances.

With quite a large number of characters that we’re following, both inside and outside of the plane, I did start to get confused by all of the names – it was a bit of a struggle remembering who was who, and even the blocking got a bit confusing. The movements in the plane and where people were located, and particularly the water level and remembering where people could and couldn’t go did get a bit overwhelming. The mechanics of the accident also flew over my head a bit and so at some point I just acknowledged that I was along for the ride and I had to let me scepticism subside.

“Will was holding his hand out to the little girl who was on her own when suddenly, a high-pitched noise came from outside. The loud mechanical whine because more and more deafening as the plane shook more and more violently until even the waterline on the other side of the windows was vibrating.”

Fast-paced and high-pressure, fans of thrillers, mystery and crime will enjoy T.J. Newman’s Drowning. Readership skews 20+

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

Drowning
T.J. Newman
June 2023
Simon & Schuster Australia

Wild Card by Simon Rowell

One foggy morning on the banks of the Murray River, a body is found in a burnt-out area of grassland. The heavily tattooed victim, who has suffered two bullet wounds to the head, is identified as Freddie Jones, a bikie from Moama.

Detective Sergeant Zoe Mayer is on the case, alongside her trusty service dog, Harry. Although Zoe is determined to track down the murderer, she finds herself stonewalled at every turn—by Freddie’s family, his associates and even the local police. But then a second body is discovered, and soon all bets are off…

Simon Rowell’s latest gripping rural mystery Wild Card is centred around a double homicide, gang warfare and small-town corruption.

Wild Card is a continuation for detective Zoe Mayer and her service dog Harry, who were both introduced in Simon’s previous novel Long Game. No need to be worried if you haven’t read Long Game. Like many other crime writers, you don’t need to read the predecessor to follow the mystery. I hadn’t read Long Game prior to starting Wild Card and it didn’t impede my reading experience at all. The mystery is standalone.

“She and Charlie watched the screen fill with a close-up of Amber’s face, before it panned slowly to the side. A short distance away, behind the girls, they could see a man, about thirty, staring. He appeared to be ducking behind a large shrub. After thirty seconds, the vision shook as Amber and Justine started to scream.”

This particular genre – rural noir or rural crime – is quite saturated in Australia at the moment, but Simon maintains the reader’s interest and presents a compelling set of characters and suspects.

Wild Card will satisfy seasoned crime and thriller readers, following the standard police procedural narrative and keeping readers guessing until the final chapter. What is initially a one-off murder soon leads to a second body, and so the pacing and tension maintains a high level throughout the entire story.

“Harry was entranced but suddenly turned towards the door before leaping off the bed. Then she heard it. Sirens, one after another, becoming louder. Zoe stood up and pulled on a jacket. She grabbed her equipment belt, fastened it around herself, checking her gun was in place, and opened the door.”

Wild Card consists of many notable secondary characters to keep the story interesting – in particular, Zoe’s colleague and partner Charlie, who holds a significant presence in the story.

The novel is anchored by a strong setting – the Echuca/Moama on the Murray River. It’s a small town filled with suspicious characters and long-held secrets. Largely dialogue-driven with a tight plot, Simon has done well to capture the isolated town and a sense of foreboding. The conclusion, in particular, will satisfy readers.

“It was almost dawn when the Forensics team finished their work, with the aid of portable halogen lights that turned the darkness into daylight. They showed Zoe the rake marks that had smoothed the ground around the hole. Her heart had sunk. She knew a killer so organised wouldn’t leave them too many clues.”

Recommended for crime, thriller and mystery readers. Readership skews 20+

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

Wild Card
Simon Rowell
January 2023
Text Publishing

The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer

Gary Thorn goes for a pint with a work acquaintance called Brendan. When Brendan leaves early, Gary meets a girl in the pub. He doesn’t catch her name, but falls for her anyway. When she suddenly disappears without saying goodbye, all Gary has to remember her by is the book she was reading: The Satsuma Complex. But when Brendan goes missing, Gary needs to track down the girl he now calls Satsuma to get some answers.

And so begins Gary’s quest, through the estates and pie shops of South London, to finally bring some love and excitement into his unremarkable life…

Comedian Bob Mortimer’s debut novel The Satsuma Complex is a madcap comedic crime story, a rather bizarre and fast-paced tale.

Centred around thirty-year-old legal assistant Gary Thorn, who is a rather timid, shy loner, we meet a rather quirky cast of characters when Gary’s colleague is murdered not long after a trip to the pub. What ensues is a rather chaotic, nonsensical journey to find out the killer, as well as uncovering the identity of a mysterious woman that Gary met at the pub.

“My name is Gary. I’m a thirty-year-old legal assistant with a firm of solicitors in London. To describe me as anonymous would be unfair but to notice me other than in passing would be a rarity. I did make a good connection with a girl, but that blew up in my face and smacked my arse with a fish slice.”

Written in first-person, the narrative style feels very stream-of-consciousness. Unrestrained and travelling down tangents. I found there was very little introspection, so whilst the characters actions did suggest he was growing as a person – befriending and caring for his neighbour, chasing after a woman he believes could be a match – there is little internal dialogue to really help solidify the character’s progression in the story.

Additionally, the humour tries very hard in the story but ultimately falls flat. The dialogue, in particular, was unnatural and forced. Overly ridiculous at times and a bit cringey. I appreciate that fans of Bob’s humour might love his type of storytelling, but if you’re not familiar with his work and you go into the story blind, I dare say this isn’t going to be a story you’ll fall in love with.

“I was slightly perturbed by what Grace had to say, so I took a little stroll to calm me down. It’s something I often do when I feel ill at ease. This is how I use a walk to my advantage: I imagine, for example, that it’s a beautiful sunny day and I’m wearing a pair of baggy red corduroy shorts and a magnificent pair of tan yellow clogs.”

I appreciate that the story is a fast-paced, compact one, meaning you don’t have to sit with it too long. The story doesn’t drag, nor loiter. It is, after all, a crime novel and so the reader is engaged each chapter because we want to find out the killer’s identity.

My favourite character is Gary’s neighbour Grace – quick-witted, dry, and genuinely funny. She acts as a vessel for Gary to grow, especially as he learns to lean on another person and trust them enough to let them help him in his journey.

“Girlfriends are a topic I am never that comfortable talking about. I know I’m not good-looking but I’m not a full-on spud. I would describe my face as forgettable (certainly many people seem to forget it), and I’m five foot seven and a half inches, which is just one and a half inches below the national average (I’ve looked this up on many occasions).”

A rather absurd, oddball and accelerated tale suited for occasional readers, The Satsuma Complex skews male, 25+

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

The Satsuma Complex
Bob Mortimer
January 2023
Simon & Schuster Book Publishers

The Circus Train by Amita Parikh

Two lives collide in a world of secrets.
But one secret greater than them all.
Is about to tear them apart . . .

At the World of Wonders, Europe’s most magnificent travelling circus, every moment is full of magic, and nothing is as it seems-especially for the people who put on the show.

Lena Papadopoulos has never quite found her place within the circus, even as the daughter of the extraordinary headlining illusionist, Theo. Brilliant and curious, Lena yearns for the real-world magic of science and medicine, despite her father’s overprotection and the limitations of her wheelchair. Her unconventional life takes an exciting turn when she rescues Alexandre, an orphan with his own secrets and a mysterious past.

Over several years, as their friendship flourishes and Alexandre trains as the illusionist’s apprentice, World War II escalates around them. When Theo and Alexandre are contracted to work and perform in a model town for Jews set up by the Nazis, Lena becomes separated from everything she knows. Forced to make her own way, Lena must confront her doubts and dare to believe in the impossible-herself.

Amita Parikh’s The Night Circus is a grand tale of a family separated across Europe by war.

The novel is led by the wonderous and intelligent Lena, disabled from birth by polio and underestimated by just about everyone around her. She and her father, an illusionist, are travelling with their circus in Amsterdam when a young Jewish boy, Alexandre, seeks refuge in their train. Soon, Lena and Alexandre form a strong friendship and then, eventually, a romance. But in the background, war is building, and Alexandre is not the only character that finds themselves in danger.

“The war, Theo told them, was a grave one, but it hadn’t yet spread south. Greece declared neutrality and Thessaloniki, at least to Lena, still felt like the home she always returned to each year.”

Amita should be commended for her remarkable research and attention to detail. The story spans decades, during such a pivotal moment in history, and the author has done a great job capturing the atmosphere of Europe during WWII, but also capturing Lena’s disability and the life of circus performers during this era.

The atmosphere is another one of the major strengths in the novel. The reader is immersed in a world of magic and intrigue, a mesmerising circus of wonder, where all are welcome – all shapes, sizes, heights, bodies, orientations. There is an impending doom looming under the surface, but until that threat hits, the reader feels comfortable in the story with these characters. Lena’s father Theo is a particular favourite of mine – headstrong and determined, but also incredibly caring.

“By the spring of 1940, Alexandre could do the cup-and-balls trick, the dove-pan illusion, the disappearing-penny act, and the French drop. At Horace’s request, he appeared before each performance in the lobby, along with four other cast members.”

Whilst the romantic element of the story feels a bit undeveloped and then subsequently wraps up far too quickly at the end to be believable, The Circus Train is a fantastic historical novel. The characters are all three-dimensional and well-crafted, and even the secondary characters shine through the pages.

As the story progresses and Lena finds herself separated from Alexandre and also her father, it allows her to pursue dreams she’d been putting on hold. She dreams of walking unassisted and attending medical school – both of these seem next to impossible, especially given Lena’s disability. Her father, in particular, was hesitant about Lena attending medical school but accepting their fates means Lena must re-focus her energy on her career and her health.

“Lena nodded. She still didn’t understand why Horace didn’t like Jewish people, but she wanted Alexandre to stay on board as long as he could. There was no chance of her saying anything to jeopardise that.”

A sweeping and charming tale of magic and hope amidst the backdrop of WWII, The Circus Train is for readers of historical fiction and war sagas. The carnivalesque setting will attract many readers. Readership skews 20+

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

The Circus Train
Amita Parikh
December 2022
Hachette Book Publishers