Author Archives: alysonebaker

Straight and Level by Penelope Haines – 2017

Posted on July 12, 2017 by alysonebaker

Claire Hardcastle is a twenty-something pilot working for a small aviation outfit on the Kapiti Coast.  Her new, still finding out about each other, partner is a cop – and currently off in the Solomon’s on secondment – leaving their relationship at … Continue reading →

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See You in September by Charity Norman – 2017

Posted on June 9, 2017 by alysonebaker

Cassy has a typical love/hate relationship with her parents, especially her ex-army Dad, and she is well on the way to completing a Law Degree when she and her ambitious boyfriend Hamish decide to go off on a short trip … Continue reading →

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The French Perfumer by Amanda Hampson – 2017

Posted on May 25, 2017 by alysonebaker

Iris is 35 and living in London in 1956, her only company her father, her cat and a workmate, Colleen.  She does have a brother, but their relationship is tainted by the brother’s ambitious wife.  When her father and cat … Continue reading →

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The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey – 2016

Posted on May 22, 2017 by alysonebaker

The Wish Child is a beautifully written tale of terrible things.  It tells the story of two children living in Germany from the height of Hitler’s power to his demise and beyond.  Erich lives on a farm near Leipzig, he … Continue reading →

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Marlborough Man by Alan Carter – 2017

Posted on May 20, 2017 by alysonebaker

What makes a great thriller great is nerve-wracking plotting, rich atmospheric settings, and complex characters – Marlborough Man has the lot – and it treats the ‘Top of the South’ as Paul Cleave has been treating Christchurch for years – … Continue reading →

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Lewisville by Alexandra Tidswell – 2016

Posted on May 15, 2017 by alysonebaker

Lewisville follows the life of Martha Masters / Grimm / Lewis from the hard turnip fields of 1815 Warwickshire to a grand house in 1871 Wellington, NZ.  It documents the successes, the lies, the mistakes and the omissions of Martha … Continue reading →

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The Revelations of Carey Ravine by Debra Daley – 2016

Posted on May 15, 2017 by alysonebaker

A woman’s rise from dupedom in the 1770s.  Carey Ravine is a smart and capable woman who has escaped her dismal teenage years by entering the social swirl, cons, and ambitions of her husband, Oliver Nash.  Carey is not giving … Continue reading →

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Stray by James Lang – 2016

Posted on April 29, 2017 by alysonebaker

Stray is a glimpse into the wasteland created by drug culture from a south of the border perspective.   “The dark secret of every American suburb is that every blunt, joint or bowl, line or pill, every Charlie-fed frat party, cranking … Continue reading →

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A Surfeit of Sunsets by Dulcie Castree – 2016

Posted on April 28, 2017 by alysonebaker

What an absolute treat!  Dulcie Castree wrote this novel in 1986 but its publication fell through.  Her grandson digitised the manuscript in 2015 to make some print copies for family members, and then organised a limited published run, which took … Continue reading →

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The Chinese Proverb by Tina Clough – 2016

Posted on April 18, 2017 by alysonebaker

Once I had grasped that The Chinese Proverb is a simple piece of storytelling I started to really enjoy it.  Hunter Grant has nightmares from his time serving in Afghanistan; he lives a semi-solitary life organising security for anyone who … Continue reading →

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