Author Archives: alysonebaker

The Back of His Head by Patrick Evans – 2015

Posted on December 25, 2015 by alysonebaker

The Back of His Head is a novel about writers and writing – about the role and power of fiction and the seduction of fame.  The subject of the novel is Raymond Thomas Lawrence – early adventurer, at the height … Continue reading →

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Bad Seed by Alan Carter – 2015

Posted on December 16, 2015 by alysonebaker

I can review this book here – as Alan Carter now lives in New Zealand!  Bad Seed is the third in Carter’s Philip ‘Cato’ Kwong series.  Cato is a Chinese cop in Western Australia who solves crimes and cryptic crossword … Continue reading →

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Breaking connections by Albert Wendt – 2015

Posted on December 5, 2015 by alysonebaker

I so wanted to like this novel, and when I started it I thought I would love it – but by the end I had mixed feelings.  Daniel is a poet and novelist working as a University lecturer in Hawaii, … Continue reading →

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King Rich by Joe Bennett – 2015

Posted on November 28, 2015 by alysonebaker

It is a little surprising that it has taken so long for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake to appear in literature – but I am glad that the first piece set in the aftermath is Joe Bennett’s King Rich.  It is not a … Continue reading →

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The Pale North by Hamish Clayton – 2015

Posted on October 10, 2015 by alysonebaker

Take a walk through a post ‘Big One’ Wellington, drifting with memories and ghosts.  Ash returns to the devastation, drawn by a mysterious phone call.  Anyone who has once lived in Wellington will ache with nostalgia – anyone still doing … Continue reading →

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Trust No One by Paul Cleave – 2015

Posted on October 9, 2015 by alysonebaker

Paul Cleave’s Christchurch Noir thrillers are all set in a nightmare Christchurch of murder and mayhem.  Trust No One is too – but this time the nightmare is internalised in Jerry Grey – a thriller writer with early onset Alzheimer’s … Continue reading →

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A Crooked Rib by Judy Corbalis – 2015

Posted on October 3, 2015 by alysonebaker

A Crooked Rib is part historical, part romance and part a treatise on the subjugation of women.  It is the story of fictitious Fanny, “sister” to the historical Eliza Lucy – who became the wife of Sir George Grey – … Continue reading →

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The Fixer by John Daniell – 2015

Posted on September 27, 2015 by alysonebaker

I almost bailed on John Daniell’s The Fixer – the misogynist world of professional male rugby not being very attractive.  But I stuck with it – Daniell was a player in the French premier league so presumably the sexist repartee … Continue reading →

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The Antipodeans by Greg Magee – 2015

Posted on September 9, 2015 by alysonebaker

There is much about The Antipodeans that I liked – the intricacies of the politics and loyalties in occupied Italy during World War 2 – and the very human experiences of young New Zealanders who find themselves enmeshed in them.  … Continue reading →

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The Legend of Winstone Blackhat by Tanya Moir – 2015

Posted on July 27, 2015 by alysonebaker

What a tragic and haunting book!  We start in a surreal Western story, and rapidly realise this is the fantasy of a young kid on the run, fending for himself in the wilds of Otago.  We follow Winstone’s sad story … Continue reading →

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