Blood men by Paul Cleave – 2010

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

Blood MenBlood Men is Paul Cleave’s fourth thriller set in a Christchurch more like the outskirts of hell than a garden city. Edward Hunter has managed to create a comfortable life – he is married to a fellow accountant and the father of a healthy happy daughter – despite his notoriety as the boy whose father was convicted as a serial killer twenty years ago. But his life is turned upside down one Christmas season – causing him to wonder if the media hype about the possibility of his having inherited his father’s inclinations might be true. The story is told alternating between Edwards own voice and from the point of view of the harried detective on the case. The plot is twisting and keeps you guessing to the end – and the Christmas week rampage is not for those who prefer gentle mysteries! But if you are into hard edged thrillers Blood Men will keep you entertained.

Posted in #yeahnoir, Book Review | Leave a comment

Theodora: actress, empress, whore by Stella Duffy – 2010

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

TheodoraTheodora is a meticulously researched novel about the early life of Theodora, who was born around 500 and died in 548. It starts with the story of a child raised in the excitement and turmoil surrounding Constantinople’s ‘circus’ performers – Theodora, along with her two sisters, trains as a dancer from an early age and rises to be a star performing erotic acts, and a popular prostitute. A move to Alexandria leaves Theodora longing for home, and when things don’t turn out for her there she finds solace in a non-Chalcedonian desert retreat. When she returns to Constantinople she does so under instructions to get to know Justinian – the adopted nephew of the Chalcedonian-aligned Emperor. Theodora and Justinian surprise everyone as well as each other by falling in love – and the stage is set for the actress and whore to become the Byzantine Empress. Duffy manages to juggle the swirling politics and religious schisms of the day along with her vast array of characters, and still present a convincing portrayal of their individual lives and loves. Theodora is a sumptuous portrayal of the Byzantine world and of one of the most interesting women of history.

Posted in Book Review, Historical | Leave a comment

Kehua by Fay Weldon – 2010

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

KehuaKehua is the story of a family touching on four generations. Beverley moves to the UK from New Zealand, with several unappeased Kehua – or Maori spirits – in tow. We meet many characters from Beverley’s extended family, and many categories of spirit, in this meandering tale of family division and reunion. But the novel is so skilfully crafted that I never felt lost or mislead, and the writing has a lovely lightness to it, despite dealing with ‘heavy’ subjects such as murder and incest. It is a delightful novel about the untidiness of the world, and Weldon not only presents us her dysfunctional characters, but also ‘herself’ the author, and characters from her own life, thus wonderfully blurring the boundaries to discuss the process of novel-writing.

 

Posted in Book Review | Leave a comment

Settler’s Creek by Carl Nixon – 2010

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

Settlers CreekSettlers’ Creek develops in unexpected ways, venturing into extremely emotional terrain as it explores the importance of a sense of place and status. Box Saxton suffers a cataclysmic fall in socio-economic status with a recent economic recession, then suffers the suicide of his son. Excluded from his recently gained comfortable life, which for his children was their norm, Box is then faced with exclusion from the continuity of his past when his son’s biological father claims the body for burial on ancestral ground. When Mark’s body is ‘stolen’ Box’ world becomes focused on regaining the body, control, and a sense of belonging. It is a difficult novel; it raises issues that deserve more rounded discussion than allowed through the intense telling of Box’ story. It is tragic and relentless, taking you through the horrors of grief and guilt, and perhaps it is fitting that it leaves you with so many unsettling and unanswered questions.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Belief by Stephanie Johnson – 2000

Posted on November 5, 2014 by alysonebaker

BeliefThis tale, which takes place in New Zealand and the United States, is one of longing for faith and love and spans the turn of the last century; the prologue is in 1880 and the epilogue 1920. The two main characters are William, a well-born drunkard who has a life-changing experience of God, and Myra, an Australian orphan he marries when she is an un-schooled and un-socialised 17 year old. In their story the chasms between faith and insanity, between love and abuse, appear as very fine lines. William’s longing for God and acceptance is skilfully drawn against the backdrop of his horribly flawed character, and Johnson’s evoking of Myra’s at times inexplicable forbearance manages to finally come across as a kind of love, albeit a love that inflicts its own collateral damage. Belief is a tragic tale but made compelling by fine characterisation and the interesting backdrop of turn of the century utopianism.

Posted in Historical | Leave a comment