In the midst of WWII, an English musician, Norah Chambers, places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe as the island falls to the Japanese Army.

Australian nurse Nesta James has enlisted to tend to Allied troops. But as Japanese troops overrun the island she joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship.

A suspenseful and moving saga about family secrets, hidden trauma, and the overriding power of forgiveness, set during the war and in present-day Việtnam.

In 1969, sisters Trang and Quỳnh, desperate to help their parents pay off debts, leave their rural village and become “bar girls” in Sài Gòn, drinking, flirting (and more) with American GIs in return for money.

Kylie Gilligham is a bigamist, but she's also missing presumed dead.

Left behind is husband one, Mark and two step children. Husband two, Daan, lives in the Netherlands and has everything money can buy.

DC Clements in investigating the disappearance and all the evidence points to Daan, but also in the mix is Kylie's best friend Fiona - who somehow has also been involved with Daan, and now finds herself replacing Kylie in Mark's home.

If you liked Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' you will love this - it is a sequel of sorts.

Victor Frankenstein's great niece (significantly named Mary) needs a project to occupy her after a tragedy in her life. She decides to follow in her great-uncle's footsteps and crete a 'creature' - not human, but reptilian.

The book covers the period from the end of World War 2 to 1970s. The author wrote it in 2021 at a time when she saw overriding uncertainty & division in societies world-wide. Her aim with this book is to tell a story full of joy (despite any hardships) and which is a testament to the power of friendships and close community.

Set in Nigeria 2014

Our main character 14-year-old Adunni’s fortunes change when her mother dies. This change is not for the better and not what her mother wanted.She is taken from school and “sold” to be the 3rd wife of an old man in exchange for rent.

After tragedy occurs Adunni runs away as she tries to get away from events that transpire to overtake her and is secretly sold as a house servant.

A story about four friends - Maggie, Liz, Helena & Joni.

They lace up their hiking boots for the adventure of a lifetime over four days on a hike in the Norwegian wilderness – a far cry from their usual getaway involves lounging around a pool.

It’s the perfect place to forget about everything – their past and their secrets.

The latest Amish mystery from Linda Castillo. Aside from Dr Robert Hunter (Chris Carter), Kate Burkholder is my favourite fictional character.

This time she has a gruesome murder on her hands. One that many are unable to believe possible.

The Sister is written by Dr Sung-Yoon Lee, a scholar and specialist on North Korea who has advised the US government.

This book is a jaw-dropping portrayal of North Korea’s "princess", Kim Yo Jong. It uncovers the close bond with her brother, Kim Jong Un, and the lessons in manipulation they learned from their father.

This heartbreaking memoir from a Holocaust survivor reveals the terrible realities of life in Auschwitz and other concentration camps. 15-year-old Henry was assigned to back-breaking labour in the Auschwitz horse-breeding stables.

The Peak District is used to its fair share of tourists, but they're usually of the touring variety, not using the district to find their final resting place.

DI Cooper and his team are looking for a connection between a series of suicides, hoping they'll find an answer before the next body turns up.

A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances.

Nisha, 45, lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband inexplicably cuts her off entirely. She doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.

That’s because Sam has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. She is struggling to keep her family afloat. Walking in the six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes gives Sam’s career an unexpected boost.

David Burroughs is in jail for murdering his infant son. But he claims his innocence. He hasn't wanted visitors and noone has come to see him, well that is until now, when he receives a surprise visit from his ex-wife's sister, Rachel.

Rachel has a photo and in the background is an image of a small child - a child that looks too much like the son he's meant to have killed. He even has the same birthmark.

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are onto their next case, and diamonds are the name of the game.

Jatin Patel is murdered in his jewellery store, but nothing is taken other than a large single piece of 'rough'. There are two witnesses both of which at the time manage to get away. There are scant details about the perpetrator and he doesn't leave too many clues.

Despite having numerous books by Jeffrey Deaver in the library this is the first novel that I've chosen to read. I was drawn to the sinister nature of the title which reminds me of my favourite books by Chris Carter.

I was not disappointed and thankfully have found another author while I await the next Chris Carter or indeed Linda Castillo novel (they can only write so many)!

I first discovered Adrian Tchaikovsky through his novel “Children of Time” which is one of my favourite science-fiction novels and one of my favourite books in general, and if you like spiders (a big ask, I know) you’ll love it too. So when he released “Shards of Earth” book 1 in the Final Architecture trilogy I had to give it a try. And I was not disappointed.

Three women - Anne, Eliza and Penny. It starts as a simple book club meeting. By the end of the night a husband is dead. But we retrace our steps to 9 months before.

Anne is married to Mark and the mother to his four children. Life is difficult looking after the family and not necessarily looking after herself. She also has suspicions about her husband.

Charlie is a professional tennis player in her mid 20s. She hasn't reached the heights she may have in the game just yet and hasn't made it higher than the 20s in the rankings.

An injury at Wimbledon (caused partly by the lack of attention of her coach to her footwear) has her reassessing where to next.

How can there be two Kelly Medina’s in the one town?

It’s a cruel mistake, but the Kelly who’s son is no longer around, receives a call from the doctors to confirm her 'well-baby' appointment.

While the receptionist is apologetic, Kelly can’t help wondering about the new mother and starts to look out for her.

Jac has been away from her father and sister for several years now, but she's back from Australia in order to find her sister Charlie who has been missing for a few days. The texts came from her father, who is sadly also the town drunk.

Not a day passes after her arrival and her father is found drowned in the creek.

It's the hen's weekend they've been looking forward to - a weekend in Greece, what could possibly go wrong? Trouble is we know from the outset that someone is not going to make it home.

The question is who?

Perfect liars is a somewhat tragic story about the friendship between Nancy, Georgia and Lila. They have been friends since school and one particular event has shaped their friendship and their futures since.

Now 16 years later and with the revelation of secrets more likely than ever to come out Georgia invites both Lila and Nancy (who has been living abroad) to a dinner party along with husbands and boyfriends.

An extraordinary Holocaust survival story about an Orthodox Jewish woman who managed to survive in wartime Poland by pretending to be a Catholic. Polish Catholics believed she was one of them.

A devoted Nazi family took her in as if she was their own daughter. She fell in love with a German engineer who built aeroplanes for the Luftwaffe.

Renee Ballard is back. Brought back to the force with the promise of leading her own unit - the Open Unsolved Unit - and able to work with anyone she choses.

She turns to Harry Bosch who's life seems to be in the balance, perhaps she has saved him from his own self-destruction.

She lures him to the unit to help a current case with the promise of the ability to work a case he was unable to solve previously - the Gallagher Family murder.

The story starts with Hannah. She is on a mission to make the man responsible for her father's death pay for what he has done.

She has befriended his youngest playboy son in the hope of getting close enough to him to kill him. She has used all her inginuity to create her fake persona, and is eventually successful in her task.

Then we meet Kiara, who also has a fake persona, and it's her task to befriend the man's other son and do the same to him.

A powerful memoir by one of the youngest ever survivors of Auschwitz, Tova Friedman, following her childhood growing up in Poland during the Holocaust and surviving a string of near-death experiences in a Jewish ghetto, a Nazi labour camp, and Auschwitz.

Tova Friedman was only four years old when she was sent to a Nazi labour camp at the start of World War II.

Lou continues to run from relationship to relationship. But it's not her fault, when she was 14 she was groomed by an older man, Mike who was her teacher.

He whisked her away to France and left her in pieces. Eighteen years, on, and he has spent time in jail, but she spies him involved with another teenager.

Eshana is the 'other woman' but is she the 'wrong woman' in this thriller by Kiwi crime author JP Pomare?

Reid, a former policeman who left the force under delicate circumstances, is investigating the accident which killed Eshana's husband Oliver and has left her in a coma. He's investigating it for insurance purposes. The police were quick to label the accident as just that, an accident due to driver error, but there isn't a lot of evidence that points to that.

This is my first Michael Robotham novel and I can see why his books are hardly ever on the library shelves!

Forensic pathologist Cyris lives at home with his lodger Evie who has a troubled past. She has a thing for Cyris, but it is never going to be.

Cyris life has been complicated from the beginning when as a child his elder brother murdered the rest of his family. 

I was captivated by Mark Dawson's novel, Saint Death. It was my first novel by Mr Dawson. And the inclusion of the first few chapters of his next book, ie this one, really made me want to continue on and read it.

John Milton has a chequered past which he is on the run from. MI6 is trying to find him, but he is an expert at staying hidden as long as he stays out of trouble.

The Diener from a nearby county come to visit Kate. They know her past and they know that she knows the man accused of a murder from a lifetime ago.

Kate’s first love when she was a teen, Jonas, is accused of murder after a body is discovered years after he disappeared (the deceased Ananias Stoltzfus is the Bishop no less). The incriminating factor is Jonas’ gun at the scene.

It starts with a murder. A female is the perpetrator, but someone else is looking on. DI Thorne and DI Tanner are on the trail, but to start with there isn't a lot of evidence.

Then after the second murder, suddenly there is and in what could be described as a lazy mistake the female is arrested. She admits to another murder and it all seems to be too easy.

Wilde (The Boy from the Woods) returns for Harlan Coben's latest novel.

While Wilde has previously not shown an interest in learning about his birth parents, he does so in this latest edition. Wilde has submitted his details to a DNA website and comes upon a match, but when he tries to follow up the match (months later) he finds that the account has been deleted.

DS Jack Warr is investigating a brutal murder that he knows could have been prevented if only the old woman’s story had been believed. Avril Jenkins was an eccentric woman with a colourful and dubious past. Her husband left her the house and his art collection.

Avril claimed to have been stalked by a lodger, Adam Border. But there is no sign of Adam … anywhere.

Charlotte and Nicole were once the best of friends, spending summers together in Nicole's island house off of Maine. But many years, and many secrets, have kept the women apart.

A successful travel writer, single Charlotte lives on the road, while Nicole, a food blogger, keeps house in Philadelphia with her surgeon-husband, Julian.

Get ready for an edge of your seat thriller! New Zealand author JP Pomare has done it again, with his latest fast paced suspense novel.

Lina and Cain have been married for a few years, but there's something not quite right. And it's not all to do with Cain's experience in Afghanistan. Lina's signed up to a dating app, and while it doesn't appear that her heart is really into it, she spends the night with the man. Little does she realise that the liaison has been filmed and that she has lost her wedding ring.

This is the much talked about novel by coauthors Dolly Parton and James Patterson.

I really liked this book in terms of the way it was written and the storyline, but to my mind it doesn't have as much suspense as perhaps it's claimed to.

Three Sisters is a remarkable novel based on the true story of three Slovakian Jewish sisters, who endured the worst of humanity to forge new and hopeful lives on the other side. It will break your heart, but leave you amazed and uplifted by the courage and fierce love of three sisters, whose promise to each other kept them alive in a place without hope. Two of the sisters are alive in Israel today, surrounded by friends and family.

I picked this one because I have previously enjoyed all of Tracy Rees’ books.

Set in late 1800s London and told from the perspective of 4 or 5 different women’s perspectives.

Mabs is from a very poor family of 7 children and her mother died very recently. Her farther spiralled into depressiong and hasn’t worked in some time so she is trying to bring in the money they need to survive. 

I was at a writing course recently which mentioned Paul Cleave's book, The Cleaner, and while I was sure at the time I had read it, it actually turned out that I hadn't!

Well I've amended that, it's now right up there with my favourite Paul Cleave books.

Joe is our cleaner. He's working at the police station, with everyone falling for the pretence that he has created that he has an intellectual disability. This is course isn't the case. The police say the Christchurch Carver has murdered seven women. But Joe knows he's only killed six.

I haven't read a young adult fiction novel in some time, and some would argue that Harlan Coben's Found and Shelter don't really count.

This is a new book by Beth Reekles and only some 111 pages. It was easy to ready in a couple of hours.

Elle's best friend is Lee, and they're all set to go to Lee's family's beach house for the Summer. Only this Summer, Elle will be going as Noah's girlfriend (Lee's older brother). How awkward could it be?

I couldn't wait until the next book in the Kate Burkholder series and I was not disappointed!

Rachel Schwarz left the fold as a teenager, but has returned to Painters Mill. She has checked into a hotel room anxiously awaiting a visitor she's been looking forward to seeing. No sooner has she closed the door having let the visitor in, does she feel the first blow. While she tries to defend herself, it is to no avail.

Set in the years between WW1 and WW2 Violet Speedwell has left home at the age of 35. Leaving her mother who has turned sour (with grief) after her son was killed in the war and her husband had recently passed away. Violet has also suffered loss as her fiancée was also killed in WW1.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has written other books mostly Non-fiction.

Louise Penny writes a detective series set in Quebec in a small village called Three Pines. I don’t normally read thrillers certainly not political thrillers, however as I read Louise Penny I was interested to see how it would turn out as a cowritten title which was a departure from her normal genre.

It's no surprise that Martina Cole is a fan of this, Linda Calvey's first crime novel.

Linda Calvey herself is no stranger to crime. She bears the nickname of 'The Black Widow' as all her partners have met untimely deaths or ended up in prison. She herself was incarcerated for 18 years for the murder of Ronnie Cook and also served three and a half years prior for robbery.

This novel reads very much like a Martina Cole thriller.

The body of a young woman is found in a cottage in a remote forest. She has gone through immeasurable pain and suffering.

The killer has left a mark on her - a double ended crucifix - a signature mark of a previous case.

Two years before Hunter and his previous partner thought they'd caught the killer, but in the back of his mind Hunter wasn't so sure, and his fears just may have been realised.

I have never considered myself to be a fan of historical fiction, but then I haven't actually read one!

Author Stephanie Parkyn is no stranger to Waipā audiences, having Cambridge Library as one of the stops on her book launch for Josephine's Garden. We were unable to have an audience for Stephanie's latest book, so in preparation for our interview, I set about to read The Freedom of Birds.

Renee Ballard is working the night shift. It's New Year's Eve and it's not only fireworks taking to the skies at midnight. The firing of bullets has also become a recent craze.

And tonight there's a victim, but it appears unlikely to be an accident.

Courtland Gentry is the Gray Man. Essentially he's an assassin, but for an assassin he has his heart in the right place.

He starts out on assignment to take out a wanted war criminal - which he does - but in the process he discovers what appears to be a human trafficking operation. While he attempts to rescue the women, all bar one refuse to leave.

I originally picked this up for another member of our household, but ended up reading it myself.

Both the cover and title, screamed 'Da Vinci Code' so having loved the movie, I decided to give it a go.

It's enticing from the get go. Professor Thomas Lourdes has been invited to Istanbul by fellow Professor (and flame) Olympia, but he ends up getting kidnapped at the airport. Though the kidnapper seems to be the least of his worries, as he is also being targeted by the US Government (but we're not sure why just yet).

I've now read a number of Tom Wood's 'Victor' novels and I wasn't quite sure what to make of this one. To be frank I almost missed seeing it as the cover is nothing like the usual covers.

The storyline was also different. Usually Victor is on an assignment, but on this occasion his assignment is over and he's lying low awaiting a return 'home'.

First published in 1915, this was a big success in its day but I would have to concede that Buchan is now out of fashion, for a number of reasons that are easy to understand – but there may be a revival – who knows?

A modern reader would be struck by the ‘cast’ of this performance ...

I picked up this book given its byline - Mastering Mental Fitness for Sport and Life - a new book hitting the library shelves during mental health awareness week.

I am a keen runner so I was looking forward to its application to this area of my life as well.

This is a book consisting of 7 fantasy short stories by some big names in fantasy. Some people may be put off by anthology novels because you may not like some of the stories, but you are guaranteed to like some as well.

What I like about them is that I always find new authors and new books to read. This is definitely the case with The Books of Swords Part 2.

Emily's family has disappeared in the strangest of circumstances. Dinner is still cooking, there's a spilt bottle of milk on the floor. Nothing has been taken except the family.

The police drew a blank after not too many days so Emily enlists the help of a former acquaintance and missing person's specialist David Raker.

A murder mystery set in a contemporary UK setting. It’s not a gruesome or violent novel, it’s about the back stories of the characters, the neighbours of Willow Close.

When Nina and Conrad move into their new home in Willow Close, they thought they'd found their dream neighbourhood, but when a body is discovered it's possible they have moved into a nightmare.

Detective Noah Harper is on the case of a missing girl with his partner Drew. He’s handling it the old fashioned way, and while the information he receives results in her being found, his methods are not appreciated by his lawyer wife or the current Sheriff, whose son he has beaten to get the information. He is run out of town and is happily working in a bar which he owns with a business partner.

Twelve years on and the same girl has again gone missing.

This book tells the servant’s side of events to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It has some scandal and twists that I really enjoyed.

The story centres around Sarah, a house maid that was taken in from the workhouse as a child by Mrs Hill (cook and housekeeper of the Bennet Family). Her days are spent in hard slog washing, cleaning, heavy lifting and all around drudgery a very stark contrast to the Bennet sisters who practiced their needlework or as in Mary’s case reading Fordyce's sermons.

Set after the original First Law trilogy this stand alone novel takes place in the disputed land of Angland, A northern territory ruled by the Union for over 600 years. But the North, led by their bloodthirsty and violent Ruler Black Dow has plans to take it back.

The entire novel is broken down into 3 parts each represents one of the 3 days of battle that occurs.

Rebekah is on an island and in bad shape. She is also unable to find her brother.

The island is now closed for the Winter and there are few supplies. The men who are responsible for her predicament believe she is dead and that they only need to worry about her when the season reopens.

The Sun Down Motel is told from two different perspectives, and moves back and forth between two time periods. The first is told by Viv Delaney, an aspiring actress who disappeared from the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York in 1982. The second is Carly Kirk, a student and true crime fanatic, who heads to Fell in 2017 to investigate the mysterious and unsolved disappearance of her Aunt Viv.

Mortimer is young, hopeful and looking for work. Death is old, tired of his job and looking for someone else to usher souls to the next life. So he hires Mort to become his apprentice. Unfortunately Mort is very accident-prone and his idealistic views don't work well with being Death.

First Impressions is a modern retelling of Pride And Prejudice, set in America in the suburb of 'London' Texas.

A group decide to do a stage play 'Pride and Prejudice' - not only are there links through the play but also through the main characters and their storylines.

When rural banker Richard Harper from the Manawatu goes missing it is up to local police to figure out what happened.

Taking place in New Zealand, this is a detective fiction following our main character Detective Senior Sergeant John Baldrick 'Archie' and Detective Constable Ben Travers as they try to figure out whether Richard is actually a missing person, on the run, or has something much worse happened to him?

Far into the future, the last remnants of humanity travel through space on the ship 'Gilagamesh' to a new world and hopefully a new home. But what about the inhabitants? Will they be friendly and inviting to a people that destroyed their own world?

The book spans thousands of years and we follow two perspectives throughout.

In the distant future corporations travel planet to planet looking for resources "All Systems Red" follows Murderbot; A cynical, sarcastic and socially awkward A.I security unit built to protect humans while they survey these planets. Only thing is, Murderbot doesn't really like humans and would rather watch TV all day.

Detectives Logan and Kirk are investigating a murder which takes them to a building office. In the space of a few pages, the suspect kills Detective Logan and the suspect dies as well.

Detective Logan's son Joshua believes he is cursed. He has lost both biological parents, his sight and now his father. But there is news for Joshua. Thanks to ground breaking surgery, Joshua is to receive his father's eyes.

It’s hard to look past this cover. It’s stunning. But can you judge a book by its cover?

Sarah (in her mid 30s) has returned from 10 days in the sun in Greece. While Sydney is her home, she’s stopped in to see her sister in London before she departs. Hard to believe after booking the trip in response to a horror break up, she had returned with not one, but two handsome men wanting her attention.

This Swedish thriller grabs you on page one and just doesn't let up.

Working from a police station in Stockholm, a likeable detective is haunted by a cold case he attended 17 years before. When several current murders appear to link up to the cold case, DS Grens enlists some of his colleagues to help him solve the case.

Three couples from the UK are on holiday in Florida, Angie and Barry, Sue and Ed and Marina and Dave. All the couples are quite different, but in a holiday setting where life's a beach or a pool and there are a few beers and wines to be had they all get along well.

They are a little curious about a mother and her daughter, who has learning difficulties. But then the daughter goes missing (later found dead) the day before they are all scheduled to leave.

The heartfelt and uplifting story of how a project to scatter 60 Postcards in memory of her mother helped a young girl come to terms with her loss.

On 11 February 2012 Rachael Chadwick lost her Mother to cancer, just sixteen days after first being diagnosed, and her world shattered right in front of her. She decided to base a project around her Mum's approaching 60th Birthday. Desperate to spread the word about the wonderful person she had lost, Rachael wanted to  leave notes around a city in her memory. She hand-wrote sixty postcards, each with her email address at the bottom asking the finder to get in touch.

Kate lives in a suburban street with her 18 year old daughter Chloe. She has always maintained that Chloe has learning difficulties. She runs a business from home and receives maintenance from her ex-husband, who Chloe goes to visit regularly. Chloe is best friends with Bethany who lives across the street, but who is a few years younger. Her family are heaving involved in the Church.

One day Chloe returns unexpectedly early from a visit to her father's. Bethany's father sees her at the train station and brings her home, for them both to find Kate missing and the house full of blood.

Paul Cleave is one of NZ's top thriller writers - he has won the Ngaio Marsh award three times. His is his latest and he doesn't disappoint.

The son of a husband and wife crime-writing duo goes missing. Has he run away or has he been kidnapped? And if so, who is responsible?

This is the twenty-first book in the delightful series of No.1 Ladies Detective Agency.

It is set in Botswana, but the characters will feel familiar to us all. McCall Smith has a gift for putting his finger on the quirks of human nature and it is laugh-out-loud funny in places.

I really enjoyed this book. It is large print which I don't usually read.

Set in America.

Nicole, a Korean adopted child; Cindy, her long lost sister; Dan her husband.

This is the story of Win. Most of Harlan Coben's books focus on ex-basketballer Myron, with Win (Windsor Lockwood The Third) in the background as the rich confidante.

There is a lot we know about Win from Coben's previous books and going through the book you are reminded of previous connections: his father, his cousin Patricia, the Abeona Shelter and his daughter Ema. These all have a role to play in this book.

This is a great first novel by a NZ author.

The action alternates between Australia, the Indian Ocean and the Seychelles.

Two beautiful sisters, mirror twins, are reunited.

Wow. So very good. Full of eloquent words, book love and stories to treasure. Loved it.

It's 1:25 am and I just had to finish it! I loved the road trip style story where every character added to the over arching story of coming home.

Georgia is in her mid 30s and a nurse. She’s never had much luck with the men in her life. She has been through a lot and finally feels safe in her relationship to Luke, who is a sales rep. To start with they meet by chance, though Georgia has a sneaking feeling she has seen him before.

They hit i off, start dating and fairly soon Georgia decides Luke is ‘the one’. The only issue is the ex – ex-girlfriend – Cadence, who Luke is still living with until the lease is up.

While being a prolific fiction writer, James Patterson and number of coauthors have turned their hand to non-fiction true crime writing. A number of these have been turned into TV series.

'Murder of Innocence' is one of a number of these that I have read.

While I thought this would cover a number of cases (I didn't read the back first), there was in fact only two covered in this particular publication.

An as yet unidentified woman is flying down the stairs towards the platform at the station. She is dishevelled and has her sights set on a man. He’s paying no attention and when she shoves him in the back with all of her strength, he falls in front of the train.

Go back a month and the story begins.

Set in Melbourne, psychologist Margot Scott has what appears to be the perfect, the house, the husband and a successful career. She’s living the Aussie dream.

Telling the story of an author's love affair with books and how they have influenced and supported her life, Cathy Rentzenbrink has been involved with books from an early age. Cathy tells how books have been a mainstay for her throughout her life as she picks her way through life's experiences including tragedy, love and work.

A light read set in a village in the Cotswolds in spring.

This story is about Gilly and her daughter who are close and have busy lives. Gilly runs a B & B, Helena is a weaver. Life is about to become interesting for both of them! This is more than a romance.

Rachel Mast has returned to Stone Mill to manage a local Bed & Breakfast. She used to be Amish but decided not to get baptized and joined the so-called 'Englishers'. She is now in her early 30s and her mother hasn't spoken to her since she was a teenager. Her best friend is her cousin Mary Aaron who is Amish.

On a trip to the local swimming hole at the quarry with a few friends they discover the body of an Amish girl floating face down in the water. She is dead and the police are called. The local police officer Evan has a liking for Rachel but we're not sure whether it is returned or not.

“The Birth of Kitaro” is a famous manga series set in Japan, about a boy named Kitaro who travels around Japan to help people haunted by yokai, Japanese supernatural beings. Kitaro is a yokai too, so he has lots of interesting powers.  This manga focuses on Kitaro’s origins, starting with his parents and then follows Kitaro’s adventures defeating different yokai around Japan.

With a gift voucher burning a hole in my pocket and two half-read tomes on my bedside table, I was on the hunt for something light and fantastical - this was it! A dream-like story that takes it's time, though at times, too much.

In his prime Tiger Woods was the best golfer of his time and arguably one the greatest of all time second only perhaps to Jack Nicklaus.

The golfing world then and now is still mad about Tiger, who started out as a child prodigy swinging a golf club before he was even 2 years of age.

Book recounting the story of a foster carer (Angela) and one of ‘her children’ (Danielle) as they work through her time with Angela and her husband Richard.

Set in England (you never really find out where actually, just close to London. The story takes you on roller coaster of concern as Angela and Richard try to deal with Danielle and her many issues.

Dregs is the first book of the series to be translated into English, however it is actually the sixth book in the series. However there is a prequel which may give more information.

The author is a former Senior Investigating Officer in the Norwegian Police Force and is considered one of the foremost Nordic crime writers writing with a unique brand of suspense and realism (according to his website). He is also a children’s mystery writer!

This book has been translated from the French and I found it easier to read than the next book (also translated). “Have mercy on us all” is actually the third book in the series of 8 (which I didn’t realise!)

Features an unusual and unorthodox French detective Commissaire Adamsberg who has to employ a wee trick to remember people’s names, just one of his quirks!

By Cambridge’s own Nikki Crutchley

It all starts with a carefully planned murder. It’s almost Christmas and the killer wants the country folk to feel unsafe in their houses. His plan is to be bigger than Santa this year!

Miller is a journalist. When she first receives an anonymous cryptic note hand delivered to her house she ignores it as it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

But then the body of the woman turns up and she realises she needs to pay attention.

Set during World War II. It is a true story about Jewish Soldier Tolek Klings told by his son in law, Leon Silver.

The story covers six years of Tolek’s life during the Holocaust.

His story is influenced by his want and need to protect his wife Klara and son Juliusz.

He is conscripted to the Polish army and as the German’s invade he faces an unenviable choice – to protect his family or remain a soldier.

Mickey Haller the Lincoln Lawyer is back.

But from the get go, Mickey is in trouble. Pulled over by a single traffic officer for no apparent reason, the overly officious officer asks Mickey to open the trunk after blood is seen dripping on to the road.

Mickey knows it's going to be bad and that for some reason he has been set up.

Hilarious book. If you haven't seen the TV show and if they are as entertaining as in the book, then you need to see that as well.

There was a bit of repetitiveness throughout the book with both lads telling their memories of the events (and repeating the history of story that came with it) and I got a bit over the Sam versus Graham plot, but understood that was the premise of the show ...

Berlin 1943

Susie’s adopted family and the man that she loves, Leo, are at risk. They are torn apart but Susie is determined that one day she and Leo will be together again.

To help them she enlists the help of Julius, a Nazi officer (somewhat of a friend of the family), but it could mean there will no longer be a future with Leo and it will require a level of deception as to their relationship.

Natasha leads a simple life back in Brokenridge with her daughter.

Years earlier she was living in the bright lights of Melbourne having left Brokenridge to study nursing. But she returned after she’d made the decision to break up with musician Kody the father of her then unborn child. Except that she told him she wasn’t keeping it. She drove him away so he would fulfil his dreams.

Captain Tom Moore leapt to instant celebrity during the COVID pandemic for walking one hundred steps around his garden to raise money for charity.

The 99 year old set out to raise 1000 pounds. By his 100th birthday he had raised 32 million to set a new Guinness World Record and was knighted by the Queen for his fundraising efforts.

Tempe is recovering from an aneurysm, but the sleepless nights and the visions are disturbing. And the sense of paranoia – or is it?

Then she receives an anonymous text message with four images – a faceless man, dead. Tempe struggles to find out who sent the messages.

Brighton, Winter 1951.

It's an eerie scene. Two children lie dead beneath the snow surrounded in colourful sweets. It reminds DI Stephens of a scene from Hansel and Gretel. The book starts on the second day of the investigation, when at this stage the children are deemed as missing.

But it soon turns into a murder investigation once the bodies are found and the children appear to have been strangled.

Jane Fonda has been an environmental activist since the 1970s.

She walks the walk and talks the talk. She has a windmill on one property, uses solar energy in another, says no to single use plastic bags. She speaks at rallies and attends Greenpeace marches.

But aside from what she can do herself, she still wants more.

Seven Murders. An Amish family, brutally murdered in their home.

Chief Kate Burkholder is running the investigation. She herself was once a member of the Amish community, but decided not to be baptised and left the community.

The Plank family moved from Pennsylvania, perhaps in an attempt to leave secrets behind. It's Kate' job to uncover them and find the killer.

This is DI Thorne's first case and prequel to Sleephead.

Two friends are in the playground with their children who are the best of friends. They go off to play hide and seek, with Maria set to watch them. Maria takes a moment to catch her breath and a cigarette and takes her eye off them.

She hears a scream, Cat (Kieron's mum) comes running and Maria's son Josh reappears but not Cat's son. He is nowhere to be found.

DI Tom Thorne teams up with Russel Brigstock in this, one of his first, cases. We are also introduced to the likeable larrakin pathologist Phil Hendricks.

Kate's brother is murdered not long after her Uncle has also been murdered. And why does it appear that he has been murdered by someone who appeared to be chained up in his basement.

Detective AJ Janek is on the case and reveals that she already knew Kate's brother. She also has a connection with the author of a book called A Brief History of Evil.

Journalist Jack McEvoy is back.

It's been a few years now since The Poet and a couple of best sellers and he's now working for online company Fair Warning who investigate consumer protection issues.

He soon becomes embroilled in a murder investigation after police find out about his one night fling with a murdered woman.

It’s Christmas time, but all is not well in the town of St Albans in outer London. The body of a young year old girl is discovered under an ice covered lake.

Jenny, our main character, seems to have had visions that might be related to the murder, but can the visions of an exhausted mother be trusted? And does this in some way relate to the death of her mother?

David Wilson is a Scottish professor of criminology at Birmingham City University. A former prison governor, he is known for his work as a criminologist specialising in serial killers.

Rather than delving too much into the horrors of the crimes themselves, this is more of a narrative on David Wilson's time working with these offenders, working out why they have done what they have done and the system that they now find themselves a part of.

Matt Calman has conquered the Coast to Coast, but also faces another challenge. And that's his fight against depression.

From an early age Matt's battle against anxiety and other problems was by using alcohol. In his late thirties he decided to take a stand against this and to stand up and fight against the darkness caused by depression.

It is a frank and heart-wrenching account and a heartwarming story of the love he has for his family and their love for him.

This memoir has been written by Diane Keaton as she endeavours to explore how her brother who was raised in the same house under the same values as her ended up on what she calls ‘ the other side of normal’.

As children they were best friends, but as Randy grew up he became troubled, then reclusive. He suffered a failed marriage and alcoholism and was unable to hold down a full time job.

Stone Barrington is a former NYPD police detective who was forced out of police work. He is also an attorney by profession. He has a house in New York and a house in England. He is living a life of luxury.

Stone by chance finds himself in MI-6 training in Scotland with the promise of being able to return by driving an Aston Martin back to England. But after a week things don’t go to plan and Stone is in a high speed accident.

All doctors are recommended to log their clinical experiences during their time practicing. It’s known as reflective practice.

After being struck off the register after not practising for 5 years Adam Kay decided to go through his recordings initially with a view to cleaning out his spare room.

What it turned into was a diary of experiences of a Junior doctor.

Naomi Pine is missing. It's the second time in as many weeks. She is an unpopular high school student and the subject of needless bullying by the 'cool kids'.

Matthew is Hester Crimstein's nephew and when she first disappears he goes to Wilde, the so-called 'boy from the woods', but he is no longer a boy, but the sometimes partner of Matthew's mother.

Hester, the infamous Attorney from a number of Coben's previous books has a large role to play in this novel, even going so far as to delve into her private life.

MasterChef UK finalist, cookbook author, and sometime lawyer Hannah Miles has come up with more creative and yummy things to do with baked potatoes than you can shake a spatula at. They range from simple, no-cook topping options like tuna mayo, sour cream & chives, and of course, the classic cheesy potato, right through to more unusual possibilities such as ratatouille with goat's cheese, haggis with whiskey sauce, and the intriguing combination of mackerel, beetroot and horseradish.

This lovely little book is mainly pictorial and features beautiful photos of all kinds of tiny homes, in all kinds of locations around the world.

From cosy cottages in Scandinavia and rustic cabins in the US, to a houseboat on the Noosa River, tiny houses are everywhere.

Eleanor leads a simple life. Wears the same clothes to work, eats the same meal deal for lunch, buys two bottles of vodka for the weekend. She's happy. But what's missing?

Gradually little pieces of her past are revealed.

This is the story of the daughter of the BTK killer (or BTK Strangler), Dennis Rader. Rader gave himself the name "BTK" (for "bind, torture, kill)].

His daughter Kerri shares her shock at discovering her beloved father was one of the most wanted killers in America.

Set in the Victorian era, Shakespeare's time, and the 90's.

This book focuses on Bookseller Peter and his wife Amanda. Peter struggles with even the easiest of human interactions. Amanda draws him out and into the world. But when his wife dies, his life is shattered.

'The startling story of Exclusive Brethren life'

Ngaire Thomas left the Exclusive Brethren in 1974 after being born into it in 1943. This is her story written against a background of potentially being sued.

She uses a mix of real or changed names where privacy needs to be protected.

True stories of death and murder from a New Zealand pathologist.

This book is written by Dr Cynric Temple-Camp a South African pathologist who moved to New Zealand for a change in lifestyle. The book talks about why he moved away from being a doctor to a pathologist and some of the stories of death and murder in New Zealand.

This book is about two couples and a child going away for Christmas together. 

The parents of the child take their new partners away with them and its a bit stressful even though they try not to let it show. 

The Casketeers, which is on TV, follows the daily life of  the business Tipene Funeral Home which NZ audiences have enjoyed watching.

It was interesting reading finding out bits and pieces that you don't know from the programme.

You don't own me is an easy going mystery.

It is the final book in the a series of six books, 'Under Suspicion'.

I loved the characters in the book and you really get to know them over the six books.

The Doubt Factory is a young adult novel.

There's a lot to love about it - lots of action, a bit of romance, and a few twists to keep things interesting!

The numbers game is about three generations of women. But interestingly enough, it’s not quite the impression you get once you starting reading if you haven't read the synopsis.

Without having read this before choosing 'Borrow', I was intrigued as to where this novel would lead and how all the characters would tie in together in the end.

It’s 1917, Devon.

After Betty’s husband Martin comes back from the war broken and haunted she finds herself living with Martin’s mother and grandfather.

After wanting an ordinary life in the small village all she now wants is escape. As the storm starts to devastate the village it gives Betty her route of escape. She leaves for Bristol and changes her name seeking a new life.

She is Seth’s legal wife, but he has two others – in the beginning referred to as Monday and Tuesday. Her day is Thursday. He is gone for the other 5 days of the week.

From the get go you want to know more. Why he has so many wives and how they all carry on knowing there are others.

She starts to wonder too.

In 2004, Schapelle Corby was arrested in Bali after 4.2 kilograms of marijuana was found in a plastic bag inside her boogie bag case. She professed her innocence.

In 2005 she was sentenced to 20 years by the Denpasar District Court and imprisoned in Kerobokan Prison. In 2012 her sentence was reduced by 5 years after an appeal for clemency was made.

The first edition of My Story was released in 2006. This edition includes details of her mental illness and her return to Australia.

Sunnie lives on Goat Island. She used to be a cop but there was an incident and a man died. That was 6 years ago.

Beau, also on the force, thinks she’s hiding herself away, but he has a case for her. The case of a missing girl, whose parents had been slaughtered and whose grandmother is happy to pay for her to be found.

An historical novel set in 1399, based on real characters of the time. Lady Despenser is part of the House of York.

It’s a dysfunctional family and she’s surrounded by power hungry men including her husband and brothers.

Set in Lake Kissel, Virginia, Terri is the daughter of the owner of a resort.

While the unspoken rule is that employees aren’t allowed to date visitors to the lake, the man exiting the water in front of her peaks her interest. Even more so when she sees him entering her house.

Diana Davies has been head of the family business since the death of her husband. She’s developed a fierce reputation of her own and faces the prospect of handing over the reins to her only son Angus.

While she slowly hands over control she keeps an eye on proceedings through his minder Roy.

John Carreyrou is a French/American reporter and received the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award for the investigative reporting, culminating in this publication of this book. Theranos a start-up bio-tech company, headed by Elizabeth Holmes claimed to be developing high tech, blood testing technology that would revolutionise blood testing in third world countries as well as making blood testing through simple technology available at chemists.

The scene is set very much from the get go. There used to be four friends, now there were three and they are all dealing with the consequences 20 years on.

They have kept the secret, not had contact with one another and not spoken about what happened.

By acclaimed Te Awamutu Author, Heather Morris.

This is Heather's follow up novel to the The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Cilka is just 16 when she was taken to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1942.

With long beautiful hair Cilka stood out from the other women and was noticed by the commandant who separated her from the other women prisoners.

Starts in Western Australia in 1960, which is full of wonderful detailed descriptions of outback Australia.

It then skips to London in 2005.

Andy Larkham is our main character.

He is late for a funeral - his favourite teacher, Mr Furnivall. His death had shocked Andy and he is even more surprised to turn up to find almost nobody there until he realises he is in the wrong chapel. But he is asked to sign the attendance book which he duly does.

Julie Andrews made her screen debut in Mary Poppins closely followed by The Sound of Music. These are now considered to be amongst the classics.

This also brought Julie overnight success and the beginning of a career that would make her an icon of her time.

Robin Lockwood is a former MMA fighter and now lawyer.

Two women come to see her. The woman’s daughter has been raped and apparently the perpetrator is in custody. They’re looking to sue. The accused is the football star of rich parents and due a trust fund. He denies it but the police have DNA evidence.

From one of Australia’s favourite authors and one of our libraries’ most popular authors too!

Her latest novel starts with Grace. To begin with she had the perfect life – job, family.

But then one night it all falls apart and they lose seemingly everything in a fire. Grace realises how little control she has had over anything to do with their life including their finances, possessions and property. In the midst of it all Lawrence has her inheritance property listed with asking her.

Set after the second world war in Sydney, this is Tara Moss's first novel featuring private investigator Billie Walker.

Billie's husband is missing presumed dead and she has returned to Sydney to head up her own agency following in her late father's footsteps.

From famed author of Gorky Park, this novel is also set in Russia.

Arkady Renko works for the prosecutor's office under Zurin, his boss who dislikes him and asks him to travel to Siberia to bring charges against Aba who his boss claims tried to kill him.

Meantime he is also on the lookout for his part-time girlfriend Tatiana who hasn't returned from her latest journalistic assignment, though this is a common occurrence.

As part of Britain’s’ mobility Anne Glenconner’s early life was spent at Holkham Hall in the company of the landed gentry and her royal relatives and friends. She was asked to be part of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the second, the links to the royals very much part of her long life.

The debutante season and her coming out did not result in the engagement and marriage that was expected so Anne was encouraged to learn the retail pottery trade allowing her the freedom to travel and interact with all sorts of people.

This is a debut novel by Delia Owens however as a retired wildlife biologist her background enables her to write with exquisite detail of the birdlife, sea life and marshes which are the fabric of this novel set in the Northern Carolina swampland.

The main character is Kya Clark called by the locals ‘Marsh Girl’ and she lives a solitary life but a rich life with the wildlife around her providing the essentials for food and nourishment.

Jack and his two sisters are sitting in a stifling hot car even though the windows are down. Their mother has told them to wait there until she returns. She tells them that Jack, 11, is in charge and she won’t be long. His sisters are 9 and 2.

Ten minutes turns into 10 hours, and Jack makes the decision to leave the car with his sisters in tow to look for their mother.

This story is a continuation of the Millenium series. This is number 6 in the series.

Lisbeth Salander is the girl with the dragon tattoo. She has disappeared and she’s told no one where she is. She's sold her apartment in Stockholm but she’s still keeping an eye on it from afar.

She’s trying to stay one step ahead, and still has the feeling that she is being watched despite covering her tracks. And she wants to strike before the enemy strikes first.

This is a story about a Father’s quest to rescue his daughter from a downward spiral into drugs and other outside influences.

His daughter Paige had left home 6 months prior after being asked to leave. Simon had been on the hunt for her since without his wife’s knowledge.

There was Paige before she had met Aaron and Paige now.

A mystery surrounding Stephanie Plum and her Grandma Mazur's dead (new) husband doesn't sound like a laugh a minute. But it was.

Grandma married a mob wise guy who died 45 minutes later and the mob wants his keys back.

The wise guys think Grandma has the keys, bad stuff happens and Stephanie's mum irons and drinks her 'iced tea' a lot.  

As the cover states this is the story of what happened to MH17 over Ukraine and the lives of those who were on board.

MH17 was the second Malaysian airlines flight to be struck with disaster in 2014. This came 4 months after MH370 went missing (and is still yet to be found).

MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed when the plane came down. The deceased covered 10 nationalities, including one New Zealander. The bodies of some of the passengers have never been recovered.

This is a Bosch and Ballard detective thriller.

Bosch is loosely holding on to his connection with the force with a reserve officer status. He has also recently had an operation on his knee and has been diagnosed with an on the job illness. Ballard is working the night shift and sleeping on the beach during the day in her tent when she does take the time to sleep.

Also published as 'The love letter'.

Lucinda Riley started this novel in 1998 at a time when the monarchy was at an all time low following the death of Diana and then when it was due for release promotions and orders of what was then titled Seeing Double were cancelled.

Riley and her publisher decided on republishing following her recent success and changed the name. She stresses in her opening that it is a work of fiction.

Growing up Zoe is affected by the early death of her younger sister Rose which also tears her family apart.

Zoe moves on, does well at school, marries and then has a child of her own. But how will her childhood affect how she raises her child and what troubles will she face?

This is an historical fiction novel set in London and Australia from the 1940s to the 1960s.

It has been inspired by true events with a mother and son torn apart by the war.

This is the tragic true story about one of Australia's and US's worst predators and serial killers dating back to the early 1960s.

Christopher Wilder managed to evade police in both countries despite using the same modus operandi. He evaded capture for over 20 years.

This is a standalone mystery story set in 1998 in the historic city of Lichfield in Staffordshire and its waterways.

Our main character, Chris is a struggling council officer whose life is about to change.

It's a year after her husband Leo's death and Daisy decides to invite her three adult children to Venice (Leo's home town) for a holiday.

All the children are trying to put on a brave face but they are all hiding the true state of affairs.

This is the story of Pablo Escobar, the infamous Columbian druglord and narcoterrorist.

It is a story from the inside, told from his partner of 16 years Victoria Eugenia Henao.

An historical fiction based in Victorian London in 1850.
The story starts an art exhibition which is being built in Hyde Park.

Life long friends, Maggie, Fran and Rose are turning 60 and want to retrace the steps they took forty years before while backpacking through Europe.

Set in Cornwall. The village is saying goodbye to its parish vicar and his wife.
Newcomer, Reverend Angela Whitehorn wants to make a difference and with her husband wants to shake things up a bit.

Set in Cornwall. Flora is our main character. She is a single mother, divorced for 17 years but is still madly in love with her ex-husband, even though he has been happily married to his second wife for 15 years.

This is about the lives of three women from different continents and how their lives end up influencing each others in the most remarkable and unexpected of ways.

Don’t be swayed by the title, this is a psychological thriller.
Set in London a new resident, Alice, moves into number 1 in the street. Lucy is our main character and becomes instantly paranoid after their first meeting. Perhaps she had an inkling of what was to come.

US trained surgeon Joshua Mezrich, who after training, started transplantation research at Massachusetts General. He is now in Madison performing transplants and running a basic lab studying the immune system.

This is actually a collection of poetry from this young New Zealand author.
How I get ready is just one of the many poems.

This book is divided into two parts – part 1 is a history of Sir Jon’s career. The second is a collection of his thoughts on how he has done things over the years so it might be of use to performers of the future.

This is the story of solitary Icelandic sheep farmer Heida who at age 23 returned home to look after her parent’s farm. She has also been a police officer and a teacher. She has a flock of 500 sheep in remote Icelandic highlands set under the volcano Katla.

This is a true story from the early 1900s in Australia. The husband and wife are found dead lying next to each other in an upstairs room in their house. They have four children at the time.

This is a debut novel from American author Juliet Grames. Stella’s name means lucky star, but her life story is anything but!

It’s the early 80s in Australia. This is the story of discovery for four women who soon become friends.

The setting is Austria in 1933. Hedy Kiesler is a stunning theatre actress. Based on the true story of Hedy Lamarr.

Sometimes a second chance is your only hope. This is the second novel in the End of Forever saga – the first being The Tiger Catcher.
This is the story of Julian and Josephine.

Set in Australia, this is a mystery/thriller where the key character is Abby who is a journalist.

Debut novel by UK writer Holly Watt. This is a detective thriller here which follows reporter, Casey Benedict.