Jessica, Norah and Alicia all become sisters after ending up in the same foster home, Wild Meadows. All these years later, a body has been found under the house and the police are wanting to speak to them.
Jessica, now a professional organiser accused of stealing from her clients, had tried so hard to please her foster mother, Miss Fairchild.
Norah, known for her fiery temper, is already on probation when she punches a date in the face.
Alicia ended up at the foster home when her grandmother went into hospital, and now is a case worker.
As the story tracks through the women’s lives now and their time living under Miss Fairchild’s roof, the question is do they know who the victim is and could they have been somehow responsible.
The characterisation in this novel was superb – from the malevolent foster mother to the sisters dealing in their own way to the years of abuse. It’s quite the cracking read.
Pippa has recently moved to a cliffside cottage in Portsea with husband Gabe and daughters Freya and Asha. The Drop is a suicide spot and Gabe has become a local hero for talking down seven people.
However, this time he was unable to save the woman but the story he tells the police doesn’t match what Pippa saw. Why would he lie?
This was a gripping read which kept me up well past my bedtime. It is rare for me to read a book where surprise after surprise unfolds every few chapters so that’s why this one impressed me so much. Expect the unexpected.
Tully and Rachel are not impressed when their doctor father tells them that he is marrying his new girlfriend, Heather. Not only is she around their age, he is still technically married to their mum Pam who has dementia.
From the explosive wedding opening narrated by a mystery guest, this book hooked me right in. The characters have many issues to deal with – from Tully’s shoplifting habit and Heather’s traumatic background to the reason behind Rachel’s reluctance to date. Amid the lost memories, painful memories and false memories is a compelling read that will leave you with questions – even after the ending!
Fern loves working at a library but takes care not to divert from her regular routine or get overstimulated because she has a sensory processing disorder. Luckily, her twin sister, Rose, is always on hand to protect her. So when she finds out that Rose can’t have a baby, Fern decides to have one for her. And that’s where Wally comes in, a guy who has left the mainstream lifestyle behind to live in a van.
This was a compelling read that became even better in the second half, and kept me engrossed until I finished it in a single sitting. Through Rose’s journal, the story details the difficult childhood the sisters endured because of their mother and also slowly reveals what actually happened when a boy drowned.
Fern was a wonderfully drawn character with a way of dealing with people that draws you in and helps you understand the turbulence she feels during a sensory overload experience. This book is another reminder that this is one Good Author.
Lucy didn’t realise her boyfriend came from a well-to-do family until she rolled up to meet his parents. And ever since that day, 10 years ago, Diana - the mother-in-law- has always acted cold towards her. Now Diana has been found dead, near a suicide note, but the police believe her death is suspicious. And with a big inheritance up for grabs, as well as several family members keeping secrets, the question is: were any of them involved in Diana’s death?
This story, told from the viewpoints of both women, gives readers an insight into the fraught in-law relationship as well as allows them to understand why Diana acted the way she did. It’s a clever, tense plot that will keep you guessing.
Pleasant Court is a nice neighbourhood in the Melbourne suburbs - the sort of place families congregrate. So when single woman Isabelle moves in, she attracts some attention. Essie has just had her second baby and her personal trainer husband and her mother Barbara, who lives next door, are watching her carefully to see if she succumbs to postnatal depression again.
Ange, the mother of two boys, has some doubts about her photographer husband Lucas, while Fran can’t seem to stop running – even in the midst of a heatwave. Amid all these secrets behind closed doors, Essie finds herself drawn to Isabelle but maybe it wasn’t coincidental at all that she chose this address.
This has all the ingredients of what makes women’s fiction great. Told from different viewpoints, it’s a compelling pageturner from a masterful storyteller. I basically read in an one sitting it’s that good!
Thirty-eight-year-old paramedic Anna has early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, like her mother, and is having to move into an assisted-living facility. Her twin brother, Jack, chose Rosalind House because another young man, Luke, lives there – he has dementia and speech problems. Otherwise all the other residents are elderly.
But when Anna and Luke forge a relationship, not everyone welcomes this last chance at happiness. Meanwhile Eve becomes the cook at Rosalind House after her well-to-do family falls on hard times. When she finds Anna’s note reminding herself that she wanted to see out her days with Luke, she risks losing even more.
This is a poignant, thought-provoking story about whether love can transcend memory loss. Told from the viewpoint of Anna, Eve and her daughter Clementine who share that common bond of having their lives destroyed by events beyond their control, there’s also a wonderful supporting cast at the care home. Definitely one for your book club.
Neva Bradley is a third-generation midwife, daughter to Grace, and
granddaughter to Floss. Twenty-nine and single, Neva finally reveals her pregnancy at seven months but is determined to keep the identify of the baby's
father a secret. Neva is surprised when a doctor friend wants to start a relationship with her and hints at the idea of starting a family with her and her future
baby.
Grace is an anxious mother and determined to identify the birth father of
her daughter's baby. She feels betrayed by her daughter's secret and is
confused why her daughter is shutting her out. In the midst of her
daughter's drama, Grace is reported to the Board of Nursing and has her
licence suspended.
After Neva's revelation of her pregnancy, Floss can't help but be
reminded of her past and a secret she has kept over sixty years. Floss'
story provides flashbacks of her past and a delivery that she performed
years ago that changed her life.
The story alternates between the three generations of midwives and their
struggles with their careers and personal lives. This is a wonderful story about the bond between
mothers and daughters. (AO)
