Holiday reading...

I’m an avid reader but haven’t had a lot of time of late to indulge. That is until I unplugged and escaped to The Grampians for a whole glorious month. Curled up in front of the wood fire, I read more books than I’ve read all year. I’ve selected a true crime and a thriller – both Australian – to share, both of which I highly recommend. Dark Horse goes to the top of my favourite reads for the year.

*****

Dark Horse by Honey Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“After witnessing last year’s fifty-metre-high rolling fireballs, she’d wondered if the treetops were truly Satan’s home. And God resided in the water. Everything about that fire had smacked of hell.” – Dark Horse

This is my second Honey Brown book. And while I enjoyed After the Darkness, this has to be my favourite read of the year so far. I literally couldn’t put it down.

Dark Horse delivers on all fronts. There is not a moment when something isn't happening. Brown somehow manages to imbue every setting and every exchange with suspense, which is all the more surprising given the small cast of characters – one woman, one man, a horse and the weather. Simply masterful.

I also love it when a twist catches you by surprise – especially when all the clues are there.

Days after I finished reading Dark Horse, I found myself still thinking about the story. It is a rare book that stays with me like that.

A must-read.

*****

Murder in Suburbia: Disturbing Stories from Australia's Dark Heart by Emily Webb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The suburbs are where we live.” – Murder in Suburbia: Disturbing Stories from Australia's Dark Heart

Murder in Suburbia makes a refreshing change to most crime collections I’ve read that simply rehash the same high-profile cases. The focus of this collection is on those murders much closer to home, those in our own backyard.

Having lived in Melbourne, many of these shocking and senseless murders were too close for comfort. They certainly drove home how wrong the it-can’t-happen-to-me mindset can be.

Emily Webb also manages to keep the tension high without sensationalising the crimes.

Highly recommended.

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