On My Bookshelf: THE HUNTER'S PREY by Marie E Gorman

The Hunter's Prey by Marie E Gorman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Hunting is not a sport. In a sport, both sides should know they are in the game." -Paul Rodriguez

Chilling, easy reading (if easy is a term that can ever be applied to true crime) accounts of murder from around the world. It’s almost inconceivable what happened to these women. But I think what resonated with me most about all these cases is the ordinariness of the victims, women who did nothing wrong, women who happened in many cases to simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Women who could be anyone of us.

Jill Meagher’s case in particular hit home. Jill, a 29-year-old Melbourne woman, was raped and murdered while walking home from a night out with workmates. It was a walk she’d done many times before. When Adrian Bayley decided to go hunting, however, she didn’t stand a chance.

I, like many women, have walked that same street Jill Meagher did, oblivious to the evil lurking in the shadows. A timely reminder that we need to remain vigilant at all times.

BOOK DESCRIPTION
The Hunter's Prey is a True Crime book featuring true stories of women who met violent deaths at the hands of a male. These men managed to blend into society making it impossible for the victims to predict how violent and dangerous they could be. Some of the women in this book encountered everyday violence while others experienced crimes that were so extraordinary and random that they are almost inconceivable. By reading their stories, it forces us to become more aware of our surroundings and we may have second thoughts about doing things that we once believed posed no risk at all. Stories include: 

• Jill Meagher 
• Jennifer Levin 
• Imette St Guillen and Jennifer Moore 
• Rachel O’Reilly and Celine Cawley 
• Patricia O’Toole, Raechel Betts and Jasmine Fiore 
• Lisa Harnum 
• Denise Amber Lee and Brianna Denison 
• Cynthia Osokoga and Nona Belomesoff 
• John Edward Robinson and Paul Denyer 
• Lucie Blackman and Lindsay Hawker 
• Laura Garza and Nicola Furlong 
• Sonja McCaskie and Sharon Siermans 

Available on Kindle from Amazon

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On My Bookshelf: UNFORGIVABLE by Sharon Robards

Unforgivable by Sharon Robards
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Nuns walked across the wooden floor, not speaking, accustomed to the screams as much as to the smell of ammonia. Business as usual. Except for the girl crying out and the swish-swish of black or white habits, the scene resembled a silent movie—quiet and without colour.” –Unforgivable

Powerful and poignant, Unforgivable has an authenticity about it that goes way beyond mere historical fact. The people are real, the emotions complex and deep. The standout character for me was Sister Gregory, a nun with both empathy and conviction. A nun who didn’t always agree with the Catholic doctrine.

The story summons up conflicting emotions. Sadness, because even though it’s fiction, it’s what actually happened in 1960s Australia. Admiration for those same teenage girls, who despite being forced to give away their babies sight unseen, never forgot. Or forgave.

Highly recommended. If you enjoyed Love Child, the Australian TV series, you’ll love Unforgivable.

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Unforgivable is the story of a teenage girl and a young nun caught up in the great religious and social upheaval brought on by Vatican II, and a thriving adoption industry driven by society’s fierce disapproval of unmarried mothers. 

Seventeen-year-old Sylvia, like many unmarried teenage mothers across Australia in 1966, is forced to wait for the birth of her child in one of the homes and hospitals run by the Catholic Church. St Joseph’s Hospital, managed by the Sisters of St Anthony, has never had a girl walk out the front gate without first leaving behind her baby. But the sisters had never met Sylvia, defiant and headstrong and determined to keep her child.

Available on Kindle from Amazon

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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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On My Bookshelf: DEAD BY FRIDAY by Derek Pedley

Dead by Friday by Derek Pedley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Adelaide is no virgin when it comes to bizarre murders.”

Dead by Friday is a well-crafted and in-depth account of the cruel and brutal slaying of South Australian mother-of-three Carolyn Matthews, a woman whose only crime was to be married to the wrong man.

There is nothing simple about this case. Dead by Friday reads like a far-fetched crime novel, but then truth is often stranger than fiction. The more the story unfolded, the sicker I felt and the more I wished it were fiction.

My admiration has to go to the detectives who somehow pieced together this complex and warped tale of lust and manipulation.

Highly recommended for lovers of true crime.

SYNOPSIS
He was once a bronzed lifesaver but is now a balding, overweight tyre-shop manager nearing 40, an ambitious man with desires his marriage cannot satisfy. She is 29, the wife of one of his employees; a serial cheater and manipulator, she can curl her lips into a knowing smile and bat bedroom eyes at any man who cares to take a second look. Kevin Matthews and Michelle Burgess are made for each other.

The affair begins with furtive sex in parks and offices, moving on to whiskey-fuelled trysts in motels. Their marriages crumble, his career and finances suffer and the obsession deepens. The pillow talk turns sinister. She issues ultimatums. Drastic action is needed if they are to start a new life together.

At the front gate of a suburban primary school, in between mothers' small talk, two murder plots are hatched. Contracts - complete with photographs of Matthews' wife and Burgess' husband - are issued. Enter amateur hitman David Key, who says he'll do both for $50,000. It is the perfect plan: Kevin and Michelle will escape their marriages, claim the $100,000 life insurance policy on Matthews' wife, Carolyn, and live happily ever after.

But their lust and greed is infectious; Key is instantly infatuated with Michelle, the "high-class sheila" who has hired him, and a second, parallel affair begins. When she tips over the edge into a manic and delusional state, the situation spins out of control, leading to a shocking and brutal crime.

It is recounted through the eyes of detectives, witnesses, families, friends, lovers and one of the intended victims, Michelle's husband Darren Burgess.

On the surface, it is a random and horrific crime without a motive. Who would kill a much-loved wife, mother and respected lifesaver? DEAD BY FRIDAY draws on the meticulous investigation and puts readers at the detectives' sides as they hunt the killers. It seeks the disturbing truth about Michelle Burgess - how did a schoolgirl who told extravagant lies to get attention grow up to be a serial sex-predator-turned-killer? The truth is revealed in a forensic profile that reaches conclusions that shock even the eminent forensic psychologist who compiled it.

Discover how the conspiracy and crime unfolded, leading to an inexplicable third affair, and the seduction of prison officers behind bars. Should authorities fear Michelle Burgess may try to strike again?

Available on Kindle from Amazon

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On My Bookshelf: Thirst by L A Larkin

Thirst by L.A. Larkin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Snow algae. Look at the colours: the pink algae, the white ice, the blue sky – it’s breathtaking. It’s untouched. Antarctica is like the Garden of Eden before man cocked it up.” – Thirst

The blurb doesn’t do this impressive environmental thriller justice. Based on that alone, I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book. So thank you to everyone who recommended it.

This action-packed thriller has it all: a unique setting, fast pace, engaging characters (especially Maddie and Luke), a high body count, understated sexual tension and penguins. I’d even go as far as to say it’s heart-pounding – mine certainly was at times.

Thirst is both entertaining and informative. What makes it even more compelling is that the scenario is terrifyingly plausible. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing” springs to mind. We can only hope the real life Maddies and Lukes continue to prevail.

A must-read.

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NEW: White Gold by Rachel Amphlett

A conspiracy that will end alternative energy research; an organisation killing to protect its interests – and a bomb that will change the face of terrorism...

When Sarah Edgewater’s ex-husband is murdered by a radical organisation hell-bent on protecting their assets, she turns to Dan Taylor – geologist, ex-soldier, and lost cause. Together, they must unravel the research notes that Sarah’s ex-husband left behind to locate an explosive device that is circumnavigating the globe towards the London 2012 Olympics – and time is running out. In an fast-paced ecological thriller that spans the globe, from London to Brisbane and back via the Arctic Circle, Dan and Sarah aren’t just chasing the truth – they’re chasing a bomb that, if detonated, will change the future of alternative energy research and the centre of England’s capital forever.

AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON AND SMASHWORDS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I have previously worked in the legal and economic publishing industry in the UK, and had undertaken several publishing specific courses at Oxford John Brookes University. Always a keen story-teller at school, a couple of years ago I felt it was time to sit down and write again.

A member of Queensland Writer’s Centre since 2009, I undertook some of their courses to redevelop my craft. These provided me with the skills and dedication to return to writing and led to publication success both in Australia and the United Kingdom with my short stories.

In December 2009, I decided 2010 would be the year I would fully develop an idea for a novel. Twelve months later, I completed my first thriller, 'White Gold'. A sequel is currently being researched, while a further novel is in early draft stage.

I moved to Australia from the United Kingdom in 2005 and live in Queensland with my partner, Nick, and our two dogs.

VISIT RACHEL’S WEBSITE