jessica stanley | Lost in a Good Book

Rocking Horse Hill (#1) by Cathryn Hein

Published: 26 March 2014 (print)/1st Aug 2024 (audio)
Publisher: Cathryn Hein/Bolinda Audio
Pages: 292/9 hrs and 36 mins
Narrator: Jessica Stanley
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Rural Romance
★ ★ ★ – 3 Stars

An emotional story of family turmoil and second-chance love played out against the dramatic landscape of rural South Australia, from bestselling author Cathryn Hein.

Who do you trust when a stranger threatens to tear your family apart?

When Emily Wallace-Jones’s brother Digby arrives home with a secretive new fiancée, no one knows how to react. The Wallace-Jones are old-money rural aristocracy and Felicity Townsend is from a very different side of the tracks.

But Em is determined not to treat Felicity with the same teenage snobbery that tore apart her relationship with her first love, Josh Sinclair. A man who has now sauntered sexily back into Em’s life and given her a chance for redemption.

As Felicity settles in, suspicions are raised about her intentions toward Em’s beloved Rocking Horse Hill, the historic family property that Digby owns but has promised will be Em’s home for as long as she wishes. Though worried for her future, Em sides with her brother and Felicity, until a near tragedy sets in motion a chain of events that will change the family forever.

This has been sitting on my shelf for so long it’s a small miracle I’ve finally picked it up. But with the desire to read the connected novellas I had to go back to the start and see where it all began.

Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the overall story, I wasn’t convinced of the romance aspect. Josh jumped all over the place with his feelings, he never seemed to trust Emily, but his own issues around that probably manifested in every way. He seemed to flip back and forward a lot on his opinion of her and it was weird. And I know we need some conflict, but it has to be said Josh is being a baby a lot of the time. He is petulant and sulky but I will admit most of the time he is a pretty ok bloke or else we couldn’t accept Emily would like him.

Once again Hein makes the rural landscape its own character. The descriptions and feelings from characters, especially our narrator Emily, highlights their connection to the land and brings you into the story as they describe paddocks, the affinity for Rocking Horse Hill, and the community spirit it’s easy to feel like you’re surrounded by these hills and animals yourself.

With newcomer Felicity into the close knit family she is the centre point of everyone’s attention. The judgement based on family, the reputation and the desire for a fresh start churn away in this story as the hope for love conquering all comes true. The spurn of others and the desire to break free is strong and Hein keeps you guessing about motives, second chances, and true intentions.

To her credit, Emily constantly tries to see the best in Felicity, despite those around her who have other opinions, be it against her, for her, or uncertain. Emily tries to get all the facts before passing judgement and it was refreshing to see this approach from a main character and not a side character who tries to convince our narrator, instead she tries to tell others to keep an open mind.

In terms of twists it’s interesting that what you expect to happen does indeed happen, but it isn’t disappointing having guessed it and the exact details are never clear. Hein brings in a different angle and a lot of heart that through Emily brings compassion mixed with the dramatics. Rather effectively too given the tension and drama towards the end.

The ending is bittersweet, but at the same time there’s a weird satisfaction as well. Everyone is affected by the events in the book, no one is left unscarred by it which is also interesting. This is a Levenham Love Story, and while it is the first one, it doesn’t mean the whole series needs to be read. It is easily a standalone, but with strong and endearing characters it will be good to see what other antics and adventures happen in this small rural town.

You can purchase Rocking Horse Hill via the following

QBD | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Every Last Suspect by Nicola Moriarty

Published: 04 June 2024 (print)/04 June 2024 (audio)
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia/Bolinda Publishing
Pages: 384/8 hrs and 56 mins
Narrator: Claire Warrillow, Eva Seymour, George El Hindi, Jessica Stanley
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Domestic Thriller/Mystery
★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Complicated, driven, loving. Manipulative, irresistible, monstrous.

Love or hate her, Harriet Osman is impossible to turn down. But someone in her life has finally snapped, leaving her lying in a pool of her own blood. Harriet isn’t one to die quietly though, and she is determined to reveal her killer before she goes.

Was it her devoted husband, Malek, with a violent past? Her best friend and lover, Victoria, with a deadly secret only Harriet knew? Or the new woman in her life, fellow school mum Karen? The one with an impeccable reputation … or so she says.

Bullying, friendships and games (in and out of the bedroom) combine with envy, lust and revenge, creating a darkly twisted tale of drama and suspense where the question isn’t who killed Harriet, but why did it take them so long?

I recently heard Moriarty speak at the Newcastle Writers’ Festival and was intrigue by her new book. I’ve enjoyed her books in the past and the premise was interesting and a different way to approach a mystery and a whodunit. The victim uses her dying moments to try and work out who has killed her. Who would have a motive to harm her? If only it could be figured out before she died then maybe she could leave a clue to those who find her. It piqued my interest and I was curious to see how it played out, especially Moriarty’s discussion about having a character who was unlikable, but balanced to also gain sympathy from readers.

I enjoyed the breakdown of the points of view, the three suspects Harriet believes could be her murderer. As we get each perspective we see how Harriet has influenced their behaviour and impacted on their lives in ways even they couldn’t imagine.

One thing I love about well done mysteries is having characters who can be complicated enough to have depth and feel real on the page, but also needing enough motive and be the kind of person who could kill someone. Moriarty does this incredibly well because as these lives play out in the Western Suburbs, the almost parasitic way Harriet has infiltrated their thoughts and their lives is enough to make you think they have a chance to risk everything to get payback.

The possible motives of the characters are fantastic and I loved the complexity and unique way everything is revealed. The surprise/non surprise party for Harriet is a great way to gather everyone and I loved how it’s a jumping off point to set things in motion as well as bring everything to a head.

The representation of messy families, jealousies, fears, hidden pasts, and semi toxic friendships is wonderful and nothing ever felt false or overdone. Each character brings their history and personality to the story and you could feel their real lives being impacted by Harriet and her actions.

I loved how complex Harriet was. She is a mean girl, a toxic friend, a person everyone loved and wanted to be friends with but could also burn you at the slightest thing. She was flawed but not entirely bad either and having her deductions in her own head as she dies it gives us an insight into her motives that beautifully contrast how those motives are perceived by everyone around her. Her flaws and own short comings make her be perceived in a harsh light, more than she intends, but she is also in no way completely innocent either. Moriarty has balanced her wonderfully.

The ending is deeply satisfying because not only is the revelation fantastic, the wrap up is incredibly clever. Things you don’t think are important come back, and things that felt important weren’t or they are in a different way. Unconnected things become connected and there’s misleads and expectations that don’t come to light. All the while making you think if some things had been discovered sooner would they have made a difference? You’re never really sure and it’s a great thing to leave readers thinking about.

You can purchase Every Last Suspect via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible