lola bond | Lost in a Good Book

My Family and Other Suspects by Kate Emery

Published: 1 February 2025 (print)/5 December 2024 (audio)
Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd/Wavesound
Pages: 229/7 hrs and 1 mins
Narrator: Lola Bond
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

‘Do you want to talk about a fictional murder in a book or do you want to talk about the actual murder that happened under our roof?’

Ruth is less-than-thrilled to be spending the weekend at the family farm visiting the ancient GG, her coolly distant step-grandmother. With no internet or phone coverage, she occupies herself by re-reading old Agatha Christie novels, eavesdropping on the adults and definitely not daydreaming about her sort-of-cousin Dylan.

But when GG dies under suspicious circumstances, Ruth’s dull weekend turns into an enforced-family-holiday-slash-possible-murder-investigation – and she’s not about to let the police get in the way of her chance to solve a real-life murder mystery. With Dylan as the Watson to her Holmes, Ruth soon discovers that plenty of people had reasons to be rid of GG, and her list of suspects grows to comprise everyone in the house, including, in the interests of fairness, herself.

The thing about family holidays is that you’ve got to be prepared for fights.

What grabbed me first about this was the great narrative voice. Emery brings our teen narrator to life so well and engages you early on with this fun mystery. I’ve read a lot of YA where there’s 19, 17,16 year old narrators but 14 years old gives the casual narration style an appropriate age and it feels less restrictive to what voice is meant to be.

I love how Ruth breaks the wall and addresses the reader. It’s funny and plays with your mind as you piece together clues and try to guess the direction of the story. When your narrator can chime in and critique your thoughts or counteract your assumptions it’s a delightful and refreshing experience. Especially since it’s done so skilfully.

Emery brings a wonderful Australian feel to the language and story without pushing too far into cringy. It was natural and good humoured, and coupled with Ruth’s voice it was fantastic to read.

I did pick the murderer, but I was hoping to be proven wrong because there wasn’t enough information revealed until later, but I am glad I was proven right. However it doesn’t take away from the fact that the story is brilliantly told, not to mention the narration and the way Ruth tells us the story is engaging and captivating that it really could go in any direction. I would happily have been proven wrong but I am glad I pegged it.

Bond’s narration in the audio was fantastic, Ruth’s voice and Emery’s writing shining through and I lost nothing on the fun experience by listening to it. In a way it works as it felt like Ruth was telling me the story herself, such is Emery’s writing style.

Overall Emery has written a fantastic book. It was one of the top books I read in 2024 and it is funny, openly addresses the reader in a unique way while never taking you out of the story, and the mystery element is creative and keeps you guessing. It is a book that look deceptively light hearted but manages to still be an amazing read.

You can purchase My Family and Other Suspects via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible

Eleanor Jones is Not a Murderer by Amy Doak

Published: 04 September 2023 (print)/28 November 2023 (audio)
Publisher: Penguin Books/Penguin Random House Australia Audio
Pages: 282/5 hrs and 29 mins
Narrator: Lola Bond
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4.25 Stars

Eleanor Jones has just started at her ninth high school. She likes to stay invisible, on the outer. So it’s bad luck that the first person she talks to at school, Angus Marshall, is stabbed and left for dead. And the last message on his phone is from Eleanor.

Eleanor realises the police don’t have all the facts. In trying to understand what happened to Angus, she inadvertently becomes involved with an eclectic group of fellow students – who all have their own reasons to want this mystery solved.

As they slowly unravel Angus’ secrets, Eleanor discovers the true meaning of friendship – and uncovers a danger lurking at the heart of the town…

I will excuse that maybe it’s a QLD thing, but this feels very American. I’m not sure whether Doak wrote it in a way to be broadly appealing outside of Australia, or whether QLD is just like that, but it didn’t completely have that great Aussie feel I love from our YA.

My experience with our schools is we don’t have the hierarchy of popular kids and the losers. I cannot fathom how just because a group of “cool” kids went to a public fish and chip shop other teenagers could never ever walk in there any other time of their life because it was the cool kids hang out. Like, what? And why must we think being studious means you don’t have friends? Ok that’s a character choice this time, but I knew plenty of studious people who had lots of friends. Is this trying to be a US stereotype knock off to appeal? Or is QLD just like this? There is even the overdone cool kid party which is close enough to being the US teen trope too.

What was interesting about Eleanor is she bucks the trends I was expecting. Nine schools in five years I’m surprised she is even open to trying to make friends. I’d’ve figured she’d realise there was no point and know she was moving in a few months so she wasn’t going to get attached to people. I mean, good for her for not doing this, but it’s interesting. Especially in the digital age where it is easier to keep in touch, but being in a place for a few months doesn’t let you make close friends that are work keeping touch with.

To her credit, I was very surprised when the Big Reveal happens, Eleanor was quite sensible. Not entirely, but she knows when to bail and not be a hero. I loved that. It’s stupid, but I shouldn’t be so proud that these kids, while doing their own investigation as is the style, still go to adults, and police, and don’t try and save the day entirely themselves. I shouldn’t be amazed and impressed when they leave it to the adults and pass on messages when someone is on trouble. I love that and I need more of it. I got so cranky in a book because it was too stupid how the teen detective acted, and I just need these detectives, as fun as they are, to also not go so far that things would be stupid and unbelievable and ‘if they’d just told someone’. They even mention the cops may have more info than they let on and surprise surprise and might be able to do something.

I loved the characters and I loved their dynamics. There isn’t a lot of emotional turmoil and drama which keeps it light but there are still deep moments. If A Good Girl’s Guide was a bit too intense this is a great substitute. A good Aussie feel despite the few American vibes and the mystery is still captivating. A great example of small towns and needing outlets and enrichment.

With great pacing and a constant intrigue in the mystery it’s definitely a page turner. It’s a lighter version of these kinds of teen detectives which is perfect for those who want the style without the emotional intensity.

You can purchase Elanor Jones is Not a Murderer via the following

QBD | Dymocks | Booktopia

Angus & Robertson

Fishpond | Amazon Aust | Audible