Hester and Harriet by Hilary Spiers
Reading this book was like settling into a old comfortable couch with a perfect cup of tea and a really good slice of old fashioned cake. The story is a mystery that begins with two 50-something sisters discover a young mother and baby, of questionable European origins, at a bus stop on Christmas Eve.... the story unfolds with a cast of eclectic characters drawn straight from a small English village/town. As the story unfolds things get more and more complicated and sinister. This is a gentle mystery with well rounded imperfect characters and some lovely relationships. Great for curling up with on a dark evening - preferably one with rain.
Details - Allen & Unwin October 2015, RRP $29.99
Black Widow by Carol Baxter
A true account of the infamous case of Louisa Collins tried for the murder of two husbands in Botany Bay in the late 1800s. Being unfamiliar with this case meant I could read it with no prior ideas about the it. The story is really well written and much more readable than many non-fiction reads. Baxter manages to write in a more novel like style and uses direct quotes from the court transcripts to bring life to characters and give them personality. A truly interesting read particularly in regard to the politics around gender and capital punishment. It made me realise just how much change has happened in the general appraisal of women and their capacities, in a relatively short period of time. Really thought provoking. I think anyone looking at the history of capital punishment or women's studies or any person interested in law and history would really enjoy this.
Details -Allen & Unwin May 2015, RRP $29.99
