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Reviews by Cloggie Downunder

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Instructions for a Heatwave
by Maggie O'Farrell
A brilliant read (12/4/2013)
Instructions For A Heatwave is the sixth novel by British author, Maggie O’Farrell. On a July Thursday at the height of Britain’s 1976 heatwave, Robert Riordan goes out as usual for the morning paper but doesn’t return. When no trace of him can be found, his wife, Grettamore
Murder in the Dark: A Phryne Fisher Mystery
by Kerry Greenwood
Delightful mystery, as always. (12/4/2013)
Murder in the Dark is the sixteenth book in the popular Phryne Fisher series by Australian author Kerry Greenwood. It is the end of the year, and Phryne, somewhat reluctantly, accepts an invitation to attend the Last Best Party of 1928, spurred on to do so when severalmore
The Finkler Question
by Howard Jacobson
fails to impress (12/4/2013)
The Finkler Question is the fourteenth book by Howard Jacobson, and winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize. There are three main characters: Julian Treslove, who wants to be a Jew; Sam Finkler, a Jew who is ashamed of Jews; and Libor Sevcik, a Czech Jew who is grieving themore
Burial Rites
by Hannah Kent
a powerful and moving first novel (12/4/2013)
Burial Rites is the first novel by Australian author, Hannah Kent. In 2003, during an exchange year in Iceland, Hannah Kent became interested with events leading up to the last execution to occur in that country. Thus began ten years of research into Agnes Magnusdottir,more
Everything Is Illuminated
by Jonathan Safran Foer
clever, even if it is a bit pretentious (11/11/2013)
Everything Is Illuminated is the first novel by American author, Jonathan Safran Foer. This novel is written in three “voices”. The story of Jonathan Safran Foer’s search, in the Ukraine, for the family who rescued his grandfather from the Nazis during World War Two ismore
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (14)
by Alexander McCall Smith
charming, uplifting and heart-warming. (11/10/2013)
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon is the fourteenth book in the popular Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by British author, Alexander McCall Smith. Botswana’s first female private detective has a few interesting cases to solve: a solicitor asks her to verify themore
What Alice Forgot: A Novel
by Liane Moriarty
Often funny, occasionally sad and totally captivating (11/10/2013)
What Alice Forgot is the third novel by popular Australian author, Liane Moriarty. When Alice Love wakes from a strange dream on the floor of the gym, she has a terrible headache, and she’s a bit worried about her unborn baby. It’s 1998 and her first child is due in 1999.more
The Woman Who Died A Lot: A Thursday Next Novel
by Jasper Fforde
Another brilliant read. (10/22/2013)
The Woman Who Died A Lot is the seventh book in the popular Thursday Next series by Welsh author, Jasper Fforde. Some two years after her last (almost fatal) adventure, Thursday Next is still slowly recovering, but when Swindon’s council decides to offset their Stupiditymore
XO: A Kathryn Dance Novel
by Jeffery Deaver
Definitely a page-turner. (10/9/2013)
XO is the third book in the Kathryn Dance series by American author, Jeffery Deaver. CBI agent Kathryn Dance’s expertise is in kinesics, and she is often in demand when suspects are interviewed. But when she goes to Fresno on vacation, in search of folk songs and a countrymore
Goat Mountain
by David Vann
a powerful read (9/24/2013)
Goat Mountain is the third novel by American author, David Vann. In the early fall of 1978, an eleven-year-old boy is on an annual deer hunting trip on a Californian mountainside with his father, his father’s best friend and his grandfather. This year, he expects to bag hismore
Netherland: A Novel
by Joseph O'Neill
an OK read, but nothing earth-shattering. (9/20/2013)
Netherland is the third novel by Irish-born author, Joseph O’Neill. Set mainly in post 9/11 New York, it is narrated by Hans van den Broek, a Dutch-born equities analyst living the Chelsea Hotel and working in for a large bank. When his English wife, Rachel takes his youngmore
Trains and Lovers
by Alexander McCall Smith
Charming, humorous and insightful (9/17/2013)
Trains and Lovers is a stand-alone novel by popular Scottish author, Alexander McCall Smith. This novel takes the reader on a train journey where any boredom is dispelled by the stories that four strangers in a railway carriage relate, stories that involve trains (both realmore
Started Early, Took My Dog: A Novel
by Kate Atkinson
a brilliant read (9/17/2013)
Started Early, Took My Dog is the fourth book in the Jackson Brodie series by popular British author, Kate Atkinson. Set some two years after When Will There Be Good News, Jackson is wandering around England, looking for his fake wife, Tessa, and researching the realmore
When Will There Be Good News?: A Novel
by Kate Atkinson
Brilliant, as always (9/17/2013)
When Will There Be Good News? is the third book in the Jackson Brodie series by popular British author, Kate Atkinson. Some two years after the events of One Good Turn, Jackson Brodie is intent on discovering the paternity of Julia Land’s son, Nathan, in a small town in themore
The Unknown Terrorist: A Novel
by Richard Flanagan
powerful read (9/17/2013)
The Unknown Terrorist is the fourth novel by Australian author, Richard Flanagan. After a night of passion with an attractive young stranger, Gina Davies wakes to everyone’s worst nightmare: she finds she has become a terror suspect. Within the space of three days, her lifemore
The Casual Vacancy
by J.K. (Joanne) Rowling
a brilliant read (8/17/2013)
The Casual Vacancy is the first adult novel by popular British author, J.K.Rowling. This contemporary fiction is set in the seemingly idyllic English village of Pagford, where the sudden death of Parish Councillor, Barry Fairbrother creates a casual vacancy on the parishmore
Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian with Practical Advice for Aspergians, Misfits, Families & Teachers
by John Elder Robison
fascinating (7/31/2013)
Be Different is the second book by American author and Aspergian, John Elder Robison. When his memoir, Look Me In The Eye: My life With Asperger’s became a publishing success, no-one was more surprised than Robison himself. When it began to be adopted by certain schools,more
One Day
by David Nicholls
a marvellous novel (7/31/2013)
One Day is the third novel by British author, screenwriter, and actor, David Nicholls. The day referred to in the title is St. Swithin’s Day, July 15th, and the narration describes what is happening in the lives of two people, Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley, each year onmore
Queen of the Flowers: A Phryne Fisher Mystery
by Kerry Greenwood
Excellent Greenwood , as always (7/14/2013)
Queen of the Flowers is the fourteenth book in the popular Phryne Fisher series by Australian author, Kerry Greenwood. For the 1928 Flower Festival in St Kilda, Phryne is to be Queen of the Flowers. Appropriate outfits and Flower Maidens have to be organised, adding tomore
The Unknowns
by Gabriel Roth
An inspired debut novel (7/14/2013)
The Unknowns is the first novel by American author, journalist and software developer, Gabriel Roth. Eric Muller is the quintessential computer nerd trying really hard not to be a dork. At school he never quite managed to fit in, stumbling from one social disaster tomore

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