Susan Allott

Horatio has built a new house in South London overlooking a river called the Rye. he is new wealth and is trying to impress his wife and father-in-law. However his wife dies mysteriously and Horatio blames the 'miasma' from the river, others are more suspicious. In 1994 the house is owned by one of Horatio's descendants but to make ends meet she lets the atic to a family haunted by debt. To them the house is a scary place and they feel evil around them. 2004, after standing empty for many years the house is bought by Maxine and her boyfriend Seb, they optimistically hope to restore the house to its former glory but when Seb loses his job, secrets come to the surface and the house is not as friendly as it seems.

Reading the blurb this seems to be a story about a haunted house but it is actually much better than then. The three interwoven stories are each interesting but the later two link together much more cohesively, the 19th century one seems more about giving a historic context rather than being a driver of narrative. This is deceptively simple book and, although it took a while to engage me, byt the end I was really invested.… (plus d'informations)

This story set in Australia spans 30 years with events that happened in 1967 and a return to the place in 1997. Isla Green returns to Australia for her father and also due to her life falling apart. Isla struggles with alcoholism, just like her father. Isla’s mother, Louise, works to escape from the hum drum life of a housewife. A neighbor, Mandy, babysits Mandy while Louise works. In 1967, a pregnant Louise returns to England with Isla. Joe Green, Isla’s father begins an affair with Mandy. Mandy and her husband Steve quarrel over babies and Steve’s police job of taking aborigine children from unsuitable homes. The story follows the demise of spousal relationships and the bond between parent and child. The Australian setting bakes in their summer heat as emotions flare and the police finally start to question Mandy’s disappearance.… (plus d'informations)

I loved this atmospheric mystery, set mainly in Sydney in the 60s, following two couples with their own problems. Louisa is desperate to go back to England, but volatile Joe has other ideas.

Steve next door hates his job for the police, picking up Aboriginal children and taking them to children's homes, and his wife Mandy is bored and lonely, and falling out of love with Steve.

When Louisa runs back to England, Joe and Mandy start a brief but passionate affair.

Mandy then disappears and isn't seen for 30 years.

Joe and Louisa's daughter Isla, lives in London and retunrs to Sydney in the 90s when the police question her dad Joe about the possible murder of Mandy.

Eventually we find out that Steve found out about the affair, and left Mandy, taking with him an Aboroginal baby he was supposed to take to a home. Mandy accidentally lets slip to Joe, and Joe tells the police who turn up on Steve's doorstep.

The baby dies, and when Mandy shows up to reconcile, Steve beats her to death, hiding her body and the baby's in the sea.

Isla goes back to London, determined not to end up like her drunken bitter dad.… (plus d'informations)

It is very rare for me to read a book within 24 hours. But I have, so let that fact be testament to how much I enjoyed this book.

On the surface this mystery is about the disappearance of a young woman, essentially a cold case that a police officer hushed up, brought on by the nature of her husband's shameful job.

This book is one of those rare combinations: crime fiction and a poke at Australia's history. I'd love to be able to claim Susan Allott as an Australian writer, but she is British. But she has been able to bring to this novel a very significant understanding of something in Australian history that for decades people tried to gloss over.… (plus d'informations)