Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 11 September 2025.
Tag: Australian
Quick Review – We Saw What You Started by Carla Salmon
Publisher: Pan Australia (Trade Paperback – 1 July 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 336 pages
My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars
Prepare for some troubled fun in the sun with the fantastic 2025 Australian young adult fiction debut, We Saw What You Started by new author Carla Salmon.
Plot Synopsis:
Three deadly fires. One suspect. A thriller of surf and sea.
Otto was a star surfer back in California, but now he just wants a fresh start. When fires break out in Red Sands, the locals are suspicious. It’s no coincidence that Otto’s at the scene every time. Is it?
Milly isn’t so sure. Small town talk isn’t always right – especially when it comes to her ‘perfect’ brother, who doesn’t deserve to become captain of the surf lifesaving club. What if the new boy is innocent?
Can Otto and Milly trust each other to find the truth behind the fires? And what happens when you do the wrong things for the right reasons?
We Saw What You Started was a compelling and exciting debut from Salmon, who provides a cool thriller narrative amongst youthful hijinks on a rural Australian coastline. Starting off with some immediate peril as the protagonist of the story, Otto, gets caught up in an apparently deliberate bushfire, you are quickly introduced to the small-town setting of Red Sands, as well as the dramas surrounding Otto and Milly.
Salmon effectively splits the narrative of We Saw What You Started between the perspectives of Otto and Milly, who grow close as the story progresses. However, with an important swimming and lifesaving contest on the horizon, things become complicated for both as a series of arsons take place around town, often when Otto is nearby. This naturally increases the drama of the plot, as Otto deals with suspicion from the Red Sands townsfolk, especially when his troubled past in America becomes known. At the same time, Milly, driven by her own desire for independence and respect from her father, becomes one of Otto’s only allies. The two start teaming up to investigate the arsons, resulting in some interesting moments of investigation, conflict and teenage rebellion, that play into the main plot extremely well.
The author does an exceptional job pulling together a great young adult crime fiction story in the second half of We Saw What You Started, loaded with high stakes and powerful dives into the protagonist’s traumatic past. The revelation of who is responsible for the arsons, and the big confrontation at the end, are nicely set up, and Salmon loaded up a ton of fun hints throughout the book that really pay off. Everything wraps up nicely, with the ongoing character struggles resolved and everyone getting their happy ending, allowing for a fantastic and heartfelt standalone read that did an excellent job of blending its crime fiction elements with the various personal problems of its intriguing young cast.
Overall, I felt that We Saw What You Started was an excellent debut novel that helped to showcase the Carla Salmon’s ability as a writer. Expertly combining an intriguing crime fiction narrative with some fantastic young characters and a striking Australian setting, We Saw What You Started that will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially it’s intended young adult audience, who can relate to Salmon’s protagonists and their struggles. This was a wonderful Australian novel and a great introduction to Carla Salmon, who looks set to continue her writing adventures in 2026.
Redbelly Crossing by Candice Fox
Publisher: Penguin (ebook– 31 March 2026)
Series: Standalone
Length: 432 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of Australia’s best-known thriller writers, Candice Fox, returns with another brilliant and complex outback crime fiction read that sees two estranged brothers get caught up in an intense and dark murder, Redbelly Crossing.
Candice Fox is a very impressive author whose compelling work I have been deeply enjoying in recent years, especially as she has some interesting range with her varied crime fiction releases. This includes complex American thrillers like The Chase, Devil’s Kitchen and Fire With Fire, to unique Australian outback thrillers such as High Wire. She has also continued her exciting partnership with the legendary James Patterson, with some recent releases including 2 Sisters Detective Agency, 2 Sisters Murder Investigations and The Murder Inn. All these books have been a ton of fun to get through, and I always make sure to keep an eye out for anything new from Fox, especially as it’s likely to be a guaranteed hit. As such, I made sure to read her next book, Redbelly Crossing, as soon as I could, and boy was it something special.
Plot Synopsis:
Blood is thicker than water. But too much leaves a trail . . .
Russell and Evan Powder are cops.
The brothers haven’t spoken for five years, since a violent confrontation tore their family apart.
Now they are both assigned to the murder of a young journalist, Chloe Lutz, in the small town of Redbelly Crossing (population 205).
It’s the last thing Russell wants. This is supposed to be the week he repairs things with his teenage daughter Bridie. Now he’s had to drag her on a murderous ride-along to the middle of snake-infested nowhere.
But a big case like this is just what Evan needs after a terrible mistake nearly tanked his career.
Then a dark discovery leaves Evan with only one way out; to bury the truth Russell is so determined to uncover …
Redbelly Crossing was an outstanding piece of Australian crime fiction from Fox, who effortlessly creates an elaborate and twisty read with some real-life emotional heft attached to it. One of the best Australian mysteries so far released in 2026, Redbelly Crossing is a brilliant standalone novel that had me hooked from start to finish.
Fox pulls together one of her more complex and compelling narratives for Redbelly Crossing, as she goes back to her outback thriller roots with an emotionally charged, character-driven story. Primarily told through the alternating perspectives of the Powder brothers, volatile Russell and the disgraced Evan, you are quickly drawn into both the murder and their chaotic lives, as they inadvertently reunite for the first time in years to solve a crime. Fox does an excellent job setting the scene for the main case, which presents an intriguing murder mystery on its own, and the reader is soon quite curious about who killed Chloe Lutz. This great early interest in the mystery is then further enhanced by the drama around this central plot point with the family turmoil represented by the two protagonists, which only becomes even more intense when Evan makes a discovery that change his motivations around investigating the case.
The rest of the book sees both Powder brothers working at cross purposes, with Russell doggedly trying to get at the truth, with Evan attempts to hide certain facts from him to ensure certain evidence don’t come up. This adds quite an interesting angle to the investigation, as the reader has access to all the information about the murder, while both protagonists only have fragments of it. The resulting convoluted investigation is well matched by the dive into each of the protagonists’ troubled pasts, as Fox carefully doles out the full history of the brothers and their relationship, as well as the events that led to where they currently are. Things seem to come to head with a cool action sequence in the second half of the book; however, Fox is only just starting with the twists, as the case goes in some dangerous and extremely personal directions. There is a great reveal closer to the end of the book that really changes everything, especially with how it drives one of the brothers, and the resulting carnage, emotional turmoil, and conflict will leave everyone reeling one way or another. Fox brings Redbelly Crossing to a captivating ending that readers will find bittersweet and a little heartbreaking, but which is a fitting end to such a compelling and powerful tale.
I really enjoyed how Fox pulled Redbelly Crossing together, and I felt that this was one of her better books, especially as she drew a compelling line between family drama and murder mystery. Making great use of the narrative’s dual perspectives, Fox effectively drags the reader back into her classic outback setting, while also diving deep into two protagonist brothers and the events that formed them and tore them apart. The character work around the two Powder brothers, Russell and Evan, is particularly good, as Fox paints them as two highly damaged figures, broken apart by their mistakes and the trauma caused by their abusive father, who is still a dark presence in their lives. Fox really explores their trauma and how it impacts their current personalities, with Russell a highly competent investigator who acts overly aggressive to compensate for his past weaknesses and his homosexuality, whereas Evan attempts to do the right thing, but his mistakes allow him to be dominated by his father, who keeps corrupting him. Their competing desires, and the family drama around them, drives both Russell and Evan on separate courses for much of the book, and while their attempts to do right by their family should make them better, it often leads to new conflicts and deeper sorrow down the line.
I really appreciate just how well Fox balanced this family turmoil and character uncertainty with the larger mystery of the plot, especially as a lot of secrets lie with the characters’ pasts. This focus on history and generational trauma was a big recurring theme of Redbelly Crossing, and Fox covers it extremely well. The author also did an amazing job diving into the lasting trauma and uncertainty surrounding murder and those it leaves behind, especially when it comes to these older cases. Much of this was because Fox was carefully referencing two real-life unsolved Australian murders in her plot, with many of the key details of these historic cases brought across into Redbelly Crossing. This was a bold decision from Fox, but one which pays off, as it increases the impact of Redbelly Crossing’s narrative, especially after you finish the book and read in Fox’s words why she decided to use these details. This inherent drama, when combined with the author’s twisty writing style and her ability to create powerful characters, shaped by their past and their personal troubles, helps to turn Redbelly Crossing into something extremely special that you won’t be able to turn away from.
Candice Fox continues to showcase why she is one of Australia’s most talented and versatile authors of crime fiction with her latest exceptional read. Redbelly Crossing was a complex and layered read that combined a great crime fiction story with powerful character moments, all wrapped up with a striking outback setting and some intense elements taken from real-life. A captivating and impressive read, Redbelly Crossing was a particularly strong novel from Fox, who really pours her heart into this latest novel. Highly recommended with a story guaranteed to stick in your mind.
Canberra Weekly Column – Australian Fiction – 29 May 2025
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 29 May 2025.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Vanish, Whisper in the Wind and Whisky Valley.
Quick review – Whisky Valley by Joan Sauers
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (ebook – 3 June 2025)
Series: Southern Highland Mystery – Book 2
Length: 384 pages
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Australian screenwriter Joan Sauers returns to the Southern Highlands with another cosy and compelling mystery Whisky Valley.
Back in 2023, I had the pleasure of reading Joan Sauers’s first book, Echo Lake, a cosy Australian mystery that really stood out thanks to its great use of several small towns in the picturesque Southern Highlands as a background setting. While not my usual cup of tea, I quite enjoyed Echo Lake, especially as I drive through the Southern Highlands all the time, and I was curious when Sauers released a sequel novel last year. This second book from Sauers, Whisky Valley, proved to be another fantastic read, that combines entertaining characters with beautiful locations and a clever mystery.
Plot Synopsis:
A missing violinist. A rising flood. A race against time. Intrigue, music and danger collide in Whisky Valley.
After nearly being murdered last year, Rose McHugh battles anxiety as she uses her investigative skills to find her son’s best friend, a famous violinist who is missing along with his priceless violin.
As floodwaters rise, Rose uncovers secrets and lies among the missing man’s fellow musicians, as well as their patron and her enigmatic psychologist husband.
But when a body is found, can Rose shield her son from suspicion?
Whisky Valley was a genuinely nice and enjoyable mystery novel from Sauers, who provided a great balance between character moments and the underlying murder narrative. Bringing back protagonist Rose McHugh as she continues her troubled settlement in her beloved Southern Highlands, Whisky Valley quickly introduces a new crime involving a missing violinist with connections to Rose’s son. Determined to solve the case before her son is suspected, Rose soon uncovers deeper secrets beneath the musical world of the victim and uncovers details of a troubled family.
I quite enjoyed how this new mystery from Sauers unfolded, and there was a certain amount of uncertainty and alternating suspects that will keep readers guessing until the end. Indeed, I felt that the mystery in Whisky Valley was stronger than that of the first book, and I really enjoyed just how captivating and suspenseful events got as this book progressed. This great mystery blended well with the other key aspects of the book, including the protagonist’s continued exploration of her new local area, her various relationships and friendships, including a new romance, and the fallout from the trauma of Echo Lake. This allowed for a quite emotionally rich novel at times, especially with a lot of compelling conflicts and complex problems coming out of the woodwork. Sauers did a great job building up a lot of different issues in the plot and slowly resolving them throughout the course of Whisky Valley, and you come away a lot closer to the relatable protagonist of this novel as a result.
While I did enjoy Sauers’ latest mystery, my favourite part of Whisky Valley had to be the author’s excellent use of the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales as a backdrop for her mystery. Sauers has a clear love of the Southern Highlands, which is quite evident in this series, as the protagonist lovingly describes various picturesque places found throughout the area. As someone who spends a bit of time visiting or travelling through the Southern Highlands, it was really entertaining to see the protagonist explore various locations I was familiar with throughout the course of the book, and it helped to give a sense of realism to the plot at times. These locations also serve as compelling backdrops to the crimes and drama of the story, and thanks to Sauers’ great descriptions, you can really envision some of the remote locales where murders are taking place, even if you’ve never been to this unique part of Australia. Throw in some interesting dives into the region’s history and culture, which is a fantastic inclusion to the book, and you come away really appreciating Sauers’s use of the Southern Highlands in this series, especially after how well she uses it in Whisky Valley.
Joan Sauers continues to impress with her compelling and heartwarming cosy murder mystery series. Her second book, Whisky Valley, was another great read that combined a fantastic mystery with some interesting character moments a wonderful background setting. An excellent read that I enjoyed checking out.
Vanish by Shelley Burr
Publisher: Hachette Australia (Trade Paperback – 30 April 2025)
Series: Lane Holland – Book 3
Length: 360 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
One of Australia’s most talented new crime fiction authors, Shelley Burr, provides another complex and deep read with the compelling 2025 novel Vanish.
Over the last couple of years, I have been having an outstanding time with the fantastic writings of new Australian author Shelley Burr, who has produced some fantastic and compelling murder mysteries. Burr’s debut novel, Wake, followed a damaged private investigator, Lane Holland, as he attempted to solve an infamous missing persons case for his own selfish reasons. A complex and moving small-town story about loss and the scars it leaves behind, Wake was an outstanding novel from Burr, which ended up being one of my favourite debuts and Australian novels of 2022. Burr continued this series in a fascinating way the following year, with the amazing novel Ripper (also released as Murder Town), which saw returning protagonist Lane Holland attempt to solve another historical crime from behind bars. Ripper, which was one of my favourite Australian reads of 2023, was an excellent follow-up to Burr’s first novel that helped to present the Lane Holland books as one of the more unique ongoing Australian series. As such, I made sure to read the third entry in the series, Vanish, last year as soon as I could, and it proved to be an outstanding and compelling read.
Plot Synopsis:
People go to the isolated Karpathy farm looking for a new life – and are never seen again. A chilling thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of Australian noir, Shelley Burr.
Lane Holland’s crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. With his parole hearing approaching, he faces the grim reality that an ex-con can never work as a private eye. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.
Never one to follow the rules, Lane finds a lead – a mysterious farm community led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. His farm attracts lost souls. People who want a more meaningful life. People who are hiding from their pasts. People with nowhere else to go.
But those who go to the farm seem to vanish without a trace.
Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Is it something even more dangerous? Lane goes undercover at the farm to find its dark secret – but could he too find himself intoxicated by the prospect of a new life on the land?
Vanish was an impressive third entry from Shelley Burr, who tried some interesting new techniques and narrative threads in this book to create a fantastic read. Following on from the events of the previous two books, this third book sees protagonist Lane Holland continue to investigate several missing persons cases from prison, including Matilda Carver, the daughter of his prison warden. Able to convince the warden to help him investigate the disappearance in person, Lane is transferred to the Karpathy farm as part of a work-release program, the last place where Matilda was seen and the location where many other people seem to disappear from.
Arriving at the farm, Lane discovers an unusual community of outsiders who have found an unlikely home at the Karpathy property. However, the more Lane digs, the more secrets he uncovers as he attempts to work out the supposedly sinister truth behind the farm and its owners, as well as the people who have gone missing from it. This central mystery is made even more complicated when Lane discovers the secondary protagonist of Vanish, Mina McCreery, secretly living at the farm. The woman who Lane went to prison to protect, Mina was a great addition, especially as there are a lot of unresolved issues and drama between the two. Forced to work together to investigate separate missing persons cases at the same location, Lane and Mina once again form an unlikely and chaotic team that was a real joy to follow.
The resulting second half of Vanish was awesome, with a range of compelling twists, red herrings and near-death experiences for the protagonist. Burr produced a particularly emotional heavy narrative for Vanish, which focused more on Lane as a character, while also providing a more subtle mystery related to perceptions and people’s choices. The reader is constantly left guessing about whether the residents of the Karpathy Farm are a dangerous cult, which helps to cloud who the actual villain of the story is. There was also a great, slow build of tension through the plot, which comes to a fantastic and thrilling head near the conclusion of the book. The various final reveals of Vanish were quite clever, and this ended up being a very satisfying standalone mystery that way. Burr also expertly resolved several ongoing storylines from the rest of the series, and it was great to get some closure between Lane and Mina, especially after the dramatic ending of the first book. There was a certain finality to Vanish that made me feel that this was going to be the last entry in this series, and if this is the case I’d be fine with that, especially as the protagonist finally got a happy ending.
I felt this third Lane Holland book came together extremely well, especially as Burr has continued to experiment with her different writing styles. This included telling most of the book from Lane’s perspective, rather than splitting focus between another side character, which allowed the reader to get closer to the protagonist, while also being influenced by his take on events. I liked how this change in perspective allowed for a much more emotionally rich narrative, and there is a certain uncertainty at times about whether a crime has taken place, as Lane keeps finding hidden secrets and dead-ends. However, thanks to a series of short inclusions from a mystery character in distress, the reader is slyly aware that there is more going on, and I really appreciated Burr’s subtlety, as well as the clever explanation behind this hidden figure. I also enjoyed how well Burr tied Vanish’s narrative back to the events of the first book, and fans of the series get some excellent closure here, while still allowing Vanish to be a mostly standalone book. All this leads to a pretty excellent read, and it was one I was glad I checked out.
With another clever and powerful mystery, Vanish continues to showcase Shelly Burr’s fantastic skill as a rising Australian mystery writer. A wonderful third entry in a truly compelling series, Vanish was an excellent read I had a great time getting through. Highly recommended for both existing fans of Burr, and those readers looking for a unique Australian mystery.
Canberra Weekly Column – Australian Fiction – 3 July 2025
Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 3 July 2025.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Sins of the Fathers and Broke Road.
Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes
Publisher: Macmillan (Trade Paperback – 1 July 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 399 pages
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
A rising author in the field of Australian drama and historical fiction, John Byrnes, had a very interesting book back in 2025 that I have been meaning to review for a while, Sins of the Fathers.
Byrnes is a relatively new Australian author whose work I have been rather enjoying in recent years. Byrnes career started back in 2023 with his cool thriller Headland, a compelling modern crime fiction novel with some interesting dramatic twists around it. Headland ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2023, and I made sure to read his next novel, the historical saga The Youngest Son (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2024). It looks like Byrnes intends to continue his focus on Australian historical epics going forward, as his third book was the intriguing and exciting novel from last year, Sins of the Fathers, which followed several compelling characters through several major events of the 1910s.
Plot Synopsis:
In 1910s Australia, the sins of the fathers leave behind a bloody legacy in this historical epic saga, perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders.
Two fathers, their sons and the feud that binds them.
In the early years of the twentieth century, Billy and Tommy Smith are growing up on the mean streets of Sydney’s Millers Point. It’s a hungry, hard-scrabble life, made even worse when their violent father returns home from a long stint in prison.
In the wealthy eastern suburbs, Charles Davies is living an entirely different life, the beneficiary of his father’s business acumen and insatiable, unyielding greed. Charles wants for nothing – except perhaps his father’s approval.
When an incident on The Point leads to the deaths of both Charles’ and the Smith boys’ fathers, a hatred is born that will follow the three men through their lives. In an epic saga taking them from Sydney to Gallipoli and the killing fields of France in World War I, to the melting pot of Darwin and the opal fields at Lightning Ridge, the men’s paths all lead to one final revenge.
But in the end, what price must be paid for the sins of the fathers?
Sins of the Fathers was a very good historical fiction read that thrusts several damaged youths into the grinder of early 20th century Australian history. Starting off strong, the book primarily begins in early 1910, when violent father of Billy and Tommy Smith is released from prison back into their already hard lives. As the Smith children attempt to survive in harsh poverty, their lives take a dangerous spin when their father is murdered, and the evidence points to crooked businessman Arthur Davies, who soon also dies. This leads to a life-long, mostly one-sided feud between the Smiths and the spoiled son of Davies, Charles, who is determined to get revenge for the slights against him. This revenge plot also extends to the Smith’s young neighbour Angeline, who serves as a love interest to Tommy throughout the book.
After these early chapters, the plot of Sins of the Fathers keeps jumping ahead every couple of years, with the protagonists examining some key historical events that impacted Sydney in the early 1910s. Naturally, this leads to the three male characters of the book getting enlisted in the Australian Army for World War I, with the Smiths and Charles Davies eventually ending up on the same battlefield, with disastrous results for all involved. At the same time, Angeline remains in Sydney and serves as an interesting fourth point-of-view character, as she uses her business acumen to survive and gain status. Back in Europe, the three male characters are eventually separated and start making their own way in the world in their own standalone adventures. The exception is Davies, who continues to attempt to get revenge and gain money by attacking his apparent rivals. Byres explores some interesting different historical locales and periods throughout the second half of Sins of the Fathers, with some intense and exciting adventures befalling the cast. Everything eventually leads up to all the characters reuniting towards the end of the book, as the protagonists attempt to overcome one last plot from Davies. The end result is a very compelling and intense standalone narrative, that drags you in with its fun characters and cool historical content.
At this point Byrnes has settled well into the historical fiction groove, producing a complex and layered narrative across several entertaining characters. Making good use of a split between four key characters, Byrnes did an excellent job exploring the turbulent 1910s in Sins of the Fathers, with some great dives into key elements of early Australia and World War I. This exploration of this crucial decade served as a captivating backdrop to the personal narratives of the four main characters, and the mixture of personalities and their separate struggles allows for a highly enjoyable read.
The resulting narrative is loaded with action, adventure and some excellent examples of personal determination, which allows for a very fast-paced read. I also loved the thrilling intrigue that surrounds the book’s antagonist, Charles Davies, who is a devious and entertaining brat incapable of taking responsibility for his actions. Byrnes did such a good job creating another repellent villain here with Davies, and watching his various schemes against the protagonists and others really amps up the stakes of the book as the reader is eager to see him fail. I frankly had the most fun with Davies’s various chapters, and it was an entertaining foil to perspectives of the more likeable protagonists. Throw in some interesting twists about the death of the Smith’s father and the resulting rivalry between them and Davies, and the entirety of Sins of the Fathers plot really comes together into a clever and deeply personal historical journey.
Overall, I was quite impressed with John Byrnes’s second dive into the historical fiction genre, and Sins of the Fathers proved to be a strong and highly exciting piece of Australian fiction that you could really sink your teeth into. An addictive epic that expertly showcased some key Australian moments and locations in the 1910s, Sins of the Fathers was a great read, and I am excited for whatever historical adventure Byrnes comes up with next.
Quick Review – Barren Cape by Michelle Prak
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia (ebook – 2 April 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 352 pages
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Australian author Michelle Prak takes aim at a serious issue in Australian society, with her intriguing standalone thriller, Barren Cape, a great book I had the pleasure of reading in early 2025.
Plot Synopsis:
An abandoned resort seems the perfect place to hide, but is Barren Cape a refuge or a trap?
Former housemates Mac and Erika are homeless.
Well, Erika is fine, she just has to live with her parents until she can find another rental. Mac’s situation is much worse – family isn’t an option and she’s surfing the couches of her increasingly exasperated friends.
Driving around one lonely afternoon, Mac discovers Barren Cape. Once destined to be a luxury escape, now it’s just wire fence and grey cement. It’s stark, but quiet. There’s no harm in staying here a little while …
From the bestselling author of The Rush, this is the chilling result of people pushed to the fringes of society and forced to make unthinkable choices.
Barren Cape was a very compelling read from Prak that combines a cool thriller narrative with an interesting look at the current dire housing situation in Australia. Set around the city of Adelaide, Barren Cape follows three separate protagonists, including roommates Mac and Erika who find themselves homeless after losing their rental, and young teen Brex, whose family life forces her to leave home and try to find alternate accommodation.
All three point-of-view characters are eventually drawn towards the abandoned building development of Barren Cape, whose cement rooms appear to be the perfect place to hang out while the protagonists try to find their separate ways in life. However, the interactions between the three protagonists leads to a great layer of drama within the plot, which is thrown into overdrive when another resident of Barren Cape is discovered. This leads to a dark, conflict laden second half of Barren Cape, which only gets worse with every single mistake and bad decision the protagonists make. Prak constantly twists the story around, ensuring that you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and resulting in a complicated ending, where the characters try to move on to better things after experiencing some trauma.
I felt that Barren Cape came together extremely well, especially when it came to the author’s compelling examination of Australia’s housing crisis and its impacts. Showcasing various levels of the struggle in one city, Prak paints a pretty desperate picture around the lack of accommodation for vulnerable people, enough so that camping out an isolated and abandoned building site seems like a reasonable option. I really appreciated how Prak explored the characters’ desperation around this key issue, and the lengths they will go to maintain even this level of housing security. The drama that flows from this desperation, which includes some characters even overlooking murder, is intense, and its connection to a real issue ensures that all the character’s struggles are quite relatable.
One issue I had with Barren Cape was that parts of this narrative weren’t as exciting as I had hoped, with the plot mostly resolving around interactions between relatively normal characters. However, I think that this perceived lack of excitement was more on me as I was expecting a horror/slasher story, with some dangerous figures stalking the protagonists. It did feel that Prak was setting that up at times, especially with a scene around a dangerous group on the beach and a stalker for one of the characters, two story elements that never really went anywhere. One scene where a female character, who spends most of the book bodybuilding at the gym, was wrestled down by children, also took me out of the plot a little, although it led to some interesting follow-up moments. Still, the rest of the book with its complex interactions and clever take on a major modern issue helped to balance these issues out, and I ended up having a good time with this compelling novel.
Overall, Barren Cape was an excellent Australian novel from Michelle Prak, who produced an interesting and thought-provoking read. Moving, intense and diving into something that is causing a lot of concern in modern Australia, Barren Cape is well worth a read, and I’ll be curious to see what Prak writes next.
Quick Review – Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (ebook– 18 February 2025)
Series: Standalone
Length: 464 pages
My Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Prepare for magic and drama with the young adult, dark academia novel from the always entertaining Lili Wilkinson, Unhallowed Halls. Wilkinson is a pretty awesome Australian author, who has previously wowed me with some complex and memorable young adult novels, including the twisted The Erasure Initiative and the very impressive After the Lights Go Out. Unhallowed Halls was an interesting new novel from Wilkinson that followed a young protagonist who finds herself enrolled in a mysterious and isolated English boarding school.
Plot Synopsis:
A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.
Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.
Agathion is everything Page has ever a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.
Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.
Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.
Unhallowed Halls is a great and compelling novel that quickly enchants you with its quirky mysteries and dark young adult content as the author produces her own take on the dark academia narrative. Wilkinson builds a great initial mystery around the secrets of the academy as the protagonist initially tries to understand the underlying weirdness of the place, which includes mysterious disappearances, strange professors, and even a demonic pig that seems to have it out for her. Things inevitably take a dark turn as the protagonist tries to work out who to trust, and the author does an amazing job building tension as you get closer to the reveal of what’s really going down in Agathion.
While I had fun with the first half of Unhallowed Halls, especially with its great gothic themes and slowly building dread, I must admit that it didn’t do a lot to stand out from other young adult novels set in mysterious school settings. However, a great and well built-up twist that reveals the plot of the antagonists, and an intriguing attempt to fight back against it, helped to enhance the overall narrative of this book, allowing for a very exciting second half. There were some great stakes for the characters here, as well as some truly dark moments related the compelling background fantasy elements. Readers come away quite satisfied with the result, and this worked out to be an excellent read.
Thanks to the clever storytelling of Lili Wilkinson, who excels at crafting intense and compelling young adult novels that can easily be enjoyed by readers of all age ranges, Unhallowed Halls proved to be an outstanding standalone novel. Featuring a cool story, a great setting, and some very dark moments, Unhallowed Halls is a fantastic 2025 novel to check out, especially if you like twisty, gothic reads with intriguing young protagonists.