This Month's hot read - The Second Son by Lorraine Peck
When Ivan Novak is shot dead putting out his rubbish bins in Sydney’s western suburbs, his family wants revenge, especially his father Milan, a notorious crime boss. It’s a job for the second son, Johnny.
Johnny is loyal to the family “business" but he loves his wife Amy and their son Sasha; and Amy is about to deliver her ultimatum: either the three of them escape this wave of killing and retribution or she will leave, taking Sasha.
Believing he can keep both his father and Amy safe, Johnny plans the heist of a lifetime and takes a huge risk. But will it pay off?
This is a tense and fast-paced debut novel with really well developed and complex characters.
Highly recommended and available now from Malcolm’s Takenote Mairangi Bay
Islands of Mercy by Rose Tremain
Rose Tremain is a highly distinguished author, recognised for her historical fiction.
“Islands of Mercy" is set in the 19th century and considers the familiar Tremain themes of desire, purpose, the elusive rewards of art and the small acts whose consequences ripple outwards.
Set between Dublin, Bath, London, Paris and Borneo, this beautifully written story follows an extraordinary young woman, Jane, renowned for her nursing skills, who is convinced that some other destiny awaits her.
Jane’s quest for an altered life takes her to a future she never imagined, linking her endeavours to those of an eccentric British ‘rajah’ on the wild island of Borneo.
This is a novel that ignites the senses and is beautifully evocative of the time period it is set in.
Available now from Malcolm’s Takenote Mairangi Bay
The Champagne War by Fiona McIntosh
This is the heart-stopping new novel from best-selling author Fiona McIntosh, set between the killing fields of Ypres and the sun-kissed vineyards of rural France.
Sophie is a fifth generation Champenoise. Her husband Jerome heads off to war promising to be home by Christmas; however as the war drags on he is assumed to be dead. While Sophie battles to keep her vineyard going she sets up an underground hospital and her feelings for her heroic husband are tested . This is an absorbing read, perfect for the holidays!
Available now from Malcolm’s Takenote Mairangi Bay
What We’ll Build by Oliver Jeffers
This is the beautiful new book from the internationally acclaimed picture-book creator and visual artist Oliver Jeffers.
A father and daughter set about laying the foundations for their life together. Using their own special tools, they get to work, building memories to cherish, a home to keep them safe and love to keep them warm.
This is a rare and enduring story about a parent’s boundless love, life’s endless opportunities and all we need to build a future together.
Highly recommended and available now at Malcolm’s Takenote Mairangi Bay
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Texas, 1934. Elsa Martinelli had finally found the life she’d yearned for: a family, a home and a livelihood on a farm on the Great Plains. But when drought threatens all she and her community hold dear, Elsa’s world is shattered to the winds.
Fearful of the future, when Elsa wakes to find her husband has fled, she is forced to make the most agonising decision of her life: fight for the land she loves, or take her children west to California in search of a better life. Will it be the land of milk and honey? Or will their experience challenge every ounce of strength they possess?
From the overriding love of a mother for her children, to the value of female friendship and the ability to love again – against all odds – Elsa’s incredible journey is a story of survival, hope and what we do for the ones we love.
