Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761182211. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Kate Emery’s latest novel is another twisty teenage murder mystery with smart wise-cracking repartee to keep you entertained. It all starts in a faulty lift, stuck between floors. To quell the panic of the uptight corporate woman she is trapped with, Heidi starts telling the story of how her sister-in-law was stuck in a lift once only to find that her husband, Heidi’s brother, was murdered while a party was going on. Really? Two stories of jammed lifts? Is this a coincidence, or is there something else going on?
Emery keeps our curiosity engaged as she swaps the story between ‘Now’, the conversation between Heidi and corporate Marianne in the lift, and ‘Then’, the story of how she suspects her not-so-nice brother Felix was murdered. It’s all very funny, and puzzling, and will keep the reader guessing. A bit of potential romance between Heidi and her bother-in-law Patrick, a willing collaborator in her murder investigation, adds to the mix.
Yes, it’s another great mystery from Kate Emery and a compulsive read for fans of murder mysteries, just like her award-winning My family and other suspects (2024). Don’t miss it! Teacher's notes are available.
It always amazes me how J.D. Robb can produce a new plot in each of her mysteries in the In death series. Framed in death is the 61st in the series and I have read many of them, enjoying the characters, homicide police officers, Eve and Peabody, as well as Roarke and friends. The series is set in the future, this one in 2061, just far away to make hover cars and links sound interesting, while still giving New York a familiar feeling.
When a young woman is found dressed and posed like the famous painting, The girl with a pearl earring outside a gallery, Dallas is brought in to solve the case. It looks like there is a frustrated artist prowling the haunts of the city and picking up people who resemble those in well-known portraits, luring them to his studio and dressing them in identical costumes as he tries to replicate old masters.
As the murders continue, the team is plunged into the world of art, gallery owners, artists and models. Eve and her expert team explore where the killer could have sourced the expensive materials, fabrics, paints and brushes that were used. They gradually build up a profile of the murderer and it was fascinating to follow how this was done.
Framed in death is sure to be a best seller. Robb has authored another unique police procedural that her fans will love. It is tightly written, with likeable characters, a interesting insight into the art world and a smooth, easy to read narrative. A Q&A section with J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) at the end adds to the enjoyment of the books as she answers questions about her characters and how she writes.
Themes Police, Murder, Art, Detectives.
Pat Pledger
Every spiral of fate by Tahereh Mafi
Electric Monkey, 2025. ISBN: 9780008629243. (Age:15 - Adult) Recommended.
The Woven Kingdom is an incredible series. In this, the fourth book of the series, Taherah Mafi has woven power struggles between kingdoms, the intensity of magical power tussles, the intrusion of the devil and his schemes, and the unlikely love story involving Alizeh from the Jinn clan and Cyrus, the ruler of the Tulan kingdom. Alizeh and Cyrus are an unlikely pairing, and the start of this entrancing tale has the most uncomfortable and bemusing marriage scenario (a princely suitor waits as a reserve husband, and the promised wedding nearly does not happen). A devilish plot has created a blood oath connection between the two central characters and the foretelling of an uncomfortable end to Cyrus’ life. Alizeh’s supporters are keen for her to claim her right to her magical inheritance but will Cyrus’ presence as her husband cause this hope to wither. Is he bedevilled or worthy enough for Alizeh to trust him? Can Alizeh find the promised magic that her kind heart will wield with wisdom and grace?
The uncomfortable connection between the central characters leads to sensual tension and angst. This is not a straightforward romance - it is imbued with distress as the characters try and work out how they can thwart evil and yet remain true to complex promises.There are complexities in this fantasy world that will delight readers of fantasy, but those who love romance will also be impressed.Power struggles and personality quirks are also a feature. But it is the ‘slow burn’ relationship drama that is the essence of the story. It has its own magic. Kindness is also proved as a formidable power. Readers aged 15 - adult who have already discovered the series will not be disappointed.
Themes Magic, Fantasy, Good vs evil, Power, Love and romance, Sacrifice.
Carolyn Hull
John Williamson's Koala koala by John Williamson. Illus. by Jonathan Bentley
One of the songs which featured on John Williamson’s Family Album, Koala koala reflects all of his songs replete with the theme of family and togetherness.
This book is one of a series featuring Williamson’s songs and will be eagerly taken up by kids wanting to read and look or sing along. And this particular book shows Williamson’s long devotion to the conservation of koalas and their habitat.
Based on the song from his album, this song promotes revegetation, keeping them safe from dogs, leaving water out when it is hot and helping to prevent bushfires. Each of these is a discussion point with younger readers. This utube video will take you to the original version of the song which could be sung along with the one in the book, Koala koala.
At the end of the book is a page of information about koalas, and an outline of the work by Koala Conservation Australia. Readers will love finding out more about this animal and its endangered status, working out ways they can help them survive.
Bentley’s lovely illustrations cover each page, showing the environment the koalas live in and how it is being destroyed. The attributes of the koala are clearly shown encouraging children to look at the animal and see what features it has which help it survive.
I love the way Bentley’s illustrations bring the story back to the level of kids planting trees to help the koala. It is something they can do easily, enlisting the help of councils or school boards.
The plea at the end of the book, of bringing back the forests is something which can be aimed for.
Themes Conservation, Koalas, Environment, Trees.
Fran Knight
I am not happy! by Caroline L. Perry. Illus. by Sydney Hanson
The sight of a quokka with his plump cheeks and infectious grin makes people believe him to be the happiest animal in the world. He shows us a range of his facial expressions: sad, worried, disappointed, even wanting desperately to go to the toilet face, but they all look the same - happy. But behind all these happy faces lies an ocean of worries and concerns. The other animals push him aside to get in line, and blame him for the appalling smell, simply because of his smiley face. And humans are even worse. They confuse him with a rat, and wake him up for selfies, interrupting his sleep. And all because of his smile.
Thankfully an article in the discarded paper attracts his attention, saying that quokkas are not the happiest creatures and the search is on for another. At last he is happy.
Beautifully presented with clear larger sized print the illustrations are delightful showing the quokka in all of his moods, complaining while picking up the rubbish left by humans. But complaining about the rubbish is second to complaining about his face fixed with a permanent smile.
A lovely introduction to talking about how we view others, and how to interpret facial expressions, talking about the quokka will intrigue young readers, as they think about the quokka’s smile.
Talking about Rottnest Island too will be of interest to younger readers, and the page of information at the end of the book will be eagerly read and shared.
Themes Quokkas, Western Australia, Endangered species, Humour.
The long night is an intense, horrifying thriller that kept me rivetted to the page, unable to put it down. The publisher’s blurb will give a background as I don’t want to add any spoilers to this mind-blowing novel.
Em has lived a quiet life with her complicated mother and is now looking for love and a potential escape from her small hometown. When a masked man kidnaps her in the dark of night, though, she is drawn into a terrifying world.
Jodie has been trying to forget a troubling time in her life, pouring her trauma into her work and out of her mind. Until one night her daughter is kidnapped and Jodie is dragged back into the violence.
As Em and Jodie race into the darkness, the agony of the past rushes up to meet them. It will take all their devotion and courage to escape this night alive.
The long night is complex with twists and turns that I found difficult to work out and I was surprised with the ending when all the threads were finally joined. White’s technique of leaving chapters with cliff-hangers compelled me to continue reading in a couple of sittings. And it was easy to relate to the characters and their horrifying situations.
Not to be missed for fans of dark mysteries, The long night is a chilling and engrossing story that I could easily visualise as a fabulous TV series. Readers who haven't read other books by White could enjoy The nowhere child, winner of the Victoria Premier's Literary Awards, The wife and the widow, winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel 2020, and The ledge, Indie Book Awards shortlist 2025.
Themes Horror, Kidnapping, Art.
Pat Pledger
Claris the chicest mouse in Paris: Dazzling diamond egg by Megan Hess
Another in the series of books about Claris shows this amazing mouse and her friend, Monsieur, searching for a missing egg.
When Claris goes to Rose Bakery for her usual pastries, she is startled when a customer reads the news of a heist in Paris; the theft of a very expensive Faberge egg. A reward has been offered, and the baker remarks that getting that reward would stop him having to close down because of a rent increase.
Claris meets Monsieur and tells him that they are going to capture the jewel thief, but first she must change her outfit.
Monsieur and Claris are on the job and spy a woman acting rather suspiciously. Her stylish bag is very round and Claris spies some white fur, just like the clue the police have. They follow the woman to a rather lovely townhouse, where she gives her handbag to the maid, saying she must take it to her boudoir. Claris and Monsieur follow her but find themselves having to hide on the window ledge. They shuffle along, finding a window open and let themselves in, only to find that this is madame’s boudoir, and they spy the handbag used by her. Claris spots some more fur and follows the trail to a wardrobe, inside which is an antique safe. Inside the safe clutching the diamond egg is none other than the Cat Thief, fresh from the theft in New York. Claris reminds him of his promise, never to steal again, but he demurs, just one last theft and he is done.
But Claris will not be thwarted and takes the egg back to where it came from, accepting the reward which she presents to the baker. She assures him that his shop offers far more than pastries, and although he cannot understand her, he realises that she is talking from the heart. She and Monsieur have pride of place in this shop when they come along for their pastries each day.
A very sweet story, one in which the thief gets his just deserts and Claris and Monsieur get the thanks they deserve from the very grateful baker.
Wonderful frothy illustrations fill every page, showing the sights of Paris in the background, and revealing the cafe society it is famous for. The little cafe, with chairs and tables on the street, with a scrumptious array of pastries in the shop window, spells Paris for those who have been there, and fashionable, well dressed young women can be seen frequenting them. Readers will love Claris’ clothing changes, and look closely at the picture of the author at the end of the book, to see which outfit she is wearing.
Jess Sanders, author of The Five Rules of Friendship, has once again included friendship in her latest picture book How to have the Best School Year Ever. Set to be released in time for the 2026 school year, this engaging narrative attempts to ease the anxiety many children feel when the new school year begins.
With the catchy phrase ‘Best School Year Ever’ this book explains ways that this can be achieved. School can look different for each individual child. Not everyone can connect with a friend straight way, or complete the work easily, maybe they struggle with words or numbers, or even an activity in the playground. The author believes that by setting goals, taking small steps to learn something, practising over and over again, even doing extra learning - all of these might help to enable school to be a positive experience.
Friendship is of vital importance and there are ideas to encourage this to happen: find someone with similar interests, start a conversation with a child who is left out, someone who believes in you, and it is ok to have safe disagreements. There is also the friendship you have within. The kind thoughts you have about yourself rather than the negative self-talk. In the final pages is a valuable and important opportunity for self-reflection on the school year that has passed.
The delightful illustrations throughout this text are clear and colourful and it is wonderful to see such a diverse and inclusive school yard.
Themes New School Year, Friends, Goals, Resilience, Reflection, Inclusivity, Diversity.
Lured by the fabulous cover of Mullets, adorned with words in glitter, and with a son and grandson who occasionally have a mullet hairstyle, I couldn’t resist keeping this book to share with them. I laughed aloud as Sharratt introduced the reader to Mullet Isle, drawn in the shape of a mullet and coloured a bright green, and couldn’t wait to see just who there had special hair.
The author’s description of the mullet hairstyle is just wonderful:
The front’s short and choppy. The back’s long and floppy. Worn with a smile, that’s “Mullet” Style.
And the illustration of a smiling face sporting a flappy hairstyle is brilliant. Set against a black background, the face and hair are coloured grey and outlined with white highlighting the style. Turning pages the reader is confronted with vivid illustrations of a man, a woman, children, babies and animals, all with mullets and all with grins on their faces. Even the houses and flats have mullets and smiles and children will enjoy the surprise ending featuring a whale.
The narrative is smooth and the repetition and rhyme make it a good read aloud, while the illustrations are so good that those mullet hairstyles will linger in the memory of readers.
Mullets would make a perfect gift for people who like the mullet hairstyle, while children will enjoy its humour and fun.
Themes Hair styles, Humour.
Pat Pledger
A song for the king by Katrina Nannestad & Freya Blackwood
When I saw the names of these two wonderful writers, Katrina Nannestad and Freya Blackwood, on the joyful cover of A song for the king, I knew I would read a wonderful story that was likely to win awards. This is a retelling of the traditional nativity story told from the viewpoint of three animals who have a song in their hearts. Netta, a little donkey, loves to loudly sing Joy! Joy! Joy! Esther is a sheep who bleats Love! Love! Love! And Uzi the camel likes to rumble Peace! Peace! Peace! The three unite, their songs reverberating in towns and meadows. They believe they are brilliant but the townspeople’s opinion is different and they are sent to market, the songs in their hearts silenced. Netta’s new home is with Joseph and Mary, and she is the one to carry Mary to Bethlehem, where they stay in a stable. Her voice slips out, Joy! Joy! Joy! when a baby boy is born. A sheep bleats Love! Love! Love! when the shepherds come to see the children, and the wise men’s camel joins in, Peace! Peace! Peace! The trio are united in their song.
This is a heart-warming story that will gladden the hearts of those who read it or listen to it. I loved how the narrative vividly described what was happening with the animals and how enthusiastic they are about singing and how despondent they are when they are taken to market. Blackwood’s soft water colour illustrations complement the text. The three baby animals are the focus of the story and I loved their expressions, the enjoyment they had in singing and working together. The illustrations also brought the countryside, the people and the markets to life, while adding depth with tiny details like chickens flying and a gorgeous little cat curled up on the stable.
The message of the words joy, love and peace is an important one not only for the festive season but also for troubled times.
A song for the king is a stunning example of how two creative people can collaborate to share this message, while producing a wonderful read aloud, feel-good story with delightful illustrations. Highly recommended.
Text Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781923058613. (Age:15+) Highly recommended.
Intense, disturbing. Benbecula is a fictionalised account of a true crime committed on the Outer Hebrides island in 1857. Angus MacPhee bludgeoned to death his mother and father and his aunt who lived with them. Malcolm, his older brother, recounts his memory of events, now alone in the ‘Murder House’ following the departure of his other two siblings, Marion and John.
Malcolm’s description of his brother Angus’s childhood, his impulsive and uncontrollable behaviour, makes one wonder how he would be regarded today, perhaps ADHD, perhaps autistic. But his behaviour while annoying seems harmless enough, until the day he returns from working with shoemaker MacPherson. Malcolm himself had not liked working for MacPherson and had sent Angus in his place. When Angus returns he is in a violent temper, and struggling wildly. His behaviour becomes mad and unpredictable.
It is a strange family, the parents old and disinterested, and the siblings Marion and John simple and reclusive. At least that is how Malcolm describes them, but as we read on it becomes increasingly apparent that Malcolm is not a reliable narrator. His thoughts reveal him to be perhaps as callous as Angus, in the way he sabotages Marion’s hopes of marriage, and the way he disparages John. The only difference is that unlike Angus, Malcolm is secretive and disguises his impulses. He senses that he is not Angus’s opposite but his mirror image. And as his writing progresses it seems he is increasingly haunted and losing a grip on reality.
In his Afterword, Burnet’s research of the archival records reveals that there was little that could be done for a person like Angus. He is deemed to be insane. The only option is to keep him physically restrained in a lunatic asylum. There is no treatment; signs that he is becoming dull and despondent over the years are seen as an improvement.
Reading Benbecula is an immersive experience, entering the impoverished closed world of Malcolm’s family, following his thoughts and sensing his mental decline. It’s a time and place that doesn’t allow him any escape, though his sister and younger brother manage to set out for another life. For Angus and for Malcolm, there is only what they know, and sadly no positive outcome. Their story raises many questions about how to best care for people with mental health issues.
Stone Town is a small country town, with a history of past gold finds, but is now the centre to a terrible murder. Three teenagers have stumbled across a body in the bushland and Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti, in charge of the local police station, is called in to investigate the crime. The victim is Aidan Sleeth, a property developer who had been causing angst in the local community by buying up land to build a housing development. Two homicide detectives are brought in from the city to investigate while also looking at the disappearance of Detective Sergeant Natalie Whitsted, a young detective who had been investigating the dangerous Scopelliti crime family. As the investigation gathers momentum, evidence shows that the two crimes may be linked and Mark finds himself in the middle of a case that involves gangs, corruption, undercover police and the local community.
Stone Town is another riveting read in the rural noir genre. There are many twists and turns that keep the reader glued to the page. It is told in the third person from Mark’s point of view as he uses his knowledge of the local area to join the dots connecting the two cases. Natalie’s story, which is told in alternate chapters, will keep the reader totally involved in her plight, hoping that the police will find her whereabouts. Secondary characters, especially the local women who work tirelessly for the community, are vividly portrayed as Mark interviews people who knew Sleeth. And the bush adds a brooding atmosphere of danger, with its watching eyes, strange men looking for rare birds and mine shafts to trap the unwary.
Although Stone Town sees the return of Senior Sergeant Mark Ariti, who first appeared in Cutter’s End, it is easy to read it as a stand-alone, Hickey giving enough depth to her characters that the reader feels comfortable reading about them. Fans of Jane Harper, Garry Disher and Chris Hammer are likely to enjoy Hickey’s books, which include Ill wind and Creeper, the winner of the Ned Kelly Award 2025.
Themes Murder, Thriller, Rural noir.
Pat Pledger
Kawaii Koala: Beach Babies by Michi Mochi
Pan Macmillan, 2025. ISBN: 9781761773969. (Age:2+)
Two colouring books in this series, Beach babies and Candy pop are offered to the younger readers who loves colouring in. And some older people may like to use them as well.
Each book contains 40 single page illustrations to colour with the added bonus of learning a few things along the way. Beach babies shows the sorts of things they can do at the beach, by themselves or with friends, as a range of beach related activities are there to be coloured in. Pages of fun filled things can be seen: the family in a caravan at a beach shack, tons of balls and ball games, surf boards, beach umbrellas, sailboats and picnics. Each page brings a different aspect of a holiday at the beach to life and kids will love colouring them in, and look for the Australian animals on the pages. A relaxing way to spend some time, perhaps with a meditative aspect for older people with a coloured pencil in their hands.
Lots of pinks, purples and pastels will cover these pages as they are coloured in, and kids will love naming them and the things they contain. Older people with a coloured pencil will find colouring in meditative.
Michi Mochi ís a Melbourne based designer and illustrator with a deep fondness for anything Japanese resulting in 12 books about that country.
Themes Colouring in book.
Fran Knight
The Maskeys by Stuart Everly-Wilson
Transit Lounge, 2025. ISBN: 9781923023420. (Age:Adult, young adult)
In the small town of Naples, “the air perfumed with incense and weed”, there is a pattern to life as the girls in the park watch their children and distribute drugs from their prams. Outside the Potters Gallery, where Hilda Maskey sells her mosaic creations, dealers sit on the bench in the sunshine where information is exchanged and fortunes can be told by Serenade Theodora, the town’s glamorous mystic. Then of course there is the pub and club for more alcohol, drugs and information exchange for “in small towns words take hold faster than flames” p5. Flames there have been, as Eric Lunarzewski’s newly built house on Gayle Reynolds’ land near the Maskey family property has recently burned down for a second time. It is widely believed that drug lord, George Maskey is responsible, and the assumption does nothing to harm his reputation as a hard man even though he is crippled, the result of a motor bike accident. Service station proprietor Gayle Reynolds, Eric’s lover, is searching for news of her son Duncan who stole drug money from the Maskeys and she is sure they are responsible for his disappearance. At the centre of it all is Rodney; weasel, runt, neglected child of a dead addict mother, working for the Maskeys, growing their dope and living in the forest. Self-sufficient Rodney, reader of library books, friend of Duncan, is so much part of the town’s fabric that he is overlooked and underestimated.
Naples is a microcosm of grief, love, loyalty, power, influence and salvation. The townspeople get on with life, trusting no one. The complex characters are flawed, George, “not much of a farmer, fell into dealing”. Hilda, “everyone expected a lot of me, but I never let myself become a junkie”, people who have lost their way, acting to survive, facing the consequences of the lives they have carved out for themselves.
The shifting timeline and perspectives are masterfully managed with humour and compassion as the author cleverly withholds details, trickle-feeding morsels that make sense of characters’ decisions and relationships. I thought the ending was rather too neatly wrapped up, maybe because I was more interested in the excellent storytelling and not ready to give it up.
Themes Family, Drug use, Small town life.
Sue Speck
Whatever The Weather, We're In This Together by Jessica Braithwaite and Rebecca Ralfe. Illus. by Laura Bee
Albert Street Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781761182297. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
Channel Nine weather presenter, songwriter and parent Jessica Braithwaite has teamed with Rebecca Ralfe, a Cairns-based children’s book author and anthropologist to create a wonderful rhyming story about our Australian seasons. With detailed vibrant illustrations by NZ illustrator Laura Bee, this engaging story showcases all facets of our seasonal weather.
The bright and colourful cover and clever endpapers that capture two different seasons in the same location, are the perfect introduction to a delightful narrative about the weather and how families enjoy their time together.
I love your smile when the sun shines bright, when magpies sing in the morning light. I love your hug when thunder rumbles, clouds roll in and raindrops tumble.
The accessible text creatively flows across the double pages and reflects the weather of the day with emphasis on some key words. For example, the windy words WHOOSH across the page, the thunder R U M B L E S, the Lightning splits the sky in two.
The repetition of the words 'Whatever the weather, we’re in this together' encourages early word recognition and reinforces the connectedness of family.
The CBCA Book Week theme for 2026 is Symphony of Stories and Whatever The Weather, We're In This Together has an accompanying ballad that you can listen to on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, or most other music streaming services. Youtube clip: Whatever The Weather, We're In This Together
This is a positive and heartwarming read that will appeal to early years children both at home and school. With Seasons being an important topic in both early learning centres and schools, Whatever The Weather, We're In This Together will be a valuable resource to have on hand.
