Out of Breath by Anna Snoekstra

Jo keeps running away. In a small town in England she runs from her family then from art college in London. Arriving in Australia she must work on farm to meet the requirements of her visa. She finds herself in a remote area near coastal Broome in north west Australia picking mangoes but finds herself running again. She thought she had found paradise in an isolated off the grid community. But was there something sinister underneath the happy smiles and idyllic life?

 

Jo is a complicated character haunted by her past. She is both likeable and frustrating as times. It is interesting how, with each escape, her name gets shortened– Josephine, Josie, Jo, J All the other characters are realistic and clearly depicted.

 

I enjoyed reading this thriller although even with its mystery and intrigue, it took me a while to get into the story. I kept pushing through waiting for something more dramatic to happen. When it did (about a third of the way through) it became more exciting and the final chapters were particularly hard to put down.

 

I commend Anna Snoekstra on her descriptive writing making it easy to get to know, and understand the characters and to see, hear and feel the Australian outback – the heat, colours and dangers.

 

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The plot and storyline were unique and I loved the ending.

 

Thanks to Anna Snoekstra, NetGalley, and HarperCollins for providing an ARC.

 

My rating 4*

 

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The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

The Woman in the Library is a story in a story making it difficult to describe but I’ll give it a go.

Hannah is an Australian writer. She is writing a mystery story based in Boston. We learn very little about Hannah herself.

We read the story as Hannah writes it. 

The main character in Hannah’s story is an Australian writer Winifred Kincaid (Freddie). She is in Boston after receiving a Marriott Scholarship. While visiting the library for inspiration three people share her table. She begins to write a story about them in her mind. They are:

 

Marigold, a psychology student with tattoos who Freddie nicknames Freud Girl.

Cain McLeod who is also an author with a secretive past. She refers to him as Handsome Man

Whit Metters a law student and handsome sone of a powerful lawyer who she calls Heroic Chin.

 A scream pierces the silence in the room. The security people quickly lock down the library pending an investigation. While unable to leave the four of them begin to chat to each other and discuss what has just happened. When no body is found they move onto a coffee shop and begin to get to know each other, forming a friendship that leads into their own investigation.

Each has their own story gradually revealed as the story progresses. Freddie falls in love with the mysterious Cain. As their stories are revealed another murder occurs. There is another murder, a mysterious disappearance and strange phone messages. It becomes apparent one of the four is a stalker and one is a murderer.

As the main story unfolds Hannah sends each chapter to a fan, Leo, in Boston. This is the second story within the main story. We get to read Leo’s emails with his comments on the storyline and correction of Australian idioms not used in the US. Gradually his emails become stranger as he suggests major changes to the manuscript including sending photos of actual crimes. The author becomes concerned and contacts the authorities.

It is complicated but very clever, well plotted, and easily followed.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sulari Gentill for the opportunity to read this book.