All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien

The insight into Vietnamese refugee life in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta was interesting and compelling but sadly the story line did not keep me engaged.

Ky Tran, a young Vietnamese-Australian journalist returns home following the death of her brother, Denny, in a local restaurant. Everyone present at the scene claim to have seen nothing.

Ky feels the police are not doing enough to discover what happened to her brother and beings interviewing the patrons that were present.

Her investigation leads to Ky examining her own memories, background and relationships.

It is more than a mystery story. In fact, the mystery of Ky’s brother’s death often falls into the background and secondary to the struggles of family relationships, fitting into a new world and the setting making it slow reading. 

It is reasonably well written but needs to be tighter and the characters need to be more relatable

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the book in return for an honest review

My rating 2* 

Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook

Having worked in a haunted library (unfortunately I didn’t get to talk to the ghost) and for my local council I found a lot to relate to in this book.

This is the first book in the series I have read so I wasn’t familiar with the main characters Carrie and Dylan (an engaged couple), Evelyn (the library’s friendly ghost and Smokey Joe (the library cat). 

I think it works OK as a standalone story. Topics and character information from previous stories were smoothly incorporated so the reader doesn’t feel lost, but I still wish I had read the previous stories. (This is the 6th book in the series). 

The story is set in a charming small town, Clover Ridge where everyone knows each other but there are still hidden secrets. We meet Carrie, one of the local librarians responsible for events and newly appointed member of the local council. The council has purchased the building next door to the library which is being converted to extend the facilities. 

The library is haunted by a friendly ghost, Evelyn, who has helped Carried solve murders in the past. Carrie and her niece are the only ones who can see Evelyn who is friendly and charming. 

Carrie is well known as the local amateur sleuth. It is evident she has assisted the local police on previous occasions.

During the demolition of the building a body is discovered and obvious he was killed many years earlier.

Carrie has resolved not to take on anymor amateur sleuthing but when the ghost of the murdered man turns up in the library with amnesia and refuses to leave until he finds out who he is and what happened, she is forced to get involved. He is disruptive as he rushes through the library disturbing both papers and patrons. She calls on Evelyn for help to control him and help solve his murder. They call him Charlie. Later they discover he is Alex Dunmore, Dylan’s uncle. 

An irritating and determined local reporter, Julie Theron, wants to join with Carrie to solve the murders. 

Meanwhile, a secondary story involves her position on council. It is the role of the council to decide on the future of a parcel of land known as Seabrook Preserve. There are three options put to council – a high class park, development of condos or leave it as a protected reserve. A member of the council who is also involved in the library renovation is later killed. But how are the two stories connected? 

The characters were likeable when they should have been, and the unlikeable ones were well portrayed.

My rating 4*

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