Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: General

  • Saving Christmas at the Highland Repair Shop

    Saving Christmas at the Highland Repair Shop

    If you are in need of a seriously feel good story, full of people who care, a gentle loving storyline and a very happy ending Saving Christmas at the Highland Repair Shop is most definitely the book for you.

    Returning to the Cairngorms, to the little village of Cairn Dhu, gateway to the Cairngorm National Park, home to the slowly failing and falling into disrepair Cairn Dhu ski centre, we discover Hamish Skelton is at his wits end as the snow has not fallen, the people are all heading to the newer, classier resort further along the valley and he is facing an audit with almost definite closure on 25 December.

    Florrie Norheim has been sent by her father to do a report on the ailing business which she sees is a chance to get to know her father better; a man who broke not only her mother’s heart, but hers when he choose business over them when she was a small girl.

    She arrives in Cairn Dhu in the middle of the ‘Christmas Office Party’ lunch service, discovering she did not have a reservation the prestigious Cairn Dhu Hotel. She is now facing the fact she has nowhere to stay, she is tired, hungry, upset, has little or no phone reception and the rain is sneaking down inside her winter jacket.

    Meanwhile Rhoda Gifford, from the wonderful Repair Shop café is gently reminiscing about a time when she was young, in love and enjoying life riding down the hills of the Cairn Dhu ski centre on a new red toboggin built for her by the love of her life Eric Shaw. In love for the first and last time she still pines for a love that never became so much more.

    Once again Kiley Dunbar has set the scene for a lovely warm-hearted and enjoyable return to Cairn Dhu, where magic really does happen, love blooms and sometime more than one miracle occurs.

    Saving Christmas at the Highland Repair Shop is highly recommended for an afternoon out of the madding rush wrapped in the covers of a most enjoyable book.

  • Mine

    Mine

    Award winning Tasmanian author Adam Ouston has accepted the challenge of creating a literary work that flows continuously in one sentence; his second novel “Mine” has done just that. “Mine” explores the history of the destruction of Tasmania’s unspoiled pre white environment through the eyes of an aging ecowarrior, the ‘poet’, who is trapped in an unused Tasmanian mine.

    Triggered by the death six months earlier, the almost eighty years old ‘Poet’, hoping to capture the landscape with his final project, decides to write a hauntology of the West Coast of Tasmania; a work which would bring together all his other works. When looking for the Chester Mine Hut, he found himself trapped in an old disused mine. It is here that his mind starts to reflect on his life.

    While immobilised in the abandoned mine, the ‘Poet’ continuous thoughts travel to his past history as an environmentalist and that of those whose mines destroyed Tasmania’s pristine wildness; James Crotty, and Edward Edwin Bowes Kelly. Ouston through the narrative of ‘Poet’ also explores the calamitous Mawson Antarctic expedition and the Mt Lyell mining disaster; his own inevitable death nearer than he’d hoped.

    While readers will find this well-researched history of Tasmania’s early mining exploration and that of Mawson’s Antarctic ‘adventures’ engaging, some might find this unconventional style of one long sentence and lack of narrative structure too challenging. 

  • Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle

    Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle

    Told in the first-person Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle from Jane Lovering uses a time slip scenario to head back into to time between 2026 and 300 years prior, 1720, when Lennox (Lenny) and Pax, (Perdita), buy what was their family Castle, Dunaire Castle, now a ruin perched on the edge of a crumbling cliff, built in the fifteenth century by the McKell family.

    Pax is not amused by what she has gone and done; Lenny is overjoyed at finally owning what was once the family stronghold. He has grand plans for creating a wonderful Hotel from the ruins and she can only see disaster looming.

    Seeking shelter from a torrential downpour, she stands under the remains of an old staircase and finds herself sliding uncontrollably down a seep incline, only to come to her senses in another place, another century, entirely, being observed by what she assumes must be members of the missing Archaeological team that vanished from the Archaeological dig at the Castle ruins several months ago.

    What she is doing there, and more importantly why are they all here, three hundred years ago, trying to survive, trying to return home and trying to understand what exactly is going on is something Pax does not feel up to coping with or understanding.

    As the storyline unfolds each member of the team, Pax included seem to be forced to face their demons, work out what is going to happen once Earl George McKell arrives and is readying the men of the household to go to War, to support James, the man Scots truly believed should be King.

    Jane Lovering has taken a fascinating concept, wrapped it in modern trappings, woven a plausible tale based in the history of Scotland, which while entertaining falls a little short. Issues, both relating to the personal life of the tiny community are often laboured over with the finale, as that is what it is, becoming almost one step too far.

    For readers who enjoy generalised, somewhat quirky historic fiction Lost Secrets of the Scottish Castle will be an enjoyable read.

  • Winter Lights in Pine Harbor

    Winter Lights in Pine Harbor

    Pine Harbour is a chance destination for Mae Sullivan after one to many deaths in her job as an ER Nurse at a busy mainstream hospital in Chicago: he was fourteen years old, stabbed when a group of young men gate crashed his bothers birthday party.

    Her life is a mess; her boyfriend has dumped her for sabbatical in Thailand and has found a new partner and she is burnt out. She arrives in Pine Harbour just as the snow is beginning to fall, it is freezing cold and her carefully chosen jacket is not warm at all.

    When a man approaches her, the first reaction is to punch him on the nose, the second is to apologise, the third is to go into the Cozy Catch with him and eat the most amazing meal of lobster stew and garlic bread she has ever eaten.

    Welcome to Winter Lights in Pine Harbour as Jonah Sawyer and Mae Sullivan get to know each other over the coming weeks. While she is relationship shy and he is totally over being forced into a position of running the family Hotel by his mother, they enjoy each other’s company.

    As the days go by Mae realises that life in a small town in Maine is anything but boring; it is peaceful, beautiful and has Jonah there to help her find her way in her new life. Jonah is beginning to understand that Mae could be the woman he is looking for to enjoy life with away from family influence.

    Sparks fly, tension builds until the night of the annual Christmas Eve Winter Formal when family matters are finally resolved as to the future of the family owned and run hotel. But all is not lost, as there is a surprise waiting for Mae outside in the crisp, cold night air that proves once again the magic a can happen, especially in Pine Harbour.

    Once again Tammy Robinson as created a charming and most enjoyable light romance for lovers of a little escapism in their life, by stepping into the little coastal town of Pine Harbour where magic and love seem to blossom.

  • Rite of Spring

    Rite of Spring

    Award winning author Kris Kneen became aware of an opportunity for caretakers to undertake a six-month stint alone on the isolated Maatsuyker Island; this meant organising their own supplies, just the two of them! There was definitely a book in the story; the setting, the job and the characters; they had always wanted to write something that paralleled their own gender transition.

    Marine biologist and academic, Miranda and her husband Richard are wanting to rekindle and repair their relationship and make the decision to undertake a sea change by becoming caretakers of a lighthouse on the remote coast of Tasmania. 

    Recovering from a near death accident and on the cusp of menopause, Miranda was also looking forward to returning to the work she loved; the mysteries of the ocean and all that lived in it. Richard on the other hand was looking to revitalise his life with Miranda, after an affair with Janine. But will Miranda pointless comparisons with Janine prevent her from reconnecting with Richard?

    Reading the journals, notebooks and diaries left by previous caretakers, Miranda starts to connect with the writings of KJ, which reach out to her, warning her, arousing her.  Is there another person lurking on the island or is it, as Richard believes, a remnant of her accident and just a figment of her imagination; the monster of her dreams.

    In this transgressive fiction the author not only transports the reader to the difficulties and hardship of life on the island, but also to the sexual liberation and the finding of self of the main protagonist.

    Readers who enjoy a little erotica will find this psychosexual page turner filled with tension and desire, however for readers who prefer to leave lust and sexual acts to the imagination, this is definitely not the book for you.

  • The Bookshop of Buried Pasts

    The Bookshop of Buried Pasts

    It is always a delight to read a book set in a Bookshop. The familiar feelings of satisfaction happen when you are told of the smell of the leather bindings, and the books themselves. Then there is the luxury of sitting in a comfy sunlit chair to mull over recent releases of books, time being no object. The people who work in the shop always seem to be special, clever, knowledgeable and kind. So, it is with this story. An intriguing tale with many twists and turns begins to unfold in The Bookshop of Buried Dreams.

    The chapters are written by different characters, with the heading telling you who is narrating the chapter, the year, and where they are located. This helps the reader grasp the storyline, as it moves from the present to the past, between Australia and England.

    One of the first characters we meet is Phyllida. She is the owner of the bookshop and about to take her life. Her granddaughter, Lotte, has worked in the bookshop for many years. She adores her grandmother but acknowledges that Grandma has many areas of her life which are not for discussion.

    Being set in a small village in the NSW highlands, we meet many of the characters in the village who each share an in-depth knowledge of each other. The focus of the story, however, is discovering Phyllida’s early years in England. Lotte has many things to decide, as she manages the shop and her temperamental mother. However, the discovery of letters written by her grandmother begins the journey, gradually filling in gaps from the woman’s early years.

    There are a great many twists and turns in the story which keep the reader turning pages wanting to discover how this journey ends. The Bookshop of Buried Dreams is an unusual story, very credible and mysterious.

  • King School

    King School

    King School from Alexis Deacon talks about youth and tradition, telling how people can be short sighted when they follow ideas which have worked previously. The old King had died, and his replacement is very young, very inexperienced and very playful.

    The people decide a King School should be built to shape the new king into his special role because according to them, there was a certain way things should be done because things had always been done that way and he was not doing them.

    After some time of sitting quietly and listening, the young king says that the people should now listen to him and do things his way. His way was different as he took the people out into the forests, he changed the way things had always been but somehow, even though he did things his way, things almost always came out the same. Sometimes things came out even better, which was a lot more fun for everyone.

    Hidden carefully within the story is a gentle reflection that learning, and change, is not a one size fits all especially for young children who will all learn differently and at their own pace.

  • The Boy Who Drew Cats

    The Boy Who Drew Cats

    The author Lafcadio Hearn was a migrant to Japan who became an expert in Japanese culture and folktales. He was a professor who published fifteen books while in Japan and became known as an authority in these areas. This book, The Boy Who Drew Cats, is a splendid example of a folktale which encompasses many themes.  The artwork in this book created by Anita Kreitsue is superb and was nominated for a prize in 2017, which gives an emotional entry into the story.

    The legend tells of a small boy who was the son of a farmer. Because he was not strong and had an obsession for drawing cats on everything, his poor family sent him to a priest at the temple. The priest wanted to train him but ultimately the cat fetish led him to send the boy away. It was when the boy was alone, vulnerable and afraid that his greatest challenge appeared. Now, the cats became his saviours.

    The story is beautifully told and has several double page spreads with no text. The artwork is something to linger over and finding each cat on various surfaces is a delight.

    The combination of a beautiful story, told with heart, and illustrated magnificently is a winner, and a must for any collection.

  • The Private Side of Friendship

    The Private Side of Friendship

    As always, Alexander McCall Smith delivers an interesting story about people, their thoughts and ideas and interactions in The Private Side of Friendship. This time the familiar setting in Edinburgh is once again used to embrace the characters and set the scene.

    Mrs Donald has a large and spacious house with six bedrooms to let out to university students. Julie is the first to see the advertisement and immediately makes contact. Mrs Donald appoints her as the person to screen and accept students for the other five rooms.

    Julie’s friend Angela is amazed at the airy, spacious, light flat with her own choice of bedrooms. Georgia is the next student to apply to rent the room. Georgia is the daughter of a wealthy orthopaedic surgeon she is studying Political Theory and had not thought about where this would lead. Then there was Ian and Neil. They too fell in love with the house and accepted the terms and conditions both formal and informal.

    Because of the different study areas that the group have, their conversations were varied and interesting. We learn a great deal about the passions and forward thinking of them. Their interactions raise many ethical issues. As Angela comes from a mining area where the Miners strikes are ongoing, she feels that Georgia would benefit by coming to visit, help at the volunteers’ group and gain an insight into the situation.

    The group meet at a reunion when Georgia decides to get married in Scotland. It is four years after they have all gone their separate ways. There is so much to catch up on, and a few confessions to make. Such friendships as these will be long lasting and each of the former students will always hold a place in each other’s hearts. The long intense discussions over late night cocoa will remain an integral part of their years together.

  • Take Me Home to Kelsea Sands

    Take Me Home to Kelsea Sands

    Take Me Home To Kelsey Sands is a gentle story about love, loss, family and second chances as Alison learns that sometimes in life you simply must take a chance, face up to the fear and learn to live again.

    Widowed at a young age, Alison is at a crossroads in her life. Her Doctor wants to review her health, she needs to see an optician, her daughter seems to think she is a permanent free babysitting service for her twin Granddaughters and to top it all off, she needs to complete a Cancer screening test she received via the post after her last birthday.

    It really is all too much and when she finally makes her way to the Health Centre her results show she is pre-diabetic! Her beloved Cousin Rosie tells her she needs to go home, home to Kelsey Sands to sort herself out, be with her family for a while and enjoy a slower lifestyle.

    She reluctantly agrees, moving in with Rosie and beginning to enjoy being part of a large family group and close-knit community once again, well at least for the next few months.

    Meeting an old school friend ‘Mac’ at the Pub she finds they have a lot in common, are both looking at life somewhat sadly, both needing to face hard facts to get their life back on track and as the weeks tick past more importantly they find they enjoy each other’s company rather a lot.

    When Mac’s family situation blows wide open in a spectacular manner, Alison realises that perhaps she is the one who needs to believe what was developing between them was more than just a friendship, that maybe she is the one who needs to take a chance at beginning again, loving again and living again.

    Sharon Booth has captured the essence of family, community and the power of love in Take Me Home To Kelsey Sands.