Literary Brooding

  Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke 320 pages, published September 12, 2017 Darren Matthews has problems, his career as a Texas Ranger, his marriage and his personal life is on the precipice of crashing spectacularly.  While suspended, Matthews is given the opportunity by a colleague to look into the suspicious deaths of a black lawyer and a local white woman in the small town of Lark, in Shelby County. Matthews's investigation opens up old wounds, further festers existing wounds and has him questioning all he knows.   As I finished the last words of this novel, I was just in awe. Locke has put down on the page a story and characters that are beautifully realised. I was completely taken back by the prose, the descriptions, the characters, the plotting, it was quite simply a master class.  The topics that Locke covers are deftly done; you fully understand the complexity that all the characters find themselves in.   What starts as a go down, have a look ar...

The Season Helen Garner Text Publishing, December 2024, 208 pages The Season is a glorious book as Garner watches her youngest grandson mature into a man as through their share enjoyment of footy. What makes this special is Garner's honesty, humour, and insight. You have a young man moving into the prime of his life and Garner acknowledging that her time is limited. There is no sadness but a wonderful tenderness. For those who don't appreciate the fanatic AFL football fans, it is captured beautifully with the dedication and commitment to having a team on the winning side. Garner's writing is on point. Her descriptions immediately create a sense of place, and you know the characters. I really liked the observations of the people who used the oval from the joggers, grandparents pushing grandchildren, the skateboarders, and those who attended games. These little snippets are just fantastic. I just really loved the book, and I am ever so appreciative of being allowed an opportu...

Wired - Timepunk Romance #1 Liz Maverick 336 pages • first pub 2007 by Dorchester Shomi L Roxanne Zaborovsky is having a really tough time, all she wants to do is go the 7-Eleven get some stuff and go home. To make sure she is not disturbed by anyone she does her shopping at two am. So when a couple of men accost her, fight over and know who she is, well life gets even more complicated for Roxanne. For both these men Mason Merrick and Leonardo Kaysar have designs on influencing Roxanne's future and she finds both of them just a tad irresistible. Wired is interesting mix of time travel and cyber punk, with plenty of twists and turns along the way. All the characters are well developed and the story rattles along at a good pace. I also read Thursday's Child: The play by Eva Di Cesare.  No review for that one as I am still trying to determine whether it is a script I would put on the stage. I have read the novel the play was based on. Just not sure that I would want to go and se...

The Death of Dora Black: A Petticoat Police Mystery Lainie Anderson 321 pages, Hachette Australia, published August 28, 2024 Glenelg, South Australia, January 1917, and the body of young woman Dora Blacks is recovered from underneath the jetty. The Police are convinced that this is a misadventure, a young woman despairing over a lost love. Miss Katie Cocks and her offsider Ethel Bromley believe that officer in charge is looking for an easy solution and overlooking that this could be murder. Lainie Anderson has based her Petticoat Mystery series on the real life Miss Cocks who became the first policewoman in the British Empire to paid the same wage as a man, it did not mean equal treatment though. By blending history and fiction together, Anderson has crafted an entertaining mystery. The central character is Miss Katie Cocks, who when entering the force was not a young woman and the role was more of a social worker, assisting women in trouble or morality enforcer, assisting women to not...

Bunny Monica Awad  305 pages, Paperback, First published 11 June 2019 Samatha is an outsider at an elite US College called Warren, she is majoring in their creative writing course. As part of her classes, attends a workshop with a group of women who call each other Bunny. Samantha loathes them and with her friend Ava ridicules their entitlement and speaking as one. When Samantha is invited and attends one of the Bunnies ‘smut salon’, well everything changes. This is a delightful mash of the Secret History, Mean Girls, Heathers and Fight Club. Where the lines of reality are blurred and at times completely obliterated. For everything is in the eye of the beholder and Samantha is one hell of an unreliable narrator. Samantha is character who is extremely complex, and you are never sure if she is the victim or the villain. For there are times when Samatha is extremely passive and other times when she is on the front foot. What becomes clear is that Samantha is lonely, is seeking accepta...

North Is the Night (Tuonela Duet, #1) by Emily Rath  Expected publication date 16 January 2025, 592 pages, Hardcover In a small Finnish village two young women Aina and Siiri know their place, they are to help with the foraging and harvesting of food and to find suitable partners. They pay their respects to the old Finnish gods, are wary of the new God being introduced from Sweden which abhors current customs and practices. Life if not ideal but there is a rhythm and familiarity that is comforting. Rumours are rife of young women being snatched from their families and it is suspected that that the gods maybe involved. When Aina and Siiri find themselves pursued by a god and Aina is taken, Siiri is determined to bring her friend back, no matter the cost. The story centres around two young women Aina and Siiri who each tell their story through alternating chapters. Initially it is Siiri who shines through, as she is loyal to her roots, fiercely protective of those she cares for ...

Blob: A Love Story Maggie Su 256 pages, Hardcover, Expected publication January 28, 2025 At 23 years of age, Vi’s life is a mess, she is in a dead-end job, has no boyfriend, no friends, her apartment is a pigsty, she has dropped out of college and lies to her family. Life is looking pretty bleak for Vi. Invited out one night by her work colleague Rachel to a drag show. Vi discovers in the back alley of the club. next to rubbish bin, a blob with black eyes. In a drunken moment Vi feels a connection to the blob and takes it home. The blob morphs into Bob, who is well-endowed and with a set of abs. With all this perfection forming in her living room, life should become peachy for Vi, but no, things manage to go astray.  This is not a long novel but there is a lot packed in. The central character, Vi is beautifully crafted.  For she is everyone at 23 years of age, a complete disaster. That age where everyone thinks you have your life planned out, but really you are faking it until...

Neverland Margot McGovern 336 pages, Paperback, First published 1 April 2018 Kit is an emotional mess, having self-harmed at boarding school, she is returned to her island home. The return for Kit is both welcomed and dreaded. She has friends there, Gypsy and Alistair and it is home. Neverland, where the fantasy keeps the reality at bay and a place that is her refuge. Her Uncle runs an educational facility for young people on the island, who are suffering mental health issues and Kit knows returning means under going treatment. Kit is determined to have a great time with Gypsy and Alistair, drinking, taking illict drugs, pushing the adults away and living by her own rules. She does not want to revisit the night her parents died and is willing to do anything to avoid going back. Yet, new resident Rohan, makes Kit question not just that night but all her choices. Kit, is a complex character, who is struggling to find herself after a traumatic event in her past. Her memories of the event ...

  Never a Hero  (Monsters #2) Vanessa Len 478 pages, Paperback, Published 29 August 2023 by Allen & Unwin The sequel starts off mere months after Only a Monster with Joan struggling to understand the ramifications of what her actions have done. Joan is back at school, some things are familiar but there is much that has changed. People she knew are no longer there and those who have died are back but altered. One of those who is back is Nick but he no longer knows Joan and this a both a curse and blessing. Joan has resigned herself to this new world until the threats of the past throw her and Nick together. She soon realises that someone is trying to manipulate the time line and she must find a way to stop it. I enjoyed Only a Monster and found the world that Len created rich in detail and intriguing. Coming to the sequel I was looking forward to seeing how Len would develop the world and the characters. Joan is central and if you are vibing with her, the book will be a d...

Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike of 1983 Barbara Kingsolver 213 pages, Paperback, First published January 1, 1989 In 1983 a group of miners went on strike for eighteen months in the small mining towns of Arizona. This is not the story of the men but of the women, who were both workers at the mine and supporters because of family connections. Kingsolver allows the women to tell their story, their struggle, and their commitment to seeking justice. Not only did they endure an 18 month long strike but they had to overcome and rebuild after a flood devastated the area. Phelps Dodge Copper Corporation in 1983 and the union clashed over the negotiation of a new contract. Not being able to resolve the matter to their satisfaction Phelps resorted to a series of tactics that included bringing in ‘scab’ workforce and intimidation of the strikers. The strikers remained steadfast, despite a natural disaster that destroys the community and harassment by the National Guard and...

The Handmaid's Tale  Margaret Atwood 479 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 1985 You know there has been a myriad of reviews, dissections, discussion, and ruminations on a novel that was written in 1985 and still (unfortunately) relevant in 2024. There remains, the same tensions as to the rights of a woman to participate in the workforce and make decisions about her own future. Apart from the themes what always strikes me is Atwood’s writing. How she ever so cleverly engages you into the story. How as you are exposed to the characters you learn more about their history and motivations. I have not wanted to read this book for the longest time because I knew the content. I am glad I finally took the plunge and further appreciated the magnificence of Atwood’s writing. For there is a masterclass in writing here. The way in which Atwood slowly brings out the reality of the world and the contradictions that are the heart of it all. It is a deeply unsettling read, and it is why y...

The Invocations  Krystal Sutherland 390 pages, Paperback, First published January 30, 2024 Three young women find themselves bound together to battle a supernatural force. Each has their own agenda in the pursuit of magic and if they don’t find a way to come together the consequences will be dire. Jude Wolf has money and stupidly has bound a couple of demons to her soul, and it has not gone well. She has a gaping, festering, rotting wound that will not heal and if she can not find a way to reverse the curse, life is looking bleak. Zara Jones, sister was murdered, and she will do anything to have her back. She has thrown herself into learning everything about necromancy. Emer Byrne is trying to live off the grid and writes magical invocations that will provide protection for women in trouble. The problem is that someone is murdering the women Emer has provided assistance to and is removing their protective charms. It is here that the three women’s worlds collide as each needs assist...

Highway 13 Fiona McFarlane Paperback. first published August 13, 2024 A group of fictional short stories revolving around a serial killer and the murders that happened near the township of Barrow in Australia. This is not about the serial killer Paul Biga, this is not about solving the murder, this about how a crime can impact, influence and effect people. The stories are not told in a linear approach but jump around and it makes perfect sense. The first story, Tourists, explores how people believe they can walk into the scene of the crime and make important discoveries as they have a special connection with the place. That they can hear the voices of the victims call out to them. They have read all the books, they are across all the theories so therefore they have insight, knowledge. It is quite an unsettling read. Demolition was one of my favourites in the collection and I really do not want to give anything away. The story centres on the killer’s house being demolished, a woman who ...

Tell Me Everything (Amgash, #5) Elizabeth Strout 352 pages, Hardcover, Expected publication September 10, 2024 Tell Me Everything: Well, I am telling you this, there are no words that I can find that will ever adequately describe the beauty, the joy, in losing yourself in this extraordinary novel about people who are broken in their own unique ways.  The story centres around Bob Burgess who is the intersection, the linchpin of everyone in the story. It is a burden Bob carries with good grace but at times his weariness is very evident. No matter how heavy the personal toll, Bob Burgess is always there helping people. Crossing through Bob’s world is Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, Margaret Burgess, Jim Burgess, and Pam Carlson. Yes, they are all here and it a master class in writing how seamlessly these interactions occur.  There are several narratives that are key in this story. You have Bob Burgess undertaking his activities in the community by helping those in need and his rep...

Circe  Madeline Miller 347 pages, Kindle Edition, published April 10, 2018  Circe is the daughter of Helios and though a god, she discovers that she is nothing more than a pawn in the game of both gods and men. Banished to an island for possessing the knowledge of witchcraft Circe hones her skills. Initially she is happy with her isolation but soon the world comes to her, and Circe finds herself having to navigate both worlds. In time Circe begins to question whether she wants to remain as an immortal or become human. Circe from birth is a maligned character, she wants to understand, to be accepted but is tossed aside by a mother wanting to establish a powerbase and a father who wants to maintain and expand his powerbase. Circe is friendless and at times clueless, she becomes an easy mark for the family to deride and manipulate. It is that manipulation that has Circe punished by Zeus and exiled to an island. It is here that Circe is able to develop into her true self. Miller’s...

Annihilation Jeff VanderMeer 209 pages, Kindle Edition, published February 4, 2014 Four women, a biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor, enter Area X to explore a land that has been abandoned by civilization. There are many mysteries in this land and there are many mysteries as to why this land has been explored by 11 other expeditions. The story centres on the biologist who has come on the expedition with her own mysteries. This is a strange novel, set in a world where you are never sure what is real or imagined. You are never sure who is the villain or who is good. You take the journey through the eyes of the biologist, who reveals her past, her motivations, and her determination to know. Without giving anything away, I found her relationship with her husband was not a strong enough bond to propel her forward, especially at the end. While I enjoyed the read, at the end I had more questions than answers and it was not compelling enough for me to read the next in ...

The Ministry of Time  Kaliane Bradley 341 pages, paperback published May 7, 2024 Somewhere in the future a woman, known as the 'Bridge' acts as guardian for people who have been propelled from the past into the future. The Bridge is tasked with looking after Commander Graham Gore, who was pulled out of a doomed expedition to the Artic led by Sir John Franklin. The Bridge has to acclimatise Gore to this new world and as they both learn from each other; they also begin to wonder just what is the motive for bringing people from the past to the future?  You are reliant on the narrator, the person I have named as Bridge, for they are not named in the book. She is somewhat naive and never really challenges what is happening around her. She is loyal to her friends, and her family background is complex. Bridge is a well-developed character. As is Gore, who is a real historical character. The interaction between the two is humorous as they both try to understand each other.  The o...

 A bunch of quick reads came my way and here they are.  A Psalm for the Wild-Built (Monk & Robot #1) Becky Chambers 147 pages • first pub 2021 When a book has a dedication that simply states ‘for anybody who could us a break’ the hopes of being transported to a much nicer place are therefore rather high. The good thing is you will not be disappointed. Sibling Dex is tired and lost, their life has no real meaning, so they undertake a career change becoming a tea monk. Dex listens to people tell their stories, mixes a brew that will allow them to find some solace. For a while everything is on track but again those nagging doubts and feelings of wanting something more from life creep in. So, on a whim they decide to literally go off the beaten track and they meet Mosscap, a robot. Now robots had decided some time ago to self-isolate from the human race. Having been absent from the lives of humans, the robots have decided they should check in and ask ‘What do people need?’ Thi...

The Stars Are Dying - Nytefall #1 C.C. Peñaranda 566 pages, Kindle Edition, First published 10 July 2023 Australian Publication Date: 8 October 2024 Astrea can only remember the last five years of her life. She is contained, manipulated and she initially believes loved by Hektor, who regularly reminds her how he saved her. She is supported by a couple of friends who she interacts clandestinely with and a mysterious male character Nyte who stirs up the sexual tension. Peñaranda has created a detailed and rich world that is layered with complexities and intrigue. There is massive potential to deliver an engaging series that could be highly compelling. I did struggle with the rhythm of the text, and I did read some sections out loud to try and get into the swing of it. It seems Peñaranda was aiming for a lyrical prose style but there are times when it is over prescriptive and meanders too long. I am sure many will have no problems in the style and will be absorbed. The story is told throu...

The Phoenix Keeper S.A MacLean 464 pages, Kindle Edition, Expected publication August 13, 2024 The bones of this book is that Aila is a phoenix keeper for a zoo, it has been her dream to have a successful breeding program and that possibility of that happening is not looking good. Until there is a theft of a phoenix and her eggs at another zoo and Aila is presented with a chance to realise her dreams. The layers of the story are in Aila’s relationships with friends, employers, potential romantic interests and overcoming her own internal challenges. Aila as the central character is pivotal to whether you are going to embrace this story or not. MacLean has crafted a character who certainly runs the gauntlet of emotions. Aila is a perfectionist, obsessive, an introvert, struggles to interact in any social situation and task orientated. She is loyal to her friends but that single minded drive she has means she is unaware to their trials and tribulations. When she finally realises that she ...

It Ends with Us Colleen Hoover 386 pages, First published 2 August 2016 Lily stands at the podium, trying to deliver a eulogy which says five nice things about an alcoholic father who took out his anger on her mother, she cannot. Later that day, Lily sits on a rooftop reflecting on what has been and where she is now. That she is in Boston, with a good career and plenty of opportunity. Her solace is broken by an angry but drop dead gorgeous, successful neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. This meeting sets of a course of events that sets of a series of events that will make Lily question who she is and what she is willing to forgo. Especially, when Atlas, her first love reappears and complicates matters further.  The hype about this book has been considerable and as I scanned the reviews it is pretty obvious that this book is decisive and for good reasons. Hoover has placed at the forefront of this novel domestic violence that is not fully revealed with the story pitched as a love triangle....

Before Your Memory Fades & Before We Say Goodbye Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot  (Translator) I am cheating by reviewing the two books together, but they are such a pleasant, wonderful piece of escapism where you able to rectify and understand matters from the past and future.  The rules of travel are the same and the characters are all beautifully realised. Each of the stories is unique and allows you to connect with the person who is seeking some form of a resolution.  Uplifting, engaging, clever and dealing with love, grief, regret and misunderstanding. These are not descriptions that can ever be overused with this series of books. 

Demon Copperhead  Barbara Kingsolver  546 pages, Paperback, First published October 18, 2022  Demon Copperhead is the story of a young man born to a single mum, orphaned at 11 and trying to eke out an existence against all odds.   I cannot recall the last time I have read a work of fiction that I could have easily mistaken as an autobiography. Damon ‘Demon Copperhead’ Fields is just extraordinary character, so beautifully created and realised on the page. As he retells his life, it is heartbreaking, it is exhilarating, it is depressing, it is hopeful amongst so much despair.    What completely floored me was the writing and attention to detail. Kingsolver has articulated on the page a world that is alien to many but home for too many. The descriptions of trailers living, drug houses, towns, schools are all so real, I feel I know those places intimately. Kingsolver has created an array of characters that are all so well realised.  There is at least...

The Work Bri Lee  386 pages, Paperback, First published April 3, 2024  Lally and Patrick are both involved in the art world. Lally owns and operates a gallery in New York and Patrick is trying to establish himself in the Sydney antiquities market. When the two meet at New York's Armory Show the attraction is instant.   Bri Lee is better known for producing works of non-fiction and her memoir Eggshell Skull is one of the most challenging pieces of work to read. Lee's crossover to fiction is undeniably a success.   The story alternates between Lally and Patrick viewpoints and it really opens your understanding of the two characters and their motivations. Lally would seem to have it all, she has money, she has a supportive family, a career and gallery that is on the rise having just landed a major sale. With all that she still has that something is missing, and it is not necessarily a relationship, but you are kicking career goals what is next? Patrick has com...

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good  Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy (Translator)  178 pages, First published January 1, 2013  Maud is an 88-year-old woman who loves to travel, is happy living alone, can solve problems on her own and is a serial killer.   This is a witty series of stories as we watch Maud ensure that she maintains her independent life style that allows for plenty of travel and giving grief to those who want her out of her spacious apartment.   Just read it, it is fun and breaks the mould on how little old ladies should behave.  

Olive Kitteridge  Elizabeth Strout  320 pages, Paperback First published March 25, 2008  I had no idea what t was about to read. Going by the title I figured it would all about Olive, but I was ever so wrong. Oilive Kitteridge is a series of vignettes, studies of ordinary people who come into her world. At times Olive is the star of the narrative but on other occasions she is in the background either a positive or negative influence.   Olive is a character that leaps off the page and she is far from perfect. There are times when you are cheering Olive's straight up, take no nonsense approach but then there are the moments when she makes absolute howlers. The people who circle in and out of Olive's world are so well crafted. Her husband and son are also flawed and their relationships waiver as time passes.   Look this book won a Pulitzer and for good reason, as Strout has put on the page just a wonderful collection of people and situations who are tryin...

Beach Read Emily Henry 400 pages, Paperback, Published May 19, 2020 by Berkley Two authors suffer writer’s block, two authors are living side by side, two authors have a lot of personal hangups and both authors have a history together. So when Gus and January challenge each other to cross into the other’s genre, well, the sparks fly on and off the page. This is my first foray into the Emily Henry world and I kind of knew what to expect. It is a romance, almost an enemies to lover trope and has all the feel goods. Henry has created an entertaining story that rollicks along as the Gus and January work through their emotions. There is some clever banter and exploration of some slightly darker themes.  Look we all know that a happy ending is coming and there will be a few trials and tribulations along the way. The success comes from the chemistry on the page between Gus and January and it was just not there. The tension dissipated too soon and there were sections of the book which did ...

The Weekend  Charlotte Wood  259 pages, Paperback Published October 15, 2019 by Allen & Unwin Three women all aged in their 70's and a geriatric dog arrive at their deceased friend Sylvie's beach house to prepare the house for sale.   That is the basis of this novel in a nutshell. What evolves on the page is a story of depth, understanding, despair, longing, loneliness, love, misunderstanding, betrayal and grief. None of these things are handled with a sledgehammer by Wood. It would be easy to lecture the reader on the fragility of age but Wood weave these complex intricacies into the story. So that you find yourself unknowingly completely and utterly engulfed. As you learn about each woman, their history, their current situation and their uncertain futures.   Wendy is an academic, a noted thinker and worried about cognitive decline. She diligently tries to keep her dog, Finn alive, even though he is deaf, blind and incontinent. Jude was a famous restau...

In Darkness Visible  Tony Jones  468 pages, Paperback Published November 5, 2019 by Allen & Unwin Anna Rosen is a freelance journalist based in Australia who is not afraid to tackle the big stories. In Darkness Visible Rosen finds her past coming to play in her own future, when a man she loved and thought dead is currently in the Hague for suspected war crimes. Marin Katich is under an assumed name but that is not the real complication for Anna, he is the father of her daughter and no one knows that truth.   All the characters come with an inordinate amount of personal baggage, no one is unscathed from their past.  Rosen is a woman who is driven to discover the truth behind the story no matter the cost and it has resulted in a strained relationship with her daughter. Marin is a man who no longer knows who or what he stands for. He has been manipulated all his life by family and political influences. His only happiness was when he was with Anna in their early...

Queen Macbeth Val McDermid 122 pages, Kindle Edition, Published May 2, 2024 It is not an easy thing to undertake to re-imagine a narrative about a woman that has been extensively investigated through one of Shakespeare's most famous plays.  In Val McDermid's short novella, Queen MacBeth, the re-telling has been achieved with the most lyrical prose and provides a wonderful and captivating insight into the character.    Gruoch (Queen MacBeth) and her lifelong friends Eithne, Aife and LIgath, find themselves four years after the death of King MacBeth hiding in a monastery.  Their lives are in danger, as King Malcolm's loyal supporters are drawing close, for even without a husband, Gruoch ability to scheme means she is still a threat.   It is hard to explain how easy it is to be immersed into the words and the storytelling. I felt like I was reading a personal letter or candid memoir as Gruoch reminisces about her life. How while married she meets the red heade...

Hell Bent (Alex Stern Book 2) Leigh Bardugo 481 pages, Paperback, Published January 10, 2023 I had read Ninth House some time ago, enjoyed it and thought the premise held a lot of promise. I came to Hell Bent looking forward to where Alex Stern and her group of friends are faced with next.  Hell Bent, still has Alex as a mess, still trying to understand who and what she is and doing this without her mentor Darlington, who has been thrown into hell. Trying to retrieve him is proving difficult as she is hindered by a series of unexplained deaths, a gangster from her past and navigating her way around the politics of the Houses of the Veil.  The story arc for this book centres on Alex realising just who and what she is. This comes about through a series of trials and tests that Alex overcomes to be able to knowingly tap into the power that has remain hidden within her. These trials and tests are not formal, she is not always a success, but it is Alex running headfirst into each s...

Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus 386 pages, Paperback, first published March 31, 2022 Elizabeth Zott is quite black and white when it comes to what is right and wrong but the only trouble is the rest of the world does not see things the same way as she does. Trying to forge a path as a female scientist in 1960's America where sexism and misogyny are the norms, Elizabeth would appear to have little chance of success. Then she is offered an opportunity to host a cooking show, a show that becomes more about simply putting meals on the table.  Garmus has brought to the page, some diverse and really interesting characters. They are quirky, fallible, irrational, gullible, hopeful and alive.  Elizabeth is a tour de force, a woman who says everything you have ever wanted to say. She is forthright and sassy. There are times when the vulnerability shines through and you empathise as she struggles. While Elizabeth is the centre of the story, she is upstaged slightly by her daughter Mad...

Long Live Evil - Time of Iron #1 Sarah Rees Brennan 464 pages, Paperback, Expected publication July 30, 2024 Rae in her early 20s has cancer and life is limited. One night, a mysterious woman offers a second chance, to enter the world of ‘Time of Iron, Rae and her sisters Alice’s favourite fantasy series. The woman tells Rae she can only return if she secures a flower that is blooms once a year. Given her current state, Rae figures why not but wonders why she is given this opportunity. The woman says for love. Rae accepts and quickly finds herself thrust into the action. Cast as the evil temptress, the beauty dipped in blood, with mighty big bosoms, who is about to be executed. Saving her life to live another day becomes Rae’s first priority, then form a gang of like-minded evil doers to create havoc, have some wicked fun and get that flower to go home to her sister. However, not everything goes to plan. The novel begins with you quite simply scratching your head as you are thrown an o...