PICCADILLY PICKS

The Tilt Chris Hammer, Allen & Unwin, $37

Chris Hammer first rose to prominence as an author in Australia with his non-fiction study of the Murray River, The River.

In his new novel, The Tilt, he’s back on the Murray with his deep knowledge of the river and its history adding much to the authenticity of the plot. Events dating back to the war, the returning soldiers, the Italian POWs and illicit trade that was carried out in the bush set the scene.

Detective Nell Buchanan is posted to her old home district of Tulong/Boonlea, where four generations of her family have been raised on family farming properties. She’s there to solve a cold case murder that could hark back to the early 1940s.

She discovers that the Buchanan families and descendants are not universally liked in the area. Furthermore, there is possible family involvement in the events that led up to the murder, and the additional deaths and disappearances that she becomes aware of.

The Tilt is every bit as good as his first novel Scrublands, which received high praise and acclaim, and was also set in the harsh Australian outback.

- Neville Templeton

The Doctor’s Wife Fiona Sussman Bateman Books, $38

Two Auckland couples – Austin and Tibbie and Stan and Carmen. Their monthly dinner date together over the years has become a ritual enjoyed by all.

Until the day that Carmen is diagnosed with a brain tumour. Stan’s world is turned upside down as he tries to cope with the bizarre change in Carmen’s everyday life. Their twin sons are suffering, as their beloved mother’s erratic behaviour disrupts the family dynamics. Stan copes as best he can with the situation but is on the verge of a breakdown.

Then Tibbie is discovered dead at the bottom of the cliff path, supposedly by suicide. Austin is distraught at the loss of his soulmate. A police enquiry finds that Tibbie’s death may not have been at her own hand, and may not be accidental.

A gripping tale of two families’ lives torn apart by illness and death. Multiple twists and turns in the plot make this book a masterful thriller. You want to know the truth, but you don’t want it to end!

Another suspenseful read by New Zealand author Fiona Sussman.

- Helen Templeton