Ford Street Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781922696420. (Age:14+) Highly recommended.
Set in Nazi-occupied Paris during World War 2, in Hey, Zazou!, Thompson has combined his interest and knowledge of both music and history to write a gripping coming-of-age story that is as informative as it is riveting.
At 15 years old, Charlie Martin is faced with making many conflicting decisions. Fascinated by the Zazou sub-culture, he dresses the part and busks, playing jazz in the streets and bars. This puts him in the spotlight of the French ‘Loyal Youth’ and the Nazi soldiers, especially when he includes Roma (gypsy) and Resistance members in his band. He is also dealing with the regular absences of his beloved mother, and the increasingly strange behaviour of some of his acquaintances.
As he becomes more involved in what he realises is the Resistance movement, Charlie faces constant reminders about the difficulties of knowing who to trust, who to remain loyal to, and whether friendships and shared passions can overcome differences of allegiances and loyalties.
Thompson has painted a vivid picture of what it would be like to live under a regime increasingly ruling by fear and intimidation. Charlie’s moral compass is constantly challenged as he weighs up his options in a dangerous time, caught between the brutality of the Nazi soldiers, the loyalty required by Resistance members and the danger and fear experienced by the persecuted Roma population.
Against this background of historical accuracy and musical influences, is Charlie’s developing romance, eventual heartbreak, and ongoing love of music. His dyslexia at times presents difficulties but also potentially lifesaving benefits for him.
Highly recommended as a thrilling adventure story and an easy entry into WW2 and jazz history as well as Zazou and Roma music and culture.
After reading Bone lands by Pip Fioretti, I was keen to pick up Skull River featuring Gus Hawkins, mounted trooper and veteran of the Boer War. It is 1912, and Gus has rejoined the mounted police. He has been sent to the gold town of Colley, NSW and is in charge of much of the surrounding district. On his first day he and his young officer are ambushed and the young man is gunned down. Gus manages to escape only to find that the police station has been burnt to the ground with the prisoner inside dying. Gus barely manages to hold on to his sanity, his post traumatic stress ruining his sleep with horrific memories. However with a drunken detective in charge of the case and a clever gunman out to kill police troopers, Gus must use all his ingenuity and intelligence to hunt down the killer.
Bone lands was set in the pastoral district of far western New South Wales and gave the reader insight into rural and small town life in Australia after Federation. In Skull River Fioretti demonstrates her expertise in writing about Australian history, this time taking the reader on a memorable journey into how life in a small town changes when the lure of gold fades. Colley is eight hours ride from Bathurst and when Gus needs urgent help from his commanding officers, he must send a telegram or use his wits to delve into the secrets of the town. Fioretti deftly brings a historical time to life, while penning a mystery story that has enough twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the page and plenty of action-packed scenes that are riveting reading.
Readers who enjoy accounts of Australian history will appreciate the depth of Fioretti’s research, while mystery lovers will eagerly follow Gus’s investigation, trying to follow the clues and red herrings that are scattered throughout the book. While waiting for the next in the series, which is hinted at in the conclusion of the book, readers may like to try Wild dogs by Michael Trant, with its lone bushman trying to overcome bad memories.
The blurb of this book says "Every day we come across many tricks that keep the world from being a truly equal place. This book helps kids and their grown-ups to learn the tricks that are holding us all back so that together we can smash gender stereotypes and create positive change".
This is Jennifer Bain's first book, born out of her dream of creating stories to help children to feel comfortable navigating the world. Equality and respect are important topics for young people, and this book helps children to identify, call attention to, and reject unconscious sexism and biases in everyday life.
'The Trick' is capitalised, and is explained as being something you might hear but that you know isn't true. Statements such as "Girls can't climb trees" or "boys don't cry" or even a teacher asking for "big, strong boys" to help move furniture are all examples of The Trick.
This is because we know for certain that girls CAN climb trees, that boys DO cry, and that girls are just as capable to help move furniture!
The book explains the patriarchy in very simple terms and goes on to encourage readers to look out for The Trick and to point it out to others. Only through noticing The Trick and calling attention to it, will the world become a more equal place. We see Gran fixing toys, Pa baking biscuits, princesses saving the day, boys playing tea parties, and many more fabulous examples of equality, and respectful relationships.
The cartoony illustrations by Scott Stuart are excellent, really expanding on the equality theme. The children depicted have a wide range of appearances and abilities, including one with a cochlear implant, one with glasses, a variety of skin colours, a wheelchair user, a child with vitiligo, and another with a prosthetic limb. All are equally involved in playing and learning together.
A note for families and teachers at the end of the book explains that "unpacking these themes and making positive change will involve more than one conversation". This book is a great place to start!
This book is about a new girl named Quinn who arrives in a new town and attends a new high school with her brother, so that her family can care for their grandmother. She quickly finds friends at school and even meets a cute, nice guy named Logan. Her friend, Kashvi, invites her to watch a new D&D game to see if she would like to join the next campaign, but suddenly, Logan acts cold and unwelcoming. Quinn wonders if he is like that because of one of the rules: no dating group members. But Logan keeps on dropping hints, and Quinn knows she has to stay away, but it gets tough when her grandma thinks they are destined to be together. And it seems like one of the players, Sloane, might know something!
This book was so captivating and interesting that it was hard to put down. I had no idea what Dungeons and Dragons was, but after reading this book, it makes a bit more sense to me, and it might be worth giving the game a try. Highly recommended for girls aged 12-15. The themes of friendship and relationships are very good, and I loved the love story between Quinn and Logan, along with the forbidden romance. My favourite character was Kashvi because she seems like the ideal best friend anyone could want, and she is genuinely kind. The author was inclusive of transgender characters, particularly Sloane. It’s wonderful to see authors embracing inclusivity. Overall, I was incredibly impressed with the writing style, character depth, and engaging plot. Reading this book was such a great experience, and I’m thrilled that I had the chance to discover it. If you’re in the mood for a story that combines elements of magic and heartfelt connections, you won’t want to miss Dating and Dragons.
Penguin Random House, 2025. ISBN: 9781761355134. (Age:1+) Highly recommended.
What a joy - a favourite book of some 30 years, reappears on our shelves as a strongly bound board book. Alexander’s adventures will be enjoyed by many children as they see the little duckling and his siblings and Mum go for a walk in Sydney.
With the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background, the ducklings take their first steps outside the park where they live.
Stay close, take care, Mum calls as they pass the bottle tree and go through the gates along the Art Gallery Road. But Alexander does not hear her instructions and lags behind. A man halts the traffic as they march across College Street, but once on the other side Mum realises that Alexander is missing. Mum and his siblings call out and hear a distant quack coming from a drain in the road. Alexander is at the bottom of the drain and despite the efforts of several passers by, no one can reach him. Lots of people stop to see what is going on and offer their support, but no one can work out how to get Alexander out of his predicament. A child’s dropped drink gives them a clue. A group of people tip out the contents of their picnic and take the containers to the Archibald Fountain. Here they dance along and fill the containers, taking them back to pour down the opening, and eventually the hole is filled with water, allowing Alexander to hop out. All sorts of soft happy quacking and flapping occurs welcoming the little duck back into the family, so they retrace their steps back home to the safety of their park.
This wonderful story will engage readers with the story on so many levels. They will be anxious about Alexander’s predicament, join in all the happy words describing the people with their water containers, skip along with Mum and the sibling as they return to safety, learn about following Mum’s instructors and what might happen if they are disobeyed, and see what happens when people join together to solve a problem.
And the illustrations are just wonderful full of humour and movement as the ducks find their way into an adventure and out again.
Sydney is seen in the background, and children will delight in recognising streets and places they know. This wonderful story will be read again and again.
Themes Ducks, Sydney, Adventure, Humour, Family.
Fran Knight
Wild dogs by Michael Trant
Random House, 2022. ISBN: 9781761046773. (Age:Adult - Senior secondary) Recommended.
Wow! Anyone who wants a gritty adventure in outback Australia is certain to be unable to put down this thriller from Michael Trant. Gabe Ahern is a dogger, making his living from trapping wild dogs in the outback. He leads a lonely life after the death of his wife but when he comes across Amin a young Afghan, being held at gun point he is unable to turn away. With guns blazing he rescues him and finds dangerous people smugglers and drug dealers on his trail, led by Chase Fowler, a kangaroo hunter expert with his rifle. Will his skills at hiding in the bush keep him and his companions safe? Will they be able to rescue Amin’s family?
What a fast paced, thrilling story this is. It is very difficult to put the book down as Gabe rushes from one desperate adventure to another. Trant brings the outback to life with a unique introductory chapter voiced by an old dingo and his descriptions of the dry red dirt, the Aboriginal people, the long distances, bush tracks and rural nursing are engrossing. Elderly and with a bad hip Gabe is a wily man, living with memories of his wife, and his cunning and bush skills are a highlight of the book. All the supporting characters are fully developed: It is easy to relate to Amin, desperate to rescue his wife and child, while Courtney the bush nurse and Darren the young Aboriginal man are both courageous and caring and Chase their pursuer is wily and dangerous.
Although the action filled chase is the highlight of the story, Trant doesn’t flinch away from topical subjects like the plight of refugees, people smuggling, police corruption and stereotyping of Aboriginal people.
Described by Lee Child as 'Tough, fast and hard – my kind of book' Wild dogs is sure to appeal to readers who like Jack Reacher type of thrillers, while those who like the outback noir novels by Jane Harper and Patricia Wolf are likely to enjoy it. I look forward to reading the next in the series, No Trace.
Themes Thriller, Outback, Murder, People smuggling, Drug trafficking.
Pat Pledger
The romantic tragedies of a drama king by Harry Trevaldwyn
First Ink, 2025. ISBN: 9781035049202. (Age:16+)
Patch (aka Patrick) Simmons is a 16-year-old queer, quirky and larger-than-life character who loves drama (and performance art) and relies on his level-headed best friend Jean. He does tend to plant his feet firmly in his mouth before engaging his brain, and he does love the spotlight, so will carry on regardless bumbling into minor disasters. His aim in this intricate revelation is to share his plan/purpose/endeavour in finding (and keeping) his first boyfriend and experiencing his first kiss. Within school grounds and the drama club we travel alongside Patch on an emotional rollercoaster as he connects and disconnects with friends and fellow performers. Will he ever be successful in love and in life?
The tone of this book is exceptionally light-hearted as Patch spills everything he is thinking and feeling, sometimes with disastrous consequences. His gay-boy life has all the hallmarks of the stereotypical high school queer boy, with interest in fashion, being noticed, and avoiding anything sporty. He has a close female confidante providing relationship and life wisdom, and occasional fashion advice. Teen friendship and relationship dramas abound, and Patch can be relied on to get things wrong. Readers who have read Adrian Mole’s revelations will recognise the style of the internal dialogues being unveiled for public consumption. Patch’s inability to recognise his own interpersonal blunders make for entertaining reading. The author has a comedic style with a good sense of the ironic. The main characters occasionally seem younger than their 16 years, but this is a minor problem. Readers aged 16+ looking for an LGBTIQ focused romance will smile often as they read this book.
Themes LGBTIQ teen romance, Friendship, Drama and theatre, Humour.
Carolyn Hull
The last egg by Sofie Laguna. Illus. by Jess Racklyeft
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761180330. (Age:3+) Highly recommended.
This breathtaking story about nurturing and love, responsibility and commitment, reads like a fable, one where the birds behave in a way that seems human, and which has a truth in its telling.
Two birds sit on the nest where three eggs are being kept warm by Mother Bird, Father Bird going off to bring back food for its partner.
They must ensure the eggs hatch and the hatchlings be ready to fly to warmer shores before the cold sets in.
But one night another egg is found in the nest, and so it is kept warm by Mother Bird in the same way she has done with the other three. Later the three eggs hatch, the pair of birds teaching them to fend for themselves, how to sing and eventually how to fly. But the other egg is still unhatched. The pair of birds stick to their regime of the male flying off to get food for the female, while she sits on the egg to keep it warm. But the cold sets in. Leaves fall around them and snow appears on the branches. One day Father Bird is too weak to fly, the pair snuggle around the egg to keep it warm. That night the egg hatches.
The small dragon appears.
This story had me in tears, seeing the repercussions of trying to keep something alive, when the outcome is not known, where two little birds find it in their hearts to persevere, despite the cold which will kill them, settling in. Their responsibility to the egg is paramount. Their responsibility to a stranger the theme behind the words. Their commitment to its safety is rewarded when the little dragon returns using its fiery breath to revive the two birds, then settling them on its back to take them to somewhere warmer.
Jess Racklyeft’s mixed media illustrations will catch the eyes of the readers as they see the two little birds in their nest, keeping their eggs warm, then helping the hatchlings on their way, staying to help the last egg hatch. Leaves become browner, debris floats in the air, snow falls on the branches, the coldness that comes to the nest almost felt by the audience, as they grieve for the anticipated plight of the two birds. A dragon hatches, bringing fire, the reds and yellows contrasting with the cold of the snow and the wind. The magical dragon restores hope as it swoops down to protect its surrogate parents, and the group returns the pair to a place where they will survive.
I found this to be a touching story reflecting our shared responsibility for all those around us. Whether it be the homeless, refugees, the aged, or those in need, each deserve our commitment. And as with the two birds, that sacrifice will be rewarded.
Our beautiful world by Sarah Speedie and Margeaux Davis
New Frontier, 2025. ISBN: 9781923145573. (Age:3+)
How difficult it must have been to select only 11 environments to present in this overview of the wonderful colours which make up our world. Those chosen are, Uluru in Australia, Chilean grapevines, a bamboo forest in China, the white cliffs of the coast of England, fields of sunflowers in Italy, Canada’s snow fields, cherry blossom in Japan, the blue ocean around the islands of Fiji, tea leaves being collected in Sri Lanka, Morocco’s golden sand hills, the orange skies of South Africa.
A double page is devoted to each of these spots around the world, showing families and children playing and working in their country, each emblazoned with colour, underlining the idea of the huge palette of colours which make up our world. Each double page includes animals and birds redolent of the place while the people in their national costumes are placed against some of the things which are recognisably their own. So on the page devoted to Morrocco and its golden sandhills we see the vista described plus a family stopping for lunch in a small oasis. The children are rolling down the hill, the women looking after the children and getting lunch, while an older man teaches children on their mats. The whole, with a camel resting in the shade is redolent of a Moroccan landscape and will teach children about the customs of these people. Another page shows the snowfields of Canada, with warmly dressed children doing a range of activities in the snow. Again it presents a double page which envcourages children to recognise similarities and differences between their own lives and those shown on the page.
This is a vibrant book of colour, each page evoking a sense of awe as the two rhyming lines describe where this scene is to be found. The book reinforces that we are all living on this planet, each may be different but essentially we have much in common, not least of which is to look after the many environments our world provides. Teacher's notes are available.
Themes World, Colour, Environment, Inclusivity.
Fran Knight
In the company of killers by Elora Cook
Hachette, 2025. ISBN: 9781444979343. (Age:16+)
A first novel by a young Canadian author - set within the world of New York mafia families - unbelievable! This setting among the world of competing, wealthy and violently powerful New Yorkers is so provocative that it is hard to believe that it has made it to publication. Essentially though it is a story of the life of Tasha, a wealthy teenager negotiating school, family, friendships and two ex-boyfriends - Leo and Ravi, as she deals with intense grief. Her father and sister are gunned down in their own home, and this changes Tasha’s life forever. Both Leo and Ravi are both keen to restore their relationships, but Tasha must first work out who is to blame for the most recent murders and what her future role in her family ‘business’ should be. The succession plan seems to have been decided for her, but does she want to step up? Money and decadence, power and influence with limited morality are now her world. Who can Tasha trust in this environment as she finds her own power?
I thought at first that this might be a Romeo and Juliet story, but it is murkier and less romantic from the outset, although teen attraction and romance is evident. What this book has is grimy power plays, guns and goons, and a female lead who attempts to take over the leadership of a familial mafia power, while grieving and coping with the violent assassination of her family. It has a dark, dangerous and evil underbelly to the romance story between two competing mafioso families. The main teenagers seem more moral than their parents in a limited way, but the corruption runs deep and makes this story more like a cross between TV dramas The Sopranos and Succession, mated with a teen romance from USA’s modern ‘Gilded Age’. It is both a compelling action drama with weapons and a troubling glimpse into a very violent and selfish world, but it won’t be for everyone. It is a bit gritty and violent, and the world of mafia families is uncomfortable. The tale is told in the voices of Tasha and Leo, to give insight into their disparate view of their violence-impacted, criminal family histories. (Occasionally I wished for some punctuation to give clarity to some sentences without the need to re-read, but this may have been a personal issue rather than a major flaw.) Readers over 16+ only.
With a string of awards going to Anomaly, (Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards 2025, Aurealis Awards 2024 and Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature shortlist 2025) I knew that the book was going to be a great read and I was not disappointed. I was unable to put it down, reading it in a couple of sittings while following the plight of Piper Manning, a young woman who has survived the apocalypse. She has stayed on an isolated farm with her dog Griff as companion, learning to control the electricity that surges through her afterr the virus attacked her. When she finds Seth, an injured boy on the shoreline close to her home she cannot leave him, although she doesn’t know if he can be trusted. Together they face the danger that is following closely behind him. What will they encounter as they try to find sanctuary? Can Piper use her strange new power to defeat the enemy?
Anomaly is a tense, exciting novel with all the best features of the dystopian genre: relatable characters, exciting chases, dangerous allies and a desolate countryside. Piper is an engaging character, who is trying to come to grips with ghosts from her past as well as her dangerous new power. Seth is hiding many secrets which, when revealed, will prove surprising and the force that is hunting the pair is very frightening. The reader will be dragged along as Piper tries to find answers to her new power in the community that Shepherd their leader dominates and will be thrilled as new danger threatens her and Seth.
Anomaly is a very suspenseful, edgy novel with an ending that leaves room for a sequel. Readers may enjoy other dystopian novels like the classic Z For Zachariah by Robert O’Brien, Tomorrow when the war began series by John Marsden and Sunny at the end of the world by Steph Bowe.
Themes Dystopian fiction, End of the world, Viruses, Memory, Survival.
Pat Pledger
This dream will devour us by Emma Clancey
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181221. (Age:15+) Recommended.
I would recommend this book to most YA readers who are around 15-17 years old and enjoy reading urban fantasy or romance.
Imagine a world where everything you could ever want is only one small pill away.
Unfortunately for her, Nora Blakely doesn’t live in that world.
One simple mouthful of Levic - an extremely expensive magical drug – could save lives. The problem? The famous Lamours, the richest and most powerful family own all the worlds Levic, and they won’t give it up easily. Clearly, Nora’s luck is running low. Then she mysteriously wins the biggest lottery prize of the year, a free passage into the heart of the Lamour’s most famous gala. She will do anything to convince them to save her sick brother and give her a recommendation to the world’s most prestigious Dream Engineer academy. She’s suddenly the luckiest girl in the world – especially considering she never even bought a lottery ticket.
But everything is not as it seems. In her time with the Lamour family Nora uncovers secrets, enters an unsolved love triangle, and begins dredging up the past to find answers.
This Dream Will Devour Us by Emma Clancey is not one of best books in the world – but also certainly not the worst. The beginning was intriguing and interesting, but the story began to diminish from then. The characters fell flat after the first 100 pages, and the romantic subplot, though some readers will enjoy this aspect, felt like a distraction from the previously introduced themes. The plot itself is very similar to other YA novels, and the author’s voice, though very well written, lacks uniqueness. The plot shows similarities to the well-known book The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, so any reader who has enjoyed The Inheritance Games may find This Dream Will Devour Us to their taste. The book focuses on themes of economic power and inequality, with some LGBTQ+ themes included as well. The book resolves each theme near the ending; however, it doesn’t expand on these ideas. Overall, the book could be a fun read and has great potential but is underdeveloped in some parts.
I don't need a little brother by Nat Amoore and Nathaniel Eckstrom
Penguin Random House, 2025. ISBN: 9781761341946. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A zany look at the impact of a new sibling is presented as the narrator does a range of things to rid himself of this new addition to the family. Each time he is disposed of, the author cleverly relates the things he is not good at while showing him coping in the new environment.
Readers will laugh out loud as they watch the boy trying to rid himself of the annoying sibling. He takes him in the wheelbarrow to the post office where he is posted to France. Here the child climbs the Eiffel Tower, paints at The Louvre and eats at a swanky bistro. But at home he is unable to build a Lego tower, he leaves a mess when he eats, and cannot draw anything. Next the boy leaves his little brother at the zoo. Here he cleans the lion’s teeth despite being frightened of everything at home, he has a shower at the elephant’s enclosure despite being too small for the showers at home and he swims with the seals, despite not knowing how to swim.
Again the child is returned.
Not to be deterred, the boy takes his sibling to the rocket launch and the younger child is sent to the moon.
All along the older boy is giving reasons for not wanting a little brother, and the text and illustrations belie his reasoning.
When the child is returned to earth, the older boy cannot find his true companion, Beryl Bear. He searches everywhere without success, the rest of his family trying to placate him, but it is the little brother who finds his bear for him and he realises that perhaps he does need a little brother.
This charming story is quite delightful in its depiction of the new child coming into the family. I love the way the illustrations are full of humour rewarding the reader with seeing the different points of view.
Readers will understand the impetus in the family for siblings to get along, and see the humour in the older boy’s attempts to defy his parents. They will laugh with the boy saying for example, that his brother does not make friends, and there he is in the illustrations chatting to an alien on the moon. Lots of laughs about a serious topic, which everyone will recognise encouraging children to see the positives of having a sibling.
Nathaniel uses pencil and acrylic paint to create his images using Photoshop to finish the illustrations. More can be found about this illustrator here.
Jess Sanders is a social worker, educator and author. She has created multiple award-winning resources for children, to assist in understanding tricky topics. Her books focus on positive body image, self-care, and emotional literacy.
This book is the 6th in her Life lessons for little ones series. It follows You are enough released in 2022, You've got this and Your softness is your strength (both released in 2023), and You can do hard things and You know yourself best (both released in 2024).
Your body is amazing encourages young people to appreciate the body they have, to be thankful for what it can do, and to realise that there's more to being 'them' than just what they look like. It starts:
"Your body is not too small, and it is not too big. It is not too short, and it is not too tall. Your body is actually amazing. Just as it is."
The book goes on to cover a range of things our bodies do automatically (converting food to energy, healing when sick, recharging during sleep) as well as what our senses allow us to experience. It encourages the reader to reflect on the positives about every body, whether short or tall, strong or flexible.
It broadly addresses changing bodies and the discomfort this might bring, and reminds us what we can do to feel amazing. It encourages talking to a trusted grown-up about any uncomfortable feelings.
The last few pages show ways to take care of our body, and the book ends with a website link. The 'resources' tab on the website contains multiple useful links, including age-appropriate discussion questions for young people.
The bright, cartoony illustrations by Christine Cuddihly add vibrancy to the information on each page - bodies of all shapes, sizes and abilities are shown, including a diverse range of skin colours, disabilities, manners of dress, and ways of moving.
For positivity around body image, mindset and embracing differences and uniqueness this book is fabulous. It would be a great read-aloud to classes from pre-school through to Year 2, and an ideal starting point for important conversations.
Nicci French returns with another riveting psychological suspense thriller which kept me glued to the page. Nancy North is trying to pull herself together after a psychotic episode that meant she lost her restaurant and had to spend time trying to get back to normal. She has been supported by her partner Felix and together they move to a new flat hoping for a fresh start. Nancy is doing everything she can to get better; she takes her pills and talks to her therapist, but she feels that something is very wrong in the building which houses her new flat. When a young woman Kira Mullan is found dead and the police believe it is suicide, she disagrees. What had the young woman said to her on the steps? Why would she commit suicide? Because of her background with mental illness no one believes her, not even Felix or Kira’s close neighbours. Will she be able to trust her own instincts and convince the police that it was murder or will she be pushed to the edge with her illness? Meanwhile Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor, first seen inHas Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? has misgivings about the thoroughness of the investigation and the quick way the case was closed and when the lead detective is away does some investigating.
This a novel that is very difficult to put down after the first few chapters. What kept me engrossed was Nancy’s plight with no one believing her because of her past medical history and the steps that are taken to keep her quiet are disturbing. Maud’s investigation almost takes a backseat to Nancy’s story; however fans of police procedures will not be disappointed, with enough red herrings and suspects strewn throughout the book to keep readers engaged in the plot. It is not until the very end that readers finds out whether it was suicide or murder.
The Last Days of Kira Mullan can be read as a stand-alone but people who enjoyed this will want to read the first in the series, Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? And I look forward to more books in this series from the very talented duo, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French.
