Review: THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS by Michael Robotham

Publisher Hachette Australia
Length 448 pages
Format ebook
Published 2017
Series standalone
My Copy provided by the publisher

My Review

The Secrets She Keeps is a departure from the traditional psychological crime novels Michael Robotham is better known for (the Joseph O’Loughlin series). There’s no real investigative angle into a crime as such – this book is all about the characters (not to say his other books aren’t by the way but there seems to be a considerable effort here to make the main characters shine); two in particular; Meg, a soon to be mother of three expecting her ‘oops baby’ and Agatha, a 30-something single who works at a supermarket. 

Meg and Agatha are from different walks of life, seemingly worlds apart; Meg is well-off, has a happy family with all the trimmings, Agatha is lonesome and just making ends meet. While the distance between the two is easily distinguishable, there's a layer of grime beneath the glossy veneer which inevitably brings the two women together.

The pacing is deliberately slow, steadily drip feeding the reader subtle and at times not so subtle hints that something isn't quite right in the Meg and Agatha dynamic, before too long there's a twist or two and that's when things really start to get interesting.

The Secrets She Keeps is a great read that that me hooked all the way through. By the end of the book I really felt like I knew these characters and felt for their respective situations. Michael Robotham also does a fantastic job at writing from the female perspective - that mother-child bond is omnipresent throughout the novel and highlighted by some terrific writing.

My rating: 5 / 5 stars - I can't recommend this book enough.  

Review: NEW POMPEII by Daniel Godfrey

Publisher Titan
Length 459 pages
Format paperback
Published 2016
Series New Pompeii #1
My Copy provided by the published

My Review

Set sometime in the near future, man has conquered time travel – though with some limitations. An evil corporation has monopolised the technology and is using if for their own nefarious purposes; purposes that become clear as the novel progresses. Somehow they have managed to recreate New Pompeii, along with the actual residents of the city. On the surface, this looks to be the perfect set-up for study and exploitation in a theme-park/zoo kind of way, until people start going missing and then appearing in different timelines.

New Pompeii is a great idea that serves as an introduction to a broader tapestry of storytelling which is both a good and a bad thing. Good, as it means there’s at least another book on the way (Empire of Time), but bad because it comes off as merely setting the stage; the book didn’t read as a complete story, or even a complete story arc for that matter, ending in a quasi-cliff hanger that left me scratching my head. 

The book sucks you in and delivers a story vastly different to what I was expecting. Despite my grumblings I’ll be picking up Empire of Time.

My rating: 4 / 5 stars. 

Review: THE SEVEN BLADES OF MASTER DARQUE by Matt Kindt

Publisher Valiant
Length 160 pages
Format trade
Published 2017
Series Ninjak (collects issues #22-27)
My Copy I bought it (individual issues)

My Review

The sixth volume of Ninjak from Valiant comics brings together the core group of characters introduced in the beginning of the series; the Shadow Seven, and pits them against a well known foe within the Valiant Comics Universe - Master Darque. Book-ending the title arc is a silent standalone issue in which Ninjak fights through a nameless and disposable contingent of ninja monks, cleaving a path to Roku, and the final issue of the current run, which gives readers a glimpse of the future direction of the Ninjak series as Ninjak is once again hired by MI6 to undertake a covert mission - this time, to retrieve a scientist responsible for manufacturing breakthrough technology which blends humans and animals - making near perfect weapons; its a story well suited to this title and really hypes the new series starting late 2017, Ninja-K. 

Readers not familiar with the current iteration of Ninjak are advised to read up on the previous volumes before delving in here as The Seven Blades of Master Darque relies heavily (#27 aside) on the reader being familiar with the events which have led Ninjak, Roku and co. down this path.

The Seven Blades of Master Darque is a fanboy's dream. Not only does it take into account continuity elements from the title but contributes to the broader Valiant comics tapestry by referencing the Book of Death and the earlier Shadowman run. This felt like a well rounded conclusion to the series while also ensuring the sustainability of some key characters moving forward. 

The artwork is what I've come to expect from Valiant; exceptional and complimentary to Kindt's writing. The silent issue alone is worth the price of admission while the inks and colors of the splash pages for Master Darque are perfect; crossing that line of fantastical and reality without missing a beat. 

As a longtime reader of this series, I enjoyed the hell out of this book, be it reading the issues individually or as a collection; it provides closure to the current series while transitioning towards the next iteration; a must have for readers of Valiant and fans of good graphic novels. 

My rating: 4.5 / 5 stars.