Sex, Murder, and a Double Latte

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17: Sex, Murder, and a Double Latte by Kyra Davis

I've been meaning to do a review which does this book justice, but as time goes on the likelihood of that drops.

So, briefly: a quite enjoyable chick-lit murder mystery. I didn't figure out whodunnit until right near the end (I had vague inklings, but that's better than it being a surprise because there were no clues) It definitely wasn't High Literature: the characters felt a bit two dimensional and the plot a little mechanical. But it was still enjoyable, funny, and engaging and given that I don't tend to like chick-lit (I read it for the mystery) I think it did pretty well.

Less sex than I was expecting given the title though :) (I think I've been reading too much fanfic)

#4: "The Whale Rider" by Witi Ihimaera (Reed, 2002)

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The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (Reed, 2002)



I need to have my own copy of this book. And I will possibly buy two copies and donate one to the library where I work, because they need to have a copy too.

This book is brilliant. I haven't seen the movie (although I've been reliably informed that I really must see it), and I have to admit that now I'm not entirely certain how the book would transfer to the screen (although clearly it must have done). The magical-realism elements (I'm not sure what else to call the sections of the book from the whales' point of view) took a while to get into, and yet once I did, were magnificent. The whole book showed up, in a way, the paucity of the way that Australians relate to our indigenous peoples, when this book can be written, become a best seller, and then an international success as a movie, while books of Australian "folklore" are full of stories about bushrangers. (More)