Lily Malone

The narrative skilfully shifts between several time frames which I found challenging at first, eventually managed to get it sorted. It begins with the discovery of some bones in an area being established as a new housing subdivision. We meet the police Constable Brigit Winger and Detective Marley West from Busselton Police Station as they travel to the site to view the bones. Marley takes one look and he knows they have a problem.

Eventually they work out that they have two skeletons, one probably much older than the other. The bodies lie where there was once a waterhole, covered in over 20 years before. Some of the story goes back almost 50 years.

The author has done an excellent job of creating characters, developing credible plot lines, and finally revealing the story on several levels. A very engrossing read.… (més)

Australian author Lily Malone, best known for her rural romance series, ‘The Chalk Hill’, dips into the crime genre with The Waterhole.

When human bones are discovered in what once was waterhole on the edge of a suburban development, Detective Marley West and Constable Brigit Winger, are tasked with unraveling a complicated cold case that opens old wounds in the community of Cowaramup, Western Australia.

Three timelines reveal a feud between brothers, Jack and Bill Ross, stretching back almost half a century, the predatory instincts of a itinerant traveller, and the legacy of Marley’s late grandfather, a corrupt cop. To learn the identities of the bodies buried in the waterhole, Marley needs to overcome the distrust of the locals, and the concerns of his colleagues, to expose the secrets others tried to bury. Malone skilfully manages the multiple threads that weave their way through the story and connect many of the characters in the past and present.

Though there’s quite a large cast, the characters are well drawn, from the warring brothers and the woman they both love, to young troubled teen, Jay. Marley’s personal life is a bit of a disaster but he presents as a decent man, and cop, and I imagine his and Brigit’s partnership could carry further novels.

With its cleverly crafted mysteries, and appealing characters, I thought The Waterhole was an excellent police procedural and I hope there will be more.… (més)

I really enjoyed reading this debut novel by Lily Malone. HIS BRAND OF BEAUTIFUL was often light-hearted, sometimes full of drama, and very Australian. I do like my wines and found the story line being set around the development of a marketing strategy to be both informative, and fun. When I first started out drinking wine the bottles would get chosen simply because of the label. In my opinion, if the label looked good the wine must taste good! I am a bit more discerning now – but still have my let’s pick a new wine by its label moments – and these labels would be top notch!

Christina is very focused on her own needs and that she knows what is best for her (insert borderline selfish here). To be fair though, it is not a surprise when the reader learns that in the past when Christina depended on someone she had been badly let down. Her sister-in-law keeps Christina’s attitude mostly in check and is one of the few people not afraid to stand up to Christina. Tate has personal baggage as well; he has taken on the blame for his young sister’s death in Africa. While the two of them are out to prove different things, and often lock horns, the relationship does progress to its much anticipated HEA.

One thing in the book really, really annoyed me – the condom scene – when he raises the fact that he doesn’t have one, she says don’t worry I’m safe and on they go!! I felt that it was such an irresponsible event in this ‘safe sex’ day and age. I know Christina wanted to get pregnant (as that is in the blurb) but boy-oh-boy this was not the way to do it. I’m not sure what the answer is, but it does bother me that as parents we are preaching to the young boys and girls of today about using condoms as protection from STDs that kill you and many romance novels are not encouraging it.

Having got that off my chest, don’t let it hold you off from reading HIS BRAND OF BEAUTIFUL, it is a perfect book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon – with a large glass, or two, of Australian red near at hand.

… (més)