Just So Stories

Random Reviews and Ramblings from Redcliffe

  • The Official Agatha Christie After School Detectives Club: 50 Mystery Puzzles for Children – Agatha Christie Ltd, Dr Gareth Moore, Laura Jayne Ayres

    Hachette Australia Imprint: Laurence King Publishing Oct 28, 2025 | 9781510231924 | RRP $26.99 It’s been a pretty murder-y sort of week this Halloween special so it seems only apt to add this terrific book into the mix. How did I, Agatha Christie tragic that I am, never realise that there are Agatha puzzle books!!??? Inconceivable! Be assured, now…

  • Murder in the Cathedral (Phryne Fisher #23)- Kerry Greenwood

    November 2025 ISBN:9781760879341 Publisher:Allen & Unwin Imprint:Allen & Unwin RRP: $34.99 Like hundreds – nay, thousands of others, I was completely devastated to learn of Kerry Greenwood’s death back in March. Just this past week my FB memories told me that 11 years ago I was relishing another Phyrne Fisher title, and I would think…

  • Oxford Blood — Rachel Davis Featherstone

    Walker Books Synchronicity yet again. For one thing my other YA review for Halloween is also dark academia, full of privilege vs scholarship, ruthlessness, power-hungry educational institutions, murder/s, set in an elite institution. And, also, as I’ve just re-read via audiobook The Book of Dust #1 & #2 and the setting of Oxford with references…

  • Halloween Bonus! Q&A with Jack Mackay

    Recently I reviewed the amazingly great Gloam, debut novel of Jack Mackay [honestly, READ it! – it is SO good!] and am thrilled, as well as grateful, for this generous response to my Q&A. Perfect Halloween timing!!! Jack, welcome to Just So Stories! I am so grateful to you for sharing some time with my…

  • Horror in Pleasantville: Stories from the Archives – Caleb Finn

    Penguin Australia August 2025 ISBN: 9781761345890 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $17.99 I’m guessing there would be some who have NOT heard of Caleb Finn – but that’s very likely not any of your readers or indeed anyone under the age of 25 at least. From his early days on TikTok his popularity has soared as an iconic purveyor of…

  • A Box Full of Murders – Janice Hallett

    Penguin Australia June 2025 ISBN: 9780241636183 Imprint: Puffin RRP: $16.99 It was actually quite serendipitous that as friend, Zanni Louise, mentioned she was enjoying a Janice Hallett murder-mystery – an author whose work I didn’t know – I replied by saying, I had just got a review copy of her first kids’ book, also a murder mystery. And…

  • What Have They Done to Liza McClean? – Amy Doak

    Penguin Australia October 2025 ISBN: 9781761350641 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $19.99 No doubt about it, Amy Doak has rocketed into ‘force to be reckoned with’ status since Eleanor Jones first burst onto our YA shelves. After three hugely successful titles in that series, we now have a new aspect of Amy’s talent. Your kiddos who are into the whole…

  • The Long Shoe – Bob Mortimer

    Simon & Schuster Australia Publisher: Gallery UK October 2025 ISBN13: 9781398548053 I have always loved Bob Mortimer on WILTY, which I admit is the only place I’ve seen his comedy. I didn’t realise he was also a writer until I spotted this one in a publicity email and immediately was keen to read it. I…

  • The Locked Room – Adam Cece

    Penguin Australia August 2025 ISBN: 9781761351068 Imprint: Penguin RRP: $19.99 Wowzers! Hold on to your hats, and make sure to get yourself sorted with snacks and drinks for this one because you are not going to want to stop reading it once you’ve started. Let’s say you take a really tricky escape room, mix it up with an…

  • Inkbound: Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo – Phillipa Leathley

    Harper Collins Australia January 2025 ISBN: 9780008660956 ISBN 10: 0008660956 Imprint: HarperCollins GB List Price: 17.99 AUD While it took me a while to get to this on the review shelf, and then it’s taken me a few weeks to get the review written, it only took me two sessions to actually read this completely enthralling and wildly different…