Booklover Book Reviews

Assassin Synopsis

Former model turned forensic psychologist and PI Mak Vanderwall is missing, presumed dead in Paris. By hiring a hit man to kill her, the powerful and corrupt Cavanagh family aimed to silence her for good. But after narrowly escaping death, Mak has taken over her would-be killer’s world. She is very much alive. And transformed…

Back in Sydney Mak’s former flame, criminal profiler Andy Flynn is on the trail of a vicious rapist and murderer with possible ties to the infamous ‘Stiletto Killer’. He may have struck before and will certainly do so again. And while Andy struggles to cope in a world without Mak, little does he realise she is on her way back. And this time she’s ready to make her own justice. (TheNile – Aus)

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What are your favourite thrillers with strong female leads?

Book Riot asked readers this question recently and collated this reading list. I have only read two on this list, The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson (well this is actually three books) and The Informationist by Taylor Stevens, but would wholeheartedly agree with their inclusion.

I would add the Mak Vanderwall Series by Tara Moss to this list of thrillers with kick-arse leading ladies. Right now I am listening to the sixth and final title in the series, Assassin, which has just been released and enjoying every minute of it. After a long hiatus Mak is definitely back!

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Now that I am on holidays it becomes practical for me to borrow books from my wonderful local library – meaning I have some chance of actually reading them before having to return them! The titles I have borrowed this week are:

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Just because I am hosting the 2012 Aussie Author Challenge (see details) that does not stop me from signing up to participate in the very topical Australian Women Writers Challenge.

There has been much discussion lately about how under-represented females are in Australian literary prize winner lists.

Tara Moss’ blog post  ’Are our Sisters In Crime (still) fighting against a male-dominated literary world?‘ sparked much heated discussion. This discussion got me thinking…

I had always assumed that I read male and female authors equally. A quick count on the authors represented on my blog yielded some interesting stats.

• Of the 135 reviews I have published so far, 69 are written by women – that’s 51.5%;
• Of the total number of reviews on this site, roughly 20% of those are by Australian authors;
• Of those written by Australian authors, 48% of those were written by women.

I am very pleased with these results.

Perhaps I’m not that influenced by literary prize winner lists?

Whatever the reason, I want to ensure I continue this reading equilibrium. In my Aussie Author Challenge I will be participating at the Dinky-Di Level – 12 books by Australia authors. So I will be signing up to the Australian Women Writers Challenge at the Devoted Eclectic Miles Level – 6 books, many genres.

I will undoubtedly read more than 12 books by Aussie Authors in 2012, but I like to not impose too many constraints on my leisure reading!

Just some of the titles by Australian Women Writers I have in my sights for 2012 include:

FIVE BELLS by Gail Jones – I read her Dreams of Speaking early this year and was mesmerised.

THE SHIFTING FOG (The House at Riverton) by Kate Morton – Morton another author I tried for the first time this year, thoroughly enjoying her The Forgotten Garden in audio.

INDELIBLE INK by Fiona McGregor – I have not read a title by McGregor before but I have heard great things.

For some chick lit I might try Liane Moriarty’s What Alice Forgot and I am eagerly awaiting Tara Moss‘ next instalment in her Makedde Vanderwall thriller series, Assassin due for publication in 2012-13. I have always wanted to read a title by Shirley Hazzard too.

I would also like to read a non-fiction title written by an Australian woman – any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

BOOK RATING:The Story 4.5 / 5 ; The Writing 4.5 / 5

BOOK DETAILS: Siren (The Book Depository), Siren (Tara Moss’s webpage)

A sassy, sexy thriller. Tara Moss’s much anticipated fifth novel in her Vanderwall thriller series, Siren lives up to expectations and as always leaves her fans gasping for more.

Although I do not know the author personally, her public persona appears very similar to that of her strong-willed and self-assured female protagonist – ex-model, forensic psychologist and in demand private eye Makedde Vanderwall. Without spoiling the first four novels in this bestselling series, suffice to say Moss’s protagonist Mak has been through a lot in her twenty nine years. She has lost a parent, lost friends to crime and narrowly escaped death herself on more than one occasion. Her feisty, kick-arse attitude and penchant for standing up for what she believes is right makes her a target for the worst of criminal society. Her model looks and style opens doors for her, but it is her intellect and mental toughness that gets her out of the life threatening situations she gets herself into.

Siren involves Mak’s search for a missing teenager, seeking revenge on the rich and corrupt, a hired assassin and competing male love interests. The mystery and intrigue heightens as Mak zeroes in on a French circus troupe featuring burlesque, contortion and magic acts and an aging stage siren. Her descriptions of both the Australian and French settings are authentic and the thorough research that went into the writing of this novel self-evident.

Moss is a masterful storyteller and to say this novel is fast-paced is certainly an understatement. Moss builds the tension page by page and does not mince words when depicting violence and its aftermath. Moss is able to keep readers guessing with her adept plotting and her willingness to go where many would not dare, conveying both tawdry and romantic human interactions with aplomb. The result is a stylish and sexy roller-coaster ride that readers will not want to disembark from.

Siren by Tara Moss is an edge of your seat thriller – a must read.

The Author: Tara Moss was born in British Columbia in 1973. Married to an Australian poet, she now resides in Sydney and holds dual Canadian and Australian citizenship. She had a successful international modelling career and is now a professional writer and television presenter. Her novels have been published in 17 countries and in 11 languages. She holds licences in private investigation, race car and motorcycle driving and wildlife and snake handling. Her bestselling novels include Fetish (1999), Split (2002), Covet (2004), Hit (2006) and Siren (2009).

This book counts towards my participation in my Aussie Author Challenge.