Reviewing Books for SMSA
We would like to invite all SMSA members to submit book reviews for inclusion on our website. Book reviews are a great way to let…
Book Reviews
Quick Reviews by Members
These are the short and concise reviews left by members when they return books to the library. They provide quick feedback on their reading experience….
The Valley (Detective Nell Buchanan #4) by Chris Hammer
The Valley by Chris Hammer is a good example of how sophisticated Australian crime writing has become in recent years. The novel is set in…
Acceptable Loss (William Monk #17) by Anne Perry
Anne Perry wrote five series of novels, with the most well known and regarded being the Pitt and Monk series. The novel Acceptable Loss, is…
Private Morey’s Jacket by Kate Broadway
When Japan launches a devastating invasion of Australia, Isla’s world shatters. Her husband is sent to the frontlines, leaving her with nothing but a promise…
The Killing Time (Ali Dawson book 2) by Elly Griffiths
“Sometimes the membrane between this world and the next is very thin.” DI Ali Dawson heads the Cold Case Unit, affectionally known to some as…
A Hymn to Life by Gisele Pelicot
“And yet the feeling persists: love is not dead. I am not dead. I still have faith in people. Once, that was my greatest weakness….
Hotel Ukraine by Martin Cruz Smith
I’m very glad that Martin Cruz Smith resisted the temptation to kill off his main character Arkady Renko – something he may have considered as…
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Like so many women before me, I read The Bell Jar in my twenties. I thought it was ‘cool’. Sylvia Plath’s mystic was part of…
Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
My first 5 star rating for 2026. I lost myself in this story. I loved Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. I loved her as an unlovable child….
The Names by Florence Knapp
The reviews for this book have been glowing: ‘heartwarming’, ‘magnificent’ and ‘heart-wrenching’ to quote a fews. However, this book needs to carry a trigger warning:…
The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club #5) by Richard Osman
They’re back! It’s been a quiet year for our intrepid sleuths as Elizabeth comes to terms with the loss of her husband. As they celebrate…
