What Cathryn Read – The August Round Up (by bestselling author Cathryn Hein)

Australian novelist Cathryn Hein, author of The French Prize, Heartland and much more gives her verdict on the books she’s been reading.

A rather mixed bag this month, with everything from an unputdownable epic fantasy romance series to a fabulous sports romance and a gruesome murder mystery. Great fun!

Days of Blood and Starlight / Dreams of Gods and Monsters

by Laini Taylor

This series… I’m not sure I have the words. It’s incredible. The first, Daughter of Smoke and Bone enthralled me deeply enough, but parts two and three? I honestly couldn’t stop reading. These are big fat bricks of books and I devoured them. Which is amazing because fantasy is not something I often read.

I’m not sure I can tell you anything about the plot of these two without giving away too much of Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and I wouldn’t want to spoil this series for anyone. What I will say is that the scope of the overarching plot is breathtaking in its complexity, the writing is rich and mesmerising, and the themes are huge. As for the love story between the chimera-raised Karou and seraphim hero Akira… heartbreaking and beautiful. Sigh.

Start with Daughter of Smoke and Bone and keep going. This series is a triumph.

Grab a copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy here

We Were Liars

by E. Lockhart

I did not realise this was a young adult book when I bought it. It appeared in the publisher Allen & Unwin’s newsletter and I liked the sound of it so decided to give it a whirl. I can’t say I’m sorry I did because it was a very enjoyable read with a nice twist at the end. The writing style was interesting, using single words and brief paragraphing that some might find irritating but worked for me because I felt it reflected the narrator Cadence Sinclair’s fractured mind.

We Were Liars is coming of age story with a suspense element. Cadence is from an old money family who spend their summers on a private island. There, she hangs with her cousins – the self-labelled Liars – living a spoiled life. One summer something goes terribly wrong but Cadence can’t remember what it is. Her mind blocks it out. As she narrates her story and tries to resurrect her memory, she relives the lead up to that time; the family’s acute dysfunction, her friendships and loves. The moment when everything clicks into place in the end is nicely satisfying.

 Grab a copy of We Were Liars here

The Devil in Denim

by Melanie Scott

Dark fantasy readers will know Melanie Scott as M. J Scott, of Half Light City series fame, but the Melbourne based author has turned her hand to sports romance. And what’s not to enjoy in that!

Maggie Jameson’s dad has owned the New York Saints major league baseball team forever. She grew up breathing the Saints, the team acting as a surrogate family after the death of her mother, and the players stepping into the role of protective elder brothers. She, in turn, is like the team’s mascot, and is affectionately known as Saint Maggie. All she wants is to take over the running of the team that is her life, except her dad throws a curveball and suddenly sells the Saints to a trio of rather hunky, super-successful men. Conflict ensues!

I loved how this book started. Maggie slamming down tequila in a bar only to be rescued rather manfully by our hot hero Alex Winters. This had a nice rawness to it and told me I was in for a rollicking adult romance. The rest didn’t disappoint either. The dialogue between Maggie and Alex was fantastic – witty and sexy – and the racy bits suitably so. A perfect read to relax with.

This is the beginning of a related trilogy featuring the Saints’ three new owners , with Angel in Armani coming in January. Can’t wait!

  Grab a copy of The Devil in Denim here

The Devil’s Workshop

by Alex Grecian

I adore Victorian era set stories, in particular mysteries and crime and the more gas-light atmospheric the better. A legacy, I expect, from my deep love for Sherlock Holmes (hurry up Anthony Horowitz with Moriarty).

This is the third in Grecian’s Murder Squad series and probably his goriest. The Yard and The Black Country contained their fair share of icky murders but in resurrecting Jack the Ripper Grecian has made this book particularly blood-soaked. With some of the plot carrying over from the previous books I suggest reading books one and two first to get the most out of this.

The Devil’s Workshop sees Inspector Day and Sergeant Hammersmith investigating a suspiciously imaginative breakout from Bridewell Prison. Now some of the nation’s worst murderers are on the loose and one of the sickest knows where Day and his heavily pregnant wife Claire lives. During the ensuing man-hunt we’re sent twisting and tripping over and under London, following not only Day and Hammersmith but Grecian’s collection of evil-minded monsters. The conclusion had me fretting badly. Not one for late night reading!

Grab a copy of The Devil’s Workshop here

Thanks Cathryn Hein, we look forward to seeing what you have read next month!

Cathryn Hein was born in South Australia’s rural south-east. With three generations of jockeys in the family it was little wonder she grew up horse mad, finally obtaining her first horse at age 10. So began years of pony club, eventing, dressage and showjumping until university beckoned.

Armed with a shiny Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) from Roseworthy College she moved to Melbourne and later Newcastle, working in the agricultural and turf seeds industry. Her partner’s posting to France took Cathryn overseas for three years in Provence where she finally gave in to her life-long desire to write. Her short fiction has been recognised in numerous contests, and published in Woman’s Day.

Now living in Melbourne, Cathryn writes full-time.

Click here to see Cathryn’s author page

The French Prize

by Cathryn Hein

An ancient riddle, a broken vow – a modern-day quest for a medieval treasure.

Australian-born Dr. Olivia Walker is an Oxford academic with a reputation as one of the world’s leading Crusade historians and she’s risked everything on finding one of the most famous swords in history – Durendal. Shrouded in myth and mystery, the sword is fabled to have belonged to the warrior Roland, a champion of Charlemagne’s court, and Olivia is determined to prove to her detractors that the legend is real. Her dream is almost within reach when she discovers the long-lost key to its location in Provence, but her benefactor – Raimund Blancard – has other ideas.

For more than a millennium, the Blancard family have protected the sword. When his brother is tortured and killed by a man who believes he is Roland’s rightful heir, Raimund vows to end the bloodshed forever. He will find Durendal and destroy it, but to do that he needs Olivia’s help.

Now Olivia is torn between finding the treasure for which she has hunted all her life and helping the man she has fallen in love with destroy her dream. And all the while, Raimund’s murderous nemesis is on their trail, and he will stop at nothing to claim his birthright.

Grab a copy of The French Prize here

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