Poor Girls

 

Rose Juma and her best friend, Susan Biar, have a good life by South Sudanese standards, with their home town of Yirol largely untouched by past wars, especially school which they both attend. But Rose and Susan are tall and beautiful, which ironically works against them.

Alice Murray and Steve Hall, travel to Juba, South Sudan, to raise money to help the women and children of this poor nation. For sure South Sudanese are doing it tough, and women are doing it tougher, but how to get on top of the biggest problem, the marriage of teen girls, eludes Alice until she travels to the town of Yirol. There, the pieces fall into place, but Alice has now put herself and her partner into terrible danger.

Poor Girls is set in a nation already devastated by decades of war when it was formed in 2011, and now is attempting to recover in a world that doesn't do African nations any favours.

Poor Girls is storytelling at its finest, immersing you in a place far away, where you live the triumphs and tragedies of the two key characters, with countless insights, large and small, and endings that totally makes sense. Read Poor Girls because you will not be disappointed. Ann Reed – author.

Put simply, Poor Girls is great storytelling. Mary Parks – author.

Poor Girls takes you there, and afterwards you won't be quite the same. Nicolas Ward - author

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Upon The Sea

 

Shanghai 1935, Paris of the East, Whore of the East. Young expat Matthew Clark, having learned the language and some customs, arrives in Shanghai determined to conduct business honourably.

 Newly released from jail, Li Yunhe changes her name to Lan Ping and sets out to become a professional actor. She gains lead role in a play to rave reviews, meets and dates a young rising star, and soon finds herself acting in movies. But Ping's an unconventional young woman, even by Shanghai's hedonistic standards, where her life becomes ever more chaotic as she struggles to keep her head above water.

 Matthew falls in love with taxi girl Mai Jing and they soon become part of the expat social scene of Shanghai, attending balls and functions. But when Jing's sister Binbin has problems with her gangster husband, Jing and Matthew have no choice but to descend into Shanghai's dark underworld with all the danger that entails.

 Upon The Sea is a story of relationships, set Shanghai in its heyday.

Fantastic setting, beautifully drawn characters – certainly the best novel I have read for quite some time – five stars. Alice Pickard – author.

 Gorgeously constructed, beautifully written, Upon The Sea is one of the best and most original novels I have ever read. Kate Baldwin – author.

 Upon The Sea is one of the most entertaining novels I have ever read. Leon Carter - author

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Into Smoke

 June 1918: Les Taylor and his wife Dolly Grey, plan the biggest jewellery heist in Melbourne's history, and intertwine this with a scheme to expand their gang.  In early 1919, Spanish Flu hits Australia, putting 16 year old Lilly Kelly out of work.  When Dolly arranges a meeting with the Fitzroy gang but is mistreated, Les launches retaliation which realises his ambition.  Lilly crosses paths with Les and Dolly and soon becomes friends with the now well-known gangster and his wife.

Les Taylor is more of a thinker and a planner, but it isn't until one evening when Les dances with the young Ida 'Babe' Pender, and Ida becomes Les's girl, that his true nature is revealed.  With Ida's encouragement, Les becomes ever more audacious.  When Les and Ida go 'into smoke' Les becomes a city-wide folk hero.  Meanwhile Lilly Kelly, friends with Les and Ida, has her own problems to deal with.

Into Smoke is a story of love and soulmates, tragedy too, set in a time of great change.

Into Smoke has everything going for it: place, time, characters, story, and plot threads that make you think. Recommended – five stars. Alice Pickard – author.

Into Smoke has the hallmarks of a mature author who's confident with his craft, including realistic characters, being both good and flawed, a fast-moving plot, and touching upon multiple themes which is a characteristic of Mark Morey's writing. Kate Baldwin – author.

Into Smoke is one of the best novels I've ever read. Owen Green - author 

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