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Christian White

Author of The Nowhere Child

6 Works 868 Members 64 Reviews 1 Favorited

Works by Christian White

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male
Nationality
Australia

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I previously read this over 3 years ago, and now I am re-reading it for discussion with my U3A Crime Fiction group.

I think now that, when I read it earlier, I seriously under-estimated the clever plot construct that the author builds in. I had forgotten the nature of this twist and began making notes because I actually thought the author had slipped up. And then of course I discovered that he hadn't!

This is an Australian story, set on an island off the coast of Victoria, a popular summer holiday destination, connected to the mainland by a ferry.

What would you do to protect your children? Something happened to John Keddie as a rebellious teenager that would stay with him for the rest of his life - affecting his mental health, giving him nightmares, and memories he can never escape. Eventually the dam overflows.
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smik | 24 other reviews | Oct 21, 2023 |
A great holiday read! It had me hooked from the start.
 
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JennyPocknall | 29 other reviews | Oct 19, 2023 |
If you've not read THE WIFE AND THE WIDOW yet then you're in for an absolute treat - but stay away from too many spoiler's and see if you can pick the twist before it slaps you over the head like it did this reader.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/wife-and-widow-christian-white-0
 
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austcrimefiction | 24 other reviews | Aug 24, 2023 |
* I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. *

Christian White's debut novel won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript. That's a big recommendation, considering the phenomenal success of previous winners such as The Rosie Project and The Dry, so I was eager to read this one.

Kim Leamy is a Melbourne photographer who teaches at the local TAFE. One day she is accosted by an American man who insists that she is his long-lost sister, who disappeared when she was two years old. Initially dismissive, Kim is gradually convinced that there is something to this, and travels with him to the USA to come to grips with this strange gap in her past.

The story unfolds with two parallel arcs telling of Sammy's disappearance and the subsequent investigation, along with a present-day narrative about Kim digging into her past, and what she finds. Personally I found the arc dealing with the crime more interesting and engaging than the arc set in the present. There are some clever twists in the plot, but not entirely unanticipated. I did think that the final act was a bit weak and far-fetched, but i still think that this is a very good crime novel.
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gjky | 29 other reviews | Apr 9, 2023 |

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Works
6
Members
868
Popularity
#29,487
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
64
ISBNs
63
Languages
5
Favorited
1

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