Three new reads under the lens: a twisty Harlan Coben thriller, a raw coming-of-age tale in 1980s Auckland, and the final reflections of Pope Francis
Nobody’s Fool
Harlan Coben
$38.00
Penguin Random House
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
This tale caught me a bit off guard as I expected to wade through the usual fare we’re offered from writers in this genre, so lucky me to find it ended up being a decent page turner – but then again Harlan is known to spin a good yarn. The latest sees us follow a down-on-his-luck ex-detective stumble across an ex-squeeze he left for dead in Spain when a teenager. The twists are good, one of which sees him hired to find out what happened all those years ago. All this with a wife and kid in tow.
1985
Dominic Hoey
$38.00
Penguin Random House
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
If you were familiar with the Central Auckland suburb of Grey Lynn and its surrounds in the 1980s then this will bring back a few memories. It’s here before gentrification drove up prices and changed the community that our main character negotiates teenage life in a dysfunctional family all while trying to become an arcade game champ and searching for some buried loot. It all kind of sounds a bit weird but fits together into a decent read way better than I expected.
Hope
Pope Francis
$40.00
Penguin Random House
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
What a coup for the publisher to release the Pope’s autobiography only a short while before he passed away leaving the top Catholic job for a new successor. Despite what your thoughts are on politics or organised religion, it’s always good to get a handle on those who hold sway over millions of followers and in this instance, we’re provided with a background to Pope Francis, his thoughts and challenges. Fair to say he’s a decent bloke and one I’d prefer to listen to instead of some of those others who fill our social media feeds.