I have never heard of this author, and that's okay, because sometimes that's when you find your new favourite, or know to avoid them at all costs. Colmstock, Australia a once blooming mining town full of opportunity, is now the shell of what it once was. Businesses are closing down, drugs are taking over, employment is scarce an Im still not sure how i feel about this book, i find when this happens and i put my thoughts down that i come to the realisation on what trumps out, the good or the bad. Businesses are closing down, drugs are taking over, employment is scarce and everyone knows everyone.
When an arsonist burnt down the towns courthouse and taking part of the building next door, noone thought there was anyone inside as they watched it burn to the ground, only there was. Now a month later, strange porcelain dolls are arriving on the porches of the towns people, these dolls look remarkably like the young girls who live inside. Same hair, same eyes. With everyone still on edge after the fire, they begin to think the worst. Rose Blakey is looking for a way out of Colmstock, her dreams of being a journalist are squashed before she even begins, missing one opportunity after another- she knows she needs a big story to break her way out of this hellhole of a town, where people come and never leave.
In a town where everyone knows everyone, people come and never leave, how many are hiding secrets? Who has enough reason to want to bring the already crumbling town to its breaking point? Who is the arsonist? Who is leaving the dolls? I enjoyed this story. I found it to be alittle slow in some parts, but the writing and the plot were pretty strong. Some of the subplots however, didn't feel necessary and sort of dragged away from the main story.
I didn't feel like this book was anything special, it had that small town vibe, where nothing is as it seems and it kept that all throughout the book. I also didn't find the ending that great, i was little bit like really?
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- Hippo Cross Stitch Pattern.
- To Honor and Trust (Bridal Veil Island Book #3);
So there was a little disappointment there. I guess i just expected alittle more than what i got from the ending.
Don't get me wrong, someone who isn't that into mystery thrillers would probably love it, but as someone who has read quite alot, i needed more than what i got, something memorable so it doesn't just feel like another typical mystery thriller. The characters; well here is where things get interesting. You think you know them, but really you have no idea who they are as people, even those who are main characters, you literally dont know. Some of what the characters did was down right small town mindedness mixed in with a pack mentality. I was shocked by some of them, especially Rose's best friend.
I literally thought these two were strong independent women, but it turns out Rose was the leader and Mia was the follower, until she finds someone else to cling onto.
- Lintelligence de la complexité (Cognition et formation) (French Edition).
- Biancaneve, i sette nani, la luna e i falò (Italian Edition).
- Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra.
- Frederic's Little Secret by Phil Rossi.
- Frederic's Little Secret by Phil Rossi | Podioracket Presents - Visionaries.
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- LE BANQUET DES MUSES OU RECUEIL DE TOUTES LES SATYRES - Jean Auvray (French Edition).
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Overall, it was an okay novel. I dont think its anything to scream on rooftops about, but it wasn't that bad either. It brings discussion to some tough topics, and makes you question who people really are, and what they might try hide from everyone. I'd be curious to see Anna Snoekstra's other novel, Only Daughter, because its been raved about on here, and im a curious sort of person.
Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense. Jan 02, Jeanette rated it really liked it. This will be some task to review this book and so please be patient with me. There's a lot to say. This is one I truly recommend. First, I think its title is a misfit? This is about basics of "life management" and very little of anything in this book is truly secret, IMHO.
It's more about finding a life's work when you come out of a place or education which have given yo 4. It's more about finding a life's work when you come out of a place or education which have given you nothing to little of what will be required for practical applications to GET THERE for that job. And it isn't square in the genre you would think from the descriptive trailer for this book, either. Wonderful and finely drawn characters all around in this one. Both are in some considerable issues of desperation, but one is cored in the truth that she needs to leave town to become herself.
They have bonded and promises have been made. One of them can finish the other's sentences. One of whom is the "boss" and is smitten in total by the woman above trying to exit. Another whole element is the town itself. Its MORE than a character. Comstock, Australia has seen boom decades somewhere in the last century, but now is filled with empty houses and closed storefronts.
Some, like the old Auto Center which have been skeletons since the girls were in grammar school. On an entirely different continent- but this town resembles my county seat in Cassopolis MI to such a degree, that I even had the skeletal remains of the 3 or 4 story previous manufacturing facility with no roof and dragging I beams plastered in my brain.
And so immediately grabbed the "feel". The locale texture in this fiction is 6 star. Notwithstanding any of your own experiences with imploding towns, you will "get" it. It was done superbly. Both women have birth families. Dysfunction lives in all here but not the kind you "normally" see in the biggest groups of genre in our English language modern fiction presently.
This dysfunction is not "outside the psychosis" box that lives in these psychological thriller category of plus. These are "nice" guys and giving women. One of the two friends has 3 young half-siblings and one is of them is a 5 year old who she cherishes. Supposedly all so normal. All of the characters, even the strange or old are Church goers on Sunday too. Father priest is a main pub hanger too.
It's 10 people looking for 2 possible jobs. It's love and deep affection of years. And it is ultimately about betrayal. It's sexual power plays, but it isn't only coming from the job power or from just the male half of the population. And at the same time something very, very creepy is happening in the town. Little girls are having dolls set upon their home stairs as gifts. Each doll looks exactly like the little girl who lives there- except being in porcelain.
Plus there is another factor that drove me around the bend. The present ten year old town crowd is playing a game during this heat wave with "paper plate faces" as masks- running all over. And possibly starting fires too as dares? But that's only the framework. The crux of this book - the dynamic between the two women and their desperation for better work and some kind of independence? And a man who enters the picture and rents behind the tavern just after the dolls started?
And will Frank ever get his date and chance? Let alone our budding journalist? How does the "not as pretty" woman decide which road to get to a future?
Frederic's Little Secret by Phil Rossi
Where does "not" normal come into play for nasty violence in return, despite it being a close neighbor and pub for years and years friend. How much alcohol is too much alcohol? The first half of this book is enthralling. Comstock just enthralled me. I give this book the deepest copy in fiction print of "not anything is what it seems" AWARD for anything I've read in the last 2 full years. It turns 7 ways and none of them are more than a quarter foreseen.
For tremendous good or selfish persuasions? How much intersection and exchange without viable work fulfillment can adults have without terrible competition. One that results in exposing all the flaws of years knowledge about each other? The title is completely insufficient. It DOES expertly cover all the points of beginnings when you have no economic start line. Homelessness, jobless future, as a parent kicking out the mid-twenty year old who you cannot support any longer, or settling for the spouse who gets you a lifeline and little else, trusting a stranger.
Bar flirts and workplace chit-chat and politics supreme. This book does the service workplace itself better than any other I have come across since "Last Night at the Red Lobster"- one of my favorites. This is not about elitist 1st world problems. This is about the problems of millions of adults living in their family's basements but with a hot and tasty Australian edge to it. The ending was perfect but I doubt many will agree with me. I will read all of this genre that she writes. Excellent writer who actually can do original plotting.
This one is pretty close to unique. And the timing of its "power" plays, both sexually and with violence and threats of violence- those are all 5 star exposures to homo sapiens. Does she know her psychology and human cognition or what I call "the eyes" or personal perceptions. Some optimistic at core, some never. Some leaders, most followers. Some averse to risk, and others never.
And fake news twisting what everyone "knows" too. All so very timely. The passing of time IS a problem to convey in towns just like this though. Do I know it! Jan 17, Kari rated it did not like it Shelves: Little Secrets is about a small working class town in Australia where too many secrets and too many hot tempers end up causing a lot of damage to the community.
In the wake of a tragic fire where a child was killed, dolls start showing up on the door steps of the children in the town. They strangely look like the children they are left for. Rose is looking for a story that will give her a big break in the world of journalism and uses this one as her jumping board. I really disliked this book. I p Little Secrets is about a small working class town in Australia where too many secrets and too many hot tempers end up causing a lot of damage to the community. It also took me forever to read and I ended up switching to audio to finish it out quicker.
Nothing happens in a large majority of the book. I know not every story can have all likable characters, but at least one could go a long way to making the story good. I couldn't find one nice character in this book. Even the little kids are kind of brats. The protagonist almost had my sympathy for a while, but she ended up being just as detestable as the rest of them. I never really felt the mystery aspect of the book. Finding out all of the secrets was kind of a let down. There was one twist that did take me by surprise, but it seriously wasn't enough to save the book for me.
Even that twist, which was one of the big ones, never really was addressed again after it was revealed. You would think there would be some repercussions, but no. In the end, they all kind of got what they deserved and were probably looking at miserable lives ahead. I'm not really sure I would recommend this one.
It's is really dark and I guess if you like that sort of book, you could give it a shot. Otherwise, I would say skip it. Feb 16, Mary Bird rated it did not like it. I always feel bad about one star reviews, because I still respect that the author had the dedication to sit down, write a whole story, and figure out the publication process. But I just actively disliked this book. I feel like maybe this is what s I always feel bad about one star reviews, because I still respect that the author had the dedication to sit down, write a whole story, and figure out the publication process.
I feel like maybe this is what soap operas are like? Sorry - did not like this book. Jul 01, Shirley Revill rated it really liked it Shelves: I really enjoyed reading this book and I loved the storyline. I really enjoy a good crime mystery and this story ticked all the boxes for me. Jan 20, Kirsten rated it liked it Shelves: This is what I would call a pressure cooker story.
Take an isolated and poor community, add some pressure, some heat, and some wild cards and see what happens. What happens is crazy. People think that big cities are dangerous, but small towns can be even more dangerous. When you are a tight community, the other becomes more and more of a threat to people. This story has some great characters, some sordid goings-on, and quite a few mysteries.
Oct 08, Donna Irwin rated it it was amazing. Rose Blakey is an aspiring journalist. She is desperate to escape the from the small Australian town in which she lives. Rejection after rejection mean she is stuck in what she sees as a dead-end waitressing job. This is a town is gripped by fear following an arson attack in which a local boy died and by the delivery of dolls to local children, dolls that spookily resemble their recipients.
The atmosphere in the small town is suffocating and, as anonymous notes arrive and small incidents become Rose Blakey is an aspiring journalist. The atmosphere in the small town is suffocating and, as anonymous notes arrive and small incidents become large ones, paranoia develops at a pace suspicions falls on those not born in the town.
Rose sees this as the ideal opportunity for becoming a reporter, not fully understanding the implications of what she writes and how it will impact on the paranoia.
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An intriguing but slightly disturbing read. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a review copy. Sep 07, Jenea Whittington rated it liked it. Little Secrets is a story that will definitely make you think. Colmstock, a small town in Australia where everyone pretty much know everyone. When the courthouse fire happened killing the boy inside the town was turned upside down, but something even more sinister is taking place. Porcelain dolls have been showing up the towns doorsteps that have little girls. These dolls look just like tho Little Secrets is a story that will definitely make you think.
These dolls look just like those girls. This is where Rose Blakely comes in, a journalist who pieces the clues together and prints them. Making all the suspicion and rumor with in this small town spread even worse. Rose is one ambitious journalist. She wants to make a name for herself, and sometimes she steps on some toes doing just that. I think that Rose is probably the most straight forward character in this, the rest were fairly complicated.
At some point or another I suspected them of having some involvement and this was just the towns people.
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The mysterious new comer, Will was just that. As the story unfolds and the pieces start to fall in place, and as for the who done it, I change my mind several times. The more the Rose learned about the people in this town and the police, the more I was unsure who was behind the dolls and the fire. I was amazed at how many secrets this small town held and as some were revealed, it all led up to a big twist at the end, that kinda left me scratching my head.
It was a fitting ending, just not what I was expecting or hoping for with everything that happened from start to finish.
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But, I still enjoyed reading this. Little Lies was a suspenseful story with town secrets and betrayals, and those who enjoy a great mystery will enjoy this one. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Anna Snoekstra was born in Canberra, Australia in Anna's short films and music videos have screened around the world. She has written an array of published and award winning short fiction. Books by Anna Snoekstra.
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Something unnatural is revealed in the middle of the night. After all, that's what friends are for. Read more Read less. Countdown to Christmas Sale. Sale ends on 24 December at Product description Product Description Two friends. Kindle Edition File Size: Amazon Australia Services, Inc.
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