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Here are some of my recent book reviews. I have also had some reviews published in other magazines and websites - like this review of Annie Patterson's "Waterhole of Hope", as well as reviews of John Harms's book about cricket, Dave Andrews's book about Christi-anarchy and Garry Disher's novel about "Moondyne Kate".

"Overtaken" is a morality tale about materialism and motoring in the north-west of England. Kelvin, Alexei's first-person narrator, is a 33 year old property developer who is challenged by the unfamiliar experience of suffering to reassess the rules of his tightly controlled universe. Thrown into a quest to avenge his friends' untimely deaths, Kelvin sets about avoiding any more tragedy with all the might of his money and influence. He takes his revenge upon addiction and injustice by letting himself become an accidental philanthropist and theatre impresario. Alexei adds his traditional fascination with totalitarianism to a fresh satirical look at alternative circus, urban development and sexual desire. While this may be familiar to viewers of Alexei's TV sketches in "The Young Ones" and "Stuff", he reveals in "Overtaken" a new element of melancholy . Each character in "Overtaken" is at breaking point as their life, like the society around them, is unravelled involuntarily and relentlessly. If you enjoy "Overtaken" you may also enjoy Jonathan Coe's satirical novels about contemporary English society and the narcissism of the beautiful and powerful ("The House of Sleep"; "The Rotters' Club"; "What a Carve Up!").

Review of Lawrence Block's "The Burglar on the Prowl" (Random House Australia, 2004)

The Bernie Rhodenbarr burglar mystery series is wonderful for wordplay, serendipitous storylines, and Woody Allen-like settings and characters. Bernie runs a second-hand bookstore, Barnegat Books, while his offsider Carolyn Kaiser runs a dog-wash shop, The Poodle Factory. Each week they get together for lunches and post-work drinks in lower Manhattan to compare notes about love, business and Bernie's irresistible urge to pick locks for a living. The banter at the start and finish of each zany episode is enough to hold your attention: plus it's great for debriefing from the messes Bernie creates and cleans up. "The Burglar on the Prowl" has an intricate plot about jilted lovers, spiked drinks, Baltic war criminals and date-rape. It's a tribute to Block's mastery of this genre of 'metropolitan crime puzzle' that such serious topics can also be a rich source of comic twist and trivial delight (somehow Block even manages to include a reference to how many Latvians live in Australia!). Bernie is a lovable rogue - offering the reader a glimpse of his good-natured view towards burglary, politics, money and human nature (such as it is in New York, that is). Die-hard fans will also enjoy the cameo appearance of Raffles the Bookstore Cat and smart-alec cop Ray Kirschmann. Very witty and worthwhile.

Review of Steve J. Spears' "Murder by Manuscript" (Wakefield Press, 2004)

Who can make murder, revenge and scandal amusing? Steve J. Spears is a playwright and novelist who has learnt how. "Murder by Manuscript" is an over-the-top scramble through an urban crime scene featuring a string of psychopaths who kill, run the country, or make bad television shows. Spears uses his satirical skills to sketch political and religious intrigue in a fictional Australian city (OK I think it's Adelaide) - as well as the underlying sexual tension between the two heroes, Stella Pentangeli and Investigator Ng. Stella is a private eye who uses her instincts and technology to unravel hidden secrets. Ng is an enigmatic detective who uses his character and fierce integrity to dismantle the lies of wrong-doers. Together they confront a serial-killer and forge a very funny team of crime fighter misfits, including a mad CIA operative called "Sam" and Ng's offsider Sgt. Cross who just needed a smack in the head to join the forces of good. "Murder by Manuscript" is easy-to-read crime theatre. Following on from "Murder at The Fortnight", "Murder by Manuscript" brings together the farce and joy of a game of Cluedo with the menace and bitchiness of Beverley Hills Cop. A real treat.

Review of Nick Earls' "The Thompson Gunner" (Viking, 2004)

Meg Riddoch is a young migrant Australian who uncovers the wounded core of her comedic abilities, in Nick Earls's latest novel "The Thompson Gunner". Meg travels the festival circuit in wintry Canada and bright-sky Australia, remembering the disconnected pieces of her life, her partner (Murray), his daughter (Elli) and her own interior 8-year old self. Meg grew up in Northern Ireland on the Ards Peninsula and acclimatised too well to the sectarian and political conflicts that permeated a 'normal' childhood there. Earls draws upon his own travels and observations of the 'canapé class' to set the present-day scene of celebrity homesickness. The portrait of a Northern Irish childhood is also superbly detailed, through his light dramatic touch and empathy for people who feel misunderstood and battle-scarred. There are some hilarious scenes of Meg at the Perth Comedy Festival, including a celebrity canoe race in which the author makes a not-so-subtle winning appearance. This is at the better end of the spectrum of 'Nick Earls novels' - sharp comments, intriguing characters and a narrative that knows where it's going.

Review of Jim Keeble's “My fat brother” (Penguin Books, 2003)

This is an entertaining novel about a poet, his family, and his search for depth and compassion. Easily compared to other ‘lad lit’ books by Nick Hornby or Nick Earls, Jim Keeble’s story succeeds because, unlike his narrator Scott Barron, it doesn’t try too hard to be liked. Called “Men and other mammals” in the U.S.A., “My fat brother” has plenty of sibling rivalry between Scott and his younger brother Jes as they deal with love, success and the lack of it in their lives. Keeble uses the penguin as a symbol of fraternity and dignity to resolve the insecurities of the major characters. There is also enough slapstick comedy to balance the serious stuff – in keeping with Scott’s attempt to mature without becoming what the Brits would call a ‘humourless git’. “My fat brother” is a bit self-indulgent but has all the ingredients of a funny, serious novel. Plus it is set in North London at Christmas time so, who knows, it may make a good movie one day.

Review of Gail Bell's "Shot: A Personal Response to Guns and Trauma" (Picador, 2003)

"Shot" is an example of how suffering can be transformed by the power of storytelling into healing. This is a courageous and compassionate memoir in which the author recalls how she was shot in the back, seemingly at random, in Sydney's western suburbs in 1968. It took Gail Bell more than three decades to write this book, during which time she wrote short-stories as well as the award-winning book "The Poison Principle" (Picador, 2001). In "Shot" Gail uses her craft of writing, her passion for research, and her literary instincts to make meaning out of her collision with evil. "Shot" is not, however, an exercise in therapy or social research: but a powerful meditation on coercion, weaponry and the psychology of cruelty. As she describes her personal struggles with trauma, lead-poisoning from the bullet which remained in her body for five years, and the hyper-vigilance of her personality after 1968, Gail Bell's memoir reveals much about the physical significance of memory. While not writing from an explicitly religious or mystical framework, Gail's story addresses the profound questions which many people ask at the breaking-points of their lives - 'why me?' 'why now?' and 'where do I go from here?' Pastoral care teachers, retreat leaders and study groups would do well to include this book in their search for a contemporary theology of healing.

Review of Anne Deveson's "Resilience" (Allen & Unwin, 2003)

"Resilience" records Anne Deveson's reflections about the strength of the social fabric, human character and the possibility of transformation. But it is, importantly, more than a series of profound reflections from a respected broadcaster: "Resilience" is a love story. It captures Deveson's encounter with and growing love for Canadian futurist, Robert Theobald, during his visits to Australia in the last 2 years of his life. Theobald died on 27 November 1999, aged 70.

Theobald gave a series of lectures in Australia between 1997 and 1999, including a series on ABC Radio National in which he described the turning of the human heart for our times: 'The heart of this shift would be for us to conceptualize the twenty-first century as the healing century just as the twentieth will certainly be defined in the future as the economic century. I shall prove that only a change toward a more caring and compassionate culture at all levels from the personal to the ecological can avoid massive breakdowns.' http://www.abc.net.au/rn/events/rttrans1.htm

In many ways, Deveson's relationship to Theobald reveals her own path to resilience, amidst adversity and broken dreams. She faithfully chronicles the joining of hopeful ideas, the gathering of networked communities, and the bitter reminders of shared pain that make up her past and present. "Resilience" is a concept that will, like 'social capital', be explored and developed in overlapping circles of spirituality and social policy-making. Deveson writes like the professional communicator she is, blending sophisticated argument with gentle musings. "Resilience" is a thoughtful book, and will no doubt evoke the reader's compassion with its loving intention.

Review of Clifford Longley's "Chosen People: the big idea that shapes England and America" (Hodder and Stoughton, 2002).

"Chosen People" is a helpful analysis of the common religious culture of the UK and the USA. It is a serious lesson in heritage, and goes some way to explaining the underlying bond between these two nations, particularly in these times of global tension with the rest of the world. Longley argues that the history of England and America has been shaped by the powerful guiding idea of Protestant nationalism: the idea of a national community coming into existence out of the action, motivation and guidance of Divine Providence. Longley identifies the influence of this idea throughout history, especially in relation to church-state relationships as well as the evolution of concepts such as national destiny and Western civilisation. Longley argues that if we are not aware of the "Chosen People" ideology, and how it manifests itself in current responses to other races, religions and cultures, then Protestants may unwittingly contribute to dangerous excesses of intolerance such as racism and sectarianism. "Chosen People" offers some excellent points of entry for those scholars of constitutional history and religious nationalism wanting to explore further. This book would also be a stimulating discussion starter for those interested in exploring dilemmas such as the limits of ecumenism, the ecclesiastical implications of the English monarchy and the economic implications of Protestant practice. "Chosen People" is an insightful and thoroughly research book, written by an experienced religious columnist and broadcaster.

Review of Chris McGillion's "The Chosen Ones: The Politics of Salvation in the Anglican Church" (Allen & Unwin, 2005)

This book is one of those commentaries about society which, through its coherent narrative and research, creates drama out of non-fiction. Chris McGillion is the religious affairs commentator for the Sydney Morning Herald and a senior lecturer in print journalism at Charles Sturt University. He writes a balanced and empathetic account of the rise to power of committed evangelicals within (and through) the Anglican Diocese of Sydney between 1993 and 2001. In so doing, McGillion describes the tensions within the wider Anglican Church about church-growth, lay presidency, women's ordination, relations with the Catholic Church, and the biblical interpretations of sexual ethics. I appreciated the way in which the author unpacks the baggage of church history and theology so that a wider audience can understand the significance of recent conflicts such as, for example, the public reaction to Archbishop Peter Carnley's article in The Bulletin (25 April 2000), about the resurrection of Christ. "The Chosen Ones" will appeal to a variety of audiences, but especially to people who have attended church meetings and genuinely wondered 'what has all this debating and voting got to do with salvation?' McGillion has identified the power-plays between today's believers that exude the underlying conflicts of the Gospels. Setting it in Sydney, a city of harsh political and religious realities, was a stroke of genius.