May 2011 – Page 2 – Aussie Reviews

‘It’s from Wal Grominsky. He says, Keep a watch out for anyone tailing y–‘
I planted the accelerator and ran the red light, ripping a sharp left off the highway soon after.
‘–ou,’ Ed oophed out. He fell hard against his door and yelped in pain but I didn’t have time for apologies. In fact, I didn’t say a word for half-a-dozen more hairpin turns and a backtrack around the water tank on top of the Mosman Park hill.
Ed rubbed his shoulder. ‘What the-‘

Unorthodox PI Tara Sharp needs new clients, but she’s less than impressed when Madame Vine, proprietor of a high-class brothel, wants to hire her to sort out her staff. When the chance to work on a mystery threatening a high-profile motor racing team comes up, she’s much more keen. Tara is a petrol head, and hanging out at the track – and getting paid for it – seems like heaven to her.

But it isn’t long before Tara’s life is once again in danger. A body found floating in the Swan River reminds her that Johnny Viaspa may have it in for her. Add in a murder at Madam Vine’s abd a mysterious greay car tailing her, and it seems certain that Tara is in for more action than she bargained for.

Sharp Turn is the second action-filled crime novel in the Tara Sharp series, set in and around Perth. Tara is a sassy, clever investigator with the unorthodox investigative skill of being able to read auras. She is surrounded by an eclectic mix of characters, including a narcoleptic body guard, a runaway teen, posh parents and enough hunky men to satisfy any reader.

Readers will look forward to seeing more of Tara Sharp.

Sharp Turn, by Marianne Delacourt
Allen & Unwin, 2010
ISBN 9781742370033

This book can be purchased in good bookstores, or online from Fishpond.

A tsunami is a water-wave caused by a sudden large movement of the sea floor, or by something like a meteorite disturbing the water surface.
The words tsunami comes from the Japanese words ‘tsu’, meaning ‘harbour’ and ‘nami’, meaning ‘wave’. They are also known as ‘seismic sea waves’, because many are caused by earthquakes. Tsunamis are incorrectly called tidal waves, but they are not caused by tides, which are controlled by the pull of the moon on the sea.

Until a few years ago, most people were unaware that tsunamis existed. If there was a super wave hitting shore, it was mostly known as a tidal wave, even though it was often clear that tides were not responsible. But since 2004, tsunamis and the terrible events that accompany them have become much more familiar in the world. But tsunamis are not new. The Tsunami Book: Killer Waves looks at just what a tsunami is and what causes it. Then it describes tsunamis around the world and the effects they have had on the populations where they occur. The Tsunami Book: Killer Waves includes photos of the aftermath of tsunamis and diagrams of their relative sizes. There is information about volcanoes and speculation about the truth behind the Atlantis stories.

The Wild Planet series of books from Black Dog Books presents factual information in beautifully photographed paperback books. They are generally authored by experts in their field. The Tsunami Book: Killer Waves is no exception. It’s a glossy large format paperback of picture book size, and full of facts and figures presented in engaging bites. It’s both an introduction to non fiction and an alternative choice for readers wanting something different from their reading. Contents, index and glossary are included, and topics are clustered under headings. The photos are dramatic and exciting and present readers with a global perspective on tsunamis.

Month: May 2011

Sharp Turn, by Marianne Delacourt

The Tsunami Book, by Dr Gill Jolly