This will hurt me...

  Leaves. St Columba Falls, Pyngana, Tasmania. July 2021. Montana  by Gwen Florio Hard-boiled  private dick   combat veteran   cop  foreign correspondent Lola Wicks finds herself thrust back into civilian life only to discover that her oldest (only?) friend has been brutally and mysteriously murdered in the lonely Montana Badlands. Far be it from me to suggest that Gwen Florio’s  Montana  is formulaic, but it treads familiar ground. While I enjoyed the remote setting, the story felt rushed, and many of the characters insufficiently fleshed out. Most apparent is the subplot involving the Johnny Running Wolf, which seems incredibly implausible and emphasised the casual treatment of the Blackfoot, who appeared more as props than authentic and substantive people. Still, if you are prepared to go with the flow and not dwell on the many implausible facets, it is a pacey read and does not outstay its welcome. I will no doubt give the follow-up a read, which says enough, I suppose. ⭐ ⭐ 1/2

  Sloop Rock (closer), Bay of Fires, Tasmania. July 2021. Pompeii by Robert Harris An entertaining little diversion in which Robert Harris energetically conjures up the hot and dry days of AD 79 in the lead-up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the immediate impact on the surrounding towns. The author treats us to a tale of intrigue, ingenuity, human avarice, corruption with a cursory love story thrown in for the bargain. Our hero is suitably heroic, our heroine stoic, and the bad guys are variously psychotic, egotistical and lazy. The usual beats of a heart-racing adventure are both present and satisfying. I reckon that this has the makings of both Hollywood blockbuster and triple-A video game material. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 1/2

  Sloop Rock. Bay of Fires, Tasmania. July 2021. How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue This novel is a suitably bleak exploration of modern African history in the form of a novel. The unnamed country could stand-in for any number of post-colonial regimes that have fallen under the iron fist of a cruel dictator and exploited by foreign oil companies. The fate of the villagers of Kosawa is heartbreaking, brutally illustrated through the stark choices forced upon them. Mbue beautifully demonstrates the lives of those wishing to preserve their traditional tribal lifestyles and protect their children from the illnesses caused by the environmental degradation caused by an American oil company. The story arches across a generation, and the echoes of earlier generations abound. Be warned. This is no 'feel good' tale as atrocity is piled upon horror and the consequences of 'standing up for right' is deftly contrasted with those that choose to swim with the current, however debas