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A review by nina_reads_books
Clarke by Holly Throsby
4.0
Clarke is Holly Throsby’s third book after Goodwood and Cedar Valley. I’ve now read and enjoyed them all for their quintessential Aussie tone and quiet approach. This one was definitely more of a slow burn. There were pleasant characters that you want to get to know. It is mystery adjacent rather than a traditional crime/mystery and in that respect Throsby's work I think is fairly unique.
I will say straight up that the similarities to the Lynette Dawson case (from the Teacher’s Pet podcast) didn't completely sit right for me. I know she was inspired by the case and that her last book Cedar Valley was also inspired by a real life case (the Somerton Man) but in Clarke this felt a bit too obvious. I mean the missing woman was named Ginny Lawson!
But I did enjoy the fact that the focus was very much on the surrounding neighbours and that both Barney and Leonie also had a mystery surrounding what had happened to their wife and sister respectively. As the neighbours quietly ponder Ginny's disappearance, their own grief and inability to move on is tested by pressure from friends. I liked getting to know them all especially little Joe and his love for his “Leelee”.
I was planning on rating Clarke ⭐️⭐️⭐️ as it was so very quiet and slow but I have to say that the ending suddenly brought everything together in such an unexpected way that it left me with a much lighter and happier feeling than I expected it would halfway through. Clarke is an example of lovely writing and charming character development and for the way it made me feel warm and fuzzy in the end its ended up at ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thank you to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy. Clarke is out now.
I will say straight up that the similarities to the Lynette Dawson case (from the Teacher’s Pet podcast) didn't completely sit right for me. I know she was inspired by the case and that her last book Cedar Valley was also inspired by a real life case (the Somerton Man) but in Clarke this felt a bit too obvious. I mean the missing woman was named Ginny Lawson!
But I did enjoy the fact that the focus was very much on the surrounding neighbours and that both Barney and Leonie also had a mystery surrounding what had happened to their wife and sister respectively. As the neighbours quietly ponder Ginny's disappearance, their own grief and inability to move on is tested by pressure from friends. I liked getting to know them all especially little Joe and his love for his “Leelee”.
I was planning on rating Clarke ⭐️⭐️⭐️ as it was so very quiet and slow but I have to say that the ending suddenly brought everything together in such an unexpected way that it left me with a much lighter and happier feeling than I expected it would halfway through. Clarke is an example of lovely writing and charming character development and for the way it made me feel warm and fuzzy in the end its ended up at ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
Thank you to @allenandunwin for my #gifted copy. Clarke is out now.