5 recent reads: The Paris Wife, What The Night Knows, Dark Matter, The Wreckage, Falling Glass

The Paris Wife
by Paula McLain, Hachette, $39.99
Review by: Elisabeth Marrow
Ernest Hemingway married Hadley Richardson on September 3, 1921. Hadley was the first of four wives. This is the story of the marriage; told with beauty, empathy and sadness.
This wonderfully written novel brings to life the realities of living with genius; the reality of love and when to let go of it with dignity intact.
The novel explores Paris in the 1920s, the whirlwind of life among the great and the good- Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and other American writers and artists who made Paris and the French Riviera their own.
It gives readers an insight into the life of one of last century's greatest writers, through the eyes of one who loved him.
What the Night Knows
by Dean Koontz, Harper Collins, $39.99
Review by: Julie Taylor
As a teenager, John Calvino walked in on and killed the man who murdered his family. Twenty years later, the nightmare returns.
A series of murders start happening with far too many similarities to the killing spree that ended with the Calvino family slaughter. John, now Detective Calvino, starts to think Alton Turner Blackwood is back to fulfil the promise he made before he died.
With each link to the past, he becomes more and more convinced his wife and three children are on the hit list of an evil presence calling itself Ruin. But how do you fight a foe when you do not know what form it will take or how it can be destroyed?
This is an arresting tale that pulls you in  as danger draws ever nearer.
Dark Matter
by Juli Zeh, Random House, $38.99
Review by: Jenna Taylor
Suspense-filled and intriguing, this book had me wanting to read more - every chapter had something new and exciting added, but with the same twists and carry-ons from the beginning of the book. It has mystery, intelligence and a slightly thrilling edge. There are so many different ways to read and understand this book ... it is certainly captivating.
Sebastian and Oskar, long-time friends from school and both considered future Nobel Prize candidates, take different paths - Sebastian chooses  family life while Oskar becomes a researcher. Then Sebastian's path  is suddenly changed for him. His young son is kidnapped and the only way to get him back is with the help of Oskar - or so Sebastian thinks.
The Wreckage
by Michael Robotham, Sphere (Hachette), $40
Review by: Kevin Ball
This seventh novel by former investigative journalist Michael Robotham has twists and turns worthy of a maze.
His two principals are Luca Terracini, a journalist in Baghdad  investigating a series of bank robberies in that troubled city, and London-based ex-cop Vincent Ruiz, who is robbed by a young woman he rescues from a violent boyfriend.
From these two unlikely scenarios Robotham weaves  an enthralling and action-packed yarn that will keep readers guessing. Just the ticket for a wintry weekend.
Falling Glass
by Adrian McKinty, Allen & Unwin, $36.99
Review by: Julie Taylor
Killian is a fix-it man, known for using his Irish charm to iron out "difficult" situations for shady characters and organisations.
He has hit 40 and is trying to turn over a new leaf, studying architecture at university and steering well clear of "the life".
But the recession has hit his real estate investments and the 500,000  ($1 million) offered to save an airline magnate's daughters from their drug-addled mother proves too much to resist.
The job becomes complicated,  and Killian returns to his own past as a traveller in Ireland to bring about what he sees as the best outcome.
It's an exciting tale, with a hero who prefers to use his wit, but doesn't mind resorting to violence.