Scandal in St Loo

 The July selection in the 2026 Read Christie Challenge is The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948) in the category of 'best-kept secret'. Agatha Christie published this novel, and five others, under her pseudonym Mary Westmacott to allow her freedom to write stories that were different from the detective fiction she was best known for. 

The Rose and the Yew Tree is a melodramatic tragedy novel which starts with a terrific intrigue, then flashes back in time to show how the story ended up at this point.

 

In Paris, Captain Hugh Norreys is visited by a woman he does not know. This woman insists he immediately comes with her as a Mr Gabriel is on his deathbed and wishes to see him. Norreys cannot imagine why he has been summoned as he has not seen nor heard from John Gabriel for many years. Norreys does not want to visit Gabriel and is delighted to hear that he is dying. He proceeds to tell the woman that Gabriel can 'rot in Hell' as he is an odious man. The woman is shocked and proceeds to speak of Gabriel 'as one speaks of the Messiah' and reveals that Gabriel, the former MP for St Loo, best known as an alcoholic womaniser, is now Father Clement, a devout man of the cloth. Curiosity gets the better of Norreys, and he follows the woman to visit Gabriel in his dying hours. In this opening passage, peppered with hints and intrigues, is the end of the story. The novel which follows has Norreys narrating his history with Gabriel.

We are taken back to 1945 when Norreys is on a train from Penzance where he sits opposite a crying woman, Jennifer. He comforts her and they form an attachment. Shortly thereafter, Norreys is in a car accident on the Harrow Road which renders him a 'maimed, broken wreck with nothing to live for' so he breaks off his relationship with Jennifer. This early vignette shows how Norreys gathers information about people, the assumptions he makes and how he can be blinded by his misconceptions. 

His sister-in-law Theresa moves Norreys into her house in St Loo Cornwall to recuperate, Theresa is campaigning for the Conservative Party and refuses to let Norreys dwell on his infirmity. She has him folding leaflets and conversing with the ladies who volunteer for the cause - Lady St Loo, her sister Lady Tressillian, her sister-in-law Mrs Bingham Charteris, and her granddaughter Isabella - women he refers to as the Three Witches and the Enchanted Maiden. As an invalid, Norreys spends a great deal of time listening to the woes and secrets of others.

Into this mix comes John Gabriel, a suave charlatan who becomes the Conservative candidate in the upcoming election. He is an opportunist and a swindler, a charmer who can persuade all around him to his cause. But when he is seen having coffee with a married woman, then later seen walking along a path with her, rumours swell of potential scandal. But Gabriel has something more in mind and secretly woos a woman away from her betrothed, ruining his political career, and shocking St Loo. Years later Norreys happens to run into Gabriel in Europe but their reunion is cut short by a tragic incident after which they part in anger. Which then brings the story back to the beginning to Gabriel's death bed confession. 

This was a strange, intriguing novel. I really liked Christie's witty turns of phrase which I long to adopt in my own vernacular ('Fine words butter no parsnips'), and her biting political and class satire. The first person narration was also good, with sharp dialogue and a blunt observations. What I struggled with was the pacing as after the vibrant intro I felt the story lulled in parts. However the ending brought the story together, with depth and meaning. 

Christie wrote six novels under her Mary Westmacott alias. While I missed the detective angle, I will definitely being reading more by Christie's alter ego. 

Inhale, Exhale

Australian cartoonist Lee Lai won the 2026 Stella Prize for their remarkable graphic novel Cannon (2025). It was also longlisted for the 2026 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.

Set in Montreal, Cannon tells the story of Lucy, a queer Chinese-Canadian woman who is trying to keep calm while carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. She works as a chef in a busy restaurant, juggling the demands of customers and her loathsome boss. Her elderly grandfather is ill and she feels responsible for caring for him, despite his unpleasantness. Her best friend Trish, is self-involved and never there when Lucy needs her. While outwardly projecting a calmness and self-restraint, Lucy feels as though she is ready to explode. She jogs and listens to self-help podcasts trying to keep her emotions in check. But as the pressure mounts, and she feels let down by everyone around her, Lucy is on the verge of a breakdown.

Cannon is a wonderful graphic novel - a poignant story of friendship and love, drawn in a compelling minimalism. Lai's monochromatic panels change to cinematic red as Lucy's emotions flare. Hitchcockian magpies gather, seen only by Lucy, like a portent of what is to come. 

At the heart of the novel is Lucy's friendship with Trish. The two women have a realistic bond and their relationship is so well depicted by Lai - with overlapping speech bubbles showing how Trish dominates conversations. They hang out watching horror films, eating, and listening to Trish talk about herself. Lucy is used to being in the background, adopting the role of the stoic colleague, the dutiful daughter, the responsible friend. Unable to express her own needs and desires, Lucy takes care of everyone except herself. Trish is the opposite - giving in to whatever she feels, caring only for her self. But despite their differences, the two women need each other.

I really enjoyed Cannon and am now keen to track down Lai's earlier work Strange Fruit.  I recommend this incredible book for fans of graphic novels, tales of friendship, and those interested in seeing a truely compelling visual artist at work.

Father and Son

Scottish writer Douglas Stuart, author of the Booker Prize winning Shuggie Bain (2020) and Young Mungo (2022), has once again showcased his gifts as a novelist in John of John (2026).

Twenty-two year old John-Calum McLeod, known as Cal, is struggling to find his way after finishing his art school studies in Scotland. His father, John McLeod, tells him he should come home to Falabay, on the isle of Harris, because his grandmother Ella is unwell. Cal loves Ella and has nothing keeping him on the mainland, so he journeys back to his hometown. 

When Cal arrives he finds that Ella is not as infirm as he was led to believe, but perhaps his father wanted him home to help with the weaving and sheep farming on the croft. The relationship between father and son is strained and neither understands the other. John is deeply religious and has strong views about how one should behave. His son is not devout and does not live up to his father's expectations. But both men are more similar than they know - each hiding their true selves and suffering from this repression. 

In this claustrophobic croft, Ella, John and Cal stifle each other. John deliberately speaks Gaelic so that Ella won't understand, while Cal and Ella share in-jokes. The community is full of families like this - burdened by secrets, fearful of shame, desperately lonely, and bound by a deep Calvinist faith and familial love. They hold their kin close, but keep them distant by failing to share their true selves. As Ella says to John, they are 'islands within islands, within islands, within islands'. Their inability to express themselves fully, to even those they purport to be closest to, is a recurrent theme.

John of John is a fascinating and empathetic character study - the people in Falabay are complex, flawed, nuanced and wholly believable. Stuart is such a gifted writer that he can take challenging themes - closeted homosexuality, infidelity, addiction, desire, violence, repression and shame - and reveal them sensitively and without judgement. 

Likewise, the Hebridean landscape is beautifully rendered - bleak, wet, cold and windswept - with a suffocating isolation. I also loved the depictions of weaving and the way in which Cal and John can name the various hues of wool - mauve, ecru, azure, blush - but cannot name their feelings. 

For a story of heartbreak and unspoken queer desire, set in an isolating and rigid community, there was a lightness and hope to this story. I will be thinking about Cal, John, Ella, Innes, Isla and the other characters I have come to love, and wishing them nothing but love and happiness.

The Last Wolf

At the 2026 Sydney Writers' Festival I attended a panel session on crime writing with American author Shawn Andre Cosby. SA Cosby is best known for writing Southern Noir thrillers, set in his home state of Virginia. Reckoning I would enjoy his storytelling, I bought a couple of his novels and after the session I asked Cosby where I should start with his work. After discussing my reading preferences, Cosby recommended All the Sinners Bleed (2023) would be the best place to begin. So I started there, and it has been a perfect introduction to his work.

 

Set in the fictional Charon County Virginia, Titus Crown is the County's first Black sheriff. Titus is a former FBI agent who now leads a team of deputies as they break up bar fights in this small Southern town. The police are called out to a shooting at the local high school where a beloved teacher is killed by a former student. As Titus and his team investigate, tensions flare in the community, and they soon realise that there is serial killer, or killers, in their midst. Between the evangelical church groups, the sons of the confederacy, and the parents in fear for their children, Titus has his hands full as he races to solve this case.

Titus is a wonderful, fully-formed character. He has to delicately balance the expectations of his role, the needs of his family, and the weight of the history in this place where racism is rife and violence is on the precipice. While his work is heavy, Titus has a keen sense of humour which helps to lighten his burden.

Cosby has a descriptive way of writing, heavy on metaphor, with a clever turn of phrase. His creativity is evident in the interspersed short chapters about Charon County itself, the memories it holds from its years as a Civil War battleground, and the ways it was shaped by decades of hate and bloodshed. I appreciate Cosby's nod to Greek mythology in the naming of his county. His intelligent writing elevates the police procedural, subtly layering class and race to produce a deeper, more meaningful story. 

I highly recommend All the Sinners Bleed to fans of gripping crime thrillers. This is a fast-paced story with riveting action. You will be thinking about long after you turn the last page. 

I look forward to reading more of his work as Cosby is well on his way to becoming one of my favourite crime writers. All the Sinners Bleed has also been optioned by Netflix and will be turned into a miniseries. That will definitely be one to watch!

Booker Prize Longlist 2026 Predictions

The Booker Prize Longlist will be announced on 28 July 2026. It has been a wonderful year for books, but always a challenge to predict which novels will be chosen for the longlist as the Booker is known for its surprises. 

To be eligible, the novel has to have been written in English and published in UK/Ireland between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026. While I am not entirely sure when novels were published in UK/Ireland, I am going to take a wild guess at who might appear on the longlist. 

My predictions for the Booker longlist this year are:

1. Virginia Evans - The Correspondent
2. Rozie Kelly - Kingfisher
3. Min Jee Lee - American Hagwon
4. Ben Lerner - Transcription
5. Valerie Luiselli - Beginning Middle End
6. Siang Lu - Ghost Cities
7. Megha Majumdar - A Guardian and a Thief
8. Daniel Mueenuddin - This is Where the Serpent Lives
9. Doireann Ni Ghriofa - Said the Dead
10. Maggie O'Farrell - Land
11. Ann Patchett - Whistler
12. Elizabeth Strout - The Things We Never Say
13. Douglas Stuart - John of John

I had to narrow down my list, so I took off Yann Martel (Son of Nobody), George Saunders (Vigil), Daisy Johnson (Long Wave), Gwendolyn Riley (The Palm House), Marlon James (The Disappearers), Tayari Jones (Kin), Deborah Levy (My Year with Gertrude Stein), Julian Barnes (Departure(s)), Brandon Taylor (Minor Black Figures), Emily St John Mandel (Exit Party) and Barbara Kingsolver (Partita).  It was really hard to whittle my list down to the 'Booker's dozen', and with my luck the ones I have removed will be the ones that make the list. 

From my longlist, I have read the books by Evans, O'Farrell and Strout, and am working my way through the  Douglas Stuart. I am keen to read the others, so I would be happy if they make the cut. Stuart's John of John is definitely a contender for this award, and at this premature stage is my pick for the win.

The judging panel this year consists of the legendary queen of classics Mary Beard (chair), writer Raymond Antrobus, musician Jarvis Cocker, journalist Rebecca Liu and Booker shortlisted author Patricia Loockwood. I look forward to seeing their selections and how well (or not) I guessed.

The other thing I think is great is that the Booker is going to shift its eligibility dates next year. The new window for publication will shift to be from October to July, which means that regular folk like me can get access to all the titles before the shortlist is revealed. In the past, judges had early access to books that would be published up to the end date, and it meant that readers could not get them during the season. Indeed, some of the haven't been available in Australia until the following year, so this is a good move.

The longlist will be announced on 28 July, followed by the shortlist on 22 September and the winner announcement on 9 November 2026. 

Where the Heart Is

Irish-Scottish author Maggie O'Farrell is one of my favourite writers. She is a gifted storyteller with a spellbinding vocabulary and an ability to immerse readers in the worlds she depicts. She is probably best known for her award winning Hamnet (2020) which was turned into a well-regarded film last year. I have read most of her work, and hotly anticipated the publication of her latest novel Land (2026).

Land takes us to Ireland in 1865. It is a decade after the Great Famine and across the nation there is a tremendous feeling of loss with abandoned homes and brokenhearted survivors. On a cold, wet day Tomas stands in a field with his ten-year old son Liam. The two are working on the colonial Ordinance Survey, mapping the contours of drumlins, documenting settlements, and identifying landholdings for the British Government. Tomas is a talented, though untrained, draftsman who can speak English and the local tongue. Liam has been dragged along to hold the pole and measuring chains in the rain to help his father earn a wage for his mother and siblings back in Dublin. In a woodland, Tomas has an unsettling experience which causes a sudden change in his behaviour, and his relationship with his son is never the same. What follows is the ripple of this event over time, impacting Tomas, his wife and children and the choices they make.

Land is designed to be read slowly and savoured. Readers are invited to observe the whorls of ferns, listen to the susurrations of leaves and long grasses, and feel the chill of the damp hills. It is an immersive experience and O'Farrell's ability to deploy her cinematic storytelling to bring the tale to life is remarkable. The story is full of history and confronts the challenges of colonialism, displacement and hardship (not unlike Heather Rose's A Great Act of Love) and the deep love and longing people feel for their homelands. 

While there was so much I loved about Land, there was something missing for me that kept this story distant in parts. Perhaps it was the recurring heartache for this family, but I think it had more to do with the structure. The four part composition, without chapter breaks, caused the story to flip between characters and offered no break, which does not match my reading temperament. The magical realism elements didn't entirely work for me either. While I found the book slow to start, I found the second half stronger than the first, as the children grew up and find their own way in the world. I wanted to know what happened to these characters and developed a real fondness for them. Ultimately I enjoyed this novel, but didn't feel as strong an attachment to it as I did with O'Farrell's prior novels.  

One more thing... the cover illustration by Holly Ovenden is mesmerisingly beautiful.

My reviews of other books by Maggie O'Farrell are available on this blog:

• Hamnet (2020)
• The Marriage Portrait (2022)
• The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (2006)