#fiona mcfarlane

[readingoals]

What a great concept for a book! Highway 13 is a series of short stories that all revolve around a serial killer in Australia but never directly to do with him. Instead you get stories about the woman who lived next door to his family, or a politician who shares the same surname but isn't at all related, or family members of his victims. I found it a really original concept and really beautifully written. I picked it up on a whim because I've been trying to read more from Australian authors, and I am so glad I did.

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Highway Thirteen: Stories

By Fiona McFarlane.

[judgingbooksbycovers]

The Sun Walks Down: A Novel

By Fiona McFarlane.

[covershaven]

The Night Guest Fiona McFarlane Design: Charlotte Strick Illustration: Ariana Nehmad Ross

[amberdaniella]

First up, a Christmas present from my husband: The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane. So far, it’s equally entrancing and uncomfortable, in all the best ways. It’s about a widow named Ruth who lives in almost complete isolation. She’s an elderly woman, and seems to flirt with the beginnings of senile delusions, making for a somewhat unreliable protagonist (my favorite kind!)… A woman who calls herself a “government carer” arrives on her doorstep one day, and after some coaxing, Ruth let’s her in and enlists her services. Why not? The government is paying for it, after all! The carer is an intriguing character - seemingly kind, but strangely domineering. No spoilers, though! I’m about halfway through it, thanks to a snow day that I spent snuggled up with The She Demon. 🐈

[fictionz]

Joseph was a compact, deliberate boy, and his straight black hair fell to his shoulders. He wore his uniform in a way that seemed gentlemanly but at the same time casual. He was both kind and beautiful, and they loved him.

“Buttony” by Fiona McFarlane

[fictionz]

She clapped her hands five times in the rhythm that meant they must be quiet and copy her. They were quiet, but they didn’t copy her. She saw the way they looked at her; she saw their fury.

“Buttony” by Fiona McFarlane

[fictionz]

There was a certain kind of laughter that, in children, was a howl.

“Buttony” by Fiona McFarlane