Review ‘Silks’ by Hugh McGinlay

After reading Hugh McGinlay’s first book “Jinx” I snapped up a copy of “Silks” from Clan Destine Press with many thanks for such a great read set in the southern city of my birth.

An entertaining author and musician, Hugh McGinlay says he’s surprised that readers accept his imaginary friends. Imaginary or not, I was right there with them every step of the way. This is book four about intermittent milliner (hat-maker) PI Catherine Kint and her offsider barman Boris Shakhovskoy. They witness the death of aerial circus performer, Silver, during her silks (or ribbon/tissu) performance but was it accidental or murder?

Vespa-riding Catherine “felt cold and sad and couldn’t stop thinking about the sound.” Boris felt the same, and he’s shaping up to be my favourite character, right from the start showing his multi-talented skills. I am not really sure I like Catherine calling him “dear” because she sounds like a mother-in-law. But between examining leads and serious allegations their dialogue is often laugh out loud; and this time Boris has two romantic interests.

Experience palpable tension walking home after the late shift, Boris continually looking over his shoulder, checking corners, concerned about being followed by the bad guys seemingly as interested in Silver’s death as the police. And naturally it involves her missing mobile phone. At one point Catherine and Boris escape detection by literally hanging by their finger tips. Later Boris hangs around as Catherine is lured into a life-threatening encounter.

Earlier, Silver’s distraught father Anthony Barwick says to Catherine “You don’t have many rules, and you’re smart. That’s what I’ve been told.” He wants her to investigate his daughter’s death. Can he be trusted? Silver, or Mia, by all accounts was an enigmatic wildchild. A family in crisis, a culture of secrecy and this plot kept me reading far into the night.

The location is again firmly set in Brunswick, Melbourne (Australia) with rainy day scenes and several digs at the cold weather.

“The rain might be cold, but I only notice because I’m living.”
Ciara Beretta Silks chapter 2 page 13

Author Hugh McGinlay writes believable crime fiction and pragmatic lead characters with unexpected traits, edgy yet loveable, cool yet kind. Remaining true to its roots, this series can be habit-forming for crime readers.

❤ Gretchen Bernet-Ward

Illustration only © Circa Academy performance https://circa.org.au/

Winter in the Subtropics

IMG_20200601_173006 — Cold and frosty morning 2020 © Gretchen Bernet-Ward

In the depths of a July winter here in Brisbane, Queensland, I am sitting with a cold nose and knees, contemplating warmer weather. Our winters probably seems mild to those countries with ice and snow. We have misty mornings then clear blue skies and by lunchtime some clothing layers can be removed for a couple of hours before the cold creeps in again.

The issue is home heating. Of course, I am not talking about the hermetically sealed grey boxes of the millennium. This older house is built like thousands of others—for the heat. We don’t have a fireplace, we don’t have insulation, we don’t have ducted heating, but we do have reverse cycle air-conditioning. Problem is the unit swirls the air around at the edges so it never feels warm enough.

Brrr! This is where an old three-bar radiator and a portable column oil heater come in handy for three months of the year.

So saying, we human beings are a contrary lot—I enjoy the wintertime.

Winter is more conducive to a brisk walk before settling down to writing. Cold weather calls for cosy pursuits. In a hot, humid summer, it’s more a case of lying around gasping after foolishly thinking some physical exercise like gardening was a good idea. The lush, rampant growth of a subtropical summer is a sight to behold but right now the garden lacks happy vegetation; the leaves are brown, the grass is sparse, the earth is hard and dry.

This morning the temperature is currently 8 degrees Celsius, the sun is shining but the air is freezing. Well, maybe not. We don’t really do freezing, more on the chilly side. I am going to make a hot beverage and pull on an extra pair of socks.

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward