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50 Phonebox Magazine | January 2025The action described in the novel spans two generations, beginning in 1959 with the family who live in %u2018Halcyon%u2019, a beautiful house bought by Thomas Turner for his family. However, he travels a lot, and the story opens with his wife and four children, including Thea, the newborn, setting off for a picnic on Christmas Eve %u2013 a picnic which ends in tragedy as Percy Summers discovers, when he comes upon them lying, as though asleep, with a wicker crib hanging from the bough of a tree. Not sleeping, however, but dead %u2013 and the crib is empty, the baby gone.Despite days of searching, no trace of the baby is found, and the conclusion is that wild dogs had somehow managed to snatch the infant and make off with it. When an inquest is fi nally held, the conclusion is reached that the deaths are a result of a murder-suicide committed by the mother, Isabel.Reviewed by Thelma ShackladyHomecoming by Kate MortonThere is a particular signifi cance to this title, since not only is one of the main characters, Jess, called home to South Australia when her beloved grandmother suff ers an accident, but the author herself has returned to that country before writing this latest novel.The action fast-forwards to 2018 and Jess%u2019s summons from London, where she has made her home. She has been brought up by her grandmother, Nora, after her mother, Polly had left to follow her own career. She arrives in time to hear Nora%u2019s ramblings about %u2018Izzy%u2019 and %u2018Halcyon%u2019 but is unable to make much sense of what she is hearing. It comes as a great shock when her grandmother dies, and Jess discovers that she is named as executor rather than her mother. Her curiosity is also aroused by reference to Halcyon and another mystery %u2013 why was her grandmother climbing the steps to the attic? What secret did it contain?As the action moves back and forth in time from the mid-twentieth century to the twentyfi rst, so the mystery gradually unravels, with unexpected twists and turns. As in all good mystery stories, it is not until the fi nal chapter BookshopTel: 01234 714592 | Stanley Court, OlneyBOOK REVIEWthat all is made clear %u2013 though there are some red herrings along the way to mislead and misdirect.At over 600 pages, this is just the book to while away a long and dreary January, especially as the descriptions of the heat of the Australian winter are described so well and are in sharp contrast to our own. It is a book to relax with and to enjoy.Described by former BBC Correspondent Bill Hamilton as%u201cimpressive, heart -warming, and with potential to go all the way %u2013 possibly to the big screen...%u201dAvailable to buy from Waterstones, Amazonand most good bookshops. Order yours now by scanning the QR code. ISBN: 978-1-83563-456-1A Gripping Love StoryNew Year, New Book to Discover! If you%u2019re looking for your next page-turner, or you%u2019re a fan of romance with a thrilling edge, then The Price of Fame should be at the top of your reading list for 2025.When a chance meeting brings together a beautiful young Slovak woman and a best-selling billionaire author, it seems like a match made in Heaven. After a whirlwind romance, Scott and Viveca Hamilton set off on a 16,000-mile road trip around the stunning coast of Australia%u2014fulfi lling a lifelong dream.With dazzling beaches, dramatic cliff s, and nights spent under a star-studded sky, life feels idyllic. But what happens next will take your breath away. The Price of Fame isn%u2019t a story for the fainthearted%u2014it%u2019s a tale of love, adventure, and shocking twists that will keep you turning the pages.The book%u2019s author, John Van Weenen MBE, is a local fi gure with an extraordinary life of his own. A 9th Dan karate master and renowned humanitarian, John%u2019s work has touched lives around the world, from his tireless aid eff orts in Albania to receiving personal recognition from Mother Teresa.This is a book that promises to entertain, surprise, and stay with you long after the fi nal chapter.The Price of Fame is out now%u2014don%u2019t miss it!fifffflffifl%u001a%u0019%u0018%u0017ff%u0016%u0015ffl%u0014%u0013%u0015%u0012%u0011ffl%u0013%u0010ffl%u0015fffl%u000f%u0013%u0012%u0015%u000effifl%u0015%u000c%u0012ff%u0013%u000b%u0015%u0011%u0019ffl%u0014flffi%u0015fifffflffifl%u001a%u0019ffifl%u0018%u0017%u0017ffi%u0017ffififffflffifl%u001a%u0019%u0018fflffi%u0017%u0016ffi%u0016%u0015%u0014ffl