E. J. Russell

On Christmas Day, 1986 a seventy-year-old widow's body was discovered inside a wheelie bin in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Despite a long and intensive investigation, the police fail to unearth a motive or identify a suspect. Lacking any clues, the police file it as a cold case.

The Madness Locker

Cath

A heart-wrenching and powerful take on the brutal realities that is the third reich in world war II, split between multiple perspectives that ultimately intertwine in ways that are unfathomable and challenging. The author is not afraid to flesh out the horrific events that took place, which makes the book so much more important. The feeling you get by the end of the novel is numbing, mainly because the book goes through so much in so little time. The emotions you feel and the heartache that comes with it.. it's so easy to get lost in the novel, but once you finish it's still hard to get your mind around the fact that there were innocent people who went through such inhumane events.


The writing is acute and punctuating, which fits this dark and gritty era in history. The transition between the multiple point of views was done effortlessly, filling the gaps in between the stories of each character. The dialogue however could have been structured in a less serious way. At times, the conversations between the characters - albeit lighthearted - could come off as rigid and even a bit too polished. It didn't hinder the quality of the novel though, but it does distinguish the tone of voice throughout the book. I understand that it's a book with a heavy theme, but the conversations between two university students could have been less 'structured' and more spontaneous.



Overall, this was a solid novel. An emotional roller coaster that was gripping from beginning to the end. Reading the book amidst the pandemic going on makes the current situation I am in pale in comparison to the Holocaust, which makes me feel super grateful and lucky to be where I am today!

The Madness Locker

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