These are the books our Books Editor, Meneesha Govender, received recently. They may be reviewed later.
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The Silent Sister
by Diane Chamberlain (Pan Macmillan, R250)
Riley MacPherson returns to her childhood home in North Carolina.
As she clears out her old home that is filled with cherished childhood memories, she stumbles on a box of old newspaper articles.
The articles contain the threads of a shocking family secret. Riley spent her entire life believing her older sister Lisa died tragically when she was a teen.
But the articles reveal that Lisa was on the run all those years ago. Moreover, Lisa is alive and well, living under a new identity.
Riley begins to realise her entire life has been built on a foundation of lies told to her by the very people she holds dear. As she tries to separate reality from fiction, she is forced to question everything she knows and believes about her family.
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Moriarty
by Anthony Horowitz (Orion)
Days after Sherlock Holmes and his arch-enemy Moriarty fall to their doom at the Reichenbach Falls, agent Frederick Chase arrives in Europe from New York.
The vacuum left by the death of Moriarty is quickly filled by a new fiend – a criminal mastermind to rival his predecessor.
With the help of Inspector Athelney Jones of Scotland yard, Chase must explore the darkest corners of London as he pursues this shadowy figure who leaves death and destruction in his wake.
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White Crocodile
by KT Medina (Faber & Faber)
Teen mothers are disappearing from villages around the minefields of Battambang in Cambodia.
Some are found mutilated and murdered, and their babies abandoned.
Among the locals are whispers of the white crocodile, a mythical beast that brings death to anyone who meets it.
Tess thinks she has escaped Luke, her abusive husband – until he calls from Cambodia. His voice is laced with fear – something she has never heard before. Two weeks later he is dead.
Tess is subsequently drawn to the killing fields of Cambodia, where she becomes caught in an intricate web of secrets and lies. She must get to the truth quickly – because the crocodile is watching.
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Raising Happy Children
by Lizanne du Plessis (Metz Press)
Children develop strong brain connections and feel happy when they learn how to control their bodies, manage overwhelming feelings and develop their thinking skills. This comes more easily to some than to others, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to parenting.
This book will help you understand your child’s true nature and how this affects the way he thinks, feels and behaves.
There are also games you can play with your child and the author gives tips on dealing with meltdowns, temper tantrums, fears, anxieties and stress.