What Tears Us Apart by Deborah Cloyed

Title: What Tears Us Apart
Author: Deborah Cloyed
ISBN: 9781460898291
Publisher: Harlequin Mira
Publish Date: April 2013

Synopsis:

The real world. That's what Leda desperately seeks when she flees her life of privilege to travel to Kenya. She finds it at a boys'orphanage in the slums of Nairobi. What she doesn't expect is to fall for Ita, the charismatic and thoughtful man who gave up his dreams to offer children a haven in the midst of turmoil.

Their love should be enough for one another-it embodies the soul-deep connection both have always craved. But it is threatened by Ita's troubled childhood friend, Chege, a gang leader with whom he shares a complex history. As political unrest reaches a boiling point and the slum erupts in violence, Leda is attacked…and forced to put her trust in Chege, the one person who otherwise inspires anything but.

In the aftermath of Leda's rescue, disturbing secrets are exposed, and Leda, Ita and Chege are each left grappling with their own regret and confusion. Their worlds upturned, they must now face the reality that sometimes the most treacherous threat is not the world outside, but the demons within.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this book, it was emotional, raw and shockingly real. I was really able to picture the war torn slum and it made me realize how many things I take for granted everyday. My heart went out to the characters as I was drawn deeper into their world. 

All the characters were beautifully complex, and I couldn't help but wonder if I would have reacted in the same ways as they did if I was in their positions. 

The format in which this book is written took a bit of getting used to but I enjoyed the way it pieced the story together.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Roll With It by Nick Place

Title: Roll With It
Author: Nick Place
ISBN: 9781742704333
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Publish Date: March 2013

Synopsis:


Career cop Detective Senior Sergeant Tony ‘Rocket’ Laver is a policeman with issues. Sure, he may have been returning fire, but the fact remains that Laver is the sixth Victorian policeman to shoot a suspect in four months, and that’s all the politicians need to get involved. While the circus of an inquiry begins, Laver is moved from Major Crime to the Mobile Public Interaction Squad ... aka the mountain bike police. Bitter, struggling to cope with the fatal shooting – not to mention his flailing relationship, Rocket is now wearing lycra and getting a sore butt on his bike seat.
Laver’s friends and bosses in the force tell him to keep his head down until the storm blows over, but that doesn’t factor in Stig and the Wild Man, two genuine bad guys Laver encounters on Smith Street,Collingwood. In innercity and outer-suburban Melbourne, major crime is in the air. Lives might be in danger but nobody will listen to a cop on the outer.

My Thoughts:

Roll With It is not your typical crime novel. It took me a little while to get into this one, but once it started to pick up speed it rolled along at a nice pace. It was a refreshing read with a light smattering of humour and a wonderful mixture of colourful characters.
I recommend this book to someone looking for a light-hearted, fun, crime novel