The Detective by Matthew Reilly: Matt Reilly is well known for the thrillers he’s been writing for many years now, but this one is quite a departure. It’s based in the American South and is the story of many women going missing over a period of 150 years, starting back in 1877….and the investigators looking for them all also disappeared. It’s set in the nexus of Louisiana and Texas, where a quirky private detective gets the bit between his teeth and is determined to get to the bottom of it, and it has all the hallmarks of the area – wealthy family dynasties, racism, bayous and alligators and high stakes adventure.

The Breath of the Gods by Simon Winchester. A remarkable exploration of our atmosphere, and the role played in our lives by wind – which can be both benign and malevolent.  It’s a fascinating story told through history, literature, science, poetry and engineering – and includes a piece on our own Wahine disaster. Simon Winchester has an ability to make the everyday and apparently mundane, extraordinary. It’s a wonderful book. 

LISTEN ABOVE