This month sees some familiar faces put their heart and soul on the page. Kiwis Simon Gault and Ruby Tui reveal all in their new books, while fiction favourite Lee Child brings back the deadly Reacher.
WIN! We have copies of all six new releases to give away. To be in to win, email competitions@nzmcd.co.nz or message us at facebook.com/mcdmagazine with your choice. Winners drawn on November 20, 2022.
A Naturalist’s Guide To The Reptiles & Amphibians Of New Zealand
Samuel Purdie
John Beaufoy Publishing
RRP $29.99
Ever looked at a creature and wondered what exactly it is? This is a comprehensive photographic identification guide to all 141 reptile and amphibian species of New Zealand from 23-year-old herpetologist, science educator and award-winning wildlife photographer Samuel Purdie. This user-friendly book contains some stunning photography, both from Sam and some of New Zealand’s top nature photographers, along with detailed species descriptions, including names, size, distribution, habits and conservation information. Sam, who is currently pursuing an MSc in wildlife management, says, “Aotearoa is home to a diverse assemblage of reptiles and amphibians and has some of the most unique herpetofauna on the planet. Almost every year, new reptile species or populations are discovered; some of the reptiles in this book are completely new to science.”
Simon Gault: No Half Measures
Kim Knight
Bateman Books
RRP $49.99
You may well have eaten at one of Simon Gault’s many restaurants over the years – Bell House, Euro, Jervois Steak House, Gault’s on Quay or Giraffe; perhaps you know him from TV shows like Master Chef New Zealand, Why Are We Fat and Chef On A Mission. Written by acclaimed restaurant critic and award-winning journalist Kim Knight, Simon recalls in No Half Measures stories of his early influences like the formidable Tony Astle; reveals what it was like to open his first restaurant at age 22; why his tomato ketchup venture nearly broke him; and why he decided to step out of the kitchen and into the limelight. Now a successful businessman, Simon is honest about his health scare with Type 2 diabetes and how at changed his attitude to food, and why being a solo dad to his beloved daughter Hazel is the driving force in his life.
Lee Child: No Plan B
Lee and Andrew Child
Penguin Random House,
RRP $37.00
Author Lee Child and his hard as nails character Reacher need little introduction. In this gripping new thriller, written by Lee and his younger brother Andrew Child, one tragic event in Gerrardsville, Colorado is witnessed by two people – with two conflicting accounts. One witness sees a woman throw herself in front of a bus – clearly a suicide. The other witness is Jack Reacher. And he sees what really happened: a man in a grey hoodie and jeans, swift and silent as a shadow, pushed the victim to her death before grabbing her bag and leaving. Knowing this is no random act of violence, Racher follows the killer. This is something much bigger; a sinister, secret conspiracy, with powerful people on the take, enmeshed in an elaborate plot that leaves no room for error. Any threat will have to be removed…except when the threat is Reacher, there is No Plan B…
Halifax: Transgression
Roger Simpson
Simon & Schuster
RRP $35.00
This brand new story is based on the TV drama series featuring forensic psychologist Dr Jane Halifax (Rebecca Gibney), as she weaves her way through four major crimes in search of an awful truth. The first murder is brazen, violent and ritualistic. Committed in the victim’s house, the killer leaves few clues as to their motive or their identity. All the police know is that the perpetrator entered the house, impaled the art collector on one of his own priceless sculptures, then just melted away into the night. Inspector Eric Ringer is desperate for Jane to profile the killer, but the psychologist is cautious. She and Eric have a past, plus she hates these kinds of cases. A psychopath is a psychopath, no matter how you look at it. But there’s something about this killer that intrigues Jane; as the bodies pile up, she must use her intuition to enter the mind of the murderer before they strike again…
Straight Up
Ruby Tui
Allen & Unwin
RRP $36.99
If you’ve been watching the fabulous Women’s Rugby World Cup, Ruby Tui’s name will be a familiar one. The daughter of a palagi (the word used by Samoans for a non-Samoan) mum and a talented but abusive, alcoholic father, Ruby told it like she saw it from as far back as she can remember. And while plenty else has changed, Ruby’s brutal honesty hasn’t. Now an Olympic champion and the world’s best female rugby sevens player, Ruby didn’t even pick up a rugby ball until she was 18 – but when she did, her whole life changed. Determined not to let a past filled with neglect, drugs and tragedy take her down the wrong path, Ruby set out on what has become an incredible journey to the top. In her words, “You know what I want more than anything? I want people to know they can have a messed-up background and use it to fuel themselves forward; that they can use their struggles to create their purpose. I want people to love themselves and be proud of their whole selves.”
The Soulmate
Sally Hepworth
Macmillan Publishing
RRP $37.99
“Gabe is alone at the cliff’s edge. His arms are outstretched, palms facing the empty air.” He said she jumped. He wouldn’t lie. Or would he? Before the woman went over the cliff, Pippa and Gabe were happy. They had the kind of marriage everyone envies, including two sweet young daughters, a supportive family and a picturesque cliffside home – a place that would have been idyllic had the steep cliffs not become so popular with those wishing to end their lives. Gabe has become a bit of a local hero since the family moved here, taking seven people down from the edge. But when he fails to save the eighth, a sordid web of secrets begins to unravel, pushing bonds of love and loyalty to the brink. This is bestselling author Sally Hepworth’s seventh novel; laced with quirky humour and plenty of sass, Sally draws on the good, the bad and the downright odd aspects of human behaviour. A page-turning read.
