This week, Jeff Popple reviews three reads for a winter’s evening. More of Jeff’s reviews can be found on his blog: murdermayhemandlongdogs.com.

Heartsease by Kate Kruimink

PIcador, $34.99

Charlotte and Ellen are two sisters who used to be close before the death of their mother. Now largely estranged, they meet at a silent retreat in a strange old house in southern Tasmania. Before long, they escape to the pub and unleash a stream of memories and ghosts. Heartsease is a sad and moving story about grief and family that impresses with its lyrical writing and the depth of its emotion. Not always an easy read, it is occasionally enlivened by flashes of dark humour and sharp observations. A good novel for late night reading, and reflection, after a cold winter’s day.

The Last Trace by Petronella McGovern

Allen & Unwin, $32.99

Family relationships also form the core of Petronella McGovern’s The Last Trace. Sheridan’s brother, Lachy, has recently returned to Australia, and she is looking forward to spending the Easter holidays with him and their families. But on Good Friday a devastating event rips the two families apart. Sheridan tries to come to grips with what happened, but things are not helped by Lachy’s memory lapses, an unsolved hit and run, and a strange request for DNA. As the tension mounts, secrets are revealed, and past events come back to haunt them. An intriguing novel of suspense with a heavy dose of family drama.

Our Holiday by Louise Candlish

Harper Collins, $32.99

One of the hottest trends in crime fiction at the moment are destination thrillers where a group of people travel to a holiday location and encounter death. Louise Candlish’s Our Holiday skirts the edge of this trend, with its story about a London couple who head to their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge and across the Channel to France. But their planned lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on the summerhouse veranda are ruined by rising resentment towards second-home owners and escalating acts of menace that lead to murder. An enjoyable novel of psychological suspense.