Ultimo Press

Book title: Left Behind by Martine Kropkowski

Reviewer: K. T. Major 

​​Left Behind is a story about four campers – two couples – who arrive on K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) but find their holiday fraught with simmering interpersonal and relationship tensions. The first half of the book is presented in an ‘omniscient’ point-of-view—the reader is allowed insight into each of the four characters’ inner worlds. Then, three of the campers go missing as a tropical cyclone approaches, and the second half of the book switches to Annabelle’s point of view. The only camper left behind, she struggles to search for her husband Luke and friends Des and Julianni while the natural world disintegrates around her from the impact of the storm.

Kropkowski’s command of nature writing is admirable. Her prose shimmers with detail – from the shapeshifting sand dunes and beaches of K’gari, to the curves and spikes of the rainforest canopy, to the wildlife teeming on land and sea. The interplay of interactions in this book reminds me of Liane Moriarty, in the style and exploration of human relationships—each look, gesture, and decision gradually revealing a tapestry of their life and history.

It is the second half of the book that had me wondering whether this book plays more in the realm of speculative fiction, rather than squarely in crime. The narrative in the second half has overtones of magical realism; horror, even, in the evocative descriptions of nature’s destruction, and the myriad possibilities manifested by Annabelle’s fracturing consciousness and grasp on reality.

Kropkowski is a Brisbane-based journalist, author and researcher, whose biography highlights that her research is centred on how fiction gives voice to women through the narrativising of crime and gendered violence. This is realised through the multiple facets of the narrative presented on the page: each event is entirely plausible through the lens of Annabelle, and it is her—the seemingly unreliable narrator—who gets to tell the tale.

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Reviewer’s bio:

Born in Singapore, KT Major is an emerging writer based in Dharawal Country. She writes crime fiction, literary fiction, essays and poetry. KT’s stories have won awards, including most recently the Resident’s Prize for Short Story in the 2023 Sutherland Shire Literary Competition, and the Everymind Award in Grieve 2024. A WestWords Academy alum, KT was awarded the 2024 WestWords-Varuna Emerging Writers’ Residency and longlisted for the 2024 Furphy Literary Award. She has been published in several anthologies, magazines and journals, including Grieve, Emergence by SBS, BAD Western Sydney, The Big Issue, Verandah, Splinter, Eucalypt: A Tanka Journal, and ZineWest.

Book title: In a Common Hour by Sita Walker

Reviewer: Joanne Macias 

In a world where we are seemingly more connected and exposed, In a Common Hour looks at the hidden facets of a person, and how there will always be more than meets the eye. Set at Parks State High, we are introduced to a series of teachers and students who all have varied interests and secrets. Set within an hour-long lunch break at the school, the novel is broken up into timed moments across this potent hour.

The novel explores the undercurrent of what goes on in a school, where students are learning who they are, what they want to be; and teachers who want to hold on to a part of what they know, even if the world around them has changed. Explored through flashbacks of multiple characters, we begin to learn how the main protagonist, Paul Bush or ‘Bushie’ as he is affectionately known, ends up in his current predicament: each trauma is slowly exposed layer by layer.

We face the reality of just how connected we really are. Components of the story cleverly unravel for different characters at different stages of their life. By weaving together multiple character histories, we learn that the secrets we keep can have devastating consequences when we decide to face them alone.

Sita Walker has created a nuanced world that shows us how the voices in our head are much harsher than what the world actually thinks, especially in our formative years. In a Common Hour lets the reader get lost in the lives of all the characters, with each one offering a touch of humanity.

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Reviewer’s bio:

Joanne Macias is a multi-disciplinary artist from Western Sydney who uses creativity to be a spokesperson for internal strength and self-confidence. She loves blending genres to be able to challenge reader perception through stories with unique scenarios in everyday settings. An alumnus of the Westwords Academy in 2023 and a current member of Westwords Speculative writing, she has had multiple literary and visual works published both online and in print. A writing residency in Ireland this year saw her working to complete her first poetry collection that explores the stages of discovery of positive self-image in a world that wants to take it away.

When she is not writing, Joanne also performs live and on screen, utilising any opportunity to refine her storytelling skills. She has been a voice actor and now harnesses her natural comedic talent when performing works at various showcases, anthology launches and poetry slams. She recently participated in a tutoring commercial with FAITO media and will be in an extra speaking role in the upcoming action feature Echo 8: Beyond. You can follow her adventures on Instagram at @joanne_macias_writer

Book title: In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont

Reviewer: Kirsten West 

Sophie Beaumont’s new novel, In the Paris Fashion takes readers from the streets of Paris to the auction houses of Toulouse. It delivers a compelling mystery that spans a century and encompasses the lives of three very different women.

Vintage dealer Isabelle Bernard is thrilled to discover a letter detailing where the final designs of a talented but tragically deceased designer may be found. Following the intriguing clues left in the letter, Isabelle’s quest to unearth the designer’s last sketch will lead her across France and deep into the past. Once she joins forces with the insecure but talented couture student Romy, and accomplished Australian fashion writer Audrey, their search for the missing designs will teach them all about trust, deceit and love.

Beaumont uses France as her setting to inspire readers, revealing her intimate knowledge of the country to create a vivid canvas for her characters. The vibrant descriptions of the countryside and the immersive depictions of streets and suburbs will make readers yearn to have their passport stamped immediately. The substantial amount of research she has evidently completed is often apparent in the faithful depictions of the fashion houses and couture industry in the interwar period. The historical scenes the novel presents are authentic and intricately detailed.

There are three main characters, each with love interests. As their narrative threads entwine, all the characters are engaged in solving the mystery, making the plot more cohesive and readers become immersed in the chase. The addition of a charming villain is pulled off Beaumont with aplomb, and his characterisation is memorable. His addition provides the tension that will have readers flipping pages with anxiety and frustration. The standout character is the tenacious Audrey. Leaning into the romance trope of second-chance romance, Beaumont teases out Audrey’s backstory and her attraction to her past love, exploring concepts of familial duty and societal expectation in the process. Her journey to self-realisation and love is a satisfying character arc.

This is a novel about believing in your own creative endeavours and fighting the spectre of doubt. The hope offered by the book is uplifting. The novel’s message about defeating imposter syndrome and the value of creativity and sacrifice remains as relevant as the iconic fashion scene of Paris that Beaumont transports you to in this novel.

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Reviewer’s bio:

Kirsten J. West is an author and an educator who has written over 20 study guides on classic literature. Her true love is fiction, and her short form pieces can be found in journals like The Quarry, Sinkhole and Literary Cocktail Magazine. Her work has featured in the Westwords anthologies Over the Line and Only I Can Say and in the Bad Western Sydney Crime Anthology the Second Case. Kirsten has a Masters in Creative Writing and often judges creative writing competitions for the RWAus and for Westwords. She is currently completing her second novel.