Set in Cann River in Australia’s rugged southern wilderness, The Legacy of Old Gran Parks is a tale of a remote town haunted by a legacy, a legacy with ominous consequences.
It’s a warm evening in the autumn of 1983 when Miriam Forster rolls into town in her broken down car.
Frankie the deer hunter, is up in the forested hinterland with her gun. Old Pearl the fisherwoman sits on her front deck down by the lagoon with her whisky and her dog. And Emily, the English backpacker, scrubs out the pie-encrusted kitchen at the roadhouse.
All is not well. There’s a hoon doing donuts at the crossroads and screaming down the fire trails in the woods; a suspicious-looking city-slicker with two small children, squatting in Fred’s shack down by the lake; a beanie-headed gaunt guy convalescing at the lighthouse; and an acne festooned creature in the hotel room next to Miriam, thrashing about in the night.
Gran Parks is stirring. Who will survive? Who will get away? Who will stay?
Release Date: Out Now
Who is Isobel Blackthorn?
Isobel Blackthorn is a novelist, book reviewer and English tutor based in rural Australia. She holds a PhD in Western Esotericism and the occult features in most of her writing. Isobel is the author of the novels Asylum, The Drago Tree, A Perfect Square and The Cabin Sessions. The Legacy of Old Gran Parks is her fifth novel. Her short stories have appeared in journals around the world and her short story collection All Because of You received a 5 Star book award from Reader's Favorite. Her passion for books is boundless. Isobel reviews for Shiny New Books, Trip Fiction, Sisters in Crime and the Australian Women Writer's Challenge. She lives on the wild southern coast of Australia with her little white cat, Psyche.
Author Website: Isobel Blackthorn
Author Twitter: @IBlackthorn
Review
Be prepared for a story were violence is a prevalent theme. This novel is a dark comedy. Set in the middle of no-where Australia where the locals know everyone, there is an increase in strangers as Miriam Forster literally rolls into town and cannot leave until her car is fixed. The story is told through the views of four women who find themselves in town. First is Miriam, then there is Frankie, who is a deer hunter who stays in an abandoned shack in the forest. Pearl is an elderly fisher-woman who is concerned with the family who have appeared in the shack next door. Finally there is Emily who is stuck working in the roadhouse not earning enough money to return home to England.
Each woman has distinct characteristics, although I find their general unkindness to each other a little disappointing. Through the story we are introduced to four men who each display characteristics which leave the reader feeling uneasy. As the story continues there is a Sweeney Todd-esque feeling to the events that transpire.
The writing is very eloquent with the descriptions adding an extra layer of grit to the story. The Legacy of Gran Parks stems from Gloria's story which is explored in the first chapter - it foreshadows what will happen throughout the book. This book definitely isn't for someone who dislikes violence but as someone who enjoys a dark gritty story from time to time I really enjoyed the writing and plot throughout although some of the characters were less than likeable - although this may have been intentional.
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