Conviction by Denise Mina

Denise Mina is famous for page-turning crime fiction. This book is no exception. Engaging characters, a good sense of place, an intriguing story. Definitely read it.

Blurb:
The day Anna McDonald's quiet, respectable life explodes starts off like all the days before: packing up the kids for school, making breakfast, listening to yet another true crime podcast. Then her husband comes downstairs with an announcement, and Anna is suddenly, shockingly alone.

Reeling and desperate for distraction, Anna returns to the podcast. Other people's problems are much better than one's own--a sunken yacht, a murdered family, a hint of international conspiracy, but this case actually is Anna's problem. She knows one of the victims from an earlier life, a life she's taken great pains to leave behind, and she is convinced that she knows what really happened.

Then an unexpected visitor arrives on her front stoop; a meddling neighbor intervenes; and life as Anna knows it is well and truly over. The devils of her past are awakened--and in hot pursuit. Convinced she has no other options, she goes on the run, and in pursuit of the truth, with a washed-up musician at her side and the podcast as her guide.

Second Sight by Aoife Clifford

For fans of Jane Harper's Australian crime fiction, here comes "Second Sight" by an Irish-born author from down-under.

Blurb:
Eliza Carmody returns home to the country to work on the biggest law case of her career. The only problem is this time she’s on the ‘wrong side’ – defending a large corporation against a bushfire class action by her hometown of Kinsale.

On her first day back Eliza witnesses an old friend, Luke Tyrell, commit an act of lethal violence. As the police investigate that crime and hunt for Luke they uncover bones at The Castle, a historic homestead in the district. Eliza is convinced that they belong to someone from her past.

As Eliza becomes more and more entangled in the investigation, she is pulled back into her memories of youthful friendships and begins to question everyone she knows … and everything she once thought was true.

The Kitchen Without Borders

This is a very important book. Whether you love cooking or not, whether new recipes excite you or scare you, whether your friend pool is ethnically diverse, you need to own this book and display it on your coffee table as a reminder that we are all human beings and - underneath it all - we're all the same. The Kitchen Without Borders - it's more than a cook book, it's a dogma.

My favourite quote from the book: "Food is love". You cook for your family, you share meals with friends, you accept strangers by adding their recipes to your culinary repertoire.

My favourite recipes from the Kitchen Without Borders:
- Kuku Sabzi (Persian frittata)
- (the humble) Lentil Soup
- Lafiri (chicken thighs with okra)
- Doogh (salty yogurt)