1862.
8 Bushrangers.
77kg of Gold!
The incredible true story of Australia’s Biggest Steal.

Did that get your attention? It sure got mine.

‘Australian Heist‘ is the title of a brand new book written by James Phelps, who is quoted as being Australia’s #1 bestselling true-crime writer. I’ll admit it’s not a name I was familiar with, but I sure am now!!

Written as well as any good fiction book, it really is a non-stop-page-turner, with fascinating characters, and twists all the way through. And yet this is Australian history. It really happened. And it happened in what was our ancestors era.

This isn’t an official book review, and I’m not going to spoil the book for you, but I will give you the speil …

On 15 June 1862, a gang of bushrangers held up a gold escort at Eugowra, just east of Forbes in new South Wales. They escaped with a pile of cash and 77 kilograms of gold, worth about $10 million today.

It remains the largest gold robbery in Australian history.

In this riveting re-creation of the events, James Phelps finally tells the full story of how Frank Gardiner, Ben Hall, John O’Meally, Johnny Gilbert, Henry Manns, Alexander Fordyce, John Bow and Dan Charters planned and executed the robbery – and what happened to all that gold. And the map!

‘Australian Heist’ is a thrilling, fast-paced and thoroughly modern take on one of the most extraordinary episodes in the nation’s history.

Anyway here’s all the relevant book details for you:
Title: Australian Heist
Author: James Phelps
Format: hardcover
Pages: 368 pages
Published: 2018
ISBN: 9781460756232
Publisher: HarperCollins Australia

Buy the printed book
Buy the ebook

To give you full disclosure. Yes, I do work in a genealogy bookstore, and this is a book that we do sell. But I bought my own copy as it sounded fascinating. No, I’m not trying to sell you anything, but rather just informing you of a book that is a really awesome read. Ok, disclosure done.

So if you love fast paced-action books, and you get a chance to read ‘Australian Heist‘, I guarantee you’ll totally love it!

So just when did Australia’s biggest bank robbery occur?

Where did it happen?

How did it happen?

Who was involved?

And what was the outcome and ramifications of the robbery?

Can you answer any of these questions? I know I sure couldn’t. But you’ll find answers to all of these and many more in Carol Baxter’s book “Breaking the Bank“.

I have recently finished reading this book, and like her other titles, it is a true page turner. As with her other titles, this is none-fiction true story is written in the style of a novel. She makes you ‘feel’ the happenings through her words, and she educates you on an amazing part of Australia’s history while doing so.

I’m not going to answer the questions above … so this probably isn’t considered a “book review” as such, so I’m not sure if it qualifies for the “Australian Womens Writers Challenge“, however it is a book written by a female Australian author … so it still may.

Instead of answering the questions above, I’m going to suggest you either buy or borrow a copy of the book, and read it for yourself.

And while I know it is incredibly clichè to say that you won’t be disappointed, but I do truly believe that. Enjoy!!

Book Details
Title: Breaking the Bank: An Extraordinary Colonial Robbery
Author: Carol Baxter
ISBN: 9781741754490
Year: 2008
Available from: Carol’s website, and Allen & Unwin’s website

On rare occasions I have done the odd book review, and as I’ve just finished reading Carol Baxter’s “Black Widow: The True Story of Australia’s First Female Serial Killer” (… and wow what a read!), here’s one more for you.

Written in Carol’s usual style of “true crime” written as if it was a novel, it is rivetting and most certainly a page turner.

The story follows Louisa Collins, mother of seven. Was she really a husband killer? Inquests, trials, hung juries, it’s all here in this book, and it is all TRUE history! If you live crime or thriller novels, and history this is a must for you.

Readers are taken into Sydney as it was 1888, and Carol sets the scene beautifully, with little tidbits adding in detail.

With details from newspapers, autopsies, trials and so on … the words written are the words the people actually said! You can’t get better than that for a true crime thriller.

(click for larger image)

(click for larger image)

To read more about this title, or to order it,  head on over to Carol’s website

www.carolbaxter.com

I’m not a prolific reader, of books anyway (blogs and magazines, yes! which doesn’t leave so much time for books). But earlier this year I decided that I wanted to take part in the Australian Women Writers Challenge for 2015, which means reading books written by Australian women authors (fiction or non-fiction) and reviewing it. Sadly it is now September and this is my first one – still, one is better than none. For more about the Challenge, click here.

Do you love reading? And love a blog challenge? If you said yes to both, you’ll certainly love this!

Late last year I discovered the “Australian Women Writers” Challenge. This is where readers read books written by Australian women and write reviews about them, through their blog or other means.