The Patterson Girls, by Rachel Johns

Four sisters who grew up in a motel near Port Augusta now pursue careers in Melbourne, Perth, London and Baltimore. They all come home to spend the first Christmas with their dad since their mum died six months previously. Clearing out their mother’s things they uncover family secrets and a potential curse that could affect all their lives. The best thing about this story is its depiction of the relationship between the sisters; they are all interesting, flawed and sympathetic. Far too much exposition and an excess of detail makes for sometimes tedious reading, especially at the start. At the same time skimpy research creates large plot holes that should have been picked up in editing. The South Australian setting is fun, if somewhat overworked, perhaps aiming to emulate Monica McInerney. It’s all very soapy, a bit of fun but possibly not worth the rumoured upcoming sequel.