A Review - SOLID 5 STARS
I could NOT put this book down. A stellar debut novel with all the trimmings – friendship, betrayal, revenge, romance, murder, intrigue, suspense and mystery. The extremely talented Jo Dixon did not leave me wanting for more while devouring The House of Now and Then. An absolute page turner, if only I was reading it in hardcopy rather than on my phone app, I would have had the full experience.
With suspense being the main driver behind the dual storyline, we journey along with Pippa and Jeremy from Then (1985) whilst learning more of their unique story and history through Olivia and Tom of Now (2017.) The bulk of the story is set at a semi-isolated property outside a small Tasmanian township. The owner of the house, Eloise, also Jeremy’s aunt, goes above and beyond in an attempt to shield the past from the present.
Each character has their own reasons for descending upon this house at these pivotal moments in time, from country hopping Jeremy, to history seeking Tom, drifting daydreamer Pippa and escapist Olivia, their stories unravel and weave into an intricate web from Tom’s first knock on the door.
The past reveals elusive family connections which turn sour over time but when adversity arises, we are offered an insight into the extremes some families go to protect one another. Although Olivia, Tom, Jeremy and Pippa may be observed as the protagonists, without the strong inclusion of Leo and his family, nor Leena, Olivia’s nemesis, the drama wouldn’t have had the oomph that it so successfully contained.
The unfurling of female strength was my favourite element throughout this story, from Olivia’s inner-city repercussions to the unpredictable re-writing of Pippa’s story, the women display grit, courage and determination that some could only dream of. Though I feel the strongest female of all was Leo’s mother, though I never did warm to her.
The flow of this story kept me captivated and ensured I kept turning pages to reveal just how the web of characters were woven together, and when I reached the end of the story, I was left with one, all-encompassing description – WOW!!
I am eagerly awaiting her next release in 2024.
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