3.5 stars for Worse than Death by Jean Bedford.

There were things I liked about this book, and things that irritated me.

I liked the setting, Balmain in Sydney Australia.

The plot is a good one, not unique, but interesting if a little clumsily handled in places. There is not a great deal of depth, but that is okay as it actually works. I wasn't left wishing that the author had explained more, or given us more background.

Mostly I liked the characters. They are a human mix of good and bad, and show we are entitled to change our opinions of people as we get to know them better.

I did feel that the plot lacked a lot of suspense and that things are trivialised in part. Was there an actual attempt on Anna's life, or was it just supposed to be a warning. The cracked/broken ribs - she is fine the next day. I have had cracked ribs, and NO, you are not fine for some months after.....And of course post 9/11, you can't fly anywhere without identification.....so there are a few annoying bumps in the plot, although it is hard to determine in what era this story is set as no-one actively appears to have mobile phones........

But overall I felt it is a satisfactory read, and yes, I will be following up on the remainder of the series as it appears. I will be interested to see how Jean Bedford's writing progresses.

Thank you to NetGalley and Endeavour Press for providing me with a digital ARC of Worse Than Death by Jean Bedford fore review.

All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.