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Wanderlust
After 9/11, Aussie expat Luke Bales is determined to make a success of his New York bar, The Billabong.
But when a hot fashion student goes missing from the bar, Luke’s liquor license is threatened and his sidekick placed under suspicion.
To keep his dream alive, Luke follows a bloody trail through the city’s boroughs, soon realizing that evil can strike thousands of miles from home.
Or just around the corner.
But when a hot fashion student goes missing from the bar, Luke’s liquor license is threatened and his sidekick placed under suspicion.
To keep his dream alive, Luke follows a bloody trail through the city’s boroughs, soon realizing that evil can strike thousands of miles from home.
Or just around the corner.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2015
13 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Simon Foster
2 books10 followersSimon Foster hails from Sydney, Australia, but has called New York home for many years. He holds a degree in writing and pays the bills by working as an ad man: a job that, whilst ranking just above car salesman in the credibility stakes, has helped him hone his writing skills and seen him walk the red carpet at the Emmys. Married with two daughters, he spends his time working, writing and chasing errant children around the house. He cycles, reads and visits the pub for relaxation: not necessarily in that order.
You can learn more about the world of Wanderlust and Simon's writing at facebook.com/SimonFosterWriter or via Twitter @S1MONF0STER.
You can learn more about the world of Wanderlust and Simon's writing at facebook.com/SimonFosterWriter or via Twitter @S1MONF0STER.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 30, 2016
Wanderlust took a couple of chapters to really get into, but then I was peddling fast. Amazing story!
I believe what took the most to catch onto was the Aussie lingo. It's not difficult, but I had a couple pauses wondering what a certain word was. Then within a chapter, it all clicked.
Strong characters, strong story line, and well thought out and processed prior to throwing the story out to the world.
I loved the feel of the book, even the continuous amount of GPS locations of Luke while he was walking or on his bike. Okay, so no, the story does not pinpoint GPS locations, but it very well could have by the amount of detail Mr. Foster went into about the streets and areas Luke Bales traveled by while moving around the city.
I liked the discrimination of a certain character in the story (no spoilers, so no name given) by the police. I only liked it because it rings true. If you have a history, you are the first to be questioned and the first to be found guilty without judge and jury needed. Even if your past has nothing to do with the crime at hand, you are still guilty. This part of the story was all too real of what our world deals with daily.
Of course I also enjoyed the building of a relationship between Luke and a certain female, but I am glad it didn't define the story and overshadow many aspects and details that it could have. It was a nice even balance.
The story ended just as strong as I had hoped, with future plans made by Luke on how he would finish with things that were started in his life, especially having a diary/journal on hand that he shouldn't have had. Closure is a must have in stand-alone-stories, and Wanderlust did not disappoint.
I know this isn't the normal book review most people will leave, but I do not want to give spoilers, and my normal review likely would.
I believe what took the most to catch onto was the Aussie lingo. It's not difficult, but I had a couple pauses wondering what a certain word was. Then within a chapter, it all clicked.
Strong characters, strong story line, and well thought out and processed prior to throwing the story out to the world.
I loved the feel of the book, even the continuous amount of GPS locations of Luke while he was walking or on his bike. Okay, so no, the story does not pinpoint GPS locations, but it very well could have by the amount of detail Mr. Foster went into about the streets and areas Luke Bales traveled by while moving around the city.
I liked the discrimination of a certain character in the story (no spoilers, so no name given) by the police. I only liked it because it rings true. If you have a history, you are the first to be questioned and the first to be found guilty without judge and jury needed. Even if your past has nothing to do with the crime at hand, you are still guilty. This part of the story was all too real of what our world deals with daily.
Of course I also enjoyed the building of a relationship between Luke and a certain female, but I am glad it didn't define the story and overshadow many aspects and details that it could have. It was a nice even balance.
The story ended just as strong as I had hoped, with future plans made by Luke on how he would finish with things that were started in his life, especially having a diary/journal on hand that he shouldn't have had. Closure is a must have in stand-alone-stories, and Wanderlust did not disappoint.
I know this isn't the normal book review most people will leave, but I do not want to give spoilers, and my normal review likely would.
Read
June 3, 2016Wanderlust was well written, good mystery. It also kept me on the edge of my seat with aussie sense of humour. It was s terrific read, couldn't put it down. Simon foster did a fantastic job.
July 28, 2016
Really enjoyed this book . Great balance of fun, mystery, crime and Auzzie slang in NYC.
So good they named a drink after it.
Looking forward to book 2.
So good they named a drink after it.
Looking forward to book 2.
July 14, 2020
A delightful read
Excellent book! The plot was fast-moving and engaging. The dialogue was well-written. I enjoyed the Australian expressions. There were lots of humorous touches (eg. "...her mascara made her look like a racoon with insomnia. ..") All in all, it made me look forward to his next book!
Excellent book! The plot was fast-moving and engaging. The dialogue was well-written. I enjoyed the Australian expressions. There were lots of humorous touches (eg. "...her mascara made her look like a racoon with insomnia. ..") All in all, it made me look forward to his next book!
May 9, 2018
I enjoyed this book on many levels. In addition to the story that kept me guessing until the end, I also loved all the unique New York City references. As someone who lived there most of my adult life, reading about the nooks and crannies of the city I once called home, made me feel very connected to the characters and the story. The added layer of seeing the city through the eyes of an Aussie expat, was a refreshing element and reinforced what an incredible melting pot it has always been. A much needed reminder in today's political environment.
May 30, 2016
Well this was a little hidden gem of a book and I absolutely raced through it one rainy Saturday afternoon. I knew I was going to love it from the very first page; not just because it was set in a bar (as many people know I'm a beer lover) but because of the easy going Aussie lingo that reminded me of happy days watching Home and Away and Neighbours. Lingo that greeted me like an old friend, drawing me in and pulling out a seat with my name on it at this friendly bar in NYC named The Billabong.
The book is named after a beer cocktail served at The Billabong - beer cocktail, you say? Yes, you heard me right. I have got to try The Wanderlust, although I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to put a dash of Tabasco in my beer. Anyway I digress enough about the beer, on to the book...
The story starts as Luke and his assistant, Anchor, are setting up his bar one Monday afternoon for what will surely be another busy evening, when in walk two NYPD detectives. They are investigating a case of a missing Australian girl who was last seen at The Billabong on Friday night. Luke recognises her from her photograph but can't say who she was with or when she left the bar as it was so busy, so the detectives want to speak to Anchor, who conveniently made a sharp exit as they entered the bar. When body parts start turning up, it's not long before Anchor's shady past is revealed and he is collared for the crime. Luke is convinced of his innocence but the detectives are happy they have got their man. Case closed. The case is far from closed for Luke who follows a trail around New York, getting into scrapes along the way and using his Aussie charm to talk himself out of trouble.
Luke is a great character with some cracking lines; there are too many to mention here and by doing so would spoil the book anyway. Needless to say I was crying with laughter at times despite the sometimes serious storyline. Any character that says, 'Don't be a galah' to an impending fight scene is a winner for me!
Wanderlust will appeal to all crime fiction fans and the added humour and laid back Aussie style make it something that little bit different; I'm sure Wanderlust is destined for great things and I know without a doubt that it will be one of my top reads of 2016. It is so addictive that you can't put it down and as usual I didn't get the whodunnit right. Either I'm really bad at picking up clues or the author is really clever...I'm going to go with the latter! If you're looking for something a bit different, you won't go wrong with Wanderlust.
An absolutely cracking (or should I say bonzer?) debut from author Simon Foster and I do hope that Simon lets us catch up with Luke and The Billabong again.
I received this e-book from the author, via Books Go Social, in exchange for an honest review.
The book is named after a beer cocktail served at The Billabong - beer cocktail, you say? Yes, you heard me right. I have got to try The Wanderlust, although I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to put a dash of Tabasco in my beer. Anyway I digress enough about the beer, on to the book...
The story starts as Luke and his assistant, Anchor, are setting up his bar one Monday afternoon for what will surely be another busy evening, when in walk two NYPD detectives. They are investigating a case of a missing Australian girl who was last seen at The Billabong on Friday night. Luke recognises her from her photograph but can't say who she was with or when she left the bar as it was so busy, so the detectives want to speak to Anchor, who conveniently made a sharp exit as they entered the bar. When body parts start turning up, it's not long before Anchor's shady past is revealed and he is collared for the crime. Luke is convinced of his innocence but the detectives are happy they have got their man. Case closed. The case is far from closed for Luke who follows a trail around New York, getting into scrapes along the way and using his Aussie charm to talk himself out of trouble.
Luke is a great character with some cracking lines; there are too many to mention here and by doing so would spoil the book anyway. Needless to say I was crying with laughter at times despite the sometimes serious storyline. Any character that says, 'Don't be a galah' to an impending fight scene is a winner for me!
Wanderlust will appeal to all crime fiction fans and the added humour and laid back Aussie style make it something that little bit different; I'm sure Wanderlust is destined for great things and I know without a doubt that it will be one of my top reads of 2016. It is so addictive that you can't put it down and as usual I didn't get the whodunnit right. Either I'm really bad at picking up clues or the author is really clever...I'm going to go with the latter! If you're looking for something a bit different, you won't go wrong with Wanderlust.
An absolutely cracking (or should I say bonzer?) debut from author Simon Foster and I do hope that Simon lets us catch up with Luke and The Billabong again.
I received this e-book from the author, via Books Go Social, in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2016
I don't give out five stars lightly. It's usually to books over 500 pages or a series I can't put down. I loved the atmosphere and bits of culture comparisons. I particularly liked the Aussie expressions. Really looking forward to a series with these characters. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews