Tag: Sydney

Alone with a Tasman Tiger (Chic Charlie)
by Jane Ellyson

I am pleased to welcome Jane Ellyson to Escape With Dollycas today!

What is so enchanting to people from
North America about the Australian Bush?
by Jane Ellyson

A significant chunk of Alone with a Tasman Tiger is set in the Western Tasmanian wilderness during a survival competition. The Australian bush holds a certain allure for many North Americans because it offers a wild, untamed landscape that’s unlike anything found on the North American continent. There are several things that make it captivating including the exotic wildlife, its remoteness, indigenous cultural heritage, and the potential for danger.

The Australian bush is home to unique creatures like kangaroos, koalas, quolls, wombats, and the elusive platypus—animals most North Americans only encounter in zoos. This diverse, sometimes quirky wildlife seems both familiar yet very foreign, offering a mix of fascination and wonder.

The vegetation is distinct as well. Eucalyptus forests, ancient cycads, and colourful wildflowers create a plant life panorama unlike the forests of North America.

The sheer remoteness of the bush, along with its vast open spaces and dramatic landscapes, brings a sense of mystery and adventure. Many places in the Australian bushland are sparsely populated, rugged, and somewhat dangerous, which appeals to the American sense of frontier spirit and the quest for untouched wilderness.

Aboriginal cultures have a deep connection to the land, and their art, legends, and spiritual practices often evoke curiosity and respect. This rich cultural heritage, tied intimately with the bush, adds layers of meaning and history to the landscape. For many, exploring the bush feels like connecting with one of the oldest living cultures in the world, learning about Dreamtime stories and sacred places embedded in the landscape.

And finally, there is adventure and potential danger. Australian bushland has a reputation for being a challenging, even dangerous environment, filled with venomous snakes, spiders, and other unpredictable wildlife. This adds a thrill for many North Americans who seek adventure. Whether it’s the idea of surviving in the outback, going bushwalking, or learning bushcraft skills, there’s a rugged appeal to the Australian landscape.

Iconic images from movies, television shows, and literature about the bush and outback often paint it as a vast, golden, sun-baked expanse with dramatic skies and rugged terrain. Films like Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max (albeit set in more barren parts of the outback) have romanticized it as a place of adventure and resilience.

Who knows if Alone with a Tasman Tiger: A high stakes race, a missing friend and a search for the impossible will make it to the big screen. The author is ever hopeful and would love to know who you would recommend to play Sebastian Warn and Galina, ‘Betty’ Ivanof.

Thank you Jane for visiting today with such a wonderful post. 

Keep reading for more information about Jane, and Alone with a Tasman Tiger, including my thoughts about the book. 

About Alone with a Tasman Tiger

Alone with a Tasman Tiger (Chic Charlie)
Australian Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Settings – Brisbane, Sydney, Tasmania and London
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Stanley Press (September 23, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 398 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0648660788
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0648660781
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0D6Z31ND7 (314 pages)

A high stakes race. A missing friend and a search for the impossible.

In the Tasmanian wilderness six contestants battle it out to win $250,000. Only five finish.

In Bass Strait the Blue Gazelle yacht tackles fierce winds, huge waves and a phantom vessel, in its race to win the Tattersall Cup.

In London a fashion designer learns about a Belarussian scientist, possibly involved with a deadly technology.

In Hobart a search party is launched for a missing sailor.

At the centre of investigations are two feisty sleuths, Galina Ivanov and Charlotte Harmon, who are looking for clues which could save their partners and stop the spread of a devastating weapon.

Can they find them before all hope is lost?

Dollycas’s Thoughts

A contest in the Tasmanian wilderness pits contestants against the elements each on their own. A yacht race has its contestants battling each other and the elements too. A fashion designer finds herself in the middle of an investigation that could have deadly consequences. Hang on tight . . .

I have not read the first book in this series where a few of the characters were introduced but that did not hinder my understanding or enjoyment of this story. The author provides a list of the main characters at the beginning of the mystery. Sebastian Ward (Seb) had some time to kill before participating in a yacht race so he signed up to be a contestant on a reality show,  held in the Western Tasmanian wilderness. The object is to survive the longest before giving up or being taken out of the game for medical reasons.

The show is called Alone. It started with 20 contenders but was quickly cut to 6 contestants who were each delivered to their own plot of land where they must wear a tracker, film for at least 5 hours a day, not kill any bandicoots, Tasmanian devils, platypuses or eastern quolls, and try not to kill any snakes even if they are poisonous. They also can’t travel away from their plot of land or try to communicate with other contestants. They could only have clothes, a first aid kit, and 10 items selected from the things the show has provided like a blanket and cooking pot.

The first half of the book follows the contestants day-by-day in their quest. Part 2 takes readers along on a yacht race adventure where dangerous things happen. Part 3 takes readers to London where clues come together to explain what happened earlier and also takes us back to the wilderness. Some days overlap and I didn’t catch that at first but quickly caught on.

Ms. Ellyson has written a very compelling fast-paced story. I liked that it was told continually without jumping back and forth between times and places. I completely immersed myself in the day-to-day adventure in the wilderness. The pages just flew as I was not only entertained but learned things about animals, fishing, setting traps, making camp with accommodations to sleep, and storing food.  Each contestant had different strengths and weaknesses. That could have been a book on its own.

Then readers are on the yacht observing everything it and the sailors encounter to reach the end, hopefully, to win a prize. The pages were still flying.

Then Part 3 brings everything together. People work together to find a missing person and find answers. Again the pages flew. Because of the length of this book, I allotted 3 days for it. but I stayed up late and read the whole thing in one night. Yes, I had a book hangover the next morning but I couldn’t put it down.  It would make a great movie.

Alone with a Tasman Tiger was a very entertaining read with interesting characters in unique settings that grabbed me from page 1. This being the first book I have read by this author I am looking forward to more of her work, maybe the next book in her Chic Charlie Series.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About Jane Ellyson

Jane Ellyson has written six novels across the action, adventure and romance genres. Having lived in Europe and Asia, in addition to her native Australia, her stories frequently visit beautiful locations. She currently lives at Possum Creek, just out of Bangalow in northern New South Wales, Australia – well she would if she was real – rather than being the pen name of someone who would prefer to remain anonymous.

Link to a promotional video.

An interview with my husband.

Author Links 
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Purchase Links

Amazon US   Amazon AU   Apple    Tolino/Thalia    Vivlio    Kobo      Barnes and Noble

Previous novels include:

Over Byron Bay

Substitute Child

Roman Roulette

Missing in Myanmar

Nonsense in the North

An Extraordinary Wedding

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Escape With Dollycas.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”