‘A fascinating debut’… The Curlew’s Eye reviews and interviews
‘Manton understands instinctively what haunts us and why, and her rich prose, threaded with powerful metaphors and images, brings the remote and beautiful landscape and the spirit of the unquiet past to life.’ Cate Kennedy, author of The World Beneath
Quotes from reviews:
‘Some books are just made for the word evocative… A heady and beautifully written rural Australian mystery.’ Readings Online, 21 Sept 2021
‘An astonishing debut… suspense is built slowly throughout, as we learn more about these characters, making for a monumental ending. The Curlew’s Eye is a culmination of everything great about the Australian rural crime genre.’ The Australian, 9 Oct 2021
‘Manton writes with poetic dexterity, drawing on an intimate awareness of the natural landscape and displaying her skill for creating a vivid sense of place, mood and character.’ Books & Publishing, July 2021
‘This is a fine piece of literary fiction – let us not let it be diminished by categorising it as Australian bush noir. The book stays with me long after I turned the final page. I look forward to more from Karen Manton.’ Living Arts Canberra, September 2021
Interviews
ABC RN The Book Show
ABC Radio Darwin
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/darwin/programs/latelunch/late-lunch-with-karen-manton/13545038
Living Arts Canberra (podcast)
https://www.livingartscanberra.com.au/karen-manton-the-curlews-eye/
Final Draft Great Conversations (podcast)
https://player.fm/series/final-draft-great-conversations/karen-mantons-the-curlews-eye
Mrs B’s book reviews
https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com/2021/09/14/a-tea-break-with-mrs-b-karen-manton/
Off the Leash
https://www.offtheleash.net.au/features/books-film/2021/09/karen-manton
Reviews
Better Reading
Living Arts Canberra (review)
https://www.livingartscanberra.com.au/karen-manton-the-curlews-eye/
Queensland Reviews Collective
https://www.queenslandreviewerscollective.com/2021/10/16/the-curlews-eye-by-karen-manton/
Books and Publishing
https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/07/27/190435/the-curlews-eye-karen-manton-au/
Blue Wolf Reviews
https://bluewolf-reviews.com/books/fiction/the-curlews-eye/
Readings Online
https://www.readings.com.au/news/the-best-new-crime-reads-in-september-2#
Goodreads
‘We all have secrets, some harmless, some more deeply entrenched into our souls we can barely trace their source. Manton deftly weaves the narrative of this likeable family's past, present and future lives into a rich and satisfying mystery. She evokes the dripping, intense heat of the Northern Territory's wet season with suspense, anxiety and drama. I fell in love with these characters; with their lively personalities, their curiosity of the enveloping natural world, and urged them on to confront their scars both seen and unseen. Manton has a compassionate, insightful awareness of people's yearnings, and an ability to link the Australian landscape and mythologies with our personal destinies. Here is an author and a book that helps give meaning to our local and national identities; reveals our struggles to understand life's complexities and cleverly steers us through a rich landscape of mind and place.’ Lynne
