By Polly Krize - 3 out of 5 stars (Goodreads.com)

An original, well-written novel. Years after the brutality of the Jewish ghetto of Terezin, a survivor finds himself involved with a social media posting graffiti artist. The idea that one of his family's long lost treasures, confiscated by the Nazis during WWII, is found brings him to contact Britney Ruza, the artist. Sensitive and poignant.

 

CASSY - 3 out of 5 stars (Goodreads.com)

I received this book as a Goodreads winner. A really hard hitting, emotional read. Very compelling suspense/mystery with characters that come alive whilst reading. Like the glimpses into the past the walls share with the reader. Great Aussie read.

 

PETER - 4 out of 5 stars (Goodreads.com)

I won my copy of Secretsincity from Goodreads.com a compelling story of a harsh life, very well written, and hard to put down. The true-to-life characters come alive as they seek answers to long forgotten questions. A nitty-gritty kind of book with no holds barred, and right to the point. The author has written an excellent story, a terrific book that I highly recommend.

 

BRIAN 

Congratulations ! - an extremely good read and thoroughly enjoyable. Great story line – from the atrocities of WW2 to a homeless  graffiti  artist on the streets of our city. And sensational characters – envisaging who is going to play each role when someone picks up the movie rights – and you should market same.  Really loved the portrayal of "old" Evzen, and the two other main players. 

 

TROY - 4 out of 5 stars (Amazon.com)

Real page turner.

This is a cracking read. Each page had me captivated. The writing style isn't flowery. Great pacing and evocative imagery which had me curiously tracking down more details on the net. All the characters and how the story unfolded was fantastic. An endearing main character who's stepped outside of mainstream society and is drawn from Melbourne Australia to a decaying WWII era Jewish ghetto had me on her side. Long lost Nazi secrets and present day skinhead pursuers await. Sex by obligation and sex as a curiosity entertains along the way. A cheeky twist at the end too.

      

ALEXANDRA - 4 out of 5 stars (Goodreads.com)

Briney is a street-kid living in Melbourne, Australia. Together with her boyfriend, Zac, they pain graffiti on the side of train lines. A near-death experience leaves Briney with a new power and the search for the mother that abandoned her at a young age. This search brings her to an old Jewish Ghetto, Terezín, Czech Republic where she meets Evzen Kravitz, a crabby old man, who holds the key to the secret that brought her there. While in Prauge, Briney meets Zoja, which leaves her questioning her sexuality, and Zac becomes associated with three skinheads. These new formed relationships have devastating complications for all involved.This isn't usually the kind of book that I read, but I throughly enjoyed it! Because of the rough language used, I found the characters to be realistic and relatable. The story was interesting and engaging, I had a hard time putting this book down.

 

LORD BYRON - 4 out of 5 stars (Amazon.com)

Couldn't put this book down 

This is a great read and I couldn`t put this book down compelled on to the next chapter too learn what was about to unfold for the main character (Briney). I read it in 3 days during holidays in Bali and was hooked with the mix of history of the war crimes in Prague, Briney`s pursuit of her Jewish estranged Mother, the tantalising complexity of her sexual being and the 'white collar' crime which was tied in rather neatly to the war.The rough honest language in parts gives an insight into the thinking of the lower socio-economic society in Australia and the chapters flow quite fast with no annoying 'red herrings' or literary "padding".Overall a satisfying entertaining book.

 

MICHAEL - 4 out of 5 stars (Amazon.com)

The main character, Briney Ruza, is a street kid in Melbourne, Australia. Her pastime is painting graffiti beside train lines. Harmless fun she thinks until an incident with a train changes all that. The walls she paints on begin to use her to release their secrets and this takes her on a journey to find her long lost mother in the Czech Republic. With her erratic boyfriend, Zac, she meets a Goth girl, Zoja, before being enticed to Terezin, the once Jewish Ghetto during WWII. Here she comes in contact with an aging surviver of the Ghetto, Evzen Kravitz. He holds the key to why she had come all this way and his relationship with Briney's mother. From then on the story escalates into the ongoing repercussions of the Ghetto, the corruption, deception, devastation and finally redemption.The story is mostly written in the first person. The language is raw and honest to the characters. The sex is detailed but integral and the story will drag you in to the very last page.

 

KATE - 4 out of 5 stars (Goodreads.com)

This book has all the elements of a brilliant read: fast action, suspense, mystery and a main character who grabs your sympathy and curiosity. The story about a modern Australian girl searching for her roots unfolds against a background of twentieth-century European upheavals that still reach into people's lives. The language is rough, as suits the characters, so if you are squeamish about swearing, best to avoid. Plenty of straight talking about sex too, so again give it a miss if you can't take the heat.