Book review: Spellbound continues Catherine Roberton s series
1 May, 2021 01:00 AM
3 minutes to read
Black Swan, $36 Spellbound is the third in the Gabriel s Bay trilogy, with a helpful cast list at the beginning for those new to the series. The novel includes Robertson s characteristic humour and insight, and also the darker subject matter she s unafraid to embrace. Spellbound explores the use, misuse and impact of power, both political and personal.
At first the fight seems obvious: a battle to save the small town from a Tolkienian dragon, Elaine Pardew, a councillor from nearby town Hampton. She s determined to squash the planned Littleville tourist development in favour of a fancy aquarium, working hard behind the scenes to win over the wealthier residents of the area who think the poor bring it on themselves and that brown-skinned folk should shut up or find somewhere else to live. Elaine is a terrific scam artist , feeding people s worst instincts gr
The Shoeshine column is the
NBR’s longest-running feature. It was launched during the euphoria leading up to the October 1987 sharemarket crash, which hit New Zealand harder than most.
It was inspired by the legendary story about how, in the late summer of 1929, a shoeshine boy gave stock tips to Joseph Kennedy, a financier and father of John F Kennedy. Being a wise investor, Kennedy thought, “If shoeshine boys are giving stock tips, then it’s time to get out of the market.”
Kennedy made a killing by selling his stocks before Wall Street collapsed in October 1929, eventually leading to the Great Depression of the 1930s.