Extract from a review of Vissi d'arte

The following is an extract from a review on Vissi d'arte.

I am awed by your skill, by the breadth of characterisation and the story. Your writing is bold, clear and precise.
Nicholas’s arrival at a house he had no wish to inherit is a great start to the story. I like the detailed descriptive narrative, the measured pace. The subtle way my curiosity is piqued about Sally. And about Harriet – so many questions left hanging.
This story is set in a part of Melbourne I have never visited but it’s familiar to me, because my mother’s family came from there. The mystery of grandmothers, cousins and aunts separated by oceans is something I relate to intimately. No wonder Nicholas is daunted – he has a challenge ahead, to fill the shoes of such a revered director.
My mother always said Melbourne was 50 years behind the times, so Phillipa’s indignant response ‘respectable girls don’t go into pubs’ is perfect.
Phillipa’s family all being killed came as a shock. The conversation about God, unexpected: ‘evil is powerful and inviting’.