by Louise Forster

The trouble with finding that perfect gift for an uncle who only reads the sports pages and political satire cartoons, who loves throwing a steak on the barbecue, with a beer in one hand and tongs in the other, while listening to AC/DC is really difficult. The man loves inappropriate T-shirts, with inappropriate slogans and/or graphics. He’s not a bad person: on the contrary, he’s a big-bellied, big-hearted, generous person who contributes to many worthwhile causes, including marriage equality. He does get a kick out of verbal run-ins, loves the sparring. He’ll argue a point that is the opposite of how he feels with conviction, just so he can work out the other person … or push their buttons.

He has two teenage daughters who often find themselves in the middle of a heated debate with him. I’ve watched him grinning as in midstream he’ll swap sides. It doesn’t take long for his girls to catch on, and that’s when they give him a groan and an eye-roll before wandering off.

I could buy him a T-shirt that says, I Fear No One … I Have Daughters.

But I asked avid reader, DH, what he thought would put a huge grin on the man’s face Christmas morning. His immediate answer was anything by Ilona Andrews. But start with the Magic series. He’ll get a kick out of Kate Daniels and Curran.

If your uncle likes stories about secrets and small towns, may we suggest Louise’s latest book, Tumble Creek?