31 review for Succession: Australian Historical Fiction Novel

1. 

   4 out of 5

   ☼♄Jülie  – Sep 04, 2018

   Succession is the third book in this Sandstone trilogy by Michael Beashel and it delivers! What the previous two books have been [suspense-fully] building towards has come to fruition in this, the final book. A generation on, and here we see how previous choices and hard line decisions have affected John Leary and his family, friends and colleagues, as events conspire to unsettle him and his ambitions. I have been fully immersed in this trilogy from book one and have thoroughly enjoyed the way the Succession is the third book in this Sandstone trilogy by Michael Beashel and it delivers! What the previous two books have been [suspense-fully] building towards has come to fruition in this, the final book. A generation on, and here we see how previous choices and hard line decisions have affected John Leary and his family, friends and colleagues, as events conspire to unsettle him and his ambitions. I have been fully immersed in this trilogy from book one and have thoroughly enjoyed the way the three have gradually come together through the passage of time and evolved into an historical account that is unique in its focus on early architecture and building construction, in Sydney. Although the focus of this trilogy is on the construction and building industry in 1800's Sydney, it is in no way confined to "shop talk" on the subject, and I was both pleasantly surprised and fascinated to learn about some of the technical aspects involved. This slight departure from mainstream historical fiction..ie its focus on the construction industry..was for me a pleasure to read, and I found it quite compelling as each stage flowed into the next. I can readily recommend these books for lovers of historical fiction. I gave this final installment 5*s

2. 

   4 out of 5

   Jennifer (JC-S) – Jan 12, 2020

   ‘Everyone needs a succession plan. You and I are not getting any younger.’ Sydney, 1885. Leary’s Contracting is now one of the biggest contractors in Sydney and, when a massive hotel project is mooted, John Leary knows that his company must have it. Almost thirty years have elapsed since the end of the second novel in the Sandstone Trilogy. Richard, his son is an adult now, and John and his second wife Catherine have three children: Brendan, Mary and Agatha. Both Richard and Brendan work for Leary ‘Everyone needs a succession plan. You and I are not getting any younger.’ Sydney, 1885. Leary’s Contracting is now one of the biggest contractors in Sydney and, when a massive hotel project is mooted, John Leary knows that his company must have it. Almost thirty years have elapsed since the end of the second novel in the Sandstone Trilogy. Richard, his son is an adult now, and John and his second wife Catherine have three children: Brendan, Mary and Agatha. Both Richard and Brendan work for Leary’s Construction, and John has been giving some thought to succession planning. Who should take over from him: Richard or Brendan? In the meantime, building the Imperial Hotel is not easy. It will be the tallest building in Sydney, and there are several challenges to be met. Red tape is one issue, as is managing the different aspects of the build to ensure that materials are available when and where they are required. And some of John’s competitors are not happy. Richard has some problems of his own to overcome and may not be entirely reliable. Brendan can work with the workers to achieve the results required, but an accident threatens the construction and the reputation of Leary’s Contracting. John has some difficult decisions to make. This book is a fine and fitting conclusion to The Sandstone Trilogy. The books are best read in order, to enable the reader to follow the characters, the growth of both Leary’s Contracting and the building industry in Sydney. John Leary is an ambitious character. I didn’t care for many of his actions during the first two books, but I really enjoyed the way the story developed. If you enjoy historical fiction set in 19th century Australia, have an interest in the development and building of Sydney, you may also enjoy this trilogy. Jennifer Cameron-Smith

3. 

   4 out of 5

   Cliff Phillips –

4. 

   4 out of 5

   Anna Pelle –

5. 

   4 out of 5

   Christie Burgess –

6. 

   4 out of 5

   Lorraine Marion –

7. 

   5 out of 5

   Diana –

8. 

   4 out of 5

   Rose Orr –

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Jeanette Lewis –

10. 

    4 out of 5

    Sydney Scothon –

11. 

    4 out of 5

    WordsAPlenty audiobookreviewer –

12. 

    4 out of 5

    Kevin –

13. 

    5 out of 5

    Vera Mosher –

14. 

    5 out of 5

    Lorraine T. Layton –

15. 

    5 out of 5

    DonnaBeeSparkly –

16. 

    4 out of 5

    Sharon –

17. 

    5 out of 5

    John Le Grove –

18. 

    5 out of 5

    Danelle Cale –

19. 

    4 out of 5

    Carolyn Brownlee –

20. 

    4 out of 5

    Nancy –

21. 

    4 out of 5

    melinda chapman –

22. 

    4 out of 5

    Walter Walker –

23. 

    5 out of 5

    Mardi Gorham –

24. 

    4 out of 5

    Tracy –

25. 

    5 out of 5

    Ron B. Ferdig –

26. 

    4 out of 5

    Dixie Dodd –

27. 

    4 out of 5

    Bobbie Findlay –

28. 

    4 out of 5

    Dwight Hills –

29. 

    4 out of 5

    Peggy Karnes –

30. 

    5 out of 5

    Jerome Commerford –

31. 

    5 out of 5

    martin kiff –