Maame, Jessica George’s compelling debut has garnered much attention from book clubs. But is it really as funny as marketed? Read my full review. Publication: Macmillan, January 2023 Genre: Drama, Romance Maame Book Synopsis Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi, but in my case, it means woman. Maddie Wright is a young Ghanaian woman living in the UK who has always felt defined by the expectations and roles assigned to her by her family. To her parents, she is Maame, the responsible caretaker. Maddie loves but is burdened by looking after her father, maintaining peace and keeping family ..read more

How to Solve Your Own Murder, Kristen Perrin’s adult fiction debut is a fresh and contemporary treat for bonafide mystery lovers. Read my full review. Publication: Quercus Books, March 2024 Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Historical, Drama, Romance How to Solve Your Own Murder Synopsis Perfect for fans of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building. Frances always said she’d be murdered. She was right. In 1965, seventeen-year-old Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she’d be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years trying to prevent the crime that would be h ..read more

The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang is diverse, captivating and thrilling female-led historical fiction. Read my full review. Publication: HarperCollins, February 2024 Genre: Historical, Thriller, Drama & Romance, Mystery, Action The Phoenix Crown Synopsis An unforgettable story about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles… San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gem ..read more

Double Take is the first compelling title in Lynette Eason’s new romantic suspense thriller series Lake City Heroes. I listened to the audiobook. Read my review. Audiobook Publication: Tantor Media, January 2024 Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller, Crime-Detective Double Take Synopsis Lake City Heroes: Book #1 Detective James Holton has been honorably discharged from the Army Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he’s rooming with his good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family ..read more

Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey (2009) became a literary dystopian fantasy cult classic for good reason. Read our full review. Publication: Penguin Books 2011. First published 2009. Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Adventure, Literature Shades of Grey Book Synopsis The New York Times bestseller hailed as “a rich brew of dystopic fantasy and deadpan goofiness” (The Washington Post) from the author of the Thursday Next series. Welcome to Chromatacia, where the societal hierarchy is strictly regulated by one’s limited color perception. In this world, you are what you can see. But Eddie Russet ..read more

One Christmas Eve by Shari Low and The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan make fantastic holiday reads, but are sure to give you the warm and fuzzies anytime of year. One Christmas Eve by Shari Low One Christmas Eve Synopsis A festive tale of complicated families, impossible choices, and an unforgettable love that lasts three lifetimes. Three women, three decades, three Christmas Eve moments that change their lives forever… On Christmas Eve, 1968, Cathy McLean receives a surprise visit from the lost love of her life and is forced to choose between the one that got away and the one that stayed ..read more

As in years prior, our Best Books of 2023 list includes many books released in 2023 but not exclusively. Top quality fiction has no expiry date, and we try to squeeze novels that have been languishing on our wish list onto our reading pile too. Since we read diversely, our favourite reads of 2023 span a range of genre: Drama and Romance Crime-Detective Literature Thriller and Mystery Fantasy Book rating system We assign each book we review a score out of 5 for The Story and The Writing and then we average these to determine an overall rating score. And, we are notoriously tough markers… B ..read more

Daughter of Ashes is the third and final title in Ilaria Tuti’s gripping crime series starring the indomitable Superintendent Teresa Battaglia. Read our full review. Daughter of Ashes Synopsis Translated from original Italian by Ekin Oklap Set in the idyllic mountains of Northern Italy, a poignant and irresistible story about the relentless pull of the past on the present. Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, a trail-blazing criminal detective on the Italian police force, is on sick leave, recovering from her recent brush with death in pursuit of a killer. But none of her colleagues, not even he ..read more

The Secret Hours is Mick Herron’s new standalone spy thriller with bite. Read our full review and our suggested book club discussion question list. The Secret Hours Book Synopsis A gripping standalone spy thriller from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Slow Horses, with a riveting reveal about a disastrous MI5 mission in Cold War Berlin—an absolute must-read for Slough House fans. New from the author of Slow Horses, now an Apple Original series from Apple TV+, starring Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas. Two years ago, a hostile Prime Minister launched the ..read more

Bone Rites is Natalie Bayley’s new compelling literary gothic thriller. Read our review and enter our worldwide giveaway for a chance to win a paperback copy of this novel. Bone Rites Book Synopsis I collected the first bone when I was twelve. This fact was not mentioned in court… Such a tiny little bone, more like a tooth. I only kept it to keep him safe. Kathryn Darkling, imprisoned in Holloway, is facing death by hanging for her vengeance killing. Haunted by a spirit, she still hopes to perform the ancient black magic that will free her soul, or her struggle to punish the mighty will have ..read more