FRANCES ALWAYS SAID SHE’D BE MURDERED… SHE WAS RIGHT. In 1965, when Frances Adams was seventeen, a fortune teller told her that one day she’d be murdered. Thus began a lifetime of trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. No one took Frances seriously for sixty years – until, of course, she was murdered. But for Frances, being the village busybody was a form of insurance. She’d spent a lifetime compiling dirt on every person she met, just in case they might turn out to be her killer. In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies an eccentric library of detective work ..read more

Published today is a fabulous British crime thriller from debut author, Marie Tierney: Thirteen-year-old Ava Bonney possesses an unusual intellect far beyond her years. While her friends play, Ava’s fascination lies in the intricate process of animal decomposition, studying roadkill found in the streets around her home. But, one night, Ava’s secret nocturnal routine takes a chilling turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of fellow schoolmate, Mickey Grant. As Detective Seth Delahaye takes charge of the perplexing case, Ava refuses to sit idle. Determined and resourceful, she embarks on ..read more

The premise of ‘Fourteen Days’ is intriguing. Take a load of authors, all of whom are critically-acclaimed in their own right, and get them to collaboratively write one novel. I can only imagine the logistics behind organising that one, especially during a pandemic. I can only admire the experimental nature of this novel and the radical approach to its construction. Reading ‘Fourteen Days’ made me question the nature of novels. What makes one book of 300 plus pages a novel, whilst another is a collection of short stories with a series of motifs and shared characters? ‘Fourteen Days’ is set in ..read more

It’s difficult not to have sympathy for Molly Monroe. She set out on her office night out as a carefree young journalist who wrote about llamas and unicorns. She wakes up the next morning with a strange man in her bed, vomit in the sink, and no memory of what happened the night before. As she drags both herself and an awful hangover into work, she’s a complete hot mess. But that’s by no means the end of her problems. A viral video has emerged on the internet overnight and Molly Monroe is the star. As she attempts to contact Posey, the one person in the world who she wants to turn to, the disco ..read more

It takes one moment to call for help. So why did he wait? THE QUESTION For the last ten years, the small town of West Wilmer has been struggling to answer one question: on the night of the crash that killed his sister, why did it take Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help? If he’d called sooner, Phoebe might still be alive. THE SECRET As the anniversary of Phoebe’s death approaches, Grant is consumed by his memories and the secret that’s been suffocating him for years. But he and Phoebe weren’t the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there too – she’s the only other person wh ..read more

I enjoyed reading a wide range of books last month including a couple of spooky ones for Halloween, some non-fiction, and an early Christmas read. ‘The Seventh Son’ by Sebastian Faulks You can read my review of this book here: The Seventh Son by Sebastian Faulks ‘Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England’s Kings and Queens’ by David Mitchell. Irreverent, sarcastic and actually rather packed with serious historical facts. A really enjoyable read for anyone who is interested in history but doesn’t want to sit down and read anything too serious. I listened to the audiobook, which was read ..read more

It’s November 1st, I’ve seen both Mariah Carey and Michael Buble on television adverts, and I’ve got my Christmas cake in the oven – it’s (un)officially the day when we get to start thinking about Christmas. My first Christmas present to myself has been unwrapping the latest novel by Janice Hallett, author of ‘The Appeal’, ‘The Twyford Code’ and ‘The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels’. In this latest novel, the Queen of the Epistolary Mystery has brought us back to the small town of Lockwood, where the Fairway Players are once again putting on a play: Jack and the Beanstalk, complete with ..read more

A CHILD WILL BE BORN WHO WILL CHANGE EVERYTHING When a young American academic Talissa Adam offers to carry another woman’s child, she has no idea of the life-changing consequences. Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, which they hope to keep secret, they propose an experiment that will upend the human race as we know it. Seth, the baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract un ..read more

A romantic thriller set in the New Orleans bayou Karen Rose’s “Beneath Dark Waters” presents another exhilarating installment in the New Orleans series, and it shines with its abundant mystery and suspense. While there are a few minor drawbacks, the engrossing mysteries within both the main plot and subplots elevate the reading experience. The story revolves around Assistant District Attorney Kaj Cordozo, whose life is thrown into turmoil when masked assailants make a brazen attempt to kidnap his son, Elijah. With Kaj’s involvement in a high-profile case, the danger to his child is palpable, a ..read more

After a week of reviewing some fantastic summer releases from Barrington Stoke, this final novella is absolutely stunning! In “Nightjar” by Katya Balen, the spellbinding touch of Carnegie Medallist Katya Balen weaves a poignant novella that embraces themes of family, healing, and the wonders of nature. An author whose voice resonates powerfully within the realm of children’s fiction, Balen returns with a narrative that tugs at heartstrings, exploring the delicate threads that bind father and son together while entwined with the story of an injured bird that serves as a catalyst for their reco ..read more