Book Review: In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead

“Six friends.
One college reunion.
One unsolved murder.”

Published in 2021, In My Dreams I Hold A Knife by Ashley Winstead follows Jessica Miller who, ten years after graduation, has planned her triumphant return to southern, elite Duquette University. Everyone is going to see the girl she wants them to see — confident, beautiful, indifferent – not the girl she was when she left campus, back when Heather’s murder fractured everything, including the tight bond linking the six friends she’d been closest to since freshman year.

Ten years ago, everything fell apart, including the dreams she worked for her whole life — and her relationship with the one person she wasn’t supposed to love. But not everyone is ready to move on. Not everyone left Duquette ten years ago, and not everyone can let Heather’s murder go unsolved.

Book Review: The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

“It’s time to solve the murder of the century…”

Published in 2022, The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett follows Steven Smith who, forty years ago, found a copy of a famous children’s book, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. He took it to his remedial English teacher, Miss Isles, who became convinced it was the key to solving a puzzle, that a message in secret code ran through all Edith Twyford’s novels. Then Miss Isles disappeared on a class field trip, and Steven’s memory won’t allow him to remember what happened.

Now, out of prison, Steven decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. Was Miss Isles murdered? Was she deluded? Or was she right about the code?

Book Review: Busted (Will Trent #6.5) by Karin Slaughter

Book 6.5 in Karin Slaughter‘s Will Trent series, Busted follows FBI Special Agent Will Trent who finds himself in trouble on his way to Macon for an undercover assignment when he unwittingly becomes involved in a violent robbery at a gas station.

Multi-million copy, international bestselling thriller writer Karin Slaughter is known for putting the reader right at the heart of the crime. Busted is a compelling story that will grip you from the start.

Book Review: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

Set to be published on 20th April, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward is set in a windswept cottage overlooking the sea, where Wilder Harlow begins the last book he will ever write. It is the story of his childhood companions and the killer that stalked their small New England town. Of the body they found, the horror of that discovery echoed down the decades. And of Sky, Wilder’s one-time friend, who stole his unfinished memoir and turned it into a lurid bestselling novel, Looking Glass Sound.

This book will be Wilder’s revenge on Sky, a man who betrayed his trust and died without ever telling him why. But as he writes, Wilder begins to find notes written in Sky’s signature green ink and events in his manuscript start to chime eerily with the present. Is Sky haunting him? Did Wilder have more to do with Sky’s death than he admits? And who is the woman drowning in the cove, whom no one else can see?

Audiobook Review: The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

“Would you defend your husband if he was accused of killing his mistress?”

Published in 2020, The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose follows successful and powerful defence attorney Sarah Morgan who, at 33 years old, is a named partner at her firm and life is going exactly how she planned.

The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He is a struggling writer who has had little success in his career. He begins to tire of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working.

Out in the secluded woods, at Adam and Sarah’s second home, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers. But the next morning, everything changes. Adam is arrested for Kelly’s murder. She had been found stabbed to death in Adam and Sarah’s second home.

Sarah soon finds herself playing the defender for her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress. But is Adam guilty or is he innocent?

Audiobook Review: I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll

“Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the terror returns.”

Published in 2019, I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll is set on what seems like an ordinary Wednesday, until the phone rings. A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next Wednesday, the stalker makes another move—and it becomes clear that this is all about Alice.

Someone wants her to suffer, but for what? Her articles have made her a popular local champion—could it be her past rather than her work that’s put her life in danger? Alice is determined not to give in to fear, but with the police investigation at a dead end, her boyfriend insists on hiring private investigator Matthew Hill.

With every passing Wednesday, the warnings escalate, until it’s not only Alice but also her family in the stalker’s sights. As her tormentor closes in, can Alice uncover what she’s being punished for before the terrifying threats become an unthinkable reality?

BLOG TOUR: Go As A River by Shelley Read

Published on 13th April, Go As A River by Shelley Read begins on on a cool autumn day in 1948, where Victoria Nash delivers late-season peaches from her family’s farm set amid the wild beauty of Colorado. As she heads into her village, a dishevelled stranger stops to ask her the way. How she chooses to answer will unknowingly alter the course of both their young lives.

So begins the mesmerising story of split-second choices and courageous acts that propel Victoria away from the only home she has ever known and towards a reckoning with loss, hope and her own untapped strength.

Gathering all the pieces of her small and extraordinary existence, spinning through the eddies of desire, heartbreak and betrayal, she will arrive at a single rocky decision that will change her life for ever.

BLOG TOUR: Death Under A Little Sky by Stig Abell

“A detective ready for a new life…
A rural idyll the stuff of dreams…
A death that disrupts everything…”

Set to be published on 13th April and the first book in the Jake Jackson series, Death Under A Little Sky by Stig Abell follows recently-retired detective Jake Jackson who is looking for an escape from his London life. Then one day, he receives a letter from his reclusive uncle – he has left Jake his property in the middle of the countryside. For Jake, it is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

At first, life in the middle of nowhere is everything Jake could wish for. His new home is beautiful, his surroundings are stunning, and he enjoys getting back to nature. But then, what starts as a fun village treasure hunt turns deadly, when a young woman’s bones are discovered. And Jake is thrust once again into the role of detective, as he tries to unearth a dangerous killer in this most unlikely of settings.

BLOG TOUR: A Truth For A Truth (Detective Kate Young #4) by Carol Wyer

The fourth book in Carol Wyer‘s Detective Kate Young series and published earlier this month, A Truth For A Truth follows DI Kate Young and her team who are hunting for a killer. What they don’t know… is that the killer is her.

DI Kate Young has known for years that her boss, Superintendent John Dickson, is a violent and evil man. But when she finally confronts him and accidentally shoots and kills him, she’s forced to cover her tracks before anyone can pin his death on her. With revelations about his corruption soon to become public knowledge, Kate sets up a trail of evidence to make it seem that Dickson has conveniently vanished.

But Kate knows the corruption doesn’t end with Dickson. As she heads up the team investigating his supposed disappearance, she also pursues other loose ends. Can she stay one step ahead of them all and bring Harriet to justice? Can she trust anyone around her? And can she possibly get away with murder?

Audiobook Review: The Family Retreat by Bev Thomas

Published in 2022, The Family Retreat by Bev Thomas follows husband Rob who decides the family needs to get away for the summer, Wife Jess is not convinced. Won’t all the things they’re escaping be waiting for them on their return? But the kids are thrilled, and before long their idyllic little cottage, the sea air, and the feel of skin sticky from sun-cream, lollies and sand, begins to work its magic. Jess allows herself to sink into the holiday vibes – the family even make holiday friends.

Book Review: Criminal (Will Trent #6) by Karin Slaughter

The sixth book in Karin Slaughter‘s Will Trent series and published om 2012, Criminal seees a woman found brutally murdered in a sordid Atlanta apartment. Her blood-soaked body bears a chilling similarity to a woman found dead almost 40 years earlier. Soon Special Agent Will Trent finds himself returning to the home he grew up in, and a past that could hold the clue to the killings…

Book Review: The Herd by Emily Edwards

“You should never judge how someone chooses to raise their child.”

Published in 2022, The Herd by Emily Edwards follows Elizabeth and Bryony who are polar opposites, but their unexpected friendship has always worked. They’re the best of friends, and godmothers to each other’s daughters – because they trust that the safety of their children is both of their top priorities.

But what if their choice could harm your own child?

Little do they know that they differ radically over one very important issue. And when Bryony, afraid of being judged, tells what is supposed to be a harmless white lie before a child’s birthday party, the consequences are more catastrophic than either of them could ever have imagined . . .

Audiobook Review: Meet Me In Tahiti (Meet Me #3) by Georgia Toffolo

“Where there’s always a second chance at first love…”

The third book in Georgia Toffolo‘s Meet Me series and published in 2021, Meet Me In Tahiti follows Zoe who has spent her life facing battles: fighting her parents for independence, struggling with her feelings for local bad boy Finn and, after a car accident at eighteen, adjusting to the fact she would not walk again. She remained strong until the day Finn, the person she thought she could trust, broke her heart… Now a successful travel writer, Zoe is excited to review a new luxury hotel in the beautiful South Pacific – until she meets its owner…

Finn was never good enough for Zoe. He knew it. Zoe’s family knew it. The village of Hawkes Cove made sure he knew it. Proven when he let her down in the worst way possible. Now a successful businessman, he thought his past was behind him, until a journalist turns up to review his new resort…

As Finn shows Zoe the exotic wonders of the islands both face the fact their shared past might just be the beginning of a future. But only if Zoe can win the biggest battle of her life…facing up to her heart’s desire.

Book Review: The Miniaturist (The Miniaturist #1) by Jessie Burton

“In suffering we find our truest selves.”

Published in 2014, The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton follows eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman who arrives at a grand house in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. Though curiously distant, he presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift; a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations ring eerily true.

As Nella uncovers the secrets of her new household, she realises the escalating dangers they face. The miniaturist seems to hold their fate in her hands – but does she plan to save or destroy them?

Book Review: Eeny Meeny (Helen Grace #1) by M.J. Arlidge

Published in 2014 and the first book in MJ Arlidge‘s Helen Grace series, Eeny Meeny sees a girl emerge from the woods, barely alive. Her story is beyond belief. But it was true. Every dreadful word of it. Days later, another desperate escapee is found – and a pattern is emerging. Pairs of victims are being abducted, imprisoned then faced with a terrible choice: kill or be killed.

Would you rather lose your life or lose your mind?

Detective Inspector Helen Grace has faced down her own demons on her rise to the top. As she leads the investigation to hunt down this unseen monster, she learns that it may be the survivors – living calling cards – who hold the key to the case. And unless she succeeds, more innocents will die…

READALONG: The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner

1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.

Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…

Book Review: A Life For A Life (Detective Kate Young #3) by Carol Wyer

“Nobody can get into the mind of an erratic killer—except an unpredictable detective.”

The third book in Carol Wyer‘s Detective Kate Young series and released in 2022, A Life For A Life follows DI Kate Young is called in to investigate the grisly murder of a young man who is found lying on a station platform with a hole in his head. But the killing is no one-off. As bodies start to pile up, she is faced with what might be an impossible task — to hunt down a ruthless killer on a seemingly random rampage.

Meanwhile, Kate has her own demons to battle as she struggles to come to terms with her husband’s death. And she is hell-bent on exposing corruption within the force and bringing Superintendent John Dickson to justice. But with the trail of deception running deeper—and closer to home—than she could ever have imagined, she no longer knows who she can trust.

With her grip on reality slipping, Kate realises that maybe she and the killer are not so different after all. But time is running out and Kate is low on options. Can she catch the killer before she loses everything?

Book Review: The Unheard by Nicci French

“Memory is a lie, a creative act, a flimsy shield against the truth.”

Published in 2021, The Unheard by Nicci French follows Tess whose number one priority has always been her three-year-old daughter Poppy. But splitting up with Poppy’s father Jason means that she cannot always be there to keep her daughter safe.

When she finds a disturbing drawing, dark and menacing, among her daughter’s brightly coloured paintings, Tess is convinced that Poppy has witnessed something terrible. Something that her young mind is struggling to put into words. But no one will listen. It’s only a child’s drawing, isn’t it?

Tess will protect Poppy, whatever the price. But when she doesn’t know what, or who, she is protecting her from, how can she possibly know who to trust?

Book Review: Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5) by Colleen Hoover

“It blows my mind that I get to love you.”

Published in 2013, Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover follows eighteen-year-old Daniel and a chance encounter in the dark with a girl which leads them to profess their love for each other. But this love has conditions: they agree it will last only one hour, and it will be only make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them seemed perfect only because they were pretending it was. Moments like that happen only in fairy tales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in love at first sight is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Unfortunately for Daniel, finding true love doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after… it only further threatens it.

Will an unbearable secret from the past jeopardize Daniel and Six’s only chance at saving each other?

Book Review: I Am Death (Robert Hunter #7) by Chris Carter

The seventh book in Chris Carter‘s Robert Hunter series and originally published in 2016, I Am Death sees the body of a twenty-year-old woman found on a green patch of grass by the Los Angeles International Airport. She has been left with her limbs stretched out and spread apart, placing her in a five-point human star. The autopsy reveals that she had been murdered in a most terrible way. But the surprises don’t end there.

Detective Robert Hunter, who leads LAPD’s Special Section, Ultra Violent Unit, is assigned the case. But almost immediately a second body turns up. Hunter knows he has to be quick. Surrounded by new challenges as every day passes, Detective Hunter finds himself chasing a monster. A predator whose past hides a terrible secret, whose desire to hurt people and thirst for murder can never be quenched – for he is DEATH.