Book Review: Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah

“You can choose your house. Not your neighbours.”

Set to be published on 19th January, Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah follows the new residents of Blenheim, Salma Khatun and her family, who are extremely hopeful about moving to a safe suburban development. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen.

Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner she put in her front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It’s a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead.

But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher and higher, it’s clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt.

BOOK REVIEW: Snowed In For Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Published on 27th October, Snowed In For Christmas by Sarah Morgan follows the Miller family who, this Christmas, have one goal – to avoid their family’s well-meaning questions. Ross, Alice and Clemmie have secrets that they don’t intend to share, and they are relying on each other to deflect attention.

Meanwhile, Lucy Clarke is facing a Christmas alone, and the prospect of losing her job – unless she can win a major piece of business from Ross Miller. She’ll deliver her proposal to his family home in the Scottish Highlands and then leave. After all, she wouldn’t want to intrude on the Miller’s perfect family Christmas. But when Lucy appears on the Miller’s snow-covered doorstep, she is mistaken for Ross’s girlfriend. But by the time the confusion is cleared up, a storm has hit and Lucy is stuck. As everyone settles in for a snowed-in Christmas, tensions bubble to the surface and suddenly Lucy finds herself facing a big family fallout with a family that isn’t hers…

Book Review: The Night Watch (DS Max Craigie #3) by Neil Lancaster

“He’ll watch you. He’ll hunt you. He’ll leave you to die.”

Set to be released on 8th September and the third book in the DS Max Craigie series, The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster follows DS Max Craigie and his team investigate the murders of Scotland’s most notorious criminal, who had just walked free, and his lawyer, who was supposed to be on his honeymoon after the end of the trial.

As the case begins to show links to several other mysterious deaths, Max knows this can only mean one thing: they have a vigilante serial killer on their hands. But this time the killer isn’t on the run – he’s on the investigation team. And the rules are different when the murderer is this close to home. He knows their weaknesses, knows how to stay hidden, and he thinks he’s above the law…

Book Review: The Getaway by Ross Armstrong

“One private island. Seven guests. One killer…”

Released on 7th July, The Getaway by Ross Armstrong follows multimillionaire Robert Rathwell and his entourage who arrive at their private Greek island. White sand, turquoise water, the perfect place to relax. But this is no ordinary family, and this holiday will be their last.

The next morning, a scream shatters their peaceful world. Someone has been murdered, his body arranged to make it look like suicide. Everyone has a motive and, under the burning sun, secrets quickly simmer to the surface. Soon the guests see a darker, more violent side to paradise. Because the Rathwells don’t just own the island; they own the people on it. And they can do whatever they like – maybe even commit murder…

Book Review: The Binding Room (Inspector Anjelica Henley #2) by Nadine Matheson

“In this room, no one can hear you scream…”

Set to be released on 7th July and the second book in the Inspector Anjelica Henley series, The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson follows Detective Anjelica Henley who is called to investigate the murder of a popular preacher in his own church, she discovers a second victim, tortured and tied to a bed in an upstairs room. He is alive, but barely, and his body shows signs of a dark religious ritual.

With a revolving list of suspects and the media spotlight firmly on her, Henley is left with more questions than answers as she attempts to untangle both crimes. But when another body appears, the case takes on a new urgency. Unless she can apprehend the killer, the next victim may just be Henley herself.

Book Review: Without A Trace (DI Isabel Blood #2) by Jane Bettany

“You can cover up the truth, but every murder leaves a trail…”

The second book in the DI Isabel Blood series, Without A Trace by Jane Bettany sees Ruth Prendergast return home one night to find a man lying on her bed – a knife buried in his chest. When Detective Isabel Blood and her sergeant arrive on the scene, Ruth claims she’s never laid eyes on the victim before. But with no sign of a break-in, how did the killer gain access to the house? Then Ruth disappears, leaving Isabel and her team to fear the worst. Has their lead suspect escaped, or is Ruth in danger herself? Forensic evidence at the crime scene is sparse, and it’s proving impossible for Isabel to make a breakthrough. With Ruth still missing, time is running out. But how can you catch a killer that doesn’t leave a trace?

Book Review: All For You by Louise Jensen

“IT WAS ALL FOR YOU.”

Set to be published on 20th January 2022, All For You by Louise Jensen follows the Walsh family. The mother, Lucy, is falling to pieces. The father, Aidan, is in too deep. The son, Connor, can never tell the truth. Everyone in this family has something to hide, but what are they trying to protect, and at what cost?

Book Review: Next Of Kin by Kia Abdullah

“On an ordinary day… Your worst nightmare… Is about to come true…”

Set to be published on 2nd September, Next Of Kin by Kia Abdullah follows sisters Leila and Yasmin who have always been close. So when Yasmin’s husband, Andrew, asks Leila to take her nephew, Max, to nursery, she’s more than willing to help out, despite her busy schedule. Hours later, Andrew goes to pick up Max from nursery. But he isn’t there. Leila was supposed to drop Max off that morning. But she forgot. Racing to the car park, she grasps the horror of what she has done. Max has been locked in her car for six hours on the hottest day of the year. She’s too late.

Book Review: Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

“Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.”

Set to be published on 19th August, Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney follows Mr and Mrs Wright, whose marriage hasn’t been right for a long time. So when Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.

Book Review: The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Set to be released on 27th May, The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan follows mother and wife Liza who is drowning under the daily stress of family life. When her eighty-year-old mother, Kathleen, has a run-in with an intruder, Liza wants her to move into a residential home. But Kathleen isn’t having any of it. What she craves is adventure. The last thing Liza needs is her mother jetting off on a wild holiday, making Liza dream of a solo break of her own. But it’s time for these women to embark on the journey of a lifetime, as they all discover it’s never too late for adventure…

Book Review: The Witness (Olivia Sinclair #2) by Terry Lynn Thomas

“He saw what you did…”

Set to be released on 23rd April, The Witness by Terry Lynn Thomas is the second book in the Olivia Sinclair series that sees attorney Olivia help family friend Ebby who, thirty years ago, witnessed the murder of his mother, but awoke with no memory of what happened the night before. Now, the case has gone cold, but Ebby has started having uncontrollable flashbacks to that night. As repressed memories surface, he questions his own role in the murder, leading to a dramatic confession and Ebby’s arrest. Olivia is convinced of Ebby’s innocence, but the only way to clear his name is to find the real killer herself. And it seems almost everyone connected to the Engstrom family had a reason to want Cynthia dead…

Book Review: Truth Be Told (Zara Kaleel #2) by Kia Abdullah

“What would happen if appeasement were offered earlier? If society treated men more gently, perhaps they would be gentler. Instead of placing them in the hard, small case of masculinity, could we allow them to feel more deeply?”

Set to be released on 4th March, Truth Be Told by Kia Abdullah follows Kamran Hadid, a wealthy, happy teenager who attends Hampton school, an elite all-boys boarding school in London. With a place at Oxford next year, he has the world at his feet. But when a night of revelry leads to a drunken encounter, his future plans are stopped in their tracks. With the help of assault counsellor, Zara Kaleel, Kamran reports the incident in the hopes that will be the end of it. But it’s only the beginning…

Book Review: The Jigsaw Man (Inspector Anjelica Henley #1) by Nadine Matheson

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

Due to be published on 18th February, The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson follows DI Angelica Henley who is tasked with finding a killer when body parts are found on the banks of the River Thames in Deptford. Echoings of a previous crime lead Henley to question Peter Olivier, aka The Jigsaw Killer, who is currently serving a life sentence for a series of horrific murders. When a severed head is delivered to Henley’s home, she realises that the copycat is taking a personal interest in her and that the victims have not been chosen at random.

Book Review: In Cold Blood (DI Isabel Blood #1) by Jane Bettany

“Time is a strange, liquid thing. It moves in one direction, of course, but it’s capricious. Sometimes it flows swiftly, other times it can be sluggish and wearisome.”

Set to be published on 27th August 2020 and written by Jane Bettany, In Cold Blood is the first book in the DI Isabel Blood series, which follows the titular character as she and her team are called to investigate a body that is discovered in a back garden. But as Isabel approaches 23 Ecclesdale Drive, a feeling of unease settles in her gut. She used to live here, and she hasn’t seen her dad since he left their family forty years ago. Isabel can’t escape the unnerving sense of dread that it’s his body buried in the garden, but she knows best that secrets can’t be buried forever.