#BlogTour Put Out The Light by Guy Hale

 

Oliver Lawrence has dispatched some of the people he considers responsible for his father's suicide and his own failure as an actor, but his list isn't complete. Revenge still festers inside as he targets more people he feels are culpable.

Put Out The Light by Guy Hale is the third book in the Shakespeare Murders series. I heartily recommend reading the first book in the series, The Croaking Raven, in order to fully understand the story leading up to the events in this book. 

Set in 1962, it is six weeks since Oliver Lawrence's murder spree ended. Having gone to ground, the police are no nearer catching their suspect. DC Marlowe and DS Williams are convinced they know who the murderer is, but are struggling to convince those above them, as Oliver has left no physical evidence.

I loved the way the relationship between Marlowe and Williams has developed. Initially, they were both skeptical about their new partner, but they've developed a level of respect and understanding over the course of the investigation. The humour continues in the same vein, with DS Williams showing little respect for authority. We do discover that Williams can show compassion and sympathy when needed, but this is a rarity.

Lawrence's descent into madness continues, and the fact that he's managed to go undetected in the heart of Stratford-Upon-Avon makes him reckless, leading to an unexpected death which has far-reaching consequences. What little sympathy the reader may have had for Oliver in book 1 disappears following the events in this book. Felix Richards, Oliver's only remaining friend and the catalyst for events, becomes even more of a sycophant. However, he's well aware that Oliver could turn on him at any moment.

After the deaths in the first book, the narrative is a little slower this time around, taking a while before the murder spree continues. The literary references continue, building up to a shocking and surprising conclusion. I'm excited to read the conclusion of the series in Sleep No More.

Put Out The Light by Guy Hale is available in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to The Bullington Press and Love Books Tours for a review copy.

You can purchase copies of the book direct from the author here, from Amazon UK here, or from Amazon US here.

Author Details

Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.

How To Kill Your Biggest Fan by Helen Blair (Audiobook)

 

Hazel Witt used to be a successful romance writer; unfortunately, her star is on the wane. She also dislikes having to engage with her fans. When a letter from her biggest fan, Margo, hints that she has taken her own life, Hazel digs into the past and discovers hundreds of letters from Margo, letters that display disturbing behaviour and give her an idea for a new novel.

I do enjoy the new breed of modern stalker novels, the dark humour, contemporary setting and unreliable narrator all appeal to me. Recent books in this sub-genre that I've loved at Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi and Julie Tudor Is Not A Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich. It's no wonder that How To Kill Your Biggest Fan by Helen Blair leapt out at me.

The main character, Hazel, has been writing romance novels for twenty years, which has allowed her to live comfortably, avoiding interactions with people in general. She's well aware that she has to keep her fans happy by doing book signings and guest appearances, but she avoids these as much as possible and certainly doesn't do anything beyond the basics.

I loved the way that the author poked fun at everything involved in modern-day publishing, from book signings through to podcasts. The story is filled with satire, and it certainly will make you ponder the next time you're at any kind of author event.

When Hazel's assistant uncovers a disturbing letter from Margo Martin, a young woman who's been a fan of hers since her early years as a magazine writer, they become concerned about her well-being. Discovering hundreds of unread letters from Margo in which she pours out her heart, and some of the terrible things she's done, gives Hazel an idea for a brand new book, something completely different. However, as Hazel digs into Margo's past, it becomes obvious that someone is watching her. I was completely engrossed; the storyline flowed perfectly. Not only was I interested in Margo's backstory, I also found myself worrying about Hazel's safety and the identity of the mystery watcher. The narrator, Susie Riddell, did a brilliant job at building the tension as all three stories eventually converged, with a conclusion that leaves you satisfied, but chuckling.

This is only available in audiobook format currently, hopefully the publishers will release it in paperback or ebook soon.

My thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a review copy of How To Kill Your Biggest Fan by Helen Blair.

Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney

 

Esther becomes obsessed with an up-and-coming Canadian actor, Ted Levy. Convinced they are destined to be together, she leaves everything behind, including her husband, and jets off to Toronto to make her dream come true.

I'm going to start this blog post by discussing the cover; the colours, the illustration, even the title, all shout "fun". When I read the synopsis for Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney, I was expecting satire, along the lines of Callie Kazumi's Cuckoo or Julie Tudor Is Not A Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich, both books I adored. However, Esther is something completely different.

When we meet Esther, she's thirty-six and has been married to Johnny for four years. They're in a bit of a rut relationship-wise, but it's clear from their interactions that they're ideally suited. The biggest problem in the relationship is the lack of a baby, despite the desire for one. There's euphoria when Esther discovers she's pregnant, only for their world to come crashing down when she miscarries. It is this miscarriage that triggers Esther's drastic actions.

I found my feelings towards Esther swinging between horror and sympathy. This was a woman deeply in need of counselling and support because of her grief and depression, support she shied away from. Instead, we saw her growing obsession take control of her life as she manipulated her way into the lives of those close to Ted. Much of the obsession was fueled by other infatuated fans who stalked Ted and his girlfriends online. The way in which these fixated individuals hounded anyone they deemed unsuitable was quite an eye-opener. It was also quite shocking how the tiniest detail shared on social media could be mined for clues to someone's whereabouts.

We know not to expect a romantic happy ending; fairy tales rarely happen in real life. The big question is, what does Esther achieve in her pursuit? You'll just have to follow Esther's journey yourself to find out.

Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney will be published on 29th January 2026. My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Publishing for a review copy.

Author Details

For the last fifteen years, Tanya has been a columnist in a number of Irish newspapers and magazines, among them the Dubliner, STELLAR, U, Irish Tatler, and the Irish Times Magazine.

She is currently a journalist and Weekend magazine columnist at the Irish Independent and is a regular contributor on Irish radio & TV. Her work in the music, film & TV industries helped inspire her debut novel, Esther is Now Following You, a funny, fresh and deeply affecting story about celebrity fandom and what happens when it all becomes a bit too real.

December 2025 Reads

 

I always think that I’m going to get tons of reading done in December, after all, there’s a whole week of nothing between Christmas and New Year. As usual, the month started well, and then socialising hit. The good news is I wasn’t on a deadline to hit my Goodreads Reading Challenge, as I smashed my goal of 80 books by reading and listening to 141 books. Think I’ll have to increase my goal for 2026, but I still want to keep it realistic.

The month began with the wonderful What Happened That Summer by Laura Pearson. A romance with a mystery element. A podcaster is interviewing people involved in the mysterious death of a teen pop star twenty years ago. The fledgling romance, with the added mystery, draws you in, and you just have to keep turning the pages to find out what happens.

Alice Feeney writes twisty thrillers, so I knew what to expect when I picked up My Husband’s Wife. However, this blew me away. Eden returns from her run to find another woman in her home claiming to be her, and her husband is backing her up. How can Eden, a newcomer to a tiny Cornish fishing village, prove her identity? I was completely intrigued by this psychological thriller and couldn’t put it down.

Having read the first two books in the Shakespeare Murders series, I was keen to see how the story continues with Put Out The Light by Guy Hale. Oliver Lawrence is still on a murder spree in Stratford-Upon-Avon. His goal is to kill those he holds responsible for his father’s suicide and his own failure as an actor. While I enjoyed seeing how the storyline continued, I found the pace a little slower this time around. The conclusion, however, was completely unexpected and leaves the reader set for the final book in the series.

I wanted to squeeze a festive read into December, and Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton was an ideal choice. The morning after hosting a Christmas party for family and friends, Anna discovers Father Christmas dead in her larder. With the police showing little interest in the murder, she decides to investigate herself. This is fun, chaotic and irreverent. I’m hoping to read the sequel, Not Another Bloody Christmas, this month.

I loved the concept of Vivian Dies Again by C. E. Hulse. Vivian is stuck in a time loop; someone keeps murdering her. Imagine Groundhog Day, but you have no memory of events. Aided by a waiter, who is the only person living in real time, Vivian has to find out who the murderer is in order to stop the endless cycle or to stay dead. Great concept, but I found the pace a little slow.

When I started Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney, I was expecting a stalker story filled with satire and dark humour. This turned out to be very different. Fuelled by grief and depression, Esther uproots her life in pursuit of an actor she becomes obsessed with. I found myself swinging between horror and sympathy as she manipulated her way into the lives of those close to the actor.

Having enjoyed Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton, I decided I’d go straight on to the sequel, Not Another Bloody Christmas. This is just as funny as the first book, continuing to poke fun at the middle-class while paying homage to some well-known mystery genres such as Agatha Christie, Cluedo and Scooby Doo.

The Mysterious Affair Of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood, is the fifth book in the Marlow Murder Club series and puts Judith firmly in the spotlight when her distant past catches up with her. The illegitimate daughter of her dead husband turns up and accuses Judith of his murder. The big question is what evidence does the girl have?

When I picked up So, I Met This Guy by Alexandra Potter, I expected a funny book about dating disasters; however, this book has a far more serious theme, that of romance fraud. Likeable main characters Maggie and Flick chase a cruise ship around Europe as they try to corner the love rat who has swindled Maggie out of her life savings.

I wanted an audiobook that was easy listening as I carried out Christmas preparations, and On A Night Like This by Lindsey Kelk fitted the bill perfectly. This is very much a Cinderella story. Fran takes a temporary job as an assistant to a world-famous pop star and ends up as a mysterious stranger at an exclusive ball. Filled with glitz and glamour, and entirely predictable, this was just what I needed.

The second audiobook I listened to was How To Kill Your Biggest Fan by Helen Blair. I do enjoy the dark humour of modern stalker stories, so I was really looking forward to this. Hazel is a romance writer who is reluctant to interact with her audience, until she discovers a fan who has been writing to her for years has disappeared. I loved the way that the author poked fun at writers, bloggers, fans and the publishing industry.

Publication dates to watch out for:-

What Happened That Summer by Laura Pearson will be published on 3/1/26 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

The Mysterious Affair Of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood will be published on 15/1/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney will be published 27/1/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Vivian Dies Again by C. E. Hulse will be published on 29/1/26 in hardback and ebook format.

Esther Is Now Following You by Tanya Sweeney will be published 29/1/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

So, I Met This Guy by Alexandra Potter will be published on 29/1/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Vivian Dies Again by C. E. Hulse

 

Vivian is stuck in a loop. Someone keeps murdering her. After each murder, her life resets to the start of the same family event she was attending when the murder took place. Who's behind the murder, and how can she stop the same thing from happening over and over again?

I just loved the synopsis for Vivian Dies Again by C. E. Hulse. The idea of a murder mystery, combined with the sci-fi element of a time loop, fascinated me. 

There is a slow buildup to the event in which the murder takes place, this is to give us a very clear picture of Vivian. Although she's thirty-six, her lifestyle is anything but stable. She's bounced around from job to job, rents a room from her closest "friend", and is considered to be the black sheep of the family. As far as her family is concerned, she's a failure. Once the life and soul of the party, she's now just an embarrassment; her actions are completely unpredictable, and she refuses to take responsibility when things go wrong.

Vivian knows she can't go on in this way and is hoping that attending a family memorial will give her the chance to mend some bridges. What she doesn't expect is for another attendee to murder her. It's only after the eighty-fourth attempt that she begins to understand what is happening.

The concept of the time loop is clever. Imagine Groundhog Day, but you have no memory every time the loop restarts. The only person who has any idea is Jamie, a waiter at the event. By the eighty-fourth reset, Jamie is quickly able to persuade Vivian about what is happening and convinces her to find out who is set on killing her, hoping that this will be the only way to prevent the endless cycle.

The introduction of Jamie is what makes this story ingenious. While everyone else could keep repeating the same few hours, Jamie is living things in real-time and is exhausted. This poses many questions, mainly what will happen if he's not around when Vivian is killed? Will the loop end?  The investigation becomes very much a race against time.

I really liked the concept, and the mystery elements kept me guessing right to the end. Unfortunately, the pace, particularly at the beginning, stopped me from loving the story.

Vivian Dies Again by C. E. Hulse will be published in hardback and ebook format on 29th January 2026. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for a review copy.

Author Details

C.E. Hulse lives in Manchester with her husband and a small controlling dog. She is the author of four books under the name Caroline Hulse: The Adults, Like a House on Fire, All the Fun of the Fair, and Reasonable People. Her work has been published in fourteen languages, optioned for television, and – surreally – one book is being produced as an opera. Vivian Dies Again is her debut crime novel.

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney

 

When Eden Fox returns home, she discovers a strange woman in her house claiming that she's Eden Fox. Even more distressing, her husband is siding with the stranger. With no phone or identification, Eden struggles to prove who she is in this psychological thriller filled with twists and turns.

Alice Feeney has knocked it out of the park with her latest novel, My Husband's Wife. The opening pages immediately grab you and fill you with intrigue. Who is the real Eden Fox? As we follow Eden's quest to prove her identity, we learn that she and her husband, Harrison, have recently moved to the small Cornish village of Hope Falls. While Harrison has spent much of his time in London for work, Eden has been a bit of a recluse, devoting her time to remodeling the old property they have bought. As a result, she doesn't know any of the locals so she can't turn to them for proof of her identity. You can feel Eden's desperation as every avenue she pursues yields nothing.

Intertwined with Eden's story is that of Olivia 'Birdy' Bird, a fascinating character. Birdy is an assertive woman, happy in her own company. There is a slightly menacing aura to Birdy, making you wonder about her background. The big question is how the two storylines connected.

As the narrative alternates between Eden and Birdy, we see their stories merge. This convergence brings the reader no closer to answers as each chapter seems to introduce a new shocking revelation, adding to the overall mystery and keeping you turning the pages. The author has crafted such an intricate psychological thriller that it's impossible to guess where each revelation will lead. As I turned the final page, I sat slack-jawed, marvelling at the unanticipated conclusion and saddened to have finished such an engrossing novel.

My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney will be published on 27th January 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author of novels including His & Hers, Sometimes I Lie, Rock Paper Scissors and Daisy Darker. Her books have been translated into over thirty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations, with His & Hers currently in production for Netflix, produced by Jessica Chastain, and starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal.

Not Another Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton

 

Determined to make up for the disastrous Christmas Eve the year before, Anna and her family head off to spend Christmas at a luxury retreat. Unfortunately, catastrophe seems to be following them, and they end up embroiled in another murder.

After reading Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton earlier this month, I decided that the sequel, Not Another Bloody Christmas, should make its way to the top of the TBR pile. Both these books are perfect for the festive season.

It's a year on from Anna discovering a dead body in her larder on Christmas Eve. This time around, the family has decided to get away from it all and booked a few days away at Whispering Pines, a luxury retreat in an old manor house. Despite some renovation taking place, the family is happy as they have the whole place to themselves, alongside Mrs Haddock, the housekeeper. 

Things begin to go lopsided when, late in the day, another party turns up. Six adults and two children, who all know each other through family and/or work connections, put a dampener on the magical and relaxed Christmas Anna was hoping for.

Matters take a serious turn when one of the group is discovered dead the following morning. Initially, everyone believes the victim has had a heart attack, but Anna is not so sure and begins to investigate. The situation becomes even more complicated when they discover that they are snowed in.

As with the first book, the author delights in poking fun at middle-class, middle-aged, middle-England, alongside the detecting efforts frequently seen in TV dramas. The setting of an old manor house, with open fireplaces and lots of reception rooms, makes you think of Scooby-Doo or Cluedo. It is the many cultural references, alongside the irreverence, that make this such a fun read.

Everyone is a suspect; they have the means, motive or opportunity. By the conclusion, Anna's scatter gun approach of accusing everyone is put to full effect and is reminiscent of an Agatha Christie story. I just wonder where Anna will end up next year.

Author Details

Jo Middleton is a writer, mum of two grown up children and slave to a golden retriever and three cats, named after fictional detectives. Jo published her first novel, Playgroups and Prosecco, in 2019 and has since gone on to work with her good friend Gill Sims, hosting her 2022 theatre tour and co-hosting a podcast, It’s Five O’clock Somewhere. 

Jo lives in Somerset and when she’s not working or tending to a pet she loves reading murder mysteries, binge-watching dating reality TV shows and being dragged around the countryside by her disrespectful dog Mako.