Bad Actors by Mick Herron

 

An academic, a member of a government think-tank, has gone missing. In the race to discover her whereabouts first desk at MI5 is pitted against a special advisor to Number 10. The outcome could have long-reaching consequences for the future of MI5.

Knowing that book 9 in the Slough House/Slow Horses series is due out in September, I was determined to get up-to-date with the series before then. Bad Actors by Mick Herron is book 8 in the series. I found this book to focus more on political machinations, with control of MI5 being at the heart of the story.

Anthony Sparrow is a special advisor to the Prime Minister, to all intents and purposes, the real person controlling the government. Sparrow is a decidedly unpleasant individual, and it doesn't take much imagination to figure out the inspiration behind the character. He doesn't like the fact that MI5 operates independently of government and sets about plotting the downfall of Diana Taverner in a bid to discredit the Security Service and bring it under the control of No. 10. What Sparrow doesn't realise is that Taverner is a slippery customer, usually two steps ahead of everyone else.

The political infighting, double crossing and hints at possible Russian assets in the UK make this much more of a genuine spy thriller than the rest of the series. The team of slow horses doesn't feature quite as much as they have done in previous novels, but when they do, chaos ensues. Shirley Dander is the stand-out character this time around and is best described as a Tasmanian Devil; there are some truly comic scenes when she is involved. My favorite line of the whole book involves a stand-off between Shirley and a knife-wielding thug. She looks down at her hand, "Just like a slow horse, she thought. Bringing a spork to a knife fight".

Jackson Lamb is as disgusting, misogynistic and brilliant as ever; his level of sarcasm is top-notch. For fans who were left devastated at the end of Slough House, the ending of Bad Actors offers a tiny ray of hope.

Author Details

Mick Herron is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Slough House thrillers, which have been published in over twenty-five languages and are the basis of the award-winning TV series Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb. Among his other novels are the Zoë Boehm series, also now adapted for TV starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, and the standalone novels The Secret Hours and Nobody Walks. Mick’s awards include the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold, Steel and Diamond Daggers. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and now lives in Oxford.

#BlogTour Love Or Your Money Back by Suzy K Quinn

 

Synopsis

Is marriage about love or marketing?

Kat is 34, single and running out of time – she wants to get married before she turns 35, but her fiancé just ditched her for a 21-year-old life coach.

Freddy is a ruthless marketing guru who thinks love is just transactional. He’ll use his marketing genius to make Kat the most sought-after woman in London, if she lets him rebrand her struggling company.

With her 35th birthday looming and her love life a disaster, Kat agrees to become Project Marriage.

Can a rebrand king sell happily ever after? Or is love something even the best marketer can't package and promote?

A smart, funny romantic comedy for fans of Emile Henry (Funny Story), Lucy Score and Ali Hazelwood.

My Review

Welcome to my spot on the blog tour for Love Or Your Money Back by Suzy K Quinn. I don't read a lot of romance, so to entice me, the synopsis of a book has to be great, and that's exactly what happened with this book. 

It's obvious from the beginning where the story is going to end, but with most romance novels, it's the journey that we're really interested in. This struck me as a version of My Fair Lady/Pretty Woman. Kat Friedman runs her own publishing company. Dealing with a chronic illness and a bunch of employees who are hopeless means that Kat doesn't have a lot of time for herself. In steps Freddy Stark, a marketing guru who has just bought half the company. Sparks immediately start flying between the pair, but not in a good way.

Kat is a sympathetic character, and Freddy is brash and self-centred. As they skirt around each other, we learn that Kat is desperate to be married by the age of 35, and considering she's now 34, that doesn't leave much time. When this is combined with the fact that her hopeless boyfriend of fifteen years has recently dumped her and is now marrying a twenty-one-year-old, you can understand Kat's frustration. Freddy claims everything is about the right marketing - packaging, placement and promotion - and offers to help Kat in her quest in exchange for more control in the company.

As Freddy carefully packages and promotes his new "product", my opinion of him quickly changed; he's respectful, considerate, generous, emotionally intelligent and supportive. Freddy does his job so well that Kat is eventually fending off suitors. At this point, I found Kat to be too desperate and lacking in self-esteem, which is a complete contrast to the fiery, intelligent and resilient business woman whose company wins awards.

Freddy states that "A marketer's job is to see value where no one else does", and it doesn't take long for him to spot the true value of Kat, but what will he do? Does he throw his hat in the ring, or does he leave Kat to decide between her suitors? There's also Kat's hopeless ex-boyfriend, her first love, who continues to hang around like a bad smell. 

Love Or Your Money Back by Suzy K Quinn is available now in ebook format. My thanks to Suzy K Quinn and Rachel's Random Resources for a review copy.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Your-Money-Back-funniest-ebook/dp/B0FDBMMZQQ

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-Money-Back-funniest-ebook/dp/B0FDBMMZQQ

Author Details

Suzy K Quinn writes romantic comedy / rom com books / cozy mystery and has sold over 1 million books worldwide. She is a bestseller in the UK, US and Germany and has plans for total world domination with more feel-good books (bestsellers, obviously) in the near future.

Suzy lives in Wivenhoe, Essex, with her husband Demi and two daughters. She is a twin, an incompetent parent of two and now fully decaffeinated. Her twin sister, Cate Quinn, is also a bestseller author. When she's not writing, she is reading rom coms and cozy mysteries.

Suzy loves her readers and is ALWAYS happy to chat on social media - she's @suzykquinn on all the socials. You can also get a free book at her website:

www.suzykquinn.com

#BlogTour One Snowy Day by Shari Low

 

Synopsis

On a cold winter’s day, a storm is brewing in the village of Weirbridge...

Georgie Dern has the chance to swap her empty nest for the job of a lifetime in Los Angeles. Can she chase her dream if it means letting down the woman who has given her the world?

Jessie McLean should be counting down the hours until she jets off to spend her retirement years in the sun. But when a devastating betrayal resurfaces, she has to choose between a fresh start and staying behind to settle old scores.

Alyssa Canavan has spent years building the business she adores. Now a legal letter has threatened her home and livelihood, but how does she fight a family that doesn’t give a damn?

Lachlan Morden is forced to return to Scotland to face the people who almost destroyed him. Will coming home reopen old wounds, or will a memory from the past lead him to the perfect revenge?

One snowy day, four lives, but who will have a bright new future when the snow is gone?

My Review

Welcome to my spot on the Blogtour for One Snowy Day by Shari Low. This is the first book by Shari Low that I've read, despite the author having an extensive back catalogue. I'm pleased to say that it certainly won't be my last. I found the book to be pure escapism, filled with larger-than-life characters that you cared about. As the story progressed, I found myself completely invested in the lives of the tight-knit community and felt as if I were one of them.

Set over the space of one winter's day in the Scottish village of Weirbridge we meet Jessie McLean. Not only is it Jessie's sixty-fifth birthday, but she's about to start her retirement from her beloved hair salon and move to Tenerife with her husband. The village are all looking forward to the big party which will be held in the cafe that has become central to the local community.

Over the course of the day, we meet a wide range of characters, who all add elements to the storyline. I loved the larger-than-life characters, particularly the older generation, as they added fun and eccentricity to the story. As Jessie uncovers a couple of secrets that have been withheld from her, she begins to question the decisions she's made about giving up her job and jetting off to the sun. Other members of the community are dealing with dilemmas of their own, but are determined that nothing will spoil Jessie's big day.

I adored the way the story featured a wide range of ages and showed a strong sense of community. As individuals grappled with the predicament they found themselves in, we saw the age-old adage "A problem shared is a problem halved" at work. Shocks and surprises stopped being insurmountable as practical solutions are found, along with new friendships and relationships forged.

One Snowy Day by Shari Low is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for a review copy.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/OneSnowyDay

Author Details

Shari Low is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 30 novels, including the #1 bestsellers One Day with You, One Midnight with You and One Day and Forever.

The Cut by Richard Armirage

 

Thirty years after a teenager was murdered, her killer is about to be released from prison. By coincidence, a production company is shooting a film which bears a striking resemblance to the events surrounding the murder. Is someone out for revenge or trying to reframe the past?

The Cut by Richard Armitage opens in 1994 with a nightmarish scene of a young woman being chased through a storm. From a high vantage point, someone is watching the events as they unfold. The story then jumps to 2023, and we meet architect Ben Knott, a school friend of the victim at the time of her death.

The story alternates between 1994 and 2023. In the past, we meet Ben and his circle of friends. The group is a strange mixture of mainly unpleasant characters held together by Ben. Ben's intelligence, physique and home background have allowed him to get away with some unsavory behaviour, much of it excused by his home life. In 2023, we meet a very different character, a successful family man who is haunted by the past. I did feel some sympathy towards teenager Ben; his home life was harrowing. Modern day Ben didn't come across well; he compartmentalise his life, puts business before family and was desperately trying to hide secrets.

As the storyline alternates between the two time periods, we see everything leading up to the night of the murder. We discover that the bonds of friendship are tenuous, mainly because of the cruel nature of teenagers. In the present, Ben's fourteen-year-old son, Nate, is deliberately targeted to star in a "found footage" film. The nature in which Nate is encouraged to audition is creepy, not only does it add another layer of secrecy to the story, but it also reinforces the message that you never know who is at the other end of an online conversation. The two sets of events slowly begin to merge, and Ben realises that someone knows more about the murder than the police uncovered. The big question is what is their ultimate goal?

The terrifying opening and the tense conclusion keep your heart racing. I did find the middle section a little slow and confusing; however, I was determined to read on to find answers. The reader is kept in suspense for the majority of the novel as to the identities of the victim and her murderer, the Mill Killer. Shocks are in store when all is revealed, including the identity of the person manipulating the modern-day events, and the reader eventually learns about what really happened on that stormy night in 1994.

The Cut by Richard Armitage will be published on 28th August 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for a review copy.

Author Details

Richard Armitage is a multi-award winning stage and screen actor. In 2022 he penned his debut crime thriller 'Geneva'. 

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

 

Sue and Mal, the new landlords of The Case Is Altered country pub are concerned that a team that joins their regular quiz night is cheating. It's a delicate situation to handle as they don't want to upset their regular clientele but feel that a new infusion of blood is just what the quiz night needs. When a dead body is discovered near the pub everyone becomes a suspect.

As with every other fan of Janice Hallett I have been eagerly awaiting The Killer Question. I was very lucky to receive an early copy, devoured it in one sitting and then have to keep my lips sealed. There are no spoilers in my review, part of the appeal of Janice Hallett's books is reading them and trying to spot hints, clues and red herrings. The style is similar to that of the author's previous books with the story being told through a variety of media such as emails, text messages and WhatsApp messages. As an aside, if you haven't read any of the author's earlier books then I heartily recommend them. You can find reviews for all apart from her first book, The Appeal, on my blog (I didn't have a blog when I read The Appeal).

I loved the opening of the book. The events in the book took place in 2019, five years later Sue and Mal's nephew pitches the story to Netflix as an idea for a true crime series. While I don't watch true crime I am well aware of its popularity, along with the interest it sparks online as viewers discuss what they've watched. This genre also seems to have ignited a rise in amateur detectives.

To entice a production company, the nephew sends them evidence in the form of emails and messages that have never been seen by the public before. I adore this style of narrative, it's easy to read, you quickly become engrossed and it feels very voyeuristic. The story had me completely absorbed, to the extent that I felt as if I was one of the regular quizzers. The introduction of a quiz team who are obviously cheating is a stroke of genius as it brings out the true characters of some of the regulars. I honestly didn't realise that pub quizzes were so cut-throat. The way in which the usual winners react when they lose is hilarious, they become sticklers for the rules unless it's something that benefits them. The message threads and emails around this are pure gold, I was laughing out loud. Far too frequently something is mentioned that is so true to life or resembles someone you may know. Not all of the teams take things quite as seriously as others; for some, it's a laugh, for others, it's a social event. For the serious quizzers, there's nothing fun about the quiz, so when they feel an injustice has been done they try to get everyone on their side. 

There is more to the story than a Monday night quiz, prepare yourself for murder and blackmail as, just like any true life crime series, the story takes unexpected twists and turns. Having read the author's previous books I tried to spot clues and red herrings but failed miserably, which made the reading and the big reveal even more pleasurable. This is one of those books where as soon as you know "whodunnit" you want to go straight back to the beginning to look for the subtle hints. I can't wait to see what Janice Hallett comes up with next but it going to have to be something special to beat The Killer Question.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett will be published on 4th September 2025 in hardback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper for a review copy.

Author Details

Janice Hallett is the author of five best-selling novels. Her debut, The Appeal, was awarded the CWA Debut Dagger of 2021 and was a Sunday Times’ Bestseller, Waterstones’ Thriller of the Month and Sunday Times’ Crime Book of the Month. Her second novel The Twyford Code was named Crime & Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2023. It was also a Sunday Times’ Bestseller and a Financial Times book of the year. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was an instant Times and Sunday Times bestseller on its launch in January 2023 and a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

The Christmas Appeal, a fast, fun and festive novella, was launched in October 2023. It was a Times and Sunday Times bestseller.

Her latest novel The Examiner, was an instant Times and Sunday Times bestseller on its launch and is out now.

Her first novel for children aged 8-12 is A Box Full of Murders, out in June 2025.

Janice is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. As a playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat.

July 2025 Reads

 

July has flown by. It was good to get back to my normal routines this month. My review pile isn’t so daunting at the moment, so this gave me the chance to read a little bit more widely, hence this is probably my most varied selection of books in a long time. The month ended up being a mixture of my usual thrillers, some blog tour reads, a children’s book and my book group read.

The month began with a blog tour read, One Snowy Day by Shari Low. Winter-themed, rather than Christmas, the story focuses on the small community of Weirbridge in Scotland. We meet long-time resident Jessie, who is about to jet off, with her husband, for a life of retirement in sunnier climes. Jessie, along with some of the other residents, is faced with a dilemma that needs to be resolved before she can put her plans into action. A lovely, gentle read.

I’m still determined to get up to date with the Slough House/Slow Horses series of books before the new one is published. July saw me reading Slough House, book 7 in the series, by Mick Herron. Someone has deleted the residents of Slough House from the MI5 database. This coincides with  members of the team being followed and the return of an old face. Little do the team realise that lives are in danger. The ending is shocking; it made me immediately want to pick up the next book in the series.

I love the novels of Helen Fields, particularly the Luc Callanch & Ava Turner series. Watching You, a serial killer thriller, is set in Edinburgh and features some of the characters from the series. Three random murders could be linked, with the common connection being a local surgeon. I was gripped as the body count began to rise and we learnt about the chilling results of being stalked.

Janice Hallett’s books are always a sure-fire hit for me; however, I did wonder if her latest, a children’s novel, would have the same appeal. A Box Full Of Murders, aimed at the 8 to 12 age range, has all the classic features we love from the author. Told through text messages and documents discovered in a dusty loft, a pair of siblings try to solve a forty-year-old murder that happened at a scout and guide camp. I loved the nostalgia aspect, and it felt like a homage to the Famous Five series of books.

Another author whose books are always eagerly anticipated is Steve Cavanagh. The Eddie Flynn series features a con man turned lawyer who isn’t afraid to bend the rules to defend his clients. In Two Kinds Of Stranger, a social media influencer, who is accused of murdering her husband and his mistress, claims she has been framed by a stranger she tried to help. All of Eddie’s skills are put to the test, especially when his ex-wife is also accused of a crime.

My second blog tour read in July was Love Or Your Money Back from Suzy K Quinn. Publisher Kat and marketing guru Freddy immediately clash when he buys half of her company and wants to make changes. On discovering Kat is desperate to marry before the year is out, he proposes marketing her. If his plan works, Kat agrees to let him make the changes he wants. As Freddy says, marketing is all about packaging, placement and promotion; finding love isn’t any different.

The Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell was my book group read for July. This family saga, set in Sunderland in 1940, really wasn’t my cup of tea. The story follows a group of women who begin work in a shipyard as welders to help the war effort.

My final read of the month was The Cut by Richard Armitage. A twisty thriller revolving around the murder of a teenage girl in 1994. Thirty years later, “The Mill Killer” is due for release from prison, and someone is stirring up memories. Are they out for revenge or looking to reframe the past?

I am really pleased to get back into the habit of listening to audiobooks. I managed thee in July, starting with Party Of Liars by Kelsey Cox. The book opens with someone falling to their death from the balcony of a mansion during a sixteenth birthday party. The author then takes us back to the start of the day, building the tension and introducing us to a wide cast of characters. Throughout, you are kept wondering who has died and why. There is a supernatural element to the story for added thrills.

A Case Of Mice And Murder by Sally Smith is set in the exclusive domain of the Inner Temple, one of the Inns of Court in London, in 1901. The Lord Chief Justice is found murdered, and barrister Gabriel Ward is asked to investigate since the police do not have jurisdiction at the Inner Temple. This was a wonderful book to listen to, I was completely gripped and loved the quirky main character. A brilliant addition to the cosy crime genre.

My last audiobook of the month was the disturbing The Last Days Of Kira Mullan by Nicci French. A young woman is found dead, her new neighbour Nancy is the only person convinced she didn’t take her own life. The problem is that Nancy is recovering from a mental health crisis and everyone, including her partner, is convinced she is having another. Nancy’s struggles to be believed are shocking and distressing.

Publication dates to watch out for are:-

One Snowy Day by Shari Low will be published on 3/8/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

Watching You by Helen Fields will be published on 28/8/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

The Cut by Richard Armitage will be published on 28/8/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Last Days Of Kira Mullan by Nicci French (Audiobook)

 

Nancy North and her partner Felix, are hoping that the move to a new area of London will be just the fresh start that they need. When a neighbour is found dead shortly after they move, Nancy is the only person who finds the death suspicious.

The Last Days Of Kira Mullan by Nicci French is the second book in the Maud O'Connor series. While Maud does feature, this book is really all about Nancy, so can easily be read as a standalone mystery. 

We learn early on that a mental health crisis is the reason for Nancy and Felix to relocate. Felix is very protective of Nancy and hopes that the flat, part of a large old house, will offer her extra support and protection during her recovery. When Kira Mullan dies shortly after the couple move in, everyone, including the police, is convinced that the young woman took her own life. Only Nancy, who had a brief interaction with Kira, is convinced that something more sinister has happened.

Trying to convince others that there is more to Kira's death becomes a nightmare journey for Nancy. Having recently suffered a breakdown, everyone is convinced she's having a relapse. It is scary how easily her beliefs are brushed aside, and she is labelled as neurotic. There is so much gaslighting taking place, particularly from her partner, that there are times when Nancy even doubts herself. But, how do you convince people you're not "mad"?

Nancy's fight to prove she's right is terrifying; no one believes her. We quickly realise that Felix is extremely controlling and question why. There are lots of characters who aren't entirely honest, any one of them could be responsible for Kira's death, which all adds to Nancy's difficulty in getting anyone to listen to her.

When Nancy is finally able to persuade Maud O'Connor, the story becomes more of a police procedural, but Nancy is still struggling to escape Felix's coercive control. It is chilling that no matter where she goes or what she does, Felix is hovering, refusing to accept that she wants to be alone.

Author Details

Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing partnership of journalists Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The couple are married and live in London and Suffolk.