A Most Malicious Messenger by Katherine Black (Audiobook)

 

In the village of Blackheath, someone is sending cryptic malicious text messages, hinting at wrongdoing. When the target of one of the texts turns up dead everyone begins to wonder who the sender is and who could be the next target.

Back in September, I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to review the audiobook A Most Unusual Demise, the first in The Most Unusual Mysteries series by Katherine Black. I thoroughly enjoyed the book as it offered a slightly darker take on the cosy crime genre and was filled with wonderfully eccentric characters.

A Most Malicious Messenger is the second book in the series. The paperback and ebook were published at the start of 2024 and the audiobook has now been made available. Once again Jonathan Keeble does an incredible job as narrator.

You do not need to have read/listened to the first book in the series to enjoy A Most Malicious Messenger, however doing so will give you a greater understanding of the characters, particularly the main characters May and Fletcher. Both characters have secrets to hide, ones which we find out early in the first book, and they are desperate to keep those secrets hidden. Since the plot revolves around the uncovering of secrets the pair have a lot to contend with.

The wonderful characters from the first book put in an appearance. Bastian, who manages the bookshop for May, is the centre of gossip when a young woman appears in his life. Barb, May's novelist friend is as flamboyant and delicious as ever. To add to the mix is Minty, May's nonagenarian mother. Minty is a law unto herself with her behaviour frequently scandalous. Minty has turned up wanting May to bump her off, something May is adamant she won't do, however, her behaviour frequently gives May pause for thought.

There is a lot of very dark humour, something which raises the book above many other cosy crime novels. Minty and Barb are the stand-out characters, particularly as Minty seems to delight in taunting Barb. May refuses to see that she has the same trait as her mother as she delights in tormenting her neighbour.

Our characters contend with the usual red herrings and a race against time to uncover the person responsible for the despicable crimes. There is a particularly grisly scene towards the end and a conclusion that will elicit a little gasp, followed by a giggle and a wry smile.

A Most Malicious Messenger by Katherine Black is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bloodhound Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Katherine Black was born and raised in Texas, but has spent most of her life in England. These days, her drawl is long gone unless she's had a few drinks or a late night.
Armed with an art history degree from the University of Texas (Hook 'em, Horns!) she worked in the arts in the UK and Europe before chucking it all in for the glamourous life of a stay at home mom. When she decided to pursue her dream of writing crime fiction, she completed an MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, written as part of the MA, placed third in the Yeovil Literary Prize. Re-titled as A Most Unusual Demise, that story is published by Bloodhound Books and is the first in The Most Unusual Mysteries series. You can read more of May & Fletcher's adventures in A Most Malicious Messenger. The series was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association's New Blood Dagger in 2024.
Katherine's novel, Lufkin, Texas (unpublished), was longlisted for the Crime Writers Association's Debut Dagger in 2022.

Nobody's Hero by M. W. Craven

 

The deaths of a series of academics and infrastructure specialists point to the possibility of a domestic terrorism event likely to displace millions of people and put a strain on the infrastructure of America. Ben Koenig is recruited to track down the people involved.

M. W. Craven introduced readers to his new anti-hero, Ben Koenig, in 2023 with Fearless. Despite the author already having a long-running, and highly successful, police procedural series, it is brilliant to see a quick return for Koenig in Nobody's Hero.

Koenig was a US Marshall when it was discovered he had a genetic disorder that means he's immune to fear. His bosses used this to their advantage, having him train with some of the most specialised military units around the world. When he ended up killing the son of a Russian mafia boss a $5 million bounty was placed on him and he had to disappear. Koenig has been on the run for seven years, his only contact with his old life is a once-a-month email to Jen Draper, ex-CIA and now the head of a private security firm.

Right from the dramatic opening, you know you are in for a roller coaster ride as Koenig is drawn back into the job he thought he'd escaped from. Alongside the ingenious techniques Koenig uses to extricate himself from seemingly impossible situations are some gruesome descriptions. As each incident became more and more precarious I was on the edge of my seat wondering how things could be redeemed.

The relationship between Keonig and Draper is a hate-hate one and brings about some hilariously sarcastic retorts. I think the dark humour embedded within the story is one of its strengths. The villains are at the upper end of the evil scale, one of which is a serial killer who has "killed more people than Jack Reacher". 

The conclusion is a race against time and impossible odds. It really does look like there are no viable options that will save the day. There are some grisly details that will make your stomach flip. There is a satisfying aftermath to events, giving the reader details that tease you about possible directions the story could go in the future.

Author Details

Multi-award-winning author M.W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. He is an instant Sunday Times bestseller and, for his Cumbria-set Washington Poe series, a recipient of the 2019 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger, the 2022 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023. The series has now been translated into twenty-seven languages 

October 2024 Reads

 

Wow, the year is just flying by. It's hard to believe we're only 2 months away from 2025. I didn't read a massive number of books in October, however I did manage to get through three audiobooks.

In You All Die Tonight by Simon Kernick a group of seven people wake from a drugged state to find themselves locked in a remote mansion. They are informed that they’ve all been injected with a poison that will kill them in 12 hours unless the person among them responsible for the Black Lake murders confesses. Full of shocking twists, this read like something from the Saw franchise.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then The Neighbour’s Secret from Sharon Bolton will be right up your street. Set in a small village that hosts an annual convention by a mysterious religious group, one of the residents is constantly watching events and becomes obsessed with the newest resident. They are not the only character with an obsession, either.

The Seven by Robyn Delvey has an explosive start, a guaranteed hook to keep you reading. Flitting between the present day and fifteen months previously we learn about the shocking events which resulted in forty-three hostages being killed in an explosion, the guilt felt by many of the survivors, and a race against time to prevent the trial of the murderers from falling apart.

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller addresses some difficult themes such as loneliness and death, but offers hope, as we learn about three strong women. They are all neighbours who’ve never interacted previously, but fate intervenes, resulting in them allowing others into their lives, leading to a new lease on life and unexpected consequences.

Murder For Busy People by Tony Parsons is book 7 in the Max Wolfe series. After stumbling across the dead body of a dog walker Max finds himself dragged back to an infamous crime, one he was involved in just after graduating as a police officer. Only one person was ever convicted, Emma Moon. Sixteen years on Moon has been released from prison and those alleged to also have been involved in the crime begin to die.

Another twisty psychological thriller was Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary. A woman is held captive in an isolated property. Her captor is convinced she knows something about an unsolved murder and is desperate to uncover the truth. The obsession with uncovering the murderer shines through, despite both characters being unreliable narrators. By the conclusion, I felt punch-drunk.

I managed three audiobooks this month, the first of which was the hilarious What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie. Wealthy Anthony Wistern dies accidentally, or was it murder? Told from three perspectives; his widow Olivia, amateur investigator Jade, and Anthony, who’s in limbo until he can figure out how he died. Filled with self-centred, spoilt and greedy characters, there are lots of twists as the author pokes fun at the lifestyle of the wealthy. Brilliantly narrated.

My second audiobook was Queen Bee by Jane Fallon. This wasn’t as light and frothy as I was expecting. Temporarily living in a studio on an exclusive housing estate, Laura is accused by Stella of chasing her fiancé, Al. When Laura uncovers exactly what is going on she lays everything out for Stella, including her fiancé’s plan to leave her penniless. Laura and Stella work together to ensure Al doesn’t get things all his own way.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin, was my third audiobook of the month. This is an unsettling and twisty thriller. Liv Reece wakes in a taxi to find messages scrawled across her hands and a bloody knife in her pocket. Rushing him she discovers strangers living in her apartment and two years missing from her memory. The suspect in a gruesome murder, her only solution, while trying to evade the police, is to track down her friends for answers.

Publications dates to watch out for are:-

You All Die Tonight by Simon Kernick will be published on 7/11/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Neighbour’s Secret by Sharon Bolton will be published on 7/11/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Seven by Robyn Delvey will be published on 1/1/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

Murder For Busy People by Tony Parsons will be published on 2/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary

 

A young woman is hired to pack up an isolated empty house. When she arrives she is knocked unconscious and wakes to find herself held captive in the basement. Her captor is convinced she knows something about the murder of a teenage girl. 

Having purchased a ticket for the crime and thriller festival Bay Tales 2025 I was acutely aware that I hadn't read anything by some of the authors appearing. In an effort to rectify this, I've added a few  books to my TBR pile. Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary was next on my reading list in preparation for the event.

I went into this book completely blind. Obviously, I knew it was a thriller, but other than all the praise it has garnered on Twitter I knew nothing about it. Dare I even admit I didn't read the blurb beforehand, not that it would have made any difference to me selecting the novel.

This is one of those twisty thrillers where you really have to keep your wits about you as you read. We are faced with not one but two unreliable narrators. Grace Maddox (or is it Gwen Leonard?) is hired to pack up the contents of an empty house. As she arrives at the isolated property she is knocked unconscious. When she wakes she finds herself trapped in a basement. Her captor, Dan, promises her she is safe, all he wants is information from her.

Dan, a gifted doctor, is grieving. The daughter of close friends was murdered a year ago. The murder remains unsolved and desperate for some closure for himself and his friends he's kidnapped Grace, convinced she can shed some light on the murder.

Over a number of days, the questioning goes back and forth. I was reminded very much of two well-matched fighters circling each other; ducking, weaving, and feinting. Trying to land a decisive blow that would bring their opponent to their knees. Both characters are tenacious and neither can be relied upon for total honesty and reliability. Various suspects are offered up as the interrogation continues, suspects who have means and opportunity. There are red herrings galore though, not just in the unreliable narrators. 

By the conclusion I felt as if I'd been a punching bag for both characters, my head was reeling. I didn't like either character at the beginning but by the end I had some sympathy and respect for both.

Author Details

Sarah Hilary’s debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award and was also a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a finalist for both the Silver Falchion and the Macavity Awards in the US. No Other Darkness, the second in her DI Marnie Rome series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award. The series continued with Tastes Like Fear, Quieter Than Killing, Come and Find Me and Never Be Broken. Black Thorn is her second standalone novel, following Fragile.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin (Audiobook)

 

Liv Reese wakes in the back of a New York taxi with no knowledge of how she got there. Scrawled across her hands and arms is the message "Stay awake" and in her pocket is a blood-covered knife. In desperation, she heads to the sanctuary of her apartment only to discover she no longer lives there and two years seems to have disappeared from her memory.

As I was scrolling through BorrowBos to find my next audiobook I came across Stay Awake by Megan Goldin and the blurb immediately grabbed my attention. The outline of the plot sounded twisty enough to keep me enthralled. When I first started listening I was put off by the narration, it was very soporific. This was probably intentional, to play alongside the story of a woman trying to stay awake for fear of what will happen if she falls asleep. Thankfully, BorrowBox offers the facility to speed up the narration so I listened to it at x1.25 speed and found it much better.

The storyline is full of twists, jumping between the present day when Liv finds herself running from the police, the suspect in a gruesome murder, and trying to find out how two years have disappeared from her memory, and two years ago. The time jumps are clearly labelled but I found it difficult at times to remember whether I was in the past or the present, keeping track of the time period is probably easier reading a print version.

Following Liv through her attempts to discover what she has done you get a real sense of fear, alongside her confusion. Not knowing who she can trust, her only hope is to turn to the people she was once close to, her flatmate and her boyfriend. Unfortunately, they prove elusive as she tries to track them down while evading the police.

We slowly learn what has happened to Liv and why two years have disappeared from her memory, however, the sense of menace is all-pervading. 

Fans of the film Memento or the novel Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson would enjoy this creepy and unsettling story.

Author Details

Megan Goldin worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. She is the author of The Escape Room, The Night Swim, and Stay Awake.

Queen Bee by Jane Fallon (Audiobook)

 

Newly divorced Laura urgently needs somewhere to live after the house she was buying falls through. The annex to a mansion on an exclusive close seems to offer the perfect temporary solution she needs, until one of the female neighbours suspects Laura is after her partner. Appalled, Laura is determined to clear her name.

I was quite surprised when I looked at author Jane Fallon's back catalogue that I haven't actually read any of her books. Queen Bee offered me something light, as a relief from what I was actually reading. I am pleased to say that the story didn't quite live up to expectations. I anticipated light and frothy, but was pleasantly surprised by the slight mystery element and then the idea of a wronged woman getting her own back.

When Laura moves into the studio apartment on an exclusive estate she is very apprehensive. The people around her, and their lifestyles, are out of her league. Fortunately, her landlady is very approachable and makes every effort to integrate Laura with the other women. Things seem to be going well until Stella, the eponymous Queen Bee, suspects Laura is chasing her fiance, Al. Laura is taken aback. She knows Al as her cleaning company cleans his offices, but other than that she has no contact with him. Following the accusation the other women begin to shun Laura, making her very uncomfortable.

Determined to clear her name, Laura uses her access to Al's office to spy on him. When she uncovers his secret she decides to break the news to Stella. Being the bearer of bad news is not an easy thing, many people would shy away from this, deciding not to get involved. It is completely understandable that Laura rises to the challenge; not only has her name been tainted but she's also still trying to come to terms with her own divorce.

I enjoyed the turn of events when Stella believed Laura, particularly when she learnt the shocking news that she was about to be left penniless. Stella has lived a privileged lifestyle, she has a nanny to look after her children and a housekeeper to cook and clean, and she doesn't even know how to make a cup of coffee. Stella is on a steep learning curve as, aided by Laura, she learns basic household skills and, more importantly, begins to squirrel money away. Some of the expenses mentioned in the story are eye-watering, showing that I really don't know how the other half lives.

The secretive nature of trying to keep Al in the dark while Stella built up her nest egg stopped this story from becoming too trivial. There were unexpected twists for both Stella and Laura to deal with. Strong supporting characters enhanced the story as they helped Laura in her quest.

Author Details

Jane Fallon is the multi-award-winning television producer behind shows such as This Life, Teachers and 20 Things to Do before You're 30. Her debut novel "Getting Rid of Matthew' was published in 2007 and became a Sunday Times Top Ten Bestseller as have her subsequent books 'Got You Back', 'Foursome', 'The Ugly Sister', 'Skeletons', 'Strictly Between Us','My Sweet Revenge', 'Faking Friends' and 'Tell Me a Secret'

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller

 

Elderly Birdie Greenwing has received the devastating news that she has terminal cancer. With only a matter of months left to live, she expects her decline to be a lonely one. Thankfully, chance brings some of her neighbours into her life, ensuring she's not alone.

I heard about Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller pre-publication thanks to lots of amazing praise on Twitter. Desperate to read the book I bought it and then let it sit on my TBR pile for months. After a glut of thrillers, I decided a switch of genre was needed and plumped for a visit with Birdie.

I hesitate to say I needed some light relief, this book certainly isn't "light". While there are moments of joy, laughter, and hope, the main story is filled with sadness. Writer Ericka Waller has handled the main themes with a lightness of touch that makes the book immensely readable and fills you with optimism.

Birdie has lived alone since the deaths of her husband and twin sister. She's a proud woman, stoic and uncompromising. Loneliness surrounds Birdie, her only companion is her dog, and she knows that her death with be a lonely one. Jane, and her daughter Frankie, are Birdie's neighbours. They've recently moved to Brighton and have issues of their own. Living on the same road is Ada, who is also Birdie's oncologist. Ada has built a barrier between herself and the people around her, she refuses to let anyone get close to her. An accident brings the three women together and as a result, their lives blossom.

Birdie reminded me so much of my mother and the women of her generation. Capable of virtually anything, they accepted whatever life threw at them and just got on with it. Help was not something they would seek out, or easily accept, but tight-knit communities would always find a way of ensuring those that needed help received it. 

I did shed a tear, and then immediately started laughing, as the curtain was lowered on Birdie's life. In her final few months, she learnt that by letting people in she was given a new lease on life; a message we should all take to heart.

Author Details

Ericka Waller is 38 and lives in Brighton with three daughters, too many pets and a husband. She is an award winning blogger and columnist. When not writing she can be found walking her dogs, reading in the bath or buying stuff off eBay.