Bah Bloody Humbug by Jo Middleton

 

Christmas is fast approaching, and Anna Johnson wants nothing to do with it after the previous two years. The less said about finding dead bodies, the better. All she needs to do is get through the school's 'Seasonal Community Gathering' that she's been roped into helping with. Surely nothing can go wrong at a primary school?

I have read and enjoyed the previous two books in the Christmas Murder Mysteries series by Jo Middleton, but I think the latest one, Bah Bloody Humbug, has to be the best. Don't worry if you haven't read the previous books, as this works well as a standalone.

Anna is determined that this Christmas is going to be better than the previous two. To help things along, she's eschewing most seasonal traditions; no tree, no decorations, and certainly no turkey dinner. The family is going to have to make do with poke bowls instead. It's hilarious that Anna thinks all her bad luck is connected to festive traditions.

This year it's just the immediate family, but before she can settle down to quiet family time, Anna has to help set-up and run the school Christmas Fair that is run by the PTA. Centring the story around members of the PTA makes for comedy gold. This is less about the playground mafia that is frequently envisaged when a school PTA is involved and more about some of the weird characters that make up everyday life.

It isn't long before a body is found. Initially, it's considered a tragic accident, but as Anna and her best friend, Jen, dig deeper, they begin to suspect a murder has occurred. Jen has made appearances in the previous books, but her greater role this time around was hilarious. I found her very easy to visualise, particularly her flirty nature.

Basically a locked room mystery, with blackmail at its heart, we see Anna and Jen run through the gamut of assumptions, red herrings, and ridiculous accusations, none of which lead to the identity of the killer. It is only by process of elimination and a slapstick chase that they eventually find the killer.

Bah Bloody Humbug by Jo Middleton will be published on 22nd October 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a review copy.

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. Happy Bloody Christmas was her first crime novel and is an amalgamation of everything she loves best - murder at Christmas, what's not to love?

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.

You Are Mine by Alex Lake

 

Mary Jordan initially dismisses the disturbing note she sees attached to a lamppost close to her place of work as a prank. When a similar note appears in her handbag, she begins to wonder who is responsible: a new neighbour, a high school sweetheart, someone she works with, or her daughter's unsuitable boyfriend?

Alex Lake is a new author to me, and I loved the premise of You Are Mine. The opening really sets the tone. There is a short build-up to the initial message, we even get a glimpse of its impact on others, confirming its disconcerting nature. Despite the unsettling content, Mary does what I'm sure most people would do: consider it a tasteless prank. 

Mary's reaction is understandable. She's a highly intelligent woman, with enough life experience to know that the message is most likely to be someone's idea of a tacky joke. Mary, like most working mothers, has more important things to occupy her time: issues at work with someone trying to poach her clients, and at home, she's trying to navigate the minefield surrounding her teenage daughter's unsuitable boyfriend. I liked the way Mary was portrayed; she came across as very real.

We are kept on our toes by the introduction of a host of possible villains. The new neighbour certainly comes across as the most menacing, and there are scenes where the tension is palpable. Even though his behaviour is explained away, it isn't enough to put your mind at rest. The level of trepidation continues to increase as more notes appear. Not only are the notes more threatening, but they are found in places that add to the terror of the situation. 

I did feel that this sense of dread wasn't capitalised on as the pacing was erratic. Having built up the sense of foreboding, the tension was lost by spending too much time describing the mundane aspects of Mary's life. The conclusion was similar; after building up the suspense and panic, the villain would repeatedly disappear, leaving me feeling confused. None of this is likely to stop me from reading more by this author, however.

You Are Mine by Alex Lake will be published on 22nd October 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

Author Deatils

Alex Lake is a British novelist who was born in the North West of England. After Anna the author’s first novel written under this pseudonym, was a No.1 bestselling ebook sensation and a top ten Sunday Times bestseller. The author now lives in the North East of the US.

Dead In Three Two One by Peter James

 

Roy Grace has a target on his back when an Albanian gang leader seeks retribution. 

I've been a fan of the Roy Grace series by Peter James ever since I picked up the first book in the series, Dead Simple. This remains my favourite book in the series, and a thriller I regularly recommend. As with any long-running series of books, some stories seem to work better than others. Dead In Three Two One, book 23 in the series, certainly hit the spot for me.

It's Pride weekend in Brighton, so the city is packed and the police are on high alert for any trouble. When a well-known criminal, Dritan Dervishi, along with an unidentified woman, shows up on CCTV checking into an exclusive hotel, the police are concerned. Hours later, the couple has disappeared, and the room they were staying in looks as if it hasn't been occupied.

When a severed leg is discovered at a waste treatment facility, Roy Grace and his team immediately have concerns for the welfare of the unidentified woman who checked into the hotel. What follows is the meticulous piecing together of clues as the team tries to identify the woman and confirm that Dervishi murdered her. The team is also puzzled as to why Dervishi would check into a hotel and then check out a few hours later.

Author Peter James demonstrates his twisted sense of humour with a couple of subplots centred around the same hotel. A pair of siblings, desperate to inherit their mother's dwindling fortune, looks at ways to gain control of her finances. The mother is so caustic towards her greedy children and everyone else that you almost feel sympathetic towards them, but the sympathy doesn't last long. There is also a storyline featuring one of my favourite characters, Norman Potting. Things don't go well for Potting during a stakeout. Could this be the moment he is forced to retire?

The conclusion is filled with foreboding. We have seen major characters killed off throughout the series, and I began to worry for everyone connected to Grace. One scene in particular is so tense that I was reluctant to read on, concerned for the characters involved. I'm not going to spoil anything here; you'll just have to read the book for yourself to find out what happens.

Dead In Three Two One by Peter James will be published on 20th October 2026 in hardback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Peter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series.

Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger. In 2024, it was announced that he is the creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla’s favourite fictional detective.

To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 21 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 24 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. ITV’s primetime adaptation of the Grace novels, starring John Simm, continues to delight audiences with significant ratings growth, and series seven is currently in production. On stage seven of Peter’s Grace novels have been adapted as plays, earning his work the reputation of being the most successful stage franchise since Agatha Christie.

In 2026, Peter was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in His Majesty The King’s Birthday Honours List, in recognition of his services to literature and to charity. Peter is a supporter of many of charities reflecting his concerns and interests, including as Co-Patron of the Sussex Police Charitable Trust; as a Patron of the RSPCA and the Samaritans; and as an ambassador for The Reading Agency and for the National Year of Reading 2026, among many others.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

 

When a group of criminals met twenty years ago, they carved out the territory they would have control over to avoid any issues. Now, half of them are dead, and it looks as if one of them is out to kill the rest. Vern Blackwood, one of the few remaining criminals still alive, hires 'We Solve Murders' to track down who is responsible.

Two years ago, I approached We Solve Murders, the first book in the We Solve Murders series, with a little trepidation, wondering if Richard Osman had made a mistake by moving away from The Thursday Murder Club. I needn't have worried, as I loved the book; I even thought it was better than The Thursday Murder Club series. I've just re-read the review I wrote at the time (you can find it here), and pretty much everything I wrote two years ago about the first book can be applied to the new novel.

The plot of We Chase Shadows is convoluted, with criminals killing each other, but Vern Blackwood is adamant that there is no way the main suspect would kill him. Although the team of Rosie, Steve, and Amy has identified the killer, it is as if they are chasing a ghost, someone who only appeared twenty-five years ago and is never seen apart from when a killing takes place. As with the first book in the series, we see the trio making use of Rosie's wealth and contacts to hop around the globe, chasing information on the elusive killer. 

It is the characters of Rosie, Steve, and Amy that really make the story. Their individual eccentricities make them so endearing. Rosie is as outrageous as ever, but is struggling to understand her place in the publishing industry, seriously wondering if she has come to the end of her career as a writer. We learn a little bit more about Amy, discovering why she has built a wall around herself. Even though she's as hard as nails, we do see a little bit of emotion from her.

Steve is the standout character for me. He's still grieving the loss of his wife, in fact, he'd happily join her if it wasn't for letting his friends down and abandoning Trouble, his cat. I adore his no-nonsense approach to life, and I'd happily read a book based purely on the conversations between Steve and Tony.

The plot is helped along by some wonderful minor characters, and the big reveal is impossible to guess. I was disappointed when the book came to an end, as I enjoyed spending time with the threesome.

Author Details

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club novels are a record-breaking, multi-million-copy, bestselling series around the world. The movie adaptation for The Thursday Murder Club, produced by Amblin Entertainment, is available to watch on Netflix. His new series, We Solve Murders, featuring a brand-new detective trio, is also an international bestseller. Richard promises there are more books to come in both series. He lives in London with his wife, Ingrid, and their cats, Liesl and Lottie.

Eyes On You by Adele Parks (Audiobook)

 

Amy keeps everyone at arm's length because of her traumatic past. When she meets Oliver, she's immediately attracted to him, but he seems determined to take things extremely slowly. Past and present collide in a chilling way when she discovers his true identity.

WOW! What a story. Eyes On You by Adele Parks is one of those stories that has you gripped from the very beginning and keeps you engrossed throughout. The dramatic opening, one of violence and mystery, fills you with intrigue and sets the tone for an exceptionally twisty thriller.

Amy isn't a likeable character, but this is understandable when we piece together her past. As a teenager, she witnessed her father bludgeon his mistress to death and had to testify at his trial. Since then, she has been in self-destruct mode. When she meets Oliver, she feels different; there's a definite connection.

The narrative isn't linear, which really adds to the mystery. We have glimpses of the build-up to the murder, mixed with the growing relationship between Amy and Oliver. Intertwined with all of this are current-day events, events which seem as shocking and bloody as the original murder. Delivering morsels of information in this way kept the pace relentless, and had me desperate to know how everything fitted together. I was convinced I knew where the story was heading, but I was so wrong. The conclusion had me on the edge of my seat, and was one I certainly didn't see coming.

Author Details

Adele Parks MBE is the author of twenty-five bestselling novels including the recent Sunday Times hit Just Between Us and the audible Number One sensation One Last Secret. Over 6 million English editions of her work have been sold and she is translated into 31 different languages.

Her number one bestsellers Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck were both shortlisted for the British Book Awards and have been optioned for development for film & TV.

She is an ambassador of the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency: two charities that promote literacy in the UK.

Adele was born in North Yorkshire and has lived in Botswana, Italy and London and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey.

In 2022 she was awarded an MBE by King Charles III for services to literature.

On We Go by Mike Gayle

 

After her mother died, teenager Zoe was persuaded to go and live with her father, Dean. Eighteen months later, a university in Zurich wants to recognise the work her mother Nikki did by presenting a posthumous award. Cal, Zoe's step-father hopes that this will be a way for him to reconnect with his step-daughter.

Mike Gayle writes such wonderfully uplifting stories that I never hesitate to pick one up or recommend them to others. While On We Go definitely fits the uplifting genre, I found it a very emotional read; this is possibly down to personal circumstance.

The actions of both main characters, Zoe and Cal, can easily be attributed to grief. Despite nursing Nikki through her illness, neither was completely prepared for her death. At a time when both were numb, simply struggling to survive, Zoe was persuaded that it would be better if she moved to live with her father. Cal was in no fit state to argue. This whole situation was quite a shock as we discovered the close bond the pair had shared, a bond that was strengthened further as they looked after Nikki. Even more shocking though, is what followed: Zoe cut off all contact with Cal, and Cal stopped trying. This is obviously a consequence of the grief they are both still trying to deal with.

Using the posthumous award as a means of reconnecting seems ideal, with Cal suggesting they turn it into a trip the family had hoped to do before Nikki died. What Cal didn't expect was that the rest of Zoe's family would be in attendance. The wider family offers some light relief as we meet aging grandparents, a wide-boy uncle, and an influencer aunt. Cal deserved a medal for the way he handled everyone. I'm not sure I would have had his patience.

Disasters befall the group at every turn, and we see that a lack of communication is at the root of everything. There is a glimmer of hope, however, in the form of Sam, a boy whom Zoe begins to receive messages from. This tentative romance gives Zoe's self-esteem a boost and highlights the value of communication.

There are ups and downs throughout the trip. Personally, I felt that there were too many problems and would have preferred a little more light relief. Regardless of this, I did enjoy the book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and others by Mike Gayle, to anyone looking for a comfort read.

Author Details

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a Features Editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by the Independent as 'Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,' and by The Times as 'A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic'. Since then he has written thirteen novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and The Man I Think I Know. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett

 

The Queen is touring the West Indies aboard Britannia when a body is discovered in one of the cabins. Initially, it is suspected that it was an accidental overdose. However, the Queen and Joan McGraw, her Assistant Private Secretary, aren't so sure and set out to uncover what really happened.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett is the sixth book in the 'Her Majesty The Queen Investigates' cosy crime series. The first three books in the series focus on Queen Elizabeth II during the later years of her reign, while books 4, 5, and 6 feature a much younger Queen. You can find reviews of all of the books in the series here on my blog.

The action takes place during a royal tour of the West Indies in 1966. This tour actually took place, so it is great to see fact and fiction woven together. The first thing that really strikes you is how much organisation is involved in a tour of this nature, and that, despite a hectic schedule, the Queen still kept up to date with everything that was happening back at home (long before the days of email and the internet).

Onboard Britannia are a mixture of household staff and crew. The one thing that comes across very clearly is how devoted everyone is to the Queen, and it is obvious that she holds them all in high regard. It is, therefore, quite a shock for the Queen to consider that someone on board may be supplying drugs. 

Life on board Britannia comes across as very glamorous, in spite of how 'homely' the state rooms are described. Tours around various islands, alongside events hosted on Britannia, highlight how elegant and prestigious everything is. Despite all of this, you also get a clear indication of how exhausting the work is: for the staff who are on call at a moment's notice, and for the Queen whose life is split in to five minute slots.  

I loved the way that the Queen manipulates everyone, with the aid of Joan, so that it doesn't look like she is controlling the investigation. While I thought the villain was obvious from the outset, I did enjoy the way that the events surrounding the death were slowly revealed. For me, however, the most important element of the storyline was the dilemma that Joan had to deal with.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett will be published on 15th October 2026 in hardback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for a review copy.

Author Details

SJ Bennett was born in Yorkshire and travelled the world as an army child. She had a varied career before her first novel was published when she was 42. Since then, her books have won awards, been optioned for TV, and have been translated into over 20 languages.

She was once asked to interview for the role of Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen and still considers it the job that got away. A curious royal watcher for many years, she lives in London, where she can often be found haunting its palaces, museums, galleries and libraries. She currently writes the ‘Her Majesty the Queen Investigates’ series.