May 2026 Reads

 

The month began with The Cherry Crush Flower Shop by Harper Graham. This was a book club read with The Tandem Collective on Instagram. I love returning to the town of Maple Falls. This time around, flower shop owner Zoe and her best friend Jackson had to pretend to be a couple to win a competition. They’ve both secretly been in love with the other person for years, so it’s obvious what’s going to happen in this steamy romance.

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer tells the love story of Clara and Seb from the perspective of those around them. While I struggled with the style, I loved the characters and the developing relationship. Seb in particular is a wonderful character. There’s heartbreak along the way, so make sure you have tissues handy.

It Could Have Been Her from Lisa Jewell gives you an unsettled feeling from the very beginning. After finding a stray dog, Jane sets out to find its owner. Mystery surrounds the house she returns the dog to, and the whereabouts of the young woman who was seen with the dog. As the story unfolds, Jane realises she fled from the house twenty years earlier when she felt she was in danger. Could everything be linked?

I was recommended A Burning by Megha Majundar and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. Set in India, a young woman posts an inflammatory message on social media about the government and police force. As a result, she’s arrested and imprisoned, awaiting trial. The story follows her life as she awaits trial, and the lives of the two people she hopes will act as character witnesses for her. This is a powerful tale of poverty and corruption.

When author Nikki Smith writes a destination thriller, the location always sounds so enticing. The Last Place You Look paints a vivid picture of the South African wilderness, but also makes you aware of all the dangers that are lurking. Leo is concerned that his wife, Addison, hasn’t returned from their second home, a safari lodge in South Africa. Sporadic messages hint at trouble. As he tries to sort out problems at home, Addison is still at the lodge dealing with issues of her own.

Jo Spain is a new author for me, but after reading Never To Be Found, I’ll be checking out more of her books. Veronica runs a business helping people to disappear. She has based her business model on a system that happens frequently in Japan. When a detective informs her that one of the people she has helped is wanted for a double murder, she decides to break with her self-imposed rules and agrees to help find him. Twisty and thrilling in equal measure.

Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival by Jodie Morgan is a cozy crime novel set in the small town of Spring Falls, Vermont. Laura Evans has recently left a busy restaurant job in Boston and now works in a café in the small town. Everything is geared up for the cheese festival when one of the judges, a renowned food critic, is murdered. Suspicion falls on Laura’s boss. Desperate to help her boss, Laura sets out to investigate.

Not Like The Other Parents by Asia Mackay is the sequel to A Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage and features ethical serial killers Haze and Fox. The couple is still trying to balance their unusual hobby with family life in suburbia. Unfortunately, a shadowy organisation has put a bounty on their heads, and things aren’t helped by Fox having a crisis of faith following an incident a year ago.

Author Abigail Johnson wrote one of my favourite uplifting books of 2025, so I was keen to read her latest novel, The Memory Keeper. On her fiftieth birthday, Gracie learns that the tree her father planted is to be destroyed for a housing development. Normally meek and mild, Gracie suddenly becomes empowered, mainly thanks to Tilly, the four-year-old daughter of her neighbour, as she tries to save the tree and everything it embodies. Along the way, she realises that life has been passing her by.

My book group read for the month was Owl Song At Dawn by Emma Claire Sweeney. Elderly Maeve Maloney runs a guest house in Morecombe where the majority of her clients, and some of her staff, have disabilities. When a voice from the past suddenly reappears in her life, we discover the secrets and guilt she has been living with for sixty years. I loved the way the characters with learning disabilities were portrayed.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth was my favourite book of the month. Eighty-one-year-old Elsie is living a quiet life in a small Australian suburb. When her elderly neighbour is found dead, questions surrounding his death arise, and Elsie’s infamous past resurfaces. At the age of fifteen, she became the country’s youngest convicted killer, Mad Mabel. As Elsie tries to deal with the intrusion into her life, we learn the truth about her childhood and the murder.

Alongside the eleven books I managed to read, I also got through four audiobooks, starting with The Hopeful Hearts Bookshop by Debbie Johnson. When a bookshop owner in Scotland decides to show her thanks for the wonderful life she has lived, she sends out invites inside books. Three years later, two complete strangers, Kate and Brodie, find the invites. Kate is feeling invisible since her marriage suddenly ended, and widower Brodie doesn’t know what to do with his life now that his adult daughter has gone to university. Things don’t go smoothly; the shop has decayed, and the couple rubs each other up the wrong way, but thanks to the wonderful community spirit, they turn things around.

Probably my favourite audiobook of 2025 was Julie Tudor Is Not A Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich, so I was really pleased when I got the chance to listen to Mr & Mrs Dixon Hide A Body. Late at night, Daisy and James are returning to their stately home when they accidentally hit a man. Hoping to avoid detection, they decide to hide the body. Chaos ensues when a freak storm dislodges the body, and the police descend. Villainous James tries to deflect the blame onto Daisy. I loved the dark humour and the karmic ending.

The Book Club Murders by Maggie Allswell is cosy crime centred around a thriller-loving book group. When the local librarian is found dead, the group is convinced it was murder and set out to use the skills they’ve learnt through all the crime books they’ve read. The tension increases when it looks as if the killer could be targeting one of the group.

The month was rounded off nicely with The Hot Honey Hideaway by Harper Graham, the sequel to the book I started the month with. Returning to Maple Falls, we join Krista, the owner of the local café. Between running the café and helping her elderly grandparents run the campground, she doesn’t have time for romance. When photographer Joe turns up, sparks fly. Krista knows that anything that happens between them can only be temporary, as Joe has no plans to settle anywhere.

Publication dates to watch out for are:-

The Memory Keeper by Abigail Johnson will be published on 1/6/26 in ebook format, with the paperback and audio book published on 30/7/26.

The Hot Honey Hideaway by Harper Graham will be published on 3/6/26 in ebook and audio format.

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer will be published on 2/7/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell will be published on 2/7/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

The Last Place You Look by Nikki Smith will be published on 2/7/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

Never To Be Found by Jo Spain will be published on 2/7/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

Not Like The Other Parents by Asia Mackay will be published on 2/7/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth will be published on 9/7/26 in hardback, ebook, and sudio format.

The Memory Keeper by Abigail Johnson

 

Gracie Meadows lives a quiet and unassuming life until she discovers that a developer is going to build housing on the field at the rear of her home. Not only will the local area lose the peaceful natural habitat, but the developers will also cut down the oak tree planted by Gracie's father when he was a young boy.

Last year, I stumbled across The Secret Collector by Abigail Johnson (you can read my review here) and loved everything about the book, so I was extremely keen to see what  The Memory Keeper had to offer. This is a story about empowerment, community, and discovering that you are never too old to try something different.

As the book opens in 1985, we meet Gracie on her tenth birthday. She's excited about her birthday present. Unfortunately, disappointment rules the day as a result of her mother's erratic behaviour. Disaster isn't far behind when Gracie accidently cause a fire in which her father dies.

We rejoin Gracie forty years later. She's married to Max, works as a dinner lady at the local primary school, and still lives in her childhood home. Gracie has big plans for her birthday this year: a party for friends and neighbours, followed by a wonderful holiday during the summer. Things take a disastrous turn when four-year-old Tilly, a neighbour's daughter, destroys her birthday cake.

Gracie is one of those meek characters who simply accepts whatever life throws at her, assuming it's what she deserves. This is easy to understand as she's lived with the guilt of causing her beloved father's death for forty years, she doesn't feel as if she has a right to real joy and happiness. Discovering that her last true connection to her father is going to be destroyed is the straw that breaks the camel's back, and to add insult to injury, her husband is managing the property development.

It was wonderful to see Gracie emerge from her shell, and the influence of her overbearing husband, as she decided to fight against the development. Things don't go smoothly; she's filled with doubt when things don't always go to plan, or memories cause her to question what she's doing. Luckily, she's got Tilly spurring her on. Tilly is one of those children who questions everything and refuses to accept that change can't happen; as far as she's concerned, you just have to persevere. 

Along the way, Gracie suffers heartbreak, particularly when she learns the truth about the events of forty years ago. However, she also discovers new friends and a shocking revelation. With a newfound confidence in herself, life begins to offer her so much more than she had settled for.

The Memory Keeper by Abigail Johnson will be published on 1st June 2026 in ebook format, with the paperback and audiobook published on 30th July 2026. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

Abigail Johnson wrote this novel while completing the Curtis Brown Creative three-month novel writing course, where she was tutored by author Laura Barnett. It was longlisted for the 2021 and 2022 Bath Novel Award. Her writing has also been longlisted for the Exeter Novel Award, shortlisted for the 2021 Edinburgh Flash Fiction Award and she was a Friday Night Live finalist at the Festival of Writing in 2017. She lives in Birmingham.

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder by Fiona Leitch

 

Jodie and Nathan finally get away on their honeymoon. A week at a new eco-friendly resort off the coast of Cornwall turns into a disaster following a storm and the discovery of a body.

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder by Fiona Leitch is the tenth book in the Nosey Parker Mystery series. Set in Cornwall, it features Jodie 'Nosey' Parker, a retired Metropolitan police officer. If you enjoy cosy crime, then this is a brilliant series. While the book works well on its own, I heartily recommend reading the others in the series so you can see how the characters and relationships have developed.

Almost a year on from their eventful wedding, Jodie and Nathan are offered the chance of a free honeymoon by friend and multi-millionaire, Isaac Barnes. Isaac is about to open a luxury eco-friendly resort on a small island just off the Cornish coast. However, someone is trying to sabotage the resort. Isaac hopes that Jodie and Nathan, acting as guests, can use their detective skills to find out who is responsible.

Things take a turn for the worse when, shortly after arriving, a storm cuts all communication with the mainland. Not a major inconvenience, as the resort is well stocked. Unfortunately, the discovery of the body of one of the guests hints at foul play.

Essentially a locked-room mystery, we see Jodie and Nathan interrogating the other guests and staff in order to find out who the murderer is. An isolated location, a narrow time-frame and a small pool of suspects made this feel very much like a standard murder mystery, veering away slightly from a cosy crime feel. Luckily, the pair is assisted in their investigation by Jodie's mother and daughter. Jodie's mother, Shirley, is one of the larger-than-life characters who adds colour to the story.

As individuals are questioned, it becomes clear that the victim was a despicable character, with more than one person holding a grudge against them. I was very much in mind of Murder On The Orient Express, as clues were gathered and timelines were narrowed down. And when everything was finally revealed, it felt very much as if the victim got everything they deserved.

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder by Fiona Leitch will be published on 26th June 2026 in ebook and audio format, with the paperback being published on 2nd July 2026.

Author Details

Fiona Leitch is a writer with a chequered past. She’s written for football and motoring magazines, DJ’ed at illegal raves and is a stalwart of the low budget TV commercial, even appearing as the Australasian face of a cleaning product called ‘Sod Off’. After living in London and Cornwall she’s finally settled in sunny New Zealand, where she enjoys scaring her cats by trying out dialogue on them. She spends her days dreaming of retiring to a crumbling Venetian palazzo, walking on the windswept beaches of West Auckland, and writing funny, flawed but awesome female characters.

Her debut novel ‘Dead in Venice’ was published by Audible in 2018 as one of their Crime Grant finalists. Fiona also writes screenplays and was a finalist in the Athena Film Festival Writers Lab, co-run by Meryl Streep’s IRIS company.

The Book Club Murders by Maggie Allswell (Audiobook)

 

When librarian Wendy is found dead at home, the local book group is convinced it was murder and sets out to uncover the culprit.

The Book Club Murders by Maggie Allswell is cosy crime that will appeal to fans of the crime & thriller genre in general. The book group that does the investigating is called The Serial Killer Book Group and are fans of all aspects of the genre.

Judy is the main protagonist in the story, and she's the person who is convinced that Wendy must have been murdered; the way in which Wendy was discovered just doesn't add up. The rest of her book group agrees and decides to put into action all of the skills they've honed through their reading. It was funny to hear the different members of the group reference procedures they'd read in thrillers, both from the perspective of the investigators and the killers. 

As you would expect from cosy crime, the tone is very light and firmly tongue-in-cheek. The narration from Jilly Bond certainly adds to the overall tone and enjoyment. There are some truly funny moments, but for me, the part that really stood out was Judy's text messages. I couldn't decide if all the mistakes were a result of autocorrect, fat fingers, or simply being poor at texting.

Convinced they've identified the murderer, the group then has a moral dilemma: contact the police, or deal with the perpetrator themselves. It's a very personal matter for the group, and once again leads to some funny scenes.

I certainly enjoyed the ending. The slightly ambiguous conclusion makes you wonder if a trap has been evaded, only for a shocking revelation to be disclosed. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.

The Book Club Murders by Maggie Allswell is available in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

Maggie Allswell never dreamt that she would write a murder mystery series! Having spent the last twenty years writing bestselling romcom novels as Tracy Bloom, she turned fifty and suddenly found that murder was on her mind! She has had the most fun dreaming up a cast of book club pseudo sleuths who find themselves trying to fathom the unprecedented rise in murders in the quaint Derbyshire town of Matlock. She lives with her husband and two children not far from Matlock who say that they haven't noticed much change in her personality since she started killing people off on paper however they do worry when the subject of 'easiest way to murder a difficult relative' gets raised at the dinner table.

When not writing, Maggie, loves a walk with her dog Connie, a slow Parkrun, a good dance and and a seriously good crime drama on the TV.

Maggie Allswell has written fourteen novels as Tracy Bloom including the No 1 bestseller NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY.

Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival by Jodie Morgan

 

Laura Evans has recently moved to the small town of Silver Springs in Vermont. The whole town is excited in the build-up to the annual Summer Cheese Festival. When one of the judges is murdered, and suspicion falls on Laura's boss, she decides to investigate.

If you're a fan of cozy crime or novels with a small-town setting, then Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival by Jodie Morgan offers you both. This is the first book in the Silver Springs Mystery series. Silver Springs is one of those communities that lots of people dream of: tight-knit but welcoming, community-minded, filled with tradition, and has lots to offer residents and visitors alike.

Laura had a stressful job at a busy Boston restaurant, but restructuring saw her pushed out. Looking for something more manageable, she's moved to Silver Springs and now works in the General Store café. Even though she's only been there two weeks, she already realises how important the upcoming cheese festival is not only for the town, but also for Maggie, her boss. When one of the judges, a famous food critic who wrote a scathing review about the café, is found dead, suspicion immediately falls on Maggie.

Determined to clear her boss's name and find the real culprit, Laura sets about trying to find out more about the victim, hoping this will give her a clue as to who the murderer is. Unfortunately, the food critic was thoroughly unpleasant, leading to a large pool of suspects, all of whom seem to have a motive. Luckily, Laura has support from her colleague, Jasmine, and her landlady, Evelyn, during her investigation.

These two characters offer Laura invaluable insight into the background of Silver Springs and its residents and work well together. Evelyn was my favourite character in the book; sprightly, knowledgeable, and not without a little bit of cunning. She plays the 'old-lady' card to perfection. I can see lots of potential in Laura. She doesn't try to enforce her 'big city' ways or come across as a mastermind. I also felt sympathetic towards her as she repeatedly tried to reassure her mother that she hadn't made a mistake by moving to a small town.

As a member of the hospitality staff at the cafe and during the festival, Laura is able to overhear lots of conversations, showing that a number of people have secrets to hide. By carefully piecing all of these conversations together, along with the insider knowledge offered by Jasmine and Evelyn, Laura is able to find the real murderer.

Murder At The Summer Cheese Festival offers mystery on the gentle side, with a vast array of characters in a friendly setting. This really is a great example of cozy crime. My thanks to Jodie Morgan for a review copy.

Author Details

Jodie is an author & knitting blogger. Her books welcome readers to the charming Silver Springs Mysteries in Vermont, filled with intriguing puzzles, memorable characters, and the satisfying solutions readers love.

When she’s not plotting her next book, you’ll find her reading, savoring a coffee (always with cream!) or doing her latest knitting or crochet project. She loves to travel as it sparks ideas for her stories. Her most satisfying creative moments come from quiet evenings at home with her family.

You can find out more about Silver Springs at www.cozycozies.com 

Body Of Lies by Jo Callaghan

 

Six months after the devastating events that tore apart her home, DCS Kat Frank returns for the first time. On her first night alone in the house, Kat receives a phone call from a colleague about a body that has been found nearby.

As a long-time fan of the Kat and Lock series by Jo Callaghan, I approached Body Of Lies, the fourth book in the series, with trepidation. Not only was I still in shock from the events at the end of the previous book (I really do suggest reading this to get an idea of how everything pieces together), but I was also apprehensive knowing this was to be the end of the series. I was extremely concerned as to how everything would be tied up.

It was incredibly easy to understand Kat's fear and reluctance as she returned home after six months. The scene of a shocking crime that had far-reaching consequences has marred the family home and the memories she built there. The timing, Halloween, and a town-wide power cut don't help her to settle. It is no wonder she leapt at the chance to investigate an apparent crime nearby.

Discovering a dead body, publicly displayed, is the distraction Kat needs. When a chilling note is found on the body, it becomes obvious that she was meant to investigate the crime, and the killer is taunting her.

Kat's AI assistant, Lock, has undergone a comprehensive upgrade to ensure he follows correct protocols to preserve life. However, he still seems to be obsessed with gaining a body, and there were times when I really began to doubt his motivation. As the story progresses, the author outlines many of the ways in which AI can be an extremely beneficial tool, but she also shows us some of the shortcomings, such as not having a physical presence.

The tension really begins to mount when a cyberattack takes place. It is shocking to realise how reliant we are on electricity, and how vulnerable we are without it. With a deadline approaching, it does begin to look as if all is lost.

I was shocked by the revelations at the end, but not surprised by the outcome, which I felt had been signalled from the very start of the book. I am incredibly sad to see the end of this brilliant series, but I love the way that Jo Callaghan has tied everything up.

Body Of Lies by Jo Callaghan will be published on 21st May 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers (Facebook) for a review copy.

Author Details

Jo Callaghan works full time as a senior strategist, carrying out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. She was a student of the Writers’ Academy Course (Penguin Random House) and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition. After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing In the Blink of an Eye, her debut crime novel, which explores learning to live with loss and what it means to be human. She lives with her two children in the Midlands, where she spends far too much time tweeting as @JoCallaghanKat

The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez

 

Nicole Fischer's life has been in freefall since her father was convicted of murder; she had no idea he was the serial killer who terrorised their small town twenty years earlier. An invitation to a retreat for the children of serial killers offers her the opportunity to seek solace with people in a similar situation.

The premise of The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez is a compelling one. I will be honest and admit that I had never really thought about the impact on families when a serial killer is convicted. While therapy must go some way to helping, surely the only people who truly understand the torment they are going through is those who are in a similar position.

At the beginning of the story, Nicole is living alone following her father's conviction. A true crime TV series about the case is being shown, making Nicole a target for the media. She is also being shunned by her local community, as the TV series implies she must have known what her father was up to.

When the strange invitation arrives, Nicole sees it as a way to escape the intrusive media that is camped at her door. It will also give her the opportunity to confront Greer Woods, the woman behind the series, and someone she thought was a friend.

An isolated location, surrounded by woods, no electronic devices, and a group of people raised by serial killers sets the scene. You know from the outset that something chilling is going to happen; the big question is, how much of a bloodbath will it be? You wonder if the danger is lurking out in the woods, or is it inside the retreat?

To add to the unsettling feeling, there is a secondary character, Steffani, whose story is interspersed with Nicole's. I was intrigued as to how the two stories were connected, particularly when Steffani's background and the situation she finds herself in are revealed. There are multiple twists as all of the plot lines converge in the frantic and hair-raising conclusion, leading us to realise that not everyone has been entirely truthful and that ulterior motives have played a large part in their actions.

The Death Row Club by V. A. Vazquez will be published on 18th June 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Simon & Schuster UK for a review copy.

Author Details

V. A. Vazquez was born and raised in Buffalo, NY where she currently teaches English. She received her B. A. in English from Barnard College and used to live in Scotland in a town inhabited by more sheep than people.