No One Is Safe by Simon Kernick

 

Luke Jones is out walking with his wife and son when they hear a shout for help. What follows puts Luke in a nightmare situation. With his wife and son held captive by violent kidnappers, he must carry out their instructions if he is ever to see them alive again.

As soon as I picked up No One Is Safe by Simon Kernick, I just knew that I was in for a roller-coaster of a read. Having read a few of his previous novels, I was all set for nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat drama. What I wasn't expecting was how dark the actual tone of the story is. From the very opening pages, there is a level of brutality that left me feeling unsettled. I also had a sense of déjà vu, the kidnapping element of the story seemed extremely familiar. Checking back, I discovered that there are references to events that took place in an earlier novel, The First 48 Hours (you can read my review here). This is not a sequel, but there is a recurring character, Keith 'Fish' Fisher, who plays a major part in both books.

When Luke escaped from the kidnappers, he didn't realise that it was all part of a despicable plot to coerce him into carrying out their plan. You can feel Luke's terror as he doesn't know who he can trust, if he's being watched, and what will trigger the kidnappers to harm his family. Thankfully, Luke is able to contact one person he knows he can trust, Tina Boyd.

Even with Tina's assistance, things do not go smoothly for Luke as a result of constant surveillance. At every turn you are willing him to find some way of contacting the authorities, but it looks as if the criminals have thought of every possibility. The final objective is a despicable one, with the author basing the plot loosely on current events.

The action is non-stop, with danger lurking at every turn. As I read, I constantly worried about how characters could possibly survive the horrific situations they found themselves in. There are some epic stand-offs that will have you holding your breath. 

With time running out, it would appear that Luke has no option but to do as the captors want. His only hope is that by doing as he's told, he will save the lives of the people most precious to him. You'll just have to read the book for yourself to discover what happens.

No One is Safe by Simon Kernick will be published on 5th November 2026 in hardback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

Author Details

Simon Kernick is a number one bestseller and one of the UK’s most popular thriller writers, with huge hits including KILL A STRANGER, GOOD COP BAD COP, RELENTLESS, THE LAST 10 SECONDS, SIEGE and the BONE FIELD series.

The Searcher by Tana French

 

Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago cop, is hoping for a quiet life. He's bought a ramshackle farmhouse on the outskirts of a small Irish town. His plans are to refurbish the property. All his plans are thrown into disarray when twelve-year-old Trey Reddy asks for his help.

The Searcher by Tana French was my book group's read for September. It's been quite a while since I've read anything by this author, so I had no expectations other than having enjoyed what I read years ago.

I found the first half of the story very slow; setting the scene, introducing the characters, and giving us a feel for the inhabitants and lifestyle of the small rural community took some time. I was beginning to wonder if any crime worthy of Cal's investigation was going to take place. The pace did pick up in the second half of the book.

Cal is a wonderful character. After twenty years as a police officer on the streets of Chicago, he's honed his skills; he doesn't rush things, either investigating or restoring things. He's well aware that rushing can cause more problems, particularly in a tight-knit community. Cal is extremely skilled at getting information. I loved the way he'd make seemingly idle conversation, eventually manipulating the flow, until he would get the other person talking freely about the topic Cal was interested in. He's also not afraid to play at being a 'dumb American' if that serves his cause.

The crime itself came across as a relatively sedate one, with devastating consequences. We discover how tight-knit communities will go to any lengths to protect themselves, and sometimes those lengths can seem questionable.

By the conclusion, I was intrigued enough to want to know if Cal will continue living in the rural community and how the events in this book will affect his interactions with some of the other characters. I'll certainly be picking up book 2 in the series to find out what happens next.

Author Details

Tana French is the Sunday Times and New York Times-bestselling author of In the Woods, The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbour, The Secret Place, The Trespasser and The Wych Elm. Her books have won awards including the Edgar, Anthony, Barry and Macavity awards, the LA Times Book Prize for Best Mystery/Thriller and the Irish Book Award for Best Crime Fiction. She grew up in Ireland, Italy, the US and Malawi, and trained as an actor at Trinity College Dublin. She lives in Dublin with her family.

Time After Time by Clare Swatman

 

Robyn will be glad to see the back of 2025, the year her mother died very unexpectedly. Unfortunately, on New Year's Eve, she sets in motion a curse that forces her to relive the year over again. Robyn hopes that this time around, she can save her mother.

Time After Time by Clare Swatman is a very emotional read, possibly because I lost my own mother very unexpectedly, so I empathised with all of the heartache the main character felt. Having struggled with grief for half a year, Robyn doesn't initially see having to repeat the year as a curse; she thinks it is more of a blessing, a chance to do something to save her mother. The only problem is that it's difficult to convince other people; they think she's either mad or cruel. When things don't go to plan, Robyn has to deal with the grief all over again; she realises she really has been cursed.

The 'Groundhog Day' scenario means that Robyn is compelled to continue reliving the year until she works out how she can lift the curse. Having realised that some events are inevitable, she is determined to make the most of the time she has with her mother. The moments leading up to the fateful day really do tug at the heartstrings. Robyn learns to accept what is happening, but it doesn't make things any easier.

While I thought the method for lifting the curse was fairly obvious, the author managed to maintain the suspense by introducing a variety of scenarios, all with similar outcomes, but just different enough to pique my interest and make me wonder where the narrative was heading. One in particular, the first one after her friend's fortieth birthday, had me laughing. The description was so vivid that I felt every cringeworthy moment.

The conclusion felt as if it was signposted a mile away, although at one point I did think that Robyn was going to waste yet another opportunity to lift the curse. Overall, this felt like a huge, warm hug, even with the emotional elements.

Time After Time by Clare Swatman will be published on 27th October 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Clare Swatman is the author of bestselling women’s fiction novels, which have been translated into over 20 languages. She has been a journalist for over twenty years, writing for Bella and Woman & Home amongst many other magazines. She lives in Hertfordshire.

September 2026 Reads

 

** You can find full reviews for all the books below on my blog

The month began with one of my favourite series. Roy Grace returns in Dead In Three Two One by Peter James. A well-known criminal, along with a female guest, checks into an exclusive hotel. Hours later, they have disappeared, and the room is spotless, almost as if they hadn’t been there. When a severed leg is discovered at a waste treatment facility, Roy Grace and his team immediately begin to worry about the safety of the unidentified female.

I was incredibly excited to finally get hold of a copy of The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett. This is the sequel to The Appeal, and once again features The Fairway Players amateur dramatic society. As usual, it is told in epistolary format, a style that just keeps you turning the pages. I sat up late into the night, devouring this as I tried, unsuccessfully, to figure out not only who the murderer was, but also who the victim was.

Alex Lake is a new author for me, and the premise of You Are Mine sounded suitably creepy to grab my attention. Lawyer Mary Jordan begins to receive disturbing notes hinting that she is being stalked. Initially, she passes it off as a tasteless prank, but it soon becomes obvious that someone close is targeting her. The sense of menace is let down by some erratic pacing.

Uplifting fiction is a genre I love; it makes a lovely change from all the thrillers, and anything by Mike Gayle fits the bill perfectly. I did find On We Go quite an emotional read as Cal tries to reconnect with his seventeen-year-old stepdaughter, Zoe, eighteen months after her mother died. The suggestion is to inter-rail across Europe, but what Cal didn’t expect was the rest of Zoe’s family to accompany them, leading to lots of complications.

Christmas is fast approaching, so I was pleased to get hold of a copy of Bah Bloody Humbug by Jo Middleton, the third book in the Christmas Murder Mysteries. Anna is determined to avoid the complications of the previous two years by doing away with Christmas traditions, but first, she has to get through helping with the school Christmas Fair. Alongside Anna is best-friend Jen, and a collection of weird members of the PTA. It isn’t long before a dead body turns up.

Another book I was excited to finally get hold of this month was We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman. I love the characters of Rosie, Steve, and Amy; in fact, the plot is secondary as far as I’m concerned. The interactions between the trio and other characters are wonderful. We meet some very interesting individuals as the threesome tries to track down the man who is bumping off his rivals.

Robyn will be glad to see the back of 2025, the year her mother died very unexpectedly. Unfortunately, on New Year's Eve, she sets in motion a curse that forces her to relive the year over again. Robyn hopes that this time around, she can save her mother. I found Time After Time by Clare Swatman to be a very emotional read, but it does have an uplifting conclusion.

My book group read for the month was The Searcher by Tana French. Cal Harper is a retired Chicago cop who has relocated to Ireland. Having bought himself a rundown farmhouse, he’s in the process of modernising it when young Trey Reddy asks for his help. Trey’s older brother has disappeared, and no one seems concerned. I found this a slow burner initially, but once it got going, I loved the suspense.

As I started reading No One Is Safe by Simon Kernick, I just knew that it would be a rollercoaster ride. The pace is relentless. A family hears a call for help while they are out walking. What follows is a nightmare situation as two of them are kidnapped and the third, Luke Jones, is told that unless he follows the kidnapper’s instructions, his family will die brutally. Knowing he is being watched at every turn, Luke does as instructed. His only hope is a contact from his past who may be able to help.

The One by John Marrs is the perfect dystopian novel to interest me; nothing too different from the society we live in today. Scientists have discovered the gene that links you to your ideal partner, ‘The One’. The book follows five different characters as they find out who they are matched with. The variety of characters, along with some moral issues, kept me turning the pages.

I love the style of the first two novels by Hannah Brennan, a mixture of police investigation and mixed media from the past linked to the investigation. The information from the past really piques your interest as you try to figure out how it connects to the crime that has taken place. In No Good Reason, a car has been driven into a group of people waiting at a bus stop. This shocking opening has you immediately jumping to conclusions.  

My first audiobook of the month was The Twilight Garden by Emma Davies. This is a gentle tale of a woman, Gemma, struggling with grief, who loses her job and her home, all at the same time. Taking a leap of faith, she answers an advert looking for help on a newly established smallholding, in exchange for board and lodge. Over time, Gemma discovers a different pace of life and reconnects with someone from her past.

Eyes On You by Adele Parks is a brilliant audiobook. Told over three different time periods, we meet Amy as a teenager when she witnesses her father beating his mistress to death. We also see Amy as she meets Oliver, and an unexpected relationship slowly develops. Finally, in the present, we see Amy after a shocking death has happened. The intertwining of all three timelines keeps you gripped and has you wondering how everything is connected in this twisty thriller.

You can always guarantee a twisty thriller from Lauren North, and the audiobook of His New Girlfriend is no exception. Laura is struggling. Her partner, James, has left her after revealing he was having an affair with her best friend, Sadie. With James living only a few doors away with Sadie, they are co-parenting their teenage daughter, Grace. When Grace tells her mother that she witnessed Sadie assault their elderly neighbour, Laura finds it impossible to get anyone to believe her, especially as the neighbour is missing. As I listened, I wasn’t sure if this was a classic case of gaslighting, an elaborate set of lies, or a tale of paranoia.

Publication dates to look out for are:-

His New Girlfriend by Lauren North will be published 7/10/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

Dead In Three Two One by Peter James will be published 22/10/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

You Are Mine by Alex Lake will be published 22/10/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

Bah Bloody Humbug by Jo Middleton will be published 22/10/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

Time After Time by Clare Swatman will be published on 27/10/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

No One Is Safe by Simon Kernick will be published 5/11/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

No Good Reason by Hannah Brennan will be published 19/11/26 in paperback and ebook format.

His New Girlfriend by Lauren North (Audiobook)

 

Laura is struggling. Her partner, James, has left her after revealing he was having an affair with her best friend, Sadie. With James living only a few doors away with Sadie, they are co-parenting their teenage daughter, Grace. When Grace tells her mother that she witnessed Sadie assault their elderly neighbour, Laura finds it impossible to get anyone to believe her, especially as the neighbour is missing.

You can always guarantee a twisty thriller from Lauren North, and His New Girlfriend is no exception. Thanks to the tense situations described and the fantastic narration of Camilla Rockley, I found myself completely engrossed in the story.

There is so much more to this story than a jilted lover and petty revenge. The brilliant writing immediately has you empathising with Laura. When James leaves her, it's more than just the end of a relationship; she's struggling financially and likely to lose her home. All of this is done to a backdrop of her friends virtually ignoring her as they side with Sadie.

It is when Grace confides in her mother that you begin to wonder how the narrative will play out. Sadie is adamant that nothing has happened, so you begin to wonder if gaslighting is taking place. Grace has a history of lying; could she be doing the same again? Or is Laura being paranoid? The more we hear, the more likely it looks that it is a case of paranoia. As Laura delves into Sadie's past, we see a woman spiralling out of control, desperate to prove she isn't delusional.

When the truth is finally uncovered, there are shocks and sadness in store. Author Lauren North manages to go even further by throwing in a few extra twists at the end. There's one involving James that simply left me slack-jawed, but the final revelation is superb, turning the whole tale on its head.

His New Girlfriend by Lauren North will be published on 7th October 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

Lauren writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside.

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.