The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent

 

When sixteen-year-old Ruby is involved in an incident with her sister's boyfriend, she cannot face the judgment of her local community and flees to Ireland. Over the next twenty-five years, all her life choices are dictated by that one fateful day.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent caused a huge buzz on social media (you can read my review here). There are so many discussion points raised in the novel. I feel that The Truth About Ruby Cooper is going to do just the same. This is a novel filled with moral choices and people who avoid doing the right thing.

Ruby is a strange character. At sixteen she's desperate to grow up. She constantly compares herself to her older sister, Erin, and finds herself lacking. Ruby is from an affluent, stable, and loving home; she has everything going for her, but her jealousy drives her to a reckless action. Initially, I was filled with sympathy for Ruby; those teenage years between adulthood and childhood can be frustrating, particularly when you have an older sibling. My sympathy towards Ruby was even greater after the "incident," and I fully understood Erin's conflicting emotions.

Following the incident and its repercussions, Ruby and her mother chose to relocate to Ireland. Unfortunately, her traumatic experience, low self-esteem and jealousy set in motion a spiral of self-destruction. It is impossible not to feel compassion for Ruby until she reveals the true nature of the "incident". This is a character who is only interested in her own survival, someone who's willing to tear her family apart and destroy the lives of others, rather than face the truth.

Over the next twenty-five years, we see Ruby prioritising her own security over that of others. She is a master manipulator who will stop at nothing to protect herself. Just as you are thinking she's finally turned her life around and is putting the welfare of others before herself, she does something truly wicked.

I found Ruby impossible to like; by the conclusion, I'd lost any sympathy I had for her. The choices she made had far-reaching consequences, with some devastating outcomes. Although she was only sixteen at the beginning of the story, she continued to put self-interest at the forefront for the rest of her life; any punishment she received seems meager in comparison to the damage she caused.

The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent will be published on 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a review copy.

Author Details

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels - Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond - have each been Number One bestsellers and she has won five Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin.

The Weekend by T. M. Logan

 

When a group of friends stumbles across a backpack hidden in a remote cave, they are faced with a dilemma. Do they do the responsible thing and hand the backpack to the police, or do they keep the contents? Their choice threatens to tear apart the close friendships and puts lives at risk.

I always know that when I pick up a book by T. M. Logan, I won't want to put it down until I've finished it, and The Weekend fits that description perfectly. It is so easy to place yourself in the position of the characters. Three middle-aged married couples, who've been friends for years, are faced with making a difficult decision when they find a backpack containing a large amount of money. Any normal person would immediately know that there's probably something illegal involved with the money and hand it over to the police. For the group of friends, it isn't quite as clear-cut as most of them have problems that could be solved by an injection of cash.

As one of the group says, "Money does strange things to people,.....it changes them", and rifts between the group start to show. When a chunk of the money disappears, accusations begin to fly, and each one wonders if they truly know the people they've associated with for years. I loved this aspect of the story, as the author doesn't make it clear who is responsible for the missing money; there are small hints, but not enough evidence to make a definitive decision.

Tension begins to build when the police turn up. This leads to a dangerous situation that causes an even greater dilemma for the friends. While I had an idea of what the twist would be, I was on the edge of my seat as revelation after revelation delivered shocks, and the final twist was an absolute delight.

The Weekend by T. M. Logan will be published on 26th February 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for a review copy.

Author Details

T.M. Logan's thrillers have sold more than three million copies in the UK and are translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

Tim's latest novel, THE DAUGHTER, follows the story of Lauren, who goes to pick up her daughter from university at the end of her first term - only to find the room occupied by a stranger. No-one knows her daughter’s name or recognises her picture, and it soon becomes clear she’s vanished without trace… His tenth novel, THE WEEKEND, is coming in March 2026.

THE HOLIDAY was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Gold Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny. THE CATCH was also adapted for TV, starring Jason Watkins, Poppy Gilbert, Aneurin Barnard and Cathy Belton.

Tim's other books are THE DREAM HOME, THE MOTHER, THE CURFEW, TRUST ME, LIES and 29 SECONDS.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his family and writes in a cabin in the corner of his garden.

#Readalong Sleep No More by Guy Hale

 

Murderer Oliver Lawrence has almost achieved his goal, to seek retribution on all those he considers responsible for the death of his father and his own failed career. With his end goal in sight, Oliver's descent into madness continues, and he begins to consider other targets outside his original remit. Can the police catch him in time?

Sleep No More by Guy Hale is the fourth and concluding book in the Shakespeare Murders series. Having read the previous three books in the series, I leapt at the chance to join the Readalong organised by Love Books Tours. If this series is new to you, I heartily recommend reading the first and third books in the series, The Croaking Raven and Put Out The Light. The second book, All Our Yesterdays, isn't essential to the plot; it simply gives a greater understanding of why Oliver Lawrence launched his murder spree.

The story opens directly following the shocking events at the end of Put Out The Light. Oliver feels triumphant, and the police are still no nearer to catching him. By this stage, the police are fairly sure who the murderer is; however, his appearance and location remain a complete mystery. You can feel the frustration of Fred and Toby; no matter what they do, they don't seem any nearer to catching the culprit.

Oliver has certainly gained a thirst for murder, as witnessed by his idea of widening his net. His friend, Felix, is even beginning to feel vulnerable. I couldn't feel any sympathy for Felix; he knew what he was getting involved with from the start. I liken him to Dr Frankenstein; he created a monster that he lost control of; he needs to deal with the repercussions of his actions.

The tone of this final book seems much darker, particularly when another character steps forward to encourage Oliver in his deadly plot. The machinations of this new character don't help you feel any more sympathetic towards Oliver, but they do divert some of your anger and horror away from him.

As with the previous book, there is a range of characters supporting Fred and Toby in their investigation. There's a bit of me who would love to see how these characters would transfer to the small screen, particularly Fred and Whomper.

The conclusion is a frantic race against time, with lives in peril from more than one direction. I did enjoy the slightly ambiguous ending and was pleased when I learned that DC Toby Marlowe and DS Fred Williams would be returning in a new story.

Sleep No More by Guy Hale is available in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to The Bullington Press and Love Books Tours for a review copy.

You can purchase copies of the book directly from the author here or from Amazon UK here.

Author Details

Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.

A Neighbour's Guide To Murder by Louise Candlish (Audiobook)

 

When Gwen discovers that her middle-aged neighbour, Alec, is advertising for a flatmate, she's surprised, and then suspicious when she learns that all the prospective candidates are young women. She decides to take her new neighbour, Pixie, under her wing, little realising what is to follow.

I was completely drawn in by all the twists and turns of A Neighbour's Guide To Murder by Louise Candlish, thanks to the gripping prologue and the superb narration of Greta Scacchi and Kristin Atherton.

Columbia Mansions, an exclusive mansion block in London, is home to an array of interesting and affluent owners. Brilliant characterisation from the author means that the tenants are varied and distinct. The main character is Gwen, a seventy-year-old divorcee. Gwen comes across as a bit judgmental, nosy and gossipy, although she'd be adamant she's the complete opposite. Alarm bells start ringing for Gwen when she discovers that her next-door neighbour is looking for a young woman to flat share. 

The young woman concerned is Pixie, who certainly lives up to her name; she comes across as naive, scatterbrained, impractical and mischievous. When Gwen meets Pixie, she seems to be entranced by her, but as the story develops, we discover that her protectiveness is probably more to do with guilt.

When Gwen learns of the arrangement between Alec and Pixie, she becomes indignant. Pixie seems to just shrug it off, and this makes Gwen even more incensed. Determined to unmask Alec, she involves other tenants of the mansion block. It's at this point that she loses control of events, and we begin to wonder who is being truthful.

There are numerous twists and turns. There were times when I felt that I'd nailed down who the villain of the piece was, only for everything to be turned on its head. Each new disclosure in this devilishly wicked story left me gasping. Even when the story seems to reach its conclusion, revealing exactly what happened in the gripping opening, the author still manages to throw in a few more shocking twists.

Author Details

Louise lives in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my books, with her husband, daughter and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie. Books, TV and long walks are her passions - and drinking wine in the sun with family and friends.

She recently celebrated her 20th anniversary as an author with the news of two prestigious awards for her 90s-set thriller THE ONLY SUSPECT: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction.

OUR HOUSE is the novel many know her for, as it's now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton (watch the full series free on ITVX). This is the novel that turned her career around, winning the 2019 British Book Awards Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller and shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award​, and the Audible Sounds of Crime Award. It was also longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Specsavers National Book Awards. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, it recently received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

 

Cora, a young slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia, knows she faces a bleak future. Given the chance to escape, she's initially reluctant, but a shocking event eventually spurs her on, and we follow her as she uses the underground railroad to escape her owner and evade slave-catchers.

One of the good things about being part of a book group is that you are occasionally forced to read out of your comfort zone. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is certainly well outside my usual genre. It took me a couple of pages to get used to the author's writing style, but once I'd settled down, I found the story very accessible and engrossing.

I vividly remember watching the TV mini-series Roots as a teen (it's shocking to consider this was almost fifty years ago) and being appalled by the treatment of slaves. As a result, the description of the treatment of the slaves wasn't anything I didn't already know. What I did find different was the story being told from the perspective of a teenage girl. In Cora's words, "Know your value and you know your place in the order", as a young, orphaned, female slave, she is well aware that her value is low. Treatment of slaves by owners and overseers was brutal, with horrific punishments for wrongdoings. Cora faced all of these alongside abuse from other slaves.

Despite the story being set over a hundred and fifty years ago, and the book being written ten years ago, I found lots of parallels with what is happening in America today: the description of the patrollers as "attracting a type....in another country they would have been criminals",  and how the patrollers would break into homes and places of work to kidnap slaves who thought they were free. Hypocrisy resonates throughout the story. The Declaration of Independence, claiming that "all men are equal," didn't apply to slaves. In fact, the only time that this was true was when body snatchers provided cadavers to students; under a scalpel, all bodies are the same.

Those helping slaves escape frequently risked their own lives. Abolitionists were fervent in their desire to put an end to slavery. Unfortunately, the message the general public received wasn't always accurate. The scenes in a museum where Cora has to participate in various tableaus of the life of a slave are extremely sanitised and laughable by modern standards. To the public, the life of a slave would not seem particularly extreme.

The cat-and-mouse game that plays out between Cora and the slave-catcher, Ridgeway, adds an extra layer to the story. While Cora's capture and return to her owner has a monetary value, Ridgeway's desire to catch her becomes an obsession. The time and effort expended far outweigh any payment he will receive. We see an example of this when a captured slave is killed simply because it doesn't make financial sense to return him. It is this preoccupation that leads to the horrifying and shameful conclusion, highlighting that even people who were born free or became free men were still considered to be worthless by slave catchers. 

**As I'm writing this, I've discovered that there is a mini-series based on the book. I'll certainly be checking it out.**

Author Details

Colson Whitehead is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eleven works of fiction and nonfiction, and is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, for The Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad, which also won the National Book Award. A recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City.

#Readalong Behind Her Smile by Caroline England

 

Laurie Dunn is forced to move back home when her relationship ends. Returning to her family home causes lots of long-buried memories to resurface, memories Laurie isn't entirely sure are real.

I will admit that the cover of Behind Her Smile by Caroline England didn't appeal to me; what did appeal was the glowing endorsement from one of my favourite writers, M. W. Craven. When an author you love says "In the very top tier of psychological thrillers", you'd be silly not to give the book a go. Hence, I leapt at the chance to take part in the Readalong organised by Love Books Tours.

As the story opens, we meet a disillusioned Laurie, she's completely dumbfounded at the sudden end of her relationship with Nico. At almost thirty, the last thing she expected was having to move back home. This return to the family home brings about lots of possible directions the story could go. Firstly, a failed romance leading to the possibility of finding new love. Unexpectedly finding her father sleepwalking hints at a possible psychological thriller. Unsettling dreams, with hints at sinister events, even make you wonder if we're heading into horror story territory.

What we end up with is an amalgamation of all three, with a little bit of organised crime thrown in. With so many different threads, it takes a little while for the story to really flow, hence I was a third of the way in before I really started to take an interest in what was happening to Laurie.

Laurie's old boyfriend, Finn, is a great character. I really enjoyed his backstory and the way it wove in to what was happening to Laurie. Jules, Laurie's older sister, comes across as cold and unemotional; it was hard to believe the pair are sisters. However, you do begin to wonder if Jules' behaviour is a result of things that happened during their childhood. Laurie's father is a strange character. Obviously intelligent, he is regularly sidelined in the story, despite the knowledge he has of past events.

I enjoyed the way in which the different threads converged at the conclusion. I certainly didn't predict the ending or spot any of the "villains" as I was reading.

Behind Her Smile from Caroline England and Bullington Press is available in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to Love Books Tours for my place on the Readalong.

Author Details

Caroline is the CWA Short Story Dagger shortlisted author of psychological suspense thrillers BENEATH THE SKIN, the best selling MY HUSBAND'S LIES, BETRAY HER, TRUTH GAMES, THE SINNER, THE STRANGER BESIDE ME. Her new thriller, THE RETURN OF FRANKIE WHITTLE, is out 8 Feb 2025. She also writes gothic-tinged psychological thrillers as CE Rose - THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER'S EDGE, THE SHADOWS OF RUTHERFORD HOUSE, THE ATTIC AT WILTON PLACE

Caroline writes multi-layered, dark and edgy ‘domestic suspense’ stories that delve into complicated relationships, secrets and the moral grey area.Drawing on her days as a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer, she loves to create ordinary, relatable characters who get caught up in extraordinary situations, pressures, dilemmas or crime. She admits to a slight obsession with the human psyche, what goes on behind closed doors and beneath people’s façades. She also enjoys performing a literary sleight of hand in her novels and hopefully surprising her readers!

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

 

A chance meeting spurs teenager Riley and her young brother, Oliver, to escape the abusive home they are living in. High in the mountains lies Nowhere, the remains of a ranch once owned by a film star and now the refuge of the Nowhere Children. Is the haven as idyllic as it sounds?

While Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward isn't my usual genre of choice, I did enjoy The Last House On Needless Street (you can read my review here), so I was keen to read the author's latest offering. I'm a bit of a wimp; I really do scare easily, so I always approach anything classed as horror with trepidation. If you're anything like me, I'd say not to worry; this is more mystery/suspense than out-and-out horror, the horror element is implied.

The majority of the story is told from Riley's perspective. At fourteen, she's living with a distant relative after the death of her mother. Riley is a resourceful and determined character; she's extremely protective of her seven-year-old brother. The pair face daily abuse from their relative, so you can fully understand her desire to leave. The trip to Nowhere isn't an easy one, with Riley having to make some difficult decisions on the way. Once the pair finally arrive, they find it difficult to believe that a group of children is living in the grounds of a burnt-out mansion, away from the authority of adults. I was pleased that Riley remained a little skeptical about the setup.

Throughout the narrative, we hear from other characters: a documentary filmmaker who is interested in the Nowhere Children, a fireman who helped try to put out the blaze that destroyed the mansion, and the architect who lived in the mansion for a while with its owner, Leaf Winham. 

Winham is a mysterious character. Made famous through the films he made, he sought privacy and isolation on his ranch. There were times when I thought he sounded like a Peter Pan character, someone who didn't age and surrounded himself with lost and unloved children. Following the fire at the mansion, there were doubts about his death. I then began to wonder if there was more of a supernatural element to Winham. 

What isn't obvious is how all of the various characters are linked, and what the underlying mystery of Nowhere is. As more and more is revealed, my disquiet began to grow, but there was still a level of uncertainty surrounding what was happening at Nowhere, all down to the skillful storytelling of the author. When the different narratives finally converged, I was left shocked, particularly when we learnt more about the filmmaker. As for the conclusion, I loved the ambiguous, thought-provoking ending, leaving the reader still wondering about the future of the Nowhere Children.

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward will be published on 19th February 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Catriona Ward was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in the US, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen and Morocco. She read English at the University of Oxford and spent several years working as an actor in New York. When she returned to the UK she worked on her first novel while writing for a human rights foundation, then took an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, Rawblood, was published in 2015 and won the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel in 2016. She won again in 2018 for Little Eve, which also won the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award. In 2021 she published her bestselling novel The Last House on Needless Street, which was both a Richard and Judy Book Club and BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club pick. It was awarded the August Derleth Award in 2022, making Ward the only woman to prize three times. She was shortlisted again for her fourth novel, Sundial, in 2023. Her fifth novel, Looking Glass Sound, was shortlisted the Fingerprint Genre-Busting Book of the Year in 2024.