October 2026 Reads

 

Desperately wanting to watch the film, I finally got around to reading Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, and I’m kicking myself that I let this gorgeous, heart-warming story linger on my TBR pile for so long. Tova has never got over the loss of her teenage son. She has a small group of friends, but prefers to keep to herself, hence her evening job as the cleaner at an aquarium. Here she meets a mischievous octopus whose days are numbered. The book is far, far better than the film.

Another book I needed to read before watching the film is The Whisper Man by Alex North. Traumatic memories lead single father Tom and his young son Jake to move to a new home. What they don’t realise is that a young boy was recently abducted nearby, and all the hallmarks point to a serial killer known as ‘The Whisper Man’. When Jake goes missing, it becomes a race against time to find him. I found this really creepy, I haven’t summoned up the courage to watch the film yet.

Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child is the thirtieth book in the Jack Reacher series, and a disappointing one at that. A case of mistaken identity has Reacher helping a man who is convinced he has a target on his back. The whole plot was very disjointed, there just wasn’t a strong enough plot to carry a full-length novel. The final showdown was over in the blink of an eye, and surprisingly, I found the violence a little too extreme.

I love the Skelfs series by Doug Johnstone, books about a family of women who combine the running of their funeral business with a side line as private investigators. Blackmail, a face from the past, and the use of AI all feature this time around in Ghost Notes, book 7 in the series, but it was the use of AI to help the grieving process that I found extremely thought-provoking. Alongside this, the author manages to inform the reader about the ways in which the funeral business is constantly developing.

Welcome To The Kokoro Cat Clinic by Syou Ishida is the third book in the We’ll Prescribe You A Cat series. This one varies slightly from the previous two books in that only two of the people are prescribed a cat to look after. Fuke is nervous about giving a presentation at work, and Orie has lost focus regarding her life choices. A third story has a stressed new father learning ‘how to cat’, and a fourth gives us the backstory about the hoarding situation that was mentioned in the previous books. All the usual charm is present, but I found this volume to be far more emotional than the earlier books.

There have been some riveting legal thrillers published recently, and This Jury Is Guilty by Laurie Blake can certainly be added to the list. It’s the trial of the century, a huge Hollywood star is accused of the attempted murder of his equally famous wife. With the trial being livestreamed, not only is this a ‘trial by media’, but it’s also being judged by a compromised jury. The book follows four of the jurors who all have an ulterior motive for being part of the trial.

I’ve finally got back to reading the David Raker series by Tim Weaver. Book 5 in the series, Fall From Grace, was superb. A retired police officer vanished in the middle of nowhere. Nine months on his daughter, another police officer, asks Raker for help. Danger is never far away as Raker looks for the smallest clue to uncover what happened. Suspicion falls on everyone close to the missing person, and there are some eerie scenes. The twists at the end made my jaw drop.

I really enjoyed the first two books in The Martini Coast series by Tess Gerritsen, so was pleased to pick up the third book, The Shadow Friends. The idea of five retired CIA operatives living in a small town gives off a ‘cosy’ vibe, but this was anything but cosy. A global affairs conference nearby sparks off a bioweapon scare which sees some of the group jetting off to Europe to protect Russian defectors. It was good to see a story centred around someone other than Maggie. I didn’t have a clue who the villain was until the big reveal.

I finished the month off with my book group read, The Thread by Victoria Hislop. This is a sweeping love story, set against a tumultuous period in Greece’s history. The story didn’t really grab me. There was some overlap with a book I read a couple of months ago, a book which gave far more detail about some of the historical events. Maybe the lack of depth in this book added to the reason I wasn’t gripped by it.

My first audiobook of the month was Chain Reaction by Lee Child and Andrew Child. As I approached book 31 in the Reacher series, I was a little apprehensive after being so disappointed by the previous book. I’m happy to report that this was a vast improvement. A face from the past asks for Reacher’s help – tracking down Reacher is not easy! This is a fast-paced story, with no obvious motive. And Reacher doing what he does best; keen observation, analytical thinking, and swift, decisive action.

A return visit to Maple Falls featured in my second audiobook of the month, The Sugar And Spice Kitchen by Harper Graham. Emily and Cole were childhood best friends until a feud developed. Luckily, things quietened down when Cole and his family left the town. Seventeen years later, he’s returned as fire chief and a snow storm forces him to work closely with Emily. There’s nothing new in this spicy romance, featuring forced proximity and a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers story, but I do love dropping in to the idyllic little town of Maple Falls.

Publication dates to look out for:

This Jury Is Guilty by Laurie Blake will be published on 3/11/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

The Shadow Friends by Tess Gerritsen will be published 14/1/27 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

Fall From Grace by Tim Weaver

 

David Raker is approached by a police officer to find her father who disappeared 9 months earlier. The investigation has ground to a halt, with everyone puzzled as to how a person can simply vanish into thin air in the middle of open countryside.

I first discovered the David Raker series by Tim Weaver in 2024, and after thoroughly enjoying the first book in the series, I promised myself to read the rest. Unfortunately, I've fallen behind, so have only just completed the fifth book in the series, Fall From Grace. After finishing the book, I'm now kicking myself that I've left it so long to get back in to this series as it was superb.

The missing person, Leonard Franks, is a retired police officer, and it's his daughter, Melanie Craw, that approaches Raker. Craw and Raker have rubbed shoulders previously, and there's no love lost between them. Raker even considers refusing to help, but he's intrigued by the details of the case, and also feels sympathetic towards Craw. Even though she's a serving police officer, using police resources for personal reasons could lead to her losing her job, hence her seeking help from Raker.

As well as the mystery surrounding how a man could vanish into thin air, there is also a question surrounding what he was working on just before his disappearance; was it a cold case, or an old case? No-one seems to know and there is no evidence to point Raker in the right direction. The narrative gives us a glimpse into how painstaking it is investigating a missing persons case that has gone cold; trawling through information, looking for the smallest detail that may lead somewhere, all of which kept the suspense going.

Danger is never far away, and although Raker has little regard for his own safety, he does begin to wonder who he can trust when his family are threatened. He begins to question the integrity of everyone connected to the case. As with the previous books, Raker heads off into the unknown, with one setting being extremely eerie.

When all is revealed, there are some jaw-dropping moments. No sooner had I got used to one thrilling twist when the author threw in another. By the final reveal, my heart was racing. Tim Weaver finishes off by reintroducing an old face, setting up the next book in the series.

Author Details

Tim Weaver is the Sunday Times bestselling author of fifteen novels, including No One Home, The Blackbird and The Missing Family, as well as a short story collection. He is also the host and producer of the chart-topping Missing podcast and is currently developing an original TV series with the team behind Line of Duty. A former journalist and magazine editor, he lives near Bath.

Welcome To The Kokoro Cat Clinic by Syou Ishida

 

Four individuals find support for the issues they are dealing with through the Nakagyo Kokoro Clinic For The Soul, which prescribes cats to help alleviate those problems. 

Welcome To The Kokoro Cat Clinic by Syou Ishida follows on from We'll Prescribe You A Cat (you can find my review here) and We'll Prescribe You Another Cat (read my review here), and is a lovely addition to the series.

As with the previous books, we meet individuals who are dealing with issues in their day-to-day lives. Fuko is nervous about giving a presentation at work. Kōtarō is a relatively new father and is feeling stressed. Orié has lost focus in her life and career. Ao is retreating from not only her family, but people in general. Seeking out the elusive and mystical Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, they meet Dr Nikké and nurse Chitose. Both Dr Nikké and nurse Chitose are strange individuals; they display such cat-like qualities such as condescension, playfulness, boredom, curiosity, and stealth, that you begin to wonder about their true nature. 

This book deviates slightly from the previous books in that only two of the characters are prescribed a cat. Kōtarō is taught how 'to cat', to learn some of the feline traits that will help him to deal with his stress, and thus be a better husband and father. 

I found Ao's story the most emotional one. In We'll Prescribe You Another Cat there are references to a cat hoarding situation that took place in the building which houses the clinic. Through Ao's tale we learn more about it. Retreating from society, Ao is happy to look after the cats in a shelter, forming strong bonds with some of them. When the shelter goes out of business, Ao is left struggling to care for the cats which are abandoned. 

Similarly to the previous books, we see that cats offer us so much. Their presence can help us to de-stress, offering moments of calm or distraction from everyday life. By watching their actions, we can also gain insight into behaviours we could adopt to improve our lives, allowing us to reflect on what is important.

Author Details

Born in 1975 in Kyoto, Syou Ishida is an award-winning author. Her debut in the series, We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, has been a runaway international bestseller and has been the subject of numerous news articles, including in the Guardian and the New York Times. We'll Prescribe You Another Cat is the second volume in the series to be published internationally. The third volume, entitled Welcome to the Kokoro Cat Clinic in English, has been noted for its increased emotional depth. Its big themes will resonate with readers and cat-lovers everywhere.

This Jury Is Guilty by Laurie Blake

 

Danny Scott, a member of an acting dynasty, is on trial for the attempted murder of his wife. The whole world is gripped by events, but, what no-one knows is that the jury has been infiltrated by someone with an ulterior motive.

This Jury Is Guilty by Laurie Blake is engrossing. It's one of those books that, no sooner had I put it down, that I wanted to pick it up again to see what the thrilling next twist would be. Set in an American courtroom, it was easy to visualise everything that was happening, thanks to the many legal TV dramas we can view. In fact, it felt very much like I was watching one of those dramas.

Initially, we meet Dee McCallister, juror number 6. Very early on we learn that she's not who she claims to be and that she has a hidden agenda. The author keeps you in suspense for quite a while regarding her true identity and her reason for wanting so desperately to be involved in the trial of the century. 

As the narrative continues, three other POVs are introduced, all members of the jury. Once again, they all have personal reasons for wanting to be part of the trial, reasons which slowly unfold. You do have to suspend disbelief slightly, as we learn of the lengths some of them have gone to in order to find their way onto the jury, but it all adds to the overall excitement and tension.

The trial is being livestreamed. Therefore, there is a media frenzy surrounding the accused and his victim, another Hollywood star. As I read, I was put very much in mind of a recent court case involving two celebrities and the polarising effect it had on the public. Through the book we see how perception is manipulated by publicists, and that the wealthy can use money to make problems disappear.

By the conclusion, I was undecided whether the accused was guilty of the crime he was on trial for. However, thanks to the backstories of the jurors, I know what verdict I wanted to see. As the final decision of the jury was announced, I was shocked, but thanks to a final twist, I felt that karma had come calling.

This Jury Is Guilty by Laurie Blake will be published on 3rd November 2026 in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

Author Details

Laurie Blake is the author of character-driven book club thrillers that blend psychological suspense with twisty, page-turning plots. Away from her desk, Laurie can usually be found running, taking long walks with her dog, or chasing the perfect cup of coffee.

Ghost Notes by Doug Johnstone

 

Private investigators, the Skelfs, have their hands full trying to uncover a blackmailer, investigating a company using AI to support the grieving, and dealing with an unwelcome face from the past, all while trying to run their funeral business.

Ghost Notes by Doug Johnstone is book 7 in the Skelfs series. The series features a family of women who combine the running of their funeral home while also being private investigators. There's matriarch Dorothy, her daughter, Jenny, and her granddaughter, Hannah. The book works as a standalone novel, but, as with any great series, reading the previous books will give you greater insight into the characters.

Their role as private investigators is what drives the story. Sometimes, the investigation seeks out the women, other times it is triggered by something that happens in their daily lives. This time around it's a complete mixture of the two. Jenny is approached by a woman she went to school with who is now a successful businesswoman and is being blackmailed because she is having an affair. With Hannah, her wife's ex-husband resurfaces seeking help. The only problem is that she didn't know her wife had been married previously, and she now refuses to talk about it. Both women deal with a crisis of confidence, comparing themselves to others, and questioning their own value. It is unsettling to see two emotionally strong and highly intelligent women doubting themselves.

I felt Dorothy's story was the strongest, and really made me think about the way in which our society is heading. A company has used AI to produce a bot that allows people who are grieving to communicate with the person who has died. We are given a glimpse of how this unregulated industry can affect different people. We know that people deal with grief differently, and the same is shown in their interactions with the 'grief bots'. It was frightening to consider the extremes that could develop from these interactions.

Running alongside the investigations is the funeral business. I love the way that the novels inform us of the ways in which the business of death is constantly developing. Burial and cremation are no longer the only options, we are given a fascinating insight into modern methods. Throughout everything is a strong sense of community, of belonging, even if you die alone.

Author Details

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, includingThe Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for  In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

No Good Reason by Hannah Brennan

 

Detective Liz Field is called to the aftermath of a fatal incident. Why would a young woman plough her car into a group of people at a bus stand outside a hospital? Not only is the incident difficult to understand, but it also has shocking repercussions for the team.

No Good Reason by Hannah Brennan is the third book in the Detective Liz Field series. You can find my reviews for the previous two books here on my blog. No Good Reason can easily be read as a standalone novel, but the previous two novels will give you greater insight into the characters and the dynamics between them.

The shocking opening immediately made me think about recent terror attacks in which vehicles were used as weapons. No doubt these news stories were the germ of the idea for the plot of this novel, but Hannah Brennan proves how easy it is for us to make false assumptions, particularly when fuelled by the frenzy of social media. In this case, the driver is as far removed from our idea of a terrorist as it is possible to be.

Courtney Baker, the driver, has had a troubled past, something which has seriously affected her health, but she now seems to have everything to live for. As Field interrogates her friends and colleagues, she begins to uncover a web of secrets. The problem is that none of the secrets seem to be big enough to murder someone to prevent them being revealed. All the characters come across as personable, which adds to the mystery of a possible motive. The shocking conclusion left me reeling. Not only does the narrative make you think about how vulnerable we are as we go about our daily lives, but it is also impossible to know what other people are thinking or planning. 

No Good Reason by Hannah Brennan will be published on 19th November 2026 in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Hannah Brennan lives in South East London, where she was born and raised.

She studied English Literature at Durham University – alongside British Sign Language, which she uses in her role as a trustee for the Royal Association for Deaf People. After returning from the North East, Hannah has turned her love of pubs into a career, working in marketing and technology for many fantastic British hospitality brands.

Hannah is a fanatic book-collector, with a passion for crime fiction and television. She is also one of the organisers of Greenwich Writers, a South-East London writing group.

Hannah developed OCD as a teenager, and hopes that her debut novel, No Safe Place, may give readers a fresh insight into a frequently misunderstood and misrepresented condition.

The Whisper Man by Alex North

 

Writer Tom Kennedy hopes that the move to a new house will help his young son Jake overcome the trauma of finding his mother's body at home. When a young boy goes missing near their new home, locals immediately think about The Whisper Man, a serial killer who abducted children. However, the killer has been behind bars for twenty years.

The Whisper Man by Alex North is another of those books that has been sitting on my TBR for quite a while. Once again, it's the advent of a film being released that has pushed it to the top of the pile.

This is one of those books that absorbs you completely, I simply couldn't put it down. The opening pages, in which a young child is abducted, immediately set the scene. The sense of being watched and followed by someone unknown makes your skin crawl. As the story then cuts to Tom Kennedy and his son, the sense of creepiness continues and never lets up for the remainder of the novel.

Moving to a new home was meant to be a fresh start for Tom and Jake. The reason behind the move is slowly revealed and adds an emotional element to the storyline. What Tom doesn't realise is that the home he has chosen has connections to a notorious serial killer. These connections put the life of Jake in danger; there is one scene in particular that had me wondering if I could read on.

The big question is who is committing the crimes since the original killer was caught? For one of the detectives, Pete Willis, it's a case that he's never been able to forget. It is easy to empathise with Willis, a man who has lost his wife and now devotes everything to the job. He's never been able to find closure as one of the Whisper Man's victims has never been found. 

There is an almighty twist that I really didn't see coming, and it worked well in posing questions about memories and imagination, particularly in childhood. The identity of the antagonist wasn't as much of a surprise. However, the conclusion was one of those that has you holding your breath, wondering who is going to survive the nightmare situation.

Author Details

Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. The Whisper Man was inspired by North's own little boy, who mentioned one day that he was playing with "the boy in the floor." Alex North is a British crime writer who has previously published under another name.