The Last Marriage Of Dot Brightmore by Laura Pearson

 

After sixty years apart, Mabel and Dot have finally reunited. At the age of eightysix they are determined not to waste the precious time they have left together and decide to get married. However, they have an obstacle to overcome first.

If you're a fan of author Laura Pearson, then you've probably read The Last List Of Mabel Beaumont (you can read my review here). This book is probably the gateway novel for many readers discovering the author's work. The Last Marriage Of Dot Brightmore is the sequel to that book, and while it can easily be read as a standalone novel, you will gain a greater understanding of the characters if you read Mabel's story first.

Mabel and Dot were best friends as young women, at a time when anything other than heterosexual relationships were frowned upon. Neither woman acknowledged the feelings they had for each other, instead following tradition and marrying men. Now, sixty years later, they've finally reunited and declared their love for each other. As a symbol of their love, they decide to marry, and it’s then that Dot drops her bombshell.

For me, this book is all about seizing the moment, refusing to sit back and accept the status quo or conform to societal expectations. In a bid to overcome the problem preventing their marriage from taking place, the couple jet off to America, a daunting trip at any age. To experience the trip through Mabel's eyes, someone who had never been abroad before, was wonderful. That mixture of apprehension and excitement was palpable.

There is a tinge of sadness to Dot's story, one that gently unfolds. One of the fantastic aspects of the writing is that, having been apart for sixty years, Dot and Mabel don't miraculously know everything about each other's lives; it takes time to get to know each other again. Dot is very close to her family, and eventually admits that she has lost touch with her youngest son. Mabel decides that the upcoming marriage is the ideal excuse to try to reunite them.

The supporting characters, many of whom featured in the first book, are engaging. They each have problems of their own to deal with, but demonstrate the true nature of friendship. Being there for each other, listening, and offering support, shows that nothing is insurmountable.

Although the story wasn't quite as captivating as the first book, and I do wonder if that is down to familiarity playing a part, it is filled with charm. I thoroughly enjoyed this heartwarming tale that proves love isn't defined by age.

The Last Marriage Of Dot Brightmore by Laura Pearson will be published on 8th May 2026 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Laura Pearson is the author of the #1 bestseller The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. She founded The Bookload on Facebook and has had several pieces published in the Guardian and the Telegraph.

Nothing Left Behind by Hannah Brennan (Audiobook)

 

Anne Evans has a long history of nuisance calls to the emergency services, so her most recent one isn't given the priority it should have. When it is realised that her call is genuine, it is too late to save Anne from the fire engulfing her home. In the aftermath, it doesn't take the fire service long to determine an accelerant was used.

Knowing I had  Nothing Left Behind by Hannah Brennan to listen to, and that it was a sequel, I recently read No Safe Place, the first book in the Detective Liz Field series (you can read my review here). I was moved by how sympathetically and informatively the author dealt with mental health issues, so I was really looking forward to the sequel.

The story opens with the police receiving one of their regular nuisance calls from "frequent flyer" Anne Evans. Anne exhibits classic signs of paranoia, convinced someone is trying to burn her house down. Unfortunately, this time around, her call is genuine, and Anne dies in the fire that engulfs her property. DCI Liz Field is called to the scene and suspects that this wasn't an accident.

Using traditional storytelling, alongside transcripts of interviews and 999 calls, you are immediately gripped by the story and the pace never relents. This is exactly what an audiobook should be like. You immediately sympathise with the neighbours who've spent years living near Anne and have now lost their home and all their possessions. As the transcripts continue, you are gradually drawn into Anne's life and realise how shocking her background is. I felt myself gasp when I discovered that Anne wasn't paranoid; there was some truth to her claims. This changed my whole perspective of her. She went from being a nuisance to becoming a terrified victim.

Alongside the arson and murder investigation, another police team are dealing with a murder case in which a local charity worker was shot dead. The contrast between the police and public opinions of the two victims is startling, showing how easily we judge people and jump to conclusions based on the scant information we have. Field begins to wonder if the two murders are connected.

I quickly found myself listening to "just one more chapter", desperate to know more and shocked with each revelation. There were some extremely tense moments, as Field narrowed in on the suspect, and I found myself grimacing over one particular scene. Hannah Brennan doesn't present a sanitised story; this comes across as realistic, showing the day-to-day danger faced by the emergency services. While the conclusion is satisfying, I found it tinged with sadness because of the lives that were impacted. I can't wait to see what the forthcoming third book in the series is like.

Nothing Left Behind by Hannah Brennan will be published on 23rd April 2026 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon 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.

Shrink Solves Murder by Philippa Perry

When the body of a young man is discovered at the bottom of a cliff, the police assume he died by suicide. However, his psychotherapist, Dr. Patricia Phillips, who lives nearby, is adamant he wasn't suicidal and sets out to prove he was murdered.

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of Shrink Solves Murder by Philippa Perry in my swag bag at the recent Bay Tales crime fiction festival. As a fan of the cosy crime genre, this sounded right up my street.

Dr. Patricia Phillips was a successful solicitor in London. Dissatisfied with her life, she retrained to become a psychotherapist and now practises from a shepherd's hut attached to her cottage on the South Downs. The death of one of her clients doesn't sit right with Pat, although most of their sessions took place via Zoom, she knows he wasn't suicidal. Along with her close friend and neighbour, Prichard, Pat is determined to prove to the police that it was murder.

From the very opening pages, I loved Pat and her "grumpy old woman" persona, particularly the way that she kept shouting at people who were doing things that annoyed her (standing too close to the cliff edge, not keeping their dog on a lead, etc). The list kept getting longer, and I found myself nodding along in agreement. Pat is obviously very empathetic, but she also has just the right mix of self-doubt and stubbornness to make her an interesting character that the reader can sympathise with. She's not a fan of social media either, and her opinions of Instagram in particular rang very true.

There is a whole host of eccentric support characters, many of whom are possible suspects. Pat's neighbour, Prichard, is only mildly eccentric, but I can see lots of scope for the character. The pair work well together, with Prichard being the comedic sidekick to Pat's straight man.

As Pat digs deeper into the events leading up to her client's death, there are some tender moments, which reflect on the aftermath of a sudden loss. There was one chapter in particular, where Pat is talking to a depressed young man, that was extremely moving, and makes you appreciate the work of those who support individuals in crisis.

 

I did find the ending a little disappointing. In an effort to keep the identity of the killer hidden until the very end, it felt a little abrupt and almost as if the murderer had been plucked out of a magician's hat. It won't, however, stop me from reading any more of what I hope will be a new cosy crime series.

Shrink Solves Murder by Philippa Perry will be published on 7th May 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Bay Tales and Hutchinson Heinemann for the proof copy.

Author Details

Philippa Perry is an artist and psychotherapist as well as a TV and radio presenter. She is the number one Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read and The Book You Want Everyone You Love* To Read?(*And Maybe a Few You Don’t), published by Cornerstone Press. Her books have been translated in over 40 languages.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

 

Birdie Calhoun is in desperate need of money to save her family home. Hoping that the wealthy family her sister has married into will help, she travels to Oxford, Mississippi, but when she gets there, things don't go to plan, and she has to find another way of raising the money.

Almost twenty years after The Help was published, author Kathryn Stockett has written The Calamity Club. If you read and enjoyed the author's debut novel, as I did, then I am sure you'll love this one.

At the age of twenty-four, Birdie has accepted that she is going to be single for the rest of her life. Living in the small town of Footely, Mississippi, she is the sole breadwinner for the family. The family is relatively well-off compared to many others, but like a lot of people, they are struggling to make ends meet, and the bank are threatening to repossess their home.

Frances, Birdie's sister, has married into the wealthy Tartt family, and Birdie hopes that if she pays her a visit, she will be able to persuade her to help her family financially. When Birdie arrives at the Tartt mansion in Oxford, things initially seem fine, but gradually she begins to learn that there are problems. 

Set at the height of the Great Depression, it was shocking to learn that very few people were immune to the problems sweeping across the country. In the deep south in particular, the cotton trade has become worthless, leading to mass unemployment. The unemployment has such a knock-on effect, not only are people struggling to survive, but businesses are floundering as people don't have money to spend. Status and perceived wealth are not unaffected, with many losing their homes. It was distressing to discover that some families would simply abandon children they could no longer afford to feed, leaving them in the care of orphanages.

At the heart of the novel is the power of female friendship, the support they offer, and the strength they show to overcome obstacles. Alongside Birdie, we meet some wonderful characters who will do anything to survive, despite everything life throws at them. Unfortunately, not every female fits this mould, for some power and jealousy are corrupting, with devastating consequences.

The author manages to combine a number of different threads, which are ultimately bound together. I found myself desperately wanting Birdie and her friends to be successful, but dreading their secret being uncovered and dealt with harshly.

I loved being immersed in the lives of everyone, even though there were times when the harshness of their lives made me stop and reflect. After more than 600 pages in which I was fully invested in the characters, I felt the ending was a little abrupt. The lives of some of the characters I'd grown to love were written off within a sentence, and some were not even mentioned. Given that I thought the book was too long, I would have been happier to read more if time had been taken to give the characters a fitting ending.

Once you finish the book, it's worth taking a few minutes to read the Author's Note at the end. Some of the content mentioned in the story is quite an eye-opener, but it is only when you read the notes at the end that you realise how shocking events at the time actually were.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett will be published on 5th May 2026 in ebook and audio format, and the hardback will be published on 21st May 2026. My thanks to NetGalley and Spiegel & Grau for a review copy.

Author Details

Kathryn Stockett was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Help. She lives in Mississippi and New York City.

Five by Ilona Bannister

 

Five people wait for an early morning train; within the next five minutes, one of them will be dead. Who will it be, and why?

From the tag lines on the cover and the synopsis, Five by Ilona Bannister comes across as a fairly standard psychological thriller, but once I started reading it turned into so much more, something that is going to sit with me for quite a while.

This is one of those thrillers where you are given virtually all of the important information right at the start. The story opens at 7:01 am and we're told that someone will die within the next five minutes. The book quickly sets the scene, giving us a brief introduction to the five people at the centre of the story, one of whom will die. What isn't clear is who, how, or why? All of that is left to the reader to make assumptions. 

By setting the scene in this way, you are immediately propelled into the action; knowing what is to follow and the short time scale immediately had my heart racing. The author uses the technique of reminding us what is happening on the platform at regular intervals throughout the story, which really built up the tension as we got closer and closer to the five-minute deadline.

What really stood out for me was the way the writer focused in on the main characters and gave us a glimpse into their lives, allowing us to see why they were waiting for the train that morning. We learn about Emma and her son Gideon, businessman Liam, elderly Mrs. Worth, and Sonny. As we delve into their backgrounds, we discover what moulded them, and this is vital as none of them are particularly likeable. The superb writing had me dealing with conflicting emotions as I read about each character. It is difficult to imagine despising someone, but also feeling sympathy for them.

This perfect mix of tension, dark humour, loathing, and empathy keeps the reader in suspense until the very end. When the outcome was finally revealed, I felt numb. I assumed there would be one of those twisty endings where the author has fooled us all, but it wasn't to be, and that in itself is satisfying. 

Five by Ilona Bannister will be published on 5th May 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Juniper (HarperCollins) for a review copy.

Author Details

lona Bannister is a New Yorker but has lived in the UK with her British husband and two sons for fifteen years. She is a dual qualified US lawyer and UK solicitor and practiced immigration law in the UK before she started writing fiction. Ilona's parents and grandparents were Ukrainian immigrants to the US and their history and struggles had a great impact on her life, so she's always interested in stories about migration, otherness, and what it means to be on the outside of a place looking in. She has felt that a lot of times in her life and it's a human experience she likes to explore through writing. Her first book, When I Ran Away, was shortlisted for the First Novel Prize in 2021.

March 2026 Reads

 

The month began with It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh, and the book certainly lives up to its title. Nedeeka rushes home, thinking her partner is cheating on her, and hopes to catch him in the act. As if this riveting opening wasn’t enough to grab your attention, when she gets home, the police are waiting, and her partner is dead. The twists keep coming as Nadeeka tries to find out what happened to the man she loved.

I wanted to read No Safe Place by Hannah Brennan before listening to the sequel. A psychologist is brutally stabbed, the only clue is a piece of paper left next to him from a study he carried out on teenagers with OCD. As the police investigate, it becomes clear that the anonymous participants in the study are also in danger. I enjoyed the style, the characters, and the way in which my eyes were opened about the nature of OCD. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

I do enjoy an uplifting story, so How To Lose The Lottery by Jay McKenzie sounded ideal. A couple goes from rags to riches when they win millions on the lottery. While Edie’s husband and son adapt quickly, Edie is haunted by a past event. As the story switches between the past and the present, we learn about the difficult life Edie has lived and how newfound friends help her now.

Having loved The List Of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, I was over the moon when I finally managed to read The Barbecue At No. 9, and it lived up to all my expectations. Set on the day of the Live Aid concert, it focuses on some of the residents of Delmont Close, some of whom have life-changing decisions to make. I adored the setting, the characters, and the mystery elements of the story that were slowly revealed.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister is set in Texas and focuses on a mother and daughter, Simone and Lucy, from the UK who are reuniting for a holiday following Lucy’s summer working in America. When Lucy is kidnapped, Simone is given a set of instructions to follow if she is to see her daughter ever again. I found this a little slower than the author’s previous books, and a little improbable at times.

I always look forward to a twisty thriller from C. M. Ewan, and Eye Spy certainly lives up to expectations. Returning from a trip to Paris, Mark’s adopted teenage daughter, Freya, goes missing on board the non-stop Eurostar train. Another passenger makes it clear that Mark must follow his instructions if he wants to see Freya again. You really feel all of the emotions Mark goes through as he tries to rescue Freya, while keeping the rest of his family safe.

Taking a slight detour from my diet of thrillers, I read People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon. I was entranced by the strapline on the cover of the book, “Olivia Greenwood Is Fresh Out Of F**ks”. A disappointed and drink-fueled Olivia opens her heart to a complete stranger when she is overlooked for the job she was promised. When the stranger tells Olivia she’s a doormat for everyone in her life, she decides to stop being a “people pleaser”, with surprising consequences.

While Five by Ilona Bannister has a thriller element to it, this book offers so much more. Five people wait on a station platform for a train to take them into London. From the very beginning of the book, we are warned that within five minutes one of them will be dead. As we get to know each of the five people and why they are at the railway station that day, you begin to form opinions about them, wondering which one will die. I was completely engrossed in the lives of each character and shocked that I could despise them and feel sympathy for them at the same time.

My first audiobook of the month was Me And Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. Originally released twenty-years ago, the book has now been updated and re-released. The manager of a New York bookstore travels to England for a Jane Austen-themed book tour. Her dating life is basically non-existent, particularly when she compares all men to her perfect man, Mr. Darcy. The tour takes a strange turn when Emily actually bumps into Mr. Darcy, but does he live up to her expectations?

I Owe You One by Lauren North is a fantastically twisty thriller. Jess returns home following the breakdown of her relationship and the failure of her business. Her older sister pleads for her to help her escape her abusive relationship by helping her to fake her death. I was gripped throughout, and the numerous twists were very unexpected, as was the karmic ending.

If you like classic locked-room thrillers, then The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke fits the bill perfectly. When a world-famous author dies before completing the last book in his best-selling crime series, a group of mid-list authors is invited to his Scottish retreat to finish the book and win a reward. Mysterious figures, secret passageways, hidden treasure, and people lying about their true identity, make everyone a suspect in this satirical murder mystery.

Publications dates to look out for:-

I Owe You One by Lauren North will be published 8/4/26 in ebook and audio format.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister will be published 9/4/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke will be published 9/4/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Five by Ilona Bannister will be published 5/5/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (Audiobook)

 

When the author of a world-famous crime series dies before completing the last novel in the series, the publisher decides to gather a group of mid-list authors together and set a challenge. Are any of them good enough to complete the book? If they can, an amazing prize awaits.

If you are part of the online book community, you would have to have been living in a cave for the past eight months not to have seen the buzz about The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke (the pseudonym of V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke). I'm unfamiliar with the work of both of these authors, but I was intrigued enough to want to know more about this highly anticipated collaboration.

World-famous crime writer Arthur Fletch has died before completing the fifth and final book in his best-selling Petrarch series. Keeping the news of the author's death secret, the publisher gathers together seven writers in the hope that one of them will be able to complete the final book. All of the authors are from different genres and have never quite made it big in the publishing world. Everyone is a little sceptical about why they've been gathered together, but soon becomes invested in the details when they learn of the task and the reward: $2 million and a publishing deal.

Sequestered on a remote Scottish island, with their phones locked in a safe for 72 hours, this is a classic locked-room mystery, and you just know that the body count will soon begin to rise. With such high stakes and the remoteness of the setting, I was quite surprised at how long it took for the first murder to actually happen. The author takes time to really flesh out all of the different characters, ably narrated by Fiona Hardingham. As we get to know each individual, we discover how snobby the writing world is, the way in which certain genres are considered inferior to others, and how relentless the industry is.

As you would expect, there are lots of twists: hidden treasure, hidden passageways, mysterious figures, and people lying about their true identity. And once the first murder takes place, the rest of the characters begin to fall like a stack of dominoes. Accusations fly, and the satire level is high. No one wants to be alone, but everyone is a suspect, and having seen lots of horror movies, they all know that you shouldn't wander off alone.

While the "whodunit" element of the story isn't earth-shattering, I did enjoy the story and loved the twist at the very end.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke will be published on 9th April 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Evelyn Clarke is the pseudonym for Number One Sunday Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab, and screenwriter and YA author Cat Clarke.

VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades of Magic series, the Villains series, the Cassidy Blake series and the international bestseller The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Her work has received critical acclaim, translated into over two dozen languages, and optioned for television and film. First Kill – a YA vampire series based on Schwab’s short story of the same name – is currently in the works at Netflix with Emma Roberts’ Belletrist Productions producing. When she's not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.

Cat Clarke is the bestselling, award-winning author of six YA novels. She was born in Zambia and brought up in Edinburgh and Yorkshire, which has given her an accent that tends to confuse people. Cat lives in Edinburgh with her partner, two ninja cats and two decidedly non-ninja cocker spaniels. She likes cheese A LOT, especially baked camembert.