October 2023 Reads

 

We had a little holiday in the middle of the month so I decided to use the time to catch up on a few of the older books on my TBR pile, therefore October only contains three books yet to be published. My reviews for these books aren't available on my blog yet as they aren't published until January. I'll publish my reviews nearer the time of publication. The books are logged on my Goodreads page (UKDana) with their star rating if you are interested.

Having grown to love Molly the maid in The Maid by Nita Prose it is lovely to see her return in The Mystery Guest. This time around we see a much more assured Molly trying to solve the murder of a mystery writer, someone she actually has a history with. Molly still lives by the wisdom her grandmother instilled in her and we get a glimpse of the pair years ago.

The Opposite Of Lonely by Doug Johnstone, book 5 in the Skelf series, sees the family investigating arson at a traveller community and the harassment of a female astronaut. Alongside this, they are trying to track down Jenny’s sister-in-law who disappeared a year ago after trying to burn down their home. We see the introduction of a new character who has a heartbreaking backstory. The story features plenty of mystery, tension, dread and the usual black humor.

When a number of people who fail to take their own lives are later found dead the police realise they have a killer preying on those at their lowest ebb. Combined with this, someone seems to be trying to frame Luc Callanach for murder. Perfect Crime by Helen Fields is the best in the series (to date) and is filled with terror and intrigue.

The last people you’d expect to be causing trouble are a pair of nonagenarians, however, sisters Josephine and Penny Williamson prove that looks can be deceptive in The Excitements by C. J. Wray. Using the skills honed during WWII the pair set off to Paris to settle a few scores. This pair of eccentric kleptomaniacs will charm everyone.

The Kill by Jane Casey sees Maeve Kerrigan and the rest of the MIT investigating who is targeting police officers. We see how vulnerable the police are as they carry out their day-to-day roles. There is the usual friction between Kerrigan and her boorish partner, DI Josh Derwent. I love the way in which this partnership has developed over the series.

A group of friends swear an oath to never reveal what happened one fateful night in 2003. Sixteen years later someone is about to reveal their secret. It becomes a race against time to find the person responsible. At the same time, a couple are trying to figure out why their closest friend took her own life. A Guilty Secret by Philippa East keeps the connection between the two groups and the big reveal right until the end, tantalising the reader.

The Marlow Murder Club has a seemingly impossible locked room murder to solve in the second book in the series, Death Comes To Marlow by Robert Thorogood. The trio, led by eccentric Judith Potts, refuse to be brushed off and are able to charm their way into any situation in order to solve a perplexing murder.

For twenty years Danny has kept secret his unrequited love for his best friend, Guy. A weekend together celebrating Manchester Pride seems like the ideal opportunity to finally be honest with Guy, but will his best friend feel the same? One Love from Matt Cain takes us through the highs and lows of a friendship spanning twenty years.

Publication dates to watch out for:-

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose will be published on 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Excitements by C. J. Wray will be published on 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

A Guilty Secret by Philippa East will be published on 18/1/24 in paperback, ebook and audio format.