Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French

 

When Charlotte Salter goes missing on the night of her husband’s 50^th birthday party her children are convinced something terrible has happened to her, she simply wouldn’t walk out on them. The police have no leads and when a local resident commits suicide a few days later they conclude that he killed Charlotte and, as a result of guilt, took his own life. Thirty years later the siblings return home, still unconvinced the police got the right man.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French is a story told in three parts. It opens a few days before Christmas 1990. It is Alec Salter’s 50^th birthday party, everyone is present apart from his wife Charlotte. Alec doesn’t seem bothered and assumes she’s running late. The Salter children don’t appear to be particularly bothered either, apart from the youngest, fifteen-year-old Etty. I really felt Etty’s raw emotion as she tried to convince everyone that her mother wouldn’t abandon the family.

It transpires that the Salter marriage wasn’t a particularly happy one which would make Alec Salter a suspect, however, he has an unbreakable alibi, he was the centre of attention at his own birthday party. Alec comes across as apathetic regarding his wife’s disappearance, I certainly didn’t feel there were any sinister undertones to his behaviour. A lot of the time I felt he was under-utilised as a character, a little like someone who regularly walks across a stage just to remind you they exist.

Etty is the driving force who keeps the police and community searching for a mother she knows wouldn’t desert her family. Another reason for Etty’s insistence is that she doesn’t want to be left alone with her father. Etty’s siblings, Paul, Niall and Ollie are all older and have already left home or are about to. There is nothing sinister about Etty not wanting to be left with Alec, it is simply down to his cold indifference.

The middle section of the novel takes place thirty years later. Alec Salter is living with dementia and, despite having a live-in carer, can no longer remain in the family home. The siblings return home to clear the house and facilitate the move to a care home. We get to see how they have been affected by the lack of closure surrounding their mother’s disappearance. They’ve all been affected in some way. Etty left home as soon as she could and lived a risky lifestyle. She’s now a lawyer but choses to live alone, avoiding relationships.

The return home prompts a couple of their peers to start a podcast, hoping that it may prompt new clues in the disappearance to come to light. When a third death occurs the police realise that the original case needs to be reinvestigated.

The third section of the story involves the new police investigation. I found the tone of this section to be very different from the earlier parts of the novel and loved DI Maud O’Connor, the detective tasked with reviewing the case.

DI Maud O’Connor upsets quite a few people early on. The local police don’t appreciate someone from London being drafted in to oversee the investigation. A couple of the male officers in particular took against Maud as she rebuffed their advances before they knew who she was. The fact that she is young and attractive is also held against her. I liked the fact that Maud takes no prisoners, those members of the task force who are hostile towards her are given a chance, but one chance only. If they can’t work as part of a team she has no use for them.

As the evidence is re-examined and witness statements double-checked the family eventually finds closure.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? By Nicci French will be published on 29^th February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for a review copy.

The Dream Home by T. M. Logan

 

When Adam and Jess Wylie, along with their three children, move into a grand Victorian villa in an exclusive area of Nottingham it feels as if their dreams have come true. The house is run down and will need a lot of work done on it but they are prepared for the time and effort it will require. What they didn’t bargain on was finding a strange collection of everyday objects in a hidden room, and the nightmare that would follow.

Author T. M. Logan has produced his creepiest, most disturbing novel to date in The Dream Home. From the outset, as Adam Wylie discovers a hidden room on moving-in day, you get an unsettling feeling. Within the hidden room is a dresser with locked drawers. Once Adam manages to unlock the drawers and discovers a collection of mundane items questions immediately spring to mind. Why would anyone want to hide these things so well? Who do they belong to?

You begin to get a sense of terror when on the first night in their new home their youngest child wakes screaming, convinced there was a man in her room. From this moment on I wasn’t sure if I was reading a thriller or horror. The situation becomes even more disturbing when they discover a camera lens hidden in a tree, pointing directly at their property.

Adam is determined to solve the mystery of the hidden room and its collection of objects. It is easy to understand his tenacity, or stubbornness, to figure out who is responsible for the nightmare he and his family find themselves in. Even as the menace intensifies, and the police show little interest in the terrifying events the family has had to deal with, Adam is almost alone trying to protect his family. As the search for answers broadens Adam is also doubtful about who he can trust.

The story is so well constructed that I had an inkling pretty early on as to what the story is about but the who, how and why are a complete blank, and there was still plenty of doubt about whether I was right. Twists and turns galore, with the sense of menace never letting up for a moment, meant that I was reading this into the early hours of the morning (not the best time to read such a creepy story). I was desperate for the family to solve the puzzle of the mystery room but could happily have read on for another 200 pages.

The Dream Home by T. M. Logan will be published on 29^th February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for a review copy.

The Guest by B. A. Paris (Audiobook)

 

Iris and Gabriel are returning from a much-needed holiday. Gabriel, a GP, is struggling after recent events. He's lost his father and his dog in recent months. His grief has been compounded by tragedy, he stumbled across a dying teenager and comforted him as he died. It was hoped that the holiday would give the couple a chance to come to terms with what had happened. As they arrive home they discover that a close friend has left her husband and made herself at home in their house, sleeping in their bed, and even wearing Iris' clothes.

Back in October 2022, I read my first B. A. Paris novel, The Prisoner. I enjoyed the novel but felt very let down by the ending. This wasn't enough to put me off reading any more by this author but didn't cause me to rush to pick up another book. The opportunity to try an audiobook seemed ideal. I'm pleased to say that I found The Guest far more to my liking.

We are introduced to Iris and Gabriel at the beginning as they return from their holiday. Middle-aged, relatively well off (he's a GP, she's a self-styled interior designer) and their only child has flown the nest. Things should be perfect but we quickly learn that recent events have taken their toll on Gabriel.

The much hoped-for reset in their lives is halted when they return home to discover a close friend, Laure, has left her husband, Pierre, and fled Paris to England. Knowing Iris and Gabriel were away she took the opportunity to stay in their house while she tried to come to terms with her husband's revelations - that he's had an affair and fathered a child.

The story is told from Iris' perspective and narrator Emily Joyce does an excellent job at portraying a calm and collected manner but also voicing the little frustrations at realising Laure has moved herself into the master bedroom and even helped herself to clothes. The perfect set-up for a cuckoo-in-the-nest style thriller.

Both Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive since Laure and Pierre are friends they've known for years. It is easy to grasp their disbelief in the situation and the irritation that neither Laure nor Pierre seemed to be interested in finding a solution. The resentment begins to grow and fester as Laure makes no effort to leave their home. At this stage I began to wonder if there was more to Laure's reluctance to speak to her husband, particularly as Pierre was ignoring calls and messages from Gabriel. Was there something more sinister afoot?

Luckily Iris makes a new friend in the village when she strikes up a conversation with Esme. This gives Iris a sounding board, someone she can vent her annoyance to. Through this friendship, we are introduced to Jacob, Esme's gardener. The relationship between Esme and Jacob seems to be over-familiar which makes Iris wary, particularly when she discovers that Laure and Jacob are lovers. We also learn that Jacob has links to the teen who died in the quarry. Your suspicion grows when you realise that Gabriel hasn't been entirely truthful about what happened in the quarry.

There are so many strands to this story, I was amazed at how well they were all woven together. It is easy to like and sympathise with some characters and dislike and doubt others. These all add up to a story that keeps you hooked, has you guessing and then turns everything you thought you knew on its head.

The Guest by B. A. Paris will be published on 20th February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.

The Cutting Place by Jane Casey

 

When body parts are discovered along the banks of the Thames they are quickly identified as being a female journalist, Paige Hargreaves, who was investigating the dubious goings on at gentlemen's club for the elite. Maeve Kerrigan needs to go undercover to find out exactly what illicit acts are taking place at the Chiron Club.

The Cutting Place by Jane Casey is the ninth book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. As with all the other books in the series they can be read as standalone novels (I started out on book 10) but it is far better to read them in order so you can see the character development.

The main story, the murder of a female journalist, is quite shocking in more ways than one. To begin with, no one even realised that the journalist was missing. The vast majority of the population live shoulder to shoulder, yet Paige had no close family, friends or colleagues to report her missing. The other distressing aspect is the way in which the members of the Chiron Club, politicians, bankers, judges, etc, treat women. Women are seen as a commodity to be used and abused, discarded when they are no longer useful or become a threat.

Alongside the police investigation, we get snippets of an event which took place two years previously. The aftermath of a Chiron Club party is slowly revealed and we discover that compromising pictures and evidence are used by the Chiron Club as blackmail against some of its prominent and powerful members. We also meet an individual who is close to one of the investigative team.

While the solving of crimes is the backbone of the series it is really the relationship between the main characters that keeps me hooked. We can see there is a thawing in the relationship between Kerrigan and Derwent, whether it's because they are now so used to working together or because Kerrigan has become immune to Derwent's taunts, they now manage to step around each other with practised ease. Other members of the team are still convinced they are sleeping together, or hate each other, or both.

Kerrigan is in the throes of a new relationship. Having finally gotten over Rob abandoning her she is now involved with Seth, the solicitor she met in the previous book, Cruel Acts. Seth seems ideal, intelligent, handsome, attentive and aware of the unpredictability of Kerrigan's job. Seth and Derwent don't like each other, two alpha males fighting for the attention of the same female. My female intuition was on high alert very early on as I felt that Seth was too controlling, however, I certainly didn't expect what happened. Author Jane Casey has pulled no punches and shows that anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse.

My journey, which began a year ago with The Close, is now up to date. The last few books in the series have helped me put into place things that happen in The Close. I am so looking forward to book 11, A Stranger In The Family, which is published in March.

The Secrets Of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan (Audiobook)

 

When Charlotte Nicholl's father dies she discovers that he has a highly valuable collection of erotic art and literature. Since her inheritance is half the value of the collection she has to figure out how to liquidate the items without bringing shame upon the family name. She also needs to work out who is the mystery beneficiary of the other half of the bequest.

Historical fiction isn't my first choice when deciding what to read, however, I'm not opposed to it, a couple of my favourite books would fall into the genre. Therefore, the opportunity to listen to an audiobook seemed ideal. 

The Secrets Of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan turned out to be an engrossing listen. The narrator, Cathleen McCarron, has a lovely Scottish accent which really helped you immerse yourself in a story set in Scotland. The audiobook is over 15 hours long and at times I felt the narration was a little slow so I increased the listening speed to 1.25 without it becoming too fast to enjoy.

I found the tale of women pushing the boundaries in Victorian society immensely interesting. The story focuses on two very different women. Charlotte is an only child and for years has lived alongside her widowed father, enjoying the trappings of wealth. There has never been any pressure on Charlotte to marry but once her father dies things change. It seems hilarious now that two hundred years ago it was scandalous for a woman to be single and live alone, even with live-in staff.

Ellory McHale is very different but faces similar prejudices. From a working-class background, Ellory works as a photographer's assistant. It is frowned upon when she decides to open her own photography studio. Once again the notion of a single woman setting up her own business, and being successful, is a scandal. The glimpse into the early days of photography is fascinating.

Alongside the storyline featuring the independence of women is the storyline involving erotic art and photography. It is obviously left to the imagination as to the nature of the paintings described. I am sure that some of them would seem fairly tame today, however others may still be classed as shocking. It is the descriptions of the titillating photographs that raise a wry smile. The idea that the sight of an ankle or a bare throat is outrageous seems laughable.

There are many secrets to uncover for both women as they forge their way in a society that would rather see them married and consigned to the drawing room. The different standards expected of men and women in Victorian society are enough to make your blood boil.

The Secrets Of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan will be published on 8th February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

 

Slough House is where failed MI5 agents are left to rot until they get so fed up with the mundane tasks they are assigned that they resign. When a young man is kidnapped by a far-right group who threatens to behead him and stream it live, it looks as if the members of Slough House are going to take the fall for the failure of MI5.

The Slough House series of books by Mick Herron completely passed me by, and then I saw the fantastic TV series Slow Horses so I decided to give the books a try. I'm one of those people who much prefers to read the book before watching a series or film but with there already being 3 series of Slow Horses it's a bit late for that. Since there are currently eight books in the series I hope that I'll be able to catch up before series 4 is released.

I'm going to start by apologising as I know that some of this review is going to blur the line between the TV series and the book. Hopefully, it might encourage viewers to try the books.

The storyline of the first season of the TV series is very true to the first book in the Slough House series, Slow Horses, with only minor alterations. What I found from reading the book was a greater insight into the characters that fill Slough House. We learn more about the individuals and the failings that resulted in them seeing out their days consigned to such a dark and dismal place. The descriptions of the building and the work they are assigned are vivid. We also learn that the world of spies and spy-craft isn't as glamorous as James Bond would have us believe.

Author Mick Herron paints a striking picture of Slough House and its boss, Jackson Lamb. Blinds are drawn not only to keep out prying eyes but also to remind the residents of a world outside and to prevent accidental rays of sunshine from piercing the gloom. Lamb is happy in his little kingdom with no one to answer to. He's a laughing stock at Regent's Park, where MI5 are based, and within Slough House itself, but he doesn't want to change the status quo. As a result of this, everyone underestimates Lamb and we quickly learn that lurking behind his slovenly appearance is a sharp mind that always puts him a step ahead of everyone else. His manners may be unsavoury but he always gets the job done. If he can wind people up in the process he's delighted.

The story gives us a glimpse into the political machinations of individuals, groups and organisations, people out to manipulate the public for personal gain in most cases. 

From the intense opening scenes, Slow Horses is a breathtaking race against time to save not only the life of a young man but also the already poor reputations of the residents of Slough House. I'm definitely hooked by the series and it won't be long before I pick up the second book in the series, Dead Lions.

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

 

Polly Potter is sick of being taken for granted both at home and at work. If only she could be as brave as her fictional creation, Sabrina Anderson. Following a knock to the head Polly wakes in a strange town with no memories at all apart from her name, Sabrina.

Fans of Milly Johnson know that the one thing you are guaranteed when you begin one of her novels is a heart-warming story of self-discovery and The Happiest Ever After offers just that. 

Polly Potter has lived with partner Chris for almost ten years and is fed up. When she caught Chris having an affair a year ago she walked out on him but he begged her to return, promising things would be different. They were, for a few weeks, but now she's back to being taken for granted. The more you learn about the relationship between the couple the more you wonder what Polly saw in Chris in the first place.

Work is just as bad. Her boss, Jeremy, is a misogynist who frequently undermines Polly and doesn't give her credit for her brilliant ideas. The only positive thing at work is her colleague, Sheridan, but she's about to go on maternity leave.

The one light in Polly's life is the creative writing class she attends in secret. Her fledgling novel features Sabrina Anderson, a woman who is the complete opposite of Polly.

From the very beginning of the novel you are giggling, Milly Johnson manages to fit so many hilarious situations into such a short space of time. There's a wedding dress that makes the wearer resemble a flying squirrel if they put their arms out, Polly's eventual showdown with her boss and an incident with dog poo that will have you cheering. Alongside this are the regular hilarious snippets from the Daily Trumpet.

When Polly loses her memory she is befriended by Marielle and her family. Marielle hopes that space and time will allow Polly's memory to slowly recover. Not all of Marielle's friends and family are in agreement however, they believe she's too naive, having been conned before.

Friendship is a strong theme in many of Milly Johnson's novels. It is lovely to read about women supporting women, being non-judgmental. It is also reassuring to see inter-generational friendships play a strong part in the storyline. Family, on the other hand, is a little different. You don't get a choice about the family you are born into but, you do get a choice about which families you join and this is the moral of the story. 

I found the insight into how writers work interesting. The notion that they harvest ideas and conversations from what goes on around them and this got me wondering. Do any of Milly Johnson's family and friends recognise themselves in her novels?

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson will be published on 15th February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for a review copy.

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham

 

Margot is besieged by grief and guilt when her best friend Eliza dies the summer before they are due to start college together. In a bid to overcome her grief and escape the memories of her friendship she is surrounded by Margot decides to go ahead with the plans the pair made together. When she arrives at college she is befriended by the enigmatic Lucy. Things begin to take a dark turn, however, when Lucy is accused of killing Levi, the boy Margot blames for the death of her best friend.

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham is a slow burner, there's plenty of mystery from the very start but the layers of the story are uncovered very gradually, keeping you in suspense. The storyline jumps backwards and forwards over a two year period. We meet Margot as she starts college at Rutledge and you have lots of sympathy for her. Margot is an introvert, a loner. This is partly her nature but also down to the fact that she had planned to start college with her friend who was the outgoing one of the pair. It is understandable that Margot is entranced by the trio of friends she sees around her dorm. Lucy, Sloane and Nicole seem to be everything that Margot aspires to, particularly Lucy. Lucy is always the centre of attention, larger than life, a rule breaker. Margot is like an animal caught in a car's headlights when Lucy turns her attention on her and the trio becomes a quartet.

As we learn about Margot's first year in college and her fixation with Lucy the story jumps back to before college and we discover more about her friendship with Eliza. The pair shared an idyllic friendship with Eliza Being the ying to Margot's yang. The pair made plans to attend the same college and even room together. Everything seemed to be going to plan until the inevitable happened, a boy, Levi, came between them.

We slowly learn about the events surrounding Eliza's death, with Levi being the last person to see her alive at a party, a party Margot didn't attend, hence her guilt over not being there to protect her friend. The grief and guilt resurface when Levi turns up at Rutledge.

The other element of the story is what happens after Levi is murdered. The police suspect Lucy and want to question her but she has disappeared. Margot, Sloane and Nicole claim to have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and disappearing for days at a time is not unusual for Lucy. We, the reader, begin to realise that the friends are covering for Lucy and that secrets are being kept from the police.

At the beginning, the story has lots of appeal. The thought of college in America with dorms, sororities and picturesque settings feels like another world to UK readers. It is the details of college life and the budding friendship, combined with the jumps between time frames, that initially make this a slow burner.

As we get to know more about Lucy you have an unsettling feeling. From the outset, Sloane warns Margot that Lucy lies and manipulates people to get what she wants. Despite these warnings, you feel sympathetic towards Lucy, her home life hasn't been ideal and it's obvious she isn't as privileged as those around her. However, there is always that sense of unease, that she's dangerous. It is impossible to forget that she's "a master of manipulation, of misdirection and deceit".

I was enjoying the gradual building of the story until about two-thirds of the way through when the narrative took an unexpected turn which really elevated the nature of this novel. Pieces started to fall into place leaving me shocked that I hadn't spotted the clues that were dropped. Author Stacy Willingham shows how easy it is for us to jump to conclusions.

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham will be published on 1st February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollinsUK for a review copy.

Perfect Kill by Helen Fields

 

DI Luc Callanach is working with Interpol in Paris on uncovering people trafficking gangs while DCI Ava Turner and the rest of the team in Edinburgh have to deal with finding a young man who has gone missing and a shocking number of dead bodies.

Perfect Kill, the sixth book in the Luc Callanach and Ava Turner series, hits the ground running from the outset and never lets up. We open with the abduction of a young man, jump to people trafficking and then on to organ harvesting all in the space of the first three chapters. Once author Helen Fields allows you to draw breath you realise that there are possible connections between all three crimes.

Luc Callanach is in Paris, liaising with Interpol to try and track down some of the people trafficking gangs. It seems very strange not having Callanach and Turner working together but it is understandable given the events of the fifth book in the series, Perfect Crime. The return to Paris raises issues for Callanach. He's always thought of France as his home, despite being driven out years early by false accusations. Now that he's got the chance to return to Paris and work with some of his ex-colleagues he realises that Scotland is now the place he thinks of as home.

As the various crimes are investigated it becomes obvious that there are links, the only problem being that in Edinburgh people are too terrified to talk to the police and in Paris the operation is hidden under layers of secrecy. 

When Callanach returns to Edinburgh for a flying visit you are holding your breath, hoping that the pair will overcome the problems that arose in the last book. Things initially look positive as Ava admits she overreacted, however, Callanach concedes that he was at fault in the first place and thinks they should just be friends. At this point, I wanted to scream and just bang their heads together.

As the investigations continue the clues start to fall into place and we then have two action-packed, adrenaline-fueled scenes where everyone's life is at risk. Your heart is thumping and you are holding your breath as you turn the pages, wondering who will survive the brutal events taking place. 

Completion of this book now brings me up to date with the series as I actually started with the seventh book in the series, One For Sorrow. All I can do now is wait in the hope that there will be an eighth book following the explosive events of book seven. 

Frank And Red by Matt Coyne

 

When a mother and her young son move in next door to Franklin Hayes, a widower who has given up on life, little does he realise how much his life is about to change.

Frank And Red by Matt Coyne has got to be the most uplifting and joyful book I read in 2023. This was a pretty high bar, particularly as it came immediately after Helen Fisher’s novel Joe Nuthins Guide To Life.

The story itself has been done before; grumpy old man brought out of his shell by young child/children. We’ve read about it in books or seen it on the TV many, many times. What really makes Frank And Red stand out is the way in which author Matt Coyne has created and voiced two very distinct characters.

Frank is debilitated by grief, he’s retreated from friends and family and is frightened to leave his home. Frank relies on neighbours to do his shopping for him and he has one remaining friend who pops in to see him occasionally. We’re not immediately sympathetic towards Frank, he goes out of his way to alienate those who want to help him and he absolutely refuses to contact Mikey, his only child, and try to rebuild their broken relationship.

As we get to know more about Frank we begin to understand him a little better. Frank and his recently deceased wife Marcie were a happy couple, they enjoyed life to the fullest. When Marcie died Frank simply gave up on life himself, now he’s just going through the motions, progressing from one day to the next. Marcie’s “ghost” begins visiting Frank and it’s this apparition that makes Frank refuse to leave his home, he worries that if he goes out Marcie will disappear and never return.

Six-year-old Red is the heart of this novel, he is such a joyful character. With recently divorced parents he’s had to move away from the home, school and friends he loves. A new home and school in an unfamiliar area are daunting. Red is a little kid with a big imagination and being six he has no filter, saying exactly what he thinks. He’s also one of those kids that never stops talking.

When Red spots Frank in the garden he immediately starts talking to him. No matter how many times Frank ignores him or refuses to engage in conversation Red persists with “Mister”…….”Mister”……”Mister”. Red eventually wears Frank down and an unlikely friendship (in the loosest sense of the word) is formed. The interactions between the pair are sublime, it would be far easier if Frank just surrendered to the force of nature that is Red, rather than ploughing on trying to win a battle against an unbeatable opponent. I couldn’t stop laughing at the conversations between the pair.

It's obvious from the start that Frand and Red are going to help each other. Frank is going to help Red be a little bit braver, whereas Red is going to help Frank see that he still has a life to live and people who love him. This is one of those books that as soon as you read the last page you want to go back to the first page and start all over again.

Frank And Red by Matt Coyne will be published on 1^st February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for a review copy.

His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave

 

When a teen goes missing the local sheriff quickly realises the school janitor is responsible. Tracking the janitor down proves to be fairly straight forward but what to do next is the problem. Sheriff Cohen has family and money problems; the reward offered for catching the janitor is substantial but he isn't eligible to collect it because of his job. Torn between doing the right thing and finding a way of getting his hands on the reward, Sheriff Cohen sets in motion a series of unbelievable events.

I've read two previous books by Paul Cleave, The Quiet People and The Pain Tourist, both distinctly different. The author's latest offering, His Favourite Graves, is completely different again but the tone is probably more akin to The Pain Tourist.

His Favourite Graves has got to be one of the twistiest books I've read in a very long time. From the opening page, you are right into the action. Teenager Lucas Connor has been stuffed into a school locker by bullies and everyone has gone home. When the school janitor finds him you can sense Lucas's relief. Things quickly take a turn for the worse though when the janitor kidnaps him and takes him out to an abandoned sawmill.

It turns out the janitor is a serial killer and has plans to abuse Lucas before killing him. The writing is very skillful, it's obvious what is going to happen but the descriptions aren't graphic. This style, along with the fast pace of the story, keeps you on the edge of your seat, full of anxiety but never repulsed by overly graphic descriptions.

Lucas is able to put up a fight and survive until he is rescued by the local sheriff. Unfortunately, the janitor escapes into the forest. This then gives the sheriff the idea of capturing the janitor and somehow claiming the reward. At this point I expected a story about the cat-and-mouse manhunt between the sheriff and the janitor, I certainly didn't expect what came next. There are so many twists and turns, your head is left reeling with each new revelation. It was completely impossible to predict what turn the story would take next. 

As I progressed through the book I was flooded with widely different emotions. One moment there was empathy for a character, then shock, disbelief and even revulsion. The theme of bullying in school and on social media certainly isn't new but the descriptions are distressing and show the degree to which some people suffer.

This is one of those books where you just have to read it for yourself, any more of a description will spoil the twists and turns of this roller-coaster of a read.

December 2023 Reads

 

Firstly I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2024 brings you health, happiness and lots of books. Thanks to the social aspect of Christmas I didn't get to read as much as I would have liked but I did manage three audiobooks so I'm not complaining.

I don't do a top ten books of the year (or top 12, top 23, etc) but if I did my first book of December would be pretty near the top. Frank And Red by Matt Coyne is such a joyful, uplifting read. Frank has given up on life following the death of his beloved wife. When 6-year-old Red moves in next door his life is turned upside down. Red is a force of nature, he never shuts up. Matt Coyne has done a fantastic job making two very different characters spring from the page.

Just over a year ago, I read The Close by Jane Casey, not realising this was book 10 in a series. Since then I've made an effort to read the earlier books in the series. With book 11 due out in March 2024 I decided to read books 7 and 8 last month. Let The Dead Speak is an insidious tale set in suburbia, where everyone is hiding a secret. Promotion means we see a more self-assured Kerrigan but her authority is regularly undermined by a new member of the team. I found Cruel Acts the most disturbing of all the books in the series. A convicted murderer is released on appeal. When a young woman goes missing shortly after his release the police wonder if he's struck again or is someone else responsible for the murders. The death-defying chase towards the end has Kerrigan fighting for her life.

The premise of End Of Story by A. J. Finn is intriguing. Twenty years ago the wife and son of a mystery writer disappeared and their bodies have never been found. Now, with a terminal diagnosis, he invites a young writer and fan to write a memoir. The young writer hopes to find out the truth about what happened. The story is atmospheric and pays homage to many classic mystery writers. I really struggled with the writing style and was close to giving up a number of times. I'm glad I didn't as I was fully invested in the mystery by the end.

It was lovely to return to the town of Marlow in The Queen Of Poisons by Robert Thorogood. During a council planning meeting the Mayor is poisoned. Suspicion falls on the other people present at the meeting. A small group of suspects made this a very enjoyable cozy mystery as my attention was focused on this small group of characters. 

Author T. M. Logan writes extremely twisty thrillers. The Dream Home is the twistiest and creepiest to date. From the very beginning there's a sense of menace as a family discovers a hidden room in the house they've just moved into. Their lives then turn into a nightmare and I wasn't sure if I was reading a thriller or a horror story. Definitely one to read with the lights on.

Three very different audiobooks featured in December. I started the month with a Christmas story, revisiting Michelle Vernal's town of Emerald Bay in A Christmas Miracle In The Little Irish Village. This is the third in a series so fans will be familiar with all of the characters. When her ex-boyfriend Shane goes missing at sea Ava Kelly rushes home. As Ava anxiously waits she recalls happier times in her relationship with Shane and realises she still loves him. A warm and fuzzy read/listen, perfect for Christmas.

The second audiobook, Helle And Death, by Oskar Jensen also has a wintery theme. A group of university friends meet up ten years later at an isolated mansion. The host announces he's terminally ill and has left them all a bequest in his will. That evening the host is murdered. A storm means they are snowed in with no means of contacting the police. Who among them is a murderer? It's one of those stories where there are so many twists it's impossible to guess who the murderer is.

The final audiobook was The Library Of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina, a beautiful tale which examines grief, guilt and the redeeming value of love. A young man returns to his childhood home following the recent death of his mother. He befriends a young boy who his mother was helping with his schoolwork. Little do they realise they are both struggling with the guilt of the death of someone close to them. Through friendship they slowly begin to heal. 

Publication dates to watch for are:- 

The Queen Of Poisons by Robert Thorogood will be published on 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Helle And Death by Oskar Jensen will be published on 18/1/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Frank And Red by Matt Coyne will be published on 1/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

End Of Story by A. J. Finn will be published on 29/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format. 

The Dream Home by T. M. Logan will be published on 29/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format. 

A Death In Diamonds by S. J. Bennett

 

During a state visit to France in 1957 things don’t go quite to plan making the Queen think that someone close to her is trying to sabotage the trip. Upon returning to England a shocking double murder takes place not far from Buckingham Palace, a murder that has links to the aristocracy, the clergy and members of parliament. The Queen soon discovers that there are links even closer to home.

A Death In Diamonds by S. J. Bennett is the fourth book in the cozy crime series “Her Majesty The Queen Investigates”. Given the events of 2022, I did wonder if this series would continue. I am so pleased that the author has chosen to continue with the series, however, there is a slight change of tack with the latest outing. We go back in time to 1957 and meet a much younger Elizabeth, a Queen who has been head of state for five years.

Overall, I found the tone of this story a little darker than in previous books. This is most definitely down to the themes involved connected to the murder: escorts, espionage and Nazi Germany. This slightly darker tone certainly didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book, if anything it added a sense of menace and a greater air of mystery. We also have a country still struggling with the aftereffects of war, including the role of women.

We learned more about the Queen in her early days as monarch, along with the fact that she has been solving mysteries since she was a child. Our glimpse of the Queen shows a young woman trying to balance her role as Queen with that of a mother, she comes across as being very normal and down to earth where her family is concerned. It was easy to picture the antics of a young Princess Anne who, at seven years old, is described as indestructible.

In recent years we have witnessed a royal family trying to modernise itself, to make itself more relevant to society today. Our glimpse of the Queen in 1957 is no different. Realising that someone is out to sabotage the monarchy she realises that this is a time to rejuvenate the royal family, including speaking to the nation via the medium of television. This, along with a few other incidents in the book, gives us the opportunity to see a vulnerable side to the Queen. I really enjoyed the references to fashion. What the royal family wore was just as closely scrutinised in 1957 as it is today.

The one thing I did miss in this book is Roz, the Assistant Private Secretary who does most of the investigating on the Queen’s behalf. However, we are introduced to a fitting replacement, someone just as capable and formidable in the form of Joan McGraw. Joan is elevated from the role of secretary in the typing pool to Secretary (that capital S makes a vast difference in the royal household) and this doesn’t go down well with the other Secretaries, all male, who think that Joan is too “common” for the role. Joan runs rings around the other Secretaries, occasionally putting her own life at risk, as she investigates on behalf of the Queen.

I did wonder how the two storylines were connected and this kept me gripped, desperate to know more. The conclusions were an eye-opener, proving how easy it is to make assumptions. A Death In Diamonds is a history lesson, wrapped up in a mystery, encased in a wonderful series.

A Death In Diamonds by S. J. Bennett will be published on 1^st February 2024 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre Books for a review copy.

The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent

 

Molly Monroe wakes up the morning after her work Christmas party to find a stranger in her bed and no recollection of how he got there. She has no memory of the night before. A strange man in her bed is the least of her problems when she later learns that a video of her has gone viral. As if things couldn’t get any worse, she then discovers her flatmate, and best friend, is dead.

Every so often you read a book that you wish everyone else was reading at the same time so you could talk about it, The Murder After The Night Before is one of those books. Last year I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the audiobook, How To Kill Men And Get Away With It by Katy Brent. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, finding the lead character, Kitty Collins, a breath of fresh air and hoping for a sequel. The Murder After The Night Before isn’t that sequel (I believe a sequel is due in 2025), it’s a standalone novel but I think it’s on a completely different level.

Katy Brent has outdone herself with a novel that shines a light on the seamier side of culture. From the very beginning, you feel unsettled. Our lead character, Molly Monroe, has no recollection of the events of the previous night. This means Molly is just as much in the dark as the reader. As Molly tries to put the pieces together you have an uneasy feeling that something isn’t quite right. That uneasy feeling persists as Molly makes her way to work, explaining away the strange looks she’s getting as a result of her hungover appearance. It is only once Molly gets to work that the full horror of the situation is revealed.

At this point in the story, I was filled with absolute rage as we witness the hateful side of social media. Misogyny is rife and users feel they can say whatever they want, with no regard to the consequences. The way in which men and women are judged differently by society is very clear.

Molly is in shock and it is understandable that she chooses to hide away. She is shunned by people she once relied on, even her best friend and flatmate seems to be ignoring her. When her friend is found dead Molly initially blames herself. As she slowly pieces together the memories she is missing Molly learns that her friend, who was a journalist, was investigating the disappearance of a young girl. A disappearance that the media doesn’t seem interested in. As we discover the way in which people with power control the media disbelief turns to anger. As Molly learns that stories such as her viral video are used to deflect attention the reader can’t help but consider the way in which the general public is manipulated by the press.

As the conclusion approaches you are extremely concerned about Molly’s well-being. I was also on a knife-edge regarding one character in particular. While all the answers are revealed in the end, I do feel that there is a little loose thread that could allow us to see the return of @MollyMonroeNotMunro.

The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent will be published on 1^st February 2024 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.