January 2024 Reads

 

A cheeky week away at the start of January allowed me to soak up some much-needed winter sunshine. Despite a long list of books waiting for me to read and review I decided to make a dent in my TBR pile, therefore January features quite a few older or recently published books.

His Favourite Graves by Paul Cleave initially looks to be a standard cat-and-mouse manhunt between a local sheriff and a serial killer. I certainly didn’t expect all the twists and turns the story would take. You are taken through a whole range of emotions, from empathy, shock, disbelief and revulsion. This is one of those books which is hard to describe without giving away plot twists. If you like dark and disturbing thrillers then this is for you.

Book 6 in the Luc Callanach series, Perfect Kill by Helen Fields, sees Callanach and Turner working in different countries on cases they eventually realise are linked. A missing young man, people trafficking and organ harvesting lead to some action-packed scenes where everyone’s life is put at risk.

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham is a slow burner. Introvert Margot is struggling to come to terms with the death of her friend. When she starts college she is beguiled by enigmatic Lucy. Things take a dark turn, however, when Lucy is accused of murdering Levi, the boy Margot blames for her friend’s death. This is a tale of lies, misdirection, manipulation and deceit.

Author Milly Johnson can always be relied upon to offer a warm hug in book format. The Happiest Ever After delivers just that. Polly Potter is taken for granted at home and at work. If only she could be as brave and assertive as her fictional character, Sabrina. When Polly loses her memory the only thing she is sure of is her name, Sabrina.

I love the TV series Slow Horses so decided to try the books. Slow Horses, by Mick Herron, is the first book in the Slough House series and introduces us to the occupants of Slough House, the place where failed spies are sent until they get bored and resign. Wonderful characters, particularly Jackson Lamb, race against time to save the life of a hostage and their own poor reputations.

I have loved every book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. It seems silly to say that each one is better than the last but it’s true. The Cutting Place by Jane Casey is book 9 in the series. A female journalist is murdered and Kerrigan has to investigate a story she was working on, an elite gentlemen’s club that abuses women. Kerrigan also has to deal with problems closer to home.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French is about the disappearance of a wife and mother and covers a thirty-year time period. Charlotte Salter’s husband seems unconcerned but her children, particularly daughter Etty, are adamant she wouldn’t abandon the family. It is only years later, when the police re-examine the evidence, that the family gains closure. I found the emotion in this quite raw.

Small Hours by Bobby Palmer is a modern-day fairy tale about a young man and a talking fox. Fans of the authors debut novel will know to expect something a little different in this unconventional love story that reminds us about the sacrifice parents make for their children and that redemption is possible.

Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan is the second book in the series featuring DCS Kat Frank and her AI holographic partner, AIDE Lock. The team are firmly in the public, and press, glare as they work on an active case involving the crucifixion of young men. We see clearly the benefits and pitfalls of using AI.

I was extremely fortunate to win an early proof of The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven so this was my final read of the month. Washington Poe recounts the harrowing case that has left him with PTSD. A religious cult, a high body count and lots of suspense. The ending is shocking in a number of ways.

Audiobooks

The Secrets Of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan offers a fascinating insight into Victorian England. We see the double standards that men and women are held to as we follow two very different women trying to push boundaries. There are lots of secrets to be uncovered, including the disposal of erotic art.

Publication dates to watch out for:-

The Secrets Of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan will be published on 8/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson will be published on 15/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French will be published on 29/2/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Small Hours by Bobby Palmer will be published on 14/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Leave No Trace by Jo Callaghan will be published on 28/3/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Mercy Chair by M. W. Craven will be published on 6/6/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.