Friday 1 November 2024

October 2024 Reads

 


Wow, the year is just flying by. It's hard to believe we're only 2 months away from 2025. I didn't read a massive number of books in October, however I did manage to get through three audiobooks.

In You All Die Tonight by Simon Kernick a group of seven people wake from a drugged state to find themselves locked in a remote mansion. They are informed that they’ve all been injected with a poison that will kill them in 12 hours unless the person among them responsible for the Black Lake murders confesses. Full of shocking twists, this read like something from the Saw franchise.

If you are a fan of psychological thrillers then The Neighbour’s Secret from Sharon Bolton will be right up your street. Set in a small village that hosts an annual convention by a mysterious religious group, one of the residents is constantly watching events and becomes obsessed with the newest resident. They are not the only character with an obsession, either.

The Seven by Robyn Delvey has an explosive start, a guaranteed hook to keep you reading. Flitting between the present day and fifteen months previously we learn about the shocking events which resulted in forty-three hostages being killed in an explosion, the guilt felt by many of the survivors, and a race against time to prevent the trial of the murderers from falling apart.

Goodbye Birdie Greenwing by Ericka Waller addresses some difficult themes such as loneliness and death, but offers hope, as we learn about three strong women. They are all neighbours who’ve never interacted previously, but fate intervenes, resulting in them allowing others into their lives, leading to a new lease on life and unexpected consequences.

Murder For Busy People by Tony Parsons is book 7 in the Max Wolfe series. After stumbling across the dead body of a dog walker Max finds himself dragged back to an infamous crime, one he was involved in just after graduating as a police officer. Only one person was ever convicted, Emma Moon. Sixteen years on Moon has been released from prison and those alleged to also have been involved in the crime begin to die.

Another twisty psychological thriller was Sharp Glass by Sarah Hilary. A woman is held captive in an isolated property. Her captor is convinced she knows something about an unsolved murder and is desperate to uncover the truth. The obsession with uncovering the murderer shines through, despite both characters being unreliable narrators. By the conclusion, I felt punch-drunk.

I managed three audiobooks this month, the first of which was the hilarious What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie. Wealthy Anthony Wistern dies accidentally, or was it murder? Told from three perspectives; his widow Olivia, amateur investigator Jade, and Anthony, who’s in limbo until he can figure out how he died. Filled with self-centred, spoilt and greedy characters, there are lots of twists as the author pokes fun at the lifestyle of the wealthy. Brilliantly narrated.

My second audiobook was Queen Bee by Jane Fallon. This wasn’t as light and frothy as I was expecting. Temporarily living in a studio on an exclusive housing estate, Laura is accused by Stella of chasing her fiancé, Al. When Laura uncovers exactly what is going on she lays everything out for Stella, including her fiancé’s plan to leave her penniless. Laura and Stella work together to ensure Al doesn’t get things all his own way.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin, was my third audiobook of the month. This is an unsettling and twisty thriller. Liv Reece wakes in a taxi to find messages scrawled across her hands and a bloody knife in her pocket. Rushing him she discovers strangers living in her apartment and two years missing from her memory. The suspect in a gruesome murder, her only solution, while trying to evade the police, is to track down her friends for answers.

Publications dates to watch out for are:-

You All Die Tonight by Simon Kernick will be published on 7/11/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Neighbour’s Secret by Sharon Bolton will be published on 7/11/24 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Seven by Robyn Delvey will be published on 1/1/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

Murder For Busy People by Tony Parsons will be published on 2/1/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.


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