Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley

 

Successful barrister Justine Hart is handed her first murder case defending Brad Finchley, a man accused of double murder. Reviewing the case notes she is shocked to discover that she knows the defendant as Jake Reynolds, her first love, who disappeared from her life eighteen years ago. Searching for answers Justine needs to return to her hometown and face the secret she has kept hidden for all of her adult life.

The dark cover, along with the blurb, was enough to draw me to Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley. The only thing better than a murder mystery is a murder mystery combined with a legal thriller. However, apart from Justine being a barrister, there is very little of the legal aspect to the story, but that does not detract from this dark and brooding psychological thriller in any way.

From the very beginning, you get the feeling that Justine is someone who is very restrained, almost emotionless. Being a barrister she needs to be dispassionate and able to compartmentalise her life in order to do her job successfully, but as we get deeper into the story we begin to learn that this is also a coping mechanism used to control her emotions and hide a dark secret from her past.

We discover that Jake/Brad disappeared from Justine's life unexpectedly, just after her father died in a tragic accident. Not long after the accident her mother shipped her off to live with relatives and she hasn't returned to her hometown of Maldon since. Justine always considered her mother to be disinterested in her and being sent away has only added to their strained relationship.

Upon returning to Maldon, secrets from the past begin to be revealed. We are given glimpses into Justine's emotional state, leaving us unsure if she's blocking memories because of trauma or because she doesn't want the past to taint her present. We also see how different characters play their part in covering up dark and twisted events, and the impact it has on them.

By digging into the past Justine slowly begins to piece together why Jake abandoned her. It felt as if pieces of a jigsaw were slowly being revealed, but it was a jigsaw without a picture. As more pieces are revealed you begin to form an idea of past events and an understanding of the motives behind each character. The author holds back one final piece until the very end, a piece that turns the story on its head and makes you rethink all of your assumptions.

Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley will be published on 27th March 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for a review copy.

Where Lost Girls Go by B. R. Spangler (Audiobook)

 

Detective Casey White is on enforced leave when she stumbles across a distraught girl at the edge of the woods. The injured girl keeps asking about her baby. Casey joins forces with the local police to search for the baby and uncover the girl's identity.

Where Lost Girls Go is my first book by author B. R. Spangler and is the first in the Detective Casey White series. The prologue has a dream-like quality and didn't really draw me in, it's the first two chapters that grab you. In chapter 1 we learn of a girl waking to discover she's been buried alive. In desperation she claws her way out of the grave, her only thought being to protect her unborn baby.

Chapter 2 is a complete change of story, going back fourteen years when Casey White's life is turned upside down. Casey is at home with her five-year-old daughter, Hannah, when she realises her daughter has managed to open the door and get outside. Rushing out Casey watches as Hannah is abducted.

In chapter 3 we are back to the present day. Casey has been forced to take time off from her job as a detective and decides to use the time to continue her search for her missing daughter, a daughter she has never given up on despite fourteen years having passed. On her way to the Outer Banks, she is startled when she spots a girl in the woods, a girl in an extremely distressed state.

The condition of the girl is a cause for concern, requiring a police investigation. When the body of another girl is found on an abandoned yacht Casey works with Jericho Flynn, the ex-sheriff, on the two cases. When they realise that the two cases could be linked this leads to the possibility that someone has been abducting girls, and there may be more out there.

It was extremely easy to understand Casey's motivation, she's been driven for fourteen years out of guilt. In all that time she's never given up hope of finding Hannah, the abduction haunts her every waking moment. Not only does she feel driven to solve the case of the abducted girls found in the Outer Banks but she also holds on to the belief that it may help her find Hannah.

Unraveling clues, the pair of Casey and Jericho uncover a series of shocking crimes that have been committed, gradually getting closer and closer to the truth behind everything. A tense confrontation leads to a devastating conclusion and disquieting revelations.

Where The Lost Girls Go by B. R. Spangler is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

B.R. Spangler is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author and resident of Virginia with a wonderful family and a few cats who insist on cowriter credits. During the day, the hours are filled with engineering work. Off hours, time is spent writing, editing, and thinking up new stories. Books are split across pen names, writing crime thrillers, science fiction, horrors, paranormal and contemporary fiction.

Making A Killing by Cara Hunter (Audiobook)

 

Back in 2016, eight-year-old Dasiy Mason disappeared and her body was never found. Sharon Mason, Daisy's mother was found guilty of the girl's murder. Eight years later, when the body of a woman is discovered forensic evidence linking to Daisy is uncovered resulting in the whole murder case having to be reviewed.

Making A Killing by Cara Hunter is book 7 in the DI Fawley series. The story revisits the first book in the series, Close To Home, in a spectacular way. A variety of narrators are used effectively to help try and distinguish between the numerous characters involved in the complex story.

The scene is quickly set thanks to a series of emails and newspaper cuttings. During the hunt for a missing woman, a body is discovered. It is evident the body has been buried for a while and analysis of forensic evidence results in shocking news. The body, a woman, contains trace evidence of Daisy Mason, an eight-year-old girl who disappeared in 2016 and was presumed dead, her mother was found guilty of the murder.

With the case being re-opened DI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is put in charge. This causes friction between the two police forces investigating the case. We also meet an extremely devious individual. 

The use of various forms of media makes for a pacey story, filled with shocks at every turn. While emails and text messages keep the momentum going I feel that they don't work well as an audiobook and detract from the plot, the format is much better suited to print.

Twists, turns and bombshells keep you gripped, desperate to discover exactly what happened eight years ago and more recently. The conclusion leaves the reader/listener on edge. While I didn't think this format worked well as an audiobook it has piqued my interest and made me want to read the DI Fawley series.

Making A Killing by Cara Hunter is available now in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for a review copy.

The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas

 

When Lena accidentally overhears a conversation between the new neighbours she's convinced they are about to commit a crime. Everyone around her is skeptical; why would two elderly, well-off, professionals do anything wrong? Lena is determined to find out more about her new neighbours.

In The New Neighbours author Claire Douglas has written a suburban thriller that anyone could identify with, after all, we've probably all listened in to conversations we shouldn't have and let our mind run wild.

From the intriguing opening pages, your interest is piqued; there are hints at an intense relationship and wrong-doing. An obsession that has become impossible to control anymore. From this provocative opening, we then meet Lena and her new neighbours, Marielle and Henry. Lena is recently separated, a separation of her own doing and something she's still unsure about. Lena lives with her seventeen-year-old son, Rufus, in a leafy suburb of Bristol. The new neighbours seem perfect until Lena overhears a conversation between them and convinces herself they are going to kidnap someone - and not for the first time. 

Determined to learn more, Lena begins to take risks and sneaks into the neighbours house. What she discovers reinforces her belief the the couple are up to no good. When she begins to uncover links to both her current job and her life twenty years ago fear sets in. 

As I read on I could feel my own apprehension increasing, uneasy about what was about to happen. Lena's son is doing a media studies course and at regular intervals throughout the story, the author cleverly uses references to iconic film noir movies where neighbours act suspiciously. These references increased the suspense and I found my pulse racing and my heart pounding as Lena puts her life at risk to expose the threat posed by her new neighbours.

The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas will be published on 13th March 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a review copy.

Author Details

Claire Douglas worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women's magazines and national newspapers, but had dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award with her first novel, The Sisters.
She is a Sunday Times bestseller and a frequent Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Her books have sold over two million copies in the UK alone.
She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.

Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora (Audiobook)

 

Amelia has it all, a beautiful baby girl, a loving husband and a home on an exclusive estate. Life should be perfect, but things start to unravel when she begins to receive letters that reveal someone knows about her past, a past she has kept carefully hidden from everyone.

You immediately feel the terror in the opening chapter of Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora as Amelia wakes to discover her home is on fire and her baby daughter is missing. As she frantically searches we get hints of secrets from the past and the possibility that current events are retribution. The narrative then jumps back eight weeks and we learn of Amelia's affluent lifestyle.

Amelia was living hand-to-mouth when she met her wealthy husband, Timothy. A whirlwind romance followed and an accidental pregnancy. Timothy insisted they marry immediately, something which didn't go down well with his moneyed parents. From that point on Amelia felt as if she was constantly being judged by her husband's family. The birth of her daughter made her even more emotional. Not only dealing with the disapproval of her in-laws she is also struggling as a first-time mother with no family or friends of her own to rely on. The isolation and loneliness are compounded when Timothy's ex-girlfriend returns. Celeste is the woman everyone assumed Timothy would marry and is immediately welcomed back by the family.

It is easy to put yourself in Amelia's position, she's desperate to be accepted but knows she doesn't fit into this well-to-do community. Determined to prove herself she tries to be a perfect mother and wife, refusing to accept any help. All the while her past haunts her, a past that is slowly revealed to the listener.

A younger voice narrates the past and gives us glimpses of tragic events which have moulded Amelia's life. Amelia hasn't revealed her past to her new family, she has re-invented herself in the hope of escaping the things she did wrong. However, when she begins to receive malicious notes she realises that her past has caught up with her. The problem is she doesn't know who is responsible. Could it be her sister-in-law, Celeste, or her ex-boyfriend? As Amelia frantically tries to figure out who is responsible the burden of keeping her past a secret begins to put a strain on her marriage.

Eventually the past and present collide, leading to the events of the opening chapter. As Amelia's secrets are revealed we discover the true nature of the tragic events which have hounded her and shocking twists leave you questioning all your assumptions.

Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora will be published on 17th February 2025 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

Anya Mora lives a ferry ride from Seattle, WA with her family. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.

A Brush With Death by J. M. Hall

Cleaner Chelsey Barlow is rushing to clean one of the holiday cottages on her route when she discovers the body of the owner, Neville Hilton. The look on his face, head thrown back as if he was howling, fills her with terror. Something just doesn't feel right. Apart from the dead body, the holiday let is immaculately tidy and there's a strange yellow line painted on the living room wall. Hopefully, retired teachers Liz, Pat and Thelma will be able to figure out what happened.

Aspiring writers are frequently told to write about what they know, to write about something they are passionate about. Author J. M. Hall has done just that in his Liz, Pat & Thelma series which features three retired primary school teachers who solve mysteries. A Brush With Death comes across as his most passionate book in the series. I love these books, which are frequently compared with The Thursday Murder Club series. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading both series but I find myself identifying with this series more often as I'm a retired teacher myself and the setting is North Yorkshire so many of the locations are familiar.

The description of the discovery of the body of Neville Hilton immediately brings a sense of dread, along with lots of questions. If someone had been staying in the holiday cottage why was it so clean? What was Neville doing in the cottage? Why had the tenant left early? Why is there a mysterious yellow line painted on the wall? When it is decided that Neville died of a heart attack it would have been easy to brush these questions aside if it hadn't been for Neville's ex-wife, Jax, convinced that something untoward had happened. When something disturbing happens in North Yorkshire the locals know that they can rely on Liz, Pat and Thelma to investigate.

It's the skills the three women have honed as primary school teachers that make the story so enjoyable. They are excellent at asking probing questions and know immediately when someone is lying. They're organised, meticulous, dogged, and can think outside the box, all of which means they leave no stone unturned as they dig into Neville's final hours.

Much of the investigation focuses on Neville's role as an Ofsted inspector. Having survived quite a few Ofsted inspections in my career everything that was written rang true for me, particularly the emphasis academy chains place on "Ofsted preparedness". The impact of inspections on staff and schools has been carefully woven into the mystery, showing the devastating consequences of a poor judgment. As I read my emotions constantly switched between immense sadness and all-consuming rage. This element of the storyline will probably resonate more with anyone who has worked in a school but I hope it sheds a light for those readers not as closely connected.

As the investigation takes various twists and turns the three women also have to balance issues taking place in their own lives, all of which make you feel as if any of them could be a relative, neighbour or friend. Liz is struggling to manage her diabetes, luckily her young grandson is on a crusade and is ensuring her diet is healthy. Pat has her son and his girlfriend living at home. They're arguing and Pat doesn't want to interfere but she can't help worrying. Thelma is keeping secrets from everyone, she's worried about a mysterious letter she's received but doesn't want to share its contents.

During the search for answers we meet a range of characters, some are prickly, others are engaging. Those who work closely with children come across as passionate about their jobs and show the numerous ways individuals and schools go above and beyond for the children in their care.

Passion is the crux of the story. By the conclusion, I felt incredibly sad for the way in which different people had been impacted by events and the demise of another. Luckily, there are tiny rays of hope for some. It's with sadness that I said farewell to Liz, Pat and Thelma. Reading the acknowledgements the author explains that he has now retired from teaching, I hope this means that we won't have to wait long for the next book in the series.

A Brush With Death by J. M. Hall will be published on 13th March 2025 in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a review copy.  

Author Details

J.M. Hall is an author, playwright and deputy head of a primary school. His plays have been produced in theatres across the UK as well as for radio, the most recent being Trust, starring Julie Hesmondhalgh on BBC Radio 4.
 

Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi

 

Claire's world is turned upside down when she decides to drop off lunch for her fiance at his office. She discovers he hasn't worked there for months. So where does he go each day? And why is he suddenly ignoring her phone calls and messages?

From the opening pages of  Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi you get a disconcerting feeling. We join Claire as she completes her diary detailing her one-year anniversary of meeting Noah, her fiance. The evening was spent together cooking, followed by chocolates and prosecco. Everything came across as too perfect, however, when you're as loved-up as Claire and Noah you are bound to have a slightly skewed view of the world.

Things begin to take a strange turn when Claire decides to drop off a special lunch for Noah during her lunch break. Along with her work colleague, Sukhi, they go to Noah's office but the receptionist has no knowledge of Noah. After some investigation, Claire is informed that Noah left for a new job months earlier. Claire is shocked to hear this as Noah hadn't told her. When she tries to phone him the calls go unanswered, there are no replies to text messages. Claire is distraught, she doesn't know what's happening.

The whole scenario, from discussing her relationship with Sukhi, through to discovering Noah no longer works where she thought he did continues the unsettled feeling I got from the opening pages. Once again the relationship between Claire and Noah comes across as too perfect and Claire's personality is too chirpy. I began to question what was true, wondering if Claire was delusional.

We follow a distraught Claire, aided by Sukhi, as she begins to trawl social media trying to find answers. Interspersed with the quest for answers are more diary entries from Claire. We learn about the day she met Noah, followed by sporadic days of their relationship, all of which continue to fuel the disquieting feeling I had, everything was too intense.

I couldn't put the book down, I desperately wanted to know what was happening. I needed answers regarding Noah's behaviour. I had to know what was real and what was imagined. As Claire's behaviour became more erratic you got a sense of danger lurking. I felt a little voyeuristic and grubby, that strange sensation when you know something isn't right but you just can't look away.

Claire is a strange character, she is constantly putting herself down, wondering why the incredibly handsome Noah would choose to be with someone as ordinary as her. You do feel sympathy towards Claire as you learn about her childhood with a mother who was emotionally and physically abusive, it is clear that she craves the love and attention she never got as a child. However, as her behaviour becomes more extreme and irrational you begin to wonder what the climax of the story will be.

Cuckoo by Callie Kazumi will be published on 13th March 2025 in paperback and audio format. The ebook will be available from 10th February 2025. My thanks to NetGalley and Century Publishing for a review copy.

Author Details

Callie Kazumi is a British-Japanese writer who started work on her first book after being gifted Stephen King's On Writing by her father. She lives in London with her husband and their Bichon Frisé, Betsy. Cuckoo is her debut novel.

A Trial In Three Acts by Guy Morpuss

 

Hollywood star Leo Lusk is on trial for murdering his ex-wife. Charles Konig, the leading barrister in the country is engaged to defend him. Konig has his work cut out for him as Lusk refuses to deny he carried out the murder which took place in front of a theatre audience.

I love murder mysteries. I love legal thrillers. Combine the two and I'm salivating. Throw in a little bit of historical information and you have a surefire winner for me. A Trial In Three Acts by Guy Morpuss offers all three of these. With an effortless writing style, engaging characters, touches of humour and a plot line that is at once utterly ridiculous and in another moment almost plausible you have a thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

Leo Lusk, movie star, has spent the past year in London starring in a play alongside his ex-wife, Alexandra Dyce. Following an acrimonious divorce, Dyce managed to turn the couple's daughter against her father and Lusk had hoped that the three of them working together on the production would allow him to rekindle some father-daughter bonds. Unfortunately, Dyce has continued to pour poison into her daughter's ear. When she is gruesomely murdered in full view of the audience suspicion immediately falls on Lusk.

Working alongside Konig in defense of Lusk is an American attorney, Yara Ortiz. The interactions between Ortiz and Konig highlight how different the legal systems are in America and the UK. The author has managed to write a story that flows easily and is immensely readable, avoiding all the boring stuffiness that takes place in the British court system.

I found the book impossible to put this down. The pace never let up and there was lots of misdirection. I had figured out the "who" very early on but was completely in the dark regarding the "how" until the big reveal. Let's hope that we see more of Charles Konig, KC, in the future.

A Trial In Three Acts by Guy Morpuss will be published on 6th March 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Guy Morpuss worked as a barrister for thirty years, on cases featuring drug-taking cyclists, dead Formula 1 champions and aspiring cemetery owners. Much like his fictional creation Charles Konig he was a celebrated King's Counsel, and enjoys writing letters to The Times to see how many they'll print. He is the author of Five Minds and Black Lake Manor, and his upcoming novel, A Trial in Three Acts, will be published by Viper in 2025. Guy lives near Farnham with his wife and two sons.