Female serial killers are a popular sub-genre at the moment.
I assumed The Six Murders Of Daphne St Clair by MacKenzie Common
would be in the same vein, filled with dark humour. Instead, it’s more of a mystery;
why would a ninety-year-old who has gotten away with murder for seventy years
suddenly confess? We learn about Daphne’s reasons, from abuse through to the
desire for wealth, through a podcast.
Georgina Moore’s debut novel gained lots of praise so I jumped at the chance to read her second novel, River Of Stars. A dual
time frame story featuring Jo and her grandmother, Mary, set on an island in
the Thames. I was engrossed by Mary’s story as a wild child of the sixties but
couldn’t warm to Jo. The setting, based on real-life Eel Pie Island, was
fascinating.
TV presenter Steph McGovern has certainly written about what
she knows in the thriller Deadline. During a live TV interview at a top-secret
location, presenter Rose Steedman’s feed is hijacked. The voice in her ear
informs her they have kidnapped her wife and son and if she wants to see them
again she must do exactly as she’s told.
When Ethan’s business trips become more frequent and last
longer, his wife Aria begins to wonder if he’s having an affair. Maryann
Webb delves into the suspicions and paranoia that develop in a rocky
marriage in My Husband’s Lies. Aria’s uncertainty isn’t helped when she
thinks she’s being followed and then a close friend is murdered.
Kiss Her Goodbye is the fourth book in the Frankie
Elkin series from Lisa Gardner. Frankie is a wanderer who takes on
difficult missing-person cases. This case involves a recent asylum seeker from
Afghanistan. A friend is convinced there must be foul play involved as the
young woman wouldn’t abandon her child. Frankie is helped along the way by some
memorable characters in this informative and exciting thriller.
My book group read for the month was Mr Lynch’s Holiday
by Catherine O’Flynn. A few years ago there were lots of novels about Brits
relocating to Europe and discovering themselves, this book is the antithesis of
that. Elderly Dermot Lynch suddenly decides to visit his son Eamonn in Spain.
When he arrives he discovers that the idyllic life Eamonn had hoped for has
become a nightmare.
The only audiobook this month was the wonderful The Light
A Candle Society by Ruth Hogan. Witnessing a funeral without
mourners, George McGlory learns about public health funerals. These are ones
organised by local councils when the deceased has no known relatives or
friends. Saddened by this, George is determined to try and attend any in the
future. As word spreads friends and colleagues do their bit to help. Despite
the sombre theme, the author avoids despondency by giving us brief glimpses of
the deceased when their lives were filled with happiness.
Publication dates to watch for are:-
River Of Stars by Georgina Moore will be
published on 3/7/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Deadline by Steph McGovern will be published
on 3/7/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner will be
published on 14/8/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
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