The Transcendent Tide by Doug Johnstone

 

Eighteen months after escaping the US military, the Enceladons are hiding out in the Arctic. A wealthy entrepreneur has approached Lennox in the hope that he will lead him to them. Lennox is filled with  distrust, however, the billionaire has promised Lennox that his only interest is to see the Enceladons and learn more about them.

This has got to be one of the most difficult reviews I've ever had to write, I've stewed over it for days. I've been eagerly awaiting The Transcendent Tide by Doug Johnstone for two years. What follows is a spoiler-free review (I hope), but the story has left me in such turmoil. To say that I didn't enjoy the book would be wrong; what I didn't enjoy was the direction the story took, an entirely subjective point of view. The mix of emotions I felt as I read reflects how skillfully the author has written, ensuring Sandy, Xander, and a whole host of others have wormed their way into my heart.

The Transcendent Tide is book three in the Enceladons trilogy, a series in which a race of aliens arrives on Earth. If this sounds like science fiction, and that is a genre you shy away from, please don't be discouraged; this is really a story about humanity.

After the events of Camp Broom, the Enceladons have fled to the Arctic. Lennox, Vonnie and Ava are still in Scotland. Ava is raising her daughter, Chloe, and the others are working with a marine research group. All three miss their connection with the Enceladons, particularly Lennox, but realise that allowing them to remain undetected is vitally important. The arrival of a billionaire, adamant that his only motivation is to find out more about the strange alien creatures, throws things into doubt. It is Chloe's sudden illness that persuades them to accept the billionaire's offer to travel to Greenland.

This is a story that holds a mirror up to mankind, reflecting the good and bad in society. The Enceladons strive for a peaceful existence, living in harmony with their surroundings. We see this echoed in the Inuits, who call Greenland their home. Western culture doesn't fare well; greed, xenophobia, and a negative impact on the environment are just a few of the issues that are featured. 

We see how the Enceladons willingly accepted humans into their community and how quickly the Inuit respect the uniqueness of an alien race, unlike the "civilised" world, who care only about self. I was left shocked by the battle between what is essentially good and evil, dismayed at the turn the story took. This is a work of fiction, but echoes the way in which civilisation has expanded for hundreds of years, eradicating cultures and destroying habitats.

With The Transcendent Tide being the final book in the trilogy, I have been left with such mixed emotions. I've loved the series, adore the characters and feel as if I am part of their community; however, I am heartbroken by what mankind is capable of. 

Author Details

Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, includingThe Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for  In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.

Left In The Ashes by Anna Britton

 

Detectives Gabe Martin and Juliet Stern are on the hunt for a serial arsonist whose latest attack took the life of a young woman. At the same time, Gabe's past rears its head as the serial killer who murdered her brother strikes again.

Author Anna Britton is such a tease. At the end of the first book in the Martin & Stern series, Shot In The Dark, there was a cliffhanger that left readers desperate to know more. The second book, Close To The Edge, also finished on a cliffhanger, but this time around it had a very ominous feel. Answers finally arrived in the third book in the series, Left In The Ashes. 

The opening pages fill you with fear and panic as you witness the final moments of a young woman trapped in a burning building. Someone has been targeting empty properties on ancestral estates. This time around, there is a fatality: a female hiker who had camped in the empty building overnight. DI Stern and her partner, DS Gabe Martin, are handling the case, trying to uncover if the death was accidental or targeted.

Just as the pair are beginning the investigation, the body of a young boy is discovered in a barrel, the seventeenth victim of a serial killer known as the Barrel Man. The killer has been terrorising the country for thirty-five years and has a close connection to Gabe. As a child, Gabe and her brother, Barnabas, were abducted by the killer; only Gabe survived.

While the plot centres around tracking down two murderers, the book is really about Gabe and her reaction to having to relive a traumatic event. The author has written with such empathy and understanding that it is impossible not to feel the severe reactions Gabe suffers. Haunted by the past, particularly survivor's guilt, Gabe is filled with shame. Her coping mechanism has been to lock everything away; however, every time the Barrel Man strikes again, she has to face her feelings. This time around, with the case being close to home, she can't avoid scrutiny. Trying to battle through, unwilling to seek help or burden others, has devastating consequences.

With the majority of the storyline focusing on Gabe, Juliet Stern takes a backseat in the narrative. Stern is still as reserved and aloof as ever, something that Gabe is appreciative of. She doesn't want to have to discuss her feelings. We are given a very brief clue regarding Stern's home life, a thread that is slowly developing over the series.

There are some familiar characters, individuals who have featured heavily over the previous two books in the series, people who are always going to raise suspicion. As both storylines reach a conclusion, one in spectacular fashion and the other the result of dogged determination and sheer luck, you're left with a sense that all is almost right with the world - and then the author throws in another teaser!

Left In The Ashes by Anna Britton will be published on 18th September 2025 in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for a review copy.

Author Details

Anna lives on the Isle of Wight with her husband and their chronically clumsy Labrador. An avid reader, she began writing around ten years ago and hasn’t stopped since. Anna works as a freelance editor and loves helping out other authors. When not filling her head with stories, Anna enjoys baking (and eating) cakes and exploring rivers in her kayak.

#Cover Reveal - My Rock Star Neighbor by Kathy Strobos

 

Today, I'm delighted to be taking part in the cover reveal for My Rock Star Neighbor by Kathy Strobo. Reading the synopsis below, this sounds like such a fun read, with a slight mystery edge. Who among us hasn't dreamt of dating a star?

Synopsis

When a wary rock star and a cynical reporter fake date to bury a scandalous rumor, will true love be exposed as the real story?

Nick: I do my best songwriting while playing my guitar on the fire escape. Unfortunately, my in-bed-at-ten next-door neighbor, Maddie, is not a fan of my music. She clambers out on the fire escape to yell at me about making "noise.”  In bunny slippers, no less. But then she trips and falls into my arms.

That photo of Maddie plastered all over me hits the papers, just as my dream recording company wants to sign my band. Which is a problem, because an obsessed fan is claiming that I’m her boyfriend and now the media is blowing up that I’m two-timing them both. Good-bye recording contract, unless….

Maddie: I’m supposed to cover the story. Not be the story! But when Nick begs me to fake date, I can’t resist the chance to be Nick’s girlfriend—even if fake—the opposite of my life as a city desk reporter. But my ex said I’m a terrible kisser, and there’s no way I want Mr. Hot Rock Star saying the same thing. Hence, clause 11 in our contract: There will be absolutely no physical contact.

Nick: When Maddie receives a threatening photo of the two of us with an X over her face, my desire to protect her suddenly feels all too real. It’s either a troll or her undercover investigation has been compromised. With both our careers at stake, is breaking up the only way to keep Maddie safe?

Publication Date: 10^th October 2025

Pre-order Links
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHZ2LNFR/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FHZ2LNFR/
https://books.apple.com/us/book/my-rock-star-neighbor/id6748830148

Author Details

Kathy Strobos is an award-winning author living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys, and dollhouses. She took a break from working as a lawyer to write romantic comedies full-time and get in shape. She is still working on getting in shape.

Born and raised in Manhattan, she loves writing about New York City and her smart heroines who live and fall in love there, amidst its vibrant energy and the aroma of homemade chocolate chip cookies. She is the award-winning author of: A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real?, Caper Crush, My Book Boyfriend, Love Is an Art and My Secret Snowflake.

Clown Town by Mick Herron

 

Diana Taverner, First Desk at MI5, is using an old spy network to do her dirty work. When she tries to involve the slow horses in her scheme, things don't go quite to plan.

I managed to read Bad Actors at the start of the month, bringing me up to date with the Slough House series in preparation for the release of book 9 in September. I was over the moon when the publishers gave me access to an early copy for review. In Clown Town, author Mick Herron takes his time to meticulously set up the narrative, very much like setting up a chessboard to resume a game that is partway through.

As the pieces are carefully positioned, ready for battle to commence, we see Diana Taverner seeking help from Jackson Lamb, something which is unheard of. Taverner is in trouble with HR and needs Lamb to get one of his slow horses to find out who has made accusations against her. Academics are studying the books left behind by David Cartwright, but one has gone missing, and there's something strange about it. Peter Judd is leaning on Diana Taverner to coerce government ministers to look favorably on Chinese interests. And, an old group of spies is trying to blackmail MI5.

With the board set, pieces are slowly moved, and everyone's aim seems to be to take the queen. Fans of the series will be well aware that Diana Taverner is really only motivated by self-preservation. In her dealings with the group of retired spies, we get a real glimpse of how savage she can be in protecting her own interests.

Mick Herron has made a number of timely pop culture references, some are hilarious and others are scathing. I regularly found myself laughing out loud, mainly because of the antics of Roddy Ho, who seems to be more delusional with every book, and the deliberate malapropisms of Jackson Lamb.

The slow horses themselves are acting independently of each other as usual, frequently impulsively and often clashing. When they insert themselves into the carefully choreographed game of chess, all hell breaks loose, and it becomes more like a frantic game of hungry hippos, with devastating consequences. We're then kept in suspense as to the actual outcome of the disaster. I found myself hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. Long-time fans know not to become too attached to any particular characters as slow horses are not bulletproof.

We're given a very brief glimpse into what makes Jackson Lamb tick when Catherine Standish realises that he's burdened by a debt he's spent most of his life trying to pay off, but no one knows what the debt is or how he acquired it. This heavy burden goes a long way to explaining the shocking conclusion.

Clown Town by Mick Herron will be published on 11th September 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Baskerville for a review copy.

Author Details

Mick Herron is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Slough House thrillers, which have been published in over twenty-five languages and are the basis of the award-winning TV series Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb. Among his other novels are the Zoë Boehm series, also now adapted for TV starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, and the standalone novels The Secret Hours and Nobody Walks. Mick’s awards include the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold, Steel and Diamond Daggers. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and now lives in Oxford.

Stillwater by Tanya Scott (Audiobook)

 

All Luke Harris wants to do is earn enough money to survive on while studying. A new placement brings him face-to-face with the dangerous past he thought he'd escaped from.

Luke Harris is a man with a past, one he hoped he'd escaped from by leaving Melbourne years ago. In Stillwater by Tanya Scott, Luke has returned to his hometown to study. To make ends meet, he works as a disability support worker, and it is during a new placement that his past comes crashing back. Luke is an engaging and likeable character; he's intelligent, empathetic and composed, skills which serve him well working with adults with learning difficulties. 

As a child, Luke's homelife was chaotic with a drug-addicted mother and a father involved in petty crime. One of Melbourne's crime lords, Gus Alberici, saw something in Luke and took him under his wing. As the story moves back in time, we learn that Luke was originally called Jack Quinn and through Gus, he was taught skills to help Gus's criminal endeavours. Since returning to Melbourne, Luke has kept his head down, hoping that this, along with the name change, will stop Gus finding him and dragging him back into a life of crime.

The story is action-packed, with some of it being quite violent, as Luke's past and present collide. When Gus discovers Luke/Jack is back in the city, he quickly gets his claws into him. Luke is desperate to protect the people around him, so he goes along with Gus's plans, hoping to find a way of getting Gus off his back for good. Gus is trying to track down Luke's father, who has disappeared with a large amount of money belonging to Gus; the problem is that Luke hasn't seen his father in years.

I enjoyed the chapters that skipped to the past and gave us a glimpse of Luke's childhood; we gained a greater understanding of the decisions he makes in the present. Life, both now and in the past, is a fine balancing act for Luke, trying not to upset Gus, who is a violent and unforgiving man. As Luke tries to do what Gus wants, and keep a distance between him and his new life, we slowly realise that there are secrets he desperately wants to keep hidden.

As the two timelines merge, we reach shocking conclusions in both. A host of secrets are revealed, and some ghosts are put to rest. For Luke, there is a chance that he can continue the new life he has forged for himself however; I hope this isn't the last we see of the character.

My thanks to NetGalley and W. F. Howes Ltd for a review copy.

Author Details

Tanya Scott is a writer, doctor and medical educator. With years of experience working in mental health care, she has learned more from her patients than from any textbook - not just about physical and mental health, but about humanity, resilience and the absurdity of life.

She is based on Wadawurrung Country, on the Victorian Surf Coast, with her family and pets. When not writing, she can be found with her head in a book or braving the wind at the beach. Stillwater is her first novel.

The Dead Tracks by Tim Weaver

 

Seventeen-year-old Megan Carver has been missing for seven months. With the police making no progress, her family hires missing person investigator David Raker in the hope that a fresh pair of eyes will discover what happened to their daughter.

The David Raker series by Tim Weaver was recommended to me a year ago, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series, Chasing The Dead (you can read my review here). I was really looking forward to reading more in the series, particularly as there are fourteen books, but I'm ashamed to say that my plans fell through. Having finally found some time, I made a start on the second book in the series, The Dead Tracks, and I'm now kicking myself for not picking this book up sooner.

When David Raker is hired to look into the Megan Carver disappearance, a missing persons case that the police have made no progress on in seven months, he assumes that if he manages to locate the teenager, it will be her body he finds. Having previously been a journalist, Raker has built up a network of contacts that he uses to full effect to quickly bring him up to date on the case. Discovering that another girl went missing shortly before Megan, he's shocked that the police haven't connected the cases or informed the public. You can feel Raker's disbelief and anger, and this intensifies when he discovers the reason behind the lack of interest.

The story is full of twists as Raker discovers connections to organised crime and a serial killer. The serial killer element adds a seriously sinister tone to the story as it bears an uncanny resemblance to the case of murderer Milton Sykes, who operated in the area almost 100 years previously. The legend of Sykes still fills locals with dread. 

With the police regularly trying to dissuade Raker from investigating Megan's disappearance I began to suspect that a police officer was behind the abductions. Thankfully, Raker is the type of investigator who refuses to back down; his backstory also makes him careless where his own safety is involved. The plot moves at a blistering pace, with danger lurking around every corner and a villain who seems to have eyes everywhere. The story is very violent at times, and you can understand the desperation a parent feels and the lengths they will go to for answers. I was frantically turning the pages, desperate to know how everything fitted together, and whether Megan was alive or dead. I ended up reading late into the night, not a good idea when the book is creepy, to find out how the story would end. All I want to do now is move straight on to the next book in the series.

Author Details

Tim Weaver is the Sunday Times bestselling author of fifteen novels, including No One Home, The Blackbird and The Last Goodbye, and a short story collection. He is also the host and producer of the chart-topping Missing podcast and is currently developing an original TV series with the team behind Line of Duty. A former journalist and magazine editor, he lives near Bath with his wife and daughter.

The Life She Could Have Lived by Laura Pearson

 

Anna has a decision to make. Her husband of one year, Edward, has announced he would like them to start a family. The choice Anna makes will impact the rest of her life.

Author Laura Pearson has written some extremely inventive novels, such as The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine/The Life and Loves Of Becca Valentine (you can read my review here) and The Many Futures Of Maddy Hart (my review is here). The theme of her new novel, The Life She Could Have Lived, isn't quite as original but is still a very enjoyable read and one that will be familiar with many women.

This time around, the author has played with the "sliding doors" idea. Each chapter takes place on 5th June, a year apart. The date is significant as it's Anna and Edward's wedding anniversary. They've been together for five years, married for one. It is on their first anniversary that Edward announces that he'd like them to try for a baby. A baby isn't something Anna has given much thought to. The couple are financially well off thanks to Edward's job and, after stalling a few times, Anna has finally settled into a job she enjoys and wants to progress in. Anna had assumed things would simply continue as they are.

The novel then splits into two different timelines, one in which Anna says yes to her husband, and the other in which she says no. Each year, on her wedding anniversary, we get a glimpse into Anna's life and see how the choice she made has impacted her. 

I loved the way in which the author focused on how Anna's life progressed based on her decision. In most instances, it is the mother's life that changes drastically when the decision is made to start a family; careers can stall, social circles narrow, and the sense of identity can be lost, you simply become someone's mother. In contrast, we see the complete opposite when Anna decides to remain childless.

Laura Pearson skillfully navigates the options without hinting that one choice is better than another. As someone who doesn't have a maternal bone in her body, I felt aspects of the story really resonated with me, particularly the constant assumption that having children is something you will eventually get around to and even having to explain your decision. 

My heart did go out to the version of Anna who chose to have children. Trying to balance being a working mother and raising a family seemed to be an impossible task. Anna felt as if she was constantly failing at everything she did, and self-care was always at the bottom of her to-do list. 

Over the space of eighteen years, we follow both Anna's and her constant wondering "what if" she had made a different decision, through highs and lows, mistakes, love and loss. The conclusion doesn't offer a solution, a confirmation that one alternative is better than the other. We simply see Anna content with the life she has forged for herself.

The Life She Could Have Lived by Laura Pearson will be published on 12th September 2025 in hardback, paperback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Laura Pearson is the author of the #1 bestseller The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. She founded The Bookload on Facebook and has had several pieces published in the Guardian and the Telegraph.

The Final Vow by M. W. Craven

 

A lone sniper has brought the country to a standstill. Over six months, seventeen people have been killed. Each killing has been random. With the task force investigating no nearer to finding the murderer, it is suggested they bring in someone who is able to think outside the box, Washington Poe.

From the moment M. W. Craven announced the title of the seventh book in the Washington Poe series I was filled with trepidation. The Final Vow just sounds so final. The opening pages did nothing to dispel the feeling; the tension is palpable, there is a sense of uncertainty and dread, and then we are given shocking news, news that will be a blow to fans of the series.

Without a moment to process your feelings, we are transported back a few weeks as we learn about the catastrophe facing the country. A lone sniper is targeting people up and down the country at random. The country has gone into a self-imposed lockdown, with everyone fearful they could be the next target. The police are at a loss as the locations and individuals have no connections, and no forensic clues have been left behind.

A familiar face suggests that fresh eyes may be beneficial, but not just any eyes, someone who has a proven track record of finding killers; Washington Poe. Poe is still persona non grata following the events of The Mercy Chair, and as a result, is working on a fishing trawler trying to catch drug smugglers. Poe loves the outdoors, but he dislikes people and absolutely hates smelling of fish; as a result, we are immediately reintroduced to his caustic wit and scathing insults. He's also not in a forgiving mood, so he will only agree if DI Stephanie Flynn and Tilly Bradshaw are brought onboard.

It is the combination of Poe and Tilly that makes this series of books special. Poe is very protective of Tilly, and there is one hilarious scene in particular where we see this in action. Tilly keeps Poe in check, taming his sarcasm to tolerable levels and desperately trying to get him to eat more healthily. Tilly is the one who spots the reason behind the random nature of the targets, leading to a frantic manhunt. Poe knows how to get under someone's skin, to make them react and uses this to full effect to taunt the killer. The tension builds as the hunt becomes more focused, leading to disastrous results. 

There is a sombre tone to the last half of the novel, much of which follows from the opening pages. I found myself frantically turning pages, filled with an equal mixture of dread, disbelief and hope. The conclusion is typical of Washington Poe, willing to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of those he loves and cares about. I am looking forward to seeing what direction this series takes in the future.

The Final Vow by M. W. Craven will be published on 14th August 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Multi-award-winning author M.W. Craven was born in Carlisle but grew up in Newcastle. He joined the army at sixteen, leaving ten years later to complete a social work degree. Seventeen years after taking up a probation officer role in Cumbria, at the rank of assistant chief officer, he became a full-time author. He is an instant Sunday Times bestseller and, for his Cumbria-set Washington Poe series, a recipient of the 2019 Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger, the 2022 Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2023. The series has now been translated into twenty-nine languages.

The Cut Throat Trial by S. J. Fleet (The Secret Barrister)

 

Three youths are on trial for the brutal murder of an old man. Each of them is blaming the other two. It is down to the barristers to unearth the truth of what happened on the fateful night.

The definition of a cut-throat defense is one where a defendant gives evidence that is damaging to a co-defendant's case, even going as far as directly accusing them of the crime committed. S. J. Fleet (The Secret Barrister) has used this as the basis for the novel The Cut Throat Trial.

From the opening pages, which detail the horrific crime carried out by the three defendants, Craig, Arron and Jamal, I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down until I'd finished. The trial is relayed from a variety of perspectives: the judge presiding over the case, the prosecuting barrister, the three defense barristers, and the three teenagers. Each has a very distinct voice, from the pompous barrister defending Craig, to Jamal's emotionally unstable barrister, through to the desperate prosecutor. We discover that the people behind the gowns and wigs have lives that impact the role they play.

Reading felt very much like being a fly-on-the-wall during the trial, with the added bonus of knowing the thoughts of the individuals concerned. There are hints that events are not as clear-cut as they first seem. Unreliable, volatile and unpredictable witnesses add confusion and make the task of the barristers more difficult.

As the trial progressed, we are introduced to multiple versions of what happened. As important information is withheld, both accidentally and intentionally, you never quite know what actually happened. Even when the defendants take the stand and, little by little, lies are uncovered, you still have that hesitancy. Can you trust what any of them are saying? Are they simply looking to protect themselves? 

Despite the terrible crime committed, it was impossible not to feel some sympathy for the three young men accused of murder. Dysfunctional home lives show the clear route to crime, one that is played out on a regular basis around the country. We also see how Young Offender Institutions, where the three accused are held on remand, can be grim and violent.

By switching between the different characters and drip feeding us information, the author keeps the reader hooked and the pages turning. Not only was I fully invested in the outcome of the trial, but I also wanted to know what happened on the night in question. We are also given a glimpse of what proceedings in a Crown Court are like, as, hopefully, this is something very few of us will experience. It is vastly different from the vision we frequently see portrayed in American TV dramas.

Even at the end of the trial, when the jury gives their verdict, there is still that sense of misgiving, a feeling that not everything has been laid bare. Luckily, the final few pages put to rest those nagging doubts and worries.

The Cut Throat Trial by S. J. Fleet/The Secret Barrister will be published on 28th August 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

Author Details

The bestselling author, The Secret Barrister, writes fiction as S. J. Fleet. A junior barrister specializing in criminal law, they write for many publications and are the author of the award-winning The Secret Barrister blog. Their first book, The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It’s Broken, was a Sunday Times number-one bestseller and spent more than a year in the top-ten bestseller list; it won the Books Are My Bag Non-Fiction Award and was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year and the Specsavers Non-Fiction Book of the Year. Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies and Nothing But the Truth: The Memoir of an Unlikely Lawyer were instant Sunday Times top-ten bestsellers on publication. The Cut Throat Trial is their first novel.

Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville

 

Rebecca Carter wakes in a strange place to discover her daughter, Moonflower, is missing. Her only concern is to find her daughter before someone else does.

I believe Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville is to be part of a trilogy. If you haven't read the first book in the series, Blood Like Mine (my spoiler-free review is here), I'd stop reading right now and rectify that. This really is a book where you need to know what happened previously, particularly as the action picks up almost immediately after the ending of the first book.

The aftermath of the first book has left an FBI agent dead, and Rebecca is not only separated from her daughter, but her worst fear has come true. Survival and finding Moonflower are the only concerns driving her. Miles away, Moonflower has found two brothers who sympathise with her plight and are willing to help her. All the while, the partner of the FBI agent who was killed is determined to track the mother and daughter down.

This is a book that is filled with moral ambiguity. What is essentially a battle between good and evil, we discover that there are spectrums within both camps. Rebecca is consumed by guilt for letting her daughter down and for the actions she is forced to take simply to survive. Likewise, FBI agent Sarah McGrath is struggling to come to terms with the death of her partner and is determined to punish the people responsible. It is impossible not to feel sympathy for both women.

For Moonflower, lost and alone, there is a ray of hope when she encounters brothers Jacob and Will. The pair understands her plight and offer her a place of sanctuary. You can understand Moonflower's hesitation. Her mother has spent years telling her never to trust anyone, and suddenly she finds two people, and possibly more, who understand her.

The action is non-stop as all three threads converge, leading to a cataclysmic showdown. The only questions are who to trust and who will survive?

Blood Like Ours by Stuart Neville will be published on 28th August 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for a review copy.

Author Details

Stuart Neville's debut novel, The Twelve (published in the USA as The Ghosts of Belfast), won the Mystery/Thriller category of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was picked as one of the top crime novels of 2009 by both the New York Times and the LA Times. He has since published ten more critically acclaimed books, two of which were under the pen name Haylen Beck, and a collection of short stories. He has been shortlisted for several awards, including the MWA Edgar Award for Best Novel, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, the Barry, Macavity, and Dilys awards, and the Irish Book Awards Crime Novel of the Year.

Two Perfect Couples by Renita D'Silva (Audiobook)

 

Two families are looking forward to a dream holiday together in Goa, but disaster strikes on their first evening when one of the children goes missing. Fear, guilt and recriminations abound. The involvement of the local police brings lots of secrets bubbling to the surface.

Two Perfect Couples by Renita D'Silva is a slow-burn psychological thriller that puts you right into the mind of a mother wracked with guilt. Jo and are family are holidaying in the country of her husband Yash's birth. With them are their close friends, Lydia and Paul. The disappearance of Ajit, Jo and Yash's youngest child, throws the whole situation into turmoil. Has the boy climbed out of the window and wandered off, or has something more sinister happened?

Narrated well by Melissa Advani, you get a true sense of Jo's rising panic as the hunt for Ajit by the two families produces nothing. Jo is consumed by remorse, convinced she has failed her son. After the unsuccessful search of the beach and the surrounding area, the families know that they need to involve the police. 

The local police are convinced that Ajit has been kidnapped. As Inspector Sharma begins to question the adults, we discover that there are a number of possible suspects and that everyone is hiding secrets. There are plenty of shocks in store as secret after secret is revealed, leaving the friends questioning if they truly know each other. The burden of responsibility for Anjit's disappearance is placed firmly on Jo's shoulders, a combination of accusation and self-recrimination. Jo's mental state isn't helped by a series of taunting text messages she receives, which disappear after being read, and those around her fail to believe her.

I had a vague inkling as to the reason for Anjit's disappearance, but the author produced a twisty and shocking conclusion that left me gasping as the true motive behind the kidnapping was revealed.

Two Perfect Couples by Renita D'Silva is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for a review copy.

Author Details

Renita grew up in a picturesque coastal village in the South of India, the oldest of three children. Her father got her first story books when she was six and she fell in love with the world of stories. Even now she prefers that world, by far, to this.

#Cover Reveal The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn

 

Today, I'm pleased to be taking part in the cover reveal for The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glynn. The synopsis below sounds absolutely perfect. What could be better than the combination of books and sunshine? It sounds truly idyllic. I hope you agree.

Synopsis

Where books are borrowed, and friendships are forged…

When her beloved grandfather dies, Ana Meštrović buys a catamaran in his memory, which she names Dida Krila – Grandad’s Wings.

For the summer months, it will be transformed into a travelling library, delivering books to children living across the Croatian islands.

Joined by crew members Natali, a young mechanic afraid of her own shadow, and Lloyd, an older widower who needs a fresh start, the newly-formed trio all have their own reasons for needing the floating library to be a success.

Embarking on an adventure that will change them for good, they each discover that a new chapter is only a boat ride away…

Pre-order Link - https://mybook.to/CroatianIslandLibrary

Publication Dates - 16th January 2026 (ebook),  29th January 2026 (paperback)

Author Details

Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.

Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club, and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library to be published in January 2026.

In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatian, a country she loves.

Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.

Bad Actors by Mick Herron

 

An academic, a member of a government think-tank, has gone missing. In the race to discover her whereabouts first desk at MI5 is pitted against a special advisor to Number 10. The outcome could have long-reaching consequences for the future of MI5.

Knowing that book 9 in the Slough House/Slow Horses series is due out in September, I was determined to get up-to-date with the series before then. Bad Actors by Mick Herron is book 8 in the series. I found this book to focus more on political machinations, with control of MI5 being at the heart of the story.

Anthony Sparrow is a special advisor to the Prime Minister, to all intents and purposes, the real person controlling the government. Sparrow is a decidedly unpleasant individual, and it doesn't take much imagination to figure out the inspiration behind the character. He doesn't like the fact that MI5 operates independently of government and sets about plotting the downfall of Diana Taverner in a bid to discredit the Security Service and bring it under the control of No. 10. What Sparrow doesn't realise is that Taverner is a slippery customer, usually two steps ahead of everyone else.

The political infighting, double crossing and hints at possible Russian assets in the UK make this much more of a genuine spy thriller than the rest of the series. The team of slow horses doesn't feature quite as much as they have done in previous novels, but when they do, chaos ensues. Shirley Dander is the stand-out character this time around and is best described as a Tasmanian Devil; there are some truly comic scenes when she is involved. My favorite line of the whole book involves a stand-off between Shirley and a knife-wielding thug. She looks down at her hand, "Just like a slow horse, she thought. Bringing a spork to a knife fight".

Jackson Lamb is as disgusting, misogynistic and brilliant as ever; his level of sarcasm is top-notch. For fans who were left devastated at the end of Slough House, the ending of Bad Actors offers a tiny ray of hope.

Author Details

Mick Herron is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Slough House thrillers, which have been published in over twenty-five languages and are the basis of the award-winning TV series Slow Horses, starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb. Among his other novels are the Zoë Boehm series, also now adapted for TV starring Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson, and the standalone novels The Secret Hours and Nobody Walks. Mick’s awards include the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the CWA Gold, Steel and Diamond Daggers. A fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and now lives in Oxford.

#BlogTour Love Or Your Money Back by Suzy K Quinn

 

Synopsis

Is marriage about love or marketing?

Kat is 34, single and running out of time – she wants to get married before she turns 35, but her fiancé just ditched her for a 21-year-old life coach.

Freddy is a ruthless marketing guru who thinks love is just transactional. He’ll use his marketing genius to make Kat the most sought-after woman in London, if she lets him rebrand her struggling company.

With her 35th birthday looming and her love life a disaster, Kat agrees to become Project Marriage.

Can a rebrand king sell happily ever after? Or is love something even the best marketer can't package and promote?

A smart, funny romantic comedy for fans of Emile Henry (Funny Story), Lucy Score and Ali Hazelwood.

My Review

Welcome to my spot on the blog tour for Love Or Your Money Back by Suzy K Quinn. I don't read a lot of romance, so to entice me, the synopsis of a book has to be great, and that's exactly what happened with this book. 

It's obvious from the beginning where the story is going to end, but with most romance novels, it's the journey that we're really interested in. This struck me as a version of My Fair Lady/Pretty Woman. Kat Friedman runs her own publishing company. Dealing with a chronic illness and a bunch of employees who are hopeless means that Kat doesn't have a lot of time for herself. In steps Freddy Stark, a marketing guru who has just bought half the company. Sparks immediately start flying between the pair, but not in a good way.

Kat is a sympathetic character, and Freddy is brash and self-centred. As they skirt around each other, we learn that Kat is desperate to be married by the age of 35, and considering she's now 34, that doesn't leave much time. When this is combined with the fact that her hopeless boyfriend of fifteen years has recently dumped her and is now marrying a twenty-one-year-old, you can understand Kat's frustration. Freddy claims everything is about the right marketing - packaging, placement and promotion - and offers to help Kat in her quest in exchange for more control in the company.

As Freddy carefully packages and promotes his new "product", my opinion of him quickly changed; he's respectful, considerate, generous, emotionally intelligent and supportive. Freddy does his job so well that Kat is eventually fending off suitors. At this point, I found Kat to be too desperate and lacking in self-esteem, which is a complete contrast to the fiery, intelligent and resilient business woman whose company wins awards.

Freddy states that "A marketer's job is to see value where no one else does", and it doesn't take long for him to spot the true value of Kat, but what will he do? Does he throw his hat in the ring, or does he leave Kat to decide between her suitors? There's also Kat's hopeless ex-boyfriend, her first love, who continues to hang around like a bad smell. 

Love Or Your Money Back by Suzy K Quinn is available now in ebook format. My thanks to Suzy K Quinn and Rachel's Random Resources for a review copy.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Your-Money-Back-funniest-ebook/dp/B0FDBMMZQQ

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Your-Money-Back-funniest-ebook/dp/B0FDBMMZQQ

Author Details

Suzy K Quinn writes romantic comedy / rom com books / cozy mystery and has sold over 1 million books worldwide. She is a bestseller in the UK, US and Germany and has plans for total world domination with more feel-good books (bestsellers, obviously) in the near future.

Suzy lives in Wivenhoe, Essex, with her husband Demi and two daughters. She is a twin, an incompetent parent of two and now fully decaffeinated. Her twin sister, Cate Quinn, is also a bestseller author. When she's not writing, she is reading rom coms and cozy mysteries.

Suzy loves her readers and is ALWAYS happy to chat on social media - she's @suzykquinn on all the socials. You can also get a free book at her website:

www.suzykquinn.com

#BlogTour One Snowy Day by Shari Low

 

Synopsis

On a cold winter’s day, a storm is brewing in the village of Weirbridge...

Georgie Dern has the chance to swap her empty nest for the job of a lifetime in Los Angeles. Can she chase her dream if it means letting down the woman who has given her the world?

Jessie McLean should be counting down the hours until she jets off to spend her retirement years in the sun. But when a devastating betrayal resurfaces, she has to choose between a fresh start and staying behind to settle old scores.

Alyssa Canavan has spent years building the business she adores. Now a legal letter has threatened her home and livelihood, but how does she fight a family that doesn’t give a damn?

Lachlan Morden is forced to return to Scotland to face the people who almost destroyed him. Will coming home reopen old wounds, or will a memory from the past lead him to the perfect revenge?

One snowy day, four lives, but who will have a bright new future when the snow is gone?

My Review

Welcome to my spot on the Blogtour for One Snowy Day by Shari Low. This is the first book by Shari Low that I've read, despite the author having an extensive back catalogue. I'm pleased to say that it certainly won't be my last. I found the book to be pure escapism, filled with larger-than-life characters that you cared about. As the story progressed, I found myself completely invested in the lives of the tight-knit community and felt as if I were one of them.

Set over the space of one winter's day in the Scottish village of Weirbridge we meet Jessie McLean. Not only is it Jessie's sixty-fifth birthday, but she's about to start her retirement from her beloved hair salon and move to Tenerife with her husband. The village are all looking forward to the big party which will be held in the cafe that has become central to the local community.

Over the course of the day, we meet a wide range of characters, who all add elements to the storyline. I loved the larger-than-life characters, particularly the older generation, as they added fun and eccentricity to the story. As Jessie uncovers a couple of secrets that have been withheld from her, she begins to question the decisions she's made about giving up her job and jetting off to the sun. Other members of the community are dealing with dilemmas of their own, but are determined that nothing will spoil Jessie's big day.

I adored the way the story featured a wide range of ages and showed a strong sense of community. As individuals grappled with the predicament they found themselves in, we saw the age-old adage "A problem shared is a problem halved" at work. Shocks and surprises stopped being insurmountable as practical solutions are found, along with new friendships and relationships forged.

One Snowy Day by Shari Low is available in paperback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel's Random Resources for a review copy.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/OneSnowyDay

Author Details

Shari Low is the multi-million copy bestselling author of over 30 novels, including the #1 bestsellers One Day with You, One Midnight with You and One Day and Forever.

The Cut by Richard Armirage

 

Thirty years after a teenager was murdered, her killer is about to be released from prison. By coincidence, a production company is shooting a film which bears a striking resemblance to the events surrounding the murder. Is someone out for revenge or trying to reframe the past?

The Cut by Richard Armitage opens in 1994 with a nightmarish scene of a young woman being chased through a storm. From a high vantage point, someone is watching the events as they unfold. The story then jumps to 2023, and we meet architect Ben Knott, a school friend of the victim at the time of her death.

The story alternates between 1994 and 2023. In the past, we meet Ben and his circle of friends. The group is a strange mixture of mainly unpleasant characters held together by Ben. Ben's intelligence, physique and home background have allowed him to get away with some unsavory behaviour, much of it excused by his home life. In 2023, we meet a very different character, a successful family man who is haunted by the past. I did feel some sympathy towards teenager Ben; his home life was harrowing. Modern day Ben didn't come across well; he compartmentalise his life, puts business before family and was desperately trying to hide secrets.

As the storyline alternates between the two time periods, we see everything leading up to the night of the murder. We discover that the bonds of friendship are tenuous, mainly because of the cruel nature of teenagers. In the present, Ben's fourteen-year-old son, Nate, is deliberately targeted to star in a "found footage" film. The nature in which Nate is encouraged to audition is creepy, not only does it add another layer of secrecy to the story, but it also reinforces the message that you never know who is at the other end of an online conversation. The two sets of events slowly begin to merge, and Ben realises that someone knows more about the murder than the police uncovered. The big question is what is their ultimate goal?

The terrifying opening and the tense conclusion keep your heart racing. I did find the middle section a little slow and confusing; however, I was determined to read on to find answers. The reader is kept in suspense for the majority of the novel as to the identities of the victim and her murderer, the Mill Killer. Shocks are in store when all is revealed, including the identity of the person manipulating the modern-day events, and the reader eventually learns about what really happened on that stormy night in 1994.

The Cut by Richard Armitage will be published on 28th August 2025 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for a review copy.

Author Details

Richard Armitage is a multi-award winning stage and screen actor. In 2022 he penned his debut crime thriller 'Geneva'. 

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

 

Sue and Mal, the new landlords of The Case Is Altered country pub are concerned that a team that joins their regular quiz night is cheating. It's a delicate situation to handle as they don't want to upset their regular clientele but feel that a new infusion of blood is just what the quiz night needs. When a dead body is discovered near the pub everyone becomes a suspect.

As with every other fan of Janice Hallett I have been eagerly awaiting The Killer Question. I was very lucky to receive an early copy, devoured it in one sitting and then have to keep my lips sealed. There are no spoilers in my review, part of the appeal of Janice Hallett's books is reading them and trying to spot hints, clues and red herrings. The style is similar to that of the author's previous books with the story being told through a variety of media such as emails, text messages and WhatsApp messages. As an aside, if you haven't read any of the author's earlier books then I heartily recommend them. You can find reviews for all apart from her first book, The Appeal, on my blog (I didn't have a blog when I read The Appeal).

I loved the opening of the book. The events in the book took place in 2019, five years later Sue and Mal's nephew pitches the story to Netflix as an idea for a true crime series. While I don't watch true crime I am well aware of its popularity, along with the interest it sparks online as viewers discuss what they've watched. This genre also seems to have ignited a rise in amateur detectives.

To entice a production company, the nephew sends them evidence in the form of emails and messages that have never been seen by the public before. I adore this style of narrative, it's easy to read, you quickly become engrossed and it feels very voyeuristic. The story had me completely absorbed, to the extent that I felt as if I was one of the regular quizzers. The introduction of a quiz team who are obviously cheating is a stroke of genius as it brings out the true characters of some of the regulars. I honestly didn't realise that pub quizzes were so cut-throat. The way in which the usual winners react when they lose is hilarious, they become sticklers for the rules unless it's something that benefits them. The message threads and emails around this are pure gold, I was laughing out loud. Far too frequently something is mentioned that is so true to life or resembles someone you may know. Not all of the teams take things quite as seriously as others; for some, it's a laugh, for others, it's a social event. For the serious quizzers, there's nothing fun about the quiz, so when they feel an injustice has been done they try to get everyone on their side. 

There is more to the story than a Monday night quiz, prepare yourself for murder and blackmail as, just like any true life crime series, the story takes unexpected twists and turns. Having read the author's previous books I tried to spot clues and red herrings but failed miserably, which made the reading and the big reveal even more pleasurable. This is one of those books where as soon as you know "whodunnit" you want to go straight back to the beginning to look for the subtle hints. I can't wait to see what Janice Hallett comes up with next but it going to have to be something special to beat The Killer Question.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett will be published on 4th September 2025 in hardback and ebook format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper for a review copy.

Author Details

Janice Hallett is the author of five best-selling novels. Her debut, The Appeal, was awarded the CWA Debut Dagger of 2021 and was a Sunday Times’ Bestseller, Waterstones’ Thriller of the Month and Sunday Times’ Crime Book of the Month. Her second novel The Twyford Code was named Crime & Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2023. It was also a Sunday Times’ Bestseller and a Financial Times book of the year. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was an instant Times and Sunday Times bestseller on its launch in January 2023 and a Richard & Judy Book Club pick.

The Christmas Appeal, a fast, fun and festive novella, was launched in October 2023. It was a Times and Sunday Times bestseller.

Her latest novel The Examiner, was an instant Times and Sunday Times bestseller on its launch and is out now.

Her first novel for children aged 8-12 is A Box Full of Murders, out in June 2025.

Janice is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. As a playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and co-wrote the feature film Retreat.