July has flown by. It was good to get back to my normal routines this month. My review pile isn’t so daunting at the moment, so this gave me the chance to read a little bit more widely, hence this is probably my most varied selection of books in a long time. The month ended up being a mixture of my usual thrillers, some blog tour reads, a children’s book and my book group read.
I’m still determined to get up to date with the Slough House/Slow Horses series of books before the new one is published. July saw me reading Slough House, book 7 in the series, by Mick Herron. Someone has deleted the residents of Slough House from the MI5 database. This coincides with members of the team being followed and the return of an old face. Little do the team realise that lives are in danger. The ending is shocking; it made me immediately want to pick up the next book in the series.
I love the novels of Helen Fields, particularly the Luc Callanch & Ava Turner series. Watching You, a serial killer thriller, is set in Edinburgh and features some of the characters from the series. Three random murders could be linked, with the common connection being a local surgeon. I was gripped as the body count began to rise and we learnt about the chilling results of being stalked.
Janice Hallett’s books are always a sure-fire hit for me; however, I did wonder if her latest, a children’s novel, would have the same appeal. A Box Full Of Murders, aimed at the 8 to 12 age range, has all the classic features we love from the author. Told through text messages and documents discovered in a dusty loft, a pair of siblings try to solve a forty-year-old murder that happened at a scout and guide camp. I loved the nostalgia aspect, and it felt like a homage to the Famous Five series of books.
Another author whose books are always eagerly anticipated is Steve Cavanagh. The Eddie Flynn series features a con man turned lawyer who isn’t afraid to bend the rules to defend his clients. In Two Kinds Of Stranger, a social media influencer, who is accused of murdering her husband and his mistress, claims she has been framed by a stranger she tried to help. All of Eddie’s skills are put to the test, especially when his ex-wife is also accused of a crime.
My second blog tour read in July was Love Or Your Money Back from Suzy K Quinn. Publisher Kat and marketing guru Freddy immediately clash when he buys half of her company and wants to make changes. On discovering Kat is desperate to marry before the year is out, he proposes marketing her. If his plan works, Kat agrees to let him make the changes he wants. As Freddy says, marketing is all about packaging, placement and promotion; finding love isn’t any different.
The Shipyard Girls by Nancy Revell was my book group read for July. This family saga, set in Sunderland in 1940, really wasn’t my cup of tea. The story follows a group of women who begin work in a shipyard as welders to help the war effort.
My final read of the month was The Cut by Richard Armitage. A twisty thriller revolving around the murder of a teenage girl in 1994. Thirty years later, “The Mill Killer” is due for release from prison, and someone is stirring up memories. Are they out for revenge or looking to reframe the past?
I am really pleased to get back into the habit of listening to audiobooks. I managed thee in July, starting with Party Of Liars by Kelsey Cox. The book opens with someone falling to their death from the balcony of a mansion during a sixteenth birthday party. The author then takes us back to the start of the day, building the tension and introducing us to a wide cast of characters. Throughout, you are kept wondering who has died and why. There is a supernatural element to the story for added thrills.
A Case Of Mice And Murder by Sally Smith is set in the exclusive domain of the Inner Temple, one of the Inns of Court in London, in 1901. The Lord Chief Justice is found murdered, and barrister Gabriel Ward is asked to investigate since the police do not have jurisdiction at the Inner Temple. This was a wonderful book to listen to, I was completely gripped and loved the quirky main character. A brilliant addition to the cosy crime genre.
My last audiobook of the month was the disturbing The Last Days Of Kira Mullan by Nicci French. A young woman is found dead, her new neighbour Nancy is the only person convinced she didn’t take her own life. The problem is that Nancy is recovering from a mental health crisis and everyone, including her partner, is convinced she is having another. Nancy’s struggles to be believed are shocking and distressing.
Publication dates to watch out for are:-
One Snowy Day by Shari Low will be published on 3/8/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.
Watching You by Helen Fields will be published on 28/8/25 in paperback, ebook and audio format.
The Cut by Richard Armitage will be published on 28/8/25 in hardback, ebook and audio format.
