The Lottery Winner Widows Club by Elly Vine (Read/Listen)

 

Fate seems to be playing tricks on Paula. At the same time, she learns that her husband has died in a terrible accident abroad, she also discovers that she's won millions on the lottery. Both events leave Paula feeling numb; luckily, some like-minded people are there to help her come to terms with the events.

Somehow, I managed to get access to the ebook and the audiobook of  The Lottery Winner Widows Club by Elly Vine. While I'm a huge fan of both formats, I always have different books on the go. Having access to two versions of the same book gave me the opportunity to experiment with how I read/listened to the book. I'll review the book first. If you want to know the outcome of my little experiment, please check the end of the post.

Review

I thoroughly enjoyed this comedy crime caper; it is pure escapism. Paula is overwhelmed by the two pieces of news she receives; things are made doubly difficult as her husband, John, is the one who made all the decisions. Thankfully, another lottery winner, Teddy, seeks her out and takes her under her wing. Through the glamorous Teddy, she is also introduced to another lottery winner, Audrey, and both admit to killing their abusive husbands after winning big. They are both convinced that Paula is responsible for John's death.

The longer Paula is with Teddy and Audrey, the more she comes out of her shell. It was lovely to see the personal growth Paula goes through, although there are still lots of times when she hesitates over making decisions. She's particularly reluctant to stand up to her grown-up children. 

Taking a fourth lottery-winning female under their wing, the group decides that they are going to put their particular skills to use and free women from abusive relationships by murdering the men responsible. This leads to some hilarious situations. I found myself giggling at times over the antics of the trio. Brilliant narration by Virginia Grainger really helps you to differentiate between the characters.

There is a serious side to the story, with some alarming statistics shared with the reader. Unfortunately, the group of women proves to be poor at murder, but they are still able to ensure that fate comes calling for some of the despicable men in the story.

The Lottery Winner Widows Club by Elly Vine will be published on the 26th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a review copy.

Experiment

Having access to both the ebook and the audiobook, I decided to try three things

1. Reading the ebook

2. Listening to the audiobook

3. Reading along to the audiobook

I thoroughly enjoyed jumping between the ebook and the audiobook. I tend to listen to audiobooks in the morning while doing housework or a jigsaw puzzle. Reading is for afternoons and evenings. By alternating between the two formats, the pace of the story never let up. I did find that I had to increase the speed of the audiobook though, the default speed was too slow. I normally listen at x1.25 speed.

Reading along to the audiobook was less successful. I had to increase the speed to x1.5, and even then, I had to slow my reading speed a little to match the audio. I felt that by trying to match my reading speed to the narration, I wasn't fully taking in either format. While I think this is an ideal way to encourage struggling readers, it's not for me.

Alternating between reading and listening is definitely something I'll do in the future. I loved the fact that I didn't have to stop reading because my hands were busy.

Author Details

Elly Vine is the pseudonym of bestselling author, Lucy Vine. Lucy Vine is the author of novels Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Are We Nearly There Yet?, Bad Choices, Seven Exes, Date with Destiny and Book Boyfriend. Her eighth novel is Good For You. Her books have been published in seventeen territories, with Hot Mess optioned for a TV series in America. In a previous life, Lucy was a journalist, writing for publications including Grazia, Stylist, Heat, Fabulous, Marie Claire, Sugar and Cosmopolitan.

The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong

 

Jiwon is still struggling to come to terms with her mother's death after seven years. Riddled with anxiety and insomnia, she is barely functioning. Late one night, she stumbles across the mysterious Memory Bookshop, where she is offered a chance to revisit the past.

Having read We'll Prescribe You A Cat by Syou Ishida (you can find my review here) and its sequel, We'll Prescribe You Another Cat (review here), I was keen to read more East Asian literature. The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong, about a bookshop that exists outside of time and space, sounded perfect.

This was a quick and easy read, with a bittersweet conclusion. Jiwon has never come to terms with her mother's death, even blaming herself for the myriad of health problems her mother suffered. Her ever-present insomnia has her wandering the streets one rainy evening, when she discovers the strange bookshop. Intrigued, she wanders in and is offered the chance to swap the remaining time she has left to live for the chance to revisit up to three periods in her past. Jiwon hopes that by going back in time, she can prevent her mother from becoming ill.

Jiwon's trips into the past serve as a reminder of the relationship she had with her mother. This story serves as a sign not to take those relationships for granted, to appreciate time spent together. We are also reminded that our memories encompass so many different senses, and experiences, and that time can warp them.

I found the book quite emotional; some of the elements certainly resonated with me. I also liked the magical element of the story, but if you are looking for a whimsical aspect similar to the We'll Prescribe You A Cat books, then this isn't for you.

The Memory Bookshop by Song Yu-jeong will be published on the 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Fiction for a review copy.

The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster

 

A far-right extremist group is trying to sow division, hoping to destabilise the country. When an informant is brutally murdered, Max Craigie and the rest of the team are tasked with investigating a possible leak among the police or the security service.

The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster is the seventh book in the Max Craigie series (if you want to know about the rest of the series, you can find reviews for all of the books on my blog). This time around, the author has tapped into something that is extremely relevant today, the rise of extremist groups.

Things are going well for Max; life is ticking along nicely, allowing him to spend quality time with his wife and daughter. Everything changes when an old contact of Barney's from his days working with MI5 reaches out to ask for help. A drug dealer turned informant has been murdered, and there is a possibility that someone is leaking information to an organised crime gang.

The scenes of contentment lull the reader into a false sense of security; we're not used to seeing Max so relaxed. Once the action begins, however, everything is at a blistering pace, and the tension is palpable. Max has to go undercover, and as a result, there isn't the usual amount of interaction between him and Janie, but we do get to meet a new character who has ambitions of joining the team.

Danger is never far away, and Max has to react quickly; thankfully, his past experience of undercover operations with the Met has equipped him for situations like this. Unfortunately, one situation doesn't go as planned, with devastating consequences, leaving Max to face his demons. I did seriously wonder if this was going to be the end of the series.

Neil Lancaster has used his extensive background to shine a light on current events. He has highlighted the way that Russian assets are using home-grown organised crime gangs to promote extremist views with the aim of destabilising the country. Shockingly, this means that Russia is not directly connected with what is happening, and the crime gangs are financing operations themselves. Another point the author makes is how the country treats veterans. Soldiers who are trained, sometimes to be killers, and are used to rules and regimentation, are abandoned when they leave the military. Skills are wasted, self-worth plummets, and how do these highly trained individuals get the adrenaline buzz they are used to?

The reader is kept guessing as to the identity of the leak. There is a clever cat-and-mouse game to lure out the person responsible for passing on sensitive information. It was lovely to see much of the action taking place in the north-east, my hometown even gets a brief mention. There is a sense of disbelief at the end, when it looks as if some of the individuals involved will escape retribution; however, karma is never far away.

The Dark Heart by Neil Lancaster will be published on 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a review copy.

Author Details

Neil Lancaster is the No. 1 digital bestselling author of both the Tom Novak and Max Craigie series. His first Craigie novel, Dead Man’s Grave, was longlisted for the 2021 McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year. The second Craigie novel, The Blood Tide, topped several ebook and audio charts. It was also longlisted for the 2022 McIlvanney Prize and shortlisted for Best New Series at the Dead Good Reader Awards.

Neil’s authentic crime writing style stems from his police background. He served as a military policeman and worked for the Metropolitan Police as a detective, investigating serious crimes in the capital and beyond. As a covert policing specialist, he used all manner of techniques to investigate and disrupt major crime and criminals. He now lives in the Scottish Highlands, writes crime and thriller novels and works as a broadcaster and commentator on true crime documentaries. He is an expert on two Sky Crime TV series, Meet, Marry, Murder and Made for Murder.

Neil is also writing a new series under the pseudonym Max Connor. The first, No Mercy, is available now, and the follow up, No Way Out will be released in 2026.

How To Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson

 

Britain's most prolific uncaught serial killer has written a "How To" guide for aspiring murderers, and the country is obsessed with it. When a young girl is murdered, everyone assumes Denver Brady has struck again.

Author Rebecca Philipson has written a unique take on the serial killer thriller with her debut novel, How To Get Away With Murder. Someone claiming to be a serial killer who has operated undetected for years has written a guide for would-be murderers to help them carry out their dastardly deed and avoid being caught. The chapters written by the killer, Denver Brady, are alternated with a real-life murder case, one that everyone is convinced should be attributed to Brady.

Involved in the real-life murder investigation is DI Sam Hansen, a police officer struggling to return to work after an incident. Sam is a sympathetic character; in a male-dominated profession, she doesn't want to be seen as weak. She also has a gut instinct that has served her well in the past. Something about the case is niggling at Sam; she's not sure the murder can be attributed to Brady. Sam is convinced a copycat killer is at work, but no one else shares her view.

There is a lot of dark humour, particularity from Denver Brady. Early on, I was almost rooting for him. Seeing the story from two different POVs is an eye-opener though, Denver's version of a murder he carried out is a complete contrast to the actual events, and really made me change my opinion of him. The more I read, I began to wonder if Denver really was a serial killer or a fantasist.

The narrative keeps the reader on their toes. Subtle references have you wondering if they are clues to the identity of Denver, or simply the author playing with us. Thoughts were pinwheeling around my brain as I kept guessing who the murderer could be. The deeper I got into the story, the more I was expecting the rug to be pulled out from under me, or one of those "sixth sense" moments, where it's impossible to guess, but once it's revealed, everything makes sense.

A satisfying conclusion ties everything up very nicely; you really do feel that karma has been served. I'm also hoping that there is potential for more from Sam.

How To Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson will be published on 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for a review copy.

Author Details

Rebecca Philipson grew up in a mining town in County Durham, where she still lives. Educated in a small convent, she set up her own business at 21 and won both the North East Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Artemis Award for inspirational women in business. Rebecca was inspired to write How to Get Away with Murder after starting a True-Crime blog during the pandemic, and becoming fascinated by the ways in which serial killers are treated like celebrities.

In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys all things book-related, netball, travelling and spending time with friends and family.

Murder In A Cornish Teashop by Fliss Chester (Audiobook)

 

Chef Maddie Penrose is taking a break from her busy life and staying with her grandmother on her Cornish farm. While there, a tourist is killed on a neighbouring farm, was it an accident or something more sinister?

Murder In A Cornish Teashop by Fliss Chester is the first in a new cosy crime series. The author is new to me, but upon investigation she has an extensive back catalogue of period cosy crime novels. The ones set in the 1920s certainly appeal to me.

In this new series we meet Maddie Penrose, a successful chef who is burnt out. Needing a break from her life in London, she has headed to her grandmother's farm in Pendragon Creek in Cornwall. Maddie is horrified to see that her grandmother's once-booming teashop has deteriorated rapidly. It's while helping out in the teashop that the owner of a neighbouring farm rushes in to say that he's found a walker who's been killed by a falling wall.

Maddie springs into action, convinced that this was more than an accident. As she investigates, a long list of suspects emerges, and the body count begins to rise. Maddie is a likeable character, she comes across as relatable, if not a little scatty. I easily identified with Maddie as she's a list maker, although the continual referral to these lists was a little annoying. 

A long list of suspects means that it's impossible to guess who the villain is until the final revelation. The crimes outlined are entirely realistic and extremely relevant, including the theft of farm machinery and surreptitious property development. The important question is, are all of the crimes linked? I loved the minor crimes too, such as who was stealing the clotted cream.

Supporting characters help to keep your interest, and there's even a hint of romance. Maddie's grandmother, Nor, has lots of potential, as do the farm cats Crumpet and Toast. 

If you enjoy cosy crime, then this is an easy read/listen, with engaging characters and a twisty plot. I'm pleased to learn that there will be a sequel later in the year.

Murder In A Cornish Teashop by Fliss Chester will be published on 11th March 2026 in ebook and Audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

Fliss Chester lives in Surrey with her husband and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their business. Never far from a decent glass of something, Fliss also loves cooking (and writing up her favourite recipes on her blog), enjoying the beautiful Surrey and West Sussex countryside and having a good natter.

The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent

 

When sixteen-year-old Ruby is involved in an incident with her sister's boyfriend, she cannot face the judgment of her local community and flees to Ireland. Over the next twenty-five years, all her life choices are dictated by that one fateful day.

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent caused a huge buzz on social media (you can read my review here). There are so many discussion points raised in the novel. I feel that The Truth About Ruby Cooper is going to do just the same. This is a novel filled with moral choices and people who avoid doing the right thing.

Ruby is a strange character. At sixteen she's desperate to grow up. She constantly compares herself to her older sister, Erin, and finds herself lacking. Ruby is from an affluent, stable, and loving home; she has everything going for her, but her jealousy drives her to a reckless action. Initially, I was filled with sympathy for Ruby; those teenage years between adulthood and childhood can be frustrating, particularly when you have an older sibling. My sympathy towards Ruby was even greater after the "incident," and I fully understood Erin's conflicting emotions.

Following the incident and its repercussions, Ruby and her mother chose to relocate to Ireland. Unfortunately, her traumatic experience, low self-esteem and jealousy set in motion a spiral of self-destruction. It is impossible not to feel compassion for Ruby until she reveals the true nature of the "incident". This is a character who is only interested in her own survival, someone who's willing to tear her family apart and destroy the lives of others, rather than face the truth.

Over the next twenty-five years, we see Ruby prioritising her own security over that of others. She is a master manipulator who will stop at nothing to protect herself. Just as you are thinking she's finally turned her life around and is putting the welfare of others before herself, she does something truly wicked.

I found Ruby impossible to like; by the conclusion, I'd lost any sympathy I had for her. The choices she made had far-reaching consequences, with some devastating outcomes. Although she was only sixteen at the beginning of the story, she continued to put self-interest at the forefront for the rest of her life; any punishment she received seems meager in comparison to the damage she caused.

The Truth About Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent will be published on 12th March 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a review copy.

Author Details

Before becoming a full-time writer, Liz Nugent worked in film, theatre and television. Her five novels - Unravelling Oliver, Lying in Wait, Skin Deep, Our Little Cruelties and Strange Sally Diamond - have each been Number One bestsellers and she has won five Irish Book Awards, as well as the James Joyce Medal for Literature. She lives in Dublin.

The Weekend by T. M. Logan

 

When a group of friends stumbles across a backpack hidden in a remote cave, they are faced with a dilemma. Do they do the responsible thing and hand the backpack to the police, or do they keep the contents? Their choice threatens to tear apart the close friendships and puts lives at risk.

I always know that when I pick up a book by T. M. Logan, I won't want to put it down until I've finished it, and The Weekend fits that description perfectly. It is so easy to place yourself in the position of the characters. Three middle-aged married couples, who've been friends for years, are faced with making a difficult decision when they find a backpack containing a large amount of money. Any normal person would immediately know that there's probably something illegal involved with the money and hand it over to the police. For the group of friends, it isn't quite as clear-cut as most of them have problems that could be solved by an injection of cash.

As one of the group says, "Money does strange things to people,.....it changes them", and rifts between the group start to show. When a chunk of the money disappears, accusations begin to fly, and each one wonders if they truly know the people they've associated with for years. I loved this aspect of the story, as the author doesn't make it clear who is responsible for the missing money; there are small hints, but not enough evidence to make a definitive decision.

Tension begins to build when the police turn up. This leads to a dangerous situation that causes an even greater dilemma for the friends. While I had an idea of what the twist would be, I was on the edge of my seat as revelation after revelation delivered shocks, and the final twist was an absolute delight.

The Weekend by T. M. Logan will be published on 26th February 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for a review copy.

Author Details

T.M. Logan's thrillers have sold more than three million copies in the UK and are translated into 22 other languages for publication around the world.

Tim's latest novel, THE DAUGHTER, follows the story of Lauren, who goes to pick up her daughter from university at the end of her first term - only to find the room occupied by a stranger. No-one knows her daughter’s name or recognises her picture, and it soon becomes clear she’s vanished without trace… His tenth novel, THE WEEKEND, is coming in March 2026.

THE HOLIDAY was a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback top ten. It has since won a Nielsen Gold Bestseller Award and been made into a four-part TV drama with Jill Halfpenny. THE CATCH was also adapted for TV, starring Jason Watkins, Poppy Gilbert, Aneurin Barnard and Cathy Belton.

Tim's other books are THE DREAM HOME, THE MOTHER, THE CURFEW, TRUST ME, LIES and 29 SECONDS.

A former national newspaper journalist, Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his family and writes in a cabin in the corner of his garden.

#Readalong Sleep No More by Guy Hale

 

Murderer Oliver Lawrence has almost achieved his goal, to seek retribution on all those he considers responsible for the death of his father and his own failed career. With his end goal in sight, Oliver's descent into madness continues, and he begins to consider other targets outside his original remit. Can the police catch him in time?

Sleep No More by Guy Hale is the fourth and concluding book in the Shakespeare Murders series. Having read the previous three books in the series, I leapt at the chance to join the Readalong organised by Love Books Tours. If this series is new to you, I heartily recommend reading the first and third books in the series, The Croaking Raven and Put Out The Light. The second book, All Our Yesterdays, isn't essential to the plot; it simply gives a greater understanding of why Oliver Lawrence launched his murder spree.

The story opens directly following the shocking events at the end of Put Out The Light. Oliver feels triumphant, and the police are still no nearer to catching him. By this stage, the police are fairly sure who the murderer is; however, his appearance and location remain a complete mystery. You can feel the frustration of Fred and Toby; no matter what they do, they don't seem any nearer to catching the culprit.

Oliver has certainly gained a thirst for murder, as witnessed by his idea of widening his net. His friend, Felix, is even beginning to feel vulnerable. I couldn't feel any sympathy for Felix; he knew what he was getting involved with from the start. I liken him to Dr Frankenstein; he created a monster that he lost control of; he needs to deal with the repercussions of his actions.

The tone of this final book seems much darker, particularly when another character steps forward to encourage Oliver in his deadly plot. The machinations of this new character don't help you feel any more sympathetic towards Oliver, but they do divert some of your anger and horror away from him.

As with the previous book, there is a range of characters supporting Fred and Toby in their investigation. There's a bit of me who would love to see how these characters would transfer to the small screen, particularly Fred and Whomper.

The conclusion is a frantic race against time, with lives in peril from more than one direction. I did enjoy the slightly ambiguous ending and was pleased when I learned that DC Toby Marlowe and DS Fred Williams would be returning in a new story.

Sleep No More by Guy Hale is available in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to The Bullington Press and Love Books Tours for a review copy.

You can purchase copies of the book directly from the author here or from Amazon UK here.

Author Details

Guy Hale was born in Worcestershire, England. His first job was as a Professional Golfer. He also played Rugby and raced motorcycles until his mid-twenties. When this failed to kill him he started writing plays, mostly two handers which he performed in pubs and assorted venues with his mate, Andy.

A Neighbour's Guide To Murder by Louise Candlish (Audiobook)

 

When Gwen discovers that her middle-aged neighbour, Alec, is advertising for a flatmate, she's surprised, and then suspicious when she learns that all the prospective candidates are young women. She decides to take her new neighbour, Pixie, under her wing, little realising what is to follow.

I was completely drawn in by all the twists and turns of A Neighbour's Guide To Murder by Louise Candlish, thanks to the gripping prologue and the superb narration of Greta Scacchi and Kristin Atherton.

Columbia Mansions, an exclusive mansion block in London, is home to an array of interesting and affluent owners. Brilliant characterisation from the author means that the tenants are varied and distinct. The main character is Gwen, a seventy-year-old divorcee. Gwen comes across as a bit judgmental, nosy and gossipy, although she'd be adamant she's the complete opposite. Alarm bells start ringing for Gwen when she discovers that her next-door neighbour is looking for a young woman to flat share. 

The young woman concerned is Pixie, who certainly lives up to her name; she comes across as naive, scatterbrained, impractical and mischievous. When Gwen meets Pixie, she seems to be entranced by her, but as the story develops, we discover that her protectiveness is probably more to do with guilt.

When Gwen learns of the arrangement between Alec and Pixie, she becomes indignant. Pixie seems to just shrug it off, and this makes Gwen even more incensed. Determined to unmask Alec, she involves other tenants of the mansion block. It's at this point that she loses control of events, and we begin to wonder who is being truthful.

There are numerous twists and turns. There were times when I felt that I'd nailed down who the villain of the piece was, only for everything to be turned on its head. Each new disclosure in this devilishly wicked story left me gasping. Even when the story seems to reach its conclusion, revealing exactly what happened in the gripping opening, the author still manages to throw in a few more shocking twists.

Author Details

Louise lives in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my books, with her husband, daughter and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie. Books, TV and long walks are her passions - and drinking wine in the sun with family and friends.

She recently celebrated her 20th anniversary as an author with the news of two prestigious awards for her 90s-set thriller THE ONLY SUSPECT: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction.

OUR HOUSE is the novel many know her for, as it's now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton (watch the full series free on ITVX). This is the novel that turned her career around, winning the 2019 British Book Awards Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller and shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award​, and the Audible Sounds of Crime Award. It was also longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Specsavers National Book Awards. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, it recently received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

 

Cora, a young slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia, knows she faces a bleak future. Given the chance to escape, she's initially reluctant, but a shocking event eventually spurs her on, and we follow her as she uses the underground railroad to escape her owner and evade slave-catchers.

One of the good things about being part of a book group is that you are occasionally forced to read out of your comfort zone. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead is certainly well outside my usual genre. It took me a couple of pages to get used to the author's writing style, but once I'd settled down, I found the story very accessible and engrossing.

I vividly remember watching the TV mini-series Roots as a teen (it's shocking to consider this was almost fifty years ago) and being appalled by the treatment of slaves. As a result, the description of the treatment of the slaves wasn't anything I didn't already know. What I did find different was the story being told from the perspective of a teenage girl. In Cora's words, "Know your value and you know your place in the order", as a young, orphaned, female slave, she is well aware that her value is low. Treatment of slaves by owners and overseers was brutal, with horrific punishments for wrongdoings. Cora faced all of these alongside abuse from other slaves.

Despite the story being set over a hundred and fifty years ago, and the book being written ten years ago, I found lots of parallels with what is happening in America today: the description of the patrollers as "attracting a type....in another country they would have been criminals",  and how the patrollers would break into homes and places of work to kidnap slaves who thought they were free. Hypocrisy resonates throughout the story. The Declaration of Independence, claiming that "all men are equal," didn't apply to slaves. In fact, the only time that this was true was when body snatchers provided cadavers to students; under a scalpel, all bodies are the same.

Those helping slaves escape frequently risked their own lives. Abolitionists were fervent in their desire to put an end to slavery. Unfortunately, the message the general public received wasn't always accurate. The scenes in a museum where Cora has to participate in various tableaus of the life of a slave are extremely sanitised and laughable by modern standards. To the public, the life of a slave would not seem particularly extreme.

The cat-and-mouse game that plays out between Cora and the slave-catcher, Ridgeway, adds an extra layer to the story. While Cora's capture and return to her owner has a monetary value, Ridgeway's desire to catch her becomes an obsession. The time and effort expended far outweigh any payment he will receive. We see an example of this when a captured slave is killed simply because it doesn't make financial sense to return him. It is this preoccupation that leads to the horrifying and shameful conclusion, highlighting that even people who were born free or became free men were still considered to be worthless by slave catchers. 

**As I'm writing this, I've discovered that there is a mini-series based on the book. I'll certainly be checking it out.**

Author Details

Colson Whitehead is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eleven works of fiction and nonfiction, and is a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, for The Nickel Boys and The Underground Railroad, which also won the National Book Award. A recipient of MacArthur and Guggenheim fellowships, he lives in New York City.

#Readalong Behind Her Smile by Caroline England

 

Laurie Dunn is forced to move back home when her relationship ends. Returning to her family home causes lots of long-buried memories to resurface, memories Laurie isn't entirely sure are real.

I will admit that the cover of Behind Her Smile by Caroline England didn't appeal to me; what did appeal was the glowing endorsement from one of my favourite writers, M. W. Craven. When an author you love says "In the very top tier of psychological thrillers", you'd be silly not to give the book a go. Hence, I leapt at the chance to take part in the Readalong organised by Love Books Tours.

As the story opens, we meet a disillusioned Laurie, she's completely dumbfounded at the sudden end of her relationship with Nico. At almost thirty, the last thing she expected was having to move back home. This return to the family home brings about lots of possible directions the story could go. Firstly, a failed romance leading to the possibility of finding new love. Unexpectedly finding her father sleepwalking hints at a possible psychological thriller. Unsettling dreams, with hints at sinister events, even make you wonder if we're heading into horror story territory.

What we end up with is an amalgamation of all three, with a little bit of organised crime thrown in. With so many different threads, it takes a little while for the story to really flow, hence I was a third of the way in before I really started to take an interest in what was happening to Laurie.

Laurie's old boyfriend, Finn, is a great character. I really enjoyed his backstory and the way it wove in to what was happening to Laurie. Jules, Laurie's older sister, comes across as cold and unemotional; it was hard to believe the pair are sisters. However, you do begin to wonder if Jules' behaviour is a result of things that happened during their childhood. Laurie's father is a strange character. Obviously intelligent, he is regularly sidelined in the story, despite the knowledge he has of past events.

I enjoyed the way in which the different threads converged at the conclusion. I certainly didn't predict the ending or spot any of the "villains" as I was reading.

Behind Her Smile from Caroline England and Bullington Press is available in paperback and ebook format. My thanks to Love Books Tours for my place on the Readalong.

Author Details

Caroline is the CWA Short Story Dagger shortlisted author of psychological suspense thrillers BENEATH THE SKIN, the best selling MY HUSBAND'S LIES, BETRAY HER, TRUTH GAMES, THE SINNER, THE STRANGER BESIDE ME. Her new thriller, THE RETURN OF FRANKIE WHITTLE, is out 8 Feb 2025. She also writes gothic-tinged psychological thrillers as CE Rose - THE HOUSE OF HIDDEN SECRETS, THE HOUSE ON THE WATER'S EDGE, THE SHADOWS OF RUTHERFORD HOUSE, THE ATTIC AT WILTON PLACE

Caroline writes multi-layered, dark and edgy ‘domestic suspense’ stories that delve into complicated relationships, secrets and the moral grey area.Drawing on her days as a divorce and professional indemnity lawyer, she loves to create ordinary, relatable characters who get caught up in extraordinary situations, pressures, dilemmas or crime. She admits to a slight obsession with the human psyche, what goes on behind closed doors and beneath people’s façades. She also enjoys performing a literary sleight of hand in her novels and hopefully surprising her readers!

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

 

A chance meeting spurs teenager Riley and her young brother, Oliver, to escape the abusive home they are living in. High in the mountains lies Nowhere, the remains of a ranch once owned by a film star and now the refuge of the Nowhere Children. Is the haven as idyllic as it sounds?

While Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward isn't my usual genre of choice, I did enjoy The Last House On Needless Street (you can read my review here), so I was keen to read the author's latest offering. I'm a bit of a wimp; I really do scare easily, so I always approach anything classed as horror with trepidation. If you're anything like me, I'd say not to worry; this is more mystery/suspense than out-and-out horror, the horror element is implied.

The majority of the story is told from Riley's perspective. At fourteen, she's living with a distant relative after the death of her mother. Riley is a resourceful and determined character; she's extremely protective of her seven-year-old brother. The pair face daily abuse from their relative, so you can fully understand her desire to leave. The trip to Nowhere isn't an easy one, with Riley having to make some difficult decisions on the way. Once the pair finally arrive, they find it difficult to believe that a group of children is living in the grounds of a burnt-out mansion, away from the authority of adults. I was pleased that Riley remained a little skeptical about the setup.

Throughout the narrative, we hear from other characters: a documentary filmmaker who is interested in the Nowhere Children, a fireman who helped try to put out the blaze that destroyed the mansion, and the architect who lived in the mansion for a while with its owner, Leaf Winham. 

Winham is a mysterious character. Made famous through the films he made, he sought privacy and isolation on his ranch. There were times when I thought he sounded like a Peter Pan character, someone who didn't age and surrounded himself with lost and unloved children. Following the fire at the mansion, there were doubts about his death. I then began to wonder if there was more of a supernatural element to Winham. 

What isn't obvious is how all of the various characters are linked, and what the underlying mystery of Nowhere is. As more and more is revealed, my disquiet began to grow, but there was still a level of uncertainty surrounding what was happening at Nowhere, all down to the skillful storytelling of the author. When the different narratives finally converged, I was left shocked, particularly when we learnt more about the filmmaker. As for the conclusion, I loved the ambiguous, thought-provoking ending, leaving the reader still wondering about the future of the Nowhere Children.

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward will be published on 19th February 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Viper Books for a review copy.

Author Details

Catriona Ward was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in the US, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen and Morocco. She read English at the University of Oxford and spent several years working as an actor in New York. When she returned to the UK she worked on her first novel while writing for a human rights foundation, then took an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Her first novel, Rawblood, was published in 2015 and won the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel in 2016. She won again in 2018 for Little Eve, which also won the prestigious Shirley Jackson Award. In 2021 she published her bestselling novel The Last House on Needless Street, which was both a Richard and Judy Book Club and BBC Two Between the Covers Book Club pick. It was awarded the August Derleth Award in 2022, making Ward the only woman to prize three times. She was shortlisted again for her fourth novel, Sundial, in 2023. Her fifth novel, Looking Glass Sound, was shortlisted the Fingerprint Genre-Busting Book of the Year in 2024.

Adrift by Will Dean

 

Peggy Jenkins lives on a narrowboat with her husband, Drew, and their teenage son, Samson. Life revolves around the struggle to make ends meet and supporting her husband in his writing. It's imperative that nothing disturbs Drew's writing; woe betide anyone who does!

The last book I read by Will Dean was the unbelievably claustrophobic One At A Time (previously published as The Chamber, you can read my review here). I honestly didn't think it would be possible to write anything as oppressive, but the author has almost accomplished this in his latest offering, Adrift. The close confines of the living arrangements on board the narrowboat are so well described that you can almost feel the walls pressing in on you. More importantly, the fact that every movement is observable and every sound magnified makes you apprehensive, as there's nowhere to hide.

The opening pages, which take place twenty-one years earlier, are ominous ones, but don't immediately seem to fit the rest of the story. As you become immersed in the narrative, the connection slowly dawns and you are filled with shock and untold questions. Further questions arise when you discover the conditions Peggy and her son are living under, the emotional, financial and physical abuse they suffer is disturbing. I found my anger intensifying the more I read, wondering why an intelligent woman would remain in such a relationship. Much of my anger was directed at Drew, one of the most loathsome creatures I've come across in literature. He's one of those quietly menacing characters whose intimidation of his family has gone on for so long that a simple glance from him will have them cowering.

While all of this is taking place, Samson is dealing with problems of his own. He's been targeted by school bullies, and the abuse he has to face daily is distressing. My heart went out to him. There's no rhyme or reason for him being targeted, and he knows that at some point, another poor soul will take his place. At the forefront of his mind is simply surviving each day so that his parents don't find out; he doesn't want to add to his mother's burden or draw the wrath of his domineering father.

There are people watching out for Peggy and Samson, trying in their own small way to offer help and support. Unfortunately, Drew is well aware of this and always seems to be one step ahead. You begin to realise that he will go to any length to prevent his from wife leaving. Everything builds to a climactic ending, one in which you are filled with terror, wondering who will be the victor.

Adrift by Will Dean will be published on 19th February 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a review copy.

Author Details

Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands and had lived in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. After studying Law at the LSE and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel in the Tuva Moodyson series, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s Book Club, shortlisted for the Guardian Not the Booker prize and named a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year. Red Snow was published in January 2019 and won Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Awards, 2019. Black River was shortlisted for the Theakstons Old Peculier Award in 2021. Will also writes standalone thrillers: The Last Thing to Burn, First Born, the top twenty hardback bestseller The Last Passenger and One at a Time.

A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford

 

Twelve-year-old Janey struggles to come to terms with stumbling across the mutilated body of a young woman. With the police unable to find the murderer, it's up to her grandmother, Maggie, to keep Janey safe among the tenements of 1970s Glasgow.

As soon as you start reading A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford, you are drawn into the world of Janey Devine and her grandmother, Maggie. The author has given both characters such clear and distinctive voices that you almost feel as if you are a fly on the wall. Alongside such well-rounded characters, the author has also painted a vivid picture of the Glasgow tenements in 1979. As I read, I found it easy to imagine the day-to-day living, the scramble to make ends meet and the culture of the time. 

Janey is a typical pre-teen; happy to spend time outside away from prying adults, cheeky, apprehensive about her move to "big school", and devoted to her grandmother. When she finds a dead body as she's walking her dog, Sid Vicious (brilliant name for a dog), her life grinds to a halt. Not only is she traumatised by what she's seen, but she's also hiding a secret. Looking at this scenario with a modern eye, it's obvious that Janey has PTSD. Unfortunately, in 1970s Glasgow she just needs to pull herself together and get on with it.

Protecting Janey is her grandmother. Maggie has her own issues; she's still finding it difficult to come to terms with the tragic death of her daughter's family, a tragedy that left Janey in her care. Once again, a sign of the times means that she is simply expected to get on with things. Money is a major issue; there's never quite enough to see the week out or to put aside for treats. The offer of a better job puts Maggie in a difficult position; more money is welcome, however, it will put her and Janey directly in contact with a local crime lord, someone who has a vested interest in finding the murderer.

There is a very strong sense of community; everyone living in Possilpark is managing day-to-day, but they look out for each other. Neighbours watch each other's children, and occasionally feed and clothe them. The thought that one of them could possibly be the murderer makes Janey far less trusting than she normally would be, and makes Maggie feel guilty about leaving her granddaughter alone.

As I read, there were times when I had fond memories of a simpler childhood, one without the inherent dangers around today, where children played outside, and the street lights coming on were the sign to go home. The book is a stark reminder not to think of those days as being idyllic. We are reminded of the lax ways in which the police carried out their investigations and how domestic abuse was known about but ignored.

Janey's secret weighs heavily on her mind. I wanted to scoop her up and protect her. The problem, however, is that I didn't know who I wanted to protect her from. The author has managed to skillfully sew distrust around a number of possible characters that you are never sure who the murderer is until the final reveal.

A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford will be published on 12th February 2026 in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for a review copy.

Author Details

As a passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Frances was delighted to graduate age 60 with MLitt (Distinction) Creative Writing from Glasgow University. In 2023, she won Bloody Scotland/ Glencairn Crime Short Story Competition and the first chapters of her debut novel, A Bad, Bad Place, won Highly Commended in Moniack Mohr Emerging Writer 2024.

Frances grew up in North Glasgow, and credits the people of Possilpark and Milton as her writing inspiration. She still lives in Glasgow with her family, and likes libraries and punk rock.

All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker

 

The abduction of a young boy from a small southern town results in a lifelong obsession when he suddenly returns. The boy is determined to find his fellow captive, a girl who helped him survive the ordeal, while his best friend is hellbent on finding his captor.

You would have had to be living in a cave not to have seen all the praise heaped on  All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker since it was first published in the summer of 2024. I've no idea why this has sat on my TBR pile for so long, possibly the length, more likely my recurring fear that it might be a bit too "literary" and require lots of concentration to read. As usual, with books like this, I decided it would be an ideal holiday read. I'm kicking myself that I worried about either; yes, there are almost 600 pages, but those are split into 261 chapters, and the writing draws you in.

The story covers a span of twenty-six years, opening in 1975 and introducing us to twelve-year-old Joseph 'Patch' Macauley and his best friend, Saint Brown. Both are considered outsiders in the small town of Monta Clare. Saint is being raised by her grandmother, Norma. Her intelligence and interests set her apart from other girls her age, and her friendship with Patch is looked at with distaste. Patch is also being raised in a household with a lone adult. Money is tight as his mother struggles with her mental health, leading to her regularly losing her job. The bigger problem, however, is that Patch was born with only one eye. As a result, he wears an eye-patch, hence the nickname.

As the story opens, I felt as if I was reading something akin to a boy's own adventure story, particularly when Patch stumbles across a school friend being assaulted in the woods. Leaping to her defense, Patch ends up being abducted. His abductor keeps him in a small, dark room. Occasionally, another abductee, Grace, spends time in the room. It is Grace's presence that gives Patch the willpower to survive, as she describes in vivid detail places she's visited and things she's done. 

When Patch finally manages to escape, he vows to find Grace, a vow that consumes his life for the next twenty-five years. At the same time, Saint is determined to find and bring to justice the man who abducted Patch. Throughout the time he was held captive, she never gave up hope of his safe return, even putting her own life in danger to uncover the truth.

You are drawn into the lives of Patch and Saint as they both search for something elusive. Although the friendship between the pair remains strong, it's obvious that Saint is in love with Patch, but Patch is oblivious to this as he is obsessed with finding Grace. While you are willing them both to be successful in their quest, you also want them to realise that what they really need is each other.

The supporting characters are wonderful. The writing is so descriptive that they are easy to visualise.  Sammy, in particular, is an amazing character; his support of Patch is unflinching. Sammy is neither a father figure nor a role model, which is what makes him such an enigmatic character. 

I felt that a span of twenty-six years meant that the story meandered a little, but I was so engrossed by the lives of Patch, Saint, and the other characters, that I kept turning the pages, desperate to see if questions would finally be answered.

I also need to take a moment to mention the cover artwork. While the cover of the hardback (set against a white background) is beautiful, the black background on the paperback is stunning. As you read the story of Patch's incarceration it really makes you appreciate what you can see.

Author Details

Chris Whitaker is the author of the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling All The Colours Of The Dark. His other acclaimed and bestselling novels include We Begin At The End, Tall Oaks, and All The Wicked Girls. Chris’s novels have been translated into thirty languages and have won the CWA Gold Dagger, the CWA John Creasey Dagger, the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year, the Ned Kelly International Award, and numerous awards around the world. His books have also been selected for the Read With Jenna Book Club, Waterstones Thriller of the Month, Barnes & Noble Book Club, Good Morning America Book Club, and for BBC2’s Between The Covers. All The Colours Of The Dark is currently in development with Universal Pictures. Chris was born in London and lives in the UK.

January 2026 Reads

 

Happy 2026! The start of a new year is always filled with promise, but what a pity the weather doesn’t support that feeling. I was fortunate to have a week booked for some winter sunshine, fully intending to spend the week reading. Unfortunately, I caught a terrible bug and spent half the holiday (and the subsequent five days) feeling very under the weather. As a result, I didn’t manage quite as much reading as I’d hoped.

My first read of the month was for my book group, Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce. Alison is a barrister whose personal life is spiralling out of control. Alison is finding the cycle of self-destruction difficult to break, resulting in her husband leaving her. The storyline is dark and disturbing, with a shocking ending.

I loved Nightwatching, the debut novel of Tracy Sierra, so I was really happy to get a review copy of Warning Signs. Young Zach finds himself stranded in the snowy Colorado mountains with his father and some of his business associates. Danger lurks, but is it from the unpredictable terrain, a mysterious creature, or something closer to home? From the ominous opening through to the nail-biting conclusion, you are on the edge-of-your-seat.

I took part in the Readalong of Behind Her Smile by Caroline England. The opening chapters hint at lots of possible directions the story could take: a new romance, a psychological thriller, a possible stalker, an organised crime thriller, or a horror story. Once the different threads began to coalesce, I began to take an interest in what was happening to the characters, particularly the love interest, Finn.

My second Readalong of the month was Sleep No More by Guy Hale. This is the concluding book in the Shakespeare Murders series. Set in Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1972, Oliver Lawrence is on a murder spree to avenge the death of his father and his own failed career. As the police net slowly tightens, Lawrence becomes more extreme. You begin to wonder who his next target will be.

I’ve put off reading All The Colours Of The Dark by Chris Whitaker for so long. My recent holiday seemed the perfect time to dive in. This starts off with the abduction of a young boy from a small southern US town. Rather than a standard crime thriller, this becomes a tale of devotion and obsession as the young boy and his friend spend twenty-five years searching for answers. The boy wants to find the girl who was held captive with him, while his friend wants to bring the captor to justice. It is difficult not to become engrossed in the lives of everyone concerned.

In A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford, we meet twelve-year-old Janey and her Grandmother, Maggie, who live among the tenements of Glasgow in the 1970s. Janey stumbles across the mutilated body of a murder victim. As Janey struggles to come to terms with what she has seen, Maggie treads a fine line between keeping her granddaughter safe and appeasing a local crime lord. Filled with distinctive characters and a sense of community despite the obvious deprivation.

The tagline on the cover of Adrift by Will Dean reads “Three of them aboard. Mother, son, and wickedness,” describes the book perfectly. Husband and wife Drew and Peggy, along with their son, Samson, are reduced to living on a narrowboat. Both Peggy and Samson spend most of their time tiptoeing around Drew, doing everything in their power to placate him. Peggy simply wants to protect her son, who has problems of his own he hasn’t told his parents about, but she begins to lose her grip on reality. Drew is one of the most loathsome characters I’ve come across in a while.

I approached Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward with a little trepidation. The book is classified as horror, and I’m a complete wimp. Fourteen-year-old Riley and her young brother, Oliver, escape an abusive situation and find themselves at Nowhere. The property, which used to belong to a film star who died in a fire, is now populated by children who will do anything to protect their way of life. Intertwined with narrative from other characters, this is more suspenseful than horror, giving a vague sense of unease the more you read.

The only audiobook I managed to get through this month was The Mudlarkers’ Club by Jane Riley. A gentle and uplifting tale about a woman who turns to her unusual hobby of mudlarking to distract her from the end of her marriage. Along the way, she makes new friends and together they support each other through their personal problems.

Publication dates to watch out for:-

Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra will be published 12/2/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Mudlarkers’ Club by Jane Riley will be published 12/2/26 in paperback, ebook and audio format.

A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford will be published 12/2/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Adrift by Will Dean will be published 19/2/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward will be published 19/2/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.