March 2026 Reads

 

The month began with It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh, and the book certainly lives up to its title. Nedeeka rushes home, thinking her partner is cheating on her, and hopes to catch him in the act. As if this riveting opening wasn’t enough to grab your attention, when she gets home, the police are waiting, and her partner is dead. The twists keep coming as Nadeeka tries to find out what happened to the man she loved.

I wanted to read No Safe Place by Hannah Brennan before listening to the sequel. A psychologist is brutally stabbed, the only clue is a piece of paper left next to him from a study he carried out on teenagers with OCD. As the police investigate, it becomes clear that the anonymous participants in the study are also in danger. I enjoyed the style, the characters, and the way in which my eyes were opened about the nature of OCD. I’m looking forward to the sequel.

I do enjoy an uplifting story, so How To Lose The Lottery by Jay McKenzie sounded ideal. A couple goes from rags to riches when they win millions on the lottery. While Edie’s husband and son adapt quickly, Edie is haunted by a past event. As the story switches between the past and the present, we learn about the difficult life Edie has lived and how newfound friends help her now.

Having loved The List Of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey, I was over the moon when I finally managed to read The Barbecue At No. 9, and it lived up to all my expectations. Set on the day of the Live Aid concert, it focuses on some of the residents of Delmont Close, some of whom have life-changing decisions to make. I adored the setting, the characters, and the mystery elements of the story that were slowly revealed.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister is set in Texas and focuses on a mother and daughter, Simone and Lucy, from the UK who are reuniting for a holiday following Lucy’s summer working in America. When Lucy is kidnapped, Simone is given a set of instructions to follow if she is to see her daughter ever again. I found this a little slower than the author’s previous books, and a little improbable at times.

I always look forward to a twisty thriller from C. M. Ewan, and Eye Spy certainly lives up to expectations. Returning from a trip to Paris, Mark’s adopted teenage daughter, Freya, goes missing on board the non-stop Eurostar train. Another passenger makes it clear that Mark must follow his instructions if he wants to see Freya again. You really feel all of the emotions Mark goes through as he tries to rescue Freya, while keeping the rest of his family safe.

Taking a slight detour from my diet of thrillers, I read People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon. I was entranced by the strapline on the cover of the book, “Olivia Greenwood Is Fresh Out Of F**ks”. A disappointed and drink-fueled Olivia opens her heart to a complete stranger when she is overlooked for the job she was promised. When the stranger tells Olivia she’s a doormat for everyone in her life, she decides to stop being a “people pleaser”, with surprising consequences.

While Five by Ilona Bannister has a thriller element to it, this book offers so much more. Five people wait on a station platform for a train to take them into London. From the very beginning of the book, we are warned that within five minutes one of them will be dead. As we get to know each of the five people and why they are at the railway station that day, you begin to form opinions about them, wondering which one will die. I was completely engrossed in the lives of each character and shocked that I could despise them and feel sympathy for them at the same time.

My first audiobook of the month was Me And Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter. Originally released twenty-years ago, the book has now been updated and re-released. The manager of a New York bookstore travels to England for a Jane Austen-themed book tour. Her dating life is basically non-existent, particularly when she compares all men to her perfect man, Mr. Darcy. The tour takes a strange turn when Emily actually bumps into Mr. Darcy, but does he live up to her expectations?

I Owe You One by Lauren North is a fantastically twisty thriller. Jess returns home following the breakdown of her relationship and the failure of her business. Her older sister pleads for her to help her escape her abusive relationship by helping her to fake her death. I was gripped throughout, and the numerous twists were very unexpected, as was the karmic ending.

If you like classic locked-room thrillers, then The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke fits the bill perfectly. When a world-famous author dies before completing the last book in his best-selling crime series, a group of mid-list authors is invited to his Scottish retreat to finish the book and win a reward. Mysterious figures, secret passageways, hidden treasure, and people lying about their true identity, make everyone a suspect in this satirical murder mystery.

Publications dates to look out for:-

I Owe You One by Lauren North will be published 8/4/26 in ebook and audio format.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister will be published 9/4/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke will be published 9/4/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.

Five by Ilona Bannister will be published 5/5/26 in hardback, ebook and audio format.