We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

 

When a group of criminals met twenty years ago, they carved out the territory they would have control over to avoid any issues. Now, half of them are dead, and it looks as if one of them is out to kill the rest. Vern Blackwood, one of the few remaining criminals still alive, hires 'We Solve Murders' to track down who is responsible.

Two years ago, I approached We Solve Murders, the first book in the We Solve Murders series, with a little trepidation, wondering if Richard Osman had made a mistake by moving away from The Thursday Murder Club. I needn't have worried, as I loved the book; I even thought it was better than The Thursday Murder Club series. I've just re-read the review I wrote at the time (you can find it here), and pretty much everything I wrote two years ago about the first book can be applied to the new novel.

The plot of We Chase Shadows is convoluted, with criminals killing each other, but Vern Blackwood is adamant that there is no way the main suspect would kill him. Although the team of Rosie, Steve, and Amy has identified the killer, it is as if they are chasing a ghost, someone who only appeared twenty-five years ago and is never seen apart from when a killing takes place. As with the first book in the series, we see the trio making use of Rosie's wealth and contacts to hop around the globe, chasing information on the elusive killer. 

It is the characters of Rosie, Steve, and Amy that really make the story. Their individual eccentricities make them so endearing. Rosie is as outrageous as ever, but is struggling to understand her place in the publishing industry, seriously wondering if she has come to the end of her career as a writer. We learn a little bit more about Amy, discovering why she has built a wall around herself. Even though she's as hard as nails, we do see a little bit of emotion from her.

Steve is the standout character for me. He's still grieving the loss of his wife, in fact, he'd happily join her if it wasn't for letting his friends down and abandoning Trouble, his cat. I adore his no-nonsense approach to life, and I'd happily read a book based purely on the conversations between Steve and Tony.

The plot is helped along by some wonderful minor characters, and the big reveal is impossible to guess. I was disappointed when the book came to an end, as I enjoyed spending time with the threesome.

Author Details

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club novels are a record-breaking, multi-million-copy, bestselling series around the world. The movie adaptation for The Thursday Murder Club, produced by Amblin Entertainment, is available to watch on Netflix. His new series, We Solve Murders, featuring a brand-new detective trio, is also an international bestseller. Richard promises there are more books to come in both series. He lives in London with his wife, Ingrid, and their cats, Liesl and Lottie.

Eyes On You by Adele Parks (Audiobook)

 

Amy keeps everyone at arm's length because of her traumatic past. When she meets Oliver, she's immediately attracted to him, but he seems determined to take things extremely slowly. Past and present collide in a chilling way when she discovers his true identity.

WOW! What a story. Eyes On You by Adele Parks is one of those stories that has you gripped from the very beginning and keeps you engrossed throughout. The dramatic opening, one of violence and mystery, fills you with intrigue and sets the tone for an exceptionally twisty thriller.

Amy isn't a likeable character, but this is understandable when we piece together her past. As a teenager, she witnessed her father bludgeon his mistress to death and had to testify at his trial. Since then, she has been in self-destruct mode. When she meets Oliver, she feels different; there's a definite connection.

The narrative isn't linear, which really adds to the mystery. We have glimpses of the build-up to the murder, mixed with the growing relationship between Amy and Oliver. Intertwined with all of this are current-day events, events which seem as shocking and bloody as the original murder. Delivering morsels of information in this way kept the pace relentless, and had me desperate to know how everything fitted together. I was convinced I knew where the story was heading, but I was so wrong. The conclusion had me on the edge of my seat, and was one I certainly didn't see coming.

Author Details

Adele Parks MBE is the author of twenty-five bestselling novels including the recent Sunday Times hit Just Between Us and the audible Number One sensation One Last Secret. Over 6 million English editions of her work have been sold and she is translated into 31 different languages.

Her number one bestsellers Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck were both shortlisted for the British Book Awards and have been optioned for development for film & TV.

She is an ambassador of the National Literacy Trust and the Reading Agency: two charities that promote literacy in the UK.

Adele was born in North Yorkshire and has lived in Botswana, Italy and London and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey.

In 2022 she was awarded an MBE by King Charles III for services to literature.

On We Go by Mike Gayle

 

After her mother died, teenager Zoe was persuaded to go and live with her father, Dean. Eighteen months later, a university in Zurich wants to recognise the work her mother Nikki did by presenting a posthumous award. Cal, Zoe's step-father hopes that this will be a way for him to reconnect with his step-daughter.

Mike Gayle writes such wonderfully uplifting stories that I never hesitate to pick one up or recommend them to others. While On We Go definitely fits the uplifting genre, I found it a very emotional read; this is possibly down to personal circumstance.

The actions of both main characters, Zoe and Cal, can easily be attributed to grief. Despite nursing Nikki through her illness, neither was completely prepared for her death. At a time when both were numb, simply struggling to survive, Zoe was persuaded that it would be better if she moved to live with her father. Cal was in no fit state to argue. This whole situation was quite a shock as we discovered the close bond the pair had shared, a bond that was strengthened further as they looked after Nikki. Even more shocking though, is what followed: Zoe cut off all contact with Cal, and Cal stopped trying. This is obviously a consequence of the grief they are both still trying to deal with.

Using the posthumous award as a means of reconnecting seems ideal, with Cal suggesting they turn it into a trip the family had hoped to do before Nikki died. What Cal didn't expect was that the rest of Zoe's family would be in attendance. The wider family offers some light relief as we meet aging grandparents, a wide-boy uncle, and an influencer aunt. Cal deserved a medal for the way he handled everyone. I'm not sure I would have had his patience.

Disasters befall the group at every turn, and we see that a lack of communication is at the root of everything. There is a glimmer of hope, however, in the form of Sam, a boy whom Zoe begins to receive messages from. This tentative romance gives Zoe's self-esteem a boost and highlights the value of communication.

There are ups and downs throughout the trip. Personally, I felt that there were too many problems and would have preferred a little more light relief. Regardless of this, I did enjoy the book and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and others by Mike Gayle, to anyone looking for a comfort read.

Author Details

Mike Gayle was born and raised in Birmingham. After graduating from Salford University with a degree in Sociology, he moved to London to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a Features Editor and agony uncle. He has written for a variety of publications including The Sunday Times, the Guardian and Cosmopolitan.

Mike became a full time novelist in 1997 following the publication of his Sunday Times top ten bestseller My Legendary Girlfriend, which was hailed by the Independent as 'Full of belly laughs and painfully acute observations,' and by The Times as 'A funny, frank account of a hopeless romantic'. Since then he has written thirteen novels including Mr Commitment, Turning Thirty and The Man I Think I Know. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett

 

The Queen is touring the West Indies aboard Britannia when a body is discovered in one of the cabins. Initially, it is suspected that it was an accidental overdose. However, the Queen and Joan McGraw, her Assistant Private Secretary, aren't so sure and set out to uncover what really happened.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett is the sixth book in the 'Her Majesty The Queen Investigates' cosy crime series. The first three books in the series focus on Queen Elizabeth II during the later years of her reign, while books 4, 5, and 6 feature a much younger Queen. You can find reviews of all of the books in the series here on my blog.

The action takes place during a royal tour of the West Indies in 1966. This tour actually took place, so it is great to see fact and fiction woven together. The first thing that really strikes you is how much organisation is involved in a tour of this nature, and that, despite a hectic schedule, the Queen still kept up to date with everything that was happening back at home (long before the days of email and the internet).

Onboard Britannia are a mixture of household staff and crew. The one thing that comes across very clearly is how devoted everyone is to the Queen, and it is obvious that she holds them all in high regard. It is, therefore, quite a shock for the Queen to consider that someone on board may be supplying drugs. 

Life on board Britannia comes across as very glamorous, in spite of how 'homely' the state rooms are described. Tours around various islands, alongside events hosted on Britannia, highlight how elegant and prestigious everything is. Despite all of this, you also get a clear indication of how exhausting the work is: for the staff who are on call at a moment's notice, and for the Queen whose life is split in to five minute slots.  

I loved the way that the Queen manipulates everyone, with the aid of Joan, so that it doesn't look like she is controlling the investigation. While I thought the villain was obvious from the outset, I did enjoy the way that the events surrounding the death were slowly revealed. For me, however, the most important element of the storyline was the dilemma that Joan had to deal with.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett will be published on 15th October 2026 in hardback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for a review copy.

Author Details

SJ Bennett was born in Yorkshire and travelled the world as an army child. She had a varied career before her first novel was published when she was 42. Since then, her books have won awards, been optioned for TV, and have been translated into over 20 languages.

She was once asked to interview for the role of Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen and still considers it the job that got away. A curious royal watcher for many years, she lives in London, where she can often be found haunting its palaces, museums, galleries and libraries. She currently writes the ‘Her Majesty the Queen Investigates’ series.

The Twilight Garden by Emma Davies (Audiobook)

 

Gemma loses her new job and her home all at the same time. Her only hope of salvation seems to be an obscure advert in a magazine offering board and lodging for help on a smallholding. Taking a leap of faith, she discovers a new lease of life and a reconnection with someone from her past.

As I started listening to The Twilight Garden by Emma Davies, I immediately felt sympathetic towards Gemma. Having spent the past year nursing her dying mother, work was the last thing on her mind. Looking for a fresh start, she has lined up a new job and tenants for her home. Unfortunately, things come crashing down when she discovers the job no longer exists, and her old job has gone. She doesn't want to inconvenience her friends or turn her new tenants away. It is easy to understand why she would leap at the chance of a job where she doesn't have to think about the demands of everyday life, giving her time to reflect and re-evaluate her priorities.

The new job isn't quite what Gemma was expecting, but with nowhere else to go, she decides to give it a chance. The smallholding is on land which was once part of a large estate. Keen to learn more about the history of the estate, Gemma uncovers what was once a well-established flower garden and sets about restoring it to its former glory. Along the way, Gemma learns new skills and develops new friendships.

There are surprises along the way. Not long after arriving at the smallholding, Gemma discovers that her ex-husband, Leo, also helps out. Learning that they divorced 18 years ago, my interest was immediately piqued, wondering why they had separated. There is also a mystery surrounding some of the things that keep going wrong; is someone trying to sabotage the work they are doing?

This is a genial story, with just enough mystery to keep you absorbed. The story surrounding the breakup of Gemma's marriage was an extremely poignant one, showing how grief affects people in different ways, and how essential communication is.

The Twilight Garden by Emma Davies is available in paperback, ebook, and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a review copy.

Author Details

After a varied career, Emma Davies once worked for a design studio where she was asked to provide a fun and humorous (and not necessarily true) anecdote for their website. She wrote the following: 'I am a bestselling novelist currently masquerading as a thirty something mother of three.' Well the job in the design studio didn't work out but she's now a forty something mother of three and is happy to report the rest of her dream came true.

After many years as a finance manager, she now writes full time, and is far happier playing with words than numbers. She lives with her husband, three children, and two guinea pigs in rural Shropshire where she writes in all the gaps in between real life. It's a county she adores, her love of its beautiful people and landscapes providing endless inspiration for her books, and in fact the only thing that would make Shropshire more idyllic is if it were by the sea.

The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett

 

Disaster strikes (again!) at the latest production by The Fairway Players amateur dramatic society of Lower Lockwood. Secrets and rivalry abound. Can lawyers Femi Hassan and Charlotte Holroyd gather the necessary clues to a murder from the wealth of material they have to wade through?

Fans of Janice Hallett need no explanation as to the style of her mystery novels. If you've not read anything by this author before, then prepare for the hours to simply disappear when you pick up one of her superb novels. The Silent Appeal is set in the village of Lower Lockwood, and follows on from The Appeal (sorry, no review as I read this before starting my blog) and The Christmas Appeal (you can read my review here). You really don't need to have read the previous books to enjoy this one. Although many of the characters appeared in the earlier books, you'll quickly pick up each individual's characteristics, the interpersonal relationships, past history, and the rivalry that affects everything that takes place.

Told in epistolary format, you feel voyeuristic as you read each email, text, WhatsApp message, or journal entry. Don't overanalyse what you read, just absorb and enjoy; hunting for clues is useless as the author throws in so many secrets and misdirection that it is impossible to guess who the victim is, never mind who the murderer is.

It is frequently said that it is impossible to pick up nuance from written communications; Janice Hallett proves that this is completely wrong. Her brilliant writing conveys every dig and slight, no matter how subtle. Subtle probably isn't the correct description, however, as many of the characters are completely tone-deaf, they frequently criticise others for a lack of sensitivity without recognising it in themselves. 

I found myself sitting up late into the night, frantically turning pages, trying to figure out how everything tied together. Although I managed to guess what was happening in a couple of the threads, all the red herrings kept me in the dark until the very end. Sadly, I, like many fans, now have to wait for the author's next novel.

Author Details

Janice Hallett is the author of six Sunday Times bestselling novels, most recently The Killer Question and The Examiner. Her smash-hit debut novel, The Appeal, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month and won the CWA Debut Dagger Award. The Twyford Code won the British Book Awards Crime and Thriller Book of the Year, and The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick. She lives in West London.

August 2026 Reads

 

The month began with a YA novel, Wrecked, by local author Katie Mitchelson. Desperate to escape terrible home lives, teenagers Jake and Minnie agree to be participants in the trial of a new technology that is designed to help young people deal with trauma. Their lives begin to spiral out of control when another member of the trial goes missing. Not quite as dystopian as I’d hoped for.

I know Laura Pearson is always going to produce something interesting, and The Day Our Lives Collided lived up to expectations. Hayden, Tash, and Adam literally bump into each other during their first week at university. Over the next seventeen years, we follow the complexities of their friendship through the weddings they attend. I loved the characters and felt deeply involved in their lives.

A friend loaned me The Silence Of Scheherazade by Defne Suman, an historical epic set at the end of the Ottoman Empire. I knew nothing about this period or location and enjoyed the glimpse of life in Turkey at the turn of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, I found the story a little confusing as it jumped between various characters and time periods.

Creepy stories are a hallmark of C. J. Tudor’s writing, and Serenity Falls continues this theme. Dan Barker and his daughter, Sadie, inherit a house in the model town of Serenity Falls. The chance to start a new life seems perfect, until they move into their new home and strange things begin to happen. Is Serenity Falls as perfect as everyone makes out? It’s difficult not to make comparisons with real places in this bizarre tale.

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans had been hovering near the top of my TBR pile for a while. This is a gentle tale featuring elderly Sybil Van Antwerp, who spends her days tending her garden, reading books, and writing letters. Given a glimpse into the letters she writes, we learn of the diverse relationships she has with family, friends, and acquaintances.

Truth Will Out is a twisty debut thriller from N. J. Hatton. Jack Kilby is filled with panic as he rushes his pregnant wife to the hospital; it's far too early for their baby to be born. A momentary distraction results in him hitting and killing a cyclist. Leaving the body at the side of the country lane, he continues on to the hospital. In the aftermath, wracked with guilt, he realises that he needs to turn himself in to the police, but when he gets there, he discovers they've already arrested the person they believe is responsible.

One of my favourite cosy crime series is the Nosey Parker books by Fiona Leitch. In book 11, The Cornish Halloween Murder, Jodie is asked to investigate the appearance of strange dolls that are found around an old convent that is in the process of being redeveloped. Are residents, upset at the work taking place, trying to scare off the developers, or is there something more sinister happening? This is my favourite in the series, it has seriously creepy vibes which are perfect for Halloween.

Dark academia calls in The Scholars by MacKenzie Common. Five brilliant scholars are awarded postgraduate scholarships to Oxford University. The scholarships are a stepping stone to greatness; recipients go on to be leaders in their field, Nobel prize winners, and even world leaders. This year's students have all the hallmarks of greatness, until one of them dies mysteriously and secrets are uncovered. This is an extremely accessible read, that grabs your attention immediately.

My book group read for August was Everything Under by Daisy Johnson. I really struggled with this, but persevered since it was relatively short. A modern retelling of the Oedipus story, I couldn’t engage with any of the characters. The mystery of the Bonak remained a mystery even after I’d finished. I don’t imagine this will have gone down well with the rest of my reading group.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett continues the ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ series. Set in 1966 during a royal tour of the West Indies, a member of the household staff is found dead on board. I thoroughly enjoyed this fictional glimpse into the life of Queen Elizabeth II, and am truly astounded at how intense her life was.

I managed three audiobooks in August, the first of which was To All The Men I’ve Killed Before by Katy Brent. Kitty Collins returns, and she is on a mission. She's determined to seek revenge on the man who brutally attacked her best friend. Kitty heads to Los Angeles on the trail of Aiden Ward, but she's not alone this time. Alongside Kitty is her newly found half-sister, Antoinette, a serial killer in training. This was so much fun, particularly with Kitty trying to rein in the impulsive Antoinette.

The town of Maple Falls is at its best in autumn, so it was lovely to return in The Pumpkin Pie Book Nook by Harper Graham. Robyn is taking a sabbatical from her job as a professor at Yale. During her time off, she is looking after the local bookstore for a friend. Challenges await Robyn: finding the parts of an old manuscript, preventing someone from buying the shop to turn it into a grocery store, and, toughest of all, not falling for her colleague, Tyler. If you like your romance spicy, then this is for you.

Killer Twist by Jo Furniss is a delight if you like crime fiction, as it pokes fun at crime writers, crime fiction fans, and the publishing industry in general. During a crime fiction festival, a celebrity writer is murdered. There seems to be competition for who the killer might be as the celebrity kept stealing other writers’ ideas for his novels.

Publication dates to watch out for:-

The Day Our Lives Collided by Laura Pearson will be published 6/9/26 in paperback and ebook format.

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor will be published 10/9/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.

Truth Will Out by N. J. Hatton will be published 10/9/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

The Scholars by MacKenzie Common will be published 24/9/26 in paperback and ebook format.

The Cornish Halloween Murder by Fiona Leitch will be published 24/9/26 in paperback, ebook, and audio format.

Death On The Royal Yacht by S. J. Bennett will be published 15/10/26 in hardback, ebook, and audio format.