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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Time To Burn by Ellery Lloyd

Published July 23rd, 2026 by Pan Macmillan
Historical Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Science Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the author of The Club, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, Time to Burn is Ellery Lloyd’s compelling time travel thriller.

If the past catches up with you, time travel can be murder . . .

London, the present day: commercial time travel is a reality.

Tempus Tours – owned by controversial tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank – offers the wealthy a chance to witness pivotal moments in history.

To immortalise his achievement, Frank enlists award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary. On her first day shadowing Inigo, she is set to witness the return of a billionaire property developer and his family from their trip to the past. But instead of their awe-filled return, she captures the group arriving bloodied and traumatized, with one of their number missing.

Not only that, but Phoebe recognizes the missing woman. She knows not only that she’s not who she claims to be, but that the woman has every reason to harbor a grudge against her. And as events begin to unravel in the present day, it seems increasingly clear that the woman had sinister motives for returning to the past – and that people close to Phoebe are in danger.

Can Phoebe stop the ripple effect before she loses everything – and everyone – she holds dear?

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Have you ever wanted to go back in time and witness some of the most pivotal moments in history? Well now you can with Tempus Tours, a commercial time travel business that allows you to do just that. For a hefty price tag of course. Tempus’ owner, controversial tech entrepreneur Inigo Frank, decides he wants his achievements immortalised and invites award-winning filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to create a fly-on-the-wall documentary that goes behind the scenes at Tempus. She will start by capturing the return of a group who travelled back to the Blitz. But things don’t go to plan and the group return injured and bloody, while one member, Sasha, is left stranded in 1941. As Inigo and his team try to figure out how to rescue Sasha, Phoebe realises she recognises the missing woman. And she’s not who she says she is. And as events unfold, we learn she has sinister motives for remaining in the past that could change everything for people in the present.

Suspenseful, transportive, twisty and bingeable, Time To Burn is another winner from Ellery Lloyd. Expertly written and cleverly choreographed, this action-packed historical thriller had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story is told in the present and in 1941, with flashbacks that tell the story of Phoebe and Sasha’s shared past. I was intrigued by the idea of being able to travel back in time to witness history for yourself, but this story serves as a reminder of how such technology can be exploited and the butterfly effect that can occur from going back in time. 

Narrators Phoebe and Sasha are compelling and deeply flawed characters. But I had a real soft spot for these women, even if I didn’t always agree with their actions. We know from the start that their histories are intertwined in some way, that Phoebe regrets her behaviour and understands that Sasha is probably out for revenge, but it takes some time for the full picture to emerge. And when it did I certainly understood Sasha more but still wasn’t on board with her plan for revenge and the way she altered people’s lives.

An addictive and propulsive historical thriller that you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ellery Lloyd is the pseudonym for New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos.

Collette is a journalist and editor, the former content director of Elle (UK) and editorial director at Soho House. She has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and the Sunday Times.

Paul is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day is Like Sunday. He is the program director for Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Greenwich.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan

Published August 20th, 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton
Hisotorical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Police Procedural, Adventure Fiction, Suspense

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

*** WINNER OF THE CWA SAPERE BOOKS HISTORICAL DAGGER 2021, and an INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ***

‘The leading character is the deftly drawn Persis Wadia, the country’s first female detective. She’s a wonderful creation and this is a hugely enjoyable book’ ANN CLEEVES

‘This is historical crime fiction at its best – a compelling mix of social insight and complex plotting with a thoroughly engaging heroine. A highly promising new series’ MAIL ON SUNDAY

Bombay, New Year’s Eve, 1949

As India celebrates the arrival of a momentous new decade, Inspector Persis Wadia stands vigil in the basement of Malabar House, home to the city’s most unwanted unit of police officers. Six months after joining the force she remains India’s first female police detective, mistrusted, sidelined and now consigned to the midnight shift.
And so, when the phone rings to report the murder of prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot, the country’s most sensational case falls into her lap.

As 1950 dawns and India prepares to become the world’s largest republic, Persis, accompanied by Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, finds herself investigating a case that is becoming more political by the second. Navigating a country and society in turmoil, Persis, smart, stubborn and untested in the crucible of male hostility that surrounds her, must find a way to solve the murder – whatever the cost.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Bombay, New Year’s Eve, 1949. Inspector Persis Wadia spends the evening standing vigil in the basement of Malabar House, home to the city’s most unwanted unit of police officers. Persis is India’s first female police detective and people haven’t exactly been welcoming. She faces sexism, mistrust and scathing criticism, which is why she has been consigned to the midnight shift. But then the phone rings. Prominent English diplomat Sir James Herriot has been murdered. And Persis realises that the most sensational case in the country has just fallen into her lap. 

Intriguing, clever, tense and totally riveting, Vassem Khan has crafted a book that feels like an Indian Agatha Christie. Transporting us to post-Partition India, he introduces us to maverick cop Persis. Gutsy, headstrong, driven and formidable, Persis is a brilliant protagonist who would fit right in with Poirot or Marple. Unafraid to defy convention or challenge authority, Peris is more than up for the challenge of being India’s first female detective. I was rooting for her to prove her haters wrong at every step and am so glad this is a series so I can see what is next for her.

Although I’ve had Khan’s books on my shelves for years, I’m ashamed to say that this was my first time reading one of them. Why did I wait so long? At least doing so means I have his extensive backlist waiting for me to discover. Skillfully written, richly drawn and filled with complex plotting, this is a first-class cosy mystery. Khan knows how to keep his readers on their toes, delivering an array of suspects who all have reasons to kill the victim so that the answers are hard to predict. 

One thing I particularly loved was Khan’s decision to set the story during such a fascinating and tumultuous time in Indian history. It is an era I was unfamiliar with before picking up this book, but one of my favourite parts of reading historical fiction is learning about new historical events. Overflowing with Indian history, Khan’s extensive research is evident in every small detail, exploring themes such as colonialism, racism and sexism. 

This outstanding cosy mystery is a must for your TBR.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India, and the Q Mysteries, beginning with Quantum of Menace, the first in a murder mystery series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the CWA Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. Between 2023-2025, Vaseem served as the Chair of the UK Crime Writers’ Association. In 2025, his first psychological thriller, The Girl in Cell A, was published, set in small town America.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Dinner Party by Rebecca Heath

Published June 6th, 2024 by Head of Zeus
Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Secrets. Glamour. Lies. Your new favourite twisty thriller was written by INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Rebecca Heath.

A dark and twisty domestic thriller set in a seemingly idyllic suburban neighbourhood, where family secrets are best kept buried…

FOUR COUPLES.
Summer 1979. In the idyllic suburban neighbourhood of Ridgefield, Australia, during a scorching heat wave, four couples gather for their weekly dinner party.

AN ORDINARY EVENING.
When Frank Callaghan checks on the sleeping children, he finds an empty crib where his four-month-old daughter Megan should be sleeping. The party-goers swear they didn’t see anything but each of them has something to hide.

THE BEGINNING OF A NIGHTMARE.
Forty years later, a stranger knocks at the Callaghans’ door. She claims to be their missing daughter. And she’s holding the blanket she was wrapped in the night she disappeared.

Shocked, the Callaghans must finally confront how well they know their neighbours, and ask themselves:
Where has Megan really been all this time?

buy here

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MY REVIEW:

On a hot December night in 1979 in the idyllic suburban neighbourhood of Ridgefield, Australia, four couples gather for one of their regular neighbourhood dinner parties. The children are left to sleep at home while the adults let their hair down, but they check on the children regularly. All is as it should be until during one of his checks, Frank Callaghan finds his daughter Megan’s crib is empty. No one saw or heard a thing. Forty years later, no trace of Megan has ever been found and a podcast is now airing about the case. On the anniversary of Megan’s disappearance a stranger knocks at the Callaghan’s door saying she believes she is Megan. And when she shows them she has the blanket Megan was taken in as proof, it seems like the missing little girl is finally home. But Billie, Megan’s niece, can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right. So she begins to look into the stranger and the truth about that night. But is she prepared for what she’s about to uncover?

Tense, twisty and addictive, The Dinner Party had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. A story of family, community, secrets, lies and the ripple effect of trauma, there is a chilling sense of foreboding from the opening pages. Expertly written, deftly plotted and intricately interwoven, Rebecca Heath merges traditional storytelling with true crime to tell this riveting tale. And I couldn’t put it down. I was in her thrall, totally lost in the drama and mystery that surrounds this family and their neighbourhood. The story is told in dual timelines: the present and in flashbacks to ‘that night’. Then there are the podcast episodes that include interviews with some of the people there that night. It unfurls slowly, drip-feeding us clues about the characters and that night that I was trying to piece together to learn what happened to Megan. But this story was so hard to predict. Almost every twist was a surprise and I had no idea what the truth was about that night. 

The Callaghan’s are an ordinary family pulled into a nightmare on the night that Megan vanishes. A nightmare they are never released from. There are no clues and the family is left to wonder who could have taken their precious daughter. The family have never stopped searching, even starting a foundation in Megan’s name to try and find her and other missing people. I loved that they were a family going through normal things as well as the extraordinary as it made them easy to relate to and root for. I really liked the main character, Billie, and felt for her as she became the only one to doubt the stranger in their midst. The other characters are also well written and there is a strong sense of community that isn’t always a positive thing.

So if you like true crime, cold cases and well-written thrillers, then this is the book for you.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Head of Zeus and Netgalley for providing me with a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rebecca Heath studied laser chemistry at university, worked in hospitality and teaching, and wrote obsessively whenever she could find the time. She wrote several young adult novels as Beck Nicholas, and was published in Australia and Germany before turning to a life of (writing) crime. She lives in Adelaide, Australia, halfway between the city and the sea with her husband, three children and a much-loved border collie. The Last Encore is her fourth novel for adults following The Summer Party, The Dinner Party and The Wedding Party all published in Australia, UK and USA.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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BOOK REVIEW: Perfect Kill by Helen Fields (DI Callanach, Book 6)

Published February 6th, 2020 by Avon
Crime Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Series, Police Procedural

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

He had never heard himself scream before. It was terrifying.

Alone, trapped in the darkness and with no way out, Bart Campbell knows that his chances of being found alive are slim.

Drugged and kidnapped, the realisation soon dawns that he’s been locked inside a shipping container far from his Edinburgh home. But what Bart doesn’t yet know is that he’s now heading for France where his unspeakable fate is already sealed…

DCI Ava Turner and DI Luc Callanach are working on separate cases that soon collide as it becomes clear that the men and women being shipped to France are being traded for women trafficked into Scotland.

With so many lives at stake, they face an impossible task – but there’s no option of failure when Bart and so many others will soon be dead…

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride like no other, with the next gripping thriller from the number one bestselling crime author, Helen Fields. The perfect read for fans of M. J. Arlidge and Karin Slaughter.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

The DI Callanac series is one of my favourites. So when I heard that Helen Fields was releasing a new installment next year I was thrilled. But I’d fallen behind, so I decided it was time to get back to my favourite French Detective. 

It starts with a haunting and unforgettable opening scene: twenty-year-old Bart wakes up in pain in a stinking, pitch-black room, chained at the ankle. And he has no idea how he got there. He soon realises he’s been drugged and kidnapped. But what he hasn’t yet comprehended is that he’s been put in a shipping container and is on his way to France, where an unspeakable fate awaits him. In France, DI Luc Callanach is investigating the case of a young man who has had his organs harvested. While in Scotland, DCI Ava Turner is investigating Bart’s disappearance. They soon realise their cases are connected and men and women are being taken, sent to France and having their organs harvested. And the group is also connected to the trafficking of women in Scotland. There are many lives at stake, and Luc and Ava face a race against the clock to find them before it’s too late…

Dark, gritty, intense, scalpel-sharp and nerve-shredding, Perfect Kill is a bingeable thriller. I can always rely on Helen to deliver a first-class thriller that keeps me on the edge of my seat and holds me in a chokehold from start to finish. And just when I thought this series couldn’t get better, she proved me wrong with this book. Helen is a spectacular sinister storyteller who spins the threads of this disturbing story to suspenseful perfection. A masterclass in pace and tension, the outright fear is omnipresent and my heart raced as Luc and Ava tried to solve the crimes before it was too late. As she explored the darkest underbelly of the criminal world I felt like I was watching it all unfold on screen before me. Someone really needs to adapt this series. 

Luc and Ava are great detectives and I love their will they/won’t they romance. That storyline takes a bit of a backseat this time around but I am still rooting for them to get together at last and become a kick-ass crime-fighting couple. It was fun to be back with them and the other returning characters. And then there’s the villains. Helen crafted some truly odious and deplorable characters who represent the worst of humanity but were great to read. 

A heart-pounding thriller that starts with a bang and never lets go, this book – and the whole series – is a must for thriller lovers.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A former criminal and family law barrister, Helen Fields has the expertise and experience to make the characters and plots scorch with authenticity. 

With a background as both a prosecutor and defence counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness  to her writing. From Courts Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page.

Sunday Times Best Seller, Million copy and twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year author whose books have been translated across the globe, Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love.

The ‘Perfect’ series, set in Edinburgh, introduced the world to DI Luc Callanach. This year saw the release of Degrees of Guilt, her first psychological thriller in the name HS Chandler, a book as shockingly realistic as it is darkly entertaining.  

​Helens’ latest character creation is Dr Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist and profiler, based on a real FBI Agent who consulted on the first book.  You can find Connie in The Shadow Man, One For Sorrow and The Institution.

​Helen is a million copy best seller crime writer & UK no.1 thriller book novelist now writing her 14th book.

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Thhanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Just Like The Other Girls by Claire Douglas

Publised August 6th, 2020 by Michael Joseph
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

*CARER/COMPANION WANTED FOR ELDERLY LADY*

*YOUNG FEMALE PREFERRED * COMPETITIVE SALARY*

*ROOM AND BOARD INCLUDED*

Una Richardson is devastated after the death of her mother. Hoping for a fresh start, she responds to an advertisement and steps into the rich, comforting world of elderly Mrs Elspeth McKenzie.

But Elspeth’s home is not as safe as it seems.

Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una’s presence. More disturbing is the evidence suggesting two girls lived here before.

What happened to the girls?

Why will the McKenzies not talk about them?

As the walls close in around her, Una fears she’ll end up just like the other girls . . .

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

When Una answers an ad from an elderly woman looking for a live-in companion, she feels like it’s the fresh start she’s been looking for after the death of her mother and the end of her relationship. And when she steps into Elspeth’s large, comforting home she is filled with hope for the future. But this house isn’t as safe as it seems. It is filled with a dark, dysfunctional family history and Elsepth’s daughter Kathryn is a bitter woman who resents Una’s presence. And then she learns about the two girls who worked there before her. Is this job the answer to Una’s problems? Or just the start of them…

Omg! This was one crazy rollercoaster ride!  Deliciously dark, chilling, sinister and twisty, this addictive thriller had me totally hooked. Expertly written, cleverly choreographed and filled with red herrings, it took me by surprise at every turn. I was on the edge of my seat and devoured the book in under a day. It had been a while since I’d read a book by Claire Douglas, and after reading Just Like The Other Girls I’m wondering why. And I certainly won’t be waiting long before reading more of her backlist.

I love an unreliable narrator and this book was jam-packed full of them. It was obvious that Elspeth and Kathryn were hiding things from the start and you couldn’t trust what they were saying. But the distrust rippled out to the other characters and made me question what almost all of them were saying. And who was the mysterious stalker watching Una who seemed to be involved in her predecessors leaving their positions? One person was a strong suspect for me from the start, but they weren’t the only person I considered as a start and the person I eventually landed on was the right answer. But even then Ms. Douglas had another surprise in store that left my jaw on the floor and changed everything I thought I’d known about the story.

If you’re looking for a dark and unpredictable thriller then I highly recommend you read this book.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you to Michael Joseph and Netgalley for providing me with a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Douglas worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women’s magazines and national newspapers, but had dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award with her first novel, The Sisters.
She is a Sunday Times bestseller and a frequent Richard & Judy Book Club pick. Her books have sold over three million copies in the UK alone.
She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: A House in Winter by Emily Hourican

Publised September 3rd, 2026 by Eriu
Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Set in January 1965, A House in Winter tells the story of the visit of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowden to his sister’s home in Abbeyleix, Ireland, when they faced local opposition and IRA petrol bomb attacks that confined them, without electricity, for 48 fraught hours.

As well as the conflict outside the walls, there’s plenty within, with Margaret’s difficult mother in law gleefully contributing to her disintegrating marriage. Meanwhile in the nearby village local woman Cait has struggles of her own, unable to escape family responsibilities and small town life.

Inspired by real events, A House in Winter is an atmospheric and richly observed novel about duty, marriage and the different forms of captivity. Blending royal intrigue with compelling Irish community drama, it will appeal to readers of The Crown, Wendy Holden’s The Duchess, Daisy Goodwin’s Victoria and the warm, character-driven storytelling of Maeve Binchy.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Told from multiple points of view, at its heart this is a book about two very different women caught up in the same event. Set in 1965, it takes us to County Laois, Ireland where Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowden (Anthony Armstrong-Jones) are staying in Abbeyleix House with his sister Susan, Viscountess de Vesci, and her husband John, Viscount de Vesci. Cait is an ordinary Irish girl struggling to make ends meet while running her family shop and caring for her sick mother. Though the pair never meet, their lives collide over the course of the few days the princess is in town. Cait is there with other well-wishers to greet the royal couple when they arrive. But there are also hostile elements at the gate protesting their presence. Margaret is dismissive of the threat the IRA pose, but on the night of January 8th 1965, petrol bombs were thrown over the house’s walls, hitting the electricity transformer and leaving those inside Abbeyleix, and many surrounding houses, without electricity for forty-eight hours. The story follows both women over the course of those hours as they try to deal with the fall-out of the attack and wait for the perpetrators to be caught. 

I love a book that is based on a true story. So as soon as I read the description of this book I jumped at the chance to read it and be on the blog tour. Claustrophobic, transportive and compelling, Emily Hourican had me in her thrall from start to finish. Beautifully written, meticulously researched and evocatively told, Emily pours so much depth and humanity onto these pages. It wasn’t an easy read at times, exploring themes including toxic marriage, post natal depression, dysfunctional family relationships, grief, chronic illness and extremism. I lived every moment alongside these characters and enjoyed how Ms. Hourican showcased that no matter who we are, our lives all contain struggles alongside the triumphs, and that even a princess who seems to have it all can feel like a bird trapped in a cage. Beautifully written, meticulously researched and filled with evocative imagery, I couldn’t put this one down once I’d started and read it in under a day.

The characters are so well written. I loved how Princess Margaret felt like a real, three-dimensional person who I could connect with rather than a caricature. And I loved Cait. I was rooting for them both and hoping they’d find their way  to a happier life where they were no longer trapped by duty. And though she’s a terrible person, I loved reading Anne, Tony’s mother, as she was just so well written and entertaining. But I couldn’t stand Tony. He was an awful man who treated his wife terribly and served as a sad reminder that not even being a princess can protect you from being ensnared by an abuser.

A riveting piece of historical fiction that is not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part in this blog tour and to Eriu for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Emily Hourican is a journalist and author. She has written features for the Sunday Independent for 15 years, as well as Image magazine, Condé Nast Traveler and Woman and Home. She was also editor of three magazines. Her debut novel, THE PRIVILEGED, was shortlisted for the 2016 Irish Book Awards in the Best Commercial Fiction. Emily was born in Belfast, grew up in Brussels, and went to school in University College Dublin, where she earned a Masters in English Literature. She lives in Dublin with her husband and three children.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliohphiles xxxx

Please check out the reviews from the other bloggers taking part in the blog tour.

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Audio Books book reviews

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Midnight Guests by Alex Hay

Published September 10th, 2026 by Headline
Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Gay Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Welcome to the Hotel Artemis – and an opening night to remember. The White Lotus meets Peaky Blinders in this page-turning new mystery from the bestselling author of The Housekeepers.

1926. Diana Gold, owner and impresario, throws open the doors to the most opulent new hotel in London. As the champagne flows and the chandeliers shimmer, millionaires and gamblers rub shoulders with film stars and royalty.

Yet nothing at the Hotel Artemis is quite what it seems – not least two infamous guests who Diana expects at midnight. Powerful and dangerous, they’ve dragged her from the gutter and taught her all she knows. Now they’re calling in her debt – and Diana must take perfect care of them, unless they take care of her first.

But when a body is found in the hotel’s finest suite, the lavish opening night begins to spiral out of control. And over twenty-four fateful hours, the staff and guests of the Artemis will find out why they are really there.

buy here

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MY REVIEW:

Glamorous, entertaining, immersive and twisty, The Midnight Guests is an absolute delight. Cosy crime at its best, the story is told in dual timelines over two fateful twenty four hours. 

May 1st, 1926. The night of the grand opening of the Hotel Artemis, which is owned by socialite and impresario Diana Gold. Tonight the champagne will flow as prominent guests enjoy the result of months of her hard work. But there are two guests that Diana is not looking forward to welcoming; two infamous people who could give away the truth that lies beneath the glittering facade of this opulent hotel. Because the Hotel Artemis isn’t what it seems and Diana is hiding some dark secrets. And when a body is found in one of the lavish suites, it sparks a chain reaction of events that spirals out of control.

Meanwhile, in January 2026, Joe Carberry is staying at the Hotel Artemis for its final night in business. But Joe has ulterior motives for his stay. He is here to try and uncover the identity of the two bodies that were found in the hotel’s crypt a century ago. Could the bodies be linked to the tragic events that unfolded on opening night? And if so, who will end their night dead in the crypt? And why? 

Part The Great Gatsby and part Peaky Blinders, there is an elegance merged with a sense of danger and criminality in this book that feels intoxicating. Well-written, expertly plotted, intricately interwoven and surprising, Alex Hay crafted a treasure trove of mysteries and misdirects and transported me back back to the roaring 1920s with all of its sophistication and glamour. An array of potential victims and suspects kept me guessing and I was on tenterhooks from start to finish.

The story is filled with a collection of charismatic characters who leap from the pages. But the characters I loved most were the array of strong, feisty, audacious and devious women who were unashamedly themselves. These women were taking their lives into their own hands and refusing to conform to societal expectations or cow down to men. I had a real soft spot for Cleo and loved her character arc. But there were some great male characters, too, and I enjoyed reading Joe and following his journey as he tried to uncover the truth about the bodies in the vault. 

A glamorous and entertaining murder mystery that you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Headline and Netgalley for my copy of the book in exchange for my honest reivew.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alex Hay is a bestselling author whose debut novel The Housekeepers was a Waterstones Book of the Month and Paperback of the Year and won the Caledonia Novel Award 2022. He is also the author of The Queen of Fives and The Midnight Guests, both published to great acclaim. Alex was born in London and now lives in Brighton, U.K. with his husband. He is currently working on his next book.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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BOOK REVIEW: The Secrets We Hide by Karin Slaughter

Published June 18th, 2026 by Harper Fiction
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Psycological Thriller, Southern Fiction, Police Procedural

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Welcome to North Falls―a small town with big secrets.

The house at 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other in the quiet, residential street. But rumours are rife about the Vickery family – a couple in the midst of a volatile separation and a daughter with secrets of her own.

Then one afternoon gunshots ring out. Allison Vickery is found murdered in her own kitchen, her teenage daughter bleeding and left for dead. Her husband suspiciously absent.

Everyone in North Falls thinks they know what happened. Gossip and rumours spread like wildfire. But the truth is far more shocking than anyone could ever have imagined.

Secrets are everywhere in this small town. Everyone is hiding something. It’s up to Detective Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth, but the deeper she looks the darker it gets…

A gripping and twisty thriller, perfect or fans of Lisa Jewell, Andrea Mara and Shari Lapena

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

We’re back in North Falls for the second book in Karin Slaughter’s newest series. 

On her way home from her mother’s funeral, Detective Emmy Clifton hears shots ringing out from one of the houses. She and her sister, Jude, go to investigate and find Allison Vickery lying dead on her kitchen floor. Her teenage daughter Mandy is found bleeding and left for dead. Noticeably absent is Allison’s husband, Bill, who is a known domestic abuser. The case seems clear cut. But the truth will shock everyone…

Karin Slaughter never disappoints. When I pick up one of her books I know I’m getting a dark, tense and twisty thriller that will have me in a chokehold from start to finish. Her latest offering, The Secrets We Hide, further cements that reputation. Suspenseful, gritty, clever, immersive and propulsive, Karin delivers another page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat. Karin explores some dark and important topics including the relationship between mothers and daughters, secrets, lies, coercive control and corruption. It is achingly human and brimming with emotion that will put you through the wringer alongside the characters. But I loved being back with them and in North Falls.  It is expertly written and impeccably crafted, and showcases why Karin has had such a long and successful career.

One of Karin’s greatest talents is writing about smalltown life and exploring the darkness that can lurk in its shadows. And that darkness is seeping from every pore of this book, reminding us that even the place we call home can be a place of danger and that things aren’t always what they appear to be on the surface. And because the story is set in such a small town, Emmy knows the victims and suspects and I found that because she was, I was even more invested in getting justice.

Action-packed and addictive, this is a must for any thriller lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you to Harper Fiction for sendind me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers.

She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels, including the Edgar nominated Cop Town and standalone novels Pretty Girls and False Witness. An international bestseller, Slaughter is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. Pieces of Her, based on her novel, debuted at #1 worldwide on Netflix as an original series in 2022. Her bestselling thriller series, Will Trent, is now a television and streaming sensation in its 4th season. The Good Daughter will soon be a limited series starring Rose Byrne and Meghann Fahy, and further projects are currently in development for film/TV. Karin Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Lochbound by Rebecca Templeton

Published April 16th, 2026 by Sphere
Fairy Tale, Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Romance Novel, Romantic Fantasy

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Mermaids. Monsters. Magic. But this story is no fairy tale . . .

Kilmara, Scotland. 1725. For fifty years, Iris has accepted the curse that blighted her life. By night, she is a heartbroken woman, destined to walk the misty shores of Kilmara without growing older. By day, she is Moireach, a terrifying monster imprisoned in the murky depths of Loch Moine.

When bodies begin appearing on the shore, the villagers are convinced Moireach is responsible. So a hunter – the rugged, ruthless Henry Carver – is summoned to slay the monster of the loch.

Iris must break her curse before she is killed for crimes she cannot believe she has committed. But as Kilmara’s hunt for the monster becomes ever more fevered, she and Henry are drawn together in a dangerous game of impossible attraction.

And when a figure from Iris’s past suddenly reappears, she must choose what – or who – she is willing to sacrifice to win her freedom.

Because there is no happily-ever-after when you are the monster.

A glitteringly dark reimagining of The Little Mermaid set in eighteenth-century Scotland, this enchanting and gothic historical fantasy is perfect for fans of Rosie Andrews’s The Leviathan, Georgia Leighton’s Spellbound and anyone who loved Outlander.

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MY REVIEW:

Kilmara, Scotland, 1725. Bound by a curse, for fifty years, Iris has walked the shores by night as a heartbroken woman and inhabited the murky depths of Loch Moine by day as Moireach, a terrifying monster. When bodies that have been brutally murdered and mutilated start appearing on the shore, the villagers are convinced that the monster in the sea is responsible. So, they call hunter Henry Carver to slay her. Iris knows it is only a matter of time before he finds her so she must find a way to break her curse before she is killed for crimes she doesn’t believe she committed. But things become complicated when she and Henry find themselves drawn to one another. Can she keep her monstrous identity from him?

Dark, haunting, gothic and alluring, Lochbound is a spellbinding twisted fairytale. A retelling of The Little Mermaid merged with Scottish folklore, this story of mermaids, monsters, murder, magic, legend and love had me in a chokehold from start to finish. The Little Mermaid is my favourite fairytale and I’ve been fascinated by selkies and kelpies for years, so I knew as soon as I read the description that this was a book I had to read. And I loved every moment spent with this story and the characters. Exquisitely written, perfectly choreographed and filled with heart-pounding tension, this is the definition of a page-turner. Debut author Rebecca Templeton is a talented storyteller and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

The book is filled with compelling and memorable characters who I loved reading. Some of them might appear good and others bad at first, but all of them contain shades of both, are flawed and nuanced. Iris and Moireach are the perfect example of this and I love how Rebecca used them to portray the battle between good and evil. Moireach is the physical embodiment of evil. A vault for Iris’s darkest thoughts. We see the powerful internal battle that Iris faces after opening a connection between them as she desperately battles to keep control as Moireach fights to consume her with darkness.

The attraction between Iris and Henry is so well written and it is easy to see why they are so drawn to one another. This could have been hard to believe as unbeknownst to him, Henry is hunting Iris’s daytime form, but Rebecca writes with such care that we can see how their romance is blossoming against the odds. I also really enjoyed how she wrote Duncan’s obsessive, unrequited love for Iris. I know he’s her friend but he gave me the ick from the start and I am sure he was deliberately written that way.

A gorgeous gothic and folkloric tale, this is a must-read debut.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Sphere for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

​Rebecca has had a love of books from a very early age and had lofty childhood aspirations of being a writer, though she ended up joining the legal profession instead. When her husband encouraged her to start writing again, she re-discovered her creative outlet and hasn’t looked back since.

When not writing or working, Rebecca can usually be found crocheting giant blankets, baking or watching Gilmore Girls. She is also owned by a couple of very energetic children.

Her debut novel, Lochbound, was published in April 2026.

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BOOK REVIEW: The Eights by Joanna Miller

Published April 3rd, 2025 by Fig Tree
Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its 1000-year history, the world’s most famous university has admitted female students. Giddy with dreams of equality, education and emancipation, four young women move into neighbouring rooms on Corridor Eight. They have come here from all walks of life, and they are thrown into an unlikely, life-affirming friendship.

Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Beatrice, politically-minded daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way – and her own friends – for the first time. Socialite Otto fills her room with extravagant luxuries but fears they won’t be enough to distract her from her memories of the war years. And quiet, clever, Marianne, the daughter of a village vicar, arrives bearing a secret she must hide from everyone – even The Eights – if she is to succeed.

But Oxford’s dreaming spires cast a dark shadow: in 1920, misogyny is still rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War are still very real indeed. And as the group navigate this tumultuous moment in time, their friendship will become more important than ever.

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MY REVIEW:

St Hugh’s College, Oxford in 1920. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne and Otto are pioneers. The four women are among the first female students to study at Oxford University. It is a time of change. But change doesn’t come easy after 1,000 years of tradition, and the Eights – as they are known – face an uphill battle against misogyny and exclusion and must prove themselves worthy of their place. 

Heartfelt, warm, moving, engaging and utterly captivating, this is a delightful story of friendship, freedom, women’s rights, sisterhood and self-discovery. Joanna Miller proves herself as a debut author to watch with her superb storytelling, meticulous research and charismatic characters. The story has a strong sense of time and place, the good and the bad of 1920s England on display as she brings the past life in vivid technicolour. And while there are some heavy themes covered in the story, Ms. Miller avoids them feeling too heavy as she dovetails into light-hearted and inspiring elements that give the story an uplifting and warm-hearted vibe. 

And then there are the characters. These wonderful women – and all the other characters – are richly drawn, compelling and real. You will laugh, cry, feel angry and cringe with embarrassment at their behaviour. But you will recognise it all as painfully human. Our protagonists are plucky, strong and determined women who are making history. They are likeable, easy to root for but also flawed. I loved reading them and adored their strong friendship, which is at the heart of the story. It is  the kind of friendship every woman dreams of. The kind where they are there for each other through the good and the bad, accepting of their flaws and rooting for one another when they win. 

Thought-provoking, witty, soulful and utterly superb, this is a debut you don’t want to miss.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Fig Tree for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joanna has always loved stories – even from an early age, when the Headteacher complained to her parents that she had read all the books in the school library. Joanna went on to study English at Exeter College, Oxford and later returned to the University to train as a teacher.

After ten years in education, she set up an award-winning poetry gift business. During this time, she wrote thousands of poems to order and her rhyming verse was filmed twice by the BBC.

Unable to resist the lure of the classroom, Joanna recently returned to Oxford University to study for a diploma in creative writing. THE EIGHTS is her debut novel and is inspired by her love of local history and historical fiction.

When Joanna is not writing, she is either walking her dog or working in the local bookshop. She lives with her husband and three children near the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire, UK.

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Thanks for reading this, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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