Tag: Psychological fiction

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Faculty of Liars by R. L. Heber

Published August 6th, 2026 by Point Blank
Dark Academia, Suspense, Thriller, Crime Ficiton, Psychological Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Anatomy of a Scandal meets The Maidens in this seductive dark academia thriller, an intoxicating, high-stakes tale of desire, betrayal, and the dangerous cost of power

When a woman’s affair ends in murder, it threatens to expose a scandal at the heart of one of America’s most powerful universities

Elizabeth Harker has a secret.

On the day she hears the news that her husband is to be the President of one of the most prestigious universities in New England, she is in the arms of another man.

Then, on presidential inauguration day and just moments before Elizabeth is due to step on stage and deliver a speech to be broadcast around the world, she learns her lover has been brutally murdered.

As the university closes ranks, Elizabeth is forced to grieve in silence whilst protecting a secret that could destroy everything. But the harder she tries to contain the affair, the more she begins to see what lies behind the university’s immaculate façade: a world where power is absolute and any threat to the institution is buried without hesitation.

Because this was never just an affair.

And this was never just a murder.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Elizabeth Harker’s husband Jeff has just been promoted to President of one of one the most prestigious universities in New England. It’s his dream role and Elizabeth throws herself into organising events to celebrate his achievement, even planning to deliver a speech at his inaugural event. But just before she steps onto the stage, she learns that her lover has been brutally murdered on campus and her whole life is turned upside down. 

Sex, secrets, scandal and murder. A gripping thriller showing the darker side of academia, Faculty of Liars pulls back the curtain to explore what lies behind the perfect veneer of prestigious institutions. The story is told from Elizabeth’s point of view which gives the story a very claustrophobic and isolated atmosphere. Well-written, cleverly plotted and perfectly paced, R. L. Heber has crafted an intriguing thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The characters are flawed but compelling and Elizabeth pulls the reader into her world as she tries to uncover the truth about the lover’s death.

The main theme of this book is secrets. Everyone is keeping them and the secretive nature of Elizabeth’s affair is magnified by the fact that she never utters her lover’s name, keeping his identity a mystery to us throughout. Her lover’s death tears her apart and Elizabeth is determined to get justice for the man she loved. So she begins to investigate, but is unprepared for the secrets she’s about to uncover and the greater scandal lurking behind the scenes of the university. Tension radiates from the pages, ramping up to a heart-pounding crescendo as we approach the finale. 

Scandalous, suspenseful and seductive, this is a must-read for fans of dark academia and well-written thrillers.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

R L Heber is the author of three previous novels and has been selected as a WHSmith Fresh Talent. She is a comms strategist, and runs her own business, Words With Bex.

She lives in London.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: One of the Family by Mark Edwards

Published June 18th, 2026 by Michael Joseph
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this family, some secrets are worth killing for…

‘Ingenious and chilling in equal measure‘ M.J. ARLIDGE
‘Backstabbingly brilliant with twist after twist’ JOHN MARRS
‘Relatable yet nerve-shredding… a master of the page-turning twist’ CHRIS CHIBNALL


The outstanding new psychological thriller from Mark Edwards, the 5 million copy-bestselling author of The Wasp Trap, Here to Stay and The Magpies

*****
Holly seems like the perfect girlfriend. Clever, funny, beautiful – Patrick feels like he’s hit the jackpot.

Until he meets her family.

Her dad has a mysterious new girlfriend. Her sister is unwelcoming. Her brother is clearly lying about something. And Patrick gets the sense all of them share a dark secret – even Holly.

When he finds out about the body that was found nearby on their last family holiday, Patrick sets out to find the truth.

But as skeletons tumble out of the family’s closet, Patrick realises he needs to be careful. Because in this family, loyalty is everything – and at least one of them is willing to kill to keep their secrets…

BOOK REVIEW

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MY REVIEW:

Mark Edwards never fails to deliver a tense, twisty and totally gripping thriller where terrible things happen to ordinary people, this time taking the everyday ‘meeting the parents’ situation and turning it into a nightmare. Because if you think your family has problems, then just wait until you meet the Grant family…

Patrick and Holly are on their way to Scotland to spend Hogmanay with her family. It’s the first time he’s met her family but the tension between them is evident from the moment they arrive. Not only that, Holly’s father, Charles, has a new and much younger girlfriend who is a bizarre doppelganger of his late wife, her brother, Lewis, is lying about something, and Patrick is sure that the whole family are hiding a dark secret.  Then, Patrick learns about the body that was found nearby a year ago and sets out to discover what happened to him, truths are slowly revealed that seem to lead back to the Grant family. Patrick knows he must watch his back, because someone in this family is willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden…

I love a locked-room thriller, especially when people are trapped by a snow-storm. So this was right up my street. Add in that it’s written by one of my favourite thriller authors and you’ve got the perfect thriller. Expertly written, cleverly plotted and perfectly paced, there’s a dark, unnerving tension that permeates the pages and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. And it’s not easy to predict, keeping me guessing until Mark made my jaw drop as the shocking truths were revealed.

I’ve seen this book described as Succession meets The Traitors and that is a perfect description. This family is backstabbing, dysfunctional and the perfect example of the adage “money doesn’t buy happiness”. This is a family teeming with secrets, lies and distrust. Patriarch Charles expects fierce loyalty but for Patrick their secrets are too terrible for him to agree to keep them, which puts him in danger. Other than Holly I didn’t like anyone in this family. They are all awful people who are only out for themselves and don’t care who gets hurt so long as they are protected but Mark writes them brilliantly, making their malice leap from the pages.

A nerve-shredding, first-class thriller, this is a must-read.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

Thank you Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest reivew.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers about scary things happening to ordinary people. He has sold more than five million copies of his books and topped the bestseller lists numerous times since his first solo novel was published in 2013.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

BOOK REVIEW: How To Disappear by Gillian McAllister

Published July 9th, 2020 by Michael Joseph
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Legal Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Political Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The gripping Sunday Times bestseller that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page

‘Bravo! Gripping and emotional – a cracking read’ Clare Mackintosh

‘A relentless drumroll of suspense . . . ranks among the best psychological-suspense thrillers of recent years’ A. J. Finn

You can run, you can hide, but can you disappear for good?

Lauren’s daughter Zara witnessed a terrible crime. But speaking up comes with a price, and when Zara’s identity is revealed online, it puts a target on her back.

The only choice is to disappear.

To keep Zara safe, Lauren will give up everything and everyone she loves, even her husband.

There will be no goodbyes. Their pasts will be rewritten. New names, new home, new lives.

The rules are strict for a reason. They are being hunted. One mistake – a text, an Instagram like – could bring their old lives crashing into the new.

They can never assume someone isn’t watching, waiting.

As Lauren will learn, disappearing is easy. Staying hidden is harder . . .

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

After witnessing a group of young men stabbing a homeless man to death, Zara speaks up and testifies in court. The young men, who were promising footballers, are outraged that they have lost their careers and had their life ruined. Her identity is revealed online and Zara’s life is now in danger. There is only one solution: Zara and her mother, Lauren, must disappear…

Heart-stoppingly tense, twisty and addictive, I binged this book in under a day. Nobody goes heart-pounding tension and twists that make your jaw drop like Gillian McAllister, and this book is the perfect example of why she’s one of my favourite thriller authors. Masterfully written and skillfully choreographed, this is a story that held me tight by the heartstrings whilst keeping me on the edge of my seat. And make sure you clear your schedule before you start reading, because once you pick this one up you won’t be able to put it down. It’s emotional, hard to predict and so twisty it gave me book whiplash. And that ending! A round of applause Ms. McAllister for one of the best thriller endings I’ve ever read. It’s been a few weeks and I’m still not over it.

Before Zara witnesses the crime, she, Lauren, Aiden and Poppy are an ordinary blended family. But after Zara’s identity is revealed they are dropped into a nightmare. Lauren and Aiden have difficult decisions to make that could tear their family apart. It is so emotional as well as tense, and really made me think about what I would have done in their situation. My heart broke for them, but especially for Zara. Being a teenager is hard at the best of times, but being a teenager when you’re having to hide your identity, run from people trying to kill you and worry about everything you say and do, is impossible.

Thriller lovers, you don’t want to miss this book! 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gillian McAllister  is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of nine stand-alone novels. Her books have been selected for the Radio 2 Book Club, Reese’s Book Club and the Richard & Judy Book Club. Her previous novel, Wrong Place Wrong Time, was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month and was shortlisted for The British Book Awards Crime & Thriller Book of the Year and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Gillian’s books are published in thirty-eight languages.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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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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BOOK REVIEW: Underwater by Tara Menon

Published March 12th, 20206 by Summit Books UK
Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Nautical Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A stunning and deeply moving novel of grief, loss and female friendship, set against the backdrop of two cataclysmic natural events.

When six-year-old Marissa loses her mother, she is taken by her father to live on a small Thai island in the Andaman Sea. There, she forms a deep friendship with Arielle and together they explore the fragile wonders of its forests, reefs, and beaches. Holding their breath for minutes at a time, they learn to dive into the deep, as effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name. Then, on Boxing Day 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami makes landfall, they are swept up by the first wave and separated.

Eight years later, Marissa is living in New York. She spends her days wandering through the city and her nights seeking solace in the beds of strangers. As the city prepares for a devastating storm, Marissa reflects on her past and learns how to sustain herself in a precarious world.

Under Water is a story about friendship and grief, but also ecological change and natural disasters. It is a meditation on loss, a tribute to our dying oceans and forests, and a love letter to the disappearing coral reefs.

‘The horrors of 2004 are told with verve in this debut about a woman haunted by survivor guilt . . . there are stunning descriptions of island wildlife . . . Tara Menon tells the story with confidence and style’ Sunday Times

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

On Sunday, December 26th 2004 the Indian Ocean tsunami made landfall and killed an estimated 227. 898 people in fourteen countries. In this phenomenal debut, Tara Menon explores this tragedy through the eyes of one fictional character, Marissa, who lives on a small Thai island in the Andaman Sea but is in Thailand with her best friend, Arielle, on the day the tsunami strikes. 

This isn’t a book you simply read. It’s one you live. And you will never be the same again once you do. Atmospheric, heartbreaking, raw and utterly mesmerising, I finished this magnificent debut in just two sittings. A heart-wrenching story of family, friendship, loss and trauma, it had me on the verge of tears many times. The whole thing reads like a movie, and as we are transported back to the terrifying day when the sea roared and consumed thousands, I could see every moment like it was on the big screen in front of me and hear the orchestra kicking in with emotional music as the tears welled in my eyes. Tara Menon’s writing is beautiful, evocative, poignant and richly layered, holding me in a chokehold from the first page to the last. It is written with such skill and emotion that I could hardly breathe. Tara has a talent for storytelling and I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next. 

We follow Marissa in two timelines: 2004 and 2012, when she is living in New York seeking solace in the beds of strangers. As New York prepares for a devastating storm, Marissa reflects on the events of that tragic day, and the loss of her mother when she was just six years old. After her mother’s death, she and her father move back to the small island they are from and it is here that she meets Arielle, the girl who becomes her best friend and the two are quickly inseparable. As the story builds up to the tsunami there is an undercurrent of tension and grief is woven into every facet of the story. I really related to Marissa’s grief for Arielle, especially when she talked about carrying Arielle with her everywhere and still talking to her in private. 

A truly remarkable debut that you won’t be able to forget.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tara Menon was born in India, grew up in Singapore, spent a decade in New York, and now lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she is an assistant professor of English at Harvard University. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times Book Review, the Nation and the Paris Review.

Under Water is her debut novel and it has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2026.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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BLOG BLAST: Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant

Published July 30th, 2026 by Penguin UK
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psycological Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Former journalist Matt Grimshaw’s life is at a low ebb. He’s been ‘let go’ by the paper where he’s worked for years, and his relationship with his long-term girlfriend has come unstuck.

So when an invitation arrives from his two closest friends, Celia and Adam Murphy, to join them at their house in Greece, he jumps at it.

It may be harsh and unwelcoming on the Mani Peninsula but Matt determines to stay there for the whole summer and to write his much put-off screen-play.

But then the Murphys plus children arrive, and a wealthy newcomer to the area starts throwing loud and lavish parties in his big house across the bay.

As the nights become hotter and the parties wilder, everyone’s motivations darken. Envy rises, resentments grow – until a terrible accident stops the summer in its tracks.

At least, it looks like an accident…

Set over one blazing Mediterranean summer, Sabine Durrant’s new thriller is tense, claustrophobic and utterly gripping.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

After being dumped by both his long-term girlfriend and his job, former journalist Matt Grimshaw heads to Sparta to stay with his best friend, Adam, and his wife, Celia, to lick his wounds and begin work on his screenplay. But his idyllic summer in the sun takes a mysterious turn when he spots a missing poster for a man named Mark Ashley and gets talking to his worried sister. Matt feels sure there is something more to Mark’s disappearance. When he meets Rey, the wealthy newcomer to the island who Mark worked for, Matt gets a sense that he can’t be trusted. Could Rey know more about the disappearance than he’s letting on? Matt has to know, so he starts his own investigation, determined to uncover the truth about what happened to Mark. But is he prepared for the secrets he will uncover along the way?

Tense, twisty and claustrophobic, this is the perfect escapist summer thriller. Skillfully written and cleverly choreographed, Sabine Durrant tells the story so evocatively that I was transported to Sparta and could feel the sun beating down on me as I read. The tension builds slowly, and I’ll admit there were times at the beginning where my attention waned a little, but it soon picks up, surrounding us with a dark atmosphere that is nail-bitingly tense. I love a locked-room thriller, and as the story goes on the claustrophobia of being trapped on a small island while not knowing who you can trust was perfect, ramping up the suspense and keeping me on the edge of my seat as I waited to learn the truth.

Matt is a likeable narrator who is easy to root for. And I do enjoy an amateur detective so it was fun to get behind his investigation. I liked Celia but her Adam, her husband and Matt’s best friend, really gave me the ick. Like Matt, I didn’t get a good vibe from Rey but I also couldn’t predict what had actually happened and was kept guessing right up until the big reveal.

A scorching and suspenseful summer thriller, add this to your TBR now.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you to Compulsive Reads for the invitation to take Part in this blog blast and to Penguin UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sabine Durrant is a journalist and the author of the best-selling HAVING IT AND EATING IT and the CONNIE PICKLES series of children’s books. Her first psychological suspense novel, UNDER YOUR SKIN, was published by Hodder in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US in 2014. Her second, REMEMBER ME THIS WAY, was also published by Hodder in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US in 2015. Both novels have been translated into more than 12 languages. Her third novel, LIE WITH ME, a Richard & Judy pick and Sunday Times bestseller, was published in July 2016. TAKE ME IN was published by Mulholland Books in June 2018. FINDERS, KEEPERS was published by Hodder & Stoughton in July 2020.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Squadpod Squadpod Featured Books

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Against the Tide by G. D. Wright

Published June 18th, 2026 by Avon Books
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Ficiton, Police Procedural, Domestic Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

If the truth could destroy you, would you choose to know it?

DC Vinny Robson has spent his career seeking justice for others, but when an elderly couple are violently murdered in his hometown of Beachbrook, the investigation takes a devastating turn – one that cuts straight through his own family.

As Vinny dives deeper, the case becomes more than a pursuit of a killer – it’s a fight against the undertow of his own past. But in chasing the truth, will he finally find justice, or will he drown in the wreckage of everything he thought he knew?

Some truths should stay submerged. But once the tide turns, there’s no stopping what comes to light.

An emotional crime drama set on the south coast of England, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian McAllister and Ann Cleeves.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

G. D. Wright never misses. He’s three for three on the tense and emotional thrillers that you can’t put down. And this is his best yet!

An elderly couple are brutally murdered in their home in Beachbrook and DC Vinny Robson is on the case. But the case soon takes an unexpected and devastating turn that could turn Vinny’s world upside down. Now, this is more than the hunt for a killer; it’s the pursuit of a truth and justice that he never knew he needed to find.

Suspenseful, gripping, twisty and totally unpredictable, this sensational thriller was impossible to put down. I’m a big fan of Gaz’s books so I was thrilled when I heard that the SquadPod had got his latest novel as one of their July reads. And he has knocked it out of the park once again. He lulls us into a false sense of security, starting slowly by introducing us to the characters and the story. But the pace soon picked up, and before long I was holding on tight for dear life with no idea what shocking revelation would hit next. Expertly written, cleverly choreographed and intricately interwoven, this is a complex thriller filled with twists you’ll never see coming and characters you’ll love. And that ending! I was not prepared and it will stay with me for a very long time.

Gaz is the King of the emotional thriller and this story had me fighting back tears quite a few times. Vinny’s mum has dementia in the story, something I know was inspired by a member of Gaz’s own family. And his experience of this terrible illness is evident in the care, sensitivity and honesty with which it was written. Another thing I love about Gaz’s books is the authenticity that shines through from his time as a Police Officer. Those small details really make a difference and allow you to have confidence in the accuracy of what you are reading.

A must-read for any thriller lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From his website: Hi, and thanks so much for visiting my website. My name is Gary (pen name G.D. Wright) and I live in Kent with my wife and two young children.

I joined Kent Police at the age of 18, working on the front line in a variety of uniformed roles until the age of 29 when, completely out of the blue, I suffered two cardiac ‘events’, and was subsequently diagnosed with a hereditary and incurable disease of the heart (arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy if you’re being fussy!). As a result, I had an internal defibrillator implanted in me, and I had to retire from the police aged 30.

One door closed, but another opened, and my wife and I bought a coffee shop in Ramsgate Harbour. We spent eight of the happiest years of our lives there but, when the kiddies came along, it just wasn’t sustainable. Family comes first, every single time (a theme in my books…), and the simple fact was that we knew our summers should be spent with the kids, not working seven days a week. In 2022, we sold our ‘third baby’ (the coffee shop, not an actual baby – although… what a plot line for the future… making a mental note…), and I took to writing full time.

Fast forward to now. I’ve signed a two book deal with Avon UK (part of the Harper Collins family), and my debut was released in August 2024. It’s called AFTER THE STORM, and it’s a police procedural with a twisty, emotional hook. My second novel, INTO THE FIRE, was released in June 2025.

As a screenwriter, my feature film BREATHE DEEP is scheduled to shoot in September 2025.

I’m always up for chatting, so find me on my socials (below) and I’ll happily answer any questions you might have!

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The Mad Wife by Meagan Church

Published October 30th, 2025 by Sourcebooks
Historical Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Bildungsroman, Domestic Fiction

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to listen free for 45 days*

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From bestselling author Meagan Church comes a haunting exploration of identity, motherhood, and the suffocating grip of societal expectations that will leave you questioning the lives we build―and the lies we live.

They called it hysteria. She called it survival.

Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the perfect 1950s housewife. Despite the tragic memories that haunt her and the weight of exhausting expectations, she keeps her husband happy, her household running, and her gelatin salads the talk of the neighborhood. But after she gives birth to her second child, Lulu’s carefully crafted life begins to unravel.

When a new neighbor, Bitsy, moves in, Lulu suspects that something darker lurks behind the woman’s constant smile. As her fixation on Bitsy deepens, Lulu is drawn into a web of unsettling truths that threaten to expose the cracks in her own life. The more she uncovers about Bitsy, the more she questions everything she thought she knew―and soon, others begin questioning her sanity. But is Lulu truly losing her mind? Or is she on the verge of discovering a reality too terrifying to accept?

In the vein of The Bell Jar and The Hours, The Mad Wife weaves domestic drama with psychological suspense, so poignant and immersive, you won’t want to put it down.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Atmospheric, thought-provoking, moving and powerful, The Mad Wife is a haunting and mesmerising portrait of identity, motherhood, silenced voices and societal expectations. It follows Lulu, an ordinary suburban woman who has spent the last five years becoming the perfect 1950s housewife that everyone expects her to be. But she never quite feels like she fits in and it all seems so much easier for the other women on her street. Then, after the birth of her second child, her carefully curated life begins to unravel and she develops a fixation on her new neighbour, Bitsy, who she is sure is hiding something. People soon notice something isn’t right. The doctor diagnoses hysteria. Is Lulu really losing her mind? Or is there another explanation?

What an amazing read! An easy five stars from me. This was my first time reading a Meagan Church novel, but now I can’t wait to devour her backlist. Exquisitely written, cleverly choreographed, intricately woven and meticulously researched, I felt like I’d stepped back in time when reading this book. 1950s America is brought to life in vivid technicolour and I could see the perfectly manicured lawns and smell the cigarette smoke. The characters are richly drawn and compelling while Lulu is a great protagonist who was likeable and easy to root for. I felt for her being trapped in a world where she has so many expectations on her while she’s in the trenches of motherhood. Men at the time were completely unhelpful so she was basically doing it all alone and it was expected that she do so with a smile on her face and without complaining. In terms of other characters, I really enjoyed Nora, her neighbour and friend, who seemed like a light in her life.

A haunting story with warm humanity at its heart, Meagan shines a light on some important issues including the silencing of women’s voices, medical misdiagnosis, and the dangerous consequences of doctors dismissing women, something that is sadly still all-too prevalent today. But I loved the dark humour that is woven into the story from the start and how such a complex story that explores some dark topics manages to remain enjoyable. And that twist! I did not see it coming and my heart broke in two as it was revealed, pulling the rug from under me and changing everything I thought I knew. Then there is the epilogue. I was fighting back tears and I swear, Meagan, that you were trying to break me. 

A riveting and surprising story that will have you hooked, I highly recommend this book.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Meagan Church is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mad Wife, The Girls We Sent Away, and The Last Carolina Girl. She writes emotionally-charged, thought-provoking, empathy-inducing stories that explore the complexity of human nature. Her historical fiction chronicles the plight and fight of unheard voices of the past. Meagan holds a B.A. in English from Indiana University and is an adjunct for Drexel University’s MFA in creative writing program. A Midwesterner by birth, she now lives in North Carolina with her high school sweetheart, three children, and a plethora of pets.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Bad Influence by Will Carver

Published June 18th, 2026 by Orenda Books
Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Dark Comedy

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Two bored, obsessed teenagers break into and secretly live in influencers’ houses. But when they choose the wrong home, their twisted experiment turns deadly. A darkly funny, breathtakingly tense thriller from ‘one of the most original writers in Britain’ (Daily Express).

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Two bored teenagers.
One stupid game.
The wrong place to play…

Alyssa wants to be seen. Less wants to be someone. She takes two buses to class, posts pictures of her lunch, and pretends it’s all effortless. He hides his privilege beneath thrifted clothes and a sketchbook full of impossible designs. Together, they are inseparable – two outsiders constructing a version of themselves the world might finally applaud.

Then Alyssa stumbles upon the hidden world of phrogging – living unnoticed inside other people’s homes. She and Less slip through Los Angeles’ glossy veneer: influencers, producers, pop stars, all so busy performing their perfect lives they don’t notice the shadows in their attics, the scratching in their walls.

An act of rebellion. A harmless thrill. A social experiment.

Until they choose the wrong house.
Until the influencer they idolise catches them in the act.
Until the cameras, already rolling, capture everything.

What begins as a reckless adventure becomes a nightmare of lies, power … and murder…

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

All the stars for the latest, mind-blowing thriller from Will Carver! 

Alyssa and Less are two bored teenagers from opposite worlds. Alyssa’s family are poor, spends her spare time caring for her grandmother with dementia, and just wants to be seen. Less is from a rich family, is ignored by his parents and wants to make a name for himself. Despite their differences the pair are inseparable. And when Alyssa discovers phrogging – the act of secretly living in someone else’s home without their knowledge – she introduces it to Less and the pair embark on a dangerous game that spirals out of control…

Will Carver has done it again. Suspenseful, surprising, and totally unpredictable, this book blew me away. Exquisitely written, cleverly plotted and  intricately interwoven, Will had me in the palm of his hands from start to finish. He builds the story slowly, lulling you into a false sense of security before pulling the rug out from under you with a twist that will make your jaw hit the floor. I was literally sitting with my mouth hanging open wondering where on earth the story could go from here. I knew there was no chance of me sleeping now until I knew what happened and I devoured it in one sitting. It was a wild ride but I loved every second and it was totally worth losing sleep for.

I’ve been a proud member of the Carver Cult for many years and Will’s books are always a highlight in my reading year. He is one of the most unique voices in fiction today and I know I can always rely on him to deliver a story that is timely, entertaining, full of scathing social commentary and great characters. Bad Influence lives up to that reputation, taking us behind the curtain of the world of influencing. Everyone in this book is flawed and they commit some terrible acts, but some are more likeable than others. I liked Alyssa and Less and found them easy to root for despite their illegal deeds. Paige was likeable at first but when the twist hit at the end of chapter one it changed everything and she unsettled me from that moment on. 

A must-read for any thriller lover. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

Thank you Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part in this tour and to Orenda Books for sending me a proof copy in exchage for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Will Carver is the international bestselling author of the January David series and the critically acclaimed, mind-blowingly original Detective Pace series, which includes Good Samaritans (2018), Nothing Important Happened Today (2019) and Hinton Hollow Death Trip (2020), all of which were ebook bestsellers and selected as books of the year in the mainstream international press. Nothing Important Happened Today was longlisted for both the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2020 and the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award. Hinton Hollow Death Trip was longlisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize, and was followed by the literary thrillers, The Beresford, Psychopaths Anonymous, The Daves Next Door, Suicide Thursday and Upstairs at the Beresford. Will spent his early years in Germany, but returned to the UK at age eleven, when his sporting career took off. He and his partner run their own fitness and nutrition company, and live in Reading with five children and a tortoise.

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Thank you for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxxx

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

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Five by Ilona Bannister

Published May 5th, 2026 by Juniper
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Mystery, Literary Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Five passengers. Five minutes until the next train … five minutes until someone dies.

‘Will have you glued to the page … guaranteed to shock and entertain’The Times

‘Ridiculously good … darkly thrilling and unforgettable’ Chris Whitaker

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Someone will die here this morning, at this suburban train station. It will happen in the next five minutes when the 7:06 to London Victoria arrives.

Take note of their positions. The child, the mother, the businessman, the old woman and the gambler.

One of them will die despite your attachment to them. There is probably one you want to get rid of. You don’t have to admit who. But perhaps you should ask yourself why.

The train has stopped.

Someone is dead.

Was it who you chose?

It wasn’t your fault …

So why, dear reader, do you feel so guilty?

Five stories. Five minutes until a life ends. Unfolding in real time, FIVE doesn’t just tell a story; it provokes, unsettles, and lingers. By weaving together the stories of those complex, flawed lives, Bannister creates a tapestry of human struggle, resilience, and hope. FIVE offers no easy answers, but rather a nuanced exploration of the human condition in all its messy complexity.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Five passengers are waiting for a train. Five minutes until it arrives…five minutes until one of them dies.

Atmospheric, intense, propulsive and gripping, this heart-stopping debut asks you to become the detective and try to predict which passenger will die. Most books will give you time to get to know the characters and grow attached to them before ticking down the clock to one’s impending doom. But in this book Ilona Bannister does things differently and starts the countdown on the first page. It means the tension is sky high and the reader is kept on the edge of their seat from the first page. And as the clock ticks down, we get to know the five passengers: mother Emma and her son, Gideon, businessman Liam, old Mrs Worth and gambler Sonny. Interspersed with events at the station are the character’s stories that allow us to learn their histories and what brought them to the station today. Skillfully written, razor-sharp, deftly plotted and fizzing with tension I was in Ilona’s thrall from start to finish. And as the jaw-dropping revelations kept coming I still couldn’t predict who would live and who would die.

The five passengers are an eclectic cast of characters who are all broken in some way. Each of them have said and done horrible or even despicable things and their histories are filled with tragedies that make every character a candidate for death. None of them are particularly likeable, but some are more unlikeable than the others. – Liam, I’m looking at you. To be honest, I felt like they all deserved to die in some way and it was more a case of ranking whose death felt most justified than wishing any of them would survive. Yes, even the child. But while I didn’t particularly like them, I was still very invested in them and their stories; each of them kept me glued to the pages of their chapters. This is a testament to the excellence of Ilona’s writing which was acutely observed, achingly human and emotionally resonant.

A jaw-dropping, darkly funny and urgent ticking-clock of tension, this is a must for all thriller lovers.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ilona Bannister was a dual qualified US attorney and UK immigration solicitor before she started writing fiction. Her first novel, When I Ran Away, was developed on Faber Academy’s Work in Progress course. Ilona’s experiences as a mother, lawyer, and an American transplant in Britain are reflected in her novels. Although she will always be a New Yorker at heart, Ilona’s home is in London with her husband and young sons.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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