Tag: Psychological Thriller

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: Some of Us Are Liars by Fiona Cummins

Published June 19th, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my review for this sensational thriller. Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

There’s your side. My side. And the truth.

Lisa Jewell meets Jodi Picoult in a story of betrayal and deception in the aftermath of family tragedy.

She must face justice. As her sister it kills me to say it. As his mother I demand it.

When Jen Miller entrusts her youngest child to the care of her beloved sisters, she has no idea of the devastating tragedy that is about to unfold.

To celebrate her sister’s wedding, global superstar Winter Kellaway throws the party of the decade at her luxurious beachside estate. The decorations are flawless. The champagne is on ice. The guests have arrived. But one misstep will have heartbreaking consequences that will rock this close-knit family to their core.

With her life in pieces, how can Jen ever begin to forgive?

Saul Anguish, a brilliant but tormented young detective, is called in to investigate and uncovers a long-buried and shocking family secret. As the trail takes a dramatic turn, they must now all face the truth that you can never truly leave the past behind . . .

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MY REVIEW:

Jen Miller’s beloved son, Teddy, dies while in the care of the very people she should have been able to trust most. And now she needs justice for his death. Even if her sister is the one who has to pay. 

Told in multiple timelines by multiple narrators, there’s a lot going on in this book; there are long-buried family secrets, trauma, deception and betrayal. The story starts as Jen is getting ready for the first day of her sister’s trial and then jumps back to the days leading up to the tragedy, when the Kellaway sisters are coming together to celebrate her wedding. And when the worst happens, Detective Saul Anguish is called in to investigate, discovering secrets and lies that will change everything for this family once they are revealed. 

Holy twists, Batman! Nerve-shreddingly tense and full of unexpected twists, Some of Us Are Liars totally pulled me in and had me hooked. Exquisitely written, deftly plotted and cleverly interwoven, Fiona Cummins has crafted a sensational thriller. Intricate and complex, it had me on a knife-edge and I stayed up until the early hours to finish it as I knew there’d be no sleep for me without answers. But I was not prepared for those answers! Every time I thought I knew where it was going I’d be hit by another twist that took things in a new direction. My heart was pounding so much it felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. And that final twist! Wow. It is going to take me some time to get over that one. 

Richly drawn, compelling and memorable, I loved the characters in this book. I enjoyed the realistic sibling dynamics between the Kellaway sisters and felt most connected to Jen. Winter was fascinating as her celebrity life is so far removed from what most of us know and I felt for Alyssa as she tried to adjust to new motherhood. I hadn’t realised before starting this book that it was the third in a series featuring Detective Saul Anguish and Dr Clover March, AKA Blue. Saul is a tormented soul who has many secrets and I enjoyed reading a more complex detective. Meanwhile, Blue is trying to come to terms with trauma, something I could relate to that made me really feel for her. But despite all I’d missed, I never felt confused reading this as a standalone as Ms. Cummins succinctly catches the reader up on what happened in the previous books. But I definitely want to read the first two books as I want to get to know them both better, particularly after that heart-stopping cliffhanger that has me impatiently waiting for book four.

Dark, suspenseful, affecting and surprising, this first-class thriller is a must for your TBR. 


Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course. Rattle, her debut novel, was the subject of a huge international auction and has been translated into several languages. It received widespread critical acclaim from authors and reviewers. She has since written bestsellers The Collector, The Neighbour, When I Was Ten and Into the Dark in which she introduces DC Saul Anguish, a brilliant young detective with a dark past. Fiona lives with her family in Essex.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor

Published June 5th 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Crime Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Lesbian Literature

Welcome to my review for this surprising thriller. Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘This is a double cross thriller, a cat and mouse chase, and a delectable story of when someone becomes obsessed’ – 5* Reader Review

‘This book kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t put it down’ – 5* Reader Review

Why would my best friend want to destroy my life? Girl Falling is an atmospheric, psychological mystery from the award-winning author of Dirt Town.

Finn and her closest friend Daphne grew up in the imposing shadow of Australia’s Blue Mountains. Their uneasy bond forged from both losing their sisters at a young age. Now in their twenties, Daphne is at university, while Finn remained in the mountains, falling in love with newcomer Magdu. A young woman with troubles of her own.

After tensions arise during Magdu and Daphne’s first meeting, Finn is looking forward to a day of rock climbing and bonding for the three women on the cliffs near their town. But nothing goes as planned, and in a horrific accident, Magdu falls to her death.

In the aftermath, the friends become the focus of a police investigation. Was it really an accident? Or did something far more sinister play out that day?

Bold, dramatic and utterly compelling, Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor forces us to confront the stories we tell ourselves about the people we love.

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MY REVIEW:

Finn and her best friend Daphne forged a bond over their shared tragedies. Now in their twenties, Daphne is away at university, while Finn has remained in their hometown and has fallen in love with newcomer, Magdu. Finn is excited for her best friend and girlfriend to meet, but there is tension from their first meeting. So when Daphne suggests they all go climbing as a way to bond, Finn is excited. But things take a tragic turn when Magdu falls to her death. As the police investigate, they begin to question whether Magdu’s death was really an ,or something much more sinister…

Suspenseful, moving, compelling and surprising, Girl Falling is an unpredictable thriller that kept me on my toes. Skillfully written, intricately interwoven and cleverly plotted, this was my first time reading a book by Hayley Scrivenor, but it won’t be my last. Scrivener knows how to keep her readers on their toes, convincing you that you’ve got it all sussed only to pull the rug from under you. And that ending! Never in a million years would I have predicted what happened! It made me want to re-read the whole thing again just to see what clues I’d missed along the way. 

The story is told by Finn, with flashbacks that reveal the history of her friendship with Daphne, allowing the reader to slowly understand the dynamics of their relationship and why Finn feels in Daphne’s debt. And as the book starts with Finn asking why her best friend would want to destroy her life, it feels like I spent the story looking for clues of Daphne’s duplicity and their toxic friendship. And, I admit, that Daphne seemed more and more unhinged as the story went on. But, in the present, the police investigation gives us a reason to distrust both girls. I love an unreliable narrator so I loved that there were potentially two of them in this book. Is Finn telling the truth? Or Daphne? I was never quite sure and loved the extra tension it brought to the story never knowing who to trust. 

A shocking and surprising thriller with an ending you won’t forget, add this to your TBR now. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hayley Scrivenor is the author of DIRT TOWN, which published internationally in 2022 (published as DIRT CREEK in the U.S., where it was a USA TODAY bestseller) and quickly became a #1 Australian bestseller. The novel has been shortlisted for multiple national and international awards. In 2023, it won a Lambda Literary Award and General Fiction Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards. DIRT TOWN has been translated into several languages. GIRL FALLING, described as “a remarkable exercise in complex storytelling written in Scrivenor’s idiosyncratic, metaphorically vivid prose”, is her second novel.

Hayley has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Wollongong and lives on Dharawal country, on the east coast of Australia.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: You Killed Me First by John Marrs

Published March 4th, 2025 by Thomas and Mercer
Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Electrifying and page-turning, John Marrs is not to be missed.”―#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden

“This is trademark John Marrs and then some.”―Sunday Times bestselling author Andrea Mara

Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in – she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this?

Rewind eleven months: Margot, a faded TV star, and her long-suffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret – and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors.

As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites. Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn…But who will it be?

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MY REVIEW:

You Killed Me First begins with what has to be the best opening of any thriller I’ve read: It’s November 5th and a woman wakes up in a cold, dark place. She’s bound and can barely see a thing. She hears the crackling of fire and slowly realises she’s in the centre of a huge bonfire. But who is in the bonfire? And will she escape? 

It’s no secret that I’m a huge John Marrs fan. His books are a must for any thriller fan and he just keeps getting better with each book. But he’s outdone himself with this thrilling masterpiece. Intense, twisty, psychologically rich and laugh-out-loud funny, this is an easy five-star read. Expertly written, densely plotted and complex, the story is told with Marrs’ trademark wit, sharpness and cleverly choreographed twists that just kept coming, even when I was sure it was all over. After the prologue, we go back a year and the chapters countdown to Bonfire Night, raising the heart-pounding tension as the date gets closer and we know someone will end up inside that bonfire. But who? And why? I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure it all out. And that final line! Sheer perfection. 

The story centres around three women: Margot, Anna and Liv, who all live on the same street. But I wouldn’t exactly call them friends. More like frenemies. These flawed women are bitchy and have secrets they are trying to keep hidden. But I loved reading them. They are the epitome of the bitchiness and cattiness that can happen in female friendships and it was so much fun to see John let his inner bitch fly through these characters. I couldn’t decide who I loved to hate most. But they aren’t one-dimensional and Marrs also explores their backstories, making us confront all the shades of grey behind who they are and the things they’ve done so that we understand their motivations. 

Suspenseful, complex, twisty and totally addictive, this is a must-have addition for your TBR. 

Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now a full-time author. His books include No1 bestseller and Netflix series The One, The Passengers, award winning What Lies Between Us and The Good Samaritan.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: The Other People by C. B. Everett

Published April 10th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Pscyhological Thriller

Welcome to my review for this riveting locked-room mystery. Thank you to Black Crow PR and Simon and Schuster UK for sending me a proof copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

And Then There Were None  meets The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Ten strangers.
An old dark house.
A killer picking them off one by one.
And a missing girl who’s running out of time. . .

Ten strangers wake up inside an old, locked house. They have no recollection of how they got there.
In order to escape, they have to solve the disappearance of a young woman.
But a killer also stalks the halls of the house, and soon the body count starts to rise.
Who are these strangers? Why were they chosen? Why would someone want to kill them?
And who – or what – is the Beast in the Cellar?

Forget what you think you know.

Because while you can trust yourself, can you really trust THE OTHER PEOPLE?

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MY REVIEW:

Ten strangers wake up locked inside an old house with no recollection of how they got there. To escape, they must solve the disappearance of a young woman in the next 12 hours. And that’s not all. Someone wants them dead and soon they are picking them off one by one…

Dark, mysterious, funny and heart-poundingly tense, The Other People is a captivating locked-room murder mystery filled with comedy. C. B. Everett showcases himself as an author to watch with this sensational debut. It jumps straight into the action and then barely pauses to catch a breath, keeping me guessing as I read on tenterhooks. Masterfully written, fast-paced, cleverly plotted, complex and intricately interwoven, Everett had me in his thrall from the first page, totally pulling me in and making me fall for his red herrings. I loved how it addresses the reader throughout, making me feel part of the story and pulling me in so deep that I felt as trapped as one of the characters and unable to leave until all my questions had been answered. 

The story is narrated by a large cast of compelling, flawed and unreliable characters, giving the reader a glimpse inside their minds but leaving us unsure who or what we can trust. While all of them are well written, I have to say that, for me, it was the Beast in the Cellar who stole the show. Witty, sarcastic and candid, this cryptic character talks to the reader, taking us through the mystery, mocking familiar thriller tropes, philosophising, and warning us to be careful who and what we trust. I lived for their scenes and often found myself laughing out loud during them. 

Another thing I loved about this book is how unashamedly it is itself. It is proud of being a murder mystery and Everett reveled in using the familiar murder mystery tropes. I also liked how he explored some of the deeper questions surrounding the genre, such as whether or not we mourn unlikeable victims, and how we want more than ‘just a killer’, preferring someone with motives and inner turmoil to someone who simply wants to kill. 

Darkly funny, claustrophobic and suspenseful, this is a first-class thriller that is not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C.B. Everett is the pen name for author Martyn Waites. He trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama and worked as an actor for many years before becoming a writer. His novels include the critically acclaimed Joe Donovan series, The Old Religion, and The White Room. In 2013, he was chosen to write Angel of Death, the official sequel to Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black, and in 2014 won the Grand Prix Roman Etranger for Born Under Punches. He has been nominated for every major British and French crime fiction award and has also enjoyed international commercial success with eight novels written under the name Tania Carver.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiiles xxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BLOG TOUR: Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

Published February 27th, 2025 by Orenda Books
Gothic Fiction, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Horror Fiction, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction, Supernatural Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for the haunting and hypnotic Small Fires. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Orenda for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Suspected of murdering their parents, sisters Lily and Della flee to a strange, unnamed island in Scotland, and their arrival puts in motion a horrifying series of events… Literary suspense meets folk horror in 2025’s most original, mesmerising modern gothic masterpiece…

‘A deeply unsettling and thought-provoking tale of survival and storytelling, mixing elements of gothic and folk horror with literary suspense. Beautifully woven and eerily atmospheric’ Anna Mazzola
 
‘Rarely will you meet a story as unsettling, nor one as bewitchingly told. With its roots snaking into folk horror, Small Fires plays with the contemporary gothic vibe reminiscent of Midsommar and The Wicker Man … I challenge you to pick it up and when you do, to put it down’ Janice Hallett
 
‘Ronnie Turner has a way of weaving words into a spell – the darkest of spells. Mesmerising, sinister … this modern folklore gothic will chill you to the bone’ Essie Fox
 
‘Crackles with menace and authenticity. Kept me up late and crept into my dreams’ Sarah Hilary
 
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Evil runs through this cursed island
And these wicked sisters are about to make it burn…

When sisters Lily and Della Pedley are persecuted for the shocking murder of their parents, they flee from their home in Cornwall to a remote and unnamed island in Scotland – an island known for its strange happenings, but far away from the whispers and prying eyes of strangers.
 
Lily is terrified of what her sister will might do next, and she soon realises that they have arrived at a place where nothing is as it seems. A bitterness runs through the land like poison, and the stories told by the islanders seem to be far more than folklore.
 
Della settles in too easily, the island folk drawn to her strangeness, but Lily is plagued by odd and unsettling dreams, and as an annual festival draws nigh, she discovers that she has far more to fear than she could ever have imagined. Or does she…?
 
Chilling, atmospheric and utterly hypnotic, Small Fires is a contemporary gothic novel that examines possession, generational trauma, female rage, and the perilous bonds of family – an unsettling reminder that the stories we tell can be deadly…

Midsommar meets Midnight Mass in a folk horror, modern gothic masterpiece.

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MY REVIEW:

“They say the Devil came here. He fell to the earth long ago and he never left.”

Murderesses. Witches. Pariahs. These are the names that were used to describe Lily and Della Pedley. Suspected of murdering their parents, their gruesome history precedes them everywhere they go. Even on an isolated and unnamed Scottish Island where the Devil is said to have fallen and made his home beneath the soil. As the sisters try to start anew on the island, whispers and judgement surround them as they unknowingly set in motion a nightmarish chain of events. 

Atmospheric, haunting and hypnotic, Small Fires reads like a dark and twisted fairytale. Mired in darkness from its opening pages, malevolence drips from every word of this magnificent gothic mystery. A masterful sinister storyteller, Ronnie Turner merges gorgeous literary fiction with nail-biting horror and suspense to create her own unique fiction recipe. Her choreography is exquisite; a sense of dread permeating the pages as she hides the poison in plain sight, coiled like a viper waiting to strike. She is adept at putting her reader off-kilter with red herrings until she’s ready to floor you with one of her shocking revelations. Elements of Scottish and Cornish folklore are woven throughout as Turner explores the role stories play in our lives, asking how they inspire and shape us, and how they shape our perception of others. She also explores themes of identity, examining how each of us can have many different identities, some that are thrust upon us and others we might hide behind. 

Told by multiple characters in dual timelines, the story is filled with richly drawn characters who are also deeply unnerving. At the heart of the story is sisters Lily and Della, one bitter and one sweet, with a harrowing and notorious past. Though part of their story is known, there is a lot of mystery that surrounds them. Our other narrator is Silas, a strange and curious individual with an equally mysterious history. Flashbacks allow us glimpses inside the pasts of all three characters, slowly revealing disturbing truths that they’ve tried to keep hidden. And then there was the island itself, which felt alive and like a character in its own right thanks to the myths and folklore about the devil dwelling below ground that surround it. 

A dark and unsettling gothic thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, Small Fires is a must read. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature. She now works as a Senior Waterstones Bookseller and barista. Ronnie lives in the South West with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and taking long walks on the coast.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Orenda Books | Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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 Most Anticipated 2025 Readalong

READALONG REVIEW: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

Published February 13th, 2025 by Bantam Press
Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Women Sleuths

Welcome to my review for this nerve-shredding debut. Thank you to Bantam Press for the invitation to take part in the readalong and for sending me a proof copy of the book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘When you trap a group of mystery authors on a secluded island, the result is wickedly delightful mayhem! It’s Agatha Christie on steroids‘ ― Tess Gerritsen
‘You’ll trip over the twists in this sneaky, snaky mystery‘ – A.J. Finn
‘Glass Onion meets Cluedo in this intricate and clever thriller‘ ― Catherine Cooper

Six thriller authors. One writing retreat.
You’d die to be on the guest list . . .

The Host
Legendary mystery author J. R. Alastor’s books are sold all over the world, but no one knows his real name. After years hiding in the shadows, he has sent out six invitations to an exclusive murder mystery retreat on his private island.

The Assistant
Mila del Angél has been hired to ensure the week runs smoothly. She has yearned for revenge on a ghost from her past for years – and this could be her chance to get it.

The Players
The six bestselling thriller writers accept their invitations without question – it’s an opportunity any author would kill for.

The Game
What should have been a week of trope-filled games takes a sinister turn when one guest is found dead, and the others find themselves in the midst of a nightmare drawn from Alastor’s dark imagination. They may have written thrillers – but now they and Mila must survive one…

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MY REVIEW:

Six thriller authors are invited to a secluded island for a writing retreat hosted by enigmatic mystery author J. R. Alastor. His assistant, Mila, has been hired to ensure that the week goes off without a hitch. But Mila has plans of her own to avenge a wrong done to her many years ago. The week starts off as planned, but things take a sinister turn when one of the guests goes missing and the writers find themselves trapped inside a nightmare darker than any thriller they could have written…  

As a bibliophile whose favourite thriller trope is locked-room or claustrophobic mysteries, this book felt like it was written for me. I loved the idea of thriller writers being caught up in a real life whodunnit and fighting for survival as they try to unmask the killer. Masterfully written, cleverly choreographed, intricately woven and filled with nerve-shredding tension, the foreboding dripped like blood from every page. When I started I was taking part in a readalong but soon found myself so completely hooked that I threw the reading schedule out of the window and devoured it in just a few hours, on the edge of my seat as my heart raced. Richly drawn, complex and flawed, the characters leaped from the pages and my mind whirred with some wild theories and suspicions, but they were nothing compared to what actually took place in this jaw-dropping whodunnit. 

Suspenseful, chilling and utterly mesmerising, this is a book all thriller lovers need on their TBR. Ande Pliego has showcased herself as a writer to watch with this magnificent debut, and I will be pre-ordering whatever she writes next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ande Pliego began writing stories when she discovered she could actually wield her overactive imagination for good. A lover of stories with teeth, she writes books involving mind games, dark humor, general murder and mayhem, and most importantly, finding the hope in the dark.

When not reading or writing, she can usually be found dabbling in art, scheming up her next trip, or making constant expeditions to the library. Born in Florida, raised in France, and having left footprints all over the globe, Ande is settled in the Pacific Northwest, USA, with her craftsman husband and little son.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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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 BOOKS: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Published January 30th, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my review of this unsettling thriller, which was one of our SquadPod Featured Books in January. I also read this as part of a Bookbreak readalong. Thank you Pan Macmillan and Bookbreak for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘I was consumed by this book, it’s her best ever, a work of genius’ – Lisa Jewell

‘Brilliant and chilling, with an inspired setting, characters that jump off the page and twists to give you whiplash. I loved every word’ – Claire Douglas

The million-copy bestselling author of His and Hers, Alice Feeney, returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage . . . and revenge.

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Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife as she’s driving home to share some exciting news. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by a cliff edge, the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there . . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible: a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change, but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change, but they do.

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MY REVIEW:

“The world is beautiful ugly, relationships are beautiful ugly, love is beautiful ugly. Understanding that makes life easier to live with.”

What should have been the best day of author Grady Green’s life turns into his worst day when his wife Abby disappears the same day he discovers he’s a New York Times bestseller. A year later, Grady travels to a remote Scottish Island with just 25 inhabitants, where he hopes he can write his next book and start to move on. But before he’s even got on the island he sees a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife. On the island things get even stranger: he keeps seeing the woman and even hears his missing wife’s voice on the telephone. And then there’s the odd behaviour of the island’s residents. What secrets are they keeping? And do they hold the key to uncovering the truth about Abby’s disappearance?

Dark, atmospheric, eerie and addictive, Beautiful Ugly is another first-class thriller from the pen of Alice Feeney. Opening with Abby’s disappearance, Feeney sets the sinister tone from the start. Skillfully written, cleverly plotted and heart-poundingly tense, Feeney knows how to hold the reader in her thrall; jaw-dropping twists keeping me on the edge of my seat and keeping me guessing until the very last page.

The Isle of Amberley is a beautiful, peaceful and idyllic place that has an undercurrent of danger. The residents are secretive and strange, and from the start there is an unwelcoming and unsettling atmosphere. Evocative imagery brings it to life in vivid detail and it felt like the island was a character in its own right, even mirroring the humans in this story who may have been ordinary on the surface, but sinister underneath and all of them seem to be unreliable narrators, including Grady and Abby. Every chapter had me questioning what I was being told and not knowing who I could trust. I had no idea how much of Grady’s story was real, how much might be lies, or how much was in his mind. All is revealed slowly, past and present merging together to unveil the shocking truth. And I didn’t see it coming.

I highly recommend this unsettling and compelling thriller.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice Feeney is a New York Times million-copy bestselling author. Her books have been translated into over thirty-five languages, and have been optioned for major screen adaptations. Including Rock Paper Scissors, which is being made into a TV series by the producer of The Crown. Alice was a BBC journalist for fifteen years, and now lives in Devon with her family. Good Bad Girl is her sixth novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025 Readalong

BOOK REVIEW: Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

Published January 16th, 2025 by Tor
Horror Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Supernatural Ficiton, Paranormal Fiction

Welcome to my review for this unsettling and unforgettable read. Thank you to Tor and Bookbreak for my place on the readalong and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A twisted Southern Gothic horror the New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group.

‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Every moment of their waking day is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid . . . and it’s usually paid in blood.

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MY REVIEW:

“Sit. Listen. I need you to understand what they did to us when we were girls.”

Unsettling, uncomfortable and deeply relevant, Witchcraft For Wayward Girls is a beguiling novel that will stay with you long after reading. For this may be a tale filled with hexes and conjuring, but the real horror lies in the brutal reality of these girls’ lives and the injustices they are subjected to, rather than the paranormal. 

The story takes place in the sweltering summer of 1970 when fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida. Wellwood is a house for those they call wayward girls. For fast girls. For unwed mothers. At Wellwood, Fern meets girls from all walks of life, all in the same shameful position, who are there to live out the days of their pregnancy before surrendering their babies for adoption and then returning home to forget it ever happened. Every minute detail of the girls’ lives is strictly controlled: from the food they eat to how they spend their time. The adults tell them it is what’s best for them. Then she meets a librarian, Miss Parcae, who gives her a book about witchcraft. For the first time, the girls have power in their own hands. But there is a price that must be paid for that power. A price that is far steeper than any of them ever imagined. 

A master of his craft, Grady Hendrix expertly merges powerful storytelling, heart-stopping tension and chilling horror to create a masterpiece that was so good I read it twice this month. This is a dark read like no other. A book that will haunt you, consume you and then spit you out when it’s done. I admit, I went into this expecting a typical horror read and was totally unprepared for the beautifully tragic story I got instead. It is a story full of dread, heartache, trauma, rage and power that had me on the edge of my seat listening with bated breath. The richly drawn characters were compelling and I was quickly invested in the lives of these young girls. Holly’s story in particular stood out and filled me with so much rage that I wanted to get revenge on her behalf. 

I’d heard about the terrible homes for unwed mothers but this book conveys the atrocities that took place inside them with devastatingly evocative detail like I’ve never read before. These girls had no agency whatsoever and every facet of their life and day was tightly controlled. Even knowledge about their own bodies. These girls were kept in the dark about what would happen during labour, leading to some of the most distressing scenes I’ve ever read. I wanted to scream as the staff who should help and heal became sadistic and cold towards these terrified young girls. How could they be so cruel?

Dark, menacing, unapologetic and unforgettable, I can’t recommend this book highly enough. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix makes up lies and sells them to people. His novels include HORRORSTÖR about a haunted IKEA, MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM, which is basically “Beaches” meets “The Exorcist”, WE SOLD OUR SOULS, a heavy metal horror epic, THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, and THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, coming on July 13, 2021. He’s also the author of PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, an award-winning history of the horror paperback boom of the Seventies and Eighties. He wrote the screenplay for, MOHAWK, a horror flick about the War of 1812, and SATANIC PANIC about a pizza delivery woman fighting rich Satanists.

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

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Geneva by Richard Armitage

Published October 12th, 2023 by Faber & Faber
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction

Welcome to my review of this sesnational debut. Thank you to Faber & Faber for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier has started to show the same tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s disease as her father: memory loss, even blackouts. So she is reluctant to accept the invitation to be the guest of honour at a prestigious biotech conference – until her husband Daniel, a neuroscientist, persuades her that the publicity storm will be worth it. The technology being unveiled at this conference could revolutionise medicine forever. More than that, it could save Sarah’s life.

In Geneva, the couple are feted as stars – at least, Sarah is. But behind the five-star luxury, investors are circling, controversial blogger Terri Landau is all over the story, and Sarah’s symptoms are getting worse. As events begin to spiral out of control, Sarah can’t be sure who to trust – including herself.

‘SENSATIONAL.’ Clare Mackintosh

‘I RACED THROUGH IT.’ Lucy Foley

‘OUTSTANDING.’ Harlan Coben

‘HEART-POUNDING.’ Lucy Clarke, author of The Hike

‘IMMENSELY READABLE.’ Sarah Hilary, author of Fragile

‘HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.’ Alice Feeney, author of Daisy Darker

‘STUNNING.’ Helen Fields, author of The Institution

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MY REVIEW:

Gripping, intense, suspenseful and surprising, Geneva is a high octane thrill ride where no-one is what they seem and you don’t know who to trust. 

The story follows Sarah Collier, a nobel-prize winning scientist and her husband, Daniel, who is also a neuroscientist. Sarah has been invited to be the guest of honour at a prestigious biotech conference but she’s reluctant to accept as she has recently been showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the same illness that affected her father. But Daniel persuades her to go, reminding her that the technology being unveiled at the conference could revolutionise medicine and maybe even save her life. So, the couple head to snowy Geneva and are treated to five-star luxury. But while they are there Sarah’s symptoms worsen, events spiral out of control, and a controversial blogger is covering the story, leaving Sarah unsure if she can trust even herself. 

Fast-paced, heart-poundingly tense, and cleverly choreographed, with this sensational debut, Richard Armitage showcases himself as a thriller writer to watch. He drew me into the story from the start, balancing the tension and heavy science with lighter moments perfectly and keeping you on your toes with an electrifying game of cat and mouse and twists I never saw coming. Armitage’s evocative imagery and attention to detail really set the scene, and combined with narration by the author himself, brings the story to life so vividly it feels like you’re there. 

An exhilarating and unpredictable thriller not to be missed, I can’t wait for the TV adaptation and whatever Armitage writes next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Richard Armitage is a multi-award winning stage and screen actor. Armitage is best known for his role of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson’s trilogy of ‘The Hobbit’. On Film Armitage starred in ‘Into the Storm’ ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ ‘Captain America, the First Avenger’ ‘Oceans 8’. Independent features include ‘The Lodge’ ‘My Zoe’ ‘Brain on Fire’ and ‘Pilgrimage’. On TV, Guy of Gisborne in ‘Robin Hood’, Daniel Miller in Epix ‘Berlin Station’, ‘John Porter’ in Sky’s Strike Back, Francis Dolerhyde in NBC’s Hannibal, Lucas North in ‘Spooks’ and John Thornton in ‘North and South’ both for the BBC. He also voices Trevor Belmont in the Netflix series ‘Castlevania’, Devereaux in their upcoming animated ‘Tomb Raider’ and Logan in Marvel’s ‘Wolverine’ podcast.

Recent TV adaptations for Netflix include Ray Levine in ‘Stay Close’ and Adam Price in ‘The Stranger’ both written by Harlan Coben. He recently played William Farrow in “Obsession” also for Netflix based on the novel ‘Damage’ by Josephine Hart.

The ‘Jackman and Evans’ crime series by Joy Ellis and ‘The Taking of Annie Thorne’ by CJ Tudor both available on Audible, are currently in development for TV adaptation from his production company White Boar Films alongside The Imaginarium and Sprout Productions/ Night Train.

In 2022 he penned his debut crime thriller ‘Geneva’. It was an instant #1 bestseller for Audible and will be published by Faber&Faber (UK) and Pegasus (US)

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: The Weekend Guests by Liza North

Published August 29th, 2024 by Constable
Suspense, Mystery, Thriller, Psychological Thriller

Welcome to my review for this unsettling and addictive thriller. Thank you to Cosntable for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

FIVE OLD FRIENDS.
A REUNION TO DIE FOR . . .

A weekend on the wild, beautiful Dorset coast. Seven adults, six kids. A nanny: the ultimate special treat.

It should be perfect: old friends, a stunning house, champagne and windswept beaches. But it isn’t.

Past grudges won’t rest. Secrets won’t stay put.

And by the end of the weekend, at least one of them will be dead.

Perfect for fans of THE HUNTING PARTY by Lucy Foley and ONE OF THE GIRLS by Lucy Clarke, this is a gripping locked-room thriller brimming with secrets and lies.

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MY REVIEW:

Five university friends reunite at the luxurious second home of two of their group on the Dorset coast. They bring their children and partners to the reunion which promises to be a fun-filled weekend of champagne, wind-swept beaches, and reminiscing about the old days. But trouble is ahead because they have been keeping a dark secret. Old resentments resurface, tensions rise, and by the end of the weekend, at least one of them will be dead…

What a book! Dark, eerie, nail-biting and addictive, The Weekend Guests is a first-class thriller with a cinematic edge. Liza North has an instant fan in this blogger and I will be reading anything else she writes. Opening with a chilling prologue that sets the tone for what’s to come, the book oozes a sinister and foreboding tension from beginning to end. The dark secret we know the friends have hidden for years only adds to that, a constant, malevolent presence that lingers over every page just waiting to be exposed. And I was in Ms. North’s thrall as she twisted the beauty of the Dorset coast into a suitably terrifying backdrop for this propulsive claustrophobic thriller. Skillfully written, cleverly plotted and fast-paced, this was a sensational introduction to Liza North’s writing. I devoured it greedily, forcing myself to put it down in the early hours when what I really wanted to do was keep reading to the end. 

The story is told in dual timelines by multiple narrators and moves seamlessly between them. Each of the characters are richly drawn, flawed and unlikeable. But there is one who stands out amongst them all: Darryl. Their neighbour and acquaintance from their time at university in Edinburgh. The flashbacks, which all take place during their time at university in 2001, are told through Darryl’s diary. And, boy, did this guy give me the creeps! Strange and unsettling, he made my flesh crawl and my unease turned to horror as the full truth about him was revealed. Darryl also added to the questions about the secret as now I not only wanted to know what the secret was, but how he was connected to it all. 

So, if you’re looking for a thriller that will have your heart pounding and keep you glued to the pages, then this book is for you.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Liza North is a writer, academic and former journalist. Her first Scottish-based psychological thriller, Obsessed, was published in 2023. Educated at Oxford University and University College London, she has written for the Financial Times and the Guardian, and spoken at literary and crime writing festivals including Bloody Scotland. A reluctant runner, insatiable reader and lover of fancy gin, she lives in Edinburgh with her husband and two daughters. 

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