Publised September 17th, 2026 by Michael Joseph Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Crime Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Cozy Mystery
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Jane Austen is preparing for the summer season.
As guests of their wealthy relatives Mr and Mrs Leigh-Perrot, Jane and her sister Cassandra will be holidaying in Bath Spa – the world-famous health resort, and more importantly, the epicentre of the marriage mart.
For many, the summer will be spent hunting husbands. But for Jane, when a series of murders breaks out across the city, she must chase down a killer instead.
With her beloved sister by her side, Jane is determined to bring the murderer to justice. Can she stop this villain from taking any more victims, before the summer ends? Or will her only dance of the season be with death…
October 1799. Jane and her sister Cassandra are staying with their wealthy aunt and uncle in Bath Spa – a place famous for healing health and the epicentre of the marriage mart. But Jane isn’t interested in either of those things. She is here to try and forge links to the literary world. However, things soon take a very different turn when her aunt is accused of theft and a gentleman’s body is pulled from the River Avon. There is a mystery waiting to be solved and Jane and Cassandra are on the case. Soon, they find links between the two cases and a mysterious man named Mr. Rex who is trying to blackmail them. Who is Mr. Rex? And how did he discover their secrets? Can they find him and stop him before he claims another victim?
Charming, witty and uplifting, we’re back with another delightful whodunnit featuring amateur detective Jane Austen. Exquisitely written, cleverly crafted and richly imagined, Jessica Bull transports us back in time and immerses us in Jane’s world, where there always seems to be a new mystery that needs to be solved. In this installment there are a number of different investigations at first, but it soon becomes clear there are links between them. The cases are cryptic and complex, with many threads to unravel and a multitude of suspects, but our intrepid heroine doesn’t give up and eventually puts all the pieces of the puzzle together.
Jane is a fabulous protagonist. Intelligent and feisty, she knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. I love how she rallies against societal norms, pursuing a career in literature instead of settling down and finding a husband. One of my favourite things about this series is Jane’s bonds with her siblings, particularly the close bond between Jane and her elder sister, Cassandra, who often helps Jane in her investigations. In this book their bond seems closer than ever and I loved watching them work together. They are very different, but those differences compliment one another and help them as they try to solve a case.
So if you’re looking for a cosy mystery that is also an absolute riot, this is the book for you.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
Thanks to Vic at Insta Book Tours for the invitation to take part in the blog tour and Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jessica Bull lives in South East London with her husband and two daughters. A former librarian and communications consultant, she studied English literature at Bristol University and information science at City, University of London. Miss Austen Investigates, her debut novel, was published in 2024. Pride, Prejudice and Peril is her fourth book.
Published September 24th, 2026 by Headline Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Beloved, bestselling author Victoria Hislop explores the chaos unleashed on Greek families during the post-war era in this page-turning new novel that will delight fans who cherish The Island and The Figurine.
Greece, 1946. In the power vacuum remaining after the Second World War, a brutal civil war erupts between rival left- and right-wing factions. The conflict spirals as the country pays a bitter price in human lives and fighting soon erupts in the mountains, turning villages into battlefields and pulling ordinary women and children into the fray.
When the government soldiers come to Kalopetra, Fotini is nursing her newborn second child. She urges her daughter, Iliana, to hide with the older children as she and the other women are herded into trucks. Weeks later, soldiers return for the children . . . but they are not to be reunited with their mothers, a wholly different fate awaits them.
Fotini finds herself transported to a prison on the island of Chios, where she befriends Markella, whose little son, Nikos, is wise beyond his years. After months of imprisonment, when Fotini and Markella find themselves separated from one another – and from Nikos – Fotini vows to hunt not only for her own child but for Markella’s too.
The Wine-Dark Sea tells of families flung apart across continents and of a strong, determined mother who resolves not to let war destroy hers.
Victoria Hislop is at the height of her storytelling powers in this compelling and thought-provoking new novel, which offers insight into a little-known chapter of Greek history.
As World War II ends, a new battle is beginning in Greece. A civil war that will rage for decades and tear families apart. Nowhere is safe, not even the small mountain village where Fotini lives with her daughter, Iliana, and newborn son. When the government soldiers come, Fotini encourages Iliana to hide with the other children as she and the other women are herded into trucks and taken away. Fotini is transported to a prison on the island of Chios, where she befriends Markella and her son, Nikos, a strange but wise boy. Meanwhile, weeks after their mothers were taken, trucks had returned to the village for the children. But they aren’t being reunited with their mothers. Instead, they face a long and arduous journey to a different fate. We then follow the characters as they are torn apart and try to come back together in this epic story of family, friendship, survival, war and hope.
The Wine-Dark Sea is a powerful, moving and thought-provoking story. With skillful storytelling and rich historic detail, Victoria Hislop brings this little-known chapter in Greek history vividly to life. Hislop’s meticulous research is evident on every page, bringing the characters and story to life in vivid detail. And she held me tight by the heartstrings, making me feel every emotion alongside the characters as I turned the pages and I was an emotional wreck by the end.
I loved how Hislop showcased the dichotomy of people’s experiences during the conflict. The best example of this was through Iliana and Fontin’s experiences immediately after being taken from their village. After her arduous journey, Iliana finds herself in a utopia where she has knowledge, food, equality and a life she enjoys. Meanwhile, Fotini is imprisoned without enough food, is surrounded by dying women and just wants to go back to her old life.
The captivating and memorable characters were a joy to read. I particularly loved reading feisty Iliana and wise Nikos. My mother’s heart went out to Fotini and Markella, who had a wonderful friendship that lasted through the years. And it was so fun to see a cameo from some of the characters from The Island.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
Thank you to Headline for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Victoria Hislop studied English Literature at Oxford University and afterwards worked in book publishing, PR and journalism. During her time as a journalist, she wrote on education and travel for national newspapers and magazines and was sent on assignments around the world.
Inspired by a visit to Spinalonga, the abandoned Greek leprosy colony, Victoria wrote The Island in 2005. She was named Newcomer of the Year at the British Book Awards and the novel became an international bestseller, translated into 40 languages, with over 6 million copies sold worldwide. It was turned into a 26-part Greek TV series which achieved record ratings for Greece.
Her affection for the Mediterranean then took her to Spain, and in The Return she wrote about the painful secrets of its civil war.
In her third novel, The Thread, Victoria returned to Greece to tell the extraordinary and turbulent tale of Thessaloniki and its people across the 20th century. Published in 2011 to widespread acclaim, it confirmed her reputation as an inspirational storyteller and was shortlisted for a British Book Award. The Thread is currently in development with a Greek TV production company, Heretic.
The Sunrise, set in Cyprus and published in 2014, was followed by Cartes Postales from Greece, which is her first work of fully colour-illustrated fiction and was also short-listed for the British Book Awards fiction title of the year. It was adapted into a twelve-part drama for ERT1 in 2021.
Those Who Are Loved, published in 2019, tells the story of Greece’s traumatic period of occupation and civil war during the 20th century.
In 2020, came the sequel to The Island, One August Night, and Victoria was executive producer on the adaptation for Greek state television.
Victoria’s first book for children, Maria’s Island (listed by Waterstones as one of the best children’s books of the year) was also published in 2020 – and is an adaptation of The Island for a younger audience.
Her latest novel, The Figurine, was a number 1 bestseller in paperback A central theme is the looting of archaeological treasures and the meaning of “home”.
Most of Victoria’s novels have hit the number one position in the UK charts, but have also been bestsellers in Greece, China, France, Israel and Norway. She has won several literary awards in France.
As well as studying the Greek language (it is her ultimate ambition to read everything and anything without the presence of a dictionary by her side), she spends her spare time reading, swimming, boxing, playing tennis and, these days, dancing (having been a contestant in Greece’s version of “Strictly” in 2021).
She is an ambassador for Lepra, a UK charity that raises money to treat the estimated three million leprosy sufferers worldwide, and is also an avid supporter of the National Literacy Trust which promotes reading in the UK. Victoria is Patron of Knossos 2025 which has raised funds to renew the British School of Athens research centre in Crete and she has recently been appointed Vice-President of the BSA.
In 2019, Victoria was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Sheffield, and in 2020 she was given Honorary Citizenship by the Greek President for her promotion of Greece. She is a member of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles (BCRPM)
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?
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.
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?
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.
Published May 8th, 2025 by Head of Zeus Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Historical Thriller, Mystery, Hollywood Noir
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Don’t miss the new novel from Eleni Kyriacou, author of BBC Between the Covers pick The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou.
‘Deeply atmospheric… From movie star glamour to the rotten core of fame, I couldn’t put this down.’ LOUISE HARE ‘Evocative, tense, seductive.’ TAMMY COHEN
PLAY THEIR GAME Hollywood, 1953. Young actress Ginny Watkins is turning heads. Even the legendary – and married – actor Max Whitman can’t resist the allure of the hottest new starlet. He promises Ginny the world, in return for the right favour.
DO WHAT THEY SAY London, 1954. Stella Hope, once the most famous actress in Hollywood, has been ousted to Ealing Studios after her divorce from the powerful Max. Just as she accepts her fate, she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made many years ago.
OR THEY’LL BURY YOU Two women on either side of stardom find themselves in the orbit of the same beguiling man. And one night, in the shadows of a glamorous Oscars afterparty, their lives are changed forever.
A Beautiful Way to Die delves into the decadence and depravity of the early film industry from Hollywood to London. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Babylon.
A captivating exploration of the dark underbelly of Hollywood that lies beneath the glitz, glamour and fame, A Beautiful Way To Die is enthralling, taut and poignant. Written with style, pose, beauty and packing a strong emotional punch, it has a cinematic edge that makes it feel perfect for the big screen. Cleverly plotted and intricately interwoven, Eleni Kyriacou had me in her thrall from start to finish with her red herrings and surprising twists. A superb story of feminism, friendships, secrets, misogyny and true crime, I inhaled this book in under a day.
Moving between L.A and London in the 1950s we follow the stories of four women: disgraced Hollywood starlet Stella, actress Ginny who is trying to make it big in Hollywood, make-up artist Maggie and an unnamed woman who has been locked in a sanatorium. The world they inhabit is very much a man’s world. A time when misogyny is rife, women have come to expect sexual assault and men’s misdeeds are covered up, especially in Hollywood. They are seen as disposable and easily replaced. This brings us to Stan Fisher is a Hollywood exec and ‘fixer’. He not only runs the studio and rules these women’s lives, he also covers up the men’s actions. But although there are dire consequences for stepping out of line, these women refuse to stay quiet and are fighting back.
I loved these fierce, strong and sassy women who pushed back and refused to behave. It’s because of brave women like them we have the rights we do today and I was cheering them on every step of the way. They and the other characters were charismatic, captivating and richly drawn. There are some truly vile, odious brutes who enraged me and the book is overflowing with unreliable narrators so we never feel sure about who we can trust. But it was the mysterious, unnamed woman in the asylum I felt drawn to the most. Who was she? What is the truth behind the haunting flashes of memory she keeps having? I had a few theories but none of them were correct and my jaw hit the floor when her identity was finally revealed.
And don’t miss the author’s note at the end with some fascinating facts and insight into the story.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eleni Kyriacou was born and raised in London to Greek Cypriot parents. She’s an award-winning editor and journalist and she has appeared in publications such as the Guardian, the Observer, Marie Claire, Red and Stella. She’s written on a wide range of topics including adoption, relationships, travel, self-development, the arts and women’s health.
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.
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.
Published September 25th, 2025 by Simon & Schuster UK Historical Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this intricately intweroven historical mystery. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
A story about stories within stories, as four interconnected mysteries take the reader through the ages, from Shakespeare’s day to a 19th-century Gothic former Priory, to 1920s Venice, and finally to 1940s California, from the internationally bestselling author of The Turnglass.
We begin with the last testament of William Shakespeare as he investigates the real-life murder mystery of his friend, playwright Christopher Marlowe.
The second story is a 19th-century Gothic tale about the discovery of Shakespeare’s manuscript, set in an isolated former Priory, now a clinic for those who cannot sleep.
The third is a lighter Golden Age detective tale set in Venice, where private investigator Honora Feldman looks into a baffling case of theft and murder in the British expat community, with the Gothic story at its heart.
And finally, a 1940s American Noir, as Ken Kourian finds that a serial killer is recreating all the murders in The Waterfall, the companion book to his friend Oliver Tooke’s The Turnglass.
The Waterfall is a beguiling and intricate mystery that cements Gareth Rubin’s position as one of the most original authors writing today.
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MY REVIEW:
Darkly atmospheric, intricate and compelling, The Waterfall is a book about stories within stories that transports us from Shakespere’s Stratford to a 19th century Gothic former priory, to 1920s Venice, and then 1940s California in four interconnected mysteries.
Original, immersive and layered, this captivating story is a unique experience. Beautifully written, cleverly choreographed and rich in historic detail, Gareth Rubin showcases himself as a masterful storyteller with a style that is all his own. From the first pages I felt like I’d stepped back in time, Rubin bringing each era to life with his skillful use of language, vivid imagery and richly drawn characters. I’ll admit, it took me a little time to get used to the language used in the first story, but once I did I was completely lost in the narrative.
I love reading books that merge fact with fiction, so the fact that the first story featured real people and a real murder piqued my interest straight away. Rubin’s reimagining of that mystery and the way that he connected it with the four other stories is nothing short of genius. I loved the concept of four interconnected stories but after reading this first one I couldn’t imagine how he could connect this 16th century murder to the other three timelines but Rubin pulls it off with finesse, expertly interweaving them together to create a story that moves between timelines and narrators. It is so well done that there were times I had to remind myself that the other characters weren’t real people and I was reading a work of fiction, not fact. All of the characters were richly drawn, dynamic and compelling, but my favourite was Pips and I wish there’d been more of her.
There is so much more I’d love to say about this book but that would mean spoilers and I don’t do those! So, I’ll just say that if you’re looking for a well-written historical mystery with a difference, then this is the book for you.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gareth Rubin writes about social affairs, travel and the arts for British newspapers. In 2013 he directed a documentary about therapeutic art at the Bethlem Royal Hospital in London (‘Bedlam’). His books include Liberation Square, set in Soviet-occupied London; The Winter Agent, about British agents in Paris on the eve of D-Day and The Turnglass, two entwined mysteries that take place in Essex in 1881 and Los Angeles in 1939. He read English literature at the University of St Andrews and trained at East 15 Acting School.
Published September 25th, 2025 by Aria Magical Realism, Domestic Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story
Welcome to my review of this cosy and charming story. Thank you to Aria for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Welcome to the Time Hop Coffee Shop, where wishes can come true . . .
Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, the quintessential TV wife and mom. Now, fame has faded, her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter has become distant, and Greta’s once-glittering career feels like a distant memory.
So when Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop, serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, Greta wakes in the idyllic, make-believe town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose – between perfection and real life, with no turning back?
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MY REVIEW:
Greta Perks was once the star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials with her husband Jim and daughter, Lottie. But now her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter who is becoming more distant by the day and a career in freefall, Greta finds herself daydreaming wistfully of the time her life was perfect and longing for the past. Then one day, she comes across a mysterious coffee shop that advertises your ‘perfect blend’ and is offered the chance to drink a magical brew that will make her wishes come true. The next thing she knows, Greta finds herself in Mapleville, the perfect fictional town from the coffee commercials, and is charmed by its friendly faces, shiny smiles and eternal optimism. When she returns to real life, Greta struggles to adjust and can only think of when she can next visit Mapleville. But as she begins to notice cracks in Mapleville’s perfect facade, Greta starts to wonder if life can really be as perfect as a coffee commercial? And if offered the chance to stay there forever, would Greta leave her real life behind for a second chance at perfection?
Like a hot cup of coffee on a cold autumn day, The Time Hop Coffee shop is a charming, cosy and uplifting story that warms you from the inside out. Phaedra Patrick has long been one of my favourite authors of uplifting fiction, so when the Squadpod were offered the chance to read her latest book I didn’t hesitate. And in a change from her other stories, this time Phaedra has added a dash of magical realism, giving a whimsical, Alice in Wonderland-style vibe to this delightful story of love, yearning, self-discovery and hope.
The characters in this book are relatable and real, with Greta being a protagonist who felt easy to root for. I think we’ve all had times in life where we long for happier times or when we wonder when our life went wrong. At those times, the allure of perfection and the chance to rewrite the narrative of our lives would be strong. Other characters I really enjoyed reading were Iris, the cantankerous coffee shop owner, and Millie, the friend Greta makes in Mapleville who had a fascinating arc.
A feel-good story full of heart, this is the perfect book to read while snuggled up under a blanket on an autumn day. Preferably whilst drinking a hot cup of coffee.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
From Amazon: I’ve always wanted to write books but came to it the long way around. I originally studied art and marketing and then worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organiser and communications manager. I won several awards for my short stories and have now written six novels, four of which became USA Today bestsellers. I live with my family in Saddleworth, UK, where I write full time.
My debut novel, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, was translated into twenty five languages worldwide and was optioned by a major Hollywood film studio.
My second novel, Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (named Wishes Under the Willow Tree in the UK), was made into a Hallmark movie in 2021.
My third novel, inspired by my love of stories, is The Library of Lost and Found. It was selected as ’The Great North West Read,’ to be read across 300 libraries in the UK in 2019.
My fourth is titled The Secrets of Love Story Bridge (The Secrets of Sunshine in the UK) and my fifth, The Messy Lives of Book People (titled The Book Share in the UK) was the Barnes & Noble fiction pick for June 2022 in the USA.
I hope you enjoy my sixth novel, The Little Italian Hotel, a warm, uplifting escape about the power of love, friendship and following your dreams.
Published June 10th, 2025 by Tor Fantasy Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Lesbian Literature, Contemporary Fantasy
Welcome to my bookish thoughts for this magnificent gothic chiller.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Heart-Stopping International Sensation!
Instant No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller No. 1 New York Times Bestseller The Radio 2 Book Club Pick
From V. E. Schwab, a genre-defying, unforgettable novel to sink your teeth into . . .
This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wild and wily – her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.
This is a story about love.
1827. London. A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow – but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.
This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston. College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.
This is a story about life . . . how it ends, and how it starts again.
Utterly unmissable, this is a twisting, gothic tale of immortality and hunger. From the bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
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MY REVIEW:
“Bury my bones in the midnight soil, plant them shallow and water them deep, and in my place will grow a feral rose, soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth.”
Achingly beautiful, deliciously gothic, haunting and consuming, this dark and twisted treasure is one of the most magnificent books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I knew quickly that this would be a five star read and one of my favourite books this year. I was obsessed, beguiled from the first pages by this story that feels both ancient and modern, and felt utterly bereft when it was all over.
V. E. Schwab is an author I’ve heard so many great things about but her books sat on my shelves unread for years. But after hearing how passionate she was about her writing at an event this summer, I knew I had to finally pick up one of her books. And where better to start that with a vampire story during spooky season. Lyrical, poetic and descriptive, Schwab’s writing is sheer perfection. You can feel the love and attention that has gone into every word on the page. I get the hype. She is a phenomenal talent and after just one book I think I’d read her shopping list.
And while it’s undoubtedly beautiful, buried within it is something dark and filled with malevolence, heartache, longing, rage and fear. This is a story about hunger. A story about desire. A story about women. And a story about vampires. It’s a story about dark secrets, depravity, fractured people, complex love, trauma, obsession and violence against women all wrapped up in a hypnotic bow. The trio of women at the heart of this story are richly drawn, vivacious, charismatic and deeply flawed characters that I loved reading. I was enthralled as Schwab slowly but expertly wove their stories together, revealing how their destinies tragically interlaced. And while I loved reading them all, I particularly enjoyed Marie as there is just something about a really dark character that I find captivating and she had me in her thrall as she took me to the darkest depths of inhumanity.
Seductive, sapphic, ferocious and menacing, this is a must for your spooky season TBR.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
VICTORIA ‘V. E.’ SCHWAB is the No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the international sensation The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, the acclaimed Shades of Magic universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts trilogy, Gallant, and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
Published September 11th, 2025 by Orenda Books Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Series, Gothic Ficiton, Contemporary Horror
Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this nerve-shredding gothic mystery. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part, and to Orenda books for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Annie and Lewis search for the son of an old enemy, who may hold the key to ending Annie’s curse. Their investigations lead back to the past, uncovering something that could destroy the most powerful people in the country. The compelling, chilling next instalment in the Annie Jackson Mysteries series…
‘A tense, creepy page-turner’ Ian Rankin
‘Spine-tinglingly thrilling with an extraordinary sense of place’ Caro Ramsay
‘A master storyteller at the very top of his game … mesmeric and suspenseful’ Marion Todd
‘The past echoing in the present. A whisper of the supernatural. Strong characters. Evocative prose … What is there not to like? Impressive’ Douglas Skelton
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Two men, centuries apart, dream of being a wolf.
One is burned at the stake.
Another is locked in a psychiatric hospital for most of his life.
And Annie Jackson is about to find out why…
Vowing once again to remove herself from society, Annie is back living alone in her little cottage by the shores of a loch. But when an old enemy – now locked up in a high security hospital – comes calling, begging her to find the son that she was forced to give up at the age of seventeen, Annie is tempted out of seclusion. The missing boy holds the key to ending Annie’s curse, and he may be the only chance that both she and Lewis have of real happiness.
Annie and Lewis begin an investigation that takes them back to the past, a time etched in Scottish folklore, a period of history that may just be repeating itself. And what they uncover could destroy not just some of the most powerful people in the country, who will stop at nothing to protect their wealth and their secrets, but also Annie’s life, and everything she holds dear…
Dark, immersive, and utterly compelling, The Howling is a story of deception, betrayal, and misplaced power, and a reminder that the most public of faces can hide the darkest of hearts…
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MY REVIEW:
Michael J. Malone has knocked it out of the park yet again with this darkly atmospheric and nerve-shredding thriller where ghosts of the past echo in the present and dark secrets threaten to destroy some of the country’s most powerful men. Two men separated by centuries dream of being a wolf. One of them is burned at the stake. Whilst the other is locked in a psychiatric hospital. And Annie Jackson is about to find out why as she searches for the son of her enemy in this gripping gothic mystery.
The Annie Jackson Mysteries have quickly become one of the highlights of my reading year. I know as the leaves start to turn and the cardigans get chunkier that I will be reading a chilling and sinister story that will have me on the edge of my seat. The Howling lives up to that reputation and Malone has delivered another first-rate thriller. Told by multiple narrators in multiple timelines, the story transports us between 1709, 1979 and 2024, bringing both past and present to life in vivid detail. It’s a complex, intricate and urgent mystery, full of curses, sinister suspense and whispers of the paranormal that is woven into every facet of the story and we get a real sense of the loneliness, isolation, fear and torment that those affected by them endure. As always, Malone’s storytelling is outstanding, while a strong sense of place draws you in as he expertly intertwines the multiple timelines, dropping clues like breadcrumbs throughout the narrative for us to follow. I had some predictions but my jaw dropped when the truth was finally revealed.
One of my favourite things about a series is revisiting characters I love, and Annie and Lewis are two of my favourite, and probably most original, protagonists. I love their strong bond and the way they work together to solve the crimes. They are strong, memorable and richly drawn, as are all of the characters in this book. It is easy to like and root for them while Malone also delivers villains, like the chilling Sylvia, who will make your skin crawl.
So, if you’re looking for an unsettling, heart-stopping and immersive mystery this spooky season, pick up this book. It could be read as a standalone, however I highly recommend reading the others in the series as not only is what happens woven into this story, but they are magnificent reads.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought upin the heart of Burns’ He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association of Writers. Other published work includes: Carnegie’s Call; A Taste for Malice; The Guillotine Choice; Beyond the Rage; The Bad Samaritan; and Dog Fight. His psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and the critically acclaimed House of Spines and After He Died soon followed suit. Since then, he’s written two further thought-provoking, exquisitely written psychological thrillers In the Absence of Miracles and A Song of Isolation, cementing his position as a key proponent of Tartan Noir and an undeniable talent. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr.
