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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Featured Books

BOOK REVIEW: The Game is Murder by Hazell Ward

Published August 21st, 2025 by Michael Joseph
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Ficiton, Historical Mystery

Welcome to my bookish thoughts about The Game is Murder. Thank you Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

THIRTEEN GUESTS. THIRTEEN SUSPECTS. AN IMPOSSIBLE MURDER.
A MYSTERY YOU MUST SOLVE – OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES…

What if a Great Detective reinvestigated the most famous unsolved murder case of the century?
What if that Great Detective was you?

You have been invited to a very special murder mystery party.
Thirteen guests have been gathered – rather, thirteen suspects.
But only one of them is a murderer. And only you can find them.

Your task is simple. Listen to the witnesses, examine the evidence, and solve the case.
Be careful. Trust no one. In this story, all may not be as it seems.

The ultimate murder mystery is yours to solve.
A word of warning, though – catch the killer, or face the consequences…

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MY REVIEW:

You are invited to a murder mystery evening at a London home. But soon you realise that this night is not going to be your typical murder mystery evening. Because tonight you are being asked to solve a real murder – or face the consequences. There are thirteen guests and thirteen suspects. Can you unmask the killer?

YOU are the Reader and the Great Detective in this inventive murder mystery debut. Atmospheric, inventive and original, this isn’t your usual whodunnit. It starts out strong: full of mystery as you arrive at the home and take your seat at the table. You learn that the murder you will be solving is the murder of Sally Gardner, who was bludgeoned on November 7th, 1974 in this very house. The suspect in the crime, Lord John Verreman, vanished the next day. Now his son wants you to examine the evidence and decide if his father really did kill his nanny on that cold night all those years ago.

Debut author Hazell Ward has crafted a novel that feels unique. She grabs your attention from the start by talking directly to the reader, making you a part of the case and invested in solving it. And I felt even more invested as the crime in the story is based on the real life case of Lord Lucan, a case that has long fascinated me. There is a large cast of characters that I enjoyed reading for the most part, though it did sometimes get confusing. I liked how Ward captured the feeling of a 1970s dinner party with Babycham and cocktails, transporting me back fifty years to the night of the crime and adding an authenticity to the story.

The inspiration from classic detective fiction is evident throughout the book, with many references to the rules of these books and to titles and authors. Ward has taken these rules and added her own to create a new kind of narrative that puts the reader at its centre. It’s multi-layered, complex, full of red herrings and misdirection. You have to pay attention and I found it a bit confusing after a while.

The Game Is Murder is a creative and twisty debut that would be great for fans of books such as The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

Rating: ✮✮✮✰✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Hazell Ward spent years as an adult education teacher, before completing an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. She enjoyed it so much, that she is now working for a PhD. She was shortlisted for the Margery Allingham Short Story Competition in 2021, and won the CWA Short Story Dagger in 2023 for her story, Cast A Long Shadow, published by Honno Press.

She lives and works in Wrexham, Wales.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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

BOOK REVIEW: After the Storm by G. D. Wright

Published August 1st, 2024 by Avon Books
Thriller, Mystery, Suspenseful, Psychological Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Police Procedural

Welcome to my review for this outstanding debut. Thank you to Avon Books for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘So compelling and tightly plotted I couldn’t put it down’ CLAIRE DOUGLAS

‘Tense and emotional…A dark beating heart of a novel’ GILLIAN McALLISTER

‘Totally addictive. One of the most tense and gripping thrillers I’ve read in ages’ LISA JEWELL

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Don’t miss the gripping debut crime novel in which a child’s tragic drowning rips a small community apart with devastating consequences…

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TWO CHILDREN WENT INTO THE SEA.

When Andrew and Sophie take their daughter and her friend to the beach on a stormy day, they are momentarily distracted and both children are washed out to sea. Andrew dives in, but comes back ashore with only one child – Maria, his own daughter. Joe, the son of his best friend and local police officer, Chris, has drowned. But it was just a tragic accident…wasn’t it?

ONLY ONE CAME OUT ALIVE.

As Sergeant Mike Adams and DS Sue Willmott investigate what really happened in the water that afternoon, the ripple effects of the tragedy tear the community apart. The detectives must discover the truth before their colleague – bereaved and desperate father, Chris – takes the investigation into his own hands…

BUT WHO IS TO BLAME?

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MY REVIEW:

Andrew and Sophie take their daughter, Maria, and her best friend, Joe, to the beach on a stormy day. The kids are happily playing when a moment of distraction changes everything and both kids are washed out to sea. Andrew dives into the water to find them, but only comes back with one child. 
When Joe’s parents, Chris and Linda, learn of his death, they want answers. Could his death be more than a tragic accident? As the police investigate, the community is torn apart by the ripple effects of the tragedy. Chris is out for vengeance. Can the police get answers before he takes matters into his own hands?

Heartbreaking, tense, atmospheric and consuming, After the Storm is a remarkable debut. Exquisitely written, deftly plotted and keenly observed, this is a story enmeshed in raw grief, utter devastation and white hot rage. G. D. Wright showcases himself as a talent to watch on the thriller scene, delivering heart-pounding tension and emotions that go straight to your soul in a story that wrecked havoc on my heart as well as my blood pressure. Losing a child is every parents’ worst nightmare and the scenes where they learn of their son’s death are some of the most heartbreakingly raw and evocative that I’ve ever read. I wiped tears from my eyes as their hearts shattered and he wrecked havoc on my heart as well as my blood pressure. I am in awe that this is a debut as it reads like the work of a veteran author. 

Before that tragic day it wasn’t just the kids who were friends, but the parents too, but afterwards they find themselves on opposite sides of the tragedy. While Chris and Linda try to wrap their heads around their life-shattering loss, a cloud of suspicion over Andrew. He fights to prove his innocence but he’s an unreliable narrator and is clearly hiding something. As time goes on, Chris is fueled by the fire of revenge and determined to see Andrew pay for what happened. As the reader, you feel for both sides and also don’t know what to believe as Wright keeps the truth close to the vest. 

For any book to be truly great, you need good characters and Wright has created a cast of brilliant characters who are richly drawn, relatable, made me care about them and made me feel invested in their lives. He makes us feel their emotions and allows us to step into each of their shoes. You can feel the love he put into each of these characters on every page and they are people that will stay with me.

Powerful, moving, unsparing and unforgettable, After the Storm is an absolute triumph. And that ending! Gaz, you totally broke me😭 Both this, and the follow-up Into the Fire, are must-reads for any thriller fans. 

Rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

*I listented to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 60 days of listening free*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

From Amazon:
My name is Gary (pen name G.D. Wright) and I live on the south east coast of England with my wife and two young children.

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

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

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson

Published July 22nd, 2025 by Cassava Republic Press
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Ficiton

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this unmissable and unforgettable novel. Thank you to FMCM for inviting me to take part in the tour and to Cassava Republic Press for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Named one of the best New Novelists for 2025 by The Observer.

Bradford, December 1962.

A precocious Mercy makes her reluctant entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb, to a chaotic household that seems to have no place for her. Her siblings do not understand her, her mother’s attention is given to the Church, and the entire family lives at the whims of her father’s quick temper. 

Left to herself, Mercy finds solace in books, her imagination, and the quiet comfort of her faithful toy, Dolly. But escapism has its limits, and as the grip of family, faith and fear threatens to close in, Mercy learns she must act if she wants a different future; one where she is seen, heard, and her family set free. 

The Mercy Step is a sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion, and her refusal to be broken.

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MY REVIEW:

Powerful, heart-wrenching, tender and witty, The Mercy Step is an outstanding tear-jerker of a novel. 

Bradford, December 1962. It’s a freezing, snowy Winter’s day when Mercy makes her dramatic entrance into the world; leaving the calm solace of her mother’s womb for life with a large, chaotic family where she never feels like she fits in. As the thread that binds mother and daughter stretches ever thinner, Mercy struggles to be seen and heard in a house where her siblings don’t understand her, her mother is wrapped up in the church, and they all live in fear of her father’s violent outbursts. Searching for belonging, Mercy eventually discovers the magical escape of books. She finds solace in their pages, in her vivid imagination and conversations with her toy, Dolly. But books and imagination can only take you so far, and as life at home becomes increasingly dangerous, Mercy realises she must make a stand and finally make herself heard to give herself the chance of a better future. 

Marcia Hutchinson has been named one of the best new novelists for 2025 by The Observer, and after reading this book I understand why. With this magnificent debut Hutchinson has proven herself to be a born storyteller, writing with wit, wisdom, humanity and heart. Acutely observed, authentic and uncompromising, it is a story that feels achingly raw, righteously angry, deeply human and evokes every emotion. IThis layered story explores themes such as toxic family, poverty, domestic abuse, racism, loss and immigration. And while it is one young girl’s story, it is also a story about the realities of life as a Black person in northern England in the 60s and 70s.

Precocious, feisty, bold and determined, Mercy is an unforgettable heroine. It is impossible not to love her and she has a permanent place in my heart. Her love of literature and learning made me feel connected to her and I smiled as she found an escape in books and her imagination. She and the other characters are richly drawn and real, making you care about them and feel invested in their lives. Mercy’s family is dysfunctional and toxic, her abusive father a constant malevolent presence and Mercy doesn’t understand why her mother stays with such a monster. Mummy is Mercy’s balm but she’s also a worry and Mercy feels like it is her job to look after Mummy, though she aches for a mother who looks after her needs instead. So many times I wanted to reach into this book and hold this young girl. Although her mother seems to try to do her best, Mercy deserved so much better I desperately wanted to save her.

A magnificent debut full of drama, humour, headache and hope, Mercy and her story will linger long after you close the final page. Unmissable.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

After attending Oxford Univesity Marcia worked as a lawyer before founding educational publishing company Primary Colours, which she ran until 2014. She was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to Cultural Diversity. When not writing Marcia teaches Zumba, Spin, and yoga. And when not doing any of the above she can be found despairing about the state of her garden.

The Mercy Step, her solo literary debut which will be pubilshed by CassavaRepublic on 22nd July 2025. She is also co-author with Kate Griffin  of the historical fiction novel The Blackbirds of St Giles.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Squadpod Squadpod Book Club

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: Deadline by Steph McGovern

Published July 3rd, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The debut crime thriller from award-winning broadcaster and journalist Steph McGovern.

‘Thrilling, captivating and full of heart’ – Giovanna Fletcher, author of Billy and Me

‘Brilliant! I love how it describes all the behind the scenes of TV and I had no idea where it was going. So clever. So good’ – Kimberley Walsh

Your child has been kidnapped.

You’re live on television.

Going live in 10, 9, 8 . . .
Today is a huge day for TV reporter Rose’s career. A live interview with one of the most powerful men in the country, on one of the nation’s biggest TV shows.

7, 6, 5 . . .
But, when she hears an unfamiliar voice in her ear, she knows something is very wrong.

4, 3, 2 . . .
Her earpiece has been hacked. She’s live on air in the middle of the interview. They tell her they have kidnapped her family.

1
And, in order to protect them, Rose must do exactly what the hijacker says. They are in control now.

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MY REVIEW:

TV reporter Rose is live on air for the most important interview of her career when she hears an unfamiliar voice in her ear, ‘Rose, I have your wife and son.’ Who is this mysterious person? Why have they taken her wife and son? And how can she get them back?

When a thriller starts with such nail-biting opening lines you know you’re in for a great ride. Tense, twisty, witty and addictive, Steph McGovern has crafted an unforgettable debut that every thriller fan should read. Expertly written, cleverly choreographed, intricately interwoven and pacy, this book thrums with suspense, drama, emotion, dread, and apprehension so sharp you could cut yourself. McGovern knows how to keep her reader on their toes, moving between timelines and narrators to keep us guessing and constantly building the tension up until the thrilling finale. And when you think it’s all over, along comes an epilogue that’s filled with even more shocking twists. 

McGovern’s experience in the world of TV reporting is evident throughout the story, making everything that is on the page feel authentic. I loved getting a glimpse into how everything works behind the scenes and stepping into an entirely new world. Another part of the authenticity is the characters. They come from all walks of life and each felt relatable, compelling and real. Rose is a brilliant protagonist who made me care about her from the start and I had a real soft spot for young Ollie. The politicians were suitably smarmy and gave me the ick every time they appeared on the page. 

As a proud northerner I was delighted to learn that this book was set in the North. I loved seeing this representation and appreciated that McGovern included familiar places, people and dialect.  I listened to this on Bookbeat and I loved that the narrator had the right accent, allowing me to completely immerse myself in the book and I flew through it in under a day.

An entertaining and unmissable debut, thriller fans should add this straight to their TBR. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

*I listened to this on Bookbeat. Click here to get 90 days of listening free without obligaion with my affiliate link*

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steph McGovern is an award-winning broadcaster who currently presents The Rest Is Money podcast with Robert Peston. Steph has worked in journalism for over twenty years, eight of them as part of the BBC Breakfast family. She went on to present her own BAFTA-nominated live daily show, Steph’s Packed Lunch, on Channel 4 and is a regular Have I Got News for You panellist and host. Steph is an avid crime reader and has interviewed countless authors including Val McDermid, Ann Cleeves, Hillary Clinton, Harlan Coben, Lee Child and Don Winslow, as well as judging the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award at the Harrogate Crime Festival since 2019. Deadline is her first novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan

Published June 19th, 2025 by Mantle
Suspense, Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Extraordinary . . . I absolutely loved this page-turning family mystery’ – Liane Moriarty, bestselling author of Here One Moment

‘Riveting . . . [It] held me captive from the first page to the last’ â€“ Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Devotion

Discover this breathtaking debut novel of family secrets and searing atmosphere set over one long, hot summer on the New Zealand coast.

In the past, we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother’s preference. This year was different . . .

As the long summer holiday stretches ahead, ten-year-old Alix wants to spend every second on the beach and in the water. But, with her parents unusually distracted and her older sister now more interested in boys, she finds herself alone.

Then she meets Kahu at the beach and he tells her about The Mystery. Two years ago, a girl went missing and none of the adults could find her. So the new friends decide to investigate – because people don’t just disappear.

But, as Alex and Kahu search for clues, they stumble upon secrets they wish they’d left uncovered. Is Alix’s holiday house as safe as it seems? And is her sister putting her trust in the wrong people?

Brilliantly page-turning and tensely atmospheric, A Beautiful Family will leave a lump in your throat and a hole in your heart.

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MY REVIEW:

“We were not a proper family, I thought, hugging my knees. There was something wrong with us.”

New Zealand, 1985. The summer sun sizzles as Alix and her family arrive at the beach for their annual holiday. But this year is different from the others, and not only because this year her mum wanted to go somewhere where there are a lot of people. This year ten-year-old Alix feels alone. Her older sister, Vanessa, is a teenager who  is more interested in boys than her little sister, and her parents are distracted. If it wasn’t for her new friend, Kahu, she’d have no-one to hang out with this summer. And it is Kahu who tells Alix about The Mystery. Two years ago a girl named Charlotte went missing and has never been found. They decide to investigate and begin to look for clues. But they will soon uncover secrets that they wish they’d never found…

Atmospheric, immersive and intriguing, A Beautiful Family is a riveting debut. Blending historical fiction, mystery, family saga and coming-of-age story, Jennifer Trevelyan has crafted a gorgeous slice of life novel that delivers a strong emotional punch. Trevelyan’s storytelling is exquisite, achingly human, and so evocative that you can feel the heat of the sun on your skin, feel the sand in between your toes and smell the suncream. A nostalgic tale, there is an air of simpler times that I remember from my own childhood in that era. But there is also an unbearable sense of dread that lingers over every page, Trevelyan holding her reader captive by rationing the reveals and drip-feeding information piece by piece. I was in her thrall, on the edge of my seat and terrified for Alix. 

For such an emotional story you need a great protagonist. And Alix was just that. Likeable and easy to root for, she’s a typical kid of the 80s who enjoys listening to music on her walkman, playing outside with friends, and is excited about her annual summer holiday. Trevelyan expertly puts the reader in Alix’ shoes, conveying that sense of naivety and innocence that was more common back then.

While Alix may not understand a lot of what is happening around her, the reader does. And that sense of tragedy and danger that comes from the things we understand only adds to the tension. And whenever Alix felt those emotions she didn’t quite understand I wished I could reach into the book and explain what was going on and help her. But I was helpless, only able to read on tenterhooks as I waited to see what would happen. 

A magnificent debut that will leave you wanting more, this is the perfect summer read. Add it to your TBR now.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer first worked as a wedding photographer and photographic printer before studying English Literature at Victoria University and travelling to London, where she worked in children’s publishing. After returning to her native New Zealand to raise a family and hone her DIY skills, Jennifer undertook an MA in Creative Writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters in 2022. Her debut novel, A Beautiful Family, is coming in 2025: 

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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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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Double Room by Anne Senes

Published June 19th, 2025 by Orenda Books
Crime Fiction, Psychological Ficiton, Literary Fiction, Translated Fiction

Today is my stop on the blog tour for this beautiful fever-dream of a novel. 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:

London, late 1990s. Stan, a young and promising French composer, is invited to arrange the music for a theatrical adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The play will never be staged, but Stan meets Liv, the love of his life, and their harmonious duo soon becomes a trio with the birth of their beloved daughter, Lisa. Stan’s world is filled with vibrant colour and melodic music, and under his wife and daughter’s gaze, his piano comes to life.
 
Paris, today. After Liv’s fatal accident, Stan returns to France surrounded by darkness, no longer able to compose, and living in the Rabbit Hole, a home left to him by an aunt. He shares his life with Babette, a lifeguard and mother of a boy of Lisa’s age, and Laïvely, an AI machine of his own invention endowed with Liv’s voice, that he spent entire nights building after her death.
 
But Stan remains haunted by his past. As the silence gradually gives way to noises, whistles and sighs – sometimes even bursts of laughter – and Laïvely seems to take on a life of its own, memories and reality fade and blur…
And Stan’s new family implodes…
 
For readers who love Laura Kasischke, David Nicholls and Kazuo Ishiguro

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MY REVIEW:

Melodic, haunting, achingly beautiful, sensual and heart-wrenching, Double Room is like nothing I’ve ever read before. Anne Senes has a style that is all her own; a lyrical and moving prose that was enthralling and I savoured every sumptuous word. I was lost in these pages, completely enveloped by this strange and hypnotic tale. A fever-dream of love, loss and grief.  

The story follows Stan, a composer who returns to his native France to try and put his life back together after the tragic and sudden death of his wife, Liv. Unable to deal with his grief, he spends his nights creating an AI machine endowed with Liv’s voice. In time he moves on, creating a blended family with Babette. But the machine – Laively – seems to take on a life of its own and Stan’s life begins to spiral out of control, threatening the new life and family he’s created. 

Told in dual timelines, the flashbacks begin twenty years ago on the day Stan and Liv first met. She was the love of his life and they enjoyed a fairytale romance. Meanwhile, in the present he’s still trying to move on from Liv’s death and navigate the minefield that is blending a family. He’s not over Liv and it’s affecting his new family. Also, his reliance on the AI machine is unhealthy and unnerving, and Babette understandably isn’t happy about it. Strange things start happening and Stan loses himself in his dreams or locks himself away in his studio rather than dealing with his problems. He struggles to differentiate between reality, fantasy and memory and I was concerned he was descending deeper and deeper into madness and what effect it would have on his already troubled family. I had so many questions: were the strange occurrences real? How could a machine be acting of its own accord? What was real and what was imagined?

Stan starts as a romantic character in his flashbacks with Liv and I enjoyed reading their love story. There is an overwhelming sense of grief that runs through the present narrative, and Stan is a withdrawn and sorrowful character. It was impossible not to feel heartbroken for him and his daughter, but as the story went on he got more unlikeable. I also began to wonder if everything was what it seemed, and felt like there might be something more going on under the surface of this story. Slowly and expertly, Senes revealed the truth and it was apparent that nothing was as it had first appeared to be. 

Original, delicate, passionate and beguiling, this is an unforgettable debut. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anne Senes is a writer, translator and former journalist. She was born in Paris and studied at the Sorbonne, where she obtained a PhD in English studies. Her passion for Anglo-Saxon literature and culture has taken her all over the world, from London to Miami, via the south of France. She is currently based on the French Mediterranean coast. Chambre Double (Double Room) is her first literary novel.

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ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR:

Alice Banks was born in Shropshire and completed her MA in Literary Translation at the University of East Anglia. She now lives in Madrid where she works as a translator from French and Spanish into English. Her first translation, Deranged As I Am, by Comoros writer, Ali Zamir, was published in 2022 and was followed by Madrid Will Be Their Tomb, by Spanish political spokesperson and author, Elizabeth Duval, published in 2023. Alice collaborates with Hablemos, escritoras to translate their podcasts and content into English, and also with The European Literaturen Network, where she worked as Assistant Editor on their Spanish edition of The Riveter magazine.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: The Quiet by Barnaby Martin

Published May 15th, 2025 by Pan Macmillan
Suspense, Science Fiction, Humorous Fiction, Cyberpunk

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this thing riveting debut. Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Bookbreak for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

‘Riveting. Martin weaves an inspired premise into an engrossing and wholly original adventure.’ – Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One

‘An intellectually compelling, emotional and timely read. Martin has taken a motif of dystopian writing and films – a single parent and child – and has reworked it within a fresh landscape. The Quiet is a feat of writing that foregrounds the value of kindness and communication in a world bent on segregation and misinformation.’ â€“ The Bookseller

* * *

A mother’s love can be deafening . . .

Isaac is Hannah’s entire world. She knows that her son is gifted, and that those gifts make him vulnerable. To keep him safe, she spends every waking moment by his side. If she lets her guard down, lets him out of her sight, lets him show what he’s capable of, he will be taken from her.

When the Soundfield arrived twenty years ago, the world changed with it. Now, people are forced to live at night due to the deadly heat of the day, food and water are scarce, and everyday life is punctuated by the constant and disconcerting hum from the Field. A brilliant scientist, Hannah spent her early career working on the enigma of the Soundfield, looking for answers; now, resigned, she has focussed all her energies on keeping Isaac living, not just alive.

To do so, she will have to lie to the people she knows and hope she can trust the ones she doesn’t. Because the only thing more dangerous than her lies, is the truth of what she has done.

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MY REVIEW:

What would you do to keep your child safe? That is the question at the heart of this original debut. Isaac is Hannah’s whole world. He can’t speak but he loves music and singing; a dangerous talent in this dystopian world. If his talent is discovered then Isaac will be taken from her. And Hannah will do anything to ensure that doesn’t happen…

From its heart-stopping prologue I was hooked to the pages of this riveting debut. Thought-provoking, emotional, intelligent and terrifying, The Quiet is humanity and science blended in perfect harmony. Set in a future where a soundfield appeared 20 years earlier, exposure to the sun is life-threatening and where people live by the night and sleep during the day. An ever-threatening presence lingers over every page, making my heart race and keeping me on the edge of my seat as I read.

Hannah is a mysterious character. We only know she is Isaac’s mother, she’s fiercely protective of him and that she lives in fear of him being taken. It’s her and Isaac against a frightening and dangerous world and she lives in a constant state of anxiety, her fear radiating from the pages. Slowly, we learn she has a past she feels the need to atone for, revealing itself in flashbacks to her time at university, and we follow on her journey of reckoning self-discovery and redemption. Our other main character, Isaac, never says a word, yet his presence is strong and memorable. But, like his mother, Isaac is a mystery. We don’t know why he is unable to speak yet he can sing. He clearly has a love of music and the joy he feels when he hears it – including the hum from the soundfield – is infectious. His relationship with music is beautiful and pure, and a stark contrast to the dangerous world around him that his mother experiences. 

And we have to talk about the soundfield, which is like a character in its own right. It has an eerie, curious and ominous quality but it is also strangely beautiful and I loved listening to the sound the author imagined it creating on the audiobook. I could see why Hannah found it terrifying and why Issac was drawn to it.

Powerful, heartbreaking and immersive, don’t miss this unforgettable debut. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Barnaby Martin is a multi-talented storyteller and creator. Besides his writing, he is an award-winning and self-taught composer, video essayist and teacher. His music has been performed widely in the UK and internationally by groups including the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of Opera North and Westminster Cathedral Choir. His YouTube channel, Listening In, which he began in 2019 and for which he makes videos that explore the cross-section between pop culture and classical music, has garnered over 200,000 subscribers and ten million views. He studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and now teaches in London, where he lives with his husband.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BOOK REVIEW: Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll

Published February 6th, 2025 by Harvill Secker
Historical Fiction, Fairy Tales, Mythology

Welcome to my review for this atmospheric and mesmerising debut. Thank you to Harvill Secker for sending me a proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Brilliant and meticulously researched… I loved it.’ Santa Montefiore

Sister. Rival. Protector.

Quiet and reserved, Clemmie is happy in the background. Although her parents may overlook her talents, her ability to read hieroglyphs makes her invaluable at the Egyptian relic parties which have made her father the toast of Victorian society.

But at one such party, the words Clemmie interprets from an unusual amulet strike fear into her heart. The beautiful and dangerous glyphs she holds in her hands will change her life forever.

Five years later, Clemmie arrives in Egypt on a mission to save what remains of her family. The childhood game she used to play about the immortal sisters, Isis and Nephthys, has taken on a devastating resonance and it is only by following Nephthys’ story that she can undo the mistakes of the past.

On her journey up the Nile she will meet unexpected allies and enemies and, along with long-buried secrets and betrayals, Clemmie will be forced to step into the light.

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MY REVIEW:

“This place is alive with people, but it’s also heaving with the dead.” 

Clemmie is a gifted Egyptologist but her talents have torn her family apart. When she was a child, she and her sister, Rosetta, loved to play a game about the immortal sisters Isis and Nephthys. Now, years later, she is about to follow in Nephthys footsteps to try and atone for the damage she has done, unaware of the dangers she’s about to face…

Atmospheric, haunting, forbidding and suspenseful, it is an astonishing debut. I’m a huge fan of Victoriana and have always had an interest in Ancient Egypt, so this book had my name written all over it. A story of obsession, secrets, myths and legends, I read this with a couple of book buddies earlier this year and haven’t stopped thinking about it since. A gifted wordsmith, Rachel Louise Driscoll’s poetic and evocative prose crafted a narrative that wrenched me out of my own reality and into the one she created.  The rich tapestry of meticulously researched historic detail enhanced the story, bringing everything to life in vivid technicolour, and I found myself journeying on the Nile along with the characters, navigating its dangers, twists and turns. As the mystery unfolds, the dark underbelly of Egypts Victorian artefacts trade is laid bare, duplicitous characters are unmasked, and friends become like family. I was transfixed, unable to stop reading until I reached its conclusion. 

Clemmie is not your typical Victorian lady. Feisty and intelligent, she’s a bad-ass heroine who is likeable and easy to root for. The daughter of a famous Egyptlogist, she’s been raised surrounded by the subject and it has been in her bones ever since she held a mummified cat as a child and I could feel her awe as she finally stepped foot on Egyptian soil. She travels the Nile with Oswald, Celia and Rowland, characters I enjoyed reading and trying to figure out – especially the 

mysterious Rowland. I also loved the friendships Clemmie built with Celia and Mariam – the daughter of the dahabeeyah owner – as she’d never had a friend who wasn’t family before.

A dark, gothic and glittering story, Nephthys is an astonishing debut. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Driscoll writes next. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Rachel Louise Driscoll won the Curtis Brown Creative scholarship in 2020. Originally from the South West, she lives in the North East with her husband and cat, Cleopatra. Nephthys is her debut novel. She was inspired to write Clemmie’s story by an experience she had at a local museum as a child where she was allowed to hold a mummified ancient Egyptian cat. Enjoying the hours of avid research required, Rachel even wrote some of the book wearing a corset in order to capture Clemmie’s experience more accurately!

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

BLOG TOUR: The Grapevine by Kate Kemp

Published March 13th, 2025 by Phoenix
Mystery, Thriller, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for this captivating slice of suburban drama. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers tours for the invitation to take part, and to Phoenix for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Australia, 1979.

It’s the height of summer and on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac a housewife is scrubbing the yellow and white chequered tiles of her bathroom floor. But all is not as it seems. For one thing, it’s 3 a.m. For another, she is trying desperately to remove all traces of blood before they stain. Her husband seems remarkably calm, considering their neighbour has just been murdered.

As the sun rises on Warrah Place, news of Antonio Marietti’s death spreads like wildfire, gossip is exchanged in whispers and suspicion mounts. Twelve-year-old Tammy launches her own investigation, determined to find out what happened, but she is not the only one whose well-meaning efforts uncover more mysteries than they solve. There are secrets behind every closed door in the neighbourhood – and the identity of the murderer is only one of them . . .

Richly atmospheric and simmering with tension, The Grapevine is an acutely observed debut novel about prejudice and suspicion, the hidden lives of women, and how the ties that bind a community can also threaten to break it.

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MY REVIEW:

Australia, 1979. The residents of Warrah Place are rocked by the news of Antonio Marietti’s death. It spreads like wildfire, the gossip between neighbours on this quiet cul-de-sac fanning the flames of rumour and suspicion. While the adults whisper accusations, twelve-year-old Tammy decides to launch her own investigation but is unprepared for what she discovers…

A community full of secrets, lies and prejudices, a captivating murder mystery, and an explosive finale, Kate Kemp’s debut has all of this and so much more. Wonderfully written, acutely observed and deeply human, I loved this fantastic debut. There’s a strong sense of community from the start, but it is soon evident that not everyone is who they seem on this  claustrophobic cul-de-sac and secrets, lies and prejudices lurk in the homes on Warrah Place. There is a huge cast of characters which did make it hard for me to get into the story at first. But I found that once I had a chunk of time to really immerse myself in the story I was in its thrall. Part psychological suspense, part domestic fiction, the tension sizzled like the summer sun that was beating down, keeping me guessing right up until that devastating final twist. 

But what really had me hooked was the relationships between the neighbours.  Richly drawn, authentic and relatable, they leaped from the pages and pulled me into their world, slowly unveiling the secrets they were trying to hide. I loved delving into their lives and discovering what they were hiding while trying to guess what happened to Antonio the night he was murdered. Much of the story is narrated by Tammy, a precocious, quirky and curious twelve-year-old who is emotionally neglected by her mother. Tammy decides to solve the crime, and it was fun to see the story through her naive eyes. The adults are flawed and preoccupied, allowing Tammy to overhear much of her investigation as they forgot she was listening. There are some very unlikeable characters on Warrah Place, but there were also some strong female characters that I loved reading. 

Atmospheric, revealing, and utterly compelling, The Grapevine is a delicious slice of suburban drama not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kate Kemp is an Australian writer living in the UK. She trained as an occupational therapist and then as a systemic psychotherapist, and has worked with families and individuals in mental health services in both Australia and the UK. In 2021, she won the Stylist Prize for Feminist Fiction and the Yeovil Literary Prize. The Grapevine is her first novel.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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

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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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Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx