Tag: suspense

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Audio Books Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2026

BOOK REVIEW: A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford

Published February 12th, 2026 by Bantam
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Don’t miss the award-winning crime debut of the year – perfect for fans of The List of Suspicious Things. A murder mystery unlike any other…

*WINNER: VAL McDERMID CRIME DEBUT AWARD*
*WINNER: McILVANNEY PRIZE FOR BEST SCOTTISH CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR*
*WINNER: BLOODY SCOTLAND DEBUT PRIZE*

What happened to the dog walker who found the body?

Glasgow, 1979.

Twelve-year-old Janey won’t take her dog, Sid Vicious, for a walk. Not anymore. It’s Sid’s fault she found the murdered woman.

Janey claims she can’t remember what she saw at the abandoned railway, but the police think she’s hiding something. And they’re not the only ones interested.

Fear and rumour rip through the tight-knit community of Possilpark. Janey and her nana, Maggie, are dragged into the hunt for a murderer. And Maggie’s struggle to keep her beloved granddaughter safe becomes ever more desperate.

Because Janey’s memories can’t stay hidden forever.

And neither can the killer…

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Glasgow, 1979. Twelve-year-old Janey won’t take her dog, Sid Vicious for a walk anymore. Not since she found the body. Janey claims not to remember what she saw that day at the abandoned railway, but the police don’t believe her. And they are right. Janey is haunted by the brutal images she saw that day but has vowed to herself she’ll never reveal what she really saw. And as rumours sweep through their tight-knit community, Janey’s nana, Maggie, tries to keep her granddaughter safe from a killer that is still on the loose. 

This sensational debut has won multiple crime awards here in the UK this year and it is easy to see why. Insightful, funny, gut-wrenching, original and addictive, it had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Exquisitely written, this first-class thriller is a masterclass in pace, plotting and tension. The story has a strong sense of place and a troubled, small-town vibe. This is a place where everybody knows everybody and they like to think there are no secrets. But when Sam is murdered they are forced to wrestle with the fact that one of them is keeping the darkest of secrets. But who? There are multiple suspects and unreliable narrators which kept me guessing right up until the final page. Frances Crawford had me in a chokehold, my heart racing through the twists and turns, right up until that final reveal. And I’m still not over that ending!

The characters feel achingly human. They are messy, flawed, vulnerable and real; ordinary people who have been plunged into a nightmare. The tragedy consumes and haunts them, their horror leaping from the pages as you walk every step beside them. Told in alternating chapters by Janey and Maggie, Janey’s chapters begin with however many days it has been since the murder, which I found heartbreaking. It is evident how much of an effect this has had on her and I can’t imagine seeing something so horrific at just twelve years old. Janey is haunted by what she saw and terrified to admit what she knows but also eager to see justice done for Sam, so she quietly starts her own investigation, which felt like a very real response. Maggie is also well written. Strong and fiercely protective, I loved the relationship she had with Janey and it is obvious she only does what she thinks is best for her granddaughter. I liked that we got to know Sam as a person, too, even though she’s already dead at the start of the book.

A tense, heart-rending and unmissable debut, this is a must-read for all thriller lovers. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As a passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Frances Crawford graduated in 2022, age 60, with MLitt (Distinction) in Creative Writing from Glasgow University. In 2023, she won the Bloody Scotland/Glencairn Crime Short Story Competition, and the first chapters of her debut novel A Bad, Bad Place won Highly Commended in the Moniack Mhor Emerging Writer Award 2024. 

A Bad, Bad Place was published by Transworld in February 2026, and has since won the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier McDermid Debut Award at Harrogate Festival, the 2026 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, and the 2026 McIlvanney Award for Best Scottish Crime Novel at Bloody Scotland: the first author to win both awards in one year. 

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

BOOK REVIEW: What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Published July 18th, 2024 by Bantam
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill.

The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But this morning all of that will change.

Because Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.

How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.

And one innocent question could be deadly.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Nothing ever happens in the small, quiet town of Fairhill in Vermont. Not until the morning when a farmer finds the body of a teenage girl in his field. She has been brutally murdered and her eyes gouged out and stomach ripped open by vultures. It’s a gruesome sight and as news spreads through the town it sends shockwaves through the residents. She is identified as Diana Brewer and someone in Fairhill savagely murdered her.The whole town wants answers but there is one person who is trying to evade the truth coming to light. Who? And why did they kill her?

Shari Lapena is one of my favourite thriller authors and this was another first-class thriller. Suspenseful, cryptic, twisty and addictive, it got under my skin and Shari held me in her thrall from the first page. Her writing is razor-sharp, her pacing perfect, and the story is filled with clever clues and misdirection that kept me on my toes. I was completely hooked and inhaled this book, staying up far too late to finish it as I had to know who had killed Diana. 

I love books set in a small town because they inspire a false sense of security and safety where everyone knows everyone. But after a crime they begin to realise that maybe they don’t know at least one of their neighbours as well as they thought and paranoia and suspicion sweeps through the town. There is also a real sense of danger that the claustrophobia of the town only intensifies. 

There is a large cast of characters, many of whom also narrate the story. But my favourite narrator was Diana herself, who narrates from beyond the grave. It gave me The Lovely Bones vibes but, unlike that book, Diana has no idea who her killer is and is trying to solve her murder alongside the reader. But this wasn’t an easy book to predict. So many people were acting sketchy and I found myself vacillating between possible culprits. But over time things began to come back to Diana, adding to the tension and narrowing the list of suspects. It’s so well done that I only settled on a suspect moments before the big reveal.

A must-read for all thriller lovers.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Shari Lapena is the #1 internationally bestselling author of ten suspense novels including The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, Not a Happy Family, Everyone Here is Lying, What Have You Done?, She Didn’t See It Coming, and Getting Away With Murder.

A former lawyer and English teacher, Shari now writes full time from a farm in Ontario, where she lives with her husband.

Her first thriller, The Couple Next Door, was a runaway global bestseller, selling  4 million copies worldwide. It was WHSmith’s “Book of the Year” in 2016 and the #1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017. All of Shari’s thrillers have been New York Times, UK Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestsellers. Four of her books have been Richard & Judy Book Club Picks. Her books have sold into forty territories around the world and have been optioned for film and TV.

She doesn’t want you to be able to put her books down.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliiophiles xxxx

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor

Published September 10th, 2026 by Michael Joseph
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Horror

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Welcome to Serenity Falls – the most idyllic, and safest, town in the US – a place to grow up, grow your family and grow old together. For Dan and his daughter, Sadie, it’s the perfect relocation option. A fresh start, thousands of miles from their troubled past in the UK.

But their idyll is shattered when they find a dead body in the swimming pool of their new house – a house Dan’s late mother kept secret from him all his life.

It’s just the start of a series of disturbing discoveries. Abandoned houses where people have seemingly just upped and left. The strange woman Sadie sees around town putting up ‘missing’ posters for a child who drowned almost thirty years ago. An ice cream van that drives around at night making sure residents are asleep…

As plans gear up to celebrate Serenity Falls’ fiftieth anniversary, something is stirring beneath the surface of the blissful façade. Is Serenity Falls really the perfect town or is it founded on something far darker? And is someone so desperate to keep its secrets that they’d resort to anything to preserve them?

Welcome to Serenity Falls.
Once you’re here, you’re here to stay.

Serenity Falls’ first readers have fallen in love with it…

buy here

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MY REVIEW:

Welcome to Serenity Falls. An idyllic, gated town that is known as the safest place to live in the US, it seems like the ideal place for Dan and his teenage daughter, Sadie, to make a fresh start. But when they arrive at their new home they are shocked to find a body floating face down in their pool. Especially as they were told there is no crime in Serenity Falls. But this place is not what it seems and as the days go by Dan and Sadie notice cracks in the friendly residents, bright smiles and perfect homes. They begin to realise that Serenity Falls is a place filled with dark secrets that some people will kill to keep hidden.

Ominous, dark, eerie and unsettling, C. J. Tudor has knocked it out of the park once again, holding me in a chokehold from the first page until the heart-stopping finale. Exquisitely written, shrewdly plotted and expertly paced, this book showcases why Will Dean has called C. J. ‘the maestro of macabre’. It’s claustrophobic, chilling and uncomfortable, this is a masterclass in malice. The suspense and dread are omnipresent, like there is danger lurking in every corner of this picture-perfect paradise. C. J is an expert at taking the ordinary and turning it into a nightmare. I know I’ll never look at an ice cream van the same way again after reading this book. As secrets are uncovered skeletons come out of the closet and tradies are discovered, changing everything we think we know about this town.

Serenity Falls is based on the real town of Celebration in Florida which used to be owned by Disney, which is the company that inspired the Winsome Corporation. I have been to Disney World twice and visited Celebration in 2016 and can see how both places could inspire a sinister, secretive story such as this one. C. J. perfectly captures the cookie-cutter perfection of the town and I can only begin to imagine how living in a place governed by so many strict rules could get stifling. Especially as in the fictional Serenity Falls there are no mobile phones allowed, people have to wear a special bracelet at all times and there is a strict curfew that everyone must adhere to. 

There is a huge cast of great characters and many of them are narrators, which can make it a little confusing at times. But I also really enjoyed those different perspectives as they allowed us glimpses into different lives and there were times where what I knew made me terrified for Dan or Sadie and I just wanted to jump into the book and help them. 

A deliciously unsettling thriller, add this to your spooky season TBR now.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

C. J. Tudor lives with her partner and young daughter. Her love of writing, especially the dark and macabre, started young. When her peers were reading Judy Blume, she was devouring Stephen King and James Herbert.

Over the years she has had a variety of jobs, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, dog walker, voiceover artist, television presenter, copywriter and, now, author.

Her first novel, The Chalk Man, was a Sunday Times bestseller and sold in thirty-nine territories.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

Elizabeth Harker has a secret.

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

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

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

Because this was never just an affair.

And this was never just a murder.

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

She lives in London.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Blog Tours book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BLOG TOUR: Pride, Prejudice and Peril by Jessica Bull

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…

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

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.

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Audio Books book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: One of the Family by Mark Edwards

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this family, some secrets are worth killing for…

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


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

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

Until he meets her family.

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

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

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

BOOK REVIEW

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

BOOK REVIEW: How To Disappear by Gillian McAllister

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

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

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

The only choice is to disappear.

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

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

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

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

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

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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BOOK REVIEW: Midnight at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

Bombay, New Year’s Eve, 1949

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

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

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

This outstanding cosy mystery is a must for your TBR.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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Beat the Backlist book reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Dinner Party by Rebecca Heath

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

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

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

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

buy here

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

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

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

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

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Thhanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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