Tag: thriller

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SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: That’ll Teach Her by Maz Evans

Published February 27th, 2025 by Headline
Humour, Suspense, Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Humourous Fiction

Welcome to my review for this darkly funny, inventive and suspenseful whodunnit. Thank you to Headline for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A headmistress is dead. The circumstances are suspicious.
And as every parent knows, being on the school group chat can be murder…

‘Deliciously funny’ MARTINA COLE
‘Pure fun in book form, a laugh out loud murder mystery with great characters and a page turning plot. It’s a book you won’t be able to put down!’ C L MILLER
‘Brilliantly witty and suspenseful…a delightful blend of humour and mystery that kept me guessing until the end’ JOANNA WALLACE

As educators go, Claudia Stitchwell makes Miss Hannigan look like Miss Honey.
But when the reviled headteacher drops dead in the school hall, a group of sceptical parents suspect the nut allergy explanation doesn’t add up – they believe someone wanted to teach Miss Stitchwell a lesson.

Only four people could have killed Stitchwell: Hattie, the adored school cook; Kiera, the hard-working teaching assistant; Clive, the loathed school bursar and Ben, the popular deputy head. All of them are liars… but only one is the murderer.

Piecing together evidence from the daily drama and drudgery of the parents’ group chat, local press, police reports, school newsletters, and good, old-fashioned gossip, the determined detective parents are doing their homework to crack the case.

Will you spot the clues? Can you deduce whodunnit? And for the love of all things holy, does anyone have this week’s spellings?

*******

MY REVIEW:

When Claudia Stitchwell, the reviled headmistress of St Nonnatus, drops dead in the school hall, there are four possible suspects: Hattie, the adored school cook who has been around forever, Ben, the popular deputy headteacher all the parents love, Kiera, one of the parents who also works as a teaching assistant, and Clive, the unpopular school bursar. In the Y6 parents group chat they discuss each of the suspects and their possible motives. Can they piece together the clues and uncover Claudia’s killer?

Darkly funny, quirky and inventive, That’ll Teach Her is a gripping whodunnit that I consumed in just a few hours. Skillfully written and cleverly plotted, Maz Evans has crafted a suspenseful and pacy mystery that keeps you guessing. Told by multiple narrators in mixed media, Evans uses the parents’ group chat, police witness statements, local press articles and school newsletters alongside traditional narration to tell the story, and I found myself trying to solve the clues alongside the parents. The book is filled  with the familiar playground politics, parents trying to figure out homework and juggle their busy lives. It’s been quite a few years since my kids were at primary school and there was no group chat back then, but the story still took me back to the days where gossip spreads like wildfire and I loved the idea of using it as a tool to help  amateur sleuths to solve a murder. 

There’s a large cast of characters, with some playing a larger role than others, but all of them leap from the pages and pull you into the story. The group chat was filled with all of the different kinds of parents we all recognise such as the pushy parent, the parent who seems to have everything together, the chilled parent, the disorganised parent, etc, and their chats felt like they could have actually been lifted from a real parents WhatApp group chat. The staff working at the school also felt familiar and I enjoyed trying to figure out which one of them could have killed Claudia. 

Entertaining, witty, original and heartfelt, this is a murder mystery that will make you laugh while keeping you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Maz Evans is a bestselling, award-winning author – she just doesn’t do either terribly often. She is the proud creator of the WHO LET THE GODS OUT?, VI SPY and SCARLETT FIFE series for children, and OVER MY DEAD BODY and THAT’LL TEACH HER for adults, which have collectively travelled to 24 countries. OVER MY DEAD BODY was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and won the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for her self-narrated audiobook. Her work for children has garnered over 50 nominations, including the Carnegie Medal, Branford Boase, Books Are My Bag, Waterstone’s Children’s Book of the Year, Indie Children’s Book of the Year and CrimeFest Best Children’s Book. She hardly won any. Maz narrates the audiobooks for her series and her acclaimed live events have regularly featured at Hay, Imagine, Edinburgh, Bath, Cheltenham, Bestival, Wilderness, CarFest and countless literary festivals around the UK.

Not content with being a mediocre author, Maz has also committed to mediocrity as a scriptwriter and lyricist and is proud to be bringing both average skills to the stage adaptation of WHO LET THE GODS OUT? which will be produced by Polka Theatre, London in 2026. She has previously had shows produced at the Union Theatre, London, The Actor’s Church, Covent Garden and the Southend Palace Theatre. They weren’t bad either.

Maz has contributed to RETURN TO WONDERLAND, THE BOOK OF HOPES and SWALLOWED BY A WHALE and her children’s poetry has been published in Caterpillar magazine. Her writing career began in national journalism and she still regularly broadcasts her views on anything from politics to parenthood on BBC Radio 2 and the bus.

Maz believes passionately in the power of words, the importance of stories and the necessity of kindness. She doesn’t believe in horoscopes, teeth-whitening toothpaste or anyone who relies on the word “literally”.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

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

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

* * *

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

I highly recommend this unsettling and compelling thriller.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

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*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BOOK REVIEW: The Psychopath Next Door by Mark Edwards

Published January 28th, 2025 by Thomas & Mercer
Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

Happy Publication Day to this heart-pounding thriller. Thank you Mark Edwards for sending an eBook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

In this mesmerising thriller from the bestselling author of Keep Her Secret, a family’s fresh start is just the beginning of their nightmare…

Ethan Dove’s family has moved to a new home in a safe community, and it’s exactly the fresh start they need. Not only is his marriage to Emma hanging by a thread, but his son, Dylan, and twelve-year-old daughter, Rose, deserve to have a happy childhood.

After Rose is bullied by the boys across the road, Ethan is relieved when the woman who lives next door steps in. Fiona Smith has come into their lives at just the right moment, and when she offers to look after Rose during the school holidays, Ethan and Emma can’t believe their luck.

Which is exactly what Fiona wants. Because, far from being the perfect neighbour, Fiona is the last person you should trust with your child. With a vicious plot for revenge, Fiona is happy to train Rose to be her accomplice, especially when she begins to suspect that Rose might not be as innocent as she appears…

The Psychopath Next Door is a gripping and twisted psychological suspense thriller set in the terrifying world of Mark Edwards’s bestselling The Magpies universe.

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MY REVIEW:

He’s done it again. Mark Edwards never fails to deliver, and The Psychopath Next Door is another first-class thriller that sees Edwards turn the ordinary into our worst nightmare. 

Ethan Dove and his family have got the fresh start they were looking for after moving to a new home in a safe neighbourhood. And when Ethan’s daughter, Rose, is bullied by two local boys, he’s relieved that his new next-door neighbour, Fiona, steps in to help. This is exactly the kind of community he was looking for. And when Fiona offers to look after Rose during the school holidays, Ethan and his wife, Emma, are thankful for the help. But Fiona isn’t what she seems. Because lurking beneath the smiley, helpful exterior is a cold, calculating psychopath hell-bent on revenge. And she’s decided that Rose is the perfect trainee accomplice. 

As soon as I heard that his latest book was set in the same world as his unsettling Magpies series, I knew it would be a winner. Edwards has been an auto-buy author for me for a number of years and he gets better with every book. This nerve-shredding thriller had me hooked from start to finish but it was the finale where Edwards shined, delivering one of the best twists that I have ever read. And those final lines were truly terrifying.

Lucy Newton from the Magpies Trilogy makes a welcome appearance in this book. I always find her so much fun to read and loathe, but I found someone I might loathe even more: Fiona Smith. Fiona is a strange, unnerving and fascinating character who knows she’s a psychopath and embraces it. Fiona has just been released from prison and now she’s finally free to exact revenge on the people she blames for putting her behind bars. But the real star of the show in this book is Rose. That child made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and was truly terrifying.  As a parent all I could think was how her parents were going to feel and what they might do. But I never could have predicted what ANY of the characters would do in this book. 

A magnificent thriller that will have you hooked from start to finish, I highly recommend this book. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Edwards writes books in which scary things happen to ordinary people, the best known of which are Follow You Home, The Magpies, Here To Stay and The Retreat. His novels have sold over 4 million copies and topped the bestseller lists numerous times. Mark prides himself on writing fast-paced page-turners with lots of twists and turns, relatable characters and dark humour

Mark live in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, two cats and a golden retriever.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxxx

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SQUADPOD BOOK CLUB: The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Published January 2nd, 2025 by Century
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

Welcome to my review of the first SquadPod Book Club pick of 2025. Thank you to Century for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick The Last Thing He Told Me comes a riveting mystery wrapped in an epic love story . . .

‘An engrossing mystery and a story with emotional heft’ Shari Lapena

‘A master storyteller. You won’t want to miss this one’ Harlan Coben

‘The best mystery of the year‘ Jennifer Garner

_________

One beautiful Californian evening, a wealthy businessman falls to his death from his secluded cliff-top house onto the rocks below.

A tragic accident? Or murder?

Nora and her half-brother Sam suspect it may be the latter, and team up to uncover the truth of what really happened that night.

But their relationship has never been easy, and it is about to be tested to the limit as they start to question how well either of them really knew their elusive father.

Unravelling his mysterious past takes them back to a world they knew nothing about, to a tangled love affair and a web of relationships that other people would far rather stay buried…

Filled with passion, intrigue, lies, and dark, dark family secrets, The Night We Lost Him is a page turning mystery you won’t ever want to put down.

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MY REVIEW:

On a beautiful California evening a wealthy businessman falls to his death from the secluded cliff-top garden of his home. But was it an accident or murder?

Tense, twisty and immersive, our first SquadPod Book Club pick of 2025 was a page-turner. I was intrigued from the riveting prologue and lost myself in this story of love, lust, secrets and lies. Well-written and compelling, I enjoyed Laura Dave’s unique blend of thriller, family drama and love story. From its riveting prologue she had me intrigued, and lost myself in this story of love, lust, secrets and lies, inhaling it and in just a few hours. 

The story is told in dual timelines, narrated by Nora in the present, as she and her half-brother, Sam, investigate what really happened the night their father died. The reluctance of those closest to him to talk to them only reinforces their suspicion that it wasn’t a tragic accident. But their rocky relationship is another obstacle they must overcome. Liam kept his different families separate so they have never been close and we see how this, as well as their different approaches to working, tests their relationship. But over time we see it bring them together as they get to know one another for the first time. 

While in the present we know Liam only through the eyes of others, he recites the past narrative, revealing to the reader the most important relationship in his life: a five-decades long clandestine relationship with a mystery love known only by an old nickname. It seemed obvious that his lover’s identity would lead us to the truth about his death. But who was she? I had a few different suspicions over the course of the book and did guess right, but not until only a couple of chapters before the big reveal. 

Dave expertly weaves the storylines together, filling them with red herrings and shocking twists that keep the reader on their toes. But something I particularly enjoyed was Dave’s honest but sensitive exploration of grief and the different ways it can affect us, which is explored mostly through Nora. There were a few times I found myself close to tears from the sheer depth of emotion on the pages. Highly recommended. 

Rated: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laura Dave is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Eight Hundred Grapes and other novels.

Her books have been published in thirty-eight languages and have been chosen by Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, Indie Next, Book of the Month Club, The Richard and Judy Book Club, Best of Amazon, and Best of Apple Books. The Last Thing He Told Me was chosen as the Goodreads Mystery & Thriller of the Year for 2021. The Last Thing He Told Me is now a series on Apple TV+, co-created by Laura.

She resides in Santa Monica, California.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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BOOK REVIEW: Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

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

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

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

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

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

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

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

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

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MY REVIEW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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BUY THE BOOK:

Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
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********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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BLOG TOUR REVIEW: Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson

Published January 16th, 2025 by Orenda
Nordic Noir, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Hard-boiled, Mystery, Police Procedural, Crime Series

Today is my stop on the blog tour for the first in what promises to be a brilliant new series. Thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for the invitation to take part in this tour, and to Orenda for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Chief Investigator of Nordland Police, Jakob Weber is drawn into a complex case when a teenaged girl goes missing in Northern Norway, and a second woman disappears from a remote island in similar circumstances … FIRST in a compelling, dark new Nordic Noir series.
 
‘This is first-class Nordic Noir from the real North, where danger lurks around every corner’ Gunnar Staalesen
 
‘Jakob Weber is a great protagonist, and the sense of place is phenomenal. The perfect start to a series destined for greatness’ Thomas Enger
 
_______
 
In Norway’s frozen north, it’s not just secrets that are buried…
 
When nineteen-year-old Iselin Hanssen disappears during a run in a popular hiking area in Bodø, Northern Norway, suspicion quickly falls on her boyfriend. For investigator Jakob Weber, the case seems clear-cut, almost unexceptional, even though there is some suggestion that Iselin lived parts of her life beneath the radar of both family and friends.
 
But events take a dramatic turn when another woman disappears in similar circumstances – this time on the island of Røst, miles off the Norwegian coast, in the wild ocean.
 
Rumours that a killer is on the loose begin to spread, terrifying the local population and leading to wild conspiracies. But then Jakob discovers that this isn’t the first time that young women have vanished without a trace in the region, and it becomes clear that someone is hiding something … and another murderous spree may have just begun…
 
For fans of Joe Pickett, Ragnar Jonasson and Jorn Lier Horst

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MY REVIEW:

There’s a new sinister storyteller on the block. Ørjan Karlsson is one to watch for anyone who enjoys their thrillers as dark as the starless sky. 

I always think there’s something so exciting about starting the first book in a new series as you aren’t only anticipating the book in your hands but all future books in this series, where the characters are like old friends you return to time and again. When the book is a Nordic Noir published by Orenda then your anticipation is even higher. But, as I expected, Into Thin Air did not disappoint. 

Chief Investigator of Norland Police, Jakob Weber, is drawn into what appears to be a clear-cut case when teenager Iselin Hanssen disappears during a run. Suspicion quickly falls on her boyfriend and it looks like this case will be tied up quickly. But things take a dramatic turn after another woman disappears in similar circumstances and rumours begin to spread about a serial killer being on the loose. Then, as Jakob investigates the increasingly complex case, he discovers that this isn’t the first time young women have vanished in the area. Could his cases be connected to these cold cases? And is he hunting for a serial killer who has been hiding in their midst for decades?

Chilling, addictive and suspenseful, this wild and crazy rollercoaster ride was a brilliant start to a new series. Exploring dark deeds, depravity and the murkiest depths of humanity, it had me hooked from its sinister prologue to its unforgettable finale. Skillfully written and cleverly choreographed, Karlsson kept me on my toes with an array of red herrings, twists and turns, and there are so many threads in this story that you could weave a jumper. A strong sense of place transported me to the icy and rugged Norwegian landscape, and provided a treacherous backdrop where danger lurks waiting to pounce. 

The story is told from multiple points of view as Karlsson introduces us to the varied cast of fascinating characters. While it never felt confusing, it did take me a while to get to grips with who each person was as Karlsson established the people we will meet time and again in this series. Our main protagonist, Jakob Weber, is a great central character, while his new partner, Noora Yun Sande, is a mysterious addition with a dark backstory that provides a lot of uncertainty and tension. Karlsson also includes the mysterious killer’s perspective; the odious, cruel and twisted character allowing the author to explore the depravity that can lurk inside humanity. 

A taut, tense and propulsive thriller, this was a fantastic start to a new series and I can’t wait for book two!

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ørjan N. Karlsson (b. 1970) grew up in Bodø. A sociologist by trade, he received officer training in the army and has taken part in overseas missions. He has worked in the Defence Ministry and is now a departmental manager in the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection. He has written a large number of thrillers, sci-fi novels and crime novels for adults. 

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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.

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2025

BOOK REVIEW: Death in the Arctic by Tom Hindle

Published January 16th, 2025 by Century
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Welcome to my review for this claustrophobic and nail-biting thriller. Thanks to Century for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A frozen wilderness.


A killer in the skies.

When aspiring travel writer Chloé Campbell is invited aboard a luxury airship flying to the North Pole, she thinks she’s bagged the opportunity of a lifetime.

But she hasn’t had long to admire the dazzling icy views before a fellow passenger is found dead in their cabin.

Trapped at the top of the world, the group agrees a tragic accident has occurred. But as the hours tick by, fear turns to doubt.

It seems everyone’s a suspect.

And it isn’t long before the passengers begin to turn on each other . . .

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MY REVIEW:

The Osprey is a luxury airship on its maiden voyage over the arctic. On board are eight passengers all personally invited by one of its owners, and eight of crew. When one of the passengers is found dead in their room, faulty equipment is blamed. But soon some of those on board the craft begin to wonder if it really was an accident. Could they be trapped on the airship with a killer?

Chaotic, claustrophobic, nail-bitingly tense, devilishly clever, and filled with twists and turns, Death in the Arctic is a unique locked-room mystery that will keep you guessing. Tom Hindle is an author who has been on my TBR for years, and I have each of his books, but this was my first time reading one of them. And he is worth the hype. Expertly written, skillfully plotted, intricately woven and fast-paced, Hindle has managed to merge cosy crime with heart-pounding suspense. I will definitely be prioritising his backlist after reading this.

The book is filled with a cast of compelling characters, each with rich and sometimes intertwining backstories that add to the intrigue and tension. There are unreliable narrators, people we can’t trust, secrets, lies and desperation, all merged together on one aircraft. And as suspicion swirls following the death of a passenger, things begin to boil over and the finger is pointed in various directions. The story is told from multiple points of view, seamlessly moving between the narrators and offering a glimpse inside their psyche. The main narrator was Chloe, a travel blogger whose place on board the ship offers her the chance to finally write for a travel magazine. It’s her big break. But instead of writing her article, she finds herself investigating a possible murder and trying to stay one step ahead of the killer. 

An original and riveting thriller that kept me on my toes, this is one not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tom Hindle hails from Leeds and lives in Oxfordshire with his wife, a cat and two surprisingly cunning tortoises. He is the author of A Fatal Crossing, The Murder Game and Murder on Lake Garda – which were inspired by masters of the crime genre such as Agatha Christie and Anthony Horowitz.

Tom is hard at work on his next murder mystery.

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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 Most Anticipated 2025

BLOG TOUR: Your Child Next by M. J. Arlidge and Andy Maslen

Publisihed January 16th, 2025 by Orion
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Adventure Fiction

Happy Publication Day to this book. Today is my stop on the blog tour for this heart-pounding and thought-provoking thriller. Thank you to Tracy at Compulsive Readers Tours for the invitation to take part and to Orion for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

THEY’VE FAKED YOUR CHILD’S DEATH. AND IF YOU DON’T GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT, THEY’LL MAKE IT A REALITY.

Things have been difficult for Annie since her husband left; her teenage daughter, Isla, has become a ghost of her former self. Annie’s terrified that Isla might do something desperate, and she’ll lose her, too. So when Annie receives a video of herself crying at Isla’s funeral, her blood runs cold.

Confused and horrified, Annie races upstairs to check on Isla, who is alive and well. The video has been faked. But who sent it and what do they want?

One dark truth soon becomes clear: Annie is the latest in a string of parents being blackmailed, and Isla will be killed if Annie goes to the police or if she fails to give the sender what they want. Annie has a deadly choice: comply with the demands, or try to unmask the dangerous criminal.

Your Child Next is a thrilling and unputdownable novel that asks you how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Steve Cavanagh.

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MY REVIEW:

Fast-paced, intense, twisty and compelling, Your Child Next is a nerve-shredding thriller gleaming with malice that is guaranteed to have you on the edge of your seat.

When Annie receives a disturbing email that has deep-faked her daughter’s death, she thinks it’s some kind of sick joke. But who would do such a thing? The answer soon becomes clear when she receives a call from someone claiming they are behind the video. They demand she pays them £1000 every month and if she doesn’t, or if she contacts the police, they will make the video a reality. Terrified and with no idea how she will meet their demands, Annie realises she has two choices: find a way to comply or unmask them.

M. J. Arlidge has been an auto-buy author for me for many years. His Helen Grace series is one of my favourites and he’s a thriller author I’ll always recommend. But this was my first time reading one of his co-authored books and I will admit I wondered if it would affect how much I enjoyed reading it. Especially as I’d never read anything by his co-author, Andy Maslen. But I needn’t have worried; this book was every bit as intricately woven, cleverly choreographed and skillfully layered as I’ve come to expect from Alridge. Dripping with suspense, it kept me guessing and I was hooked from the first page to its heart-stopping finale and devoured it in just two sittings. 

Told from multiple points of view, the book is filled with characters who are richly drawn, fascinating and flawed. Themes of mental health problems, grief, trauma and fear are examined through the characters. It also explores the pitfalls of social media, the dark underbelly of technology, and poses moral dilemmas, asking just how far you’d go to protect the ones you love. 

Sinister, chilling and utterly addictive, Your Child Next is a first-class thriller not to be missed. 

Out today. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

M. J. Arlidge

Matthew J. Arlidge has worked in television for the last twenty years, specialising in high-end drama production, including prime-time crime serials Silent Witness, Torn, The Little House and, most recently, the hit ITV show Innocent. In 2015 his audiobook exclusive Six Degrees of Assassination was a number-one bestseller. His debut thriller, Eeny Meeny, was the UK’s bestselling crime debut of 2014 and has been followed by ten more DI Helen Grace thrillers – all Sunday Times bestsellers. is an English author of crime novels, including the Helen Grace Series.

Andy Maslen

Andy Maslen writes thrillers across a number of genres: police procedurals, vigilante, psychological, suspense and horror. He spent 30 years in business before turning to writing full time. He is the creator of best-selling series featuring Gabriel Wolfe, Stella Cole and Inspector Ford, plus standalone novels and short stories. He lives in Wiltshire.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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

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

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: The Serial Killer’s Guide To Marriage by Asia Mackay

Published January 14th, 2025 by Wildfire
Thriller, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance

Happy Publication Day to this crazy, twisted and addictive thriller. Thank you to Wildfire for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

A couple that kills together stays together.
DISCOVER THE ADDICTIVE THRILLER READERS CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT

‘Sexy, stylish, thrilling. A razor-sharp tale of marriage and murder.’ CHRIS WHITAKER
‘Your sassy, twisted must-read of 2025’ JANICE HALLETT
‘If you liked Mr & Mrs Smith, you’ll love this’ CLARE MACKINTOSH
‘Darkly funny and clever’ KATY BRENT
‘Huge fun. You won’t put it down.’ HARRIET TYCE

Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they’re ex-serial killers.

They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.

Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.

But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox’s back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.

This could save their marriage – unless it kills them first.

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MY REVIEW:

“I always knew our life together would involve bloodshed. I just never thought it would be ours.”

Hazel and Fox may seem like an ordinary married couple. But they have a secret: they are serial killers. Or at least they used to be. It’s been 1170 days since Haze’s last kill and she’s struggling to feel content in her life as a suburban wife and mum. She misses killing and is feeling that itch again. But she’s trying to be good, and even starts making mum friends to try and find a way to feel happy again. But when she kills someone behind Fox’s back, Haze must find a way to keep her secret while keeping her family safe. It’s the only way she can save her marriage. Or will it kill them first?

A heart-pounding thriller for anyone with a dark and twisted sense of humour, A Serial KIller’s Guide To Marriage is a sexy, sinister and addictive read. I adored this book. Perfect for fans of Sweetpea, Dexter or Why Women Kill, this was my first read of the year and the perfect way to start. This is a clear-your-schedule and lock-out-the-world kind of book that I devoured in almost one sitting. 

Haze and Fox are fantastic characters that I loved reading and I was completely immersed in the lives of this toxic but compelling couple. Told from both points of view, we see how each of them are dealing with normal life following their vow to stop killing for the sake of their daughter. Fox seems to be managing best, happy to do what it takes to keep little Bibi safe. And while Haze fiercely loves her daughter, she’s bored by suburban life and longs for the heady days of killing. She is also resentful it has been for Fox to give it up, not realising he has his own struggles but has just found a healthier way to deal with it. In flashbacks, we see how they became killers and then a team, as well as getting a glimpse of their serial killer days. The characters and story are so well written with the reader really feeling Haze’s internal struggle in particular. I’d find myself feeling sorry for her before then remembering she wants to kill people for fun. 

Darkly funny, bold and totally brilliant, this one is out today. Add it to your TBR now! 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Asia Mackay is a Chinese Scottish author and mother of four based in London. Asia studied Anthropology at Durham University and began her career in television. She moved to China, presented and produced lifestyle programmes in Shanghai before returning to London where she worked for the likes of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, and subsequently completed a Faber Academy course. Her debut novel Killing It was the Runner Up in Richard and Judy’s Search for a Bestseller competition and Runner Up/ Exceptionally Recognised for the Comedy Women In Print prize.Both Killing It and its sequel The Nursery have been optioned for TV. Asia’s third book A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage will be out in January 2025 and has also been optioned for TV in a significant pre-empt.

Asia completed the Curtis Brown Creative Original TV Drama Serial course where she developed Another Life, a sci-fi thriller about a woman trialling a new virtual reality where she leads the exhilarating life as a fearless detective. A pilot she wrote for  Sky Studios has recently been optioned and Asia will also be in the Writers Room and be an Executive Producer in the screen adaptations of her books.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
Blog Tours book reviews

BLOG TOUR: Wife, Mother, Liar by Sue Watson

Published January 10th, 2025 by Bookouture
Psychological Fiction, Crime Thriller, Mystery, Thriller

Happy Publication Day to this dark, tense and unpredictable thriller. Thank you to Bookouture for the invitation to take part in the blog tour and for sending me a copy of the book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

She’s perfect. Too perfect…

Wife: For twenty-five years, my husband and I have been the ideal couple. I’m shy, but he’s always been the life and soul of the party, a charmer, so I didn’t worry the first time I caught him a little too close to my best friend, Wendy.

Mother: Then our darling son says he’s taking Wendy’s daughter to prom, the girl I never trusted because she’s too much like her mother. As I snap photos of them, I have a smile plastered on my face, but inside my head I’m screaming at him to stay away from her.

Liar: As flashing lights slice the darkness around our home, my worst nightmare comes true with the shocking news that one of our children is dead. And I can tell my husband, my best friend are both lying about where they were. But none of their secrets compares to mine.

And nobody knows just how far I’d go to protect my family…

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MY REVIEW:

Happy Publication Day to what I think is Sue Watson’s best book yet. 

Jill and Wendy have been best friends for 25 years. Ever since the day Jill and her husband, Tim, moved in next door to Wendy and her husband, Robert. They did everything together from being newlyweds to having babies and raising their children. Right up until the day their children went to prom together and one of them didn’t come home. Eighteen months later and the grieving mother is still searching for answers, unable to accept the official ruling of accidental death. She’s sure her best friend is lying to her about what happened that night, and this weekend she intends to get to the truth…

OMG. What a ride this was! Tense, twisty, surprising, and totally addictive, this is a thriller that will get your heart racing and make your jaw drop. It had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish as I tried to predict what would happen next. But Watson kept me on my toes with her expert writing that was filled with chilling tension, dark secrets and some really moving moments. There was no time to recover as she moved from one twist to another at breakneck speed and all I could do was enjoy the ride. It was impossible to put down, and I actually fell asleep reading it in the early hours and then picked it up as soon as I’d had my coffee the next morning. And that ending! I’m still reeling. 

Nothing and no-one is what they seem in this story. Especially not Jill and Wendy. From the start we know that both women are keeping secrets about the night Leo died, but we don’t know how much they know or if either of them was involved. We also don’t know if Leo’s death was murder like Jill believes or a tragic accident like the police ruled. Moving seamlessly between timelines, we see glimpses of their friendship and their lives in flashbacks, while in the present they reminisce about old times and try to avoid the elephant in the room. It soon becomes clear that this friendship has never been what it seemed and both women have ulterior motives for getting together this weekend. The tension was sky-high and it felt like no-one was going to get out of this unscathed. 

Dark, sinister and totally riveting, this is a must-read for any thriller lover.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sue Watson was a journalist on national magazines and newspapers before becoming a TV producer with the BBC.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue explores the darker side of life, writing psychological thrillers with big twists.

Originally from Manchester, she now lives with her family in leafy Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing and procrastinating. Her hobby is eating cake while watching diet and exercise programmes from the sofa, a skill she’s perfected after many years of practice.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading Bibliophiles xxxx

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