The Wrong Sister

by Claire Douglas

Pub Date: 14 Mar 2024

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 16 Feb 2024

Tasha and Harry, parents to twins are swapping lives with her wealthy, child-free sister, Alice and husband, Kyle for the weekend and celebrating their anniversary at Alice and Kyles apartment in Venice. While in Venice they encounter an stalking stranger in a dark alley way which scares them. However, back at home, a house intruder breaks in and Kyle is murdered and Alice brutally attacked.  
Tasha and Harry dash home, relived their daughters are safe, but frantic over what’s happened. 
Without revealing more plot detail, this psychological thriller is superb and completely compelling. The twists keep on rolling, tying up different aspects of the story, urging you to keep those pages turning. 5 stars as always to Claire Douglas

 

The Kill List

by Nadine Matheson

Pub Date: 9 May 2024

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 16 Feb 2024

Andrew Kenan has spent nearly 25 years behind bars for the being the serial killer, the Burier. However, on his deathbed, Andrew proclaims his innocence and sets off a spiral of events as the real killer unearths himself and starts a fresh kill list. This one has personal vengeance attached. DI Anjelica Henley and team are back to investigate to latest killing spree. Can they identify the killer before it’s too late.
An intertwined plot and multiple subplots build a fantastic read. The team are well developed from the previous books in the series and the team dynamics continue to evolve in this book too.

 

Don't Let Her Go

by Willow Rose

Pub Date: 2 Feb 2024

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 16 Feb 2024

Detective Billie-Anne is called into on a missing child case. But things don’t add up when there are no records of the mum or daughter and no evidence of child paraphernalia around the house. However, as the body count around the town starts to build up, the urgency to find the missing child, Emma, builds up. Billie-Anne makes the link to a case 14 years ago that she was involved in, another missing girl and now knows the race is against the clock to find this perpetrator.
A really enjoyable start, to what I hope is a new series. Billie-Anne’s character was refreshing and suitably buoyant in determination to find the truth. A thought out plot that plays out well. Looking forward to reading more with Billie-Anne.

 

One Last Breath

by P S Cunliffe

Pub Date: 16 Jan 2024

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 16 Feb 2024

Jessie returns to her hometown to help find some answers after her friend, Amy’s murder 15 years ago. She is attacked and wakes up at the bottom of a well, that she knows all too well. Her phone rings to find a 999 dispatcher trying to reassure her help is on the way after their previous call cut off. Jessie doesn’t remember dialling 999. Help doesn’t come, but the dispatcher won’t let her call off. Time is running out as the water level rises.
An interesting plot and potential to be a great psychological thriller, but so many things screamed out as unrealistic as the plot went on. Jessie’s naivety really grated on me and saw the twist coming from the outset. A good read, but lots of plot improvement recommended.

 

The Gathering

by C. J. Tudor

Pub Date: 11 Apr 2024

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 16 Feb 2024

Wow what a corker! C.J Tudor never disappoints but The Gathering really pulls out all stops. A completely different stand alone novel based on a small town with a history with a particular colony of vampires. The colony were driven away after a boy was killed 25 years ago. The colony are back and another boy has been killed. The locals want a cull, but Detective Barbara Atkinson is called in to investigate as part of the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Dept. The more Barbara discovers about this town and the locals, the more she is convinced the colony were not involved.
A completely compelling read and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved Barbara’s character and her steeliness against all those opposed to her work. The setting and townsfolk are really well described and the background into each character helps with the suspense and intrigue.
5 stars without hesitation.

 

Only If You’re Lucky

by Stacy Willingham

Pub Date: 1 Feb 2024

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on 16 Feb 2024

Margot is a quiet wall flower and hasn’t made many friends at uni. Then Lucy takes her under her wing, a complete extrovert. They share a house next to a fraternity house, and Margot is surprised to see Levi there, a boy from her small hometown and her dead best friends boyfriend. When Lucy goes missing, after one of the fraternity boys is murdered, suspicions fall straight to Lucy.
Told from Margots perspective, this story involves layer upon layer of background information and really builds up to the climax. Margot is very timid, but seems to attract a lot of drama, I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Perhaps not to the same high bar of intrigue built up in other Stacy Willingham books but certainly a gripping read.