BookwormBurrows: July 2025

Friday, July 11, 2025

Home Is Where the Lies Live

by Kerry Wilkinson

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Home Is Where the Lies Live is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into deception, betrayal, and the dark secrets hiding behind closed doors. When a woman returns to her childhood home, buried truths resurface, threatening everything she thought she knew.
Wilkinson’s sharp writing and well-paced plot keep readers hooked, blending suspense with emotional depth. A compelling read for fans of domestic thrillers with twists and complex characters.

The Young Widows

by S. J. Short

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

The Young Widows is a gripping domestic thriller that explores grief, secrets, and the complexities of female friendship. When two young women are widowed under mysterious circumstances, their lives become entwined in a tense, emotional battle for truth and survival.
The book delivers a suspenseful, character-driven story with sharp twists and a haunting atmosphere. Perfect for readers who enjoy psychological dramas with dark secrets.

Cover Image: Last Witness

Last Witness

by Lucie Whitehouse

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Last Witness is a powerful and emotionally charged thriller that explores trauma, memory, and the pursuit of justice. When a woman’s testimony resurfaces years after a tragic event, the consequences ripple through lives in unexpected and gripping ways.
Whitehouse’s evocative prose and complex characters create a haunting atmosphere, blending psychological depth with suspenseful storytelling. A compelling read for fans of thoughtful, character-driven thrillers. A real page-turner.

The Son

by Elena Wilkes

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

The Son is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into family secrets, trauma, and the search for truth. When a young man goes missing, the unravelling investigation exposes dark pasts and complicated relationships, keeping readers hooked until the final twist.
Elena Wilkes crafts a tense, emotional narrative with well-drawn characters and a suspenseful pace. A compelling read for fans of domestic thrillers with psychological depth.

The Blackout

by Sarah Goodwin

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

The Blackout is a tense psychological thriller that explores the devastating aftermath of a mysterious city-wide power failure. As secrets unravel and panic spreads, the characters’ true natures are put to the test in a gripping battle for survival and truth.
Sarah Goodwin delivers a fast-paced, atmospheric story with well-drawn characters and unexpected twists. Perfect for readers who enjoy suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat thrillers with emotional depth. An enjoyable read.

A Death At The Party

by Amy Stuart

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

A Death at the Party is a compelling domestic thriller that unravels the dark secrets lurking beneath a seemingly perfect social gathering. When a guest is found dead at a party, old tensions resurface and everyone becomes a suspect.
Amy Stuart expertly builds suspense through shifting perspectives and sharp character insights, keeping readers guessing until the final twist. With its intimate setting and psychological depth, this novel is a gripping page-turner for fans of cozy yet intense mysteries.

Taken Girls (Detective Amanda Steele Book 8)

by Carolyn Arnold

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Taken Girls is a fast-paced and chilling instalment in the Detective Amanda Steele series. When teenage girls go missing—and one is found murdered—Amanda is pulled into a disturbing case that tests her instincts and her emotional resilience.
Carolyn Arnold crafts a tightly plotted procedural with strong character dynamics and just the right dose of personal stakes. Gritty, suspenseful, and grounded in realism, this is a solid crime thriller for fans of strong female leads and complex investigations.
Arnold never fails and the Amanda Steele series is never a disappointment.

Cover Image: UNSOLVED

UNSOLVED

by Heather Critchlow

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Unsolved introduces true-crime podcaster Cal Lovett in a gripping debut that blends investigative journalism with a haunting personal quest. When Cal looks into the decades-old disappearance of a teenage girl, he’s drawn into a tangle of secrets, lies, and danger that hits closer to home than expected.
Critchlow’s writing is sharp and immersive, weaving suspense with emotional depth. The podcast angle feels timely and authentic, and Cal is a compelling, complex lead. A thoughtful and atmospheric mystery perfect for fans of layered cold-case thrillers.

Cover Image: Keep Her Secret

Keep Her Secret

by Mark Edwards

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Keep Her Secrets by Mark Edwards – Book Review
In Keep Her Secrets, Mark Edwards delivers another twisty psychological thriller filled with secrets, suspicion, and suspense. When journalist Ruth goes on a retreat to reconnect with her estranged sister, a shocking death triggers a chain of revelations that threaten to destroy everything she thought she knew.
Edwards excels at building tension and layering mistrust among characters. The isolated setting adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere, and the plot keeps readers guessing to the final pages. A fast-paced, binge-worthy read with emotional depth.
A must read for an Mark Edwards fan.

Cover Image: Make Me Clean

Make Me Clean

by Tina Baker

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Darkly comic and emotionally raw, Make Me Clean dives into the life of a compulsive hoarder hired to clear other people’s clutter. Mopping up more than just mess, protagonist Maria confronts not only physical filth but deep-seated trauma, guilt, and secrets of her own.
Tina Baker masterfully balances sharp wit with empathy, offering a story that is as unsettling as it is moving. The novel’s unique voice and compassionate lens make it a standout in contemporary psychological fiction.
An unusual read, but thoroughly enjoyable!

Cover Image: Sudden Death

Sudden Death

by Rachel Lynch

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 11 2025

Sudden Death is the gripping first novel in the DI Kelly Porter series, blending crime fiction with rich character development and an atmospheric Cumbrian setting. When the body of a teenage girl is found near Lake Windermere, Detective Inspector Kelly Porter—recently returned from London—must navigate local secrets, family trauma, and institutional corruption to uncover the truth.
The writing is pacey and sharp, with a compelling protagonist in Porter: determined, flawed, and refreshingly real. The plot unravels with plenty of twists, making it a satisfying read for fans of British police procedurals. While the crime is dark, the novel balances it with human insight and the rugged beauty of the Lake District.
A great read and looking forward to reading more in the series.

Sunday, July 6, 2025

The Countdown Killer

by Sam Holland

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 06 2025

A dvd of a snuff film is delivered to for station and DCI Cara Elliott and team are on the case. It appears there is a whole series of these snuff films, but the homeowner of where they were found is dead. The team battle to find out who else is connected with this sinister series of snuff films. Doubt starts to creep into Cara’s mind as to whether they caught the real Echo Man from the first book.
A fast paced and wholeheartedly gripping book. I read this in one sitting. First class!

We Are All Guilty Here

by Karin Slaughter

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 06 2025

When teenager Paisley goes missing, Officer Emmy Clifton has flash backs to 12 years ago when her best friends step-daughter and her friend went missing, then found brutally murdered.
The race is on to find Paisley and Emmy has to question if they caught the real killer last time. Any small town is full of secrets, but now is the time to unearth the truth.
It took a while to compete this book, but the plot and ending did not disappoint. A great read.

The Devil’s Code

by Michael Wood

Pub Date:

Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 06 2025

Dr Olivia Winter, a forensic psychologist is brought in to help on a case where body parts are found in the boot of a car. Upon inspection of the suspects house, they find evidence of a journal that leads them to believe they have caught a serial killer. However the journal is in code and nothing is ever as simple as first thought.
This is the second Winter book in the series and doesn’t let you know. Just a gripping and fast pace as the first. After Matilda Darke was such a epic series, Michael Wood goes on to creating another enjoyable series. 5 stars all round.