Badges

Vengeful Women (Falcon Bay Book Three) by Melanie Blake

 

Vengeful Women (Falcon Bay Book Three) by Melanie Blake.

Published 6th November 2025 by Piranha Publishing.

From the cover of the book:

Power. Passion. Revenge. Nothing is off-limits in Falcon Bay.

From Sunday Times bestselling author Melanie Blake comes a gripping new chapter in the Falcon Bay series - where showbiz glamour collides with dark secrets, and women who've lost everything are ready to fight back.

On a private island off the coast of England, five powerful women sit in jail, awaiting trial for manslaughter: a world-famous soap star, an ambitious talent agent, a ruthless producer, a brilliant screenwriter and a cougar casting director.

The man who put them there, their long-term nemesis Jake Monroe, is cashing in - turning the island they once ruled into a twisted theme park crowned by the world's tallest skyscraper. While the women plot revenge, old secrets that could change everything begin to surface.

The glossy veneer of their showbiz world was shattered when they were incarcerated and the rot beneath the red carpets and studio lights is beginning to show... and meanwhile, a journalist chasing the truth behind an American serial killer is uncovering stories that could destroy everything - and everyone.

As the body count climbs and the women's trial date looms, Jake's empire teeters. Because one thing is certain. Hell has no fury... like vengeful women.

***********

Not long ago, five powerful women were at the top their game, lauded for their contributions in making the soap opera Falcon Bay an international success. Now, the world-famous soap star, ambitious talent agent, ruthless producer, brilliant screenwriter and cougar casting director are languishing in jail awaiting trial for manslaughter.

Meanwhile, their nemesis Jake Monroe, happy in the belief that he has brought their worlds crashing down, is turning the home of Falcon Bay from a peaceful private island into a brash theme park - resplendent with the highest skyscraper in the world. 

But the women are not done yet. They are plotting their revenge, and there are plenty of secrets still be unearthed before the end is nigh...

Melanie Blake is back with her third epic Falcon Bay book, and it is more gripping, glamorous, and gloriously sexy than anything that has come before! You can read this one as a standalone, but I highly recommend you take in the first two best-selling books beforehand for the ultimate reading experience.

After the shark-infested shenanigans of Ruthless Women, and the surprising fall from grace of our audacious ladies in Guilty Women, Catherine, Helen, Sheena, Amanda & Farrah are out for revenge - and they are not the only ones. The plot is just as seductively sinuous as I was hoping for, with multiple threads weaving together around their fight for freedom, Jake's nefarious plans for St Augustine's, a bloody trail of murders in America, a hard-faced hack after a scoop to top them all, and familiar faces in unexpected guises hiding in the shadows.  

In an orgy of twists and turns that you leave you in danger of suffering from whiplash, the story gathers pace, building up to an action-filled finale fitting of a blockbuster movie. I was knocked sideways by how much there was still to reveal about the players in this power game! There are cleverly wielded themes about corruption, sexism, and abusive relationships to revel in, and our author pulls no punches when it comes to cold ambition, gut-wrenching violence, and X-rated encounters - which added enjoyable grist to the love-and-loathe mill.  Brava, Ms Blake!

I blasted through this tasty little romp, and cannot wait to see what comes next for the Falcon Bay gang. The age of the modern bonk-buster is alive and well, and Melanie Blake is doing a great job keeping the sultry fires burning. Lots of fun... more please!

*****

I am delighted to bring you some luscious Bonus Content too:

Who is Melanie Blake's favourite character from Falcon Bay and why?

It's got to be Madeline Kane. I'd love to pull off some of her rivalrous vengeful plots from season 1. Like me, she's super-loyal and very loving until she's been crossed – and then she's an absolute ball-breaking bitch.

*****

Vengeful Women is available to buy now in hardcover and ebook formats.

Thank you to Tiger Team Creative for sending me a gorgeous hardcover edition of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

MELANIE BLAKE is the internationally bestselling author behind the sensational trilogy that began with Ruthless Women, the Sunday Times #4 bestseller that sold 250,000 copies in its first month, and its bestselling sequel, Guilty Women. She's also a successful playwright, having adapted her first novel The Thunder Girls into a play which broke box-office records for a new work - a credit she still holds to this day. Melanie's books have been translated into nine languages and have captivated more than a million readers worldwide.

Melanie's stories are exhilarating rollercoaster rides packed with all the glitz, glamour, passion, and intrigue of the blockbuster novels of the eighties, yet reflective of the world we live in today. When Melanie was asked to write a foreword to a new Jackie Collins edition, it was a dream come true; Jackie's bold and fierce characters have always inspired her. When the Daily Mirror anointed Melanie 'Jackie Collins for a new generation,' the journey that started with devouring Jackie's steamy novels as a teenager was complete.

 October 2025 Reading Round-Up

What a month!

Some seriously good books amongst this lot, which will certainly be making my books of the year list!

You can find your way to my reviews of these gems by clicking on the pictures below:

Deadman's Pool by Kate Rhodes

Moscow Underground by Catherine Merridale

No Safe Place To Hide by Murray Bailey

Bea's Book Wagon by Julie Haworth

The Blue Of You by Amanda Huggins

Let The Bells Ring Out by Millie Johnson

Rainforest by Michelle Paver

Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson

The Witness For The Prosecution by Agatha Christie

Black As Death by Lilja Sigurdardottir

Silent Bones by Val McDermid

House Party by Chloe Ford

The end of 2025 is approaching, but there are still great books on my reading pile!

House Party by Chloe Ford

 

House Party by Chloe Ford.

Published 23rd October 2025 by Aria.

From the cover of the book:

A slow-burn romance fifteen years in the making...

Hattie has spent half her life secretly crushing on Freddie – her best friend Sam's irresistibly gorgeous older brother. But Freddie? He's barely spared a glance for Hattie, the girl Sam befriended one fateful New Years' Eve when they discovered they were birthday twins.

Fast-forward to now: Hattie finds herself single for the first time in years – just before the holidays. Enter Sam, who, in classic best-friend fashion, whisks her away to a remote cabin in the Forest of Dean to cheer her up. Snowy woodland views? Check. A crackling fire and a steamy hot tub? Check. Zero cell service, ravenous wild boars, and an incoming snowstorm of apocalyptic proportions? Also check.

And to make matters even more intense, Freddie joins them, unexpectedly. Still infuriatingly gorgeous, and still ridiculously off-limits. Except this time, he's actually noticing Hattie. But then again, maybe he's been noticing her all along.

Fifteen years of longing. One night to change everything. This New Year's Eve, they're playing with fire.

***********

One fateful New Years' Eve, teenagers Hattie and Sam were thrown together at his family's house party. They clicked straightaway, especially when they discovered they were birthday twins. Sam had just one rule for his new bestie: that Hattie would join him in pretending his 'idiot' older brother, Freddie, did not exist. Hattie agreed, but secretly she has had a crush on handsome Freddie since the moment she saw him.

Fifteen years later, Hattie has been dumped by Adam, the man she was sure was 'the one'. Determined to make the most of the year before she hits thirty, she vows to push herself out of her comfort zone, travel to exotic beaches, and give any thought of serious relationships a miss. However, her plans are thrown into disarray when she comes up with the idea of a much needed house party for Sam and her university friends, Priya and Sara, to celebrate her New Year's birthday - for Sam brings Freddie along too. Freddie is just as gorgeous as ever, and he now seems interested in her, but acting on her feelings is very much against the rules...

I really enjoyed Chloe Ford's debut, Work Trip, but it is her brand new snowy, slow-burn romance, House Party, that has made its way right into my heart!

The story unfurls in two threads from Hattie's perspective, following the New Year/birthday celebrations at a remote woodland lodge in the Forest of Dean, booked by Sam to cheer her up post break-up with Adam: and a series of flashbacks to house parties of the past, which fill in all the details of the backstory between Hattie, Sam, Freddie, and Adam  (with appearances from Sara and Priya). 

In the now, the party at the woodland lodge hits a number of hilarious snags as a snow storm falls around them (not to mention the marauding presence of a wild boar who takes exception to them invading its forest patch). Meanwhile, everyone has emotional baggage to work through around relationship, family, and friendships issues - and Ford keeps the romantic suspense sizzling, with a delicious will-they-won't-they, forbidden territory, forced proximity love story between Hattie and Freddie.

I absolutely loved the tear-jerking way Ford uses the house party flashbacks to gradually reveal the heartache between the central characters, especially when it comes to brothers Sam and Freddie, and the complexities of their relationships with Hattie. And the way Hattie finds herself again after her less than ideal affair with Adam is 'punch the air' gold.

Lovely characters, settings, and storylines make this book a joy. I adored it from start to heart-melting finish. Keep the tissues handy to mop up the tears!

House Party is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Aria for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Chloe Ford grew up in rural Sussex but is now based in South Gloucestershire. She has an affinity with all things country, from riding horses to muddy walks. Her love for writing began at secondary school when her English teacher would set a writing task for the whole hour. An avid reader, she started sneaking Mills & Boon books out from under her mum’s bed as a teenager and hasn’t stopped devouring romance books ever since.

Silent Bones (Karen Pirie Book Eight) by Val McDermid

 

Silent Bones (Karen Pirie Book Eight) by Val McDermid.

Published 23rd October 2025 by Sphere.

From the cover of the book:

The truth is buried just beneath the surface . . .

When torrential rain causes a landslide on a motorway in Scotland, it reveals a crime scene: someone hid a body in the tarmac eleven years before. Journalist Sam Nimmo had been the prime suspect in the murder of his fiancée when he disappeared, and now DCI Karen Pirie and her Historic Cases Unit must find out who buried him, and why.

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, new evidence reopens a closed case and the accidental death of a hotel manager starts to look like murder. But what did Tom Jamieson's book club have to do with his demise - and what will they do to keep their secrets?

Karen and her team begin to untangle a web of lies, one that connects their murder cases with Scotland's rich and powerful. They will be tested to their limits - and possibly beyond . . .

***********

Torrential rain leads to a landslide, and the discovery of a body buried in a motorway embankment. It turns out to be the remains of journalist Sam Nimmo, a person of interest believed to have fled Scotland after killing his pregnant girlfriend eleven years ago. Meanwhile, another cold case is reopened when the brother of dead hotel manager, Tom Jamieson, flies in from New Zealand insisting his brother's death was not an accident.

DCI Karen Pirie's Historic Cases Unit is back, with two tricky cold cases to solve. Deftly tugging at the threads of new leads, Karen, Jason and Daisy find themselves travelling all over the Scottish landscape, and to foreign climes, trying to establish who killed Sam Nimmo, and whether or not Tom Jamieson was in fact murdered.

Each member of the team calls on their special skills in this gripping new instalment of the series - Karen calling in old favours (and rubbing people up the wrong way), Jason doggedly getting to grips with sifting information, and Daisy competing with Jason to get into Karen's good books (when she is not in search of pastries). Their teamwork gradually pays off with leads that take them deep into past misdeeds related to Scotland's political landscape, the murky world of gambling syndicates, and the cloak and dagger shenanigans of a secretive book club that appears to do more than chat about literary gems.

As is McDermid's forte, the little pieces of the puzzles come together beautifully, and she keeps you absolutely transfixed as the story plays out in a masterclass of plotting. Meaty themes abound, especially in relation to sexual abuse, corruption in the highest echelons, and the controversial relationships between powerful figures, politics, and journalism. There are lovely reflections on the post-Covid world too.

Plenty of grit; authentic storylines of love, loss, grief and tragedy; with fabulous settings; and a cast to die for make the Karen Pirie books some of my absolute favourites to disappear into. I could not have loved it more.

Silent Bones is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Sphere for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Val McDermid is an international number one bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than forty languages. Her multi-award-winning series and standalone novels have been adapted for TV and radio, most notably the Wire in the Blood series featuring clinical psychologist Dr Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan. The Karen Pirie novels have now been adapted for a major ITV series.

Val has been chair of the judges for the Wellcome Book Prize and the Gordon Burn Prize, and has served as a judge for the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Man Booker Prize and the Royal Society Book Prize. She is the recipient of eight honorary doctorates and is an Honorary Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford. She is a visiting professor in the Centre of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Among her many awards are the CWA Diamond Dagger recognising lifetime achievement and the Theakston's Old Peculier award for Outstanding Contribution to Crime Writing. Val is also an experienced broadcaster and much-sought-after columnist and commentator across print media.

Black As Death (An Áróra Investigation, Book Five) by Lilja Sigurđardóttir

 

Black as Death (Arora Investigations Book Five) by Lilja Sigurdardottir.

Translated by Lorenza Garcia.

Published 23rd October 2025 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

A final reckoning…

With the fate of her missing sister, Ísafold, finally uncovered, Áróra feels a fragile relief as the search that consumed her life draws to a close. But when Ísafold's boyfriend – the prime suspect in her disappearance – is found dead at the same site where Ísafold's body was discovered, Áróra's grip on reality starts to unravel … and the mystery remains far from solved.

To distract herself, she dives headfirst into a money-laundering case that her friend Daníel is investigating. But she soon finds that there is more than meets the eye and, once again, all leads point towards Engihjalli, the street where Ísafold lived and died, and a series of shocking secrets that could both explain and endanger everything…

Atmospheric, dark and chilling, Black as Death is the breathtaking finale to the twisty, immersive An Áróra Investigation series, as Áróra and her friends search for answers that may take them to places even darker than death…

Perfect for readers of Camilla Läckberg, Karin Slaughter, Eva Björg Ægisdóttir and Jo Nesbø.

***********

Arora is feeling lost since the grisly discovery of her sister's body. The search for Isafold has consumed her life for the past few years, and now her theory that Isafold was murdered by her violent boyfriend, Bjorn, has been shown to be false, she does not know how to move on. Who did murder Isafold and Bjorn, and dump their remains in a volcanic fissure - Isafold's disturbingly missing its heart?

To keep herself occupied, Arora uses her investigative skills to help her police detective boyfriend, Daniel, with a financial misconduct case he has been passed from Interpol. But she uncovers a lot more than she expected, when the threads of the case become entangled with those of Isafold and Bjorn's murder inquiry. Arora being Arora, she is determined to get to the truth about her sister's death, even if it means leaping over boundaries she knows she should not cross...

Welcome to the fifth, and final, instalment of the excellent Arora Investigations series. After the dramatic events of book four, Dark as Night, when Arora's search for her sister ended with the discovery of, not one, but two bodies (alongside a cracking storyline for delightful Lady Gúgúlú), I was chomping at the bit to get to the finale - and I have not been disappointed, my Nordic noir loving friends!

Black as Death picks up shortly after the gripping conclusion of Dark as Night, with Arora unsure about how she finds her way back to the vestiges of a normal life. Always fiercely independent, and a loveable loose canon, Arora is not one to stand aside when there are questions to be answered - and as usual, tracking them down gets her into hot water with unsavoury characters.

The story unfurls through several threads - the progress of the police investigation into Isafold and Bjorn's deaths (hello again detective Helena - this time with a new rookie sidekick, Vala); Arora's search for clues and delving into places she should not; ructions in the characters' personal lives (especially Arora and Daniel's relationship); and heart-rending flashbacks from Isafold's perspective in the weeks before she went missing... there is a reappearance of Lady Gúgúlú too, which adds welcome comic relief.

After the relentless thrills of Dark as Night, this final story is very much on the slow burn side, which is more in keeping with the series as a whole - although Sigurdardottir handles action and sinuous suspense with equal skill. The threads draw together with a feeling of unsettling fascination, and I was totally transfixed as the reveals dropped. The discomfiting atmosphere is bolstered by the solid kick of dread Isafold's narrative brings to the mix, as Sigurdardottir holds nothing back about domestic violence and the hold abusers have over their partners. Meaty themes about outsiders and discrimination echo through the story too (one of her specialities), and there is lots of gritty content about nefarious underworld types for the thrills.

I absorbed this final book in a single sitting, and am very sorry to be leaving this cast of characters behind. Absolutely first class Icelandic crime drama, beautifully translated by Lorenza Garcia!

Black as Death is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can also support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Icelandic crime-writer Lilja Sigurdardóttir was born in the town of Akranesin 1972 and raised in Mexico, Sweden, Spain and Iceland. An award-winning playwright, Lilja has written four crime novels, with Snare, the first in a new series and Lilja's English debut shortlisting for the CWA International Dagger and hitting bestseller lists worldwide. Trap soon followed suit, with the third in the trilogy Cage winning the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, and was a Guardian Book of the Year. Lilja's standalone Betrayal, was shortlisted for the Glass Key Award for Best Nordic Crime Novel. In 2021, Cold as Hell, the first in the An Áróra Investigation series was published, with Red as Blood to follow in 2022, and Dark as Night in 2024. The film rights have been bought by Palomar Pictures in California.

Lilja is also an award-winning screenwriter in her native Iceland. She lives in Reykjavík with her partner.

The Witness For The Prosecution by Agatha Christie

 

The Witness For The Prosecution by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 1st September 2011 by Harper Collins. Originally published 1925.

From the cover of the book:

When wealthy spinster Emily French is found murdered, suspicion falls to Leonard Vole, the man to whom she hastily bequeathed her riches before she died.

Leonard assures the investigators that his wife, Romaine Heilger can provide them with an alibi. However, when questioned, Romaine informs the police that Vole returned home late that night covered in blood.

During the trial, Ms French’s housekeeper, Janet gives damning evidence against Vole, but as Romaine’s cross-examination begins her motives come under scrutiny from the courtroom.

One question remains, will justice out?

***********

Wealthy spinster Emily French has been found murdered in her home, after she was overheard arguing with an unknown man by her maid. Suspicion has fallen on Leonard Vole, who recently befriended the old lady after doing her a good deed, especially as she changed her will in his favour shortly before her death.

Leonard is arrested, and charged with murder, but insists he is innocent of the crime - and his solicitor, Mr Mayhew believes him. When discussing his defence for the forthcoming trial, Leonard assures Mayhew that his wife, Romaine Heilger, will confirm he was at home when Emily was murdered. However, when Mayhew visits Romaine, she tells him that Leonard arrived home late on the night in question, and was covered in blood.

The plot thickens when a mysterious, scarred woman comes forth with letters that cast doubt on the veracity of Romaine's testimony. Is Leonard guilty or innocent?

Short and bittersweet, The Witness for the Prosecution was written by Christie in 1925, published as Traitor's Hands (subsequently becoming the more familiar title in 1933, when it was published as part of a short story collection). 

The story concerns a man called Leonard Vole, who is charged with the murder of a wealthy old woman to get his hands on her considerable fortune. He insists he is innocent, but his alibi is thrown into question by the damning testimony of his wife. And that is about as much as I can divulge, for fear of spoilers, except to say that Mayhew has to navigate surprising twists and turns before he learns the truth - hinging on salacious letters about Romaine. 

The story ends abruptly, with a revelation that neither Mayhew, nor I, saw coming. Interestingly, Christie was dissatisfied with her original, jaw dropping conclusion to the story, and later rewrote this as a court room drama - adding in extra characters and content. The story is perfect for adapting into play format, and I would love to see the current, long-running adaptation at County Hall in London (date for the 2026 diary!).

This was my October pick for #ReadChristie2026 exploring the prompt of Lawyers in her work.  I very much enjoyed discovering it through the excellent audio book narrated by the legend, Christopher Lee, which I can highly recommend.

The Witness for the Prosecution is available to buy now in paperback (as part of an anthology), ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Snowblind and Fadeout (Dark Iceland Book One And Prequel) by Ragnar Jonasson

 

Snowblind and Fadeout (Dark Iceland Book One And Prequel) by Ragnar Jonasson.

Translated by Quentin Bates (Snowblind) and Larissa Kyzer (Fadeout)

Published in special edition hardcover 23rd October 2025 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

SNOWBLIND

Siglufjörður: an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland, where no one locks their doors – accessible only via a small mountain tunnel. Ari Thór Arason: a rookie policeman on his first posting, far from his girlfriend in Reykjavik – with a past that he's unable to leave behind. When a young woman is found lying half-naked in the snow, bleeding and unconscious, and a highly esteemed, elderly writer falls to his death in the local theatre, Ari is dragged straight into the heart of a community where he can trust no one, and secrets and lies are a way of life.

An avalanche and unremitting snowstorms close the mountain pass, and the 24-hour darkness threatens to push Ari over the edge, as curtains begin to twitch, and his investigation becomes increasingly complex, chilling and personal. Past plays tag with the present and the claustrophobic tension mounts, while Ari is thrust ever deeper into his own darkness – blinded by snow, and with a killer on the loose.

Taut and terrifying, Snowblind is a startling debut from an extraordinary new talent, taking Nordic Noir to soaring new heights.

FADEOUT – NEW!

When Ari Thór Arason receives a staggeringly high bill for a foreign credit card that was taken out in his name, his life takes a turn he never anticipated. The bill in question belongs to his namesake – his father, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances when Ari was only a child.

Seeking answers, Ari Thór travels to London to investigate, hoping to learn the truth about what happened to his father all those years ago, and discovering far more than he could ever have imagined…

***********

It has taken Ari Thór Arason a while to decide on the direction of his career, but having cast aside his studies in Philosophy and Theology, he is now set on becoming a police officer. His first posting takes him to the remote fishing village of Siglufjörður, in northern Iceland. Leaving his girlfriend behind in Reykjavik, this promises him the opportunity to ease into the life of a detective in a quiet location.

However, when a young woman is found bleeding in the snow, and an elderly writer falls to his death, Ari's life becomes anything but quiet. As darkness closes in, and heavy snow cuts Siglufjörður off from the outside world, Ari's investigation becomes increasingly more complicated. He does not know who to trust, and his status as an outsider only makes cracking this case more difficult...

Snowblind was my introduction to the work of Ragnar Jonasson. I went on to devour  the whole Dark Iceland series, so it has been an absolute pleasure to revisit this story for its tenth anniversary - with the added bonus of a brand new prequel, Fadeout,  that fills in some of the gaps of Ari's backstory.

A new introduction by Anthony Horowitz, and preface by Jonasson himself, get the party started, before the book heads into backstory country with Fadeout. The arrival of a mysterious credit card bill takes Ari on a journey between Iceland and London,  as Ari searches for answers about the unsolved disappearance of his father. There are multiple knotty threads to keep track of, and the story leaps around in time, but these begin to unravel in due course. I really enjoyed how the story sets you up nicely for Snowblind, now armed with information that helps you understand Ari much better.

Then comes the main event... Snowblind begins with surely one of the finest opening lines in Nordic noir history: "The red stain was like a scream in the silence.", and it sets you up beautifully for what is to follow.

Rookie Ari is thrown well and truly into the deep end in this crime tale, especially as he is finding his feet in a new job, and settling into an unfamiliar town, all while negotiating the bumps in his relationship. The slow burn police procedural elements weave into his personal trials and tribulations, and lashings of psychological depth keeps things interesting against a setting that makes the best use of small town characters and vibes. The suspense crackles, lies abound, secrets are spilled, and you find yourself holding your breath as events play out.

Jonasson has the ability to create the most delicious of claustrophobic atmospheres in his books. Weather, landscape, and the darkness of winter are used to chilly perfection, becoming characters in their own right, and a feeling of isolation seeps into your bones, colouring your view of the residents of Siglufjörður. Superb!

I adored this book just as much as I did first time around, with its compelling twists and turns that grip you like a vice, and a sizzling translation from Quentin Bates. I am longing to revisit the rest of the Dark Iceland books now! 

The Snowblind/Fadeout special edition is available to buy now in hardcover and ebook formats. You can also support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the Author:

Icelandic crime writer Ragnar Jónasson was born in Reykjavík, and currently works as a lawyer, while teaching copyright law at the Reykjavík University Law School. In the past, he’s worked in TV and radio, including as a news reporter for the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. Before embarking on a writing career, Ragnar translated fourteen Agatha Christie novels into Icelandic, and has had several short stories published in German, English and Icelandic literary magazines. Ragnar set up the first overseas chapter of the CWA (Crime Writers’ Association) in Reykjavík, and is co-founder of the International crime-writing festival Iceland Noir. Ragnar’s debut thriller, Snowblind became an almost instant bestseller when it was published in June 2015 with Nightblind (winner of the Dead Good Reads Most Captivating Crime in Translation Award) and then Blackout and Rupture following soon after. To date, Ragnar Jónasson has written five novels in the Dark Iceland series, which has been optioned for TV by On the Corner. He lives in Reykjavík with his wife and two daughters.

Rainforest by Michelle Paver

 

Rainforest by Michelle Paver.

Published 9th October 2025 by Orion.

From the cover of the book:

The jungle watches. The dead remember.

The virgin rainforest seems a paradise to Englishman Simon Corbett. A last chance to salvage his career. A final refuge from a terrible secret.

But the jungle is no Eden. It hides secrets of its own. It does not forgive.

As Simon is drawn deeper into its haunted shadows, he learns to his horror that the past will not stay buried. For there are places in the forest where the line between the living and the dead is thinner than the skin of water.

A terrifying supernatural tale from Sunday Times bestseller Michelle Paver, author of Dark Matter, Thin Air and Wakenhyrst.

***********

Tortured by the death of Penelope, a young woman he was obsessed with, entomologist Simon Corbett heads to the Mexican rainforest to lose himself in his work. This is his last chance to save his career, and he hopes to win tenure by finding a new species of mantid.

When Simon arrives at the archaeological site exploring ancient Mayan ruins that has agreed to host him, he realises the professor in charge expects him to pull his weight on the dig. Frustrated that he is unable to follow his own agenda, and uncomfortable with the presence of the natives employed on the venture, Simon succumbs to the weight of the secrets he is keeping. His ghosts have followed him into the heart of the rainforest, and he is willing to risk anything to free himself from their presence...

I adore a good ghost story, and Michele Paver's unsettling creations are among the best I have ever read - especially the hair-raising Dark Matter, which tops my poll as the scariest horror yarn of all time. Back on the ghost trail, Paver now heads to the steamy wilderness of the Mexican rainforest, with a tale that ventures into delicious fever dream territory.

The story is set in the 1970s, and unfurls through the eyes of Simon Corbett, a man recovering from a breakdown, and desperately trying to get back to his twisted idea of normality. For the most part, his narrative takes the form of journal entries, which he fills with an erratic mix of his version of current events, and his reflections on the past. From the beginning, it is clear that Penelope died under circumstances which he believes he may have been responsible for, and as past and present weave together, the guilt he feels over his stalkerish ways feeds into a new obsession - the need to summon her spirit for a reckoning.

The claustrophobic rainforest back drop is an atmospheric delight - especially given the dig's location amongst Mayan ruins steeped in blood, and the presence of an indigenous population who believe in the power of magic. Simon's paranoia overwhelms him, and soon he is upsetting the 'natives', his compatriots, and his own sanity, as he relentlessly searches for elusive mantids at the same time as a way to connect with Penelope beyond the grave. Reality bleeds into the supernatural as Simon calls something from beyond the veil, and Paver hits her discomfiting stride to perfection once again as you become lost in deciding how much is real and how much is madness.

Thought-provoking themes abound. Simon's views on the indigenous population, and women, are uncomfortable, but they offering interesting insight when it comes to the prevailing attitudes of time and place. There is lots of fascinating context about Mayan history, local beliefs, flora and fauna, and there are heartrending references to exploitation too.

Shades of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness pulled me in completely, and I absolutely consumed this story from cover to cover. Spot-on for spooky season!

Rainforest is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Orion for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour.

About the author:

Michelle Paver was born in central Africa and came to England as a child. After gaining a degree in Biochemistry from Oxford University, she worked as a solicitor before giving up the law to write full-time. Her books include the internationally bestselling Wolf Brother series for younger readers, and the acclaimed supernatural novels Dark Matter, Thin Air, and Wakenhyrst.

Let The Bells Ring Out by Milly Johnson

 

Let The bells Ring Out by Milly Johnson.

Published 23rd October 2025 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

Seven people, four days and a snowy Christmas on board a luxury sleeper train. This festive season getting away from it all takes on a new meaning…

The Yorkshire Belle is a glamorous steam train all decked out for an escapist festive getaway. It is not supposed to be where a group of people, all trying to get to their destinations for the holidays, will spend their Christmas.

Seven people, each with their own hopes and dreams, secrets and sorrows, board the train as strangers, but as the snow keeps falling and they realise they are going nowhere fast, they are forced to slow down and embrace the present.

This Christmas on board the Yorkshire Belle, will the friendships they make change their lives forever?

***********

December, 23rd. Seven strangers are on their way to destinations that promise little in the way of seasonal joy, when a sudden blizzard brings them all together at a tiny deserted station in the North of England. When a train finally arrives, they are astonished to find it is a steam locomotive pulling luxury coaches.

Making themselves at home for the short hop to the station where they can pick up connecting services, they are relieved to be in the warm and dry, but as the freezing weather worsens, the train becomes stuck in the middle of nowhere. Realising they will have to make the best of it, the travellers come together to celebrate Christmas, cut off from the rest of the world... not realising that their unexpected adventure will change their lives for ever.

In a brand new festive tale to warm the cockles of your heart, Milly Johnson brings seven strangers together in the middle of a snowstorm, each of them carrying a lot more baggage than the suitcases they haul aboard the beautiful Yorkshire Belle. 

The story unfurls over four days while a snow storm swirls around the train, with a lovely little nod to Hercule Poirot (though a lot less murdery). The group cobble together a Christmas celebration that has them making the most of store rooms packed with delicious food, state rooms to put the Orient Express to shame, and comfortable beds to rest their weary heads. With phone signals down, and only the voice and festive tunes of amateur radio broadcaster Brian Bernard Cosgrove (the real BBC Radio) to let them know the world exists outside their snowed-in cocoon, time stands still, and they begin pondering on their problems. 

Gradually, the small cast of characters reveal their relationship and family sorrows in a mix of painful internal reflections and intense conversations, which tug mercilessly on your heartstrings. By sharing their own experiences they are able to give each other fresh insight about what ails them, particularly when it comes to loss, loneliness, forgiveness, and having the courage to follow their hearts. In the special way Johnson has, she floods the story with tenderness, humour, and gorgeous romantic suspense. As the barriers came down between them, hope wins the day, and life-long friendships are forged.

I took every single character to heart, totally invested in their emotional journeys. The snowy setting is beautifully atmospheric, thrumming with nostalgic Christmas magic (in more ways than one), and the way Johnson uses the theme of bells is enchanting. An absolute sob-fest, of the very best kind. Make sure you have a whole box of tissues on stand-by!

Let the Bells Ring Out is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to join this Books and the City blog tour.

About the author:

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. She is the author of 23 novels, 4 short story ebooks, a book of poetry and a Quick Reads Novella ('The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe') and was an erstwhile leading copywriter for the greetings card industry. She is also a poet, a professional joke-writer, a newspaper columnist and a seasoned after dinner speaker.

She won the RoNA for Best Romantic Comedy Novel of 2014 and 2016, the Yorkshire Society award for Arts and Culture 2015, the Romantic Novelist Association Outstanding Achievement award in 2020, the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2021 and the Richard Whiteley Award for Inspiration to the County of Yorkshire in 2022.

She writes about love, life, friendships and the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience and celebrate her beloved Yorkshire.