Ghost Wedding by David Park

 

Ghost Wedding by David Park.

Published 8th May 2025 by Oneworld.

From the cover of the book:

When George Allenby is put in charge of building a lake in the grounds of an imposing Irish manor house, he intends to do the job as swiftly as possible and return to Belfast. Allenby is still wrestling with his time as an officer during the First World War, burdened by the many things he could have done differently.

Almost a century later, Alex and Ellie are preparing for their wedding, sparing no expense to hire a venue overlooking the very lake Allenby built all those years ago.

Like Allenby before him, Alex is haunted by decisions he made in the past. Now, with the wedding drawing ever closer, he is at a crossroads. Telling the truth might free him from his guilt; it might also take away everything he cares about, including Ellie.

In this masterful portrait of love and betrayal, David Park reveals the many ways the past seeps into the present: destructive, formidable, but also hopeful, in the moments of fragile beauty that remain.

***********

1920s. George Allenby has the unenviable task of constructing a lake and boat house in the grounds of the newly wealthy Remington family's estate. Poor weather, and too much mud makes the job hard going for a man plagued with the ghosts of his time in the trenches of the Great War. He longs to be done and be able to return to his isolated existence in Belfast, but then he meets housemaid Cora and finds comfort in her arms, but he fears to confess the secrets he is keeping.

A hundred years later, Alex and Ellie have booked the Boat House of the Manor House, now a hotel, for their wedding. Alex is finding his role working for his property developer father increasing difficult, despite the life if allows he and Ellie to live. He is also feels burdened by an act he sorely regrets, which plagues him with guilt he feels coming between him and his bride. Should he confess what he has done, even if it means he might lose the woman he loves?

The story unfurls in two interconnected timelines, Allenby in the past, and Alex and Ellie in the present, and is wreathed in themes that echo through time. Park reflects the haunting burden of guilt, regret and the impact of the choices the two central characters Allenby and Alex have made, cleverly flipping the story on its axis to look at aspects of their lives like two sides of a coin.

As an aficionado of between-the-wars tales, Allenby's side of the story was my favourite - even if it the most heart-breaking. He is a man unable to reconcile his experiences from the trenches, preferring to keep himself apart from emotional entanglements. The glimmer of romance between him and Cora is quite lovely, for as long as it lasts... On the other hand, Alex is much more difficult to take to your heart, because of his past, but there is intriguing light and shade in his character that makes his dilemma all the more through provoking.

The most beautiful thing about this book is the way Park uses the recurring presence of spirits tied to buildings and places, lingering on to look upon the actions of the living who cannot see them, but feel their presence. This works so well with the way Allenby and Alex are haunted by their own ghosts, born of the choices they have made. 

An unforgettable novel, which broke my heart. I will be thinking about this one for a long time to come.

Ghost Wedding is available to buy now in hardcover, and ebook formats. Audio book coming soon.

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

About the author:

David Park is the author of ten novels, a novella and two collections of short stories. The Healing won the Authors’ Club First Novel Award, and his novel Travelling in a Strange Land won the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year. The Light of Amsterdam was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.

His work has been shortlisted for the Irish Novel of the Year four times. He has received a Major Artist Award from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and an Honorary Fellowship in the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast.

A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan

 

A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan.

Published 19th June 2025 by Mantle.

From the cover of the book:

In the past, we had always spent our summer holidays in remote places. That had always been my mother’s preference. This year was different . . .

As the long summer holiday stretches ahead, ten-year-old Alix wants to spend every second on the beach and in the water. But, with her parents unusually distracted and her older sister now more interested in boys, she finds herself alone.

Then she meets Kahu at the beach and he tells her about The Mystery. Two years ago, a girl went missing and none of the adults could find her. So the new friends decide to investigate – because people don’t just disappear.

But, as Alix and Kahu search for clues, they stumble upon secrets they wish they’d left alone. Is Alix's holiday house as safe as it seems? And is her sister putting her trust in the wrong people?

***********

Mid 1980's, New Zealand. In an uncharacteristic move, Alix's mother decides this year's summer vacation should be spent in a popular beach resort. Ten-year-old Alix longs to spend every minute on the golden sand and in the water, but her parents are preoccupied, and her older sister, fifteen-year-old Vanessa, is much more interested in boys than spending time with her annoying sibling.

Feeling lonely, Alix strikes up a friendship with Kahu, who is also on holiday for the summer. He tells her about the girl who went missing without a trace, and the two of them decide to search for her body around the town's murky lagoon. But as they ferret out clues, they end up discovering far more than they bargained for - particularly when it comes to Alix's family.

This glorious 1980's coming of age story is the incredibly impressive debut novel of Jennifer Trevelyan, whose writing captivated me from the very first page. The story is told from the point of view of ten-year-old Alix, whose summer holiday is rather different from normal this year for a number of unsettling reasons. 

Trevelyan does an incredible job of portraying the events of this slow-burn thriller meets poignant family drama through the eyes of a ten-year-old, creating a story that works beautifully on two levels - one which immerses you in the bemused thoughts of a child as she tries to make sense of perplexing events within her own family, and in the world around her; and another in which you, as the reader, understand the real significance of her experiences.

Knotty themes run beautifully throughout around family, friendship, marriages in trouble, the growing pains of adolescence, and the way adult motivations and behaviours are inexplicable to a child. They weave cleverly through the chilling thriller elements about the fate of a missing young girl in a very accomplished way. Trevelyan pulls a blinder by using the menacing presence of a creepy neighbour in the house next door to Alix too, who may, or may not be, an innocent old man.

I loved how Trevelyan floods this novel with 80s nostalgia, and how she uses names sparsely in keeping with the level of knowledge of a child. In fact, you actually only learn Alix's real name (rather than her nickname, Ally-Pally) at a crucial point in the climax of the story - which chimes with a watershed moment between her loss of childish innocence and an understanding about the horrors of the grown-up world.

Absolutely one of my favourite books of 2025, with shades of The Lovely Bones. This strings you along with your heart in your mouth, caught up in Alix's intensely palpable fears and bewilderment, but it is not without a full complement of tender moments too. Superb! I predict a great future for Jennifer Trevelyan...

A Beautiful Family is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

With a background in photography and children’s publishing, Jennifer is now a full-time writer living in Wellington, New Zealand, with her husband, son, daughter, dog and cat. When not at her writing desk, Jennifer can be found in the garden.

The Secret Of Chimneys by Agatha Christie

 

The Secret of Chimneys by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 20th April 2017 by Harper Collins.

Originally published 1925.

From the cover of the book:

A young drifter finds more than he bargained for when he agrees to deliver a parcel to an English country house…

Little did Anthony Cade suspect that a simple errand on behalf of a friend would make him the centrepiece of a murderous international conspiracy.

Someone would stop at nothing to prevent the monarchy being restored in faraway Herzoslovakia. The combined forces of Scotland Yard and the French Surete can do no better than go in circles – until the final murder at Chimneys, the great country estate that yields up an amazing secret…

***********

After an accidental meeting in Bulawayo, drifter Anthony Cade agrees to a favour on behalf of an old friend - taking a memoir manuscript to a publisher in London, and returning a parcel of letters to their owner at a house in the country. How hard can it be?

Well, much more complicated than he knows, because the manuscript is actually at the centre of a power struggle in troubled Eastern European country Herzoslovakia, and both sides of the conflict are desperate to get their hands on them. And as for the letters, they offer the additional complication of a blackmail plot involving one of Europe's most wanted criminal masterminds...

As soon as Cade arrives in England, all sorts of bizarre shenanigans play out, embroiling him in a situation of national importance at famous country house Chimneys, where a secret lies waiting to be discovered. Along the way, Anthony meets the vivacious socialite Virginia Revel (by way of an unexpected incident involving the letters and a dead body), who is his ticket to Chimneys - where he coincidentally arrives on the night of another inconvenient murder. 

Enter stage right, the enigmatic Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard in his first Christie adventure, who is tasked (along with secretive Monsieur Lemoine of the French Sûreté) with getting to the bottom of all the messy goings on at the home of the delightful Lord Caterham and his plucky daughter Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent. 

This is one of Christie's devilishly complicated mysteries. The intricately weaving plotlines centre on political intrigue about the fictional Herzoslovakia, and the cast of players is drawn from an international setting as befits one of her more adventurous capers. There is a lot going on at any one time, which really kept me guessing about who was at the bottom of the interconnected dark deeds - and there are a lot of likely characters for you to suspect!

Many of these characters reappear in the follow-up Battle story, The Seven Dials Mystery, but this is a very different beast in nature, as it it much heavier in terms of its international plot, and not nearly as humorous as its sequel - despite the best efforts of the adorable Lord Caterham and Bundle (and her younger sisters). There are many fun elements though, particularly in the way Christie uses hidden identities (lovely twist on this theme at the end), and the romance between perfectly matched Anthony and Virginia is charming.

This was a great book to explore this month's #ReadChristie2025 theme of Detectives, with its mix of professional and amateur sleuths, and I very much enjoyed discovering it through the delightful voice talents of my favourite narrator Hugh Fraser, in the excellent audio book.

The Secret of Chimneys is available to buy now in multiple 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.

Mrs Spy by M.J. Robotham

 

Mrs Spy by M.J. Robotham.

Published 15th May 2025 by Aria.

From the cover of the book:

Maggie Flynn isn't your typical 1960s mum.

She's a spy, an unsuspecting operative for MI5, stalking London's streets in myriad disguises.

Widowed and balancing her clandestine career with raising a Beatles-mad teenage daughter, Maggie finds comfort and purpose in her profession - providing a connection to her late husband, whose own covert past only surfaced after his death.

But Maggie's world spins out of control when a chance encounter with a mysterious Russian agent triggers a chilling revelation: he knew her husband. And what's worse, the agent suspects someone on home soil betrayed him.

As Maggie searches for answers, she'll question everyone - and everything - she thought she could trust. In the murky and perilous world of espionage, can she outsmart those determined to keep her silenced?

***********

Maggie Flynn may look like your average 1960's mum, but appearances can be deceptive - something very apt given her career as an operative for the security services, a profession she has fallen into following the jaw-dropping news that her late husband was a spy working for Queen and country.

Grieving for the loss of a husband she feels she never really knew, Maggie now works as a lowly 'Watcher', part of a team tasked with keeping tabs on persons of interest on behalf of her shady paymasters. It is a job that is less than thrilling, and bunion-inducing hard on the feet, but it allows her to support herself, her teenage daughter, and her unconventional, born-again free-spirit mother.

Maggie's belief that her husband's death was an accident is called into question when a chance encounter with a Russian defector reveals that there was a lot more behind his demise than she has been told. It appears that he was actually investigating someone within MI5 itself, and a shocking betrayal led to his murder. Maggie is determined to find out the truth, so with 'Mary Poppins' bag in hand, a variety of quick-change disguises at her disposal, and a rudimentary knowledge of spy lore, she embarks on a dangerous mission of her own,  following the trail of clues her husband has left for her  - all while trying to track down some elusive Beatles' concert tickets for her daughter.

Robotham does an excellent job of bringing the Swinging Sixties alive, in all its popular culture glory, in this quirky espionage adventure, spinning a tale which is equal parts authentic Cold War spy caper as it is humorous family drama. 

Maggie is a most unconventional 'spy' in a scandal-ravaged MI5. She flips between hours trudging around London in disguise, hot on the heels of possible enemies of state, and chaotic domesticity. The two sides of her life are not easy bedfellows, given the need for secrecy, and Robotham creates many a humorous, and heart-wrenchingly poignant scene as Maggie does her best to balance the different parts of her life.

I loved Maggie from the first page. Her inner monologue is a delight - as are the characters Robotham creates around her who aid her in her endeavour to achieve a measure of justice for her husband's betrayal, especially the adorable Frank, and her helpfully placed pal Vivien. 

As befits a grand espionage thriller of the era, motives are as murky as a London pea-souper, and loyalties are not easy to ascertain until some surprising twists reveal who Maggie's real friends are within the corridors of power. You can tell Robotham loves a gritty spy story, as there is plenty of excitement to be had alongside the emotional, and hilarious content, which somehow manage to fit seamlessly together to make a real page-turner of a novel. There are fabulous themes running through the whole piece too, especially when it comes to the role of women both within the post-war, old school tie dominated security services, and in wider 1960's society where changes are afoot.

I cannot tell you how much I adored this book. It zings with period charm, characters to love and loathe, and a story that keeps you on your (hopefully bunion-free) toes. Absolutely one of my books of 2025, and it has real legs for a sequel that I am dying to read! More please!

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

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

About the author:

M J Robotham saw herself as an aspiring author from childhood, but was waylaid by journalism, birth, children and life. After twenty years as a midwife and a Creative Writing MA, she is a full-time author, writing historical fiction as Mandy Robotham. She lives in Gloucestershire with her partner.

Shatter Creek (Casey Wray Book Two) by Rod Reynolds

 

Shatter Creek (Casey Wray Book Two) by Rod Reynolds.

Published 22nd May 2025 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Hampstead County Police Department is embroiled in scandal after corruption at the top of the force was exposed. Cleared of involvement and returned to active duty, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray nonetheless finds herself at a crossroads when it becomes clear not everyone believes she’s innocent.

CORRUPTION

Partnered with rookie Billy Drocker, Casey works a shocking daytime double-homicide in downtown Rockport with the two victims seemingly unknown to one another. And when a third victim is gunned down on her doorstep shortly after, it appears an abusive ex-boyfriend holds the key to the killings.

MURDER

With powerful figures demanding answers, Casey and Billy search for the suspect, fearing he’s on a murderous rampage. But when a key witness goes missing, and new evidence just won’t fit, the case begins to unravel.

DANGER

With her career in jeopardy, Casey makes a shattering discovery that threatens to expose the true darkness at the heart of the murders… with a killer still on the loose…

***********

Reeling from the corruption scandal that has ripped Hampstead County Police Department apart, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray is unsure how to reconcile the fact that her own partner was involved in dark deeds she was completely unaware of. Although she has been cleared of any wrong doing, not everyone is convinced of her innocence - including her new boss.

With her reputation tarnished, Casey and her rookie partner, Billy, are thrown into a tricky investigation when a double homicide takes place on a quiet morning in downtown Rockport. There is nothing to link the two victims, but when a third murder throws up a line of inquiry around an abusive ex-boyfriend, it seems he might be the key to unravelling the mystery - especially given the pressure being piled on from above to solve the case as quickly as possible.

But as Casey begins to put the pieces of the puzzle together, they just do not fit. Something else is going on here, but how can she convince her boss of her suspicions when there is no trust?

Not having read Black Reed Bay, which introduces DS Casey Wray, I was definitely on the back foot at the start of this book, but Reynolds gives you just enough to get to grips with the lay of the land, and how this affects Casey's actions, motivations, and ability to do her job, so it can be read as a stand-alone.

The action begins right out of the gate with a shocking double murder, and does not let up for an instant throughout the authentically gritty American noir twists and turns - which pleasantly surprised me given that the only Rod Reynolds' book I had read previously was the very British  financial caper Blood Red City.

The threads of the corruption backstory run indelibly through the warp and weft of the whole complicated plot, which Reynolds cleverly uses to underlie a combination of seductive police procedural and edge-of-your-seat political-themed thriller. Motivations are entertainingly murky, and Casey's frustrations become your own as she battles whispers about her integrity, the agendas of those who plan to make her the fall guy for their own failings, and uncomfortable relations within her own team. I loved her from pretty-much page one, and thoroughly enjoyed her spirit, and intelligence. She is an intriguing character, determined to get to the truth, and not beyond questioning her own attitudes as knotty themes of patriarchal power and manipulation rear their ugly heads.

Reynolds' writing is first-class, keeping your attention with suspenseful mystery, the tension of well-wrought menace, perfectly timed reveals, and drop dead gorgeous emotional barbs that add the punch of heavyweights like Dennis Lehane. And he makes it look so easy, especially given the way the threads all come together in a gripping climax, leaving just enough rope to hook you into the next book... which I am very much looking forward to. Have no doubt that I will be going back to take in Black Reed Bay very soon too! 

Shatter Creek is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can buy 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:

Rod Reynolds is the author of four novels, including the Charlie Yates series. His 2015 debut, The Dark Inside, was longlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger, and was followed by Black Night Falling (2016) and Cold Desert Sky (2018); the Guardian have called the books 'Pitch-perfect American noir.'

A lifelong Londoner, in 2020 Orenda Books published his first novel set in his hometown, Blood Red City. The first in the Casey Wray series, Black Reed Bay, published in 2021 was longlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger for Thriller of the year. Book two in the series, Shatter Creek, is out now. 

Rod previously worked in advertising as a media buyer, and holds an MA in novel writing from City University London. Rod lives with his wife and family and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his two young daughters.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

This edition published 15th September 2019 by Wordsworth Editions.

Originally published 1925.

From the cover of the book:

Generally considered to be F. Scott Fitzgerald's finest novel, The Great Gatsby is a consummate summary of the "roaring twenties", and a devastating expose of the ‘Jazz Age’.

Through the narration of Nick Carraway, the reader is taken into the superficially glittering world of the mansions which lined the Long Island shore in the 1920s, to encounter Nick's cousin Daisy, her brash but wealthy husband Tom Buchanan, Jay Gatsby and the mystery that surrounds him.

The Great Gatsby is an undisputed classic of American literature from the period following the First World War and is one of the great novels of the twentieth century.

***********

Spring 1922, young college graduate Nick Carraway, and former soldier in World War One, heads to New York to try his hand at being a bond broker. He settles in a modest bungalow on the West Egg shore of Long Island, amongst the palatial houses of New York's 'new money' - next door to the swanky estate of the mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby.

Through a meeting with his East Egg, 'old money' cousin Daisy Buchanan, Nick falls in with the set around Daisy, her wealthy husband Tom, and Daisy's pro-golfer friend Jordan Baker. He also earns himself an invitation to one of Gatsby's infamous, extravagant parities, and becomes unlikely friends with the enigmatic man behind the legend - who confides on him about his desire to win back his former love, Daisy.

Nick becomes enamoured of Gatsby, and the mystique surrounding him, losing himself in Jazz age excess. After having the knowledge of Tom's infidelity foisted upon him, he also becomes the go-between betwixt Jay and Daisy as they rekindle their relationship in secret. But fate will not let Gatsby have his happy ending...

This unforgettable Great American Novel is one of my favourite classic tragedies, and easily Fitzgerald's most well known book. I have been promising myself a reread since recently consuming Claire Anderson-Wheeler's highly entertaining, Long island murder mystery retelling The Gatsby Gambit, so when I spotted the Audible Original audio book, narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal, I was sold!

For the uninitiated, the plot follows the decline and fall of Jay Gatsby, a self-made man with many secrets whose obsession with an impossible fantasy brings tragedy, viewed though the heart-wrenching account of the thoroughly decent Nick Carraway. Based on episodes from Fitzgerald's own youth, it plumbs the depths behind the good and bad of the Roaring Twenties in East Coast USA, beautifully rendering the music, the economy, the libertine flapper lifestyle, rebellious youth, speakeasy culture, and the uncomfortable jostling of new money and old. Every character here falls prey to human frailty of one sort or another - some you will take to your heart, and others you will learn to despise... I leave it to you to decide who fits where.

Gyllenhaal does a fine job of taking on the role of story-teller Nick Carraway, the hopeful young man who becomes jaded after seeing the dark side of 1920's Jazz Age glamour. His voice carries you nicely through all the twists and turns of this dissection of love, money, hopes and dreams - and brings alive all the delicious subtleties of Fitzgerald's characters and prose. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my revisit to this story, and can highly recommend the audio book to new comers, and returning patrons, when it comes to this incredible novel. And it is currently free to Audible members!

The Great Gatsby is available to buy now in multiple formats.

About the author:

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in 1896 in St Paul, Minnesota, and went to Princeton University which he left in 1917 to join the army. Fitzgerald was said to have epitomised the Jazz Age, an age inhabited by a generation he defined as 'grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken'.

In 1920 he married Zelda Sayre. Their destructive relationship and her subsequent mental breakdowns became a major influence on his writing. Among his publications were five novels, This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night and The Love of the Last Tycoon (his last and unfinished work): six volumes of short stories and The Crack-Up, a selection of autobiographical pieces.

Fitzgerald died suddenly in 1940. After his death The New York Times said of him that 'He was better than he knew, for in fact and in the literary sense he invented a "generation" ... he might have interpreted them and even guided them, as in their middle years they saw a different and nobler freedom threatened with destruction.'

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

 

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.

This edition published 3rd November 2011 by Penguin Classics.

Originally published 1817.

From the cover of the book:

During an eventful season at Bath, young, naïve Catherine Morland experiences the joys of fashionable society for the first time.

She is delighted with her new acquaintances: flirtatious Isabella, who shares Catherine's love of Gothic romance and horror, and sophisticated Henry and Eleanor Tilney, who invite her to their father's mysterious house, Northanger Abbey.

There, her imagination influenced by novels of sensation and intrigue, Catherine imagines terrible crimes committed by General Tilney.

With its broad comedy and irrepressible heroine, this is the most youthful and and optimistic of Jane Austen's works.

***********

Young Catherine Morland is thrilled to be invited to join wealthy, childless neighbours Mr and Mrs Allen for a season in Bath. Leaving behind her bustling household of many siblings, Gothic novel obsessed Catherine looks forward to an exciting time, but Bath proves to be a little dull when one has few acquaintance in the town - until she meets the vivacious Isabella Thorpe, whose passion for all things Gothic matches her own (and who also calls on her affections as the surprise love interest of Catherine's older brother, James).

Then the chance of adventure truly arrives for Catherine, in the shape of handsome Henry Tilney, who has turned her head with his intriguing ways. Her romantic hopes receive a boost when his sister Eleanor invites her to stay with them at their father's house, Northanger Abbey. Fired up by her indulgence in romantic novels with Isabella, Catherine looks forward to stepping into her own Gothic mystery, but her flights of fancy lead her into mishaps and misunderstandings...

Northanger Abbey was the first novel Jane Austen completed in full, although, along with her most mature work Persuasion, it was not published until after her death - in a pairing of two novels that could not be more different in nature.

The story follows the coming-of-age adventures of naive seventeen-year-old Catherine Morland, who longs to emulate the literary heroines of her beloved Gothic novels - an unlikely prospect for a country clergyman's daughter. with little to recommend her beyond a good heart, easy humour, and a pretty face.

Bath proves to be a learning experience on many fronts, particularly through the influence of flirtatious Isabella Thorpe, and her meddlesome brother John. The twist and turns in their intimacies with the Thorpe family are confusing for our young heroine, and she comes to question their intentions over the course of the novel - with good reason.

Events become ever more complicated when Catherine decamps to Northanger Abbey with the Tilneys, and she gets herself into a terrible pickle through her obsessive desire to see intrigue and dark deeds where there are none - beyond a little financial ambition on the part of General Tilney.  Fortunately there is a quirky romance for Catherine and Henry at the heart of the story that ensures a happy ending for the beleaguered couple, which is rather sweet - and Henry is surely Austen's most comical hero of them all, even if he does rather take advantage of Catherine's unworldliness in his humorous joshing.

For me, this is an unusual book among the Austen stable, in the way it so obviously pokes fun at the fashion for extravagant Gothic novels - many of which are mentioned in the story, especially Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe. It also directly asks questions of its reader about the wildly unrealistic expectations, and actions, of the genre's protagonists in a hilariously unsubtle way, which Austen simply does not do in her other novels. I do love how she makes a case for novel reading among more weighty literary tomes, bigging up her own 'humble' efforts along the way. 

Although this one does not rank among my favourite Austen's, there is a lot to recommend it. It is definitely the lightest, and most relatable of Austen's works for a modern audience. It was fun to revisit through the lovely audio book narrated by the incomparable Juliet Stevenson on my journey through the wonderful works of Austen for #JaneAusten250. 

Onwards to a revisit of Emma next!

Northanger Abbey is available to buy now in multiple formats.

About the author:

Jane Austen, the daughter of a clergyman, was born in Hampshire in 1775, and later lived in Bath and the village of Chawton. As a child and teenager, she wrote brilliantly witty stories for her family's amusement, as well as a novella, Lady Susan.

Her first published novel was Sense and Sensibility, which appeared in 1811 and was soon followed by Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma.

Austen died in 1817, and Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously in 1818.

Cat Fight by Kit Conway

 

Cat Fight by Kit Conway.

Published 15th May 2025 by Transworld.

From the cover of the book:

When the peace shatters in suburbia, the claws come out . . .

Coralie King, Emma Brooks and Twig Dorsett are friends. Sort of. They're neighbours on an exclusive Sevenoaks estate who get along. It's convenient.

But one May bank holiday, Coralie's husband insists he saw a panther on the bonnet of his car. And cracks between the elite of the Briar Heart Estate begin to emerge.

As the summer wears on and there are more sightings, the big cat frenzy reaches a fever pitch. Tensions between neighbours threaten to boil over. Everyone is watching their back. But is the real predator a seventy-kilo cat with razor-sharp claws? Or is the actual danger of a much more domestic variety?

***********

On the exclusive Briar Heart Estate in leafy suburban Sevenoaks neighbours Coralie King, Emma Brooks and Twig Dorsett appear to be the best of pals. But the cracks in their friendship begin to show when Coralie's  husband, Adam, claims to have spotted a 'big cat' crouching on his car bonnet during an elegant supper party in their garden.

As summer temperatures begin to spike, tensions rise between the friends, spilling over to include simmering resentments within their own families. Rumours abound of a 'Sevenoaks Panther' prowling the parkland beyond their gardens, but should this community be more worried about what goes on behind the closed doors of its sizeable houses, rather than the risk of harm from the tooth and claw of a leopard..?

This is one of those books that starts with a slow-burn sizzle, weaving through the leafy environs of a Sevenoaks Desperate housewives set-up as Kit Conway hints at what lies beneath the affable smiles of the King, Brooks, and Dorsett families... but it is not long before the action spins out of control with a breath-taking, and seriously original twist.

Set against a delicious atmosphere of hysteria about a wild beast stalking the Kent countryside, Conway spins a complex tale of secrets and lies, going far beyond well-trodden suburban plotlines to tickle deep dark primitive fears of being stalked by a dangerous beast - and she keeps her cards very close to the chest about whether the danger really lies.

The pace hots up nicely, flipping between the perspectives of Coralie, Emma and Twig to explore mysterious past misdeeds, with reveals that expose lashings of human frailties steeped in jealousy, obsession, infidelity, and money worries. At various points in the story all three women display seemingly unhinged behaviour, using the situation to their own ends, and I loved how this masks what is really going on until the twist and twist again ending that leaves you reeling.

Lovely themes run through this story, particularly about marriage, motherhood, and hiding your true nature. Unexpected alliances add lovely emotional content too. I really enjoyed the thought provoking elements about persistent tales of big cats roaming the British countryside, and how we should tackle the issue.

A cracking summer read!

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

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

About the author:

Kit Conway lives in Kent with her husband and three sons. Prior to writing she worked as a corporate lawyer in London.

Cat Fight, her debut book club suspense novel, will be published by Transworld (UK) and Atria (US) in Summer 2025.

Under The Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell

 

Under the Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell.

Published 8th May 2025 by Avon.

From the cover of the book:

Could discovering a family secret encourage Kat to follow her heart?

Shattered by the sudden loss of her twin, Nik, Kat is lost in grief. The comfort of family feels both soothing and suffocating, but everything changes when she inherits a house on the breathtaking Greek island of Agistri from a mysterious uncle she’s never met.

Arriving on Agistri, Kat is mesmerized by its crystalline waters, lush pine forests, and the citrus-scented air. Among the white-washed houses and warm, welcoming locals, she begins to feel her heart heal. The island offers more than solace, sparking courage in Kat to face her loss ― and maybe even embrace the spark of unexpected love…

But as she unearths her family’s buried past, Kat must also confront her own fears of belonging, forgiveness ― and the possibility of rediscovering happiness in the shadow of heartbreak…

This soul-stirring novel from Emma Cowell, perfect for fans of Victoria Hislop, Carol Kirkwood and Karen Swan, offers an unforgettable journey of healing, heritage, and the hope that blooms under the Grecian sun.

***********

Months after the car accident that killed her twin brother, Nik, journalist Kat is still overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her spiritual 'other half'. Her family and friends mean well, but are smothering  her with their attempts to protect her in her fragile state. When she discovers she has inherited a house on the beautiful Greek island of Agistri from the uncle she never knew existed, she sees a chance to get away from their constant meddling in her life.

Kat is enchanted with Agistri from the moment she steps ashore. Although she regrets never knowing her uncle, she looks forward to time using her skills as an interior designer to transform the house he left her - and hopefully to finally follow her dream to become an author at the same time.

Renovations, writing, and the Greek sun reawaken Kat's spirits, helped along by the undeniable frisson between her and her handsome neighbour, Andreas, who she considers infuriating and attractive in equal measure. But Agistri is also a place that holds secrets about her nearest and dearest, and Kat will never find true happiness until she has made peace with the demons of her own, and her family's, past.

A new Emma Cowell book means a new heart-wrenching adventure under the Greek sun, and this time, under the shady branches of an ancient lemon tree too! The slow-burn story unfurls through the eyes of Kat, as she tries to navigate the unfathomable loss of her twin, and best friend, Nik - the Apollo to her Artemis, which Cowell uses as the most delicious mythological thread to trace the intricacies of their relationship, and the impact of the many secrets that come spilling out on Agistri. And secrets there are a-plenty, tied to the history of Kat's parents' generation, and her own, which they must all confront before healing and forgiveness can follow.  

In that way she does so well, Cowell combines the loveliest of stories with the heady atmosphere of Greece in all its splendour, particularly when it comes to the people, the environment, and culinary delights to set your tastebuds alight. She also displays her considerable writing talent, once again, to explore deep sorrow, regret, and the complicated feelings that come with family relationships mired in relatable emotional baggage.

This story thrums with multiple threads of second chances at happiness, and I revelled in every single one, especially the very best of will-they-won't-they love stories between Kat and Andreas, with twists and turns that kept my heart firmly in my mouth. The waves of emotion keep coming with the poignant highs and lows of the characters, and I shed a lot of tears as I shared their journeys. Cowell's best book yet - and it even has an adorable kitty character too!

Under the Lemon Tree is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Avon for ending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Emma lives in Cornwall with her husband, Tony who is also a writer. A former actress and BBC presenter, segueing from being paid to talk for a living into writing was a natural progression, since story telling has been at the heart of her career to date. Outside of work, Emma is a keen angler and is attempting to learn Greek to maintain her love affair with the country where she has set her novels. She is yet to achieve a level of proficiency outside of tavernas and bakeries.

A Beautiful Way To Die by Eleni Kyriacou

 

A Beautiful Way To Die by Eleni Kyriacou.

Published 8th May 2025 by Aries.

From the cover of the book:

PLAY THEIR GAME
Hollywood, 1953. Young actress Ginny Watkins is turning heads. Even the legendary - and married - actor Max Whitman can't resist the allure of the hottest new starlet. He promises Ginny the world, in return for the right favour.

DO WHAT THEY SAY
London, 1954. Stella Hope, once the most famous actress in Hollywood, has been ousted to Ealing Studios after her divorce from the powerful Max. Just as she accepts her fate, she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made many years ago.

OR THEY'LL BURY YOU
Two women on either side of stardom find themselves in the orbit of the same beguiling man. And one night, in the shadows of a glamorous Oscars afterparty, their lives are changed forever.

A Beautiful Way to Die delves into the decadence and depravity of the early film industry from Hollywood to London. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Babylon.

***********

Hollywood, 1953. Aspiring actress, Ginny Watkins, travels from London to Los Angeles for the chance to make it big as a movie star. With a brand new name and look, she is willing to do almost anything to earn a contract with Star Studios, and when she catches the eye of the legendary Max Whitman she begins an affair that she hopes will be her ticket to stardom - even though he is married to famous actress Stella Hope.

London, 1954. Once the toast of Tinseltown, Stella Hope is now out in the cold on loan to Ealing Studios. Her fall from grace following her divorce from Max Whitman has been a bitter pill to swallow, but she has no choice but to accept the down-turn in her career - until a black mail letter drops onto her door mat...

Inspired by uncomfortable truths about 1950's Hollywood, A Beautiful Way to Die delves into the dark side of the film industry, through the perspectives of young starlet Ginny Watkins, and aging star Stella Hope, whose fates are tied together through their relationship with powerful, but flawed, Hollywood royalty, Max Whitman.

The story unfurls in perfectly wrought slow-burn style, with weaving storylines that flip between Ginny, Stella, make-up artist Maggie (who befriends Stella in her exile at Ealing Studios), and the chilling narrative of an unnamed woman confined to an LA asylum, creating an ensemble piece that is absolutely gripping - and has a brilliantly contrived mystery at its core.

Through their experiences, Kyriacou does a stellar (pun intended) job of exposing the horrors beneath the glamour of an industry dominated by the all powerful studio system that manufactured the 'stars' of the silver screen. This is a world where image is everything. Stars are treated with kid-gloves, pampered and preened, and protected by Hollywood fixers who hide their indiscretions. And those hoping to become stars are willing to change every little thing about themselves to become famous, including being subjected to all manner of physical, mental, and sexual abuse - especially the young women forced to endure fragile egos, fierce rivalries, betrayals, and the 'casting couch' process at the heart of a corrupt film industry.

This is one of those books that grabs you from the first page, tying you to the heart-wrenching tragedies, and glorious triumphs of its female characters as the twists and turns of its complex plot play out, and Kyriacou maintains pitch perfect tension throughout. I particularly enjoyed how she explores the fate of 'difficult' women in this story - a timeless and ever pertinent theme!

I loved it!

A Beautiful Way To Die is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and or inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

The third novel from Eleni Kyriacou, author of BBC Between the Covers pick The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou. Set on the casting couches of 1950s Hollywood and London, it follows the story of three women before and after their rise to fame during the heyday of film and celebrity.

Sun Trap by Rachel Wolf

 

Sun Trap by Rachel Wolf.

Published 8th May 2025 by Aries.

From the cover of the book:

BE CAREFUL
Ellie has wanted to be an actor since she was a child so, when a role in a blockbuster film presents itself, she grabs it.

WHAT YOU
On the plane to Abu Dhabi to begin filming, Ellie overhears something she shouldn't - two people discussing plans for murder.

WISH FOR
Unsure if it's a misunderstanding, and not wanting to ruin her big break, Ellie remains quiet. Then ten members of the cast become nine...

Ellie needs to be careful - it's more than just her career on the line.

Because she isn't who she says she is. And liars are always the prime suspect.

***********

Ellie longs for a career as an actor, so when a set of extraordinary circumstances lead to the opportunity to take on a role in a star-studded film on location in Abu Dhabi, she grabs the chance with both hands. However, the potentially career making job starts in the most inauspicious way, when Ellie hears two unidentified people on the plane to their swanky desert hotel discussing plans for a murder...

When one of the film crew subsequently dies, Ellie is caught in a dilemma. She might hold the key to solving the crime, but admitting it to the police means risking uncomfortable questions she would prefer to avoid. Because Ellie is not who they think she is...

Sun Trap is a highly entertaining destination thriller, with all the fun of clashing egos, and trolley-loads of emotional baggage. The story plays out from Ellie's perspective, as events begin to go seriously awry on the film shoot, and then flips back and forth in time to expose jaw-dropping twists that take the plot in very surprising directions. 

Wolf cleverly uses the glamorous location to make this feel every ounce a Christie-esque locked-room whodunnit, as a storm rages around the hotel, which I loved. And she has Ellie facing peril from multiple directions at once as she does not know who she can trust with her life and her secrets, pitting the danger from the human element within the hotel against the life-threatening desert environment in which it is set.

Bodies begin to pile up as murky scores are settled, and I think I suspected practically everyone of having blood on their hands at some point along the way. Wolf really keeps you on your toes, ramping up the tension to fever pitch, and when she subverts what you think is a doppelganger plot into something far more complicated, she certainly sets you reeling. Lovely themes run through this page-turner too, especially deception and revenge, which are perfect for a story filled with characters who are used to hiding who they really are beneath manufactured images. 

I swallowed this gem whole, and was absolutely here for every gritty (pun intended), dramatic second. 

Sun Trap is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Ransom PR for inviting me to join this blog tour.

About the author:

Rachel Wolf is the author of the luxury thriller FIVE NIGHTS and SUN TRAP. Before writing, she worked in the travel industry, and FIVE NIGHTS takes inspiration from some of her travels.

Human Remains (Kat And Lock Book Three) by Jo Callaghan

 

Human Remains (Kat And Lock Book Three) by Jo Callaghan.

Published 24th April 2025 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

The truth will always come out, but at what cost?

Fresh from successfully closing their first live case, the Future Policing Unit are called in to investigate when a headless, handless body is found on a Warwickshire farm. But as they work to identify the victim and their killer, the discovery of a second body begins to spark fears that The Aston Strangler is back. And as the stakes rise for the team, so do the tensions brewing within it.

When DCS Kat Frank is accused of putting the wrong man behind bars all those years ago, AIDE Lock – the world's first AI Detective – pursues the truth about what happened with relentless logic. But Kat is determined to keep the past buried, and when she becomes the target of a shadowy figure looking for revenge, Lock is torn between his evidence-based algorithms and the judgement of his partner, with explosive results. 

When everything hangs in the balance, it will all come down to just how much an AI machine can learn, and what happens when they do . . .

***********

The Future Policing Unit (FPU) is riding high following their success closing their first live case, proving that human detectives and cutting edge AI technology can work together to make a difference. Their chance to make further in-roads into traditional police work comes when DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock are called in to investigate human remains found on a river bank.

As they try to establish an identity for the headless corpse, ghosts from Kat's past complicate matters when a podcast suggests that the case that made Kat's name resulted in a the wrong man being convicted. When a second body is discovered, people begin questioning whether The Aston Strangler is still out there somewhere. With her reputation on the line, and her team under pressure, Kat and Lock are under intense scrutiny to show their unconventional partnership can produce results - not easy when Kat has become the target of a dangerous revenge plot, and she has secrets she is desperate to keep...

Human Remains is the third exciting outing for DCS Kat Frank and her brilliant, but problematic, 'partner' AIDE Lock. Fans of the series will know quite how much Jo Callaghan manages to create gripping cases for them to solve while delving into all the knotty issues about the shape of policing in the future, and this time around she pulls out all the stops to make this story more thought provoking than ever.

As before, Callaghan sets up the story with a beginning that hooks you straight into the police proceedings, when a headless body is found on a river bank bordering a rural farm. In short order, the FPU team are back in action, carrying you along on the twists and turns of a difficult investigation. The gang are all here, and up to their necks in walking the tight-rope of traditional vs cutting edge methods, and human instinct vs AI logic to solve crime, while negotiating the minefield of politics and public opinion - Kat, ambitious DI Hassan, Karen-from-comms (affectionately referred to as KFC), unconventional pathologist in Dr Judith Edwards, super-smart Professor Okonedo, and Okonedo's incredible invention AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock (an AI capable of Deep Learning). Even DS Browne, now on maternity leave, has a part to play in discovering the leads that can crack the case.

Intriguingly, the past has a big part to play in both the case, and the pressure Kat is under from having her professional judgment and integrity questioned through a meddlesome podcaster. I really enjoyed how Callaghan explores the impact of historical misdeeds, reputation, and social media as the threads weave together, cleverly using the deliciously tense twists to reveal the painful truth about Kat's involvement in the case of The Aston Strangler. I promise you will not see the shocking surprises coming...

What thrills me the most about this third cracker in the series though is the quite brilliant way Callaghan slowly introduces the seeds of unsettling developments in the relationships within the FPU team, causing you to questions exactly what you think you know about them and their agenda... but no spoilers from me!

An absolute page-turner of the highest order, I absorbed this in a single sitting, and cannot wait for book four!

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

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for sending me an ecopy 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:

Jo Callaghan works full time as a senior strategist, carrying out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce. She was a student of the Writers' Academy Course (Penguin Random House) and was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Writing Competition and Bath Novel Competition.

After losing her husband to cancer in 2019 when she was just forty-nine, she started writing In the Blink of an Eye, her debut crime novel, which explores learning to live with loss and what it means to be human. She lives with her two children in the Midlands, where she spends far too much time tweeting as @JoCallaghanKat and is currently working on further novels in the series.

 April 2025 Reading Round-Up

A hectic month on the home front meant a lot less time on social media, and I feel much better for it. A lack of scrolling also meant more time for reading, despite being so busy! 

I reviewed seventeen smashing books in April, including blog tours, SquadPod bookclub picks, classic gems, and a couple which have been lauguishing in the tbr pile for a while...

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

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The Gatsby Gambit by Claire Anderson Wheeler

Death And Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth

The Golden Hour by Kate Lord Brown

All That We Are by Mariah Stewart

Dangerous by Essie Fox

The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie

The Voyage Home by Pat Barker

The Cure by Eve Smith

This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen

Work Trip by Chloe Ford

Strangers In Time by David Baldacci

Mapp And Lucia by E.F. Benson

Best Summer Ever by Heidi Swain

Hail Mary by Funmi Fetto

A Line You Have Traced by Roisin Dunnett

I am planning less social media and more reading this month too... there are some brilliiant books on my May pile, so watch this space... 😁

If you like my oictures, why not head to my Instagram account at @brownflopsy for more!