The Merge by Grace Walker

 

The Merge by Grace Walker.

Published 6th November 2025 by Magpie.

From the cover of the book:

Once the process begins, there can be no going back, we will always be together…

Laurie is sixty-five and living with Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Amelia can’t bear to see her mother’s mind fade. Faced with the reality of losing her forever, Amelia signs them up to take part in the world’s first experimental merging process for Alzheimer’s patients, in which Laurie’s ailing mind will be transferred into Amelia’s healthy body and their consciousness will be blended as one.

Soon Amelia and Laurie join a group of other merge participants: teenage Lucas, who plans to merge with his terminally ill brother Noah; Ben, who will merge with his pregnant fiancée Annie; and Jay, whose merging partner is his unwilling addict daughter Lara.

As they prepare to move to The Village, a luxurious rehabilitation centre for those who have merged, they quickly begin to question whether everything is really as it seems.

**********

Sixty-five year old Laurie is learning to live with Alzheimer's, but her daughter, Amelia, is finding it impossible to face the thought of losing her mother to the disease. For Amelia there is only one answer: signing up to an experimental procedure called the Merge, where their consciousnesses will be combined inside one living body - even though this has yet to be tried on anyone suffering from Alzheimer's.

In order to undergo the procedure, Amelia and Laurie must enter into a period of adjustment alongside other potential Combines to ensure they are compatible for merging. Soon, they are learning to accept exactly what this ground-breaking method will mean for them both, and their fellow candidates - teenager Lucas, who hopes to save his terminally ill brother, Noah: Ben, who plans to merge with his pregnant fiancée Annie: and Jay, who is desperate to help his daughter, Lara, conquer her addiction.

But as the group prepare to head for The Village, where the recently merged recover, they begin to question if this is really the solution they are looking for...

I am always searching for a speculative novel that hits the perfect unsettling 'Ira Levin' spot, and I am delighted to tell you that Grace Walker's chilling debut, The Merge, definitely makes the cut! 

Against a deliciously Dystopian, near future settling, where humankind is reaping the toll of its consumerist folly, Walker spins a tale with a highly original premise, where the answer lies in halving the burden upon the world by combining the minds of two people in one body. Sold on the notion of sacrifice for the greater good (and the privileges that come with life as a Combine), the process of merging is taking off - although there are many who are fundamentally, and loudly, opposed to the idea, including those close to Amelia and Laurie.

However, with Laurie's Alzheimer's taking hold, and the promise that merging can also cure what ails you by blending you with another's healthy body, Amelia is convinced this is the only way to save her nearest and dearest from fading away. And she is not the only one. However, the induction process throws up a lot of unnerving questions for the candidates, which Walker uses beautifully to gradually settling an icy chill in the pit of your stomach about what they are getting themselves in to.

The first part of the story flips back and forth between Laurie and Amelia, before heading to disturbing scenes at The Village, and Walker pulls you gently into the subversive layers of her plot through oodles of lovely emotional content, rich in insightful explorations of dementia, memory, and loss. You find yourself revelling in a story full of themes about complex dynamics around parent-child, sibling, and romantic relationships that the sudden shift towards full-on speculative drama almost takes you by (very pleasant) surprise. The twists are fabulous, with absolutely first-class writing from Walker in every respect!

The pace is very much sophisticated slow-burn for most of the novel, rather than relentless thrills, but the accomplished build-up is so worth it when the pay-off arrives. This is easily one of my books for 2025, and I am salivating at the prospect of the sequel which I am certain is on the horizon.

The Merge is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.

Thank you to Magpie for sending me a copy of this book in return 

A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft

 

A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft.

Published 6th November 2025 by Avon.

From the cover of the book:

Can the happiest time of year heal the most broken of hearts?

Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet.

To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye?

Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends old and new make this a Christmas to remember after all?

***********

Georgine France normally loves the run up to Christmas, but this year is doing its best to dim her sparkle. Her ex-boyfriend has left her burdened with debts (and debt collectors knocking on her door), her father is recovering from a stroke, and her younger sister has moved in. It's a lot to cope with. Her solace is the sheer joy she gets from her job as Events Director at Acting Instrumental, a performing arts college, and she has plenty to distract her organising this year's Christmas production.

When a new staff member, Joe Blackthorn, joins the college staff, he is allocated to Georgine as her assistant. She can certainly use the help, but there is something weird about his arrival, and she cannot fathom why he feels so familiar...

The book unfurls from the perspectives of Georgine and Joe. Moorcroft does a lovely job weaving together past and present to reveal how, and why, Georgine feels a connection with Joe, while delving into their current trials and tribulations. Charcteristically, Moorcroft loads their story with heavy themes (this time around poverty, financial troubles, and the legacy of dysfunctional childhoods), but these dovetail into more lighthearted elements, and all the threads tie up in an uplifting ending.

Much of the story revolves around music, and the performing arts, and if you are a fan of college-set tales you will find lots to please you. I very much enjoyed the variety of characters - and they way they all pulled together.

Definitely not an overtly Christmassy story, but it has bags of warmth with festive undertones. And the ending hits the 'ahh' spot nicely!

A Christmas Gift is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Award-winning author Sue Moorcroft writes contemporary women’s fiction with occasionally unexpected themes.

The daughter of two soldiers, Sue was born in Germany and went on to spend much of her childhood in Malta and Cyprus. She likes reading, Zumba, FitStep, yoga, and watching Formula 1.

Blackwater (The Jonny Murphy Files Book Three) by Sarah Sultoon

 

Blackwater (The Jonny Murphy Files Book Three) by Sarah Sultoon.

Published 4th December 2025 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

London, Christmas 1999. The world is on edge. With the new millennium just days away, fears of the Millennium Bug are spiralling – warnings of computer failures, market crashes, even global catastrophe. But fifty miles east, on the frozen Blackwater Island, a different kind of mystery unfolds. A child's body is discovered on the bracken, untouched by footprints, with no sign of how he died. And no one has come forward to claim him.

At the International Tribune, reporter Jonny Murphy senses something is off. Police are appealing for relatives, not suspects. An anonymous call led officers to the scene, but no one knows who made it. While the world fixates on a digital apocalypse, Jonny sees the real disaster unfolding closer to home. With just twenty-hour hours before the century turns, he heads to Blackwater – driven by curiosity, desperation, and the sting of rejection from his colleague Paloma.

But Blackwater has secrets buried deep in the frozen ground. More victims – some dead, others still paying for past sins. And when Paloma catches up to him, they stumble onto something far bigger than either of them imagined. Something that could change everything. The millennium is coming. The clock is ticking. Can Jonny stop it? Should he?

And what if Y2K wasn't a hoax, but a warning...?

***********

London, December 1999. Journalist Jonny Murphy is now a full-time member of staff at the International Tribune, working alongside Paloma, the photographer who helped him break the story about the resurgence of the death flights in Argentina.

Jonny is frustrated with stories centred on escalating fears about the Millennium Bug. His mood has also been unsettled by failing the course he needed to allow him to take on more exciting projects at the paper (something he felt unnecessary given his experience in the field), and his uncertainty about Paloma's feelings towards him.

When the body of a child is found on Blackwater Island, Essex, with no indication of how it got there, Jonny's boss gives him a twenty-four-hour-pass away from Millennium Bug coverage to see if he can find out anything about the mystery. While the world is fixated on the upcoming digital apocalypse, Jonny discovers that Blackwater Island is the centre of a dangerous cover up that could see something far worse than computer failure unleashed at the strike of midnight on the eve of the new millennium...

Jonny Murphy is back in his third gripping adventure, this time on home-grown turf in the wilds of Essex. Fed up with his lot at the paper, where a constant round of coverage about the Millennium Bug is sending him crazy, Jonny is excited to be offered the chance to see what he can find out about the death of a small child that no one else seems to be concerned about, despite the unusual circumstances that surround the event.

With just twenty-four hours before he must be back in London to cover the Millennium Eve celebrations, Jonny has a hunch that there is a much bigger story here than meets the eye, and he is right. With Paloma on side, and the help of disaffected DI Gillian Peters, who has single-handedly been losing the battle against crime in her marshy neck of the woods for years, the threads of the story take a sinister turn. Otherworldly tales of ghostly apparitions protecting Blackwater Island abound, stemming from Viking folklore, and the locals give out a Reform Party by way of The Wicker Man vibe, which all adds to the eerie atmosphere. 

A slow-burn mystery develops into fast-paced action tale, in Sultoon's characteristic style, with lashings of 'bait-and-switch' twists, hinging on sins of the past and a conspiracy of silence that draws on some very uncomfortable history about horribly real cloak-and-dagger government operations. I loved how Sultoon makes this fit so well with the story elements around the paranoia that gripped the world around the impact of the Millennium Bug - which I remember well. It was wonderful to see Jonny and Paloma working together once again too.

This was fantastic read, that kept me firmly on the edge of my seat. The plot is devilishly clever, with just the right amount of mystery, action, and emotion - and it is packed with the kind of thought-provoking themes I have come to expect from an author of Sultoon's calibre. 

Blackwater is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by choosing to 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:

Sarah Sultoon is a journalist and writer, whose work as an international news executive at CNN has taken her all over the world, from the seats of power in both Westminster and Washington to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan. She has extensive experience in conflict zones, winning three Peabody awards for her work on the war in Syria, an Emmy for her contribution to the coverage of Europe's migrant crisis in 2015, and a number of Royal Television Society gongs.

As passionate about fiction as nonfiction, she recently completed a Masters of Studies in Creative Writing at the University of Cambridge, adding to an undergraduate language degree in French and Spanish, and Masters of Philosophy in History, Film and Television.

When not reading or writing she can usually be found somewhere outside, either running, swimming or throwing a ball for her three children and dog while she imagines what might happen if...

The Cat Share by Angela Jariwala

 

The Cat Share by Angela Jariwala.

Published 4th December 2025 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

Sometimes it’s as simple as meeting the boy next door.

Jenni lives alone with her cat Oscar – yes, she’s single but, after breaking up with her boyfriend, she’s more than content to be living alone. Sometimes she worries she might be playing things too safe, but she’s had enough of taking risks.

Ben is a firefighter and, if he’s honest, he’s finding life hard. The arrival of a small tabby cat, who Ben decides to call Fred, helps him feel less isolated. But then, one day, Ben decides to take a chance. Wanting to reassure Fred’s owner he’s not stealing their cat, he attaches a note to the cat’s collar.

As the two neighbours start corresponding via the cat, their notes to each other reveal the truths they are hiding from even their closest friends, and themselves.

***********

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Jenni has settled into a routine living the solo life. It just seems easier to avoid the risks that might come with a new relationship, and she is perfectly content with just her cat, Oscar, for company... most of the time. Ben is a firefighter, with a job that requires bravery, but on the inside he is struggling... until a small tabby cat, he calls 'Fred', decides to make friends with him. Suddenly Ben does not feel so alone. 

Ben is sure a cat of 'Fred's' calibre must have an owner in the neighbourhood, so he decides to attach a note to his collar to reassure them he has no intention of stealing him. Jenni finds the note on Oscar's collar (surprise, surprise) when he returns home to her. Soon the two strangers are sending notes to each other via cat-mail - notes which will change their lives for the better.

This warm-hearted twist on The Go Between (with a sprinkling of The Flatshare) has two strangers opening up their hearts to each other through the intervention of a very special postie - the delightful cat, Oscar (or Fred, depending on who he is spending time with).

It is easy to fall for this novel from the very first chapter, especially if you are lucky enough to have a cat friend in your life. Jariwala clearly knows a thing or two about being chosen by a feline friend, and she writes Oscar as just the right side of wayward - with characteristics that all cat owners will be more than familiar with. This introduces a lot of humour to the story, and I found myself frequently laughing out loud when it comes to his kitty antics.

As the story weaves back and forth between Jenni and Ben, via Oscar, the way they begin to open up to each other on paper is wonderfully touching, and they share the truths that they have kept secret from the world, and even themselves. Emotions flow, and a romance that neither of them knew they were looking for (even if crafty Oscar did) sparks into life. Ahh.

This is a gentle tale that manages to work its way right into you heart. I became deeply invested in the fate of Jenni and Ben, wanting everything good for them, all the way to the golden ending. Absolutely perfect comfort reading! 

The Cat Share is available to buy now in paperback, 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 be part of this Books and the City blog tour.

About the author:

Angela Jariwala was born in West London to parents from Surat, India. She was a published author of two young adult novels, both published by Mantra Lingua Ltd, an award-winning publisher of multi-cultural and multi-lingual books for children and young people. Angela sadly passed away in December 2021.

 November 2025 Reading Round-Up

Twelve gems on the reading/listening pile in November!

You can find your way to my thoughts by clicking on the pics below...

Vengeful Women by Melanie Blake

The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen

White Raven by Maggie Ritchie

The Beauty of Living Twice by Sharon Stone

The Happy Hoofer by Celia Imrie

Escape to the Northern Lights by Carrie Walker

Scars of Silence by Johana Gustawsson

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage by Kim Nash

The Samurai Detectives by Shotaro Ikenami

The Nancys by R.W.R. McDonald

Chef's Kiss at the Chalet by Sookie Snow

The end of 2025 is nearly upon us, but I am hoping to squeeze in a few more books yet...

Stay tuned to see how I get on!