Body Of Lies (Kat And Lock Book Four) by Jo Callaghan

 

Body of Lies (Kat And Lock Book Four) by Jo Callaghan.

Published 21st May 2026 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

Human suspicion. AI manipulation.

When truth can be rewritten, who can you trust?

DCS Kat Frank is back at the Future Policing Unit after a devastating loss - and straight into her most disturbing case yet.

On Halloween night, a local MP is found murdered. Beside the body is a taunting message in binary code, aimed directly at Kat:

Catch me if you can.

The victim was a vocal opponent of AI. The motive looks political. But as Kat investigates with her partner, AIDE Lock - the world’s first AI detective - the case spirals into something far more dangerous.

Then a cyberattack takes down the National Grid.

With the country in chaos and lives on the line, Kat and Lock must track a killer who is always one step ahead. But in a world of deepfakes, deception and digital ghosts, instinct is no longer enough.

Kat must decide whether to trust the one thing she still fears most: her AI partner.

Because this time, Lock may not just be solving the case.

He may be changing what it means to be human.

Can Kat stop a killer before the lights go out for good?

***********

DCS Kat Frank has not been home since the terrifying hostage situation that saw DI Rayan Hassan become collateral damage in a last ditch attempt to save her. Being back in the house means coming to terms with more loss and trauma - and deciding whether she can still trust her AI partner AIDE Lock. 

She and her FPU (Future Police Unit) team need to pick themselves up and get back to work without Hassan, and the opportunity presents itself when an anti-AI campaigning MP is murdered and strung up for all to see on a historic pillory in Coleshill.

There is something strange about this case from the start. The local powercut that coincided with the murder is odd, and the killer seems determined to taunt Kat and Lock. But the full scale of the dark motivation behind the crime only comes to light when a massive cyber attack on the National Grid brings the country to a dangerous standstill - just as the government are considering an AI bill which might see Lock finally get the body he desires... 

This concluding volume of the gripping Kat and Lock series is the most ambitious, tense, and thought-provoking of them all. When a slow-burn murder investigation blows wide open into a national security situation of epic proportions, Kat and her team must race against the clock to find a killer and a cyber-terrorist. With the country on its knees, and lives in the balance, Lock is central to the investigation, but can they trust him to have human interests as his priority in the light of recent events?

Callaghan goes all out in this story, and I was kept teetering on the edge of my seat as the twists and turns culminate in a jaw-dropping finale that is as chilling as it is emotional - one which is so cleverly fore-shadowed earlier in the story. Trust issues keep things interesting, and every member of the team has a vital part to play - plus Kat's son Cam on his trusty bicycle! 

I cannot wait to see what comes next from Jo Callaghan, because this has been quite a ride!

Body of Lies is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to The Book Club reviewers group on Facebook for providing me with an ecopy.

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, and working  on further novels.

Dark Is The Morning by Rupert Thomson

Dark is the Morning by Rupert Thomson.

Published 7th May 2026 by Apollo.

From the cover of the book:

Sometimes love isn't where you belong

In a mountain village in the Abruzzo region of Italy, Gino, a troubled young man, realises that his childhood sweetheart Franca can give his life the happiness and stability he needs. They seem made for each other, and move to a remote house in the countryside - but there is something in Franca's past that haunts Gino.

Descending into pathological jealousy and resentment towards a married man who had been Franca's lover, Gino is unable to stop himself imagining the worst, and embarks on a violent path that has catastrophic consequences.

Shifting between tenderness and paranoia, beauty and tragedy, this is an extraordinary novel from one of the UK's most unpredictable and celebrated writers.

***********

Gino, is a young man with a troubled past, which almost everyone in his mountain village in Abruzzo, Italy, is familiar with. He becomes convinced that the only person who can give him the happiness he needs is Franca, the girl he has not seen since his childhood - the one who told him at nine years old that they would marry. Reconnecting with Franca seems like the most natural thing in the world, and they fall into a romance, certain they are destined for each other. 

They settle into married life in a remote farmhouse, and Franca quickly falls pregnant. This should be the happiest time of their lives, but Gino is struggling with the recent death of his father, and when their son is born he cannot comprehend how such a beautiful, magnetic child as Elio could possibly be his. Unable to reconcile himself to fatherhood, dark thoughts begin to rise in Gino's mind, fuelled by suspicion that Franca's former married lover is the father of their child... and his jealously leads him into violence.

This powerful novel begins, and ends, with chapters written from the perspective of Harry, a Brit who purchased a holiday home in Abruzzo when Gino was a child, and who had been friends with his father. In between, the story ebbs and flows through Gino's eyes, as he descends from happiness into destructive acts sparked by his obsession with Franca's ex lover. The structure works really well by immersing you in an almost stream of consciousness mental breakdown of a young man shaped by the difficult relationship he has with his own father, sandwiched between a prophetic prologue and viscerally affecting epilogue through the eyes of an outsider.

This is the kind of novel that slowly gets its claws into you. I gradually found myself completely immersed in Gino's transformation from hopeful lover to someone tortured by his inner thoughts. It is an uncomfortable experience being inside his head as he careers into a breakdown, but it is impossible to look away.

The title captures the tone of this novel beautifully, but there are moments of tenderness and friendship woven into the story that really show Thomson's skill in balancing light and shade - even if human frailty is the overwhelming theme. I especially admired the way his male characters are portrayed, with their inability to express emotion in a healthy way - though do not expect to find the same insight in his female characters, even Franca, who we only ever see through the gaze of Gino or Harry.

There is a fascinating thread of speculative wonder that runs through the novel in respect of Gino and Franca's child, with the occasional clever use of symbolism. Thomson has the ability to evoke a tangible feeling of place in this little corner of Italy that is astonishingly atmospheric too.

I was not sure what to expect of this book, but it has left with great respect for a writer (apparently one of David Bowie's favourite authors) who has not previously been on my radar. This one will stay with me for a long time. 

Dark is the Morning 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.

About the author:

Rupert Thomson is the author of eight highly acclaimed novels, of which Air and Fire and The Insult were shortlisted for the Writer's Guild Fiction Prize and the Guardian Fiction Prize respectively. 

His most recent novel, Death of a Murderer, was shortlisted for the 2008 Costa Novel Award. His memoir This Party's Got to Stop was published in 2009.

 

Under The Blazing Sun (Murder By The Book: Book Two) by Jenny Lund Madsen

 

Under the Blazing Sun (Murder by the Book: Book Two) by Jenny Lund Madsen.

Translated by Paul Russell Garrett.

Published 21st May 2026 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut―and she’s out of ideas. After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses.

But inspiration doesn’t strike―murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation… again. The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn’t.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she’s trapped inside one.

Dark, sly and deliciously atmospheric, Under the Blazing Sun is the second novel in the award-winning series featuring accidental sleuth and disgruntled literary author Hannah, whose pursuit of plot twists keeps turning dangerously real.

***********

Disgruntled Danish writer, Hannah Krause-Bendix, has mixed feelings about the success of her debut crime novel, Murder Island - the book she wrote for a dare on her writing retreat in Iceland, after becoming involved in a murder investigation. It may have brought her some financial breathing space, but how she despises the genre in comparison with her worthy literary novels. 

Her agent Bastian is now pestering her for the sequel she promised him, but in the midst of her writer's block woes, and frustration that her romance with her married Icelandic lover Margrét is not going as planned, she has zero plot ideas. After walking out on a TV interview in a huff, Bastian tries a last ditch attempt to get Hannah back to work by sending her off on another writing retreat - this time to a luxury villa, owned by a mysterious friend, on the Italian island of Sicily.

Sunny Sicily is an improvement on grey Copenhagen, but rather than inspiring ideas, the only thing flowing is the wine. Hannah's trip takes a fateful turn when she meets a wealthy Swedish couple, who invite her to spend the night at their palatial home. In an alcohol-induced haze she accepts, and somehow finds herself mixed up in another murder. The only way for her to prove she is not a suspect is to investigate the crime herself, and just maybe history will repeat itself by getting her writing juices flowing too... if she can stay alive long enough. 

Reluctant crime writer, Hannah is back in a sequel which is just as rollicking good fun as her previous Nordic adventure - this time in the sunny climes of Sicily. Under pressure to produce results, and in the wrong place at the wrong time when it comes to dastardly deeds (once again), Hannah has to brush off her sleuthing skills... accompanied with a glass of wine, or four.

In her typically egotistical, and completely chaotic, style, Hannah gets to work travelling over the island in her trusty yellow Fiat Panda, rubbing up the police and shady mafia-types the wrong way, and getting caught up in a love triangle with tricky consequences. Her less than professional (often inebriated) methods turn up surprising clues, leading to tense reckonings in the company of unexpected helpmates - and the plot for a brand new crime thriller (of course).

This is a thrilling crime caper, set against a fabulous backdrop, that is every bit as entertaining and atmospheric as the first Murder by the Book instalment Thirty Days of Darkness, albeit with a dramatic change in climate. The writing flows (hats off to excellent translation skills from Paul Russell Garrett), the plot thickens with well-wrought mystery, and the laughs come thick and fast, as the threads work themselves out in enjoyable whodunit style - with a side order of thought provoking themes around love, loss, and mafia corruption. It was a wonderful to see Hannah's literary nemesis Jørn Jensen returning with a bigger comic role, and there is a lovely emotional parting shot in the story that hints at intriguing developments in Hannah's love life too.

I swallowed it whole, loved every joyous moment, and cannot wait for book three!

Under the Blazing Sun is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to orenda Books for sending me a proof of this book, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to join this blog tour.

About the author:

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed screenwriters, known for international hits such as Rita and Follow the Money, as well as for her advocacy for better representation of sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater).

 Her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness―the first in an addictive new series―won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the Year and was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award. She lives in Denmark with her young family.

The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie

 

The Mysterious Mr Quin by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 20th April 2017 by Harper Collins.

Originally published 1930.

From the cover of the book:

A mysterious stranger appears at a New Year’s Eve party, becoming the enigmatic sleuthing sidekick to the snobbish Mr Satterthwaite…

So far, it had been a typical New Year’s Eve house party. But Mr Satterthwaite – a keen observer of human nature – sensed that the real drama of the evening was yet to unfold.

So it proved when a mysterious stranger arrived after midnight. Who was this Mr Quin? And why did his presence have such a pronounced effect on Eleanor Portal, the woman with the dyed-black hair?

***********

This month's #ReadChristie2026 #BiggestBestBeloved celebratory theme is all about her short stories, and I took it as an opportunity to pick up a collection I have been meaning to read for ages.

The collection comprises twelve stories, which are somewhat of an oddity as they feature a partnership between the peculiar little Mr Satterthwaite (see also Three Act Tragedy and Dead Man's Mirror), and the very mysterious, not quite human, Harley Quin.

Each one involves the surprise arrival of Mr Quin, where Mr Satterthwaite is called upon to solve a mystery by looking at the facts in a different way. He is rather good at this, especially given his insightful mix of male AND female observational skills (something Christie is always keen to emphasise). Despite his misgivings, Satterthwaite gradually transforms from on-looker to being very much involved in the lives of others, with Quin as the serendipitous catalyst.

Overall, these stories are a melancholy bunch, despite Satterthwaite's genial temperament. They are heavily laced with dark emotions (and lots of references to suicides), but they stand out amongst Christie's crime canon because of the unusually overt supernatural nature of the strange Mr Quin. He appears and disappears without notice, makes veiled references to being an advocate for the dead, and occasonally displays his true motley colors and dark mask. It's all rather unsettling.

Christie considered these an 'epicure's taste', which I find fascinating. They are also rather special as being the only short story collection she wrote a dedication for, and the only time the dedication was to a fictional character - 'To Harlequin the Invisible'. 

I Am in two minds about this collection, as they contain a real mash-up of themes and settings, but if you are looking for a chance to see a different side of Christie then they are worth a read. My favourite was The World's End (one of Christie's favs too, apparently), with the charismatic, penny-pinching Duchess, which made me chuckle.

Hugh Fraser's narration of the audio book was perfect, as always. ❤

The Mysterious Mr Quin is available now in various 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.

Elizabeth And Marilyn by Julie Owen Moylan

 

Elizabeth and Marilyn by Julie Owen Moylan.

Published 2nd April 2026 by Michael Joseph.

From the cover of the book:

London, October, 1956. A glittering Royal Film Premiere. The whole world is watching . . .

Tonight, Elizabeth II will formally greet an array of stars. Though she was not born to be Queen, this young mother and wife has embraced her patriotic duty and its unforgiving demands.

A limousine pulls up. Out steps a vision in dazzling gold: Marilyn Monroe. A money-making machine for Hollywood, with curves that drive men wild and a smile that lets women know she’s in on the joke.

As the two most famous women in the world come face to face, they look to be worlds apart. Yet beneath the glamorous costumes, both are fighting to keep the men they love, while trying to do their work in a man’s world. And they have spent the summer of 1956 battling secret demons the public could never imagine.

Now, Marilyn steps forward. These photographs will be on the front page of every newspaper in the morning.

But this isn’t their first meeting. And the story behind the headlines is even more sensational . . .

***********

London, 1956. In the run up to the star-studded film premiere of The Battle of the River Plate in November, two very famous women are struggling to balance their personal and very public lives - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom, and the Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe.

The book mostly unfurls in the summer of 1956, with forays back in time to 1936 and 1946 which fill in some back story. In 1956, Elizabeth is still in the early days of her long innings as Queen, and Marilyn Monroe is in London to film The Prince and the Showgirl with Laurence Olivier.

Having loved all of Julie's previous books, I was really looking forward to seeing how she would find common ground between two seemingly incongruous figures whose lives have already been pulled apart so much. She does this by cleverly writing about them as the real women that lie behind the legends, Lilibet and Norma Jeane, delving into their attempts to balance public and private personas.

For Lilibet, this means negotiating the demands of Royal duty, family recriminations, and walking a fine line in her marriage to Philip. Meanwhile, Norma Jeanne suffers a crisis of confidence in her acting abilities, and finds her new marriage to much older playwright, Arthur Miller, is not the bed of roses she was hoping for. Both women are discovering that the task of being all things to everyone is impossible, especially under the intense scrutiny of the media, hungry for a scandalous scoop.

I really enjoyed how Julie tackles Lilibet's character, bringing out her shy, softer side (though not without a core of iron), but at times it is difficult to put aside the fact that she is living a life of privilege, for all her admirable dedication to duty - fans of The Crown will love her. For me, it is Julie's portrayal of the fragile Norma Jeane that tears your heart to shreds, which is perhaps inevitable given hindsight - her desperate need to be loved, her palpable loneliness, her battle with endometriosis, and her unhappiness at being let down once again by a man who wants a pocket Marilyn Monroe for his personal entertainment, are laid bare for all to see. Tears were shed.

This is Julie's must ambitious novel yet, and I applaud the way she makes you see the struggles of these women were more similar than you might imagine in love, loss and being taken seriously, despite the gulf in their backgrounds. Julie's women are always so well written in rich tones of light and shade, and her Lilibet and Norma Jeane are no exception. Compulsive reading.

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

Thank you to Michael Joseph for sending me a proof of this book.

About the author:

Julie Owen Moylan is the author of three novels: That Green Eyed Girl, 73 Dove Street and Circus of Mirrors. Her debut novel That Green Eyed Girl was a Waterstones’ Welsh Book of the Month and the official runner up for the prestigious Paul Torday Memorial Prize. It was also shortlisted for Best Debut at the Fingerprint Awards and featured at the Hay Festival as one of its ‘Ten at Ten’. 73 Dove Street was a Waterstones’ Books of 2023 and a Daily Mail Historical Fiction Book of the Year. As a filmmaker Julie won the Celtic Media Award for her graduation film “BabyCakes” before going on to win Best Short Film at the Swansea Film Festival.

Her writing and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications including Sunday Express, The Independent, New Welsh Review and Good Housekeeping.

She has a Masters in Filmmaking and an additional qualification in Creative Writing & English Literature. Julie is an alumna of the Faber Academy.

Thornby Manor by Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes

 

Thornby Manor by Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes.

Published 23rd April 2026 by Orenda Books.

From the cover of the book:

There – suddenly – was Thornby Manor.
I would never forget the first time I saw it…
A talisman of darkness, an emblem of death.

Warwickshire, 1891. Recently orphaned and left destitute, Briar Monroe accepts the protection of Lord Danville and the shadowed sanctuary of Thornby Manor. The great house looms above a mist-shrouded lake, its corridors heavy with secrets – not least the mysterious death of Lady Elizabeth Danville, and the unspoken tensions between her formidable widower and his magnetic son, Gabriel.

As Briar navigates the undercurrents of a household ruled by watchful servants and locked doors, she is drawn ever deeper into a web of suspicion, desire and fear. Whispers in the night, figures at windows, and a constant sense of being watched leave her questioning not only the truth about Thornby, but her own safety within its walls.

Atmospheric, intoxicating and laced with peril, Thornby Manor is a gothic tale of betrayal, obsession and a house that never forgets.

***********

Warwickshre, 1891. Burdened with cares she is determined to keep secret from her fragile younger sister, in the wake of their parents' deaths, Briar Monroe leaves London hoping never to return. Planning to meet her aunt and go travelling, Briar heads north. However, when her aunt's arrival is delayed by illness, Briar finds herself accepting the invitation of Lord Danville to stay at Thornby Manor.

Penniless and with few choices, Briar accepts, believing she is heading for a meeting with her aunt's old friend, Lady Elizabeth Danville. But as soon as she reaches the menacing, mist-enshrouded environs of Thornby Manor, she realises she has made a mistake. Lady Danville is dead, and in her stead presides the hostile former governess Marie Clara, dressed in fine silks more fitting to her late mistress.

Briar soon discovers that this is a house wreathed in secrets, and complicated relationships. No one wants to talk about the mysterious death of Lady Danville, the sudden dismissal of most of Thornby Manor's staff, or the creepy rumours fuelled by bumps in the night. And the sense of danger only increases when Lord Danville's charismatic son, Gabriel, returns home to confront his estranged father about the mystery surrounding his mother's untimely death...

Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes channels her obvious passion for a historical gothic novel into this delicious debut, making it a tender love letter to the genre. With the wonderfully eerie setting of an isolated mansion looming over a sombre lake, constantly surrounded by impenetrable mist (and with an insane asylum in close proximity to boot); a cast of morally grey characters handpicked to evoke the very best that classic gothic fiction has to offer; and a plot dripping with secrets, lies, betrayal, and subterfuge; this story was everything I wanted it to be, and more.

Briar makes an excellent protagonist, Weighed down with secrets of her own that she is desperate to keep, Thornby Manor is a dangerous prospect. Trapped within its dark and unsettling grip, and under the scrutiny of the horribly Mrs Danvers-esque governess Marie Clara, Briar must watch her step, but even though she has been beaten down by her experiences she has an inner spirit that refuses to be cowed. Armed with knowledge about the human psyche learned from her doctor father Briar finds friends and enemies at Thornby, and in nearby Warwick (looked over somewhat prophetically by Warwick Castle) as she delves into the mystery behind Lady Danville's death, especially when brooding, handsome Gabriel enters the fray.

Bramwell-Lawes pitches this novel beautifully between layered gothic mystery, oozing themes of grief and madness, and feminist fire-cracker. There are thrilling nods to so many of the greats when it comes to historical gothic, which entertained me no end (I especially loved the Wilkie Collins' Count Fosco reference); a mystery that will keep you guessing right until the tense climax of the novel; and a beautifully drawn relationship between two broken characters in Briar and Gabriel. I really enjoyed the exploration of power dynamics through the parts of the story about the treatment of those deemed 'mad', particularly 'difficult women', and take my hat off to the clever way the themes are subverted in the breath-taking final swathes of the novel.

This is an absolute belter of a debut. I was held spellbound from the first page to the last, and cannot wait to see how Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes' career develops... because this is an awesome beginning. More please, Stephanie!

Thornby Manor is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats. You can support indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.

Thank you to Orenda Books for sending me a proof of this book, and to Random Things Tours for inviting me to join the blog tour.

About the author:

Stephanie Bramwell-Lawes grew up in the historic city of Bath and studied History and Ancient History at Exeter University. A lifelong love of literature led to a career in publishing in 2009, and her passion for books has only continued to grow ever since. Her favourite novels include Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, and anything by Tracy Chevalier. 

She currently lives in Warwickshire with her husband and a small feline dictator named Ruby.

Thornby Manor is her debut novel.

Beneath The Orange Blossom by Emma Cowell

 

Beneath the Orange Blossom by Emma Cowell.

Published 7th May 2026 by Avon.

From the cover of the book:

A lost love. A devastating secret. And a summer that could change everything…

Two years on from her husband’s death, dressmaker Ellen is learning how to live again and put memories of a difficult marriage behind her.

However, never far from her mind is another memory: Alexandros, her first love from the summer she turned eighteen.

The moment she'd arrived in his hometown of Kardamyli in Greece, Ellen had been intoxicated by the scent of orange blossom in the air, the days of endless sunshine and sparkling azure waters – but most of all by Alexandros himself. They were meant to be, until a devastating secret forced Ellen to leave and never look back…

***********

Two years on from the death of her husband, dressmaker Ellen is at a crossroads. After years of being subjecting to horrific domestic abuse behind closed doors, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hide the truth when everyone assumes she must be grieving for John, a man who seemed a loving and attentive husband to outside eyes - especially from their son Tristan, and her best friend Penny.

Thoughts of her first love, Alexandros, who she met in his hometown of Kardamyli in Greece, during a long-ago holiday with Penny, have never left her. She cannot help but reflect on the future she might have had if her eighteen year old self had been allowed to live the life they planned - had they not been tragically parted by the knowledge of a secret she was forced to keep. 

When Penny suggest revisiting their youthful selves by going back to Kardamyli for a much-needed holiday, Ellen is determined to use this as a chance to find her way back to the woman she once was... before all the secrets.

Emma Cowell does exactly what she does best in Beneath the Orange Blossom, her fifth spellbinding novel, taking you on an intensely emotional journey in beautiful Greece - this time through the eyes of Ellen, in Kardamyli.

Ellen is a woman whose life has been derailed by secrets. Torn away from her first love by the spiteful subterfuge of another, she only seems to her found herself tied to more misery through marriage to the wrong man. With complicated feelings about the past, and bound by the veneer of a supposedly happy marriage, we meet her in the moment she feels her spirit stirring within. It is time to reconnect with herself (and her friend Penny) by returning Kardamyli.

Greece comes alive in all its evocative glory through Ellen's eyes. She revels in her return to the place where she was once so full of expectation, but facing the past and taking charge of her own future makes her two week break rather less relaxing than planned. Pulled into village life a way she did not to expect, when her seamstress skills are required, she realises she does not know Penny as well as she thought. Painful recriminations, misunderstandings, and heartfelt confidences lead to friendship drama it seems impossible to recover from. And then, of course, there is a reunion with Alexandros that means facing up to more heart-breaking revelations.

Twists and turns keep you fully invested in the love story between Ellen and Alexandros, and the course of Ellen and Penny's friendship, with all the little pieces of the storylines coming together at just the right time to cleverly explore sensitive themes of damaging secrets, hidden scars, shame (especially the misplaced shame of women), female friendship, and the relationship between mothers and sons. All praise due for a well-written older female protagonist, and the sensitive way Cowell approaches the experiences of survivors of domestic abuse.

I adore the way Cowell weaves Greek mythology through her tales. Here she uses the prophetic, stitch-laden skills of The Fates to perfection, echoing their talents with the 'threads of life' in Ellen's own intuitive mastery of dressmaking as the story plays out. Beautifully done.

Snuggling up with an Emma Cowell book is always time well spent. I fully expected to shed tears over these characters, and she gave me ample opportunity to work through a box of tissues on the way to ending full of hope and second chances, tinged with sadness. There is something really touching about the way her women find common ground and understanding, and the little village of Kardamyli has the warm and welcoming community dreams are made of.  Escapist gorgeousness to lose yourself in.

Beneath the Orange Blossom is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

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

About the author:

Emma is based in Greece 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 improve her Greek language skills…..she is yet to achieve a level of proficiency outside of tavernas and bakeries.

But now, when her best friend suggests they recreate their teenage summer in Greece, Ellen knows it’s time to confront her past. Will Greece give her the freedom – and happiness – she desperately craves? And there, amidst the lush olive groves, could she rediscover the love she thought she’d lost forever?

Falling For The Protagonist by Bex Goos

 

Falling for the Protagonist by Bex Goos.

Published 7th May 2026 by Aria.

From the cover of the book:

When Emmy Miura falls asleep reading a newly purchased romance novel (after her visit to a sex psychic her sister swears by), the last thing she expects is to wake up in the protagonist's bed the next morning. Emmy doesn't want to disrupt Will Barrett's world - even if he is fictional. He is clearly content with his life in idyllic and not-actually-real Cobalt, Massachusetts. He has good friends, steady work as a nurse in the paediatric wing of the local hospital, and an adorable house he inherited from his grandfather.

Understandably, he doesn't take it well when she manages to convince him none of the things he knows and loves are real. While Will is reeling at the implications of Emmy's revelation, Emmy is frantic to get back to the real world. The problem is that she is, against all her best efforts, falling head over heels in love with Will.

Will has feelings for her, too - much to the chagrin of the woman who was supposed to be his love interest - and he is determined to go with Emmy when she finds a way out of the book. Neither Emmy nor Will know if they can make a real life together that's based on fiction, but together they are willing to try.

***********

Getting over a bad break-up is hard, especially when your ex has taken an obscenely short amount of time to find a new girlfriend, and your sister is just about to marry the man of her dreams. So when Emmy Miura's sister persuades her she needs the guidance of the sex psychic who helped her find love, she decides to give it a go - even if she is a sceptic.

Post weird tarot reading, Emmy settles down with a cheesy romance novel that the psychic persuaded her to buy. After reading about the hunky, male nurse protagonist Will, Emmy finds herself drifting off to sleep... only to wake up the next morning in Will's bed. Somehow, she is now a character in the rom-com she had been reading the night before, and she is about to disrupt the entire story by displacing Will's intended love interest. Close proximity soon has the obvious attraction between them developing into love, but how can they ever be together?

This enchanting story drops Emmy into a romance novel, where her appearance has unintended consequences. Emmy suddenly has to negotiate multiple meet-cutes with an array of handsome, rom-com trope hunks while trying to find a way back to the real world, before she misses her sister's wedding.

Managing to convince Will the cosy, small town life he has been living in fictional Cobalt, Massachusetts, is just the plot of a novel gives him an existential crisis. However he agrees to help Emmy find her way back to the real world if he can. Getting back home proves to be no easy feat, and the more time they spend together, the fewer reasons they have to want to be parted. 

The delightful mix of rom-com tropes in Cobalt give a lovely tongue-in-cheek vibe to this story, which works so well with the developing (and super hot) romance between Emmy and Will. Along the very enjoyable way, Goos manages to explore a feast of heart-felt themes that echo between the fictional setting and Emmy's real world dilemmas - touching on family dynamics, unhealthy romantic relationships, true love, racism, and having the courage to follow your dreams.

Goos' writing is very engaging, the premise is so much fun, and the story sparkles with plenty of humour and tender moments. I was so invested in Emmy and Will's love story, desperate for them to find a way to be together, even if it seemed impossible - and the ending hits the 'ahh' hot-spot perfectly.

Full of Hallmark vibes, this was just the escapist gem I needed!

Falling for the Protagonist 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:

Rebecca "Bex" Goos has several years of experience ghost-writing and editing romantic short stories and novels. Her short story, "Can't Wait to Stay", was included in the romantic compilation Friends to Lovers, Volume 1, released by Violet Gaze Press in 2021.

Prior to Covid, she was a high school English and creative writing teacher (students aged 15-18), and she currently lives in Fargo, North Dakota with her husband and two sons.

Greta Garbo And The Rise Of The Modern Woman by Scott Reisfield

 

Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman by Scott Reisfield.

Published 30th April 2026 by Vendela Publishing.

From the cover of the book:

"Reisfeld knows about Garbo what we would never know. But, fortunately, he tells us." ~ Mick LaSalle, author of Complicated Women: Sex and Power in Pre-Code Hollywood.

Hollywood Made Her a Star.

What she did for women made her a Legend.

Greta Garbo dominated European cinema and Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s. With discipline and fearless self-belief, she transformed screen acting into something intimate, modern, and psychologically real. She fought studio control... and won. She challenged censors, defied social expectations, and refused to compromise her independence.

More than a movie star, Garbo reshaped what it meant to be a woman on screen-self-possessed, mysterious, and unapologetically autonomous. She redefined the power a woman could hold in Hollywood.

In this intimate biography, her grandnephew Scott Reisfield reveals this disciplined artist, strategic thinker, and the fiercely private woman who helped usher a closed culture into the Modern Age.

***********

Born 1905 in Stockholm, Greta Gustafson went on to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, as Greta Garbo - a name she chose for herself when she embarked on her career in drama. Garbo is a figure of screen legend. Starring in her first big movie, Torrent, for MGM in 1926, she transitioned from the silent movie era to the golden age of Hollywood - a feat many of her fellow silent stars failed to do.

Garbo remains a name to conjure with, evoking Tinsel Town glamour, but I confess I knew little of the woman behind the image. So I was delighted to have the opportunity to find out a bit more about her in this impressive biography, written by her great nephew, Scott Reisfield.

This is a sizeable, and erudite book, weighing in at 600 odd pages - including a number of appendices, and an extremely comprehensive index. It is a testament to the years of research he has undertaken into Garbo's life, but more than that, it is the personal connection to the woman herself that shines through.

I have dipped in and out of this book rather than reading it cover to cover, given its size, but it contains everything you could possibly want to know about Garbo, from her childhood and earliest dramatic projects, to her romantic relationships, and all the way through her spectacular movie career and beyond. From busting the myth that Garbo was a reclusive and distant character, to detailing quite how much of an impact she had on the 'Rise of the Modern Woman' (as so succinctly expressed in the title), this book is a fascinating in-depth exploration of the life of someone was not afraid to challenge the view of women in film and the wider world - even if she did not originally intend to do so - by playing sexually independent, self-assured, powerful leading ladies.

And, Reisfield includes a wealth of supporting information that really gets into the nitty gritty of the film industry of Garbo's time, including how censorship played a part in dictating what the paying public were allowed to view on-screen.

This book has already left me with a very different impression of Greta Garbo than the one I had when I ventured into its many pages, and an intense desire to sit and watch all her movies. I am looking forward to discovering more about her as I make my way through the rest of the book.

Highly recommend if you are interested in the history of film AND the life of a woman whose influence can still be felt today.

Greta Garbo and the Rise of the Modern Woman is available to buy now.

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

About the author:

Scott Reisfield is the grand-nephew of Greta Garbo and wrote the 2005 book Garbo: Portraits from her Private Collection (co-written with Robert Dance). That book was a companion to the museum exhibit of the same name. The American edition sold 12,500 copies. It was also printed in German, French and Swedish.

Scott has traveled around the world to research Garbo. He has access to family documents and collections that have not been used prior to this. He had the time to tease out fact from fiction, and there was a lot of fiction. He went back to archives multiple times to pin down answers.

Scott has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He has spent forty years in business, thirty of them in senior management, working in companies ranging from large corporations to start-ups. He also ran marketing for a national association. Today, Scott lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

All Cats Are Grey by Susan Barrett

 

All Cats are Grey by Susan Barrett.

Published 24th April 2026 by Bathwick Hill Publishing.

From the cover of the book:

London, 1942, ordinary people behave in unaccustomed ways, all changed by their real and recent brush with death delivered by the blitz.

We follow four of them deep into the shadowlands of the blackout, back into their own shadowy past - to discover what primed and equipped each to play their part in bringing down the predator who hunts the bomb sits after drank in a city itself transformed by war.

A literary gothic tale, enacted in the ruins of London just after the Blitz, inspired by the real-life murderer The Blackout Ripper, Gordon Cummins.

***********

January, 1942. London is in ruins in the wake of the Blitz, and a perilous place to navigate in the gloom of the Blackout. Being out at night has become even more dangerous now there is a serial killer stalking the streets - dubbed The Beast of the Blackout by the press.

In South London, four unlikely allies come together, united in their quest to deal with the threat the murderer poses...

Thrumming with lashings of atmospheric wartime vibes, Susan Barrett has crafted a powerful novel that sits decidely on the dark, visceral edge of the noir genre. The plot, inspired by the crimes of real-life murderer Gordon Cummins, largely follows a small cast of ordinary London residents from different walks of life, as they become involved in the hunt for a serial killer set against a bombed-out landscape. They have little in common, except for the fact that they each carry a secret that makes them peculiarly fitted for the task of taking on The Beast of the Blackout. 

As the story flows between grim night-time scenes in the present, and harrowing forays into the past of the characters, Barrett skilfully weaves a picture of people who have been forced to address serious trauma in their lives. Their experiences are gut-wrenching, tragic and psychologically damaging, but they have also been transformative. 

Barrett keeps her cards close to her chest about what really connects these characters until well into the story. It is only after a seriously clever coming together of past and present that it becomes clear they have all found a way to take revenge on their abusers and get away with murder. The mystery is handled so well that I did not connect all the dots until the glorious climax of the story, when The Beast of the Blackout gets his comeuppance. 

The darkness in this story makes for gritty reading, especially the parts about childhood abuse and trauma, but the writing is impressive. The well-handled suspense, and the magnificent ending, make all the disturbing moments worthwhile - and Barrett shows acute insight into loneliness too.

Perhaps 'enjoyable' is the wrong word to describe this one, in the same way authors like Will Carver manage to put you through the mill before pulling off a blinder of an ending (if Carver-noir does it for you then this is a book that would be a perfect addition to your reading pile). It certainly takes you on an unforgettable journey to the dark side of the psyche!

All Cats are Grey is available to buy now in paperback and ebook formats.

Thank you to Bathwick Hill for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Folk PR for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Susan Barrett gave up a job in TV production to be at home with young children and do what she always secretly wanted to do, write. She is the author of three previous novels, Fixing Shadows, Inconstant Husband, and The Housekeepers.

She divides her time between London and Umbria.

 April 2026 Reading Round-Up

I have certainly travelled far and wide this month, with a typically eclectic mix of books!

I have had my heart torn to shreds by complicated relationships; solved mysteries and murders around the globe; witnessed shocking injustices; had a mind-blowing glimpse of the future; chuckled along with a gang of glorious women; and baked a few biscuits! 

You can find my reviews of these eleven books by clicking on the pictures below.

First of December by Karen Jennings

The National Trust Book of Biscuits by Linda Collister

Maurice by E.M. Forster

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie

The Traveler by Joseph Eckert

The Lottery Winner Widows Club by Elly Vine

Last One Out by Jane Harper

Strange Buildings by Uketsu

Kiss Marry Kill by Yemi Dipeolu

Curiosity Spares the Butterfly by Anthea Syrokou 

Hidden in Memories by Viveca Sten

Onwards to May for more reading adventures...