Escape To The Turquoise Seas (Holiday Romance Book Four) by Carrie Walker

 

Escape To The Turquoise Seas (Holiday Romance Book Four) by Carrie Walker.

Published 16th July 2026 by Aria.

From the cover of the book:

Kat Brennan has always been the work-hard, play-harder type, navigating single life in London and the chaos of her job at Northstar PR. So when Excalibur Cruises invite her aboard to pitch for their account, she jumps at the chance to prove to her boss she's indispensable... and to finally relax a little.

But the last person she wants to get stuck on a boat with is industry hotshot Leo Kendrick, the CEO of rival agency Amplify - and Kat's nemesis. When Leo bagged a coveted marketing internship 15 years ago, Kat vowed never to let him win anything again. She is not about to break that promise, even if Leo has become a distractingly attractive opponent.

As the Esmerelda sails the seas, from the Azores to Lisbon via Madeira, the two agencies must battle it out to present the best pitch. But in such close quarters, the sea might not be the only thing rocking the boat.

***********

Freshly back from a relaxing holiday in Los Angeles, with pals Abi and Sara, Kat is thrown into panic when Northstar PR's biggest client, Excalibur Cruises, puts jobs at the agency on the line. The new CMO at Excalibur, brash Texan Brooke Harris, is determined to shake things up for the brand, which means Northstar might be in the firing line.

Brooke narrows the potential PR crowd down to Northstar, who have been a given a chance to come up with some new ideas, and an up-and-coming agency who have been hitting the marketing headlines - and she wants staff from both agencies to experience a cruise aboard their new ship, Esmerelda, before pitching to represent the business. Kat, and her boss Heidi, are optimistic that the odds are in their favour, but then they discover exactly who they will be sharing the cruise with - industry hotshot Leo Kendrick, Amplify's CEO and Kat's nemesis, and his dodgy sidekick Zach who has history with Heidi. This is going to be more difficult than they thought!

Carrie Walker takes an enchanting journey on the high seas in her latest Holiday Romances book, and it was a lot of fun being along for the ride. This time, it is the turn of Kat Brennan from the HIIT Girls chat to take a chance on romance (lovely to see Abi and Sara from the previous books making reappearances here in support of pal Kat too).

Kat is thrown into the deep end (literally at some points in this story), when she has to take up the fight to keep Excalibur Cruises on the Northstar PR books. Setting sail on the swanky Esmerelda is an opportunity not to be missed, unfortunately, it also comes with some unusual challenges - possibly the tiniest cabin on the ship, which she has to share with stressed cabin-mate Heidi; a full-on schedule of activities organised by Brooke to sample the ship's delights; and the bothersome presence of the Amplify pair.

Despite her unease, many anxiety inducing situations, and the lingering damage of a run-in between them fifteen years ago, Kat gradually finds she has misjudged Leo on a number of fronts. It is hard to avoid the fact that they are in competition, but there is definite chemistry between them. As they get stuck into cruise and exotic-themed fun, the attraction grows into a holiday romance that has potential to be so much more.

Everything you need for an escapist gem is here in spades, with themes of betrayal, revenge, and reconciliation - an entertaining twist on the enemies-to-lovers trope as adorable couple Kat and Leo get to grips with the past, open their hearts, and let their feelings flow; a setting rich in atmospheric locations, humour, and great characters (loved Barb); and lots of suitably maritime peaks and troughs for the couple to navigate on their journey towards an ending to give you all the feels. The sneaky little jabs at the corporate and PR worlds are hilarious, and there is so much about the cruise experience to take-in.

This was just the warm and wonderful charmer I needed, as I knew it would be. Another winner from Carrie Walker!

Escape to the Turquoise Seas is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Aria, Head of Zeus, for sending me a review copy of this book.

About the author:

Carrie Walker is a romantic comedy writer with a lifelong passion for travel. She has lived in a ski resort, on a Greek beach, in the country and the city and tells stories inspired by her adventures through Europe, South America and Asia.

Longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize, Carrie is the author of Head of Zeus' Holiday Romance series, which includes Escape to the Swiss Chalet, Escape to the Tuscan Vineyard, Escape to the Northern Lights and Escape to the Turquoise Seas.

Previously CEO of a global disability inclusion movement, a board director of a brand agency, a newspaper editor, a football mascot and a fancy-dress carrot for the BBC, she is now writing novels in Essex where she lives with her husband and two dogs.

Towards Zero (Superintendent Battle Book 4) by Agatha Christie

 

Towards Zero (Superintendent Battle Book 4) by Agatha Christie.

This edition published 7th November 2024 by Harper Collins. First published in 1944.

From the cover of the book:

An explosive love triangle, a formidable matriarch and a house party of enemies. All drawn inexorably … Towards Zero.

After a scandalous celebrity divorce, British tennis star Nevile Strange and his ex-wife Audrey make the unthinkable decision to spend a summer together at Gull’s Point, their childhood home and the coastal estate of Nevile's aunt, Lady Tressilian.

With unfinished business between the former childhood sweethearts, plus the presence of Nevile’s new wife Kay, tensions are running high. Add to this a long-suffering lady’s companion, a mysterious gentleman’s valet, an exiled cousin with a grudge, a venerable family lawyer, an inquisitive orphan and a French con man, and soon there will be murder. A troubled detective must rediscover his purpose to untangle a toxic web of jealousy, deceit and dysfunction. Can he solve the crime before another victim meets their death?

***********

The guests are gathering for an unconventional house party at Gull's Point, the home of elderly invalid, Lady Tressillian, on the Devon coast at Saltcreek. Lady Tressilian normally looks forward to the visits of Audrey Strange, the ex-wife of her husband's former ward Nevile, but this time the guests will also be including Nevile and his glamorous new wife Kay. It is all rather too modern for Lady Tressilian's traditional sensibilities, and she sees trouble ahead. 

It is not long before the feathers start to fly, and this makes things very awkward for the other visitors, Audrey's cousin, the unassuming Thomas Royde, visiting from Malaysia and hopeful of wooing Audrey; Ted Latimer, a friend and disappointed former suitor of Kay's; and Lady Tressilian's companion, sensible Mary Aldin. Gull's Point is not a relaxing place to be, and when an old friend of Lady Tressilian's, the very astute, retired solicitor Mr Treves pays a call, he is concerned that sinister intent lies in the heart of one of the guests.

However, Mr Treve's suspicions go with him to the grave, when he dies the same night of his visit to Gull's Point, under murky circumstances. His death is closely followed by the brutal murder of Lady Tressilian, and it looks very much like an inside job. All the clues point to Nevile, but as the police arrive and begin their investigation, Superintendent Battle is not so sure...

This mystery begins with several prophetic, seemingly unconnected, strands which foreshadow how this story plays out. The first is a prologue in which the wily old Mr Treves offers sage wisdom to the young members of his club, explaining how a murder arrives at the end of a planning process that counts down towards zero hour - his views are supported by a little aside glimpse that lets you see into the devious mind that wishes one of the Gull's Point party serious harm. The second is around a failed suicide attempt that is all about fate and unforeseen purpose. The third is connected to our old friend Superintendent Battle's views on modern psychology. Intriguing...

The main event then begins with an introduction to the members of the party that gather at Gull's Point, with a bit of history about the events that have shaped their state of mind, and their reasons for being here. Christie very cleverly manipulates how you think about each of them from this point, filling out of their stories with carefully dropped little titbits that make them very credible suspects in a mysterious death, a brutal murder, and an evil end-game motivated by betrayal. 

This story is rife with beautifully contrived red herrings, and it takes all of Battle's considerable intelligence and intuition to see through them, backed up by his recent experience with misapplied psychological theories, and a delicious reference to what he has learned from investigating crime at the side of the great Hercule Poirot. But it is not until the storyline relating to fate eventually comes into play that he is finally able to get to the jaw-dropping truth, via exciting sea-going shenanigans, and a gathering of the suspects that emulates his muse Poirot.

This is my September pick for #ReadChrsitie2026 for the prompt Best According To Agatha (having already featured Endless Night, the official pick, earlier this year as my Best Read In One Sitting book), and I listened to the audio book narrated by my favourite, Hugh Fraser. It is the final one of Christie's to feature Superintendent Battle, and the way the separate threads come together is a joy to behold. This is Christie at the very top of her game!

Towards Zero 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.

Murder At The End Of The World by Akane Araki

 

Murder At The End Of The World by Akane Araki.

Translated from the Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood.

Published 2nd July 2026 by Pushkin Vertigo.

From the cover of the book:

TWO MONTHS UNTIL THE APOCALYPSE. TWO WOMEN WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE

An asteroid is hurtling towards Earth and the human race has just over two months to live. But twenty-three-year-old Haru, stargazer and chronic worrier, is still trying to pass her driving test.

Then she finds a body in the boot of her car: a woman, stabbed and tortured. There's a murderer on the loose. And it turns out that Haru's driving instructor is an ex-cop with a manic devotion to justice.

So, despite the small matter of an impending apocalypse, the two women team up to catch the culprit regardless of the danger.

After all, the world's not quite over yet...

***********

In just over two months, a giant asteroid named Telos is due to hit the Earth. For those not wiped out by the impact in Japan, a miserable, lingering death awaits. Desperation has driven many to flee to parts of the world where they hope to survive the collision. Some have chosen suicide as a way out. Meanwhile, the rich plan to travel to space in a foolish attempt to wait out the apocalypse.

For those unable or unwilling to leave their homes, like twenty-three-year-old Haru, life continues in a strange new world order of lawlessness and dwindling resources. With her parents gone, and just herself and her reclusive younger brother Seigo at home, she decides the time is ripe for her to finally gain her driving qualifications before the end. Fortunately, when she arrives at the Dazaifu Driving School, there is a sole instructor on hand to teach her, the enigmatic Isagawa who has stayed behind for reasons of her own.

The two spend their days driving around virtually deserted Fukuoka. One morning, before the two set off on another driving lesson, they discover the brutally murdered body of a woman stashed in the boot of the training vehicle, and set off on quest for justice...

This delicious end-of-the-world adventure, meets whodunit crime-caper, meets female buddy-story is the brain child of debut author Akane Araki, and it explores a host of lovely themes about humanity tied up with a twisty murder mystery.

The absurd premise of a young woman deciding to learn to drive in the lead up to the apocalypse, negotiating debris strewn streets, and multiple corpses of suicide victims, spirals into a clever, many-layered story. What Haru does not know is that Isagawa is actually a former police detective, with a very particular set of skills, and strong sense of right and wrong. She persuades Haru to accompany her as they track down clues to find the killer and anxious Haru makes for a reluctant side-kick, with reasons of her own for searching out the guilty party.

Along the way, the pair encounter friends and enemies, and spend quite a lot of time hiding things from each other - including how they plan to deal with the murderer in a world which has no clear rules anymore. There are numerous likely suspects, especially given the intriguing sub-plot around high-school bullying and revenge, and it was a lot of dark-themed fun picking out the relevant clues from the slick trail of breadcrumbs that leads to a gripping, mountainside climax.

This book is rich in awkward relationship dynamics, and asks a lot of thought-provoking questions about how people might cope in an end of the world situation. The many examples of selfishness, crazed ambition, and exploitation, jockey nicely against duty, sacrifice, the kindness of strangers, and making restitution. It leaves you with a lot to ponder upon, as well as entertaining you with a cracking murder mystery in an imaginative dystopian setting. All praise to the translation by Jesse Kirkwood which kept me engaged from beginning to poignant end.

I look forward to more from Akane Araki!

Murder at the End of the World is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Pushkin Vertigo for sending me a review copy.

About the author:

Akane Araki was born in 1998 in Fukuoka, Japan. She is a graduate of Kyushu University's School of Letters. Murder at the End of the World is her first novel, and it won the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize.

Sorry For The Dead (Josephine Tey Mysteries Book Eight) by Nicola Upson

 

Sorry For The Dead (Josephine Tey Mysteries Book Eight) by Nicola Upson.

Published 2nd July 2020 by Faber Books.

Audio book narrated by Sandra Duncan.

From the cover of the book:

Summer, 1915: a young woman falls to her death at Charleston Farmhouse on the Sussex Downs.

But was it an accident?

Twenty years later, Josephine Tey is faced with the accusation that it was murder and that she was complicit in the crime.

Can she clear her name and uncover the truth, exposing the darkest secrets of that apparently idyllic summer?

***********

Cambridge, 1938. Josephine Tey is enjoying life in the city where her lover Marta has settled, but the past intrudes in the form of a newspaper article suggesting Josephine was complicit in the murder of a young girl at Charleston Farmhouse in 1915. 

The girls' death had been ruled an accident at the time, despite a scandal surrounding goings on at Charleston. Now Josephine must clear her name, before old secrets derail her life in the present.

The story unfurls in three beautifully wielded timelines, and a number of related perspectives that shone light upon events. Nicola sets the scene with a poignant prologue set in 1948; segues to the moment when a the newspaper article sets Josephine on a slow-burn course to the truth in 1938; then dives back to 1915 to explore a past that shaped Josephine's life in more ways than one, before bringing things full-circle. 

This is the most fragmented book in the series in terms of timelines and the voices that make up the glorious whole of the story, but Nicola pulls all the threads together with consummate skill through her echoing themes of forbidden love, prejudice, guilt, shame, and revenge. The way the plot touches on Josephine's life at each stage makes for compelling reading, and I adored how Nicola introduces Josephine's close friend DCI Archie Penrose (only a fleeting appearance for Archie in this one) and her future fiancé Jack through their accidental meeting in 1915 (absolute gold if you have read the previous books), and examines how the shattered hopes of first love under stressful circumstances affected so much for Joesphine in the years that follow.

As is Nicola's forte, each part of the story thrums with evocative vibes fitting to time and place, particularly when it comes to the role of women, the expectations place upon them, and the ever-present theme of sexuality and societal judgment. I think this is probably the most affecting book of the series when it comes to the insidious impact of hatred on so many women, simply for choosing to follow their hearts. The shadow of the First World War on the men in the trenches, and those left behind, is intensely moving too. And, the twists are literally to die for!

I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying my reread journey through the Josephine Tey books - via the eminent voice talents of Sandra Duncan in the audio books. This one was just as powerful as the first time I read it, and the different perspectives make it an ideal vehicle for the spoken voice.

Onwards to book nine, Dead of Winter, one of my absolute favourites! 

And a heads up for fans of the series... book twelve, the brand new Voices of the Dead, hits on 5th November, and I already have a copy in my hot little hands. I cannot wait to read it!

Sorry for the Dead is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

Nicola Upson was born in Suffolk and read English at Downing College, Cambridge. Her debut, An Expert in Murder, was the first in a series of crime novels to feature Josephine Tey - one of Britain's finest Golden Age crime writers - and was dramatised for BBC Radio 4.

Nicola is a member of the Detection Club, and several of her novels have been listed for the CWA Gold and Historical Daggers. Sorry for the Dead and her latest book, The Christmas Clue, were both Waterstones Thrillers of the Month.

 August 2026 Reading Round-Up

August was a very busy month on the family front, so I did not get as much reading time as usual - the books I did read were a typically eclectic mix though!

You can find my thoughts about these books by clicking on the pictures below.

The Ark by Haruo Yuki

The Mermaid's Cry by Kate Rhodes

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

The Shipikisha Club by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

The Trouble With Sister Francis by Matt Coyne

(Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall

Lochbound by Rebecca Templeton

Under Story to Chloe Benjamin

An intriguing selection of books coming up in September, so stay tuned!