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Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone Anyone who reads this should know it’s heavily laced with magical realism. I do enjoy a little magical realism, it was to the extent that I really struggled with the first 50% of the storyline. It did pick up and I’m glad I finished, as I really enjoyed the ending. While…

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn Oof! This one is…dark. The story is basically about means girls doing mean things to a nice girl and ruining said nice girl’s life. Mental abuse, bullying, social climbing, backstabbing, these are the sorts of themes we cover. But without the protagonist having any…

In the Deep by Loreth Anne White My rating: 5 of 5 stars Smart, compelling and flawlessly plotted, with red herrings sprinkled in like little dashes of chilli, In The Deep is seriously entertaining. And that ending! I’m still running it through my mind the next day! We start with a woman’s murder trial after…

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth My rating: 5 of 5 stars An enchanting, enthralling, and utterly beautiful women’s fiction novel with a twist of domestic suspense, The Good Sister is that rare story that manages to hit all the right buttons. Rose and Fern are fraternal twins who survived a traumatic childhood with a…

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo My rating: 5 of 5 stars Holy hell this book was fun! Set within the old-boys-club world of academia, They Never Learn is unsettling, smart and absolutely riveting. Scarlett is an English professor who murders men who abuse and/or rape women for sport. But when the college decides to…

The Perfect Life by Nuala Ellwood A compelling, twisty psychological thriller in which a much-adored boyfriend gaslights a vulnerable, naïve woman, leading us to ask: does anyone really have a perfect life? Vanessa gets a thrill out of viewing houses she can’t afford. After her mother died when she was young, she’s longed desperately for…

A Million Reasons Why: A Novel by Jessica Strawser My rating: 4 of 5 stars An emotional family drama, heavy on the drama. From heart attacks to secret children to surprise DNA test results to kidney transplants to past relationships to pregnancy stuff, there’s a lot going on. Well-developed characters and a lot to think…

Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti My rating: 5 of 5 stars A dark and beguiling gothic mystery with a touch of the supernatural, Girls of Brackenhill has everything you want in a story at this time of year: a creepy castle, long-buried secrets, mysterious townspeople, and a troubled woman who’s (literally and figuratively) haunted…

Loss Lake by Amber Cowie My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wonderfully tense and gorgeously disturbing, Loss Lake is richly atmospheric, centering around a much-fabled monster-filled lake and a darkly twisted small town hiding big secrets. Hypnotic and irresistible, you won’t be able to look away. This beautiful, tautly written story is about love and…