Category: Book reviews

He Started It by Samantha Downing My rating: 5 of 5 stars A wicked-fun read with razor-sharp wit and a killer twist, He Started It is compelling, captivating, and deliciously dark. Samantha Downing writes with a wry, sparse elegance that steadily entangles you until you’re utterly addicted. In He Started It, we get three unapologetically…

How to Save a Life by Liz Fenton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Flawless and irresistible, profoundly moving and endlessly emotional. How To Save A Life is a truly unique and beautiful reimagining of Groundhog Day, asking if life and death are preordained, if our destiny is predetermined, and if some lives are meant…

The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves My rating: 5 of 5 stars A complex, compelling and chilling detective murder-mystery, The Darkest Evening evokes images of curling up next to a crackling fire in a grand house with a cup of tea and a few biscuits while you read. A darkly, propulsive story, we follow Vera,…

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda My rating: 5 of 5 stars A dark, hypnotic tale about the danger of becoming the stories you tell, The Girl From Widow Hills is beautiful and sinister, with a haunting, atmospheric heart. What happens to the people who find themselves at the center of those sensational…

Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle My rating: 5 of 5 stars A moody, mesmerizing mystery that smolders with a brooding, slow-burn tension. Kimberly Belle has done it again! Stranger In The Lake is that perfect balance between plot and character, in which a girl from the wrong side of the tracks marries a…

Just Like the Other Girls by Claire Douglas My rating: 5 of 5 stars Ferociously smart and electric from start to finish! Just Like the Other Girls is cleverly plotted and wholly absorbing, delving deep into twisted families and their devastating secrets. After the death of her mother, Una accepts a job as a carer…

The Safe Place by Anna Downes My rating: 5 of 5 stars Richly evocative with a dark, atmospheric heart, The Safe Place is seductive, irresistible and suspenseful. I was completely gripped from the first page to the pulse-pounding end! When Emily finds herself fired from her job, she’s unexpectedly thrown a lifeline by her ex-boss.…

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon My rating: 5 of 5 stars As layered as puff pastry, and just as delightful, Sister Dear is an altogether unpredictable and surprising read. What begins as a slow-burn exploration of love, loss and grief shifts about midway through into a dark and twisted tale of secrets and revenge.…

The House on the Lake by Nuala Ellwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars Gorgeously atmospheric and claustrophobic, this twisty thriller is about how far you should go to fight for your rights. The writing was sharp and vivid, many scenes feeling almost haunted and other-worldly, with scenes really coming to life in my imagination.…

You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz My rating: 4 of 5 stars A slow-burn, character-driven thriller that takes a fresh look at infidelity. Grace is a scornful, judgemental woman who looks down at other women who don’t see when they’re being cheated on. But when her own life falls apart and her world…

Thought I Knew You by Kate Moretti My rating: 5 of 5 stars Utterly compelling, lyrically beautiful and sharply insightful, Thought I Knew You packs a powerful emotional punch. The story follows Claire, who’s husband doesn’t return home from a business trip. Desperate to find him, she enlists the help of her best friend Drew…

The Better Sister by Alafair Burke A well-written, engrossing, complex family drama with a murdered husband, a courtroom drama and an intriguing who-dunnit at its heart. The story focuses more on the characters and includes a lot of courtroom scenes towards the middle, which means it isn’t as fast-paced as some prefer, but the ending…