Category: Book reviews

What Have You Done by Matthew Farrell My rating: 5 of 5 stars An edgy crime thriller reminiscent of a CSI episode, What Have You Done is an explosive debut by Matthew Farrell. The novel is a cross between a domestic suspense and a hard-bitten crime story, opening with a mutilated body investigated by forensics…

Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas My rating: 5 of 5 stars Brilliantly claustrophobic and deliciously creepy, I absolutely loved Do Not Disturb. It’s one of those books that’s just great storytelling. Another absolutely gripping book by Claire Douglas in a classic Agatha Christy-style whodunit. The story follows Kirsty, who moves to the Brecon Beacons…

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton My rating: 5 of 5 stars What a gorgeous book! So many layers, such evocative descriptions, such beautiful characters! I loved the use of the second person and the character developments, the mystery and the use of the afterlife. The story was beautifully written, heart warming, yet tragic and poignant, all…

Watching You by Lisa Jewell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Watching You begins with a bang, with a dead body in the kitchen. From the outset we are left to guess not only who the body belongs to, but who did it, and why. A cleverly written book with gradual reveals, an intriguing plot…

Believe Me by J.P. Delaney My rating: 5 of 5 stars An altogether compulsive book that should be used as a descriptor for ‘psychological thriller’. Absorbing and captivating, Believe Me is a fast-paced thriller that I read quickly, barely able to acknowledge time passing me by. Part of this is because the protagonist, Claire, is…

The Possible World by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz My rating: 5 of 5 stars A unique story about the lives we live and how they inhabit our memories, The Possible World is compelling and absorbing with exquisite prose and beautiful characterization. It isn’t my usual genre, but it was so absorbing, the characters so compelling, the…

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Rosamund Lupton is one of my favorite authors, and The Weight of Silence didn’t disappoint. Set in the extremely harsh landscape of Alaska, this novel is wonderfully atmospheric with lots of suspense, perfect plotting and beautiful prose. Yasmin and her deaf daughter…

What Goes Around by Julie Corbin My rating: 5 of 5 stars Told in two parts – by the betrayer and the betrayed – What Goes Around is a dark, compulsive psychological thriller focusing on themes of obsession and revenge. After Ellen’s husband abruptly ends their marriage and leaves her for another woman, Ellen suffers…

Before I Let You In by Jenny Blackhurst My rating: 4 of 5 stars A very clever novel with lots of twists and turns, Before I Let You In follows Karen, Bea and Eleanor who have been friends since they were kids. One day Karen, who’s just received a big promotion as a psychiatrist, starts…

If I Die Before I Wake by Emily Koch My rating: 4 of 5 stars A cleverly written psychological thriller written from the POV of a victim who everybody thinks is in a coma. The twist is he can actually still hear, feel and think. He’s trapped inside his own body while trying to figure…

I Never Lie by Jody Sabral My rating: 4 of 5 stars I Never Lie is a compulsive, easy read that I sped through. It is a book about addiction and its consequences, centering on the protagonist’s alcoholism. The story follows Alex, a self-destructive reporter who fled to London from Manchester after a traumatic incident…

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng My rating: 5 of 5 stars Truly one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Everything I Never Told You opens with the death of teenager Lydia, Marilyn and James Lee’s favorite middle child. Both have had their share of disappointments in life and…