Review: THE BOY IN THE HEADLIGHTS, Samuel Bjork

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Libby courtesy of my local library
• Published: 21 March 2019
• ISBN: 9781473508651 
  
• Imprint: Transworld Digital
• Format: EBook
• Pages: 384
• (The third book in the Holger Munch & Mia Kruger series) 
• Translated by Charlotte Barslund 

Synopsis (publisher) 

Winter 1996. An old man is driving home when his headlights catch an animal on the empty road up ahead. He stamps hard on the brakes. But it is not an animal at all. It is a young boy, frightened and alone, with a set of deer antlers strapped firmly to his head.

Fourteen years later, a body is found in a mountain lake. Within weeks, three people have died. Each time, the killer has left a clue, inviting Special Investigations Detectives Munch and Krüger to play a deadly game - a game they cannot possibly win. Against the most dangerous and terrifying kind of serial killer. One who chooses their victims completely at random.

To find the killer they must look deep within their own dark pasts, but how can you stop a murderer when you cannot begin to predict their next move?

How can you stop a murderer when you cannot predict their next move? A serial killer is choosing his victims at random, it is a detective's worst nightmare and the ultimate challenge for Munch and Kruger.

Mindless killer? Or do they know exactly what they're doing?

My Take

This novel is set some 15 years after Mia Kruger first joined the Special Investigations Unit on Holger Munch's initiative. Since then the unit has had a chequered history, although uniquely successful, and Mia has suffered some mental health and drug issues. But Mia still has special skills to bring to the cases that the unit takes on. She is not entirely trusted by her colleagues which adds complexity to their cases.

Each of the incidents that make up this case do not at first appear to be connected but pathology reports reveal features in common. They need Mia to work out the other links. This case in particular is very complicated but draws the reader in so that you want to resolve it.

My rating: 4.5

I have also read

4.4, I'M TRAVELLING ALONE #1

4.7, THE WOLF #4

Review: MAD MABEL, Sally Hepworth

• 
  This edition read on Libby, through my local library
  
• Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group, released 21 April 2026 

Synopsis (Overdrive)

From New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth comes a twisty tale of justice, redemption, and one irrepressible woman who's not done breaking the rules just yet.

Meet Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick: eighty-one years old, gloriously grumpy, fiercely independent, and never without a hot cup of tea—or a cutting remark. She minds her own business in her quiet Melbourne suburb, until a neighbor turns up dead and the whispers start flying.

Because Elsie hasn't always been Elsie. Once upon a headline, she was Mad Mabel Waller—Australia's youngest convicted murderer. But was she really mad, or just misunderstood? Either way, she's kept her secret buried for decades.

Enter seven-year-old Persephone, a relentless little chatterbox who has just moved in across the road (armed with stickers, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries); Joan, who appears to have it in for Elsie; and a healthy dose of public interest—the cops are sniffing around, and the media is circling like seagulls at a picnic.

So Mabel does what she's always done best—she takes matters into her own hands.

Is she a cantankerous old lady with a shady past? A cold-blooded killer with arthritis? Or just someone who's finally ready to tell her side of the story?

Sharp, surprising, and wickedly funny, this is the unforgettable story of a woman who's spent a lifetime being underestimated—and is about to prove everyone wrong. Again.

My Take:

Another exceptional story from Sally Hepworth. 

Mabel has always wondered why it has been so difficult to acquire friends, why her father seems to dislike her so much, and what she has done to deserve the nickname of "Mad Mabel". 

Looking back, Mabel has seemed to be followed around by death, and to be honest, she has been Australia's youngest convicted killer - of two people, not just one. But there have been at least two other deaths at her door, and now there appears to be a fifth. But, hang on, Mabel knows she at least she hasn't been responsible for the recent death of her elderly neighbour. This account reveals how the other four were linked to her.

It makes you think about how often unkindness was her lot.  A story written with touches of humour and empathy. And if it hadn't been for Mabel's bosom buddy Daphne, and her latest "friend" Persephone....

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

4.5, THE MOTHER IN LAW

4.7, THE YOUNGER WIFE 

4.7, THE SOULMATE

4.8, DARLING GIRLS

4.7, THE YOUNGER WIFE 

4.7, THE GOOD SISTER

Review: THE LAST STRAW, Paul Gitsham

• 
  This edition read on Libby (Overdrive) through my local library
  
• Published by Harper Collins 2014
• DCI Collins #1  

Synopsis (Overdrive)

When Professor Alan Tunbridge is discovered in his office with his throat slashed, the suspects start queuing up. The brilliant but unpleasant microbiologist had a genius for making enemies.

 For Warren Jones, newly appointed Detective Chief Inspector to the Middlesbury force, a high-profile murder is the ideal opportunity. He's determined to run a thorough and professional investigation but political pressure to resolve the case quickly and tensions in the office and at home make life anything but easy. 

Everything seems to point to one vengeful man but the financial potential of the professor's pioneering research takes the inquiry in an intriguing and, for Jones and his team, dangerous direction. 

My Take

This title was published 12 years ago, the first in a series, and the author is now well established.

The central character is a newly appointed Detective Chief Inspector, trying to establish himself with a new team. The victim is a high profile professor at the local university. Early investigation reveals that he was extremely unpopular, but who would want to kill him? Which of his actions was the final straw?

This does have the signs of a "first book".  However the characters are well drawn and attractive. One of the drawbacks was the amount of technical/scientific information for the reader to absorb.

But I do intend to read the next in the series. 

My rating: 4.5

About the author
Paul Gitsham started his career as a biologist, working in such exotic locales as Manchester and Toronto. After stints as the world's most over-qualified receptionist and a spell making sure that international terrorists and other ne'er do wells hadn't opened a Junior Savings Account at a major UK bank (a job even less exciting than being a receptionist) he retrained as a Science Teacher. He now spends his time passing on his bad habits and sloppy lab-skills to the next generation of enquiring minds.

Paul has always wanted to be a writer and his final report on leaving primary school predicted he'd be the next Roald Dahl! For the sake of balance it should be pointed out that it also said "he'll never get anywhere in life if his handwriting doesn't improve". Twenty five years later and his handwriting is worse than ever but millions of children around the world love him.*  

Review: FIND THEM DEAD, Peter James

• 
  This edition published 2020 by Pan Macmillan
• ISBN 978-1-5290-0431-1
  
• 435 pages
• author website 
• Roy Grace #16  

Synopsis (publisher)

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace unearths a powerful criminal network in the sinister crime novel Find Them Dead, by award winning author Peter James.

Ending his secondment to London’s Met Police, Roy Grace gets a tip-off about a drugs mastermind operating out of Brighton. On his first day back in his old job, he is called to a seemingly senseless murder.

Gradually, Grace’s investigation draws him into the evil sphere of an utterly ruthless drug dealer on trial. A man prepared to order the death of anyone it takes to enable him to walk free from court.

Sitting in the jury is Meg Magellan, whose daughter's life is being threatened by a stranger who tells her that if she ever wants to see her alive again, it is very simple. At the end of the trial, all she has to do is make sure the jury says just two words . . . Not guilty.

My Take

When Meg Magellan joins a jury for the trial of a drugs mastermind she becomes involved in a way she could never have imagined, when she is targeted in rigging the outcome of the jury deliberation. 

A chilling but believable story. Very thought provoking. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read 

DEAD MAN'S FOOTSTEPS

NOT DEAD ENOUGH

5.0, DEAD TOMORROW

4.8, DEAD LIKE YOU 

5.0, THE HAWK IS DEAD - #22 

Review: THE LIES BETWEEN THE LINES, Sheila Lowe

• 
  This book available from Amazon 
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0GX316LCS
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Write Choice Ink, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 17 June 2026
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 333 pages
• Book 10 of 10 ‏ : ‎ Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting Mysteries 
• author website 

Synopsis  Amazon

Handwriting doesn’t lie. But people do.

 Forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose takes on two new cases: a forged signature in a troubling auto theft investigation, and a young woman desperate for help after her uncle receives a series of anonymous, threatening notes.
As Claudia examines the handwriting behind each case, troubling undercurrents begin to surface. Details don’t add up. Stories shift. Emotional pressure bleeds through the ink in ways the writers never intended.
Then a sudden tragedy strikes close to home, and Claudia’s work turns darker and far more personal. Someone is hiding behind half-truths and false leads, and the only clues she can trust are the ones written on the page.
And even those carry lies between the lines.

My Take

I have never read a novel where the protagonist is a handwriting expert and I was firstly interested to find out what the plot would be and then how she fitted into it. I found Claudia Rose a very credible character and the plot lines very engaging. I think Australian readers might ask themselves whether this scenario would be possible in Australia, but nevertheless there is certainly enough to keep them reading.

By absolute coincidence I am reviewing this novel on the day after it has been published. Perhaps not such a coincidence because the author sent me a copy of it just a few weeks ago. 

My rating: 4.5

About the author

Sheila Lowe writes stories of psychological suspense that put ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances. Like her fictional character Claudia Rose in the award-winning Forensic Handwriting series, Sheila is a real-life forensic handwriting expert who testifies in court cases. She also writes the Beyond the Veil paranormal suspense series and nonfiction books about handwriting and personality.  

Review: THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE, Dervla McTiernan

• 
  this title a library book from my local library
  
• Published by Harper Collins Publishers Australia 2026
• ISBN 978-1-4607-6016-1
• 326 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Three gifts. Three victims. One deadly game.

Alexis Turner walks into the police station to report an assault. By the end of the day, she is nowhere to be found.

Soon after she disappears, three identical packages arrive at three very different doors: a respected psychologist's home, a socialite's mansion, and a struggling single father's run-down apartment. Inside, each gift is perfectly tailored to its recipient - and each will tear apart the life of its intended victim.

Detective Sergeant Judith Lee is smart and experienced, but this is no ordinary case. Someone with intimate knowledge of their targets is orchestrating these attacks. Someone who knows exactly how to hurt each victim where they're most vulnerable. And she's convinced that somehow, it connects back to Alexis Turner.

As she races to uncover the connection between three seemingly unrelated people, Judith discovers she's no longer just investigating the game - she's being forced to play.

My Take

This standalone is a complex, tightly plotted, and increasingly layered story. It starts with a university student reporting an assault by a clinical psychologist, and following that there is roll out of what seem to be individual stories, but each is connected to the last. We see glimmers but really are not offered the final shocking connections until the very end. Meanwhile Detective Sergeant Judith Lee faces her own demons.

A story of planned vengeance, and systemic failure in a number of ways. 

Highly recommended. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.8, THE RUIN -#1

4.8, THE SCHOLAR - #2

4.8, THE GOOD TURN  -#3

4.6, THE MURDER RULE

4.6, THE MURDER RULE 

4.8, WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?

4.8, THE UNQUIET GRAVE - #4 

Review: LETHAL VENGEANCE, Robert Bryndza

• 
  This title read as a library book and on my Kindle
  
• Published by Raven Street Publishing 2024
• ISBN 978-1-914547-19-5
• 412 pages
• #8 Erika Foster series 

 Synopsis (author website)

A powerful man is found dead. Bound. Gagged. Exposed. . .

The Met wants it buried. Detective Erika Foster wants the truth.

When Detective Erika Foster arrives at the home of prominent politician Neville Lomas, she finds a scene straight out of a nightmare: the man is naked, hog-tied, and very much dead. The official cause? Natural. The case? Closed—by order of the top brass.

But two months later, when a famous casting director and a Premier League footballer are found murdered in eerily similar circumstances, Erika knows this is no coincidence. Someone is out for vengeance—and they’re just getting started.

As the body count rises, Erika’s investigation leads to a bizarre twist: CCTV footage reveals five female suspects... all with the same face. And the deeper she digs, the more she uncovers a shadowy trail leading to a high-end sex worker who knows too much—and may be the key to unraveling a scandal the Met will do anything to keep buried.

In a race against time, Erika must untangle a web of lies, secrets, and powerful enemies before the killer strikes again. But in a case where nothing is what it seems, one wrong move could be her last.

Smart, fast-paced, and packed with jaw-dropping twists, Lethal Vengeance is a crime thriller that grips from the first page to the explosive finale. Can be read as a standalone story.

My Take

A very intense read with Erika always just hanging on to the management of her case. She gradually establishes links between 4 murder victims and uncovers a killer acting out vengeance for what these people had done to her in the past.

Just a note: I began reading this in paperback until halfway through the glue binding the spine cracked and the book became loose leaf. I finished it on my Kindle. 

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

Erika Foster

• 4.6, DARK WATER - #1
• 4.8, THE NIGHT STALKER - #2
• 4.8, THE GIRL IN THE ICE - #3
• 4.8, LAST BREATH - #4
• 4.7, COLD BLOOD - #5
• 4.6. DEADLY SECRETS - #6

Kate Marshall

• 4.7, NINE ELMS - #1
• 4.7, SHADOW SANDS - #2 
• 4.6, DARKNESS FALLS - #3

Review: MISTAKE CREEK, Rachel Amphlett

• 
  this edition a library book(large print) from my local library
  
• Saxon Publishing 2015
• ISBN 978-0-6483664-1-6
• 376 pages
• Author website 

Synopsis (author website)

One road out. Six strangers. And a killer who hasn’t finished yet.

Nina O'Brien returns to the remote Mistake Creek Truck Stop to settle her father’s affairs and sell the crumbling remains of her childhood home. She doesn't expect to be fighting for her life.

As a savage, drought-breaking storm lashes the Central Valley, triggering flash floods and landslides, Nina and a small group of travellers barricade themselves inside the truck stop’s walls, cut off from the rest of the world.

The phone lines are dead, the power is out, and the only road to safety is submerged.

The fragile sanctuary shatters when a bloodied, incoherent stranger collapses across the threshold. He brings more than just his injuries – he carries a chilling warning.

Don't trust anyone.

After the discovery of a murdered traveller and trapped with strangers who all have something to hide, Nina realises that the most dangerous element isn’t the storm – it could be the person standing right next to her.

On a night defined by suspicion and betrayal, Nina must outmanoeuvre a killer who is just getting started…

Street‑sharp crime thriller with pressure that never lets up and knife‑clean turns. Ideal for readers who want page‑turning suspense with a strong sense of place. Perfect for fans of Jack Gatland, Andrew Turpin and Jack Slater. 

My Take

Set in California, this story is a fast paced thriller, focussed on a plot to release a poison into the air breathed by citizens of a city, by disgruntled ex-soldiers. The execution of the plot takes place during a storm which brings flooding and the collapse of communications. FBI agents have infiltrated a cell of dissidents.

I see that the author has dual American and Australian citizenship and thought there were many Australian overtones in the writing (although there were no direct references to Australia). Very readable.

My rating: 4.6

About the author Author website 

Before turning to writing, USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett played guitar in bands, worked as a TV and film extra, dabbled in radio as a presenter and freelance producer for the BBC, and worked in publishing as an editorial assistant.

USA Today bestselling crime author Rachel Amphlett has published over 40 titles featuring detectives, vigilantes and assassins. Her fast paced, gripping reads have readers hooked from page one, and are available from major retailers and libraries worldwide.

Rachel’s stories are available in eBook, print and audiobook formats from libraries and retailers as well as her own shop on this website.

A keen traveller and accidental private investigator, Rachel has both Australian and British citizenship. 

Review: THE PREDICAMENT, William Boyd

• 
  This edition made available as an e-book through my local library on Libby
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin (General UK), Publication date ‏ : ‎ 14 July 2026
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1405978414
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1405978415 
• Gabriel Dax #2 (in trilogy)

Synopsis (publisher)

Gabriel Dax returns in this elegant, twisting mystery of espionage and obsession and takes the reader deep into one of history's most infamous assassinations.

Gabriel Dax, travel writer and accidental spy, is back in the shadows. Unable to resist the allure of his MI6 handler, Faith Green, he has returned to a life of secrets and subterfuge. Dax is sent to Guatemala under the guise of covering a tinderbox presidential election, where the ruthless decisions of the Mafia provoke pitch-black warfare in collusion with the CIA.

As political turmoil erupts, Gabriel's reluctant involvement deepens. His escape plan leads him to West Berlin, where he uncovers a chilling realisation - there is a plot to assassinate magnetic young President John F. Kennedy. In a race against time, Gabriel must navigate deceit and danger, knowing that the stakes have never been higher.

The Predicament, the second novel in the bestselling espionage trilogy starring Gabriel Dax, William Boyd weaves a masterful tale of suspense, loyalty, love and the dark temptations of spy craft.

My Take

Espionage is not really my "thing" but experience has shown me that William Boyd tells a good tale and this one deals with an era I have lived through and refers to events that I have known about.

A good tale, with excellent characterisation. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.7, GABRIEL'S MOON - #1

4.6, RESTLESS 

Review: WHITE NOISE, Mercedes Mercier

• 
   This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09MZRBGGS
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 June 2022
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 353 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1460714652 

Synopsis (AmazonAU) 

Someone knows your secrets. Someone knows your shame. And they won't stay buried for long.

A searing, dark and dangerous thriller from an exciting new voice

When prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming is assigned charismatic inmate Justin Jones to assess for parole, alarm bells ring. Working with some of the state's most damaged criminals, she knows Jones is too dangerous to release, but he's got everyone fooled . . . She needs proof.

Laura knows all about damage. Her own painful mistakes have destroyed her marriage and she's been refused access to her daughter. Step by agonising step, she's rebuilding her life and her relationships, but it's a hard road. What does she have to do to prove she can be trusted?

Laura's not taking any chances with Jones, and as she races to find evidence before his parole hearing, she digs deep into his life - and is shocked by what she finds.

But as she edges closer to the truth, Laura falls victim to a series of increasingly personal attacks, and secrets from her past threaten to unhinge everything she holds dear - her job, her family . . . even her sanity.

Sometimes redemption is out of reach. But revenge will do just fine.

My Take

 Prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming is meant to be doing the final sign off on the release on inmate Justin Jones but to her mind he is too anxious to be released by a particular date. Laura cannot be sure that he will not re-offend but she can't put her finger on the exact reason. She is going against the recommendation of the colleague from whom she has received the case, as well as against her boss.

But she is sure there is something... 

An interesting look inside how the prison parole system works, as well as being a satisfyingly complex story.  

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, BLACK LIES 

Review: PERIL AT END HOUSE, Agatha Christie

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• Originally published 1932
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0046RE5C2, re-published 14 Oct 2010 by Harper Collins
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 254 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007422692
• Hercule Poirot #8 

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Nick Buckley was an unusual name for a pretty young woman. But then she had led an unusual life. First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches. Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed.

Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick’s sun hat, Hercule Poirot decides the girl needs his protection. At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn’t been committed. Yet.

My Take

Here is another one full of twists and turns, red herrings and misdirection.  It looks as if Nick Buckley's life is under threat and, although he has retired, Hercule Poirot feels he must protect her. It seems that the threats must be being carried out by someone close to her, perhaps a member of her household. However Poirot makes a mistake and a murder happens, but the truth is unexpected.

I have read this several times before. This time for discussion with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading group. 

My rating: 4.5

Previous reviews

1932, PERIL AT END HOUSE

All my Agatha Christie novels 

Review: THE BOYFRIEND, Freida McFadden

• 
  This edition read on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CY337Q77
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Hollywood Upstairs Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 October 2024
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 370 pages 

Synopsis  (AmazonAU)

She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim.

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She's seen it all- men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman-the latest in a string of deaths across the coast-confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can't shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn't get to the truth, she'll be the killer's next victim...

A dark story about obsession and the things we'll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest...

My Take

Another truly creepy tale from McFadden, centred mainly on the identity of a serial killer who targets young women. This one is a twisty snake, the identity and motive of the killer are elusive. 

The structure leaps between snatches of the past and the present, and sometimes things are a little misleading. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB 

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

4.7, DEAR DEBBIE 

4.6, THE HOUSEMAID 

4.6, NEVER LIE 

Review: THE WOLF, Samuel Bjork

• 
  This edition read on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZV2P3QY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Transworld Digital, 2 November 2023
• Charlotte Barslund (Translator) 
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 415 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781787636996
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1529193039
• Book 4 of 5 ‏ : ‎ Holger Munch & Mia Kruger  

Synopsis  (AmazonAU)

It was one of Sweden's most notorious unsolved cases: two young boys abducted and murdered, their bodies brutally, artistically arranged.

But eight years later, when two other boys are found in similar circumstances, it looks like the killer might be back - this time in neighbouring Norway.

Led by veteran detective Holger Munch, the investigating police are baffled. There are no clues, no leads to follow. In desperation, Munch drafts in a trainee from the Police Academy, Mia Kruger, a young woman with an uncanny ability to see beyond the facts. Little does he know that Mia is battling her own demons and will soon find that her life and that of the case are entwined in ways no one could have imagined....

My Take

Although this novel is listed as #4 in the Munch & Kruger series, in chronological terms it is the first in which Mia Kruger makes an appearance. A lecturer at the Police Academy alerts Holger Munch to unusual nature of one of his trainees, Mia Kruger. Munch invites her to join his newly created homicide team even though she is only in her early 20s and has not completed her police training.

In her first case Mia takes on the role of a profiler, in a case where two 11 year old boys have been murdered and their bodies have been posed symbolically. Munch gives Mia a lot of latitude because she is obviously able to see patterns which most detectives miss. The novel is very complex and comes to a conclusion when another two 11 year old boys go missing. 

My rating: 4.7

I've also read  4.4, I'M TRAVELLING ALONE #1 

About the author
Samuel Bjork is the pen name of Norwegian novelist, playwright and singer/songwriter Frode Sander Øien. 

Series
Holger Munch & Mia Kruger
   1. I'm Travelling Alone (2015)
   2. The Owl Always Hunts at Night (2017)
   3. The Boy in the Headlights (2019)
   4. The Wolf (2023)
   5. Dead Island (2024)
   6. The Bomber (2026) 

Review: MAIGRET IN VICHY, Georges Simenon

• 
  this edition from my local library
  
• first published 1968,
• this edition published by Penguin Random House UK Classics 2025
• translated by Ros Schwartz 2019 
• ISBN 978-0-241-78818-9
• 171 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Inspector Maigret and his wife take a much-needed rest cure in the spa town of Vichy, where they quickly become used to the leisurely pace of life. But when a woman who they regularly pass by on their daily strolls is murdered, Maigret can't help but offer his assistance to the local investigation – no matter where it leads.

My Take

Maigret and his wife have slipped into a quiet routine in Vichy, taking the waters and walking for hours every day.  Maigret isn't really ill, just tired. On the recommendation of his doctor, they will be in Vichy for 3 weeks, taking the cure. They take delight in observing others who are doing the same.

And then a woman they see regularly is murdered. The detective in charge of the investigation is someone Maigret trained and he jumps at the chance to participate although he delights in not being in charge. He wants to know the woman's background and is even more curious when he meets her sister. The tale he eventually uncovers is a sordid one indeed: one of great duplicity. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.4, MAIGRET & the MAN on the BOULEVARD

4.5, MAIGRET & THE HEADLESS CORPSE

4.3, PIETR THE LATVIAN

THE LATE MONSIEUR GALLET

4.4, THE RULES OF THE GAME

4.2, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE TRAINS GO BY

4.3, THE CARTER OF LA PROVIDENCE

4.3, LOCK NO 1. Maigret #18

4.0, MAIGRET IN NEW YORK

4.2, A MAN'S HEAD 

4.4, THE CAT 

4.4, THE TRAIN 

4.5, THE LITTLE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL 

Review: OUR HOLIDAY, Louise Candlish

• 
  This title read as an e-book on Borrow Box through my local library
  
• Format: eBook
• Imprint: HQ
• ISBN: 9780008614638
• Pages: 384
• Publication Date: 4th July 2024
• A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick
• longlisted for the 2025 Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year Award  

Synopsis (publisher)

Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda.

But there’s trouble in paradise…

A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. By the end of the summer, families and friendships will be torn apart and Pine Ridge will be known for more than its sun-drenched beaches.

It will be known for murder…

My Take

Set in an English coastal town where many locals are in temporary housing such as caravans, while there are many holiday rentals which are only taken up during August. A local campaign against second-home owners NJIA (Not Just In August) are particularly incensed by in-comers who are adding extra cottages to their land, and are conducting a campaign against them. There are several side plots which add to the story.

Highly recommended. 

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

5.0, THE OTHER PASSENGER

4.7, OUR HOUSE

4.8, THE ONLY SUSPECT

4.6, THE HEIGHTS  

Review: THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING FRENCHMAN, H. L. Marsay

• This edition read as an e-book on Kindle (AmazonAU)
• 
  ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CXP7YRDP
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tule Publishing, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 13 August 2024
  
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 276 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1962707633
• Book 3 of 4: The Lady in Blue Mysteries 

Synopsis  (AmazonAU)

Even in war, your enemies can linger too close to home…

While war and revolution continue to ravage Europe, Dorothy Peto embraces her new role at Scotland Yard as she and several detectives investigate a series of jewel thefts. Then Dorothy is tasked with assisting the inscrutable Inspector Derwent and the charming Colonel Lamarchant to find a missing French aristocrat. Their enquiries take them to a country house in Yorkshire, that’s been converted to a hospital for wounded soldiers and was the last place the Frenchman visited. However, the more questions they ask, the more questions they have.

When the body of a man suspected of being the marquis is discovered, the investigative team returns to London, but the dead man is a stranger. Dorothy speculates that the death, the jewel thefts and the missing Frenchman may be connected. She finds herself tangled in a web of conscientious objectors, Irish republicans and communist agitators, and not everyone is who they appear to be.

My Take

I must confess that I haven't read earlier titles in this series but this one seems to work well enough as a stand-alone. However while the story was interesting, it didn't feel particularly enriched by the historical period in which it is set.

It comes with this disclaimer: Inspired by the remarkable life of Dorothy Peto, the Metropolitan Police’s first female superintendent. 

My rating: 4.4

I have also read

4.4, A LONG SHADOW -#1

4.4, A VIKING SHADOW - #2 

4.4, A GHOSTLY SHADOW -#3

4.4, A ROMAN SHADOW -#4

4.5, A FORGOTTEN SHADOW #5

4.5, A CHRISTMAS SHADOW #6

Review: THE LITTLE MAN FROM ARCHANGEL, Georges Simenon

• 
  this edition from my local library
  
• first published 1956
• translated from French 2021 by Sian Reynolds
• ISBN 978-0-241-48706-8
• 186 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

The poignant story of an outsider falsely accused of murder from the celebrated author of the Maigret series

She was beautiful, full of vitality, and he was sixteen years older, a dusty, lonely bookseller whose only passion in life was collecting stamps.

Jonas is used to his young wife disappearing. Everyone in the town knows that she goes off with other men. This time, however, he tells a small lie to protect her, saying she is visiting a school friend. It is a lie, however, that eats into him like an illness, provoking hostility and resentment against this timid little Russian-Jewish bookseller, who always thought he had been accepted. As suspicion mounts, his true, terrifying isolation is revealed. 

My Take

Jonas had always thought of them as friends, but this time when his young wife disappears, the villagers turn on him. His background is that he is a Russian-Jew, whose family fled the Revolution, and he had almost forgotten that and thought they had too. But when young Gina leaves him they remember everything that makes him different and he becomes an outsider.

This is a sad story for there is no way back for Jonas as Simenon explores his final path. 

I read this to discuss with my U3A Crime Fiction Reading Group. Our focus this month is Georges Simenon. 

My rating: 4.5 

I've also read

4.4, MAIGRET & the MAN on the BOULEVARD

4.5, MAIGRET & THE HEADLESS CORPSE

4.3, PIETR THE LATVIAN

THE LATE MONSIEUR GALLET

4.4, THE RULES OF THE GAME

4.2, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE TRAINS GO BY

4.3, THE CARTER OF LA PROVIDENCE

4.3, LOCK NO 1. Maigret #18

4.0, MAIGRET IN NEW YORK

4.2, A MAN'S HEAD 

4.4, THE CAT 

4.4, THE TRAIN 

Review: THE TRAIN, Georges Simenon

• 
  Read as an e-book on Libby per my local library
  
• first published in 1961
• e-Publisher ‏ : ‎ Melville House Publishing, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 6 October 2011
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 154 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1935554468
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1935554462

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Against all expectations Marcel Féron has made a “normal” life in a bucolic French suburb in the Ardennes. But on May 10, 1940, as Nazi tanks approach, this timid, happy man must abandon his home and confront the “Fate” that he has secretly awaited. 

Separated from his pregnant wife and young daughter in the chaos of flight, he joins a freight car of refugees hurtling southward ahead of the pursuing invaders. There, he meets Anna, a sad-looking, dark- haired girl, whose accent is “neither Belgian nor German,” and who “seemed foreign to everything around her.” As the mystery of Anna’s identity is gradually revealed, Marcel leaps from the heights of an exhilarating freedom to the depths of a terrifying responsibility—one that will lead him to a blood-chilling choice. 

My Take

Marcel Feron has poor eyesight, and has had tuberculosis, so he is not required for war service. He is married, his wife is heavily pregnant and they have a 5 year old daughter. As the German tanks approach the French village where he lives, he and his neighbours flee to the local railway station with no idea where the evacuation trains will take them or what the future holds for them.  When they board a train the women and children are put at the front in the first class carriages and the men are allocated to the rear carriages, which are mainly cattle trucks. The train meanders through France and Belgium and eventually is separated into two sections and Marcel has no idea where his wife and daughter have gone.

However a young woman and he pair up in the rear carriages and become an "item" in ways that Marcel could not have envisaged when his journey began.  

This is really a novella although the story is "complete". It explores what happened during the evacuations at the beginning of World War II, the uncertainty that civilians felt, and the way people behaved once they were "released" from their normal lives. At one stage German planes strafe the railway lines and stations and some civilians are killed. Marcel will survive this episode of his life, and indeed locate his wife and child, and resume his life in the Ardennes. For those of us who have only ever read about the impact of war, this is a rare glimpse of "there but for the Grace of God ...."

I have read this for my U3A Crime Fiction Reading group where our author this month is Georges Simenon. 

My rating: 4.4

I have also read

4.4, MAIGRET & the MAN on the BOULEVARD

4.5, MAIGRET & THE HEADLESS CORPSE

4.3, PIETR THE LATVIAN

THE LATE MONSIEUR GALLET

4.4, THE RULES OF THE GAME

4.2, THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE TRAINS GO BY

4.3, THE CARTER OF LA PROVIDENCE

4.3, LOCK NO 1. Maigret #18

4.0, MAIGRET IN NEW YORK

4.2, A MAN'S HEAD

 4.4, THE CAT 

Review: THE MISSING CASE OF THE MISSING CRIME WRITER, Ragnar Jonasson

• 
  this edition published by Penguin Random House UK 2026
  
• English translation by Victoria Cribbs
• ISBN 978-0-241-71111-8
• 314 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

One winter evening, bestselling crime author Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing.

There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective, Helgi, to crack the case before it's leaked to the press.

As he interviews the people closest to her – a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge – he realises that Elín’s life wasn’t what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than her stories.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of a very unexpected life, before someone else goes missing . . .

My Take

A central theme to this novel is why people disappear. Helgi occupies an office once occupied by Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir whom we met in THE DARKNESS  when she had been forced into early retirement and then disappeared. No explanation has ever been given for her disappearance and occasionally Helgi thinks of her.

However the case he is working on at present is the disappearance of a popular crime fiction novelist who has apparently ceased writing after publishing 10 very popular novels over a period of twenty years. He learns from her friends that she has done disappearing acts before.

Helgi has other problems on his mind too - a new girlfriend is being stalked by one he walked on after she had become violent towards him.  

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.4, THE MIST

4.5, WHITE OUT 

4.5, WINTERKILL 

4.6, THE MIST

4.6, RUPTURE 

4.7, THE DARKNESS 

4.7, REYKJAVIK - with Katrin Jakobsdottir

4.6, OUTSIDE  

Review: THE GAMBLER, J. P. Pomare

• 
  This edition from my local library
  
• published by Hachette Australia 2026
• ISBN 978-0-7336-5308-7
• 330 pages
• #2 in Vince Reid PI series  

Synopsis (publisher)

A highly charged crime-thriller - launching an electrifying new series featuring PI Vince Reid - by multi-award-winning prince of the twist, J.P. Pomare.

PI Vince Reid is visiting an old friend when he's offered a case he can't refuse: Why did a respected local woman open fire at a political rally, killing a promising young university graduate? It's easy money, he's told. A sure thing.

But as Reid delves further into the case, the stakes are higher than he imagined. There are invisible players pulling the strings. Will he walk away a winner or pay for the ultimate gamble with his life?

My Take

An intriguing thriller. The original investigation is concerned with why a young woman is shot dead at a political rally. Was the target the female politician? Did the shooter miss? Vince Reid begins by looking at the victim and her friends. And then he watches the CCTV footage of the shooting and realises something.

There is an interesting side story about scams and how they work, how you influence what victims believe.

Recommended. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.6, IN THE CLEARING

4.8, CALL ME EVIE

4.8, TELL ME LIES 

4.7, THE WRONG WOMAN

4.7, HOME BEFORE NIGHT 

4.8, 17 YEARS LATER

Review: WHISTLE, Linwood Barclay

• 
  This edition read as an e-book through my local library on BorrowBox
  
• eBook, Imprint: HQ
• ISBN: 9780008735005
• Pages: 432
• Publication Date: 5th June 2025 

Synopsis (author) 

Linwood Barclay enters new territory with a supernatural chiller in which a woman and her young son move to a small town looking for a fresh start, only to be haunted by disturbing events and strange visions when they find a mysterious train set in a storage shed.

Annie Blunt has had an unimaginably terrible year. First, her husband was killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident, then one of the children’s books she’s built her writing and illustrating career on ignited a major scandal. Desperate for a fresh start, she moves with her son Charlie to a charming small town in upstate New York where they can begin to heal.

But Annie’s year is about to get worse.

Bored and lonely in their isolated new surroundings, Charlie is thrilled when he finds a forgotten train set in a locked shed on their property. Annie is glad to see Charlie happy, but there’s something unsettling about his new toy. Strange sounds wake Annie in the night—she could swear she hears a train, but there isn’t an active track for miles—and bizarre things begin happening in the neighborhood. Worse, Annie can’t seem to stop drawing a disturbing new character that has no place in a children’s book.

Grief can do strange things to the mind, but Annie is beginning to think she’s walked out of one nightmare straight into another, only this one is far more terrifying…

My Take

A thoroughly creepy read which I wasn't expecting (I didn't read the blurb before picking it up.) Don't let my description put you off - the story is well crafted and gets you thinking, plenty of little mysteries to solve.  I hope the blurb doesn't reveal too much - blame the author - it is from his site. He calls it a "chiller".

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

NO TIME FOR GOODBYE

TOO CLOSE TO HOME

4.5, FEAR THE WORST

4.6, NEVER LOOK AWAY

5.0, TRUST YOUR EYES

4.7, NEVER SAW IT COMING

4.4, BROKEN PROMISE

4.4, A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS

4.7. LOOK BOTH WAYS

Review: THE REDLINE, Adrian Hyland

• 
  This edition an e-book made available through my local library on BorrowBox
  
• ISBN: 9781761153556
• Published 25 / 11 / 2025
• Pages: 336
• QBD Books 
• #3 Jesse Redpath series 

Synopsis (publisher)

An open road. A dead cop. A killer in the hills ...I flicked on the torch, swept the surrounds. Nothing. Then I directed the beam into the trees on the other side of the road.

Up on a high, jutting branch, something moved. It may have been a white face, a pale body, a curved leg. Or it may have been none of those things. Was it human? Too quick for me to tell. A ripple, a blink and it was gone. But it seemed to leave an afterglow, an impression upon the fabric of the night.

I took a deep breath. What had I seen? It had appeared to be a pair of piercing eyes in a pale visage. It could almost have been an owl, so compelling was its gaze, so swift its departure. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, a distorted shadow?

There was a crunch of leaf in the litter below and it was gone.

Whatever it was, it sent a chill through me.

It's the festive season in the Windmark Ranges and Sergeant Jesse Redpath's day is going from bad to worse. It begins with her having to arrest the usual drunks and troublemakers and ends with the death of a colleague out on the Redline road. A death which may or may not have been an accident.

Jesse learns there have been other deaths and disappearances in the ranges, and that the local rumour mill suggests the perp is an elusive, semi-mythical character who goes by the name of 'Anarchy'.

Beneath the charm of a close-knit community, a darker truth festers, and Jesse's driven to expose it, no matter the disruption to the valley's fragile tranquillity.

My Take

Three years since we have had a novel from Adrian Hyland. 

Jesse Redpath is filling in for a colleague on leave and is a little older than we last met her but no less enthusiastic about her job. This novel turns out to be a fast pace thriller.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

5.0, GUNSHOT ROAD

4.5, CANTICLE CREEK -#1

4.7, THE WIREGRASS -#2

 
The Redline is the third in Adrian Hyland’s Australian regional crime series featuring Sergeant Jesse Redpath. The books are is set in a group of small towns in the fictional Windmark Ranges, a few hours drive from the centre of Melbourne. This entry is named after a local road that has earned the nickname “the redline” due to the drivers who redline their cars while speeding along it. 

Review: NEVER LIE, Freida McFadden

• 
  this edition from my local library
  
• large print, Gale Publishing, 2024
• ISBN 978-1-4205-1398-1
• 388 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Sometimes the truth kills…

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they've found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale's sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor's mysterious disappearance. 

My Take

McFadden is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

There are multiple narrators in this story, and at least two time frames. Just when you think you know what has happened you are delivered a ball from left field and you have to make a re-assessment. 

Highly recommended. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB 

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

4.7, DEAR DEBBIE 

4.6, THE HOUSEMAID 

Review: OUTSIDE, Ragnar Jonasson

• 
  this edition published by Random House 2022
• translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb
  
• ISBN 978-0-241-49366-3
• 324 pages  

Synopsis (publisher)

Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . . 

In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends break into an abandoned hunting lodge, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.

But nothing can prepare them for what's inside...

With no other option, they are forced to spend a terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched. As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it's clear that what they've discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.

Nor the only thing to be afraid of... 

My Take

The story opens with the group of four friends battling through a snow storm to find shelter in an abandoned hut. They have come to this remote area in Iceland to hunt ptarmigan but the weather has closed in.  They were university students together but haven't met for a number of years, so this is a sort of reunion. The snowstorm emphasises how treacherous Icelandic weather can be. The days are short and darkness closes in quickly. When they find the hut the door is padlocked and they need to break in.

Terrified by what they discover inside, they decide that two of them will go back for help.

We gradually piece together bits of the past through narratives from each of the group.

A very atmospheric thriller. 

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.4, THE MIST

4.5, WHITE OUT 

4.5, WINTERKILL 

4.6, THE MIST

4.6, RUPTURE 

4.7, THE DARKNESS 

4.7, REYKJAVIK - with Katrin Jakobsdottir

Review: JAXON WITH AN X, D. K. Wall

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08CF3HB3K
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Conjuring Reality LLC, Published : ‎ 21 July 2020
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1950293049  

 Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Six-year-old Jaxon Lathan disappeared while playing in a park. Ten years later, he’s found wandering a deserted highway.

The boy’s family races to the hospital to see him, but they are shocked at the sight. The bubbly youngster has been replaced by a scarred and emaciated teen. As they begin to bridge the lost years and rebuild their bonds, they must wrestle with their own guilt and demons.

Fearing other children are at risk, the sheriff follows the clues deep into the Great Smoky Mountains. He finds half-buried secrets, a twisted family, and his own missed opportunities. When he peels back the last layer of the mystery, the revelation shakes everyone.

All Jaxon has dreamed for years is to be with his family. Has too much happened or can he find his way home?

Jaxon with an X is an emotionally charged standalone literary fiction novel. If you like rural settings, broken families learning to heal, and stories of personal endurance, you’ll love D.K. Wall’s absorbing tale.

Empathy, compassion, forgiveness and hope. There is a light at the end of the dark, twisting tunnel.

My Take

The tale of a little boy who has been missing for ten years, one of a number of abductions, a case unsolved despite extensive application of police resources, and time spent in jail by the boy's father.  

A stunning read particularly as Australia has been reeling recently from the disappearance of 4 year old Gus Lamont. 

My rating: 4.5

About the Author
D.K. has lived his entire life in the Carolinas and Tennessee-from the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains near Maggie Valley to the industrial towns of Gastonia and Hickory, the cities of Charlotte and Nashville, and the coastal salt marsh of Murrells Inlet.Over the years, he's watched the textile and furniture industries wither and the banking and service industries explode, changing the face of the region. He uses his love of storytelling to share tales about the people and places affected. Today he's married and living in Asheville. Surrounded by his family of rescued Siberian Huskies known as The Thundering Herd, D.K. is hard at work on his next novel. 

Review: DEAD FALL LAKE, S. R. White

• 
  this edition supplied by my local library,
  
• published  by Headline Publishing 2026
• ISBN 978-1-03-542666-9
• 261 pages
• #5 in the Dana Russo series 

Synopsis (publisher)

Deep in the Australian wilderness, a famed sinkhole renowned as a stunning freediving spot attracts people from all over the world. But there’s a dark, puzzling mystery when a local sports hero – and the glamorous face of a high-adrenaline video channel – is found dead far beneath the surface.

Despite diving the sinkhole hundreds of times, his lifeless body is discovered dressed in normal clothes, handcuffed to a supply line. With no witnesses – and evidence submerged 30 metres underwater – how can Detective Dana Russo unravel such a shocking case?

My Take

The historical setting is Covid in 2020 in remote Australia (perhaps Western Victoria). The detectives have had to come from Carlton and the pandemic means that there are all sorts of restrictions related to social contact and mask wearing is mandatory. While I have read a number of novels written during the pandemic, not so many are set in the period. (Here are some I've read)

In addition the two female detectives are both "damaged" in some way and bring their own limitations to the investigation. The sinkhole has been used in the past in colonial Australia as a place of execution and makes the death of a free diver even more macabre or ironic. The sinkhole has vertical sides and very clear filtered water. 

I found the investigation quite technical and slow reading at times. I hadn't really managed to pick the murderer - perhaps not enough clues for me?

My rating: 4.6 

I've also read

4.6, HERMIT  - #1

Review: HOUSE OF CORRECTION, Nicci French

• 
  **SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD**
  
• This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B089T6R8VW
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 September 2020
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471198571 

Synopsis (Amazon)

In this heart-pounding standalone thriller from bestselling author Nicci French, a woman accused of murder attempts to solve her own case from the confines of prison--but as she unravels the truth, everything is called into question, including her own certainty that she is innocent.

Tabitha is not a murderer.

When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake. She'd only recently moved back to her childhood hometown, not even getting a chance to reacquaint herself with the neighbors. How could she possibly be a murder suspect?

She knows she's not.

As Tabitha is shepherded through the system, her entire life is picked apart and scrutinized --her history of depression and medications, her decision to move back to a town she supposedly hated . . . and of course, her past relationship with the victim, her former teacher. But most unsettling, Tabitha's own memories of that day are a complete blur.

She thinks she's not.

From the isolation of the correctional facility, Tabitha dissects every piece of evidence, every testimony she can get her hands on, matching them against her own recollections. But as dark, long-buried memories from her childhood come to light, Tabatha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced she's a killer. Tabatha needs to prove them all wrong.

But what if she's only lying to herself? 

My Take

After her lawyer advises her to plead guilty, Tabitha, who can't really remember what happened on the day of the murder, decides she will take on her own defence. She is thorough in her preparation but there is so much working against her, she is really unsure that she will be successful. A fascinating read.

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

4.3, BLUE MONDAY

4.5, TUESDAY'S GONE

4.7, WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY

4.7, FRIDAY ON MY MIND

4.7, THE LYING ROOM

4.5, DAY OF THE DEAD

4.7, SECRET SMILE

4.6, THE UNHEARD 

4.8, THE FAVOUR

5..0, HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?

5.0. THE LAST DAYS OF KIRA MULLAN  

5.0, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT