Review: TRUTH TRUTH LIE, Claire McGowan

• 
  this edition published by Thomas & Mercer 2024 (an imprint of Amazon Publishing)
  
• supplied by my local library
• ISBN-13: 9781662513862
• 330 pages 

Synopsis  (publisher)

Everyone here has killed someone.

There is no way off this island.

You will all either kill or be killed here.

One of these statements is a lie. But which one?

Amira’s less than thrilled to be spending the weekend with her husband’s university friends. Two of them are hosting a joint fortieth on a private Scottish island, with vintage champagne, expensive gifts, and soaks in the wood-fired hot tub. Despite the luxury, Amira knows she’s going to feel left out, not to mention freezing cold and cut off.

When they decide to play ‘two truths and a lie’, anonymously posting three statements about themselves into a box, years of resentment start bubbling to the surface. And then an extra slip of paper emerges, scrawled with three chilling threats. Who wrote it? And are two of the statements really true—have they all been responsible for someone’s death?

With no phone reception and no way off the island, the group are trapped here until the end of the weekend. And as tension rises and secrets are spilled, they can’t shake the feeling that they’re not the only ones here. Is someone watching them? Someone who wants them dead? Or is it one of them who has murder in mind?

My Take

A variant of a plot used by Agatha Christie, and more recently a number of others. A group of people dropped on an island supposedly to enjoy themselves but right on the first night things begin to go wrong, plans backfire, and one dies. And then things get even worse.

A rather chilling thriller which has the reader guessing. For the record, I got most of it right but there was one little bit that I didn't "see". 

My rating: 4.6

About the author
Born in Northern Ireland, Claire published her first novel in 2012, and has followed it up with many others in the crime fiction genre and also in women’s fiction (writing as Eva Woods). Writing thrillers for Thomas & Mercer, she has sold over a million books and has had several number-one bestsellers. She ran the UK’s first MA in crime writing for five years, and regularly teaches and talks about writing. Her first non-fiction project, the true crime book The Vanishing Triangle, was released in 2021. She also writes scripts and has several original projects in development for TV, as well as having four radio dramas broadcast. Several of her novels are in development as television series. She lives in London and would love to hear from readers via her website (www.clairemcgowan.co.uk) or on Twitter (@inkstainsclaire), Instagram (@clairemcgowanwriter) or Facebook (www.facebook.com/ClaireMcGowanAuthor) 

Review: A DISORGANISED DEATH, Simon Brett

• 
  this edition from my local library
  
• published by Severn House 2026
• #5 in the Decluttering series
• ISBN 987-1-4483-1469-0
• 178 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Ellen Curtis – professional declutterer, amateur sleuth and woman of a certain age – hunts for a missing will with a killer bequest in this gripping mystery from the original king of British cosy crime, Simon Brett.

Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn’t do house clearances. So when Tamara Nicklin, owner of a local gastropub, asks Ellen to clear her late father’s house, she’s not interested . . . even when Tamara admits that the real reason she wants to hire Ellen is to find his missing will.

Then Ellen discovers Tamara’s husband has plans for the house. Plans Tamara doesn’t know about. And it’s clear to Ellen that this is the right job for her, after all.

Ellen dives in, and what she finds in the dead man’s house soon makes her wonder if Tamara’s father really fell down the stairs, or if he was pushed. Can she sort through the secrets and lies to find not just the missing will – but the truth? 

My Take

This is another book that takes the reader into a world with which they are probably not all that familiar, but a scenario that is becoming more common in today's culture, where most of us have simply accumulated and accumulated. Many resort to a mini-skip on the front lawn, but for others willing to pay, the services of a declutterer are required to ensure that nothing important is lost.

There are two stories in this novel, both dealing with a search for a will, and then making sure the right will is actioned.

Perhaps once again I have come into this series from the wrong end. This is #5. My own advice to readers is always to start at #1 and to allow the author to share their character development with you. I didn't particularly "take to" the main character Ellen nor to the members of her immediate family. I can see where the author is laying ground for more in the series, so I should go back and read earlier titles some time. 

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

BLOOD AT THE BOOKIES
THE POISONING IN THE PUB
4.4, THE SHOOTING IN THE SHOP
4.3, SO MUCH BLOOD
4.2, A DECENT INTERVAL
4.5, BONES UNDER THE BEACH HUT
4.2, GUNS IN THE GALLERY
4.6, THE CORPSE ON THE COURT
4.3, THE STRANGLING ON THE STAGE
4.2, THE CINDERELLA KILLER
4.5, THE TOMB IN TURKEY
4.4, CHARLES PARIS: MURDER UNPROMPTED
4.2, CHARLES PARIS: CORPORATE BODIES
4.4, THE KILLING IN THE CAFE
4.4, THE LIAR IN THE LIBRARY

Major Bricket series

• 4.4, MAJOR BRICKET AND THE CIRCUS CORPSE -#1
• 4.4, MAJOR BRICKETT AND THE BODY IN THE BELL TOWER -#2 

Review: THE WATER'S EDGE, Karin Fossum

• 
  This title made available as an e-book by my local library on Libby
  
• #8 in the Inspector Sejer series
• Published in 2009 by Random House
• Translated into English from Norwegian by Charlotte Barslund 

Synopsis (Fantastic Fiction)
A married couple, Reinhardt and Kristine Ris, are out for a Sunday walk when they discover the body of a boy and see the figure of a man limping away. They alert the police, but not before Reinhardt, to Kristine's horror, kneels down and takes photographs of the dead child with his cell phone. 

Inspectors Konrad Sejer and Jakob Skarre begin to make inquiries in the little town of Solberglia. But then another boy disappears, and an explanation seems more remote than ever. Meanwhile, the Ris's marriage starts to unravel as Reinhardt becomes obsessed with the tragic events and his own part in them.  

My Take

It is nearly 10 years since I have read a book by this author and I had forgotten how good they are. It was almost meeting up again with old friends.

Karin Fossum is a Norwegian author and her novels owe a lot to the atmospheric setting. In many ways the novels are police procedurals but they also are related to themes of modern times: in this case paedophilia, and what leads some men to target children. Sejer and Skarr are methodical and sensitive. In a side-theme Kristine Ris is trapped in a loveless marriage to a man she has come to both fear and hate.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• BLACK SECONDS
• BROKEN
• THE WATER'S EDGE
• 4.9, BAD INTENTIONS
• 5.0, THE CALLER
• 4.7, I CAN SEE IN THE DARK
• 5.0, THE DROWNED BOY
• 4.7, HELLFIRE

Review: DEAD MED, Freida McFadden

• 
  this title from my local library
  
• published by AmazonAu 2024
• 460 pages
• originally published Suicide Med 

 Synopsis (AmazonAu)

 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes an electrifying medical thriller, Dead Med, originally published as Suicide Med.

"All I can think about is how pathetic it would be to die in the anatomy lab. The last thing I want is to become one of the dead bodies."

When Heather McKinley dreamed of becoming a doctor, she imagined curing sick kids and sporting pink stethoscopes. She never anticipated the sleepless nights, grueling exams, and endless labs. And she certainly never knew that her medical school earned the nickname Dead Med thanks to the tragic history of students overdosing on illegal drugs.

But Heather would never consider doing anything like that. That is, until her longtime boyfriend dumps her, she finds herself failing anatomy, and her world starts to crumble.

Everyone has a breaking point.

Then, on the night before the final exam in anatomy, a shot rings out through the hallways of Dead Med.

The school has claimed yet another casualty. One of Heather's classmates has done the unthinkable, and before her desperate 911 call even connects, it will happen again.

And the night is just beginning.

My Take

The story follows the lives and interactions of students studying a year of anatomy at the DeWitt Medical School. Five students are thrown together working on one cadaver. The school has the reputation of being riddled with drug abuse and stress brought on by the demands of their studies. We see the same events from a number of points of view.

My rating: 4.5

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 

4.6, THE BOYFRIEND 

Review: THE BUTLER, Clare Mackintosh

• 
  This edition from my local library
  
• Published in 2026 by Podium Publishing
• ISBN 979-8-3470-0926-8
• 199 pages  

Synopsis (Amazon)

The South of France is stunning, though not without its imperfections, from pickpockets to burglars to the occasional cold-blooded killer. But in his twenty-five years of service, Baxter—with a spotless reputation as a polished, well-mannered butler—has never run into any issues catering to the ultrawealthy. Until now.

Baxter’s latest assignment is at Villa Sérénité, where Alec Prescott is hosting a colorful cast of characters, including his ex-wife, his much younger lady friend, and some Hollywood hotshots, after the Cannes Film Festival. But it doesn’t take long for a week of sun, wine, and a family birthday celebration to devolve into bickering and backstabbing. And soon, secrets aren’t the only thing floating to the surface . . .

When one of the guests is found dead in the villa’s glittering pool, the unflappable Baxter must assist the gendarmes in determining who’s responsible. With some standing to gain and others motivated to take it away, fingers are pointed in all directions. A good butler is expected to see everything and say nothing—but what if he too becomes a target?

My Take

The family from hell is celebrating a 21st birthday until one of them ends up on the bottom of the pool. The local police don't have much time to solve the murder but they tell the remaining members of the family they can't leave until the murderer is nabbed. There is a touch of humour when Baxter the butler enlists a local pickpocket to help him work out who committed the murder.  

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.6, I LET YOU GO
• 4.4, LET ME LIE 

Review: SOFTLY CALLS THE DEVIL, Chris Blake

• 
  This edition read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
  
• Publisher: Bonnier Books UK, 352 pages
• Release date: November 4, 2025
• Formats: OverDrive Read
• ISBN: 9781786585417 

Synopsis (publisher) 

Things are going well for Matt Buchanan. After some hard times, life is peaceful as sole-charge constable for the small, isolated settlement of Haast on New Zealand's wild West Coast. He's made friends among the locals, won their trust. He keeps their little world safe. And he's working in spectacular surroundings - the fierce Tasman Sea, the dense beech forest, the dark, cold swamps, the snowy Southern Alps.

But then his much-loved predecessor, Gus, is discovered beside a river with a bullet through his head. He'd been looking into a disturbing murder-suicide from 1978: the parents' bodies were found, but not their daughter's. Suspecting a darker truth, Matt is certain the answers can't be too far away in this close-knit community. 

How does former forest service ranger Liam, with his gang links, fit into the story? What about Joe, the alcoholic hermit whose knowledge and intelligence seem so at odds with his appearance and lifestyle?

Tensions rise, there are more deaths, people are threatened, memories surface of a cult that went horribly wrong ... Even when support arrives, Matt finds himself pursuing a case that's well outside his remit and is taking him to places he'd sooner not revisit. Also part of an increasingly terrifying situation are an over-curious journalist and a woman who could be someone special.

Matt has managed to shun his own demons, and is desperate not to face them again, but when confronted by the devil himself, he must take action, rediscover something of the person he was - for his own sake and to save those he loves.
This is the work of an award-winning master storyteller. Fast-moving, spare, compelling and rich in laconic humour, Softly Calls the Devil will grab you from the first page and refuse to let go. 

My Take

This is basically a police procedural with a distinctive rural New Zealand flavour. Matt Buchanan has been a metropolitan CIB detective but is now a sole-charge constable in an isolated rural community. 

His predecessor has been found dead and Matt discovers the case he was looking into was a cold case from 25 years earlier: a murder suicide where a young girl went missing and was never found. The case appears to have been linked to a nearby hippy community but the police investigation got nowhere.

The rural setting and the time frame of the original case provide tantalising elements which reach out into the present.

My rating: 4.6

About the author

Chris Blake was born and raised in Auckland. He served briefly in the New Zealand Army's Reserve Force before joining the New Zealand Police in 2006.

His debut novel, The Sound of Her Voice (published under the pseudonym Nathan Blackwell), was a double finalist in the 2018 Ngaio Marsh Awards for best novel and best first novel. Chris was an assistant storyboarder for season two of the crime drama television series, The Gulf, released in 2021.

Review: MAJOR BRICKET AND THE CIRCUS CORPSE, Simon Brett

• 
  this edition supplied by my local library
  
• published Constable 2025
• ISBN 978-1-40872-130-8
• 232 pages
• #1 Major Bricket Mystery

Synopsis (publisher) 

Introducing a new, but not-so-amateur, sleuth from another peaceful English village with an alarmingly high death rate! The first mystery in a new cosy series from one of the world's favourite crime writers - perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett, Robert Thorogood and M. C. Beaton.
_______________________

Meet Major Bricket, an infrequent resident of Highfield House in Stunston Peveril, Suffolk. In the past the Major's work assignments, frequently in foreign countries, have prevented him from spending much time there and a result, there is an air of mystery around him while everyone in the village speculates on the nature of his occupation.

But now the Major has retired and has come home for good in his open-topped little red sports car... and what a homecoming it is, for lying spreadeagled on his lawn in the summer sunshine is the corpse of a clown.

The circus is in Stunston Peveril for the annual village fair, yet none of their quota of clowns is missing - or at least, nobody is saying. Could the body be that of an unfortunate early guest at the village's highlight of the social calendar, the Fincham Abbey Costume Ball?

Fortunately Major Bricket's past clandestine career means that he is now very well placed to solve the mystery of the dead clown on his camomile lawn . . . 

My Take

The beginning of a new series of cozies, with a couple of characters who have had a history in espionage, but are now apparently retired. As always with Simon Brett: interesting characters, and mysteries that are sufficiently engaging without being over the top or too noir, plus slightly quirky humour.

Not as good in my books as the Fethering Mysteries, but it is early days yet. 

My rating: 4.4

BLOOD AT THE BOOKIES
THE POISONING IN THE PUB
4.4, THE SHOOTING IN THE SHOP
4.3, SO MUCH BLOOD
4.2, A DECENT INTERVAL
4.5, BONES UNDER THE BEACH HUT
4.2, GUNS IN THE GALLERY
4.6, THE CORPSE ON THE COURT
4.3, THE STRANGLING ON THE STAGE
4.2, THE CINDERELLA KILLER
4.5, THE TOMB IN TURKEY
4.4, CHARLES PARIS: MURDER UNPROMPTED
4.2, CHARLES PARIS: CORPORATE BODIES
4.4, THE KILLING IN THE CAFE
4.4, THE LIAR IN THE LIBRARY 

Review: COLD RIVER, Margaret Hickey

• 
  this edition from my local library
  
• published by Penguin Random House Australia 2026
• ISBN 978-1-76135-111-2
• 353 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Deep in the mountains, secrets grow deadly . . .

Senior Constable Sally White knows how easily hikers can go missing in Victoria’s High Country. But there’s something about the disappearance of Louis Taylor, a young man lost up Mount Viking, that’s not sitting right with her.

Louis was an aspiring journalist, researching the illegal tobacco trade – also known as chop chop – that was once so prevalent in the area. And the last person he interviewed before his hike has just met a gruesome end . . .

But with no other leads, and with the search winding down, Sally is forced to accept the young man died in a tragic accident.

Until she learns of another missing persons case that bears striking similarities. Astrid Marlowe, a young lawyer, vanished in the same mountains two years earlier.

Were Louis and Astrid simply unlucky hikers lost in the treacherous terrain? Or did they both stumble into something – or someone – they shouldn’t have? 

My Take

This author was a "discovery" just four years ago and now her books are in the "not to be missed" category. This book is a stand-alone, set in the Victorian High Country, and I wouldn't be surprised if it eventually becomes the first in the series.

It hits on themes seen elsewhere: corruption in the Victorian police, the drug trade, and the close-connectedness of rural communities.

Sally White comes to rural policing with something that should be an advantage: her stepfather is the Assistant Commissioner, and a distinct disadvantage: her father is a criminal who has done time. But she loses on all fronts. 

Sally is young, impetuous, and enthusiastic and she loves her job.That often gets her into trouble. Her bosses think she needs watching.

Highly recommended. If you get a chance to hear Margaret talk, make sure you take it. 

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.7, CUTTER'S END - Mark Ariti #1

4.6, STONE TOWN - Mark Ariti #2

4.5, BROKEN BAY - Mark Ariti #3 

4.8, CREEPER

4.6, AN ILL WIND 

4.4, RURAL DREAMS - short stories 

Review: HOW TO SOLVE YOUR OWN MURDER, Kristen Perrin

• 
  this edition a paperback published in 2024 by Quercus
• borrowed from my local library
  
• ISBN 978-1-52943-006-6
• 376 pages  

 Synopsis (publisher)

FRANCES ALWAYS SAID SHE’D BE MURDERED.
SHE WAS RIGHT.

In 1965, Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she’d be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. Of course, no one took her seriously – until she was dead.

For Frances, being the village busybody was a form of insurance. She’d spent a lifetime compiling dirt on every person she met, just in case they might turn out to be her killer. In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies an eccentric library of detective work, where the right person could step in and use her findings to solve her murder.

When her great-niece Annie arrives from London and discovers that Frances’ worst fear has come true, Annie is thrust into her great-aunt’s last act of revenge against her sceptical friends and family. Frances’ will stipulates that the person who solves her murder will inherit her millions.

Can Annie unravel the mystery and find justice for Frances, or will digging up the past lead her into the path of the killer?

My Take

Set in two time frames, one of them narrated in diary format, this was a challenging novel for the author to pull off well. In my opinion, it could have done with much stricter editing. There were far too many characters for the reader to keep track of, and too many red herrings.

The two time frames are 60 years apart. In the first, in 1965, at the Castle Knoll Country Fair, Frances Adams has her fortune told and we are informed that the fortune will dictate the rest of her life. Sixty years later she calls some of her family together to reveal how her estate will be disposed of. Before they come together she is dead. Her will sets her inheritors against each other in a race to solve her murder.

Sixty years earlier a baby was born, and one of her friends disappeared. In the intervening period some of her contemporaries have of course died and other families have been augmented. This introduces an incredible level of complexity. Annie, her great-niece, does not know who to trust, and neither does the reader. 

My rating: 4.0 

About the author

Kristen Perrin is originally from Seattle, Washington, where she spent several years working as a bookseller before moving to the UK to do a master’s and a PhD. She lives with her family in Surrey, where she can be found poking around vintage bookstores, stomping in the mud with her two kids, and collecting too many plants. How To Solve Your Own Murder is her debut adult novel.  

Review: THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR OF JUDITH POTTS, Robert Thorogood

• 
  This edition read on Libby through my local library
  
• Format: eBook
• Imprint: HQ
• ISBN: 9780008567408
• Pages: 320
• Publication Date: 15th January 2026
• Series: The Marlow Murder Club Mysteries Book 5 

Synopsis (publisher)

A killer is on the loose. The bodies are piling up. And Judith is hiding a deadly secret …

Someone from Judith’s past has turned up in Marlow and is stirring up trouble. With all the murders that the Marlow Murder Club have had to solve and her work setting crosswords, Judith’s been too busy to give her old life much thought. But now it’s knocking on her door and won’t go away.

On top of that, Marlow’s celebrities are getting murdered! When a footballer and a thriller writer are found dead, Judith, Suzie, and Becks must untangle a web of scandal to find the killer. But with Judith keeping secrets, the Marlow Murder Club find themselves drifting apart.

The pressure is on in more ways than one …

Can they find the killer and help Judith in time, or could this be the end of the Marlow Murder Club? 

My Take

Judith's past, which has been referred to in previous titles, resurfaces when a young woman turns up on her doorstep claiming to be her step-daughter, and saying that Judith murdered her father. 

There are bits of this novel that stretch  reader credibility, but at the same time the action moves quickly and retains the interest.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.6, THE MARLOW MURDER CLUB - #1

4.4, THE QUEEN OF POISONS - #3

4.4, MURDER ON THE MARLOW BELLE - #4

Review: THE SECOND WIFE, Ali Lowe

• 
  this edition published 2026 by Hodder & Stoughton
  
• ISBN 978-1-399-74218-4
• 364 PAGES

Synopsis (Publisher)

The Fairchild family have it all. At least that's what anyone watching the family of billionaires board the opulent Titan Pacifica would think.

But as Sydney Harbour Bridge starts to disappear in the rear-view window of the luxury liner, so too does any pretence that this is a happy family.

Unbeknownst to his children, CEO and patriarch Irving had planned to use the cruise to reveal his long-awaited succession plans. As glasses clink and elaborate dinners are served to the most notorious of Sydney's elite, it will soon become all too clear that family loyalty can only take you so far.

And although six embark on the journey of a lifetime, not all of the group will make it back to dry land again . . .

My Take

Tightly plotted with at least 3 shock revelations.

You wouldn't want to meet these people on any cruise you embarked on.  

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

4.5, THE TRIVIA NIGHT

4.8, THE SCHOOL RUN

4.6, THE RUNNING CLUB  

Review: THE MODEL MURDER, Amanda Hampson

• 
  this edition published by Penguin Books 2026
  
• ISBN 978-1-76135-034-4
• 324 pages  

Synopsis (publisher)

Never underestimate a tea lady.

Sydney, 1968. When a popular local man is murdered, police are quick to pin the blame on his glamorous model fiancée, who has since disappeared. But Hazel suspects a criminal cover-up and rallies the tea ladies to investigate; a quest that brings danger right to her door.

Meanwhile, Merl’s long-buried family secret threatens to unravel her carefully constructed life. When she stumbles on evidence that her detective son-in-law is corrupt, she’s forced to swallow her pride and reunite with the other tea ladies, enlisting their help to expose him.

Betty becomes immersed in a local theatre group where there is more drama offstage than on it, further complicated by her infatuation with the enigmatic leading man.
Irene aspires to a new career as a debt collector but her first case has more frustrations and obstacles than she bargained for, even with the help of a new weapon. 

My Take

Although a cozy, I found the plot had too many strands, and I seemed constantly to be getting the main characters muddled up.

My rating: 4.3 

I've also read

4.4, THE TEA LADIES

4.4, THE CRYPTIC CLUE 

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: 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: 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: 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