Showing posts with label thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thriller. Show all posts

Sunday, March 15, 2026

My Review for The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish

March 15, 2026  , , , ,  No comments



"2020 has a sci-fi ring to it, I feel, like it might be the year of alien landings 👽 or the one when the gamma rays get us."

The Other Passenger is my March read for @hook.me.a.book challenge – the #NeglectedFaithfulsReadingChallenge 📚. It reminded me of why I enjoy a thriller, and after reading this I have decided to try and read some more this year. Let's see how that works out! 🤞

The story switches between the beginning of 2019 and the end, as we roll over into 2020, with Jamie as the most unreliable narrator I've ever heard — honestly — by the middle of the book, I wasn't trusting a word he said! 😅

I was kept guessing throughout The Other Passenger. Just when I raised my eyebrows and thought to myself, "really, that's a poor twist, I don't like that if it's the ending", Louise threw a complete curveball ⚾, turned the story on its head and went streaking off in a completely different direction, which had me hooked all over again! Even up until the very end, there were so many twists and turns 🔄, I was meeting myself coming backwards!

If I had to live my life again, one of the things that I think would be quite a cool thing to do is commute to work by riverboat 🚤, just as Jamie did. You can even have a drink at the bar 🍸 on your way home, as you wend your way down the river! I'm pleased I finally got around to this book. Now let me look at Louise's backlist 📖.

About the Book

You’re feeling pretty smug about your commute to work by riverboat. No more traffic gridlock or getting stuck on the tube in tunnels (you’re claustrophobic); now you’ve got an iconic Thames view, fresh air ?— a whole lifestyle upgrade. You’ve made new friends onboard — led by your hedonistic young neighbour, Kit ?— and just had your first ‘water rats’ Christmas drinks.

But the first day back after Christmas, Kit isn’t on the morning boat. The river landmarks are all the same, but something’s off. You disembark to find the police waiting. Kit’s wife, Melia, has reported him missing and another passenger witnessed the two of you arguing on the last boat home after your drinks. Police say you had a reason to lash out at him. To kill him.

You protest. You and Kit are friends ?— ask Melia, she’ll vouch for you. And who exactly is this other passenger pointing the finger? What do they know about your private lives? No, whatever coincidences might have occurred that night, you are innocent, totally innocent.

Aren’t you?

About Louise

Louise Candlish is the Sunday Times and internationally bestselling author of 18 novels. Her latest release A Neighbour's Guide to Murder is a slow-burn psychological thriller about an age-gap friendship between neighbours that escalates to scandal and murder. It is an instant Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller and a WHSmith Travel Book Club pick. It publishes in the US July 7.

Our Holiday, set among second-home owners on the English south coast, was a Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year 2025 nominee.

Louise recently celebrated her 20th anniversary as a published author with the news of two prestigious prizes for her book The Only Suspect: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction. The book is currently in development for TV and filming begins soon in London.
​
She is best known for Our House, winner of the British Book Awards Book of the Year – Crime & Thriller and now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, the book received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.

Louise lives in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the ones featured in her books, with her husband, daughter, and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie, who is the apple of her eye. Authors who inspire her include Tom Wolfe, Patricia Highsmith, Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine and Agatha Christie.



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Monday, February 2, 2026

My Review for Truth Be Told by Kia Abdullah

February 02, 2026  , , , , ,  No comments


“We’ve got to treat men like humans, even if some do inhuman things.”

My third of @hook.me.a.book challenges is the #NeglectedFaithfulsReadingChallenge, which I’m using to read physical books that have been sitting on my actual shelf for far too long! 📚✨ First up is Truth Be Told by Kia Abdullah, the second book in the Zara Kaleel series. I’ve just checked and I read the first one at the end of 2022, so yes — I’m a bit behind! 😅

In my experience, male assault isn’t something that’s covered often in books, and it’s a difficult subject to write about. However, Kia handles it with sensitivity and a great deal of research, which I really appreciated. 💛

Zara has her own issues to deal with alongside her work as an assault counsellor, and then she takes on Kamran’s case — not an easy one to manage. I went through a whole range of emotions while reading this: angry, empathetic, and sad, often towards the same characters. 😡💔 The immaturity of youth is portrayed in the boys who attended Hampton School, and honestly, at times they needed their heads banging together for the way they reacted to events. 🙄

I especially enjoyed the courtroom drama and the way both the defence and prosecution challenge witnesses. ⚖️ I used to read a lot of this type of book, and I really need to pick more up because I’d forgotten just how invested I get! 😍

If legal thrillers are your jam and you’ve never read Kia’s books before, I’d thoroughly recommend them — just be sure to check the trigger warnings first. ⚠️📖

About the Book

Kamran Hadid feels invincible. He attends Hampton school, an elite all-boys boarding school in London, he comes from a wealthy family, and he has a place at Oxford next year. The world is at his feet. And then a night of revelry leads to a drunken encounter and he must ask himself a horrific question. With the help of assault counsellor, Zara Kaleel, Kamran reports the incident in the hopes that will be the end of it. But it’s only the beginning…


About Kia

Kia Abdullah is an author and journalist from London. Her novels include Take It Back (a Guardian and Telegraph thriller of the year), Truth Be Told (shortlisted for a Diverse Book Award), Next of Kin (longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger Award) and Those People Next Door (a Times Bestseller and Waterstones Thriller of the Month). Her new novel, What Happens in the Dark, is out now.

Kia has won a Diverse Book Award (2022) and a JB Priestley Award for Writers of Promise (2020). She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times and the BBC among others.

Kia was born in Tower Hamlets in East London and was raised in a family of eight children. As the most stubborn of six daughters, she constantly found herself in trouble for making choices that clashed with her parents’, a habit they came to accept when she became their first and only child to graduate from university – with a first in Computer Science.

In 2007, Kia left her job in tech to pursue the one thing she had always wanted: a career as a writer, taking a 50% pay cut in the process. She worked as sub-editor and later features editor at Asian Woman Magazine where she interviewed British-Asian luminaries including Riz Ahmed, Meera Syal, Nitin Sawnhey and Anoushka Shankar. 

Kia went on to join global publisher Penguin Random House where she helped grow digital readership at Rough Guides to over a million users per month. In 2014, she quit her day job to found Atlas & Boots, an outdoor travel blog now read by 150,000 people a month.

Today, she spends her time writing, boxing, mentoring adults in Newham and visiting far-flung destinations for Atlas & Boots.










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Friday, January 30, 2026

My Review for The Storm by Rachel Hawkins, read by Alex Knox, Cathi Colas, Dan Bittner, Jane Oppenheimer, Patti Murin, Petrea Burchard and Stephanie Nemeth-Parker

January 30, 2026  , , , ,  No comments



"Hurricanes aren’t just weather; they are monsters that never truly die.”

The Storm was my second January listen for another of @hook.me.a.book’s challenges, the #LetsEarItAudiobookChallenge 🎧📚. I’d been seeing this one everywhere on Instagram over the past few weeks, so I finally got around to listening.

It took me a while to get into it. The build-up was slow, and I found it took a minute to get to grips with all the different characters — particularly in audio format, where each character had a different narrator 🎙️. However, once I’d heard from them all, I was hooked and the pace picked up more and more. Alongside the multiple points of view, the story also uses a dual timeline — just to confuse me and intrigue me a little further ⏳🤔.

After all the twists and turns, I still couldn’t fully work out what had happened in the past or how it was going to play out in the present, especially as the latest hurricane headed towards St Medard’s Bay 🌪️. As the story peaked, I found myself listening for longer than I usually would, just so I could reach the end and uncover the tangled web of the finale 😮‍💨✨.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review The Storm by Rachel Hawkins 💙📖.


About the Book

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…


About Rachel

Born in Virginia and raised in Alabama, Rachel Hawkins has been writing since Kindergarten when her first book, a tense thriller involving a unicorn, a witch, and a princess, was called, “very imaginative!” by her teacher and “a searing work of genius” by her mother.

Since then, Rachel has written over a dozen books for children and adults (sadly all unicorn-free thus far), and been published in more than twenty countries. As Rachel Hawkins, she wrote the New York Times bestselling THE WIFE UPSTAIRS, a Southern Gothic twist on JANE EYRE that the Southern Review of Books called, “a thrill ride,” and Entertainment Weekly dubbed, “a gothic thriller laced with arsenic.” Her latest thriller, RECKLESS GIRLS, also debuted on the New York Times list with Kirkus calling it, “a soapy, claustrophobic page-turner.”

When not writing modern Gothic thrillers as Rachel Hawkins, she also pens paranormal romantic comedies under the name Erin Sterling. Her debut romance, THE EX HEX, was a Book of the Month pick as well as a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller.

Rachel currently lives in Auburn, Alabama with her husband, son, and five cats. (Yes, five. She knows.). In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and picking up an assortment of creative hobbies she will give up on after a week or two. 




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Thursday, January 29, 2026

My Review for No One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis, read by Helen Stern

January 29, 2026  , , , ,  No comments


"How could he have betrayed his beautiful wife like that?"

This was one of my January listens for another one of @hook.me.a.book challenges. This time it's the #LetsEarItAudiobookChallenge.

I'm pretty sure this is my first Susan Lewis book, and I really enjoyed it. 😊 Of course, I spent most of the story trying to second-guess what was actually happening, but apart from a few inklings, I didn’t see the twist coming at all until it was fully explained. 😲

No One Saw It Coming is told from multiple points of view, but I never felt confused. It was easy to move between perspectives, and I very quickly became invested in each character and desperate to know what would happen next. 📖💭

A great deal of research has clearly gone into the mental health aspects of this novel, and they’re portrayed both sensitively and realistically. It’s quite frightening, really, how sometimes we just can’t understand how someone else’s brain is wired. 🧠

Now that I’ve read one, I’ll definitely be picking up more Susan Lewis novels in the future. 🙌

Thank you to HarperCollins and Libro.fm for the opportunity to listen to and review No One Saw It Coming. 🎧✨

About the Book

Secrets lie at the heart of every family…

When the unthinkable happens…

Hanna’s world is crumbling.

An unimaginable crime has been committed, and everyone’s looking for someone to blame. Her loved ones are under suspicion.

Now Hanna must work out who is threatening her family – before it’s too late.

No one could have seen this coming…


About Susan

Susan Lewis is the bestselling author of over forty books across the genres of family drama, thriller, suspense and crime. She is also the author of Just One More Day and One Day at a Time, the moving memoirs of her childhood in Bristol during the 1960s. Following periods of living in Los Angeles and the South of France, she currently lives in Gloucestershire with her husband James, stepsons Michael and Luke, and mischievous dogs Coco and Lulu.







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Thursday, October 9, 2025

My Review for Dying to be Here by T.J. Emerson, read by Claire Storey and Karen Cass

October 09, 2025  , , ,  No comments


'You’d die for a stay here. But would you kill for it'?

I joined a listen-along for this book back in July 2024 (it was called The Last Resort then), and apologies for the delay in posting my review!

I wasn’t sure what to expect—maybe a Death in Paradise style mystery—but what I got was a story full of dark secrets, a slow-burn mystery, and some truly sinister goings-on. I enjoyed learning about the history behind the retreat and the events of the past, though I could have done with less of the spiritual wellbeing stuff—that just isn’t my cup of tea.

The characters were fascinating, annoying, and downright awful in equal measures. Not awful in a bad way, but I definitely wanted to shake a few of them! Reviews for this book are mixed; it seems people either love it or hate it. It’s a slow-paced story with deep dives into each character, so give it a try if you enjoy character-driven mysteries—you might just love it.

Thank you to Boldwood for the opportunity to listen to and review Dying to be Here (The Last Resort) by T.J. Emerson. 

About the Book

As soon as you first see the House in the Hills, an old hotel in a picturesque enclave of the Cypriot hills, you know it's the perfect home for you – with breath-taking views, a refreshing pool, and peace and quiet, away the rest of the world. A place to recover and grow.

But paradise isn’t cheap, and as the debts mount, you could lose everything you've worked so hard for.

Until someone makes you an offer: to keep your home, you have to take a life.

But you could never do that… could you?

You’d die for a stay here. But would you kill for it?


About T.J. Emerson

As the daughter of a soldier, Tracey Emerson spent her childhood and most of her teenage years moving between army camps in the UK, Germany, the Middle East and the Far East. After a short stint in boarding school, she did a degree in Dramatic Arts at Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds. Not long after graduating, she moved to Edinburgh on a whim, intending to stay for six months. She has lived in Scotland ever since.

Before writing fiction, Tracey worked in theatre and community arts. As well as acting, she ran drama workshops in hospitals, focusing on adults with learning difficulties and mental health issues. After a period of poor health, she began writing as a way of reconnecting with her creativity. She started attending creative writing classes at the University of Edinburgh’s Lifelong Learning Centre and was lucky enough to meet the author Helen Lamb, who encouraged her to send in one of her first short stories to The Scotland and Orange Short Story prize. The story, ‘Our Big Day Out’, was a runner up in the competition, and this early success gave Tracey the confidence to keep writing. Other story publications in anthologies and literary magazines followed, and Tracey went on to study for an MSc in Creative writing at the University of Edinburgh. After completing this course, she received a scholarship to do her PhD in Creative Writing at the university, working on the novel that would eventually become her debut thriller, Mother’s Day.

Since then, she has continued to publish short stories and her feature writing has appeared in Stella magazine, Woman’s Own and The Sydney Morning Herald. In June 2021, she signed with Boldwood Books to publish her second thriller, The Perfect Holiday, under the name TJ Emerson.

As well as writing her own fiction, Tracey works as a literary consultant and writing tutor and is also the Creative Director of The Bridge Awards, a philanthropic organisation that provides micro-funding for the arts.

When not travelling, Tracey lives in the hills of Perthshire. She can often be found tramping around the countryside and, occasionally, braving a dip in the chilly rivers and lochs.



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Monday, October 6, 2025

My Review for Britannia Strikes by Russell Dumper

October 06, 2025  , , , , ,  No comments



“If you don't trust us, why tell us?”

And so Leo’s ominous plans for expanding the British Empire continue, while the Resistance fights back, in the second instalment of Russell Dumper’s Britannia series.

Having got my head around the world-building in the first book, I settled into Britannia Strikes very quickly this time, now that I know who everyone is and what their roles are. I still can’t help picturing our current Royal Family as this fictitious one though 🙈 — it’s been very cleverly imagined by the author.

I’m not usually a fan of political stories, but this series has really grabbed my attention. The level of research that must have gone into it is phenomenal, and I’m full of admiration for Russell’s dedication to a world he’s been developing since his teenage years.

This is a dystopian novel full of intrigue and mystery — and it’s quite frankly unsettling at times, as you realise how easily its events could mirror the real world, with all its relentless and often controversial decisions.

If you’re a fan of dystopian fiction, sci-fi, politics, or spy thrillers, this book has it all. I’m already eager to see what happens next.

Thank you to Russell Dumper for the gifted copy of Britannia Strikes.

About the Book

With King Alfred concentrating on Outpost, the British Empire is following a new, more sinister path. King Regent Leopold is pushing through his dream of expansion as he seeks to crush the rebellions rising in opposition. His plans, formed in the shadows, will have a devastating effect on his enemies and confirm The Empire as the only, true world superpower.

The Dayak are enjoying support and growth, following their victory in the Battle of Serpent Valley. With Nepal on the cusp of independence from the iron grip of The Empire, they must consolidate their position. But the British never give up so easily and the East India Company should never be underestimated. Letitia Pearl, Bob Royce, and the monks, must all spot the dangers lurking just across the border. And maybe closer to home, too...

Jamie Bayston is recovering from the loss of his family the only way he can - by throwing himself into his work. As Ed MacLoughlin and Trevor Layttle train him, and try to find answers, it looks increasingly likely that they will need to head back into the jaws of the lion to find them. 


About Russell (taken from The Spalding & South Holland Voice)

Russell Dumper has followed his childhood dream of becoming an author. “I’ve always loved writing and it has brought be so much joy since I was a small boy. It’s a fire that burns inside of me, a passion that I’ve always had. I have so many more books to write, and I can’t wait to write them,” he said.

His book, Britannia Rises, is set in an alternate near future ruled by the British Empire.
“There are all kinds of characters, twists, links into modern events, action, suspense and surprises galore. “When asked, I describe it as a kind of modern Game of Thrones meeting a James Bond origin story. There are many plots overlapping each other and the main characters are deep and complex,” he added.

The father of two small children, who lives in Spalding, said he had the idea for the story aged 14 or 15.

“It’s developed a lot over the years, as you can imagine, with several rewrites to get to where it is now. It will appeal to anyone who loves thrillers and suspense books, from young adults upwards.

“It’s a story that will make you love and hate the same character. I suspect the full series will be seven or eight books,” said Russell.





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Friday, October 3, 2025

My Review for Britannia Rises by Russell Dumper

October 03, 2025  , , , ,  No comments


'The illusion of some level of democracy over there keeps the people satisfied.'

I have had this book on my shelf for a couple of years (sorry Russell), 🙈 but as the second book in the series is out next week, I decided I would read them back to back. Of course I hadn't looked at the synopsis for ages and so I had no idea what I was getting into, and admittedly it did take me a while to get to grips with the characters, the story and the slight weirdness of it all. However, once I'd got all that sorted in my head, I flew through it. 

Britannia Rises starts off a bit slow, but once it gets going the pace really picks up. Before I knew it, I was racing through the pages trying to keep up with the action.. The book is a dystopian take on an alternative view on the monarchy and Britain as we know it. Gone are the days of our adorable Queen, and in steps her son, and more importantly, her grandson who is set to change our country as we know it. All this is in the book, don't worry, I don't think our Royal Family is set to turn rogue just yet!

Full of assassins, spies, terrorists and many dubious characters, this dystopian, sci fi novel will have you wondering whether actually, do we really know what's going on outside of our doors. 

Thank you to Russell Dumper and The Conrad Press for the gifted copy of Britannia Rises.

About the Book

‘Britannia Rises’ tells the story of how, in the near future, the British Empire faces a pivotal crossroads. When the queen dies, her peaceful, prosperous reign comes to an end after more than seven decades. The new monarch must tackle challenges from within his own family and decide how to keep The Empire competitive with their most powerful rivals. The other world powers are looking for any weakness they can find to subjugate Britain and take their place as the most powerful nation on Earth. At the same time, King Alfred must preserve the peace and focus on Outpost, the cooperative programme that will ensure the survival of the human species. Jamie Bayston is a young teacher, embarking on a wonderful life, who has the misfortune to witness a murder that will plunge him into the dark world that exists between The Empire and its struggle to maintain order. He must run and fight to keep himself and his family safe while facing up to the truth that the world he knows is just a small part of what’s really out there.


About Russell (taken from The Spalding & South Holland Voice)

Russell Dumper has followed his childhood dream of becoming an author. “I’ve always loved writing and it has brought be so much joy since I was a small boy. It’s a fire that burns inside of me, a passion that I’ve always had. I have so many more books to write, and I can’t wait to write them,” he said.

His book, Britannia Rises, is set in an alternate near future ruled by the British Empire.
“There are all kinds of characters, twists, links into modern events, action, suspense and surprises galore. “When asked, I describe it as a kind of modern Game of Thrones meeting a James Bond origin story. There are many plots overlapping each other and the main characters are deep and complex,” he added.

The father of two small children, who lives in Spalding, said he had the idea for the story aged 14 or 15.

“It’s developed a lot over the years, as you can imagine, with several rewrites to get to where it is now. It will appeal to anyone who loves thrillers and suspense books, from young adults upwards.

“It’s a story that will make you love and hate the same character. I suspect the full series will be seven or eight books,” said Russell.










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Wednesday, October 1, 2025

My Review for Dark Horse by Felix Francis

October 01, 2025  , , ,  No comments



"'You have no idea how much we've saved,' Marina said. I was more worried about how much they'd spent."

Quick off the start and a fast pace all the way to the finish line! Dark Horse is another surefire winner from Felix Francis. I devoured Dick Francis books as a teenager, and Felix has expertly picked up the reins to continue his father’s legacy. Sorry — was that a bit corny?! 😂

Imogen is our protagonist, and although she can come across as a bit over-dramatic, she does have good reason. She ditches her controlling and abusive boyfriend and moves to another country for a fresh start. From there, with the occasional high point, it’s pretty much a downhill ride — and not in a good way!

There are also little touches of humour scattered throughout — the quote I used at the beginning  made me laugh, and there are lots of little snippets like this throughout. 

Dark Horse is a quick read, with lots going on and an ending I definitely didn’t see coming. If you’re not familiar with racing lingo, don’t worry — Felix weaves everything you need to know neatly into the story so you won’t get lost.

Thank you to Zaffre Books for the gifted copy of Dark Horse, for letting me read and review it, and for including me on the blog tour.




About the Book

Imogen Duffy is a young Irish jockey, whose fledgling career is given a huge boost when she wins a prestigious horse race at the Cheltenham Steeplechasing Festival. But all is not well in her life. She has a violent and controlling boyfriend, also a jockey, and he becomes increasingly jealous of her success. As a result, she tries to break off their relationship, but he won't take 'no' for an answer. He attacks her, and claims that he'd rather kill her than allow her to leave him.

Imogen flees her home in Ireland, coming to England to get away from him, and to continue her riding career at a racing stable in Lambourn, where she finds increasing success. But the abusive boyfriend follows her across the Irish Sea, stalks her, steals from her, attacks her again, and then tries to ruin both her career and her reputation.


About Felix

Felix Francis is Dick Francis’s younger son. Born in 1953, Felix studied Physics and Electronics at London University and then embarked upon a 17-year career teaching Advanced Level physics at three schools, the last seven as head of the science department at Bloxham School in Oxfordshire. After leaving teaching, Felix then became a businessman, spending 13 years as deputy chairman of World Challenge Expeditions Ltd, before starting his third career as an author.

As a child, Felix remembers that conversations around the Francis breakfast table were somewhat unconventional. “The production of a Dick Francis novel has always been a mixture of inspiration, perspiration and teamwork. The first one was published when I was nine, and I grew up in a house where talk would be about the damage a bullet might do to a man’s guts rather than the more mundane topics of everyday life”.

Over the next 40 years, Felix assisted Dick with both the research and the writing of many of his novels. They shared a love of racing and often worked together on plot and character details at Dick’s home in the Cayman Islands. This partnership allowed Dick to draw upon Felix’s knowledge and experience as a physics teacher and marksman in Twice Shy, and as an outdoorsman in Longshot.

With the publication of Under Orders in 2006, Felix took over the writing of the ‘Dick Francis’ novels from his father. This was followed by Dead Heat in 2007, Silks in 2008, and Even Money in 2009. Crossfire was the book Felix was working on when Dick died in February 2010, marking the end of one chapter and the beginning of another in the Dick Francis brand. 



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Wednesday, September 24, 2025

My Review for The Bystander by John David

September 24, 2025  , , ,  No comments


'She's turned her lemons into the equivalent of a lemonade conglomerate.'

If an author asks me to read their book, I’ll skim the synopsis, say yes or no, and then forget all about it — so I usually go in blind. It could be fantasy, romance, or thriller and I’d have no clue until I start reading! That’s exactly what happened here. When I picked up The Bystander on Sunday, I was a little cautious (as I often am with debut novels), but I needn’t have worried. I was hooked from the very beginning — mystery, suspense, thrills, and even a few cringe-worthy moments!

The story felt unique — I’ve never read anything quite like it. The description mentions a shooting, but things quickly take an unexpected turn I didn’t see coming. It also shines a light on issues that are more common than many of us might realize, which made it all the more impactful.

Corruption, deceit, violence, and even a dash of romance — if you love a thriller with all that wrapped in, definitely grab a copy of The Bystander!

Thank you to John David and Tule Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Bystander.

About the Book

TV reporter Pete Lemaster anticipates nothing more riveting than filming a short lifestyle segment for an upcoming college football rivalry when he arrives at the Jacksonville Waterfront pregame tailgate party. Then chaos erupts as a bystander stops an active shooter with an act of stunning bravery. And Pete suddenly holds a golden career opportunity in his hands—an exclusive video that goes viral.

With the citizen hero’s star rising among the Second Amendment folk, Pete, too, enjoys the perks of fame. But something about that now-famous moment feels off, so he uses his journalism skills to poke around. Suddenly, he’s not sure what he captured is the truth.

And now opportunistic political and media figures are threatening Pete’s life if he doesn’t back off. Can he blow the whistle on a coverup, out the real villain, and stay alive?


About John

John David is a long-time public relations and crisis communications consultant, author of a non-fiction business book, and a corporate ghostwriter. 

His debut novel, The Bystander (The Lemaster Files Book 1), was longlisted for the BPA First Novel Award, was awarded as a finalist for the 2025 Storytrade Book Award for traditional mysteries, and was named a finalist for the 2025 Page Turner Award for mysteries and cozy mysteries. It will be released by Tule Publishing in September of 2025. 

Though not a big joiner, he is a member of the International Thriller Writers Debut Author program. When not working or writing, he enjoys fishing, talking about politics, and following the Florida Gators. He and his beautiful wife Pamela live in Pinecrest, Florida.


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Wednesday, September 3, 2025

My Review for IT by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber

September 03, 2025  , , , , , , ,  No comments


“What can be done when you’re eleven can often never be done again.”

I enjoyed IT a whole lot more than Carrie. Even though it was a stonker of a listen at 45 hours, I was invested in the story, the kids, as they navigated their way through their traumatic teenage years in Derry. Twenty-eight years later, when they returned to their hometown to fight whatever the monster is, all over again. 

Occasionally I got lost in the narration as the story skipped from the past to the present and occasionally somewhere in-between, but aside from that, I did actually like it. I definitely wouldn't like the movie version, but I treated the monster as some sort of paranormal fantasy creature that I've encountered in numerous other books, and it was all good.

I'm sure I'm not the first person who's thought this, but whether intentional or not, I think some of J.K. Rowling's ideas came from this book. The monster is eerily reminiscent of Aragog, and, she moves around in the pipes, just as the monster does in Chamber of Secrets. Anyone else??

Thank you to #thatindiebookclub for the decision to try a Stephen King club for people who were maybe a little sceptical!

About the Book

Stephen King's terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, "a landmark in American literature" (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry's sewers.

About Stephen

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.



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Wednesday, August 20, 2025

My Review for Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver, read by Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan

August 20, 2025  , , ,  No comments


“Memories take hold in the silence. Pain dulls with time, but can still linger, waiting to be polished so it can shine once more.”

Encouraged by finally writing my reviews for the first two books in this trilogy, I grabbed an audiobook copy of Scythe and Sparrow from Libby and listened to it over the weekend. For me, this was by far the best of the three. I liked Fionn, I adored Rose and the circus was just a cutesy added extra for me. I've loved reading circus stories since I was younger, so throw one into the mix and I know I'll jump straight in there!

Scythe and Sparrow isn't as gory as the other two but the s*x is hotter and steamier for sure. Both Lachlan and Lark and Rowan and Sloane make various reappearances throughout this one, and it's great to see how they are and what's going on in their lives. 

If you haven't read these, and you're a dark romance lover, then what are you waiting for? Grab these as soon as you can and dive right in!

About the Book

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart, one he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiancé and his derailed surgical career. It’s a simpler life: head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston.

But then the real circus finds him.

Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she’s not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with an injured leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor.

The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together.

. . . And the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts are to catch up.


About Brynne

Writing has always been a hobby for Brynne. Even as a young child, she loved typing out stories on her grandmother’s typewriter. She wrote award-winning poetry and essays, and dabbled in various forms of fiction over the years. In 2019, Brynne committed to publishing more of her works, and released her first non-fiction book (under her real name!). She then began focusing on her first fantasy-romance (or ‘romantasy’) series, The Diviner. Next up was the three-part Shadow Realm paranormal dark romance series. Brynne then partnered with author Alexa Harlowe on the contemporary dark standalone romance, Black Sheep. 

Brynne aspires to write female-focused stories about complex, resilient, imperfect characters who struggle with anger, trauma, fear, courage, and love. 
















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