Eighty-one-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick lives a quiet life in the suburbs. Few would guess that Elsie, aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else’s business, harbours a secret she’s worked hard to bury. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick – once a little girl and now an old lady – has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

Elly Parker had everything. Perfect husband. Perfect apartment. Perfect friends and the perfect job. As an internet celebrity - famed for her random acts of kindness - everyone knew it. So when a betrayal causes her to lose it all, millions of people are watching. But even at her lowest, Elly will always help someone in need. Which makes her the perfect target for a sadistic game.

Luke Jones, his wife Sofia and beloved son Max are hiking in a remote Scottish forest when they stumble across the body of a murdered woman. They're even more terrified when the killers reappear, guns in hand. Managing to flee, they each get separated in the dense woods - with Luke stumbling and knocking himself unconscious. When he wakes, there's no sign of Sofia and Max.

Jodie Jackson is all at sea, in every sense. On a ferry bound for the Isle of Wight, she's leaving her London life, her career, and her husband behind. She'd like a chance to turn back the clocks, but she'll settle for some peace and quiet on her brother Bill's beautifully renovated houseboat, Sunny Days. But from the moment Jodie steps aboard her new home, it's clear she'll struggle to keep herself to herself.

FOUR WOMEN. Orly, Lenny, Mel and Thea have been best friends since school. But now it is 20 years later and inevitably they have drifted apart. ONE WEEKEND. It is Lenny's 40th birthday, plus Orly and Mel need cheering up, so Thea suggests a weekend away at a festival in their hometown. It's a chance for them all to reconnect.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs of an idyllic coastal community, these perfect neighbors suddenly don’t seem so perfect… Lily Bradley is a respected psychotherapist married to a distinguished professor. They live in a dream house with their two children in close-knit Story Cove. Lily lives a well-ordered life. Or so it seems. As a therapist, she knows everyone keeps things hidden.

What danger could lie within a book? Lilian Delaney, apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901, chafes at the confines of her life, caught between the oppressive walls of her father’s bookshop and the limitations of being a woman in a man’s profession. But when a burned book comes into her possession, she finds hidden beneath the binding a fifty-year-old letter speaking of love, fortune and murder.

1926 Five dresses hang from the branches of an old oak tree. Five women from across the island disappear into the darkness. Five pages are torn from a diary, lost for 100 years... 2026 A film crew arrive on the island to capture its legendary history. But not long into their stay, strange noises are heard. Mysterious symbols are found, left by the island's previous occupants.

Don’t Art expert Emma Lindahl is anxious when she’s asked to appraise the antiques and artefacts in the infamous manor house of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, on the island of Storholmen, where a young woman was murdered nine years earlier, her killer never found. Emma must work alone, and with the Gussman family apparently avoiding her, she sees virtually no one in the house.

A woman is found in bloodstained clothes on the lonely coast of County Mayo. At first, she won’t speak. Then a name comes: Ruth. And a story about her missing friend: Maura. Ruth says she and Maura were staying in a clifftop house together. But there’s no trace of her there. Nothing but a pool of blood. Ruth says the pair fought in the days before Maura disappeared.

Heidi and Jason aren't like other couples. Six years ago, Heidi's daughter was murdered. A year later, Jason's son Barney disappeared. Their shared loss brought them together. By chance, Heidi meets a boy she's certain is Barney. But Jason is equally convinced it's not him. Is Heidi mad? Or is Jason hiding something? And can their fragile marriage survive Heidi's newfound quest for the truth .

NOTE: This book was originally titled 'The Day of Second Chances' and is also published as 'After The Fall' Can you imagine keeping a secret so devastating, you couldn’t even tell the people you love? Honor’s secret threatens to rob her of the independence she’s guarded ferociously for eighty years. Jo’s secret could smash apart the ‘normal’ family life she’s fought so hard to build.

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artefacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town.

Single mum and struggling crime writer Finlay Donovan is ready to kill someone by 7.45AM:- Her two-year-old is slathered in maple syrup- Her four-year-old has a new self-inflicted haircut- Her totally vindictive ex-husband has fired the nanny without warning But nothing is going to stop her from making it to lunch with her literary agent.Not even being banned from the restaurant they're meeting at.

Her words used to set the page on fire. But a viral backlash over her latest film adaptation forced Petra Rose to take a hiatus, resulting in missed deadlines and an overdue mortgage. Branded a fraud and fame-hungry opportunist, she learned the hard way what happens when the internet turns on you. And she’s been uninspired to write ever since.

In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson's family. Twelve years later, she's ready for retribution. Under false pretenses, Anna has lured those responsible for her family's downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey of fourteen hours. Her goal? Confront the people who've wronged her, get them to confess their crimes, and deliver them into the hands of authorities waiting at the end of the line.

The party should have been perfect: six couples from the same baby group, six newborns, a luxurious house. But not everything has gone to plan, and while some are here to celebrate, others have sorrows to drown. When someone falls from the balcony of the house, the secrets and conflicts within the group begin to spill out … DS Alison Hegarty, herself struggling with infertility, is called in to investigate.

Rock bottom. Liam had set up shop there. After an accident left him injured and unable to work, it wasn’t long before he ended up on the street with his dreams in the gutter. This was it. This was his life. Until the day he met Max Porter—a man who appeared to have it all. They didn’t meet so much as made eye contact as Max sneered at Liam, the bum occupying precious space on the sullied New York City street.

Emily Walker hates anyone disrupting her carefully curated life, especially her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett - the exact opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer. But now Jack's back in town after a failed engagement and he's here to stay . . . as both her colleague and her neighbour. Jack is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name.

The Isle of Ormer: population 500, soon to be 501. Charlie Jones has landed on the island to embark on her brand new life. As the manager at Ormer's only farm shop, this job will be her perfect next chapter. Good riddance to the mainland, this is it - fresh air, and a clean slate. Except there is one small issue .

  In the centre of New York stands the city’s most notorious library. It has a history of mysterious disappearances and freak accidents. But tonight, it opens its doors to welcome a group of strangers for an exclusive after-hours tour. The famous author. The journalist. The professor. The bookseller. The architect. They are here to see a legendary book – one of the most valuable in the world.

In seven days Jet Mason will be dead. Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she’s still waiting for her life to begin. She’ll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until, on the night of Halloween, Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder. She suffers a catastrophic brain injury.

A dead judge. A silent defendant. And a courtroom full of liars. When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked at how high-profile it is: the murder of a well-respected, well-known judge. This shouldn’t be the kind of case she’s leading; it’s way beyond her expertise. But the defendant, Jack Millman, is clear. He wants her, and only her.

For sale: Greek cottage. Price: One Euro. Skye doesn’t make impulsive decisions. But when she sees a derelict Greek cottage for sale by lottery, she enters with dreams of a fresh start. However, her heart sinks as she pushes open the tattered blue door weeks later. Can this wreck ever be her home? Then Skye finds a bundle of letters hidden in the fireplace, their faded pages drawing her in with a story of long-forgotten love, tragedy, and unbelievable bravery.

Reporter Jack Parlabane thrives on chasing stories in unlikely places, and where could be less likely than a fan convention on a cruise liner celebrating a contentious Sixties TV series? But unlike the media family exploiting their show's renewed relevance, he's not there to stoke controversy: he's there to solve a murder. Already in deep water with his employer, Jack desperately needs a win, and solving this decades-old mystery could be it.

Seventeen-year-old June Scott has always dreamt of becoming a novelist. To write the greatest love story ever told. One that would fill hearts and souls with happiness and joy. However, June has never been in love and when she receives some devastating news, there doesn’t feel as if there’s much time left for her own beautiful love story. That’s until she meets Jesse Taylor who treats every day as if it could be his last.

Cynthia Burrows thought she’d built the perfect life—successful law career, loving husband, beautiful daughter. But when eighteen-year-old Tori vanishes without a trace, Cynthia’s carefully constructed world begins to crumble. The school says Tori was excused by family. Security footage shows her leaving with an older man. And the boy she was supposed to date? His name sends chills down Cynthia’s spine—Alexander Beaufort.

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.

I haven't read as much as the previous years so it wasn't as easy (or difficult) as the previous years to compile a top 10 for 2025. But here they are: The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn Passenger 23 by Sebastian Fitzek Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner Your Are Fatally Invited…

Washington Poe has a story to tell. And he needs you to listen. You'll hear how it started with the robber birds. Crows. Dozens of them. Enough for a murder . . . He'll tell you about a man who was tied to a tree and stoned to death, a man who had tattooed himself with a code so obscure, even the gifted analyst Tilly Bradshaw struggled to break it.

25 Library Terrace in Edinburgh is a house where lives are changed. In 1911, new resident Ursula Black embraces women's suffrage in the form of census protest, discovers vegetarianism, and learns just how difficult it can be to bring up someone else's children. In 1931, the house becomes part of a radical experiment in a different way of living, and a family secret from the past is uncovered.

Detective Abigail Boone has been missing for four days when she is finally found. Suffering retrograde amnesia, she is a stranger to her despairing husband and bewildered son. Hopelessly lost in her own life, with no leads on her abduction, Boone's only instinct is to revisit the case she was investigating when she vanished: the baffling disappearance of a young woman, Sarah Still.

THEY WATCH. The body of a student who went missing from a Florida nightclub is found in a dumpster. A horrifying scene, but nothing compared to what she had to endure before her murder. She was drugged and tortured – all broadcast live for the twisted pleasure of a snuff club. THEY WAIT. Detective Manny Alvarez works the homicide alongside young hotshot Assistant State Attorney Daria DeBianchi.

Josh is 18. Rachel is 18. From the first night they meet as freshers, Rachel and Josh know they are meant to be. An electric connection quickly blossoms into plans to spend the rest of their lives together. Josh is 29. Rachel is 29. Inexplicably, none of the men in Josh's family has lived past the age of thirty. As the fateful birthday approaches, Josh is wracked with fears: of his own death, and of leaving Rachel alone in this world.

'Something's not right here. In the house. With the family.' West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly-graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple form a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there's something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England.

Ho ho ho everyone! I bring you some ideas that will win you brownie points with the book lover you want to please at the end of this year. Gift idea #1 OK this one should be a pre-gift but I wouldn't even mind starting in January. A gift that keeps on giving for several days isn't that nice? I found two interesting…

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself. Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline.

Hello everyone!  For those who follow my blog since the beginning, in 2017 I made a book folding tutorial post of a heart and the word Home (you can find it here; with the link to the free patterns). It was great fun and I recently came into possession of a hardback that was meant to be binned so I thought it a great opportunity to pick up this hobby again. 

Cameron and Lisa Murdoch are successful New Zealand crime writers, happily married and topping bestseller lists worldwide. They have been on the promotional circuit for years, joking that no one knows how to get away with crime like they do. After all, they write about it for a living. So when their challenging seven-year-old son Zach disappears, the police and the public naturally wonder if they have finally decided to prove what they have been saying all this time…

A husband. A wife. A mistress. And the ultimate plan for revenge . . . The husband James never intended to lead a double life - with a wife in London and a mistress in the country, it's exhausting. But that's all about to change . . . The wife Stephanie isn't really snooping when she finds a text message from a strange woman on her husband's mobile.

Hercule Poirot and his good friend Inspector Edward Catchpool arrive on the Greek island of Lamperos for a little holiday…or is it? Catchpool suspects Poirot has a different reason for being there — one he won't reveal. As the clock ticks towards the New Year and a festive guessing game takes a sinister turn, can Poirot stop a murderer who is determined to strike before midnight?

Verity is telling lies... And that's why she's about to be arrested for attempted murder. Serena has been lying for years. . . And that may have driven her daughter, Verity, to do something unthinkable... Poppy's lies have come back to haunt her . . . So will her quest for the truth hurt everyone she loves? Everyone lies. But whose lies are going to end in tragedy?

Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective? Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet). But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things.

Platform Seven at 4am: Peterborough Railway Station is deserted. The man crossing the covered walkway on this freezing November morning is confident he's alone. As he sits on the metal bench at the far end of the platform it is clear his choice is strategic - he's as far away from the night staff as he can get. What the man doesn't realize is that he has company.

Six thriller authors. One writing retreat. You’d die to be on the guest list . . . The Host Legendary mystery author J. R. Alastor’s books are sold all over the world, but no one knows his real name. After years hiding in the shadows, he has sent out six invitations to an exclusive murder mystery retreat on his private island.

A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door. Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Frankie Elkin usually prefers her cases cold. Until she finds herself in the broiling streets of Tucson, Arizona, where an Afghan refugee has been missing for three weeks. The woman she is looking …

Calvin finally owns the bakery of his dreams, in an idyllic village in the Lake District. After reluctantly following his wife Vicky’s advice to promote it on social media, he’s thrilled when a viral clip makes him a legend overnight. But then the creepy DMs start flooding in—all from a stranger who claims she’s his biggest fan. Meanwhile, a local recluse is found on a nearby beach, buried to his neck and left to drown, and the community goes into shock.

May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium… 1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.