The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club - Gloria Chao // Book Review

   

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club

Gloria Chao || Publication Date - 05.06.2025

Kathryn, Olivia and Elle all wanted Tucker to pay... so who actually killed him?

Crime | Mystery

Kathryn Hu, an academic professional. Never once had she imagined life without Tucker, her believed soulmate. She was head over heels and invited him into the intricacies that made Kat herself. She'd never done that before... but then again, she'd never felt this way about another person either.

Olivia Valentina McCarthy, perfect in every single shapely way. A Lawyer in a fancy office, her life was moving perfectly along with her perfect boyfriend, Tucker. They'd go on vacations, spend romantic weekends together and hoping he was going to propose after two blissful years.

Elle Henderson a receptionist by day, aspiring writer by night, was on a cute getaway with her boy toy, Tucker. She'd brought the sexiest outfit she could find, wrapped herself up in it only for it to be unwrapped at the door to their Air BnB by the other women... Now it was time for revenge.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

What would you do if you found out the love of your life was cheating on you? Especially when this meant that you were the OTHER woman? Revenge seems about appropriate for the situation and Kat had it in spades. Except she ends up on an impromptu getaway with, the other woman... Olivia. Both of them have it out for Tucker, as you would expect considering he was proposing to Olivia when Kat burst through the door unannounced. Definitely not a situation I could see myself getting into but conspiring against my now ex-boyfriend would be violently entertaining.

Something I would appreciate, is chick-lit novels refraining from constantly mentioning or referencing Taylor Swift. I get it, she's a modern icon, talented and beautiful, but does she have to be mentioned in every single one? Her song lyrics are book titles, her name is referenced as soon as characters jump into cars to badly sing to their steering wheel, and she's mentioned in a style likening to WWTSD. As much as this has been happening throughout the book community over the last few years, this novel is the one to take my criticism. Not because it did it any more than any of the others, but honestly, because seeing it here was my last straw.

I'm not too sure if there was something odd about the writing, but I did find it a little cringey and juvenile in certain areas. I couldn't say if this was a me issue or if this was an editing issue as I don't look up others reviews for books that I am writing up here. Mostly to keep my thoughts uninfluenced by others. Something didn't sit quite right with me while I'd been reading through, and maybe it was simply the flow of the novel, otherwise the writing was okay. There were a lot of jokes placed throughout as I would have expected being a 'chick flick' type novel, unfortunately they fell flat for me and felt forced. Like the author knew the style of the novel was inherently humorous, but there were no natural lead in's to any jokes being made.

I found myself lagging to complete the novel during the last 10% or so, it was all coming to a head which I appreciated, but I also felt it dragging its feet a lot which diminished the ending for me. The romance, albeit a nice touch, was out of place. The focus was definitely on the murder mystery, however, the detective falling for the main character did not hold up for me. They had met a total of 5-6 times within the span of the novel, spent no time together outside of an interrogation room or the context of the investigation and for someone who found it difficult to trust someone, he seemed pretty easily persuaded...

Overall Thoughts

Overall it wasn't a bad read by any means, but it wasn't anything special either. The writing had me cringe in parts and the jokes weren't the best. I can't get over a scientist and an attorney making these incredibly stupid decisions. The ending was predictable but satisfying and overall if you want a novel to take you on a fun little journey, this may be for you.

I will however, not be continuing this series (yes it's a series...) and appreciate Gloria as an author, I just don't think her writing style within this genre is for me.

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The Burn Line - Jonathan Sims // Book Review

 

The Burn Line
Jonathan Sims || Publication Date - 25.08.2026

London's biggest heatwave on record, and a terror stalking under its streets...

Horror | Mystery

The Tube, a heatwave impacted, sweltering underground transport system for all walks of life within the bustling city of London. Lives are making their way through the city, some to work and others from work. There are those who are well, injured, sick, houseless and there are those who shouldn't be on there at all.

Something is stirring on the London Underground, five travelers witnessed an unimaginable horror, to which they don't remember save for random unexplainable events plaguing their consciousness while going about their lives.

They're bound to work together to figure out exactly what happened that day, what it is, and how to stop it from dragging others down with it.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

I have no idea what could be more terrifying than some entity which is unknown, stalking people within a confined space underground. Yet 'The Burn Line' brings this deeply unsettling scenario to my imagination. I live in Australia, particularly South Australia, where the public transport via train is all primarily overground. I've experienced the subterranean rail in Sydney, and I hated being confined in a train God knows how far underground. Add in the possibility of something skulking around hell bent on creeping the shit out of ,and, possibly killing people? Absolutely no thank you.

The setup of this novel has made this incredibly easy to read. It's divided up into parts, which are then divided up further by chapters experienced by each individuals point of view. Books written this way seem to fly by for me and I'm unsure if this is the same for others, but it makes them significantly more interesting. Unfortunately I didn't find each character unique. I appreciate that they are, and descriptions give them their own qualities which would make them superficially identifiable. The diabetic, the rail employee, the unhoused man, the trans person, the rich guy and the office worker. However, other than this, that would be about the extent that I would be able to identify each person based on their name. Whether this was intentional I am unable to confirm, but it did put a dampener on being able to connect with the characters to truly immerse myself in the book.

Unfortunately, the 'twist' kind of ruined this book for me. Not necessarily in a negative way, and some may find it thoroughly entertaining, however I was expecting... more? But then again I was also thinking I was getting an entirely different kind of monster than what was actually revealed. I did feel that almost 400 pages was a bit long, and the last 20% dragged a lot more than I would have liked. The split chapters could have been a lot shorter since a lot of it was information which was already mentioned in other characters chapters. I'm not particularly fond of reiteration simply for adding to word counts, which is what this ended up feeling like to me.

Overall Thoughts

Do you like one shot monster thrillers which feature urban settings? Do you enjoy superficially diverse characters who work together to a common goal? Do you like split POV chapters which detail a narrative from multiple perspectives? If you answered yes to any of those questions then I would say give the book a go. It was well written and despite the big bad not being my particular cup of tea, it wasn't a novel without merits. 

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She Walks at Night - Seishi Yokomizo // Book Review

 

She Walks at Night
Seishi Yokomizo || Publication Date - 17.03.2026

A family of suspects and a few beheadings - what could go wrong?

Crime | Mystery

A mediocre crime novelist, Kosuke Kindaichi has been roped into the affairs of an aristocratic family known as the Furugami's. For the next few weeks, he would be subjected to the isolation of their estate locked away within mountains and single road access.

Within the same walls, family secrets start to trickle out and one by one victims emerge, beheaded. Fingers are pointed every which way, and as soon as new evidence or conclusions are made, something switches to put a strain on the investigation. All Kosuke wants is to solve the murders before anyone else, including himself, becomes headless. 

However, with a family full of dark secrets such as the Furugami's, sometimes murder is a lot better of an option than telling the truth.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

What I loved about this novel was the isolation experienced by all the characters. It added a significantly higher stake to the traditional Golden Age murder mystery which was being written. It had all the elements of something you might have read from Agatha Christie. However instead of a genius detective, you had a sub par crime novelist. Coming from the description for this author as being Japan's greatest crime writer, you can definitely see how the elements within the novel work together to create a mystery which was truly satisfying.

My one dislike when it came to the novel as a whole was the translation. I believe this aspect adds a whole different layer of being able to appropriately tell the story true to the authors original manuscript, and also allowing for a lot of the nuances of language to be conveyed to English readers. One example of something which happens often I have highlighted below:

This type of double dialogue happens a lot, and I know in Japanese these 'Umm', 'Ahh' and 'Hmm' verbalizations are a vital part of the spoken language, however, it could be written out when translated to English. Explicitly stating that 'Naoki sighed' would be enough without adding the dialogue translation along with it. Unfortunately it's not a vital part of English dialogue to always be verbalizing these fillers, so having this many through the novel make it obvious that it is a direct translation and a little clunky as a result.

Overall Thoughts

Despite the translation issues I had described above, which likely wouldn't affect someone who isn't familiar with the Japanese language, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Was it my favourite murder mystery? No. Would I still recommend it to those who adore golden age style mysteries? Yes.

It was atmospheric, twisty and the ending had very much surprised me. Not one I saw coming that's for sure. 

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City of Ghosts - Victoria Schwab // Book Review

  

City of Ghosts
Victoria Schwab || Publication Date - 28.08.2018

A girl who can split the veil between the living and the dead, and her best friend, who is a ghost...

Fantasy | Paranormal | Middle Grade

Cassidy nearly died (or did die and she refuses to accept it), and since this incident she's been able to see what lies between the veil. Growing up in a household with scholarly parents known to the wider community as paranormal investigators, she has kept her gift a secret. Along with her gift, Jacob has also been kept under wraps. Her very dead and very ghostly best friend.

One day after school her parents surprise her with the adventure of a lifetime. They will be filming a TV series and going all over the world investigating locations rumoured to be haunted. Their first port of call will be Edinburgh, Scotland.

While across the pond, her eyes are opened to the intricacies of her abilities and she learns things she never knew she could even do. All the while investigating on her own a Red Raven that's terrorising the local area.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

As a whole I quite enjoyed the story and the characters. Cass and Jacob have a sweet relationship despite their circumstances, and I want to continue the series to see how their relationship develops. I did listen to this as an audiobook, and this is my preferred way to read middle grade/teen fiction. I feel narrators do a great job at making these books appear as if you're listening to a story from your friend. For 'City of Ghosts' this is no exception.

Due to the intended audience for this book, ultimately not being a woman in her 30's, this wasn't something to be read for a deep and substantial story. However, if you want to introduce your teens to a well written and fun paranormal story I wouldn't hesitate to give this one a go.

That being said, if you are also an adult in your 30's and want something to read that is fun, simple and leaves you feeling good, I would definitely recommend giving this one a look.

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The Maid - Nita Prose // Book Review

  

The Maid
Nita Prose || Publication Date - 20.01.2022

Imagine being invisible, a piece of hotel furniture - thrown in to solve a murder you have been accused of.

Crime | Mystery

Molly Grey is a hotel maid. She prides herself in her efficiency and discreet duties while maintaining the utmost professional demeanor within her workplace. She is never friends, only acquaintances, and has a particularly hard time maintaining and understanding social relationships after her Grandmother had passed away.

It was a day like any other. Get to work, do her job, leave and wait for another day. However, this day would throw a wrench in her beloved monotonous routine when she would be the one to discover one of the hotel guests dead. And not just any hotel guest... the illustrious high roller Mr. Charles Black.

The week to follow is full of accusations, misunderstandings and investigations while the Police try to hang Molly for this crime, all while she is trying to clear her name.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

This was an amazingly enlightening read. I loved the pacing, the writing and the premise. It all was executed wonderfully within the book and the ending felt whole and complete. There was also the added component of the main character Molly seeming to be neurodivergent. Even though this is not explicitly stated. it is heavily implied with her interactions and the support she received from her grandmother.

I am usually wary of books which are written in a short, in story time frame. This book is no exception as the entire story takes place in a single week. However, Nita does a great job of making the story feel fluid and paces the events very well. There were never times in the novel which felt out of place or confusing in the overall timeline. I was also impressed by how the characters had a lot of input on the events and each felt different to each other.

Unfortunately for me this book just didn't wow me. It was a pleasant read, and a pretty good mystery novel that divulged the culprit over time so it was not a surprise at the end of who had done it. I don't think this took away from the story at all, and definitely seemed fully intentional.

Overall Thoughts

For readers of light mystery, or someone who just wants a fun book to read I would recommend this one. It is not too difficult to follow, the characters are diverse and engaging and the overall plot is interesting. That being said, if you enjoy your mysteries to, well... stay a mystery until the end, then this would not be a good book for you. As I said above, this novel drip feeds you the culprit throughout and leaves for a satisfying but not surprising ending.

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Manners and Monsters - Tilly Wallace // Book Review

 

Manners and Monsters

Tilly Wallace || Publication Date - 07.06.2019

An amicable amalgamation of a stemmed zombie apocalypse and Victorian polite high society.

Historical | Fantasy | Mystery

Hannah isn't a normal polite lady in high society, she's a brilliant minded daughter of a renowned scientist and a zombified mother.

A product of war, face powder, was used to assail the city of London and it's most prevalent citizens. It had been tainted with a curse of magic which turned any who used this powder into one of the Afflicted. Hearts stopped beating all over London and over the next few days, many women (and men) were presumed dead. Much to the horror of those who loved and lost, the dead did in fact reanimate and are now, years later, integrated with society and seem to live comfortable, albeit altered, lives.

Hannah's mother was unfortunately one who was taken prematurely by the cursed cosmetic. She and her father have been studying this Affliction trying to find a way to reverse it's affects, kickstart her mothers heart, and return her to the living. This research gets put on hold when a gruesome murder at the hands of a rogue Afflicted occurs and Hannah is poised to learn the truth. Her reluctant partner, whom she is dragged along with, Viscount Wycliff is determined to slag the Afflicted and smear their reformed progress through the mud.

Can Hannah ensure the integrity and reputations of the Afflicted high society remain intact, while also using her knowledge to catch a murderer?

The Review (may contain spoilers)

I want to preface this by admitting that I had won an audio copy of this book through the Storygraph giveaways. And whatever giver of luck that I had pleased to win this, I am forever grateful. Had I not, I likely would never have remembered this title existed and subsequently would never have read it.

This book was so much fun! I loved the main character Hannah and her family. Her outlook and disposition on the entire world was very modern and progressive for the time in which this book is set in. She is also partial to opinions from both sides of the fence, with her mother being one of the Afflicted, and her father a scientist trying to find a cure.

The way that magic is weaved into this world is not particularly explained, however it's a common occurrence for all characters involved. I would assume in later volumes in this series that the world would further be explored and questions would be answered. However, I am also expecting different types of supernatural beings to exist as others had been mentioned in passing.

As for the plot, this murder mystery was nothing particularly special. Most of my accolades for this novel come from the characters and creative setting. The mystery was a good introduction to the reader for the world, the placing of the characters and their lives along with establishing the future instalments for Hannah and her new ventures.

Overall Thoughts

If you're in the mood for a Historical fiction set in Victorian high society, with a "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" type of feel then this would be an amazing book for you. It has the elements of a fun and creative idea, excellent writing and a wonderful and smart main female lead.

I had the pleasure of listening to this on Audio and I would recommend both mediums. It wasn't particularly long, and would be something I could happily listen to while doing housework or driving to my day job.

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Everyone in This Bank is a Thief - Benjamin Stevenson // Book Review

 

Everyone In This Bank Is a Thief
Benjamin Stevenson || Publication Date - 30.09.2025

Trying to get a bank loan for a detective agency has never been so difficult...

Fiction | Crime | Mystery

Ernest is coming fresh off his Christmas Special, where he has travelled to the middle of nowhere for the possibility to begin a new life. The man who's nearly been killed multiple times, degloved, shot and hails from a family of killers - wants a bank loan. One to kick start his detective agency and hopefully, leave behind all the death that surrounds him.

Unfortunately for Ernest, this loan is begrudgingly more difficult to acquire than he had hoped. He's thrown into a hostage situation with a robber who wants a single dollar, and with every hostage in the room as suspicious as the next. So what does Ernest do? He assumes the position of the original bank robber and proceeds to solve not only the murder of the bank owners brother, but also his own. 

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

I will start this review out exactly as I had for the last. It's written from the perspective of Ernest recounting events from his past. A formula we are already well established with for this series of novels. This time, we listen to Ernest narrate the final letter he is writing to his Fiancé as he is locked inside of a safe that only he knows the code for, and no one knows he is inside of.

We are welcomed to the scene a little differently this time around, there is a missing persons mystery to be solved. To be awarded the bank loan he's been chasing to start his detective agency, Ernest is required to find the bank owners brother who went missing after changing the code to the banks vault. Ernest reluctantly agrees and is then charged with solving 2 murders, a bank robbery and how each person within the hostage party could be connected to something greater.

While these events have already taken place, rather than finding out through a post event memoir, we learn what happens through the lens of a decreasingly more oxygen deprived Ernest. As his life is being slowly taken away, he is writing a letter to his Fiancé breaking down all the events and ultimately to give her all the clues to assist in solving his own murder.

I did find the circumstances for this novel and some of the mysteries to be quite outlandish if I am honest. There was definitely some heightened absurdity for this book compared to the previous instalments, and I am still undecided whether it was a little too much. That being said, I did enjoy the novel none the less. There is definitely an element of creativity needed to pull these stunts off and I believe Benjamin did a fair job in keeping the reader engaged while also having fun with the story.

Overall Thoughts

Once again, as a fan of Benjamin Stevenson, I happily devoured this novel. With that being said, this being the third novel in the series, not much has changed in the formula of the writing. It will not be the case for myself, but I do believe that this novel will be where a lot of readers will likely drop the series if they were to stop reading it.

Unfortunately unless something fresh comes into the story from a narrative perspective, I don't believe it's a series which will continue to wow and impress people. I'm not too sure where Benjamin can go from here, but I will continue to keep looking forward to his releases and see if he has any new tricks up his sleeve!

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Spider to the Fly - J.H. Markert // Book Review

  

Spider to the Fly

J.H. Markert || Publication Date - 02.09.2025

You're a fly trapped in a web, not knowing the Spider is closer than you think...

Fiction | Crime | Thriller

You're at home, cooking dinner for yourself and your young daughter when she comes into the kitchen begging you to look at the TV. She's pointing at a murder victim, the latest victim of the I-64 serial killer dubbed 'The Spider'. This instance wouldn't normally cause too much alarm, except the person on the TV looks identical to you, in every single way.

This was Ellie's reality, and as a result of wanting to know more about this woman look alike, she became one of the most researched minds on the I-64 killer and a best selling novelist collating her research. 

When Ellie's therapist is arrested and charged for the murders of the I-64 killer, she is more determined than ever to find out exactly who this person is to save an innocent man from spending the rest of his life behind bars.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

As far as Thrillers go... Unfortunately the suspense and atmosphere this book was trying to convey did not land for me. The plot was an interesting concept, but I feel the pacing was too slow for the punch of the book to really impact my reading experience. I'm also sad to say that I was not invested in any of the characters at all in this story. They all appeared very bland, which I'm sad to say exacerbated the dull reading experience.

All of the above is not to say this wasn't a well written book. I enjoyed the authors writing, and I definitely feel they have the ability to pull in feedback from this release and really step it up for their next novel.

I wished there was more elaboration for the events being held in this story. Too much of it, I felt, was being kept from the reader in the attempt to keep the mystery. However, to me this was detrimental. The mystery behind a lot of the plot never really made sense, and this lead me to thinking, 'why is this even happening in the first place?'. A little more writing from behind closed doors from other characters involved in the novel could have really added to the Thriller. Especially from the point of view of those who had married into the Brock family.

I also did not understand the inclusion of the main character having a fear of men. It had some relevance to the beginning of the book, and obviously was supported by her experienced trauma. However, approaching the middle, it's lost in the narrative and ultimately feels irrelevant. I would have appreciated this characteristic of the main character if it was conveyed and supported through the entire book. Relating to my above point, adding to the Thriller and exposing traumatic events from a present tense point of view would have helped solidify her fears. It would also have helped if her fear didn't just suddenly fall off the face of the Earth half way through the book.

Overall Thoughts

Generally speaking, this was a fine novel. It was written well and has things which would add to the narrative to elevate it up a notch. The story premise was interesting to a point and it had potential. Unfortunately for me, this wasn't a stand out novel.

A lot of the mystery felt too closed off from the reader. And despite knowing I don't need my hand held, additional characters experiences from behind those closed doors could really have added a lot to the story being told.

I wouldn't recommend this book to a seasoned Thriller reader. However, inherently it's not a bad book, and if you're new to the genre it would be a good entry point to see if you enjoy the type of writing and tropes which feature within thriller/crime novels.

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Everyone on This Train is a Suspect - Benjamin Stevenson // Book Review

Everyone on This Train is a Suspect
Benjamin Stevenson || Publication Date - 17.10.2023

Death seems to follow Earnest wherever he goes... Even on an author's retreat across the country.

Fiction | Crime | Mystery

Following the events of 'Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone', Ernest Cunningham is trying to live a quiet, non-death filled life and revel in the fact he is now a published author. However, when Earnest published his novel, he didn't think he would be on The Ghan travelling with some of the most prolific authors in the industry. He also didn't think that he would be dealing with another murder... or two.

Unfortunately, this is where he finds himself. Travelling on a luxurious train from Darwin to Adelaide, his fiancé by his side, a murderer, and a corpse in the train's fridge.

Now the train is occupied by authors who turn into amateur sleuths to try and figure out what is happening before they all end up dead.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

Just like 'Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone', it's written from the perspective of Ernest recounting events from his past. Already within the first pages I am happily thrown back into the writing style that I fell in love with in the first novel. It's funny, it's clever, and deadpan in a deliciously good way.

I can understand why readers following on from Stevenson's first book would echo that it's the same as the first, but set on a train. However, for me, something about the writing and how the narrative is told to me is like 'fairy floss for my brain'. It connects with me and, honestly, is simply a great time. Enjoyment in a book is worth a lot to me, and I very much enjoy Benjamin Stevenson's writing, even including his earlier novels.

For some who have not already read the first instalment, 'Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone', this does reference people who appeared and events which happened within that novel. I don't necessarily believe that it is a must read for you to appreciate this story, however, it would give amusing context to a lot of comments and quips thrown throughout this book.

I did rate this book lower overall compared to the first in the series. Some of the scenes within the novel I found a little confusing to follow along, specifically where there was action involved... because there was some including The Ghan and a car. Albeit amusing, it added something different to the structure of the novel and even though I did just it a bit hard to follow, I enjoyed it none the less.

Overall Thoughts

As an Australian, I will admit I am biased to Australian authors. Benjamin Stevenson is one of those such authors that is also Australian and I am biased to. His writing is fun and witty, the mysteries are enjoyable, and I love the structure to this series of novels. They don't seem to take themselves too seriously and are self aware enough to acknowledge when something is plainly absurd.

I find myself excited to see when a new book in this series is going to be released and recently, this has been a severely missed feeling for me. If you enjoyed the first, I'd hesitate to say you wouldn't enjoy this one too. I'd also like to point out that if this is the first time you are seeing this book or series, give it a shot! I'd place my bets that the writing is not for everyone, however if you're looking for an easy read, mystery crime novel that doesn't take itself too seriously, this would be the series for you.

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The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner // Book Review

  

The Lost Apothecary
Sarah Penner || Publication Date - 20.01.2022

When women don't have a voice or power, there is one place in service just for them. Any ailment they have, can be taken care of.

Historical | Fiction | Mystery

Taking place simultaneously in 18th century and modern day London, this story follows a brief snapshot into the lives of Caroline, Nella and Eliza.

Aspiring historian Caroline is breaking away from her Husband who has been unfaithful to her. The revelation happened just before the couple were planning to spend their anniversary in London. She decided, despite the situation, to continue her plans and get on the plane without him and enjoy some time to herself as far away from him as possible.

While in London, she meets a group of people who are passing the afternoon away digging in the mud around the river Thames, looking for treasures or historical items. Caroline stumbles on a vial which doesn't look like much, however, when she takes this to a Librarian a local buried mystery surfaces.

Now we introduce Nella, an 18th century apothecary who has her shop hidden away behind a fake wall in the small streets of London. Her mother, the previous owner of this shop, is known in the female community for being able to heal and relieve any ailment. Nella has inherited all her mothers knowledge and burdens as she continues to work for the women of London.

When Eliza shows up at her shop requesting assistance with the removal of her mistresses burden, the man of the house, Nella provides her a poison. However, despite Nella having done this a multitude of times, this time is different and the safe stowaway shop is now in jeopardy from being discovered, from the 18th century police and present day Caroline.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

As much as I'm not fond of books which switch perspectives a lot for every chapter as this one does, the way this book had been set out made it easy to follow. I personally find it challenging to keep track of multiple storylines happening at the same time.

Each of the 3 characters who are focused on in this book did act as if they were their own person. I enjoyed each of them individually, however, sometimes it felt hard to connect with the adult characters due to their pursuit of motherhood, a sentiment I do not share. This sole similarity was much of the character's motives when it came to their decisions and I personally believe is the catalyst for this story even existing.

The premise of the book was very promising, however, the ending does feel quite lackluster. There was also not a lot of depth when it came to the plot. It was very surface level, and I feel that the characters quite honestly deserved more, especially when it came to Nella and Eliza. The last few chapters seemed a bit of a rush to close the book. The ending events described by Caroline, which she read in through a newspaper article, I wish were told through Eliza and Nella's perspectives as additional chapters.

Overall Thoughts

I thought this book was interesting and honestly a decent read. As I had previously mentioned, I do wish that it had a few more extra chapters to really give Nella and Eliza a nice closing to their stories. Having their final events told through Caroline in present day just didn't do them justice in my opinion.

If you want a historical fiction which underlines and gives voices and power to women in the 18th century then this would be right up your alley. It was a lovely sentiment despite murder being involved and was an interesting take on women supporting other women in their own specialised ways.

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Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson // Book Review

Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone
Benjamin Stevenson || Publication Date - 02.01.2024

How do you handle a family reunion, where everyone in the room is a killer?

Fiction | Crime | Mystery

Murderers, life-takers, killers... unalivers? It doesn't matter what descriptor follows the various members of the Cunningham family, because all of them have, in fact, killed someone.

Now, Ernest is reluctantly joining his family as they converge to spend a weekend at a snowy mountain resort in northern Victoria. Unfortunately, no matter how each family member has partaken in any various version of the 'cide's', they're all now prime suspects in a homicide.

Can Ernest solve this mystery before everyone's resume amends to victim? Or will the murderer succeed in covering up the existence of the Cunningham family for good?

The Review (May Contain Spoilers)

Cover to cover, I had a blast reading this novel and I loved every character. They were all the same but also so different in so many ways and it was so much fun reading and learning about all of them with how this book was set out. The premise was outlandish, but incredibly deep, and explored so many moral conundrums. People make decisions and ultimately this can lead to the death of another, but how you feel about each family member is completely different dependent on these circumstances.

There were also layers of misdirection paved through the writing and each time it came up I couldn't help but laugh. Numerous times I chuckled to myself and each time I got caught out by the phrasing or narrative... it felt so silly but so obvious at the same time. Benjamin's writing is very witty. Even at the beginning of the novel, he has outlined the guidelines the novel will follow, and, when certain events happen down to the page. yet even knowing these, you're still stumped or surprised by what's happened. It felt incredibly unique and I feel that's what made this book so enjoyable for me.

The only thing that could have given this book a negative mark was that I did guess who the killer was, quite significantly, before the end of the book. However, I loved every single word that it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all and I feel that is something worth keeping the star for.

Overall Thoughts

I don't think it's surprising to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was unique in its storytelling, it was compelling and held discussion for morality and blame, and it was incredibly funny. If a book can make me laugh, it automatically gets brownie points.

If you're a fan of crime, I would not hesitate to recommend this novel to you. If you're a fan of super serious all the time crime, I still wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel to you. It was a perfect pallet cleanser, and a reminder that even during the worst times of peoples lives there's still time for a laugh.

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The Wolf Tree - Laura McCluskey // Book Review

The Wolf Tree
Laura McCluskey || Publication Date - 11.02.2025

There's always someone whispering about something...

Fiction | Mystery | Thriller | Crime

After an apparent suicide, DI's Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to conduct a routine investigation into the death and confirm what everyone already suspects. Where they are headed is a picturesque small island approximately an hour off the mainland coast of Scotland.

From their first arrival, DI Georgina, or George as she commonly likes to be referred by, suspects something is simply not quite right. She's in her own head with something she cannot shake about the death of eighteen-year-old Alan. Things don't add up, and while questioning the island inhabitants, there's even more to this place than she could have even imagined.

What unfolds is an eerie mashup of local history, townsfolk who are way too nice for their own good, and folktales which turn out to have some truth to them after all.

The Review (May Contain Spoilers)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

Incredibly atmospheric from the first page. I loved the eerie nature of the investigation and the island the detectives went to. I remember starting this book on a 42°C summer day and had goosebumps with how cold this novel made me feel.

There were so many layers of mystery coming into this book. One of the main detectives possibly being ill, or recovering from being so. Inconsistencies between the investigation they have been sent on and what is really happening in the case. There's also the creepy small village atmosphere where everyone knows everyone and is pretty aware of others business on the Island. The ending caught me by surprise and I had no clue where it was going until it was finally revealed. I loved the journey and for a debut it was an incredibly well written novel.

One of the best features was the interactions between the characters. Both the inspectors and the people who live on this island, and the inspectors between themselves. There's so much to everyone and it's hard to know if people are being genuine or are actually conspiring behind others backs. It creates an awesome amount of tension and I loved it!

The created lore of the island is another one of my favourite running lines of narrative. I don't know if it was intentionally referencing the disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from the Flannan Isles lighthouse in late 1900, however if it was, it made this novel even more intricate for me. It's a real story which immediately stuck in my brain while reading, and made this island feel like a real place I could go to and hear the howling for myself.

Overall Thoughts

For a debut novel, incredible. It was eerie, it had complex and genuinely well written characters, and the mixture of historical lore tying into the death investigation made this such a fun read. I would not hesitate to recommend this novel if you like detective novels for one. However, if you like a little history and/or folklore tying into your mystery books, this nailed it for me.

I am partial to a good story which involves close-knit communities with secrets and suspense. Throw a death investigation in there and reading how the author navigates the investigation and the characters is always a good solid time. Another top rated novel for me which follows this same style of narrative was 'One Dark Night' by Hannah Richell. Both are masterfully atmospheric and develop complex character relationships very well.

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