My Top Reads for 2022

I read 105 books in 2022 and it was so hard to choose just 10 favourites that I gave up and selected 12! Like last year, my favourite genre to read seems to be fantasy (escapism!), particularly books that have a nod to fairy stories or myths. I also love romantic comedy and historical fiction. There are some new-to-me authors this year, such as Vanessa Len, Rachel Gillig and A.G. Slatter, as well as old favourites Harlan Coben, Sarah Morgan and Karen Swan.

The list is in the order I read them. If you'd like to see what other books I've enjoyed this year, you can find them on Goodreads. 

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Sent to stay with her late mother's eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her job at the historical Holland House, and when her co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place. Then a Good Samaritan attempt gone wrong sends Joan spinning through time, and her life begins to quickly unravel. Her family aren't eccentric, they're monsters with terrifying hidden powers. And Nick isn't just a cute boy: he's a legendary monster-slayer who will do anything to bring them down. Because in this story, Joan is not the hero... Full review here.

The Match by Harlan Coben

Wilde tries to locate his real family via a family history website - one of those that uses DNA samples to match relatives. When one of his contacts disappears under mysterious circumstances, Wilde feels obliged to investigate. The trail leads to a secret online group who expose online trolls. When people connected with this group begin to die, one by one, it becomes clear a killer is out for revenge - and the next person on their list could be Wilde. Full review here.

The Birdcage by Eve Chase

Twenty years after their last visit, half-sisters Lauren, Kat and Flora are summoned to Rock Point: the beautiful and windswept Cornish cliff house where they sat for their father's most famous painting, Girls and Birdcage. The last time they were all together, in 1999 for the Eclipse, something terrible happened. Now they're back, no one mentions it - which Lauren finds unsettling and confusing, because there's a bit of a gap in her memory... Full review here.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Nora is a literary agent often compared to a shark. Charlie is an editor with a publishing house and is Nora's Nemesis after he turned down one of Nora's authors who went on to become a bestseller. The bestselling book in question was a feel-good story set in a small town called Sunshine Falls. For a treat, Nora's sister suggests they take a holiday there but it soon becomes apparent that the Sunshine Falls in real life is not remotely like the one in the book. To make matters worse, everywhere Nora goes she bumps into Charlie. What on earth is HE doing in Sunshine Falls? And is Nora's sister being entirely honest about the reason that they're here too...? Full review here.

The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk

In 1754, renowned maker of clocks and automata Abel Cloudesley must raise his new-born son Zachary when his wife dies in childbirth. When an accident leaves six-year-old Zachary nearly blinded, Abel is convinced that the safest place for his son is in the care of eccentric Aunt Frances, who owns a menagerie of weird and wonderful animals. Offered a job by a politician with dubious intentions, Abel leaves his son, his workshop and London behind. This decision will change the course of all their lives forever. Full review here.

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

At the beginning of time, the goddess Dea created mankind but Crollo insisted humans were too flawed to survive. So the two of them made a wager. Crollo could send his demons to kill the humans but Dea would would bless the humans with gifts: 'Fontes', who are born with magic to defeat the demons, and one 'Finestra' to enhance that magic when the time came to do battle.

Three years ago Alessa was chosen to be her island's Finestra but so far she has accidentally killed each of the three Fontes she chose to be her partner. Now, with only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything on her island home, Alessa is running out of time to find another partner and stop the invasion. When a powerful priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island's only hope, even her own soldiers are tempted to assassinate her! Full review here.

The Path of Thorns by A.G. Slatter

Asher Todd goes to live with the eccentric Morwood family as governess to their three young children. Asher knows little about being a governess, but she is skilled in botany and herb-craft - and perhaps a little bit more. Morwood Grange might be a creepy old house, chock-full of dark family secrets, but Asher has a few of her own - not least the real reason why she is there! And exactly what did happen to the governess before her...? Full review here.

Book of Night by Holly Black

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn't pick, a book she couldn't steal, or a bad decision she wouldn't make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie...

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto has been coached by her father from her childhood to be a winner at tennis, partly because she has a natural talent, inherited from him, but also to help them both cope with the unexpected death of her mother. By the time she retires from the sport she holds several sporting records, including that of most Slam wins, and is considered a sporting legend. When another tennis player looks set to break that record, years later, Carrie announces her comeback. But in risking everything, is she making a terrible mistake? Full review here.

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

Centuries ago, when the townsfolk of Blunder wanted help, they would seek blessings and gifts from the Spirit of the Wood. One day, the Spirit granted the King powerful magic of his own. He wanted to share this with his people so he created the twelve Providence Cards. 

Twelve blessings, twelve, curses...

Now the townsfolk had magic of their own, they forgot about worshipping the Spirit, who began using mist to lure people back to the wood in revenge. Children caught in this mist grew sick. Few survived, but those that did were 'infected' with magic that caused them to degenerate. So the King went back to the wood to barter with the Spirit, who told him the way to cure the children was to reunite the Cards - then she tricked him into handing over the last Card before he could do so. Full review here.

Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan

Lucy works for an advertising agency, which feels more like family than work, especially since her only relative, her grandmother, died at Christmas a couple of years back. Now the agency is in trouble, she doesn't hesitate to head off to Scotland to try to win over Ross Miller, the CEO of a famous gym/sportswear company. She even has the perfect way to get his attention. Wrap her proposal to look like a present and hand-deliver it to his house. What could possibly go wrong?  Full review here.

The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan

Natasha is staying in an Airbnb in Vienna with her husband and young daughter Mabel, when they oversleep and nearly miss their plane. Too late they realise Mabel's precious toy cow, Moolah, has been left behind. Even when they return to their home in the Cotswolds, Mabel is distraught and refuses to sleep without it. Unable to find a substitute, Natasha puts out a request on social media that goes viral. It turns out Moolah was found by a climber named Duffy, who has now adopted it as a lucky mascot because it reminded him of a toy his sister had. Now hiking through the Himalayas, Duffy can occasionally get an Internet connection, but there are no post offices, so he can't send Moolah back. Instead, he sends electronic postcards to Mabel detailing all Moolah's adventures. Full review here.

Review: Marple: Twelve New Stories

I love Agatha Christie and have read all her books, so I was excited to see this anthology, which has twelve new Miss Marple stories written by bestselling crime authors.

It has been a while since I last read a Miss Marple story, however, and I suspect my memory has been muddled by the various TV and film adaptations! Which is why I had Joan Hickson in my head throughout this book, along with Joanna Lumley every time Dolly Bantry made an appearance. I can't really judge if the authors have correctly captured Christie's 'voice' but they have certainly captured the flavour of her Miss Marple stories and they are all of an exceptional standard.

The stories are as follows:

Evil in Small Places by Lucy Foley

The Second Murder at the Vicarage by Val McDermid

Miss Marple Takes Manhattan by Alyssa Cole

The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes

Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware

The Open Mind by Naomi Adlerman

The Jade Empress by Jean Kwok

A Deadly Wedding Day by Dreda Say Mitchell

Murder at the Villa Rosa by Elly Griffiths

The Murdering Sort by Karen M. McManus

The Mystery of the Acid Soil by Kate Mosse

The Disappearance by Leigh Bardugo

My favourites (in no particular order) were: The Second Murder at the Vicarage, A Deadly Wedding Day, Murder at the Villa Rosa, The Murdering Sort, The Mystery of the Acid Soil and The Disappearance, but they were all very good! I think my only complaint is that no original Miss Marple story was included.

This anthology was a clever idea and a lot of fun. Even with my rusty knowledge I recognised reoccurring characters (Raymond West, Dolly Bantry and Sir Henry Clithering) and references to other stories (The Murder at the Vicarage and A Caribbean Mystery). Marple would make the perfect present for any fan of cosy crime, 'golden age' mysteries - and of Agatha Christie, obviously!

Thank you to the authors and Harper Collins UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Skeleton Key by Erin Kelly

I've not read any books by Erin Kelly before but the beautiful cover and intriguing blurb caught my eye. In her foreword, the author explains that the inspiration for this story was one of her favourite childhood books: Masquerade by Kit Williams, which contained clues for a treasure hunt - the prize being a jewelled hare. In this book the prize is the tiny gold skeleton of a woman, broken into pieces and buried at locations around the UK. 

Fifty years ago, Frank Churcher had the idea to write and illustrate a folk tale about a poor farmer who has to find and reunite the bones of his lost love, Elinore. To accompany the story, Frank created a tiny gold skeleton, which he broke up, burying the various bones around the country, with the clues to their location hidden in the text of the book. This book, The Golden Bones, became a huge bestseller and made both his fortune and his name as an artist, but it ruined the life of his daughter Nell. For years she's been stalked by the fans of the book (who call themselves 'Bonehunters') who believe the story is real and that her father hid the last missing piece of the skeleton inside her body. She refuses to accept any of her father's money and now lives incognito on a narrow boat with her unofficially adopted daughter, Billie.

To celebrate the book's 50th anniversary, Frank is relaunching The Golden Bones with an app and a documentary, and is planning on finally revealing where that last piece is hidden. All his family will be there at his house, including Nell and Billie, along with a film crew. Meanwhile, outside the house (and in online forums) the Bonehunters are circling...

The Skeleton Key is a beautifully written psychological suspense/domestic thriller with larger-than-life characters, gothic overtones and a jaw-dropping finish. As well as Frank and his wife Cora, there is Frank's friend, the alcoholic but talented Lal (with whom he always seems to be in competition), plus Lal's wife Bridget, and their children and grandchildren. The story moves back and forth between 1971 and the present day, until we're all caught up with every family secret and every betrayal. You soon appreciate that Nell did exactly the right thing by distancing herself from these horrible people!

The past and present timelines are knitted seamlessly together, the treasure hunt was great fun, and the parts with the skeleton were inspired! And I shall never look at detergent in quite the same way again! Including the legend of Elinore at the end of the book was  a nice touch.

The Skeleton Key is a fabulous story, recommended for fans of Lisa Jewell and Alice Feeney.

Thank you to Erin Kelly and Hodder and Stoughton for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

I've never read any books by Alice Feeney before but the gorgeous cover caught my eye, as well as the mention that the story has a deliberate nod towards a certain Agatha Christie classic!

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for her Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. When the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harbouring secrets. Then, at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows. Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one-by-one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide goes out at dawn and all is revealed.

I loved the deliciously spooky setting: a gothic house, perched on a rocky outcrop during a thunderstorm. The character of Nana, with her twisted fairy tale rhymes and collection of clocks, was fabulous. The little pictures of the waves growing larger at the beginning of each chapter, as the tension racked up, were a great finishing touch and the cover is utterly gorgeous. The story is beautifully written and terrifically clever in the way everything is wrapped up at the end. The only thing that stopped it being a five-star read for me was that the final twist is a trope I hate (sorry!), and it reminded me of another classic story that I won't mention because of spoilers! If you don't spot that reference in advance, you will be stunned.

Daisy Darker would appeal to anyone who loves 'locked room' style mysteries, dysfunctional families, gothic settings, and authors such as Agatha Christie, Lucy Foley and Riley Sager.

Thank you to Alice Feeney and Pan MacMillan for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda

I've always enjoyed reading Megan Miranda's mystery novels. She is one of those authors who is consistently good, and The Last to Vanish is no exception.

The resort town of Cutter's Pass, just off the Appalachian Trail, has become notorious for a string of unsolved disappearances. Abigail works at the Passage Inn, where some of the missing people were last seen. It's a job she loves but she still doesn't feel fully accepted by the locals. When Trey West turns up to investigate his brother's disappearance, Abigail can sense the town closing ranks. Perhaps if she helps him, he'll leave and everything will return to normal? Maybe, maybe not - but is she prepared for what she is about to discover?

The Last to Vanish is a slow burn murder mystery. I loved the descriptions of the area and how Abigail feels like an outsider. Bit by bit we learn more about the people who disappeared, and their reasons for visiting Cutter's Pass, and more about the townsfolk and why they are so close-knit. There are some jaw-dropping twists, although one of these, towards the end, was in the form of undisclosed information, which I always feel is a bit of a cheat!

An enjoyable read, which should appeal to authors such as Julia Heaberlin, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell.

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily. 

Related Posts:

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

All The Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda 

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Review: The Blackbird (David Raker #11) by Tim Weaver

I've read a few of Tim Weaver's books and thoroughly enjoyed them, so I was keen to read The Blackbird, especially after reading the blurb, which sounded very intriguing!

David Raker is a private investigator, specialising in missing persons. His latest case involves trying to trace Cate and Aiden Gascoigne, who disappeared after their car fell into a ravine and burst into flames. It's hard to say more, without giving away any spoilers, but David Raker painstaking traces every lead to try to solve the case, unwittingly starting a chain of events that - no, no spoilers! 

I'll just say that The Blackbird is a perfectly written crime thriller that completely engaged me. I read the second half in one sitting and you'll understand why when you get to that midway point yourself! It's real edge-of-your seat stuff, with the villain of the story, realising David is partway to solving the mystery, begins a cat-and-mouse chase. There are lots of threads to the story, that seem to be unconnected until they all come together in a completely brilliant way. I am in awe!

If you are the kind of reader who tries to solve the mystery alongside the detective, you will love this. I hadn't a clue whodunnit until the big reveal. You don't need to have read the other books in the series. There is an arc linking the series but it is a small part of the story. The only negative for me is that I've never been keen on books where the villain gives a detailed explanation of their crimes at the end of a story. I might have been tempted to skip that bit but there is a final jaw-dropping twist - so read carefully!

I have no idea why this series hasn't been snapped up for TV. The Blackbird is fabulous - twisty and extremely clever - one of my favourite reads this year!

Thank you to Tim Weaver and Michael Joseph (Penguin UK) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Post:

No One Home (David Raker #10) by Tim Weaver

Review: The Stone Chamber (#25 DI Wesley Peterson) by Kate Ellis

I've loved Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series, right from the very first book (The Merchant's House). I think it is the mix of a classic murder mystery with a historical backstory that does it for me.  This one, the 25th in the series (25th!) is perhaps her best yet.

One summer evening, Robert and Greta Gerdner are shot dead at their home in the Devon countryside. DI Wesley Peterson suspects the execution-style murders might be linked to Robert's past police career, until Robert's name is found on a list of people who've been sent tickets anonymously for a tour of Darkhole Grange - a former asylum on Dartmoor. Others on this list have also died in mysterious circumstances. Meanwhile, archaeologist Neil Watson finds the skeleton of a woman buried in a sealed chamber dating back to the fifteenth century at a nearby dig. Is there a connection between the ancient cell and the chilling history of Darkhole Grange?

As always, Kate Ellis has written a brilliantly twisty, cleverly plotted story that is impossible to put down. Multiple characters and multiple threads somehow manage to all connect at the end (I don't know how she does it!), with a reoccurring motif of incarceration. I particularly loved all the spooky houses!

Although this story is the 25th in the series, it is possible to read it as a stand alone. However, there are a lot characters, both regular and new, and it might be easier to at least read the first book to help understand who everyone is.

On of my favourite reads this year, The Stone Chamber would suit anyone who loves classic murder mysteries and authors such as Elly Griffiths.

Thank you to Kate Ellis and Piatkus (Little, Brown Book Group) for my copy of this book, which I requested via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The House of the Hanged Woman (Albert Lincoln #3) by Kate Ellis

The Burial Circle (Wesley Peterson #24) by Kate Ellis

Dead Man's Lane (Wesley Peterson #23) by Kate Ellis

The Boy Who Lived with the Dead (Albert Lincoln #2) by Kate Ellis

The Mechanical Devil (Wesley Peterson #22) by Kate Ellis

The Mermaid's Scream (Wesley Peterson #21) by Kate Ellis

The Death Season (Wesley Peterson #19) by Kate Ellis

The Shroud Maker (Wesley Peterson #18) by Kate Ellis

The Shadow Collector (Wesley Peterson #17) by Kate Ellis

The Cadaver Game (Wesley Peterson #16) by Kate Ellis

The Match (Wilde #2) by Harlan Coben

I've been a fan of Harlan Coben's for a long time. When I got my hands this book, the second in his Wilde series, I think I may have screamed. Wilde is one of my favourite characters, second only to Win. The series has a lot about using ancestry websites, and I love researching my family tree, so that was an additional element I loved.

In the first book, The Boy from the Woods, we were introduced to  Wilde, who was found at the age of 6 (or thereabouts) living feral in the woods of the Ramapo Mountains. Now an adult, he knows nothing of his original family, or even if he had one. He's content to live in the woods, often alone. His only relationships are with the family of the first friend he made as a child.

In The Match, Wilde tries to locate his real family via a family history website - one of those that uses DNA samples to match relatives. When one of his contacts disappears under mysterious circumstances, Wilde feels obliged to investigate. The trail leads to a secret online group who expose online trolls. When people connected with this group begin to die, one by one, it becomes clear a killer is out for revenge - and the next person on their list could be Wilde.

I've read every one of Harlan's books and he just keeps getting better and better. The Match is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller that doesn't sacrifice character development for plot. You will care about these people! He's also a master of misdirection. While you're looking one way, smugly thinking you've solved the mystery, he hits you with the twist that was there all along if only you'd been smart enough to spot it! There is an Easter egg for fans, with the reappearance of a character from an earlier book (no spoilers!), as well as fan-favourite, Hester Crimstein (Myron Bolitar), who is a main character here and almost steals the show. Reoccurring themes are the morals of revenge and vigilantism, and how your real family is the one you choose. I do hope there are more books to come! 

The Match is one of my favourite reads this year. I absolutely loved it. Thoroughly recommended to anyone who loves Harlan's books, clever twisty thrillers, and to fans of authors such as Lee Child (Jack Reacher) and Linwood Barclay.

Thank you to Harlan Coben and Cornerstone/Random House for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Review: The Lighthouse by Fran Dorricott

I downloaded this book because I love stories about old lighthouses. They have lots of history and an air of mystery about them - very much like the lighthouse in this story!

Six friends travel to a remote island north of the Scottish Highlands for an old school reunion. The island is uninhabited apart from the lighthouse and a cluster of old cottages, now renovated into holiday homes - although there is one room the friends are unable to get into, or find a key for. Only one of them, Genevieve, has done any research into the history of the island, but none of them are interested in her tales of deaths, drownings and disappearances - they are here to have a good time!

The pace of The Lighthouse is a little slow but the desolate island and creepy lighthouse are described in a way that brings them brilliantly to life. The tension as Strange Things Happen builds up terrifically. The only reason the story didn't really work for me is that Genevieve is the only one who properly knows the history of the island and she never gets to tell anyone until the end, which means the denouement comes left of field. I'm the kind of reader who likes to work things out from clues scattered throughout the story, rather than have it explained to me, but the story is atmospheric, well-written and deserves a solid four stars.

Note: Fran Dorricott also writes as Francesca May.

Thank you to Fran Dorricott and Avon Books UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

My Top Ten Reads of 2021

I read 120 books in 2021 and it was so hard to choose just ten for this post! In the end, I did a If-I-was-about-to-be-marooned-on-a-desert-island-which-ten-books-could-I-not-live-without thing, and so here they are!

Scrolling through my Goodreads account, I can see a definite tailing-off of crime fiction, which I rarely read anymore, unless it is by favourite author such as Harlan Coben, Elly Griffiths or Lisa Jewell. I'm reading less historical romance but more general historical fiction, and I love the new trend for gothic mysteries! I'm also reading more romantic comedy and romantic fantasy/YA fantasy. A reaction to the times, I wonder?

(The books are listed in the order I read them!)

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a companion to Holly Black's bestselling Folk of the Air series, about a human girl who rises to power in the land of the fey. This book is a series of linked short stories about one of the characters, Prince Cardan. Beautifully illustrated but best suited to fans/readers of the series! If you're interested, start with #1, The Cruel Prince! 

Win by Harlan Coben

Twenty years ago, Win's cousin Patricia was kidnapped from the family home during a robbery and kept in an isolated log cabin for months. She finally escaped, but so did her kidnappers, and the items stolen were never seen again - until now.

An elderly recluse has been found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside a priceless Vermeer painting and a suitcase with Win's initials. How is the man linked to Patricia's kidnapping and is it connected to another cold case involving domestic terrorism? The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades but Win has two things they do not - a personal connection to the case, a large fortune - and his own unique brand of justice!

Full review here.

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

Poppy and Alex meet on their first day at university and Do Not Get On, but that doesn't matter because they'll never see each other again, right? Wrong! When Poppy's friend manages to blag her a lift back home at the end of the year with someone who lives in the same town, guess who it is? Alex. By the time they reach their home town they've developed a friendship of sorts and agree to go on a summer vacation with each other.

A few years later Alex is a teacher, happy to stay in the dead-end town where they grew up. Poppy, however, cannot wait to travel the world. The blog she writes, detailing her experiences, becomes such a success she's offered a job at a famous travel magazine. Soon she and Alex are taking holidays all around the world at the magazine's expense. Until one summer, she and Alex fall out. For two years they don't even speak until she accidentally texts him, one text leads to another, and they agree to go on one last holiday together...

Full review here.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This story is set in Malibu and split between the 1950s (leading up to the 80s) and 1983. In the 50s we see singer Mick Riva marry sweet loyal teenager June Costas, and witness the effect his fame (and philandering) has on their marriage and four children. In the present, his daughter Nina is preparing for her famous annual party - except her tennis-star husband has just left her and she'd rather be surfing anyway. And her sister has invited an unexpected guest... It looks as though it will be a very fiery family reunion...

Full review here.

The Summer Seekers by Sarah Morgan

Kathleen used to have a popular TV travel show but now she's 80 years old and chaffing at the restrictions others (mainly her daughter, Liza) seem to want to force upon her due to her age. Liza feels Kathleen should give up her home on the beach in Cornwall and go into some form of retirement home. So Kathleen retaliates by booking a road trip across America. She can't drive but that's not a problem - she'll hire Martha to drive her!

Martha is only too eager to jump at the chance to get away from her family and ex-boyfriend, who want to belittle her at every opportunity. Won't they be surprised (and hopefully impressed) to learn she has a new job driving a TV star across America? There is only one teensy problem. Martha can't drive...

Full review here.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

In 2017, Tallulah goes on a date with her boyfriend Zach, leaving her baby with her mother Kim. The next morning Tallulah still hasn't come home. Kim discovers that Tallulah and Zach were invited to the local big house, Dark Place (which already has a sinister reputation), but when Kim calls around the owner says that all the teenagers left after the party. Kim knows Tallulah would never willingly abandon her baby. So where is she? 

Two years later, when everyone but Kim has moved on with their lives, a crime writer called Sophie spots a sign in the local woods that says 'Dig Here'...

Full review here.

Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

Award-winning director Clover Phillips is enjoying the accolades from her last documentary when she encounters Kit Foley, a surfer and snowboarder as famous for controversy as he is for winning championships.

Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never told his side of the story. Determined to change that, Clover heads to the Austrian Alps with the intention of making Kit the subject of her next documentary.

It's hard to get the truth out of someone who hates you, and goes out of their way to avoid you, but is Kit really the heartless monster that everyone believes he is?

Full review here.

One More Christmas at the Castle by Trisha Ashley

Elderly widow Sabine knows this will be her last Christmas in her beloved home, Mitras Castle. Determined to make it just like the ones she remembers from her childhood, she employs Dido Jones of Heavenly Houseparties to help with the big day.

Dido is enchanted by the castle as soon as she steps through the imposing front door. And as Christmas Day approaches, her feeling of connection to the old house runs deeper than she first thought.

But when the snow begins to fall and Sabine's family arrive at the house - including Dido's teenage crush Xan - tensions rise around the castle's future and long-buried mysteries begin to unravel...

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

London, 1799. Dora Blake is an aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her uncle in what used to be her parents' famed shop of antiquities. When a mysterious Greek vase is delivered, Dora is intrigued by her uncle's suspicious behaviour and enlists the help of Edward Lawrence, a young antiquarian scholar. Edward sees the ancient vase as key to unlocking his academic future. Dora sees it as a chance to restore the shop to its former glory, and to escape her nefarious uncle.

But what Edward discovers about the vase has Dora questioning everything she has believed about her life, her family, and the world as she knows it. As Dora uncovers the truth she starts to realise that some mysteries are buried, and some doors are locked, for a reason.

The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman

Thanks to falling in love with the wrong man, Maria Owens ends up on a scaffold, about to be hung for witchcraft, and curses any man who falls in love with an Owens woman ('broken, body and soul'). Four hundred years later and her family are still feeling the tragic effects of this curse.

After witnessing her mother's suffering, teenager Kylie Owens has no intention of risking the life of the boy she has fallen in love with and is determined to do anything to break the curse, once and for all. Even if that means abandoning her family and heading back to England (where it all began), and risking her own life by using a dark magic book that was once owned by Maria's daughter...

Full review here.

Have you read any of these? Which were your favourites?

You can see more of the books I've enjoyed reading this year over on Instagram and Goodreads.

Related Posts:

Favourite Reads of 2017 (so far)

Favourite Reads of 2017

Favourite Reads of 2018 (so far)

Favourite Reads of 2020 (so far)

Review: The Midnight Hour (The Brighton Mysteries #6) by Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is one of my favourite mystery writers and I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Midnight Hour via NetGalley. This story is number 6 in her Brighton Mysteries, which is slightly darker than her Ruth Galloway series, and runs from 1950 to 1965 (so far!). While it is possible to enjoy this story without reading the others first, each book introduces more main characters, who all become involved in solving the mysteries, so you might find it a little confusing if you don't start with the first one (The Zig Zag Girl).

Brighton, 1965. When theatrical impresario Bert Billington is found poisoned, suspicion immediately falls on his much younger wife, ex-variety star Verity Malone. The evidence is stacked up against her; even her son thinks she did it. Exasperated by the police, Verity calls in two private detectives to clear her name: ex-police sergeant Emma Holmes and journalist Sam Collins. It soon becomes apparent that Bert had a very long list of enemies. In fact, it would be easier to find someone who didn't want to kill him...

The Midnight Hour is more light-hearted than the other Brighton Mysteries and in a similar style to Elly's recent bestseller, The Postscript Murders. Rather than DI Edgar Stephens (now a superintendent) and famous variety magician Max Mephisto solving the murders, in this book it is Emma (Edgar's wife) and Sam, with the police represented by DI Bob Willis and WPC Meg Connelly, although Emma and Meg do most of the legwork as Sam is chasing a news story in Manchester.

The Midnight Hour is set in the run up to Halloween and Elly has had a lot of fun adding spooky elements to the story. Max is working on a new film in Whitby, playing the part of Dracula's dad, and at one point Meg is convinced she's seeing a real vampire. There are also other tiny supernatural hints.

Despite the light-heartedness, there are darker moments and some serious themes are touched upon. This is the 1960s, so a reoccurring one is equality between the sexes and women's rights, along with harassment and  bullying in the workplace. As the story takes place in 1965, it also mentions the Moors Murderers. 

The Midnight Hour is probably my favourite of the series to date. I particularly liked the character of Meg (along with her eccentric family) and I hope she appears again. There are lots of red herrings; I was led up and down the garden path several times and didn't guess the identity of the murder at all.

Recommended to anyone who loves brilliantly written, fiendishly plotted murder mysteries with fabulous characters. One of my favourite reads this year.

The Midnight Hour will be published in the UK on 30th September 2021

Thank you to Elly Griffiths and Quercus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Related Posts:

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Ruth's First Christmas Tree by Elly Griffiths

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths 

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths

The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths