Wandering the world

Readers of my book reviews will know that British authors of crime and psychological thrillers are the staple of my fiction-reading diet. Fiona Barton is one such author. She started her writing career as a journalist, covering notorious crimes and trials for a bunch of daily newspapers. Barton is not the top of my author list, but I still find something to like in her stories. I'm not blown away by her books, but I feel quite satisfied when I've finished them. Of the two ser

I've been reading the psychological thrillers by writing partnership, Nicci French, for some twenty years now. I'd count them amongst my favourite authors. They are masters of chilling and suspenseful novels that explore the dark side of human nature. Their books are so clever and the characters are authentic and the situations believable. They never go for bonkers endings for cheap thrills. However, I was completely thrown by their 2021 and 2022 offerings, Unheard and The

I've been reading the Elvis and Joe series by Robert Crais for as long as I can remember. The first book in the series, The monkey's raincoat, was published in 1987. Crais is now into his 70s with 20 books under his belt. The quality of the books is still top notch, though. Robert Crais started his career writing for TV shows like Cagney and Lacey  and Hill Street Blues. I urge you to give the series a go if you love a multilayered and well crafted private eye story with stro

I'd seen the hype about Bonnie Garmus's book, Lessons in chemistry, although I haven't watch the Netflix series of the same name. A female chemist in the 1950s? Awesome. That said, I've honestly found my review quite hard to write, as I have mixed feelings about the book after reading other reviews and mulling over my own thoughts. Lessons in chemistry | Published March 2022 | Read March 2025 Lessons in chemistry follows the story of Elizabeth Zott, a chemist trying to do her

Louise Candlish is a British author who has been writing for around 20 years. Her later books have won a bunch of awards, including Crime and Thriller Book of the Year for 2019's Our house that was later adapted into a television drama. Candlish has a BA in English from University College London and began her writing career with relationship novels. The other passenger is my first go at her crime/thriller collection. Read on for my review. The other passenger | Published June

If you've read my other posts on Marian Keyes novels, you'll know that I have a fondness for the Irish writer despite her chick lit label. I've read all of the Walsh family saga and I am working my way through Keyes's standalone stories. Lucy Sullivan is getting married is the first standalone that Keyes penned, way back in 1996, and her second ever novel (the first being Watermelon in 1995, the inaugural Walsh family book). Why do I love Marian Keyes, as a self-confessed thr

There are currently 22 books in Sara Paretsky's iconic VI Warshawski series, published between 1982 and 2024. I've only read one other in the series - book 16. You can read my review of that book here. My stable of American authors is not as full as my British one, but I am warming to the VI Warshawski series after two books. I've come in at the end of the long-running series and VI is now around my age. That's enough to draw me in. Reading reviews of the later books suggest

I've read four of Gilly Macmillan's standalone novels. You can read my review of those books here. I am intrigued by the author as her books are cleverly constructed and her characters beautifully drawn, and so far I have not guessed what was going on. She takes seemingly ordinary people and situations and turns them into cracking stories. I recently read her first standalone, published in 2016. It's not as good as the other three I have read. Check out my thoughts on that b

I am a relatively new fan of Clare Mackintosh, having read the first two of her Ffion Morgan books and one of her standalone novels, an Idris Elba-like hijack story . I am working my way through the remaining four standalone novels, starting with After the end, the subject of this post. I was intrigued to read this one as it has personal meaning to Mackintosh after having lost one of her twin boys some years ago. I recommend you read the book with no prior knowledge of it as

If you've read my last Kathy Reich post , you'll know that, sadly, I have tapped out of the Tempe Brennan series after 23 books. I'm super interested in forensic science, so I am thrilled to have found a replacement for Tempe in Dr David Hunter. There are six books in the series on the British forensic anthropologist, published between 2006 and 2019, with book 7 due out later in 2025. My review in this post is of books 2 and 6, Written in bone and The scent of death. Author

I ventured into The therapy house as the premise intrigued me. I hadn't previously read anything by NZ-born, Dublin-based author, Julie Parsons. Unfortunately, The therapy house didn't motivate me to look for her other titles. It was a mediocre read for me. Check out my review to see why. The therapy house | Published April 2017 | Read January 2025 OK, so the book is essentially about retired Garda Inspector, Michael McLoughlin, who lives next door to a prominent Dublin judg

I'd only just finished writing a post on the two Lesley Kara books that I had read at that point, when I spotted Who did you tell? in my local library. Here's my review of my third Lesley Kara read. You can also check out my review of The dare, a book I read after the one featured in this post. Who did you tell? | Published December 2019 | Read January 2025 Thirty-two-year-old Astrid has been sober for six months, but has been battling alcohol addiction since she was a teen

The Paris apartment is the second book that I have read by British thriller and historical fiction author, Lucy Foley. Check out my review of her 2020 book, The guest list . I can see the similarities between the two novels: both have an atmospheric setting, a bunch of fairly unlikeable characters, and some sinister goings-on in what seems on the surface to be an ordinary situation. Foley's novels are quite character-driven and I like thrillers written in this vein. It's not

I was travelling quite a bit for work during 2022 and 2023. I purchased a Kobo so that I could keep up my reading habit while I was without access to my local public library. Kobo has a monthly subscription that grants free access to their catalogue. I assume from doing a basic search of the authors I have reviewed in this post that the catalogue contains titles by certain publishing houses. New r eleases and books by super popular authors are not available. I hadn't heard

If you've read my other posts on Michael Robotham, you'll know that he is one of my all-time favourite authors. I cannot recommend Robotham highly enough. He brings compelling, character-driven stories to the table, and he always makes me stop and think about human behaviour. His writing is top notch, and I am drawn into this books from the opening page. Check out my review of the Cyrus Haven series  and Robotham's standalone novels . Joe O'Loughlin series | Books 1-9 | Publi

I was at primary school when Romanian gymnast, Nadia Comaneci, stunned the world of Olympic sport with her medal-winning performance in Montreal. I've always been fascinated by her story and life in the Eastern bloc, so I thought I'd give Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police a go. Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police | Published January 2021 | Read November 2024 Nadia Comaneci and the Secret Police explores Nadia's rise to the top of the gymnastics world and the restrictions

This post reviews the second book by Gillian McAllister that I have read. Check out my previous post on Wrong place, wrong time, McAllister's 2022 time-bending thriller. Just another missing person | Published August 2023 | Read December 2024 I loved the unique take on the thriller/crime novel that McAllister took in Wrong place, wrong time. McAllister serves up another intriguing and fresh approach to the genre in her 2023 novel, Just another missing person, a book I devour

I found The lost at my local library and was intrigued after reading the blurb. I hadn't heard of author, Simon Beckett, prior to starting on his Dr Hunter series. Beckett has published eight books to date, with The lost the first of a new series, and the other seven part of his highly-successful forensic anthropologist series featuring Dr David Hunter. Read here for my review of two of the Dr Hunter books. The book I read and have reviewed here is the first and currently on

Some Jonathan Kellerman background You'll know how much I love Jonathan Kellerman if you've read my posts on book 37 and book 39 of the Alex and Milo series. Kellerman, a former psychologist and researcher, is an author who has been part of my reading life for as long as I can remember. The approach in his novels to exploring the human psyche in the context of both homicide and child custody cases is interesting, perceptive, and heartfelt. Kellerman's main series features

It's sometimes nice to have a break from the usual dark and disturbing psychological thrillers that I read. I do like a bit of good chick lit written by British authors. These types of books are usually wry and charming, with a cast of eccentric characters, and plenty of keen observations on weighty topics. I picked up two Holly Bourne novels at my local library, thinking I was in for a similar reading experience to Marion Keyes and Beth O'Leary, both of whom I adore. See wha