My four star review of Go as a River by Shelley Read

 

When a moment changes everything, how do you live the rest of your life?

1940s Colorado: Teenage Victoria Nash is the only woman in a family of troubled men.

When she meets Wilson Moon, a young drifter with a mysterious past, on a street corner, their connection is immediate. And dangerous.

But then tragedy strikes, and Victoria is forced to leave her home and face a decision that will change her life forever.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Lyrical, Lush, Mountain-Soaked Coming-of-Age Gem

Go as a River by Shelley Read flows exactly the way its title suggests—steady, immersive, and with a few emotional rapids waiting to knock the breath out of you when you least expect it. This is the kind of novel you read with a cozy drink, then suddenly realize you’ve been staring dreamily into space for ten minutes because a sentence hit you “right there.”

Victoria Nash, our quietly determined heroine, is the beating heart of the story. You follow her through love, loss, and the unpredictable currents of life in 1940s rural Colorado. She’s one of those characters who starts out soft-spoken and ends up carved into your memory like initials in a tree trunk.

Shelley Read’s writing is lush, poetic, and full of mountain air—sometimes so beautiful you wonder if you should underline whole pages and frame them. It’s a gentle book, but not a simple one; it sneaks up on you with its emotional weight, like a river that looks calm until you’re suddenly in deep water.

Why four stars? Because while the prose is stunning, it occasionally wanders off on scenic detours that make you want to lovingly call it back like a distracted golden retriever.

A solid four stars: tender, atmospheric, and beautifully written—perfect for readers who love bittersweet storytelling, resilient heroines, and prose that feels like stepping into a sunlit meadow after a storm.

Amazon

An Amazon Editor's Pick Best Debut 2023 and Goodreads Choice Award Nominee, Shelley Read's internationally bestselling novel, Go As A River, is being translated into over thirty languages and has been optioned for film by Mazur Kaplan in partnership with Fifth Season. Shelley was a Senior Lecturer at Western Colorado University for nearly three decades where she was a founder of the Environment & Sustainability major and the PRIME program for at-risk students. She holds degrees in writing and literary studies from the University of Denver and Temple University's Graduate Program in Creative Writing and is a regular contributor to Crested Butte Magazine and Gunnison Valley Journal. Shelley is a fifth generation Coloradoan who lives with her family in the Elk Mountains of the Western Slope.

My five star review of The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas

 

You’ve known her all your life . . .

Or have you?

Tasha and sister Alice look alike, but couldn’t be more different.

Tasha’s married with kids, settled near their home town of Bristol.

While Alice travels the world with her husband. Yet each trusts the other with her life.

So when Tasha wants a break,Alice offers to stay in her home with the kids, so her sister can have a holiday. Tasha knows they’re in safe hands.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

The call sends Tasha rushing home.

Alice is in intensive care.

Her husband is dead.

The police are hunting for suspects and motives.

But Tasha can’t think why anyone would hurt her sister.

Then the note arrives, addressed to Tasha:

It was supposed to be you . . .

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Deliciously Twisty, Sisterly Shock-Fest You Won’t Put Down

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas is one of those thrillers that makes you question everyone, trust no one, and consider texting your own siblings just to double-check where they were on the night in question.

From the very first chapter, Douglas hooks you with her signature blend of suspense, secrets, and “oh no, something is definitely not right here” energy. The tension builds like a roller coaster click-click-clicking up the hill—then suddenly you’re plummeting into twists you absolutely did not see coming.

The characters are wonderfully layered: suspicious, vulnerable, unpredictable, and very possibly lying through their teeth. Douglas has a talent for making every interaction feel loaded, like a polite cup of tea could erupt into chaos at any second.

The pacing is brisk, the atmosphere deliciously unsettling, and the reveals? Chef’s kiss. You’ll be flipping pages with the kind of frantic enthusiasm usually reserved for buying concert tickets.

What makes this a five-star blast is simply how fun it is—dark, twisty fun, but fun nonetheless. It keeps you guessing, gasping, and grinning right up to the final page.

Five stars: addictive, twist-packed, and perfectly crafted for fans of psychological thrillers who love their drama served with secrets, suspicion, and a side of sibling chaos.

Amazon

Claire Douglas is the Sunday Times number one bestselling author of eight stand alone novels: The Sisters (2015), Local Girl Missing (2016), Last Seen Alive (2017), Do Not Disturb (2018), Then She Vanishes (2019) and Just Like The Other Girls (2020). Her seventh, The Couple At No 9 (2021) was an Amazon number one bestseller, a number three Sunday Times bestseller and most recently hit number one on Germany's Der Spiegel paperback bestsellers chart. The Girls Who Disappeared was a Richard and Judy book club pick for Autumn 2022 and was an instant number one Sunday Times bestseller. Her books have sold over a million copies in the UK and have been published worldwide. 

Five star review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

 

ALICIA

Alicia Berenson writes a diary as a release, an outlet - and to prove to her beloved husband that everything is fine. She can't bear the thought of worrying Gabriel, or causing him pain.

Until, late one evening, Alicia shoots Gabriel five times and then never speaks another word.

THEO

Forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber is convinced he can successfully treat Alicia, where all others have failed. Obsessed with investigating her crime, his discoveries suggest Alicia's silence goes far deeper than he first thought.

And if she speaks, would he want to hear the truth?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Deliciously Twisty Psychological Treat

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is the kind of book that grabs you by the collar, whispers “trust no one,” and then gleefully drags you through a maze of mind games. And honestly? What a ride.

Alicia Berenson, famed painter turned infamous silent murderer, is one of the most compellingly quiet characters in modern fiction. She says absolutely nothing… yet somehow steals every scene. Meanwhile, Theo Faber, the psychotherapist determined to crack her silence, is doing enough talking (and obsessing) for both of them.

Michaelides has crafted a thriller that’s sleek, gripping, and sprinkled with just enough psychological sparkle to keep you turning pages like you’re in a speed-reading competition. Every chapter adds a new puzzle piece—some fit, some don’t, and some just sit there smirking at you until the twist drops.

And oh, that twist. The moment you hit it, you’ll want to put the book down, stare into the middle distance, and reevaluate everything you thought you knew. It’s that good.

Five stars, easily. Unputdownable, wickedly clever, and wildly fun—perfect for fans of psychological thrillers that play fair, lie well, and leave you grinning at the end.

Amazon

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.

My four star review of Love Untold by Ruth Jones

 

Grace is about to turn ninety and she doesn't want parties or presents or fuss. She just wants a quiet celebration: her daily swim in the sea and a cup of tea with granddaughter Elin and great-granddaughter Beca. More than anything, she wants to heal the family rift that's been breaking her heart for decades.

And to do that she must find her daughter, Alys - the only person who can help to put things right.

But thirty years is a long time.

And many words have been left unsaid.

So is it too late now to heal the pain of the past?

This is a story about mothers and daughters: the love inherent in that bond and the heartache that miscommunication can bring. More than anything, it's about the importance of being true to oneself. Meet Grace, Alys, Elin and Beca - a family you'll come to know, and to love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Warm, Witty, Heart-Tugging Family Tangle

Love Untold by Ruth Jones is like settling in with a big mug of tea, a cozy blanket, and a family who can’t stop keeping secrets—but does it all with charm. It’s funny, heartfelt, and filled with the type of emotions that sneak up on you when you’re least expecting them.

The story revolves around four generations of Welsh women, each carrying their own heartbreaks, hopes, and “I’ll deal with that later” problems. Jones has a real gift for writing characters who feel wonderfully real—you know, the kind who make you laugh one minute and blink back a suspicious tear the next.

The dialogue sparkles with humor (Ruth Jones is Ruth Jones, after all), and the family dynamics are gloriously messy in that “yep, this feels accurate” kind of way. You’ll root for these women, want to give them a nudge, and occasionally want to lock them in a room until they talk things out.

So why four stars? Because while it’s warm and engaging, there are moments when the story wanders, like it’s taken a scenic detour to admire the emotional landscape. Lovely, but occasionally slow.

A solid four stars: funny, tender, and wonderfully human. Perfect for readers who love multigenerational drama, big feelings, and a book that leaves you smiling through a lump in your throat.

Amazon

Four Star review of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

 

This story is about what it was like to be a woman during World War II when women's stories were all too often forgotten or overlooked . . . Vianne and Isabelle Mauriac are two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals and passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path towards survival, love and freedom in war-torn France.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Heart-Squeezing, Tear-Summoning, Beautifully Told Adventure

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah is the literary equivalent of being emotionally steamrolled… but, like, in a meaningful and strangely uplifting way. It’s historical fiction that grabs you by the heartstrings and yanks, then hands you a tissue and whispers, “You’re welcome.”

Following two very different sisters—Vianne, the rule-follower who just wants to keep her family safe, and Isabelle, the rebellious firecracker who hears “don’t” as “definitely do”—the novel takes you through occupied France with a mix of bravery, heartbreak, and unexpected humor. Their journeys are tense, moving, and packed with exactly the kind of drama that keeps you flipping pages even when you know another emotional gut-punch is coming.

Hannah’s writing is gorgeous without being fussy, and she balances the darkness of war with moments of fierce love, stubborn hope, and sisterly exasperation. You end up caring so much about these characters that you’ll mentally shout at them like they’re misbehaving contestants on a reality show.

Why four stars? Because while it’s undeniably powerful, it also leaves you feeling like you need a nap, a hug, and perhaps a pastry for emotional stabilisation.

A solid four stars: sweeping, sentimental, gripping—and perfect for anyone who loves historical fiction with brave women, big feelings, and storytelling that sticks with you long after the last page.

Amazon

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her newest novel, The Women, about the nurses who served in the Vietnam war, will be released on February 6, 2024.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore's bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021. 

In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

In 2015, The Nightingale became an international blockbuster and was Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week. 

The Nightingale is currently in pre-production at Tri Star. Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke. 

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest. 

Four Stars: The Snowdonia Killings by Simon McCleave

 

Starting a new life in Snowdonia was always DI Ruth Hunter's dream. Until a twisted killer turned it into her worst nightmare.

Detective Inspector Ruth Hunter lives with the pain of her partner’s mysterious and unsolved disappearance. About to hit fifty, the veteran police officer trades in the crime-ridden streets of London for a more peaceful life in rural North Wales. But Ruth has barely settled into her new position in North Wales Police, when the body of a brutally murdered woman is discovered…with strange symbols carved into her skin. Teaming up with an obstinate deputy, Ruth struggles to eliminate anyone from a long line of suspects. When another slain victim is discovered with the same cryptic markings, she’s forced to re-think the investigation.

Has Ruth got what it takes to solve the case before the murderer attacks again?

The Snowdonia Killings by Simon McCleave is exactly the kind of crime thriller you pick up “just to sample”… and suddenly find yourself halfway through at 2 a.m., muttering “just one more chapter.”

Set against the stunning, moodily misty backdrop of Snowdonia, the book introduces us to DI Ruth Hunter, who has traded London chaos for what she hopes will be a quieter rural posting. (Spoiler: the criminals of Snowdonia did not get this memo.) When a young woman’s body is discovered, Ruth is plunged into a case that is twisty, tense, and sprinkled with just enough emotional depth to keep you rooting for her as much as you’re trying to solve the mystery.

McCleave has a knack for short, snappy chapters that compulsively pull you along—like literary potato chips. The atmosphere is wonderfully wintry and eerie, the pacing brisk, and the detective duo of Ruth and her partner Nick is charmingly mismatched in all the best ways.

Is the book reinventing the crime-thriller wheel? No. But is it a thoroughly enjoyable, immersive, and occasionally heart-pounding ride through one of the most atmospheric regions in the UK? Absolutely.

A solid four stars—perfect for fans of twisty mysteries, Welsh landscapes, and crime fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously while still delivering the suspense.

Amazon

Simon McCleave is a multi million-selling crime novelist who lives in North Wales with his wife and two children.

Before he was an author, Simon worked as a script editor at the BBC and a producer at Channel 4 before working as a story analyst in Los Angeles. He then became a script writer, writing on series such as Silent Witness, The Bill, EastEnders and many more. His Channel 4 film Out of the Game was critically acclaimed and described as ‘an unflinching portrayal of male friendship’ by Time Out.

His first book, 'The Snowdonia Killings', was released in January 2020 and soon became an Amazon Bestseller, reaching No 1 in the UK Chart and selling over 400,000 copies. His twenty subsequent novels in the DI Ruth Hunter Snowdonia Series have all been Amazon bestsellers, with most of them hitting the top of the digital charts. He has sold over 3 million books to date. 

‘The Dark Tide’, Simon’s first book in an Anglesey based crime series for publishing giant Harper Collins (Avon), was a major hit in 2022, becoming the highest selling Waterstone’s Welsh Book of the Month ever. 

This year, Simon is releasing the first in a new series of books, ‘Marshal of Snowdonia’ with several more planned for 2025. 

Simon has also written a one-off psychological thriller, Last Night at Villa Lucia, for Storm Publishing, which was a major hit, The Times describing it as ‘…well above the usual seasonal villa thriller…’ with its ‘…empathetic portrayal of lives spent in the shadow of coercion and abuse.’ 

The Snowdonia based DI Ruth Hunter books are now set to be filmed as a major new television series, with shooting to begin in North Wales in 2025.