My four star review of Secrets In Blood by Jack Cartwrigh

 

If you can't live with the truth, bury it...

Following a devastating encounter with a serial killer, Detective Inspector Freya Bloom is left mentally scarred. After a six-month sabbatical, and no desire to return to the bustling London streets, she accepts a position in rural Lincolnshire in search of a slower pace of life.

But with London behind her, and a new life in the wild fens of Lincolnshire before her, she finds only endless drama in her new team, a tortured romance in her only ally, and crimes so deadly even the steely determination that drove her to success is tested.

From the moment Freya’s expensive heels hit Lincolnshire soil, the push-pull relationship with her Sergeant begins. Noses are put out of joint, tempers are frayed, and more importantly, a body is discovered on a wild beach. There’s no time to make friends. If Freya is to make her mark in this remote county, she must work with the team she’s been given, and untangle the web of lies surrounding the death of teenager, Jessica Hudson.

Can Freya ditch her designer heels for wellington boots, and adapt to the country life? Can she shape her new team into something workable? And can she put her past behind her long enough to prevent a second murder?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Sharp, Thrilling, Blood-Pumping Page-Turner

Secrets In Blood by Jack Cartwright is the kind of thriller that makes you raise an eyebrow on page one and mutter “oh, this is going to be fun.” And it absolutely is.

Cartwright wastes no time dropping you into a world of hidden motives, buried truths, and characters who seem to collect secrets the way other people collect fridge magnets. Every chapter adds another layer of intrigue—sometimes helpful, sometimes delightfully confusing, always compelling.

The pacing is snappy, like the story is daring you to blink and miss something. And the twists? They appear exactly when you think you’ve figured it all out, strutting onto the page with a smug little grin.

The characters are a great mix of flawed, fierce, and “I can’t decide if I trust you but I’m enjoying this too much to stop.” It’s the kind of cast you want to follow even when they’re making questionable life decisions (which they do with gusto).

Why four stars? Because while it’s a blast to read, it barrels forward so fast at times you might wish for a tiny breather. A snack break. A moment to whisper “wait, WHAT just happened?”

A solid four stars: gripping, twisty, and devilishly entertaining. Perfect for readers who love thrillers that spill secrets, spill adrenaline, and keep you glued to the page from start to finish.

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Jack Cartwright is a USA Today bestselling author, based in Lincolnshire, UK.

Born in Essex, Jack lived and worked in Dubai for much of his adult life, as an IT professional, and as an international photographer.

Under various pen names, Jack has written and published more than fifty novels, won awards, and achieved the USA Today bestseller status in early 2021. ​

The Wild Fens Murder Mysteries, The DCI Cook Mysteries, and The Deadly Wolds Mysteries have all been written for TV adaptation, featuring gritty, rural locations, unforgettable characters, and powerful storylines with twists aplenty. 

After a life of travel and adventure, he has put down his roots with his wife, daughters, and dog in one of Lincolnshire's many beautiful villages. He plans to stay for good. 

My five star review of Strangers in Time by David Baldacci

 

In 1944, during one of the fiercest conflicts the world has ever known, three strangers’ lives collide . . .

* * *

EVERY SECOND COUNTS

An orphan with no prospects, Charlie Matters’ life has always been a fight for survival. He emerged miraculously unscathed from the Blitz, but there’s no telling when the next bomb will fall, or whether it will be the one to end his life.

Molly Wakefield’s dreams of a joyful homecoming are all she’s had to hold on to after being evacuated to the countryside five years ago. But when she finally returns, Molly faces a London changed beyond recognition, and the devastating news that neither of her parents are there.

Charlie’s and Molly’s paths converge at The Book Keep, where they find an unexpected ally and protector in the bookshop’s owner, widower Ignatius Oliver. But the trio’s newfound peace is jeopardized as past secrets catch up with them. Can they help one another survive this turbulent time? Or will they be ripped apart from the last remaining people they hold dear?

Journey back to wartime London with Strangers in Time, a gripping wartime drama from David Baldacci, the internationally bestselling author of The 6:20 Man and A Calamity of Souls.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Time-Twisting, Big-Hearted Adventure You’ll Zoom Through

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci is an absolute joyride—emotional, exciting, and packed with the kind of charm that keeps you grinning even when the stakes are high.

Baldacci throws you straight into a world where past and present collide, and the result is wildly fun. The characters are instantly engaging: clever, curious, and the kind of people you want to follow anywhere (even through time). The relationships that form are sweet, believable, and filled with the sort of chemistry that makes every scene sparkle.

The plot moves fast—like, “oops, I just read 100 pages” fast. There are mysteries to unravel, dangers to dodge, and twists that pop up right when you think you’ve figured things out. And through it all, Baldacci keeps the tone warm and uplifting, balancing adventure with just the right amount of heart.

What really makes this a five-star treat is the blend of fun and feeling. It’s imaginative without being confusing, emotional without being heavy, and consistently entertaining from start to finish.

Five stars: bright, inventive, heartfelt, and completely bingeable. A perfect pick for readers who love fast-paced adventures with big emotions and even bigger fun.

Amazon

David Baldacci has been writing since childhood, when his mother gave him a lined notebook in which to write down his stories. (Much later, when David thanked her for being the spark that ignited his writing career, she revealed that she'd given him the notebook to keep him quiet, "because every mom needs a break now and then.") 

David published his first novel, ABSOLUTE POWER, in 1996. The feature film adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 50 novels for adults; all have been national and international bestsellers and several have been adapted for film and television. His novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. David has also published seven novels for younger readers. 

David is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy programs across the United States. 

My four star review of A Long Time Dead by J.M. Dalgliesh

 

You can’t stay dead forever…

A group of high school students gather on the Isle of Skye’s remote Coral Beach for a hedonistic night of partying to celebrate the passing of their final exams. The new millennium is on the horizon and the future beckons, promising new hope and a fresh wind of optimism. In the coming days, many will leave the island for work or to study on the mainland, whereas others will remain on Skye and forge a more traditional path much as their families have done for centuries before them.

That is… all but one…

D.I. Duncan McAdam is dispatched home to the Misty Isle. A body has been found buried in a remote location on the Waternish peninsula. Well preserved in the peat, Isla Matheson – missing for the better part of two decades – is revealed to a shocked island community. A teenage runaway is dead… and no one is talking…

Joining a small team of detectives, Duncan is tasked with revisiting those who knew Isla, those who cared for her… and those with the potential to kill her… In a remote community well used to settling scores among themselves, will they trust one of their own when he asks questions or will they persevere with the façade of ignorance?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Gritty, Gripping Mystery With Plenty of “Just One More Chapter” Energy

A Long Time Dead by J.M. Dalgliesh is the kind of crime thriller that grabs you gently by the collar, whispers “things are about to get messy,” and then leads you through a perfectly twisty maze of secrets and small-town shadows.

We follow DI David Dark, who is as steady and intriguing as his name suggests. He’s clever, he’s determined, and he has that classic detective vibe—haunted enough to be interesting, but not so broody you want to shake him. The Norfolk setting adds a deliciously eerie atmosphere, all wide skies and whispers in the marsh grass, making every clue feel a little more ominous.

Dalgliesh writes short, sharp chapters that practically dare you to stop reading. (Spoiler: you won’t.) The mystery is layered, the suspects are shady in all the right ways, and the pacing has just the right rhythm to keep you turning pages long past bedtime.

Why four stars? Sometimes the story zooms ahead so quickly you might wish for a touch more depth in a few moments—but honestly, that’s part of its charm. It’s a thriller built for fun, fast reading.

A solid four stars: atmospheric, addictive, and wonderfully twisty. Perfect for crime-fiction fans who love moody landscapes, compelling detectives, and mysteries that keep you guessing all the way through.

Amazon

Jason Dalgliesh is a British crime-writer who was born on the south coast of England and grew up in Hampshire, UK.

Following on from the worldwide bestselling Dark Yorkshire and Hidden Norfolk crime series, in 2023, he introduced us to DI Duncan McAdam, a detective returning to his childhood home on Scotland’s Misty Isle, the Isle of Skye. A LONG TIME DEAD was published in October 2023 and hit the coveted #1 spot in the Amazon Kindle Store, followed soon after by THE DEAD MAN OF STORR which also placed high in the Top 10 upon release. The following books in the series have all been Amazon bestsellers. 

Jason was recently listed in the Top 10 most-read authors of the last decade on Amazon UK despite only publishing titles for six of those ten years. To date, he has recorded over four million sales across his works and has also been published by Bookouture (Hachette UK.)

The Hidden Norfolk series has seen multiple number ones and the fifth book, HEAR NO EVIL, was shortlisted for Amazon’s prestigious Kindle Storyteller Award in 2020. Jason has seen multiple books top the charts in the USA, Canada and Australia.

Jason has cemented his place as one of the most popular authors writing UK based regional crime in recent years. His work is currently in development for television by an award winning production team. The plots take in some of the UK’s most rugged and beautiful landscapes.

Penned in the style of crime thrillers with a touch of Scandinavian noir, readers who enjoy dark atmospheric mysteries will find his books a must-read.

Having spent time abroad, Jason has lived and worked in various parts of England as well as the Scottish Highlands. He currently lives in Norfolk with his wife and two young children.

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