MYSTERIES in PARADISE

Review: NEVER LIE, Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 04 May 2026 07:17:00 +0000

this edition from my local library
large print, Gale Publishing, 2024
ISBN 978-1-4205-1398-1
388 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Sometimes the truth kills…

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. They think they've found it when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace years ago. But when a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, the house begins to lose its appeal.

Stuck inside and growing restless, Tricia stumbles on a collection of audio transcripts from Dr. Hale's sessions with patients. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to the doctor's mysterious disappearance.

My Take

McFadden is fast becoming one of my favourite authors.

There are multiple narrators in this story, and at least two time frames. Just when you think you know what has happened you are delivered a ball from left field and you have to make a re-assessment.

Highly recommended.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

4.7, DEAR DEBBIE

4.6, THE HOUSEMAID

Review: OUTSIDE, Ragnar Jonasson

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sun, 03 May 2026 03:09:00 +0000

this edition published by Random House 2022
translated from Icelandic by Victoria Cribb
ISBN 978-0-241-49366-3
324 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Four friends. One night. Not everyone will come out alive . . .

In a deadly Icelandic snowstorm, four friends break into an abandoned hunting lodge, hoping to wait out the storm until morning.

But nothing can prepare them for what's inside...

With no other option, they are forced to spend a terrifying night in the cabin: watching as intently and silently as they themselves are being watched. As the night darkens, old secrets spill into the light, and tensions rise between the four friends. Soon it's clear that what they've discovered in the cabin is far from the only mystery lurking there.

Nor the only thing to be afraid of...

My Take

The story opens with the group of four friends battling through a snow storm to find shelter in an abandoned hut. They have come to this remote area in Iceland to hunt ptarmigan but the weather has closed in. They were university students together but haven't met for a number of years, so this is a sort of reunion. The snowstorm emphasises how treacherous Icelandic weather can be. The days are short and darkness closes in quickly. When they find the hut the door is padlocked and they need to break in.

Terrified by what they discover inside, they decide that two of them will go back for help.

We gradually piece together bits of the past through narratives from each of the group.

A very atmospheric thriller.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7, REYKJAVIK - with Katrin Jakobsdottir

Review: JAXON WITH AN X, D. K. Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 02 May 2026 03:44:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08CF3HB3K
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Conjuring Reality LLC, Published : ‎ 21 July 2020
Print length ‏ : ‎ 328 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1950293049

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Six-year-old Jaxon Lathan disappeared while playing in a park. Ten years later, he’s found wandering a deserted highway.

The boy’s family races to the hospital to see him, but they are shocked at the sight. The bubbly youngster has been replaced by a scarred and emaciated teen. As they begin to bridge the lost years and rebuild their bonds, they must wrestle with their own guilt and demons.

Fearing other children are at risk, the sheriff follows the clues deep into the Great Smoky Mountains. He finds half-buried secrets, a twisted family, and his own missed opportunities. When he peels back the last layer of the mystery, the revelation shakes everyone.

All Jaxon has dreamed for years is to be with his family. Has too much happened or can he find his way home?

Jaxon with an X is an emotionally charged standalone literary fiction novel. If you like rural settings, broken families learning to heal, and stories of personal endurance, you’ll love D.K. Wall’s absorbing tale.

Empathy, compassion, forgiveness and hope. There is a light at the end of the dark, twisting tunnel.

My Take

The tale of a little boy who has been missing for ten years, one of a number of abductions, a case unsolved despite extensive application of police resources, and time spent in jail by the boy's father.

A stunning read particularly as Australia has been reeling recently from the disappearance of 4 year old Gus Lamont.

My rating: 4.5

About the Author
D.K. has lived his entire life in the Carolinas and Tennessee-from the highest elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains near Maggie Valley to the industrial towns of Gastonia and Hickory, the cities of Charlotte and Nashville, and the coastal salt marsh of Murrells Inlet.Over the years, he's watched the textile and furniture industries wither and the banking and service industries explode, changing the face of the region. He uses his love of storytelling to share tales about the people and places affected. Today he's married and living in Asheville. Surrounded by his family of rescued Siberian Huskies known as The Thundering Herd, D.K. is hard at work on his next novel.

Review: DEAD FALL LAKE, S. R. White

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:13:00 +0000

this edition supplied by my local library,
published by Headline Publishing 2026
ISBN 978-1-03-542666-9
261 pages
#5 in the Dana Russo series

Synopsis (publisher)

Deep in the Australian wilderness, a famed sinkhole renowned as a stunning freediving spot attracts people from all over the world. But there’s a dark, puzzling mystery when a local sports hero – and the glamorous face of a high-adrenaline video channel – is found dead far beneath the surface.

Despite diving the sinkhole hundreds of times, his lifeless body is discovered dressed in normal clothes, handcuffed to a supply line. With no witnesses – and evidence submerged 30 metres underwater – how can Detective Dana Russo unravel such a shocking case?

My Take

The historical setting is Covid in 2020 in remote Australia (perhaps Western Victoria). The detectives have had to come from Carlton and the pandemic means that there are all sorts of restrictions related to social contact and mask wearing is mandatory. While I have read a number of novels written during the pandemic, not so many are set in the period. (Here are some I've read)

In addition the two female detectives are both "damaged" in some way and bring their own limitations to the investigation. The sinkhole has been used in the past in colonial Australia as a place of execution and makes the death of a free diver even more macabre or ironic. The sinkhole has vertical sides and very clear filtered water.

I found the investigation quite technical and slow reading at times. I hadn't really managed to pick the murderer - perhaps not enough clues for me?

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.6, HERMIT - #1

Review: HOUSE OF CORRECTION, Nicci French

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 07:25:00 +0000

**SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD**
This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B089T6R8VW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 1 September 2020
Print length ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1471198571

Synopsis (Amazon)

In this heart-pounding standalone thriller from bestselling author Nicci French, a woman accused of murder attempts to solve her own case from the confines of prison--but as she unravels the truth, everything is called into question, including her own certainty that she is innocent.

Tabitha is not a murderer.

When a body is discovered in Okeham, England, Tabitha is shocked to find herself being placed in handcuffs. It must be a mistake. She'd only recently moved back to her childhood hometown, not even getting a chance to reacquaint herself with the neighbors. How could she possibly be a murder suspect?

She knows she's not.

As Tabitha is shepherded through the system, her entire life is picked apart and scrutinized --her history of depression and medications, her decision to move back to a town she supposedly hated . . . and of course, her past relationship with the victim, her former teacher. But most unsettling, Tabitha's own memories of that day are a complete blur.

She thinks she's not.

From the isolation of the correctional facility, Tabitha dissects every piece of evidence, every testimony she can get her hands on, matching them against her own recollections. But as dark, long-buried memories from her childhood come to light, Tabatha begins to question if she knows what kind of person she is after all. The world is convinced she's a killer. Tabatha needs to prove them all wrong.

But what if she's only lying to herself?

My Take

After her lawyer advises her to plead guilty, Tabitha, who can't really remember what happened on the day of the murder, decides she will take on her own defence. She is thorough in her preparation but there is so much working against her, she is really unsure that she will be successful. A fascinating read.

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

4.3, BLUE MONDAY

4.5, TUESDAY'S GONE

4.7, WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY

4.7, FRIDAY ON MY MIND

5..0, HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?

5.0. THE LAST DAYS OF KIRA MULLAN

5.0, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT

Review: THE HAWK IS DEAD, Peter James

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:31:00 +0000

this edition published by Pan Macmillan 2025
ISBN 978-1-5290-9007-9
470 pages
Roy Grace #22

Synopsis (publisher)

Roy Grace never dreamed a murder investigation would take him deep into Buckingham Palace . . .

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is aboard the Royal Train heading to a charity event in Sussex when disaster strikes – the train is derailed.

A tragic accident or a planned attack?

When, minutes later, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper, the police have their answer.

Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced The Queen was the intended target. But he finds himself alone in his suspicions.

Fighting against the scepticism of his colleagues and the Palace itself, Grace pursues his own investigation. But when there is a second murder, the stakes rise even higher, and Grace is at risk of being embroiled in a very public catastrophe – and in mortal danger.

Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again . . .

Roy Grace is back with his most difficult case yet in the gripping new instalment from number one bestselling author Peter James.

My Take

I am of course familiar with the Roy Grace series, possible more from television than from the books, as I have discovered in checking what I have actually read (see my list below). I recognise now that it something I should remedy.

This was an excellent read, well constructed, with a credible plot, and also elements of humour such as the naming of the king as HMTK, and little puzzles to engage the reader.

I should point out that there is a plot similarity with a book that I read some weeks ago where the late Queen was the sleuth: 4.4, A THREE DOG PROBLEM - written in 2021. I won't discuss the elements of similarity - you will recognise them when you come across them.

My rating: 5.0

I've also read

Review: RURAL DREAMS, Margaret Hickey

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 06:05:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
Published: 7 January 2025
ISBN: 9781761351105
Imprint: Penguin eBooks
Pages: 240

Synopsis (publisher)

From award-winning crime writer Margaret Hickey comes a collection of captivating short stories celebrating the Australian countryside.

Margaret Hickey’s Rural Dreams takes a look at life outside the big smoke, featuring the kind of characters you might expect in the country – as well as some you might not.

A football coach ponders obsession . . . a mouse plague dictates school yard politics . . . a failed playwright asks ‘who gets the farm?’ . . . and a young woman returns to her fire-ravaged town.

People we know. People we grew up with. Some of them might even be us . . .

Funny, heartbreaking and true, Rural Dreams highlights the richness of life on the land and showcases the beauty of lives lived outside city walls.

My Take

This book consists of 18 short stories, of varying lengths, many with shared themes, nearly all connected in some way to Australian life, many related to how the country has a pull for those born there.

Short stories often tell you a little more about what an author thinks about.
These told me that, perhaps unexpectedly, Margaret Hickey and I have had some similar experiences: growing up in a country town where you had to go to the city for further education; the pull of the local team on a Saturday morning, in my case tennis at the end of a long train journey; the travel overseas where enough is enough and all you want to do is be "home".

The ones that struck me the most were

Saturday Morning
Fowler's Bay
The Precipice
Mind Your Language
The Wanderer

The one where we see the crime fiction writer emerge is The Precipice. That has stuck with me.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.7, CUTTER'S END - Mark Ariti #1

4.6, STONE TOWN - Mark Ariti #2

4.5, BROKEN BAY - Mark Ariti #3

4.8, CREEPER

4.6, AN ILL WIND

Review: WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT, Nicci French

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 03:29:00 +0000

This edition published by Simon & Schuster 2026
ISBN 978-1-3985-2419-4
434 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

After nearly thirty years in prison for the murder of his university friend Leo Bauer, Tyler Green is finally free. Meeting up with the group of friends who were there the night that Leo died, Tyler is looking to reconnect – but he’s also looking for answers. When another friend is found dead that night, his new found freedom is put in jeopardy. Detective Maud O’Connor is called to investigate – but can she discover the truth, or is Tyler Green never going to be free?

My Take

Tyler Green, young university student, convicted of murdering one of his friends, spends nearly 30 years in gaol as a result. He knows he didn't commit the murder which means that one of the others did. Now, nearly 30 years later, he has been freed under licence and he is determined to find out who did.

He arranges to meet everyone at dinner and to confront them all at once. At the very least he wants them to understand what losing 30 years of his life has been like. And then he wants to wash his hands of them. But things don't go well and before the night is out another is killed in the same way, each of his friends has been confronted by some home-truths, and Tyler is back in prison.

Detective Maude O'Connor is under a lot of pressure to solve this murder quickly and it takes all of her intuition to get it done. The story moves at a cracking pace.

Highly recommended.

My rating: 5.0

I've also read

4.3, BLUE MONDAY

4.5, TUESDAY'S GONE

4.7, WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY

4.7, FRIDAY ON MY MIND

5..0, HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?

5.0. THE LAST DAYS OF KIRA MULLAN

Review: WOLF HOUR, Jo Nesbo

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:53:00 +0000

This edition published by Harvill Secker 2025
ISBN 9781787303775
Translated from the Norwegian by Robert Ferguson
417 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2016. When a small-time criminal and gun dealer is shot down in the street, all signs point to Tomas Gomez, a quiet man with a mysterious past—and deep connections to a notorious gang—who has seemingly vanished into thin air. Other murders soon follow, and it appears Gomez is only getting started. Meanwhile, Bob Oz, a down-and-out suspended police officer with a dubious past of his own, becomes fascinated by the case: he is obsessed with the notion of hunting down a serial killer who only he can understand, a killer with a story as tragic as his own.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2022. An enigmatic Norwegian man with ties to Minneapolis—a self-described crime writer—has traveled to the United States to research the Gomez case, in the hopes of writing a book about it. But as his investigation progresses, the writer’s seemingly neutral position reveals itself to be more complicated than the reader is initially led to believe.

Wolf Hour is a twisty and unforgettable thriller in classic Jo Nesbø style, which bears out Vanity Fair’s observation that “Nesbø explores the darkest criminal minds with grim delight and puts his killers where you least expect to find them. . . . His novels are maddeningly addictive.”

My Take

As always, Jo Nesbo provides an intriguing challenge for the reader with a time frame spread over at least six years, at least two "voices", and multiple plot threads. Clues to each of these are plentiful but you have to keep your wits about you. By about mid-way I suspected I had solved the "puzzle" but that was not confirmed until nearly the end, and I wasn't totally right. This is a book that you will want to keep reading.

My rating: 4.8

I've also read

Review: THE GIRLS IN THE GLEN, Lynne McEwan

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:51:00 +0000

This book read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
ISBN: 9798217263943
Published May 18, 2023 by Canelo
Pages 352
#3 in the DI Shona Oliver series

Synopsis (publisher)

If the dead could speak, what secrets would they tell?

With her daughter on an archaeological dig, the only bodies DI Shona Oliver expects to find are long-dead. But when a corpse from the 1980s is unearthed, Shona quickly realises that it may be one of the missing “Girls in the Glen”, victim of a notorious serial killer.

Shona’s superiors want her to stop looking to the past, and focus on a fresher crime scene. The attempted shooting of a local politician who likes to stoke controversy.

As Shona finds herself pulled between crimes past and present, she soon realises that the secrets buried on Beild Moss are reaching into the present day.

But when even her own officers are keeping things from her, who can she trust? Especially when more lives may be at stake

My Take

This story brings together a number of themes: the Border reivers and the Debatable Lands between England and Scotland; the resentment of locals to those they consider "outsiders"; archaeology, as well as unsolved cold-case crimes. In addition there are the personal matters involving Shona's husband Rob under investigation for financial mismanagement, her relationship with her daughter Becca, a rather prickly teenager, as well as local political issues.

All makes for an engrossing many faceted tale.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7, IN DARK WATER - #1

4.6. DEAD MAN DEEP - #2

Review: BIDDING FOR REVENGE, Victoria Tait

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 06:16:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09VQWZJGW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 19 August 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915413031
Book 3 of 12 ‏ : ‎ A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Synopsis (Amazon)

Stolen antiques. An unexplained death. Can an amateur sleuth tell a fake from the real deal before a deadly scam claims another victim?

Trainee antiques expert Dotty Sayers is thrilled but apprehensive when she’s trusted to source period furniture for a local celebrity. Buoyed by the opportunity, she agrees to join her company’s triathlon team during the quiet summer months in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds. But the race turns deadly when a fellow competitor collapses and dies.

With only a young sergeant willing to question whether the athletic woman’s death was accidental, Dotty turns her attention to rumours of counterfeit furniture and a high-stakes antiques scam. She alerts the police to a suspicious phone call, only to be horrified when her tip places an innocent life in danger.

Can Dotty see through the sham and appraise the evidence to ensure justice is served?

Bidding for Revenge is a British cozy mystery featuring a trainee antiques expert turned reluctant sleuth, a charity triathlon that ends in tragedy, and a counterfeit furniture scam in the heart of the Cotswolds. It blends small‑village charm, gentle humour, and intriguing fraud as the novice investigator juggles workplace loyalties, police scepticism, and determined bidders while following clues others overlook. Ideal for readers who enjoy amateur sleuths, community‑centred mysteries, and puzzles tied to art, antiques and village life.

My Take

This series is developing nicely. Dotty, whom I thought was a bit weak as a sleuth in the first book in the series has become more assertive, observant, and outspoken. There are a number of sub-plots as well as characters who re-appear. It is almost as if a whole landscape is gradually being revealed.

The antiques theme is being well developed.

You really do need to read the series from the beginning.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.3, FAKE DEATH - #1

4.4, VALUED FOR MURDER - #2

Review: THE SITTAFORD MYSTERY, Agatha Christie

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:32:00 +0000

This edition read on my tablet as a free downloadable pdf
Originally published 1931
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0046REG94
this edition Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins (October 14, 2010)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
AKA THE MURDER AT HAZELMOOR (title for USA publication)
My original review (2009) and then another in 2022

Synopsis

A seance in a snowbound Dartmoor house predicts a grisly murder…

In a remote house in the middle of Dartmoor, six shadowy figures huddle around a small table for a seance. Tension rises as the spirits spell out a chilling message: ‘Captain Trevelyan… dead… murder.’

Is this black magic or simply a macabre joke? The only way to be certain is to locate Captain Trevelyan. Unfortunately, his home is six miles away and, with snow drifts blocking the roads, someone will have to make the journey on foot…

My Take

I am re-reading this novel with my U3A Agatha Christie Reading Group and look forward to discussing it with them. I think it works quite well as a stand-alone mystery that has some romantic elements thrown in.

So here are some of the elements in the novel we will discuss

The role of the seance as the harbinger of death. How did that work? Who was it that told the gathering that the message was for Major Burnaby?
What are the relationships between the various characters? (How did they keep track of the characters? There are a lot of them)
Why have Miss Willett and Mrs Willett really taken Captain Trevelyan's house?
What is the role of Emily Trefusis in solving the murder?
How effective is Inspector Narracott and what is the role of Mr Duke?
Who are the most memorable characters? What makes them so?
Which are the most effective red herrings?
This novel is a stand-alone, although I think at this stage Agatha Christie was still looking for a suitable sleuth. Will Inspector Narracott appear in future novels do you think?
What does the isolation of Sittaford House make you think of? What about the escaped convict scenario?
How credible is the secondary plot (the Willett scenario)
What did you think of Charles Enderby? How good is he as a journalist?
Why did the murderer commit the murder? Is the reason given plausible?
Why did ITV decide to turn it into a Marple rather than leave it as a stand-alone. How does changing the plot for television make it more attractive?

We usually watch a television version of it after our discussion but of course the ITV version is a Miss Marple, with a very much altered plot. I have put that at the bottom of this page in case you don't want to know the details. I am not sure whether the group will want to watch this as it is so dissimilar to the original.

One of the things we are finding as a reading group is how difficult it is to borrow an Agatha Christie novel (a printed book rather than an e-copy).

My rating: 4.5

All my Agatha Christie Reviews.

The Television version

The Sittaford Mystery is the fourth episode of the second series of Agatha Christie's Marple. It was broadcast on ITV by Granada Television on 30 April 2006. The screenplay was written by Stephen Churchett and the episode was directed by Paul Unwin. It was an adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel of the same name although originally Miss Marple was not involved.

Synopsis

When Clive Trevelyan - Member of Parliament, war hero and heir apparent to Prime Minister Winston Churchill - is killed, Miss Marple sets about to solve the case. Trevelyan has made his fortune many years before in Egypt having secretly uncovered a lost tomb. He is killed during a major snowstorm when there are no police available. There are several possible suspects including Trevelyan's ward, James Pearson and his fiancée Emily Trefusis; his political agent, John Enderby; a journalist Charles Burnaby; a visiting American Martin Zimmerman; and several other apparently disinterested parties. A convict has also escaped from Dartmoor prison. Miss Marple concludes that Trevelyan's murder is related to his days in Egypt and sets about to identify the murderer.

Comparison with the original story

The Sittaford Mystery was not originally a Miss Marple book. Some plot elements from the original are retained but spun together differently to result in a totally new story. Most of the characters are new and even the few who have some part of the original names now have totally different backstories.

The identity of the killer is not the same as in the novel.
Several characters have different names than in the novel.
Several characters are omitted or changed.

Review: VALUED FOR MURDER, Victoria Tait

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 01:12:00 +0000

Read as an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TRXWWNG
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 10 June 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 194 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915413000
Book 2 of 12 ‏ : ‎ A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Synopsis (Amazon)

An antique TV show. A dead celebrity expert. Can a shy amateur sleuth step into the lime-light and expose a murderer?

Dotty Sayers is enjoying her job in a Cotswold auction house. When she’s offered a place on an antique TV show, she nervously agrees to a makeover and is surprised by the admiring glances she receives. But working at a historic country hotel, she realises the production is in jeopardy when, at the bottom of the circular staircase, one of the experts is found dead.

Dotty can’t help wondering if the death was accidental or if someone else was involved. She promises to stay in the background and leave the investigation to the police, but this amateur detective can’t help uncovering clues. When she returns from viewing a priceless sculpture, and finds her British blue cat missing, she knows she’ll struggle to keep the show on the road.

Can Dotty emerge from behind the scenes and identify the killer?

Valued for Murder is a British cozy mystery featuring a shy but determined amateur sleuth, a behind‑the‑scenes antique TV show, a suspicious “accidental” death in a country‑house hotel, and a missing beloved cat. It blends small‑village charm, light humour, and a slow‑burn personal journey as Dotty steps out of the shadows, navigates prickly TV personalities and nosy locals, and pieces together clues the professionals overlook. Perfect for readers who enjoy closed-circle whodunits, gentle peril rather than gore, and character‑driven mysteries set against quintessentially English, Cotswold scenery.

My Take

As you can see, I have persisted with this series and I have found this outing marginally better that the previous one FAKE DEATH. Dotty is showing potential and is a stronger character. The plot has a couple of nice elements.

So I will be reading more.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

4.3, FAKE DEATH - #1

Review: FAKE DEATH, Victoria Tait

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:49:00 +0000

This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TLDS3G1
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kanga Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 8 April 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 198 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838436100
Book 1 of 12 ‏ : ‎ A Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery

Synopsis (Amazon)

One dead body. Multiple identities. Can an amateur sleuth see through the charade before she becomes the next victim?

Young widow Dotty Sayers is delighted with her new auction house job in Britain’s picturesque Cotswolds, until she discovers she’s about to lose her home and her chance at a fresh start. Disguising her disappointment, she reluctantly takes part in an autumn parade, but the day’s pageantry is tarnished when an unknown man is found dead.

The police ask Dotty to appraise items from the victim’s home, but rather than learning his name, she uncovers a trail of false identities. When one of them leads to a client, her search for the truth takes a fatal turn.

Can Dotty unmask the killer before she becomes the next victim?

Fake Death is the first book in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series, a British cozy set in the Cotswolds among an auction house and close-knit village community. Featuring a young military widow turned amateur sleuth who is still finding her feet and building a found family, it delivers a clue driven mystery with multiple identities and no graphic content, perfect for readers who enjoy traditional whodunnits, antiques, and small town secrets with a modern, character focused touch.

My Take

This novel has all the hallmarks of the beginning of the series - a lot of characters, heaps of information to absorb. For me, the name of the main character took a bit of getting over (see my note elsewhere about coat-tails) and I also found her a bit "soft" as a character. Straightening out who is who and who does what in the antiques firm that Dotty has joined was a challenge. So in reality it is a series that you really need to read from the beginning, one where accumulated knowledge will be an advantage.

The setting seems rather loosely based on those television shows we all watch like Antiques Road Show and Bargain Hunt. The extra element of a crime or two happening in this setting has potential but to be honest Dotty is going to have to get stronger to be a satisfactory sleuth.

In addition a number of the other characters seem to have extensive background stories attached to them, only partially revealed, and at times I had the feeling of having come in in mid-conversation.

My rating: 4.3

About the author - website

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, England, where she developed a lifelong love of tea and British traditions. Inspired by the works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Murder, She Wrote, she writes cozy mysteries infused with her signature British charm.

Her determined and hard-working female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and her settings are vivid and evocative. With intrigue, surprises, and gentle humour, Victoria’s page-turning stories are the perfect blend of mystery and charm—best enjoyed with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

Review: THE HOUSEMAID, Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:14:00 +0000

this edition from my local library
paperback edition published 2023 by Bookouture
ISBN 987-1-4087-2851-2
328 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

My Take

Another excellent twisty tale. You just get used to the direction this book is taking, and think you have it all figured out, and it goes around another corner. And I don't think anything prepares you for the way it ends.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

4.7, DEAR DEBBIE

Review: REYKJAVIK, Ragnar Jonasson & Katrin Jakobsdottir

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 02:58:00 +0000

this edition a paperback published by Penguin Random House UK 2023
first published in Icelandic 2022
translated into English by Victoria Cribb
made available by my local library
ISBN 978-0-241-62600-9
371 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

An ice-cold mystery haunts Reykjavík in 1986, in this heart-stopping new crime novel co-written by the Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdottir

What happened to Lara?

Iceland, 1956. Fourteen-year-old Lara spends the summer on the small island of Videy, just off the coast of Reykjavík.

In early August, the girl disappears without a trace.

The mystery becomes Iceland's greatest unsolved case. What happened to the young girl? Is she still alive? Did she leave the island, or did something happen to her there?

Thirty years later, journalist Valur Robertsson begins his own investigation into Lara's case. But as he draws closer to discovering the secret, it's soon clear that this is a mystery someone will stop at nothing to keep unsolved...

My Take

The book is dedicated to Agatha Christie, and certainly there are some Christie-like effects to the plot. The story takes place over 30 years, from the mysterious disappearance of 14 year old Lara to the climax of the story in 1986, the year of the celebration of Iceland's 200th Anniversary.

I thought the Icelandic climate played a less-than-usual role in the story. There were plenty of red herrings and the eventual revelation of the murderer came as a real surprise in true Christie fashion.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read (by Ragnar Jonasson)

Review: THE WOMAN IN SUITE 11, Ruth Ware

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 06:12:00 +0000

This edition an e-book read on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DJMGTT6R
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster UK, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 17 July 2025
Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1398526754
Book 2 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Lo Blacklock

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Paradise comes at a price . . .

The stunning mountain views. The beautiful shore of Lake Geneva. The terrified woman held in the suite belonging to the hotel’s millionaire owner.

Lo Blacklock’s all-expenses paid trip to a luxury Swiss chateau should have been the ideal return to work. But as her past catches up with her, the millionaire’s mistress demanding that Lo help her escape, and a body turning up in the room next door, forces Lo to ask how far would she go to help someone she’s not even sure she can trust…

My Take

This story is the sequel to 4.4, THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 which was published nearly 10 years ago. In fact 10 years has elapsed in "real time" since the events that took place in that story.

The offer of an all-expenses-paid jaunt to Switzerland has come at just the right time for Laura Blacklock who is more than ready to re-start her career as a travel journalist. In the last ten years she has married, written a book about what happened on the Aurora ten years ago, had two children, and become an American citizen living in New York.

Laura is astounded to find that 3 other people from the Aurora incident have also been invited to the conference in Geneva, which is the launch of a new style of tourism by a very wealthy family firm. And then she discovers that the person behind the invitation is none other than Carrie from the Aurora ten years before. Laura discovers that Carrie has plans of her own.

There is an interesting section in the author's notes at the end of the book about writing a sequel to the earlier book.

It is nearly 10 years since I have read THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10, and my memories of what happened were a bit fragmentary, always a bit of a problem in reading a sequel.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.8, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD

4.4, THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10

4.8, THE DEATH OF MRS WESTAWAY

5.0, THE TURN OF THE KEY

4.6, THE IT GIRL

4.8, ZERO DAYS

4.8, ONE BY ONE

4.7, ONE PERFECT COUPLE

Review: DEAR DEBBIE, Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:02:00 +0000

This edition a paperback supplied by my local library
Published 2026 by Sourcebooks, Poisoned Pen Press
isbn-13: 978-1-4642-6649-2
327 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Sometimes, enough is enough…

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction.

Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person. She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

My Take

I am really hooked on this author. All the stories by her that I have read have been instantly engaging, and all have had a twist in the tail, usually in a direction you are not expecting. In this one, the principal character, Debbie, gets away with murder, but you do have to ask yourself if her victims didn't deserve what happened.

My Rating: 4.7

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB

4.5, WANT TO KNOW A SECRET?

Review: HOME BEFORE DARK, Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:19:00 +0000

This edition a hardback from my local library
First published in Iceland by Verold Publishing 2023
First published in UK by Orenda Books in 2025
English translation by Victoria Cribb
ISBN 978-1-916788-60-2
305 pages

Synopsis (publisher)

Struggling to separate her dreams from reality, a young woman investigates the disappearance of her sister ten years earlier … worried that she might be next. A breathtaking, twisty standalone thriller from the international bestselling author of the Forbidden Iceland series…

November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsí has a secret penpal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time.

But when the date arrives, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsí and her penpal had agreed to meet.

November, 1977. Stína’s disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsí. It’s from her penpal, and he’s still out there…

Desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified that he might coming after her next, Marsí returns to her hometown and embarks on an investigation of her own.

But Marsí has always had trouble distinguishing her vivid dreams from reality, and as insomnia threatens her sanity, it seems she can’t even trust her own memories.

And her sister’s killer is still on the loose…

My Take

Other reviewers have called this book a "twisty thriller" which it certainly is. It has a characteristically complex Icelandic plot. Two time frames set against family trauma and the unsolved disappearance ten years before of Marsi's older sister. Marsi's mother struggles to cope with mental problems resulting from what happened to her during World War II. Unsettled family life has led to Stina, the older sister, a talented artist, resolving to leave home as soon as she can and when she disappears, no-one is sure that she hasn't gone voluntarily.

The plot is complex with a cast of players. And in the end, a surprising resolution.

My rating: 4.8

About the author: Eva Björg Ægisdóttir

Born in Akranes in 1988, Eva moved to Trondheim, Norway to study my MSc in Globalisation when she was 25. After moving back home having completed her MSc, she knew it was time to start working on her novel. Eva has wanted to write books since she was 15 years old, having won a short story contest in Iceland. Eva worked as a stewardess to make ends meet while she wrote her first novel, The Creak on the Stairs. The book went on to win the CWA Debut Dagger, the Blackbird Award, was shortlisted (twice) for the Capital Crime Readers’ Awards, and became a number one bestseller in Iceland. The critically acclaimed Girls Who Lie (book two in the Forbidden Icelandseries) soon followed, with Night Shadows (book three) following suit. You Can’t See Me (book four) is out in 2023. Eva lives with her husband and three children in Reykjavík.

Review: A THREE DOG PROBLEM, S.J. Bennett

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:25:00 +0000

This title read as an e-book on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08L3P7CZP
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zaffre, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 11 November 2021
Print length ‏ : ‎ 356 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838774851
Book 2 of 5 ‏ : ‎ Her Majesty the Queen Investigates

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Queen Elizabeth II is having a royal nightmare.

A referendum divides the nation, a tumultuous election grips the United States - and the body of a staff member is found dead beside Buckingham Palace swimming pool.

Is it a tragic accident, as the police think? Or is something more sinister going on?

As Her Majesty looks for answers, her trusted assistant, Rozie, is on the trail of a treasured painting that once hung outside the Queen's bedroom.

But when Rozie receives a threatening anonymous letter, Elizabeth knows dark forces are at work - and far too close to home. After all, though the staff and public may not realise it, she is the keenest sleuth among them. Sometimes, it takes a Queen's eye to see connections where no one else can . . .

My Take

I enjoyed this book far more than I had expected to. So much so that I will very likely read another in the future. The author tells us at the end that the character that she has drawn for Queen Elizabeth II is largely fictitious but I think she has done well, making her very likeable, energetic, clever, and hardworking even at 90. Ditto for Prince Phillip.

Rating: 4.4

About the Author

SJ Bennett is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Queen Elizabeth II.

The books in the series so far are: 1 The Windsor Knot, 2 A Three Dog Problem (published as All The Queen's Men in North America), 3 Murder Most Royal, 4 A Death in Diamonds, 5 The Queen Who Came in From the Cold, 6 Death on the Royal Yacht (published 2026)

She has written over a dozen novels for both adults and children, and her award-winning books have been translated into over 20 languages. She lives in London.

Sophia's podcast for aspiring writers - Prepublished - is available via her website. It features interviews with Sophie Hannah, Justine Picardie, Jenny Colgan, Sara Collins and many more.

You can find her at her website: sjbennettbooks

Review: WIN, Harlan Coben

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:33:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on Libby from my local library
Published: 3 August 2021
ISBN: 9781787462991
Imprint: Arrow
Pages: 448

Synopsis (publisher)

Over twenty years ago, heiress Patricia Lockwood was abducted during a robbery of her family's estate, then locked inside an isolated cabin for months. Patricia escaped, but so did her captors, and the items stolen from her family were never recovered.

Until now.

On New York's Upper West Side, a recluse is found murdered in his penthouse apartment, alongside two objects of note: a stolen Vermeer painting and a leather suitcase bearing the initials WHL3. For the first time in years, the authorities have a lead not only on Patricia's kidnapping but also on another FBI cold case - with the suitcase and painting both pointing them towards one man.

Windsor Horne Lockwood III - or Win as his few friends call him - doesn't know how his suitcase and his family's stolen painting ended up in this dead man's apartment. But he's interested - especially when the FBI tell him that the man who kidnapped his cousin was also behind an act of domestic terrorism, and that he may still be at large.

The two cases have baffled the FBI for decades. But Win has three things the FBI does not:: a personal connection to the case, a large fortune, and his own unique brand of justice ...

My Take

Win is a man who has grown up in a world of privelege, and spends his time solving mysteries, usually for others bu this time mysteries are connected to him. How is it that a case and a painting he owns have turned up in the apartment of a murdered man?

The connections are not ones he expected to discover.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.4, CAUGHT

4.3, DON'T LET GO

4.3, NO SECOND CHANCE

Review: DEAD END, Leigh Russell

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 21 Mar 2026 03:51:00 +0000

This edition read as an e-book on my Kindle (AmazonAU)
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00796E1W6
Publisher ‏ : ‎ No Exit Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 26 May 2011
Print length ‏ : ‎ 463 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781842433560
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1842434369
Book 3 of 24 ‏ : ‎ DI Geraldine Steel

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Headmistress Abigail Kirby is found dead with her tongue cut out.

A potential witness has been murdered.

And for DI Geraldine Steel, the stakes have been raised higher. Abigail's teenage daughter, Lucy, is missing, believed to have run away with a girl she met online.

With a serial killer on the loose and a shocking discovery, Geraldine's own life is in danger, could it be too late to save her?

My Take

Another good read. Headmistress Abigail Kirby was a good administrator, not particularly popular with students, and her daughter Lucy is bullied mercilessly, but who would hate Abigail enough to cut her tongue out.

I had "discovered" the killer by about half way through, but that didn't put me off finishing the book.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

Review: WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? Freida McFadden

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 05:06:00 +0000

This edition from my local library
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Poisoned Pen Press, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 3 March 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1464268525
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1464268526

Synopsis (AmazonAU)

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others.

Influencer and baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she'd rather you didn't know.

Like... Where did her son go when he snuck out late at night? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows?

And what's buried in her backyard?

April's secrets are enough to destroy her.

I'll make sure of that.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden peels back the layers of a seemingly flawless life to expose a picture of obsession, deception, and the quiet menace that waits just beyond the frame.

My Take

There are several twists in this plot as well as some narration that leaves you wondering who is reliable and who isn't. Quite a creepy story.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

4.5, THE TENANT

4.5, DO NOT DISTURB

Review: DEAD MAN DEEP, Lynne McEwan

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 04:29:00 +0000

this edition read as an e-book on Libby through my local library
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Canelo Crime, Publication date ‏ : ‎ 4 August 2022
Print length ‏ : ‎ 299 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1800324336
Book 2 of 6: Detective Shona Oliver

Synopsis (Publisher)

Nothing stays buried forever

Lifeboat volunteer DI Shona Oliver receives a Mayday call coming from Kilcatrin Island. Upon the beach is the badly burned body of a man, and a boy lies gravely injured nearby. Strewn around them are scores of Second World War incendiary bombs, presumably washed up by the tide from Beaufort's Dyke, an offshore arms dump deep in the Irish Sea.

The dead man is a local fisherman his son the other victim and it rocks the tight-knit community on the shores of the Solway Firth. As lead detective, Shona has to maintain a professional distance. But she can't ignore the hardship that her neighbours who make a living at sea are experiencing. Anger is directed at the Ministry of Defence when the fallout threatens tourism, and livelihoods including Shona's own family B&B business are at risk.

Suspicious behaviour seems to be found at every turn. It's impossible for Shona to get to the truth unless she can gain the trust of those who know more than they've been willing to reveal. But blind loyalty may mean she's too late to save those still in danger including herself.

The second instalment in an exciting new Scottish crime series featuring a detective with nerves of steel.

My Take

Plenty of things to think about in this story and a very strong central character at the centre of the story in Detective Shona Oliver. I like the mixture of Shona's work, volunteer activities, and her personal life.

I will be looking for the next.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

4.7, IN DARK WATER

Review: THE FIRST LAW OF THE BUSH, Geoff Parkes

noreply@blogger.com (Kerrie) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 01:28:00 +0000

This edition from my local library
published Penguin 2026
ISBN 978-1-76134-931-7
346 pages

Synopsis (Publisher)

Set in the 1990s in New Zealand’s King Country, The First Law of the Bush is the scintillating new rural noir from the author of When The Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole.

It’s a beautiful day to be alive, Bill Dickerson thought, seconds before he tumbled from the viaduct onto the jagged rocks below . . .

His awful death made national news. But still, one year on, Bill’s widow Carol has received no explanation about what happened. Was it suicide? An accident? Maybe murder?

So Carol hires lawyer Ryan Bradley in her fight for justice. Ryan has just returned to the remote town of Nashville after ten years away, so he’s in no position to turn down work.

Except the case seems hopeless from the start. Bill’s employer is denying responsibility, Carol’s friends are shunning her, and the only witnesses – co-workers Gav Coates and Wati Reynolds – can shed no light on the tragic fall. Even Senior Sergeant ‘Stinger’ Nettle is too busy turning a blind eye to Wati’s illegal schemes to dig deeper into the death.

But in small towns, nothing is quite what it seems. And for one Nashville resident the wrong question will come at a deadly price . . .

My Take

An engrossing read. The real reason for Bill Dickerson's death comes as a total surprise. The plot is well constructed with a number of sub-plots that are well executed. An author to watch and I will certainly be reading his debut title., When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole.

My rating: 4.8

About the author

Born and raised in rural New Zealand, Geoff Parkes now lives in Melbourne. For the last twelve years he’s written a weekly opinion column for The Roar, Australia’s leading on-line sports website. He is the author of two crime novels, When the Deep, Dark Bush Swallows You Whole and The First Law of the Bush.