REVIEW: The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst

The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic suspense

Read: 15th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 17th July 2025

★★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

‘Something terrible happened to the couple who lived here before…’ My hands shake as I read the warning note I’ve just found hidden in a forgotten corner of my brand new house. My husband told me we’d be the first people to live here. Did he lie?

Moving to this gorgeous house was meant to be a new start for our family. My hand rests on my growing baby bump as I walk through our home, the smell of fresh paint in the air, but my heart no longer feels full of hope for the future.

My husband Christian wraps his strong arms around me and tells me to forget the note; he wants this to be the perfect home for us. But as I look into his blue-grey eyes, I wonder if there’s something he’s keeping from me or if I’m just being paranoid.

Was there a couple who lived here before? And what happened to them?

I try to forget my worries like Christian asked, but then I see something in our next-door neighbour’s garden that I can’t ignore. I know I need to find out the truth if I’m ever going to feel safe again.

Except when I overhear Christian revealing a secret on the phone, I start to question: do I even know the man I married?

As I get closer to the truth of what happened to the couple before us, I realise one thing: I should have run when I had the chance…

Number 1 bestselling author Daniel Hurst is the king of utterly addictive and unputdownable psychological thrillers. The Couple Before Us is a completely gripping, pulse-pounding, keep-you-up-until-3am read perfect for fans of T.M. Logan, Freida McFadden and Lisa Jewell.

MY THOUGHTS:

If it seems too good to be true then it probably is...

That's the piece of advice I felt like giving couple Dionne and Christian as they looked around the newly built house on the new estate that still resembled a construction site. Simply put - if you don't feel the house isn't right, don't buy it. Why Dionne gave in to hubby Christian, I have no idea, except maybe to keep the peace and she was heavily pregnant and needed somewhere to call home and soon.

So Christian loved the house, Dionne didn't. Five year old Kai loved the yard in which he could kick a football around and that alone seemed to melt Dionne's heart. And yet she still didn't feel right about the house. Something didn't feel right. A bit like the book. Something was missing that I couldn't put my finger on. It just lacked the punch that Hurst is known for.

And so in their cramped motel room they've called home for weeks, Dionne crumbles and gives in. "Make an offer" she says. Words she will live to regret. And within weeks they are moving in and unpacking their boxes and furniture. But still Dionne cannot still the niggling feeling that something isn't quite right about this house. And then in the corner of the cupboard she finds a note.

"Something terrible to the couple who lived here before..."

This was supposed to be a new-build. They were supposed to be the first people to be living there. So what is the meaning of this note? Who wrote it? And where did it come from?

Suffice to say, Dionne was not going to let things lie and decided to do some investigating of her own. As the story unfolds, she looks to the observer like she's a bit unhinged as she does some really stupid things. 

Despite this being a relatively quick and easy read that was predictable, it had plenty of eye-rolling moments that even I was shaking my head at. It lacked the thrills and tension of Hursts usual thrillers and Dionne was incredibly annoying. 

But don't let this review turn you off Daniel Hurst. He is a great thriller writer and I have devoured over 40 of his thrillers, most of which are edge-of-your-seat entertaining thrill-rides. But even our favourite authors can write books that don't thrill us. That doesn't mean I'll stop reading him because I know the calibre he is capable of.

Not a bad read, but not his best. Still, it held my interest enough to read in one sitting.

I would like to thank #DanielHurst, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheCoupleBeforeUs in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Daniel Hurst was born in the northwest of England, a part of the world famous for its comedians, pasties and terrible weather.

He has been employed in several glamorous roles in his lifetime, including bartending, shelf stacking and procurement administration, all while based in some of the most exotic places on the planet, like Bolton, Preston and South London.

Daniel writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

Since following his lifelong passion for writing in 2020, he has amassed a loyal and devoted set of readers, and regularly has several books in the top 100 of the Psychological Thriller Charts on Amazon. His title The Passenger became the #1 selling psychological thriller in the UK in October 2021. The Doctor's Wife is his first publication with Bookouture.

A prolific writer, Daniel likes to keep readers on their toes by self publishing even more books in between those released through his publisher.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Victory for the Foyles Bookshop Girls by Elaine Roberts

Victory for the Foyles Bookshop Girls (The Foyles Bookshop Girls #3) by Elaine Roberts

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW1

Read: 10th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 10th July 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

London, 1918: the war in Europe may be drawing to an end, but there are new challenges for the Foyles bookshop girls.

As their dreams of the war ending look like they might finally come true, the girls of London’s Foyles bookshop allow themselves to look forward to a brighter future.

But their hopes may be shattered when news of a terrible flu that is gripping the world reaches London, and the girls realise they are not out of danger yet. Meanwhile, they have their own challenges to face when Alice discovers her father has been living a double life; Victoria’s beloved husband Ted struggles to adjust to life after the trenches; and the secret Molly has been keeping finally comes to light.

But, working side-by-side in London’s Foyles bookshop, Alice, Victoria and Molly have become more like sisters than friends. And together, they can brave any storm.

As London faces its toughest year yet, will the Foyles bookshop girls make it through to victory together?

MY THOUGHTS:

Will their families be whole again this Christmas...?

London 1918: It's July and there are whispers that the war could be over soon. It couldn't come quick enough for friends Alice, Victoria and Molly and their respective other halves - all of whom had served and left with the scars of the battlefront. But Foyles is a place of refuge where the girls find solace but find others do too. And in these times, they find they need that solace now more than ever.

Alice has come across a secret that she was never meant to discover - an unposted letter and a photo hidden in a book. But now she has and she is wondering what to do with that knowledge. But before she can confront the other party and telling no one, not even her own policeman husband Freddie, she decides she needs to gather whatever information she has and find out for herself the validity of this secret. And whether she is mistaken, imagining it or it isn't true at all. Only then will she face whatever truth she finds.

Victoria has been in love with Ted Marsden ever since she was sixteen and he a handsome soldier. But Ted has returned home with battlescars that no one can see. The nightmares, the terrors, the fear of being bombed or attacked as real as if he were still on the battlefield. It is what doctors are calling shell shock and many veterans are suffering similar experiences. But Victoria has only ever wanted to marry Ted and as their wedding day approaches, she isn't feeling as if it can go ahead. All she wants to be is Mrs Ted Marsden. But is it too late for them?

Molly harbours her own secret. She has been feeling sick and lightheaded and fears she maybe coming down with something until she realises she is more than likely pregnant. But this brings with more fear. How will Andrew cope with a child, with his own terrors from the front still fresh in his mind? And how can she bring a child into this world while war rages? But time is not on her side; this baby is coming whether she is ready for it or not. But will it be welcome news?

And then they are hit with an unseen enemy which began in the trenches and has begun to spread worldwide - the Spanish flu. Reading through that time was reminiscent of when we more recently endured the COVID pandemic - the hygiene, face masks, disinfecting everything, staying home and even closing up businesses.

This is a relatively quick read that I devoured in a day, despite the plethora of stories within its pages. I somehow missed the second book but it didn't really matter as each can be read as a standalone anyway, with their own stories to tell. I've summarised just the basics but even that barely touches the surface.

Another enjoyable read by Elaine Roberts and the setting of the bookshop is just perfect - where everyone finds solace.

I would like to thank #ElaineRoberts, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #VictoryForTheFoylesBookshopGirls in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Elaine Roberts had a dream to write for a living. She completed her first novel in her twenties and received her first very nice rejection. Life then got in the way until circumstances made her re-evaluate her life, and she picked up her dream again in 2010. She joined a creative writing class, The Write Place, in 2012 and shortly afterwards had her first short story published. She was thrilled when many more followed and started to believe in herself. 

As a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and The Society of Women Writers & Journalists, Elaine attends many conferences, workshops, seminars and wonderful parties. Meeting other writers gives her encouragement, finding most face similar problems. 

Elaine and her patient husband, Dave, have five children who have flown the nest. Home is in Dartford, Kent and is always busy with their children, grandchildren, grand dogs and cats visiting. Without her wonderful family and supportive friends, she knows the dream would never have been realised.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Goodreads

REVIEW: Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora

Good Bad Mother by Anya Mora

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic suspense

Read: 13th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 17th February 2025

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

As I push my baby down the street in her pink stroller, I look up and smile at the security cameras. Because I know they are watching. And I need to play my part as the perfect mother.

It’s been a year since my husband and I moved into our new home on the exclusive Cutter’s Island. This is where the rich and beautiful live, and where we plan to raise our baby. It couldn’t be more different from my old life.

But soon, my new life begins to shatter when I find a handwritten note in my mailbox: How can you live with yourself? I glance up and see curtains twitching in my neighbors’ windows. Someone knows what I did.

Clutching the note in my hands, I run inside, locking the door behind me. But later that night, smoke starts to fill the house. I run to my baby’s room and find my worst fears come true. Someone has taken her.

As my dream home goes up in flames, I know that whoever discovered my secret wants me to pay for what I did, to remind me that I was never meant to have this life. But they have no idea who I really am. And just how far I’ll go to get my baby back…

An addictive and gripping thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Packed with twists you’ll never see coming, this is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, Shari Lapena and The Girl on the Train.

MY THOUGHTS:

Perfection is the best disguise...except when it isn't...

For a quick read this was a slow read. I mean, our protagonist Amelia Sterling spends half the book lamenting on how she fears her past being discovered by not only the rich and powerful she has married into but that they would see her for who she really is. And Amelia doesn't like the person who she used to be...which is why she has spent so long running from that past she has left behind. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so frustratingly repetitive and with no real direction except a mother with a newborn who was constantly tired and didn't want to be the centre of attention. Oh, and a secret to hide. Those were pretty much the only clues to go off.

Until the THEN chapters began. Suddenly, we are given a glimpse into the past through a young girl's first person narrative but the identity of that girl isn't clear until further in. So naturally it is left up to the reader to guess. Actually, I much preferred the THEN chapters to the present ones. They seemed to have much more happening than Amelia's life now. But it was the prologue that really drew me in...after that, the rest fell a bit flat until it began to fall into place.

So the players we have in the present are Amelia, husband Timothy, baby Clover, parents-in-law Alexander and Isabelle (though Alexander I think has one line "It's so good to have you have you back at the table again Celeste" was the sum of his involvement), sister-in-law Lydia, neighbours Eleanor and Celeste, Amelia's only friend Tabitha and reporter Jack. In the past there are just four - Hazel, Meadow, their mum and Hazel's boyfriend Tommy. So how do all these people and their stories come together? It wasn't overly difficult to piece together and the story was fairly predictable but it was still an OK read. I didn't not like it but it wasn't edge of your seat either.

Honestly? I couldn't stand any of the Sterlings. They were fake and pretentious and too powerful for their own good. They didn't care about Amelia, though it's hard to care about Amelia as she is hard to like. Isabelle was controlling and condescending, Lydia was fickle, Timothy was a two faced hypocrite - only Alexander didn't register anything as he didn't feature long enough to do so. This was all about girl power - or rather bitchiness. I felt like I was watching some Real Housewives reality TV rubbish.

When the pace picked up there was tension, secrets and lies that aren't entirely difficult to unravel once you piece everything together. It was a quick read that I devoured in about four and a half hours of an afternoon though it was filled with unlikeable characters that made it hard to like anyone. But I enjoyed it for the most part and it gave us a good satisfactory ending, even if not entirely believeable.

I would like to thank #AnyaMora, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #GoodBadMother in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Anya Mora lives a ferry ride from Seattle. She's a wildly sentimental mother of five in a love affair with hot yoga, positive affirmations, and to-do lists. She unabashedly uses emojis and wears her heart on her sleeve. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: Memorial Park by Louisa Scarr

Memorial Park (PC Lucy Halliday #2) by Louisa Scarr

Genre: Crime fiction, Police procedural

Read: 11th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 6th February 2025

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Every family’s worst nightmare…

Three-year-old Rosie Logan is missing. Her mother, Maria, turned away for just one moment and now her life is changed forever. It falls to PC Lucy Halliday and her police dogs, Moss and Iggy, to find the girl, under the direction of Lucy's boss and friend, DCI Jack Ellis.

The case brings up old trauma for Jack. His childhood best friend, Theo, went missing when he was eleven and was never found. This is Jack’s chance to make things right. He won’t fail Rosie like he failed Theo.

But the investigation doesn’t go smoothly. The Logan family have been keeping secrets. And every time Lucy and Jack think they’re making progress, they’re hampered by yet another one. Can they find the truth, and Rosie, before it’s too late?

The next thrilling instalment in the new British crime fiction series featuring dog handler PC Lucy Halliday. Perfect for fans of Jane Casey, Robert Bryndza and Cara Hunter.

MY THOUGHTS:

I didn't know this was part of a series when I requested this book but it didn't matter anyway as it can easily be read as a standalone. There's several references to past cases and the like but whether they took place in the first book or are just the backstory for this one I don't know. Either way, it makes an enjoyable foray into crime fiction...even when I'd shelved the idea of any more police procedurals. This one was different. It has dogs.

PC Lucy Halliday is called to Memorial Park on the morning of Valentine's Day. Three year old Rosie Logan has gone missing and her mother Maria is frantic with worry having taken her eyes off her little girl for just a few minutes when a phone call dragged her attention away. A passerby noticed Maria's distress and calls 999 whilst Maria frantically searches and calls out for Rosie. 

The police soon arrive, Lucy and her dogs Iggy and Moss in attendance, to help search the surrounding area for the little girl. But very few clues are found. The investigation leads them to the family - mother Maria, father Tony and brother Eddie - but the deeper they dig, more questions are thrown up. And it appears the family are hiding more secrets than they are telling.

DCI Jack Ellis takes over investigations when it's clear that the on site SIO hasn't got a clue. But then the waters muddy when a cold case rears its head involving Jack and questions are soon raised. What happened to 11 year old Theo in the summer of 1994? And what has Rosie's disappearance got to do with Theo's?

This book maybe 390 pages long but it certainly didn't feel like it. The chapters are short and snappy, keeping the pace moving along nicely. I love the central characters - Lucy, Jack, Pete, Amrit, Fran - but don't much care for the family of the missing girl. The style is easy and the pace is steady throughout without bogging us down with too much procedural. I think I am going to like Louisa Scarr. I shall definitely have to try the first book "Gallows Wood" which I note is recommended.

Overall, an enjoyable and entertaining read with crime and dogs! As a dog lover, I'm all for a procedural series featuring police dogs - why there aren't more, I don't know! And I can't wait to read more.

I would like to thank #LouisaScarr, #Netgalley and #CaneloCrime for an ARC of #MemorialPark in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Louisa Scarr studied psychology at the University of Southampton and has lived in and around the city ever since. She is a full time writer, and when she's not at her desk, she can be found pounding the streets in running shoes or swimming in muddy lakes.

She is the author of the Butler and West crime series, published by Canelo Crime, beginning with Last Place You Look and ending with Out of the Ashes. A new series, about a police dog handler, launched in July 2024 with Gallows Wood. The second, Memorial Park, is out now and will be followed by Broken House in October.

She also writes as Sam Holland and is the author of the award-winning Major Crimes series, following detectives as they investigate murders committed by brutal serial killers in the south of England. The latest, The Countdown Killer, is out now.

Her DS Kate Munro series, Ask Me No Questions and Nowhere to be Found, have been republished by Canelo Crime. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

REVIEW: Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler and Jean E Syswerda

Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler and Jean E Syswerda

Genre: Christian, Devotionals

Read: 11th July 2025

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Amazon

Published: 28th March 2010 

Re-issued: 22nd September 2015

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Gain a fresh perspective of God's amazing story through the eyes of fifty-two remarkable women in Scripture.

This updated and expanded year-long devotional draws you into the stories of 52 prominent (and not-so-prominent) women in the Bible. From Eve to the Proverbs 31 woman, you'll learn more about their struggles to live with faith and courage. And you'll see that their stories aren't far from our own.

Each week, you'll learn:

Her story—an inspirational portrait of this character's life.

Her life and times—background information about the culture of her day.

Her legacy in Scripture—a short Bible study on her life with application to your own.

Her promise—the Bible's promises that apply to her life and yours.

Her legacy of prayer—praying in light of her story.

Perfect for personal prayer and Bible study or for use in small groups, Women of the Bible offers a new perspective that will strengthen your personal relationship with God and will give you a deeper appreciation for the women of faith who have come before us

MY THOUGHTS:

I bought this book many years ago and last year picked it up to go through at last. I have the first one BI which I am going to go through next (my husband is currently doing that one himself). I love how each week (Monday to Friday) focuses on one particular person - their name, its meaning, their character, their sorrow, their joy as well as their stories. 

Each Monday begins with one woman's story and is retold in a way that we could be there watching it play out. Then on Tuesday it focuses on something cultural from their time as it relates to that woman. Wednesday is the tough one where it gives you bible passages relating to the woman for that week then poses questions to really make you think. I think these would work well with someone else who can help you unpick the passage and what it's saying because it can be hard to grasp the meaning. Thursday then gives us promises in scripture and how it relates to that particular woman, as each one is different in their own ways. Friday is her legacy and how we can use all we have learnt about the woman from that week in our own lives. We are then given suggestions as how apply these lessons in reflecting on a particular scripture, offering thanks, asking God for His wisdom along with some practical advice that we may seek in the coming week before ending in prayer. 

One of the practical advice suggestions from early on in the book was to thank God every day for something. I chose to do this in a journal form which has turned into journalling my thoughts, prayers and scriptures to remember along with some song lyrics that spoke to me. So what began as a gratitude journal turned into something so much more. Ten months later and I am on my third journal in which I pour out my heart, thoughts and prayers. Even dreams in which I feel God had spoken to me. God used this devotional, that has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a decade, for something greater.

There is something for everyone in "Women of the Bible" although as a woman who has never had children I felt that there was a lot of focus on motherhood being part of a woman's identity. And in Biblical times, I guess it was. I found that hard to relate to having never been a mother and it made me try and search for something for women who weren't mothers. And you know what? I can't find any. Because women were born, were created, to be mothers. It's in our nature to nurture. But some of us - like Sarah, like Rachel, like Hannah - could never be mothers. But in Biblical times, as we read in the scriptures, God did indeed bless these women who were barren with children later in life. But what about those of us who haven't been? Where does that leave us? I would love for a devotional book to be available for those of us who weren't so blessed because I really cannot relate to those women when they ended up as mothers and I never did. At my age now, I have made my peace with it, but for many years it was tough to see others having the babies I had once longed for. I'm too old for that now.

Anyway, that aside, this devotional is stark reminder of how God uses women for many different purposes in life - whether we know it or not. We all have a purpose. Each days' focus in this book is a reflection on those women and their purpose and how relevant they are to us today. It also highlights that no woman is perfect and how God can use those imperfections for his glory. It serves as a great reminder not to be so hard on ourselves as women in our imperfections as well as those we see in other women. Plus it is a great way to learn about each of these women and done over the course of a week for each woman helps their stories to remain with you long after you've finished them.

I did this book over the course of the year, beginning in July last year and finishing it today. And that is the beauty of this devotional. Unlike other yearly devotionals, this one doesn't start on 1st January and end on 31st December. You can start it at any time of the year (and even pause it for a time to pick up later).

A summary and thoughts on each woman.

Eve: The first woman whom God didn't give up on.

Sarah: Brave and loyal, she was made a mother of a nation.

Hagar: Even though she was a slave, God saw her sorrow.

Lot's Wife: God tried to save her, but she ultimately refused.

Rebekah: The woman who accepted God's invitation.

Rachel: She felt forgotten, but God remembered her.

Leah: She was unloved, so God showered her in it.

Tamar #1: Through her actions, Judah's line was preserved.

Potiphar's Wife: Because of her false witness, an innocent man was jailed.

Jochebed and Pharaoh's Daughter: The mothers who rescued Moses and raised him well.

Miriam: The Bible's first prophetess who did her job well.

Rahab: A prostitute with a heart for God.

Deborah: A judge who acted as a mother in Israel.

Jael: A Gentile woman whom God used to help His people.

Delilah: A prostitute who turned her lover over to his enemies.

Naomi: Despite her suffering, God gave her a future.

Ruth: Because of her generosity and selflessness, God blessed her.

Hannah: A barren woman who poured her heart out to God.

Michal: A princess who eventually became a prisoner to bitterness.

Abigail: A wise woman who wouldn't let disaster come.

The Woman of Endor: Though a medium, God used her to speak to Saul.

Bathsheba: Though molested by Israel's king, she was likely emotionally strong.

Tamar #2: Unaware of the danger in her own family, her innocence was stolen.

The Wise Woman of Abel: Because of her, innocent lives on both sides were spared.

Rizpah: A mother who remained loyal to her sons.

The Queen of Sheba: A ruler who valued wisdom over power.

Jezebel: A queen who used her power to destroy her country.

The Widow of Zarephath: Because of her hospitality, God blessed her with abundance.

The Shunammite Woman: When her son died, she was determined to get him back.

Athaliah and Jehosheba: A queen who tried to destroy the Messiah's line, and a princess who helped preserve it.

Huldah: A woman with a voice in a moral wilderness.

Esther: The queen who saved her people.

The Woman of Proverbs 31: A model of wisdom that all men and women can aspire to be like.

The Shulammite Woman: A woman whose love speaks directly to us.

Gomer: She was a symbol of adultery, but she wasn't unloved.

Elizabeth: She was the mother of John the Baptist, and mentor to the mother of the Savior.

Mary, Mother of Jesus: Though a woman who sinned, she was called to bear the Sinless One.

Anna: Though an old woman, she did not outlive her usefulness.

The Samaritan Woman: She was weary of her past, but Jesus gave her hope for the future.

The Sinful Woman: Though she led an immoral lifestyle, she shed tears of repentance.

The Bleeding Woman: She was lonely, but she was brave. And because of her faith she was healed.

Herodias: A New Testament Jezebel determined to silence the voice who criticized her.

Joanna: Though she was from Herod's court, she decided to join the heavenly court of Jesus.

The Syrophoenician Woman: She was a Gentile, but that didn't stop her from seeking Jesus.

Martha: She was worried about small things, but she believed in Jesus.

Mary of Bethany: She never lost sight of Jesus, and had the privilege to anoint Him before He died.

Salome, Mother of the Zebedees: Though she misunderstood the Messiah's mission, she was a faithful follower.

The Widow with the Two Coins: She was poor, but she abandoned herself completely to God.

Mary Magdalene: Though trapped by seven demons, she was freed to share the message of the Savior.

Dorcas: She died before her time, but was raised again to continue her work.

Lydia: Though a Gentile, she helped start the church at Philippi.

Priscilla: A model for female church leaders everywhere.

I thoroughly recommend this wonderful reflective devotional, highlighting each women with her strengths and her imperfections brings a perspective that we today can relate to. Highly recommended.

MEET THE AUTHORS:

Ann Spangler is an award-winning author, publishing her first book, an instant bestseller, in 1994. Since then, she has gone on to write several bestselling books, including Women of the Bible (co-authored with Jean Syswerda), Praying the Names of God, Praying the Names of Jesus, and Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus (co-authored with Lois Tverberg). Her latest book is Less Than Perfect. Together her books have sold millions of copies.
In 2013 she was named the Logos Bookstore Author of the Year, an award given to an author "whose body of works exemplifies the power of books to change lives forever."
By paying attention to the spiritual and emotional hungers that animate us and by finding creative ways to explore God's self-revelation in Scripture, her writing surprises by revealing a God who is often far bigger and better than we might imagine. 

In addition to writing, Ann has enjoyed a lengthy career in Christian publishing, working for William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Servant Publications, and Zondervan Publishing in marketing, editorial, and management roles. Her broad experience in publishing has convinced her that readers are looking for well-written books that explore the connection between spiritual experience and everyday life, books that both engage the mind and strengthen the heart.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Jean E. Syswerda is a former editor and associate publisher for Zondervan Bibles, where her passion grew for exceptional Bibles that encourage readers to dig deep into God’s Word. Most recently, Jean authored the notes in the NIV Kingdom Girls Bible. She also helped produce the first editions of such long-selling Bibles as the NIV Women’s Devotional Bible and the Adventure Bible and the Teen Study Bible.

Jean is the co-author of the best-selling Women of the Bible (with over one million copies in print) and the Read With Me Bible. She is the author of the NIrV SuperHeroes Bible, My Bedtime Story Bible and the Women's Devotional Guide to the Bible. She is the general editor of the NIV Women of Faith Study Bible and A Mom's Ordinary Day Bible Study Series. 

Jean and her husband John have three children and nine grandchildren. They live in Allendale, Michigan, during beautiful Michigan summers, and enjoy sunny Florida in the winter.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: You Killed Me First by John Marrs

You Killed Me First by John Marrs

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 28th June 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 4th March 2025

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Three women. Three smouldering secrets. Who will make it out alive?

It’s 5 November, and a woman awakens to a nightmare. Bound and gagged, she lies trapped in the heart of a towering bonfire. As the smoke thickens, panic sets in – she’s moments away from being engulfed in flames. How did it come to this?

Rewind eleven months: Margot, a faded TV star, and her long-suffering friend Anna watch as glamorous Liv and her flawless family move into their street. The three women soon fabricate the perfect pretence of friendship, but each harbours her own deadly secret – and newcomer Liv senses something is terribly wrong beneath the polished exteriors.

As cracks widen in the veneer of perfection and lies escalate out of control, tension ignites. Bonfire Night is approaching and someone is set to burn…But who will it be?

MY THOUGHTS:

Three women...three smouldering secrets...who will make it out alive?

Can John Marrs even write a bad thriller? This is (I think) my fifth read by him which I have devoured fervently without a sign of being "just an OK read". I just wish he published more so I would have more to enjoy! I've said before I love his dark style of compelling tales that leave you breathless. While the previous ones I've read have bordered on creepy, this one (whilst still having some creepy connotations) brings in dark humour (which I love) that not only peppers but jumps out of the pages in the form of out and out cattiness. Meeeeoooow!!

It's Bonfire night and Marrs delivers us a prologue that will blow your mind! A woman is bound and gagged and is trapped in a towering bonfire. How did she get here? And what has she done? As she screams why, she is answered with the chilling words - "you killed me first"...

Rewind eleven months...

Margot is curtain twitching when she sees the removalist van out front. A sure sign that her new neighbours are at last moving in, after several months of renovations. But when she spies Anna heading across the road armed with a container of cupcakes, Margot springs into action and douses herself in the most becoming outfit, her signature scent (Chanel Mademoiselle) and a bottle of red and greets Anna in the guise of welcoming their new neighbour.

When Liz surprises them from behind, dressed in her designer labels having just stepped out of her new Land Rover Defender, she is eager to befriend the two women. But the quips she delivers are equally barbed - to Margot, at any rate, who seems to draw attention to herself at every opportunity.

The three women strike up a friendship of sorts but how well do they really know each other?

Margot is a former teen pop star turned reality star turned stay at home stepmum (from hell). Not a role she chose for herself and she's somewhat bitter about the cards she's been dealt, but oh well and all that. She married Nicu eleven years ago, taking on his children as her own - a task she didn't initially sign up for when she first slept with the almost married Nicu. After the public backlash, she and Nicu moved to the quiet cul-de-sac to start afresh. But someone has been sending her threatening messages. A stalker maybe? And things keep disappearing from her house? What secret from her past has lead to this?

Anna is a shy, quiet and soft spoken young woman who makes jewellery as a sideline which she sells online. Her husband Drew is a borderline drunk with a chip on his shoulder who seems to spend most of his time brooding, drinking or slamming doors. She and Margot have been friends since she moved to the quiet street, despite the fact Margot seems to publicly demean her at every opportunity and taking pleasure from it. But appearances can often be deceptive, can they not?

Liv is the confident newcomer to the street. An ex-banker, married to Brandon with twins Ingrid and Rupert, she left the high life of London behind to bring up her children in the suburbs with plans of building and opening her own wellness clinic. Brandon is a personal trainer and will be put to good use in her new clinic, where she will teach yoga and pilates. Liv seems to have it all in spades which leaves Margot practically drooling upon entrance to her newly renovated home. And appearances are everything to Margot! But what is Liv hiding behind her carefully curated and very polished veneer that would shake up all those appearances?

Each of these women have a whole load of secrets they are hiding from everyone as well as each other. But can they uncover each other's secrets and unleash a whole load of mayhem in the process without killing each other?

So what happens next? Just your average everyday "Desperate Housewives" surburban chaos in the quiet cul-de-sac which could easily be mistaken for Wisteria Lane. Margot is a Gaby/Lynette; Anna is a Susan; whilst Liv is a Bree/Gaby. The gossip, cheating, the backstabbing, the trolling, the stalking, the self-harm, the murder, the lies, the secrets, the deception...these women have it all! Never mind what's buried on Wisteria Lane, Marrs has some dark and twisted secrets buried in these womens' lives!

Margot has to be one of the most despicable characters but oh my, I found myself rooting for her! And her very witty (even if inappropriate) barbs often had me laughing. I can well see how much fun Marrs must have had unleashing his inner bitch with Margot. But Liv was not blind to Margot's bitchiness and was equally catty with her, if not for payback for her passive aggressive treatment of Anna. Yes, she gave as good as she got and was an equal match for the bitchy Margot. And Anna? Was she really as quiet and drab as she appeared? Could she really not see Margot's taunts for what they really were? Or did she want to be accepted so much she put up with them?

Whatever the case, these women were so super catty - even alongside the inclusion of Cat Face 1.0 and 2.0...LOL Their bitchiness made my head spin. I really thought I was rewatching "Desperate Housewives" revamped. The entire first half of the book was pretty much reruns of the noughties show that I was wondering where Marrs was headed with this one. Nothing at all thriller-like was jumping out at me...just a bunch of women throwing bitchy barbs like fuel onto flames.

And then came Part Two...and it all began to fall into place. But even as the countdown continued to Bonfire night, you think you know what is going on but trust me, you haven't a clue. Marrs is a master at delivering shocking twists that will make your head spin! Even if you're expecting it! Seriously, this book was so different from his other creepy reads that I was all set to make this my first of his books to give less than a 5 star rating because where was the thrills? The shocks? The twists? For half the book we have the gossips of Wisteria Lane backstabbing each other behind closed doors - not a 5 star read. But then came the second half. And thensome.

Trust me, you will be shocked. You will be thrilled. You will be so pumped you will be left wanting more! So grab a copy and buckle up. You are in for one hell of a ride!

I would like to thank #JohnMarrs, #Netgalley and #AmazonPublishing for an ARC of #YouKilledMeFirst in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Marrs is a former journalist from Northamptonshire, England, who spent 25 years interviewing celebrities from the world of television, film and music for national newspapers and magazines. He wrote for publications including The Guardian’s Guide and Guardian Online; OK! Magazine; Total Film; Empire; Q; GT; The Independent; Star; Reveal; Company; Daily Star and News of the World’s Sunday Magazine. 

Now a psychological thriller writer, his debut book 'The Wronged Sons' (also titled 'When You Disappeared') released in 2014 is a tense psychological thriller with over 240 x 5 star reviews on Amazon.  His second book 'Welcome To Wherever You Are' is a suspense thriller and an Amazon #1 best seller, 'The One' (previously 'A Thousand Small Explosions') was relaunched in January 2017, 'The Good Samaritan' published in 2018 with his latest 'What Lies Between Us' published in May 2020.

He recently gave up his job to write novels full time. His first car at the age of seventeen was a three-door, Ford Escort with a Batman sticker in the rear windscreen. He thought the sticker was cool at the time.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: Close Your Eyes by Teresa Driscoll

Close Your Eyes by Teresa Driscoll

Genre: Psychological thriller, Crime thriller

Read: 26th June 2025

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Amazon

Published: 1st January 2025

★★★ 3.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Finding missing children is Matthew’s job—but this time it’s his own daughter who’s disappeared.

When private investigator Matthew Hill picks up the call from his wife, Sally, his world comes crashing down. Their eight-year-old daughter, Amelie, is missing. One second, she was there, the next, she was gone.

It’s the very nightmare they’ve been dreading. Long ago, Matthew left the force after a woman blamed him for her son’s death, promising that he too would one day feel her pain. It’s a threat that’s hung over his family ever since, and now it’s Amelie’s picture on the news.

Matthew knows how these things go—the longer their daughter is missing, the less hope there is of finding her alive.

As the clock ticks and a canal is searched, he and Sally must reckon with their greatest fear…

MY THOUGHTS:

Finding missing people is Matthew’s job...but this time it’s his own daughter who’s disappeared...

I was drawn into this story from very first page. Having followed each of Teresa Driscoll's thrillers in which Matthew Hill features, I was keen to see where this one would take us. Usually he is on the periphery of each story as an investigator but this time he takes centre stage as his daughter suddenly goes missing.

The book opens up right away with Matthew's wife Sally in town shopping with their eight year old daughter Amelie before a birthday party that afternoon. Amelie sees a dress she wants to try but Sally, knowing how pressed for time they are, refuses promising they'll try it next time. Then as she is steering Amelie out of the dress shop, Sally's phone rings with bad news; she's done herself an injury and can't run the girls to the party - can Sally do it instead? After grabbing the details quickly, sure she's just been a few minutes, hangs up and turns to hurry Amelie along when she sees the space she had been just moments before empty.

Sally is frantic and begins running around calling for Amelie. Passersby notice her distress and begin searching along with her. Maybe Amelie went back to try on the dress but when she goes back to look for her in the dressing rooms, Amelie is not there. She is nowhere to be seen. She is frantic. Where is she? Has she just wandered off, impatient with waiting? Or has someone taken her baby girl?

The police are duly called by one of those helping Sally search as Sally phones Matthew who is currently seeing a new client. When he gets Sally's frantic message, he ends the meeting abruptly and races off to his wife's aid. He calls in a favour with his former colleague and friend DI Mel Sanders, now in Cornwall, and upon hearing the news, drops everything to head to Devon and head up the investigation into Amelie's disappearance.

Despite thorough searches and background checks into past threats made against Matthew, no trace of Amelie could be found. The CCTV behind the shop in which Sally and her daughter were was covered with a plastic bag. A prank or for nefarious purposes? Whatever CCTV there, Amelie could not be located on any of them. The police are stumped with no leads. And so the divers are brought in to search the nearby canal - just to rule it out. And instead find a body in its murky depths. But is it Amelie?

There is a lot going on in this tale as the search continues for the missing girl and police follow up the few leads they have...or search for clues for other potential leads. They look into Matthew's past cases as police officer and a private investigator to see if anyone bore him a grudge, besides the obvious they were quick to follow up. Usually Driscoll's books are thrillers as such with no real police investigation, except maybe Mel passing something on to Matthew for one of his PI cases. So in that way this was different as we did have a lot more police procedural.

I was fully invested until we got to Part Two. Then things started to go off piste a tad and I wondered how and why it all factored in. There was more to this side of the story that had me rolling my eyes - not so much in disbelief but sheer frustration in why must people lump religion with crazies? It happens, I know, but really it seems that it just makes a good scapegoat sometimes.

I had high hopes for this book given the different course it was taking Matthew on but the one it took us on was in some ways a little long-winded and I didn't care for the scapegoat material. I didn't even believe the reason behind the abduction - that was a little too far fetched. The finale was a little anti-climatic and the ending satisfactory enough. I'm a huge fan of her previous thrillers but a little disappointed in this one, in the end.

But in all, it was still a good read, just not one of Driscoll's best. I will, however, be looking out for more from her as it seems like it's been a while since I've read her.

I would like to thank #TeresaDriscoll, #Netgalley and #AmazonPublishing for an ARC of #CloseYourEyes in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Teresa Driscoll is a former BBC TV news presenter whose psychological thrillers have sold over two million copies in more than 20 languages. Her first thriller  was kindle #1 in the UK, USA and Australia and has sold more than a million copies in English alone.

Teresa writes women’s fiction as well as thrillers and her work has been optioned for film.

During her long career as a journalist, Teresa worked for newspapers, magazines and television, including 15 years presenting the BBC TV news programme Spotlight. Covering crime for so long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on the relatives, the friends and the witnesses and it is those ripples she explores now in her darker fiction.

Teresa lives in glorious Devon with her family and blogs regularly about her “writing life” at her website

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REVIEW: The Way of Wisdom by Timothy Keller

The Way of Wisdom by Timothy Keller

Genre: Christian, Devotionals

Read: June 2024 - June 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 19 October 2017

★★★★★ 5  stars

DESCRIPTION:

From pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller comes a beautifully packaged, yearlong daily devotional based on the Book of Proverbs

Proverbs is God's book of wisdom, teaching us the essence and goal of a Christian life. In this 365-day devotional, Timothy Keller offers readers a fresh, inspiring lesson for every day of the year based on different passages within the Book of Proverbs. With his trademark knowledge, Keller unlocks the wisdom within the poetry of Proverbs and guides us toward a new understanding of what it means to live a moral life and apply it to the reality of our modern lives. 

God's Wisdom for Navigating Life is a book that readers will be able to turn to every day, year after year, to cultivate a deeper, more fulfilling relationship with God. 

Day after day, Keller unlocks and renews our understanding of the essence and goal of a Christian life. Each entry has a verse, a meditation and a prayer, and includes a question that will invite and inspire you to live a life rooted in wisdom.

If you have enjoyed My Rock, my Refuge, Keller's devotional on the psalms, you will love The Way of Wisdom.

MY THOUGHTS:

I love the Proverbs. They hold some of my most favourite verses in the Bible and Timothy Keller brings each one to life in this verse by verse study of the Bible's book of wisdom. Unlike his devotional on the Psalms (which I struggled with and shelved for a later time) which proceeds in Biblical order, this devotional is divided into themes - including marriage, the seven deadly sins (one by one), friendship, parenting. Each day he focuses on a couple of verses (and not necessarily concurrent ones) and building his commentary on which we can then draw on and apply to our own lives. 

None of us are perfect and none of us can say that only some apply to us while others don't. In all honesty, each and every devotional can be applied to our own lives - we just have to find the parallel and draw on it. Keller brings understanding into the Word and the beauty of these Proverbs. Each devotional is insightful and thought-provoking - and sometimes convicting - as well as easily understandable for a daily devotion. Towards the end of the year, Keller steps out of Proverbs but with his sight still on wisdom brings us verses from Job and Ecclesiastes to complete our journey on the way of wisdom.

I began this devotional in June last year and completed it in June this year. I plan to have another go at the devotional on the Psalms as I really want to understand them more and when I first tried the devotional I found it a tad heavy. But this on Proverbs is easy to understand and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My dog even decided he liked it one day when I was out and I came home to its cover being ripped and the book chewed somewhat but the book itself was still in tact and able to read. My mum took that copy and worked her way through it while I bought myself a new one.

I thoroughly recommend this easy to understand daily devotional. Having themes brings a perspective that we today can relate to. Highly recommended.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Timothy James Keller (September 23, 1950 – May 19, 2023) was an American Presbyterian pastor, preacher, theologian, and Christian apologist. He was the chairman and co-founder of Redeemer City to City, which trains pastors for service around the world.

Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons.  For 28 years he led a diverse congregation of young professionals that grew to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.

He is also the Chairman & Co-Founder of Redeemer City to City (CTC), which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for ministry in an urban environment. In 2017 Dr. Keller transitioned to CTC full time to teach and mentor church planters and seminary students through a joint venture with Reformed Theological Seminary's (RTS), the City Ministry Program. He also works with CTC's global affiliates to launch church planting movements.

Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 25 languages.

Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”

Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.

In June 2020, Keller revealed that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died under hospice care at home in Manhattan on May 19, 2023, at age 72.

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