REVIEW: The Surgeon by John Nicholl

The Surgeon by John Nicholl

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 5th November 2025

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Published: 19th October 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Your life is in his hands… Exactly where he wants it 👀

When an eminent surgeon is arrested for murder, he knows he didn’t do it. He knows what it’s like to feel a person die on his operating table, but he didn’t inflict the wounds that ended the life of the girl they say he killed.

So, when the real perpetrator comes forward, and he is released, he feels vindicated.

What nobody knows – not the officer who arrested him, nor the influencer who petitioned for his freedom, nor the girl who escaped a killer years before – is that while he was incarcerated, he was making a plan.

Because revenge is sweet. But murder is sweeter…

A totally twisty, unhinged and gripping suspense thriller that fans of Daniel Hurst, TM Logan and Frieda McFadden won’t be able to put down.

MY THOUGHTS:

Your life is in his hands...which is exactly where he wants it...

Professor Alexander Aitken is one surgeon you would not like to be under, nor his scalpel. He is not like other surgeons who value their Hippocratic oath to first do no harm. When he was found by the body of murder victim Holly Larkin, her blood on his hands and his bite marks on her neck, it was naturally assumed that he was responsible for her untimely demise. And for the past five years, he has sat in prison for her murder - a death for which he was innocent in this case. But innocent was something Aitken most certainly was not. Oh, he was of Holly's murder but he was guilty of so much more than the police and the public at large were totally unaware of. And for the past five years and the months after his release once the real killer was discovered, he then spent planning his revenge. Because revenge is sweet...but murder is sweeter.

Ten years before, sixteen year old Megan Matthews was attacked on the dark streets of Tenby one evening barely escaping with her life and not before she'd been stabbed. She never saw her attacker and could never identify him but when she sees Professor Aitken on the West Wales news after his release and hears his voice, she stops. And then she sees those ice blue eyes. Her attacker wore a balaclava but she remembers those eyes and that caramel smooth voice. She takes her concerns to DI Laura Kesey who was always patient with her each time she thought she saw her attacker in the street. But this time, Megan is sure Aitken is the one. 

Aitken curses himself for letting sweet little Megan go all those years ago. And she now sits at the top of his revenge list to be the first of his "lab rats" for him to study and bend at will. She will do as he says and she will feel the blade of his scalpel once again. In fact, it will be the last thing she feels and his will be the last face she sees. He will make sure of that. next on his list is Laura Kesey - the pig who put him away for a crime he clearly didn't commit. He will make sure she pays for her misdemeanour...and he has the perfect way to make that happen. He can almost taste it it is so perfect.

DI Laura Kesey was supposed to be enjoying a holiday with her wife Janet and their son Ed in Lanzarote but she couldn't leave the case of Professor Aitken behind. There was just something about it that didn't sit right. He professes his innocence but she saw the material on his computer. The man is clearly deranged and disturbed. If he is innocent of this crime, he is most certainly guilty of something else. If not now, then he will be. Of that she is sure. But when she returns home and Aitken is freed for being unjustly imprisoned for a crime he hadn't committed, Laura is intent on uncovering exactly what he is guilty of...because he is, that is for sure. But her boss has made it abundantly clear that Professor Aitken of off limits. She is not to investigate him, question him or go anywhere near him in any way, shape or form. Unfortunately for her, that leave Aitken free to his own devices...a clear recipe for disaster for both her and anyone else who gets in his way.

John Nicholl is one of my favourite authors with his gritty writing that pulls no punches in his unique style. He has the ability to draw characters that we can both sympathise and hate in equal measure. Laura Kesey is a mainstay in his standalones and I was thrilled to see her former DS Raymond Lewis return despite his retirement after events that took place in the previous book. 

The chapters were a little longer I felt in this one though the book itself is a relatively quick read. Nicholl definitely knows how to paint a villain that readers love to hate. Aitken's scenes certainly do make for uncomfortable reading with disturbing scenes painted in vivid detail.

Not one of my favourite books but still a good read that packs a punch.

I would like to thank #JohnNicholl, #BoldwoodBooks and #Netgalley for an ARC of #TheSurgeon in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Nicholl, an ex-police officer, social worker and lecturer (and now a "serial chiller") as the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of numerous darkly psychological suspense thrillers. He began writing after leaving his job heading up child protection services.

Social Media links:

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REVIEW: Cuckoo in the Nest by Diane Saxon

Cuckoo in the Nest by Diane Saxon

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 20th August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 12th August 2025

★★★ 3 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

What secrets lie within?

I've moved into a shared house. My three new housemates aren't just reserved, there's a distinct chill in the air, an unspoken tension that makes me uneasy.

I'm not here to make friends, though.

I have my own secrets.

Nikki is like a sister to me and I'm here to find out what happened to her.

Where is she?

I'm convinced someone knows more than they're letting on. Is she simply missing? Or has something far more sinister occurred within these walls?

I'm not leaving until I find out if Nikki is alive or dead.

Diane Saxon's heart-pounding novel is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Valerie Keogh and TM Logan.

MY THOUGHTS:

One house...four tenants...one deadly secret...

I honestly don't know where to start with this one. I always enjoy Diane Saxon's thrillers but this one just left me feeling like something was constantly crawling on my skin. It was seriously creepy and uncomfortable which I guess was the aim of the story but I was just too creeped out and hated every person in the houseshare. They were all self-obsessed and arrogant prats. One rule for them and another for everyone else. And the end result was survival of the fittest. But then, it was about a cuckoo in the nest which is always an uncomfortable read.

I was more drawn in by the past timeline when Alex and Nikki were young and then teenagers growing up. I felt there was more to the story there and I was more invested in that than the one in the present day timeline.

In the present day, Alex has just moved into a houseshare with two females and one male - none of whom are considerate and all equally selfish. The only reason he is there is to uncover what happened to his friend Nikki who was their housemate previously and had mysteriously disappeared. The police had her down as having left of her own accord; she's old enough and just packed up and moved on. But Alex knows different. Nikki wouldn't leave her mum without a word. Besides, she had planned on moving back home with her. So where has she gone?

The alternating chapters in between begin in 2003 and 2004 with a few from Nikki's narrative in 2013 and 2014. They tell of Alex's harrowing story as a child, neglected and abused by his father before meeting sunny young Nikki at the playground one day and though she was five years his junior, they became firm friends - a friendship that lasted a lifetime. Alex is a genuine likeable character, despite his upbringing. Nikki is a delight also, but she features mainly in the past chapters so we get her either as a giggly little five year old or a giggly fifteen year old.

The story is journey through Alex's harrowing upbringing, finding a family who love and care for him right up to him in adulthood. As the story unravels and things begin to slot into place, we find him navigating a mystery that only he can unravel. And be Nikki's hero once again.

The pacing for this one was somewhat slower than Saxon's more pacier thrillers. And the unlikeable characters made it hard to connect with the story. If it weren't for Alex, Nikki and Julia, I probably would have shelved it without finishing...but for them, they made the journey worthwhile and I'm glad I stuck it out. The ending is rather shocking and unexpected to say the least! But I shouldn't be surprised as it is Saxon.

I would like to thank #DianeSaxon, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #CuckooInTheNest in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, a retired policeman. She has two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, two cats, numerous rare breed chickens, and a black Labrador called Beau—a name borrowed by her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.

After working for years in a demanding job, Diane gave it up when her husband said, “Follow that dream.” She subsequently has 12 Romances published for the U.S. market.

Inspired by her long, lonely walks in atmospheric woodlands, Diane has gone over to the dark side to write British psychological crime thrillers. With a four-book deal through Boldwood Books, her first in series Find Her Alive was published October 2019 followed by Someone's There in February 2020 and What She Saw is due in September 2020. 

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PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

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REVIEW: The Boyfriend by John Nicholl

The Boyfriend by John Nicholl

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 26th April 2025

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Published: 4th April 2025

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Not every love story is a fairytale romance…

When Anna first meets Mark, she thinks he’s the perfect boyfriend. Wealthy and charming, he showers her with gifts, compliments, everything she has ever desired.

But Mark is less a prince than a man with a dangerous secret, and as their love life becomes ever darker, Anna flees him.

There is nowhere safe from him, though. Not for Anna. Nor for the girlfriends who follow her.

Because this is a boyfriend who would kill to make sure he can continue to kiss sleeping princesses…

A pulse-poundingly gripping suspense thriller, perfect for fans of Daniel Hurst, TM Logan and Anita Waller.

MY THOUGHTS:

Not every love story is a fairytale romance...

I love John Nicholl's thrillers. I love their dark and disturbing nature as he draws on his experience as a police officer and child protection social worker to weave his tapestries a vivid array of deep dark colours. And yet despite their nature, they are quick easy reads easily devoured in hours...as I did this one.

This tale is different from some of his others which are more character driven by those involved rather than from the police. Whilst this too is character driven, it revolves primarily around the police persepctive but with a personal touch, bringing home the dark nature of the disturbing tale.

Anna thought she had the perfect boyfriend in Mark with his good looks, his charm and his wealth, but as we see from the very first chapter he is anything but. With only a few paragraphs in we see that he is Shady by name as well as by nature. And as Anna takes her allegations to the police and then to court we are left wondering what hope does she have up against him?

She said no. Mark doesn't take no. Ever. He wants what he wants and he knows he will get away with it - again. He always does. He played her like a fiddle. Lured her in with his good looks and charm, showering her with gifts, and was the perfect boyfriend. Until he wasn't. Until he turned nasty and wanted what he felt was rightfully his to take whether she consented or not. Let her report him. Let her tell her story. No one will believe her. Not with her word against his, an upstanding businessman.

DS Ray Lewis has walked beside Anna from the moment she came in to file her report against Shady. He knows what type of person he is and knows he will not stop. He needs to be stopped but proving rape is notoriously difficult. And Shady was a slippery fish that could talk his way out of anything. None of the allegations against him have stuck thus far so in the eyes of the law he has no criminal record. But Ray knows different. And he knows what Shady is capable of. Particularly when Anna reveals a secret that she never let on before the trial, giving Ray even more reason to be concerned.

What's even worse - Shady has a new girlfriend. The daughter of a colleague of Ray's and he fears for the girl's safety. Shady is a monster who needs to be locked up but until they can nail him and get him off the streets, Ray and his colleagues can only sit by and wait for him to make a mistake. 

But then Shady makes things personal and it takes all of Ray's strength not to react. He knows he is goading him for a reaction. But then he gets some frightening photos in the post. And suddenly all bets are off.

This is an incredibly dark and disturbing tale with an antagonist that will make your skin crawl. DI Laura Kesey returns as she pops up in each of Nicholl's standalones but I can't remember whether Ray does or not. I seem to recall him but he plays a far bigger role in this one that any other before, if so. I absolutely loved Lewis. He is an old school copper, not one for the new ways of policing but too close to retirement to jeopardise his pension.

This is a hard one to review because I don't want to give too much away but it is a tense read from start to finish. I read this in one sitting devouring it in an afternoon (dinner was put on hold until I swiped that last page). Let it be said that if you love John Nicholl's thrillers you are going to love this one. It has his dark signature all over it with a surprising, yet brilliant, end.

I would like to thank #JohnNicholl, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #TheBoyfriend in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

John Nicholl, an ex-police officer, social worker and lecturer (and now a "serial chiller") as the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of numerous darkly psychological suspense thrillers. He began writing after leaving his job heading up child protection services.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: One Dark Summer by Saskia Sarginson

One Dark Summer by Saskia Sarginson

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 11th April 2025

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Amazon

Published: 13th April 2025

★★★ 3.5 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

It was the summer that changed everything…

With trembling hands, Meg knocks on the door of the large manor house. Behind her, the view down to the river is spectacular. She’s here to be the nanny to two young children.

It’s not the job Meg is anxious about, though. It’s the house itself that scares her, and the secrets lurking inside. Not only that, but will her new employer recognise her?

The door opens. A beautiful, smiling woman greets her and ushers her inside.

As she walks in, Meg realizes the house is exactly as she remembers. Her employer hasn’t changed much, either, unlike Meg. The last time they met was fifteen years ago, when Meg was a child.

Because this is where Meg lived the summer her mother went missing. The summer her life changed. The summer Meg believes she killed a man.

Now she’s back, in disguise as Margaret the nanny, and determined to find out what really happened. But some secrets are best left buried. Because someone knows exactly who Meg is, and they will do whatever it takes to keep her quiet…

A completely gripping, powerfully-written, nailbitingly-twisty thriller, guaranteed to keep readers up all night, from bestselling Richard & Judy Bookclub author, Saskia Sarginson. Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena, Freida McFadden and Girl on the Train.

MY THOUGHTS:

A missing mother...a forgotten child...a house full of deadly secrets...

I'm not sure what I expected when I dived into this one but it wasn't what was delivered. It is a dark, twisted and atmospheric with a real claustrophobic tension throughout. Though a slow burn (not usually my favoured type), that tension is palpable from the first page as we, the reader, try to unravel the mess left behind at Deben Manor. The mystery that Meg has come looking to uncover.

Meg was just a child when she first came to Deben Manor after her mother disappeared, her father depositing her there with her cousins while he tried to get his life back together again after his wife, Irene's, departure. Meg missed her mother terribly and her three cousins - Orphelia (17), Thea (15) and Clementine (12) - were not entirely nice to her. Her uncle Lucian came and went as she saw fit whilst her aunt, the girls' mother, Calista floated about in her own little world. Neither parent did any parenting and the three sisters pretty much brought themselves up. And Meg? No one really cared about her or what happened to her. When she disappeared one morning and then reappeared after a boating accident, the sisters were glad to see the back of her.

Now fifteen years later, Meg's back at Deben Manor. This time under the guise of nanny Margaret Danby (her mother's maiden name) to Orphelia's two children Artemis (5) and Kit (3). Her primary goal is to find out what really happened to her mother all those years ago, believing she had been to Deben Manor at some point though she didn't know why. Or what the connection was. She has done her best to disguise herself, fearing that one of the sisters will recognise her and end her mission. So every chance she gets, she sifts through Orphelia's study, searches her room and even tries to gain access to the forbidden attic...where strange sounds emanate from there at night. Footsteps on the floorboards, whispers behind the walls, cigar smoke filtering through the floors. But the attic has been locked up tight since Lucian's time. And no one has been up there since. Calista forbids it. Although she's in France where she's remained ever since Lucian's boating accident fifteen years ago, for which Meg was blamed. The problem is, Meg has trouble recalling what really happened that day...and why.

But someone knows what Meg is up to. They know her real identity and have been watching her, logging her movements and following her when she goes into the village, spying on her in the summerhouse. The question is who? And why? Meg isn't sure who she can trust and when she finds a pair of Orphelia's diamond earrings in her belongings, she knows someone is trying to set her up. Then she begins to receives notes warning her to leave...or else. But how can she? When she's this close to finding out what really happened to her mother fifteen years ago during that one dark summer. When she left for school one day only to return home to find her mother had gone for good.

The scene is set for an atmospheric and chilling thriller that will keep you guessing...even when you think you have it all worked out. The book takes on a gothic air of melancholy reminiscent of those that have gone before such as "Jane Eyre" or "Wuthering Heights". Though the air of romance in those takes on something else entirely in this one as the years peel away the trauma, the abuse, the cruelty and harm at the hands of those in a place of trust.

When I started this book, I found it slow moving and dragged on a little but I stuck it out and it did get better and yet it still felt lacking in something though I'm not sure what. I was definitely intrigued enough to continue reading and did so in one evening.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

I spent my childhood in a cottage in the middle of a Suffolk pine forest, where my two younger siblings and I had the freedom to roam the forest alone. This experience helped inspire my best-selling debut novel, The Twins, which was a Richard and Judy pick 2013. My other novels are: Without You, The Other Me, The Stranger, How It Ends, The Bench, The Central Line and Seven Months of Summer. My books have been translated into 15 languages. It's exciting to think of them being read all over the world.

 My latest novel, Identical, a psychological suspense, is in out May 2024. When I was little I wanted to be a zoologist. But actually I've been a Guardian columnist, an editor, a journalist on women’s magazines, and a script reader. Writing novels is my favourite job. When I'm not writing, I love to dance tango, make (and eat) cakes, walk the dog, and discuss plot points with my husband.

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REVIEW: Tough Times on Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane

 

Tough Times on Coronation Close (Coronation Close #4) by Lizzie Lane

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Read: 5th April 2025

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Published: 30th March 2025

★★★★ 4 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

As the war rages, the women must keep the home fires burning…

Bristol 1941

Coronation Close survives the brutal Bristol Blitz but with rationing, call up papers and new rules and regulations everyone’s lives are changed forever.

Resident do-gooder PC Percy Routledge obsession with rules being upheld finds him spying and reporting fellow neighbours on the slightest infraction whilst his poor brow-beaten wife, Margaret can only watch on in shameful silence. It’s whispered that one day he’ll get his comeuppance…

Times are hard for everyone and Thelma Dawson certainly has her fair share of upset. Devastating news arrives that her son Charlie’s ship has been torpedoed and sank in the Atlantic, his whereabouts unknown. Will he ever return to his wife and their unborn child? Meanwhile, seventeen years old daughter Mary has had her head turned by a certain overseas soldier. But where will temptation lead them?

Tough times, it seems are her to stay and the woman of Coronation Close all have their own battles and problems to overcome. As friendships are nurtured and relationships are tested, tragedy strikes and some home truths need to be faced.

MY THOUGHTS:

Make do, mend and carry on...

Returning to Coronation Close was like coming home. Even with the nosy and often bad neighbours. Catching up with the lives, loves and times with all those who reside there and beyond is like catching up with old friends. Life has not been easy to those living on the Close, and even less so now that war rages on around them.

We see something more of Mary Dawson as she has grown into a young woman working at the tobacco factory (a feature of and a nod to Ms Lane's previous series) whilst making friends with a Canadian airman Beau Blackbird. Though it is on a bus ride home one evening after work that thrusts Mary into something a little more exciting in the weeks to come. A man claiming to be from the Channel Islands begins quizzing them about the local airport and things roundabout. Mary is at once suspicious as she and her friends corner the passenger, prompting the driver stop and call for police to come sort the situation. 

Unfortunately the responding policeman is none other than pompous resident know-it-all of Coronation Close, PC Percy Routledge. The stranger laughs the women off and Percy, such as he is, laughs with him. Mary is furious not to mention suspicious. The stranger makes an offer Percy couldn't refuse and all sorts of promises which leaves the constable puffing with pride. But what is he really after?

Meanwhile, Percy's poor long-suffering wife has done his bidding for far too long and when Percy refuses point blank for her to call a doctor on their sick son then leaves in the night, Margaret decides to call for him herself. But then matters are taken out of her hands as her neighbours offer their assistance.

Jenny is still lovelorn after Robin who cannot see the manipulation of his ex-wife in their children, even to the point of danger. Thelma has one blow too many but then another offer comes along on the horizon.

The lives and loves of those on the Close continue as war rages on and I look forward to seeing what's in store for the residents and their loved ones in the next installment.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Lane is a born and bred Bristolian who now lives in West Wiltshire with her partner, a wonderful garden and a lately acquired allotment. In the past she has bred dogs, kept horses, painted and made models from clay. (Nightly visit from the badger has smashed one).

Working jobs she's hated purely to keep a roof over her family’s head and a meal on the table, she then discovered writing. Encouraged by an American writer friend and when a time came there were no jobs and no other option, she took the plunge. She is now the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. As a Bristolian, many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories, inspiring her new saga series The Tobacco Girls.

Up until six years ago her home (and that of her late husband) was a 46ft sailing yacht named Sarabande Serene, sailing into the Mediterranean. So besides being a successful author Lizzie can read navigation charts and react swiftly in a storm. 

Lizzie is now landlocked in a town close to the city of Bath. 

Social Media links:

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PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

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SPOTLIGHT: Tough Times on Coronation Close by Lizzie Lane

Tough Times on Coronation Close (Coronation Close #4) by Lizzie Lane

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, WW2

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 30th March 2025

DESCRIPTION:

As the war rages, the women must keep the home fires burning…

Bristol 1941

Coronation Close survives the brutal Bristol Blitz but with rationing, call up papers and new rules and regulations everyone’s lives are changed forever.

Resident do-gooder PC Percy Routledge obsession with rules being upheld finds him spying and reporting fellow neighbours on the slightest infraction whilst his poor brow-beaten wife, Margaret can only watch on in shameful silence. It’s whispered that one day he’ll get his comeuppance…

Times are hard for everyone and Thelma Dawson certainly has her fair share of upset. Devastating news arrives that her son Charlie’s ship has been torpedoed and sank in the Atlantic, his whereabouts unknown. Will he ever return to his wife and their unborn child? Meanwhile, seventeen years old daughter Mary has had her head turned by a certain overseas soldier. But where will temptation lead them?

Tough times, it seems are her to stay and the woman of Coronation Close all have their own battles and problems to overcome. As friendships are nurtured and relationships are tested, tragedy strikes and some home truths need to be faced.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lizzie Lane is a born and bred Bristolian who now lives in West Wiltshire with her partner, a wonderful garden and a lately acquired allotment. In the past she has bred dogs, kept horses, painted and made models from clay. (Nightly visit from the badger has smashed one).

Working jobs she's hated purely to keep a roof over her family’s head and a meal on the table, she then discovered writing. Encouraged by an American writer friend and when a time came there were no jobs and no other option, she took the plunge. She is now the author of over 50 books, a number of which have been bestsellers. As a Bristolian, many of her family worked in the cigarette and cigar factories, inspiring her new saga series The Tobacco Girls.

Up until six years ago her home (and that of her late husband) was a 46ft sailing yacht named Sarabande Serene, sailing into the Mediterranean. So besides being a successful author Lizzie can read navigation charts and react swiftly in a storm. 

Lizzie is now landlocked in a town close to the city of Bath. 

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter Sign Up | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

REVIEW: The Riverside Maid by AnneMarie Brear

The Riverside Maid (The Waterfront Women #3) by AnneMarie Brear

Genre: Historical fiction, Sagas, Victorian era

Read: 20th March 2025

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Amazon

Published: 20th March 2025

★★★★★ 5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

From rags to riches... but will happiness follow?

Orphaned as a child, Fliss Atkins has spent her life working at her uncle’s pub, The Bay Horse Inn, nestled along the banks of the River Calder. Life has been anything but easy for Fliss. Her aunt is unloving, and her older cousin Gerald is cruel.

Then she meets Oscar Nolan, whose adventurous spirit makes her wonder if there might be more to life beyond the only home she’s known. Could Oscar and his dreams of travel be her chance at a fresh start? The thought is tempting, but leaving her best friends, Lorrie and Meg, and their beloved families behind seems unimaginable.

When tragedy strikes, Fliss is presented with an unexpected opportunity to shape a new life for herself. But will new riches bring her the happiness she longs for, or will it lead to even greater troubles for this riverside maid?

A compelling and emotional read set in Victorian Yorkshire, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.

MY THOUGHTS:

From rags to riches...but will happiness follow...?

What a delightful rags to riches story this is! Felicity "Fliss" Atkins was orphaned from a a young age and taken in by her uncle Terry, landlord and owner of the Bay Horse public house, on the banks of the River Calder. Over the years, trade from the river has slowed as steam trains have taken over the carrying of cargo across land leaving the narrowboats often without work. The Bay Horse is a working man's pub in which the dockers from the wharf drink at the end of a long day.

But for Fliss, life has been anything but easy. Orphaned at a young age, her uncle's family didn't want her and her cousin Gerald made her life a misery, while her aunt Hilda remained cold and aloof. As she grew into adulthood, Gerald's torture never waned and her aunt treated her like a skivvy. Only her uncle had any love for her. And then there were her friends Meg and Lorrie, whom she befriended when Meg used to work behind the bar before marrying wealthy Christian Henderson. But the friendships formed between the three women remained.

Now at 25 years of age, as she watched her two friends happily married with young children of their own, Fliss wonders if there will ever be someone special for her. She thinks not as her aunt as always been at pains to say she is nothing special and Gerald taunts her mercilessly about her ugly looks. Who would want a redheaded orphan without a bean to her name?

Then one day she meets Oscar Nolan, a young surveyor measuring up the vacant building adjoining the Bay Horse. What had once been an old shop was to be sold and Fliss couldn't help but wonder how much the asking price was. She had often regaled her ideas of expansion into the adjoining building to her uncle but he was happy keeping things as they are. But a twist of fate sees her holding the keys as she begins work on expanding the Bay Horse into an Inn in which travellers can rest with beer, food and lodgings. But not everyone is happy with how things have played out and Fliss soon finds herself in danger.

When Fliss finds Oscar Nolan stopping by one day to ask her to go for a walk, she dares to dream of stepping out with a man. But what would someone as dashing and adventurous as him want with an old maid like her? And yet Oscar continues to visit, even melting aunt Hilda's ice cold heart. The couple are attracted to each other and soon Fliss begins to dream of the possibilities. But when she discovers Oscar has a job offer that will take him away from her, Fliss wonders if she could bare to let him go.

Set in the late 1800s towards the end of the old Queen's reign, this delightful tale rounds off those of the Waterfront Women that we have come to know and love in each of their respective stories. As with all sagas of this time kind, there is plenty love, heartache and tragedy to go round as well as a heartwarming ending to round things off.

Despite this being the obvious end to the series, I would love to see what's in store next for the women in sunnier climes. It would shed a different light and perspective on life and I would love to see it play out...should it do so.

Another delightful tale at the pen of AnneMarie Brear.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

AnneMarie Brear was born in a small town in N.S.W. Australia, to English parents from Yorkshire, and is the youngest of five children. From an early age she loved reading, working her way through the Enid Blyton stories, before moving onto Catherine Cookson’s novels as a teenager. 

Living in England during the 1980s and more recently, AnneMarie developed a love of history from visiting grand old English houses and this grew into a fascination with what may have happened behind their walls over their long existence. 

Her enjoyment of visiting old country estates and castles when travelling and, her interest in genealogy and researching her family tree, has been put to good use, providing backgrounds and names for her historical novels which are mainly set in Yorkshire or Australia between Victorian times and WWII. 

A long and winding road to publication led to her first novel being published in 2006. She has now published over twenty-seven historical family saga novels, becoming an Amazon UK best seller and with her novel, The Slum Angel, winning a gold medal at the USA Reader's Favourite International Awards in 2019, and a silver medal for The Market Stall Girl in 2021. Two of her books have been nominated for the Romance Writer’s Australia Ruby Award and the In’dtale Magazine Rone award.

AnneMarie now lives in the Southern Highlands of N.S.W. Australia with her husband and her family.

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REVIEW: The Night Shift by Gemma Rogers

The Night Shift by Gemma Rogers

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 5th March 2025

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Amazon

Published: 6th March 2025

★★★ 3 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

How can one 12-hour night shift be so deadly?

I loved the anonymity, flexibility and solitude that working the night shift at Storage Queen gave me.

The unsociable hours paid well, helping me fund my university degree and giving me a quiet place to study while the world slept peacefully in their warm, cozy beds. It was the perfect job for me.

But that Friday night proved to be more than I bargained for when a man walked through the door, dragging a large suitcase.

My immediate instincts told me something was wrong.

That’s when my ordeal began.

I just had to make it through the night shift.

A pacy, heart stopping, page turning thriller for the fans of Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell.

MY THOUGHTS:

Just twelve hours to survive...

Hot on the heels of "The Honeymoon" (which is phenomenal, by the way), I dived into this latest offering by Gemma Rogers whose thrillers have always kept me turning the pages in anticipation. And while this one started off as a slow build with not much happening in the first hour or so of Nina's night shift, it certainly picked up pace into the almost ridiculous with a relatively unrealistic game of cat and mouse. I'm not sure how Nina managed to survive under the circumstances when she really should have been dead within the first few minutes. Especially considering some of her poor choices, not to mention the diabetes.

Nina is a uni student in her second year of medical school, her dream to become a doctor and treat others with the often times debilitating diabetes. So when boyfriend Dom tries pleading with her to drop everything and spend six months bumming around travelling, first stop Thailand, she doesn't even consider it. Becoming a doctor is her dream and no way was she jeaopardising it when she was so close to fulfilling her dream. So the couple had a major bust up just moments before Nina was due to start her shift at Storage Queen (funnily enough, we have a Storage King here), thus making her late for her shift.

As manager Stacey bids her a hasty farewell, Nina is looking forward to a quiet stress-free night shift. Until it isn't. When the facility is plunged into darkness, Nina suddenly finds herself in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an assailant she cannot see. But she knows this place. She just needs to navigate it stealthily and silently without her pursuer knowing so that she can make her escape and alert authorities as to her discovery. You'd think so, right? Wrong.

Nina makes every stupid decision known to man. Instead of making her escape, she leads him on a merry chase up and down, round and round, whilst never getting very far in the process. I threw my hands up in the air in frustration several times, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. The whole concept was a neverending cycle that even exhausted me by the end.

But there were some aspects of the story that I found totally unbelievable. The security guard, for example. No way could he just disappear without anyone noticing or following it up. He'd have to log every call and every action and response to every call out so that someone would always be aware of where he was should anything go wrong. In reality, his disappearing off the radar with his company should have had them sending someone out to his last call out to investigate. My husband was in security in another life, so I questioned this with him, to which he confirmed my suspicions. And he also worked night shifts though they were never this exciting. But that was just one thing. There are many others which, if I mentioned, would spoil the story and I don't want to do that.

However, I found this one to be rather unrealistic and bordering on ridiculous to the point that Nina irritated me. I couldn't care less what happened to her, she made that many stupid decisions. She made it very difficult to empathise with her and her plight and I'm still dizzy from all the up and down, to-ing and fro-ing she took us on.

The pacing was steady throughout (though I was kept dizzy with all the running about) and while she mostly made stupid decisions, there were a few heroic ones I could cheer her for. Her insulin pen, for one. Ingenious. And despite battling hypoglycaemic attacks, she managed to maintain some level of focus which was to be commended.

Overall, an OK thriller. For 258 pages, it felt a little longer to me but that could be because Nina irritated the crap out of me and I kept wanting to slap her. There were a couple of good twists that I didn't see coming...probably because I was too focused on Nina's stupidity. But they kept the story tight and made it a little worthwhile. And while I don't mind tales that border the unrealistic or OTT, I do like them to entertain me not irritate me. And Nina irritated me more often than not.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Gemma Rogers was inspired to write gritty thrillers by a traumatic event in her own life nearly twenty years ago. Her debut novel Stalker was published in September 2019 and marked the beginning of a new writing career. Gemma lives in West Sussex with her husband and two daughters.

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REVIEW: The Quiet Wife by Diane Saxon

The Quiet Wife by Diane Saxon

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 18th February 2025

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Amazon

Published: 20th February 2025

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

I want to be ordinary. To fade into the shadows where no one notices me and live a quiet life. A normal life.

But I am not ordinary. Not anymore.

I’ve been keeping a secret. From my colleagues, my friends and most importantly, my husband - who knows nothing of my past life.

Twenty years ago, at college, a boy became obsessed with me. Craig Lane believed he could make me love him back if he just tried harder. When I rejected him, he did something so horrifying, it’s the stuff of nightmares. All my nightmares.

Now I’ve been informed by Victim Support Services, that boy - now a man - has been released from prison. The news terrifies me.

Am I safe? Or does Craig still carry the same obsession he did when we were seventeen? I don’t know. I’ve ignored every letter he’s ever sent me.

Now strange things have started to happen: flowers have been left on my doorstep, my cat keeps going missing. Someone is watching me. Knows where I live. I am sure.

Worse, something even more sinister could be stalking me from the shadows. Because I have another secret...

My past is coming to get me. One way or another.

MY THOUGHTS:

Trigger warning: rape, sexual assault and stalking

A secret past that comes back to haunt her...

I wasn't sure what to expect from the rather demure title but it certainly wasn't this! What a rollercoaster of a ride this dark and disturbing tale of obsession is.

Soriah is a quiet wife living the quiet life with her husband Marcus. But her life is thrown into turmoil when she receives a letter from Victim Support Services. And suddenly, her past come rushing back to haunt her all over again. The nightmares, the claustrophobia, the sleeplessness, the fear, the panic attacks...all relative to a deep dark secret from her past. Something she has barely shared with Marcus, not that he'd show any interest anyway. But she's never really completely trusted another man again - not after what happened to her over twenty years ago.

When she was seventeen, Soriah survived a terrible ordeal after becoming the obsession of another student. Despite her protests that she wasn't interested, he persisted - mainly at the insistence of her best friend Gilly. And then one night, she was kidnapped and held for days while starved and raped repeatedly...all while he was professing his undying love for her. Soriah vowed she would never trust another man again.

Now two decades later, Craig is being released and Soriah is beside herself with panic. Suddenly flowers are being left on her doorstep and text messages from an unknown number. It could only be Craig. But how does he know where she lives? How does he know her number? And surely it's a breach of his licence that he even comes near her, let alone contact her? Soriah, who has never let anyone else remotely close to her in all these years, has no idea who to turn to. Who can she trust? Her family? But they have their own worries, so she doesn't want to trouble them.

Then when Marcus goes away for a work event, she begins to get the sense she is being watched. Items disappearing from her house. Her key safe unlocked. Luna being locked in the one place Soriah would never open. Is she losing her mind? Or is someone out there watching her again?

The story unfolds in the past and present between Soriah, Craig and an unknown narrator calling themselves "the Fox". It was interesting reading Craig's narrative, as entitled and arrogant as it were. And none of the characters were at all endearing. In fact, I found the story rather depressing for the first several chapters as all Soriah seemed to do was lament about her past or about Marcus and how little he seemed to care for her. Craig's behaviour was delusional and Gilly was a complete b****. Again, none of them were at all endearing. Except maybe for Soriah's parents but they didn't play a huge part. Then when things started to pick up, those chapters were indeed harrowing reading, both chilling and disturbing. It's these that will be triggering for some, hence my warning above.

Diane Saxon has the ability to pen a tense yet gripping tale that is as real as it is shocking. She keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout despite predictability (though that could just be me knowing what to look out for and suspect) and leave you wanting more. I devoured this book in a day, such was its fast pace.

Another entertaining thriller taking the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions and leaving you breathless by its end.

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

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Diane Saxon lives in the Shropshire countryside with her tall, dark, handsome husband, a retired policeman. She has two gorgeous daughters, a Dalmatian, two cats, numerous rare breed chickens, and a black Labrador called Beau—a name borrowed by her hero in For Heaven's Cakes.

After working for years in a demanding job, Diane gave it up when her husband said, “Follow that dream.” She subsequently has 12 Romances published for the U.S. market.

Inspired by her long, lonely walks in atmospheric woodlands, Diane has gone over to the dark side to write British psychological crime thrillers. With a four-book deal through Boldwood Books, her first in series Find Her Alive was published October 2019 followed by Someone's There in February 2020 and What She Saw is due in September 2020. 

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