Book After Book

Publication: 14th September 2024 – Boldwood Books

London 1918: Is Fiona Figg ready to exchange her sleuthing cap for a bridal veil?

Fiona is set to tie the knot with her dashing captain, Archie Somersby. But, while Fiona is busy planning her happily ever after, side-kick Kitty Lane and a group of judo-chopping suffragettes are kicking up trouble at the Piccadilly Jujitsu Club.

When Kitty is found unconscious in the locker room during a high-stakes competition, Fiona must forsake her bouquets and bridal gown to investigate. Her sleuthing leads to a posh lady’s luncheon where a mysterious death crashes Fiona’s wedding plans.

To make matters worse, the arch-nemesis of all things matrimonial Fredrick Fredricks is up to his old tricks, attempting to put the brakes on Fiona’s journey down the aisle. Will he succeed in tripping up Fiona’s wedding vows? Or will she finally say “I don’t” to the charming devil?

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Today, I am excited to take part in the blog tour for Poison in Piccadilly, the new engaging and intriguing novel by Kelly Oliver.

Poison in Piccadilly is a quick and witty read! There are wedding preparations, a groom full of secrets, a young woman with amnesia, lots of espionage and subterfuges, and the suffragette movement in the background that kept me quite entertained. 

As I haven’t yet read the first books in the series, I can confirm that this sixth book in the Fiona Figg & Kitty Lane Mystery series can easily be read as a stand-alone. We are in London in 1918 and the story starts with its protagonist, Fiona Figg, right in the middle of her wedding preparations to the dashing Captain Archie Somersby. Clever and determined, Fiona is a young woman working for the British War Office where she’s been known to do a bit of spying and undercover jobs and chasing traitors. As her friend Kitty is attacked during a class at the Piccadilly Jujitsu Club, Fiona launches herself in the investigation and the wedding takes second place, especially as her fiancé’s mystery job starts giving her doubts. Can she marry someone with so many secrets? And as someone who craves not only independence, but also the thrill of chasing spies across the globe, can Fiona really be expected to give up her job once she is married?

This was such a fun and intriguing read. There is so much going on: mystery and espionage, a charming opponent (who I am really rooting for), a fantastic strong-willed heroine, accurate historical details, and much more. Poison in Piccadilly is a riveting and action-packed cozy mystery novel, full of twists and turns, and with an unexpected ending that leaves the reader looking forward to Fiona’s next adventure!

A huge thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and Boldwood Books for inviting me to join the blog tour and providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.

Kelly Oliver is the award-winning, bestselling author of three mysteries series: The Jessica James Mysteries, The Pet Detective Mysteries, and the historical cozies The Fiona Figg Mysteries, set in WW1. She is also the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Publication: 13th September 2024 – Bookouture

In a candlelit ballroom, London’s most fashionable amateur sleuth, Cressida Fawcett, is dancing the night away in her sparkling silk dress. It’s a night Cressida will never forget. Because outside the window, there’s a body under the falling snow…

Christmas Eve, 1925. The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is delighted to attend an exclusive ball at London’s glamorous Mayfair Hotel. When she steps out into the moonlit courtyard with her little pug Ruby wrapped in her furs, she is thrilled to see a dashing man propose to her best pal under the swirling snowflakes. But instead of squealing ‘yes’, Dotty lets out a terrified scream…

Because floating in the fountain, with her long blonde hair rippling in the ice-cold water, is the body of their dear friend Lady Victoria Beaumont.

It’s clear the wealthy young beauty was murdered, whacked over the head with a bottle of champagne. Would Victoria’s elderly husband Lord Beaumont kill his wife over rumours of her younger beau? Or did someone clobber Victoria to prevent her producing an heir for the Beaumont fortune?

A snowstorm prevents the authorities from arriving, and just as Cressida searches for clues, she finds herself locked inside a large wicker hamper. Why does the scent of the hamper’s smoky luxury tea remind her of the crime scene? And will a suspiciously rotund Ruby follow her snuffly nose and find Cressida in the nick of time?

Trapped in the hotel with a killer lurking among the guests, will Cressida lose someone dear to her heart? And when she finds a clue among the Christmas crackers, can Cressida solve her most mysterious case yet?

The perfect cozy whodunnit for a cold winter’s night. Fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss won’t be able to put this down!

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Murder in the Mayfair Hotel is my second Christmas novel of the year and it’s yet another 1920s historical mystery novel. I’ve heard of Fliss Chester, but I still hadn’t had the chance to read it, until I saw Murder in the Mayfair Hotel, the sixth book in the Cressida Fawcett Mystery series, up on NetGalley and I thought that now was the time to read it and I wasn’t disappointed.

With a few Agatha Christie vibes and many twists, Murder in the Mayfair Hotel kept me quite engaged. There is a murder and little time to find the killer, a long list of suspects, a young lady determined to discover the truth, and an adorable pug that can’t stay out of trouble.

It’s Christmas Eve and the Honourable Cressida Fawcett is celebrating with her friends at the Mayfair Hotel. The atmosphere is festive and romantic. While her best friend Dotty may finally become engaged to her beau, Cressida is getting closer to Dotty’s brother, Alfred, Lord Delafield. But the happy mood is interrupted when a body is found in the hotel’s fountain. It’s clear that the young woman has been murdered and the killer is one of the guests. With only a few hours until all the guests leave, Cressida and her friends have little time to find the murderer.

I found the character of Cressida Fawcett very interesting. She is smart and witty and she has already been involved in a few investigations, so the police detectives are familiar with her. I adored her pug Ruby, always following her around, and I enjoyed the small bit of romance that she manages to get during the investigation. I can’t wait to get my hands on the other books in the series and I am looking forward to reading her next adventures!

A huge thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Fliss Chester lives in a little village in West Sussex, and writes historical cozy crime. When she is not killing people off in her 1920s and 1940s whodunnits, she helps her husband, who is a wine merchant, run their family business. This means she’s never far from a decent glass of something, which makes her very happy indeed.

Before writing her two cozy crime series, she wrote fun and flirty romances – the sort of thing that might make your mother blush. Not hers though, as it was her mother who always encouraged her to be ‘anything you want, darling, as long as it’s not dull’. Hopefully readers will attest to the fact that whether it’s death by cyanide or a smooch in a hot tub, there’s nothing dull about Fliss’s books.

The current series that Fliss is working on is the Hon Cressida Fawcett Mysteries Series. Our heroine, Cressida, is a fun-loving heiress in 1920s England – though when she’s not propping up the cocktail bar at The Savoy, she’s helping people with their interior decorating projects. Through her love of decorating, and the fact she keeps tripping over dead bodies, she realises that her eye for design means she has an eye for a crime too. Why not pick up the series with the first book, Death Among the Diamonds, and join Cressida for a martini and a murder!

Publication: 10th September 2024 – Boldwood Books

Escaping the city doesn’t mean escaping the criminals…

1916, Midwinter Manor: Desperate for a Christmas weekend break from war-torn London, Hannah Merrill and her Aunt Violet take Bartleby the cat and themselves off to visit Hannah’s sister and her husband, the Earl of Atherton, in their beautiful country estate, deep in the English countryside.

Hannah’s sister has filled the house with relatives, friends and merrymakers, and everyone’s excited to have a Christmas to remember.

But then, when a fellow-guest’s body is found in the library – apparently bludgeoned to death – and a precious ruby is stolen from another guest, it appears that it’s going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

With the house snowed in, and the rural police force completely incapable of finding a single credible suspect, Hannah and Aunt Violet realise that once again it’s going to be down to them to get to the bottom of it.

Because whoever’s behind the crimes must be at Midwinter Manor… And if they’re not found, who knows what their next ‘gift’ will be?

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If you love historical novels, the Christmas atmosphere, and cozy mysteries, then Murder at Midwinter Manor is the right read for you. The third novel in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series, I can assure it can easily be read as a stand-alone. The story is told from the perspective of Hannah Merril, bookstore owner and occasional detective, who, together with her aunt Violet, arrives at Midwinter Manor, her sister’s house, to celebrate Christmas with her family. Invited is also her brother-in-law’s enlarged family and she is excited to see that even her beau Darius is there. Amid a bit of family drama and talk of war and its effects on soldiers who suffer from PTSD, things seem to go fairly well, until one of the guests turns up dead and a valuable family jewel goes missing. With the inept local detective loose in the house, Hannah and her aunt Violet have no choice, but to investigate on their own.

Murder at Midwinter Manor is my first novel by Anita Davison and I couldn’t put it down. I loved the cozy Christmas atmosphere, the snowbound setting, the mystery with quite a few surprises, and there are also some romance and a fun (although a bit dangerous) chase in the snow. The characters are intriguing and well-developed. Especially, I liked the character of Hannah who, like her aunt Violet, is considered unconventional for her independence and her ability to solve murders, but she is determined to live life on her own terms.

I will definitely keep reading the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series: it’s witty, entertaining, and immersive. Highly recommended!

A huge thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Anita Davison is the author of the successful Flora Maguire historical mystery series.

Publication: 15th August 2024 – Transworld

Three women. One Killer.
Talking to strangers has never been more dangerous…

When the body of forty-four-year-old Karen Simmons is found abandoned in remote woodland, journalist Kiki Nunn is determined this will be the big break she so desperately needs.

Because she has a head start on all the other reporters. Just a week before Karen was killed, Kiki interviewed her about the highs and lows of mid-life romance. Karen told her all about kissing strangers on the beach under the stars, expensive meals, roses. About the scammers and the creeps…

While the police appear to be focusing on local suspects, Kiki sets out to write the definitive piece on one woman’s fatal search for love. But she will soon learn that the search for truth can be just as deadly…

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I really enjoyed Talking to Strangers. It’s a gripping, thought-provoking and suspenseful read, and, even though I guessed a few things, it still took me by surprise.

The story is told from the perspectives of three strong women whose lives are affected by the murder of a local woman. The first is DI Elise King, in charge of solving the murder. Just back from receiving cancer treatment, she is still struggling to settle back on the job. I don’t know how I missed the first book in this series, because I really liked the character of Elise King and I am already looking forward to reading more about her. I liked her determination, not only in her job, but in her life, too.

The other perspective is Kiki Nunn, a journalist who knew the victim because she was writing an article about dating in your forties and was interviewing her and her group of singles. She needs an exclusive article that will get her out of writing boring articles for the local newspaper and get her national, even if this may mean putting herself in dangerous situations. I didn’t always like her character because she didn’t always behave morally, but I guess that was part of her job.

And then there is Annie. This murder brings back memories of the murder of her young son, a few years earlier, in the same woods as this murder. The grief and the sadness rush all back as she still wonders why her son was killed.

Last but not least, there is Karen Simmons, the victim. We meet her briefly in the beginning and then through the stories of those who knew her. All she ever wanted was to fall in love, but the men she met didn’t always want the same thing. Was she killed by one of the men she met online?

I love Fiona Barton’s writing style. The pace, the twists, the suspense kept me glued to the pages and I am already looking forward to reading more from this author.

A huge thank you to Transworld and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

Fiona Barton‘s debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller, and has been published in thirty-seven countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, and her third, The Suspect, were both bestsellers. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives on the south coast in West Sussex.

Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards.

While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. She interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most…

Publication: 29th August 2024 – Gollancz

Be careful of the dark and those that call it friend.

Katherine Woodrow is fey, and all she wants is to graduate from the Institute of Magic. But when the prejudiced mortal council threaten her position at the institute, she is left with only one option: accept a Mage Partnership with the elusive Lord Blackthorn.

Emrys Blackthorn is a riddle Kat is fearful of solving. The mysterious, cursed war hero with his stormy eyes and unpredictable ways leaves Kat with more questions than answers. What she does know is that she is irresistibly drawn to him . . . no matter how forbidden it might be.

When a string of murders and fey disappearances herald the return of dark magic, Kat and Emrys are thrown into a world of ancient books that hide hideous monsters, dark fiends who play with nightmares and mortal men who wish nothing more than to see them both burn.

But what haunts them both are secrets even ghosts dare not whisper, while insidious shadows lick their teeth and sharpen their claws, waiting for the moment that all tales will come to light – even the monstrous ones.

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A beautiful and suspenseful gothic story, a slow-burn forbidden romance, and a dark academia setting kept me completely glued to Tales of a Monstrous Heart.

The protagonist is Katherine Woodrow, a powerful fey living in a prejudiced human world that sees her only as a monster, but she is determined to graduate from the Institute of Magic. Enter Lord Emrys Blackthorn, mysterious, broody, an expert in dark magic. And the pages sizzle with the chemistry between them, so much so that even Emrys’ magical house seems to play matchmaker as it moves rooms around to try to get them together as much as possible. However, there are dark forces in the horizon, an ongoing fey rebellion, a series of murders and disappearances, and Kat’s past trauma that keeps haunting her.

I really liked the characters of Kat and Emrys. Kat is smart and loyal, fearless and brave, and determined to be considered as the others, so it was heart-breaking to see her being belittled and isolated from a Council made of old stupid men who hate her for being different. Luckily, she doesn’t care and she doesn’t let it affect her. And also, she has a mysterious and dark man always ready to protect her. I adored Emrys and I can’t wait to find out more about him. I also really liked the two supportive characters, William, Emrys’ adorable assistant, and Alma, Kat’s best friend/pretend-maid.

Tales of a Monstrous Heart is a gripping, beautifully-written story with an explosive ending that made me gasp in shock, but glad that it’s not a stand-alone novel (as I wrongly thought!).

A huge thank you to Gollancz and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this incredible novel in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Delaney lives in Liverpool, England. She has always had a deep love for troublesome characters, heart stopping romance, and all things gothic.

Publication: 24th August 2024 – Boldwood Books

Murder behind the scenes…

When Iris Woodmore visits Winchester for their annual pantomime, murder is the last thing she expects to find.

And there seems to be no valid reason as to why anyone would want to hurt lead actress, Rachel Lacey – kind and philanthropic, she organized the Christmas performance to raise funds for the Winchester Cathedral Great War Fund.

Determined to uncover the sinister forces at play, Iris and her dear friend Percy embark on a perilous journey through the snow-lined streets of Winchester, where secrets lurk around every corner and danger looms in the shadows.

But as they close in on the truth, they find themselves drawn into a web of deceit and betrayal, where nothing is as it seems and the line between friend and foe blurs dangerously.

Everyone’s favourite amateur sleuth returns for a Christmas mystery, perfect for fans of Verity Bright, Helen Gradidge and Emily Organ

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Lately I have been reading and enjoying many historical mystery novels set in the 1920s (they are my new favourite genre) so I am always looking for new ones to read and the Iris Woodmore Mysteries series is the latest one and I am already looking forward to reading more by its author.

Even though I really enjoyed A Corpse in Christmas Close, I wish I had read the previous books in the series first, not only because, based on this fifth book, I am sure I would have appreciated them as much, but also because there is some backstory that left me confused at times. Overall, A Corpse in Christmas Close is an engaging and fabulous read. I loved the atmosphere and the setting, the plot and the mystery, and the variety of characters.

The story is set in Winchester, right before Christmas, making this my first Christmas novel of the year! The plot is well-developed and historically accurate and I really enjoyed the mystery. It was fun and with quite a few twists and turns and, even though I started to suspect some of the truth behind the murder of the lead actress of a local pantomime before it was revealed, there were still a few surprises to keep me immersed in the story.

The cast of characters is very intriguing and the main protagonist is particularly interesting: a tenacious and smart woman who doesn’t let conventions or other people stop her from discovering the truth. I am really looking forward to reading more of her adventures, especially because the ending promises more mysteries and dilemmas!

A huge thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this novel.

Michelle Salter writes historical cosy crime set in Hampshire, where she lives, and inspired by real-life events in 1920s Britain. Her Iris Woodmore series draws on an interest in the aftermath of the Great War and the suffragette movement.

Publication: 15th August 2024 – Gollancz

Werewolf Ben Rosewood is happy with his life. One hundred percent. Everything is fine. His business, Ben’s Plant Emporium, is thriving, and he’s even expanding the shop. His anxiety disorder is…well, it’s been better, but that comes with the territory of running a business and having beastly urges every full moon, right? As for romance-who has the time? Though his family is desperate to see him settled, Ben is fine approaching forty as a single werewolf. But after drunkenly bidding on and winning a supposedly-possessed crystal on eBay one night, he finds himself face-to-face with a beautiful yet angry vampire.

Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux is a rare breed-a vampire succubus born from two elite European bloodlines during medieval times. Thanks to an evil witch, she’s been stuck in a crystal since she was thirty, forced to obey orders from the possessor of the rock. Eleonore’s been dreaming of breaking the spell and severing the witch’s head for centuries. But did this witch really sell her to someone new, and for only ninety-nine cents?

Eleonore would claw this werewolf’s heart out and eat it, if only the binding spell would allow her to. But Eleonore and Ben soon realize they can help each other with both vengeful and less hostile needs. And why not have a little fun along the way?

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Gentle, sweet, never-able-to-say-no werewolf Ben Rosewood is mostly happy with his life. Of course, he wishes he has more time for himself, especially now that he’s opening a new activity and he is also helping his sister running for mayor of Glimmer Falls. Also, he hates turning into a werewolf and chasing animals. And, while his friends around him are all happily in love, he is still single. 

One night, Ben returns home drunk and buys a crystal off eBay and then forgets about it. Until the crystal is delivered to his home and a very angry and beautiful vampire succubus named Eleonore Bettencourt-Devereux comes out from it.

A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is such a fun read!!! I loved Ben and Eleanor. He is so adorable, genuine and shy, always ready to help others, even if that means staying up all night. Eleanor, on the other hand, is not at all gentle. Sassy, Star-Trek lover, and very very angry after being stuck for centuries inside the crystal, she is looking for revenge against the witch who trapped her there and Ben promises to help her break the curse so she can finally be free. Eleanor was such a fun and intriguing character and some of my favourite scenes were her attempts to adapt to the modern world.

I can’t recommend the Glimmer Falls series enough. Set in a town where magical creatures live mostly harmoniously, from witches to demons, from werewolves to pixies, it is such a fun and delightful series and A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire is my favourite story. Steamy, romantic, and hilarious, it will keep you quite entertained!

A huge thank you to Gollancz and NetGalley from providing me with a proof of this wonderful novel.

Sarah Hawley lives in the Pacific Northwest, where her hobbies include rambling through the woods and appreciating fictional villains. She has an MA in archaeology and has excavated at an Inca site in Chile, a Bronze Age palace in Turkey, and a medieval abbey in England. When not dreaming up whimsical love stories, she can be found reading, dancing, or cuddling her two cats.

Publication: 14th August 2024 – Boldwood Books

Autumn, 1816…

Lady Ashby is grieving the death of her beloved husband, just two years earlier. Although still young and beautiful, Isabella is resolved never to marry again, and plans to leave London, return to her parents’ Yorkshire house, and resign from society before the year is over. But first, she wants one more taste of life…

Isabella has written a list, the contents of which, if discovered, would create a scandal that neither she nor her family would recover from. A list of things she would like to experience, just once more, before she surrenders herself to the life of a widow. And she knows just the man to help her: her friend, handsome and honourable Captain Leo Winterton.

But Captain Winterton has a secret of his own. He is in love with Isabella – and when she makes her most improper proposal to him, he is powerless to resist her, even if she is resolved never to love again. Can he persuade her they are destined to be together? Or will their impropriety be discovered, to the ruin of both?

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Lady Isabella Ashby is only twenty years old, but she’s already a widow and, two years later, she is still grieving the death of her husband, whom she loved deeply. She knows she will never love somebody as she loved him and she is resigned to a life alone with her parents in Yorkshire, but, before retiring from society once and for all, she is determined to have one last fun adventure and she makes a list of things she wants to experience. The activities on her list all require the “help” of a man and for that she has chosen the kind, handsome, and noble Captain Leo Winterton. What Isabella doesn’t know is that Captain Winteron has been in love with her for the last two years, so he is very happy to help her with her list, even if he knows that, at the end, he will have to give her up.

I really enjoyed What the Lady Wants. It is swoony, spicy, entertaining, and so romantic. There are a series of misunderstandings, interfering relatives intent on match-making, sexy and steamy scenes, lots of fun and witty banter, and two fantastic protagonists. Isabella is a strong female protagonist who, throughout the novel, goes through a journey of rediscovery and development: her grief for her husband and her conflicted feelings for Leo are relatable and authentic. And Leo is a good man who would do anything for the woman he loves, even if that love is unrequited. Their love story is beautiful, exciting, and very-well written and I loved it from starting to finish!

A huge thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Emma Orchard grew up in Salford and was given tickets to the grown-up library at the age of 11 because she’d read all the children’s books and the librarians were sick of the sight of her. She became obsessed with Georgette Heyer and hasn’t stopped reading her novels since. She studied English Literature at university and went on to work at Mills & Boon and behind the scenes in television and in publishing.

Emma’s first two Regency romances – The Second Lady Silverwood and The Runaway Heiress – were published in 2023. A Duke of One’s Own is published on 22nd April 2024, and What the Lady Wants follows on 14th August.

Publication: 1st August 2024 – Penguin UK

For all of Kat’s life, it’s been her and her mother, Jamie – except for 12 years ago, when Jamie was married for two days and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. But all that ended in a swift divorce.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job, at a billionaire’s 80th birthday party. Neither Kat nor her mother know about two surprise guests: Liam and his father, a serial scammer with his own sights set on Ross Sutherland’s family.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when someone dies, the two teens realize they might be in the killer’s crosshairs. They can’t trust anyone except each other. Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both of them know, it’s how to lie…

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Sixteen-year-old Kat and seventeen-year-old Liam have more in common than the fact that they were step-sibling for forty-eight hours when their parents married in Las Vegas and then quickly divorced twelve years earlier. Kat’s mother is a thief, while Liam’s father is a con-man and they are both headed to the birthday party of billionaire Ross Sutherland. For Kat’s mother, this is her last job before retiring as a thief and starting a new normal life as an accountant. The plan is to infiltrate the party as a waitress to steal a ruby necklace. 

Liam’s father has his eyes on Annalise Sutherland, Ross’s daughter, and has been invited to the party as his boyfriend. Following his mother’s death six months earlier, Liam has been living with his father, doing his best to protect the women he tries to con, so he tags along to the party to make sure that Annalise doesn’t become another one of his victims. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the Sutherlands turns up murdered and someone seems to be after Kat’s mother. As things take an unexpected turn, it seems that Kat and Liam can only trust each other.

Karen M. McManus is back with another smart and gripping YA novel. The story is told from the perspective of the two protagonists, and, even though I didn’t agree with many of the decisions Kat made, I adored the character of Liam. Kind, sweet, not-able-to-lie Liam was my favourite character and, as the story progresses, I started to like more the character of Kat who would do anything to protect her mother, including foolish and dangerous decisions.

Such Charming Liars is fast-paced, addictive, and well-developed and it’s the perfect read for all YA readers!

A huge thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Karen M. McManus is a #1 New York Times and international bestselling author of young adult thrillers. Her work includes the One of Us Is Lying series, which was turned into a television show on Peacock and Netflix, as well as the standalone novels Two Can Keep a Secret, The Cousins, You’ll Be the Death of Me, and Nothing More to Tell. Karen’s critically acclaimed, award-winning books have been translated into forty-two languages and have sold more than seven million copies worldwide. To learn more, visit www.karenmcmanus.com or @writerkmc on Twitter and Instagram.

Publication: 18th July 2024 – Abacus

FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a twinset and tweed.

You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.

Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.

A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.

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The Cracked Mirror is a gripping and twisty story, and, hopefully, I will manage to talk about it without giving too much away. In Los Angeles, LAPD detective Jonathan Hawke and his new partner are investigating what it appears to be the suicide of a screenwriter. The body was found inside a room locked from the inside and with no other exits, then why Hawke is convinced that there is more to this death and continues to investigate despite his boss’ protests?

Meanwhile, in Scotland, Penny Coyne is the Miss Marple of her little village where murders seem to be an everyday occurrence. She gets a mysterious invitation to an exclusive wedding which ends up with what appears to be another suicide. As Penny and Hawke’s paths cross, they will have to figure out what is going on as things are not at all what you expect.

This book took me completely by surprise. Action-packed, fast-paced, multi-layered, and suspenseful, nothing is what I expected and it kept me on my toes, although there were a few things that I found slightly difficult to follow. This is not my first Chris Brookmyre’s novel and I love his writing style and I enjoy how he manages to perfectly connect everything together.

The Cracked Mirror is described as “a cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly” and I think there couldn’t be a more apt description for this gripping page-turner! 

A huge thank you to Abacus and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

Chris Brookmyre was a journalist before becoming a full-time novelist with the publication of his award-winning debut Quite Ugly One Morning, which established him as one of Britain’s leading crime writers. His 2006 novel All Fun And Games Until Somebody Loses An Eye won the Everyman Bollinger Wodehouse Prize, and his 2016 novel Black Widow won both the McIlvanney Prize and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award. He also co-writes historical crime fiction with his wife, Marisa Haetzman, under the pen name Ambrose Parry..