Crime
-
The Trees confronts America’s history of racial violence through a darkly satirical lens, blending murder, history, and uncomfortable humour. While the novel raises powerful questions about reckoning and revenge, its strange structure and genre-blurring approach may leave readers unsettled — and unsure — by the final page.
-
The Christmas Killer is the first in a winter-themed crime series by Alex Pine. Marketed around the chilling promise of “12 murders over 12 days,” it immediately sets festive expectations—though the execution doesn’t quite live up to the concept.
-
Truth, like light, can blind those unprepared to face it. Yet without it, we stumble endlessly in the dark—mistaking shadows for certainty.
-
This novel is set close to home for me, in the small Derbyshire village of Eyam, and takes place during the Great Plague of 1665—a time also marked by suspicion and fear of witchcraft. The story follows two central women: Isabel Frith, the village midwife, and Mae, the youngest daughter of Wulfric. Their lives intertwine…
-
Last weekend I was lucky enough to go to The Queen’s Reading Room, a literary festival at Chatsworth House. I was so proud to meet seven wonderful authors, including Samantha Shannon. I also attended her talk Fantasy and Dystopia within Fiction, where she was interviewed by the equally incredible Saara El-Arifi. The setting made it…
-
On Saturday 20th September, I had the absolute pleasure of attending The Queen’s Reading Room, a remarkable literary festival hosted within the breath-taking grounds of Chatsworth House and Gardens — famously recognised as the cinematic backdrop of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
-
The Unmaking of June Farrow is a fantasy/sci-fi novel by Adrienne Young, featuring June, a woman who travels from 2023 to 1951, entangled in a complex timeline involving murder, romance, and a family curse affecting only women. The engaging story highlights gender roles, despite leaving some questions unanswered, and showcases intriguing character relationships.
-
by Agatha Christie, adaptation by Anna Lee Believe it or not, this was my first audiobook. I’ve always found it hard to listen to audiobooks because I’ve had that old-fashioned notion that it’s not really reading. However, seeing their rise in popularity, I’ve started to come around to the idea. And why not start with…
-
by Dan Brown Origin, the latest instalment in Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series, is another thrilling dive into the recurring theme of science versus religion. In this novel, Langdon is invited to Spain by an old student-turned-friend to witness a groundbreaking discovery that addresses two of humanity’s biggest questions: “Where do we come from?” and…
-
by Dan Brown The fourth installment in the Robert Langdon series sees our favorite professor waking up in Florence with no memory of how he got there and a bullet wound on his head. In his jacket pocket, he finds a strange object, and soon, a mystery surrounding Dante’s Inferno begins to unfold—hence the title…
-
by Dan Brown The third instalment in the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown is another example of his fantastic research, seamlessly weaving authentic locations, symbology, organisations, and rituals into the narrative. This creativity draws you deeper into the story, helping you vividly visualise every detail. The Lost Symbol follows our favourite Harvard professor as he…
-
by Dan Brown The Da Vinci Code follows Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon in another gripping murder mystery/thriller, this time with a historical treasure hunt after a murder at the Louvre in Paris. His companion, Sophie Neveu—granddaughter of the murder victim and a skilled cryptologist—joins Langdon on both the hunt for the killer and the quest…
-
by Dan Brown After re-watching the Tom Hanks film series, I decided it was time to delve into the books they were based on. To my surprise, I realised I hadn’t read all of them, even though this type of story—a blend of murder mystery and historical treasure hunt—is exactly what I enjoy. Naturally, I…
-
by Anthony Horowitz “The Twist of a Knife” unfolds a gripping murder mystery in the world of theatre, as a writer ventures into playwriting with “Mindgame.” Opening night dazzles with success, drawing esteemed critics like Harriet Throsby. However, her scathing review becomes the talk of the town, only to be followed by her murder the…
-
by Katy Brent The Murder After The Night Before” is a contemporary murder mystery novel set in London, England. It follows Molly, a 30-year-old woman whose life takes a drastic turn when she wakes up beside a stranger with no memory of the previous night, only to discover a humiliating video of herself has gone…
-
by Richard Osman The fourth instalment of the Thursday Murder Club series takes readers back to the familiar and endearing setting of Coopers Chase retirement village in England, where its charming and witty characters find themselves embroiled in yet another intriguing mystery. However, when one of their own becomes a victim of a twisted plot,…
-
Richard Osman “The Bullet That Missed,” the third instalment in Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, maintains the charm and humour that readers have come to love. While it may not have connected with me as deeply as the previous books, it remains a fantastic read that keeps you entertained throughout. One of the strengths…
-
Richard Osman “The Man Who Died Twice” is the highly anticipated second instalment in the Thursday Murder Club series, written by renowned author Richard Osman. Building upon the success of the first book, this thrilling mystery novel once again immerses readers in the captivating world of the Thursday Murder Club, a group of charismatic and…
-
“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman is an entertaining and captivating murder mystery novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the unexpected world of a retirement village.