Book Review: ‘The Last Death of the Year’ by Sophie Hannah

I love Agatha Christie, but I’m not always sure about how I feel about other writers using her beloved characters. There’s so much depth and humour in Christie’s Poirot that I think it’s so hard to get the right pitch.

However, ‘The Last Death of the Year’ is the closest I’ve read to a ‘proper’ Christie book, even among Hannah’s other books. The character of Poirot is well judged – he’s set in his ways and pompous, but also kind of endearing in his despair at the state of the house’s kitchen and chaotic chef. The sidekick and narrator – Inspector Catchpool – is Captain Hastings under another name. And the closed circle of suspects/victims in a remote house (here on the Greek island of Lamperos) is classic Christie. The whole plot hinges on who was where and when – who is lying and why?

The setting is interesting – the Lamperos house is home to a range of people who have all been drawn there by the shared values of the commune, specifically total forgiveness in all situations. It opens up questions about what the people are running from that they need forgiveness for – and there’s suspicion and speculation aplenty. There’s also romantic intrigue and jealousy, all of which adds fuel to the fire, with the ultimate result being ‘the last death of the year’. Poirot and Catchpool are left to investigate in a house with a floorplan that becomes familiar to readers, seeking a murderer in a small group of guests who slowly reveal their true colours.

It’s a fun read, starting from trying to identify a murderer from a list of New Year’s resolutions and moving onto the tension of waiting for a midnight death as the year turns to 1933. The characters are a strange mix and there’s plenty of red herrings to keep any armchair sleuth busy.

I’d recommend this to Christie fans or anyone who enjoys Golden Age crime – it’s engaging, well plotted and nice to see Poirot on a new case.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book – opinions are entirely my own.

Header photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘The Christmas Clue’ by Nicola Upson

Christmas books in October is not entirely in my comfort zone, but I had to make an exception for Nicola Upson! More frequently writing about Golden Age detective writer Josephine Tey (check out that series if you haven’t already), this marks a new direction for Upson – it’s the Christmas of 1943 and a married couple arrive at a country hotel in the snow to run a festive murder mystery game for the guests. When things take a sinister turn, Anthony and Elva Pratt turn detective, as well as game designers as they create Cluedo along the way.

Anthony and Elva Pratt were real people, and did actually create Cluedo based on Elva’s floor plan design and Anthony’s brainwork. The rest comes from Upson’s imagination, and we’re introduced to a lively cast of characters passing Christmas at the hotel, as well as a load of shady back-stories and mysterious events. It’s phenomenal to see what Upson has packed into this book which is short – novella length, I think. It even has a map of the village, and I love a map!

This would make a brilliant Christmas present for crime-lovers. It has shades of Agatha Christie (the clever closed circle mystery) and Josephine Tey (ingenious plotting), avoiding too much coziness and keeping the reader hooked right to the end. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book.

Thanks to Alexander Lyashkov on Unsplash for the header photo

Book Review: ‘Somebody is Walking on Your Grave’ by Mariana Enriquez

I loved this so much! What an interesting idea and a fascinating book.

Mariana Enriquez is an Argentine writer who likes visiting cemeteries – captivated by the stories that lie within, but equally willing to share how the visits fit in with her own life and passions. This is autobiography and history and folklore and loads of great stuff all in one book, and it is so beautifully written (and translated – absolute kudos to the translator because it reads fabulously). From the first (slightly surprising!) visit she narrates, through cemeteries around the world, we meet the friends and lovers who are part of her story. Some of these places were familiar to me – Highgate and Greyfriars in particular – but there are so many other places we are taken to, described captivatingly, so that the reader gets a real sense of the sites and people and the stories. Enriquez is a huge music fan (Manic Street Preachers in particular) and it was lovely to see where her interests intersect – music, travelling, cemeteries, folk tales and superstition.

Some of the stories are told with humour, some with poignancy – and there are some genuinely surprising moments around sex, death and theft! All of it is told with warmth and curiosity and a lively narrative voice, presenting us with a narrator who is real and self-deprecating and sees with absolute clarity.

Each chapter in the book is a separate place and illustrated with a photo from the cemetery being described. All of them made me appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of each place, and made me want to follow in Enriquez’s footsteps and see these amazing places for myself.

I’d really recommend this book – you don’t have to be interested in cemeteries to enjoy this as (despite what you might think) all life is here.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of this book.

Thanks to Ruben Ortega on Unsplash for the header photo.

Book Review: ‘How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days’ by Sophie Irwin

This isn’t my usual genre, but I did enjoy Sophie Irwin’s previous book, ‘A Lady’s Guide to Fortune Hunting’, and thought I’d give it a go. I’ve also recently discovered ‘Bridgerton’ (I know – where have I been?! Late to the party as usual!) so was quite happy to immerse myself in Irwin’s Regency world.

In this book, we meet the haughty Lord Ashford – a man with a title and some unfortunate business dealings to sort out which means he needs to marry money. The problem is, his idealistic father will only approve a love match – so Ashford needs to find a wealthy woman he can pretend to be in love with to get approval to marry. The perfect solution seems to be Miss Lydia Hanworth – she seems socially presentable, demure and compliant when Ashford has met her at parties, even if she comes from a family who own factories (absolutely not the done thing in high society!) Lydia’s family are keen to marry her off and an announcement date for the engagement is set. What could possibly go wrong?!

Let’s just say that Lydia isn’t happy with the arrangement!

What follows is an often hilarious comedy of manners – or Lydia’s total lack of them – at an extended house party graciously hosted by Ashford’s sister, Phoebe. Lydia is determined to convince Ashford that he doesn’t want to marry her and her tactics are very funny – hideous fashion choices, sabotage of Ashworth’s own clothes, poor table manners, crass topics of conversation and testing the boundaries of Ashford’s gentlemanly patience. She’s strong, single-minded and an absolute force to be reckoned with and I loved her.

Until – of course – she starts to notice that Ashford isn’t even remotely ugly, and can actually be quite nice… Yes, we can all see where it was going to head right from the start, but that doesn’t matter a bit. Irwin is skilled at throwing obstacles in the path of true love, even as the protagonists are starting to realise their own true feelings. Add in sub-plots about Ashford’s family and Lydia’s eccentric brother and there’s plenty of substance to get your teeth into here.

I’ll admit I was surprised by just how funny this book was – I was prepared for gentle comedy, but Lydia is brutal and totally unrelenting in her mission to lose her lord in ten days, so there is some quite extreme behaviour. I laughed out loud quite a few times and would have been happy to stay in Lydia and Ashford’s world a whole lot longer. By the time they were done antagonising each other, I was totally invested in the outcome of the story.

I’d recommend this if you like Regency romance with a bit of humour – there’s much to love in the strong female lead too. I definitely want to read more from Sophie Irwin.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of the book. This book is due for publication on 31st July, 2025.

Book Review: ‘No Safe Place’ by Hannah Brennan

I love a good police procedural, and this is a good police procedural!

This is a debut from Hannah Brennan, and marks what is (I presume) going to be a new detective series featuring Detective Liz Field.

In this book, Field is called in to investigate a brutal attack on a man who is stabbed multiple times and ends up with his life hanging in the balance. When a second attack happens with the same distinctive methods, Field has a murder investigation on her hands. Guided only by a page from an academic paper found with the victims, Field embarks on a race to understand the subjects of the paper a child psychologist’s study on his young patients with OCD. Field has to race against time to find the group of ex-patients, while also considering that one of them could be a killer…

The OCD element of the story is managed really well – the writer has personal experience of this and it shows in her careful treatment of the issue. Several of the characters who take turns narrating the story have OCD, and it is interesting that Brennan explores the different aspects for each character, such as agoraphobia, intrusive thoughts or fear of causing harm. This was an intriguing addition to the expected murder mystery, and something I’ve not seen so sensitively handled or so well integrated into the plot. before.

The other aspect of the book that I loved was Field herself. She’s an older character (in her fifties) and with a family connection to OCD herself, which makes this case more personal. I thought that the character was well developed, especially in her relationships with her son and her two (very competitive and warring) colleagues.

This was an enjoyable read with a bit more depth than some other books in this genre (not a criticism of other books – I love a mystery in pretty much any form!) because of the OCD element. I think that Field is an appealing central figure and look forward to more books in this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of this book. It publishes on 31st July, 2025.

Header photo by Marios Gkortsilas on Unsplash.

Book Review: ‘The Paris Express’ by Emma Donoghue

There’s a really famous photo of a train accident at Paris Montparnasse station in 1895 – in it, the steam engine of the train has overshot the end of the line and is hanging out of the station through the giant glass windows. It’s an arresting image and one that Emma Donoghue has taken as the inspiration for her new book. Who was on that train, speeding unknowingly towards the derailment?

The book is very fragmented, skipping between lots of characters on the train across all the classes, including the railway staff. At first, I found this quite hard to follow, especially remembering who everyone was and how they all fitted together. However, after a while, it all came together and I started to find the characters engaging. It’s a true slice of late 19th century French life, from the train guards and stokers to high-ranking political figures, from the wealthy invalid in her own carriage to the young terrorist, from the schoolboy to the pregnant woman nearing her due date, the coffee seller to the woman aspiring to be a doctor. As is Donoghue’s tendency, there is a feminist slant to some of the stories – and it is the women who are often the strongest or the most visionary (something I like about her writing).

As well as basing the events on a real incident, Donoghue’s cast includes real people too – and this is all explained in the author’s note at the end. Fans of historical fiction will find a lot to enjoy here – the historical detail is pin-sharp and vivid, from the heat and steam of the engine footplate to the claustrophobic quiet of the private carriage for the sick woman.

It’s an immersive book if you can allow yourself to go with the narrative, switching between people and carriages frequently. I definitely enjoyed learning about the people, the time period and the incident itself and would recommend it to anyone who likes thought-provoking and intense reads. There’s certainly a lot of tension as the train hurtles towards its final destination with the passengers unaware of what’s coming.

With thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of the book – opinions are entirely my own.

Header photo by Adrian Botica on Unsplash.

Book Review: ‘Dead to Me’ by Gytha Lodge

Gytha Lodge writes great books – twisty, fast-paced and totally immersive. I loved the series featuring detective Jonah Sheens and was intrigued to read this standalone crime novel.

This story centres on an investigation by an American journalist, Anna Sousa, who is digging into the circumstances surrounding the death of s student at Cambridge University. Going undercover and moving among the rich and elite students, Anna seems to be closing in on some very unpalatable truths. She begins writing her notes down in an email to Reid Murray, a British detective and Anna’s ex – they’re not really in a good place, but he’s the only one who will understand. Then Anna goes missing, and her ex is the only one who can help her…

I liked the way that the book was structured, moving between Anna’s father (who is looking for her), Reid and the email to Reid containing Anna’s account of what happened. It’s a clever model and allows insights into the separate characters and the situations they put themselves in. It also brings a great deal of tension into the book, as Anna mixes with the students knowing that one of them may be a killer – and puts herself in constant danger of discovery to get some answers. The suspense builds as the account gets closer to the University’s May Ball, while Reid and Anna’s father try to find her.

I’d recommend this to fans of clever crime fiction – it will keep you guessing with your heart in your mouth!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of this book. It is due for publication on 3rd July, 2025.

Header photo by Chris Boland, a fab wedding photographer based in Cambridge

Book Review: ‘We Are All Guilty Here’ by Karin Slaughter

This is one of those books that drags you in from the start – it’s by turns totally shocking, heart-breaking and brutal, but you’re never in any doubt that you’re experiencing storytelling genius. It’s so well-plotted, clever and eventful – Karin Slaughter is an author I need to read more.

This book is set in North Falls, one of those small American towns where everyone knows everyone else and generations of one family (the Cliftons) work in law enforcement. When two teenage girls go missing during the town’s big summer firework party, Emmy Clifton steps up to investigate, along with her father and son. Emmy’s close friend is one of the girl’s mothers and Emmy was one of the last to see the teen at the party.

However, what follows is far from a simple kidnapping, and has tragic repercussions that impact the town. As Emmy starts to uncover the secrets of the people of North Falls, it becomes really clear that everybody has secrets and nobody can be trusted. Her investigations – spanning a long period from the original disappearances to a trial and a new case – start to break down relationships in the town and in her personal life. Into this mess comes an investigator who has had considerable success in finding the bodies of murder victims – but is she going to help or hinder Emmy?

I loved the character of Emmy – a middle-aged woman with a responsible job who is also trying to navigate some tricky family stuff. As a character, I thought she was warm and likeable, yet also human and responding to some awful situations in totally understandable ways. I’ve heard that this might develop into a North Falls series and I’d be really keen to see what Emmy does next.

As I’ve already alluded to, Slaughter doesn’t pull any punches in her writing and some of the twists and turns in this book were genuinely really shocking. I wasn’t quite prepared for some of it! However, it’s all really cleverly woven together and the narrative is always credible. I found myself constantly guessing whodunit and I was always wrong – there’s so much going on and the real clues are hidden in stacks of red herrings!

I’d recommend this if you like your crime stories with grit and off-the-scale levels of tension. There were times I had to put this book down to take in what had happened – but I always found myself desperate to get back to North Falls!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy of this book – opinions, as always, are enturely my own. This book is due for publication on 19th June, 2025.

Header photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘The Art of a Lie’ by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a brilliant writer of historical crime fiction – she creates totally immersive worlds, well-rounded characters and some absolutely amazing twists. This book is one of my favourite so far of 2025.

In this novel (a standalone – not connected to her previous books, although still set in Georgian England), widow Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her confectionary shop in Piccadilly running. She’s facing the sexism of men who don’t like women in trade and William Fielding (yes, the famous author, who was also a magistrate) is trying to confiscate the money from her husband’s bank account as he investigates some dodgy dealing. The arrival of William Devereux seems to be a blessing, bringing with him ideas for iced cream that will revolutionise Hannah’s business – but is William all he seems?

I absolutely loved this book. I was rooting for Hannah from the start and there were a few twists along the way that absolutely knocked me for six! Georgian London and society was portrayed with depth and detail, and Shepherd-Robinson’s research on confectionary and the introduction of iced cream was woven beautifully into the narrative. I felt like I learnt quite a lot while reading a great story too! The characterisation of Hannah and William was cleverly revealed over the course of the novel, and I love books that throw in actual, real historical figures too – I wonder if William Fielding really was like that!

I feel like I shouldn’t write any more about this book in case I give anything away – there’s so much to enjoy in the rich narrative and through the different narrative perspectives used in the novel. It’s another absolute gem from Shepherd-Robinson and I absolutely can’t wait for the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book – opinions are my own.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Book Review: ‘The Penthouse’ by Catherine Cooper

Catherine Cooper books can be relied upon to be twisty, unexpected – and lots of fun. This one is absolutely all those things,

This book focuses on the intertwined stories of an early noughties girl band and a boy band. Both were discovered on a talent show and their fates seem ever-linked – from the early days of auditions to tours, romances, less-savoury happenings and then, 20 years later, a farewell concert. The story is told from the perspectives of the different band members and other key characters, with the time line shifting between the noughties heyday and the reunion/farewell concert.

For anyone who grew up watching X Factor, Popstars or The Voice, there will be a lot that’s familiar here: the drama of the auditions, the bands created from the most talented ones from other groups, the greedy managers and the relentless money-making from these young stars. It’s an interesting look at the industry, especially when we see the same people years later and the damage that fame has done as they’ve mostly drifted back into obscurity.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Catherine Cooper book without a great mystery, bucketloads of secrets surfacing and the questions over people’s versions of the truth. In this case, the mystery surrounds the disappearance of the girl band’s lead singer, Enola – and the way that the events of the final days before she vanished. It’s not clear what happened to her – but, as the reunion gathers pace, it seems that everyone has things they’re hiding, from Enola’s jealous ex (Max) to her bandmates who had their sights on taking the lead in the group.

This is a fun, easy read and will keep you guessing until the end – I’d recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy – opinions are my own.

Photo by Matthias Wagner on Unsplash