My Book Reviews for March 2026 (Part One)
My Book Reviews for March 2026 (Part One)
My Book Reviews for March 2026 (Part One) comprise a glorious dual-timeline historical novel, the first in a new historical detective series, a dual-timeline mystery, a feelgood novel and some psychological thrillers by big-name authors.
The Sea Stone Sisters by Eleanor Buchanan
A prologue tells us that in ancient times, a father erected four giant stones on a wild Scottish headland to guide his four abducted daughters home. A curse would befall anyone who brought down the stones. Their family, like the father’s, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.
In 1931, when Charles Blackmore knocks down the Sisters of Skara standing stones, his fortune is lost, his wife dies and he turns to drink. His four daughters have no means of support and soon they will all leave, never to return. Taking only her precious opal ring – one of four rings inherited from her mother – eldest daughter, Iris, sets off for Colombo in search of an uncle who might help the family. The people and places she encounters on her adventurous journey will change her forever.
Fleeing personal danger in present-day Australia, Roz switches off her phone and goes to ground in London. By chance she sees a painting of four ancient standing stones in an antique shop window. She senses an uncanny connection between the painting and the ring on her finger, inherited from her late mother. Her search for the painting’s origins takes her to the heart of what happened to Iris Blackmore. But as she unravels a fascinating mystery, the threat to her life circles closer.
This is a pitch-perfect dual timeline novel. As well as providing epic, engaging and romantic historical fiction with Iris in the 1930s, the author offers gripping suspense in Roz’s present-day story and a heart-pounding conclusion. The two plots weave together beautifully, with vividly evoked settings from cosmopolitan London and rugged Scotland to Sri Lanka in its colonially occupied days as Ceylon and an Australian cattle station. We also experience a lavish crossing on an ocean liner, a primitive plane ride and a spin in a helicopter. The writing is excellent, not a word out of place. The 1930s sections show a deftness of touch – authentic without stylised dialogue or a heavy-handed research dumping. This is a page-turning read with a strong cast of characters with whom the reader enjoys spending time. And the author sets up nicely for three more books to unravel what happens to Iris’s three sisters, their descendants and Finn, the young lawyer who worked with Roz.
I wrote this independent review of an early copy in October 2025, months ahead of the novel’s publication in March 2026. I already have the feeling it’s going to appear on my list of best books of 2026.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity.
A Mother Always Knows by Diane Jeffrey
A does-what-it-says-on-the-tin psychological thriller from this experienced writer. Told in a straightforward style from the viewpoints of two divorced parents, their investigating police officer friend and their eighteen-year-old daughter, the story follows the aftermath of the murder of a despicable nineteen-year-old man.
It explores themes of family dynamics, manipulation, consent, and the trauma and illegalities of revenge porn. It poses the important question of how far a mother should go to protect a child she suspects of committing a terrible crime.
Fans of Diane Jeffrey won’t be disappointed. Diane’s previous book, The Crime Writer, was one of my favourite books of 2025. My Rave Reads of 2025.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Washed-up journalist Matt accepts an offer from old friends Adam and Celia Murphy to spend the summer at their villa in Greece.. But it's not the opportunity for rest and recuperation that Matt anticipates. First, the Murphies arrive with their children, then the whole group is distracted by a noisy billionaire neighbour with whom they discover they have shocking and unexpected history.
Another sultry and evocative thriller from Sabine Durrant. Ideal for fans of the genre.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce
This is a fluently written legal thriller. The trial involves two teenage girls charged with murder after causing the death of another girl. The accused, from different backgrounds, dispute their individual roles in what happened. Are they both guilty, both innocent, or is one to blame? And what part did the girls’ interest in witchcraft play?
The novel is told from the viewpoint of juror Matthew. On the surface, he’s a respectable transplant surgeon but, in his head, chaos reigns, and he becomes obsessed with the arguments raised in court about witchcraft. Will he vote for the correct verdict or are evil internal voices going to influence him?
Ideal for fans of Harriet Tyce. With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The Harvey Girl by Dana Stabenow
Taken from the blurb: 1890. The New Mexico Territory is a lawless frontier where criminals steal money and land alike with impunity. Everyone wears a six-gun and is ready and willing to draw it. In the new city of Montaña Roja, Fred Harvey's growing empire is threatened by the robberies plaguing his newest Harvey House restaurant. To get justice, he needs a skilled detective to go undercover. The assignment falls to Clare Wright, a young Pinkerton agent. Disguised as one of Harvey's famous hostesses, Clare travels west where she risks being exposed at every step of her investigation.
A solid start to a new historical detective series, written in old-school storytelling style with lots of period detail and a touch of humour. Fans of Dana Stabenow will love it.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The Truth about Ruby Cooper by Liz Nugent
Although there are echoes of Strange Sally Diamond in the title, Liz Nugent takes her writing in a different and unusual direction with this latest novel. Rather than the standard up-close and short-term suspense normally associated with psychological thrillers, this novel uses sweeping, arm’s length narration to tell the story of two sisters across the decades after a life-changing incident in their teens.
From the blurb: If my sister hadn’t been beautiful, none of it would have happened.
Ruby Cooper and her sister, Erin, live an idyllic life in their close-knit church community in Boston. But when Ruby is sixteen, she is involved in an incident that causes her family’s world to implode.
Across decades, the fallout leaves a wake of destruction behind Ruby in Dublin and Erin in Boston. Not that Ruby wants to think about the past. But it can’t stay a secret forever.
Ideal for readers looking for something different in the way a psychological thriller is told.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
Six Little Words by Sally Page
The title refers to a Shakespeare quote that appears on a card on the noticeboard at a village café. Each week a new quote is added to the card, drawing the interest of some of the café visitors, including:
Heartbroken Bardy, a retired English teacher.
Kate, a cancer survivor who misses her grown-up children.
Pia, a lawyer from Denmark.
Lou, the bereaved café owner.
Tay, a troubled teen who does a few shifts in the café.
They come together and form an art group, intending to forget their worries/secrets/lies through creativity. But their worries/secrets/lies are still there and it takes being part of this community to work through them.
Characterful, emotional and uplifting. Another surefire hit for Sally Page, who writes expertly in this genre.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The Vanished Girl by Kathleen McGurl
In the long hot summer of 1976, Pippa Jenkins goes missing. In 2024, Jo moves back to the village. The story is told from her viewpoint in the present day and also from her position as a twelve-year-old in the days leading up to eight-year-old Pippa's disappearance.
Seasoned thriller readers may not be surprised by the denouement but the strength of the novel comes from likeable Jo's dual perspective.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
The Quiet Girls by Dorothy Koomson
When her old friend MJ asks for help, Dr Kez Lanyon goes undercover as a therapist at the elite boarding school that MJ’s daughter attends. A teacher has been killed and a pupil is missing. Other girls have disappeared over the years. This time, MJ's daughter and her ‘nice’ friends are somehow involved.
Kez soon discovers that powerful forces are determined to keep truth and secrets hidden, and her investigation will put her family in danger.
Told in Dorothy Koomson’s trademark straightforward style, this builds to a wild, action-packed conclusion. Before then, though, there are some tense scenes where Kez challenges unbending staff and/or parents. I particularly enjoyed the standoff about banning books from the school library. Go Kez!
Twisty and sinister. Perfect for fans of this bestselling author.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.
My News
Her Rising Star – Book 3 in the Gloucestershire Crime Series.
I’m delighted to reveal the cover, created by Jayne Mapp for my publisher Hobeck Books, for Her Rising Star, the third book in the Gloucestershire Crime Series. It will be published 26 May. Please click here to see the cover and read the blurb.
My new newsletter provides writing tips for emerging writers. The first post gives a snapshot of what I got up to last year and explodes the myth of the thousand-words-a-day word count; the second discusses the value of writing buddies; and the third is about the different edits a manuscript goes through. Last month I wrote about direct speech – speech tags and punctuation. My next newsletter will be out at the end of March. Subscribe for free: Dr Rachel Sargeant | Substack