My Book Reviews for June 2025 (Part One)
My Book Reviews for June 2025 (Part One)
My Book Reviews for June 2025 (Part One) comprise a bumper crop of advance copies I had the privilege of reading. I thank the authors, publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity.
From the Blurb: Natalie has spent ten years trying to get over the twin set of events which changed her life forever.
The first: the moment her boss assaulted her. The second: the moment the jury declared him innocent - and her a liar.
In her attempts to block out the past, she often wakes up with no memory of where she’s been – or what she’s done.
When her husband, Ryan, gets accused of the same crime, Natalie wants to believe him. But when the body of his young accuser is found in the woods near their house, Ryan becomes a prime suspect, and Natalie realises she can't trust anyone - herself included...
Ideal for fans of slow-burn, complex psychological thrillers. I liked the two viewpoint characters – Natalie, still coping with trauma; and Stratton, a police detective still coping with a family tragedy.
Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams
When a supermarket has to be evacuated, Jessie gets into conversation with Cal, the gorgeous guy in the checkout queue behind her, and they end up spending the day together. They tell each other their family histories, their triumphs, disasters and dreams for the future but have to part before they can exchange numbers.
Despite scouring the neighbourhood – a well-described London-Stoke Newington – Jessie doesn’t spot Cal again until she opens a door one day and he’s standing there with roses, for someone else. Everything is set up for a star-crossed lovers/getting back together plot. However, the story moves away considerably from the standard romance arc with other characters besides Cal taking centre stage in Jessie’s life. Nevertheless, everything reaches a satisfactory conclusion.
It's Always the Husband by C.L. Taylor
Dubious goings on revolve around a group of parents at the school gate. Fans of Lesley Kara’s The Rumour – as well as real-life parents (!) – will recognise this fertile, angst-ridden territory.
The three viewpoint characters are: newcomer and single mum Jude; beleaguered and increasingly isolated wife and mother Sorrell; and recently separated queen bee Victoria. They interact with a large cast of other mums and with single dad Will, who may or may not have done away with two ex-partners.
A fluently written, swift and solid read. Another surefire hit for this bestselling author of psychological suspense.
This is a coming-of-age story about Daphne, a British girl of Jamaican heritage, and set against a backdrop of 1980/90s social unrest and racism. Daphne is forced by her teacher to buddy up at school with Connie, a new boy who’s just arrived from Jamaica. Over the course of the next few years, Daphne navigates friendship, romance, personal ambition, achievement and a visit to Jamaica. She observes, at close quarters, racist violence and domestic violence. Although the story highlights prejudice and powerlessness, it also shows the protagonists’ resilience and reaches a satisfying conclusion.
The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne
Starting with Yetunde, a woman who wakes up on a slave ship bound for a plantation in America, the Devil visits her and several members of her family across two centuries to save them in their darkest hours and to attempt to save himself.
Ambitious and unusual, this book is ideal for readers who enjoy classical-style storytelling with strong biblical allusions.
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager
Anna invites six individuals to board a night train from Philadelphia to Chicago. She ensures they are the only passengers in one of the carriages and intends to force confessions from each person for destroying her family. But then one gets murdered, and, before she can return to her plan, Anna has to put aside her hatred of the others to find the killer.
This was quite different from the horror/ psychological thriller titles by Riley Sager that I've read. (Here’s my review of Home Before Dark: My Book Reviews for January 2021 — Rachel Sargeant . ) As befits its 1950s locked room setting (the sleeper carriage), the novel is written in the narrative style of a golden age mystery and it's ideal for fans of the genre.
From the blurb: Desperate for a fresh start after the death of her husband, children’s author and illustrator Annie moves with her young son Charlie to a charming town in upstate New York. Bored and lonely in their isolated new surroundings, Charlie is thrilled when he finds a forgotten train set in a locked shed in the grounds of their new house. Strange sounds wake Annie in the night – she’s sure she can hear a train, although there isn’t an active line for miles. And then bizarre things start happening in the neighbourhood. But even stranger, Annie can’t seem to stop drawing a disturbing new character that has no place in a children’s book…
Grief plays tricks on the mind, but Annie is beginning to think she’s walked out of one nightmare straight into another, only this one is far more terrifying…
Bestselling thriller writer Linwood Barclay moves into supernatural/horror territory in his latest book. Ideal for readers who enjoy straightforward narrative style and clear plotting.
Actually, I’m a Murderer by Terry Deary
Interesting premise: It's 1973 and four strangers are on a late-night train to Newcastle. One admits to being a hired killer.
This is a send-up of 1970s policing with plenty of contemporary details, including depictions of casual/aggressive sexism/misogyny.
With lots of asides, farcical elements and addresses to the reader, fans of the Horrible Histories books may well enjoy the author’s first foray into crime fiction.
Henshaw Press Short Story Competitions
I'm honoured to be one of a team of judges and critique writers for the Henshaw Press Short Story Competitions. I came second in a Henshaw Competition back in 2016. I stayed in touch with the organisers, cheerleading about subsequent competitions and prize-winners and reviewing their anthology on my blog. Eventually I was invited to join the judging team. The quarterly competitions are open to anyone over 16 years of age. Stories can be up to 2,000 words on any subject. The entry fee is £6. 1st Prize £200, 2nd Prize £100, 3rd Prize £50. For a separate fee of £14, entrants can receive a critique of their story. The current competition is open to entries. It closes on 30 June 2025. https://www.henshawpress.co.uk/ The competition for the next quarter will open in July.