A Family Matter by Claire Lynch

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I picked up ‘A Family Matter’ by Claire Lynch in one of my recent visits to an independent bookshop. This treat came home with me from ‘Heron Books’ in Clifton (this is also a happy coincidence as one of the main characters in this book is called Heron). And, as I purchased it, the booksellers only had good things to say about the author and the book. Since then, it has also won gold prize at the Nero Book Awards, which I think it very well-deserved.

‘A Family Matter’ is told in a dual timeline. In 2023, we meet Heron and his daughter Maggie as they deal with a recent health diagnosis, that also makes them face the past. And we are also in 1983, as we learn about Dawn, who is dealing with the end of her marriage as she enters into a relationship with Hazel and all that this goes on to cost her.

It is a short but special read. I found myself surprised when it came to an end, as I think I wanted a little more, which is the sign of a very good book, in my opinion. You are left, as this book ends, wanting more and still thinking about it. I like to think that, as I have thought a little more about this book, that as it came to end for us as a reader, the characters continued to live on and take the chances that they have been given.

This is also a fascinating study of relationships. And it will be no surprise that it is an interesting study of family relationships, in all the different forms that they take.

If you have read this book, I have thoughts about the actions of Heron in 2023, and what they mean for his daughter Maggie. I am absolutely convinced that what he does, he does so in order to know, as life changes, she will have the chance of something new. I would love to know if you have read it, and if you have the same ideas. Or even if you are inspired to go and read it – let me know if you have the same ideas as you get to the end of the book.

But, most importantly, read this book because it is a complete gem!

The Barbecue at No.9 by Jennie Godfrey

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been counting down the days until this book was released; I was looking with a little envy at some of the Bookstagram community that had proofs of ‘The Barbecue at No. 9’, so I ensured I picked it up as soon as it was released. And, thank goodness, it did not disappoint (which is no surprise).

The family at No.9 are having a barbecue, for the children, on the day/night of ‘Live Aid’. One summer day/night that wont be forgotten by many but especially won’t be forgotten by the households of Delmont Close. As the residents come together in the summer of 1985, suspense is built as we meet them and are gradually introduced to their secrets – some darker than others. The tale is told from multiple viewpoints, which means we also see how they view each other and this potentially leads the reader to play a little bit of armchair detective as they try to work out what their secret may be.

This story and its excellent character creation is also done with a reflection of the social attitudes and political situation of the time. Which may be something that does not offer us the same nostalgia as the music and popular culture of the time. But it is still a reflection of the time, and I am glad some progress has been made – but there is, of course, always more that can be done. I realise that is quite a cryptic set of sentences, but, as you know, it is a spoiler-free review here, so it will have to be cryptic until you pick it up and read it yourself.

I heard Jennie Godfrey speak about this book at ‘The Book Taster Live 2025’, and I love the dedication she had for making sure the right bands were on the TV at the right time as she told her story. And, I loved how the book is broken down hour by hour, reflecting the acts that were on the stage at the time. I mean it was quite a collection of the musical royalty of 1985. I would certainly reread this book with a playlist of the artists as I read the sections, to transport me even more to the summer of 1985. Although, I am not going to lie, whenever an artist or song was mentioned, they were on repeat in my head from that moment on.

So, if you enjoyed ‘The List of Suspicious Things‘, you will enjoy ‘The Barbecue at No. 9’. Jennie Godfrey, again, creates fantastic characters, and places them in a setting in such a way you feel like you are there with them. I am certain I could smell barbecue as I was reading the book. I am excited to see where Jennie Godfrey takes us next!

Body of Lies by Jo Callaghan

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

When one of your Booksta and Book Club buddies knows how much you love a series of books that they share the newest one with you, you know you have found your tribe. My excitement when ‘Body of Lies’ by Jo Callaghan landed on my doormat was extreme – this is a book from an autobuy author for me and one that has been one of my most anticipated reads for 2026.

Kat and Lock are two of my favourite detectives in the current crime fiction world and knowing that this is our last meeting with them is quite something as a reader. However, this novel is just as wonderful as I thought it would be. Jo Callaghan has given this series the conclusion that it deserves, and I know that she will always be an autobuy author for me.

So, there are no spoilers here, so I am basically not going to say much about this book, which I realise is probably going to make this a very short post. But, what I am going to say is that our crime fighting duo are together on the case of the murder of a local MP, who appears to be embroiled in the AI debate that is around us all the time. As they attempt to solve the case, things take a turn, and the case becomes a matter of life and death – maybe in more ways than one.

I am simply urging you to read this book if you have been a fan of the others. And, if you have not read any of the Kat and Lock stories yet, why not? Pick them up now before the final book is published, because you will not be disappointed at all; these are crime stories, but there is so much more to them, too – and I for one am going to be going back to the beginning to relive it all again, because they are just brilliant.

My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It was an absolute treat that ‘My Husband’s Wife’ arrived as a gift from a friend for Galentine’s Day. I am a little late to the Alice Feeney party, only having read ‘Beautiful Ugly’ before this, but I am definitely now a fan and, again, so happy that I have a backlist of books that I can go back to and read. Especially as a thriller is one of my go-to genres when I am looking for a read.

‘My Husband’s Wife’ is an excellent twisty thriller, which is just what I want from a thriller. There is even a moment of slight confusion created as you read it, which is fine as that adds to the thrill of this book. And the incredible amount of secrets each character is carrying around with them really does make you wonder if you ever really do know anyone at all. Alice Feeney is skilled at creating a group of completely unrelated characters and linking them together in some of the most fascinating ways. I did not expect the connections made in this book, they were fantastic.

It is so hard to write about thrillers, and hats off to anyone who can do it well. I will say that this was a page-turner (cliche, I know) but that is what I want from a thriller. And it really must be, as I even took it on a train journey with me (rather than my commute Kindle) as I had to know what was going to happen next and where this twisted tale was going.

So, I think it is safe to say that I will be seeking out other books by Alice Feeney. ‘His&Hers’ may have to go to the top of the list as, thanks to a recent adaptation, it is getting a lot of attention, and maybe I should jump on that bandwagon.

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This book was one hundred per cent chosen for its incredible cover. That is one impressive piece of design, and it will no doubt have many readers reaching for it over the coming months. Alongside that, I managed to bag an edition with the most incredible spredges.

This book is a brilliant read, a clear commentary of the 1960s, in so many ways. The Newmans are the wholesome American family, their lives being lived out every week on television, without a blemish to their character. However, is that the reality behind the scenes? Are each of the Newman family really living the life that they are showing to the world? Or is the world controlling the lives of the Newmans?

We dive into the ‘secret’ world of the Newmans as it is thrown into turmoil one tragic night. We see a study of the way women were forced (if we are honest) to live in the 1960s, and how some fought to try and change this, despite the barriers in their way. As well as the LGBTQ+ community who were not allowed to live freely, and the efforts those in Hollywood had to go to hide their truth. (Something that should still make you angry as a reader.) And, the damage that maybe the Hollywood lifestyle could do to those who were growing up in the spotlight. However, alongside this we see how important a loving family can be to those who need that extra little bit of support along the way.

I enjoyed that this book was told through some different media along the way, the odd magazine article alongside the traditional chapters really threw you into the time period and made you feel you were experiencing the 1960s.

I will be recommending this book to anyone who is fascinated by the ‘golden’ Hollywood age – it will really make you question what that really meant for those who were living through it. It will still leave you admiring those who were living it, but it will also make you appreciate that there were a number of sacrifices along the way and a lot of bravery. And, maybe, we still have some lessons to learn about that cult of celebrity and how the world treats those who are put on a pedestal by, not only the public, but those that they are working for.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have been so excited about the release of this book and I knew it had to be a book I bought on my Bath bookish adventure at the end of January. I love Libby Page’s books and she is another author I was introduced to thanks to The Book Taster community, as she was the authors at one of the live events.

There are so many reasons before I even opened this book that I knew I would love it; it is about books, it has a bookshop in it and it is from the pen of Libby Page – and have you seen the cover?! ‘This Book Made Me Think of You’ is a book for every bookworm and beyond.

We meet Tilly (full name Matilda) as she is dealing with grief after the death of her husband, Joe. However, Joe has done something amazing: starting on her birthday, he has left her a book per month for a year, a book he has especially picked for her and there is a note to go with each one. These books create a year of adventure for Tilly and help her navigate a year without her husband – and the possible changes to the course of her life.

Now, I can’t say more than that as we would enter spoilers territory, but all I will say is that you will laugh and you will cry, but you will also remember the importance of books. A beautiful touch as you start each month of this story is that there are a list of books recommended by Libby that may do for you what Joe’s recommendation does for Tilly. I have to be honest, I have added pretty much every single one to my wishlist (although I do possibly draw the line at wild camping).

I think this book will teach every one to remember to embrace life, plan that adventure, try that new hobby and don’t be scared to do the things that will make you happy. It will also remind you why you love books and bookshops. I am so glad that I managed to pick this book up in Mr B’s in Bath because that just makes it that little bit special. It is definitely a book that will be on my shelves forever – especially as it is so pretty.

I would also recommending listening to the BBC Radio 2 Book Club episode about ‘This Book Made Me Think of You’ because I think it makes the book even more special. I waited until I had read the book and it certainly made me appreciate the book even more – and I definitely need to plan a trip to Paris to visit Shakespeare and Company and the cafe next door. It all sounds like a perfect bookish adventure, just like this book.

The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am pretty sure that I first heard about this book on the BBC Radio 2 Book Club podcast, and I thought it was something that would be right up my street. An alternate, dystopian, historical fiction book, is something that piqued my interest immediately.

Telling the story of the children’s homes, in a time post World War Two, where we meet three siblings, boys who are there believing that their parents have died. The three boys appear identical, identified by the colours they are dressed in, but they are not the same in personality, despite having the same upbringing and experience.

However, as you read the story, you find out the real reason the boys have spent much of their lives in the orphanage/children’s home. And the first twist genuinely made me gasp as I read it, and as we approached the second twist or revelation, I found myself identifying this as a thought-provoking book that would stay with me for quite some time.

I keep my reviews spoiler free, but this is just a genuinely great book. It is something that fans of Kazuo Ishiguro’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ will enjoy, I believe, as it is quite the exploration of the potential alternate world we could live in with the developments in science, if they had come at different points in history.

I also enjoyed the storytelling from the points of views of the three different characters, one of the sibling, Nancy (her story slowly revealed and linked) and the Minister of Loneliness (who is responsible for these children’s homes as they appear to be coming to the end of their purpose).

It is always fascinating to see how three different characters can see these in three very different ways, and that impacts how we read the story, as we know things that others may not. Alongside this, it is broken down into three books or parts, and this also makes for an interesting read when you look at the title of each section…but I will let you discover this for yourself.

This is a book that I already know who I would recommend it to – and some who I would encourage to pick it up, as I think it could be a story that would bring them into a whole new genre of books.

All Her Fault by Andrea Mara

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

One author that I can always rely on is Andrea Mara, and that was true again with ‘All Her Fault’. I have not seen the TV adaptation but the book does not disappoint at all. In fact, I think the very ending is one of my favourites in a crime/thriller book that I have read in quite some time.

So, I have my usual issue because it is a thriller, so I do not want to give too much away. However, this is a very well-constructed thriller that will keep you reading. Andrea Mara always manages to find some of our greatest fears, or what we can imagine may be someone’s deepest fear (in this case, the disappearance of a child, which is not a spoiler) and weave it into a narrative that is complex, thrilling and twisty. I could not have predicted any of the twists that happened in this one, and, although there was one reveal at one point that seems a little too obvious, you absolutely did not want to believe that it was true.

But now, I must stop as I do not want to give anything away about this book. And if you have seen the TV adaptation, I reckon you should still read the book as Andrea Mara is an excellent writer. It has secured her as an author that I will always turn to if I need a book that will keep me hooked, and possibly a little bit scared. I am also pleased that I still have some of Andrea Mara’s books to read, especially as this is a backlist title that has gained some attention thanks to the TV series, which means that even more readers may be drawn to her books and find a new favourite author. So, I guess watching the show first for some readers is not always a bad thing, but I am glad I have read the book first and may one day see the TV adaptation.

The Guilty Couple by C. L. Taylor

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Trying to clear that tbr pile is going too slowly, but it is going. And, the latest choice off that pile was ‘The Guilty Couple’ by C. L. Taylor. I needed something of a palate cleanser, and this was just that. I hope nobody takes that as any kind of slight, as it is not intended as one, it just means a book that did not need a lot of concentration or focus, but that would have me hooked from the moment I started reading. Often, thrillers are just the book I need, or crime fiction – I find them pacy and that, for me, allows me to reset for other reads.

‘The Guilty Couple’ was a book that I received as part of a ‘Wordy and Wild’ box last year, so it was time I read it. Liv has spent time inside for planning a hit on her husband, apparently with the support of her lover, Jack. She has always denied the charge, and is convinced her husband set her up. But now she is out and wants to get her life back on track and her daughter back in her life. Of course, it is not going to be quite as simple as it sounds, and it is not long before Liv is drawn into deceit and plotting as she tries to prove her husband’s part in framing her, with a little help from her friends.

This is told from multiple viewpoints so we are let into all sorts of secrets as we follow Liv’s story. However, there is still quite a twist at the end. I am not sure it was a complete surprise but it was a good one and it did make reading the book worth it.

This book does exactly what you need a thriller of its kind to do. It keeps you reading, and you do find yourself keen to find out what happens next. I am not sure it is full of likeable characters, but you do root for Liv because her husband is largely rather unpleasant, it seems. I did stay up past my bedtime to finish it, as once I hit the twist I need to have the full story. I can confirm it appropriately cleansed my palate before I continued to tackle the ever growing (still) tbr pile.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I may be removed from the bookworm community for saying this, but I am going to say it, I think for one of the first times ever – the film was better! I am so sorry, I know this is a crime in the book-loving world because we should say ‘the book was better’, however, hear me out – this is a film that is pretty loyal to the book, but there is just something a little more satisfying with the film.

Ruth Ware knows how to write a solid thriller, and often in a range of different settings too. Which always makes picking her books up worth a go. ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ is a great premise for a book: a trip on a luxury yacht should be something that is exciting and a thrilling experience, but not a chilling one. In the middle of the night, it appears the woman in cabin 10 disappears, however nobody seems to believe Lo Blacklock when she tries to find out what has happened. And we all know that a great trope of a thriller is the isolated destination with no escape, and that all other characters in the story appear to have no idea about what is going on…

So, obviously, I keep it spoiler-free, especially with a thriller. However, let’s look at what made me make such a shocking statement at the start of my review. It was simply this: as loyal an adaptation this appeared to be to me, the pace of the film just helped it out a little. I found in the book, my mind was wandering slightly after the very pacy start and just before the conclusion. Obviously not enough to make me not read the book, but just enough to lead me to consider the similar moments in the film. Also, and I know I am not alone in this as this was a buddy read, I think the ending was better in the film. Yes, I have just said it; it feels like I may be sharing an unpopular opinion, but the ending in the book felt rushed, and I realised that I was not entirely sure how we had suddenly got to the end – in the film there was a little more clarity.

I am willing to admit that I saw the film first, so that was my first impression of this story. Yet, I did enjoy seeing where the book met the film, and it did make me think about this book a little more as I considered why some of the changes may have been made.

So, will I read the next one? Probably! Because, let’s be honest, I am interested to see what ‘The Woman in Suite 11’ is all about, especially as I do not read blurbs, so it will all be a surprise.