Month: February 2026

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.