Tag: Thriller

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This is a book that I was so excited to read, it had been on my list of the most anticipated reads of the year and it was no kind of disappoint. This was a brilliant book, and just the page-turner you need in these winter months.

As Cam wonders why her husband is not answering his messages and realises his phone appears to be off – he is in a hostage situation. Not as a captive, but as the perpetrator… This spins Cam’s life out of control and the life that she embarks on with her young daughter is not the life she thought she would be living. Now, none of this a spoiler, as you are told this in the blurb, but that is going to be where my discussion of the plot will end, as this is a spoiler-free zone. Other than, as previously mentioned, I really enjoyed this book – I am just disappointed that work gets in the way of reading.

I really enjoyed that we were at the moment of the hostage situation and we are then thrown seven years on to find out how Cam is now living her life – and if she has been able to rebuild and ever really forget what her husband Luke has done. But, alongside this, we also follow Niall, the hostage negotiator who has always had a feeling that maybe the events seven years before were not quite as they seemed. And so the story is told from the point of view of these two characters.

Gillian McAllister always creates fantastic plots with brilliant characters – the two marry together perfectly to create a thrilling reading experience, something that becomes a real page-turner. I worked out one little plot twist, although I am not sure it was one that was fully hidden from the reader, if you were reading carefully. However, it was a brilliant idea and it did not remove from the enjoyment of the book because, to be honest, when you feel like you can be an armchair detective, you know you are exercising (in the words of everyone’s favourite – Hercule Poirot) those ‘little grey cells’. I really hope that we are going to have another book from Gillian very soon, as I am certainly in my thriller era and I am always looking for the next thrilling fix.

The Hike by Lucy Clarke

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am ahead of the game, already having finished the January pick for the Book and Pudding Club I attend. I guess that is the joy of only having your Kindle with you when you need to pick a new book, and ‘The Hike’ is sitting there ready for you to read. This was also the perfect book for the ‘Twixmas Days’ as it is a page-turning thriller, that has you just wanting to know what will happen next.

Four female friends set of on a hike, their annual trip to spend time together, although this year it is different as they do not usually go for something so adventurous, usually opting for some time on the beach. However, each of these women is carrying more baggage than their backpacks and as they spend more time on this hike, secrets are revealed and friendships are tested. All alongside them encountering the trip of their nightmares, rather than a lifetime. And, why do they feel haunted by Karin, a woman who went missing on the same hike a year before?

What I liked about this book is the way that the chapters were constructed. Each chapter is a different perspective, which is not unusual, but there are chapters from a character who works as a mountain rescue volunteer and these are cleverly placed throughout the book. These chapters are a clever way to feed information to the reader that may impact their reading experience. I found these chapters fascinating the more the story went on – and as I finished the book I did reflect on how these chapters had impacted my understanding or perspective of the story.

I have to be honest, I am not sure I was a complete fan of all of the friends. I am not sure I believed in them all as real people but I did understand their situations and some of their experiences which maybe explained some of their behaviour. Although, by the end there was a change in each of the characters.

This was a fast-paced read and a clear page-turner. You just had to know what was going to happen next – this was my second book by this author and I much preferred it to the first one I read on audiobook. I think I would have found this hard as an audiobook as you need to keep the thread and different perspectives need to be clear. So, I would read more of Lucy Clarke’s books but I think I would stick to physical copies rather than audiobooks.

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I clearly decided I wanted to end my 2024 reading year with a bang, even if I did not realise it, and picked ‘I See You’ by Clare Mackintosh. What a wild ride of a read, and one that I could not put down.

This is a true chilling thriller and that was what kept me hooked and picking it up at every moment that I could. It left me a little unerved, because it was one of those thrillers that you can actually imagine (potentially) happening, and that always makes it that little more chilling as you read.

Zoe spots a familiar photo in the classified ads of the London Gazette; in fact, it is a little too close to home, and she has no idea how it got there. However, she starts to notice that there is a connection between photos of women appearing in the classified ads and crimes that are being committed against women in the London area. I can not give away any more than that because this is a spoiler-free review – but what I can say is that this is an incredibly well-constructed thriller. You are left trusting nobody and you feel the fear that Zoe feels as the story progresses. There are twists and red herrings and a thrilling conclusion as we reach the end of the story – or is it really the end of the story?

I did not work out the full conclusion to this tale, which is something that makes a good thriller. On the final page, some of my suspicions were confirmed, but I had many before the final twist was revealed and they certainly had not all been correct.

I think that this could be my favourite of Clare Mackintosh’s books; I think I like it even more than ‘I Let You Go‘ and I know that is a particular favourite of many thriller fans. Clare writes excellent female characters and really draws you into the world of the central characters, which makes you feel like you are living the experiences with them. I really liked that, in this book, there was an insight into our perpetrator at points, and these left you pondering who exactly that may be. It is so skillfully done that you consider it to be so many characters. In fact, these sections were some of the most chilling to read, as you can imagine, and I think that the villain was one of the most unnerving that I have read in a recent thriller.

So, this is a book that any thriller fan should pick up if they are looking for a new read. It certainly made the end of my 2024 reading year a fantastic one, and I will be recommending this to everyone who asks for a thriller recommendation, as it was an absolutely brilliant read from the moment it started.

A Bird in Winter by Louise Doughty

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Thank you Tandem Collective for having me along on the readalong of ‘A Bird in Winter’ by Louise Doughty. What a treat to be gifted a copy of this book to snuggle up with in these winter months and read along with a lovely group of bookworms.

This is a slow burn of a book, following Bird as she is on the run from someone she believes to be dangerous. Someone who had manipulated her in her place of work. Only, as the story unfolds, you realise that maybe Bird is not in the usual line of work and her being on the run may be far more serious than we would first imagine.

I can’t give too much away about this book as there are some secrets along the way that you uncover as the reader. But it is quite an adventure going on the run with Bird – and we find out about her past as she goes.

This is also one of those books with a very clever title. The kind of title that can have a number of meanings as the story is told, and you can interpret it as you wish by the end of the book. And, it is great to think that many different readers will see it in many different ways.

I enjoyed reading this book and I was keen to find out what was going to happen, and there is certainly the opportunity to discuss ideas with other readers. However, there was a little something missing. It felt as though there was something else we could be told as a reader – and not just because the end was left to allow the reader to reach their own conclusion about the tale, but because it suggested at points that there would be a little more given to us, and it did not quite materalise.

Yet, this book has a fantastically strong female lead in Bird and, my word, she is a brilliant character. She demonstrates so much strength and independence and certainly knows how to look after herself. And, as a general rule, she is no nobody’s fool and for that I loved her.

If you like your thrillers to have a slow burn, then you will enjoy this book. I will certainly pick up other books by this author, because I loved the style of the storytelling and did enjoy the read – I just thought there was a small part of the puzzle missing, although I think that is a me problem, rather than a problem with the book or plot itself.

Kala by Colin Walsh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

The final in my accidental Irish trilogy of reading is the pick for the ‘Book and Pudding Club’, ‘Kala’ by Colin Walsh.

This is a book that proves you should not judge a book by its cover. I had seen this cover around a lot (attached to the book, of course) and it said to me: slowburn, coming-of-age story, hot summers and probably America. And, how wrong I was – other than having a link to the school days of the main characters, it has nothing to do with the ideas conjured up by the cover, and I have to admit that I am very glad that I was proved wrong about that.

‘Kala’ is set in small-town Ireland; Kala disappeared one evening in the teenage years of our main characters and they have never quite come to terms with it, and they have never had closure. But they are all carrying around their own baggage from those events; it may be physical scars, they may have tried to run away, or they may have turned to other ways to try and escape. Events seem to repeat themselves, just as people are moving on, when two girls disappear – but, a little like in the past, nobody seems to immediately react, as they see it as just attention seeking from ‘difficult’ teenage girls. As the severity of the situation dawns on the town, secrets and lies start to unravel – but will the truth finally be revealed to the whole town?

Now, at the heart of this book there is a mystery, and that is all I can say about the plot. However, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story (which always sounds a little strange when the book has a dark theme), and I loved that many of the chapters were first-person, but one of the chapters was told in the third-person – even though each chapter was based around one of our main characters. I could talk about why I think the author has done this, but I feel that this could give away some of the plot. What I will say, is that I think it worked, and I think it was actually a very clever plot device. (Although, this is more of a comment on me, rather than the book – I did not immediately notice this and then it suddenly hit me – a bit like a twist in a story does.)

If I have not yet convinced you to read this book – and absolutely not judge it by its cover – then hopefully the statement that this book kept me up well past my bedtime, as I just had to finish it, may do. This is a great study of human nature and character, and the darker side of small-town communities – how easy is it to hide your real self? I would really like to read more by this author, as I think Colin Walsh has many more stories to tell.

We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I have seen a few posts around about the books of Chris Whitaker (and, of course, recently spotted him on ‘Between the Covers’ on BBC Two – with the same surprise that he is British and not American – but I think that is an indication of what a great author he is). So, when I spotted ‘We Begin at the End’ at a bit of bargain price, I thought it was time for me to give the book a go.

This novel was brilliant. Excellent atmospheric storytelling from start to finish, gripping you from the very first moment. A slow-burn crime novel, starting with a historical crime that has left its mark on small-town America, we are brought up to date – but the ghosts of the past are still haunting our characters, young and old.

And there is that moment all crime and thriller fans love; the twist that I did not see coming, but that was a wrench and almost a heartbreaking moment. I had to take a minute when it hit me as I was not expecting it at all – and it leaves you with so many points to think about that you know this book will be with you for quite some time to come.

I think the other thing that makes this book the read it is are the characters. They are so well-crafted, you can imagine each and every one of them – they are a true cast that bring the story to life. And some of them are not quite what you expect – it is amazing what people can hide about themselves or how the judgement of others can create a character, correctly or incorrectly. You will admire some of the characters, you will dislike others, but what you will realise as you read is that people are rarely what you expect. Each of these characters will be with me for quite some time, but especially Walk and Duchess: two very different figures, both of whom have a strong sense of justice, but maybe different views of to whom it should be handed out…

This is a book that I am going to be recommending to anyone who will listen to me. You do not need to be a crime fan to read this tale; you just need to be a fan of an excellent story and a well-written book. It will have you reading past your bedtime, or – in my case – ignoring all responsibilities as I just had to know what was going to happen next and what the conclusion to this fantastic story would turn out to be.

So, if you have not yet picked up a novel by Chris Whitaker, maybe now is the time. And it has definitely bumped ‘All the Colours of the Dark’ up my tbr pile.

Let’s Split Up by Bill Wood

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

If you love everything nineties and early noughties, especially if you are the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ generation, then you will be a great fan of ‘Let’s Split Up’.

This book is a joy of the YA horror/thriller genre and is a whole lot of fun to read. Set in a small American town, with a high school, a group of friends who may not quite fit into a clique, and a house with a dark secret – I mean that is the ideal recipe for a bit of a spooky read with a thrilling edge. And then when you throw into the mix the killing of the ‘it’ couple from the high school (not a spoiler, as it says that in the blurb), you have all that you need for a great autumn read.

I really enjoyed this novel, as it was like a love letter to so many of the things that I love from my teenage years – yet things that may have always slightly spooked me. But it also contained great characters, especially the four friends that we follow through the story. I loved their desire to solve the mystery and the dark secret of the manor, because I think, really, we all wanted to do that if these are the stories we enjoyed. The tension was also brilliantly created with some fantastic descriptive writing that brought it all to life.

If you still read YA (which I hope you do), or even if you don’t and maybe you start, this would be a great book to pick up, as there are so many different ways that it can be enjoyed – but I do think nostalgia was the one that really hooked me in.

Thank you Bill Wood for bringing this much joy to a horror book (is that a contradiction in terms?).

In the Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This is a book that (no surprise) I have been meaning to read for ages. And when it was recommended by a number of people I admire, I knew I had to pick it up and give it a read.

Now, there are so many reasons that I loved this book. Firstly, I found it fascinating that it was about bringing AI into police work. How would removing human emotion impact police work? Would it bring more efficiency to the process? There is so much to unpack here, as there were moments of admin that the AI was certainly pretty efficient at – being able to watch hours of CCTV for example. But it is true that sometimes the human touch and a little emotion is not a hindrance but a help. As well as this, there was the intrigue of how DCS Frank works with the AIDE (Locke); how he becomes almost human when she needs someone to speak to or share ideas with. Although that does come with its own dangers – as she soon finds out…

Alongside this, there was the brilliant crime thriller element of the book. Someone goes missing every 90 seconds, one could say ‘in the blink of an eye’, and it becomes DCS Franks job to decide which cases about missing people the team should return to and hopefully solve for their families. When she spots the connection, it brings it all a little close to home – but there are no spoilers here, so you will have to read the book if you want to know how.

And, finally, I know the area that this book is set in very well. There is something rather fun about reading about an area you know in a good book. Especially when there are even some quite niche references like that hardware store on the high street… I would quite like DCS Kat Franks’ cottage, too, but I think that is an actual work of fiction (or has been moved from one end of the town the other).

Overall, Jo Callaghan has crafted fantastic characters in a fantastic crime thriller. And I am now rather excited to read ‘Leave No Trace’, because this is a world I would like to enter again. This book deserves all the accolades it has received, and I am already recommending it to all the crime/thriller fans I know.

Bad Tourists by Caro Carver

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This is definitely the summer of destination thrillers; I do not know if that is a real subgenre, but it certainly should be if it is not. ‘Bad Tourists’ is a book that I had seen getting a lot of love on Instagram, so I was definitely influenced to read it as soon as I could.

I am really going to struggle to talk about this book as I refuse to put spoilers in my reviews but this is an impressive thriller. Darcy, Camilla and Kate are on a luxury holiday together, celebrating a new chapter in their lives and trying to forget the past. However, once they have arrived, things are a little unsettling: a newly wed couple who are not all that they seem – and do the three best friends really know each other as well as they think they do?

I did not see the twist coming in this book; although it is cleverly hinted at throughout, you can never quite believe that this is what is going to be – so, you gloss over it as you read it, as I am not sure you really want to believe it. And, to me, that is a sign of an excellent story, as the author can take you down so many different paths, and you never know what you can or can not believe.

Caro Carver also does that brilliant thing of making an absolute paradise (in this case the Maldives) seem like such a small and enclosed place. When you are not in your own space, it is amazing how trapped you can feel, despite all the beauty and opportunities that surround you. A paradise island can so easily become a prison when you are uncertain about what is going on around you.

This may have to be a short review, other than to tell you to read this book, because it is a fantastic, slightly claustraphobic thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Bookstagram made me do it, as well as the fact that this book won the ‘Val McDermid Debut Award 2024’ at the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival. And, oh my word, this book deserved this award – and it definitely deserves more hype than it seems to be getting. As you all know, I do not read blurbs, I go with what I think I will like based on what I see around, so I had no idea of the story I was about to read, but it absolutely blew me away.

This is not cosy crime; I have been describing it to people as more Taggart or Frost than Midsomer Murders, but this is a excellent crime writing. This is a story that has come from a great writer and plotter, and someone who has a brilliant creative mind. This is a story that is not about if you can work it out, but about how it is worked out on the page – and I loved it.

Ava is growing up just outside Birmingham in the 1980s. She has some slightly unusual interests, like the anatomy of animals, and keeps records and observation notes of the world around her. Ava has a great mind and, when a number of children are murdered in the local area, she gets drawn into the investigation, and becomes quite the support for the local police force.

I can not give any of this tale away, but please do not think that because a young girl becomes a support for the local police force, they are there as a bit of a joke. This is not true at all; this is about respect and support between the two. Ava can observe much of what the police can not ,as she is part of the community, and because observing and note taking is something that she likes doing.

I honestly thought this book was absolutely fantastic and well-deserving of its award. At points, it might not be for the faint-hearted, but things are not there to shock – they are there as part of the story, and it is all dealt with well.

I really hope that we will see more from the pen of Marie Tierney because I, for one, will be reading it immediately. If you like an excellent piece of crime fiction, maybe with a slightly chilling edge, then make sure you pick this book up immediately, because you will not be disappointed.