The Other Half by Charlotte Vassell

When I popped this book into Storygraph, I was surprised to see that one of the adjectives used to describe it was ‘funny’. However, as I read this novel, I realised that, actually, there is some humour in this book; a dark humour, but almost a satire of how ‘the other half’ live – all woven into a great crime story.

I was kindly sent this book by a Bookstagram buddy and, when I saw that it had been chosen as Waterstones’ thriller novel of the month for October, I knew that it was time to pick it up and give it a read. And I was hooked by the tagline on the front: ‘You know how they live. This is how they die.’

I really enjoyed this book. As with all thrillers it is quite hard to write blog posts, as you do not want to give away any of the twists or the thrills. However, what I enjoyed about this book was the slightly cynical look, that almost became a satire of the rich/poor divide. How it may appear that some of those with privilege can sometimes manipulate the situation in order to achieve what they want while never considering the consequences of their actions or some of the devastation that they leave behind them.

Detective Caius Beauchamp was a great character and is someone that I would like to read more about in other books. Especially as you feel that the story leaves you with a desire to find out a little more about this man. And our villian Rupert Beauchamp (no relation but, sadly, historically these families were linked – with Rupert’s as lords and masters and Caius’ as far less…) is a very well-created enemy of the peace, but is also almost a caricature of ‘the other half’ and how they live.

There are some uncomfortable topics in this book, so please consider this before you read it, but as a rule this is a great thriller, and I hope we will see more from the pen of Charlotte Vassell.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor

My lovely bookstagram buddy ‘Life in Two Worlds’ sent me ‘The Drift’, as I had spotted that she had been reading it. And I feel very lucky that she did – this is a fascinating read and such a clever concept for a book.

I absolutely cannot give any spoilers in this post. So, this is going to be a very difficult post to write as the twist in this book is just perfect, and I absolutely did not see it coming – and I am still thinking about it now. What an incredible author C.J. Tudor is to have been able to write such a book with such a twist, and keep it all so well structured, while never losing that thread.

This is a virus novel: there is an outbreak of a dangerous virus and we follow a number of different characters as they deal with their experiences in an isolated area of the world. The characters are all fighting for survival in some way or another, and experiencing the paranoia that is established between those who are thrown together, and just want to be able to survive at whatever cost. The sense of place is fantastically created, so you feel you are among them in their snow drift, or stuck in the cable car – and you feel the tension as the characters do.

However, this is all I can really say about this story’s plotline, because you truly need to read this to appreciate the skill that has gone into writing this book. Although it is a bit of a slow burn and probably needs quite some concentration, it is a book that I recommend if you like a well-written thriller that leaves you guessing until the very end.

And I must remember to read more of C.J. Tudor’s books.

The Night of the Flood by Zoe Somerville

I am ashamed to say that ‘The Night of the Flood’ has been on my tbr pile for well over a year. This was a book I picked up after the 2022 ‘Tasting Notes Live’ event where I heard Zoe Somerville speak. I finally picked it up in August from ‘The Unread Shelf Project’ prompt of ‘Immerse’, as I felt this book would be a rather atmospheric read that would transport me back to the Norfolk of the early 1950s.

This book was inspired by the real floods which hit the Norfolk coastline in 1953 – and they become the setting for a fantastic slow-burn thriller. However, the thing that really drew me into this story was the backdrop of the Cold War. It was so interesting that this was a book about civilians (rather than a pure spy story) during the time and how much of an influence this unknown quantity of what was happening actually created such an atmosphere of fear and paranoia. It is always in the background of this story, haunting the characters and making Jack such an enigma of a character (I am still not sure if I warmed to him or not as I read this story). This is, of course, combined with the hangover from the Second World War – the idea that life is precious and can be sadly cut short – emphasised, again, by the tragedy of the floods.

There is also a great study of the taboos of British society at the time. And that some of these taboos, combined with the fear generated by the Cold War, were adding to the anxiety felt by many as they attempted to live their lives – the way they were expected to, even if it was not the way they truly wanted to.

I became truly hooked on this book once I was immersed amongst its pages. I found the characters and their experiences fascinating – against such a historic background. Zoe Somerville creates so much atmosphere with her writing that you can almost imagine being there and really witnessing what is taking place, which made it a perfect choice to the prompt of ‘Immerse’.

I will definitely be looking out for ‘The Marsh House’ and adding that to my tbr pile.

The Retreat by Sarah Pearse

The thriller fascination just seems to be carrying on this summer. I was lucky enough to be gifted ‘The Retreat’ as a birthday gift from a fantastic friend, so I picked it up pretty quick.

I had an interesting conversation with someone who suggested that the previous book, ‘The Sanitorium’, was a little far-fetched as a thriller, with some actions from the characters being questionable and probably thrown in to add more to the story. Now, I cannot comment as I have not read that book, but it was a surprise to me as I felt that this was not the case with ‘The Retreat’.

‘The Retreat’ reminded me of the classic crime stories of the locked room. A destination, rather claustrophobic, with a set number of characters, but murders are being committed (or very suspicious accidents). Sometimes, it seems that these crimes should be simple to solve but, of course, they always seem to be the most complex.

This is a very atmospheric novel – and the island is as much a character of this book as the people are. There is also a current and an historic crime that become part of the investigation, which adds another dimension to the story.

There may be a couple of actions by Elin Warner that some may consider questionable, but also I feel that they fit into the personality of the character that has been created. And do any of us know what someone may do in some situations.

I would be interested to read ‘The Sanitorium’, as the concept intrigues me and I wonder if the author’s writing has been honed – but, let us be honest, both books have been a big hit, so as we always say, one of the joys of books is that we all have different opinions and thoughts about them.

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

Since discovering the books of Gillian McAllister at the Tasting Notes Live Event of 2022, I have become a huge fan. So, when there was the chance to hear her speak again with Steve Cavanagh, I jumped at the chance (and, this time, actually took the chance to meet her as I had a book to be signed – I have to confess, I had not read any before the Tasting Notes Live event).

Gillian has brought us another fantastic thriller in ‘Just Another Missing Person’. I could not put this book down. Gillian creates twisty thrillers that really tap into human relationships – especially those of the family. The big question in this novel is ‘how far would you go for your child?’ – and this question is a constant theme throughout the book from start to finish, for every single character that we encounter. And that is a great thing about Gillian’s books; she always asks and tackles questions that thread throughout the story, and allows you to understand some of the actions of the characters, even if you do not agree with them.

The main twist in this book is one that will make you gasp (probably), but I would highly recommend you read the acknowledgements to bring even more to that very twist, and make you appreciate it even more. Although, let’s be honest, all the twists are pretty fantastic.

One joy for me is that I still have some of Gillian McAllister’s backlist to catch up on (and there is one on my shelf), but one sadness for me is that we have to wait until next year for another book.

And a little additional comment, I think Steve Cavanagh and Gillian McAllister being in conversation with each other about their books and their writing processes has been one of the highlights of the summer for me. (It has also added to my book wishlist, as they mentioned titles that they enjoyed, too.)

Kill for Me Kill for You by Steve Cavanagh

I was lucky enough to hear Steve Cavanagh and Gillian McAllister talk about their latest books at my local Waterstones recently. So, of course, that means I have to start reading them (and pause for a moment on shopping my shelves).

‘Kill for Me Kill for You’ is a standalone novel from the pen of Steve Cavanagh (do not worry, Eddie Flynn is returning), inspired by the novel ‘Strangers on a Train’ (yes, I have ordered a copy of that book too). It is a page-turning thriller full of twists and turns, and quite some suspense. It is a study of what may lead someone to agree to kill another person – and if an agreement means that someone can actually go through the act.

It is always hard to review thrillers, as there are no spoilers here – however, this book is simply brilliant. I could not put it down; I read past my bedtime and chores were definitely left undone as I needed to know what was going to happen next. Especially each time something new was revealed that you may not have been expecting.

It is a very well-constructed narrative, with the clever use of timelines and characters’ narratives building all the thrilling tension.

Steve Cavanagh is a particularly talented thriller writer, and I cannot wait to read more of the Eddie Flynn books.

The Honeymoon by Kate Gray

This is definitely a case of ‘Bookstagram made me do it’ – I had seen ‘The Honeymoon’ by Kate Gray all over bookstagram and I was getting a severe case of FOMO. Especially after a fantastic post by a lovely friend actually reading ‘The Honeymoon’ on honeymoon. Also, as we have established that I am in a real thriller mood, I could not really let this book pass me by.

When I spotted it at a bargain price, I knew I had to pick up a copy and break my self-imposed shopping my shelves challenge. And I was disappointed by my decision.

‘The Honeymoon’ was an absolutely fantastic thriller which I could not put down from the moment that I started it. There was so much suspense and intrigue amongst the pages that I kept needing to know what was going to happen next. Told between the perspectives of two newly weds, Erin (who has recently married Jamie) and Sophia (who has recently married Mark), we meet them on their honeymoon in Bali as they meet each other. However, after a tragic death on the final night of the honeymoon, the couples remain in each other’s lives on their return to England, where nothing is quite as it seems.

This is such a clever novel full of twists and turns that will lead you to struggle to put this book down. One brilliant part of this book is that you are never sure if the narrators are reliable or not (I am still wondering about one of them now, even after finishing the book) – and you are literally left surprised until the very last chapter of the book. Even the twist I thought I saw coming was not exactly as I imagined, which is definitely a sign of a great thriller – when the reader is constantly surprised or left guessing.

I think that Kate Gray could be a name we will see in the thriller genre for some time to come, and I hope we see more from her very soon because I, for one, would be keen to read whatever might come next.

The Stephen King Thing

Stephen King is a name known by all bookworms – it does not mean you have to have read his books, but you have probably seen a film based on one of his stories, even if you have not realised it. This man is a legend in the book world, probably most famed for his horror novels, but he has books in all sorts of different genres (Mr BookwormandTheatreMouse is a huge fan of the Dark Tower novels) and you cannot escape seeing his books in bookshops, pretty much wherever you are.

However, you may be like me and had never really picked up a Stephen King novel (well, I made a small attempt at reading ‘The Stand’, but it was a little on the large side for me), but after a friend mentioned that someone they knew had suddenly become a huge Stephen King fan, I thought I should probably give his books a go again.

‘Misery’ had been sitting on my shelves for quite some time. It is a book that is on my ‘100 Books to Read Before You Die’ poster, so I knew I needed to read it at some point. It is also one that I have seen the film adaptation of (quite some time ago), so I knew the plot and thought I could probably handle this one.

As I read this book, I had one question on my mind: why on earth had I left it so long to pick this book up? Why had I avoided Stephen King for so long (other than the fact I was convinced his books would terrify me)?

‘Misery’ is an absolutely stunning book – a fantastic masterclass in how a book can create suspense and tension without a whole lot of bells and whistles, but through very skillful writing and chracterisation. A story of pretty much only two characters for the majority of the book is one of the most atmospheric tales I have ever read – and gives us one of the most terrifying villains. I cannot spoil this book for anyone who has not read it (if there is anyone out there who has not read it) – but I urge anyone who likes the idea of a noir thriller with an edge to pick this book up.

I think it is safe to say that I have now been bitten by the bug to read more Stephen King novels – I am still not sure I am ready for ‘The Stand’ or some of the real horror, but I am definitely ready to read some more of his backlist and I have a few ideas about what I might pick up (thanks to excellent recommendations from friends).

Do you have a favourite Stephen King book that I should be adding to the tbr pile?

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Roughly a year ago, I read ‘The Silent Patient‘ by Alex Michaelides and enjoyed it. So, ‘The Maidens’ has been on my radar since. When a beautiful copy of the hardback was to be found in my charity bookshop a month or so ago, I knew I could not leave it sitting in there, and it had to come home with me.

I am so glad that this book did come home with me as I absolutely loved it. This was the sort of thriller that really did have you on the edge of your seat and makes you read past your bedtime. I loved the fact that it was set around the academic world of Cambridge and that it drew on the ideas of Ancient Greece, its literature and philosophers. Alongside the fact that there always seems to be an air of mystery to that academic life, ‘The Maidens’ is a complex and thrilling read.

Alex Michaelides is very successful at planting red herrings or suggestions within his stories, which can lead the reader down a certain path. Suspecting certain characters and maybe even thinking that they have solved the mystery, however, I think the reader is rarely successful until the final pages of the book, when Michaelides actually reveals his culprit. I did not see the plot twist coming in this book and I think that is an additional reason why I enjoyed this story so much.

I absolutely can’t wait to read more from the pen of Alex Michaelides, I believe that there is a new novel heading our way soon, as I think his books will go from strength to strength. I thought ‘The Silent Patient’ was outstanding, but ‘The Maidens’ topped that, which is quite an achievement. These are atmospheric, chilling and thrilling reads – so, if you have not given either title a go, why not – because you are missing out.

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

I have only recently discovered the books of Clare Mackintosh and I am so glad that I have as she writes a great thriller. And my thriller and crime phase does not seem to have left me yet – it must be the escapism of it all.

‘Hostage’ was a little bit of a slow burn of a book but once the pace picked up I could not put it down and needed to know what was going to happen next. I do not want to give any of this story away, it definitely needs to be read to be appreciated without any spoilers. However, I was impressed that the real twist came at the very, very end of the book. And it was a twist that I genuinely did not see coming; it was a very clever move by Clare Mackintosh.

I am not sure the characters were particularly likeable in this book but they were fascinating. You needed to find out more about them and try to understand the decisions that they make. I was often left contemplating what I would have done in some of their situations. It was definitely a strong study of human nature and emotion.

Despite this book having been published in 2021, it is one that still felt very bang up to date, with some of the references made to some of the social and political issues within the plot are ones that we seem to still be and possibly always will be facing in the twenty-first century.

Just with the last book I read by Clare Mackintosh (The Last Party), I am keen to read more. Maybe they will pop up in my summer reading over the next few weeks, although I must remember that I should be shopping my shelves – haha!