Tag: Thriller

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 DCI 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.

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

What. A. Thriller! I already knew that there was a chance that I was going to be a fan of this book as I have read other books by Clare Mackintosh. I knew I was going to get a well constructed thriller, with characters that you love, and that you love to hate – and a great twist or two. And I was not wrong with any of these predictions when I read ‘I Let You Go’.

Now, as this book has all the ingredients that you would expect from a good thriller, it does make it incredibly difficult to write a blog post about it, as I refuse to put spoilers in my posts. So, this may be a very short post that simply tells you that you should read this book.

Told as ‘Part One’ and ‘Part Two’, you know that a young boy called Jacob has been killed in a hit and run accident one rainy evening. And then you follow the police as they attempt to solve the case that seems to be impossible to solve and you follow some of those who have been impacted by this accident. Yet, you are not actually sure who you are reading about, which of course adds to all of the mystery of the story. There was one twist which I did not see coming and caused me to read past my bedtime. The other ‘big twist’ I think I had worked out as the story progressed, but I am not sure it was an intentionally hidden. Apologies for being mysterious, but that is the ongoing issue with the thriller genre: writing about it can be as difficult as trying to solve the mystery of the story.

This was very cleverly written and I especially enjoyed the importance of the characters in this book. This was as much a thriller as a study of people and relationships. And how shared experiences can impact the bonds and relationships you form with people – at home and at work – including how sometimes it is easy to be blind to the things that are right in front of you and sometimes you lose your way, but you can always find a way back.

I think this was also a successful book because this is a thriller you could believe in. Something that is not so far fetched that it is a simple work of fiction but something that was definitely rooted in the realms of possibility which probably made it even more addictive reading.

This book does need to come with some trigger warnings about relationships, so please do check that out before you read if it is something that you may find difficult to read. But, as a whole, if you like a well-constructed crime thriller then this is a book that you will enjoy (and I always like that an author has a backlist I can catch up on, so I do not have to wait for new publications).

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I am always happy when I see that Lucy Foley has published a new thriller, so when ‘The Midnight Feast’ started appearing all over the bookstagram community, I knew I needed to keep an eye out for it. So, it was a no-brainer when it appeared as a bit of a Kindle bargain, and it did not sit on my Kindle for long.

This was what I expected from the pen of Lucy Foley, a thrilling read with an added chill. This was another ideal summer thrilling read – set during the summer solstice, past and present. As readers, we are facing two mysteries, one from the past and one from the present. What happened in Tome in the past that has been haunting it ever since – and could now have an impact that nobody was expecting?

Francesca has turned her old family home into a exclusive new resort, to attract the creme de la creme of society, giving them the ideal place to relax and recharge. However, the rest of Tome are unhappy about this heiress and her development damaging the local economy and the local land. However, as we discover as we read the book, the conflict has existed for quite some time and has had a far-reaching impact on many in the community.

The local legend of ‘The Birds’ is also haunting the people of Tome – but will it stop Francesca and her business from being successful, or will revenge finally been achieved by those who have been wronged, in this life or another?

There is a chilling edge to this thriller when the superstitions are entwined with the the actions of those in Tome. (And it really makes you think about how you would pronounce the name of the village – it adds another edge to the tale.)

As a thriller, this is a well-constructed tale. Told from multiple points of view, and through the journal of ‘Bella’, we are well and truly drawn into this story – it is a real page-turner – especially as there are so many hidden secrets for so many of the characters. And Lucy Foley makes the landscape and the land a character in the story, too, which adds even more all-important atmosphere to the story.

This is a thriller that will be ideal in the summer months, but it will take you well into the spooky season too – and I will be recommending it to many of my thriller-reading friends.

The Summer Party by Kate Gray

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

I was lucky enough to win a copy of ‘The Summer Party’ by Kate Gray from another wonderful book lover. I was so incredibly excited when I won this, as ‘The Honeymoon‘ was a fantastic thriller and has been passed round numerous friends who have also loved it (love being able to share books with friends), so I knew I was in for a treat with ‘The Summer Party’, and I was not wrong. And it was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, just in time for the summer break.

Kate Gray again takes us on quite the thrilling summer adventure. This book really reminded me of ‘And Then There Were None’ by Agatha Christie, it was a brilliant locked-room mystery and, to me, that is quite the compliment, as it shows that this is up there with one of our greatest mystery writers. When the Flavour’s Summer Party is at a new exclusive summer resort on the sourthern coast, the whole business is over the moon, and when some of the team are invited to spend the whole night on the resort, it seems like a dream. Of course, it is soon more like a nightmare, as they fight to find out exactly why the night is not going as they would hope – and does it have some connection to the death of a work colleague after the Christmas Party? (Parties are really not good news for this business).

There was a twist where I actually gasped out loud (good job I was reading at home) and there are so many red herrings and moments, where everything you think you know is turned completely on its head, that it is impossible to put this book down. In fact, I read it in two days, because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

The characters are an interesting bunch, especially when they are thrown together on the island overnight. It adds another dimension to the story when you are slowly figuring out why these ‘random’ colleagues have ended up in quite so sticky a situation.

This is an ideal summer read, especially if summertime is your time for a thriller. This is a claustrophobic, summer-heat, locked-room mystery – with more than one mystery amongst its pages. I will definitely be sharing this book with my friends and recommending it each time I am asked for a thriller. I hope that we have more thrillers from Kate Gray soon, as I will most definitely be reading them.