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**COVER REVEAL** The Heart Shaped Box by Lucy Kaufman

I am pleased to be able to share with you the cover to the fantastic novella The Heart Shaped Box by Lucy Kaufman. I am currently reading this and am really enjoying the pace of the story, the short chapters leaving me wanting to read more!

“She pressed her nose gingerly to the glass, peering unblinking through the viscous liquid at her gift.”


Victorian, rural Sussex. When headstrong daughter of a rector, Constance Timothy, receives a flurry of gifts in pretty little boxes from the charming, smouldering student doctor Smith Williams, her whole family anticipates a future betrothal.


Yet beneath the exquisite pastel lids and satin bows lie macabre secrets that entice Constance into a
private world of obsession and darkness, where morality becomes blurred, loyalties are tested and
unthinkable acts are possible.


One secret will shake the genteel world she knows to the core…

The first book of The Carousel of Curiosities series, this haunting novella is perfect for readers
of Sarah Waters, Laura Purcell, and Angela Carter.


Pre-order Links
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GF1Q46WN
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GF1Q46WN


Publication Date – 27th January 2026


Author Bio –
Lucy Kaufman is an award-winning author, playwright, audio dramatist and poet. 40 of her plays have been performed professionally around the UK and Australia, to critical acclaim. She has lectured in Playwriting and Screenwriting for Pen to Print and Canterbury Christ Church University and is a mentor at The Writing Coach. Originally from London, she now lives by the sea with her husband, sons, dogs and cats.


Social Media Links –
Insta: kaufmanlucy
Insta: sepiainkpublishing

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources

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First Act by Rachel Lynch

Kelly Porter has left her childhood home in the Lake District to become a police officer at Bethnal Green CID. Now she has landed her dream job working as a detective in the Met’s murder squad and she immediately finds herself investigating what will become a challenging case after human remains are found at a building site. With the body being found on Kelly’s former patch, how will her connection to some of the main players affect the investigation?

First Act is a prequel to Rachel Lynch’s successful Kelly Porter series and we get to meet her at the beginning of her career before relocating back to the Lake District, the setting of the rest of the series. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing characters we have previously heard about and I, in particular, liked reading more about Kelly’s relationship with her family. If you have never read any of the series, however, this can definitely be read as a standalone and may even serve as an introduction to the other books.

The story, set against the backdrop of the forthcoming Olympic games (it takes place in 2008) has a great plot with a plethora of fascinating characters, not least the curator at the Museum of Childhood. What starts out as a straightforward murder mystery soon becomes something much darker leading to a dramatic climax full of twists and turns along the way.

It has been good to see the beginnings of Kelly Porter and I hope that we can continue to read about her life in London.

With thanks to Canelo and Net Galley for my copy.

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The Christmas Clue by Nicola Upson

On Christmas Eve, 1943, Anthony and Elva Pratt are on their way to spend the festive season at a hotel where they will be organising a murder mystery for the other guests to solve. Plans change, however, when they discover a real murder – Miss Silver has been beaten to death in her shop. With their entertainment being sidelined, they decide to investigate the murder, soon realising that there is more going on in the hotel than they first thought.

This is a homage to Anthony and Elva, a real-life couple who invented the incredibly popular boardgame, Cluedo, and while the plot itself is a work of fiction, the background behind how the game came to be is very much factual. After watching a recent news report about the game, I was thrilled to see this book and couldn’t wait to read.

It is a short read, perfect for a winter night in, with an engaging story and some great characters. It reads very much like a cosy crime novel but there is some very shocking subject matter towards the end which made it a darker read. The plot is well-paced and very easy to read.

I really enjoyed The Christmas Clue – perfect for this time of year.

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The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

In Prague, accompanying girlfriend Katherine Solomon at a lecture she is giving, Robert Langdon finds himself caught up in another race against time when she goes missing from her hotel room. Realising that her disappearance has something to do with the book she has written, Langdon no longer knows who he can trust as he battles to save the woman he loves.

When you read a Dan Brown/Robert Langdon book, you know what you are going to get as the author has found a formula that sells millions of books. The Secret of Secrets follows a similar format to previous novels with conflict between tradition and science, a shadowy antagonist and a whistle stop tour around a European city, in this case, Prague.

There are always mixed reviews of Dan Brown’s books, but I admit to being a fan. Yes, they are long and yes, you know roughly what is going to happen, but I love the historical content and the fact that I do always find that they give me food for thought.

If you’ve liked Dan Brown’s previous books, you will enjoy this one.

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Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee by Charlie Higson

Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee,
Harry, Dick, John, Harry three;
One two three Neds, Richard two,
Harrys four, five, six, then who?
Edwards four, five, Dick the bad,
Harrys Twain, Ned six (the lad);
Mary, Bessie, James you ken,
Then Charlie, Charlie, James again;
Will and Mary, Anna Gloria,
Georges four, Will four, Victoria;
Edward seven, George and Ted,
George the sixth, now Liz instead.

This rhyme has been used by countless school children to learn the order of the monarchs of Britain and more recently has been turned into a song in Horrible Histories. Now, Charlie Higson has used the rhyme as the basis for a quick journey through the British monarchy, providing an irreverent yet informative take on each of the kings and queens.

I have always been interested in the history of the British monarchy and while I have some decent knowledge of certain eras, there are some where I admit to not knowing a great deal. I loved the format of this book with each chapter providing a brief overview of all of the key events in the reigns of each monarch – some well known and other not so. I do feel that I know a lot more now.

I listened to the audiobook of Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee which was narrated by the author, Charlie Higson, His humour really shone through and made it a great listening experience. The only downside of the audiobook is that I did not have the pleasure of seeing the illustrations which have been drawn by Jim Moir.

If you have an interest in British history, then I can recommend this book highly.

With thanks to Harper Collins UK Audio and Net Galley for my copy.

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The Deep End by Nick Louth

When the body of a woman is found under a pier on Boxing Day, DI Jan Talantire is called in. It is not long before she realises that there is more to this case than meets the eye and that there may be some officers determined to hamper the investigation at every step. Jan also has other things on her mind, determined to bring down Commander Brent West after her complaint against him amounted to nothing. Could the body of the woman be connected to her superior officer in some way? Jan must play a very dangerous game to find out.

I have really enjoyed this series so far (this is book 4) and have grown to like and respect Jan as a character, admiring her tenacity and determination to bring West to justice. Brent West is a fascinating character, a villain hiding in plain sight who seemingly has women falling at his feet and men wanting to be like him. He is not your typical ‘baddie’ and that, I think, is what makes him so odious!

What starts as a standard police procedural soon turns into a fast-paced, dark thriller which went to places that I never expected! I was truly gripped as Jan begins to realise just how much danger she is in, not knowing who, if anyone, she can trust. This is one of those books that has so much going on, you don’t want to put it down!

I am intrigued to see where Nick Louth takes Jan next and look forward to the next instalment.

With thanks to Canelo and Net Galley for my copy.

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The Anniversary Party by Angela Clarke

Beth is looking forward to celebrating her tenth wedding anniversary but everything comes crashing to the ground when she hears that an ex-boyfriend has been killed. When this is followed by the brutal death of another boyfriend from her past, she has to come to terms with the fact that something from her past has come back to haunt her and now those who were once close to her are becoming the victims. Not knowing who she can trust, can she prevent herself from becoming the killer’s last conquest?

I have long been a fan of Angela Clarke’s work and so I was thrilled to see that she was back and The Anniversary Party is a great book to return with. The premise is great – Beth’s exes are getting killed one by one and we are introduced to a plethora of characters who could be responsible but who, conversely, could also be a future victim. Add into the mix the fact that Beth definitely isn’t who she is claiming to be and we have all the ingredients for the perfect psychological thriller.

The plot moves on at a fast pace with the deaths coming thick and fast. I found myself constantly weighing up which of the suspects could be responsible, the author delivering red herrings aplenty to throw you off the scent yet plant seeds of mistrust at the same time.

Once we discover the true story behind what has been happening, I wasn’t sure how the ending would play out but I was pleased with how it concluded,

Welcome back Angela Clarke!

With thanks to Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton/Mulholland Books for my copy.

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Naeli and the Secret Song by Jasbinder Bilan

After the death of her mother, Naeli is left in Hyderabad with her ayah having not seen her English father since he left many years ago. When a ticket arrives from England, Naeli decides to set sail in an attempt to track down the whereabouts of her father, not knowing anything about him other than his name. Taking her cherished violin with her, it is not long before she arrives in Victorian London where life is about to change forever.

Although this is a book for younger people, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Naeli’s adventure and was captivated by her journey of discovery. The author takes us from the colourful Hyderabad, across the ocean to the unfamiliar Victorian London where everything isn’t quite what Naeli imagined.

I found the pace of the story perfect, the plot moving on quickly as we join Naeli on her quest to find her father, encountering some rather unsavoury characters along the way.

This is a great read, perfect for younger fans of historical mysteries.

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The Women in the Shadows by Harriet Fox

The year is 1888 and a killer is stalking the streets of Whitechapel with the police no closer to finding him. Three women, unhappy with how the police are dealing with the case, decide to take matters into their own hands, determined to find the truth. Emma, the wife of the detective in charge of the case and Bet, a cleaner at the station, team up with Maggie, a private investigator and discover that the east end of London is a lot darker than they initially thought…

Over the years, I have read many books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the Jack the Ripper case and am always looking for a story told from an alternative angle. In The Women in the Shadows, Harriet Fox has done this successfully, with the story being told from the perspective of three women with connections to the case, but not the women we are used to reading about. In an era where females were not really permitted to have a voice, it was refreshing to see these women from different echelons of society coming together for the common good.

I enjoyed how fact mixed seamlessly with fiction with real-life people such as Inspector Abberline and George Lusk making an appearance. I also liked how the victims were portrayed, seeing them not just as ‘unfortunates’ but as women with lives.

I really hope that this is not the last we see of these women – I’m sure there are more cases for them to investigate!

With thanks to HQ and Net Galley for my copy.

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