My Inner Child Wants to Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse #bookreview #blogtour

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On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel in the Murder Mindfully series by Karsten Dusse, My Inner Child Wants to Murder Mindfully, as part of the blog tour.

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Lawyer turned murderer Björn wants to stop killing. Unfortunately, the prisoner in his basement is getting restless, the parents’ committee at his daughter’s preschool is clamouring for his attention, and to cap it all, he’s also being blackmailed.

To manage all this stress, he turns to a mindfulness coach to learn about the unmet needs of his inner child. As he begins listening to this inner child, he finds it doesn’t just have needs, but solutions: creative ways he can solve his problems. All of them.

The trouble is, they involve murder.

MY THOUGHTS

The blurb and title of My Inner Child Wants to Murder Mindfully really caught my attention, and it is the first book in this series that I have actually read. Having said that, this can definitely be read as a standalone, as I did not find myself feeling lost or confused in any way.

We meet Björn, a lawyer turned murderer, and thankfully, it’s the latter he wants to give up. What I loved about this book by Karsten Dusse is that we really get into the mindset of his protagonist. In the early chapters, he is speaking to his therapist, but of course, he’s keeping his darkest secrets from her, which, naturally, makes her suspicious. It was especially revealing, I thought, when they talked about his interactions with a waiter at a ski resort. The way his therapist got him to open up about this incident was fascinating, although he kept the real truth about what happened to the waiter from her. As he tries to suppress the dark thoughts from taking over, Björn gives them an almost separate identity, his inner child. His struggle with these intrusive thoughts is part of what makes this book such an entertaining and unique read.

What is also fascinating is the predicament Björn finds himself in. He currently has a man residing in his cellar, where he works and lives at the school where his young daughter goes. He works as the school’s legal adviser. The man known as Boris is his prisoner, and normally Björn would’ve killed him by now. But he is almost using this situation as a way to prove to himself that he can keep from killing, which is what makes this book so tense. I kept wondering if Boris would make it to the end of the novel alive. The tension also increases as we find out that Björn is being blackmailed, and there are a number of suspects in the book.

The humour really comes through well on the page, particularly with Björn’s interactions with the school mum’s. I could sense his frustration, particularly with one mother, who is concerned about the school’s impact on climate change. I could tell just how Björn really wasn’t interested in his subject, and the way he tackled her concerns was really well done.

My Inner Child Wants to Murder Mindfully is one of the most original crime novels I’ve read. The ending was perfect and so well thought out. I’m really excited to catch up on the first book in the series, and I hope this is a series that Karsten Dusse continues with. I highly, highly recommend it.

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Publication date: 15th January 2026

Print length: 464 pages

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The Ice Angels by Caroline Mitchell #bookreview

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On my blog today, I’m taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Caroline Mitchell, The Ice Angels. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Ten years ago, in the depths of the Finnish winter, Detective Elea Baker’s daughter was taken—and never found.

Now, in the quiet streets of Lincoln, girls are disappearing again. When one is found on the cathedral steps, clutching a chilling clue linked to the decade-old abduction, there’s only one person who can solve the case: Elea.

Dragged back into her nightmare, she’s determined to bring her daughter home this time—no matter the cost.

But is she chasing a ghost, or on the verge of uncovering a truth that will shatter everything?

MY THOUGHTS

The Ice Angels is a dark start to a promising new crime series by Caroline Mitchell. We are introduced to Detective Elea Baker, a detective from Finland, who has been searching for her daughter for ten years after she was kidnapped in her home country. Elea has no clue if her daughter is dead or alive, and this is what has been the most painful part of her daughter’s disappearance, the not knowing. But now, similar crimes that may help solve her own daughter’s kidnapping are taking place in Lincoln in the UK. Elea believes this may be her best chance to find out what happened to her missing daughter.

I loved Elea. She is absolutely determined to find out what happened to her daughter, and she is someone who will even put her own career at risk to achieve this. We see this particularly with how she is dealing with people of potential interest to the enquiry. This is especially as there are some really horrible characters in this book, who will get under your skin. I honestly couldn’t believe some of the things these characters were saying, especially given the circumstances they were in.

What I also really liked, and for me, this really increased the tension in the novel, is that we also have chapters told from her daughter’s point of view after she has been kidnapped. This really kept the stakes rising throughout the book, and I was rooting for Elea to get to the truth and for her and her daughter to be reunited.

There are some real intense emotional moments for Elea in this book. As this is the first book in a new crime series by Caroline Mitchell, I’m intrigued to find out how her character is going to develop further from here, so I am really excited to get my hands on the next book in the series.

I highly recommend The Ice Angels. It is the perfect winter thriller, pacy and gripping. The Ice Angels will keep you reading well into the night. I really enjoyed it.

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 15th January 2026

Print length: 363 pages

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Into the Dark by Ørjan Karlsson #bookreview #blogtour

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On my blog today I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Ørjan Karlsson, Into the Dark as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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In Norway’s far north, something unspeakable is surfacing…

When a mutilated body rises from the icy waters off the jetty in Kjerringøy, it shocks the quiet coastal village – and stirs something darker beneath. Not long after, a young woman is found dead in a drab Bodø apartment. Suicide, perhaps. Or something far more sinister. 

Detective Jakob Weber and former national investigator Noora Yun Sande are drawn into both cases. Then a hiker reports a terrifying encounter in the nearby wilderness: a solitary cabin … and a man without a face.

As the investigation deepens, the clues grow more disturbing – and the wild, wintry landscape closes in. Jakob is certain of one thing: if they don’t find the killer soon, he’ll strike again.

SECOND in the dark, addictive Nordic Noir series set in Norway’s unforgiving Arctic north.

MY THOUGHTS

If you’re a fan of a chilling crime novel, perfect for the winter season, then the Arctic Mysteries series by Orjan Karlsson is definitely one for you. The second book in the series, Into the Dark, is a dark, race against time thriller as our detectives, Jakob and Noora, investigate some very grisly murders. The tension really does shine on every page, as Jakob and Noora race to apprehend a killer before they kill again.

The murders do have an impact on the local community, which puts extra pressure on the police team to find the killer. I really liked how we also saw glimpses into Noora and Jakob’s personal lives, and I think this did a brilliant job of developing their characters. Orjan Karlsson paints a picture of how their jobs have impacted both of their lives, in different ways. This makes them feel real and human. They are both quite different to each other, but it is clear to see how well they get on and how well they work as a team. They both have their own personal struggles they are dealing with, and I particularly felt for Jakob with the loneliness he sometimes feels. Noora, as well, is struggling in her own personal life, but I thought the scenes when it was between her and her partner were really heartwarming. It definitely seems to me that they have really genuine and kind people in their lives who will get them through whatever darkness faces them. I really like both of them, so I’m definitely keen to follow this series and to see where Orjan Karlsson takes them next.

I loved the race against time element in Into the Dark, which kept me turning the pages, as I wondered if Noora and Jakob were going to apprehend the killer before it was too late. There are some really tense moments in their investigation, and I loved the atmosphere in these scenes, particularly when it felt as though the detectives were being watched.

Into the Dark is a brilliant, atmospheric thriller that I really enjoyed. Whilst it can be read as a standalone, I do think you will benefit from reading the first book in the series first. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series is taken next.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 15th January 2026

Print length: 276 pages

Into the Dark is available to buy:

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Blackwater by Sarah Sultoon #bookreview #blogtour

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On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Sarah Sultoon, Blackwater as part of the blog tour. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

BLURB

They feared the machines. 

They should have feared the people…

London, Christmas 1999. The world is on edge. With the new millennium just days away, fears of the Millennium Bug are spiralling – warnings of computer failures, market crashes, even global catastrophe. But fifty miles east, on the frozen Blackwater Island, a different kind of mystery unfolds. A child’s body is discovered on the bracken, untouched by footprints, with no sign of how he died. And no one has come forward to claim him.

At the International Tribune, reporter Jonny Murphy senses something is off. Police are appealing for relatives, not suspects. An anonymous call led officers to the scene, but no one knows who made it. While the world fixates on a digital apocalypse, Jonny sees the real disaster unfolding closer to home. With just twenty-hour hours before the century turns, he heads to Blackwater – driven by curiosity, desperation, and the sting of rejection from his colleague Paloma.

But Blackwater has secrets buried deep in the frozen ground. More victims – some dead, others still paying for past sins. And when Paloma catches up to him, they stumble onto something far bigger than either of them imagined. Something that could change everything. The millennium is coming. The clock is ticking. Can Jonny stop it? Should he?

And what if Y2K wasn’t a hoax, but a warning…?

MY THOUGHTS

Blackwater by Sarah Sultoon is a really atmospheric read set in a mysterious coastal town on the coast of Essex. I loved that the location Sarah Sultoon uses in her book isn’t too far from where I live. The Essex countryside can evoke a really mysterious and sometimes creepy atmosphere, particularly when there is mist, and Sarah Sultoon evokes this beautifully in her book, making me feel as though I was there. This helps to create a really spooky atmosphere in her novel, and I really liked this.

Sarah Sultoon’s latest thriller takes place at the turn of the Millennium. There is a lot of fear-mongering regarding Y2K. Jonny Murphy, a reporter for the International Tribune, is frankly fed up with the constant reporting on it, and it is clear to see that he doesn’t really believe it’ll happen. He is sent to investigate the death of a young boy in Blackwater, Essex. It feels that Blackwater is cut off from the rest of the country, and Jonny doesn’t exactly find a welcoming atmosphere when he arrives there. At once, I really felt that something was very wrong here, and I felt that Jonny was putting himself in danger by coming here to investigate.

The tension really increases as Jonny continues to investigate the case, and it is very clear that there are people living in the town who don’t want him there and want him to stop. If anything, though, this seems to encourage Jonny to push onwards, and he is determined to see this case through. I loved the slight supernatural edge to the plot, which really helped develop the setting for me as the local legends are explored.

The novel did take a direction which I completely wasn’t expecting, but I found really intriguing, especially as Sarah Sultoon delves into the motivations of her characters towards the end. This really does cause the stakes in the story to rise, and I had to know what was going to happen. This is especially as Jonny begins to understand the truth about what has really been going on at Blackwater.

I thought Sarah Sultoon did an excellent job of developing Jonny’s friendship with his fellow reporter, Paloma, and I really liked the scenes when the two of them were together.

Blackwater is an excellent addition to Sarah’s Jonny Murphy series, and I am looking forward to seeing what case she has in store for him next. I really, really enjoyed it.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 4th December 2025

Print length: 276 pages

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The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace by R.W.R. McDonald #bookreview #blogtour

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On my blog today I’m sharing my thoughts on The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace by R.W.R. McDonald. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

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Meet the Nancys…

Tippy Chan is eleven years old, and she lives in a small town in a very quiet part of New Zealand – the town her Uncle Pike escaped as a teenager, the moment he got a chance. Now Pike is back with his new boyfriend Devon to look after Tippy while her mum is on a Christmas cruise.

Tippy can’t get enough of her uncle’s old Nancy Drew books. She wants to be Nancy and is desperate to solve a real mystery. So, when her teacher’s body is found beside Riverstone’s only traffic light, it looks like Tippy’s moment has arrived. She and her minders form The Nancys, a secret detective club.

But what starts as a bonding and sightseeing adventure quickly morphs into something far more dangerous. A wrongful arrest, a close call with the murderer, and an intervention from Tippy’s mum all conspire against The Nancys. But regardless of their own safety, and despite the constant distraction of questionable fashion choices in the town that style forgot, The Nancys know only they can stop the killer from striking again. Whatever the cost…

MY THOUGHTS

The Nancy’s and the Case of the Missing Necklace is the start to what I hope will be a long-running series by R.W.R. McDonald. We meet eleven-year-old Tippy, who is being looked after by her uncle and his boyfriend whilst her mother is away. But soon after Tippy is left in her uncle’s care, there is a shocking incident with the murder of her teacher. Tippy, who has become obsessed with the Nancy Drew books, and her uncles decide to try to solve the murder themselves, but this venture puts them closer to danger than they ever thought possible.

I really loved seeing Tippy’s relationship with her uncle develop. Their characters really shine through on the page, and it is really clear to see that her Uncle Pike and his boyfriend, Devon, really enjoy her company. I loved the humour that comes through in their dialogue as well, and I was thinking that Pike and Devon would be really fun to be around if they were real people. Their obsession with solving the case of the murder of Tippy’s teacher made me turn the pages faster and faster. At first, it did seem as though they were just trying to do this for a bit of fun, but, for them, it does become much more serious, and they become totally immersed in the mystery.

The way Tippy, Devon and Mike go about their investigation is what makes this book so entertaining to read and, it does seem that they will stop at nothing to find out what happened, even though Tippy is still a child. Tippy comes across as someone who is much older. It seems  as though she has had to grow up quite fast.

I really wanted Tippy, Devon and Mike to find out the truth, and there are more than a few obstacles thrown their way as they try to achieve this. They really do make quite a team, and I’m really excited to see, hopefully, where R.W.R. McDonald will take them next.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 20th November 2025

Print length: 320 pages

The Nancys and the Case of the Missing Necklace is available to buy:

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Watch Your Back by Emma Christie #bookreview

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On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by Emma Christie, Watch Your Back.

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Your past is right behind you . . .

Jo has always kept her head down and surrounded herself with strangers who know nothing about her mum’s murder. But fifteen years after the killing she receives a box of unopened letters addressed to her – sent from the prison.

But before she can read them, they’re stolen, and soon Jo realises that someone must have a terrible secret to hide.

Determined to protect her new life from the violence of her past, she embarks on a mission to find out the truth.

But can Jo find the sender, before they find her?

MY THOUGHTS

Emma Christie’s Watch Your Back is an emotionally charged, absolutely gripping psychological thriller. Emma’s main character, Jo, has already suffered from immense trauma in her life, particularly when her mother was murdered fifteen years ago. But for Jo, as she pursues her quest to get to the truth about what really happened that day, things are about to take an even darker turn.

There is an intriguing set-up when Jo is posted a mysterious box of letters, which then vanish from her flat. She knows what the letters are about and who they must be from. After they’re stolen, she knows now she must confront her past, and she will stop at nothing in her efforts to uncover the truth, including putting herself in danger.

I really liked how Emma Christie took us back in time to 2005, where we meet Tink, a teenage girl, who is suddenly faced with the sudden death of her father. Tink’s mother isn’t exactly the most supportive person in her life, so Tink finds solace in her new friend, whom her mother doesn’t exactly approve of. And this is where a rebellious streak burns bright in Tink. I loved these scenes, and I loved how Emma Christie delved into the friendship between the two girls, making them both feel real and utterly compelling.

I was wondering how the past scenes were going to connect to the present. The way how Emma Christie reveals this is so well done. It really did feel immersive, and I really did feel as though I was in the character’s shoes in this moment.

The emotion shines through in Emma Christie’s writing, which brings her world and her characters to life. There is real tension right the way through this book, which kept my eyes glued to the page. Watch Your Back is an incredibly tense read, and it’ll make you feel as though you’re stepping right into the lives of the characters. I really enjoyed it.

Publisher: Mountain Leopard Press

Publication date: 23rd October 2025

Print length: 352 pages

Watch Your Back is available to buy:

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What the Wife Knew by Lia Middleton #bookreview

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On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new thriller by Lia Middleton, What the Wife Knew.

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ONE MARRIAGE. ONE LIE. TWO SIDES TO THE STORY…

FRANK is standing trial for violently murdering his wife, Linda. His defence? She killed herself.

HARRY is Frank’s defence lawyer. Whether he believes Frank or not, it’s the biggest case of his career and he has to prove he can win.

PIERA is Harry’s wife. She’s hiding a secret that could destroy the case, and her life with Harry entirely.

What do you do when the biggest threat to your marriage is the truth?

MY THOUGHTS

What the Wife Knew is an incredibly tense and well-plotted read by Lia Middleton. I’ve always enjoyed courtroom dramas, but in this book, Lia Middleton really does make it her own, particularly as she delves into the lives of her characters. Harry is a defence barrister, determined to take on his first big case, so he snaps up the chance to represent Frank, on trial for murdering his wife. And the interesting thing here is that Frank has personally asked for him. Harry is certain he believes Frank’s version of events, but Harry really has no idea what is really going on behind the scenes and what he’s letting himself into.

Lia Middleton paints a really clear picture of Harry as we begin to get to know him in the opening chapters. Yes, he wants to make his mark, but he is also a person who, I believe, cares deeply about the truth. I felt this particularly when he speaks to Frank the first time about what happened to his wife, and it is clear to see the impact Frank’s story has on Harry. Harry is determined to represent Frank to make sure he is found not guilty. Harry is also juggling his career with his own personal life. He and his wife, Piera, are now raising their baby daughter, and Harry is definitely a hands-on dad, which also made him really likeable.

I was desperate to know what was going to happen to Frank, and so Lia Middleton kept me completely gripped in the courtroom scenes. But it’s when we get to the second part of the story that things really begin to heat up, and Lia Middleton completely turns the book on its head in such an ingenious way.

Lia Middleton delivers twist after twist that takes this book in a direction I really wasn’t expecting. The final scenes were so chilling, and it left me wondering what I would do if I was in that situation. What the Wife Knew is a fantastic psychological thriller that I highly recommend.

Publisher: Penguin

Publication date: 25th September 2025

Print length: 328 pages

What the Wife Knew is available to buy:

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The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr #bookreview

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On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the new novel by Paul Bradley Carr, The Confessions.

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AI bot LLIAM powers society – but today, he went offline. Shops shut, planes were grounded, and Kaitlan Goss, CEO of LLIAM’s parent company, has to fix it.

Then letters from LLIAM arrive: identical white envelopes, confessing people’s darkest secrets to their loved ones.

Kaitlan races to find Maud Brooks, the only person who can bring LLIAM back online and stem the tide of societal breakdown. But Maud received a letter, too – about Kaitlan.

LLIAM, how do I save the world?

MY THOUGHTS

Imagine a world where everyone was totally reliant on AI. It seems to be, sadly, the case that that’s the direction where we might be heading. I find it so scary how clever AI is getting, and I think this can be quite dangerous. In The Confessions, Paul Bradley Carr explores a really chilling premise where artificial intelligence breaks down, but not only that, the AI device called LLIAM, starts to reveal people’s darkest secrets that they’ve confessed to him.

The tension in this novel never lets up. Right from the beginning, the stakes are high, as Lliam shuts down, leaving the world in turmoil. There is a race against time to get LLIAM back up and running. This is what really gives this novel that high octane feel, and it did feel like, as I was reading, that the world in the book could come to an end at any moment. It’s what gives the book a real race against time feeling, and I really found it entertaining.

As Paul Bradley Carr gradually reveals dark motivations behind what is going on, he also delves into what is driving his main character, Kaitlin. She is a very complex and very real character, and her fears really come through on the page, particularly with what she has to do to get LLIAM back online. Kaitlin is really pushed to her limit throughout the story, and this is what keeps driving the tension, and it kept me turning the pages.

Although LLIAM is AI, his voice in the book does feel eerily human, and the emotions his creators feel toward him, particularly Maud, is really compelling.

The Confessions is a fast-paced, really entertaining read that feels really cinematic. There are utterly unique characters who will keep you gripped right the way through. I really, really enjoyed it.

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Publication date: 6th November 2025

Print length: 336 pages

The Confessions is available to buy:

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Scars of Silence by Johana Gustawsson #bookreview #blogtour

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On my blog today I’m taking part in the blog tour for the new novel by Johana Gustawsson, Scars of Silence. With thanks to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part.

BLURB

Twenty-three years ago, a young woman was murdered on the Swedish island of Lidingö.

The island has kept its silence.

Until now…

As autumn deepens into darkness in Lidingö, on the Stockholm archipelago, the island is plunged into chaos: in the space of a week, two teenaged boys are murdered. Their bodies are left deep in the forest, dressed in white tunics with crowns of candles on their heads, like offerings to Saint Lucia.

Maïa Rehn has fled Paris for Lidingö after a family tragedy. But when the murders shake the island community, the former police commissioner is drawn into the heart of the investigation, joining Commissioner Aleksander Storm to unravel a mystery as chilling as the Nordic winter.

As they dig deeper, it becomes clear that a wind of vengeance is blowing through the archipelago, unearthing secrets that are as scandalous as they are inhuman.

But what if the victims weren’t who they seemed? What if those long silenced have finally found a way to strike back?

How far would they go to make their tormentors pay?

And you – how far would you go?

MY THOUGHTS

I always get excited whenever there is a new Johana Gustawsson novel. She is a writer who knows how to hook you from the first page, and in Scars of Silence, she does so in an utterly gripping, yet horrifying way at the same time. It is quite a brutal opening, but it did an excellent job of keeping me on the edge of my seat. There is so much pain and emotion in these opening pages, and Johana Gustawsson kept me hooked on every word, and then she delivered an absolutely mouth-dropping end to the first chapter that had me eagerly turning the pages.

The emotions really feel real in this book, but alongside that, there is a pacy, addictive plot, following the shocking murders of two teenage boys, which takes place three months after the incident in the first chapter. The murders rock their local community to its core, and you can see how much they affect everyone, not least their families. I really wanted to know what it was that connected the murders, and Johana Gustawsson does an excellent job of gradually revealing this, making her characters feel even more real as the truth comes to life, particularly as she delves into the lives of the two victims. This really helps to create a sense of loss for the people who they were, and it gives the book so much depth. What’s even more disturbing is how the two murders appear to be connected to events that took place in the first chapter, and it kept making me think that perhaps the killer wasn’t done yet.  

Johana Gustawsson is a writer who knows how to deliver a twist as well as a complex, well-thought-out plot. It’s part of what makes her books so exciting to read, and Scars of Silence delivers that yet again as the novel races towards its conclusion. I also loved the two leads, Maïa Rehn and Aleksander Storm, both of whom have their own unique personal struggles that make them such captivating main characters, and people we, the reader, really care about as well.

Scars of Silence is another terrific novel by Johana Gustawsson, and, like always when I finish one of her books, I’m now waiting with baited breath for her next novel.

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication date: 20th November 2025

Print length: 309 pages

Scars of Silence is available to buy:

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The Malt Whisky Murders by Natalie Jayne Clark #bookreview

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On my blog today, I’m sharing my thoughts on the debut novel by Natalie Jayne Clark, The Malt Whisky Murders.

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Whisky is a bloody business . . .

When a dilapidated distillery comes up for sale in rural Kintyre, Eilidh and her wife Morag jump at the chance. But their ambition to run the first women-owned whisky distillery in Scotland seems to be scuppered when a grisly, decades-old secret is revealed: two dead bodies have been stuffed into barrels, perfectly preserved in single malt.

To add to their woes, a TV crew has just arrived and the townsfolk will not leave them alone. Eilidh becomes obsessed with solving the murders while juggling whisky tastings, ceilidhs, protests and scandals – everything you’d expect from a wee Scottish town imprisoned by its own geography. And no matter how hard you try, the locals will always find out your secrets.

MY THOUGHTS

The Malt Whisky Murders by Natalie Jayne Clark is one of the most original crime novels you’ll read this year. There is a fantastic opening line to this book, which hooked me straight away. At a whisky distillery in Scotland, two women, Eilidh and her wife, Morag, discover two dead bodies in a barrel that have been there for decades, but have been perfectly preserved in single malt. But instead of calling the police, they try to hide the discovery, and Eilidh is desperate to solve the case herself.

Natalie’s story is propulsive from the first chapter. I really wanted to know why the two bodies were there in the first place, and who it was who killed them all those years ago. As well as the chapters told from Eilidh’s and Morag’s perspective, there are also mysterious chapters told from the voice of an unknown person, who could very well be the person behind the two deaths. These chapters were really intriguing as Natalie also takes us back in time during these scenes, and we really get into the mindset of this person.

The whisky business isn’t something I am very familiar with at all, so I also loved how Natalie delved into the subject, particularly with Eilidh’s interest in women in the business. This really gave the novel a unique selling point. But alongside Elidih’s interest in whisky and its history, she is also determined to solve the two murders, despite Morag not wanting her to do so. This does cause some tension and friction in their relationship, which I found really interesting. This is what made their characters come to life. It did make me wonder what their path would be in this book and whether their relationship would survive. Natalie does an excellent job of building up the tension towards a brilliant finale. When the truth comes out, I was hooked on every word. The emotions come through in the characters’ voices, and Natalie handles this so well. I really felt as though I was there, experiencing the scene coming to life.

Natalie Jayne Clark is a shining new talent in this genre, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. If you’re looking for something different and fresh in the crime fiction market, I highly recommend that you give this book a try.

Publisher: Polygon

Publication date: 5th June 2025

Print length: 336 pages

The Malt Whisky Murders is available to buy:

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