The Village Detectives and the Deadly Brew - Fiona Walker

 

Description

At this brewery, the last orders are to die for…

When handsome, former-rugby-playing, pub landlord Mil asks Juno Mulligan for a favour, she immediately says yes.

Although she’s initially disappointed that the favour doesn’t involve any sort of romantic shenanigans, Juno is reminded that she does love investigating mysteries. And perhaps it is just her destiny to choose crime-fighting over afternoon-delighting?

It’s an interesting case. Mil needs Juno and their fellow Village Detective, Phoebe Fredericks, to investigate a targeted campaign against the local Wyche Craft Brewery, now run by his friend, Ashleigh Wyche, a former-Lioness. A series of recent near-misses and attempts at sabotaging her property are surely no coincidence?

Then a body is discovered in the tap room, which quickly proves they were right to suspect there’s more than just a vendetta brewing… And if they’re to prevent another murder, they need to find out whether they’ve got the bottle to hunt down another killer…

Readers love The Village Detective series:

Engrossing… Reminds me of a cross between the Agatha Raisin TV series and Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, both of which I love. This is the perfect, light-hearted summer read for anyone looking for some fun escapism.’ Reader Review

‘A crossover between a witty romcom and a cosy crime.’ Reader Review

‘I woke up early to read it and I struggled to put it down. The best book I’ve read this year. The characters were great, I got really invested in them and the storyline was gripping. Please write more!’ Reader Review

Review

Having read three of the other books in this series, I dove into this book, feeling a comfortable familiarity with the main characters. That said, the author does a wonderful job of ensuring the story is self-contained; it works perfectly well as an entertaining standalone mystery for newcomers.

The plot kicks off when our familiar village detectives find themselves looking into a routine case that takes a sudden, dark turn into a murder investigation. While the premise is engaging, I did find myself wishing for a bit more growth from our core detective characters. Having followed them from the beginning, their dynamics felt a bit static compared to the first book, which was a slight disappointment for a long-time reader.

The story introduces a fun, lighthearted element when the police enter the scene, humorously likening our amateur sleuths to the Scooby-Doo gang. It injects a great sense of playfulness into the story and me wondering if this cozy team can truly defy the odds and solve a major crime.

If there was one hurdle for me, it was keeping track of the extensive Wyche family. As owners of the local brewery, their family tree spans multiple generations, spouses, and partners. At times, the sheer volume of characters made it a little difficult to maintain momentum with the plot.

Ultimately, this is a fun, lighthearted piece of escapism that cozy mystery fans will appreciate. While I feel my personal journey with this specific series has come to a natural end, it remains a solid choice for readers looking for an easy, entertaining getaway.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Garden Centre Murder - Peter Boland

 

Description

A body in the begonias — and a tricksy killer who knows just how to disappear into the foliage.
It sounds like a case for the Charity Shop Detective Agency!

When word of Arthur Oliver’s murder reaches Dogs Need Nice Homes Charity Shop, Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue — the retired trio behind the till — are aghast.

They all loved the handsome retired doctor and his swoon-worthy fitness videos. But someone in the sleepy little seaside town of Southbourne is not a fan . . .

Arthur is found dead at the local garden centre. Stabbed in the back with a pair of designer shears.

The police don’t have a clue whodunit. So now Fiona, Daisy and Partial Sue are on the case — their adorably scruffy terrier Simon le Bon trotting closely behind.

The deeper they dig into Arthur’s secrets, the more they realize that no one in this case is quite what they seem.

From jilted exes to bitter rivals, the ladies’ list of suspects is growing by the minute.

The clock is ticking for our sleuths to crack the case.

Before the killer returns for a final round of dead-heading . . .

Fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood, Janice Hallett, Simon Brett, Ian Moore and Sarah Yarwood-Lovett will adore this exciting new talent in cozy crime

Review

I was absolutely delighted to receive an early copy of this book ahead of publication. As a huge fan of The Charity Shop Detective Agency series, I have been eagerly awaiting the next instalment, and it did not disappoint. Having read every single book in this series, I can safely say that Peter Boland consistently delivers a thoroughly entertaining and comforting read. 

There is a wonderful, nostalgic charm to these stories. They are particularly brilliant if you are of a certain age and fondly remember classic television programmes like Dad's Army or spending Saturday afternoons watching the wrestling. That distinctively British sense of humour and community spirit shines through every page.

In this latest outing, we are reunited with our favourite trio of amateur sleuths volunteering at the "Dogs Need Nice Homes" charity shop: the level-headed Fiona, the tech-savvy Daisy, and, of course, the strong-willed Partial Sue. Catching up with them felt exactly like catching up with old friends, especially with their essential supply of tea and cake always on standby. While this series shares a sub-genre with several other popular cosy mysteries on the market, it stands out to me as the most authentic, witty, and deeply relatable. 

This time around, the ladies are faced with a particularly tricky conundrum: uncovering who murdered a local YouTuber. The victim was a retired doctor and a bit of a "silver fox" who left behind an extensive circle of lady friends. But who would want him dead? Peter Boland serves up a fantastic cast of suspects and a web of clever red herrings. In fact, the case was so intricately plotted and hard to figure out that, for a moment, I wasn't entirely sure the trio would be able to crack it this time!

I am happily giving this book a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars. The ending leaves us with a brilliant little clue that suggests another adventure is on the horizon—hurrah! I already cannot wait to see what Fiona, Daisy, and Sue get up to next.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This books is published on 22 October 2026.

As We Fall Through Time - Claire North

Description

'WONDERFUL - A PROFOUND ACCOMPLISHMENT' Max Gladstone
'AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE' Adrian Tchaikovsky
'ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR' Kate Quinn

From the multi-award-winning Claire North comes an extraordinary and epic tale of time travel, betrayal and a love that echoes through the centuries.

In the beginning, the world will end. This is the story of what happens next.

When Cal meets a soldier of the French Revolution, he knows his lover is destined to die. But what is the point of being a time traveller if you can't make a few small tweaks to the course of history? A little paradox here, an alteration there - nothing Cal can't fix, to save the man he loves.

When Fadimatu walks into a museum in 2018, she stumbles upon her own mummified corpse, setting her on the path to a betrayal that has already killed her, and a murder that has not yet come to pass.

And when a sudden rupture in the fabric of history rips through the lives these travellers have built, breaking both past and future, they must reckon with death foretold, love forsaken, and a secret that will shatter time itself.

Fall through history on a thrilling journey of shattered time, broken futures and a love that can never be erased.

'A wonderful book . . .It's a rare treat to read a novel with such scope and depth. A profound accomplishment. I loved it' Max Gladstone, co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War

'Absolutely, impossibly brilliant: at once epic and intimate, emotionally devastating and intellectually dazzling . . . I can't imagine reading a better book this year' H. G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter

'Casually brilliant, flippantly funny, deeply philosophical, and achingly tender, As We Fall Through Time is one of the best books of the year' Kate Quinn, author of The Alice Network

'An absolute masterpiece of a book: ingenious, touching, sharp-edged. North is one of the imaginative greats' Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Time

'Poignant, propulsive and glorious' M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts

'North's talent shines out' Sunday Times

'Claire North goes from strength to strength' Guardian

Review

Although I’m a big fan of time-travel fiction, and I’m always excited to discover a new take on the genre, this novel unfortunately didn’t quite work for me.

There is no denying that it is well written, with some amusing moments and lots of big, bold ideas.  I can appreciate the creativity and ambition that has gone into crafting this story.

Unfortunately, I struggled to keep up with the rapid shifts through time, along with the various parallel storylines. Just when I felt I was getting to grips with what was happening, the narrative would move on again, leaving me feeling a little lost. I found it difficult to stay fully engaged with the characters and their individual journeys when I was spending so much time trying figure out how everything fitted together.

I suspect this is one of those books that will appeal enormously to readers who enjoy complex, thought-provoking stories that challenge their understanding of time, reality and the possibilities that lie beyond our everyday experience. I can certainly appreciate what the author was trying to achieve, and there were moments when the sheer scale of the ideas was impressive. However, for me, the complexity sometimes got in the way of my enjoyment rather than adding to it.

Sadly, despite my love of time-travel fiction and my admiration for the writing and imagination on display, this novel just wasn’t for me. I wanted to love it, but I never quite found myself connecting with the story in the way I had hoped. It’s always disappointing when a book has so much going for it on paper but ultimately leaves you feeling a little underwhelmed. Sorry, this one simply didn’t hit the mark for me!

Life Out Of Order - Audrey Niffenegger

 

Description

Two great loves. A world in chaos. And a life that never lands in order.

'Graceful... Satisfying... It takes on the biggest issues of our times without a flinch' BONNIE GARMUS

'Wonderfully enigmatic' TRACY CHEVALIER

'A marvel... Something I won't stop thinking about' CLAIRE DAVERLEY

Alba DeTamble is a time traveler, slipping unpredictably through decades like her father before her. But the hardest thing she carries isn’t the burden of futures she can’t understand, or pasts she cannot change – it’s a secret: she is in love with two different people.

Each of them offers a different life. Zach lives in the present and can’t follow her when she disappears. Oliver can travel through time, just like she can.

As Alba careens from time to time, moving from the riot-torn Chicago streets of her present to the eerie, timeless Yellow House, and into the digital corridors of the Museum of Lost Souls and a flooded future London, she must face a question she can no longer avoid: how is it possible to love, and live a meaningful life, in an increasingly troubled, fractured world?

Intimate and expansive, Life Out of Order is a kaleidoscopic story of love, resilience and hope when time is running out.

Review

Where do I even begin with this review? Reading this book was a true roller coaster for me: I went from not knowing what was happening, to wanting to give up, to absolutely loving it, and finally landing somewhere in the middle, feeling a bit indifferent.
A lot of this inconsistency came down to the book's pacing. For me, it felt significantly overlong. Because of the jumping timelines, I expected the narrative to be a little jumbled, but it ultimately became too much to keep track of. The sheer number of characters didn't help either; many of them simply dropped into the dialogue with no introduction, making it hard to stay oriented.
However, everything changed when I reached 75% through the book. Oliver’s story completely gripped me, pulling me back in and getting me fully reinvested. I also connected with the AI elements of the plot. While the final stretch redeemed the book for me, the many character introductions and over long length kept it from being 5 star review.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

The Things We Never Say - Elizabeth Strout

DESCRIPTION

Internationally bestselling and prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout's new novel tells the story of a chance incident in a man's life - a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, and free will in a capsizing world.

Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He spends his days teaching history to high schoolers, expanding their young minds, correcting their casual cruelties, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbours, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. He is, by all appearances, present and alive. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad-at himself and the people around him-and turns a question over and over in his mind- how is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us?

And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear-and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence.

With exquisite prose and profound insight, Elizabeth Strout captures the way grief reverberates through decades, the comfort found in deep friendships and the freedom that comes when we break free of our secrets. The Things We Never Say is a stunning new novel from one of our most acclaimed observers of the human heart.

REVIEW

Elizabeth Strout has this incredible knack for giving you a masterclass in human nature without needing a massive 500-page doorstop to do it. The Things We Never Say at around 300 pages carries more emotional weight than books twice its size.If you’ve read her Lucy Barton or Olive Kitteridge books, you already know she’s the queen of the unspoken.

This time, we're in coastal Massachusetts following Artie Dam, a high school history teacher who is just trying to keep his head above water while dealing with the slow-burn fallout of a massive family secret. What I love about Strout is that she doesn’t do "good guys" and "bad guys." Artie is frustrating, his family is messy, and everyone is carrying around an absolute mountain of unspoken resentment, basically, they feel like a real family.

It’s definitely a quiet book. If you’re looking for plot twists or rapid fire dialogue, this isn't it. It’s simple, beautifully written, and it lingers with you long after you close the book. Strout just proves yet again that you don't need a massive page count to tell a massive story.

Thanks to my local library for lending me this book. I am giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

A Game of Cat and Killer - Jiro Akagawa

 

Description

"Murder mystery fans and cat lovers get ready for an iconic new series" Janice Hallet

"Think Agatha Chrisite with claws" A.J. Finn

"You can absolutely see why Jiro Akagawa is such a staple of Japanese crime fiction" Kristen Perrin

Detective Yoshitaro Katayama is afraid of many things: heights, dark spaces, blood and . . . women.

When a young female student is found murdered, he's given two choices - review the harrowing crime-scene photographs or head to Hagoromo Women's College to investigate - and reluctantly opts for the latter.

But the murders don't stop, and soon Katayama has a different surprise on his hands: a calico cat named Holmes, orphaned her owner falls victim.

Surely that's the last thing Katayama needs. Until Holmes begins to display some uncanny investigative instincts of her own . . .

Introducing one the most iconic investigative duos in crime fiction - a hapless detective and his capable cat - A Game of Cat and Killer is a must for all readers of Japanese cat fiction and classic crime.

Translated from the Japanese by Haydn Trowell

Review

A Game of Cat and Killer

Although A Game of Cat and Killer was originally published in Japan in 1978, and this edition has been translated from the original Japanese, I was surprised by how little it felt dated. There are, of course, some obvious differences from a modern-day crime novel. There are no mobile phones, computers or modern technology to help with the investigation, but I was so caught up in the story that I barely noticed their absence.

The central character, Katayama, is certainly an unusual detective. In fact, he seems an unlikely choice for the job, as he readily admits to being afraid of just about everything. He isn't exactly the stereotypical confident, fearless detective, and this makes him quite an endearing character. He can also be rather easily led, which occasionally made me want to give him a bit of a shake, but I found him likeable enough and enjoyed seeing how he developed as the investigation progressed.

Then there is Holmes. The cat belonging to the murdered man. For me, she completely stole the show. Holmes is no ordinary cat and seems to have an uncanny ability to help Katayama uncover clues and make connections that he might otherwise have missed. She certainly has plenty of personality, and she can even put up quite a fight when necessary! Some of the scenes involving Holmes added a lighter and more unusual element to what is otherwise a murder mystery.

I particularly enjoyed the way the relationship between Katayama and Holmes developed. Katayama seems to discover abilities he didn't know he possessed, both in his professional life and in his personal life, and Holmes appears to play a surprisingly important part in bringing this about.

The mystery itself kept me interested, and I liked the combination of traditional detective work with the slightly quirky and almost whimsical presence of Holmes. It is certainly different from many of the crime novels I usually read, but that is part of its charm.

Overall, A Game of Cat and Killer was an enjoyable and entertaining read. It has the feel of a classic murder mystery, but with a rather unusual twist in the form of a very clever and very feisty cat. Katayama may not be the most conventional detective, but perhaps that is exactly what makes him (and this book) so much fun.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for an ARC to review.

Under Story - Chloe Benjamin

 

Description

At an isolated research station in Antarctica, biologist Laurel Salter washes dishes for a living ten hours a day, six days a week. She tells no one why she left her career, or why her marriage ended.

But even in this remote outpost, Laurel can't outrun her past. When a strange light appears across the ice and draws a group of physicists to McMurdo, her former husband, Eli, won't be far behind.

Laurel is captivated by the Arc: its surreal glow; the way it seems almost alive. And though Eli is reluctant to test her wildest theory, Laurel is convinced that the Arc leads down a rabbit hole and into a world they can barely imagine. Can she persuade him to risk everything to fix the burden that hangs between them - to turn back the clock and live their story a second time?

And this time, live it differently.

Once read, never forgotten, Under Story is a genre-defying exploration of the promise of this life, what might lie beyond it, and how far we would go for more time with the people we love.

Review

I have a confession to make: I actually started reading this book several months ago, but after getting to around 30%, I just couldn’t get on with it. I found myself struggling to engage with the story and, in the end, I put it aside to read other books. I’m not usually one to abandon a book, so I did wonder whether I would ever go back to it. Eventually, though, I decided to give it another try.

When I picked it up again, I quite quickly reached the second part of the book, and initially things did seem to improve. The story became more interesting and I found myself wanting to see where it was going. Unfortunately, though, some of the issues I had with the first part remained.

At 512 pages, I also felt that the book was simply too long. There were times when the story felt very drawn out, and I found myself wondering when it was going to move on. I think the book could have been considerably shorter without losing the main story or the ideas the author was trying to explore. For me, the length contributed to the feeling that the story was sometimes plodding rather than moving at a pace that kept me interested.

Another issue I had was the amount of science. I appreciate that the scientific elements are important to the story and that the author has clearly put a great deal of thought into the ideas behind it, but there was just far too much of it for my liking. At times I felt that the science took over from the actual story, and I found some of it quite difficult to follow. I also wasn’t convinced that everything being presented was actually possible.

The second half of the book definitely asks you to suspend your disbelief. There is a particular premise introduced that I really struggled to get my head around. I can’t say too much about it without giving away a major part of the story, but I found it difficult to accept, even within the fictional world the author had created. Perhaps other readers will be more willing to go along with it than I was, but for me it made it harder to become fully immersed in the story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like the two lead characters. I found both of them to be quite selfish and self-centred, and I struggled to sympathise with their decisions or become emotionally invested in what happened to them. When I don't particularly connect with the main characters, I find it much harder to care about their journey, and that was certainly the case here.

Having said all that, I’m glad I went back to the book rather than leaving it unfinished. There were moments when the story grabbed my attention, particularly as it moved further into the second half, and I can appreciate the ambition behind the ideas. There is certainly an interesting concept at the heart of the book, even if it didn’t completely work for me.

Sadly, though, Under Story just wasn’t a book that worked for me. The combination of the length, the drawn out pacing, the amount of science, a premise that I struggled to accept and two main characters I didn’t particularly like made it a difficult read. I’m pleased I gave it a second chance, but ultimately I was left feeling that the book could have been shorter, tighter and more engaging.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.