Eden Falls - Ajay Chowdhury

Description

When Aisha’s husband vanishes in plain sight, she is pulled into a nightmare to find him in this race-against-time tech thriller...

'A clever, timely and thrilling page turner' Jo Callaghan
'Outstanding' Abir Mukherjee
'A first-rate thriller' William Shaw
'Pulsating' Vaseem Khan

After the murder of his best friend, newlyweds Adam and Aisha cut their honeymoon short. But just as they are about to board a flight home from Delhi, Adam disappears at the airport – seemingly kidnapped – leaving Aisha stranded without her passport, her phone, or answers.

When the FBI and India’s intelligence agency begin interrogating her, it becomes chillingly clear they know far more about Adam than she ever did. Her only clue is his final, haunting message: I’m sorry.

Thousands of miles away, Sara Wolf, a scientist stuck on a dead-end project at Princeton, receives a message she never expected from her former lover. It contains two words: Help her.

Bound together by suspicion, rivalry, and a man they both love, Aisha and Sara are forced into an uneasy alliance. Decoding Adam’s clues, they follow a trail that leads them across the United States - into a shadow world of weaponised AI, tech billionaires, and a secret no one is meant to find.

Eden Falls is a gripping, high-stakes thriller that spans continents and asks how far we will go - and who we will trust - when the truth can destroy everything.

Review

This is the first book I have read by this well known author. I was at times thrilled and at others baffled by this standalone thriller.

The book begins with a few students seeing a meteorite fall to earth. Seen as a discovery, but then declared a hoax. Fast forward to the airport in Delhi where Adam and his wife are having to cut their honeymoon short due to the murder of his best friend. What happens next is terrifying, her husband goes missing and she is left with no means of ID and cannot even leave the airport to be with her parents as she has no passport.

Once his wife manages to get back to the USA she teams up with his ex girlfriend Sara who is a scientist. It's not the easiest of alliances as you might guess but Adam has emailed Sara to tell her to help his new wife. 

I loved the interactions between the two female characters and their quest to solve the clues that will hopefully save Adam. For me these were the most thrilling parts of the book and real page turners. The science parts left me cold. Far too much language which although realistic bamboozled me. I decided to just read on and not understand. What I did understand was the underlying message of AI seemingly helping people by utter reliance on it,  but then being used to destroy them through others. That part felt very real and was a little prophetic. 

Overall I did like the book, a sort of Indiana Jones meets AI. It's just perfect to be made into a film. I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 23 July 2026. 

The Truth of Us - Sara Cox

 

Description

'Like all great storytellers Sara pulls the reader in and doesn't let go until the utterly satisfying, heart-swelling conclusion' Graham Norton
'Utterly brilliant. I inhaled it. I loved it' Claudia Winkleman
'Unputdownable' The Sunday Times

FRIENDS ARE THE FAMILY YOU CHOOSE.

Manchester, 1982. The houses on the street are almost identical but number 51 has always been slightly neater, a shiny penny next to number 49. The people inside have their differences too but still their lives are entwined, most especially for young girls Abi and Christy. From questionable fashion choices, illicit nights out and doomed romances, growing up together they share everything. Including the secret that eventually tears them apart.

Two decades later, Abi's life is one of marriage, family and stability. Christy, always the wilder of the two, has travelled and partied and risen high in the world of TV. Until, unexpectedly, they're living next door to each other again. Is it finally time to confront the past and speak the truth?

The Truth of Us showcases Sara Cox's superb storytelling skills in an unforgettable story that spans generations but always stays truthful to the strong, funny and complex women at its heart.

Review

We meet Abi and Christy as adults when they end up living next door to one another in their childhood homes again. There are a lot of characters and I struggled at times to remember which parents belonged to which character. One of the main features of the story is the kitchen windows in each house. Over the years the girls/women see each other through it, a glimpse into each others lives. It fitted the storyline perfectly, but I couldn't visualize two houses that would have this layout and it really annoyed me.

I loved both of Sara's previous books. They felt original and different from other books I had read. I began to read this one and after a few pages I thought it formulaic - a story I had read before. But, I was proved wrong as the story progressed, it was more original than I had at first thought. However, the constant flipping back and forth with the time line was too much for me. One instance especially sticks in my mind when the book goes back sequentially, but then when we next go back it is to an earlier time.

I felt the story was very long and drawn out until about half way through when I began to really embrace the storyline and I actually wanted to continue reading. This I thought is the writing I was expecting from the beginning.

I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 16 July 2026.

Everything She Didn't Say - Jane Casey

 

Description

THE STUNNING, UNPREDICTABLE NEW THRILLER WITH BREATHTAKING TWISTS FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 IRISH TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JANE CASEY

‘Instantly gripping, it’s a masterpiece' Andrea Mara

'An immersive thriller that constantly surprises' Catherine Ryan Howard

'So gripping' Elly Griffiths

'It’s a bloody masterpiece!' Liz Nugent

‘Twisty and incredibly gripping’ Claire McGowan

Someone is dead. Someone is a killer. Someone is lying.

A woman is found in bloodstained clothes on the lonely coast of County Mayo.

At first, she won’t speak. Then a name comes: Ruth. And a story about her missing friend: Maura.

Ruth says she and Maura were staying in a clifftop house together. But there’s no trace of her there. Nothing but a pool of blood.

Ruth says the pair fought in the days before Maura disappeared. But the locals say they only ever saw one woman.

Ruth swears she’s telling the truth, but do the answers really lie in everything she didn’t say?

Review

I've only read one other book by this author and I had forgotten how good the writing is.

When a woman is interviewed after being found in bloodstained clothes she won't speak. Until one of the detectives finds a name and she opens up. Her story of how she came to be covered in blood, in a remote place in County Mayo is a complicated one.

Ruth has a friend called Maura, but does she? No one has seen her or knows of her. Ruth is adamant that they were staying together in a house sit for an influencer project. So who does the blood on Ruth belong to, and where is Maura?

I liked the characters particularly the two detectives and later a third detective Cara who I could just imagine. A few wonderfully drawn supporting characters too.The setting of the County Mayo coast and the area puts you right in the location without being overly descriptive. It also adds another layer to the story with it being a character in its own right, adding so much to the ambience of the story.  

There were a lot of cliff hangers which left me trying to rewrite mentally what I had learnt, and still not getting to the truth. Twist after twist until there was a genius twist, and it is worth reading the book for that alone. I'm still not sure I fully understand what happened!

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 16 July 2026.

The Shampoo Effect - Jenny Jackson

 

Description

A VOGUE 'BEST BOOK OF 2026'

OVER ONE LONG SUMMER, WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT COME OUT IN THE WASH?

When writer Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, she falls immediately for its scenic beaches and New England charm – and even harder for Van Whittaker, a gorgeous, fleece-wearing, litter-collecting, kayak enthusiast.

She meets his friends: Augusta, old money and uptight; Fran, drowning in everyone else’s problems whilst keeping two kids (and an inebriated husband) afloat; and Bailey, who is sexy, confident… and inconveniently pregnant with Van’s child.

Determined nothing will dull the shine of her new romance, Caroline joins the friends as they run wild through Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, gossiping on beaches while their children paddle, and playing risky games.

It seems the fun will last forever – until it doesn’t. As decades-old friendships and marriages begin to fracture, Caroline’s place in their world is called into question. And with all the group’s most tightly held secrets at stake, who knows what might come out?

Dazzlingly funny, sexy, and as juicy as it is astute, The Shampoo Effect is a story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, and old friends finally growing up – despite all their best efforts.

'The platonic ideal of a beach read: fun and fast-paced'
New York Times

'[A] juicy send-up of privilege in all its rowdy dysfunction'
People

'Astutely observed'
Booklist

Review

I loved Pineapple Street so eagerly began to read this one.

Caroline is starting afresh as a newly published writer in the New Yorker. She has secured a writers residency in a beach town and right away meets and falls for Van. He comes with a whole group of friends who have known one another for 30 years so it's a tough group to integrate into.

It started out ok, but I couldn't connect with any of the characters or feel anything towards them. Caroline was the strongest character for me, but as the book flips between the characters stories, she wasn't narrating all the time. 

At one point I did think why am I reading this, it's just people's lives that I have no interest in (apart from Caroline). I read on and I am so glad I did. I picked the book up and down several times until I had arrived at around half way through it. It was like a key turned and I really got it! I proceeded to read the rest of the book straight to the end, staying up late to do so. Seems like once everyone started to spill their feelings and secrets it became a lot more interesting. 

I loved the sweet ending.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. It gained an extra star during the second half and for the ending. My thanks to Negalley for the ARC to review. This book is out on 2 July 2026.

Retro - Jessica M Goldstein

 

Description

✨ PRE-ORDER THE ZEITGEISTY TIME TRAVEL DEBUT WITH A TWIST ✨

'I want to travel back so I can read it again for the first time!'
Casey Scieszka, author of The Fountain

'So much fun!'
Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands

EVER WANTED TO TRAVEL INTO THE PAST? WELL NOW YOU CAN!*
*exclusions and exorbitant fees apply.

Ash is a failed actress who is done trying to ‘make’ something of her life when she scrolls past an ad for Retro. The algorithm thinks she can afford recreational time travel? Then she sees the caption: Come away with us! We’re hiring.

Time Travel Agents, the guides who lead ultra-wealthy explorers on trips to the past on the ‘Retro Metro’, must blend seamlessly into any historical period. Ash is a perfect fit. She’s an actress after all. Or at least she used to be.

So begins Ash’s life at Retro, chaperoning rich tourists through history’s most Instagrammable eras. She wrangles bachelorette parties chasing hunky cowboys in the Old West, throws ‘'20s for your twenties’ birthday bashes at speakeasies, and rolls her eyes at Wall Street men trying their luck in the Gold Rush.

For the first time in years, Ash’s life feels enviable. She barely notices the strange glitches in her memory or the way her present-day relationships are starting to slip.

But as the trips intensify and her present begins to fray, Ash confronts an unsettling question: Was diving into the past ever really an escape, or just another way to lose herself?

***

'A magnetic read—equal parts charming, melancholy, and strange—perfect for those with sharp tongues but yearning hearts.' Emily Hunt Kivel, author of Dwelling

'Shrewd, witty and original' Aisling Rawle, author of The Compound

'Retro provides a whip smart critique of influencer culture and the ultrawealthy, while being utterly readable and compelling' Tasha Coryell, author of Love Letters to a Serial Killer

Review

I love a time travel novel and was eagerly looking forward to this book. 

Ash hasn't made it as an actress and is currently in an office job. Then she sees an advert for a Time Travel company that are hiring. I immediately began to think of the Jack Finney short stories set in a similar vein, although this is 21st century time travel. So all the clients want to go to Instagrammable locations and the time travel scenario is well publicised.

I was all in with the concept and mostly interested in the recreational time travel that the agents were allowed to undertake. When they chaperoned clients it was mainly spoilt rich people who wanted a 21st century experience in the past. 

Unfortunately for me I found the book became a little pedestrianised in its pace after a while. Going back in time was great, but when we got there not a lot happened. Plenty of details but not much action. Luckily I stuck with it, because in the last part of the book, I literally became so scared for Ash. Different outcomes were racing through my head and what "would I do" scenarios playing out in my mind. Then nothing. I re read the ending but "nothing". It felt like the wrong ending to me, a let down.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

One of the Family - Mark Edwards

 

Description

One of the family is dead.
One of the family is missing.
And one of the family might just be the killer...

The outstanding new psychological thriller from the 5 million copy-bestselling author of Here to Stay and The Magpies

*****
Patrick couldn’t believe his luck when Holly fell for him. She’s wickedly funny, beautiful, and with an intimidatingly successful father, Charles.

So when she invites him to Charles’ mansion for a New Year’s break in Scotland, all he’s hoping is that they’ll accept him as one of the family.

But everything feels a little off. Whispers in hallways. Rumours of a body that got found nearby the previous year. And something very strange about Charles’ new girlfriend.

Every family has secrets, and Patrick tells himself all he needs to do is survive the next few days.

But then the first body is found, and Patrick realises that all he needs to do is survive the next few days…

Review

I thought the book was a little slow to begin with, but that did seem to fit the bleak Scottish landscape that it was set in. There was quite a bit of scene setting with who was who in the family, and everyone settling either back into the Scottish Mansion, or as first time visitors. 

Once the action began I was all in for trying to solve it, which proved pointless. The book flipped back 10 years a few times,  to when two of the characters were teenagers. This began to make some sense of the present day scenario. 

There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters but that didn't affect the story. I hated most of them anyway for varying reasons. 

Once the snow began to come down it really was an atmospheric novel, especially as there is only one policewoman in the vicinity. When the twists began I did literally have my mouth open at each one! It was a bit of a rollercoaster towards the end. Then came the epilogue.  I'm not sure I liked it as the ending to the book. I'm still reasoning it in my mind now.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 18 June 2026

Sleuths - Samantha Moody

 

Description

‘I read it in one sitting!’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review

SHE’S A FAN

Melody runs a fan account for TV’s hottest regency romance actor, Griff Beckett. But when one of the photos she posts shows Griff in a romantic position with an unknown woman, angry fans turn on Melody and accuse her of the ultimate fan betrayal: posting a fake picture.

HE’S A CELEBRITY

Hurt and angry, Melody sets out to prove the photo is real and their favourite actor is no longer single…until, instead of a girlfriend, she finds a missing person report.

AND HE’S…KIDNAPPED SOMEONE?

It should be a job for the authorities, but nobody will take Melody seriously. She'll have to team up with her internet friends, and a (distractingly sexy) journalist, Levi, to save the day.

Can Melody solve the case, save the girl, and get her dream man in the process?

The perfect sexy and thrilling rom-com for fans of Butcher & Blackbird and Love in the Time of Serial Killers

Review

I've got mixed feelings about this book. I thought it was going to be a lighthearted read. As Melody uncovers a dark and dangerous criminal operation, I found some of the description to be a little uncomfortable.

I liked the beginning of the book. I could relate to Melody in her job and found it interesting. We then realise she is also running a fan account on IG. Things suddenly go very wrong for her with hate being levelled at her with increasing speed and the potential downfall of her account means a loss of earnings to supplement her life in London.

She turns into a sleuth along with two other online friends and it all got very sinister. Part of me couldn't take what was happening seriously until she also began to get help (and a love interest) from a journalist. 

I think the last third of the book was very suspenseful and a different side of Mel was exposed as she took it on the chin, and stood up for what she believed in. I'm certainly not the intended demographic for this novel and although I use IG and am aware of fangirls, this was not something I would normally have chosen to read.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.