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.

Common Decency - Tom Allen

 

Description

IT MAY BE QUIET IN THE SUBURBS, BUT IT'S FAR FROM PEACEFUL. . .

'A fantastic frothy read about suburbia with all Tom Allen's great style' JACQUELINE WILSON, international #1 bestseller

'A deliciously witty suburban comedy of manners with real bite, shot through with Tom Allen's trademark humour. A brilliant debut novel!' TERRY DEARY, #1 Sunday Times bestseller

'Absolutely fantastic, I love Tom Allen!' SARA COX

'I love it!' JEFF GOLDBLUM

'A brilliant book' CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN

'Genuinely charming and so well-written. Read this book instead of doom-scrolling and you will go to bed happy' JEREMY VINE

'A story that made me both spit out my tea with laughter and brought me close to tears. I LOVED IT!'
RUTH HOGAN, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things

'Charming and comical with a sardonic raised eyebrow. Very Tom Allen!' JO BRAND

'Tom writes with a perfect comic voice, about a place no one knows better, suburbia. A beautiful book about a much ignored area of British life' JOSH WIDDICOMBE


It may be quiet in the suburbs, but it's far from peaceful . . .

Oak Drive can be found nestled tidily in an unassuming English town. Its uniform front gardens overlook a midsized common which the street's residents survey with quiet, some might say smug, pride.

This is the sort of place where it pays to sweat the small stuff, and let the big things look after themselves. Bins should be placed back in their right positions in a timely fashion and paintwork should share the same tasteful but muted palette.

Sometimes, however, the big things do not look after themselves - and all hell can break loose in sleepy suburbia.

Common Decency chronicles the lives and interactions of the street's residents as they band together to save a beloved oak tree from destruction at the hands of ruthless developers.

As tensions rise and repressed neuroses and resentments seep out, the secrets of Oak Drive threaten to shatter the well-ordered veneer, revealing some rather more surprising truths. . .

Tom Allen brings his trademark dark comedy to the page in this brilliant novel about what it truly means to be a neighbourhood.

READERS ARE LOVING TOM ALLEN'S SPARKLING DEBUT
'What an exceptional piece of writing. It's witty, it's immersive, it makes you think'
'A fabulous read, a real comedy of manners'
'Tom Allen has a natural affinity for storytelling. I can't wait to see what he writes next'
'A humorous, charming book with a bit of edge to it'
'The cosiest of suburban observational dramas, with the smart sass and wit you'd expect from Tom Allen'
'I absolutely ADORED this book!'

Review

I've been really looking forward to reading this book so much, and it didn't disappoint.

On the surface this is a book about a neighbourhood coming together to fight developers and save a very old oak tree. It's the suburbs, not much happens, and if it should, one of the residents is there to maintain order and let everyone know if they step out of line with their bins.

I'm not one for overly descriptive writing and words that don't add value, but in this book every wonderful word counted. I was enjoying the wickedly funny observations of day to day life and expected nothing more. But then a twist and a flashback and the book turned into something far deeper than I had imagined.

My favourite character was Miranda, but I loved them all. The characters, their traits and the setting was so vividly written, that I could see it all in my mind. I am really going to miss them all and the writing style. I hope the author writes something else soon!

I'm giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 21 May 2026.

Quite Ugly One Evening - Chris Brookmyre

Description

'The plot is breathtaking, the setting beautiful and the characters are written with genuine depth. And smack bang in the middle of this Succession-meets-The Traitors novel is Brookmyre's most iconic character: the monumental Jack Parlabane. Irrepressible, acerbic and positively rubbing this hands with glee. Absolutely brilliant' M. W. Craven

'Brookmyre at his twisted best... Laugh out loud and perfectly conceived. What a bloody triumph' Helen Fields

An Atlantic voyage. A family at war. A secret worth killing over.

Reporter Jack Parlabane thrives on chasing stories in unlikely places, and where could be less likely than a fan convention on a cruise liner celebrating a contentious Sixties TV series? But unlike the media family exploiting their show's renewed relevance, he's not there to stoke controversy: he's there to solve a murder.

Already in deep water with his employer, Jack desperately needs a win, and solving this decades-old mystery could be it. Problem is, he's in the middle of the Atlantic, and someone onboard has already killed once to keep their secret.

And that's not even the tricky part. No, the tricky part is definitely the dead body locked in a stateroom with him, covered in his blood. Now Jack has to solve two murders, otherwise the only way he's getting off this ship is in handcuffs - or in a body bag.

Quite Ugly One Evening is a zeitgesty locked-room mystery that sees the return of rogue journalist Jack Parlabane thirty years after his first appearance in Quite Ugly One Morning.

Review

I recently read the first Jack Parlabane book which is 30 years old. So I was familiar with the main character. Now he is older he has matured, but not in all ways, although that is to the benefit of the reader in the main. 

I had no problem with Jack, I liked his with quick thinking and charm. What I did have a problem with was the many characters who I could not get straight in my head, particularly those with unusual but explained names. I decided to read on and not let it bother me. In the end the Agatha Christie style twist ending meant I wouldn't have had a scooby of working it out anyway. 

There was also a lot of detailed descriptions of the layout of the ship. Some were necessary for the plot but a lot of it seemed to be wasted words. It seemed like there was a lot of down time for Jack where admittedly he was "working" but nothing was happening. 

I haven't read the books in between the first and this one, so maybe I am missing something but it felt like a standalone book to me. Having said that the knowledge of Jack as a younger man did give the character more depth for me.

By the end of the book I was really enjoying it, but felt I had to wade through a lot to get there. I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 7 May 2026.

A Deadly Episode - Anthony Horowitz

 

Description

The Word is Murder, the first book in the Hawthorne series, is being made into a major feature film.

The actors have been cast, the script written, and filming has already started in Hastings.

But when Hawthorne and Anthony visit the set, they find a far from happy family.

The director’s pretentious, the screenwriter’s an eco-warrior, the two stars hate each other, and the producer has run out of money.

And things are about to get much, much worse.

In the middle of shooting, the actor playing Hawthorne is stabbed – which leaves the real Hawthorne with no choice. He has to step in and investigate his own murder.

Because the killer may not have got the right man. Was it Hawthorne himself who was meant to be the target?

A Deadly Episode is a wild ride through a world that the author knows only too well, and the most personal case Hawthorne has had to deal with so far.

Review

I've read the first and the fifth book in this series before reading this latest novel. Although the subject of the first book is being made into a film in this one, I think you could read it as a standalone. However, you would miss the depth that you get with knowing about the characters of Hawthorne and Horowitz previously.

I was reading along quite happily, enjoying the writing style as usual. About half way through the book it switches to a Hawthorne's first ever case, and I felt very put out. A whole new set of characters appeared and it was like reading another book. It actually hindered me picking it up again, because it felt like it was too much effort.  Luckily I did get back to the book and just as I had forgotten all about the original plot of the book because I had become immersed once more in the writing, we were taken back to it. I was rewarded with a very twisty ending and overall the book was great. 

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 23 April 2026.

Yesteryear - Caro Claire Burke

 

Description

'EVERYONE IS GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK' BELLA MACKIE

'NIGHTMARISH, SHOCKING, BRILLIANT' STYLIST

'THE BOOK THAT WILL BE EVERYWHERE' INDEPENDENT

'INTELLIGENT, INCISIVE, INSANELY READABLE' JENNIE GODFREY

'BOLD, BITING. WILL LEAVE YOU GASPING' NITA PROSE

‘WICKEDLY FUNNY, FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE' ABIGAIL DEAN

'INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE' ASHLEY AUDRAIN

'SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR, LACED WITH DARKNESS' CLARE MACKINTOSH

'THE STEPFORD WIVES MEETS THE HANDMAID'S TALE' HANNAH DEITCH

'My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…'

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and has the social media accounts to prove it. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What Natalie’s followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

NOW BEING ADAPTED INTO A MAJOR FILM STARRING ANNE HATHAWAY

Review

I don't know what to say about this book, because if I say too much it will spoil your reading of it.

Natalie is an Instagram influencer. She didn't use to be. It's taken her a lot of hard work and training to be this real online, even if she isn't this real offline. All her family are involved as she portrays the perfect traditional lifestyle on her ranch.

We see the "before" Natalie as she realises her husband Caleb is not who she thought he was and she needs to create a life for him to live. With support from her wealthy Father in law she has the means to create that life, and now the medium to show it to the world via Instagram. 

When Natalie wakes up one morning and doesn't recognise her home or her children, she wonders if someone is playing a reality TV show trick on her. It is her home, but without all the mod cons she hides from the real world. She has the right number of children, but not quite the same ones. As her life in 1805 begins she decides she has to escape from it. The real trad wife life is not for her it seems.

I really enjoyed the influencer parts of this book and the glimpse behind the "reality". Natalie is quite a character and not one I warmed to. Once it flipped to 1805 I got a bit lost and didn't enjoy it so much. I got my reward at the end, and all I can say is "wow!" What a premise for a book. Looking back there are some deep themes and a lot more under the surface of the superficial influencer tag.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review. This book is published on 9 April 2026.