The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion vol 1 - Beth Brower

 

Description

'I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.'

The year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian's. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Review

Set in 1883 orphaned Emma has returned to St Crispian's to claim her inheritance. She is only 20 years old, so has a few months to go yet, but she is certainly very wise for her years. She wastes no time in setting about what is due to her. Unfortunately her obnoxious cousin Archibald has not been too careful in protecting her inheritance. 

There are some supernatural occurrences along the way. Not explained but rather taken as granted, so I wasn't sure about them. Maybe this progresses in further volumes.

Told with wit and in keeping with the language of the times, this is a nice little read. It is the first volume, setting the scene for the other volumes already available to read.

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

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.