The Calamity Club

I loved being swept into the world of The Calamity Club. Kathryn Stockett (also the author of The Help) brings Depression-era Mississippi vividly to life, with characters who are funny, flawed, heartbreaking and impossible not to care about. I particularly enjoyed the alternating perspectives of Birdie and Meg, and the way their stories gradually intertwine.

If you're into audiobooks, this is the one to get. The reader is excellent.

It’s a long book, but I never found myself wishing it were shorter. There’s warmth and humour alongside the darker realities of poverty, racism and the limited choices available to women. Most of all, I loved the characters and the sense of place. A rich, immersive and thoroughly enjoyable novel.

Enormous Wings

What can I say about "Enorous Wings" by Laurie Frankel that will make you reach for it without knowing anything about it? Without reading the blurb even?

How about this: I love books by this author. The characters are always quirky, the issues meaty, and the plots unexpected.

If that's not enough, scroll down for almost-spoilers.

This is such an unusual, thought-provoking book. It takes a premise that sounds almost impossible and uses it to explore some very real questions about family, ageing, choice and who gets to make decisions about our lives.

I particularly enjoyed the mix of serious themes with humour. It never felt like a heavy-handed social issues novel; there’s plenty of warmth, eccentricity and humanity in the characters. It also made me think about some questions I’m not sure have easy answers — always a good sign for me.

A clever, unusual and surprisingly funny read, with plenty to think about after you’ve finished it.

Summerland Cove

I loved getting immersed in the atmosphere of Summerland Cove. Ellen Baker evokes the Maine setting beautifully: the rocky coast, summer cottages and that slightly timeless feeling of a family returning to the same place year after year.

At the heart of the story is a family gathering for a summer of celebrations, until Lindy's husband disappears on the day of his 50th birthday. As the family searches for him, old secrets start surfacing.

This is less a traditional thriller than a character-driven family mystery, with three generations of women and all their complicated relationships, regrets and secrets.

A beautifully atmospheric read. I really enjoyed spending time in Summerland Cove.

Can't wait for the sequel! 

"The Killer Question" by Janice Hallett

Janice Hallett is a dare-devil. And a clever cookie.

Who else writes an entire murder mystery using only texts, emails, transcripts, and still makes it this gripping? It shouldn’t work as well as it does... and it really, really does.

The setup is deceptively cosy. Sue and Mal Eastwood retire early and take over a rural pub, The Case is Altered, and bring it back to life with a weekly pub quiz. You get to know the regular teams through scoresheets, categories, bits of conversation. It’s all very low-key, quirky, British.

There’s even that one team member who complains about everything every single week, and the running joke that the quizmaster is always right, even when he’s clearly wrong.

And then a body turns up in the river behind the pub.

From there, things start to shift. A new team arrives, The Shadow Knights, and begins winning every week, unsettling the regulars and changing the whole dynamic. The second half of the book goes somewhere I didn’t expect at all. It gets twisty, but still grounded in that same clever format.

I love pub quizzes, and I really loved this book.

It's Not What You Think

"It's Not What You Think" by Clare Mackintosh is an excellent book. I couldn’t put it down. It's he kind of book where you tell yourself one more chapter and suddenly it’s well past midnight.

I went in expecting a fairly straightforward psychological thriller. Instead, I got something a bit sharper, a bit more self-aware. The story keeps nudging you into forming opinions. About what’s happening, about who to trust. And then quietly pulls the rug. 

I loved Nadeeka and Lauren. They’re not perfect characters, which is exactly why they work. There were moments I didn’t agree with them, moments I questioned them, but I never disengaged. 

What stayed with me is the sense of unease running under everything. It’s a clever reminder that perspective is slippery, and that we’re often far more certain than we should be.

I read it quickly, but it’s the kind of book that lingers a little afterwards, making you replay moments and wonder what you missed the first time.

Smart, addictive, and just a bit unsettling in the best way.

Inside Man by John McMahon

This sequel brings back Gardner Camden and the PAR team with the same clever energy that made the first thriller so compelling. The mystery unfolds on two fronts (a militia investigation and a chilling series of buried victims) and the tension builds steadily without losing the human side of the story. 

It’s a smart, absorbing novel that reminds you that puzzles aren’t just about clues. They’re chiefly about people.

What I loved most was hanging out with four brilliant, slightly odd book people who trust each other enough to tackle the cases nobody else can solve. Thank you, John, for normalising neurodiversity and unveiling how cool and desirable it is.

We Solve Murders by Richard Osman

I read "We Solve Murders" in less than 24 hours (while on Christmas break) and I absolutely loved it. Loved the characters, loved the pace, even loved the crazy improbable plot.

This makes me wonder why I couldn't get into the authors pervious books in the The Thursday Murder Club series. I'll try them again, and if it's still a no, I'll try the TV adaptation. I do remember getting lost early in The Thursday Murder Club, unable to keep track of all the characters, so maybe this is one of those books that only works when you’re properly on holiday and your brain has switched off from work?

Blurb: 

Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers the pub quiz and afternoons at home with his cat Trouble. His days of adventure are over – that’s his daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.

Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul, which makes being a private security officer to billionaires the perfect job. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending Steve an SOS . . .

As a breakneck race around the world begins, can they stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?

Missing sister by Joshilyn Jackson

This author never disappoints. Now that I've finished racing through "Missing Sister", I can't decide what I value most: the quirky characters, the plot, or the unique way Ms Jackson wields language to craft prose that is both natural and a Fabergé egg (for those who've read the book, yes, the metaphor is intentional). 

As always with Ms Jackson's books, it's difficult to put it firmly in a genre box, and that is a good, good thing. Mystery, yes. Family drama, also yes.  A milieu story, less so than some of her previous books. Bestseller, for certain.

I love all the Albrights and would be honoured to have them over for dinner. But, my favourite character? Gand.  Hope to meet him again in a future book.

Joshilyn, thank you for writing your wonderful books. They make my life better.

(Release date 3 March 2026)

Kiss Her Goodbye: A Frankie Elkin Novel by Lisa Gardner

I just finished Lisa Gardner's Kiss Her Goodbye and I’m still turning it over in my mind. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into Frankie Elkin’s world again. This time, she’s searching for an Afghan woman who has disappeared and left behind her young child. It’s a story full of heartbreak, courage, and resilience, and it feels incredibly timely.

What I love about Frankie is how flawed and real she is. She’s stubborn and reckless at times, but at her core she’s driven by compassion, and that makes her such a compelling character to follow. Alongside the darkness of the case, Lisa Gardner gives us those small, lighter moments that let you breathe, including Frankie’s unusual pet-sitting arrangement in a mansion full of reptiles, which made me smile in the middle of all the tension.

This book has everything I want in a thriller: pacing, emotional depth, and a character I can’t stop rooting for. 

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin is unlike any other book I've read. It's not SF, although I'm confident most SF readers will love it. And speaking of love, it's not a romance but it is about love. And friendship. And building computer games.

It reads easy but it makes you think deep.

My kind of book.

I recommend!

"Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins

I’ll admit that I was a slow uptaker when it came to The Hunger Games. I held off for a long time because, honestly, I didn’t want to read about kids killing kids. And I definitely didn’t want my own pre-teens getting swept up in that world, especially with all the peer pressure at the time to jump on the bandwagon.

But once I did finally get into the series, Suzanne Collins totally won me over. I loved her voice, her attention to detail, the way she builds a world that’s terrifying and believable. I was hooked.

Sunrise on the Reaping just cements all of that. It dives into Haymitch’s backstory (yes, that Haymitch) during the Second Quarter Quell, and wow! It’s intense, clever, and so emotionally layered. Seeing the Games through his eyes adds a whole new dimension to the world and the story we thought we knew. You really feel the trauma, the manipulation, the deep-rooted injustice of it all. You see the power of propaganda and why people gave up.

Collins doesn’t just write a prequel, she deepens the whole universe. Her writing is sharp, the worldbuilding is rich, and the moral complexity hits just as hard as ever. If you're already a fan, this will blow you away. And if you're new to Panem, it’s a brilliant (and devastating) place to start.

Why I Loved The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

This book completely stole my heart. It’s about Fred, an 82-year-old who’s broke, alone, and out of options—until a random mix-up lands him in a nursing home under someone else’s name. I know, it sounds like the start of a wild caper, but it’s actually this warm, funny, quietly powerful story about second chances and chosen family.

Fred is just lovely—kind, thoughtful, a little lost—and watching him find connection and purpose again was genuinely moving. I laughed, I teared up, and I didn’t want it to end. It’s the kind of book that reminds you how important it is to really see people, no matter their age or situation.

If you’re in the mood for something tender and uplifting, give this one a go. It’s a gem.

Listen for the lie by Amy Tintera

I chose to read "Listen for the lie by Amy Tintera" because it's a Reece Witherspook pick. Here are some of the reasons I liked it:

• Darkly funny, twisty, and fast-paced
• Lucy’s inner voice is hilarious and sharply self-aware
• Blends traditional mystery with podcast transcript segments
• Strong female protagonist

Blurb: Lucy can’t remember what happened the night her best friend Savvy was murdered—but everyone, including Lucy herself, suspects she might have done it. Years later, a popular true crime podcast investigates the cold case, forcing Lucy to return to her hometown to uncover the truth—whether she likes it or not.

"Head Cases" by John McMahon

I found myself a new favourite author! John McMahon's writing is as minimalistic as it is compelling. I love the protagonist in "Head Cases" and I'm so glad he's going to feature in another book. Hope this is the beginning of a long and successful series. Move over Jack Reacher and Win Horne Lockwood III, there's a new hero in town.

Blurb:

Gardner Camden is a walking analytical brain with an affinity for riddles, puzzles, and codes. It makes him the perfect fit for the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit of the FBI, a team of five brilliant but misfit agents who are too talented, too extraordinary to fire from the Bureau.

Gardner’s smart, but he’s all business – except for his seven-year-old daughter and occasional visits to his elderly mother, he prioritises his work and justice over everything else, no matter the cost.

A serial killer from one of Gardner’s solved cases, presumed to be long dead, is found murdered, and then soon after, another body with a similar story. The mastermind murderer has left clues and riddles for Gardner and his team – a mathematician, a sniper and weapons expert, a computer analytics specialist, and their leader, a career agent – as they track him across the country. With the threat of PAR dissolving, the team can’t afford to make any mistakes and Gardner must work to solve the riddles before it’s too late.

The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer

"The Impossible Thing" by Belinda Bauer - oh, what a book! Beautifully told, it's one of those gems that slowly tightens its grip on you and then refuses to let go.

From the windswept cliffs of Yorkshire in 1926 to a Welsh village a century later, this novel brings mystery and adventure. The premise (a missing, impossibly rare egg) had me hooked, googling guillemots, images of their eggs, and reasons for their unusual shape; yet it’s the characters who truly make this book. Patrick Fort, with his sharp mind and social limitations, is impossible not to love, and his friendship with Meg and Nick will warm the most cynical heart.

I like books that make you think, and "The Impossible Thing" made me deplore human greed and our lack of empathy for creatures seemingly lesser than us. It also made me reflect on the  way we attach so much value to material objects when, in the end, it’s the people and connections in our lives that truly matter.

Not without a couple of tear-jerking moments, ultimately this is a make-you-feel-good book.

The Housemaid Book Series by Freida McFadden

"The Housemaid" Series by Freida McFadden - how do I describe it? Original in concept (the protagonist is a loveable convicted killer), fast-paced, impossible to put down - and yet I'd call it a light read, in the most positive sense of the word.

You'll fall in love with Millie Calloway (the convicted killer) and you'll fall in love with the author's style of writing. I've read the three housemaid books, and a handful of others by Ms McFadden ("The Surrogate Mother", "The Perfect Son", "The Co-worker", "The Teacher"), and they all deliver a great reading experience.

BTW, I've just discovered "The Housemaid" is available on Netflix. Tonight's entertainment sorted!

"In too deep" - a Reacher novel

"In too deep" by Lee Child (in name) and Andrew Child (actually) is Book 29 in the Jack Reacher series. The premise is awesome, the book good overall, though it's not in my top ten Reachers. 

Newbies, don't start with this one - try "Tripwire", "The Hard Way", "Without Fail", or "61 Hours" instead. Fans, the book will definitely scratch the itch, but then you'll probably want to reread "One Shot", "Personal", or "Past Tense".

Blurb:

Reacher had no idea where he was. No idea how he had gotten there. But someone must have brought him. And shackled him. And whoever had done those things was going to rue the day. That was for damn sure.

Jack Reacher wakes up alone, in the dark, handcuffed to a makeshift bed. His right arm has suffered some major damage. His few possessions are gone. He has no memory of getting there.

The last thing Reacher can recall is the car he hitched a ride in getting run off the road. The driver was killed.

His captors assume Reacher was the driver’s accomplice and patch up his wounds as they plan to make him talk.

A plan that will backfire spectacularly . . .

"No one will know" by Rose Carlyle

"No one will know" by Rose Carlyle is one hell of a ride. I read it in a weekend, enjoying every twist and turn. It ticks all the boxes: a young woman in trouble? Check. An obscenely rich family? Check. An exotic island setting? Check, check, and check.

Blurb:

Eve Sylvester thinks she’s landed the best possible gig—working for a rich couple on a beautiful island. But the job seems too good to be true. Why would the Hygates hire Eve if she has no prior nannying experience? Why must Eve stay out of sight? And what’s with the mysterious yachts coming in and out of the Hygate’s private marina? It's too late to ask questions, though, Eve is already in far too deep to turn back.

"The Night She Fell" by Eileen Merriman

There's much to like about "The Night She Fell", a thriller by by Eileen Merriman: the New Zealand setting, the authentic dialogue, the fact pace, the twists. I read it in a day and am looking forward to discovering more fiction by this talented writer.

Blurb:

‘When I last saw Ashleigh, she was lying in a pool of blood . . . Her eyes were open, staring sightlessly into the sky. I’d like to think she saw the stars before she died; that in her last moments she flew, soaring on serotonin, dreamy with dopamine. I’d like to think she didn’t suffer . . .’

A beautiful young law student dies on the concrete below her third-storey window in chilly Dunedin.

It’s clear enough how she died. What isn’t is why — or who’s involved.

Plenty of people had a reason to hate Ashleigh, with her straight As and perfect looks. She’s fallen out with her flatmates, and her boyfriend Xander is having second thoughts about their future together. And then there are the weird messages.

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

Wow. 

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty is one of the best books I read this year. In the top two for sure, maybe the top one? If I wrote this book, I'd be so proud.

As always with this author's books, you will fall in love with the characters. There are a lot of characters in Here One Moment, and you'll want to be friends with every single one of them.

The premise is fascinating (a person on a flight from Hobart to Sydney tells the other passengers how and when they are going to die), the resolution thoroughly satisfying.

A beautiful book.