The Red Scholar’s Wake – Aliette de Bodard

"'The Red Scholar is dead.'" Xích Si's life as she's known it has come to an end. Captured by pirates, even if the impossible happened and they let her go, she'd be arrested as soon as she got home, tainted by association and ever suspect. Her future can only hold indentured servitude, or death. But …

Bookclubbed to Death – VM Burns

"'Snickers, come!' I yelled." Bookshop owner and newly published mystery writer, Samantha Washington, tries to play good samaritan by allowing a local writers' group to meet in her store after their usual location is flooded. She instantly falls foul of the group's leader, (in)famous critic, Delia Marshall. The whole event is marred by both Delia's …

Dream of Death City – PJ Nwosu

"She ran." Thora is a dust caste worker, a lowly skivvy, in Investigation House in the capital city of the bloody Red Kingdom. However, she's had a taste of - not freedom exactly, but perhaps a little more autonomy than she's usually given, as part of a long-term investigation (and yay, you can read about …

The Better Habits Workbook – Stephanie Sorady Arias

"Exercises for getting unstuck, changing your behaviour, and reaching your goals." Another week, another self help book? 'fraid so! Why do I do this to myself? Well, mainly because I live in hope that somewhere out there is a book that'll help me figure it all out. No, it probably doesn't exist! In the meantime, …

Death in the Margins – Victoria Gilbert

"There's no such thing as sleeping late on a Saturday when you have pets." When a mean-spirited, antagonistic dancer is found dead in her dressing room, there is one obvious suspect: the promising young student standing over her holding the murder weapon. An earlier argument between the two only cements the case, but dance teacher, …

Storm Front – Jim Butcher

"I heard the mailman approach my office door, half an hour earlier than usual." I've been meaning to go back and reread the Dresden Files - and get to the newer books for the first time - for an age. But, stack of ARCs to get through, no time for rereads... until muppet me leaves my …

The Immortality Thief – Taran Hunt

"The nothing-place between leaving and arriving during faster-than-light travel isn't really Hell." Mankind has spread to the stars, but not without a few bumps along the way. Fortunately the alien Ministers, cold and immortal, stepped in to rescue humanity - but at the cost of their freedom. Now a rebellion of humanity inhabits one half …

The Consistency Formula – Suzi Sung

"Consistency is one of the key components when it comes to reaching your goals because when you are consistent, you will keep doing something regardless of wat is going on around you." I absolutely know that one of my own big problems with pursuing any goal is a lack of consistency. Even when I feel absolutely motivated, …

Pulling the Wings Off Angels – KJ Parker

"'First,' said Florio the gangster, 'I'm going to cut off your nose and make you eat it.'" Upon racking up quite the impressive gambling debt, our protagonist - a clerical student who doesn't believe in God - is offered a deal: the debt will be wiped, but in return he's to hand over the angel …

On Spine of Death – Tamara Berry

"Tess knew the exact moment the blood started dripping down her hands." We were first introduced to Tess Harrow, successful thriller writer, in Buried in a Good Book. Escaping a failed marriage, she moved to her late grandfather's cabin in the woods with smart teenage daughter, Gertrude. With things calming a little from the crime spree in …