The Cliff House – Chris Brookmyre

"They had been on the island less than five hours and already the whole thing was falling apart." A group of women head to a remote Scottish island for a lavish hen do. But when someone turns up dead, the question of 'who dunnit' only stirs up the secrets surrounding each of them. Jen's friends include …

Lioness Rampant – Tamora Pierce

"On a March afternoon a knight and a man-at-arms reached the gate of the Marenite city of Berat." My childhood love of the first book in the Song of the Lioness quartet, Alanna, failed to continue with either adulthood or the series, and alas we don't finish any better. Or any worse, so there is that. Alanna, always getting …

A Poisonous Page – Kitt Crowe

"Death is good for business." Welcome back to Confection, Oregon, with this second instalment in the Sweet Fiction bookshop cosy mysteries. The town might be full of sweet names, but there's also a killer on the loose! I really enjoyed Digging Up Trouble, where we first met Lexi, manager of her parent's bookshop, just as she …

Stress into Strength – Nick Arnett

"When a coach or physical therapist urges you to work hard, that's because physical stress can become strength." I'm finding it really tough to review this book - or indeed, finish reading it, which took almost a year (!). It's not bad at all, it's just... hmm. For a start, going through a heck of …

Upgrade – Blake Crouch

"You can stop splitting the atom; you can stop visiting the Moon; you can stop using aerosols; you may even decide not to kill entire populations by the use of a few bombs." In the not-too-distant future, gene editing techniques have been perfected. But while most have only good intentions, sometimes they can go wrong …

Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances – Aliette de Bodard

"Up until Asmodeus spoke up, it had been an uneventful day - or, at any rate, not more eventful than usual." I'm annoyed at myself at still not having got round to reading the Dominion of the Fallen series, but instead started with this series of novellas. I'm told that you can read them as stand alone, and …

The House with the Golden Door – Elodie Harper

"The painter stands balanced on a wooden platform, his brushstrokes hidden from sight as he brings the goddess to life." (The House with the Golden Door picks up where the first book, The Wolf Den, left off, so usual warning that even mentioning characters who appear in book 2 could be seen as spoilers for …

A Fatal Booking – Victoria Gilbert

"The only thing constant in life is change." Welcome back to Chapters, the book-themed B&B run by Charlotte, who inherited from the great aunt who may or may not have been an international spy! This time, Charlotte is hosting a book club retreat. The organisers are a little more hands-on and exacting than she usually …

The Grief of Stones – Katherine Addison

"On a cloudy autumn day, I attended the execution of Broset Sheveldar." This is a direct sequel to Witness for the Dead, which was a sequel, or spin-off perhaps, to The Goblin Emperor. Both were instant favourites, and I'm pleased to report that The Grief of Stones is now, too 🙂 We once again follow Thara …

Eversion – Alastair Reynolds

"Footsteps rescued me from my nightmare." This book threw me from the get-go, as it starts off on a sailing ship, the Demeter, in the 1800s, following the coast of Norway northwards to find a mysterious 'Edifice'. We're introduced to Dr Silas Coade, who splits his time between tending to the crew - including a trepanning treatment, …