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Find out moreAll engrossing, pure escapist, nail-biting anxiety, mind bending terror and psychological twists. We’re not sure why it’s so appealing. Good though, isn’t it! You might also like to browse our Crime and Mystery category.
An enthralling read from the provocative prologue through to the whammy of a final chapter. DCI Jim Daley and DS Brian Scott have a nose for trouble, but Jim’s thoughts are elsewhere when a cruise ship carrying some of the worlds leading business people sails into Kinloch on a UK trade mission. This is the seventh in the cracking series of D.C.I Daley thrillers and if you’ve not read them, having been in at the start I can highly recommend beginning with Whisky From Small Glasses and enjoying the journey through to here. The prologue remained with me as I read. With several strands of the story weaving together, we also hear from an unknown person as he pours his feelings onto the page and plots destruction. While highly entertaining big action pieces take place, there are also some raw heartfelt moments closer to home. Denzil Meyrick allows enough information to escape to appeal to those who enjoy piecing together the evidence yet also uses multiple sleights of his writing hand to lay traps along the way. A Breath of Dying Embers is a rewarding, satisfying read and fabulous addition to the series.
Sliding through thoughts and slicing into feelings, this is a captivating and rewarding psychological thriller. Sandra Ireland’s novels speak to me, darkly mesmerising with throbbing attitude and heart, they are also just that little bit different. Ellie Rook rushes home when she hears bad news, however waiting for her is the life she so desperately wanted to leave behind. Constant, dwelling in the background of the story, is the legend of Finella, who lured a Scottish King to his death in revenge for the death of her son. As I read I discovered nooks, spaces, gaps, did I dare fill in them in? Ellie is feisty, contrary, full of love and uncertainty. She feels alive, real, touchable, relatable. There may well be some differences of opinion on the ending, I will say no more than I personally loved it. The Unmaking of Ellie Rook with a gorgeous blend of folklore and the most thought provoking and modern of times, is a fabulous read.
Fabulously darker than dark, this psychological thriller hurls a firecracker into online relationships and stands watching, waiting for the fallout. Author Tom is somewhat addicted to social media, when one particular follower starts harassing him, Tom calls the police, but will a restraining order magic his problems away? The first few pages sent an icy shiver of foreboding coursing through me. Travelling immediately from that knowledge, to eight months previously set certain thoughts and questions quivering. I believe that you don’t have to like a character in a novel to love them, and for me that was the case here. Paul Burston has created fascinating, flawed characters and the more I got to know them, the further I was sucked into the story. Social media, judgement, victimisation, our social and personal responsibility for each other, all gather on the page waiting your thoughts. The Closer I Get is a fiercely provocative novel, and as well as being a boldly entertaining read, it really, really made me think.
Putting the thrilling into psychological thriller, this is one compelling and stimulating read. For over twenty years former singer Meredith Vincent has shunned the spotlight. When her past crashes into her present with an unexpected visit, suspicious events start to occur, and later a dead body is found. Meredith may have to revisit the terrifying events she has been desperately trying to forget. The prologue set in 1995 was half a page of intensely chilling writing and ensured I was gripped right from the start through to the riveting end. A number of different time frames, from the eighties through to 2018 allowed me, with each change, to see Meredith with fresh eyes. Louise Voss excels in keeping suspicion moving, it never quite settles, creating a taut atmosphere. Other characters are introduced, adding intrigue, and as baited traps of information are released, layer upon layer of information builds. The Last Stage is a highly entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read.
Sliding through thoughts and slicing into feelings, this is a captivating and rewarding psychological thriller. Sandra Ireland’s novels speak to me, darkly mesmerising with throbbing attitude and heart, they are also just that little bit different. Ellie Rook rushes home when she hears bad news, however waiting for her is the life she so desperately wanted to leave behind. Constant, dwelling in the background of the story, is the legend of Finella, who lured a Scottish King to his death in revenge for the death of her son. As I read I discovered nooks, spaces, gaps, did I dare fill in them in? Ellie is feisty, contrary, full of love and uncertainty. She feels alive, real, touchable, relatable. There may well be some differences of opinion on the ending, I will say no more than I personally loved it. The Unmaking of Ellie Rook with a gorgeous blend of folklore and the most thought provoking and modern of times, is a fabulous read.
Long Road to Mercy is the heart-pounding first novel in the FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine series by bestselling author David Baldacci. FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine has learnt three lessons in life: Some wounds never heal. Atlee's twin sister, Mercy, was abducted from their bedroom over thirty years ago, and Atlee has spent every day since wondering what happened to her. Time doesn't lessen your pain. The prime suspect, notorious serial killer Daniel James Tor, is in a high-security prison, but with no confession, Atlee continues to search for her sister, even as Tor taunts her from jail. But she can always make a difference. Wracked by survivor's guilt, Atlee joined the FBI to hunt down killers like Tor. Assigned to the remote wilds of the Western United States, she has spent years honing her skills and building her endurance, always with one eye on the ultimate goal. Now, Atlee Pine is tasked with an investigation which begins with a missing person in the Grand Canyon. And ends with a discovery much more sinister and far-reaching.
YOU MADE A MISTAKE. BUT THEY'RE SAYING IT'S MURDER. Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anyone else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swears it's over now, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got. Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And just for a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. What happens next will change her life forever. Because Ellie is hiding something in her past. And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder...
Pete Banning was Clanton's favourite son, a returning war hero, the patriarch of a prominent family; a farmer, father, and a faithful member of the Methodist Church. Then one cool October morning in 1946, he rose early, drove into town, walked into the Church, and calmly shot and killed the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder wasn't shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it - to the sheriff, to his defense attorney, to the judge, to his family and friends, and to the people of Clanton - was 'I have nothing to say'. What turned Pete from a pillar of the community into cold-hearted killer? And why won't he confide in anyone? All his closest family knows is that it must have been something devastating - and that the fallout will haunt them, and the town, for decades to come . . .
A clever, oh so clever read, where the story sits simmering, creating pools of tension and unsettling bursts of awareness. The police rule Sadie’s death a suicide, however a year later, questions are being asked and her friend Avery may well have to provide answers, can she clear her name? I was thrilled when The Last House Guest arrived in the post. Megan Miranda’s books are a must-read for me. A provocative, sharp, beautifully readable journey awaits each time. The story slides between 2017 and 2018, encouraging questions to kiss questions. The more I found out, the more I realised I didn’t know. Avery is a fascinating character, she sits on the edge of two groups, leaving her stranded. My thoughts tossed and turned as I read, I felt slightly unsettled as I waited, wanting to know the truth. The ending is a high-octane rush of a ride and I found myself perched on the very edge of my seat. Focusing on friendship, and how well we ever truly know someone, The Last House Guest has a commanding energy and is a compelling read.
A suspense filled, dramatic story surrounds a couple as they grieve the death of a loved one. Bede and Elin live on the banks of the river Severn, environmentally conscious, they attempt to live their lives off-grid. When the village is threatened with fracking and accusations are thrown their way, their marriage not only takes the strain, danger beckons. Alison Layland balances the turmoil in the story quite beautifully with the descriptions of the countryside and surroundings. A hidden diary occasionally rears its head, spilling secrets, altering thoughts. Bede and Elin felt entirely real to me, the fractures in their relationship and sense of self are tangible. Menace and intrigue walk hand in hand through the pages, adding a sharp edge to the tale. As the story powers towards its conclusion, the tension reaches breaking point. Riverflow is a fascinating, thoughtful, and compelling tale with real bite.
Two sisters. One fire. A secret that won't burn out. The Grayson sisters are trouble. Everyone in their small town knows it. But noone can know of the secret that binds them together. Hattie is the light. Penny is the darkness. Together, they have balance. But one night the balance is toppled. A match is struck. A fire is started. A cruel husband is killed. The potential for a new life flickers in the fire's embers, but resentment, guilt, and jealousy suffocate like smoke. Their lives have been engulfed in flames will they ever be able to put them out? Steeped in intrigue and suspense, Sister of Mine is a powerhouse debut; a sharp, disquieting thriller written in stunning, elegant prose with a devastating twist. Fans of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies and Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door will be utterly absorbed by this compulsively readable novel.
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of The Whisper Man by Alex North, read by Christopher Eccleston. If you leave a door half-open, soon you'll hear the whispers spoken... Still devastated after the loss of his wife, Tom Kennedy and his young son Jake move to the sleepy village of Featherbank, looking for a fresh start. But Featherbank has a dark past. Fifteen years ago a twisted serial killer abducted and murdered five young boys. Until he was finally caught, the killer was known as 'The Whisper Man'. Of course, an old crime need not trouble Tom and Jake as they try to settle in to their new home. Except that now another young boy has gone missing. And then Jake begins acting strangely. He says he hears a whispering at his window...
Picture it. You’re going on holiday. The bags are packed and the family is ready, you’re at the gate, the plane is boarding, you’ve decided to start your brand new, especially purchased thriller right away. Suddenly, you’re immersed into the corridors of intrigue, conspiracy, murder, espionage and you don’t know who to trust. The plane has left without you. So has the family. You haven’t even noticed. At least you have a good book … and the whole house to yourself for a week!
This section is crammed with dangerously compelling adventures that will have your nails bitten and nervous system tested to the full. From Dan Brown, Stieg Larsson and James Patterson to Fred Vargas, Bernard Minier and C.J Sansom, there’s enough here to keep you ‘head-down and out-of-it’ for years. There’s certainly time to read one more before the family gets back from Torremolinos … and that’s where we come in!