Deceived By The Light by Damien Boyd

June 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Deceived By The Light by Damien Boyd
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

An innocent man framed. A case closed. A serial killer free to kill again.

It is 1985. Detective Inspector Mungo ‘Bob’ Willis is being forced out of Avon and Somerset Police on medical grounds. His career is in tatters, his body broken, his mind shattered, and his partner—DS Lizzie Harper—dead in a sting operation gone wrong.

Their last case is closed, but Bob is convinced an innocent man has been framed, leaving a serial killer cruising the A303 with impunity, free to target lone women who have broken down by the roadside late at night.

The killer knows the police aren’t looking for anyone else in connection with the murders. What they don’t know is what Bob will do next.

And when another woman is killed in horrifyingly similar circumstances, Bob launches his own—unofficial—investigation. Can he stop a sadistic killer before they kill again? And again…

DI Mungo “Bob” Willis is an average police officer. With no real career highs (nor lows) he has been mediocre – and comfortable with it – his entire life. Until the night he and his DS Lizzie Harper faced down a serial killing pair alone in a layby lane on the A303. With Lizzie dead and Bob barely released from the hospital weeks later Bob is fired by something he’s never experienced before – determination and revenge.

I have greatly enjoyed this author’s other series so when I found out he’d begun something new I eagerly jumped in. I was a little surprised that this book was set back in 1985 – an find it mortifying that at 40 years ago now, this is classed as a historical mystery – but I still found it an exciting and engrossing read. Even with no modern technology – no license plate readers, no CCTV, no mobile phones, but instead people using telephone booths – I loved how the author made the story about the plot and characters and still kept everything relevant and interesting.

I found it highly enjoyable that even without so many of the new tricks, this book strongly contained solid police work and character driven emotions. I found both of these critical elements helped keep this a gripping read and I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I’m pleased to see there’s another book and hope the author sticks with this. The older time setting helps keep this series feeling different and fresh, but I absolutely think there’s enough mystery and interesting characters to keep modern readers attached and eager for more.

A new series from an author I am well versed in, this is a great read and one I can highly recommend.

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Murder At Midnight by Faith Martin

June 5, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder At Midnight by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Felix Olliphant was found stabbed to death at a New Year’s Eve costume party for the turn of the millennium.

Seemingly liked by everyone, motives for his murder are hard to find. There was one suspect, but no evidence.

Hillary struggles to solve this baffling case. And she has to contend with a new colleague, Jake Barnes. Young and rich, he says he wants to give something back to the community, but Hillary has her doubts.

Will Hillary finally be defeated by this cold case and will she lose her boss and love interest to a new job?

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.

Hillary Green returns to work in the cold case unit after a well earned two week break. Her two new trainees are both eager to begin work with her – though each have their own secrets. Hillary is given a particularly difficult case – one with ample suspects but no real motive. Can Hillary work her magic yet again?

I have been thoroughly enjoying this series. I am particularly impressed the author manages to keep the situations feeling fresh. With semi regular new characters introduced as the plotlines surrounding other secondary characters close out and they move on I think this really finds the balance between the comfort of the known and familiar but with enough movement and new people brought in to keep everything feeling fresh and different. I also really enjoy the fact that while the cases are generally kept to each individual book, there is frequently a sub-plot or two percolating in the background to give a bit of cohesion and a sense of an overall storyline unfolding.

Realistic and enjoyable, I can thoroughly rate this series and find each new installment to be an enjoyable read. I thought there was clearly a longer running plot with one of the new trainees – he’s clearly got a few secrets lurking and a personal agenda he’s working on. It will be interesting to see where that leads. I also have been enjoying the slowly building sub-plot of Hillary’s love life with her about-to-be-promoted boss. Readers should be aware that the final paragraph of the book spins a few things on it’s head and clearly is leading to a big change in the next book.

An excellent mystery with a cast of strong secondary characters and a very well plotted series of mysteries and multi-book plot arcs this is a great series and one I can highly recommend. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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You Can Tell Me by Melinda Leigh

May 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


You Can Tell Me by Melinda Leigh
Publisher: Montlake
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

On the three-year anniversary of true crime writer Olivia Cruz’s horrific kidnapping, she’s scheduled to walk her podcaster friend Zoe March through the crime scene, but Zoe fails to show. Olivia knows Zoe would never stand her up—not today.

Zoe’s husband, who claims she never came home the night before, has reported her missing. But marital conflicts make the police suspect she has left him. Olivia thinks otherwise. The police aren’t looking for Zoe, so Olivia begins her own investigation. Retracing her friend’s last steps, she finds Zoe’s phone and a text with one chilling word: Run.

It soon becomes apparent that Zoe has been keeping secrets, and with her true crime podcast, there’s no telling what she has unearthed. To find her, Olivia must dig into her friend’s past. Did Zoe vanish to escape a killer, and is Olivia walking into a deadly trap?

Olivia Cruz knows that horrible things can happen to good people. When her longtime friend, Zoe March, fails to show for a meeting, her mind immediately jumps to the worst. But is it truly something nefarious or did Zoe just tire of her husband and leave to start a new life? That is the thing that Olivia is determined to discover, whatever the end result might be.

Three years ago, Oliva was kidnapped as a PR stunt and has been dealing with the trauma of it ever since. It was pretty impressive how well she coped with it all, and how her boyfriend, Lincoln, helped her without smothering or controlling her. Loved that she was a reporter turned true crime writer, made her reasons for wanting to find Zoe more understandable and less reckless.

Zoe March was the character I was most interested in, however. When the main character starts to find out that their good friend – Zoe, in this case – has been keeping secrets, I’m immediately engrossed, wanting nothing but the truth. As Olivia discovers, Zoe has been keeping a lot of secrets, for a very good reason. The tidbits of Zoe’s past are doled out a little at a time, making it hard for me to stop reading. I needed to know!

You Can Tell Me is a fast-paced, engrossing mystery. I was sucked in right from the start. First, I wanted to know about Olivia’s past kidnapping. Then, once Zoe fails to show, I needed to know where she’d gone, what had happened, and why. It was also different having a true crime writer searching for her true crime podcaster friend. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Leigh’s writing in the future. But first, I need to scour her backlist and see if Olivia’s story is told in any of them because that is a story I need all the details on.

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Field Of Bones by LT Ryan

May 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Field Of Bones by LT Ryan
Publisher: Liquid Mind Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A young woman disappears…
A desperate family searches for answers…
Maddie Castle must uncover the truth before it’s too late.

Maddie Castle thought she’d seen it all as a private investigator, but when Bentley Roycroft pleads for help finding his niece, Daisy Miller, Maddie is drawn into one of her most harrowing cases yet. Daisy has been missing for nearly a year, but a recent clue—a mysterious flash drive—could hold the key to her whereabouts.

As Maddie investigates, she unravels a trail of deceit, corruption, and buried secrets that point to a dangerous conspiracy. With each step, the danger grows, and Maddie must rely on her instincts to navigate a deadly game where every move could be her last. Time is running out, and the stakes couldn’t be higher: uncover the truth or lose Daisy forever.

PI Maddie Castle has finally found a solid lead on the missing Daisy Miller. Bently – Maddie’s boyfriend – asked Maddie to search for the Daisy, the young sister of his dead wife. Maddie knows the older man – Daisy’s captor – is ruthless, smart and determined, but as Maddie uncovers more and more, she realizes that the stakes are higher than she could have imagined, and the death toll is worst than her every nightmare.

This is an intense and well plotted mystery/thriller series I have been enjoying a lot. There are some darker themes here in the book – kidnapping and non-consensual activities in particular – but I wouldn’t describe anything as overtly graphic or titillating. These themes are present and not shied away from, but they also are not dwelled upon or given graphic description – more mentioned numerous times and not shied away from. I also would stress heavily that this book is solidly a mystery/thriller and “rescue the kidnapped woman” storyline – not in any way a romance or “Dark Romance” style of book.

I also for this book would recommend that the previous story (Vanished Trails) would be a sensible book to read prior to picking this book up. Much of the background detecting occurs in this book and then Field of Bones picks up immediately after where Vanished Trails leaves off. This means readers starting here might feel as if a lot of the hard yards in tracking Daisy and the key evidence they find is missing – as this story opens with Maddie having the evidence in hand and actually tracking down Daisy. I do feel readers should be able to pick up where this story begins, but I feel if I hadn’t read the previous book it might feel to myself as if half the story (the mystery/tracking the clues) was missing.

I absolutely enjoyed the fact that the pace is fast in this book. The whole book covers just a few short and intense days – the culmination of the case as a whole – and this book has a very go-go-go sort of feel to me. I was pleased that much of the emotional baggage which the other books in this series often has was a lot more back seat in this story. I enjoyed that the focus was the case and rescuing Daisy and not so much all the complexities of Maddie’s personal and family life. I did really enjoy that.

While I admit this book might not appeal as much to new readers to this series – without the multiple story plotline arc some of the intensity and emotion might not be present, I do nevertheless feel this is a highly emotional and intense read, a strong thriller/serial killer style of story and a fast paced, plot heavy read. It was also very satisfying to finally get some closure and answers on some of the longer running story arc with these still being plenty of story left for future books.

A well plotted, fast paced mystery/thriller book and a series I am really enjoying. Recommended.

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Montana El Diablo – The Infinite Adventures by Peter Martin

May 21, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Montana El Diablo – The Infinite Adventures by Peter Martin
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Humor, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Horror, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Montana El Diablo, the manliest man to ever man and the greatest Private Detective to ever detect privately, sits at his desk. It’s all very noir and cool.

The phone rings, but at the same time there is a knock on the door.
Which will he answer? It’s up to you. If you answer the phone, turn to page 30. If you answer the door, turn to page 58, but buy the book first.

Montana El Diablo, The Infinite Adventures is a unique user driven narrative experience where you, the reader, will determine the fate of Montana El Diablo. Cults, zombies, an alien invasion all await Montana El Diablo and, more importantly, you. Will you find the Leprechaun or will the Leprechaun find you?

Together you can forge forward and determine the fate of Montana El Diablo. Will you find success or fall into complete ruination in what has been called “a book” and “pretty neat”. That was from some pretty reserved people, so it was a party popping off for them.

Will the party pop off for you? Only one way to find out, that being to purchase the book and read it. With 60+ possible outcomes, 500 insightful footnotes by the author, the adventure is truly infinite*.

*Except for the fact that 60 is a very finite number**

**This is an example of an insightful footnote.

Any move could be Montana’s last one.

Mr. Martin had a wry sense of humor that worked perfectly for, as he put it, a “non-linear user-driven narrative experience.” I especially enjoyed the many off-topic sections he included in which he rambled on about subjects ranging from cat facts to how echolocation works to the etiquette of Korean bath houses. They were an amusing detour from the zombies, cults, and mysterious beautiful women that Montana El Diablo generally concerned himself with.

It would have been helpful to see more character development for the protagonist, especially since this was over three hundred pages long. As much as I laughed along the way and enjoyed the plot it self, I didn’t feel as though I got to know Montana particularly well as a individual. Yes, he loved flirting with pretty women, seemed to be extroverted, and was full of zany antics, but I’d find a bit harder to describe other parts of his personality. For example, what did he like to do during his time off from work? Was he close to his family and friends? What were his biggest hopes and fears? If I knew more about him, I would have happily given this a full five-star rating.

I adored the creativity of this book. It’s difficult to discuss specific plot lines as every reader will have his or her own unique experience with that based on which options they choose as they read, but I thought the author did a great job of exploring many different options that ranged from logical to absurd depending on the scene. Some of my favorite moments were the ones that described the multitude of ways in which Montana El Diablo could die if he made the wrong choice. Given how common that type of ending is in the choose-your-own-adventure writing style, I don’t believe that should count as a spoiler so long as I avoid mentioning the specific circumstances of any of his deaths. All other potential readers need to know is that there were some unexpected twists along the way that made me think a lot of work went into developing them.

Montana El Diablo – The Infinite Adventures was a wild ride that I’d recommend to teens and adults alike.

Filed Under: Horror, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Bloody Genius by John Sandford

May 18, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Bloody Genius by John Sandford
Publisher: Putnam
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

At the local state university, two feuding departments have faced off on the battleground of science and medicine. Each carries their views to extremes that may seem absurd, but highly educated people of sound mind and good intentions can reasonably disagree, right?

Then a renowned and confrontational scholar winds up dead, and Virgil Flowers is brought in to investigate . . . and as he probes the recent ideological unrest, he soon comes to realize he’s dealing with people who, on this one particular issue, are functionally crazy. Among this group of wildly impassioned, diametrically opposed zealots lurks a killer, and it will be up to Virgil to sort the murderer from the mere maniacs.

When the police stall on their investigation into the murder of a doctor from the local state university, Virgil Flowers is called in to stir the pot. Initially reluctant, Virgil soon uncovers a whole host of clues – each one seemingly more bizarre and random than the last. Can Virgil and the police work out what’s really going on?

I’m a big fan of both the Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers series and this is another excellent book. I frequently find the Virgil based books are a little more lighthearted – and often nearly ludicrous – and wasn’t disappointed. This book doesn’t push the realms of reality too far, but I have to admit that readers looking for a serious, or intense plotline might not find what they’re after here. There is very much a tongue in cheek feeling to these books and while the plot is twisty and interesting I’m not sure anyone could really call it serious.

That said, I did love how as a reader I could tell items were linked together but it was oblique enough it was almost impossible for me to sort through what was relevant and what was a red herring. This kept me both entertained and deeply interested in reading more to find out how everything was connected – or not – and what had really been going on. While the focus really was on Virgil and some new police characters there was plenty of cameos and assistance from regulars like Davenport, Jenkins, Capslock and Shrake so I feel long-time readers of the series should also find this book deeply satisfying.

A fun, slightly frivolous and strongly written mystery book, this is a great series and an excellent addition. Recommended.

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A Word With The Dead by Rhys Dylan

May 11, 2026 By Leave a Comment


A Word With The Dead by Rhys Dylan
Publisher: Wyrmwood Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A body in the hills. A missing man. An unreliable witness.

When a drone uncovers a dead cyclist in the West Wales countryside, DCI Evan Warlow is pulled into a case where the clues are scarce, the suspects slippery, and the motive buried deep beneath layers of power and deceit.

From a silent hospital ward to a shadowy woodland path, this is a mystery that exposes more than murder—it unravels a community.

Gripping, atmospheric, and disturbingly relevant.

DCI Warlow and his team are called in to what is a suspected hit and run cyclist death. From that single point the case soon spirals out of control, leading to some dark and murky places, Can they uncover what’s happening in the small, remote town?

I have found this to be a really enjoyable Welsh police procedural series and I thought this was a very good addition. The team is well linked and cohesive – I think readers will easily enjoy the various characters and what they each add to the problem solving aspects of the case. While there is plenty of history between the characters I do still feel the plot of this story stands very well by itself. I feel readers might get more emotional attachment and enjoyment for having read the series, but that isn’t necessary to enjoy and pick this book up by itself.

A few of the personal life plotlines do tend to arc over numerous books, and while I feel that gives longer-term readers a better depth to the story the mystery plot is very well contained just inside this story. I also really enjoyed the slightly darker, gritter aspect of these Welsh stories. While the pace is slower and more of a police procedural style of story (as opposed to an action-orientated plot) there are some quite heavy and deeper issues that are brough forward so this isn’t a fuzzy or warm kind of “feel good” plotline.

With excellent characters and a realistic plot I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable story and a series I am really liking. Recommended.

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Alteration by Claire Ibarra

May 5, 2026 By 1 Comment


Alteration by Claire Ibarra
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Margaret is an acclaimed fashion designer, devoted mother, keeper of order and elegance in a city that never slows. But one morning, she simply doesn’t get out of bed. She has the startling discovery that here, within her quilted sanctuary, life feels gentler, truer, and more alive.

What begins as a quiet rebellion becomes a daring experiment in stillness. From her antique four-poster bed, Margaret receives a parade of visitors – among them are her free-spirited best friend, fretful daughter, young neighbor, and even the echo of her late husband. As secrets and old wounds surface, she begins to confront painful truths.

With wit, wonder, and a sharp eye for the absurd, Alteration invites us to ask what happens when we stop merely performing and begin fully living — one unexpected revelation at a time.

Nothing can remain hidden forever.

Margaret was a multi-faceted character who evoked all kinds of conflicting emotions in me as I read about her. Sometimes her stubbornness irritated me while in other scenes I was gently surprised by how thoughtfully she approached the world around her. This was even more true when her definition of the world shrank to not only her apartment but eventually to her bedroom and nothing more.

I would have liked to see a stronger explanation for why the protagonist decided to spend all of her time in bed when this tale began. Honestly, I was expecting her to grapple with more conflict during her time there, so the list of what she was attempting to figure out never quite felt large enough to justify this choice for me. While they were no doubt important to her, I did find myself wishing that either more time had been spent exploring them or that she could have revealed a few additional things she was wrestling with that would help to explain her sudden withdrawal from the world. This was amplified by the fact that that this was set in late 2019 and early 2020, just before the Covid-19 pandemic spread widely enough that many cities began to shut down non-essential businesses and services temporarily.

The mystery was barely even a whisper in the beginning which made the gradual revelation of what it was and why it haunted Margaret so much even more appealing to me. I especially appreciated the later passages that showed what happened when she tried to discuss this topic with the authorities. It was definitely not a typical conversation, especially for this genre, and it illuminated not only the character flaws in the people participating in it but also some of the flaws of American culture when it comes to how justice is pursued and how people react to information that conflicts with their assumptions about how the world works. This is really all I can say on that topic without sharing spoilers, but it was thought provoking and one of the best scenes in this book in my opinion.

Alteration has piqued my curiosity about this author’s work, and I hope to read more of it soon.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Murder In The New Forest by Carol Cole

May 4, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder In The New Forest by Carol Cole
Publisher: The Book Folks
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

A Scottish detective in England’s New Forest.

Detective Inspector Callum MacLean should be unpacking boxes in his new home. But when a man is run over and killed outside Godshill Village Hall, his week’s leave is cut short.

The victim, Brendan Stafford, was a retired lecturer from Birmingham. No one knows why he was attending a local village meeting in the middle of the New Forest on a freezing January night.

The post-mortem reveals Stafford was already dead before the car wheels struck him.

Everyone in the village seems to be hiding something — from the butcher to the forest keeper. Callum and his team must dig into old quarrels and quiet vendettas — and uncover secrets as tangled as the forest brambles.

DI Callum MacLean has newly arrived in rural Hampshire from the bustling city center of Glasgow and he immediately is drawn to the stark contrasts. Called onto his first murder investigation before he’d even official clocked on to his first day, Callum hits the ground running. Learning about his surroundings, his new team, the office politics as well as the locals, can Callum sort everything out in time?

I bought this new to me author and series on a whim and am very happy with the discovery. I feel this book stands very well on it’s own, and while it is absolutely a British Police Procedural with the slower mystery pace of the genre I still thought there were plenty of twists and red herrings to keep even more active readers engrossed.

I thought the author did a good job balancing between all the new information – a whole cast of new secondary characters, as well as the main protagonist and new scenery – but keeping the plot and mystery moving forward at a decent pace. There were no info-dump sections which I was grateful for and while there was a lot of explanations needed I didn’t find myself bored or skimming ahead.

I also enjoyed the fact that I managed to guess a few parts of the plot, but was delightfully surprised by a few twists and secrets that I hadn’t seen coming. This made me feel like there was a good amount of conflict and mystery but nothing so high level it’s impossible to figure it out until the main characters lead you there.

A lovely first book that I greatly enjoyed – I had already ordered the next in the series before finishing this one. I expect this to be a series I shall enjoy further in the future. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Murder Never Misses by Faith Martin

May 1, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder Never Misses by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Three missing young women. One evil stalker. But Hillary doesn’t think it all adds up.

Hillary is recovering from the vicious attack by her stalker. It appears that he is also behind the disappearance and murder of three women. Her bosses want these unsolved cases closed, but Hillary has a theory that will shock everyone.

However, as the truth comes to light, Hillary and the team are faced with a dire emergency — can they prevent an imminent murder?

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene. And it doesn’t hurt that her new boss is devastatingly handsome.

Hillary Greene and her team are searching for three missing young women and the connection these ladies have to her stalker. With the cases closing in, can Hillary keep on top of everything?

While this book definitely had it’s own trilogy of linked cold cases, I feel it should be noted these directly relate to the previous book (Murder of a lover) and Hillary’s stalker. The cases and resolution of Hillary’s circumstances are all well contained in this book, I do feel it’s likely readers might find a deeper emotional connection and understanding of the stakes if they’ve read the previous book in this series.

I thought the pace of the cold cases – and especially the way they unfurled – was really well written and interesting. This plot wasn’t there just for padding or show, I really enjoyed how it wasn’t quite as you might expect and while I admit I had correctly guessed some of it, parts still took me delightfully by surprise. I think this should definitely keep most readers on their toes and I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

With solid plotting and a strong cast of well written secondary characters I feel this has been a great series and I am eager for the next installment and to see where it leads Hillary next. Recommended.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,
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