Bela is eight years old and lives with her Mommy and Daddo. There’s also Other Mommy, a malevolent beingAll my reviews can be found at
Bela is eight years old and lives with her Mommy and Daddo. There’s also Other Mommy, a malevolent being who lives in Bela’s wardrobe. Other Mommy started out as Bela’s friend but now Bela’s not so sure how she feels about Other Mommy. She’s started to get closer to Bela’s bed and she’s started talking. She doesn’t say much. But there’s one question she asks Bela over and over again. ‘Can I go inside your heart?� Bela has managed to avoid answering the question up until this point. No one else knows about Other Mommy. It’s Bela’s secret. But Other Mommy seems to be getting stronger. The love and protection of her family, the emotional security blanket Bela has always known is there is starting to fray. Cracks have appeared in her parent’s once solid marriage. Things are changing. And Other Mommy really needs an answer�
WTF have I just read?! Incidents Around the House is full of creeping, palpable unease, only heightened by its young, impressionable narrator in the form of Bela. The entire story is told from Bela’s point of view which is a very brave direction to take for any author. Everything the reader sees is through Bela’s eyes and oh my gosh, you can’t help but feel for the character. Because she’s so young and because she isn’t aware that a monster in the closet is NOT a normal thing, she doesn’t react the way an adult would. She just seems to accept that this creature, this terrifying apparition (and I’ve read the descriptions of Other Mommy, terrifying is actually an understatement!) is now living in her bedroom cupboard. She doesn’t seem at all alarmed or panicked that Other Mommy wants to possess her, most probably because she doesn’t understand what that means. That naivety in itself is scary. Her parents slowly (OMG hurry the f*** up and realise what is happening to your daughter!!) begin to see and smell things that don’t make sense. But Other Mommy has powers beyond those of a normal ghost and this haunted house is heading out on the road!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Incidents Around the House is a unique story told in a fascinating way. The adult characters are difficult to like. Bela’s parents aren’t going to win any awards for parenting BUT the relationship Bela has with her Daddo was something quite special. Her mother, meh! What a cow. The actual story is presented in a different way. Not only is it single POV of a child but the formatting of the text is unusual. My advice, have a quick look at the ‘read a sample� option which is available on a certain book retail site or pick up a physical copy. Personally, I’m still not sure how I feel about how the story was presented to the reader. So much so, that I would LOVE to listen to this book on audio. From what I’ve heard, it’s a pretty intense, haunting experience! All in all, I enjoyed Incidents Around the House and would read another book by this author in a heartbeat (which is great news as I have several of his earlier books on the TBR still!). A creeping, multi-faceted, hypnotic read. Intriguing, heart-breaking and with a building sense of unease. Recommended....more
Kirby Cornell hates her life. She spends her days cleaning up after chaotic singles in Magaluf, watchingAll my reviews can be found at
Kirby Cornell hates her life. She spends her days cleaning up after chaotic singles in Magaluf, watching them party ’til they puke. One day whilst fishing half-empty beer cans out of the swimming pool, she receives a message in a long-abandoned group chat from Esme, one of her old housemates. Which is very strange as Esme died a year ago. Thinking nothing of it, Kirby continues to slack off in the Magaluf sunshine. Then a second notification appears telling her Max, another housemate, has left the group. With her interest piqued, Kirby decides to Google Max, see what he’s up to these days. Only to discover Max has died. Shocked and saddened by her ex-housemate’s untimely death, she reaches out to the rest of the group for comfort. But the only person to reply is Esme and this time she’s not messing around. This time Esme means business, murderous business: ‘Everyone in the group chat dies’�
Everyone in the Group Chat Dies is a funny, easy to read mystery which I devoured in two short sittings. Told in the past and the present, the reader gets to see what happened twelve months earlier. Why Kirby left her journalist career behind and ran away to be holiday rep in Magaluf. Bit by bit, we discover the secret the former friends hold and the reason why Esme may have returned from the dead to wreak revenge in the group chat.
Crowhurst, in the home counties, is a mundane place to live. Famous for, well, a spree killer who murdered five teenagers in 1996 and not a lot else. But it’s home to a disparate group of flatmates, thrown together only because they were looking for somewhere fairly cheap to live. Clare ‘Kirby� Cornell is a journalist at the Crowhurst Gazette. Seema is a dental nurse. Dylan is a chef at the local pub. There’s Dave. No one’s really sure what Dave does. Max is pretty much absent from the get-go but he’s still on the tenancy agreement, which immediately qualifies him to be the first to die. And then there’s the new arrival, Esme. Esme is a true crime influencer on ShowMe � a bit like TikTok but WAY cooler. London-based Esme arrives in Crowhurst to investigate what really happened that fateful day in 1996 when Peter Doyle murdered five teens. One minute Esme is there. The next, she has vanished into thin air which causes Kirby a lot of anxiety. So Kirby takes it upon herself to use ShowMe to discover what happened to the influencer.
Back in the present day and unfortunately back in Crowhurst, Kirby notices a new notification in the group chat. Another former housemate has left. Based on everything that happened to Max, that can’t be a good thing. Can it?
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Everyone in the Group Chat Dies is a light-hearted, murder mystery with a cast of intriguing characters. I couldn’t help but warm to Kirby who leads the way from start to finish. She has her flaws but she’s well aware of them. The other supporting characters are well-formed and play their parts well, helping to move the story along. Was I able to tell whodunnit? Nope, not at all and it came as quite a surprise too. I loved the small-town vibe of the setting. A lot of Brits have either lived in or know a town like Crowhurst with its odd local traditions, and often stranger local residents. The dual timeline worked well. I think (and I haven’t checked to be sure) we spend a lot more time in the past than we do in the present. I felt, for me, the main mystery in the book was what happened a year ago to cause the group to break apart and lose touch with each other. Rather than who was killing them off one by one in the present day. That might just be me though. All in all, I enjoyed Everyone in the Group Chat Dies. It’s a laugh-out-loud, easy to read murder mystery. Quite different to the books I tend to choose. I read this straight off the back of a long historical horror novel. It was the perfect palate cleanser. Refreshing and lots of fun! Recommended....more
I am ashamed to say The New Couple in 5B is the first book I have read by acclaimed author, Lisa Unger. All my reviews can be found at
I am ashamed to say The New Couple in 5B is the first book I have read by acclaimed author, Lisa Unger. I know. I’m letting the side down! I do have a couple of this author’s earlier books on the TBR including the irresistibly titled Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. I just haven’t managed to squeeze it into my reading schedule as yet. Same as 99% of all my other non-ARC, gifted or purchased books! However, having read the thoroughly compelling The New Couple in 5B that will definitely change.
The New Couple in 5B is a very well-written, engrossing mystery with a delicious supernatural edge to proceedings. Remember, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is! Rosie and Chad, having spent time caring for Chad’s terminally ill uncle, are already familiar with the eclectic residents of The Windermere before they move in. They’ve become quite close to Ella and Charles who live next door in 5A. But then things start to go wrong for the Lowans. Strange things start to happen. Rosie is trapped in the basement and sees something she herself can’t quite believe. Abi, the doorman, is always on duty, no matter what time of day or night. He never leaves his post. And the deaths. There have been so many terrible deaths in the building over the years. Determined to uncover the true history of the building and bring light to the darkness within its walls, Rosie starts to investigate. But perhaps The Windermere isn’t quite ready to give up all of its secrets just yet�
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The New Couple in 5B is a twisty, compelling read with a cast of interesting characters. This is one of those books where you tell yourself you’ll read just one more chapter, but that quickly turns into half of the book! I was bursting to find out what was going on at The Windermere. Just exactly what was Rosie dealing with here? She’d seen things she probably shouldn’t have. She’d had conversations with people that made her see the building in a different light. And along the way, a whole host of terrible things had happened. What was behind it all? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find that out. But let’s just say, I had an inkling about one aspect of the reveal but the other big twist, it took me completely by surprise. I did not see that coming! The setting is as much a character as the lead protagonist is. The story is well-paced throughout, and the added supernatural elements cast doubt over absolutely everything. All in all, The New Couple in 5B is a chilling, unnerving and suspense-laden tale. Creepy, claustrophobic and highly atmospheric. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author soon. Recommended....more
Fairy tales. They’re fascinating, aren’t they? Moralistic. Creepy. The Brothers Grimm tales tend to be qAll my reviews can be found at
Fairy tales. They’re fascinating, aren’t they? Moralistic. Creepy. The Brothers Grimm tales tend to be quite sinister, often grotesque. So when an author sets their story with fairy tales as the basis, you can certainly count me in! DI Lyla Rondell suffered a tragedy as a teenager when her best friend, Allison, disappeared in the middle of the night. The only thing left behind was a half-red, half-green apple with a bite taken out of the red side, matching Allison’s dental records. The press dubbed Allison ‘Snow White�, and she was never seen or heard from again. Now, twenty-five years later, Lyla is a DI in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary. When the body of a young woman is discovered in the New Forest, Lyla is startled to discover a fairy tale theme to the murder. Close to the grotesque tableau is a note from the killer taunting Lyla, calling her Little Red Rondell. And that’s when the red cloak and basket left nearby come to light. With far reaching echoes of the past stepping heavily into the present, can Lyla put her own personal trauma to one side and stop the murderous Grimm Ripper before the body count rises�?
Books about books and writing ALWAYS appeal to me. A.K. Benedict though, has come up with something very different and completely unique. I very much enjoyed the fairy tale aspect. By which I mean the real fairy tales and how they were originally written by the Brothers Grimm. The dark, disturbing nature of the stories rather than the saccharine sweetness of the Disney versions we’re more familiar with today. But there is so much more to this book than the fairy tales. First of all, there’s Lyla. She’s ballsy, she doesn’t really give a flying you-know-what about what you think of her. She’s determined, steeped in grief after the loss of her best friend and one true love, Allison. She’s dogged, smarter than she thinks and highly capable. Yet emotional, broken and raw. But there’s something she doesn’t know. There’s something about her that she’s really not aware of and it’s going to blow her mind, and yours!
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Little Red Death is a clever, highly intricate and wonderfully plotted, dark tale. Part police procedural, part horror, part�..well, to go into detail may take this review into spoiler territory, so I won’t say anymore. Just know that this book is more than you initially expect it to be. There are so many layers, countless, unexpected reveals. You think you know what’s going on. You probably don’t. Benedict has given us a fresh and somewhat inspired take on detective fiction. Given it a twist and pulled its damned head off! The setting is eerie and the stuff of nightmares. A living breathing entity in its own right. Chilling and haunting. The supporting characters (of which there are quite a few) all felt very much at home in the fairy tale/creepy forest setting, helping the story move along, all with purpose and all well-written. The plot will swallow you whole. It’s like nothing I have read before. Atmospheric, unexpected, beautifully dark, highly intriguing and imaginative. More please! Recommended....more
Anna and Elijah met ten years ago at university. Since then, life for the couple has been pretty sweet. All my reviews can be found at
Anna and Elijah met ten years ago at university. Since then, life for the couple has been pretty sweet. Tech-fanatic Elijah has a good job allowing them to live in a luxurious, tech-driven house. Whilst Anna concentrates on making her name as an artist. For their tenth wedding anniversary Elijah surprises Anna with an unexpected gift. ‘Unity� offers the chance for couples to become even closer by hearing your other half’s most intimate, inner thoughts. No matter how many miles divide you, you’ll always be able to speak to your partner as if they were in the same room as you. To do this both Anna and Elijah must undergo a procedure to have the chips implanted just beneath the skin behind their ears. The chips are synced, and from then on, your every waking thought will be beamed to your spouse’s mind. Making the closest couple even closer. But Anna has secrets of her own. Things she doesn’t want her husband to know. Things which would tear their solid marriage to shreds. When Anna’s chip begins to malfunction, she realises that Elijah may be able to see her memories as well as her thoughts. Does he already know the truth? Can Anna control her thoughts and memories enough so that he never discovers what happened? And in doing so, will Anne drive herself completely mad in the process�?
I was so completely and utterly drawn to this thriller. Such a different premise that I had to see how this crazy tech would affect the couple in the story. I found Always on My Mind utterly engrossing. A domestic tech thriller that had me hanging on every word. Original and thought-provoking. Terrifying and tense.
The characters are well-drawn. I believed in the couple and their relationship. I didn’t particularly like either of them (I expect you won’t like Elijah much either!) but that’s quite normal for me and to be honest, I’m not sure the author was aiming for ‘likeable� with either of them. I felt quite sorry for Anna at times. Elijah is controlling and manipulative. His constant checks on Anna pre-chip (where are you? What are you doing?) were completely frustrating and infuriating. He uses his status and wealth to control not only his wife but his friends as well. He’s pretty despicable but that only added to the story. It ramps the tension up and puts the reader beautifully on edge throughout.
Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Always on My Mind is a gripping, compelling thriller that had me in its thrall from the start of the book to the very end. I was able to predict how a couple of things were going to turn out but that didn’t take anything away from the story for me. The supporting cast of characters were all strong. I found Anna’s best friend Mandie a little infuriating, but I won’t go into why as that could end in a spoiler, of sorts. The dual timeline allows the reader to see how the small group of friends met at university and how their relationships/friendships grew over the years to what we see in the present day. All in all, I found Always on My Mind to be a highly readable, suspense-packed, engaging thriller. Something a little bit different that we should definitely (DEFINITELY!!) leave in fiction forever more. I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to more from this author in the future. Recommended....more
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