Category: secrets
+ childhood, family, fiction, grief, Italy, loss, love, Magical realism, marriage, murder, review, secrets, supernatural, thriller
The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
When Julia’s husband is brutally murdered in a random attack, her life unravels in ways she never could have foreseen. Haunted by his death and spiraling into despair, Julia seeks refuge in a secluded Italian villa she has mysteriously inherited from a stranger. But her sanctuary becomes a prison as she uncovers disturbing connections to her own past – and faces chilling threats that … Read More The Unravelling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline
+ 1960s, 1970s, adoption, childhood, family, fiction, friends, grief, Iceland, Iceland noir, lies, review, Scandi noir, secrets, sisters
Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb
November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsí has a secret pen pal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time. But when the date arrives, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes … Read More Home Before Dark by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir translated by Victoria Cribb
+ audio book, audio drama, childhood, family, family drama, fiction, gothic, gothic horror, Gothic mystery, Historical fiction, literature, review, secrets, siblings, sisters, Yorkshire
Mrs England by Stacey Halls
West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious … Read More Mrs England by Stacey Halls
The Ballochbrae Book Club by M.C. Mackay
The Ballochbrae Book Club is a heartwarming tale set in the charming Scottish village of Ballochbrae. On Balmoral Castle’s doorstep, Flora, Heather, Chatty and Morag – women of a certain age – form a book group. There’s just one problem: nobody wants to read the books. Then a body is dragged from the River Dee. Was foul play involved? Led by Flora, the four set … Read More The Ballochbrae Book Club by M.C. Mackay
+ fiction, Historical fiction, journalist, mental illness, murder, obsession, prostitution, revenge, review, secrets, Victorian Britain
Murder At The Lunatic’s Ball by R S Leonard
A Victorian asylum. A woman imprisoned. A deadly secret. England, 1875. London journalist, Harris Mortimer, visits a Hampshire lunatic asylum to investigate society’s treatment of the insane, only to find himself in a fateful encounter with a beautiful woman claiming to be wrongly incarcerated. Horrified by a series of murders, he soon becomes drawn into the strange world of the asylum and begins to … Read More Murder At The Lunatic’s Ball by R S Leonard
Secrets of Lostmor by Ann Smythe
In 1971, the Sanders family suffer a loss so great that they abandon their Gothic mansion house forever. Twenty-four years later, Lily Sanders reluctantly returns to her hometown for the reading of a mysterious will. Lily must face the secrets that lie within the crumbling estate in the wilds of Cornwall… and uncover the mystery hidden within. My Review Another great holiday read, and … Read More Secrets of Lostmor by Ann Smythe
+ child abduction, child abuse, crime fiction, Danish Noir, Denmark, fiction, journalist, police drama, review, Scandi noir, secrets
Out of the Dark by Heidi Amsinck (A Jensen Thriller #4)
Out of the Dark: A brand new Jensen thriller from Heidi Amsinck – a must read for 2025 A missing child … a tainted witness … Jensen’s darkest case yet … Matilde Clausen, 9, vanishes from a crowded playground in the middle of Copenhagen, triggering a frantic search across the city. When a possible link emerges to the disappearance of Lea Høgh, 10, six … Read More Out of the Dark by Heidi Amsinck (A Jensen Thriller #4)
The Ballochbrae Book Club by M.C. Mackay cover reveal
The Ballochbrae Book Club is a heartwarming tale set in the charming Scottish village of Ballochbrae. On Balmoral Castle’s doorstep, Flora, Heather, Chatty and Morag – women of a certain age – form a book group. There’s just one problem: nobody wants to read the books. Then a body is dragged from the River Dee. Was foul play involved? Led by Flora, the four set … Read More The Ballochbrae Book Club by M.C. Mackay cover reveal
The Girls in the Basement by Steena Holmes
Jillian thought she knew her husband. They’ve been married for twenty years. But she doesn’t know him at all. Jillian Harper thought moving to the quiet little town in Montana would be the fresh start her family needed. A charming farmhouse, friendly neighbors, and endless open fields — it was supposed to be perfect. Until the bodies are found. Buried deep on their land. … Read More The Girls in the Basement by Steena Holmes
+ 1940s, audio book, diary, fiction, ghosts, love, Magical realism, Paris, review, secrets, stories, WW2
The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris by Evie Woods
This is the magical tale of Edith Lane, who sets off to find her fortune in the beautiful city of Paris. Fortune, however, is a fickle thing and Edith ends up working in a vintage bakery in the positively antique town of Compiègne. Escaping heartache and singledom in Ireland, Edith discovers that the bakery on Rue De Paris is not exactly what it seems … Read More The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris by Evie Woods
The People Next Door by Kate Braithwaite
Twenty years ago, Jen’s sister disappeared. Now, she’s looking for answers. Jen Silver has moved to a new neighbourhood in affluent, suburban Pennsylvania with her partner, Dan, and her daughter. It’s a picture-perfect neighbourhood where the residents hang out on each other’s patios drinking margaritas on warm summer nights. They eagerly welcome Jen and her family. But Jen isn’t who they think she is. … Read More The People Next Door by Kate Braithwaite
The Return of Frankie Whittle by Caroline England
Once you enter the gates, will they ever let you leave? Frankie Whittle has it all: a career in the City, a gorgeous husband and a baby on the way. It’s the perfect life, but it’s built on sand. In one terrifying night, everything she has worked so hard for unravels. She needs a fresh start. When she discovers the very place she was … Read More The Return of Frankie Whittle by Caroline England
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