The Lodge by Paul Finch

🔥🔥🔥 Published on 15 January 2026 🔥🔥🔥

Description from Goodreads:

"It’s the perfect getaway. Until there’s no way out.

You have been dreaming of an unforgettable weekend escape, and Black Tarn Lodge seems to offer everything—a magnificent Gothic mansion with towering turrets nestled in the misty Lancashire hills.

Expecting elegant dinners, vintage wines and a special late-night screening of a legendary lost film in the private cinema, all seems perfect—until night falls and a thick fog isolates you all from the world. But your phones go missing. Guests start vanishing. Then you find the body.

Someone, it seems, fell from the roof. But you can’t help wondering if he was pushed. Totally cut off, you cannot leave or call for help. You don’t know these people. But you need to decide who you can trust soon. Because this is not over. Who is going to be next—you?"

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The Lodge by Paul Finch is a bit of a departure from what I have previously seen from this author and I don't think the blurb or the description of the book accurately reflects the story found inside the pages. It sets a certain expectation that doesn't quite match the actual experience of the plot as it unfolds. While I know him best for his crime thrillers and police procedurals, in my opinion, this leans much more towards the horror genre than a standard murder mystery.

The story follows a group of dark tourism enthusiasts on a murder tour visiting the sites of gruesome killings and serial killer haunts. Their final stop is an overnight stay at a remote mansion in the Lancashire hills which was once the home of a famous horror actor. It's a great setup that feels very different to books I've read by him in the past as the focus shifts toward a more sinister and gothic atmosphere once the group becomes trapped by a dense fog.

The pace felt a little slow in places particularly during the journey between sites but there was an overriding sense of creepiness and tension that stayed consistent throughout the stay at the lodge. Even though I guessed the murderer earlier than expected, it was still fun to get there. It was actually quite refreshing to see the author delving into the horror genre as it takes me back to when I was younger when it was all I read.

Overall it's an atmospheric read that prioritises a sense of dread over a typical investigation. For anyone used to his more traditional crime novels, this is a darker shift but it's an enjoyable one if you appreciate a story that isn't afraid to get a bit more macabre.

Many thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, the new one from Paul Finch.

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From Malice to Ashes: Forest of No Mercy by Gary W. Toyn [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Matt Armstrong🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"Before Auschwitz, before the gas chambers, there was Ponary—a forest outside Vilnius where 75,000 Jews were executed during World War II. In the beginning, the killers weren’t the Nazis. They were neighbors. From Malice to is a haunting historical novel that reveals one of the Holocaust’s earliest and most overlooked atrocities—the Ponary Massacre in Lithuania—where local militias carried out mass murder while SS officers stood by and took notes.

Olek Kosmen, a young Jewish man, becomes an unwilling eyewitness and chronicler. Hiding in the woods, he secretly records the horrors in a journal—until he’s captured and forced into the “Burning Brigade,” a prisoner unit ordered to exhume and destroy the bodies to hide the crime. Meanwhile, his fiancée escapes to neutral Sweden, and her family is exiled to the frozen gulags of Siberia. Their survival depends on impossible choices—and an escape tunnel dug with bare hands beneath a mass grave. Meticulously researched and deeply moving, this story is not just a look back at history—it’s a warning. In an age when antisemitism is once again on the rise, From Malice to Ashes reminds us what happens when hatred goes unchallenged and silence becomes complicity."

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I've just finished listening to From Malice to Ashes by Gary W. Toyn and I have to say it is a properly heavy but necessary bit of historical fiction. 

I'm always on the lookout for stories that shed light on the bits of the Second World War we don't talk about enough and this one focuses on the Ponary massacre in Lithuania.   I've read a fair few books set during this war but I have to admit I've never come across or read anything about what happened in this particular area or what the people there had to endure. It's a brutal look at what happened before the concentration camps even became the norm where neighbours turned on neighbours and the level of betrayal is just gutting.

The story follows several families torn apart by both the Nazis and the Soviets and Toyn does a brilliant job of weaving together their struggle for survival. It's clearly been meticulously researched and I was really impressed that the author includes references and extracts at the end to show exactly where the historical evidence was found. This added a whole other layer of authenticity to the narrative. While it doesn't shy away from the horrors there's a real thread of moral courage and hope running through it that stops it from being completely bleak.

It is a truly haunting account and it's one of those books that stays with you long after the final chapter. There were definitely times when it was difficult to listen to because of the subject matter but the writing is so engaging that I felt compelled to stay in my car for longer than was necessary just to keep in the story.

Now for the audiobook itself. Matt Armstrong is clearly a talented narrator and for the most part I thought he was really good. He has a great pace and managed the tension of the more claustrophobic scenes perfectly. However I did find myself wishing they'd gone with a dual narration setup. Having a male narrator do the female parts felt a bit forced and distracting as it came across as a bit parody style at times. It was a shame because it took me out of the moment during some of the most emotional scenes. It definitely would've worked much better with both male and female narrators to give those characters the depth they deserved.

It's a powerful look at a forgotten chapter of history and despite my niggles with the narration style the story itself is far too important to miss. I'm glad I gave it a listen even if I had to take a few breaks to process the weight of it all.

My thanks must go to the author, American Legacy Media and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this important book.

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The Shroud: A Horror Novella by Iain Rob Wright

Description from Goodreads:

"What begins as a relaxing hike in the picturesque Derbyshire Dales soon becomes a waking nightmare for disgraced barrister, Graham Solace.

A strange, swirling fog has just arrived and left him utterly lost and in the middle of nowhere. But there’s hope. Upon the next hill appears to be a pub, The Crooked Stag. Surely someone there will be able help to help him get back to civilsation. Right?"

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I am a big fan of Mr Wright's work and have enjoyed many of his books which I indulge in every now and again as it takes me back to my teenage years when I read horror books almost exclusively; I don't read as many now but I do like to keep my toe dipped in and Mr Wright's books usually hit the spot quite nicely and The Shroud was no exception.

Iain Rob Wright has a knack for taking a simple, everyday setting and turning it into a claustrophobic nightmare. The Shroud is a short, sharp shock of a novella that proves you don’t need a massive page count to leave a reader feeling completely unsettled.

The atmosphere here is top-notch; if you enjoyed The Mist or James Herbert’s The Fog, this will be right up your street. The "Shroud" itself feels like a living character - thick, creepy and creating a constant sense of dread about what is lurking just out of sight.

What I found most interesting wasn't just the "monsters" in the mist, but the psychological toll on Graham. He isn't the most likeable character but watching him crumble as the pub regulars confront him with his past was fascinating.

There is no filler here. The pacing is relentless, dragging you through the greyness until the final ending.

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The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

Description from Goodreads:

"What if the one thing you want is the only thing you can’t have?

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…"

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You know that feeling when you finally pick up a book that's been hanging out on your virtual "to-be-read" pile forever? That was me with Amanda Prowse's The Idea of You (2017). I was so ready to dive in after all these years, but unfortunately, it wasn't the memorable read I was hoping for.

The plot's all about Lucy Carpenter. She's pushing forty and desperately wants a baby, but she keeps having miscarriages, which really strains things with her husband, Jonah. Then his tricky teenage daughter, Camille, moves in, making the family dynamic way more complicated. Prowse tackles some pretty heavy topics - identity, marriage and what it really means to be a modern mum.

The book definitely covers some relevant topics but, for me, I just couldn't fully click with the characters and some of the choices they made. It stopped me from getting totally invested in their emotional roller coaster.   However, I know from reading others reviews, there are plenty who disagree with me so you might want to check it out rather than take my word for it.

Many thanks to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for enabling me to read and, eventually, share my thoughts of this, my first outing with Amanda Prowse.

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Troublemaker by Lesley Kara

🔥🔥🔥 Publication date: 15 January 2026 🔥🔥🔥

Description from Goodreads:

"Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with.

But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm’s tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don’t take her seriously.

But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start – the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?"

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Storm used to be a force of nature, but the trauma of her brother’s murder has left her hyper-vigilant and prone to false alarms. When she witnesses a crime that mirrors her own tragedy, the police dismiss her as a "troublemaker" who is seeing things. With no body and no evidence, Storm is forced to investigate herself, but the more she digs, the more she realises the killer is now watching her.

I’ve followed Lesley Kara since The Rumour and she remains one of my favourites when it comes to "quiet" psychological thrillers. This story is a poignant look at grief and the frustration of being a "reliable" witness with an "unreliable" reputation. Storm is a deeply sympathetic lead; her anxiety is palpable and you feel every ounce of her desperation as she tries to make people believe her.

The pacing is a classic slow-burn that builds in tension the more you read on. While the "girl who cried wolf" angle is familiar, Kara adds something else by tying the mystery to Storm's past.

This is an atmospheric, twisty read that I enjoyed and it's perfect for a cold, winter's day or evening.

Thanks to the author, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Penguin and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, another great book from Lesley Kara.

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