The Interview by C.M. Ewan

Description from Goodreads:

"It’s 5 p.m. on a Friday.

You have been called to an interview for your dream job.

In a stunning office thirteen floors above the city below, you are all alone with the man interviewing you.

Everyone else has gone home for the weekend.

The interview gets more and more disturbing.

You’re feeling scared.

Your only way out is to answer a seemingly impossible question.

If you can’t . . . what happens next?"

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A tense setup that loses its way in the second half

This is another book that has been sitting on my to-be-read pile since 2022 and I have finally got round to reading it now. Having already read A Window Breaks and One Wrong Turn by the same author, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was really excited to dive into this one. Unfortunately, it did not live up to those for me. 

The story focuses on Kate, who arrives at a sleek, high-rise office building for a late-evening job interview that quickly turns into a terrifying locked-room nightmare.

The first half of the book is brilliantly done. The claustrophobic atmosphere inside the empty building is incredibly tense and it really captures that unsettling feeling of being trapped. It reads like a fast-paced action movie early on and the suspense kept me turning the pages quite quickly to find out what was going on.

However, once the true motives are revealed in the second half, the plot starts to fall apart a bit. It felt like the story stretched the boundaries of believability too far, relying on some highly unrealistic action sequences and massive coincidences. The pacing slowed down significantly during these sections and the characters started making decisions that just did not make sense, which ruined the initial tension. 

It is a decent, quick thriller if you want something fast and dramatic, but it just did not hit the same high standard as his other novels for me however, it won't put me off reading more in the future.

A big thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts.

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The Christmas Killer (DI Barton #9) by Ross Greenwood

Description from Goodreads:

"The winter holidays finally look set to bring a white Christmas, but the beautiful snow hides horrors beneath. When a man is found cruelly tortured and murdered, the Major Crimes team is already stretched thin through illness and stunned by an internal corruption investigation.

DCI John Barton hesitantly leaves his sabbatical to take the case, immediately confronting the same dark secrets that forced him away. The dead man was a loner and the perfect target, but when there is another savage murder, Barton begins to suspect that the killer is delving into the victims' pasts for a very specific, terrifying reason. And time is running out.

As the blizzard isolates the city, Barton realises they aren't pursuing a festive fanatic; they are hunting something far worse. With the department gripped by ice and paranoia, Barton knows he is getting closer to the truth, but will he be fast enough?

Because if he isn't, not everyone will make it home for Christmas."

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An absolute cracker of a festive crime thriller

Having really enjoyed reading The Village Killer back in 2024, I was so excited to dive into another case with DI Barton. Somehow I managed to skip book eight in the series, but I am pleased to say it didn't affect my enjoyment at all. The story reads brilliantly, and it was so easy to jump straight back into the world of Barton and his team.

The setup is brilliant and gets you hooked straight away. Ross Greenwood has a real gift for pacing, keeping the narrative moving along at a rapid speed without losing any of the tension. What I love most about these books, though, are the characters. DI Barton is such a fantastic lead, and the dynamics within the team feel warm, authentic and grounded. You really get invested in their lives as well as the central mystery.

The plot itself is hugely engaging and kept me guessing all the way through. There were a few false starts and twists that threw me off the scent, and it actually took me quite a while to figure out who the killer was, which made the final reveal so satisfying. It is clever, atmospheric and packs plenty of festive suspense.

If you love a well-crafted police procedural with fantastic character chemistry and plenty of twists, this is an absolute must-read and don't leave it until Christmas!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my honest thoughts.

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Hidden in Plain Sight (The County Cork Killings #2) by Michelle Dunne

Description from Goodreads:

"A migrant crisis. A corrupt harbour town. Who will stand for those who have become invisible to the rest of the world?

People have become one of the world's most valuable commodities. Trafficked on the promise of a new life only to be hidden away as modern day slaves. When Lena, a raped and badly beaten Syrian woman, literally falls into Lindsey Ryan's life, she's left with no choice but to find her part in this new war and play it as best she can.

But before she can work out a safe plan to get Lena away from her very own hell at the hands of Patrick Adebayo, Lindsey hears of an unconscious child being smuggled into Patrick's building just two doors up. Despite having Patrick's unwanted attention, she has to help the child and get Lena to safety regardless of the cost. In doing so, she finds herself face to face with the worst of humanity.

Added to her own private battle with PTSD, former soldier Lindsey Ryan is in a race against time and must once again fight for her life. But if she fails to protect those around her, what if anything, will that life be worth?

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A compelling Irish crime thriller that holds its own

Having previously enjoyed two of Michelle Dunne's books, I was really looking forward to diving back into her writing with this one. Hidden in Plain Sight is the second instalment in The County Cork Killings series, and even though I haven't read the first book, it didn't hinder my enjoyment at all. While I missed out on some of the earlier backstory and character development, the book stands firmly on its own feet and reads very well as a standalone.

Dunne has a fantastic ability to build tension but what really stood out for me was the sheer emotional weight surrounding the plight of the people she rescued and kept hidden. The harrowing situations these individuals were escaping made their struggle feel deeply personal, and watching Lindsey risk everything — facing a very real threat to her own safety just to keep them protected — added a powerful, high-stakes layer to the story.

Adding to that emotional depth is Lindsey's ongoing plight with PTSD. Her internal struggle is written with such empathy and realism that it really grounds the narrative, making her quiet bravery feel all the more impactful as she pushes through her own trauma while trying to safeguard others.

The plot moves along at a steady and engaging pace.  The characters are well-developed and relatable, making it very easy to root for them as the drama unfolds with my particular favourites being Eileen and Frank.

It's a tense, clever and immersive read that kept me hooked from start to finish is definitely one to add to your reading list.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my honest thoughts.

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To All the Men I've Killed Before (Kitty Collins #3) by Katy Brent

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Victoria Morrison and Imogen Front🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"If a man hurt your best friend – like, really hurt her – what would you do?

Key his car? Broadcast what a scumbag he is to everyone in his life? Hunt him down and chop him into little pieces? If you picked number 3, I think we could be friends. Because that is exactly what I intend to do.

I've tracked this lowlife to LA and brought my little sister Antoinette along for the ride. It's like a girls' trip, only with more knives.

It won't be the first time I've killed for revenge. But it will be the sweetest."

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A brilliant finale packed with dark humour 

I listened to this as an audiobook, and I have to say the narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Their performances captured all the sharp wit, chaotic energy, and underlying tension perfectly.

Kitty Collins is back, and this time she is taking her unique brand of vigilante justice across the Atlantic to sunny LA. The setting swap from rainy UK to chaotic Hollywood adds such a fun, glamorous backdrop to all the gory carnage. Escorting her on this trip is her younger sister Antoinette, who turns out to be quite the apprentice in murder, even if her messy tendencies leave Kitty doing plenty of cleanup. The dynamic and banter between the two sisters was easily one of my favourite parts of the entire story.

The plot moves at a relentless pace as Kitty sets out to avenge a friend, only to find herself mixed up in even more twisty chaos over in California. Katy Brent balances absolute bloodthirsty revenge with laugh out loud comedy so effortlessly. It is dark, unapologetic, and packed with that satisfying girl power energy where terrible men get exactly what is coming to them.

I am honestly quite sad that this is the final book in the series. I am going to miss Kitty terribly, as she has been such an iconic character from start to finish. Having said that, with Antoinette bringing so much chaotic potential to the table, it makes me wonder if we might get a new spin-off series featuring her in the future.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts.

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The Killer's Mark (Washington Poe #8) M.W. Craven

Blurb:

"A MONSTER. A MOTHER. A MURDER?

When Vice Admiral Boyer, RN (retd) died without leaving a will, his estranged daughter inherited his – not inconsiderable – estate. Called home to sort through his belongings, she found an AegisBox – a tamper proof safe within a safe designed to self-destruct if anyone without the code attempts to open it. Unable to walk away without the truth, she uncovered something so horrifying it launched the biggest investigation in the National Crime Agency’s history. Five years later, Washington Poe is unwittingly, and unwillingly, sucked into its gravity…

Finally able to escape the authority they railed against, Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw are enjoying their new jobs as private detectives or – as the sign on their door says – ‘Gumshoes for Hire’. When a teenage girl walks into their office, looking for the mother she long believed to be dead, they agree to take the case. As Poe and Tilly investigate the girl’s claims, they find themselves drawn into a murky world of trafficking, pornography and prostitution. Will they be able to help the girl find her mother, or will the dark forces at work, who will stop at nothing to protect themselves, get there first…"

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Absolute masterclass in crime fiction! 

I have been following Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw for a while now somehow we've got to book eight in this series which you would think might start to become a little stale, but not so by a long way.

This time around Poe and Tilly have left the NCA behind to set up their own private detective gig – complete with a sign on the door declaring themselves "Gumshoes for Hire".  Poe's hoping for a quiet life but that all vanishes when a feisty fifteen year old girl, Esmerée, walks through the door.  She wants them to find her mother, someone she believed was dead until seeing her alive in a video online.  What starts as a straightforward missing persons inquiry quickly spirals into a dark, complex case involving Chinese triads, corruption and lethal secrets that threaten to pull everyone under.

The plot is brilliantly constructed with twists that hit when you least expect them.  Craven handles some heavy themes here but the trademark banter between Poe and Tilly provides that perfect, laugh out loud light in the darkness.  Seeing Tilly step up and take charge in certain parts of this investigation was fantastic, and the dynamic between the two of them is as brilliant as ever.

If you're looking for a fast paced thriller, trust me, you won't be able to put this down.

My thanks to M W Craven, Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this, another fantastic addition to a brilliant series.

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