Unit 731: The Japanese Auschwitz by James and Lance Morcan

Blurb from Amazon:

"In the aftermath of World War Two, and indeed all wars before and since, few names evoke as much horror as Unit 731, a Japanese deathcamp located in Northeast China.

Unit 731: The Japanese Auschwitz exposes one of the darkest and least acknowledged chapters of the 20th century—a secret biological warfare program whose atrocities rival those of Nazi Germany’s most infamous death camps.

In this meticulously researched volume, Book 9 in The Underground Knowledge Series, the veil is lifted on the origins, operations, and enduring legacy of Unit 731, the covert Japanese military complex where science, ambition, and cruelty fused into industrialized murder.

From the rise of General Shirō Ishii – an ambitious microbiologist whose obsession with pathogens shaped Japan’s biological warfare strategy – to the establishment of vast experimental facilities in Manchuria, this book traces how a modern empire rationalized the systematic torture and killing of thousands. Inside the walls of the Pingfang Complex, prisoners were frozen, infected, dissected alive, and used as expendable test subjects in the pursuit of military supremacy.

Drawing chilling parallels with Auschwitz, the narrative reveals how ordinary professionals – doctors, scientists, clerks – became cogs in a machine of dehumanization, where killing was routine and paperwork masked genocide.

The collapse of Unit 731, the frantic cover‑up that followed, and the postwar silence – fueled in part by geopolitical deals that shielded perpetrators – underscore a moral failure that still reverberates today.

Comparisons between Unit 731 and Auschwitz remind us that brutality on such a grand scale is not confined to one nation or one ideology. It materializes when science and medicine are divorced from ethics, when human beings are considered expendable, and when political expediency overrides morality and justice. Unit 731 and Auschwitz are stark reminders of just how low humanity can sink.

Both a historical exposé and a warning for the future, Unit 731: The Japanese Auschwitz confronts the reader with the uncomfortable truth of what happens when ethics are abandoned and human beings become data points in the machinery of war.

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A shocking eye-opener

I've read several books by James and Lance Morcan previously – they've got quite a collection on their blog – but I haven't actually dipped into this particular series before. Even though I've read a fair bit about World War II, I have to admit I'd never even heard of Unit 731 until I picked this up.

I've spent a lot of time reading about Japan's involvement in the war because my husband's granddad was taken as a prisoner of war during the fall of Singapore. He was very, very lucky to survive and eventually make it back home, so this is a subject that feels quite close to my heart. It makes me wonder why I've never come across this specific unit before. What is it that the powers that be don't want us to know? You have to wonder if they're just embarrassed and ashamed that proper justice for the victims was never really done.

It's a very quick read, so it couldn't go into massive amounts of detail, but it served as a really good introduction for me. It's definitely sparked an interest and I've finished it wanting to learn much more about what happened. If you're looking for a starting point on a dark part of history that doesn't always get the attention it should, this is well worth a look.

Huge thanks to the authors for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this shocking book.

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How To Get Away With Murder by Rebecca Philipson

Description from Goodreads:

"If you picked up this book because you truly want to get away with murder, you will not be disappointed. Simply turn the page and we’ll get started…

Denver Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time – and that’s precisely why you’ve never heard of him.

But with the publication of How to Get Away With Murder, his manual for aspiring serial killers, that’s about to change.

When a copy of Denver's book is found at a crime scene, DI Samantha Hansen is given the job of tracking down the elusive author.

As Denver and Sam’s stories unfold and converge, it becomes clear that there’s more to both than meets the eye.

And once Denver’s book goes viral, the pressure to find and bring him to justice brings Sam to breaking point.

But in this dark and twisted tale, who is hunting whom?"

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A dark and clever debut

I’ve just finished this one and I'm still trying to process those final chapters. How to Get Away with Murder is the debut from Rebecca Philipson and it’s a properly clever take on the serial killer genre. The premise hooked me right away – a manual for aspiring serial killers written by someone called Denver Brady is found at a crime scene. It's essentially a book within a book, which I thought was a really fresh way to structure a thriller.

We follow DI Samantha Hansen as she returns to work at Scotland Yard in London after a six-month break. She’s a complicated lead character who’s dealing with her own trauma and PTSD, which made her feel very human and relatable. She isn't your typical "super-cop" and I really rooted for her as she tried to find the elusive Denver Brady while investigating the murder of a fourteen-year-old girl.

The narrative flips between Sam’s investigation and excerpts from Denver’s "how-to" guide. I found the parallels between the two really chilling. It’s pacy and dark, but there's a bit of dry British humour in there too that lightens the mood just when you need it. Even though it's quite a gritty story, it moves along quickly and kept me guessing about how the two threads would eventually collide.

There were a few moments where I had to suspend my disbelief, and one particular plot thread felt a bit loose toward the end, but the overall execution is brilliant for a debut. If you’re a fan of twisty thrillers that don't always play by the rules, I’d definitely recommend giving this a go.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

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The Housewife Next Door by LynDee Walker [Audiobook]

🎙🎙🎙 Narrated by Madeline Pell, Amelia Sciandra and Katie Beudert 🎙🎙🎙

Description from Goodreads:

"She seemed to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom. But she had a secret she would kill to keep…

When I move to a remote spot in rural Kansas, I don’t know a soul. I’m delighted when I realise that the family next door has five children—perfect company for my baby boy. As I look at the smiling faces around the pine-scrubbed table in the sunshine-filled kitchen I feel a sense of hope. They’re all so loud. So alive. But then I take a close look at their mom, SarahBeth. She’s strange, unfriendly, her face pinched. Almost as if she doesn’t want me there…

I’ve met plenty of unfriendly people in my own dark past. Usually, they’re hiding something. But when SarahBeth’s daughter tells me her mother’s secret ice slides down my spine. I’m beginning to love these kids like my own. I’ll do anything to help them.

I’m not family. I don’t really belong. But SarahBeth would be wrong to think I’m just a young single mother trying to make friends. I’ve done terrible things to protect those I care about. I’d hate her to learn the hard way what I’m capable of… I know how to protect the ones I care about. I’ve had to bury a few bodies to do so…"

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Something was missing for me

I picked this up because the plot sounded like something I'd find really interesting. It follows Meg, a single mother who moves to a quiet spot in rural Kansas for a fresh start. She meets her neighbours, the Godfreys, who seem to have the perfect, busy family life with five children. However, Meg quickly senses that something is off with the mother, SarahBeth, and soon discovers that this "perfect" family is hiding some pretty dark secrets.

I've got to be honest though, I wasn't that bothered about keep going back to listen to it. Even though Meg has her own dark past and is capable of doing whatever it takes to protect those she cares about, the story just didn't have that spark to keep me hooked. While the narrators – Madeline Pell, Amelia Sciandra and Katie Beudert – all did a good job of bringing the different perspectives to life, the plot itself felt a bit thin.

I eventually finished it but a few days later I couldn't really tell you what happened which is never a good sign for a thriller! It just didn't do it for me and lacked the twists or the depth I was looking for but it's a decent enough listen if you're after something light to have on in the background, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me unfortunately.

Many thanks to the author, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of this audiobook.

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Six Strikes by Antonia Grave

Description from Goodreads:

"There's no smoke without fire…As someone who has suffered abuse at the hands of men, Maddie protects women by murdering those who attack them – men she calls ‘fleas’. Fleas are men who follow women home. Abusive husbands who refuse to walk away. And then there’s the Manchester a serial killer stalking the streets, determined to murder people like her.

But Maddie can’t get away with it forever. Years later, in the interview room of her prison, she comes face-to-face with a very important visitor. Someone she’s going to tell all to, about how she caught one of the UK’s most prolific serial killers, and how she got caught as one herself…"

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Started off well but fizzled out

I picked up Six Strikes by Antonia Grave because the premise sounded like it was going to be right up my street. It's a dark thriller about Maddie Reid, who survived a terrible childhood in captivity and now spends her time as a vigilante. She hunts down men she calls "fleas" while also trying to find a serial killer known as the Manchester Maniac. The story jumps between her past and the present day, where she's being interviewed in prison.

It definitely started off strong and I was hooked by the opening. The idea of a killer hunting another killer is such a good setup and I found the early chapters quite tense. Maddie is a really complicated character and it was interesting to see how her past turned her into someone who takes the law into her own hands to protect others.

However, I'm afraid it didn't hold my interest all the way through. About halfway in, the pace seemed to slow down and the plot felt like it was dragging. It became a bit of a struggle to keep going and I actually ended up skimming quite a bit towards the end just to see how it all wrapped up.

It's a decent enough debut with a unique concept, but the execution didn't quite maintain the initial intrigue for me. It wasn't a bad read – it just didn't live up to the hopes I had at the start.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

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The Forbidden Place by Susanne Jansson

Description from Goodreads:

"In peat bogs across Northern Europe, people of the Iron Age buried their sacrifices to the Gods. Even human sacrifices. The unique ecology of the wetlands slows the decomposition process, ensuring that bodies become preserved as eerie time capsules. Folklore has it that souls buried in a mire never come to rest, but rather haunt the living and hunger after new victims. But this is only superstition, ghost stories of ancient lore. Or is it?

A young scientist named Nathalie comes to a mire in rural Sweden to conduct field experiments for her doctoral thesis in biology. But soon it becomes clear that her reasons for being there are deeply personal. Nathalie grew up in the area and left when a horrible tragedy befell her family. She is afraid of the mire but also drawn to it by some invisible force, and what she knows of the secrets it harbors goes far beyond science. One night, when an autumn storm blows in, Nathalie’s misgivings drive her out to the mire where she finds a man unconscious, his pockets filled with coins. Nearby, she discovers a makeshift grave.

Internationally recognized photo artist Maya Linde moonlights as a police photographer and is sent to photograph the scene where the young man was found. Back in her studio, she notices a figure in the background of the photos, someone who appears to be trying to hide from her lens. Who was watching her out on the mire? Maya isn’t the type to get scared off by threats. Instead, under the guise of a new art project, she begins a rogue investigation that brings her close to the haunted history of the bog and the oddballs who populate the area.

When Maya discovers a body buried in the mire dating back to much more recent times, a hunt begins for what turns out to be a sly serial killer who has buried victims underfoot for over a decade. The small community around the mire closes in on itself and its secrets while the police race to solve a series of crimes far beyond their small-town experience.

As Maya becomes more and more entrenched in the strange things happening out in the bog, Nathalie gathers courage to confront the buried horrors of her past. Both women are propelled through memory and the watery depth of the mire toward shocking discoveries. Past and present, lore and reality converge in this atmospheric mystery about to what dark ends grief can drive people.

Set in a world reminiscent of cult television series True Detective, and told with a narrative style reminiscent of both Tana French’s In the Woods and Johan Theorin’s Öland Quartet, debut author Susanne Jansson weaves a tale that is as much about the stories we tell ourselves to survive, as it is about what may drive ordinary people to kill."

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A misty marsh and a long-overdue read

I'm finally getting around to writing this review after the book has been hiding away in the depths of my to-be-read pile since 2018! I don't know why it took me six years to pick it up, but the atmospheric cover always suggested it needed a specific moody evening to dive into.

The story follows Nathalie, a biologist who returns to her childhood home in the Swedish wetlands to study peat bogs. The setting is wonderfully creepy - the kind of place where you can almost feel the dampness. Things kick off when she finds an unconscious man in the marsh with his pockets full of gold coins, mirroring ancient human sacrifices found in the mire.

I really liked the atmosphere Susanne Jansson created. The marsh feels like its own character - dark, soggy and full of secrets. If you enjoy Scandi-noir with a touch of the supernatural or eerie nature vibes, you'll definitely appreciate the descriptions.

However, I found the pacing a bit hit-and-miss. There were sections that felt quite slow and the plot didn't always have that driving tension I'd hoped for. The ending felt a little rushed compared to the slow build-up and some of the character motivations felt a bit thin. It's a solid enough debut, but it didn't quite reach that "must-read" level for me.

I'm glad I finally cleared it from my 2018 backlog. It’s a good choice if you want something moody to read on a rainy afternoon, even if the mystery itself doesn't quite knock your socks off.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.

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