Letter To Keep You Safe by Rachaele Hambleton #LetterToKeepYouSafe @parttimeworkingmummy @booksbyrobinson @littlebrownbookgroup_uk #BookReview

 

A story of heartbreak, love and hope.

Lou has had more than her fair share of heartbreak but she has always managed to keep going...until now.

When her friend Martha ends up in hospital after a brutal attack at the hands of her ex-partner, Lou is struggling to see a way through.

Lou has been a good friend to Martha but she has been keeping secrets. Secrets she has kept to herself for a long time. If Lou had shared more of her story maybe Martha wouldn't be in hospital now.

Wracked with guilt, Lou decides she must write a letter. A letter to tell her truth once and for all. A letter to show Martha that with friends, family and people you love around you there is a way through the darkness. A letter to keep Martha safe.

A Letter To Keep You Safe by Rachaele Hambleton is published today; 26 March 2026 by Robinson/Little Brown. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This novel explores themes of love, friendship, guilt, and the consequences of silence. Through Lou’s voice, the author  explores the difficulties of surviving heartbreak while still trying to be there for the people you care about. The premise of the story is that Lou is writing a letter to her friend Martha after a brutal act of domestic violence, and this sets the tone for an emotionally challenging narrative.

What makes this book stand out is its raw honesty. It doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of its themes, particularly around abuse and trauma. It’s difficult to read at times, not because of the writing, which is beautifully crafted, but because of how real it feels. The author's prose captures the chaos of human emotion.

The emotional impact is huge. This isn’t a book you can easily distance yourself from. I found myself reflecting and recognising aspects of myself and others I know. Its real strength lies in making you feel seen, while also encouraging empathy.

Importantly, the novel looks at the massive importance of discussing difficult experiences. It reinforces how silence, even when it feels protective, can have unintended consequences. The message is clear but never heavy-handed: speaking up, reaching out, and supporting one another can quite literally save lives.

While the pacing occasionally feels slow due to its introspective nature, it ultimately suits the story being told. A Letter to Keep You Safe isn’t meant to be rushed.

A powerful, compassionate read that stays with you. Highly recommended.

Rachaele Hambleton, aka Part-Time Working Mummy, is a four times Sunday Times bestselling author and a popular parenting personality online, she also runs REBL clothing.

Between her & her husband Josh they have six children. Her successful social media platforms document the highs and lows of life as a blended family.

As well as writing & raising children, Rachaele fights hard for awareness of domestic abuse. In 2021, Rachaele opened Patchwork House women's centre, which is a safe hub to support vulnerable families in Torbay.

Instagram @parttimeworkingmummy

Reaper by Vanda Symon #Reaper @vandasymon @OrendaBooks #BookReview #YeahNoir

 

The City looks away … but someone is watching…

A killer is hunting Auckland's homeless. No one cares. No one but Max. These are his people.

Max Grimes is homeless, living on the streets of Auckland – among the forgotten, the invisible. But now someone is hunting the homeless, killing them one by one. No one cares. Except Max.

Trying to put his shattered life back together, Max is pulled into a deadly game when a face from his past reappears, reopening wounds he thought were long buried.

As whispers of a Grim Reaper spread terror through the city, Max must race against time – not only to find the killer, but to outrun the ghosts chasing him.

Because if he fails, he'll be next.

Reaper by Vanda Symon was published on 12 March 2026 by Orenda Books. It is the second in the series about Max Grimes, but is a stand alone story. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Virtual Book Tour.

I have read everything that Vanda Symon has published in the UK.  Her Sam Shephard series is now six books long and it is a fabulous series. Her first stand novel to feature Max Grimes; Faceless was published four years ago and I am delighted that she is back with another novel about him. These are brutal, gritty and at times, heart breaking stories about the most vulnerable people in society. 

Max Grimes has moved on a little since the last book, he's still technically homeless but he's not sleeping on the streets. An ex policeman, he feels a kinship with the street sleepers. The trauma of his past life makes him feel as though he's one of them, part of the community, and he does his best to keep an eye on the community and help where he can.

Somebody is killing homeless people. Three victim now. Each one murdered in a different way. Max feels helpless.  He is then contacted by someone from his past and finds himself up to his neck in trouble. 

The novel is told in three voices; Max; Meredith - his ex police partner, a woman who still sees Max as a friend, and The Reaper; an unknown person who is randomly murderer homeless people.

Cleverly structured, tense and often brutal to read; Reaper is another fabulous novel from a brilliantly talented author. Not only does she serve up a compelling thriller, she also takes a deep look at the social injustices of our time. Without preaching, she cleverly sheds light on the differences in public perception about the victims of crime. Thinking about how the people in control may have dealt with this series of murders if the victims were not the homeless. 

From the dirty gutters of the city streets, to the press conferences held by those in power, the author looks at so many aspects of policing and reporting. With short chapters and plenty of intriguing twists, this is a thriller that is very hard to put down. 

Reaper proves, once again, that Vanda Symon really is at the top of her game. Faultless writing, superb plotting and characters that the reader will grow to love. Highly recommended. 

Vanda Symon is a crime writer from Dunedin, New Zealand, and the President of the New
Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa. 

The Sam Shephard series, which includes Overkill, The Ringmaster, Containment, Bound, Expectant and Prey, hit number one on the New Zealand bestseller list, and has also been shortlisted for the Ngaio Marsh Award, as has her then standalone thriller, Faceless. 

Overkill was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Bound and Expectant have been nominated for USA Barry Awards. 

All six books have been digital bestsellers, and are in production for the screen. 

Vanda lives in Dunedin.

www.vandasymon.com

X @vandasymon

Instagram @vandasymon

Daughter of the Titanic by Caroline Cauchi #DaughteroftheTitanic @caroline.cauchi @onemorechapterhc #BookReview

 

She was never meant to be a symbol, but the world made her one

In 1912, fourteen-year-old Helen ‘Melville’ Smith loses her father, Captain Edward J. Smith of the Titanic. In the decades that follow, she becomes the reluctant keeper of a story the world insists on telling for her: unlucky, cursed, tragic.

Sixty years later, Oxford academic Catherine Haynes discovers a mislabelled portrait and a trail of forgotten papers that lead her to the woman behind the myth.

In a series of interviews, Mel recounts the truth behind the headlines – the quiet rebellions, the dangerous loves, the secrets she burned, and the one fragment of her past she refuses to let go…

Daughter of the Titanic is the story of a woman the world tried to define – and the extraordinary life she built beyond the wreckage.

Daughter of the Titanic by Caroline Cauchi is published on 1 April 2026 by One More Chapter / Harper Collins. My thanks to Laura Sherlock PR for sending my copy for review. 

It feels like I've been reading Caroline Cauchi's writing forever!  I discovered her many many years ago when she was writing as Caroline Smailes, I devoured her quirky, lyrical books.  Ten years ago she wrote The Finding of Martha Lost, using the name Caroline Wallace, and once again, I was entranced by her specatular storytelling. Recently she's known as Caroline Cauchi and is writing about real life women from history. Fictionalising their stories, making us aware of women who've been dismissed and forgotten.  Historical fiction based on real life characters is a favourite of mine, and I was eager to discover how she would portray Helen Melville Smith - the daughter of the captain of the Titanic. 

There is something really interesting about a novel that takes a story we think we know and gently, and carefully turns it on its head. Daughter of the Titanic is exactly that kind of book, it is a beautifully imagined, deeply moving exploration of grief, identity, and the heavy burden of a narrative imposed by others.

Inspired by true events, this novel introduces us to Helen ‘Melville’ Smith, a young girl whose life is forever altered in 1912 with the loss of her father, Captain Edward J. Smith. Yet this is not a story about the Titanic. Instead, it is a story about what comes after. About the devastation of loss, and the way that people so often define those left behind.

The author writes with a tenderness that feels almost intimate. Through Mel’s recollections which are prompted decades later by academic Catherine Haynes, we are invited into a life shaped not only by grief, but by the suffocating weight of public assumption. Branded as “cursed”, “tragic”, and forever attached to that single moment in history, Mel spends her life pushing back against a version of herself that the world insists upon.

I was so impressed by the exploration of grief, and how it evolves, settles, resurfaces, and reshapes a person over time. Mel’s loss is not confined to her childhood; it threads through every stage of her life, influencing her choices, her relationships, and her sense of self. The author captures this with remarkable emotional intelligence.

Mel's trauma is also caused by the assumption of people and is beautifully portrayed and detailed. The idea that a life can be dictated, or diminished by public perception is handled with such care here. Mel is constantly navigating a world that believes it already knows her story. The tension between who she is and who she is expected to be creates a deeply compelling, and at times heartbreaking story.

The structure of the novel, told through interviews, works beautifully. It allows Mel’s voice to take centre stage, while also highlighting the importance of being truly heard for the first time. 

The author's prose is elegant and assured, and really suits the story being told. There are moments of rebellion, flashes of passion, and hints of secrets long buried.

This is a novel that lingers. Long after the final page, I found myself thinking about Mel, about the stories we inherit, and about those we are forced to carry. Daughter of the Titanic is a poignant, beautifully crafted read that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of loss and misrepresentation.

A truly outstanding five-star read.

Caroline Cauchi is an international bestselling novelist. Her writing seeks to give voice to silenced yet remarkable women, reimagining the stories of those erased from historical narratives. In 2023, her novel Mrs Van Gogh was published in multiple countries and selected as a Heather’s Picks title in Canada.

Currently lecturing in Creative Writing at the University of Hull, Caroline lives in the UK with her partner and their many children.

www.carolinecauchi.co.uk

Instagram @caroline.cauchi

Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant #DeadHeat @SabineDurrant @PenguinUKBooks @RandomTTours #CrimeFiction #BookReview

 

Former journalist Matt Grimshaw's life is at a low ebb. He's been 'let go' by the paper where he's worked for years, and his relationship with his long-term girlfriend has come unstuck.

So when an invitation arrives from his two closest friends, Celia and Adam Murphy, to join them at their house in Greece, he jumps at it.

It may be harsh and unwelcoming on the Mani Peninsula but Matt determines to stay there for the whole summer and to write his much put-off screen-play.

But then the Murphys plus children arrive, and a wealthy newcomer to the area starts throwing loud and lavish parties in his big house across the bay.

As the nights become hotter and the parties wilder, everyone's motivations darken. Envy rises, resentments grow - until a terrible accident stops the summer in its tracks.

At least, it looks like an accident…

Set over one blazing Mediterranean summer, Sabine Durrant’s new thriller is tense, claustrophobic and utterly gripping.

Dead Heat by Sabine Durrant was published on 12 March 2026 by Century/Penguin. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I have been a fan of Sabine Durrant's writing for many years now. I think she is one of our greatest crime fiction authors, yet so understated. I think we really need to shout louder about how fantastic her novels are.

I've been looking forward to reading Dead Heat since the proof copy dropped through my letterbox and knowing that it is, once again, set in Greece, only made the anticipation greater! 

I have not been disappointed! From its striking opening to its simmering, sun-drenched conclusion, Dead Heat is another masterclass in slow-burn suspense. This is a novel that quietly, confidently demands the reader's attention, drawing you into its world with a subtlety that is assured and utterly compelling.

The Greek setting is created with exquisite precision. The Mani Peninsula is not the idyllic escape one might expect; instead, it feels stark, remote, and faintly unforgiving. The author captures the harsh beauty of the landscape so vividly that you can almost feel the relentless heat pressing down on you as you read.  It’s a setting that is at the centre of the story, shaping mood and behaviour in ways that feel entirely authentic.

At the heart of the novel is Matt Grimshaw, whose personal and professional setbacks make his retreat to Greece feel like both an escape and a reset. As the summer unfolds and familiar faces gather, what initially appears to be a chance for rest and reinvention slowly shifts into something far more unsettling. The arrival of a wealthy outsider and the decadent parties that follow add another layer of unease, increasing the sense that something is quietly slipping out of control.

What this author does so brilliantly is build tension, not through dramatic twists or menace, but through atmosphere and character. There is a constant, low-level hum of unease running through every page. Conversations are loaded and relationships are strained. It’s this quiet tension; this sense that something is not quite right, that makes the novel so gripping.

The characterisation is particularly strong. No one is entirely likeable, yet each person is fascinating in their own flawed way. As resentments simmer and loyalties shift, the dynamics between them become increasingly fraught, adding to the novel’s claustrophobic feel despite the wide, open landscape.

Dead Heat is a beautifully crafted thriller that proves that suspense doesn’t need to be loud to be effective. Instead, it lingers, it unsettles, and it leaves a lasting impression. A five-star read that is as atmospheric as it is absorbing.

Dead Heat is Sabine Durrant’s seventh work of dark psychological suspense. Its setting,
part of the Greek Peloponnese, has obsessed her since she read Patrick Leigh Fermor’s travel book The Mani in her twenties. Her previous thrillers include Lie with Me which was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, and Sun Damage, which was subject to a fierce film and TV bidding war and is currently in production with Bad Wolf and Disney.

Before becoming a full time novelist, Sabine Durrant worked in editorial at The Independent, The Sunday Times and The Guardian where she also wrote the weekly ‘Sabine Durrant’ interview with subjects as diverse as Archbishop Runcie, Stella McCartney and Jeff Goldblum. She has written two works of general fiction, including the bestselling Having it and Eating it, and two Connie Pickles novels for young adults. Her essay 'At Sea’, for the collection Truth or Dare, was a personal investigation into the life and death of her father, a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm, who disappeared off the Dorset coast a few months after she was born.

Sabine Durrant lives in south London with her husband, three adult children, one dog and two cats.

Three Summers by Karen Swan #ThreeSummers @karenswanauthor @bantambooksuk #BookReview @TransworldBooks

 

1950's Italy

1957: The summer of innocence

Amongst the lemon trees, Rafaella Parisi impatiently waits for the summer visitors to arrive in her small fishing village on the coast of Puglia. She may be dating Fon Giannelli, but there is one person she longs to see: Cosimo – son of the wealthy Franchetti family.

1958: The summer everything changes

After a devastating accident at the lavish Franchetti villa, Rafa makes a vow that changes the course of all their futures . . .

1961: The summer they meet again

When Rafa and Cosi’s worlds collide, Rafa faces an agonizing choice. Is she willing to risk the life she has for the future she once dreamed of?

Three Summers by Karen Swan was published on 26 February 2026 by Bantam. My thanks to the publisher who sent this copy for review. 

This review was originally published in The Mature Times - March 2026 edition. 

Three Summers by Karen Swan is a sweeping, sun-drenched novel that completely captured my heart. Lush, romantic, and quietly devastating, it’s the kind of story that lingers long after the final page.

Set against the evocative backdrop of coastal Puglia, the novel unfolds across three pivotal summers: 1957, 1958, and 1961, each marking a turning point in the life of Rafaella Parisi. As a young woman growing up in a small fishing village, Rafa’s world is shaped by tradition, family expectations, and the seasonal arrival of wealthy visitors. Among them is Cosimo Franchetti, whose presence awakens feelings that are as intoxicating as they are complicated. What begins as a story of youthful longing soon deepens into something far more layered, as one tragic summer alters the course of multiple lives.

Karen Swan masterfully explores themes of love, choice, sacrifice, and the weight of ‘what might have been.’ The time jumps are handled with elegance, allowing the reader to see how a single moment can echo across years. Rafa is a beautifully drawn protagonist; strong, conflicted, and perfectly human, and the Italian setting is so vivid you can almost smell the lemons and feel the heat shimmering off the stone villas.

This is historical fiction at its best. If you love stories about enduring love, fate, and the courage it takes to choose your own future, Three Summers is an absolute must-read.

Karen is the Sunday Times and international best-selling author of twenty-nine books which have sold over 5 million copies around the world. 

A prolific author, she writes two novels a year and her books are known for their evocative locations. Karen sees travel as vital research, and likes to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.

A former fashion editor, she lives in Sussex, England with her family and three dogs.

Instagram @karenswanauthor

The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill #TheIrishGoodbye @heatheraimeeoneill @panmacmillan #BookReview

 

Three adult sisters reunited at their childhood home must confront a shared tragedy in The Irish Goodbye – the devastatingly beautiful debut novel from Heather Aimee O'Neill.

It’s been years since the three Ryan sisters were all home together at their family’s beloved house on Long Island. Two decades ago, their lives were upended by a tragic accident on their brother Topher’s boat that drove him to suicide. Now, the Ryan women are back for Thanksgiving, but each carries a heavy secret.

The eldest, Cait, is still holding guilt for the role no one knows she played in the boat accident, when she rekindles a flame with her high school crush, Topher’s best friend. Middle sister, Alice, has been thrown a curveball threatening her career and, potentially, her marriage. And the youngest, Maggie, is finally taking the risk to bring the woman she loves home to her devoutly Catholic mother.

When Cait invites a guest to Thanksgiving dinner, old tensions boil over and new truths surface. Far more than a family holiday will be ruined unless the sisters can find a way to forgive themselves – and each other.

The Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'Neill was published on 5 February 2026 by Mantle / Pan Macmillan. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

This review was originally published in the March edition of The Mature Times.

There is something quietly powerful about The Irish Goodbye. It is a story that quietly observes, and then gently breaks your heart.

Heather Aimee O’Neill writes with an assured, emotionally intelligent voice, capturing the complicated bond between sisters with remarkable tenderness. Cait, Alice and Maggie return to their childhood home on Long Island for Thanksgiving, a house filled with memory and grief following the tragedy that tore their family apart years earlier. Each sister arrives with their own secrets and guilts, and the tension rises from the very first page.

What I loved most is the way this story unfolds through alternating perspectives. Each woman is fully created, flawed and deeply human. The author explores love, faith, sexuality, marriage and ambition with sensitivity, allowing the reader to see inside the characters’ inner lives without judgement. The setting is beautifully drawn too; the family home becomes almost a character in its own right, filled with nostalgia and pain.

This is a novel about forgiveness; of others, but more importantly of ourselves. It is about what families say, what they don’t say, and how silence can echo just as loudly as words.

Both devastating and hopeful in equal measure, The Irish Goodbye is a stunning debut: emotionally rich, thoughtful, and just unforgettable. A book to savour, and one that will stay with you long after the final page.

Heather Aimee O’Neill is the Assistant Director of the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop and the author of the poetry collection Obliterations (Red Hen Press / co-authored with Jessica Piazza) and the poetry chapbook Memory Future (Gold Line Press Award). 

As a writing teacher and developmental editor, she has helped hundreds of writers tell their stories. 

She lives in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, with her wife and two sons. 

This is her first novel.

www.heatheraimeeoneill.com

Instagram @heatheraimeeoneill

A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford #ABadBadPlace @franapunk999 @TransworldBooks #ScottishFiction

 

What happened to the dog walker who found the body?

Glasgow, 1979.

Twelve-year-old Janey won’t take her dog, Sid Vicious, for a walk. Not anymore. It’s Sid’s fault she found the murdered woman.

Janey claims she can’t remember what she saw at the abandoned railway, but the police think she’s hiding something. And they’re not the only ones interested.

Fear and rumour rip through the tight-knit community of Possilpark. Janey and her nana, Maggie, are dragged into the hunt for a murderer. And Maggie’s struggle to keep her beloved granddaughter safe becomes ever more desperate.

Because Janey’s memories can’t stay hidden forever.

And neither can the killer…

A Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford was published on 12 February 2026 by Bantam Books. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review. 

Frances Crawford’s A Bad, Bad Place is a striking and memorable debut that lingers long after the final page. Set in Glasgow in 1979, it opens with a chilling premise: twelve-year-old Janey discovers a murdered woman while out walking her dog. From that moment, the story unfolds into a tense and compelling exploration of fear, memory and community, all set against the gritty backdrop of Possilpark.

Frances Crawford places her characters firmly at the heart of the narrative. The novel moves between the perspectives of Janey and her grandmother Maggie, giving readers two very different lenses through which to experience the unfolding events. Janey’s viewpoint is especially powerful; her confusion, fear and stubborn silence feel authentic, and the way her memories surface slowly adds a constant undercurrent of tension. In contrast, Maggie’s chapters bring warmth, resilience and a fierce determination to protect her granddaughter. Their relationship anchors the novel emotionally and gives the story real depth.

The supporting cast helps bring Possilpark to life, creating a vivid sense of a tight-knit community where rumours spread quickly and everyone seems to know everyone else’s business. Crawford captures that atmosphere beautifully; the suspicion, the whispers, the unease that settles in once violence enters a place that feels so familiar.

The story builds steadily rather than racing along, this allows the mystery to deepen. The focus isn’t simply on solving the crime but on the ripple effects it has within the community, particularly on a child who has seen something she cannot quite process. This slower burn approach works well, creating a sense of mounting dread as Janey’s hidden memories threaten to surface.

One of the most distinctive elements of the novel is Crawford’s use of Glaswegian dialect, I often struggle with this. It does take a little time to settle into, but once you do, it adds authenticity to the novel. The dialogue feels natural and makes the setting seem even more vivid.

A Bad, Bad Place is an atmospheric, character-driven crime novel that stands out for its voice, its sense of place, and its emotional core. A confident and impressive debut, recommended by me. 

As a passionate advocate of lifelong learning, Frances was delighted to graduate age 60 with MLitt (Distinction) Creative Writing from Glasgow University. 

In 2023, she won Bloody Scotland/ Glencairn Crime Short Story Competition and the first chapters of her debut novel, A Bad, Bad Place, won Highly Commended in Moniack Mohr Emerging Writer 2024.

Frances grew up in North Glasgow, and credits the people of Possilpark and Milton as her writing inspiration. 

She still lives in Glasgow with her family, and likes libraries and punk rock.

X @franapunk999