Sharks by Simone Buchholz BLOG TOUR #Sharks #SimoneBuchholz @OrendaBooks @FwdTranslations #BookReview #ChastityRileyReloaded

 

In Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg’s so-called ‘problem area’, an American couple is found brutally murdered in a derelict villa.

Prosecutor Chastity Riley is assigned the case, and quickly finds herself waist-deep in a murky tangle of city planners, shady investors and vanishing officials. The gentrification machine is rolling on, and someone is sending a very clear message.

As November fog settles over the city, Chastity is coughing up blood, her personal life is a slow-motion disaster, and her former colleague, Faller, won’t stop interfering. But nothing’s going to stop her from cutting through the lies – not even the sharks circling ever closer.

Dark, caustic and piercing, Sharks is a searing investigation into greed, power, and the price of resistance in a city devouring itself, from one of Germany’s finest, most original crime writers.

Sharks by Simone Buchholz is published today; 26 February 2026 by Orenda Books and is translated by Rachel Ward. It is Volume 3 in the Chastity Reloaded series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I love crime fiction, I adore a series and I am really very fond of translated literature. Simone Buchholz's Chastity Riley books are some of my favourites. Quirky, original and always compelling Sharks may just be one of her sharpest yet. 

Set in Wilhelmsburg, Hamburg’s so-called ‘problem area’, the novel opens with the brutal murder of an American couple in a derelict villa. It’s a really unsettling beginning; all peeling paint, damp air and the trauma of violence. Prosecutor Chastity Riley is drawn into a case that reaches far beyond a single crime scene. Developers circle. Investors hover. Officials vanish. The gentrification machine grinds on, it seems to be unstoppable.

Chastity, of course, is the perfect guide through this murky plot. Smart-mouthed and sharp-eyed, she narrates in this author's trademark staccato style: short chapters, shorter sentences. Punchy. Wry. Often very funny. Underneath it all, though, there’s always heart.

In Sharks, she’s physically struggling. She's coughing, unwell, absolutely refusing to slow down. She smokes when she shouldn’t. Works when she ought to rest. Ignores advice from colleagues and friends. That stubborn streak is infuriating and entirely in character. Chastity doesn’t just prosecute cases; she lives in them. The corruption she uncovers; city planners in bed with investors, profit before people, communities carved up and sold off, really hits her hard. This isn’t just about solving a murder. It’s about who gets to own a city. Who gets pushed out. Who profits.

Her team are, as ever, a delight. Calabretta’s steady presence balances Chastity’s volatility, and the Faller has returned and is now inconveniently operating outside official structures, this adds friction and spark. There’s history there. And irritation. And perhaps something else.

What I really really love about this series is the way Simone Buchholz winds together personal and political. Chastity’s private life is never neat and tidy, and here it’s fraying at the edges. Yet those friendships, with football and late-night conversations give the novel warmth against the chill of November fog. Hamburg itself feels vivid: damp, tense, shifting beneath the pressure of money and ambition.

I have to mention the translation by Rachel Ward. As ever, it is superb. The author’s voice is distinctive, caustic, rhythmic, razor-edged, and the translation captures it perfectly. The humour is there. The melancholy is there. 

Although part of the Chastity Reloaded strand of the series, Sharks stands beautifully on its own. 

I read it in a single, greedy sitting. It’s lean, fierce and utterly compelling, a crime novel that exposes the predators in sharp suits as clearly as any killer in the shadows.

Highly recommended. Long live Chastity Riley.

Simone Buchholz was born in Hanau in 1972. 

At university, she studied Philosophy and Literature, worked as a waitress and a columnist, and trained to be a journalist at the prestigious Henri-Nannen-School in Hamburg.
In 2016, Simone Buchholz was awarded the Crime Cologne Award as well as runner-up in the German Crime Fiction Prize for Blue Night, which was number one on the Krimi ZEIT Best of Crime List for months.
The critically acclaimed Beton Rouge, Mexico Street, Hotel Cartagena and River Clyde all followed in the Chastity Riley series.
Hotel Cartagena won the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger in 2022.
The Acapulco (2023) marked the beginning of the Chastity Reloaded series, with The Kitchen out in 2024.
She lives in Sankt Pauli, in the heart of Hamburg, with her husband and son.

Rachel Ward is a freelance translator of literary and creative texts from German and
French to English.
Having always been an avid reader and enjoyed word games and puzzles, she discovered a flair for languages at school and went on to study modern languages at the University of East Anglia.
She spent the third year working as a language assistant at two grammar schools in Saaebrücken, Germany.
During her final year, she realised that she wanted to put these skills and passions to use professionally and applied for UEA’s MA in Literary Translation, which she completed in 2002.
Her published translations include Traitor by Gudrun Pausewang and Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel, and she is a Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

 Follow Rachel on Twitter @FwdTranslations,  and on her website www.forwardtranslations.co.uk

Catherine by Essie Fox BLOG TOUR #Catherine @essiefox @OrendaBooks #WutheringHeights #HistoricalFiction #Retelling

 

The greatest tragic love story ever told – but this time, Catherine tells it herself. In Catherine, Essie Fox breathes new life into Wuthering Heights, transforming a gothic masterpiece into a haunting confession of obsession, madness and love that even death cannot end.

With a nature as wild as the moors she loves to roam, Catherine Earnshaw grows up alongside Heathcliff, a foundling her father rescued from the streets of Liverpool. Their fierce, untamed bond deepens as they grow – until Mr Earnshaw’s death leaves Hindley, Catherine’s brutal brother, in control and Heathcliff reduced to servitude.

Desperate to protect him, Catherine turns to Edgar Linton, the handsome heir to Thrushcross Grange. She believes his wealth might free Heathcliff from cruelty – but her choice is fatally misunderstood, and their lives spiral into a storm of passion, jealousy and revenge.

Now, eighteen years later, Catherine rises from her grave to tell her story – and seek redemption.

Essie Fox’s Catherine reimagines Wuthering Heights with beauty and intensity – a haunting, atmospheric retelling that brings new life to a timeless classic and lays bare the dark heart of an immortal love.

Catherine by Essie Fox was published on 12 February 2026 by Orenda Books in hardback. The paperback will be published in October. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Blog Tour. 

I have read every book that Essie Fox has written, beginning with her debut back in 2011. I love her writing, it's dark and gothic, full of incredibly quirky characters and always plotted to perfection. When I heard that she was writing a re-telling of Wuthering Heights, from Cathy's point of view, I was intrigued and a little excited. 

This year, so far, has been the year of Wuthering Heights. With the release of the latest screen adaptation, the novel has had something of a re-birth. I expect many people will have read it for the first time and some may have re-visited the original novel too. I have never seen Wuthering Heights as a 'romance' - despite some labelling it that. Whilst there is, without doubt, a toxic love story at its heart, I have always thought of it as a gothic tragedy, and Essie Fox's re-telling is the perfect accompaniment to the original text. 

I closed Catherine with that delicious shiver that only the very best gothic fiction can deliver. Dark, intoxicating and gloriously atmospheric, this is a novel that seeps into your bones and lingers there long after the final page.

From the wild, windswept Yorkshire moors to the brooding isolation of Wuthering Heights and the refined elegance of Thrushcross Grange, the setting is everything you would hope for. It is bleak, beautiful and utterly immersive. You can almost feel the bite of the wind and hear it howling across the heath. The author captures that gothic atmosphere perfectly.

Catherine Earnshaw is as wild and untamed as the landscape she adores. Growing up alongside the mysterious foundling Heathcliff, who was brought to the Heights by her father from the streets of Liverpool, their bond is fierce, consuming and impossible to define. It is childhood friendship, a passion and something darker all at once. When Mr Earnshaw dies and Catherine's brother Hindley takes control, reducing Heathcliff to servitude, the shift in power changes everything. The cruelty, the misunderstandings, the impossible choices, all of it builds with an almost unbearable intensity.

Essie Fox allows us inside Catherine’s mind in a way that feels really fresh, yet a little bit bold. She details Cathy's decision to concentrate on Edgar Linton, the polished, privileged heir to Thrushcross Grange, instead of Heathcliff very well. 

The characters are vivid and compelling. Heathcliff remains magnetic and dangerous; Edgar is more than just a  contrast; and Catherine herself is gloriously flawed, passionate and achingly human. Every relationship feels intense, and so very raw.

What I particularly loved is how the author honours the feel and the spirit of the original novel, while giving Catherine her own voice, she is fierce, wounded and unforgettable. 

Beautifully written, steeped in gothic drama and brimming with emotion, Catherine is a haunting tale of obsession, madness and love that refuses to die.

An absolute triumph, and highly recommended by me. 

Essie Fox is the Sunday Times bestselling author of seven historical novels, including The Somnambulist, shortlisted for the National Book Awards, and The Fascination, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. 

Her work has twice been selected as The Times Historical Book of the Month, most recently for her gothic mystery Dangerous. 

She appears regularly at literary festivals and cultural institutions and is the host of the podcast Talking the Gothic. 

She lives in Windsor.

Rivennia :A Game of Wagers by Jaime Urencio BLOG TOUR #Rivennia #sarpress @sunriseandrooster @randomttours @randomthingstours #BookExtract

 

EVOLUTION IS NO LONGER NATURAL - IT'S POLITICAL

When Gren Moritz is elected head of the global government of Rivennia, he is ridiculed and isolated by others in power for his stance against the rise in genetic engineering.

Following his inauguration, Gren is lured into the dark shadows of the Liffdom Lodges, a covert gambling syndicate that controls Rivennia. 

The Lodgers promise political backing, but it comes at a price – Gren must partake in a macabre wager. 

His fellow players are anxious analyst Samuel Rosendale and sharp-tongued supermodel Primula Zhang. 

As the stakes rise and the Lodgers’ true motives come to light, the rivals form an unlikely alliance, forced to navigate a treacherous web of power. 

The future of civilisation hinges on the choices they make.

Rivennia : A Game of Wagers by Jaime Urencio was published on 14 February by Sunrise & Rooster Press. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today. 

Extract from Rivennia by Jaime Urencio 

PROLOGUE

GREN

Sixth Day of Month Ten, Year 500

The queen had asked for the anaesthetic to be administered before leaving the Royal Palace. I pictured her lying there, serene as the drug spread through her bloodstream, her eyes, once so fierce, slowly closing for the last time.

The bell marked eleven hours as I sat on the official dais,every muscle tensed to hide even the slightest sign of discomfort. Sweat beaded on my skin, and I once again clung to the dogma: The greatest good for the greatest number.

The screens came to life at half past. Twenty of them formed a ring along the middle tier of the arena. There was no way the audience could watch all of them at once. Ironic, since the only person at the centre of the stage would be unconscious.

Pigeons were everywhere – dirty, grey, purring and fluttering. They moved in waves, oblivious to the occasion. A flashing circle on the otherwise blank screens accompanied the queen’s pulse, broadcast for all to hear.

Dum-dum.

Dum-dum.

She was no longer awake, but her heart continued its labour. Startled by the noise, the pigeons took off in chaotic flocks, only to settle back moments later, feathers scattering dust. I let out the breath I had been holding and managed to draw in another one. My wife Lorelei squeezed my hand, her touch barely registering.

At a quarter to twelve, the queen was brought in, her body lying flat on the floating platform. Her distinctive bun was unravelled, and the long white hair fell over her gaunt frame. My eyes were fixed on that hair, and a chill passed through me as visions of the Lodgers’ wigs surfaced in my mind.

Slowly, the stretcher moved, coming to a stop above the pile of logs. The gap between each beat was so deep, I feared even the sound of my breath would disturb it.

Dum-dum.

Dum-dum.

It started with a spark. A flick of flint beneath the tree stumps. The crackling came before the flames, a wisp of smoke spiralling to where the queen lay above. I glanced at the crowd; some people were looking down, unable to face it, while others stared, eager to absorb every detail of the spectacle. No one but me knew, however, the reason behind her decision to go.

I turned my gaze back to the stage – to look away felt like a betrayal. It was her will to die here in front of all of us, and I owed it to her to watch, to bear witness.

Jaime Urencio was born in Mexico City.  

After working in several countries, he has long made London his home. 

His career has been in corporate finance, primarily in the biotechnology sector. 

Rivennia is his debut novel.

 

Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor B Shearer BLOG TOUR #FirefliesinWinter @headlinepg @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

Nova Scotia 1796. Cora, an orphan newly arrived from Jamaica, has never felt cold like this. In the depths of winter, everyone in her community huddles together in their homes to keep warm. So when she sees a shadow slipping through the trees, Cora thinks her eyes are deceiving her. Until she creeps out into the moonlight and finds the tracks in the snow.

Agnes is in hiding. On the run from her former life, she has learned what it takes to survive alone in the wilderness. But she can afford no mistakes. When she first spies the young woman in the woods, she is afraid. Yet Cora is fearless, and their paths are destined to cross.

Deep among the cedars, Cora and Agnes find a fragile place of safety. But when Agnes's past closes in, they are confronted with the dangerous price of freedom - and of love...

With evocative prose and immersive storytelling, a powerful novel about love - love for the wilderness in all its unforgiving beauty, and love between two women who risk everything to be together.

Fireflies in Winter by Eleanor B Shearer was published by Headline Review on 10 February 2026. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour. 

Back in February 2023 I read and reviewed this author's debut novel; River Sing Me Home. I adored that story, and have been looking forward to her new one so much 

There are some novels that demand patience from their reader, and it took me a little while to settle into the rhythm, and the characters in the snowy forests of 1796 Nova Scotia, but once I did, I was completely immersed.

Cora, newly arrived in Nova Scotia from Jamaica, feels the cold in her bones. As one of the Jamaican Maroons exiled under British rule, she is already displaced before the story even begins. She is an orphan, but she has a colourful history, and as the novel unfolds, fragments of her past are revealed with care. Cora is a wonderfully compelling character, she is observant, quietly defiant, and so in tune with the nature around her. There’s something slightly distant about her, a sense that she sees beyond what other people see.

The setting is extraordinary. The winter landscape feels like an active, breathing presence. It is stark, beautiful, and feels dangerous. The isolation of the Maroon community is palpable; the claustrophobia of their small homes during the brutal winter months contrasts sharply with the vast, silent forest that Cora cannot resist visiting.  The writing is evocative and the author beautifully captures the harshness and the beauty of the area.It is within this wilderness that Cora encounters Agnes, a young woman living in hiding, surviving alone among the trees. Agnes is cautious, and fiercely protective of her hard-won freedom. The early interactions between Cora and Agnes are tentative and edged with uncertainty, and it is this slow, careful unfolding of trust that gives the novel much of its emotional power. Their relationship develops with sensitivity and they are always aware of the real dangers that surround them.

The historical context is fascinating. The plight of the Jamaican Maroons in Nova Scotia is not widely explored in fiction, and the author brings this little-known history vividly to life. I found myself wanting to know even more about the Maroons. The novel made me start to to down a Google rabbit hole, which for me is always the sign of powerful storytelling!

This is not a fast-paced read; it unfolds deliberately, layering atmosphere, character and history. But it is a really rewarding read. Themes of displacement, belonging, love and freedom are woven through every page.

Fireflies in Winter is an atmospheric, thoughtful and ultimately moving historical novel. It asks what it means to carve out a space of safety in an unforgiving world, and what it might cost to hold on to it. A book that lingers long after the final page.

Eleanor Shearer is a mixed-race writer and the granddaughter of Windrush generation immigrants. 

She splits her time between London and Ramsgate. 

Her debut novel River Sing Me Home sold in 20 territories. 

It was named as one of Time magazine's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023, was a finalist for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction Award, shortlisted for the Grand Prix des Lectrices ELLE 2025 in France and also shortlisted for the Prix Fragonard 2025 in France. It was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and has been optioned for TV by AL Films and BBC Films.

IG: eleanorbshearer

Your Twin Flame Journey by Theresa Cheung BLOG TOUR #YourTwinFlameJourney @Theresa_Cheung_ @Octopus_Books @RandomTTours #BookExtract

 

Unlock the mystery of Twin Flame relationships with spiritual expert, Theresa Cheung.

Every relationship has lessons to teach you, but none more so than the Twin Flame relationship. Meeting your Twin Flame is the most powerful soul encounter you can ever experience. Often marked with an irresistible familiarity and heart-breaking intensity, your Twin Flame serves as a mirror to both the best and the most unlikeable and unhealed parts of you. The Twin Flame relationship has an ancient, multi-cultural history behind it, and is accompanied by many immortal expressions across art and culture. But unfortunately, it is also often very misunderstood.

From debunking the myths around Twin Flames to offering practical advice for navigating these passionate connections, Your Twin Flame Journey is a comprehensive guide to intimate relationships from a psychological and spiritual perspective.

With Theresa's expert guidance, you will learn how to heal your broken heart and make empowering decisions for yourself, as Theresa knows best of all: you cannot find your Twin Flame until you spiritually awaken to the power of self-love first.

Your Twin Flame Journey by Theresa Cheung was published on 5 February 2026 by Octopus / Godsfield Press. I am delighted to share an extract from the book with you today as part of this #RandomThingsTours blog tour. 

Extract from Your Twin Flame Journey by Theresa Cheung 

The Romance of Twin Flames in Pop Culture

Romcoms have a special place in our hearts. We adore how they tell us that true love will always find a way. The longing, the passion, the bliss, the heartbreak, the union – they invite us to vicariously experience every twist and turn of the romantic journey. Whether it’s Sleepless in Seattle, Jerry Maguire, Serendipity, Notting Hill, The Notebook, Brokeback Mountain, or Bridget Jones’s Diary, we get to dream along with the characters, cheering them on as they chase the love they crave.

But these films, as beloved as they are for their ‘feel-good’ escapism, often fail to show us the full picture of Twin Flame love. They typically depict the early stages of love, the first sparks that ignite between two people, but don’t delve into the real work that happens after the honeymoon phase. These stories rarely show us the growing pains, the learning and the transformation that occur in a true, lasting relationship. For Cosmic Love to flourish, it requires much more than chemistry – it needs two people to consciously evolve together, with a commitment to a higher form of love.

Literature too has long explored the idea of Divine Union, of two souls destined to be together. From Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and its star-crossed lovers to the telepathic bond between Jane and Rochester in Jane Eyre, the seeds of Twin Flame energy can be seen in many classic tales. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth and Darcy undergo a slow- burning transformation towards each other, recognizing the deeper truth of their connection. The passionate, magnetic pull between the Duke and Daphne in Bridgerton, or the forbidden love of Evelyn Hugo in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, or that intense ‘I see you’ passion between Cathy and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights echo the timeless story of two souls destined to both reflect and reveal each other.

These iconic stories are captivating, but they are still just that: stories. They are a lens through which we view love, but they often create misconceptions about what real Twin Flame connection is. Crucially, these fictional tales rarely touch on the most important and unacknowledged part of the journey. Before you can attract your true Twin Flame, you must first develop a fulfilling relationship with yourself.

The Drowning Place by Sarah Hillary #TheDrowningPlace @sarah_hilary @harvillbooks #BookReview #CrimeFiction #PeakDistrict

 

Every place has its ghosts. Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most.

17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since.

Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive.

Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present.

But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty…

The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary is published on 16 April 2026 by Harvill and is the start of a new series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.

I think it's a well known fact that I am a huge fan of Sarah Hilary - I will claim the title of her number one fan, if that's OK?? 

I have owned a pre publication proof copy of The Drowning Place since last summer, but have purposely not posted a review until now - not long until actual publication, and ready to build some hype. 

The authors original police procedural series has long been one of my favourites and I was very excited to discover that she had embarked on a new one. I am also delighted that it is set in the Peak District, around Lady Bower reservoir - a place that I know so well, a place where I spent many happy times as a child with my family. 

Whilst my own memories of this area are happy, Sarah Hilary's version evokes a darkness, that runs through her story. With tragedy and grief and the echoes of the past, and the ghosts of today, this is a chilling, intense novel that captivated me. 

Set in the fictional town of Edenscar in the Peak District, the novel opens with a tragedy that has shaped the community for seventeen long years. A school bus careered off the road and into the reservoir, claiming the lives of nine children and three adults. Only one child survived: Joseph Ashe. Now grown, Joe is a Detective Sergeant in the very town that still feels the weight of that loss. His survival has never felt miraculous to him, it has been more a burden than a blessing, and the past lingers heavily in both his mind and the atmosphere of Edenscar itself.

When a brutal and seemingly motiveless crime shocks the town, Joe is forced to confront not only the present investigation but also the ghosts that have never quite settled. Enter DI Laurie Bower, newly arrived from city policing and unimpressed by whispers of superstition or local folklore. Laurie wants evidence, motive and a suspect; Joe understands that Edenscar does not give up its secrets easily. Together, they begin to dig beneath the surface of a place that has been shaped by grief, silence and something far darker.

The author’s depiction of the Peak District is breathtaking. The brooding moors, the darkened forests, and the reservoir itself feels like a character itself.  The sense of place is utterly immersive; you can feel the damp chill in the air and the claustrophobic darkness of the nights. 

Characterisation is, as ever with this author, pitch perfect. Joe is a fascinating protagonist; outwardly steady and capable, inwardly haunted and carrying a weight of guilt that informs every decision he makes. His relationship with his grandmother adds warmth and depth, grounding him in a way that feels authentic and tender. Laurie is equally compelling: sharp, direct, and refreshingly unsentimental, yet quietly navigating her own challenges. The dynamic between them is evolving, layered with tension, mutual respect and the promise of something more complex to come.

This is a novel rich in atmosphere, emotion and moral complexity. It asks what it means to survive, what a community does with its grief, and how far the past can reach into the present.

The Drowning Place is the first in what promises to be an exceptional crime series, and it is, quite simply, superb.

Sarah Hilary is the critically-acclaimed author of nine novels. 

Her debut, Someone Else's Skin, won the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year 2015 and was also a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a finalist for both the Silver Falchion and Macavity Awards in the US. 

No Other Darkness, the second in her DI Marnie Rome series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award. 

Sarah is Programme Director for St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend, and co-founder of Ledburied, a crime fiction festival in her home town. 

Her short stories have won the Fish Criminally Short Histories Prize, the Cheshire Prize for Literature, and the SENSE Prize.

www.sarahhilary.com

Liar Thief by May Rinaldi BLOG TOUR #LiarThief @mayrinaldi56 @BlackSpringC @RandomTTours #BookReview #CrimeFiction

 

Two childhood friends;  one ‘killer’, one cop.

Ginnie says she is a serial killer who kills people who have wronged her. No one believes her.

Author Fiona Taylor is writing Ginnie’s memoir, The Killer Inside, trying to understand why Ginnie should still insist that she’s a killer. She recruits ex-DI, Tom O’Brien, to examine the evidence. As Ginnie’s oldest friend, Tom has his own insights into her story.

As her memoir unfolds will the decisions taken by Fiona and Tom put them and their families at risk?

Is it safe to release a self-confessed serial killer back out into society, even if there is no evidence against her?

Liar Thief by May Rinaldi was published on 2 December 2025 by Black Spring Crime. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours blog tour. 

I heard the author read from this novel at Moffat Crime Fest in October and was instantly intrigued by the premise of the story, and was so eager to read it. 

There is something deliciously unsettling about a book that plants a seed of doubt in your mind and then quietly nurtures it until you’re questioning everything. Liar Thief by May Rinaldi is exactly that kind of read, it is clever, chilling and utterly compelling from the very first page.

At the heart of the story is Ginnie: a woman who calmly insists she is a serial killer. She claims that every victim deserved their fate. One huge problem though;  there are no bodies, no evidence, and she's never been charged. There is no proof that any crime was ever committed. And yet she refuses to retract her confession.

What follows is a brilliantly constructed psychological thriller told through three perspectives. Ginnie’s voice is measured and controlled as she recounts her past for true crime author Fiona Taylor, who is writing her memoir, The Killer Inside. Fiona’s chapters offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world of true crime publishing, there's the the fine line between truth and storytelling, between justice and profit. As Fiona digs deeper, what begins as a professional project slowly edges into something far more personal and potentially dangerous.

Then there is Tom O’Brien, ex-DI and Ginnie’s childhood friend. Through his reflections and old diaries, we see a man torn between loyalty and logic. He wants to believe in the girl he once knew, but instinct and experience tell him to look harder. His internal conflict adds a layer of emotional depth that elevates this beyond a straightforward thriller.

What I loved most about Liar Thief is the ambiguity. Ginnie is not painted as a caricature villain. She is intelligent, composed and strangely persuasive. The tension doesn't come from graphic detail or dramatic scenes, but from uncertainty. Memory clashes with memory. Motive is murky. Loyalty blurs judgement. You are left constantly reassessing what you think you know.

The author handles the themes of truth, perception and the marketing of crime with confidence. The pacing is sharp, the structure cleverly created, and the sense of unease lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

A gripping, intelligent psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, and doubting right to the end. Highly recommended.

May Rinaldi is a crime writer from the South-West of Scotland where she lives with her Norwegian husband, and two decrepit cats. 

She recently retired from her consultancy job in Health and Safety and, in the past, has worked as a taxidermist, mycologist and lab technician, all useful in crime writing – not only can her protagonist poison her victims, she can turn them into an interesting, mounted specimen afterwards.

She is the co-founder of Moffat Crime Fest, bringing top crime authors to the Dumfries and Galloway town of Moffat. She also runs writing retreats in her secluded home where visiting authors are only disturbed by sheep, cows and the dinner gong.

She spends her spare time travelling between Scotland, Norway and Gozo, and uses her travels as settings for her books. She is currently working on a Gozo trilogy; the Mediterranean island is as much one of the characters as the people who inhabit it.

X @mayrindali56

Instagram @mayrinaldi56

Facebook - May Rinaldi