Stop Dead by Katrín Júlíusdóttir #VirtualBookTour #StopDead @KatrinJul t. Larissa Kyzer @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #IcelandMysteries

 

Thousands of runners

One killer

Icelandic detective-in-training Sigurdís is studying criminal psychology in the USA, but her plans are thrown into disarray when she discovers that her boss and mentor, Garðar, has been put on leave from Reykjavík CID as a result of his investigation into Sigurdís's father's death.

Returning to Iceland to deal with the fallout, Sigurdís finds herself pulled into a disturbing case: controversial TV personality Olga Einarsdóttir has been stabbed to death during the Reykjavík Marathon. Struggling to locate a runner wearing bib number 1407, who was seen near the murdered woman during the race, the police soon discover that several masked runners were wearing the same number.

As the mystery deepens, Sigurdís and her fellow detective Unnar soon learn exactly how unpopular Olga was – not just with the interviewees she humiliated on live TV, but with her own son, her business partner, a widower who insists that she had a hand in his wife's death, and her ex-husband, who died in suspicious circumstances thirty years ago…

As her exploration into Olga's past becomes ever darker and more harrowing, Sigurdís must also face the truth about her own father, while searching for an attacker who will go to any lengths to cover up their crimes…

Stop Dead by Katrín Júlíusdóttir was published on 21 May 2026, it is the second in the Iceland Mysteries series and is translated by Larissa Kyzer. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Virtual Book Tour 

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Sweet, the first in this series, but I can honestly say that Stop Dead is even better.

Katrín Júlíusdóttir has once again delivered a compelling blend of police procedural, psychological suspense and deeply personal drama, she has created a novel that is both gripping and emotional. From its fabulous opening; the murder of a controversial television personality during the Reykjavík Marathon, the story immediately captures the reader's attention and never lets go.

Detective-in-training Sigurdís returns to Iceland from the United States after learning that the investigation into her father's death has been dropped. While she finds herself dealing with the fallout from that decision, she is quickly drawn into a complex murder investigation that becomes increasingly intricate as it unfolds. The victim, Olga Einarsdóttir, leaves behind a trail of damaged relationships, hidden resentments and long-buried secrets, giving the investigation numerous trails to explore.

I love the characterisation in this series. Sigurdís is developing into a fascinating protagonist. Her personal struggles and determination add real depth to the story, while the dynamics between the members of the CID team bring warmth and a realistic feel to the narrative. The author excels at weaving the personal and professional elements together so seamlessly that they really enhance each other. 

The Icelandic setting is fabulously depicted throughout the story. The atmosphere is often dark and unsettling, and is perfectly suited to the twists and turns of the investigation, while the marathon backdrop is an original setting for the mystery. 

Special mention must also go to translator Larissa Kyzer. Her translation flows beautifully, preserving both the tension and emotion of the story and the narrative feels completely natural in English.

Intelligent, immersive and expertly plotted, Stop Dead is a superb second instalment in what is now one of my favourite Nordic Noir series. Existing fans will be delighted to be reunited with Sigurdís, while newcomers have a terrific series waiting to be discovered. I cannot wait to see where Katrín Júlíusdóttir takes these characters next.

Highly recommended.

Katrín Júlíusdóttir has a political background and was a member of the Icelandic
parliament from 2003 until 2016. 

Before she was elected to parliament, Katrín was an advisor and project manager at a tech company and a senior buyer and CEO in the retail sector. 

She worked from a young age in the fishing industry, was a store clerk and also worked the night shift at a pizza restaurant. 

She studied anthropology and has an MBA from Reykjavík University. 

Katrin's debut novel, Dead Sweet, was published in English in 2023, and longlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize. 

She is married to critically acclaimed author Bjarni M. Bjarnason, who encouraged her to start writing. 

They have four boys and live in Garðabær.

Love's Labour by Stephen Grosz #VirtualBookTour #LovesLabour @stephengrosz @vintagebooks @randomthingstours #BookReview

 

Change the way you think about love.

When it comes to relationships, why do we find things so difficult? Drawing on more than forty years of candid and surprising conversations with his patients, psychoanalyst Stephen Grosz shows us how we can be better at love.

In the intimate space of the consulting room, we meet the woman who can’t post her wedding invitations but then, decades later, can’t decide whether to get divorced; the ex-nun whose unconscious fear of pregnancy drove her into the convent; and the friendship group that explodes when an adulterous affair begins. Compelling, revealing and full of wisdom, Love’s Labour shows us that only when we see ourselves and our world clearly are we truly ready to love one another.

Love's Labour by Stephen Grosz was published in paperback on 28 May 2026 by Vintage. Thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour. 

Stephen Grosz’s Love’s Labour is a well writing and fascinating exploration of the complexities of human relationships. The author uses his more than forty years of psychoanalytic practice, and it feels as though the reader has been invited into his consulting room.

Through a series of  case studies, the author examines why relationships can be so difficult to navigate. These vary and include a woman unable to send her wedding invitations, an ex-nun confronting unconscious fears, or friendships fractured by betrayal, each of the stories highlights the hidden emotional forces that shape our decisions. 

The writing is elegant, and full of compassion. The author depicts his patients with humanity, never reducing them to diagnoses or simple explanations. Instead, he demonstrates how self-awareness develops gradually, often through the careful examination of memories, emotions, and recurring behaviours. Reading about how these connections start to emerge in each person is fascinating and often moving.

The book explores themes of attachment, loss, sexuality, family dynamics, and the search for intimacy with such insight. 

At its heart, the book suggests that genuine love requires honesty; both with ourselves and with others. The author's stories linger long after the final page. Wise, compassionate, and deeply perceptive, Love’s Labour offers a fresh perspective on why we love as we do and how greater self-understanding can transform our relationships. Recommended 

Stephen Grosz is a practicing psychoanalyst - he has worked with patients for more than
forty years. 

Born in America, he was educated at the University of California, Berkeley, and at Oxford University, and now lives in London. 

His Number One Sunday Times bestseller, The Examined Life,has been translated into more than thirty languages.

The Wrong Son by Neil Griffiths #VirtualBookTour #thewrongson @neil_mac_griff @weatherglassbooks @randomthingstours #memoir #bookreview

 

The Wrong Son is a memoir of emotional precision — a searching, unsparing account of what it means to come into being in the absence of love. In 1963, a young husband loses his pregnant wife and eighteen-month-old son in a car accident. Six months later, he meets a woman who abandons her own husband and child for him — a man who seems to her everything she has ever wanted.

Within two years, a boy is born into this family of grief and guilt, into a house already filled with ghosts, where neither parent can see him clearly through what each has lost.

His mother demands perfection. His father, meanwhile, decides early on that this child exists only because the first one died — and cannot forgive him for it. Moulded by his mother, rejected by his father, he is given no space in which to become himself.

Throughout his life, no matter how much he tries to invent himself, he is driven by the fear that nothing real exists underneath. Fifty years on, after his parents’ deaths, that fear begins to unmoor him.

He turns to the work of psychoanalysts who were pioneers of early childhood psychology around the time he was born.

Drawing on the insights of D.W. Winnicott and Jacques Lacan, The Wrong Son traces a life shaped not only by loss and violence, but by psychic damage that may never fully be shaken off.

With forensic clarity and unexpected humour, The Wrong Son is a quietly devastating work: deeply human, psychologically attuned, and unafraid to stay with what cannot be resolved.

The Wrong Son : A Memoir by Neil Griffiths was published on 29 May 2026 by Weatherglass Books. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Virtual Book Tour 

Neil Griffiths’ The Wrong Son is a beautifully written memoir that quietly works its way under your skin and stays there long after you've turned the final page.

This memoir tells the story of a man born into a family that had lots of tragedy. Before Neil arrived, his father had lost his first wife and young son in a devastating car accident. His mother  had left her own husband and child to begin a new life. What followed was a childhood shaped by grief, expectation and emotional absence, leaving Neil feeling as though he was not really part of this family. 

The honesty of the writing is stunning.  The author doesn't set out to blame anyone of to look for sympathy. He examines his life with such clarity, trying to understand how the experiences of his earliest years shaped the person he became. Whilst there is pain, there is also insight, reflection and thankfully, some humour. 

The sections exploring the work of psychoanalysts such as Winnicott and Lacan could easily have felt heavy and dull,  yet they are woven naturally into the narrative. Rather than interrupting the story, they help the reader to understand his search for understanding and identity. His reflections on childhood, family dynamics and the darkness caused by unresolved grief are fascinating and often so moving.

Neil Griffiths realises the complexity of his parents and sees their own wounds and limitations while remaining honest about the impact they had on him. 

Although some passages are difficult to read because of the emotional neglect and rejection he experienced, this is really not a bleak book. There is such resilience, and a determination to make sense of a life that has often felt fragmented.

Thoughtful, intelligent and deeply human, The Wrong Son is a memoir that really makes you ponder. It left me thinking about how families shape us, how childhood experiences linger, and how difficult, but important, it can be to face the truths we would rather avoid. Highly recommended. 

Neil Griffiths is a novelist, publisher and founder of the literary prize, The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses, now the Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize. 

His first novel, Betrayal in Naples was winner of the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award, Saving Caravaggio was short-listed for the Costa Best Novel Award 2007, his last novel is the critically acclaimed As a God Might Be.

Under the Blazing Sun by Jenny Lund Madsen @jennylundmadsen @orendabooks t. @paulrussellgarrett #undertheblazingsun #nordicnoir #murderbythebook

 

Hannah is miserable. Her love life is in ruins, her contract demands a sequel to her bestselling crime debut – and she's out of ideas. After a mortifying TV interview, her agent ships her off to a sun-drenched Sicilian villa with a simple order: finish the book. No distractions. No excuses.

But inspiration doesn't strike – murder does.

When a night out ends in murder, Hannah finds herself at the centre of a murder investigation … again. The police want her out of the way, and the only person who seems to believe her is a young but charming Italian police officer. That is, until she doesn't.

Soon Hannah is chasing suspects, fleeing crime scenes, and doing whatever it takes to avoid becoming the next victim. She came to write a crime novel. Now she's trapped inside one.

Dark, sly and deliciously atmospheric, Under the Blazing Sun is the second novel in the award-winning series featuring accidental sleuth and disgruntled literary author Hannah, whose pursuit of plot twists keeps turning dangerously real.

Under the Blazing Sun by Jenny Lund Madsen - translated by Paul Russell Garrett was published on 21 May 2026 by Orenda Books and is the second of the Murder By The Book series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Virtual Book Tour 

I read and reviewed the first book in this series; Thirty Days of Darkness in June 2023

I loved that book and have been eager to return to see what crazy things our protagonist, Hannah has been up to. 

The novel reunites us with the wonderfully cantankerous Hannah Krause-Bendix, a crime writer who has once again been dispatched by her long-suffering editor to focus on writing a bestseller. This time, however, Sicily's sunshine, excellent wine and tempting cuisine prove far more appealing than sitting in front of a laptop.

When Hannah finds herself caught up in the brutal death of Greta Tauson, a wealthy Swedish woman who had only recently welcomed her into her home, she quickly becomes a person of interest. Unwilling to leave the investigation to the police, and even less willing to remain under suspicion,  Hannah launches her own inquiry, dragging readers along on a thoroughly entertaining and often outrageous adventure.

What makes this series such a delight is Hannah herself. She's blunt, judgemental, stubborn and frequently exasperating, and I absolutely bloody adore her! She is so sharp and funny about the people that she comes across!  I also found her endless determination to avoid actually writing her book quite relatable, procrastination is my middle name! 

The return of fellow crime writer and egomaniac Jørn Jensen was a great touch and adds another layer of comedy. Their friendship/rivalry is one of my highlights of the novel, with their funny yet strangle tender exchanges that made me smile. 

Yes, you'll need to suspend disbelief at times. There are improbable twists, dramatic confrontations and enough coincidences to make even Hannah raise an eyebrow. But the author cleverly acknowledges the absurdity, playfully poking fun at crime fiction tropes while also embracing them wholeheartedly. The result is a fast-paced  mystery that never takes itself too seriously.

Warm, witty and hugely entertaining, Under the Blazing Sun is a clever crime novel that reminds us that reality can be far stranger and far more fun than fiction. Highly recommended. 

Jenny Lund Madsen is one of Denmark’s most acclaimed screenwriters, known for
international hits such as Rita and Follow the Money, as well as for her advocacy for better representation of sexual and ethnic minorities in Danish TV and film. 

She recently made her debut as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Audition (Aarhus Teater).

Her debut literary thriller, Thirty Days of Darkness―the first in an addictive new series―won the Harald Mogensen Prize for Best Danish Crime Novel of the Year and was shortlisted for the prestigious Glass Key Award. 

She lives in Denmark with her young family.

 

The Fracture by Morgan Cry #thefracture @gojabrown @severnhouseimprint @randomthingstours #bookreview

 

Ex-police constable and now taxi driver Blake Glover thought retiring to his hometown of Fraserburgh would be calm – until, while attending a local funeral service, he notices something disturbing: did the sturdy expensive coffin split as it was lowered into the grave? How could this be possible? Is there a cruel scheme taking place?

As if this wasn’t enough, one of Blake’s customers from the night before has gone missing and Blake is the last person to have seen him alive.

To make matters even worse, Blake is contacted by his old colleague-turned-nemesis, Mitch Campbell – now imprisoned in Glasgow’s HMP Barlinnie. Mitch is threatening to frame Blake unless he agrees to a dangerous request.

Torn between helping friends, confronting a past enemy and uncovering dark deeds, Blake is dragged into a toxic world of small-town tragedy and big-city drama. As he tries to untangle the truth, he underestimates just how deadly things will become . . .

An intricately plotted, twisty and clever Tartan noir thriller by Scottish crime writer Morgan Cry – perfect for fans of IAN RANKIN, VAL McDERMID, DENISE MINA and WILLIAM McILVANNEY.

The Fracture by Morgan Cry was published in paperback on 21 May 2026 by Severn House. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours virtual book tour 

Morgan Cry returns with The Fracture, the second book in the Blake Glover series, and what a cracking read it is. Although this is book two, it works perfectly well as a standalone novel as the author gives readers everything they need while still rewarding those already familiar with Blake’s troubled past.

Poor Blake really does have a talent for stumbling into chaos. What begins with a strange moment at a funeral soon spirals into missing persons, old enemies, dangerous secrets and more trouble than any retired ex-police constable deserves. Add in a former colleague making threats from behind bars and you’ve got a story that has you constantly turning the pages for more.

The plotting here is wonderfully clever, with several threads weaving together seamlessly. Just when I thought I had worked things out, the author nudged the story in another direction entirely. The Scottish setting is absolutely perfectly depicted too. Fraserburgh and Glasgow feel vivid, gritty and completely authentic.

Blake himself is such a compelling character. Flawed, stubborn and often exasperating, but impossible not to root for. He tries so hard to do the right thing, even when life seems determined to trip him up.

Dark, twisty and packed with atmosphere, The Fracture is a hugely entertaining slice of Tartan noir. I really hope that the author continues the series as I already can’t wait to see what trouble finds Blake next.

Gordon Brown (aka Morgan Cry) has twelve crime and thriller books published to date,
along with a novella and a number of short stories. 

Gordon is a founding director of Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival and also runs a strategic planning consultancy. He lives in Scotland and is married with two children.

In a former life Gordon delivered pizzas in Toronto, sold non-alcoholic beer in the Middle East, launched a creativity training business, floated a high tech company on the London Stock Exchange, compered the main stage at a two-day music festival and was once booed by 49,000 people while on the pitch at a major football Cup Final.

The Death Row Club by V A Vazquz #TheDeathRowClub @vavazquezwrites @simonschusteruk #BookReview #SerialKillers #CrimeFiction

 

SOME THINGS RUN IN THE BLOOD…

A darkly twisted debut thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll. At an annual retreat for the adult children of serial killers, paranoia turns deadly when one of the guests is murdered.

Nicola Fischer’s father has just been convicted of killing five women - including her best friend. Shunned by her town and obsessed with the true-crime host who exposed him, Nicola jumps at the chance to join the Death Row Club: a secretive weekend getaway for people exactly like her.

But when an unexpected guest arrives at their remote wilderness retreat, tensions flare. By morning, one of them is dead.

And everyone is asking the same question:

If the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…which one of them is a killer?

The Death Row Club by V A Vazquez is published on 18 June 2026 by Simon & Schuster. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I read this one whilst I was on holiday in Portugal last month and found it totally entertaining. The idea behind The Death Row Club is really creepy; a retreat for the adult children of serial killers sounds like the sort of thing that could go very very wrong before the welcome drinks are even poured!

Thankfully for us readers, the author takes this brilliantly dark premise and turns it into an addictive, twist-filled thriller that had me eagerly turning the pages to find out more. 

Nicola Fischer is a fascinating central character. Her life has imploded after her father’s conviction for multiple murders, and her emotional fallout feels very real. The author skilfully looks at how Nicola deals with  her inherited guilt and the how the public judge her. Despite this, it is always entertaining and the tension tightens, with some really unsettling moments that made me have a little glance over my shoulder .... just in case!  

The remote wilderness setting is excellent and so  claustrophobic; it's isolated, atmospheric and packed with people who all have secrets of their own. Honestly, if someone invited me to a secluded retreat filled with traumatised strangers connected to serial killers, I’d fake a migraine and stay home with a family-sized bag of crisps. Nicola, however, is braver than I am.

The dual narrative works beautifully, adding depth and momentum without ever slowing the pace. And while I’m saying absolutely nothing about the twists, I will say this: this author really does know exactly how to keep readers guessing.

Dark, clever and hugely entertaining, this is a superb debut that deserves a place on every thriller lover’s shelf.

V. A. Vazquez was born and raised in Buffalo, NY where she currently teaches English. 

She received her B. A. in English from Barnard College and used to live in Scotland in a town inhabited by more sheep than people.

The Bone Mother by Suzy Aspley #BookReview #TheBoneMother @Writer_Suzy @OrendaBooks #Gothic #Mystery

 

Rituals

Secrets

A killer who will protect them at any cost…
Martha Strangeways has settled into a quiet life in Strathbran, after the horrific events that traumatised the village a year earlier. But all this is turned upside down when her friend at Glasgow CID, DI Derek Summers, calls on her to help with a disturbing case: a human ear, with an unusual Celtic earring, has been found next to a railway line in the Highlands.

And when the body of a young woman wearing matching jewellery turns up at a landmark church shortly after, the mystery deepens. Why has she been laid out in a ritualistic fashion? Does her trek along the little-known Cailleach Way have anything to do with her death? And who is running the Facebook Group where she posted details of her journey to the shrine of the Bone Mother goddess?

As Martha tries to unpick the threads, she finds herself entwined with a ghost from her own past, and in conflict with the owner of a project that threatens to destroy the goddess's sacred land.

With Halloween approaching, and someone determined to protect the goddess at all costs, can Martha and Summers catch the killer before they strike again – and this time much closer to home…?

The Bone Mother by Suzy Aspley was published on 7 May 2026 by Orenda Books and is the second in the Martha Strangeways Investigation series. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this virtual book tour 

I read and reviewed the first in this series: Crow Moon, back in April 2024. I enjoyed every word of it and have been looking forward to book two ever since. 

It's been an adventure to return to Strathbran in The Bone Mother. From the very first pages, I felt really involved in this eerie and  atmospheric setting. Blending crime, folklore and a creeping sense of unease, this is a novel that is full of history secrets.

Martha Strangeways has tried to leave the darkness of the past behind her and carve out a quieter life for herself, but her peace never seems to last for long. When DI Derek Summers asks for her help investigating the discovery of a human ear beside a railway line, Martha is drawn into a case that quickly becomes far more sinister than anyone first imagined. The death of a young woman found in a ritualistic manner near an ancient church creates questions about old beliefs, sacred places and those who will do anything to protect them.

What I really enjoyed about this novel was the way the author weaves together folklore and crime so well. The legend of the Bone Mother goddess and the mysterious Cailleach Way add such depth to the story, creating an unsettling edge that stays throughout the novel. There’s a constant feeling that the surrounding countryside itself is watching, hiding ancient memories and danger. With Halloween approaching, the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, and there were moments when I genuinely felt a chill while reading.

The Scottish Highlands are brought vividly to life here. The remote churches, rugged landscapes and isolated villages create the perfect backdrop for a story filled with myth and fear. The sense of place is exceptional; I could almost feel the cold air and hear the silence of the hills. It’s this setting that gives the novel so much of its power.

Martha continues to grow as a character and I enjoyed spending time with her once again. She’s intelligent and determined, but also vulnerable, particularly when aspects of her own past begin to emerge. Her relationship with Derek Summers develops beautifully in this story.

The mystery itself is cleverly plotted, full of tension and intrigue, and the author keeps the reader guessing throughout. The pacing is excellent, until the final chapters become almost impossible to put down. Every thread is woven together with care, resulting in a gripping and satisfying conclusion.

The Bone Mother is an atmospheric,  compelling crime novel with a strong gothic feel. Perfect for readers who enjoy mysteries steeped in folklore and setting, this is a series that continues to go from strength to strength. I’m already looking forward to discovering where Martha Strangeways will lead us next.

Originally from the north-east of England, former journalist Suzy Aspley has lived in

Scotland for almost thirty years. 

She writes crime and short stories, often inspired by the strange things she sees in the landscape around her. 

She won Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect in 2019 with the original idea for her debut novel and was shortlisted for the Capital Crime New Voices Award. 

In 2020, she was mentored by Jo Dickinson as part of the Hachette future bookshelf initiative. 

Crow Moon was longlisted for the Caledonia Novel Award, and shortlisted for the Val McDermid Debut Award and the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize. 

When she’s not writing, she’s either got her nose buried in a book, or is outside with her dogs dreaming up more dark stories. 

She lives in Stirlingshire with her family.