Street Sweeper by Bren Gosling BOOK REVIEW #StreetSweeper @brengosling @RandomTTours #BookReview

 

London, 2002. When Almir, a twenty-one-year-old Kosovan ex-boy soldier, is relocated to London with a new identity, flashbacks undermine his ability to keep his job as a street sweeper. Then he meets Roland, a forty-year-old British Jamaican, a Council surveyor trying to escape his Pentecostal upbringing, and failed relationship with Shirl with whom he has a fifteen-year-old son.

Roland and Almir become closer as Roland offers first friendship, then sex, yet Almir remains secretive about his past, and struggles to identify as gay, forcing Roland to question their relationship. And who is Muzzafer, the name Almir repeatedly shouts out during frequent nightmares? As tension builds, Almir confronts his involvement in a war atrocity, which threatens to destabilise his sanity and his new UK life.

But, against all these powerful obstacles, Almir and Roland’s love for each other continues to grow. Is it strong enough to last?

Street Sweeper by Bren Gosling was published on 28 March 2026 by Troubador. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours virtual book tour. 

Set in a vividly rendered early-2000s London, the story moves between the grey streets that Almir sweeps and the more intimate, often tense domestic spaces that Roland inhabits. The city itself feels like a living presence and reflects the emotional isolation and quiet hope of these two men.

Almir is an unforgettable character. Still so young, yet carrying the unbearable weight of his past, his character is written with a tenderness that never slips into sentimentality. His trauma seeps into every part of his life, particularly through the haunting flashbacks and the mystery surrounding Muzzafer. There’s a fragility to him that makes his struggle with identity, most especially his difficulty in naming and accepting his sexuality, feel painfully real.

Roland is older, grounded, yet equally conflicted. His attempt to step away from his Pentecostal upbringing adds another layer to the narrative. His relationship with his son, his history with Shirl, and his own internalised struggles around sexuality make him far more than just a counterpoint to Almir. He is a man caught between worlds, just as much as Almir is.

The exploration of gay love here is handled with care and honesty. This is not a sweeping, romanticised love story; instead, it is complicated, and at times deeply frustrating. The imbalance in experience and self-acceptance between the two men creates a tension that runs throughout the novel. Roland offers connection and openness, while Almir retreats, guarded and uncertain. It’s this push and pull that gives their relationship its authenticity.

What stands out most is how the novel weaves together themes of identity, trauma, faith, and belonging without ever feeling over complicated. Almir’s past as a child soldier is never sensationalised, yet its impact is profound and always there. The question of whether love can survive such weight is at the heart of the story, and it is handled confidently.

It’s a book that makes you stop to consider things  and I found myself thinking about Almir and Roland often when I wasn’t reading.

A powerful, affecting novel that explores the complexities of love and identity with sensitivity and depth.

Bren Gosling, an alumnus of City University’s Novel Studio, is published in numerous
anthologies, and was a finalist of the London, Brighton and Exeter Short Story Prizes. Street Sweeper won the Novel London Literary Prize in 2021, and the inaugural Book Edit Writer’s Prize for under-represented writers.

The novel was shortlisted for the New Anglia Manuscript Prize in 2023. Bren’s plays have garnered two Offies nominations, and an ONComm Commendation. His latest play, Invisible Me starring Tessa Peake Jones will be at the Southwark Playhouse April 8th - May 2nd. 

Find out more about Bren’s work at www.brengosling.com

Bren explains: “My writing explores the narratives of quiet lives, extraordinarily lived, marginalised voices of overlooked people and places. A member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have researched the experiences of being a gay first generation British Jamaican man, through interviews; I spent time in a Pentecostal church. I interviewed Kosovan immigrants to the U.K as well as the head of department of Albanian

Studies at University of London to better understand Albanian culture and recent history. I shadowed a street sweeper at Walthamstow Cleansing Depot. What interests me is bringing untold stories to life by creating fictional narratives. This has been my focus in writing STREET SWEEPER.

It's Not What You Think by Clare MacKintosh #ItsNotWhatYouThink @claremackint0sh @HarperCollinsUK #BookReview #CrimeFiction #Thriller

 

YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE

Nadeeka is certain Jamie is having an affair. She knows the tell-tale signs.

She’s been here before.

YOU THINK YOU KNOW WHO YOU CAN TRUST

When Jamie claims to be at work late, she knows he’s lying. He’s with another woman, and she’s determined to catch him in the act.

YOU THINK YOU KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS

But when Nadeeka arrives home to confront him, Jamie can't explain himself. The house has become a crime scene…

Jamie is dead.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

It's Not What You Think by Clare MacKintosh was published on 26 March 2026 by HarperCollins. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review. 

I have read everything that Clare MacKintosh has written. From her amazing stand alone novels, to her fabulous police procedural series and also her non-fiction. She's a hugely talented writer and I was so excited to read this new one, especially as I'd seen on social media that this one has the best twist ever. 

This is a hefty book but I flew through it. Recently I've been struggling with concentration due to many issues but my nose was glued firmly into this one, never hesitating to pick it up and loathe to put it down when my eyes were closing. 

The blurb tells you that Nadeeka is convinced that her partner Jamie is having an affair. She's convinced and determined to catch him out. She's on her way home, with no doubt that she's going to catch him in the act. When she arrives, she finds a crime scene and Jamie is dead. That's not a spoiler, it's clearly written in the blurb .... so that's not the twist. 

This is not a straightforward tale of love, loss, and consequences. Not even close. Just when you think you have a handle on what’s happening, the ground shifts beneath your feet. The author plays brilliantly with perception, and constantly challenges what you think you know. Nothing should be taken at face value, and a sense of uncertainty lingers throughout.

The novel unfolds in multiple parts, beginning firmly with Nadeeka. She is a compelling character, she is resilient, complex, and easy to like. As her story develops, there is a creeping sense that there is far more going on beneath the surface. And just when you feel settled, the first major twist arrives and it is sharp, satisfying, and impossible to ignore. Believe me, you will gasp. I did. In fact, I went back and read the paragraph again. It's clever, really really clever. 

From there, the story expands a little with other voices begin to emerge, offering new perspectives and adding layers to an already intricate plot. The timeline shifts, the tension builds, and each new revelation brings with it fresh intrigue. With a strong supporting cast which includes family, colleagues, and investigators, the narrative becomes richer and more immersive with every turn of the page.

This is a cleverly constructed thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. It’s tense, engaging, and full of surprises, exactly the kind of book that reminds you why 'trust no one' is advice that keeps being given! 

Clare Mackintosh is a former police officer and a bestselling crime author. 

Her books have sold more than three million copies, been optioned for television and translated into forty languages. 

She appears regularly at literary festivals and bookshop events across the UK and beyond.

Our Shadow Selves by V G Lee BLOG TOUR #OurShadowSelves @VGLee3 @MuswellPress #BookReview

 

In the crumbling seaside town of Hawksbridge, Shona finds kinship with the eccentric Gifford family living illegally in a derelict building. Their stories of survival give her the courage to paint again―until she discovers a body wrapped in carpet, and everything starts to unravel.

Richard knows her secrets. He's documented every shameful detail of her childhood, from the fire she set at fifteen to the deaths that followed. Now he's weaponising that knowledge, jeopardizing her relationships and her future.

But Shona has learned something important from the misfits of Hawksbridge: sometimes the only way to break free is to embrace the darkness you've been running from.

As New Year's Day dawns, Shona faces a choice that will define who she really is. Because some shadows can't be escaped―they can only be owned.

Our Shadow Selves by V G Lee was published on 26 March 2026 by Muswell Press. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I went into this novel totally unprepared for what was inside. It's a novel that is quite unsettling and that feeling lingers long after you’ve put it down. It's not a quick thrills, shocking story, it is more atmospheric than that, there is an  eerie, slow-creeping tension that seems to be in every corner of Hawksbridge, a town that feels as decayed and haunted as the people inhabiting it.

The author really plunges the reader into the darkness in this story,  not just in plot but in tone. Shona is a compelling, deeply flawed protagonist, and the way her past hangs over her gives the story a constant sense of unease. It feels menacing; that idea of secrets being known and used, and that psychological pressure really makes this book work well. There's a real feeling of dread at times, the reader kind of knows that is coming and fears it! 

The relationships are fabulous, especially with the Gifford family. Nothing is entirely safe or secure, and that tension makes the novel feel claustrophobic in a really clever way. The crumbling setting mirrors the characters’ lives, creating a world that feels vivid but also a little deranged! 

While the pacing is a little slow to begin, it really is worth it. As things begin to unravel, the story tightens its grip, becoming increasingly intense and difficult to put down. The final chapters are particularly gripping, with a sense of inevitability that feels both satisfying and disquieting.

Overall, this is a dark, moody read that leaves a feeling of psychological unease and deals cleverly with moral ambiguity. Recommended for fans of dark, eerie thriller that seem to get under the skin. 

VG Lee is the author of five novels and a collection of short stories. 

She was shortlisted for a Stonewall Award and has won the Ultimate Planet Award.  

She is a judge for the annual Polari Prize.  

She lives on the South Coast

Just Between Us by Barbara Copperthwaite #JustBetweenUs #BarbaraCopperthwaiteBookTour @BCopperthwait @bookouture #BookReview

 

Six friends. One storm. A secret to die for…

We arrived at the beautiful, sprawling Spanish villa ready to celebrate – over twenty years of friendship, and of course, Alexis’s big birthday. It’s paradise. Alexis has pulled out all the stops, and like always, I know we’re meant to be grateful…

But the tensions begin on the very first night.

The workaholic slipping off to take mysterious calls. The people pleaser afraid to speak out. The quiet observer snidely analysing every move we make. The former life of the party knocking back wine to forget it all. Even I, the peacekeeper, have secrets…

And of course, Alexis, the Queen Bee – furious that, as a summer storm descends, her perfect trip isn’t working out like she planned… Her fury makes it feel like she’s hiding something. Like her schemes are unravelling…

I thought our secrets finally emerging might be the biggest threat on this trip. But on the last night, I wake up on the cold floor of the locked wine cellar, a knife clutched in my hand and Alexis’s body unmoving beside me.

I want to scream, to cry, to run, but with the floodwater rising, we’re trapped. My friends all think I killed her. But I know I didn’t, which means someone else here did…

Just Between Us by Barbara Copperthwaite was published on 25 March 2026 by Bookouture. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this Books On Tour feature. 

I've read quite a few of Barbara Copperthwaite's psychological thrillers and have enjoyed them. I'm also a fan of her historical fiction; written under the name of Barbara Havelock. 

I settled down with Just Between Us and immediately became engrossed by this complex and cleverly woven taken on the locked-room mystery. Yes, it's been done many times, but we all know it's a great hook and the author has done it very well. The combination of a luxury villa in Spain and a group of women who've known each other forever, with he pull of a big birthday celebration turns out to be the perfect setting for this tense and often surprising mystery. 

Whilst the women have known each other for many years, none of them really know what secrets they hide from each other. The author cleverly unveils little snippets about each woman, drip by drip, and it's a fabulous structure, keeping the reader on their toes throughout.  You need to concentrate to establish the differences between each character, but it becomes easier as you get to know each one. 

Then, the storm arrives and it's not just the weather that creates trouble, the increasing tension between the women seems to match the crashes and bangs of the terrible weather outside. It's a fabulous way to add atmosphere and to create a darkness in a place that would naturally be sunny, bright and cheerful. 

Needless to say, there are deaths. There are twists and there are character to love and some to really detest. The story moves at a pace that can leave you feeling a little breathless, but you always want to know more. 

A great thriller, with twists and turns and a cast of well created characters. Recommended by me. 

Barbara is an international bestselling author, whose books have topped Amazon and Kobo, and also appeared on the USA Today chart.

Her addictive contemporary psychological thrillers are published under the name BARBARA COPPERTHWAITE. Her new book, JUST BETWEEN US, is out on March 30, but can be preordered now!

As BARBARA HAVELOCKE she creates dark, tense Gothic historical thrillers set in the early Victorian era. Estella’s Revenge was nominated for the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2025.

For over twenty years Barbara wrote for & edited national magazines & newspapers, talking to victims of crime – and its perpetrators. Her fiction reflects this: she creates realistic characters, and often explores moral grey areas.

Barbara is also an artist specialising in animals and nature. She lives in Birmingham, UK, with her partner and their three rescue dogs.