‘Lessons in Tracing a Dangerous Scent’ by Charlie Cochrane

Published by The Right Chair Press,
20 July 2026.
ASIN: B0GZV9PVZX

It is March 1915 and the war that some people predicted would be ‘over by Christmas’ is growing more intense and claiming more lives every day. Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith have left their cottage in Cambridge and their roles as Fellows at St Brides College and are staying with Jonty’s parents in London while they work on code breaking and administration. Both men miss their home together and their academic roles, but they are determined to serve their country to the best of their abilities. However, when Jonty’s father, Richard Stewart, tells them about his concern that his friend, Mortimer Pollock, has mysteriously disappeared the two renowned amateur detectives are eager to assist his investigation. 

Orlando, Jonty and Mr and Mrs Stewart visit Pollock’s anxious servants and discover that they are very attached to their master and they have no idea why or where he could have gone. However, a housemaid with an exceptional sense of smell gives them a valuable clue when she tells them that she has occasionally caught the faint smell of perfume on Mortimer Pollock’s clothes, accompanied by a slight trace of face powder. The investigators are intrigued to discover that Pollock has the habit of occasionally going out in the evening and giving false information about where he was dining. The obvious answer to these mysterious absences is that Pollock has a secret liaison, possibly with a married woman, but Richard Stewart insists that Pollock is a man of scrupulous integrity. Just as the four detectives are amassing and evaluating clues, they are ordered away from the investigation by an old friend who is now working in a faceless but vital role to keep the country safe from the machinations of the traitors within their midst. 

The detectives are disappointed and frustrated, but they know they cannot ignore such a command. However, soon afterwards a new case presents itself when another acquaintance of Richard dies in what the police decide is an unfortunate accident. The dying man’s last words are an instruction to ‘tell Richard Stewart’, which gives them a good reason to investigate, especially as Richard has knowledge about the victim that convinces him that his death was extremely unlikely to be accidental. As they probe into this new mystery, they discover links to the Pollock disappearance, including the elusive scent, and the sleuths have to tread very carefully to discover the truth without impinging on the security of their country when it is at war. 

Lessons in Tracing a Dangerous Scent is the latest addition to the long-running series featuring Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith. The protagonists are engaging as they exchange teasing quips and continue to conceal their loving relationship from anyone other than their nearest and dearest. The solution to these two linked mysteries both have their roots in secrets set in the past, and the present investigation is shadowed by the darkness of world war. This is an interesting book that captures life at the start of the twentieth century. It will be enjoyed by people who have just discovered the Cambridge Fellows series as well as those who have been long term followers of the adventures of Orlando and Jonty.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron

Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—so, she writes cosy mysteries, including the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, and the contemporary Lindenshaw Mysteries. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Riptide, Lume, and Williams and Whiting.  A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie has regularly appeared at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences.

http://www.charliecochrane.co.uk

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with The Fragility of Poppies. 

www.carolwestron.com 

‘Murder at the Hotel’ by Jane Adams.

Published by Joffe Books,
19 July 2026. 
IBSN:  978-1-83526-732-5 (PB)

Rina Martin has a taste for tea, gardening, and, occasionally, crime solving, though not of the murder-mystery weekend variety.  However, she has been asked to take part in a twenties-themed event at the Art Deco Palisades Hotel, which is close to home and luxurious to boot, and she doesn’t feel that she can refuse.  The programme ‘Lydia Marchant Investigates’, in which she stars, has returned to television and the feature-length Christmas special has sealed its success.  However, Rina is there not as a member of the cast, but as one of the crime-solving audience, and the action has reached what one of her sleuthing colleagues refers to as ‘the body scene’ – the door to the room opens on an actor with blood on his hands and an actual dead body in front of him. 

The actor is William Toons, to whom Rina had been introduced earlier in the weekend.  She was also been told by another participant that his blossoming acting career had been badly affected when a girl had (mistakenly) accused him of assault.  He is now distraught but also seems to have been keen to ascertain that the person was indeed dead – the blood on his hands shows this and he later says as much.  Indeed, Rina suspects that he knew the man. 

The police are called, and Rina, who has been involved in a number of police investigations, knows a lot of the officers, being friends with Inspector Mac MacGregor and his partner Miriam, a senior CSI.  The police discover that the body has been in a freezer and must, therefore, have actually been brought to the venue.  Eventually, the audience and actors are allowed to leave and Rina, thinking that Will looks worried, invites him to come and see her if he is in the area again.  And so he does.  Rina persuades him to talk and he reveals a story of death and blackmail but is unwilling to tell the police until he has spoken to other people involved.  Rina lets him go and then tells the police herself.  But there is still much to find out before the final denouement.

This, the10th book in this popular series, is a clever story, using a happy seasonal event to introduce the shock of a dead body.  The investigation is deftly handled, with the various threads suggesting differing solutions, but ultimately wound together to provide the final resolution.  The characters are work well together, with Rina occupying a strong central role, as much facilitator as sleuth, and fitting well with her group of friends.
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Reviewer: Jo Hesslewood
Other books in this series:  Rina Martin Mystery Series:  Murder on Sea, Murder on the Cliff, Murder on the Boat, Murder on the Beach, Murder at the Country Pub, Murder on the Farm, Murder at the Willows, Murder at the Wedding. Other series feature:  Detective Mike Croft; Detective Ray Flowers; Detective Rozlyn Priest.  Standalones:  The Other Woman, The Woman in the Painting, Then She Was Dead. 

Jane Adams was born in Leicestershire, where she still lives. She has a degree in Sociology and has held a variety of jobs including lead vocalist in a folk rock band. She enjoys pen and ink drawing; martial arts and her ambition is to travel the length of the Silk Road by motorbike. Her first book, The Greenway, was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey Award in 1995 and for the Author's Club Best First Novel Award. Jane writes several series.  Her first series featured Mike Croft. Several books featuring DS Ray Flowers. Seven titles featuring blind Naoimi Blake, and eight titles featuring Rina Martin. Her most recentt series is set between the two World Wars and featuring Detective Inspector Henry Johnstone and his Sergeant, Micky Hitchens. Jane has also written several standalone novels. She is married with two children.

www.janeadamsauthor.com   

Jo Hesslewood.  Crime fiction has been my favourite reading material since as a teenager I first spotted Agatha Christie on the library bookshelves.  For twenty-five years the commute to and from London provided plenty of reading time.  I am fortunate to live in Cambridge, where my local crime fiction book club, Crimecrackers, meets at Heffers Bookshop .  I enjoy attending crime fiction events and currently organise events for the Margery Allingham Society.

‘Till Death Us Do Part’ by Reverend Penny Stephens

Published by Quercus,
16 July 2026. 
ISBN: 978-1-52944-147-5 (HB)

The Reverend Clare Brakespear has already been reluctantly entangled in one murder and was able to lend a helping hand to tetchy DCI Jackie Carter. When she's invited to lead a retreat in a Cornish hotel from which a guest went missing a year earlier, she hopes there won't be a repeat performance. 

But her wish is destined not to be granted. She soon discovers that all but two of this year's retreat members had a connection with Victoria, the missing woman – and one of them is Jackie Carter, who has signed up under a false name, and is definitely not there to investigate anything – or is she? What's more, Jeremy, the hotel's events manager, is acting in a decidedly shifty manner. 

Like her protagonist, the author is herself a member of the clergy, and has been a parish priest, so Clare Brakespear is as normal and flawed as anyone – the kind of vicar who enjoys a gin and tonic, doesn't quote the Bible in every sentence and occasionally thinks uncharitable thoughts. Also, like Clare, Rev Penny Stephens is clearly a student of human nature. The characters are rounded and well-drawn, the kind of motley assortment you might meet at any gathering of this kind. 

There's Lucy, the missing woman's sister, prickly and defensive. Michael, Victoria's estranged husband, is keen to make amends for the misdemeanour that pushed them apart. Pippa, that misdemeanour, reinvents herself with every new outfit. Gareth is super-fit, proud of it and competitive. Vincent is curious, verging on downright nosy. Dan is the kind of Christian guaranteed to irritate by bringing it in every time he opens his mouth. Astrid is just there for time out from high-pressure work. 

Something else the author clearly knows well is the location: the Lizard peninsula right at the tip of Cornwall. Picturesque coastal paths, cliffs, cafes and rock-strewn beaches all come to life and provide a counterpoint to the unhappiness and shock which crime engenders. 

Even minor characters like hotel staff and the stand-offish and not exactly competent local DCI are sharp and distinct. And since this is a murder mystery after all, in true Agatha Christie manner they all have a part to play when the inevitable murder is discovered. 

So will Jackie, with Clare's help, solve not only the murder but also the mystery of Victoria's disappearance? What is Jeremy hiding under his inappropriately flamboyant exterior? And will Clare get herself out of a potentially dangerous situation? No spoilers; read the book! You'll be glad you did.
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Reviewer: Lynne Patrick 

Rev. Penny Stephens was a vicar in a village parish before working as a hospice chaplain in East London and Kent. She now takes services in the Diocese of Rochester, where she is an Honorary Canon of the Cathedral. Till Death Us Do Part is Penny's debut novel.

Lynne Patrick has been a writer ever since she could pick up a pen, and has enjoyed success with short stories, reviews and feature journalism, but never, alas, with a novel. She crossed to the dark side to become a publisher for a few years and is proud to have launched several careers which are now burgeoning. She lives in Oxfordshire in a house groaning with books, about half of them crime fiction.

‘Why Did She Die?’ by Joan Coggin

Published by Galileo Publishers,
4 June 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-91754324-8 (PB)
Originally Published in 1947.

The main character in this, the third novel in Coggin’s ‘Lady Lupin Quartet’ (first published in 1947), Lady Lupin Hastings is young, attractive, chaotic, apparently dim and the wife of a clergyman as well as being the daughter of an earl. The story takes place almost entirely in a village where some of her friends live. In many ways the main character is Penelope (‘Pen’) Stevenson, a maiden youngish lady who has devoted herself to looking after her father – who, it must be observed, doesn’t give the impression of having any particular need of being looked after. She has turned down offers of marriage to remain close to her father. Increasingly she gets on the nerves of her married brother and his wife, particularly after her father dies when she announces, unasked and unwanted, that she will remain equally devoted to them and their baby. This leads to problems in the marriage. Pen is quite a bit older than her brother and has long considered herself as a mother figure to him ever since their actual mother died when he was very young. 

It takes until almost halfway through the novel before Pen is found shot dead in the garden (this is no spoiler as the blurb on the back tells us that she is the victim). I didn’t exactly jump out of my chair shouting ‘yippee!’ at that moment, but there is no doubt that I was delighted to see the back of this sanctimonius character. Initially suicide is suspected, but this is ruled out when no fingerprints are found on the gun and Pen was not wearing gloves when found. As a consequence, relationships past and present between local residents and others come increasingly under scrutiny. Revelations are made which provide any number of potential suspects with reasons for wanting Pen out of the way. She has left a trail of disruption to the lives of others, often under the unconvincing guise of unselfishness. 

In my review of the novel’s predecessor ‘The Mystery at Orchard House’ I wrote that I found Lady Lupin rather irritating. If I found her less so in this story, it is possibly because I struggled to feel any sympathy for most of the dramatis personae, although there are one or two for whom one feels sorry (there are some ghastly cousins of the Stevensons who provide comic relief). I am reluctant to be too critical as I’m aware that I could have been unconsciously in an unreceptive mood when reading (it happens). I confess that my sympathies improved in the later stages. Lady Lupin may be fat-headed at times, but she does, in that often rather damning expression, ‘mean well’, and she can be perceptive (‘Lady Lupin is not a clear thinker’, says one observer, ‘but there is not much that escapes her’). 

However, the denouement, whilst perhaps not a particular surprise, is neat and plausible, the writing is always lively and there are some wry descriptions. As a period piece ‘Why Did She Die?’ will be enjoyed by lovers of Golden Age stories. Don’t let me put you off reading it!
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Reviewer: David Whittle 

Joan Coggin (1898 - 1980) aka Joanna Lloyd, was born in 1898 in Lemsford, Hertfordshire, the daughter of the Rev. Frederick Ernest Coggin. Her mother, who was the daughter of Edward Lloyd, founder of Lloyd's Weekly London Newspaper, died when she was eight, and the family moved to Eastbourne, where Coggin lived until her own death in 1980. She was educated, together with her sister Enid, at Wycombe Abbey, a setting she would later use for her girls' school stories, written under the pseudonym Joanna Lloyd. Leaving Wymcombe in 1916, Coggin became involved in the war effort, working as a nurse at Eastbourne. After the war she worked with the blind, and returned to her schoolgirl interest in Guiding. She suffered from a mild form of epilepsy, but aside from the inability to drive, it did not greatly impact her life. Her first novel, And Why Not Knowing, was published in 1929, and was followed by a series of mysteries featuring the amusingly inadvertent detective, Lady Lupin Lorrimer.

David Whittle is firstly a musician (he is an organist and was Director of Music at Leicester Grammar School for over 30 years) but has always enjoyed crime fiction. This led him to write a biography of the composer Bruce Montgomery who is better known to lovers of crime fiction as Edmund Crispin, about whom he gives talks now and then.

‘The Corpse with the Steely Gaze’ by Cathy Ace

Published by Four Tails Publishing,
6 July 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-990550-66-9 (PB)

It is the summer term at the University of Vancouver, which means that there are less students than usual on the university campus. Professor of Criminal Psychology Cait Morgan is looking forward to teaching her course on victim advocacy and the judicial system, but she feels extremely grumpy when she arrives at the campus and discovers that she is unable to park anywhere near her office building. That part of the car park has been taken over by the large trailers used by a film company, which is using the university to make a new film. After making her way across the hot car park, Cait travels up in the lift and as she steps out, she encounters Sami, a member of the cleaning staff, who is in tears and close to hysteria. Sami declares that Cait must not go along the corridor to her office because it isn’t safe. Of course, Cait ignores Sami’s words and goes to investigate. Her attention is drawn to the office next to her own, which belongs to a senior member of the university staff who is away for the summer. When Cait enters the office, she finds Parm, a young member of the security staff, and on the floor is a dead man, dressed in what appears to be silver jogging trousers, although he is naked from the waist up. The man is an actor, known to his admiring public as Jayson Flyntt, who had originally been Jason Flynn, a name that is still used by his family and close friends. As Jayson he had achieved stardom in a long-running soap called The Harding Life, in which he had won legions of female admirers who were captivated by his remarkable eyes and his trick of looking up with a steely gaze. 

After his character in the soap was killed off, Jason had invested some of his money in helping to produce a science fiction film, in which he stars, part of which is being filmed at the university. At first Jason’s death seems incomprehensible. Although he had an alcohol abuse problem as a young man, he cleaned up his act and is believed to have been sober for many years. When the post-mortem reveals that Jason died of an overdose most people assume that the drugs found in his system were self-administered, however, nobody can work out how he took them within the relevant time-scale, or why he should have done so when he had so much to live for, because Jason’s life appears to have been a ‘fairytale’ success story. He and Stevie, an actor friend who had been at school with Jason, had both achieved stardom: Jason in the television series, while Stevie became a film star. However, Stevie had not handled fame well. He sunk into wild excess and died young, but Jason has married happily and has children. 

As a criminal psychologist, Cait is intrigued by the case and asks her husband, Bud, a retired detective, to ask his police colleagues about the background of Jason, his wife, Marsha, and several of the filmmakers who have been working with Jason. Soon Cait and Bud are probing through Jason’s relationship with his film colleagues and his wife, as well as exploring Jason’s past and what happened following Stevie’s death. 

As Cait digs deeper, she discovers several different layers of reality viewed through the perspectives of the people she interacts with. There is the cleverly constructed pretence of the film and filmmakers, which impresses Cait with its skill. Alongside this is the image that Jason and his advisors had created to appeal to his fans, which includes his generous charity donations. Within these layers there are deeper, stranger ones that Cait finds uncomfortable to cope with. Sami believes that she can sense that Jason’s spirit is unquiet and wishes to consult the shaman in her uncle’s village, and Marsha also claims that Jason is trying to communicate with her after death and even holds two seances to try to reach him. This psychic element unsettles Cait and leads her to attempt unconventional and potentially risky tactics in her determination to uncover the truth. 

The Corpse With the Steely Gaze is the sixteenth book featuring Cait Morgan and Bud Anderson and it combines Cait’s familiar working life as a lecturer and Criminal Psychologist with the unfamiliar background of the world of film making, which is described in fascinating detail. Cait and Bud are engaging protagonists, and Cait is a delightful narrator, never belittling the seriousness of the crime and warmly protective of the more vulnerable suspects, but also determined to discover the truth and describing her experiences with her customary wry humour. This is an interesting and enjoyable book which I recommend.
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Reviewer: Carol Westron  

Cathy Ace was born and raised in Swansea, South Wales. With a successful career in marketing having given her the chance to write training courses and textbooks, Cathy has now finally turned her attention to her real passion: crime fiction. Her short stories have appeared in multiple anthologies. Two of her works, Dear George and Domestic Violence, have also been produced by Jarvis & Ayres Productions as ‘Afternoon Reading’ broadcasts for BBC Radio 4. Cathy now writes two series of traditional mysteries: The Cait Morgan Mysteries and The WISE Enquiries Agency Mysteries. She is a Past Chair of Crime Writers of Canada.

http://cathyace.com  

Carol Westron is a Golden Age expert who has written many articles on the subject and given papers at several conferences. She is the author of several series: contemporary detective stories and police procedurals, comedy crime and Victorian Murder Mysteries. Her most recent publications are Paddling in the Dead Sea and Delivering Lazarus, books 2 and 3 of the Galmouth Mysteries, the series which began with The Fragility of Poppies. Her most recent books is The Apples of Sodom.  

www.carolwestron.com 

‘Blood Enemy’ by Douglas Jackson

Published by Canelo,
9 July 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-80436748-3 (HB)

I previously read and reviewed Blood Roses which deals with the Nazis entry to Warsaw in 1939 and introduces us to the former chief investigator Jan Kalisz. 

Blood Enemy is the final in the series and is the story of Jan Kalisz's further life as a double agent forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the Polish resistance.  He is unable to explain to his family of wife - Maria and teenage son Stefan - his true allegiances. 

This is a fast-paced novel dealing with extremely dark incidences which occurred in Warsaw towards the end of the occupation in 1944.  Frankly I found some of the descriptions of the cruelty and horrors of this period difficult to read.  The author has clearly done an enormous amount of research into this period of history and the writing is superb. 

The main character Jan Kalisz is a formidable hero, and one is rooting for him to the very end.  I found the descriptions of his temporary incarceration in Auschwitz/Birkenau horrifying and entirely believable.  His description of meeting Josef Mengele was equally authentic and disturbing. 

This novel is not an easy read and its ambition and intelligence rescue it from being a miserable reading experience.  Many readers, like myself, will be aware of the horrors of the Holocaust but probably unaware of the suffering of the Polish people during the War years and the fear of the future which was represented by the Soviet Army. 

I can strongly recommend this book to fans of Robert Harris and to broaden awareness of events of World War 2.  
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Reviewer: Toni Russell 

Douglas Jackson is the author of seventeen historical novels and mystery thrillers published by Transworld/PRH, including the critically acclaimed nine-book Hero of Rome series. He was born in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders and now lives in Stirling. Originally a journalist by profession he rose to become Assistant Editor of The Scotsman before leaving to be a full-time writer in 2009.  

Toni Russell is a retired teacher who has lived in London all her life and loves the city.  She says, ‘I enjoy museums, galleries and the theatre but probably my favourite pastime is reading.  I found myself reading detective fiction almost for the first time during lockdown and have particularly enjoyed old fashioned detective fiction rather than the nordic noir variety.  I am a member of a book club at the local library and have previously attended literature classes at our local Adult Education Centre.

‘Witch Trial’ by Harriet Tyce

Published by Wildfire,
26 February 2026.
ISBN: 978-1-03541191-7 (HB)

Witch Trial starts with heart surgeon Matthew Phillips being chosen for jury duty. Due to personal reasons this is the perfect opportunity for Matthew to get away for a few weeks, and he feels this has fallen at the perfect time. Little does he know, the trial he is taking part in has garnered a media circus and he is on the jury for ‘Witch Trial’. 

Isobel Smyth and Eliza Lawson are on trial for the murder of eighteen-year-old Christian Shaw, a fellow boarding school student and best friend, in Inverleith Park, Edinburgh. They are known as ‘The Witch Girls’ as they claim to be in direct contact with the devil. This story is heavy on witchcraft, satanic rituals and obsession, but is a standout in that it provides you with a great deal of insight into the workings of the law. 

Harriet puts you on the jury as Matthew and you experience his perspective throughout the events of the trial, but soon things start to spiral and somethings’ not right, it leaves you questioning the lines between what the truth is and what is a lie, as they quickly being to blur. 

Don’t expect to go into this book finding relatable and likeable characters as I don’t think there are any, which makes the story all the more interesting and the twists this book holds will take you on a ride you’ll not be anticipating. 

Witch Trial is sharp, unsettling and unpredictable and will leave you rethinking everything.
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Reviewer: Lorraine Carpenter

Harriet Tyce grew up in Edinburgh and studied English at Oxford University before doing a law conversion course at City University. She practised as a criminal barrister in London for nearly a decade, and recently completed an MA in Creative Writing - Crime Fiction at the University of East Anglia.  

Lorraine Carpenter lives in the Southwest of England with her partner Doug. She spends most of her free time reading and has loved mysteries and thrillers since a very early age. If she’s not reading, she is most likely to be drawing or crocheting (very poorly) and watching a true crime documentary. 

‘The Deep End’ by Nick Louth

Published by Canelo,
13 November 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-80436-885-5 (PB)

The Deep End is book 4 in the Jan Talantire series by Nick Louth, and the first one that I have read. Although it may benefit to have read the previous books to give you more of a deeper understanding into Jans background, it definitely isn’t necessary and you can dive straight in as enough information is provided and the story works well as a standalone. 

The Deep End beings with the discovery of a woman's body that appears to have drowned underneath Teignmouth pier, she has been dubbed ‘Medusa’ and DI Jan Talantire is brought in to investigate the crime scene, which is soon deemed to be a suicide, however, potentially sinister circumstances arise when toxicology results show heavy metal poisoning and new information comes to light. Alongside trying to forward the case, Jan is also dealing with the aftermath of being accused of colluding to bring Commander Brent West down for sexual harassment and her career is hanging on by a thread, little does she know the two series of events are unexpectedly linked. 

This was an engrossing and dark read that was paced well while interweaving the storylines in Jan’s life. The initial mystery was compelling and became even more intriguing as the story progressed, due to the complexities of the case. I enjoyed getting to know Jan as an independent and strong character, but even more so seeing her grow throughout the book. The ending also provided a satisfying sense of closure, even if you haven’t read the series previously! 

I look forward to reading the first three and for what’s to come, I highly recommend The Deep End.
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Reviewer: Lorraine Carpenter

Nick Louth is a best-selling thriller writer, award-winning financial journalist and an investment commentator. He self-published his first novel, Bite, which was a No. 1 Kindle best-seller. It has sold a third of a million copies and been translated into six languages. Freelance since 1998, he has been a regular contributor to the financial Times, Investors Chronical and Money Observer. Nick is married and lives in Lincolnshire. 

Lorraine Carpenter lives in the Southwest of England with her partner Doug. She spends most of her free time reading and has loved mysteries and thrillers since a very early age. If she’s not reading, she is most likely to be drawing or crocheting (very poorly) and watching a true crime documentary.  

‘Salt Bones’ by Jennifer Givhan

Published by Mulholland Books,
2 September 2025.
ISBN: 978-031658152-3

Malamar "Mal" Veracruz has never left her town of El Valle, California, which resides next to the toxic, sulfuric remains of the Salton Sea. She has lived a difficult and troubled life but tries to make the best of what she has. She raised two children at a young age, cares for her parents and brothers and experienced the disappearance of her sister Elena when they were children. Now, history is repeating itself and another child has gone missing and when Mal starts to see visions of the horse-headed women, La Siguanaba, she feels a duty alongside her daughters to uncover the truth. Is she there as a threat and a bad omen, or does she want to provide them with support and guidance? 

The story is told from the viewpoints of Mal and her two daughters, and it really hits home the impact that the privileged and wealthy have on marginalised communities and the lack of support and resources they can access. It also highlights the environmental decay and irreparable damage that results from colonisation. 

The mix of both English and Spanish adds a wonderful extra element, and it really helps to flesh out the setting and provides richness and depth to the characters which already have a rawness to them. 

Salt Bones is a mesmerising story, mixing Indigenous Mexican Folklore, family trauma and true crime to create what I can only describe as a masterpiece. The depth of storytelling creates such a vivid mental image, and Givhan’s writing is just so wonderfully poetic. It really is a must read.
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Reviewer: Lorraine Carpenter

Jennifer Givhan is a Mexican-American and Indigenous poet and novelist from the Southwestern desert and the recipient of poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and PEN Emerging Voices. The Los Angeles Times called her novel Salt Bones “a triumph… one of the most masterful marriages of horror, mystery, thriller and literary writing” and it was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a Book Riot Best Mystery & Thriller of the Year, a Marie Claire Best Mystery-Thriller of the Year, a Library Journal Stellar Selection, and an American Library Association Best Book of the Year. Her latest novel The Sleeping Sisters will be published 18 August 2026.

Lorraine Carpenter lives in the Southwest of England with her partner Doug. She spends most of her free time reading and has loved mysteries and thrillers since a very early age. If she’s not reading, she is most likely to be drawing or crocheting (very poorly) and watching a true crime documentary. 

‘Marble Hall Murders’ by Anthony Horowitz

Published by Penquin,
25 September 2025.
ISBN: 978-1-80494300-7 (PB)

Susan Ryeland thought that she and Andreas would make their life together in Crete. The olive groves, the tinkle of the goats’ bells, the perfect sunsets and dining with friends on a long trestle table beneath the bougainvillea. 

But her head was in London, even when she was in Crete and so at 55 years old, she went back to Crouch End in the north of London. Having settled back in a flat in London, she takes a call from her boss Michael Flynn, the publisher of Causton Books. She had previously edited two novels by Alan Conway, about the famous detective, Atticus Pünd, and both times come close to being killed, so she is not that keen when Michael persuades to work on a third book in the series.

The new novel featuring Atticus Pünd is by Eliot Crace, grandson of Miriam Crace who was the biggest selling children’s author in the world until her death twenty years ago. Eliot believes that Miriam was deliberately poisoned. And when he tells Susan that he has hidden the identity of Miriam’s killer inside his book, Susan knows she’s in trouble once again. 

After her meeting with Michael Flynn Susan headed back to Crouch End. She didn’t want to do the job, but she needed the money. The memories of editing the Alan Conway books which she initially thought were entertainments turned out to be more like dangerous weapons, loaded with malevolence and launched to cause maximum damage. She would have been happy never to have heard of Alan Conway. However, she needed to pay the mortgage and so poured herself a glass of wine and sat down to read the typescript. After all what harm could it do? 

The book is set in 1955. Atticus Pünd has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Waiting to see Doctor Benson in Harley Street, he encounters Lady Margaret Chalfont along with her daughter Judith Lyttleton in the wating room. Later with the doctor the conversation turns to the UK’s bad weather how lovely it would be in the south of France where Lady Chalfont is going for a holiday.  Some days later he receives a letter from her saying she needs his help. Will you come to Chateau Belmar in France? And I will explain everything. 

Set partly in a villa in the South of France, as Susan commences editing this final book in the Atticus Pund series, she discovers parallels between past and present. The real world and the fictional world. A book within a book. A puzzle within a puzzle. Susan ploughs on but when a death occurs, is it just in the book or is it real? Has she again become a target, as someone clearly doesn’t want this book to be published.

Incredibly cleverly plotted, with twists and turns, this intriguing and fascinating book will keep you reading.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett 

Anthony Horowitz is one of the most prolific and successful writers working in the UK – and is unique for working across so many media. Juggling writing books, TV series, films, plays and journalism. Anthony has written over 40 books. Anthony was commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate and Orion Books to write two new Sherlock Holmes novels. The House of Silk was published in November 2011 and was internationally lauded as the top title of the autumn. The sequel, Moriarty, was published in October 2014 with similar success. Most recently he was commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to write the James Bond novel Trigger Mortis, which was published on 8th September 2015.  Anthony is responsible for creating and writing some of the UK’s most beloved and successful television series, producing the first seven episodes (and the title) of Midsomer Murders. He is the writer and creator of award-winning drama series Foyle’s War, which was the Winner of the Lew Grade Audience award for BAFTA.  Anthony's latest show New Blood will premiere on BBC iPlayer later this year. Anthony is on the board of the Old Vic Theatre. He regularly contributes to a wide variety of national newspapers and magazines on subjects ranging from politics to education and currently has a travel column in The Telegraph. He has been a patron to East Anglia Children’s Hospices and the anti-bullying charity, Kidscape, since 2008. Anthony was awarded an OBE for his services to literature in January 2014.

http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com