Posted on July 21, 2026 by Chat About Books · 3 Comments

Serpents in the City (A Mac Ambrose Novel Book 3) by HN Wake

Serpents in the City (A Mac Ambrose Novel Book 3)

by HN Wake

First, I need to start by apologising to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this incredibly late review. When I first joined NetGalley it was all very exciting (it still is to be fair) and I didn’t then know how to say no. I was very new to book blogging and didn’t want to refuse any arcs or let anyone down. I soon realised though that there are only so many hours in a day, days in a week, etc. etc. I’m much better at not over committing myself now. However, it has left me with a fairly significant number of archived books still on my NetGalley shelf. I have now set myself the challenge of clearing my unread shelf entirely before I read any other Kindle books. They’re all on a separate wheel on my spin-the-wheel app. This was the first, chosen at random.

If you know me well, you will know that I really don’t like reading a series out of order and I did break out into a cold sweat when I realised this was book three of a series. Lol! A challenge is a challenge though, so I went in blind and I must admit I didn’t find any problem having not read books one and two yet.

What I found was a very well written, fast paced thriller with an extremely inspiring main character. Mac Ambrose is definitely someone who you would want on your side.

I’m assuming she wasn’t in a relationship for the first two books as the relationship she is in now seems to have left her questioning her career. She now has other priorities which only serve to further highlight how dangerous her work can be. When a friend needs help though she’s there.

A complicated case ensues and I had no idea what or who to believe for the most part. One thing I did notice, which is more than relevant today still, is how much power the media have. Scary, but true. They often have a lot to answer for!

I really enjoyed this intriguing and compelling story, full of action and suspense. I will be adding the rest of the series to my regular TBR and hope to get to them soon.

A Senator. A blackmail plot. The dark side of cable news.

Former CIA operative Mac Ambrose has spent twenty years protecting her country from overseas threats. Now she’s focused on adjusting to civilian life and her new relationship in Philadelphia. The last thing she needs is to get pulled in to ‘fix’ another domestic problem.

But events conspire against her. A friend begs for help: a popular Senator’s troubles threaten the democratic institutions Mac has defended. A reluctant Mac soon uncovers a menacing blackmail plot emanating from a media conglomerate in Times Square.

In a New York neighborhood, an unflappable FBI agent stumbles across a disturbing discovery—a private investigator has started surveilling a 24-hour cable news network.

Unnerved by Mac’s unofficial homecoming, the Mandarins in Langley dispatch a sinister tracker.

Mac’s operation, the FBI investigation, and Langley’s hunt are swiftly entangled in a complex conspiracy with dire consequences.

If you like Jack Ryan, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne, andLisbeth Salander, you will love Mac Ambrose.

If you enjoy page-turning thrillers loaded with satisfyingly complex twists, sabotage, and intrigue, then the Mac Ambrose series is for you.

What Readers Say About Mac Ambrose:

***** “Mac Ambrose is smart, confident, audacious and tough.”
***** “Yes! Just yes! We have a new badass heroine!”
***** “So, so, so much more than a spy novel.”
***** “Loaded with suspense, taut pacing.”
***** “I simply couldn’t put it down.”
***** “THAT REALLY WAS a fun ride!”
***** “Mac is a consummate spy, but her flaws make her interesting and human.”

If, like me, you would prefer to read the series in order, start here….

Happy reading!

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Chat About Books · 1 Comment

Wish You Were Here by Mike Gayle

Wish You Were Here

by Mike Gayle

I absolutely LOVED this book!

It’s centred around a trio of blokes who have recently turned 35 going away together on an 18-30 holiday. What could possibly go wrong!?

Charlie, Tom, and Andy couldn’t be any more different if they tried. I really felt for Charlie having recently been dumped by his girlfriend of ten years. He’s heartbroken and lost. Andy being Andy decides the best thing for him is a week away, getting off with other women, in the hope of taking his mind off things. Andy doesn’t necessarily have Charlie’s best interests at heart though. He just wants a week away from his girlfriend to get his leg over whoever is offering because he thinks it won’t hurt whilst he’s away and she’ll never know back home. He’s not the most likable of characters. I wanted to punch him in the face on more than one occasion. His girlfriend certainly deserves better and I admit I was shocked by her decisions towards the end of the book.

Tom is a very likable character. Married with children, and a clear idea of what being faithful means, he’s portrayed a bit as the boring one. Mainly from Andy’s perspective of course, but I really liked him. He’s got his own worries, and my heart went out to him when he finally admitted to Charlie what was going on. I was praying for a positive outcome for him.

There are some serious subjects explored throughout this book, but it is also quite hilarious. A tale of friendship, love, heartache, deception, infidelity, forgiveness, and moving on.

I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Many thanks to my lovely friend, Alison, for lending me her paperback copy.

A brilliant romantic comedy exploring beach basics for the broken-hearted from number one bestselling author Mike Gayle.

Their holiday brochure said 18-30 . . . But they’ve just turned 35.

After ten years together Charlie Mansell has been dumped by his live-in girlfriend, Sarah. All he wants to do is wallow in misery, but mates Andy and Tom have a better idea: a week of sun, sea and souvlaki in Malia, party capital of the Greek islands.

But Charlie and his mates aren’t eighteen any more. Or even under thirty. And it shows.

It isn’t the cheap beer, the late nights or even the fast-food that’s the problem. It’s girls. And life. And most of all . . . each other. WISH YOU WERE HERE is a heart-warming, funny and wise tale about love and friendship and how seven days in the sun can change your life forever.

Happy reading!

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Chat About Books

Letters From The Dead – Ryan’s Story by Mark Tilbury

Letters From The Dead – Ryan’s Story by Mark Tilbury I was so excited to hear from Mark Tilbury about his new book, Letters from the Dead, especially as it’s been quite a while since his last book. I have read and loved everything Mark has published so you can understand my excitement! Ryan’s story is […]
Letters From The Dead – Ryan’s Story by Mark Tilbury

Today I’m re-blogging my review as part of Mark Tilbury’s Blog Tour ….

Another ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read!

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Chat About Books · 3 Comments

Letters From The Dead – Ryan’s Story by Mark Tilbury

Letters From The Dead – Ryan’s Story

by Mark Tilbury

I was so excited to hear from Mark Tilbury about his new book, Letters from the Dead, especially as it’s been quite a while since his last book. I have read and loved everything Mark has published so you can understand my excitement!

Ryan’s story is just brilliant! Traumatic (as I would expect from #TwistedTilbury) but brilliant.

Claire has a fascinating gift. She calls it automatic writing. She receives messages from the dead, but not as other mediums do. They write letters through her and she has absolutely no awareness of it happening as she is writing. It started when her mother came through to her and she’s used her gift as a comfort to many since.

However, when a mother reaches out for help tracing her missing nineteen-year-old soon she is reluctant to help. Finding missing people isn’t her thing. Ryan is determined to let them know what has happened to him though and Claire has absolutely no choice but to listen. With the help of her husband, her sister, and her sister’s ex-policeman (complete sceptic) husband she realises she needs to find out the truth of what happened to Ryan to give him, herself, and his mother some peace.

Ryan’s story is nothing short of horrific. A young life snatched away for no justifiable reason at all by someone who truly made my skin crawl. My heart went out to him.

I really felt for Claire and understood her conflicted feelings at the beginning. I worried for her health throughout the whole ordeal too, but I take my hat off to her for facing her fears in the hope of helping another mother.

I loved Claire’s relationship with her husband and her sister and the dynamic between her sister and her brother-in-law, especially considering her brother-in-law’s scepticism for Claire’s gift. He’s a retired policeman though so he was bound to be drawn in to the mystery of it all.

A great bunch of characters dealing with a horrendous situation. I was totally gripped and as invested in finding out the truth as much as they were.

A completely compelling but heart-breaking story which I’m sure will stay with me for a long time to come.

If you love a dark psychological thriller, you will love this one.

I can’t wait to read whatever Mark writes next.

** Many thanks to Mark Tilbury for my digital ARC **

Lifting the veil between the dead and the living

Psychic medium, Claire Brealey, has spent the last twenty-seven years offering comfort and validation to the bereaved by way of automatic writing. But when Dawn Osbourne asks her to try to locate her missing son, Ryan, she is dragged into the deranged world of a serial killer with a pathological hatred of gay men.

Over the coming days, without conscious awareness of doing so, Claire writes the horrific details of what happened to Ryan after he left a nightclub in Oxford. She documents the warped reasoning of his captor, the dreadful fate of his other victims, and his unquenchable thirst for revenge and murder.

With no idea of who the killer is, or where he lives, Claire turns to her brother-in-law, Nick Plumley, a retired policeman, to search for clues among the pages she has transcribed in her journal.

Can they find the killer and stop him before he strikes again?
Can they get justice for Ryan’s family?

Letters From the Dead is the story of unseen forces working through one woman to bring justice for the victims of a deadly psychopath, and put an end to his murderous rampage.

Pre-order now for only 99p!

Out on the 21st July!

Happy reading!

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Chat About Books · 1 Comment

Final Weeks by Mel Sherratt (Book 9 of 9: Detective Allie Shenton) #ARC #TeamSherratt

Final Weeks

by Mel Sherratt

Final Weeks has been a bittersweet read as I love the Allie Shenton series, and this is the last ever book in this series ☹

It’s the end of an era!

If you haven’t already read this series, you are really missing out. Taunting the Dead is where it all began, way back when. A brilliant start to the series. If you read that I guarantee you will soon find the series addictive. Treat yourself. You can thank me later.

Anyway, in this, book 9 of 9, Allie is back from sick leave and takes on a cold case. The case of a missing 15-year-old girl from 15 years ago.

Allie soon realises things weren’t adding up back then and is determined to find out why the case was dismissed so easily.

As more evidence presents itself it becomes more obvious that there’s more to this case than a missing teenager.

I love that Allie’s last case is a cold case and one that feels somewhat personal for her. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed joining her on her quest for the truth.

Set in good ole Stoke-on-Trent this is another pacey addition to an already excellent series. A fabulous team dynamic. Characters I have grown to love and think of as friends. There are of course many a dodgy character a lot less lovable but fascinating in their own way. Their stories far from black and white. This series ticks all the boxes if you love a police procedural crime thriller as I do.

I will miss Allie and the team. I wish them every success and happiness for their future. I feel honoured to have followed their journey from the very beginning. Proud to be part of #TeamSherratt

** Many thanks to Mel Sherratt for my digital ARC **

Set within the gritty streets of Stoke-on-Trent, this fast-paced British detective novel is a dark murder mystery with an emotional pull.

After an injury in the line of duty, DI Allie Shenton is on a phased return to work and has been allocated a cold case to investigate. Fifteen years ago, teenager Holly Rigby vanished from Forest Avenue, and the case was filed away unsolved.

But one crossed-out line and a missing statement in Holly’s notes makes Allie question the last sighting, the official timeline, and the truth everyone accepted because it was easier.

As she reinterviews the people who knew Holly best – her mother, her closest friends – the stories don’t match. And when witnesses finally speak out, Allie realises something far worse than a runaway happened that night. Holly might not have left Forest Avenue, and someone in the original investigation went to great lengths to make sure nobody could prove it.Twisted Lives is the ninth and final instalment in the Allie Shenton series of crime thrillers from the multi-million selling British author, Mel Sherratt, and perfect for fans of Helen Durrant, DS Butler, LJ Ross, Joy Ellis and Caroline Mitchell.

‘A gritty, authentic, fast-paced read that you won’t want to put down.’ Caroline Mitchell

‘Mel Sherratt is the new queen of gritty police procedurals.’ C L Taylor

‘Sherratt is a unique voice in detective fiction.’ Mail on Sunday.

‘I love all Mel Sherratt’s books.’ Ian Rankin

Happy reading!

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Chat About Books · 1 Comment

The Quiet Kill: The thrilling new crime series introducing Detective Jamie Day by Robert Bryndza #ARC #NetGalley

The Quiet Kill: The thrilling new crime series introducing Detective Jamie Day

by Robert Bryndza

I couldn’t resist bumping this to the top of my TBR as so many of my friends rave about Robert Bryndza books and I am SO late to the party! The start of a brand-new series was too enticing, and I am so glad I gave in as I absolutely loved it.

Detective Jamie Day is immediately likeable. He’s somewhat thrown in at the deep end as soon he arrives in London from his seaside hometown. Talk about hitting the ground running. Finding a dismembered body on his first day in plain clothes before he’s even had a chance to unpack in his new home. No time to settle in, straight at it. And it isn’t long before they realise they might have a serial killer targeting a specific type of victim.

This killer is unique to any I’ve read before. He’s clever, he’s manipulative, he’s living a double life right under his wife’s nose, his victims come to him willingly without realising the danger they’re putting themselves in. He truly made my skin crawl. I was willing Jamie and the team to find him before he took any more lives, and I thoroughly enjoyed following them as they figure out who he is and where to find him.

I love that this is set in 1987. It was like a breath of fresh air, a murder mystery without the aid of a lot of today’s modern technology. Old fashioned policing and prejudices, some of which are quite scary considering it’s not really that long ago.

I really enjoyed the team dynamic and look forward to where book two might take them.

** Many thanks to the author and publisher for my advance digital copy of The Quiet Kill via NetGalley **

Winter, 1987. Detective Jamie Day arrives in London determined to prove himself. After years policing a quiet seaside town, his promotion to the Metropolitan Police feels like the opportunity he has been waiting for.

But the capital is a very different world.

On his first day in plain clothes, Jamie makes a grim discovery: the dismembered body of a young man, left in a dark corner of the city. What should have been a routine first shift quickly becomes the beginning of a major murder investigation.

Then another victim is found.

As winter deepens, young men are being killed late at night across London, their bodies discovered in eerily similar circumstances. The detectives soon realise they may be hunting a serial killer.

Working alongside a tough and experienced team, Jamie must prove he belongs while navigating the pressures of a high-profile investigation. But as the case grows darker, the killer’s pattern begins to emerge. And if they don’t stop him soon, another body will be waiting in the shadows.

Happy reading!

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Chat About Books

The WW1 Collection by Malcolm Havard

Leviathan: A Story of the Great War by the author of “Eleven Days” (The WW1 Collection)

I was about to start Eleven Days when I realised I hadn’t read Leviathan yet! What an excellent start to the series. I cannot imagine being so young with so much responsibility during the war. It must have been terrifying! I like how the pilot goes back to happier times, in his mind, to keep himself calm throughout what must have been such a scary experience. Looking forward to jumping straight into Eleven Days now….

Late 1916. Giants lurk in southern England’s stormy skies, carrying a deadly load to rain down on the populace. And it’s up to a pilot in a frail biplane to stop it.

It’s nighttime, dark and blustery. He’s got no lights, almost no instruments, and just one gun. His aircraft is old and worn-out. It is more of a danger to him than to the enemy. But his country expects him to do his duty. He doesn’t want to let the side down. It’s not the done thing.

He’s scared. He’s alone. He has nothing but his thoughts and memories for company.

And he’s just 19.

ELEVEN DAYS: A novel of the great war (The WW1 Collection Book 2)

Eleven Days is a compelling read centred around nineteen-year-old Eddie Grenville. He wants to follow in his older brother’s footsteps as a pilot but soon learns that his brother isn’t quite the hero he thought he was. He’s not at all in a good place when he starts his first posting in France.

As I said before I cannot imagine being a pilot in a world war at the tender age of nineteen (or at any age to be honest) although I imagine it’s a more exciting prospect for a young lad. It’s frankly terrifying to me though and no wonder so many of them never returned home. Understandable that people felt they needed to do their bit though. A sense of duty to their country. I take my hat off to them.

Far from a straightforward tale about British aircrew in WW1 this is a complex novel about the intricacies of aviation and air combat but also family, friendship, betrayal, and the psychological impact of combat and its inevitable effect on the pilots’ personal lives.

A fascinating read!

I’m already reading book three, Three Brothers.

** I purchased the kindle edition of Eleven Days on 2^nd July 2020 **

SPRING 1917. A storm is about to break.. A storm of bullets delivered by the Albatros’ of the Red Baron and his pilots…

Eddie Grenville doesn’t know the hell he’s about to fly into. Eddie is 19 and just finished school. He is idealistic and maybe a bit naive. He looks up to his older brother Percy, who he has followed into the RFC.

But then he finds out that Percy has commited a war crime, one that it revealed would both blacken the family name and tear it apart, though a ruthless press baron is intent on turning Percy into a hero, Eddie, confused and distraught, takes the first posting in France available – just in time to experience Bloody April where the lifespan of British aircrew is measured in days.

Can Eddie survive with his mind and body intact?

Three Brothers: A novel of air combat in the Great War (The WW1 Collection Book 3)

These books just get better. I think Three Brothers has been my favourite and I think that’s because of the characters as much as anything else. I really enjoyed the friendship/relationship dynamics between Felix, Ted, and Max.

The three were best friends, and inseparable as children, once Felix and Ted got over the fact that Max is a girl! Max just wanted to be one of the boys and they were soon up to mischief which sometimes got them into trouble. One time would change the direction of their friendships forever.

It’s 1918. They have all had to go their separate ways. The boys are fighting for different countries and, despite being family, loyalties are truly tested. Max is risking her life in determination of keeping them both alive to the end of the war. The boys must decide between each other or loyalty to their country. This made for such a tense plot line alongside the emotional personal side of the story.

As with the previous books there are a lot of wonderful descriptions of wartime aircraft and air combat. Battles fought and many young lives lost. It must have been a truly awful four years for all involved. I do find the wartimes fascinating. From those on the front line, in the air, or left at home worrying about loved ones and doing what they could to ‘do their bit’. It is the characters that definitely made this book for me though. I was completely invested in their stories.

** I purchased the Kindle edition of Three Brothers on 15^th June 2021 **

Germany is on the brink of defeat, it’s armies pushed back on all fronts. The air force turns to wonder weapons to try turn the tide. No, this is not 1945, it’s 1918 and will result in what became known as Black September for the Allies.

Felix Wolff would rather not kill his cousin Ted. But if he gets the chance, he will. Ted is an American fighting for the British, while Felix is flying for the Germans in Fokker DVII, an aircraft far superior to Ted’s. Both men love the same woman. The three had grown up together and were closer than brothers, and it was she who caused the rift between Felix and Ted.

She is now a Swiss Red Cross official able to cross the lines. She needs to get information on the Fokker to Ted which can keep him alive. But if Felix supplies it, he’s committing treason, and she, if caught, could be shot as a spy.

Will any or all survive the last few months of the conflict?

Happy reading!

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Chat About Books · 1 Comment

Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, ballroom & the messy inbetween by John Whaite

Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, ballroom & the messy inbetween

by John Whaite

Dancing on Eggshells was gifted to me from a Bookstagram friend last year for my Birthday, from my wish list, and I’ve really enjoyed it. It didn’t take me too long to read it, but I am so behind with my reviews. This is the first chance I’ve had.

I remember John winning The Great British Bake off and I also enjoyed watching him dance with JoJo on Strictly Come Dancing. As Soon as he announced this book, I added it to my wish list as I love a good memoir, and I’m always interested to find out more about people we think we know because they’re on telly!

I didn’t realise just how much he has struggled throughout his life. Although, he is genuinely thankful for all the opportunities he’s been able to take advantage of.

This is a very frank and honest account of his life growing up as well as his young adult life including his years in the limelight. There have been many ups and downs, not least the pressure he felt to fit in as a young gay lad.

I love that his Mum ran a chippy when he was growing up. His whole life seems to have been centred around food in one way or another. There are some recipes peppered throughout this book which I am very much looking forward to working my way through. Chocolate coconut macaroon brownies up first!

** Many thanks to Zoe for gifting me the hardcover copy of this book. **

‘I never thought I’d write a memoir. I never thought I’d do a lot of the things I have done in my thirty-four years, but life has a wonderful way of surprising us.’

Well-known as the winner of the third series of The Great British Bake Off and runner up of Strictly Come Dancing with his same-sex dance partner Johannes Radebe, John Whaite’s personal story is a complicated narrative of contradictions, highs and lows, told with tenderness, joy, insight and wit, but also unflinching honesty.

A shy little boy from rural Lancashire, who was sacred to sleep alone and danced a little ‘too gay’ at family weddings, he was also an unruly teen who shaved a checkerboard pattern into his hair and refused to conform.

From childhood his life has revolved around food – his parents owned a fish and chip shop where John worked in the back peeling potatoes – but for long periods he has been haunted by bulimia and body dysmorphia and not a day goes by when he doesn’t worry about what or how much he eats.

He achieved TV fame but then seemingly wilfully chose to self-destruct, before finding the strength to pull back when he woke up in a car with half a kebab at his feet and chilli sauce on his shoes.

Through it all, his essential optimism has meant that he has chosen to take every step back as a chance to reassess and begin again, finally arriving at the realisation that external validation and fulfilment is transient – a distraction from the sometimes painful pilgrimage we make as we gain wisdom from our experiences.

Happy reading!

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Chat About Books · 5 Comments

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

I purchased a paperback copy of Project Hail Mary when the film started at the cinema. I haven’t seen the film yet as I wanted to read the book first and although I don’t tend to gravitate towards Sci-Fi I really, really, loved this story!

This book is quite science heavy but not in an overwhelming way. I didn’t understand a lot of it but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment in any way. Ryland Grace is a brilliant character and one I warmed to immediately. His reaction to the situation he finds himself in is very believable. His story is fascinating to follow. It is quite hilarious a lot of the time, which I loved.

I love the woman who decided to send him on this mission (her name escapes me, sorry, because I finished this book a while ago now). She absolutely takes no prisoners. She could probably stop any war with just a look! Lol! Excellent character! We need more people like her in this world.

My favourite character by far though is Rocky! What a dude! No idea what he is really, and he’d probably frighten me to death in real life, but he grew on me very quickly and I love the friendship him and Ryland develop alongside working towards to the same goal. Genius writing! I absolutely loved it and I can’t wait to watch the film now.

A lone astronaut.
An impossible mission.
An ally he never imagined.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission – and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery-and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could imagine it, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian — while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.