Posted on December 29, 2025 by Chat About Books

Whatever It Takes by Mick Williams

Whatever It Takes

by Mick Williams

Whatever It Takes had been on my TBR list for far too long so Mick Williams re-editing and re-releasing it was the kick up the bum I needed to bump it up my reading list!

Apologies to Mick for the late review. The Christmas chaos took over!

What a brilliant read! Not that I’m surprised as I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Mick Williams.

Cory Keller is a fabulous character. Finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time leads to him being the target of some extremely undesirable people (to put it mildly). It takes him a little while to convince the local Sheriff of what he witnessed but it isn’t long before circumstances leave him in no doubt at all of what they’re up against. Luckily for Keller, he knows how to handle himself, but there isn’t only his own life at risk.

Talk about fast-paced and full of action! A compelling plot, brilliant characters, suspense, humour, and a bit of romance. I loved it! There are also many excellently choreographed fight scenes throughout this book which would look fantastic on the big screen.

Another easy five stars for me!

** Many thanks to Mick Williams for my epub review copy **

Watkins Forge is a typical small town. But when widower Cory Keller climbs into a deer stand one autumn morning, he sees something no outsider was meant to witness: a man executed in cold blood.

The sheriff calls him crazy. And when the assassin returns to silence him, Keller realizes he isn’t just a witness—he’s now a target.

Cornered in a place he can’t escape, Keller does the one thing he knows: he fights back.

Hunted across backroads and deep woods, he turns the predator into prey. But every move reveals a deeper truth—the killer isn’t working alone.

Watkins Forge has been compromised.

His only ally is Ashley, a street-smart, feisty waitress who believes him when no one else will. But standing with Keller puts her in the crosshairs.

Outnumbered and outgunned, he’ll have to use every ounce of cunning and grit to survive.

Because in the town he’s grown to love, surrender isn’t an option.

NOTE: This is a new version of a previously released story.

Treat yourself….

Happy reading &

Happy New Year!

Posted on December 29, 2025 by Chat About Books

Whiteout (Dark Iceland Book 4) by Ragnar Jónasson (Author), Quentin Bates (Translator)

Whiteout (Dark Iceland Book 4)

by Ragnar Jónasson (Author), Quentin Bates (Translator)

Whiteout is book four in the brilliant Dark Iceland series. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series so far and I’ve already started book five!

In this book Ari Thor & Tomas find themselves investigating the suspicious death of a young woman, right before Christmas. It’s assumed she has committed suicide, but Ari Thor isn’t convinced and is determined to find out the truth despite likely having to sacrifice a proper Christmas with his very pregnant fiancé. Something isn’t quite adding up and the more he delves in to this case the more he becomes convinced she didn’t jump.

Another fast-paced crime thriller set in a dark, oppressive corner of Iceland. More fascinating characters and a plot that had me suspecting everyone and second guessing everything. As usual I was completely wrong and the story took a sharp turn in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Brilliant!

Looking forward to getting properly stuck in to book five now all the Christmas socialising is over….

Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs of the deserted village of Kálfshamarvík.

Did she jump, or did something more sinister take place beneath the lighthouse and the abandoned old house on the remote rocky outcrop?
With winter closing in and the snow falling relentlessly, Ari Thór Arason discovers that the victim’s mother and young sister also lost their lives in this same spot, twenty-five years earlier.

As the dark history and its secrets of the village are unveiled, and the death toll begins to rise, the Siglufjordur detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, before another tragedy takes place.

Dark, chilling and complex, Whiteout is a haunting, atmospheric and stunningly plotted thriller from one of Iceland’s bestselling crime writers.

I.C.Y.M.I

Snowblind (Dark Iceland Book 1) by Ragnar Jónasson (Author) Quentin Bates (Translator) @ragnarjo @OrendaBooks

Blackout (Dark Iceland Book 2) by Ragnar Jónasson (Author), Quentin Bates (Translator)

Rupture (Dark Iceland Book 3) by Ragnar Jónasson (Author) @ragnarjo Quentin Bates (Translator) @OrendaBooks

Happy reading!

Posted on December 23, 2025 by Chat About Books · 4 Comments

Murder Before Evensong by Reverend Richard Coles

Murder Before Evensong

by Reverend Richard Coles

Murder Before Evensong has been on my TBR for a while so I was chuffed when it was chosen as our Buddy Read Book Club read for December.

I’m not sure what I expected, but it’s a slow burn, cosy crime story with quite a sad conclusion. I really enjoyed it overall. At the beginning there isn’t much drama other than if, and when, they will finally install a toilet in the church. As a church goer, and a church treasurer for over eleven years, I found some of these characters very amusing and totally relatable. Some people really do think that they have their own pew and God forbid anyone else sits there or tries to change absolutely anything!

The story ramps up a bit when a regular parishioner is found dead in the church by the Rector. This I definitely can’t relate to, thankfully! From here on in the story becomes much more suspenseful and I was intrigued to find out who, in this quiet little place, might be a murderer.

There are some interesting characters throughout this story. Daniel’s mother amused me. His brother couldn’t be any more different to him. I did wonder where his story might lead.

I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series at some point.

Good choice, Lucie 😊

Canon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton, where he lives alongside his widowed mother – opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey – and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.

When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.

And then Anthony Bowness – cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton – is found dead at the back of the church. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his community together . . . and catch a killer.

Happy reading!

Posted on December 15, 2025 by Chat About Books

Behind Her Smile by Caroline England @CazEngland

Behind Her Smile

by Caroline England

Behind Her Smile is an incredibly tense read. I could just feel that there was more than meets the eye to this story and that it was going to take a disturbing turn at some point. I couldn’t wait to find out how!

It’s a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away, but I was absolutely gripped, as I expected to be with another one of Caroline’s books.

If you love a psychological crime thriller with intriguing characters, complicated relationships, both family and romantic, an extremely clever, twisty plot full of suspense, deceit, love, loss, heart-breaking sadness, and jaw dropping shocks then you will love this book!

I can’t recommend it highly enough.

An easy five stars for me!

**Many thanks to Caroline for my epub review copy**

Buried secrets are dangerous.
Unearthing them might be deadly …

Laurie Dunn has returned to her childhood attic bedroom and her old nightmares have come rushing back. Terrorised by a client-related mugging, her job as a criminal solicitor causes more problems than solutions.

Finn Ballentine yearns for a fresh start, but even the glossy façade of his new law firm can’t protect him from the past he’s running from.

After a disturbing remark by her confused father, Laurie joins forces with Finn to uncover dark truths. But the long-buried secrets they unearth are laced with danger for them both.