Very behind on book reviews, need to catch up!

#75 Better Off Dead by Lee Child. The 26th Reacher novel may not be the sheer tour de force of some of its predecessors, but its still an enjoyable way to spend a weekend. There's enough here to keep me wanting more Reacher for a while yet 📚💙

#74 The Malevolent Eight by @decastell.bsky.social. Oh this is fun. Hilarious, witty, violent, depraved, and fun. This was such a joy to read - it picks up from book 1 and just takes the crazy to new levels. As ever, de Castell's writing is compelling and engaging, and not one page is wasted 📚💙

#73 End Game. The final Will Robie book by David Baldacci is a non stop page turner that is the explosive finale that Robie deserves. A cracking read 📚💙

#72 The Chalk Pit by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social. Such a comforting and easy read with old friends, that again doesn't fail to touch on and discuss darker and difficult subjects. I'd love to devour the rest of the series but dont want them to end! 📚💙

#71 A Schooling in Murder. Such an entertaining and clever new standalone by Andrew Taylor. Written from the perspective of a (recently murdered) ghost, we follow her as she invisibly wanders the grounds of a boarding school trying to solve her murder. Its clever and unique and a great whodunnit 📚💙

#70 The Ex Wife by @timsullivanauthor.bsky.social Another entertaining short story featuring the brilliant George Cross. A great way to pass a spare hour, and a perfect reminder of just how good these books are 📚💙

#69 A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. This uniquely brilliant series gets even better. Such a great concept that is expanded and broadened in this second book. Such a pleasure to read, one of those rare books you wish wouldnt end 📚💙

#68 Carnival of Lies by @dvbishop.com. The 5th book in the brilliant Aldo series might just be the best yet. A thrilling adventure that drags Aldo from Florence to Venice and back. Its such a fun read. Contessa Valentine Coltello is such a joyful character to read (need a standalone!) I loved it 📚💙

#67 The Guilty by David Baldacci. Another brilliant instalment in the Will Robie series. Robie and Reel are such great characters to read. The action as ever is non-stop, and never fails to let my attention slip 📚💙

To celebrate the completion of The Library Trilogy with THE BOOK THAT HELD HER HEART, I'm giving away the full set of signed Locked Library special editions. To enter just repost. Contest held across my socials - enter elsewhere too to increase chances. Winner chosen randomly from all entries.

#66 The Savage Isle by Michael Arnold. The first in a new series set in Britain on the eve of the Roman invasion. Its such a great read. Told from the British perspective, it focuses on the tribes and their way of life with the looming threat of Rome on the horizon. A unique and remarkable story 📚💙

#65 A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. This is an intriguing and immersive fantasy tale. I don't think i was able to give it the time and commitment it deserved unfortunately, but there was a lot here to enjoy 📚💙

#64 The Man in the Canary Waistcoat by @susangrosseyauthor.bsky.social. The second Sam Plank novel is another brilliant Regency financial crime thriller. Plank is such a great character. These books are such a joy to read 📚💙

#63 Battle of the Bands by @caimhmc.bsky.social Another hilarious short story featuring Bunny McGarry. Everything Caimh writes has me in stiches, and this is no exception 📚💙

#62 The Wanted by Robert Crais. Another brilliant read from the brilliant Robert Crais. The writing is so slick and easy, he leads us through the story at breakneck pace, yet it never feels rushed. No page is ever wasted. A genius at work 📚💙

#61 The White Knight by Scott Mariani. Ben Hope comes to the aid of an old friend in another thrilling adventure that spans the globe. I always enjoy spending more time with Ben and his loyal mates 📚💙

#60 The Art of a Lie by @laurasrobinson.bsky.social. Such a hugely enjoyable read. I've been looking forward to getting my hands on this for ages. Brilliantly written, and ingeniously plotted. Unlike previous books by the author, we're given the twist early, and the brilliance is not knowing (1/2)

#59 The Woman in Blue by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social. Another brilliant read in the Ruth Galloway series. A brilliant mix of religion and mysticism, this is a seriously good murder mystery that really did keep me guessing 📚💙

#58 The Grave in the Ice by Satu Ramo. The second book in this brilliant Icelandic crime series. Carrying on from book 1, we follow Hildur and Jakob as they deal with another murder mystery. These books are dark, which fit with the frosty, cold setting, but theyre so enjoyable I love them 📚💙

#57 The Sentinel by Lee Child. Another strong Reacher novel after the series had begun to wane a bit. The first to be co-written with his brother, not that I noticed a difference in style at all. Really gripping and great fun as ever 📚💙

#56 The Last Voice You Hear by Mick Herron. Book 2 in the Zoe Boehm series. A really enjoyable thriller that takes a little while to get going. Not as polished a book as anything from the Slow Horses series, but early signs of Herron's brilliant wit effortless diaglogue 📚💙

#55 Fatal Forgery by @susangrosseyauthor.bsky.social. This is such an enjoyable book. A financial crime mystery set in Regency London, we're introduced to Constable Sam Plank as he tries to unravel a seemingly straightforward crime. Great stuff, cant wait to read the rest 📚💙

#54 The Target by David Baldacci. My favourite Will Robie book so far. The scope seems much vaster than usual in a Baldacci book, which leads to a multi layered thriller that keeps the action coming page after page 📚💙

#53 A Man Dies But Once by @matthewharffy.bsky.social. A brilliant prequal novella to the equally brilliant Dark Frontier. I hope we get more westerns from Harffy. The writing, as always, is top quality. For such a short story he packs a lot in here. Its entertaining as hell and so enjoyable 📚💙

#52 Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny. Im always left feeling bereft after finishing a Gamache book. They're such emotional powerhouses. Penny's writing is always so beautiful yet so visceral. I savor every page, then find myself needing a break of a month or so before going again. Genius 📚💙

#51 Smoke and Mirrors by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social. Gripping second outing for Stephens and Mephisto. I'm once again impressed with Griffiths' ability to deal with tough subject matters in her plots, whilst keeping the story racing along at a hectic pace 📚💙

#50 The Politician by @timsullivanauthor.bsky.social. Another DS Cross book that I loved. Firstly its a brilliant mystery novel. But what takes it to another level is the ongoing story delving into Cross' family and growing relationships with other characters. Top class writing 📚💙

#49 Shroud by @aptshadow.bsky.social. Yet more brilliant stand alone sci-fi from Adrian Tchaikovsky. This is a dark and atmospheric tale of first contact. Its brilliantly written. Chock full of the effortless use humour in scenarios which on occasions border on a horror story 📚💙

I have a book coming out in April. It’s an historical thriller based on actual events; the birth of opera, and the culture wars of 1650, which have a surprising resemblance to our own.

#48 The Venetian Heretic by @phokion.bsky.social. An early contender for my book of the year. What an incredible read. This is Christian Cameron at his imperious best. He breathes such life into 17th century Venice and this wonderful cast of characters. The writing is phenomenal, the plot is (1/2)

#47 Bag of Bones by @stephenking.bsky.social. Kings at his chilling best when writing about authors. It’s obvious why, but the sense of solitude and loneliness he captures just adds to the eeriness of the plot. This is a cracker 📚💙

#46 The Clues in the Ford by Satu Rämö. A thrilling mystery novel set in Iceland. This is a great debut novel. The author brilliantly weaves a number of plots and seemingly unconnected murders towards a gripping conclusion. Its a bleak, dark book but totally gripping 📚💙

#45 The Blackbird of St Giles by Lila Cain. A fantastically enjoyable novel set in 18th Century London. Having escaped slavery in Jamaica, we follow the grueling story of Daniel and Pearl as they fight to survive in the St Giles rookery. It's a dark and gripping tale, well worth a read 📚💙

#44 Bullseye by David Baldacci. A fun short story sees the Camel Club and assassin Will Robie join forces to bring down a team of potential assassins. It was great seeing characters from 2 series interact, would love to see more of it 📚💙

#43 The Unrecovered by Richard Strachan. I appear to be on a run of chilling books set in Scotland... This is a creepy tale set during the First World War. Its a story of grief and loss, against the backdrop of madness and PTSD. Not fully what i expected, but an enjoyable read nonetheless 📚💙

#42 The Blood Is Still by @dougskelton.bsky.social. The follow up to Thunder Bay is such a terrific read. It really feels like the series had been taken up a notch. The storyline is gripping and believable. The characters feel real. Its such well written book, i couldnt put this down. Brilliant 📚💙

#41 The Ghost Fields by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social is an tale of family intrigue and murder set against the backdrop of a deadly storm. As ever this is so well plotted and written, and at this stage of the series, the characters are so family and effortless to read. Really enjoyable 📚💙

#40 The Zig Zag Girl by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social. Something a bit different from the Ruth Galloway series, but just as charming and compelling. 1950s Brighton is a refreshing setting for a crime series. This is brilliantly written with a great twist at the end 📚💙

#39 The Lost Boys by @timsullivanauthor.bsky.social. A DS Cross short story, this is a hugely enjoyable read. Even with its short length, Cross' brilliant character is given room to thrive. Great fun 📚💙

#38 Thunder Bay by @dougskelton.bsky.social. The first Rebecca Conolly thriller, and what a book this is. Set on a secluded Scottish Isle, its a brilliant murder mystery. A great cast of characters, with a gloomy, atmospheric setting, this one kept me up guessing into the early hours 📚💙

#37 The Hit by @davidbaldacci.bsky.social. Will Robie's second outing is a extremely enjoyable thriller. Sent to hunt down another assassin, Robie discovers not everything is what it seems 📚💙

#36 Unquiet Spirits by @macbird.bsky.social. Book 2 in this series, and as with the first its a great murder mystery. Set against a backdrop of a whiskey distillery in Scotland, Sherlock and Watson try to solve a number of bloody murders. Really enjoyable, look forward to reading more of these 📚💙

#35 The Book That Held Her Heart by @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social. Fuck me, what a book. Its incredible. What with the current political landscape around the world, this feels like such an important, necessary book. Reminding us of the power of words and books. Reminding us that those who (1/2)

#34 Blue Moon by Lee Child. The best Reacher book I've read in a long while. This felt like a throwback to the early books in the series. So having become a bit disillusioned with Reacher, it felt good to see him back to his best 📚💙

#33 Graveyard of Empires by Scott Mariani. 26 books in and I'm still enjoying the Ben Hope series just as much as i did at the beginning. The latest sees Ben thrust back into military life in the middle east. Its action packed and great fun 📚💙

#32 The Outcast Dead by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social. This series keeps getting better. This book feels much darker and sinister than previous books, dealing with child murder and abduction. But again its brilliantly written, with a great twist at the end 📚💙

#31 The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. Wow what a book. I stumbled on this by accident because i liked the cover, and was instantly hooked. Its a brilliant premise; a fantasy Sherlock Holmes, and the author pulls it off brilliantly. I would happily read a lot more of these. So so good 📚💙

#30 A Cold Wind From Moscow by Rory Clements sees the series move from the Second World War to the Cold War, but is just as good as ever. With Hitler now dead, Tom Wilde is tasked with uncovering a Soviet spy in the 8th thriller in this brilliant series. Great stuff as always 📚💙

#29 Cage of Souls by @aptshadow.bsky.social. This is such a brilliant standalone novel from Tchaikovsky. A prison memoir set on the dying Earth far in the future, its packed full of the author's usual witty dialogue, with a number of wild subplots that come together quite brilliantly 📚💙