I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould, which I was actually on the street team for, so thank you to Courtney and Wednesday Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beck Birsching has been adrift since the death of her mother, a brilliant but troubled investigative reporter. She finds herself unable to stop herself from slipping into memories of happier days, clamoring for a time when things were normal. So when a mysterious letter in her mother’s handwriting arrives in the mail with the words Come and find me, pointing to a town called Backravel, Beck hopes that it may hold the answers.
But when Beck and her sister Riley arrive in Backravel, Arizona it’s clear that there’s something off about the town. There are no cars, no cemeteries, no churches. The town is a mix of dilapidated military structures and new, shiny buildings, all overseen by the town’s gleaming treatment center high on a plateau. No one seems to remember when they got there, and the only people who seem to know more than they’re letting on is the town’s enigmatic leader and his daughter, Avery.
As the sisters search for answers about their mother, Beck and Avery become more drawn together, and their unexpected connection brings up emotions Beck has buried since her mother’s death. Beck is desperate to hold onto the way things used to be, and when she starts losing herself in Backravel and its connection to her mother, will there be a way for Beck to pull herself out?
Publication Date: 20th June
TW: grief, loss of a family member, emotional abuse mental illness, PTSD, memory loss, cancer, death, animal death, child death
My Thoughts:
Where Echoes Die proves just why Courtney Gould is an enchantress of a storyteller. Her works are quietly devastating, deeply atmospheric and invested in their fractured characters.
This is a beautiful meditation on grief and the slow process of loss. Grief comes in a myriad of forms and emotional refractions. Gould captures that devastation of a gradual loss, spun out over many years and through different forms. This underpins the entire narrative, essentially asking what you would sacrifice to rectify your mistakes and return to a moment lost forever in time. It is a thoroughly modern take on the classic ghost story. Gould’s ghosts are rooted in trauma and emotional confrontation for her protagonists. They represent the unanswered questions death leave you with and the endless possibilities of what could have been. This sensitivity and nuance is astounding and truly elevates the book.
Another thread connecting Gould’s works is a soft, subtle and stunning sapphic romance. I love the way it builds here and interweaves with the wider story being told. It is a tense read with plenty of secrets to dig up and mysteries to unpick. At the same time, it is always willing to sit with its characters and their fractured narratives. In particular, the central theme of family relationships was one that I adored. The dynamic between Beck and Riley was so beautiful, messy and authentically human. Here are two sisters split forever by the losses they have endured and yet grief impacts them so differently. The way they learn to grow and heal with one another is a heart-warming moment.
Where Echoes Die is a spooky, spell-binding story that shines brightly in its characterisation, atmosphere and nuanced depiction of grief.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Murder on a School Night by Kate Weston. Thank you to Electric Monkey for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
There’s never a good time to find a dead body. But finding a dead body while you’re trying to kiss your crush? Dead awkward.
All Kerry wants to do is stay at home with her rom-coms and strict retainer schedule. Instead, her BFF Annie has roped her into going to their first sixth-form party to investigate who’s cyberbullying Heather, the most popular girl in school.
On the cusp of kissing her dreamy crush, Scott, Kerry discovers the body of Heather’s second in command – suffocated with a menstrual cup. Within days, another student turns up dead, this time with a sanitary pad across the eyes. Now Annie and Kerry are officially on the case to stop the menstrual murderer… period.
Publication Date: 6th July
TW: death, violence, murder, blood, gore, sexism, misogyny
My Thoughts:
Murder on a School Night was a darkly comedic and incisive story with its social commentary, breaking down barriers through representation.
This was a brilliant mesh of feminism, hilarious writing and a cracking mystery to boot. The twists were excellent, the plotting was spot-on and the characterisation shone through. Weston’s prose sparkles with humour and an ability to perfectly capture authentic teenage dialogue – nothing ever felt cringey.
Kate Weston has this knack for crafting hilarious, yet deeply cutting and socially conscious stories. Murder on a School Night is no exception, spinning a fierce and feminist tale within a murder mystery using period products. This opens up a variety of conversations around the taboos associated with periods, products and the commercialisation of feminism. I loved this exploration, at once thoughtful and terrific, yet also side splitting in other moments. Periods are never treated as something to be ashamed of or as the sole punchline. There is simply too much else going on!
This book also had excellent characterisation. Kerry captured a moment of all of us in our teenage years – striving for popularity, success and love. She hides it beneath a sneering, very funny commentary but that pull of friendship remains. The darker allure of popularity is epitomised in Annie, with toxic relationships being shown in a platonic and romantic setting. I appreciated Weston showing these, as it’s incredibly educational and helpful for younger readers to be able to spot these traits. Their friendship is the core of the book and I also loved how much Annie got invested in solving the mystery, paying homage to Golden Age detectives of crime and true crime fanatics now.
Murder on a School Night is a brilliant concoction of murder, mayhem and misguided teenage ambition. It ticks every book in my mystery loving heart.
Finally, I’d like to delve into The Housekeepers by Alex Hay. Thank you to Headline Books for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and thieves, she’s made herself respectable, running the grandest home in Mayfair. The place is packed with treasures, a glittering symbol of wealth and power, but dark secrets lurk in the shadows.
When Mrs. King is suddenly dismissed from her position, she recruits an eclectic group of women to join her in revenge: A black market queen out to settle her scores. An actress desperate for a magnificent part. A seamstress dreaming of a better life. And Mrs. King’s predecessor, with her own desire for vengeance.
Their plan? On the night of the house’s highly anticipated costume ball—set to be the most illustrious of the year—they will rob it of its every possession, right under the noses of the distinguished guests and their elusive heiress host. But there’s one thing Mrs. King wants even more than money: the truth. And she’ll run any risk to get it…
Publication Date: 6th July
TW: death, sexual abuse, rape, sexual harassment, child abuse
My Thoughts:
The Housekeepers yanks down the curtain on high society to reveal the rotting belly underneath.
This was just a scandalous and shocking thrill ride. It is a heist novel, rife with secrets and social commentary, but it is also an exploration of family, power and abuse of that status. I loved Hay’s blend of cutting and heartbreaking social commentary, though be warned that it does go to some extremely dark places at times. The abuse of power is sickening and adds an extra layer of personal motivation for many characters.
I have always loved heist narratives, particularly those with a redistribution vendetta. Hay structures this in a way that makes you race through the pages. We get glimpses into all of the main players and gradually get to learn their motivations. It is like watching a large jigsaw puzzle slowly come together. The interpersonal connections are a complex web, with shocking revelations and intriguing emotions coming to the surface. It is superb how this manages to be a mystery, adventure and historical narrative at the same time. Hay plays with generic conventions perfectly. Every time you think you have everything planned out, trust me – you do not.
This is a book with such heart and soul, embodied in the layered characterisation of each plot thread. They all bring their own expertises to the plot, but also their own personal vendettas and thirsts for revenge. These all culminate in an explosive and deeply cathartic conclusion. I was throughly invested. Hays’ writing feels so lush and cinematic, with tight pacing and plotting. It felt like you fully stepped into the scene and got to know these larger than life characters, peeling back their masks to reveal the truth.
The Housekeepers is a genre-breaking heist novel that tears down walls and imbues its pages with heart, grit and determination to claim justice at any costs.
A Short Book Lover 
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