One Step Behind by Lauren North

🧠

TW: stalking, harassment, fire, anxiety, bullying, alcoholism, drinking, toxic family relationships, abusive relationship, divorce, cheating, suicide

This was a taut, tense and thrilling examination of stalking and obsessive behaviour, exhibiting the paranoia and trauma it can bring out in its victims. I was glued to the pages.

All The Rage by Cara Hunter

🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: murder, rape, sexual assault, suicide, transphobia, kidnapping, bullying, PTSD, reference to child death

This was not my favourite DI Adam Fawley, though I did enjoy finding out more about his past. As always, the characters were great and that ending set up a great cliffhanger.

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

TW: transphobia, ableism, graphic violence, sexual assault, forced pregnancy, miscarriage, suicidal ideation, medical gore, medical trauma, misogny, sexism, homophobia

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth cements Andrew Joseph White as a must read author for me. They are revolutionising the YA horror genre with exquisite characters and blood-curdling scares. 

Full review here.

Isolation Island by Louise Minchin

TW: murder, death, sexual assault, harassment, abuse, addiction, toxic relationships, manipulation, gaslighting

This was a highly entertaining thriller – think The Traitors meets I’m a Celebrity on steroids. It’s got the allure of fame coupled with the desire to see them come undone.

Full review here.

How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore

🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, murder, violence, gore, bullying, burning, drug use, suicide, hanging, decapitation, stabbing, impalement, blood, vomiting

This  is a wonderfully meta slasher horror comedy story that will keep you up until the early hours racing through the pages. A thrillingly good time – perfect to pick up as the nights grow darker.

Full review here.

The Palace of Eros by Caro de Roberts

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TW: sexism, harassment, sexual assault, rape, queerphobia, domestic violence, abusive power dynamics

I enjoyed this queer take on Eros and Pysche, particuarly in terms of the exploration of gender and sexuality. It was interesting and took a different angle on the myth & had great characterisation.

You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

⭐️

TW: death, murder, violence, cheating, infidelity, online harassment, grief, loss of a parent, racism, fatphobia, domestic abuse, toxic relationships, obsession, stalking

This is a suspenseful and all-consuming psychological thriller that will draw you into its obsessive, toxic relationship. It combines social insights with smart and sharp humour to excellent effect.

Full review here.

Let’s Split Up by Bill Wood

⭐️🏳️‍🌈

TW: death, murder, violence, gore, fire, arson, kidnapping, torture

I have never heard a book that is so perfectly pitched as this one – I heard it’s Scream meets Scooby Doo and I was sold hook, line and sinker. This exceeds every expectation I have to deliver one of my favourite reads of the year so far.

Full review here.

We Are Hunted by Tomi Oyemakinde

⭐️

TW: death, violence, gore, grief, racism, classism, colonialism, imperialism

This was like Juarassic Park but taken to new levels of gore and tension. I really enjoyed the ending for its boldness and the suspense was well-maintained. Something was just missing for me though sadly.

The Whole Truth by Cara Hunter

TW: rape, sexual assault, violence, murder, suicide

I did like how the story continued that cracking cliffhanger from the previous book. I continued the series however though due to the characterisation. This book fizzled for me and the ending was an unsatisfying sting in the tale.

Influencer by Adam Cesare

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, violence, gore, misogny, cult, indoctrination, manipulation

This was a chilling, American Psycho esque peek into the mind of a modern day psychopath. It was such an interesting take on the genre with the power of influencing behind it.

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

TW:  death, sacrifice, suicide, violence, burning, discrimination, bullying, emotional and physical abuse;  ritual sacrifice, child abuse

I loved how much this duology focuses on family, legacy and forging your own community. At its core, this duology is about confronting the roles we are expected to play and seeing if what we are may stretch beyond this.

Full review here.

The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

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TW: death, violence, murder, fire, abuse, domestic abuse, grief, guilt, PTSD

This book crackled with tension – both from suspense and romance. I absolutely adored this fantasy thriller centering on shifting power dynamics between two rival factions with a exhilerating mystery at its heart.

Full review here.

What A Way To Go by Bella Mackie

TW: death, murder, infidelity, harassment, assault, classism, violence, stalking, blackmail

This was the devious love child of Saltburn and Succession for me with scandal, schemes and salacious details. It utilises true crime fascination with such a skewering twist.

Full review here.

Then Things Went Dark by Bea Fitzgerald

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

TW: murder, death, suicide, abuse, alcohol and drug abuse, violence, paedeophilia, abusive relationship, lovebombing, gaslighting, manipulation, stalking, blood, injury, mental illness, ableism, child abuse

This book was full of some of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever met and I loved every second of this sun soaked nightmare. It’s And Then There Were None meets Love Island but taken to a new extreme. Oh and everyone is queer.

Full review here.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Alison Saft

🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: murder, death, violence, racism, bigotry, discrimination, homophobia

I loved the characterisation, the mystery and the central romance of this book. It enveloped me in a sweeping mystery that had some fantastically imagined fantasy elements and underlying commentary about power and discrimination.

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong

⭐️🏳️‍🌈

TW: violence, death, murder, manipulation, gaslighting, toxic relationship, imprisonment, gore

My favourite backstabbing schemers return in this politically fuelled fantasy inspired by Anthony and Cleopatra. Here we meet a new player that shakes up the entire game and learn more about the chess game under our noses the whole time.

Full review here.

Such Lovely Skin by Tatianna Schlote-Bonne

⭐️🧠

TW: death, death of a child, grief, blackmail, guilt, manipulation, violence, suicide, drunk driving

This was a wonderfully unnerving horror that delved into guilt and grief, spilling your darkest secrets and having them come back to haunt you. It’s the ghosts of ourselves that scare us the most.

Full review here.

The Beach Party by Nikki Smith

TW: death, murder, violence, drowning, suicide

This was a delightfully dark read during a long train journey – turning a sunkissed dream into a blood soaked horror. It is excellently paced with some great twists and turns along the two timelines.

The Holiday by T. M. Logan

TW: murder, death, violence, infidelity, self-harm, suicide, pedophilia

I love Logan’s style and the way it lures you in. I was a bit unsure pacing wise to start as we try to work out which friend is having the affair. The final third more than made up for this – it was explosive and really took some unexpected turns.

Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma

⭐️🧠

TW: murder, death, violence, injury, gore, torture

I am obsessed with the Vampire Renaissance I’m seeing in YA at the moment and particuarly diverse representation coming to the forefront. This is a dark, suspenseful and seductive Dark Academia vampiric fantasy mystery with more than a touch of romance.

Full review here.

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

⭐️🧠

TW: grief, references to death, blackmail, stalking, kidnapping

These books are just addictive to me. They’re so entertaining and the overarching plot keeps pulling together more strands. I’m excited to pick up the next chapter and discover more.

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, grief

This was so delicately beautiful in its exploration of grief and wanting to carry someone in your heart forever. Thao’s writing is wonderfully emotional and descriptive, pulling you into the narrative and making you care so much about these characters.

Full review here.

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner

🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, violence, injury, self-harm, suicidial ideation, transphobia, dysphoria, homophobia, hate crimes, deadnaming, outing

Oh I am here for more books full of trans anger. This was such a great YA horror and an impressive debut, with wonderful characterisation and some fantastic twists.

Full review here.

Hope to Die by Cara Hunter

TW: death, violence, murder, abandoment, reference to child death, gun violence, injury, harassment, abuse, manipulation

At this point, I was starting to lose faith that we would fit the heights of the excellent No Way Out but this delivered. It was a solid thriller that had plenty of excellent twists and turns, great plotting and as always, characterisation that jumps off the page.

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen

⭐️🏳️‍🌈

TW: homophobia, racism, toxic relationship

I absolutely adored this sapphic YA rom-com. I love a fake dating situation and I love enemies to lovers so this was perfect – especially with romantic tension that built into exquisite chemistry. Overall it was just a very heartwarming and enjoyable read.

Truly, Devious by Maureen Johnson

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

TW: death, violence, murder, kidnapping, manipulation, blackmail, ransom

I re-read this on my way to meet Johnson herself and it had the same magic my original read did back in 2018. Just so impeccably crafted and such a fantastic series.

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent

⭐️🧠

TW: murder, death, violence, rape, sexual assault, physical abuse, domestic abuse, harassment, stalking, blackmailing, gaslighting, manipulation, PTSD, traumatic flashbacks

This was such a brilliant thriller with a deeply fascinating and flawed protagonist – you just get drawn further into her cathartic violence and forms of revenge.I will definitely read what Brent does next.