The Midnight King by Tariq Ashkanani

⭐️🧠

CW: murder, death, serial killer, child death, suicide, paedophilia, animal cruelty, child abuse

This book totally enthralled me. The pages are full of richly developed characters, a horribly tightening atmosphere and twists and turns that left you reeling. It reminded me just how brilliant this genre can be.

What White People Can Do Next by Emma Dabiri

I really enjoyed this informative non-fiction book. It had thought-provoking insights and plenty of resources to keep reading & learning.

The Fox Hunt by Caitlin Breeze

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, classism, racism, sexism, sexual harassment, drugging, rape, injury, blood

This is a beguiling gem of a book that stands out from the crowd with its twisted blend of genres and cutting social commentary, married with incredible characterisation and world-building that you could get lost in.

Full review to come.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, injury, sexism, stalking

I really enjoyed the setup and atmosphere of this book but the ending was a bit of a letdown for me. Without giving anything away, I did like the final detail though.

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

CW: death, violence, war, racism, homophobia, xenophobia blood, grief, death of parents, kidnapping

I really enjoyed this layered fantasy and the way it deconstructed myths of colonialism through a fantastical lens. The references are brilliant, the characterisation develops wonderfully and the yearning is aching.

Paper Cut by Rachel Taff

🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, rape, grooming, manipulation, abuse

This took some wild twists and turns and that final third had me gripped to the page. I liked the way Taff approached a true crime narrative but I did feel a little adrift in some of the middle sections.

Lies by T. M. Logan

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CW: death, murder, violence, cheating, stalking, harassment, controlling relationship

This has such a strong concept and one I think we can all relate to, with one split-second decision changing your life forever. It was a strong debut and it is no surprise that it started an incredible career.

Darker Days by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: death, murder, violence, gore, injury, suicide, bodies, terminal illness, self-harm

This had that exact eeriness to it that I was craving. It is the classic deal with the Devil gone very wrong but I really enjoyed the way it explored family, legacy and the lengths we’d go to for those we love.

Six Times We Almost Kissed by Tess Sharpe

🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

CW: illness, homophobia, cheating, surgery, death, grief

Sharpe knows how to write a dynamic that has you kicking your feet and just rooting for them. She delivers two here that really landed with me and the throughline about grief is explored sensitively in a heartfelt manner.

A Murder in Eight Cocktails by Kelly Mullen

CW: death, murder, violence, drugging

This had a fun premise and I enjoyed Mullen’s writing. Her construction of the story is engaging and the needling at wealth is snarky brilliance. I just found the ending a little underwhelming personally.

Next to Normal

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CW: death, grief, forced institutionalisation, suicidal ideation, electroshock therapy

This is the playtext for one of my favourite musicals of all time. I saw it in 2024 in London and it ingrained itself in my heart and my brain, so I wanted a physical reminder of its brilliance.

Welcome to Cooper by by Tariq Ashkanani

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CW: death, murder, violence, injury, gore, addiction, blackmail, traumatic flashbacks

This had some great twists and turns and I enjoyed a lot of the writing. The atmosphere was oppressive and bore down on all of the characters. I’m just not entirely sold on the ending.

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: death, murder, suicide, violence, abuse, cheating, alcoholism, addiction

This was a haunted house story done to sheer brilliance. It is about generational trauma and uses the tropes of haunting in creative and unexpected ways. I absolutely loved the way Harrison explored these themes and characters, especially the echoes of childhood rippling through your life.

The Weekend by T.M. Logan

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CW: death, murder, violence, shooting, blood, injury, addiction, kidnapping, cheating

Logan has such a wonderful knack for taking these ordinary people and throwing them into something extraordinary. It is all in the way he builds the story, from a thought-provoking and attention-grabbing premise to something that slowly escalates until they have all moved into increasingly murky moral territory. That slight switch from the mundane changes everything but it stays believable because of how well-crafted the characters are.

Full review here.

The Brides by Charlotte Cross

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, blood, gore, homophobia, xenophobia, forced institutionalisation

This was such an atmospheric story that offered a new angle on Dracula. I thoroughly loved this dark Gothic tale and liked the way Cross woven in the epistolary style with such flair.

Full review to come.

Her Hidden Fire by Cliodhna O’Sullivan

CW: death, murder, sexual assault, sexual harassment, violence, injury, classism

This was such an inventive and imaginative YA romantasy. I really enjoyed the characters, the dynamics and the magic system, especially with its political intrigue now woven in. The way O’Sullivan uses elements of Irish magic and mythology was refreshing too.

Full review to come.

The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

CW: death, murder, fire, injury

This  is an incredibly strong debut, sure to be a smash hit. It has a wonderful blend of fantasy, mystery and romance with characters that steal straight into your heart and a story that casts a spell over you. 

Full review here.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

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CW: abuse, sexual violence, rape, assault, sexism

This was a wild rollercoaster from start to finish. It is the type of book that sticks in your mind long after the final page and it is a real gut-punch. It’s incredibly written and pulls you deep into the depths of Natalie’s story.

Full review to come.

Body of Lies by Jo Callaghan

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, gore, grief, injury

I have devoured the Kat and Lock series over the past year and was delighted to get stuck into the finale, especially after that conclusion of Human Remains. This is a tightly plotted and explosive conclusion to a phenomenal series that deserves legendary status. Full review to come.

Maneater by Ellie Graves

⭐️🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, blood, sexism, misogyny, sexual harassment, drugging

I loved the deep dive into fine dining and the artform of crafting this delicious dishes, even as tempers may flare behind the scenes. It has a wonderfully ominous atmosphere that slowly presses down on you as you wander further into its clutches.

Full review to come.

These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

CW: murder, death, violence, gore, blood, ableism, traumatic flashbacks

I was promised Gothic, gory and messy and this delivered. Every character is layered and spikey and often making terrible decisions. They are determined to survive by any means and that means they’re not always the most likeable, but you keep wanting to know what happens next anyway.

Full review to come.

Sweetbitter Song by Rosie Hewlett

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: slavery, rape, sexual assault, harassment, violence, death, murder, blood, gore, hanging, paedophilia

This has a really different and original take on a familiar myth with a dynamic that grows naturally and characters that step into your heart. It is wonderful and ensures that Hewlett joins the talented pantheon of Greek mythology retellers.

Full review to come.

It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, racism, stalking

This has been marketed as having an incredible twist at its core and the marketing does not lie. It is a brilliantly executed thriller with great surprises in store, but also wonderfully complex characterisation.

Full review to come.

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: death, murder, domestic violence, abusive relationship, injury, blood, gore, classism, animal cruelty

The Rose Bargain was one of the most imaginative and interesting fantasy books I had picked up, so my expectations for the sequel were sky-high. This takes us into new places and continues that darker territory of The Rose Bargain – it’s a gilded cage dripping with blood.

Full review to come.

Reality Check by Lizzie Huxley-Jones

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠💙

CW: sexism, misogyny, ableism, fatphobia, homophobia

This was such a gorgeously romantic read that swept me off my feet. It combines this bubbling dynamic with sharp insights about the realities of reality TV and the way editing & production completely twists the narrative.

Full review to come.

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, shooting, grief

This was such a compelling YA mystery that poked behind the scenes of reality TV competitions but also included fascinating escape games that were so fun to experience with the characters. The twists and turns were great, as were the characters and their evolving dynamics.

Full review to come.

Troublemaker by Lesley Kara

🧠💙

CW: death, grief, murder, violence, stalking, gaslighting

I really enjoyed the set-up and different turns Kara took us along, but the conclusion didn’t quite land for me. She is a talented writer and crafts compelling stories though, so I will keep reading her work!

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

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CW: rape, coercion, sexual harassment, imprisonment, abusive relationship, violence

This was pitched to me as a feminist Frankenstein with flowers and it delivered on all counts. I absolutely loved this dark Gothic fairytale. I loved how Fridman-Tell reimagined the story of Blodeuwedd, a Welsh myth that I wasn’t familiar with but now want to know everything about.

Full review to come.

Vile Lady Villains by Danai Christopoulou

⭐️🏳️‍🌈🧠

CW: murder, death, violence, gore, blood, sexism, child death, grief, misogyny

A stabby sapphic reimagining of some of the most infamous villainesses in literature? Sign me up immediately. This delivered the goods and then some with a beautiful mediation on legacy, love and recrafting the narratives woven for us.

Full review to come.