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 The Last Place You Look by Nikki Smith. Thank you to Viking for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Leo Kennedy has it all: money, looks, the perfect marriage and luxury homes in the UK and South Africa. But when his wife Addison goes missing, his immaculate life detonates.
48 hours later, Leo arrives at their safari lodge to retrace her steps. Only there’s no sign of Addison. Instead, Leo is met with a scene of blood and chaos, and on the wall a missing poster, with his face, his name and his details.
His wife may be missing, but someone wants Leo gone too…
Publication Date: 2nd July
CW: murder, blood, violence, gore, death, injury, sexual harassment
My Thoughts:
The Last Place You Look is an utterly compulsive read. Nikki Smith is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors for destination thrillers with a body of work that completely grips you.
I thoroughly enjoyed They Had It Coming, The Beach Party and The Guests before. Smith takes you to paradise but you have to beware what may await you there. They are compelling reads that peel back the curtain on the life of luxury to expose the rotting heart beneath. Each of them has been well-plotted with interesting twists and turns. The Last Place You Look continues this trend with reveals that will give you whiplash and completely everything you thought you knew.
This is a glamorous destination thriller that quickly turns into a nightmare. As usual, the plot is sizzling and the beautiful surroundings fall apart. Smith has a knack for showing the complete collapse of this perfect set-up. It feels like Jenga falling with one small decision having such far-reaching consequences. The allure of these luxurious settings is strong and married with that fascination we have for that life of the elite and wealthy. I love how Smith peels back the facade to reveal the corruption and violence hidden just beneath the surface.
At the centre of it all are Leo and Addison. We open with this horrifying image and then step back to see exactly how everything fell into place. Smith moves wonderfully between past and present and flips between the two characters to pull together every piece of this jigsaw piece. This seemingly wonderful couple have plenty to hide and secrets that they would rather are not uncovered.
The Last Place You Look is the destination thriller of the summer. If you are looking for the perfect getaway, this transports you into South Africa complete with blazing heat and a brilliantly fiendish plot.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead. Thank you to Head of Zeus for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
When powerful men begin turning up dead across Los Angeles, suspicion falls on emerging pop star Scout Sage. Still haunted by her sister’s mysterious death, Scout faces the collapse of her career, her reputation, and her tenuous belief in justice.
Assigned to the case is Detective Grey Holloway, whose own history sharpens every judgement. As Grey digs deeper, she uncovers whispers of the so-called Hot Girl Murder Club – a covert sisterhood of ambitious women rising through Hollywood. Women who are done waiting for the men in charge to deliver what’s right, bent instead on taking it for themselves.
But are they correcting a broken system – or creating a far more dangerous one?
Would you join the Hot Girl Murder Club?
Publication Date: 16th July
CW: murder, death, violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, grooming, gore, injury, blood
My Thoughts:
Hot Girl Murder Club is a sharp and sensational thriller with plenty to say and fire in its veins.
This has a fantastic take on the true crime industry and its parallels & entanglement with the entertainment industry. Winstead draws clear lines between the exploitation of narratives and the dehumanisation of people involved in cases to become puppets, stereotypes and caricatures to fit the wider story being told. We can all recognise examples of this from the media and the anger in these pages is palpable. As the political climate shifts, this book strikes a match. However it is also wary of letting that anger burn you to the ground. There is a throughline about manipulation and being wary of falling into familiar traps, especially in an age of heightened propaganda and false narratives. This discourse is handled well here with plenty of nuance.
In particular, this pays off because of how brilliantly the characterisation shines. These women have all experienced deeply traumatic events and that rage is keenly felt. They all have different ways of living with it and Winstead gives this space and nuance. Scout and Grey are placed at opposite ends by the circumstances of this crime but Winstead allows us to follow both of their stories to uncover the truth that may be lurking in the murky morally gray. They feel three-dimensional and getting to hear voices from them and other characters adds to this rich tapestry. Everything builds to a conclusion that will be hard to forget. It is such a well-plotted story with brilliant twists and turns along the way.
Hot Girl Murder Club is the type of thriller that gets under your skin and stays there. It is incendiary and incredible in its characterisation, plotting and pacing.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Death on a Lively Sea by Katy Watson. Thank you to Little Brown for sending me an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rosalind King, Caro Hooper and Posy Starling may be famous for each playing fictional detective Dahlia Lively on screen, but their growing reputation for solving real murder cases has prompted an offer that they can’t refuse . . .
Property mogul and billionaire, Percy Pendleton, has invited them for a two-week trip on his mega yacht this summer to investigate a case of expected murder.
Percy doesn’t believe that his father’s recent death was natural, despite what the police say. In fact, he thinks he’s going to be murdered too – and soon.
Not being one to sit around waiting for things to happen, he’s gathered all the people he suspects of wanting him dead for a luxury cruise around the Mediterranean. He’s giving the three Dahlias the length of the voyage to investigate his father’s demise, figure out who wants him dead, and stop them.
It’s a challenge unlike any they’ve ever tackled before. But at least they get to enjoy the sun, sea and a Limoncello Spritz while they’re interviewing the suspects…
Publication Date: 16th July
CW: death, violence, murder, infidelity, cheating
My Thoughts:
Death on a Lively Sea continues a triumphant series that deserves so much love. It is a clever puzzle box of a book with great characterisation and plenty of deceit, lies and secrets.
If you have not already had the joy of reading the Three Dahlias series, I would highly recommend changing that immediately. This is such a gorgeous series with three strong female leads that are complex and take up space in your heart. It pays homage to the Golden Age of Crime with clever nods throughout but also delivers magnificent modern stories that examine these familiar tropes and dissect them. These stories do also work as standalones but I think the story is richer to follow through the whole series.
Case in point, this story sees the Dahlias embark on a luxury trip to try and save their host before he is murdered. It is a great set-up and an intriguing hook but the story Watson has in store is even better. For me, it felt a little reminiscent of The White Lotus in that it is full of rich people behaving very badly, messy relationships and a little bit of the glamour of the rich and famous. It goes behind the curtain to reveal the darkness and bitterness wrapped in in this gilded world.
There are plenty of surprises along the way with some brilliant misdirection and reveals. I always think Watson walks a tightrope in this series of balancing the three characters’ viewpoints, their series arcs, overarching story and the mystery at hand. It is an impressive feat to witness. The tone is spot on and the voices always feel distinctive.
Death on a Lively Sea is perfect summer reading, giving you glitz, glamour and murder. It continues a series that only gets stronger with each passing book and I would very much like to continue.
A Short Book Lover 