The Housemaid is Watching

 By: Freida McFadden  

Location: FIC MCF

Genre: Thriller

"Oh boy! This book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. Just when I thought I had this book figured out, Freida McFadden threw in some twist and had me rethinking my theory. I had so much fun with this book." Debra

“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

Piper at the Gates of Dusk

 By: Patrick ness 

Location: FIC NES

Genre: Dystopia

Two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness makes a thrilling return to the world of Chaos Walking with this launch of the extraordinary New World trilogy.

It’s been twenty years since the monstrous war that almost tore New World apart, and there’s a new generation on the planet. Todd and Viola’s sons Ben and Max have known only peace growing up on the family farm outside a bustling human settlement. They dream of the usual things, like school and adventure, until the nightmares begin . . .

A sudden sickness has infected the young people of New World with Noise in the form of their worst thoughts about themselves. Some suspect the Spackle, the indigenous people with whom humans have a very uneasy truce. Others wonder about a connection to a mysterious object looming in the sky. And then, one by one, the children of New World begin to disappear.

Ben, with his mother’s logical mind, and Max, with his father’s courageous heart, become caught up in separate quests for answers, journeys that will test their beliefs in their parents, each other, and in their very existence on the planet.

Patrick Ness makes a masterful return to New World in this timely work of science fiction, one that looks at the interplay of fear, power, and propaganda, and at the stories we tell ourselves.

Ryans review

Is it too early to have a favourite book of the year that will most likely remain so?

This book absolutely floored me. I was shamefully late to reading Choas Walking, despite the fact that I had read every other of Ness’ books and been deeply in love with them. When I read the trilogy back in late 2020 I was furious that I had denied myself the beauty for so long. It quickly became one of my all time favourite trilogies. I fell in love with the world. The characters. All of it. And so to be back there… oh what a joy it was!

There’s always a slight worry when there’s a sequel to a believed book or series that has come many years after the original. This fear that the author won’t be able to recreate the same magic. That it won’t have the same pull. But thankfully any fears there couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to Piper!

Several decades have passed since Monsters of Men ended, and Todd and Viola are parents now. This book focuses on their sons, Ben and Max. For years there has been relative peace. Some humans still hold a grudge against the Spackle, finding it hard to relinquish their prejudices. But still, a peace of sorts. But a new danger has revealed itself and it’s creepy, scary and confusing.

The book is told in dual narrative sections by both of the brothers and the story just absolutely flew by. I could barely breathe with how fast it went. I tried to make it last, really tried to savour it but my god it was hard.

Patrick’s writing, as ever, was stunning and all consuming. I was sucked into this book so hard and I wasn’t let go. The book ends with a huge cliff hanger that has me gasping for book 2. I am so glad that this is a trilogy and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Spies and Other Gods

 By: James Wolff    

Location: FIC WOL

Genre: Thriller

James Wolff grew up in Beirut and has lived in Damascus, Cairo and Istanbul. He worked as a British intelligence officer for over ten years.

The Head of British Intelligence is having a bad day. Only six months off retirement and Sir William Rentoul is wondering if he'll make it that far, what with the sudden descent of a brain fog dense enough to turn every day into a series of small humiliations.

To make matters worse, Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee - the body that oversees Sir William - has received an anonymous complaint from one of his officers. Sir William dimly recalls accepting that there should be a channel for whistleblowers, but he never expected that they would pick his most sensitive case, one involving an Iranian assassin and a trail of dead bodies, or that the person who turned up to poke their nose into his files should be a lowly parliamentary researcher named Aphra McQueen, who displays smarts, tenacity and rebelliousness in unsettling measures.

Aphra seems to know more about the operation than she is letting on. What will she uncover? What is she really up to? And can she survive the unexpected events that will bounce her from London to Birmingham to Paris to Lausanne?

Review by John lanley

Spies and Other Gods is an intelligent and very enjoyable spy novel, driven as much by character as by plot.

The standout is Aphra McQueen, a fascinating protagonist whose sharp mind and quiet determination make her a pleasure to follow. Much of the book’s appeal lies in watching how she thinks and manoeuvres, and I finished the novel genuinely wanting to read more about her.

There’s a dry, understated humour throughout, along with an appealing sense of quirkiness in how people and institutions are portrayed. It adds warmth and personality without ever distracting from the story.

The plot is well paced and thoughtfully put together, unfolding gradually and keeping the intrigue high without relying on spectacle. Overall, this is a smart, well-crafted novel that rewards attention and leaves a strong impression.

The Last Ember

 By: The Last Ember  

Location: Fic Dod

Genre: Fantasy

If you want a middle-grade fantasy that treats its young heroes like real people, clever, flawed, and full of heart, The Last Ember is it. It’s sly, warm, and never once talks down to its reader.

Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders.

But when twelve-year-old Eva Alexander, a wealthy chemistry student in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and walks out (accidentally) with the world’s last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention―including from the Thieves’ Union, a mysterious organization with a rebellious streak and fingers in every pie in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva. Which is far easier said than done.

When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night under extraordinary circumstances, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair must come together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd―all while fighting to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the whole world are at stake. Because there’s one question no one dares to ask: What happens when the egg hatches?

Fast and Fastidious

 By: R.M.Caldwell   

Location: FIC CAL

Genre: Historical Romance

Pride and Prejudice meets The Fast and the Furious in this rollicking, romantic Regency adventure in which a meticulous young woman must abandon the rules of propriety to save Britain—and perhaps even find love along the way. . . .

England, 1810. Lucy Elliot has often been described as fastidious, given her belief that there is an objectively correct and logical way to do things. And while she strives to be proper in every way, she does have one rather scandalous Lucy, the prim and gentle lady, is a frequent attendee of the entirely disreputable and illicit Night Races, where unchaperoned men and women from all social classes gather on dark country lanes to gamble on the outcomes of furiously fast carriage races.

But her secret might become more than just a danger to her reputation when her mysterious new neighbor, Captain Dashwood, begins partaking in the races. Lucy can’t help but feel there’s something more to the handsome Captain Dashwood than meets the eye, and she suspects that his arrival in the neighborhood in the midst of a spate of curious and alarming carriage robberies is no mere coincidence—something is most certainly afoot in the county, and it’s a mystery Lucy intends to solve.

Though Lucy prides herself on her preparedness, she never could have anticipated the web of lies, deceit, and espionage that she finds herself and Captain Dashwood entangled in; nor could she have known that the very fate of Britain would hang in the balance. But will her meticulous nature be the very thing that saves her, or will it be her—and England's—undoing?

A War of Wyverns

 By: S.F Williamson  

Location: FIC WIL

Genre: Fantasy

A Language of Dragons #2

An epic, sweeping, unputdownable fantasy, A War of Wyverns is the unmissable sequel to the instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, A Language of Dragons.

REBELLION HAPPENS IN THE SHADOWS

Vivien Featherswallow has uncovered the secret language of dragons. Now can she use it to end a war?

The extraordinary sequel to the instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, A Language of Dragons

Vivien Featherswallow has translated a secret language of dragons – sparking an all-out civil war, with dragons and humans fighting on both sides, in the process.

And after defeating Prime Minister Wyvernmire and escaping Bletchley Park, Vivien has become the reluctant face of the rebellion – and been labelled the most wanted criminal in Britain. But what good is a rebel who must remain in hiding, powerless to help her friends?

Unsure of her purpose, and torn with doubt about the life she thought she was meant to lead, Vivien travels to the remote Scottish Isles to find a mysterious, long-forgotten species of dragon – one which might hold the key to ending the war… forever.

A Song I wrote For Charlotte

 By: Caitlin Devlin

Location: FIC DEV

Genre: Realistic Fiction- LGBGT

  A Song I Wrote for Charlotte follows Connie Moore who ends up studying English Literature at university after she does not get into the Royal Academy of Music. Connie is determined to stay focused, but music production student Charlotte Owen drags Connie into university life. As their friendship grows, Connie begins to wonder if there is more to how she feels about Charlotte. But Charlotte isn’t the kind of person you can hold onto forever. And Connie might have to consider whether the life Charlotte has built for her is one she can sustain alone.

Review by Lydia

So this one hurt. Like I am emotionally destroyed and need about 5-10 business days to recover.

It's rare to find a book set in a UK university and this one captures that experience so well - the endless pasta cooking, flyering on campus, moving into a flat with strangers. It reminded me so much of uni which was very nostalgic and also emotional knowing I won't experience that again.

I also really connected to this because I related so much to Connie, who is heavily implied to be neurodivergent. This makes the social aspect of university difficult for her, along with the pressure she puts on herself to excel. Honestly, I wish I could've read this back when I started uni (and wasn't aware of my own neurodivergence) - I would've felt so much less alone in my awkwardness.

It was interesting to see her family dynamic and how that impacted her as well. It helped to understand her character and it warmed my heart to see Connie's character growth as the story progressed.

All the characters were so well written. I loved Charlotte and her persistence in befriending Connie. A literal ray of sunshine character. Her and Connie grow closer and closer, at first to Connie's resistance, as the book progresses and it is very sweet. Loved how they connected over music too!!

The side characters did feel very realistic and I could so easily picture all of them. The laddish boys, the posh girls. I have such a soft spot in my heart for her flatmates Toby, Eli and Imran. There was very much a found family element to the story that made it both heartwarming and heartbreaking.

I don't want to say too much but let's just say I wasn't expecting the ending! I'm maybe never getting over it.

This is such a beautifully written coming-of-age story that deals so authentically with themes of queerness, neurodivergence, friendship and grief.