The Gambler

 By: J.P Pomare  

Location: FIC POM

Genre: Thriller

Series:  PI Vince Reid #2 ( But can be read as a standalone)

"Tense, intelligent, and intricately constructed thriller, I’ll definitely read more from Pomare."

A highly charged crime-thriller - the first in an electrifying new series - by multi-award-winning prince of the twist, J.P. Pomare.

PI Vince Reid is visiting an old friend when he's offered a case he can't Why did a respected local woman open fire at a political rally, killing a promising young university graduate? It's easy money, he's told. A sure thing.

But as Reid delves further into the case, the stakes are higher than he imagined. There are invisible players pulling the strings. Will he walk away a winner or pay for the ultimate gamble with his life?

"This is another fabulous story from JP Pomare one that kept me turning the pages there are twists, turns and a red herring along the way my mind was twisting with who and why, the characters are strong and very good"- Helen

Livia in Rome

 By: Bruna De Luca 

Location: FIC DEL

Genre: Romance

Could Rome be where the heart is?

'This was adorable! Set during a summer in Rome, this utterly transported me to Italy, especially with all of the mentions of the food. Livia is there to help run her grandmother’s cafe while she is in hospital, but struggles in Rome as although she has Italian parents and speaks the language, she has been raised in Scotland, and so she has a real identity crisis going on, which felt really authentic and interesting to include. The plot as a whole was a little predictable, especially with the romance, but at the same time, the romance was really sweet. A short, easy read, definitely one for the holidays"   Millie

Sixteen-year-old Scottish–Italian Livia feels like an outsider, spending the summer in her grandmother’s bar in Rome.

Smug local boy Giulio works there too, and quickly becomes Livia’s nemesis. She is not going to be the cliché foreign girl who has a summer romance.

But as Livia navigates family drama, new-found friendships and. . . Giulio, she starts to see the city – and herself – in a new light . . .

"A decent, easy read with a sunny Roman backdrop, gentle romance, and thoughtful touches around identity and belonging"

The Rose Bargin

 By: Sasha Peyton Smith  

Location: FIC SMI

Genre: Romantasy

Nulifer review: The Rose Bargain is an absorbing read for fans of fantasy romance, particularly those drawn to stories of fae bargains and courtly drama. With its unique premise and vivid world-building, the novel sets the stage for an exciting sequel that promises to delve even deeper into the mysteries and dangers of Ivy’s world. Smith’s ability to weave an enchanting yet perilous tale ensures that readers will be eagerly anticipating the next installment in this captivating duology.

The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.

King Sorrow

 By: Joe Hill  

Location: FIC HIL

Genre: Horror

COMES RECOMMENDED BY MR MANNINS

4.39 stars on Goodreads with 21,000 reviews- that is HUGE

“Dragons are not hatched from eggs… but from imaginations.”

Vanessa Schwab- Might be the best thing I’ve read this year.

Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.

But his idyll - and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot - is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.

But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain - they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.

Gripping, creepy, menacing and fantastic! 

A Games of Lies

By: Clare Mackintosh  

Location: FIC MAC

Genre: Mystery

They say the camera never lies.
But on this show, you can't trust anything you see.

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for.

Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped.

The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them.

And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

Review by Nilufer- 

I thoroughly enjoyed the well-constructed, twisty murder mystery and the structure that goes back and forth to reveal the secrets and motives each contestant carries and acts upon. The different perspectives shed light on hidden clues within the chapters, keeping us guessing. I appreciated the writing style, and the characters already feel like close friends. Plus, my romantic inclinations swayed my opinion. I can't wait for the next book in the series...

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins

 By: P Djeli Clark 

Location: FIC CLA

Genre: Fantasy

"A highly entertaining read with pace and zing, which is honestly a delightful change from the number of fantasy doorstoppers I've tripped over recently." K Charles

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins―resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories―have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen’s a professional. She’s never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen’s newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn’t supposed to remember and a vow she can’t forget.

Goodreads review

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins is a novella about Eveen - an assassin who is not a cat, does not have a tail, but is most assuredly dead, as she tries to figure out who wants revenge on her, survive the repercussions of breach of contract and find a legal loophole in a magical contract, all in one night.

The book is a quick and fun read, with an action packed story kicking off early on. The hints and twists, along with the witty characters kept me turning the pages until the end! The characters are engaging and relatable, though I wish we could find out more about Eveen - I hope this is not the last we see of her!

P. Djèlí Clark's sharp and masterfully succinct writing conveys a more complex world than the page count belies. We get the impression of layered characters and subtle politics without going into outright exposition. And I laughed out loud when I heard a mythical fearsome goddess of assassins offhandedly say mansplain.

All the Diamonds in Paris

 By: Kristin Harmel   

Location: FIC HAR

Genre: Historical Fiction 

“But please always remember...that there is a difference between a life that honors the past and a life dictated by it. When you let your history shape your future, you relinquish the ability to choose a better way forward."

Two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder...

Colette Marceau has been stealing jewels for nearly as long as she can remember, following the centuries-old code of honor instilled in her by her mother, take only from the cruel and unkind, and give to those in need. Never was their family tradition more important than seven decades earlier, during the Second World War, when Annabel and Colette worked side by side in Paris to fund the French Resistance.

But one night in 1942, it all went wrong. Annabel was arrested by the Germans, and Colette’s four-year-old sister, Liliane, disappeared in the chaos of the raid, along with an exquisite diamond bracelet sewn into the hem of her nightgown for safekeeping. Soon after, Annabel was executed, and Liliane’s body was found floating in the Seine—but the bracelet was nowhere to be found.

Seventy years later, Colette—who has “redistributed” $30 million in jewels over the decades to fund many worthy organizations—has done her best to put her tragic past behind her, but her life begins to unravel when the long-missing bracelet suddenly turns up in a museum exhibit in Boston. If Colette can discover where it has been all this time—and who owns it now—she may finally learn the truth about what happened to her sister. But she isn’t the only one for whom the bracelet holds answers, and when someone from her childhood lays claim to the diamonds, she’s forced to confront the ghosts of her past as never before. Against all odds, there may still be a chance to bring a murderer to justice—but first, Colette will have to summon the courage to open her own battered heart.

This is such a fabulous book. I held my breath each time Colette attempted a theft. I could feel the tension and relief when she succeeded. It is a thought provoking moment with each existing chapter during WWII. The horrors of the Holocaust is well reflected as families are scattered during such a horrible time in history. Another great story of the resistance group during such a difficult time.- Review by LA