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Today I am on the tour for Codex Of The Gods by Murray Bailey, thank you for organising it, inviting me to take part and thank you for my copy.

Pages: 366

Synopsis: A murdered billionaire. A vanished relic. A conspiracy older than the pyramids

When Alex MacLure takes the job of curator of a private collection, little does he know that the billionaire owner has a mysterious stone. Or that things will rapidly spiral out of control. Competing parties want the stones and will do anything to obtain them. Special Agent Charlie Rebb is called upon to prove MacLure’s innocence as he is drawn into a web of murder, deceit and conspiracy.
Does MacLure hold the key to exposing the stones’ power? If if he does, what will it mean for humanity?

My Thoughts: it’s no secret if you’ve been following my review for a while that I absolutely adore Murray’s writing and at this point it genuinely feels like this man can do no wrong when it comes to his story telling!

Codex of The Gods is the final book in the Egyptian Stones trilogy and my word does it go out with a bang! this time Alex is doing something a little different, he’s been invited to work on a private collection, all seems to be going well until the man who employed him ends up dead and they somehow have video evidence that Alex is the murderer.. the only problem being he wasn’t there even though the evidence says otherwise!

I really appreciated that this book was more mystery thriller heavy because as I’ve stated in my reviews of the previous books the whole Egyptology aspect normally goes straight over my head 🤣

All I know this time is that some very precious stone had been stolen and Alex stands to lose more than just his freedom if he can’t tell people where it is.

We again get to spend sometime with Charlie, she is a formidable woman and a force to be reckoned with, if she can’t prove Alex’s innocence then no one can!

I was on the edge of my seat trying to work out where the story would go. At times it all felt a little too real, especially with the use of AI. it’s really scary how easily things can be altered now.

This is definitely a book that will keep you guessing right until the end!

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Today I am on the tour for The Christmas Clause by Sharon Ibbotson, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 361

Synopsis: Warning: This is not your average Christmas romance! 🎅🎄❄

Mrs Claus wants a divorce.

And she’s hired the one lawyer who doesn’t believe in Christmas.

Somer Henshaw believes in facts. Winning arguments. And never, ever losing her head.

Then a woman in vintage clothing sweeps into her London office and files for divorce — from Santa Claus.

Now Somer is in an ice palace at the top of the world, arguing the most impossible case in legal history. She’s facing judgemental elves. A reindeer custody claim. A prenup drafted by Abraham Lincoln. North Pole jurisdiction issues no court has ever ruled on. And tinsel . . . So much tinsel!

But the real problem is Reuben Winter.

Santa’s lawyer. Ruthless. Insufferable. Built like something the North Pole ordered specially for under her tree. And undefeated across a negotiating table.

Neither will back down.

But every argument leaves them standing a little closer. Every late-night discussion gets a little too heated. And somewhere between the candy-cane negotiation and the pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate scandal, they stop pretending the tension is about the case at all.

Somer Henshaw has never lost a case.

This Christmas, she might just lose her heart.

My Thoughts: now I just have to say that Sharon is fast becoming one of my favourite romance authors, I’ve read quite a few of her books and I know they’re always going to be a fun time, normally with laugh out loud moments too & this one was no different.

I loved Somer as a main character, she was very driven, she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go out of her way to get it, she didn’t like to step on people’s toes to get there, she had morals but wasn’t shy about making things known.

Then there’s Reuben, all of the descriptions in this book made him seem hot headed, cold hearted and not afraid to destroy other people’s lives to get results, but right from the off I had a feeling there was more to him than that..

This book had a lot of whimsical aspects, I mean we’re literally following Santa and Mrs Clause, were introduced to head elves and the North Pole! – but looking under the surface there is more going on than just a jolly Christmas time.

I honestly struggled to put this one down. I wasn’t a fan of having to stop reading to go to work, I couldn’t wait to stop adulting so I could pick it back up.

We deal with a lot of serious topics in this book, my heart broke for every single one of the characters for different reasons, I’m not ashamed to admit that this made me cry & really made me think about short life can be, about how nothing is guaranteed so you need to hold on to anything that makes you happy and brings you joy even if other people don’t agree.

This might just be my favourite book of Sharon’s so far, it’s definitely the only one I haven’t rushed to finish because I just wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the characters.

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Today I am on the tour for The Witching House by John Everson, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 366

Synopsis: Angry and alone, Gianna tests urban legend and writes the name Madelyn in blood on the mirror of the Witching House. When the ghost actually answers, she gains an unexpected friend. But soon Gianna learns friendship isn’t what the dead girl wants the most. Madelyn wants revenge for her murder. Can Gianna stop her before half the town is dead?

My Thoughts: I don’t read a lot of horror because I’m always worried it’ll either feel too real or it’ll give me nightmares 😂 this one hit the nail on the head for feeling too real, but so far no nightmares.

We’re following Gianna, she feels both invisible and taken for granted within her family, they’ve just moved to a new area, she had no friends and her stepmum is pregnant so Gianna is expected to pick up the slack when it comes to housework and other errands.

So when she hears a story of the shell of a burnt out house behind her is haunted she can’t help but to check it out, she thinks the rumours are just a it of fun, so is equally fascinated and terrified when the ghost of Madelyn appears to her in the mirror!

Drawn in by the idea of friendship and someone having her back Gianna keeps going back, it all seems fun at first until people are getting hurt and others are dying, now she’s stuck and struggling to escape Madelyns clutches, she sees only one way out unless she can get some help.

This is so perfectly executed, short snappy chapters help to keep the action permanently at the front of your mind whilst also building tension and suspense.

The setting itself was eery and the descriptions in the book were so intricate that I found myself feeling like I was being watched and had me checking over my shoulder whilst reading.

There were parts of this book that had me holding my breath and feeling claustrophobic, an absolutely fantastic read, but I don’t think I’ll be picking up another horror book for a while.

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Today I am on the tour for Fallowfield by Nicole Swengley, thank you to Anne at Random Things Touts for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 349

Synopsis: Fallowfield Hall: once an avant garde art college, now abandoned and decaying. To journalist Rowan Woodhouse it is the fabled backdrop to her parents’ 1970s love story. But is there more to Fallowfield – and her family – to uncover?

Seeking solace after the loss of her artist-teacher father, Rowan accepts a research project to interview college alumni, hoping this may reveal more about him – and her enigmatic mother who died tragically young.

But Rowan soon discovers that Fallowfield had a darker side than hedonistic student life and idyllic picnics on its famous daffodil lawns. Jealousies, betrayals and rivalries emerge when she learns of the mysterious death of one young woman and the unsolved disappearance of another.

As part and present become dangerously intertwined, how will the suspicions sparked by her investigations impact Rowan’s own troubled life?

My Thoughts: You can tell I don’t often fully read a synopsis because this book was a lot darker than I expected!

We’re following Rowan who has been approached by someone who works at the college her dad attended and then later worked at, to find some pieces for them to display, and then later asked to see if she can put something together with anecdotes from others.

Whilst searching her dad’s things she finds a newspaper article about a girl who went missing not long before they left the area.

She doesn’t really think anything of it until she starts trying to collect anecdotes and nobody wants to talk about Fallowfield, they believe the past should stay in the past.

So what starts as a way for Rowan to get to know her dad as more than just dad ends up her realising that everyone was keeping secrets from her for most of her life.

The dark and twisted undertones of this book really leave you feeling like the story could go in any direction, no one can really be trusted and you’re left wondering if digging into the past will become dangerous!

The writing style had a haunting feel to it that left me unable to stop reading, definitely recommend this one it drew me in from the beginning and didn’t let go until the very end.

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Today I am on the tour for The Official Catchphrase Puzzle Book, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 192

Synopsis: Decode hundreds of familiar sayings and sharpen your mind with The Official Catchphrase Puzzle Book.  

Based on the popular TV game show Catchphrase, this official puzzle book includes: 

• 8 fun-packed rounds with over 200 official catchphrases introduced by Mr Chips
• ‘Say what you see’ puzzles where images and symbols reveal hidden sayings.  
• Hidden catchphrases to test your knowledge of classic phrases. 
• Super Catchphrase rounds for fast-thinking, competitive fun. 
• Full answers and score sheets at the end of the book.  

Whether you dip in for a quick brain boost or settle in for a longer solve, there’s always a new phrase waiting to be discovered . . . 

Think you know the phrase? Pick up your pencil and prove it. 

My Thoughts: Now this is something that’s a little bit different for me, but as a lover of catchphrase and someone who tends to be pretty good at “saying what they see” I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity!

As soon as it arrived I dove straight in, I loved the way it was done as I was a bit dubious as to how we make a moving picture from a screen translate into a book, but I was honestly blown away by how well it worked!

I had loads of fun with family members seeing who could get the answer first! It really made us laugh and brought out the competitiveness that we don’t often see.

There’s different rounds and levels to dip in and out of, the perfect activity for you to wind down in your own with some chocolate and a cup of tea, or bring the family or a group of friends together, put the book between you, set a timer and see who wins!

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Today I am on the tour for When The Sky Burns by Isla Lockwood, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 370

Synopsis:

Twelve perilous nights of Yule.

One ancient curse.

Two men who sought to contain her.

Until she became the weapon they feared.

The phoenixes are dying. The kingdom that worshipped them has fallen. When rebel spy Aliwen steals a sentient grimoire, she uncovers a truth the witches buried. The curse that destroyed the phoenixes was never meant to be broken.

But hidden within it is a single flaw.

Her.

On the run with the rebel leader who believes she holds the key to reclaim their kingdom — and hunted by an enemy Rider whose fire would destroy her with a single touch. Aliwen has the twelve nights of Yule to unravel the spell that reshaped kingdoms.

Or burn with it.

When the Sky Burns is a fast paced, action packed dark romantic fantasy with cursed phoenix riders, sentient books, ancient magic, dangerous secrets, and a slow-burn romance. Set over the twelve nights of Yule.

Perfect for fans of One Dark Window, Road of Bones and The Wolf King (but with no wolves!).

Tropes
Christmas fantasy romance
Cursed phoenix riders
Yule reimagined
Winter wonderland
Touch = 💀
Sentient books
Morally grey…everyone
Slow-burn romance
Forced proximity
One horse
Captor / captive
Second-chance romance
Countdown to catastrophe

My Thoughts: fast paced and full of adventure from the beginning. Aliwen is a spy, everything her people have worshipped is gone and she is determined to find a way to get it all back!

The book opens with death and sneaking around and that is really just a taste of what the rest of the book contains.

This book really reignited my love for fantasy, the world building was incredible it draws you in and consumes you entirely, I couldn’t help but feel that none of the characters were really trust worthy, but to me that added to the tension and the intrigue of the story.

I thought the element of Christmas or Yulemas was really cleverly done, it added almost like a whimsical feel whilst putting pressure on the whole thing because you know that by the time it gets to 12 days it’s all done one way or the other.

I found myself reading faster as we got closer to the end, almost feeling like if I didn’t I would run out of time myself 🤣

I was so immersed in the story that everything felt so real, the amount of times I gasped, closed the book in shock is unreal and don’t talk to me about that ending! – I need book 2 now, I need resolutions!

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Today I am on the tour for Assassins Can’t Do It Alone by Shesh, Thank you to Hannah at Hygge Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for having me.

Pages: 284

Synopsis: He was once a CEO. He is now an assassin. He kills people who deserve to die. Ishmael Dollah is back!

He excels in his new role for exactly the reasons he excelled at the old one.

When a Singapore family tortures their domestic worker to death and looks certain to walk free, Ishmael adds a mother and her son to his list. Then he runs into the limit every founder runs into: the job is bigger than one man.

So he does what any competent leader would. He builds a team. Starting with the police inspector assigned to catch him.

Because even assassins can’t do it alone.

What follows is a lesson in delegation and control, taught by a man who knows that the most dangerous thing you can give someone is your trust.

The third novel in the Corporate Assassin Series. A dark thriller that is also, unnervingly, the best management book you will read this year.

Assassins Can’t Do It Alone follows Sixty Is the New Assassin and Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets, both of which have delighted readers across the world.

About The Author:

For many years, Shesh was an author in denial. He wrote stories and articles but shared them only with his family and close friends, and felt like an imposter doing so.

Two years ago, Radhika, his wife and muse, gave him an ultimatum. Publish or perish, she said. 

Given that her kitchen was stocked with sharp implements and unlabelled bottles containing suspicious powders, Shesh began writing in earnest. When Earnest objected, Shesh moved to his laptop.

Sixty Is The New Assassin is the first of 12 novels – The CEO Assassin series. Featuring Ishmael Dollah, an unremarkable retired CEO, the series traces the evolution of a corporate honcho into a remorseless assassin. Set in Singapore, the ‘safest country in the world’, Ishmael’s targets find their misplaced complacence fatal. Ishmael Dollah finds that he is well suited to graduate into his new vocation. In his years as a CEO, he has learnt to be amoral, relentless and goal-focussed. The perfect qualities for someone who needs to take a life and then attend a cocktail reception. 

Shesh is a voracious reader. He has always been irritated by protagonists ruled by angst or past tragedies. Ishmael has no such qualms. He is a happy, well adjusted assassin with no dark secrets. Ishmael loves his family, his country, and his life. Murder is just icing on the cake.

The second book in the series, “Assassins Are Our Greatest Assets” came out in January 2026, and the next in the series is slated for September 2026.

Shesh can be reached only if you have an assignment for Ishmael Dollah.

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Today I am on the tour for Buried In Silence by Deborah Stone, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 340

Synopsis: The police say Calvin Cross died naturally.

Former Scotland Yard detective Ember Lockhart lost her career following a scandal. Now working as a private investigator, she is hired by Amelia Cross to investigate her husband’s sudden death on a flight into Heathrow.

Calvin had been frightened before he died, and the corrupted USB stick he left behind suggests he had good reason. As Ember begins asking questions, she is followed, warned and threatened to abandon the case. With reluctant help from her former colleague and ex-lover, Leo Campbell, she traces Calvin’s death to a secretive technology company involved in political blackmail and corporate espionage involving an elaborate plan to destabilise the British government.

Then Amelia is murdered, and the evidence is carefully arranged to frame Ember.

Charged with killing her own client, Ember must prove her innocence while pursuing an organisation prepared to eliminate anyone who gets in the way of their ultimate political goal.

My Thoughts: firstly before I start this review I want to be totally transparent, I haven’t actually finished the book, I still have about 100 pages to go!

But so far an I am loving it, well and truly sucked in! Ember is a character and a half, she has a past, she’s been let go from the police service and is now acting as a private investigator.. but she’s found herself in a situation that she can’t get out of on her own.

The writing is fast paced and has me eager to find out where the story is going because right now I can’t work it out, the twists keep coming, people are dying, others are injured and Ember even has old colleagues willing to put their job on the line for her!

As of right now there are so many different ways this story could go & I am desperate to find out everybody’s fate, I just need to be feeling well enough to give the book the time and attention it deserves!

I have a soft spot for Leo, by the looks of it there is nothing he wouldn’t do for Ember! And don’t get me started on Rohan and Daisy, they don’t have even know her but are willing to help! they must know that deep down Ember is a good person.

I’m looking forward to discovering more about Embers past and seeing where we go from here.

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Today I am on the tour for A Reunion to Die For by K.J. Whittle, thank you to Anne at Random Things Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 320

Synopsis: A read-in-one-sitting compulsive thriller about schooldays secrets long-buried, new for 2026

They all wanted their bully dead. Now someone’s granted the wish…

In a dingy pub, a high school reunion after-party brings five old friends back together. As they catch up after twenty years, painful memories surface, all centred around the disastrous prom night that broke them all apart. King of the class turned handsome sport superstar, Eric Stewart has led a charmed life since but his old friends know his cruel streak. The more they drink, the more a morbid plan takes shape, with everyone tossing in ideas for how they could get the ultimate revenge.

The next morning, they discover Eric has been found dead, exactly the way they drunkenly planned it.

When a cryptic, anonymous message containing a recording of their conversation from the night before starts to circulate, the group knows they need to act, and fast – before they’re framed…or worse. Who was listening to them? Who arranged the reunion? And, most importantly, who carried out their murderous plans to the letter?

From the author of Seven Reasons to Kill Your Dinner Guests comes a twisty thriller with a dark puzzle at its heart.

My Thoughts: I have absolutely been spoilt with the amount of good thrillers I have read this year and I have to say this one is one of my favourites.

It’s told in my favourite way with multiple P.O.V’s and dual timeline, I was sucked in right from the beginning, it took me right back to the days of my prom and our first high school reunion too, I found myself trying to work out who in our school year would have been each character, slightly twisted maybe but it added a whole new element of fun for me 😂

We’re following a group of friends, both at the prom in 2006 and in the present day, exactly 20 years later at a high school reunion, we know that there are massive secrets at play, but let me tell you there is no way you can be prepared for how dark and twisty this will get.

Every single one of these characters is hiding something, it’s cryptic and hard to decipher despite us thinking we have all the pieces.

It deals with some very difficult topics, but in a sensitive way that will brought out some pretty strong emotions in me.

I absolutely flew through this one because I found it so hard to put down.

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Today I am on the tour for The Last Time I Saw Her by Rhiannon Barnsley, thank you to Zoé at Zooloos Book Tours for organising it and inviting me to take part and thank you to the author and the publisher for my copy.

Pages: 315

Synopsis: The stranger appeared in her dreams. Now she’s invading her life.

Sage has a recurring nightmare: a woman she doesn’t know is drowning, fighting desperately as the dark water closes over her. It’s unsettling, but Sage shrugs it off when she wakes. Until she sees the same woman in a South London supermarket.

Her name is Lara, a psychology student and small-time influencer. And Sage is certain—she is about to die.

Sage feels she has to do everything she can to save Lara, and slowly, quietly, she begins to infiltrate her life—following her online, engineering a chance encounter, earning her trust. When Lara confides she’s being stalked, Sage knows she’s right—the nightmare is coming true.

But what can Sage actually do? She can’t tell Lara she was appearing in her dreams before they ever met—that would sound insane. All she can do is watch over her, try to protect her.

Then, as she gets ever closer to Lara, Sage begins to realize she isn’t a stranger at all, that they are linked by a horrifying secret that will change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts: this was a different kind of thriller for me, in that it took me a while to get into it, I didn’t like either perspective to start with, meaning I didn’t like the characters, the writing was brilliant.. which makes me think this was an intentional choice by the author because something just kept me turning the pages.

At some point without me even really realising I was so invested in finding out what happened, we have Lara, now we know she’s real because we have some chapters from her perspective, but what we don’t know is why Sage is dreaming about her & if she is really in danger?

The twists in this one were unreal, I definitely didn’t see them coming and we all know I’m a seasoned reader of a psychological thriller.

Throughout the whole book I wasn’t really sure who’s side I was on and if I’m being completely honest even a few days after finishing the book I still have no idea 😂

Definitely one to keep you guessing!

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