Review - Mrs Spy by M. J. Robotham

Mrs Spy by M. J. Robotham

Publisher: Aria and Aries

Release date: 15 May 2025

Back cover blurb: Maggie Flynn isn’t your typical 1960s mum. She’s a spy, a covert operative for MI5, stalking London’s streets in myriad disguises. Widowed and balancing her clandestine career with raising a very angsty teenage daughter, Maggie finds comfort and purpose in her profession – providing a connection to her late husband, whose own covert past only surfaced after his death. But Maggie’s world spins out of control when a chance encounter with a mysterious Russian agent triggers a chilling revelation: he knew her husband. And what’s worse, the agent suspects someone on home soil betrayed him. As Maggie searches for answers, she’ll question everyone – and everything – she thought she could trust. In the dangerous world of espionage, can she outsmart those determined to keep her silenced?

Mrs Spy isn't your typical spy novel, mainly because Maggie Flynn isn't your typical spy.

In fact if her husband hadn't died, she would probably still be working as a store detective, blissfully unaware of the world of espionage, and concerned only with her Mother’s identity crisis and her teenage daughter's obsession with the Beatles. 

I will admit, it took me a little while to get into this novel, but once I did, I was hooked.

Maggie's spy career to date is mainly as a 'watcher', or what is more commonly known as surveillance. 

She knows how to trail a suspect without being seen, how to disguise herself at the drop of a hat (sometimes literally), and how to lose someone if she herself is being tailed.

In another life, she would be prepared for anything. But a chance meeting with a mysterious foreign agent has Maggie questioning her own career choice, and that of her late husband. 

It seems like he may have endangered himself in a bid to help others, and Maggie finds herself in the same boat, with a colleague, Frank to keep her company and help her out of some of the stickier situations that she finds herself in. 

Can they uncover the truth before it's too late? 

Or will Maggie ultimately go the same way as her husband?

Mrs Spy is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - American Housewife by Anita Abriel

American Housewife by Anita Abriel

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Release date: 1 April 2025

Back cover blurb: New York City, 1950. Dreams come true for radio personality Maggie Lane when she gets her big break in the exciting new world of television. The Maggie Lane Baking Show is on the air. All she has to do is act like the ideal housewife, create sumptuous desserts, charm the show’s sponsors, and sign a morality clause to ensure that her girl-next-door image remains untarnished. Although newlywed Maggie has never baked so much as a cookie, and knows even less about maintaining a home, keeping up appearances is a necessary ingredient for success. Easy. She has a supportive husband and a legion of fans who can’t wait to know her better and better, week after week. That’s what she’s afraid of. Off camera, cracks are showing in her marriage, an old lover makes an unexpected return, and there are secrets from the past that could ruin everything Maggie has worked for. With every dream on the line, Maggie wonders if she can still have it all when the truth about what it really means to be an American housewife comes to light.

American Housewife is a lovely book about the struggles of relationships, and the responsibility of 'having it all'. 

Maggie Lane lost her first love, Jake, during WW2 and feared that she might never love again. Until she meets Teddy and realises that it is possible to find happiness again.

Maggie and Teddy both work in radio. 

Maggie has her own slot, sponsored by the Deluxe Baking Co and Teddy is more behind the scenes as a producer. He had his fair share of the spotlight during the War as a journalist and correspondent, and no longer craves the attention partly due to some of the atrocities he witnessed on the front. 

When Maggie is approached by her Radio show sponsors and offered her own Television show she is dumbfounded. But when she meets with the sponsor and they assume she is married, she doesn't correct them. She can't bake, isn't cut out for television and isn't a married woman.

Why could they possibly want her to be on TV?

When she and Teddy talk about it though, he is encouraging, and they decide to marry anyway, no matter her decision.

She and Teddy get married quickly. He has been asking her for months, and something has always held her back, though she could never pinpoint exactly what. Things begin to move quickly for Maggie once she agrees to host the show, and she is catapulted to fame almost overnight, whilst Teddy can only watch from the side-lines.

Can their new marriage survive Maggie's newly acquired fame, and will Teddy be content to be known as 'Maggie Lane's husband'? Well, of course you will have to read the novel yourself to find out, and I highly recommend that you do! 

American Housewife is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - the Chemist by A. A. Dhand

The Chemist by A. A. Dhand

Publisher: HQ

Release date: 22 May 2025

Back cover blurb: Local pharmacist and pillar of the community, Idris Khan, spends his days doling out methadone to the hundreds of addicts in his care. They trust Idris with their secrets, and so he knows more than his mild manner suggests. So when his childhood sweetheart, Rebecca, doesn't turn up for her daily methadone dose, Idris is worried. Worried enough to go looking for her in the most deprived area of Leeds, alone. The mess Idris finds catapults him into the middle of a turf war between the two most powerful drug cartels in Yorkshire. Now, he must use every bit of intelligence and cunning he has to keep those he loves safe. Because a war is on the way. And when Idris goes after his enemies, they won't see him coming.

One of the best thrillers I've read in a long while, the Chemist offers something unique. 

Idris Khan is a respected local community pharmacist, known locally as 'the Chemist'. Although it isn't factually correct, it's a term that Idris finds quite endearing.

As well as filling prescriptions and providing essential advice, Idris' pharmacy also has the responsibility of looking after the local 'blue scripts'. Those former or current drug addicts who are obtaining a daily dose of legal methadone as an alternative to something far more sinister.

The Pharmacy also supplies to 'the Mews' a run down part of Leeds whose reputation is notorious. It is a dangerous place to which Idris is given unprecedented access in exchange for a 'special' delivery service to the estate.

Not all of the arrangements he has are strictly legal [or moral] but Idris' heart is in the right place, and he knows that his involvement in the Mews is a much safer alternative for most of the residents he is supplying.

When once of Idris' regular blue script patients doesn't appear, he fears for their wellbeing. This particular patient he has a more complex relationship with than most, and he is keen to make sure that they are ok.

His concern leads him to a dark place, worse than he could have imagined, and he finds himself in a situation that he should really not be getting into. He grapples with his conscience and makes a heat of the moment decision that will have devastating consequences for all involved. 

I can totally see The Chemist as a hit TV show, which I know would make for a gripping series. This thriller comes highly recommended.

The Chemist is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - Last train to Freedom by Deborah Swift

Last Train to Freedom by Deborah Swift

Publisher: HQ Digital

Release date: 8 May 2025

Back cover blurb: 1940. As Soviet forces storm Lithuania, Zofia and her brother Jacek must flee to survive. A lifeline appears when Japanese consul Sugihara offers them visas on one condition: they must deliver a parcel to Tokyo. Inside lies intelligence on Nazi atrocities, evidence so explosive that Nazi and Soviet agents will stop at nothing to possess it. Pursued across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Express, Zofia faces danger at every turn, racing to expose the truth as Japan edges closer to allying with the Nazis. With the fate of countless lives hanging in the balance, can she complete her mission before time runs out?

1940, Lithuania. Zofia and her twin brother Jacek must flee to survive the approaching Soviet forces. 

Already having fled one country, they have nowhere to go, and no one left except each other.

When it seems that all is lost, they are thrown a lifeline the form of the Japanese consulate. They are giving away visas, against their country's wishes, as Consul Sugihara cannot bear to see the people suffering.

Zofia and Jacek are the last of a lucky few to receive these visas, which come with a price. 

They must deliver a very important package to Tokyo.

When Zofia learns what is inside the package she agrees almost immediately, and adds her own testimony to those already inside. For what Sugihara is asking, could potentially change everything.

The package is full of eye witness accounts, including photographs of the Nazi's atrocities across Europe.

The journey to Tokyo from Lithuania is long and dangerous, with multiple sources wanting to get their hands of the package that Zofia and her Brother must deliver.

This is another brilliantly written and researched book by Deborah Swift, and I look forward to the author's next. 

Last Train to Freedom is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam

Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ)
Release date: 27 February 2025

Back cover blurb: Yesterday they were just exes. Today they’re a writer and a publicist... on tour in Europe... for a month. When Andie lands her dream job as a senior book publicist, she’s ready to take the world of New York publishing by storm. Until her first day, when she discovers that her biggest author is Jack Carlson – the same Jack who ruined her life in university. Who she hasn’t spoken to in five years. Who is not only still infuriatingly hot but incredibly successful. And whose campaign she definitely cannot mess up, if she wants to keep her job. To make matters even worse, the central part of this career-defining campaign is a book tour. For a month, Andie will have to travel across Europe with the man who, if she were being totally honest, she’d like to hit with her car. But she will not lose this opportunity, especially not because of him. One month on tour with Jack Carlson, visiting some of the most romantic spots in Europe. Deep breath. She can do this.

Bad Publicity is something that Jack really doesn't want. About to embark on his first major book tour, he wants everything to go as smoothly as possible.

Andie has just gotten her dream job as a senior book publicist but then she sees Jack’s name on her Author list and realises her world is about to be turned upside down.

Jack and Andie knew each other at University, and they didn't exactly part on the best of terms...

I really felt for Andie, she was going through a lot of different emotions during the course she of this novel and doing her best to keep on top of everything whist remaining professional.

On the other hand she seemed quite immature and out for revenge for something that we didn’t as a reader know was serious until the very end, but then you remember how young they both are and realise why they behave in the way they do.

Jack for his part seems largely up hashed by Andie’s demeanour. He clearly knows that he has done wrong, thinks he can apologise once and move on.

But Andie isn’t so quick to forgive, and as they continue to work together their relationship becomes even more strained.

Can they put their differences aside for the sake of their careers? Or will their strained relationship ruin everything?

Bad Publicity is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - When Sally Killed Harry by Lucy Roth

When Sally Killed Harry by Lucy Roth

Publisher: Avon Books UK

Release Date: 27 March 2025

Back Cover Blurb: THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY. THIS IS A ROM COM GONE ROGUE.​ I’ve woken up in the Big Apple with the world's worst hangover, an empty bank account, and the sinking feeling that my life just nosedived. Last night's escapade is a blur, but one thing is clear: I’ve been swindled and I’m not happy about it.​ ​The culprit? Harry - a total dreamboat and my worst nightmare. He’s got charm, secrets, and a smile that screams trouble. Little did I know, Harry's not just a pretty face - he's a liar, conman and he’s turned my life upside down.... ​When I discover I’m not the only victim, I decide it’s only right I take my revenge. And with a group of wronged women behind me, murder isn’t on the agenda just yet because Harry’s in for a nightmare and I’m only just getting started…

Sally Parker has had it with men. The dates that she goes on are nothing short of atrocious - If I'm honest, I know how she feels...

But then she meets Harry, and he is perfect.

No really, he is.

Hahahaha...

Don't be ridiculous, of course he's not!

Harry is a conman, a swindler, a charming, beautiful man who has conned Sally out of her deserved inheritance. 

A crime for which he must pay.

The novel opens with Sally, well killing Harry, and no it's not a spoiler. I mean, did you even read the books' title before you picked it up?

Sally had a terrible upbringing, so she escaped to New York City to start afresh, she is damaged sure. But not irretrievably so, she just needs someone she can love, who can take her mind of things.

She thinks that Harry is it. Until he isn't. But murder isn't usually how you deal with a conman is it? Well no, of course not, but Sally isn't like other women, and Harry isn't the first man who has crossed her!

When Sally Killed Harry is available now via Amazon online and all good book shops.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review - the Lamplighter's Bookshop by Sophie Austin

The Lamplighter's Bookshop by Sophie Austin

Publisher: HarperFiction

Release date: 1 March 2025

Back cover blurb: When Evelyn Seaton answers an advertisement for an assistant at a forgotten bookshop in York, she is not the only one with something to hide. There she meets the enigmatic and prickly William Morton, an aspiring writer keeping secrets of his own. But when the walls that Evelyn has built around herself start to crumble, there is only one person she can turn to. As the layers are brushed away, can Evelyn and William find the courage to write the next chapter of their story?

The Lamplighter's Bookshop is a beautifully written historical fiction novel. Set in a time where the rich, were ridiculously so, and the poor, mere dirt at their feet.

Evelyn is one of life's wealthy people. A heiress to her Baron Father's fortune ... or at least she was until the Police/Baliff's came knocking at the family mansion one morning to turf them out of the house until her Father pays his debts.

The shame and humiliation is instant. Evelyn has grown up having everything she could ever have wanted, and not knowing what it is like to go without. Her Mother is bereft, she herself was once poor, and married into money against it seems everyone's wishes, particularly those of her own family.

She doesn't want Evelyn to know poverty, and is determined that she marry quickly once they have settled into a temporary home with Evelyn's Aunt in York. But Evelyn is equally determined that she will not marry for the status, and will not be humiliated by the rich that she once was.

Evelyn quickly realises that to forge her own path in life, she must take care of her own destiny. A chance meeting with a grumpy young man of a similar age to her, and an advert for an assistant in a dusty forgotten bookshop is how Evelyn is going to move forward. 

Her Mother has forbidden her to get a job, complaining that it is not ladylike. Evelyn's response that she is a no longer a Lady of course doesn't help her change her Mother's mind. But Evelyn is stubborn, and knows what she wants.

What she doesn't realise then is that her life, already changed, is about to change forever, for the better. A grumpy young man by the name of William Morton, and a dusty old bookshop are exactly what she needs to ensure her future is very different to her past, and all that that entails.

The Lamplighter's Bookshop is available now via Amazon online and all good books.

Thank You to the publishers who approved my request via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.