Sasha heads to her old family home to find answers about her past but is mistaken for a nanny. The owner of the house invites her in and leaves her in charge of her children while she heads off to work. But Sasha begins to remember the past as well as facing problems in the present…
The Babysitter’s Secret is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
The book is written mainly from two perspectives: Sasha in the third person and Emily in the first person (and then later from Cecelia’s third person as well). Sasha is pretending to be from a babysitter agency and inserts herself into Cecelia’s family so she can move into the house and search for answers about her own past. Meanwhile Emily has been released from a psychiatric unit and is trying to live independently. She constantly hears a child screaming and thinks that her carers are trying to get her locked up again.
There are some serious issues dealt with in this book. Cecelia’s mum guilt at the beginning is so easy to relate to as a working mother myself. Emily’s mental health struggles are very emotive and don’t make for comfortable reading but felt very authentic. Sasha’s past trauma has severe implications for her own mental health as she has flashbacks.
I had a few theories about how the two main characters relate to each other, and one of them was correct. As the midway point approached I was pretty certain of how things would link together but the author couldn’t resist a twist even in the final chapter.
The Babysitter’s Secret is a tense and emotional psychological thriller.
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Book: THE BABYSITTER’S SECRET
Author: Casey Kelleher
Pub Day: MAY 24TH 2023
About the Book:
Everything I thought I knew about my life is a lie. My mother revealed a terrible, dangerous secret in her last letter to me. But, with her death, any chance of knowing the truth has disappeared. I’ll have to do whatever it takes to find out for myself.
Going back to the house where I was born, I find a family living the life I’d always dreamed of. And when Cecelia, the mother, mistakes me for the new nanny, I seize the chance to move in. Maybe, being in the house every day and night, I will remember more, uncover more, about the secret that haunts me…
But this family is not the happy one it appears from the outside. Cecelia is angry, unpredictable, unstable. She is not the mother these children deserve. They are scared of her, and rightly so.
As my memories start to crystalize, I am ever more determined to shelter them from harm. Because history has a horrible way of repeating itself, and I’ll do everything I can to protect these children. But how long can I stay here, undetected, pretending to be someone I’m not? And if the children end up in danger, what will I have to do to save them…?
With twists no reader will EVER see coming, this incredibly gripping psychological thriller is perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Widow and The Housewarming.
Author Bio
Casey Kelleher was born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and she grew up as an avid reader.
Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up their three children together with my husband, she penned her debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that Casey could give up her day job and concentrate on writing full time.
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TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains sustained emotional and physical domestic abuse including rape
Jay adores Sophie. She is certain of this. But on their wedding night, just eight months after meeting, he breaks her wrist and calls her vile names. He blames her drinking for the incident but more abuse and violence follow. Can Sophie escape her ‘perfect’ husband…?
The Perfect Husband is a psychological thriller about a woman who is terrorised by her husband.
Sophie has met and married Jay on the rebound. Her family try to put her off but she is determined to move on. On the wedding night Jay transforms into someone she doesn’t recognise and it soon becomes clear that this isn’t a one-off incident. The threats and abuse are relentless as Sophie is gradually isolated from her friends and family, and has no means to escape her violent husband.
This book is impossible to enjoy as such. However, it was utterly absorbing. The book is written from Sophie’s first person perspective. I felt that I was right there in the situation alongside Sophie, confused and heartbroken by the terrible change in Jay, scared for her safety and the future.
The personal approach to the very sensitive subject of domestic abuse is very successful in engaging the reader. I was desperate for Sophie to escape but could understand why she didn’t. The actions of her mother and sister surprised me as they took things at face value and abandoned her so I didn’t find this very credible. There was a big twist at the end which I kind of expected but it was written well.
The Perfect Husband is a dark thriller but not for the faint hearted.
The Perfect Husband
How do you know if you’ve married the wrong person?
It was a whirlwind romance and we had the perfect relationship.
He was my dream partner, loving, caring, attentive… until the day I married him and things became toxic.
I spent my wedding night in A&E with an ‘unexplained’ broken wrist – but I knew what happened….
My romantic illusions shattered. My fear of the future heightened.
The man I had fallen in love with wasn’t the man I married.
And that was just the start of things to come.
Quickly things escalated. He isolated me from family and friends, and with no one to turn to, he began to control every part of my life.
I tried to escape, but he watched my every move.
Until one day he went too far, and I found my strength to fight back.
I no longer wanted to be a victim.
I wanted to live.
I wanted my life back.
But at what cost?
In sickness and in health and till death us do part…
** Perfect for the fans of Louise Candlish and Adele Parks**
Author Bio –
Danielle Ramsay is a Scot living in a small seaside town in the North-East of England. Always a storyteller, it was only after completing a First Class (Hons) Degree in Media Production that she then went on to follow an academic career in literature. She was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger in 2009 and 2010, and appointed a New Writing North Read Regional author in 2011.
She is the author of five DI Jack Brady crime novels and The Last Cut, a dark thriller with DS Harri (Harriet) Jacobs. Danielle fills her days with horse-riding, running and murder by proxy. She is also the proud Patron of the charity SomeOne Cares, which counsels survivors of domestic violence, rape and child abuse.
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Beth’s mother is grieving the loss of her male friend but at the funeral other women claim he was dating them too. His death was suspicious so could one of his women have taken revenge on the cheating man?
The Murder Affair is the 9th book in the Beth Haldane series. I have previously read the first book in the series, The Murder Mystery.
Len Broughton was a ladies’ man to say the least! He seems to have been dating about 10 women as well as having a wife and being engaged to Beth’s mum Wanda. However, he is not the only victim and Beth soon has a more intricate investigation on her hands. There are plenty of suspects to investigate and Wanda has set a deadline so Beth has to forge onwards with the help of her friends.
Beth’s character is great: down to earth with a police officer boyfriend and a teenage son. There was a good mix of the investigation alongside personal elements to the plot. I enjoyed the antagonistic relationship between Beth and her mother. However, it is also obvious that they love each other deeply and her mum has faith in her that she will solve the case.
The Murder Affair is an enjoyable cosy murder mystery.
The Murder Affair: An absolutely addictive cozy mystery (A Beth Haldane Mystery Book 9)
In a quiet little village, mourners gather for a church funeral. But some of the tears flowing are fake – and Beth Haldane suspects foul play…
On a rainy afternoon, Beth Haldane accompanies her elderly mother Wendy to the funeral of her boyfriend and local councillor Len. But as they gather in the church, Beth can’t help but notice how many women are there who look just like her mother.
As the service begins it soon becomes clear that all of the women thought they were Len’s special someone – and one of them even claims to be his distraught wife. Wendy suspects foul play and immediately asks Beth to investigate.
As Beth begins to speak to the women she has to ask, was one of Len’s many disgruntled girlfriends out for revenge? Why was Len borrowing money from the ladies he romanced? And why did his work for the local council seem so suspicious?
Then, Len’s secretary Bella is found dead amongst the dahlias in a planter. Beth starts to suspect Len was involved in something far more dangerous than she’d assumed but what did Bella know about his business that led to her unfortunate end?
With the village rumour mill in full swing, fingers start to point at Wendy. After all, distraught Wendy is telling everyone who lends her an ear that Len was murdered – and she saw Len the very evening he was found dead. The clock is ticking for Beth to clear her mother’s name before it’s too late!
A deliciously cozy and gripping murder mystery, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and The Thursday Murder Club.
About the author
Before turning to crime, Alice Castle was a UK newspaper journalist for The Daily Express, The Times and The Daily Telegraph. Alice is an avid reader of crime fiction, her favourite stories are cozy crimes with a strong sense of place. When she couldn’t find a series about her beloved south London, she decided to write her own – and single mum amateur sleuth Beth Haldane was born. Alice also writes twisty psychological thrillers for HQ Digital under the name A.M. Castle. The Perfect Widow was a top selling audiobook in 2019 and The Invitation hit the top 50 on Amazon UK in 2021. Alice lives with her two children and two cats and, if she isn’t writing or reading a whodunit, she’ll be watching one on telly.
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Things have been quiet at the detective agency since their last successful case. Maud and Daisy take on a case for free when someone suspects art forgery is taking place in a small village. But on the way there, the pair discover a dead body on the train…
Murder in the Scottish Hills is the second book to feature Maud and Daisy as they seek to establish themselves as private detectives in Scotland during the 1910s. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency, and there are some spoilers about the outcome of that book so I would suggest reading the books in order.
A maid suspects that her employers are selling forgeries and Maud offers to investigate free of charge during a lull in paid work. She and Daisy head to the small village of Braemar, just outside Balmoral (yes, there is an encounter with King George V at one point!) They become embroiled in another matter when they find a body on the train. Could there be a link between the forgeries and the murder or is it coincidence?
Maud has mixed emotions when she spots Lord Urquhart and the romantic tension and gentle antagonism continues. I enjoyed the historic detail that underpins the plot and the characters dynamics. The Scottish dialect brings the speech parts of the book to life. The case itself, combined with the murder, maintained the mystery until the end, although for me it was of secondary interest to Maud and Daisy’s exploits.
Murder in the Scottish Hills is a very enjoyable murder mystery.
Book Description:
When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid Daisy travel into the Scottish Highlands, the last thing they expect to find is a body on the train… Will these keen amateur sleuths stop a murderer in his tracks?
Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre receives a letter from a maid called Rose, sharing her suspicions that something strange is happening in the house where she works, she and her assistant Daisy immediately travel to the Highlands to investigate.
But as they are changing trains, the body of a man falls from the carriage right in front of them, a bullet in his head. Maud and Daisy can’t believe it – they’ve waited ages for a new case, and now one has literally landed in front of them! And when the local police rule the death as a tragic accident, the pair have no choice but to investigate what they believe is a murder…
Arriving in the Scottish village, Maud and Daisy go undercover to begin their hunt for the murderer, while also investigating the strange behaviour of Rose’s employer, a local art dealer. As they begin to piece together the chain of events, Maud and Daisy wonder whether the cases might be linked. Is it possible the man on the train was killed to cover up something in the village? And, if so, who would do such a thing?
When a local artist is found murdered, Maud and Daisy become convinced the two cases are connected. Searching for the link between the deaths, will Maud and Daisy solve the case before another mysterious murder takes place?
A page-turning historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.
Author Bio:
Lydia Travers was born in London. She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.
Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird’s Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers’ Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers’ Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.
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Hattie is an unhappy temp, commuting to and from London every day. She usually catches the 18.53 train home and one day an incident stops the train. Those in the carriage strike up an unlikely friendship until one of them dies…
The Woman in Carriage 3 is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
Hattie is in her late 20s and back living at home with her parents. Her career is going nowhere and her lovelife relies on one night hook ups via apps. She meets a diverse range of people on her daily commute and friendships begin to form. Hattie even begins to hope for a chance at dating one of them. But all of the train passengers are being 100% honest and we know from the prologue that someone dies.
I found it difficult to warm to Hattie. She drinks too much and is quite selfish. Knowing the reticence of the British public on transport, I had to suspend my disbelief about a conversation developing let alone friendships forming!
There are multiple narrators to show us a variety of perspectives which allow us insights into different characters as well as setting up twists. The prologue creates a mystery and anticipation as we wait to find out who has died and try to work out if it had a sinister cause.
The Woman in Carriage 3 is an enjoyable book with twists and mystery.
Book Description:
An ordinary journey. A shocking secret. And the perfect murder…
Breathlessly, I rush into carriage 3 just as the train doors slam behind me. It’s the same train I get home every night – the 18.53 – and I always sit in the same seat, with the same people. Each journey is fairly uneventful. Except this one…
A passenger drops dead and shockwaves ripple through the train. The lights go out and we’re left waiting in darkness, trapped until further notice. Is it an accident, or something more sinister?
The unwritten rule is you don’t talk to your fellow commuters, but the group of people huddled around me all seem like nice, normal people. I just hope they don’t notice my dishevelled hair or smell the alcohol on my breath. Because my life is far from perfect and there are things I’ve done I’m not proud of.
But as we all get to know each other, I wonder if I can really trust them? Or are they all hiding dangerous secrets…
Was someone in carriage 3 involved in the passenger’s death? And if so, how far will they go to stop the rest of us finding the truth?
An absolutely addictive psychological thriller that will keep you up late into the night. If you love Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Perfect Couple, you’ll be gripped.
Author Bio:
Alison James was born in the Cotswolds but spent most of her formative years abroad. She studied languages at Oxford, then became a journalist and author, returning to university after her two children to take a law degree. After a three-year stint as a criminal paralegal, she worked as a commercial copywriter and then a TV storyliner, before coming full circle to write fiction again.
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