Review: The Final Chapter - January Gilchrist - August 2025 I'll be honest—I dove into The Final Chapter with sky-high expectations. After devouring Julia Bartz's The Writing Retreat , I was hungry for another atmospheric writers' retreat mystery with that delicious locked-room tension . The premise had everything I wanted: creative egos clashing in isolation, dark secrets lurking beneath polite smiles, and a remote Blue Mountains setting steeped in Australia's most chilling criminal history. Unfortunately, what promised to be a page-turner ended up feeling more like a rough draft than a polished final manuscript. The setup is undeniably intriguing. Three women converge at an exclusive retreat, each carrying secrets heavier than their luggage. Desley Barron, struggling to revive her dying writing career, arrives desperate to prove herself. High-profile author Colette Halifax is hiding from a career-threatening scandal. And Maia McKenzie isn't there to write at a...

A Garland at Bitterbark Creek Tammy Mannersly Publication date: November 5th 2024 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance He’s found a new home with her family while his own holds secrets to her past…This heart-wrenching 300+ page rural romance novel will have you gasping and keep you guessing as mysteries unravel, and as Jack and Sophie discover whether their love for one another can survive the deepest of wounds and darkest of betrayals. Had it not been for her cousin’s wedding, Sophie Wendall would never have returned to Bitterbark Creek—her aunt and uncle’s idyllic farm-stay on the outskirts of town. Twenty years ago, tragedy stole everything from her including her memory, leaving only secrets and lies. Now that she’s back, there are just two things on her mind: to find out the truth of what really happened to her that day at the dam and to steer clear of the wicked Garland family and their charismatic son—the boy who broke her heart. Jackson Garland is one of the few peopl...

Review: The Ledge - Christian White - September 2024 For the past couple of years, I have participated in readalongs for Tandem Collective Global and they are I find hit/miss titles. The Ledge by Christian White, I was looking forward to as I do love my thrillers but at the same time, I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never read any of his titles. Well, what can I say is that everyone needs to read this book as it is amazing. If you also love thrillers that you are surprised with and the twists you don't see coming, then The Ledge is one of those books you immediately need to add to your reading lists. This book starts in the present time with a body being found in the woods and then flashbacks to 1999 where we meet our four friends Aaron, Justin, Chen, and Leeson. They are inseparable and a close brotherhood, so much so that their friendship reminded me of the boys from Stand By Me or the girls from Now and Then movies. The book follows our narrator as he heads back home...

Review: My Best Friend's Murder - Polly Phillips - January 2021 I was in the mood for a mystery and also a little biased with this author's name as my name is Paula Phillips and as a nickname my dad used to call me when I was little Paulie which sounds like Polly. This book though written by an Aussie author is set in the UK as it used words like commons and pub/ bistros. The book starts with Becs - one of my main female characters finding her best friend Izzy's body at the bottom of the stairs. She leaves as she knows if she sticks around, she would be considered a prime suspect as hours earlier they argued. The book then jumps back to about a month earlier and we can already see cracks slowly forming in the friendship I felt sorry for Becs as she saw Izzy as her best friend since they were teenagers. As the book goes along, I came to hate Izzy as despite being "the amazing one" she is a jealous cow and manipulative and just a downright bully to Becs. It's ...

Can she woo the man of her dreams? Just What I Needed, an all-new swoony and romantic novella in the Stage Dive series from New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott is out now! From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kylie Scott comes a new story in her Stage Dive series… When the Stage Dive crew decides to help, they do it in a big way. Nanny and housekeeper Jude has been going through a dry patch. Getting ready to dip her toes back into the dating pool is a little nerve racking. And the offers of assistance from her boss, David Ferris, and his band are not helping. Right up until music producer Dean Jennings arrives to work on the band's latest album. But Dean is more than a little wary of dating anyone with anything to do with the Stage Dive crew after losing Lena to lead singer Jimmy Ferris all those years ago. Can Jude a) Convince the crew to stay out of her business and b) Woo the man of her dreams? **Every 1001 Dark Nigh...