Category: Thriller

The Detective Matthew Reilly

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery, Thriller, Throwback ThursdayLeave a comment

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia (Trade Paperback – 21 October 2025)

Series: Sam Speedman – Book One

Length: 383 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for one of the most over-the-top and highly impressive thrillers of recent years, with the brilliant and utterly addictive The Detective by Matthew Reilly.

Those who follow my blog will know that I tend to read a lot of Australian fiction, not only because I like to support local authors but because there are some cracking and captivating reads from my talented countryfolk.  Of the current crop of awesome Australian authors out there, few are more well known internationally than Matthew Reilly, a thriller writer with a raft of distinctive novels in his bibliography.  Known for books like his Shane Schofield and Jack West Jr series, as well as some of his outrageous standalone novels, Reilly has been a consistently entertaining author since the 1990s.  Despite this, I’ve only had the chance to read a couple of books from Reilly, including The Secret Runners of New York and Mr Einstein’s Secretary (one of my favourite books and pieces of Australian fiction of 2023), both of which were excellent in their own ways.  As such, I’ve tried to grab some more of his books, including his 2025 release, The Detective.  I only recently got the chance to read The Detective, and boy was I glad that I did.  The first book in Reilly’s new Sam Speedman series, The Detective was a highly addictive read with an exceedingly thrilling narrative behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

For 150 years, women have been going missing.

And all of the investigators who went in search of them – from 1877 to the present day – have disappeared, too.

Now Sam Speedman, a most unique private detective, is on the case.

Brilliant, direct and disarming, Sam is … different. He’s not your average private detective. But then again, this isn’t your average case.

For not even he will be prepared for what he will find.

Set in the darkest corners of the American South, tapping into hot-button issues that simmer beneath the surface of the modern United States, this is Matthew Reilly writing faster and bolder than ever before, bringing you a detective thriller like no other.

Well damn, now that was a crazy ass book!  While I knew I was likely going to enjoy The Detective, I was unprepared for just how over-the-top and entertaining it was going to be.  I honestly read this outstanding novel from Matthew Reilly in less than a day, it was damn addictive, especially when the full insanity of the plot emerged.  Due to just how fun and exciting The Detective was, I have to award this book a full five-stars, a rating it very much deserves.

I had an amazing time getting through The Detective’s narrative, primarily because Reilly came up with a powerful and detailed story that provides some intriguing mystery, heavy thrills and very over-the-top moments.  Reilly starts the narrative off strong, with an exciting introduction to the protagonist and main point-of-view character, Sam Speedman, the unlikely autistic private investigator.  While this opening sequence and early exploration of Reilly’s unique protagonist was great, it was the introduction of The Detective’s main case that personally drew me in, which starts when DNA test reveals that a dead newborn baby in the Louisiana swamp is the child of missing person Speedman has been hired to find.  To raise the stakes and interest, this disappearance is the latest in a long string of missing African American women dating back to the end of the Civil War.  Even more troubling, every previous detective who has investigated the case, including Speedman’s mentor, has either disappeared or turned up dead.

Despite this terrifying background, Speedman investigates and soon finds himself teaming up with an FBI agent also interested in the case.  Reilly does a lot of solid set-up in this first half of the book, and you are presented with some intriguing suspects, great supporting characters, and a real appreciation for the unique case and the way that the protagonist investigates.  The case goes in some interesting directions here, especially as Speedman finds an unlikely collection of clues and suspicions, before a seemingly early end to the investigation.  However, this is just a prelude to the rest of the plot, especially when Speedman quickly identifies a massive coverup surrounding the case.  Despite being offered everything he ever wanted, Speedman is unable to drop his investigation, which results in utter chaos and destruction being thrown at him and everyone he cares for.

While the first half of The Detective was very good and quickly draws you in, it was the brutal and insanely over-the-top second half of the book that makes this a truly memorable read.  Reilly throws everything that he can at his protagonist, as Speedman journeys through the deep south to find answers.  There are some great moments here, with plenty of action and clever investigating, all pulling together into a crazy result.  I don’t want to give too much away, but the hidden secrets behind the case are incredibly insane, while still cleverly fitting into the overarching narrative of The Detective.  Everything leads up to an explosive confrontation which delivers some very cathartic moments, as well as some memorable action sequences.  Reilly also throws in a great, if now depressingly unrealistic, solution to the giant odds the protagonists are facing, and watching their plan come together was really impressive.  An overall outstanding narrative, that you won’t be able to stop reading, even if you wanted to.

I had a lot of fun with Reilly’s style for The Detective, which was very easy to read and really highlighted the book’s fantastic action.  The author makes excellent use of the first-person perspective, which showcased the entertaining viewpoint of the primary perspective character.  Thanks to this, you get a great view of the investigation and the protagonist’s mind as he pulls the unique threads of the mystery together.  The mystery itself is quite well set up, and I appreciated the variety of clues and hints that Reilly introduces early in the book, even if you can’t imagine just where the author is going with them.  I will say that Reilly makes good use of the southern setting for the plot, with race, cultural heritage and other issues all working as motives or underlying factors.  These contemporary issues, as well as some key historical events, are cleverly referenced or alluded to (including quotes from real-life events or people), and while Reilly naturally takes everything several steps further than reality, it still makes you think.  I deeply enjoyed the narrative extremes that Reilly went to, which added a lot of entertainment to this book, and you must imagine that some of the world’s current craziness bled into Reilly’s mind as he wrote it.  I also have to highlight some of the cool diagrams and helpful alternate formatting that was added into the paperback version of The Detective, which helped order key parts of the plot and allowed even more insights into the protagonist’s mind.

I’ve already mentioned the unique protagonist of The Detective, Sam Speedman, a few times, and I want to again make it clear how interesting and fun he proved to be.  Introduced as a questionable investigative protagonist due to his lack of social skills and distinctive way of thinking, Speedman quickly grows on the reader thanks to his insights, down-to-earth view, and determination to do the right thing no matter what.  I liked how Reilly already had Speedman set up as a very competent figure right at the start of the book, and you are soon drawn into his personality, as well as the unlikely connections he already has.  The author also throws in some growth for Speedman in this book, with the protagonist becoming even more comfortable with other people while continuing to stick to his principles no matter the cost.  I really think that Reilly did a good job of providing a nuanced portrayal of an autistic central character, and I liked how Speedman’s eccentricities, such as his preferred restaurant and inherent caution, played into the plot in some natural ways.  Speedman proved to be one of the more memorable crime fiction protagonists in recent years, and I’m very curious to see what other adventures Reilly takes him on in the future.

Aside from Speedman, The Detective features an intriguing array of supporting characters, each of whom add their own spin on the plot.  Reilly has fun showcasing many of these great characters from Speedman’s perspective, and it was interesting to see his take on them.  I personally enjoyed secondary protagonist FBI agent Audrey Mills, who serves as a motivated support to Speedman, as well as a moving love interest once she realises who she is working with.  Other fun characters include Speedman’s eclectic contacts, such as an enterprising assistant, an exceedingly brave fellow investigator, and several Hooters waitresses who are some of the protagonist’s best friends.  Finally, we have the various antagonists of the story, who exist at near supervillain levels thanks to their audacious evil plans.  To avoid spoilers, I won’t say too much about these antagonists, except that they make for a terrifying opposition thanks to their reach and influences.  This fantastic and over-the-top group of characters all fit naturally into Reilly’s ambitious and ultra-entertaining narrative.

Thanks to its outrageous story, complex characters, and non-stop fun and excitement, The Detective proved to be an incredible read, and one that I still cannot stop thinking about.  Matthew Reilly really came up with something special with The Detective, and it was a crazy pleasure to read it.  I am now exceedingly excited for the soon to be released sequel, King’s Ransom, which I already know is going to be exceedingly awesome and crazy.

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Quick Review – On the Edge by Kate Horan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: HQ (Trade Paperback – 1 January 2026)

Series: Standalone

Length: 372 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Get ready for one of the more compelling pieces of Australian crime fiction released earlier this year, the powerful and twisty On the Edge by Kate Horan.

Plot Synopsis:

Desperate people do desperate things…

Sixteen years ago, teenage Maddie Marshall’s body was found on a desolate beach near her hometown, Carrinya. Vibrant, feisty Maddie was the only daughter of a high-profile politician. The case was the talk of the town but was ultimately never solved.

Nel Foley, daughter of the town doctor and Maddie’s best friend, was the last known person to see her alive, and the Carrinya rumour mill was vicious. Nel fled the town and has never been back. Until now.

Now a 32-year-old city GP, Nel returns after her father’s sudden death, determined to get in and out as quickly as possible. Begrudgingly, she agrees to run his clinic for a few weeks, but during that time she meets local mum Sophie Warner and that changes everything.

Sophie’s husband Ryan, a prominent local real estate agent, was Maddie’s boyfriend and Nel is certain he played a role in her death. When Nel discovers that Ryan is not the loving husband and father that he seems, she decides she must prove what he did all those years ago. But as she starts to unravel the past, she discovers the truth is far more complex than she could have imagined.

A twisty, suspenseful mystery about the desperate things people do when they’re on the edge.

On the Edge was an excellent and intense read from rising Australian author Kate Horan, which was a great early highlight of the 2026 reading year.  The second book from Horan following her debut The Inheritance, On the Edge was an interesting take on the classic small-town Australian crime fiction novel, which took its mystery in some outstanding directions.

A lot of elements of On the Edge will be familiar to fans of Australian fiction, with a protagonist forced to return to their hometown after leaving years ago in the aftermath of a dark event, in this case the suspicious death of protagonist Nel’s best friend, Maddie.  Horan does an excellent job of introducing Nel and showcasing her trauma at returning, with some flashback sequences adding in some extra context.  Naturally, Nel takes the chance to start her own investigation into the historic crime thanks to new evidence recovered from her dead father’s files.

While there are some familiar story beats to On the Edge’s initial plot, Horan makes this format her own thanks to her use of the secondary protagonist Sophie.  The wife of Ryan, the obvious suspect to Maddie’s murder, Sophie spends most of the book dealing with Ryan’s domestic abuse, while also being haunted by the secrets from her past.  This provides a great alternate perspective to the narrative, which helps to make On the Edge really stand out, especially with some well-placed reveals.  Horan uses many of these story elements to drive up the book’s drama, with Nel forced to confront her family’s feelings and the scorn of the town, while Sophie works to escape her husband, and this personal struggle adds to the desperation to find the truth.

Everything perfectly leads up to the big finale for On the Edge, which I think was the strongest part of the entire book.  Horan came up with a very impressive twist around Sophie, which was honestly the narrative highlight of the entire story, and I was very impressed with how well the author set it up.  I did think that Horan perhaps went a twist too far after this big reveal, especially with the timing and location of the final revelation, but it was still an interesting inclusion that had the appropriate build behind it.  Horan wraps this up with some relatable happy endings, which was honestly needed after some of the darker elements of the book.

This was an impressive piece of Australian fiction from Horan, who produced a fantastic story of desperation, historical trauma and murder.  The use of the alternating perspectives from two women caught at opposing ends of the mystery was a true highlight, and I appreciated how effectively the author layered the clues to all the reviews in both their storylines.  Horan also expertly built up the alternating personal issues from both protagonists, and their struggles melded well with the overarching hunt for the truth.  On top of that, Horan also captured some of the true lows of family domestic violence in small-town Australia, which unsurprisingly is becoming a recurring theme in Australian crime fiction.  Throw in some great depictions of small-town Australia and the struggles associated with them, including a unique perspective from a local doctor, and this was a deeply compelling read that really highlighted Horan’s abilities as an author.

Overall, On the Edge was a great second novel from Kate Horan, and one that I’m glad I picked up.  Featuring a brilliant story loaded with impressive twists and turns, as well as some complex character-driven narratives, On the Edge was one of the stronger Australian set novels from the first half of 2026, and I look forward from reading more from Horan in the future.

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Waiting on Wednesday – While You Were Screaming by Shailee Thompson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller, Waiting on WednesdayLeave a comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I look at a fun upcoming thriller from a rising Australian author with While You Were Screaming by Shailee Thompson.

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Those familiar with my blog know that I’m a massive fan of weird and unique thrillers, especially those that take established genre elements and flip them on their head.  It’s thanks to this love of unusual books that I was lucky enough to read the fantastic 2026 debut, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson.  A hilarious novel that served as a combined parody of romance and slasher films, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was an extremely compelling read, and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts and Australian releases from the first half of 2026.

Based on how much I enjoyed How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates, I’ve been eager to see what Thompson would write next, which is why I discovered the focus for this week’s post, While You Were Screaming.

Set for release in February 2027, While You Were Screaming is another amazing sounding thriller that will a protagonist find love in all the wrong places.  This time combining the romance genre with a gritty thriller narrative involving murderous cults, While You Were Screaming has an awesome plot behind it, and I’m already curious to see how it’s fun, if deadly, narrative goes.  Sure to be one of the distinctive thrillers of 2027, I’m very eager to read While You Were Screaming and it should be an early entertaining read for me next year.

Plot Synopsis:

From the #1 bestselling author of How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates comes a swoony killer romance in which a sinister couples retreat results in cult chaos – for fans of Grady Hendrix and Brynne Weaver.

Filmmaker Laurie Hamilton knows a red flag when she sees one, and Kindred Souls sets off every alarm. The organisation claims to counsel couples for a steep price, but what’s their real deal? Is it a scam … or a cult?

On a hunch that might get her killed, Laurie heads undercover with Connor Kincaid – a dangerously handsome podcaster and the one man she swore she’d never see again. Posing as the perfect match, they infiltrate a Kindred Souls retreat run by Cardinal, the enigmatic leader whose eerie charisma and devoted followers suggest there’s far more going on than relationship counselling.

Once inside, there’s no leaving. Surrounded by couples desperate to prove they’re soulmates, Laurie and Connor quickly realise the retreat isn’t about finding love – it’s about deciding who deserves it.

When things go from creepy to deadly, Laurie must decide who she can trust. Getting out alive is one thing, but what if she starts to grow feelings for the man she’s pretending to love? Urgh.

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, ThrillerLeave a comment

Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia (Trade Paperback – 21 July 2026)

Series: Standalone

Length: 454 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Get ready for one of the more unique crime fiction reads of 2026, as the superstar writing team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld present The Mortons, a complex and addictive read about a very messed up family.

Plot Synopsis:

A darkly funny, action-packed gothic thriller following a modern-day, old-money crime family with murderous intent. It’s The Secret History meets The Sopranos, with a dash of Saltburn!

Meet the Mortons: In this family, murder is currency – and business is booming.

The Mortons are a modern-day, old-money dynasty with impeccable taste, from their exquisitely crafted cocktails to their expertly tailored vintage garments. They are also stone-cold killers.

They, along with the other crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where legacy students learn to exercise control over their wealthy peers. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in her knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill, it should be Jessica’s moment, her honour.

But that kill will cut more ways than one – and it will set in motion a series of consequences from which there is no turning back.

Sharp and hypnotic, The Mortons is an epic novel of alliances and power, loyalty and kinship, and the consequences of ruthless ambition.

The Mortons was an exceptional and highly addictive crime fiction thriller that provides a dark look at humanity through the eyes of a born and raised killer.  The first adult fiction collaboration between Australian young adult fiction author Justine Larbalestier and her husband Scott Westerfeld, also an established young adult author, The Mortons was a brilliantly twisted and complex read that I honestly couldn’t put down as I moved between shocking moments.

The plot of The Mortons is centred around protagonist and sole point-of-view character Jessica Morton, a murderous prodigy hiding in plain sight at the elite Helshire College.  A member of the Morton family, an extended clan of killers who manipulate, threaten and assassinate others for power and influence, Jessica is the rising star of the family, determined to do the rest of the Mortons proud.  However, after she is ordered to perform her first kill and murder an underperforming cousin, Jessica’s carefully planned life begins to change as she balances new feelings with her family duty and expectations.

The authors do an excellent job setting up much of The Mortons’ key story elements in the first half of the book, and I really appreciated the effective introduction to the protagonist, the titular Morton family, and the wider hidden world of family-controlled violence and manipulation.  There is some good early character work, especially as the protagonists deals with her apparent guilt, while also finding out some secrets around her family and Helshire.  Things become even more complicated when Jessica is sent on an important mission for the family.  This part of the book provides some of the more intriguing looks at Jessica’s personality, and the authors play up new uncertainty about her role and her family.  It also leads up to one of the book’s main, shocking moments halfway through, which changes the protagonist’s entire trajectory.

After this big moment, the second half of The Mortons is just one intense and highly addictive thrill ride, which I honestly got through in one extended sitting.  Faced with several traumatic events, Jessica’s storyline goes in a very interesting direction as she struggles with who she truly is.  I really enjoyed the additional emotional uncertainty of the plot in this part of the book, while additional revealed motivations from several supporting characters add to the general chaos of the plot, until a big moment changes everything once again.  I was very impressed with Larbalestier and Westerfeld for the big twist towards the end of the book, as it changed everything you thought you knew about the plot and altered everyone’s motivations.  The authors follow this twist up with some very dark moments guaranteed to leave you shocked, before leading up to the complex and thought-provoking conclusion.  The ending itself is a little low-key, but there is an intense beauty to it which fits The Mortons’ various character arcs extremely well.  It also leaves the story open to allow potential sequels from the authors, although The Mortons works quite well as a standalone story and adding more might remove the overall impact of this excellent book.

Larbalestier and Westerfeld crafted together a slick and emotionally charged novel here with The Mortons.  Blending a deeply personal character driven story from a damaged protagonist into a larger tale of family expectations and criminality resulted in a great read, and I loved the intense amount of drama and intrigue that the authors loaded into this book.  The underlying setting of the hidden crime families secretly influencing the world and training together alongside normal wealthy students a Helshire was very clever, and I loved the extended look at the sinister Mortons.  The authors do a wonderful job of initially showing the Mortons as a cool, if dangerous, family to be a part of, although the full depth of their evil becomes more apparent as the book continues.  This slow reveal of the titular family ties in nicely with the overarching themes of self-determination, nature vs nurture, and generational trauma, all placed in the context of a cultish criminal dynasty.  I did think at times that The Mortons had a young adult feel to it, especially the sequences examining first love and Helshire.  While this is to be expected considering the authors’ young adult fiction background, it might not appeal to some more mainstream thriller fans.  Still, I really enjoyed the easy style of The Mortons, and its complex characters and clever twists makes it a fantastic read for all crime fiction readers.

A key highlight of The Mortons is the distinctive characters contained within, especially the various murderous members of the Morton family proper.  The compelling collection of family-orientated killers and the people they associate with, was an impressive part of the book, and the authors do an amazing job of showing how dangerous and manipulative they can be, while also examining other parts of their personality.  As the book’s primary protagonist, much of The Mortons’ focus is on Jessica Morton, who goes through a particularly intense journey in this novel.  Initially shown to be a diligent Morton, Jessica finds herself drawn between family loyalty and other connections after her first kill.  The authors do an amazing job of initially introducing Jessica and her cold personality, before bombarding her with new experiences and thoughts.  This includes her first flourishes of romantic love, as well as other personal connections, all of which play against her family’s beliefs.  Jessica’s internal struggle is a big part of the book’s plot, especially once you understand how it’s being manipulated by others, and I really appreciated how effectively the authors dove into this protagonist.

Other key characters I have to highlight include Jessica’s roommate, Faraday, a party girl who finds herself drawn towards the mystique of the Mortons without fully understanding the dangers, and Jessica’s adopted cousin, Sebastian, who provides an interesting human perspective on the dark family.  These characters, and more, are all extremely well written, and their take on love, death, and the trauma of being or knowing the Mortons becomes integral to the plot in some many excellent ways.  I was so damn impressed with all these complex character moments, all of whom add to the powerful emotional depth of The Mortons.

Thanks to its captivating story, intense characters, and killer charm, The Mortons stands tall as one of the more intriguing and distinctive crime fiction reads of 2026.  Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld prove to be an incredible writing team, and there is so much depth and complexity in this brilliant joint adult thriller debut.  The Mortons comes highly recommended as a result, and readers are guaranteed to have an incredible time with this book, although you likely won’t be prepared for all its devilish twists.

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Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Thriller, Young AdultLeave a comment

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Uk (ebook – 16 June 2026)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 432 pages

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for a particularly addictive and elaborate young adult thriller with Drop Dead Famous by Jennifer Pearson.  The debut young adult thriller for Jennifer Pearson (who previously authored several middle grade novels as Jenny Pearson), Drop Dead Famous was an incredible novel with some fantastic twists and turns.

Plot Synopsis:

 When global singing sensation Blair Baker rises on a platform high above the stage for the opening number of her triumphant hometown concert, the crowd erupts in applause. But their joy quickly turns to horror when they realize Blair is dead. The shocking revelation that music’s brightest star has been murdered rocks the world. But for her younger sister, Stevie, the tragedy is more than a headline – it’s personal.

Determined to uncover the truth, Stevie dives headfirst into the shadows of her sister’s glittering life.

What begins as a search for answers turns into a dangerous journey through the toxic underbelly of fame, where betrayal, manipulation, and obsession thrive. Yet, as Stevie peels back the layers of who her sister really was, she begins to uncover dark secrets closer to home – secrets that someone is desperate to keep buried…

Wow, what an awesome read.  I must admit I wasn’t expecting one of the strongest and most compelling and complex crime fiction reads of the year when I first picked up Drop Dead Famous.  However, this cool teen thriller quickly drew me in with its elaborate mystery, fun characters and multiple powerful twists.  This was honestly one of the stronger debuts of 2026, and I came away really impressed with Pearson’s ability to craft an emotionally charged mystery.

Pearson crafts together an outstanding narrative for Drop Dead Famous that immediately throws you into the action and keeps you hooked to the end.  It starts off with an introduction to the protagonist, Stevie Baker, her dysfunctional family and her small town as they arrive at the concert for Stevie’s world-famous sister, Blair Baker.  Things quickly take a dark turn when Blair is found murdered on stage, turning Stevie’s life upside down again.  With no faith in the town’s police force, especially after they failed to solve two other major recent cases, Stevie decides to investigate herself.  Pearson provides a very strong introduction to her narrative in these opening chapters of Drop Dead Famous, and not only do you get some intense looks at the protagonist’s personal and family drama, much of which has major impacts on the case, but Pearson also throws in a lot of early clues and hints that are well utilised later in the story.

After this introduction, Pearson turns Drop Dead Famous into a compelling small-town, odd-couple investigation when Stevie is convinced to form an unlikely team with Colby Green, the self-declared biggest fan of her sister.  This results in a large and unique investigation, with the two girls working as an effective investigative unit, looking at Blair’s former relationships, stalker fans, shady business manager, and trying to uncover other dark secrets.  At the same time, Blair finds herself being threatened by several people seemingly wanting to shut down her investigation, while other dark secrets from closer to home start to impact the case.  This includes long-hidden mistakes from the town’s last two major crimes, the murder of a young boy and the disappearance of Stevie’s niece, all of which are cleverly connected to the current murder of Blair.

All this excellent buildup from Pearson leads to one of the best final thirds of a mystery novel I’ve seen this year, as the author cleverly ties together all the varied clues and theories into a brilliant conclusion.  Despite how good I usually am at predicting twists in mystery novels, I honestly did not see most of the big reveals from Drop Dead Famous coming, which added a lot to the book’s impact.  I was really impressed with how Pearson effectively tied in the town’s previous cases and the protagonist’s family secrets, as well as various other hints and clues sprinkled throughout the plot, into the concluding surprises, and it helped to make the culprit’s identity that much more personal and powerful.  I honestly couldn’t stop reading Drop Dead Famous in this final stretch, and readers are guaranteed to come away very satisfied by this conclusion, especially when every single secret is out in the light.

I felt that Pearson did an amazing job with her first thriller as Drop Dead Famous has a lot of compelling elements to it that make it quite addictive and compelling.  I’ve already mentioned the brilliant mystery and investigate core of Drop Dead Famous, but I really need to emphasise its complexity.  Pearson builds in so many different layers to the case, with various clues or key details loaded throughout the book all the way back to page one.  The way in which Pearson kept track of these details and brought them together in the end in a way that was both shocking to the reader, but also still easy to follow, was so damn impressive, and ensure that the mystery element was a major highlight for me.  However, there was so much more to this book as Pearson ensured that the novel was also a deeply personal, character-driven read with some real heart and laughs.

Much of the lighter side of the lighter side of Drop Dead Famous is due to the central character interactions between the main protagonists Stevie Barker and Colby Green.  Stevie’s darker narrative about family tragedy and using amateur criminal investigation as a crutch to deal with trauma is emotionally buoyed by her new friendship with the ultimate fan girl, Colby, who proves to be a surprisingly effective investigative partner.  The interactions between Stevie and Colby brought in much of the book’s humour, with their unusual methods, disregard for the rules and strong odd-couple partnership providing a lot of excellent entertainment.  These fun character interactions melded surprisingly well with the more serious parts of the book, and it honestly increased the pace and allowed for a more overall entertaining read.

I also felt that Drop Dead Famous was a very enjoyable young adult thriller, as Pearson made it very appealing to a very wide audience.  Marketed as a young adult fiction novel, Pearson sets up a lighter, teen-focused read through the interactions and relationships of the protagonists, which includes fun banter, focus on teenage problems, and some light-hearted teen romances.  This allows a teenage audience to connect to the story, and I think younger readers will appreciate that Pearson didn’t talk down to them, and instead provided some nuanced looks at family drama, modern trends, the downsides of celebrity and other adult themes.  The overarching intense and layered mystery ensures that older crime fiction readers will also get quite a lot out of this book, while the young adult audience will really get to sink their teeth into a truly amazing murder mystery.  As such, I think that there will be quite a large audience for Drop Dead Famous, and I would have loved to read a book like this when I was younger.

Thanks to its fantastic mystery, entertaining characters and brilliant storytelling, Drop Dead Famous proved to be an exceptional read that I honestly cannot stop thinking about.  Jennifer Pearson did such an incredible job with this debut, and this was easily one of the better young adult thrillers I have had the pleasure of reading.  A highly recommended book for both young adult and general crime fiction readers, I had an amazing time with Drop Dead Famous, and I will be grabbing a copy of the promised sequel when it comes out.

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The Bone Docs by Matthew Scura

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Publisher: Federal Pen Publishing (ebook – 1 June 2026)

Series: Standalone 

Length: 388 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for something exciting, funny and just a little insane?  Then look no further than the fantastic thriller novel The Bone Docs.  The latest novel from Matthew Scura, an author with an interesting bibliography of fun sounding books, The Bone Docs was an awesome read with a memorable premise behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

When Flight 82 goes down over the Atlantic, forty doctors survive the crash. Unfortunately, they’re all chiropractors and dentists.

Stranded on an uncharted island with no rescue in sight, the survivors face a brutal reality: dwindling rations, no clear leader, and an alarming surplus of essential oils. The bigger problem? The chiropractors and dentists already despise each other. Pediatric dentist Rebecca Riley is too deep in medication withdrawal to keep the peace. Reluctantly famous chiropractor Carlton Berger never wanted to lead anyone anywhere, let alone across a tropical island at spearpoint.

As factions form and tempers flare, the castaways learn that surviving the crash was the easy part. The hard part is surviving one another. But when one castaway decides the island can’t support forty doctors, the feud turns deadly.

The Bone Docs is a satirical survival novel about the only medical professionals you don’t need in a crisis—and what happens when the bedside manner runs out.

With a hilarious background plot idea, The Bone Docs was a highly entertaining novel that quickly draws you in with its survival plot and satirical take on dentists and chiropractors.  Scura clearly had a lot of fun pulling this novel together, and I had an amazing time reading The Bone Docs, which I mostly powered through in a single night.

I really enjoyed The Bone Docs story, which was thrilling and hilarious in equal measure.  Employing a dual narrator system, Scura quickly introduces reader to the novel’s protagonists, famous chiropractor Carlton Berger and dentist Rebecca Riley.  Boarding a plane filled only with dentists and chiropractors on their way to Calcium Con in London, the two protagonists find themselves amongst the few survivors of a dramatic plane crash that leaves them stranded in the middle of the ocean.  With no rescue in sight, the remaining survivors wash up on a desert island and must find a way to survive.  Scura does a lot of excellent work early in The Bone Docs, with an effective introduction to several of the main characters, as well as the overarching premise that two competing groups of calcium-focused medical professionals can’t stand each other.

The book soon turns into a more classic survival novel, with the characters working to find food, water and other resources on their new island home.  While this is going on, Scura cleverly builds the simmering tension between the two medical tribes, which eventually boils over in some dramatic ways.  The resulting insanity that follows makes for a tense and exciting final third for The Bone Docs, which I frankly couldn’t put down.  Thanks to a particularly despicable villain, you find yourself highly invested in the protagonists surviving and getting justice, and the carnage that follows as chiropractors and dentists go to war was simultaneously dark and entertaining.  Scura really lays in some over-the-top moments with this book, and the big confrontations and plot resolutions were quite enjoyable.  Finishing with an interesting, if overly telegraphed, final twist, The Bone Docs ends on a great note, and readers will come away from this novel highly satisfied and entertained.

Unsurprisingly considering the underlying story idea, I found The Bone Docs to be a very over-the-top and intentionally silly book which is very easy to fall in love with.  Working as both an intense thriller and an amusing satire of survival stories, The Bone Docs was a very intriguing mash-up of genres, but it’s one that I think worked very well.  The main basis of the story, a complex island survival thriller, allows for a fast-paced narrative that initially draws you in with the protagonists’ attempt to survive the island and then becomes even more compelling with its dramatic turns, brutal deaths and dark conflicts.  There is a very realistic human edge to this part of the story, with the characters getting drawn into conflict by selfish desires, with a slimy and manipulative villain takes control amongst a scared population.  Scura further enhances this by showcasing the story through the eyes of two relatable flawed protagonists, whose own internal struggles allow them the strength to survive and fight back.

While Scura could have had a serviceable novel just by focusing on the fight for survival, what makes The Bone Docs stand out is its inherent comedic charm, with all the characters being either dentists or chiropractors.  The majority of these ‘doctors’ the most outrageous and hilarious version of the professions Scura could envision, which results in some hilarious characterisations.  The chiropractors are all unnaturally straight-backed, physically capable, essential oil addicts who believe that anything can be cured by a spinal adjustment.  The dentists, on the other hand, are generally shown to be over-paid, arrogant whiners who look down on the chiropractors as phony doctors.  The resulting personality clashes between the two groups of bone specialists are amazing, and I love how Scura turns their initial professional rivalry into a full-blown war with very little effort.  Some of the jokes that Scura throws into the book about both professions are really entertaining (the obligatory lion hunting reference from a dentist had me cackling), and this ends up being a loving send-up of both professions.  Throw in some other over-the-top moments played for comedic effect (such as the method in which the main antagonist is killed), and this was a very effective comedic novel that perfectly plays off the more serious thriller aspects of the plot to create an overall entertaining and gripping read.

I ended up really enjoying Scura’s comedic inclusions and the more serious thriller narrative of The Bone Docs, and I think the result was a very solid and captivating novel that I honestly couldn’t put down.  Thanks to how effectively The Bone Docs kept me reading it for several hours straight, I must give this book a high rating, and I was honestly very entertained the entire way through.  A fantastic standalone novel, The Bone Docs was one of the more unique reads of 2026, and it’s one I would recommend, especially if you want some thrilling, satirical fun.

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The Yacht by Kayte Nunn

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Thriller1 Comment

Publisher: Harper Collins (Trade Paperback – 26 May 2026)

Series: Standalone 

Length: 336 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Australian author Kayte Nunn presents a captivating tale of family drama, classism, intrigue and revenge, all aboard a luxurious mega-yacht, with her wonderful new novel, The Yacht.

Plot Synopsis:

A man on the edge.

A woman hell-bent on revenge.

A cheating husband.

A desperate wife.

A property empire on the brink of collapse.

A family at loggerheads.

A predator hiding in plain sight.

Who will sink and who will swim?

Three generations of a billionaire family are taking their new superyacht on its maiden voyage. But when the yacht sinks, each of them has a different part to play, in this addictive, twist-filled thriller.

Kayte Nunn is a veteran author who has written several intriguing novels in recent years across the genres.  Her more recent work has seen her dive into crime fiction waters, which includes her 2025 release, The Palazzo, and her new book, The Yacht.  The Yacht, which was the first of Nunn’s books I’ve had the chance to read, was an excellent and entertaining thriller that sees dramatic revenge thrown against the inhabitants of luxury yacht.

I really enjoyed the compelling plot that Nunn threw together for The Yacht, which follows several complex characters on an interconnected and intense tale.  This includes various members of the infamous Thyssen family, who have arrived at their father’s new luxury superyacht Ambition as it sails off the coast of Spain.  Each member of this family has their own drama, including a dislike of the family’s greedy lifestyle, a cheating husband, and fear of the family’s controlling patriarch.  In addition, you also follow Piper, the Ambition’s new deckhand, who has her own agenda.  Thanks to some hints of the future, it becomes clear that you are following these characters, as well as a police detective from the port the yacht is moored at, as they head towards the Ambition’s destruction and are witnessing the events that caused it.

Nunn does an excellent job setting up the story for The Yacht and you are quickly caught up in personal storylines of the various protagonists.  Nunn blends these multiple character-driven narratives together into a captivating, combined narrative, and the overlapping drama and multiple secrets really intensify each protagonist’s concerns, as well as the growing apprehension of events to come.  Nunn also gradually reveals multiple additional secrets, such as hidden criminal activities aboard the Ambition and Piper’s true motivations, while even more threats lurk in the shadows.  All this leads up to the big final sequence, where the long-awaited shipwreck occurs, and every character is thrown into turmoil.  You’ll honestly power through the last third of the book as you try to determine who is going to survive and who will get justice, and you’ll mostly come away satisfied with the well-orchestrated conclusion.

I felt The Yacht was a well-written standalone thriller which made perfect use of its larger-than-life characters and fantastic class-focused drama.  Nunn was clearly aiming for a mixture of Below Decks and Succession in this novel, and I think for the most part she succeeded.  The dysfunction dynamics of the various Thyssen family members played off against Piper’s outsider view of events extremely well, and I loved the alternating drama.  The resulting storylines around each character were personal and powerful, while the differing view of other perspective protagonists added some interesting insights that readers will lap up.  While Nunn could have probably left this book as a pure drama tale, playing off the dysfunction of the main family, the inclusion of more traditional thriller elements resulted in a fast-paced read with some real stakes, especially with Piper’s plot of getting justice and revenge and the hidden exploits of other key characters.  Further tension was added by some interesting in-universe social media messages at the end of several chapters, as well as one set of perspective chapters set in the future, which hints at coming calamity and help to set up expectations for the reader.  Nunn ensured the final reveals and the big conclusion of The Yacht mostly lived up to the hype, although these final chapters did feel a little rushed.  There was also something a little unsatisfying with some characters’ fates, but this didn’t take me out of the story too much.

Overall, The Yacht was an impressive and addictive read and it was one I was glad I got the chance to check out.  Kayte Nunn created an excellent standalone for this book that combines some class-focused drama with an intense thriller plot.  The Yacht ended up being a great read that will appeal to wide range of readers, and I’ll be curious to read more from Nunn in the future.

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How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Horror, Thriller3 Comments

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (ebook – 3 February 2026)

Series: Standalone 

Length: 378 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Australian author Shailee Thompson presents one of the more distinctive and entertaining debuts of 2026, with the addictive horror romance hybrid novel, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates.

Plot Synopsis:

A hilarious, swoony and downright terrifying horror romance in which a cinephile gets caught in the middle of a murder spree at a speed-dating event and must use her encyclopedic knowledge of the rom-com and horror genres to make it as a real-life Final Girl.

When cinephile Jamie Prescott attends a speed-dating event, she expects to meet some mediocre men and have a laugh – she doesn’t expect one of her dates to have his throat slit at her table during a blackout. When the lights come back on, there are more bodies on the floor and the doors are locked.

Armed with makeshift weapons and her extensive knowledge of what not to do in a slasher, Jamie must figure out how to make it out of the building alive. But as the night progresses, she begins to suspect the killer is committing the slayings to woo one of the daters. Whatever happened to roses and perfume?

And why can’t Jamie stay focused on the important thing here, which is obviously not getting murdered, instead of being distracted by a few hot guys? Especially if one of those hot guys happens to be the bad guy…

Oops.

Laugh-out-loud funny and hide-under-your-bed scary, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates puts the killer in killer love story.

I’m always on the lookout for unique and out-there crime fiction reads, and with its slasher parody narrative How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates had everything I look for in a novel.  Combining a thrilling narrative with some amusing takes on two very different genres, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was an excellent first novel from Thompson that is guaranteed to hook you like a serial killer.

Thompson provides a very fast-paced narrative for How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates, which works to bring you in quickly and allow you to enjoy the fun of her entertaining story.  This book nearly immediately drags you into the action after an effective introduction to the protagonist and point-of-view character, Jamie, before providing readers with an extended speed-dating sequence. This sequence is fun on several levels, as it not only provides details about much of the supporting cast, including early hints and red herrings, but it also introduces some of the potential romance options for the protagonist.  After a sudden yet brutal series of killings, the protagonist and several other speed daters are trapped in the venue, desperately trying to find a way out.  Thompson builds up some excellent tension in this first half of the novel, especially with the labyrinthine setting and the clashing personalities, even before the masked killer makes their first official appearance.

Despite the protagonist following certain rules to survive a horror film, the group starts to get separated and hunted by the killer, who is given the moniker Heart Eyes.  However, things only get worse when Jamie begins to understand that Heart Eyes is killing to specifically woo her as a messed-up courting ritual.  This amplifies up the plot, with Jamie both attempting to sacrifice herself while also getting closer to some of the men she is trapped with in some entertaining, if a little inappropriate, romance sequences.  In typical slasher fashion, the supporting cast of the novel are slowly whittled down, with revelations muddying who is responsible for the crime.  All of this leads up to the big final confrontation, where Jamie attempts to become the final girl anyway that she can.  Without giving too much away, I think the lead-up and execution of the big finale was done well, as Thompson provides a great deal of desperation and intensity, although the result is never in doubt.  I will say that I figured out the big twists and identity of the killer early on, although much of this was because of the various film homages I was familiar with.  Still, readers come away from this story very satisfied, and it was the thrilling, campy narrative you expect it to be going in.

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates is an exciting and tense read that cleverly brings two very different genres together.  Filled with a range of big personalities, the story is well told from protagonist Jamie Prescott’s perspective, and I loved the intrigue, terror and mistrust that emerges as the plot continues.  Thanks to the protagonist’s joint love of romcoms and horror films, as well as the presence of several suspiciously perfect men, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates quickly starts to feel like a fun mixture of the two genres.  Thompson uses this genre mixture to great effect to increase both the entertainment value and the intensity of the plot, especially when it becomes clear that the killer is attempting to romance Jamie from afar.  The resulting carnage is very over the top, which becomes even creepier once you realise how everyone is dying due to a killer’s twisted sense of love.  Of the two genres, I think that the slasher elements of the book were stronger, and I really must highlight the claustrophobic setting, the various hidden clues about events to come, as well as the growing guilt and fear of the characters.  The romcom elements of How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates were also pretty good, if a little forced at times, but it did help to lighten the plot.  The result was quite gripping, and I felt that this was a book that will appeal to fans of both genres, as well as anyone looking for something entertaining and unique.

One of the very fun highlights of How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was the references that Thompson made to classic and iconic horror and romcom films throughout the book.  Much of this was in character, with the cinephile protagonist talking about her favourite films and revisiting famous slasher movies to predict how the killer will attack them next.  It was very entertaining to see a character with some meta-knowledge of horror tropes try to survive their own slasher experience, although it was frustrating to watch all the characters ignore or forget the very simple rules the character (and the author) brings up multiple times.  Still, that gave How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates a bit more of an authentic horror flair, and readers can have a good think about how they would act in a slasher film if they knew all the potential survival rules.

In addition to the references the protagonist deliberately makes there are also a lot more subtle homages that Thompson slides into the book, including in her character’s names.  For example, the protagonist is named for two classic final girls, while another character was named for two major horror directors.  The author loaded in a lot of other quotes and homages throughout the book, and while I’m personally not a mega fan of either genre, I felt I got most of these references.  This allows fans of both genres, and films in general, to have a lot of fun as they try to pick out the easter eggs.  Indeed, those readers with an in-depth knowledge of one of these genres can also unlock a teaser about how the plot unfolds if you really dive into the meta-inclusions, and I personally still got a chuckle about how Thompson did this.  It was a shame that Thompson named her killer Heart Eyes, as it kept making me think of the 2025 film of the same name, which had some similar story beats.  I’m not sure if this was a deep cut from Thompson or an unavoidable coincidence, but you couldn’t help but make some comparisons.  However, this didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel, and I felt that overall the references in How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates were never too overwhelming, and even someone who has never watched a film can still appreciate the story without getting lost or confused.  A very fun inclusion to an exciting and entertaining read.

Shailee Thompson bursts into the fiction scene with the bloody and highly compelling debut, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates, which ended up being a very fun read.  Fast-paced, exciting and featuring some great movie references, How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates was an outstanding novel, and I’ll be very curious to see what this Australian author writes next.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Science Fiction, Thriller, Waiting on WednesdayLeave a comment

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight one of the more awesome sounding science fiction novels coming out in the second half of 2026 with Settle Down by Jeremy Robinson.

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2026 has proven to be a particularly impressive year for author Jeremy Robinson, whose unique and over-the-top science fiction novels always entertain with they great mixture of action, horror and intriguing science fiction elements.  I’ve already had an exceptional time with Robinson’s first 2026 release, 30Seven, which ended up being one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of the year.  However, we still have so much more to get through, as not only do I still have to read the recently released novel Parallax, but Robinson also has the fantastic upcoming book Settle Down coming out.

Of the two, Settle Down has definitely caught my attention more, and it is one of my most anticipated releases coming out in the second half of 2026.  Set for release in late August 2026, Settle Down has an outstanding sounding plot idea behind it, which looks set to present a unique turn on a classic alien invasion story.

Plot Synopsis:

When Clayton survives a plane crash, he figures the worst is over―but he’s wrong―in this sci-fi genre mashup from the author of the Infinite Timeline series.

Stranded on a thirty-acre island with a handful of art students, a grieving widow, and a growing pile of corpses, Prof. Clayton Reed is forced into a role he never wanted: leader. Food is scarce. Water is scarcer. And trust? Practically extinct. When one of the survivors kills in self-defence, the fragile alliance fractures and a subset of the group flees in a dinghy to take its chances in shark-infested waters, leaving Clayton and six others behind.

But soon the night sky turns blue. Strange lights pulse across the horizon and strings of star-like objects pass by overhead. Something big is happening to the rest of the world, and the professor and his companions are sure it isn’t normal.

Rescued by a drifting luxury yacht loaded with food, weapons, and a fortune in cocaine, the survivors trade one nightmare for another. Earth is under attack, massive beams of light shooting down from space to the surface. As they sail toward home, not knowing whether it still exists, one thing becomes clear: Those looking at Earth with hungry eyes have noticed them . . .

New York Times–bestselling author Jeremy Robinson delivers a razor-sharp, character-driven survival thriller meets postapocalyptic alien invasion story that flips the genre upside down, inside out, and back again.

Wow, now that is a very awesome plot.  I have to admit at the start of 2026 I never imagined that one of my most anticipated upcoming reads would be a science fiction thriller following plane-crash survivors on a desert island who are forced to contend with an alien invasion, although I should have known that Robinson would have come up with something this fantastically crazy.  This entire book sounds so damn good, and Settle Down is exactly the sort of over-the-top read that I know I love on so many levels.  I am excited to see how this excellent narrative unfolds, and you have to imagine it’s going to feature a lot of deaths, moving character interactions, and so many moments of insane action and intense science fiction horror.

Based on how much I have enjoyed some of Jeremy Robinson’s previous wacky adventure novels (such as The Dark, Mind Bullet, Artifact and Point Nemo), I already know that Settle Down is going to be an exceptional and highly addictive read, and I am so excited to check it out.  While I was likely to read Settle Down based on my fandom of Robinson, the above synopsis is one of the most intriguing novel plots I have ever seen, and I love every single part of it.  I have no doubt that this will be a true highlight of the second half of 2026, and I fully intend to listen to Settle Down on audiobook, especially with one of my favourite narrators, R. C. Bray, bringing all the insanity to life.