Tag: Debut

How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates by Shailee Thompson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Horror, Thriller1 Comment

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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The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Historical Fiction, LGBT+1 Comment

Publisher: Tor (Trade Paperback– 24 February 2026)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 535 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Australian author Cameron Sullivan delivers one of the best and most compelling debuts of 2026, with the historical fantasy epic, The Red Winter, a truly impressive read that you won’t be able to put down.

Plot Synopsis:

A devastating love story.
A bewitching twist on history.
A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.

In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.

Sebastian knows the Beast. Twenty years ago, it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down. Now, he has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. With the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – Sebastian must return to Gévaudan for a final reckoning, while the Beast is poised to plunge the continent into war.

In this dark retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan, Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history. He lifts the veil on the hidden world behind our own and reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc and the first flickers of the French Revolution.

Wow, want an outstanding and incredible debut.  I must admit that when I first received The Red Winter, having very little prior knowledge of what it was about, I didn’t know what to expect.  Still, I decided to give it a chance, and found myself quickly enthralled by Cameron Sullivan’s brilliant storytelling, excellent humour, and use of multiple intriguing periods of French history.  One of the best books I have so far read in 2026, The Red Winter gets a full five-star rating from me, and I loved it so damn much.

I loved the unique and layered story that Sullivan came up with for The Red Winter, which thrust readers through several different periods of French history in a slightly alternate world filled with demons, angels and spiritual power.  Told primarily from the perspective of Professor Sebastian Grave, an immortal sorcerer with a demonic spirit bound to him, the book serves as a personal chronicle of several connected past adventures in France.  Starting with a storyline set in 1785, the book sees Professor Grave encounter Jacques Avenel d’Ocerne, the son of his former lover Antoine d’Ocerne, who requests Grave return with him to the Gévaudan region of France to fulfil a contract he holds with his father.  Setting off on this new journey, the reader soon starts following Grave’s previous adventure in Gévaudan in 1766, when Grave first encounters Antoine and finds himself drawn into the hunt for the infamous Beast of Gévaudan, a monster terrorising the area and killing many locals.  The story also features an interesting third storyline set out as an Addendum to the main narrative.  This Addendum takes place throughout the early 14th century and is also told in the form a chronicle, this one primarily written by Grave’s succubus servant Livia, who attempts to uncover a valuable artifact in war-torn France, dragging her employer into further danger and carnage.

Without giving too much away, Sullivan masterfully binds these storylines together, as he simultaneously follows the events of all three time periods.  Most of the focus is on the two 18th century storylines, with the consequences of Grave’s attempts to hunt the beast in 1766 coming back to bite him when the same monster returns in 1785, with even greater savagery.  At the same time, the Addendum narrative contains even more chaos, which sees Grave first unknowing encounter with the Beast, and establishes much of this creature’s history and motivations, as well as Grave’s long-time obsession with obtaining its power.

Each of these different plotlines provides the reader with something different, including a great tragic romance narrative in the 1766 adventures, covered over with dark unexplained events from real-life history.  This blends well with the more entertaining misadventures showcased in the Addendum, and the darker storyline in 1785, as Grave and other character are forced to relive all their past mistakes and uncover how the Beast survived.  I honestly grew quite attached to all three of the different plot threads, as each contains a brilliant and compelling narrative that stands on its own.  However, it’s the way that Sullivan weaves a larger, more complete narrative from them, that is the real highlight of The Red Winter, and which raised this entire book to a five-star epic.  Each storyline perfectly flows into the other, and learning revelations from one has great impacts on your understanding of the others.  Sullivan also captures the regret and anger of the protagonist (and other characters), in each progressive timeframe, and I loved seeing the true impacts of past decisions and bad decisions haunt people years down the line.  I really cannot emphasise just how impactful, addictive and well-put-together this incredible narrative was, and you are guaranteed to come away from it deeply entranced.

While the epic storyline of The Red Winter was very awesome in its own right, Sullivan’s moving writing style added an extra impressive kick to it that constantly kept the reader coming back for more.  I’ve already mentioned a few times the different time periods, separate narrative threads and even an alternate narrator, and these effective writing tools were each used to great effect.  However, I really need to emphasise the way that each of them had their own unique feeling of tragedy, anger and personal regrets, especially thanks to the different experiences of the protagonist, that ensured they all stood out.  The difference in tone between these three simultaneous plotlines produces a truly vibrant and emotionally charged novel, and I loved how each storyline got dark in their own way, while still having some moments of levity.

While there are some tonal differences, each plotline has some excellent and consistent humour behind it.  Much of this humour is driven by the interaction between Grave and his internal spirit, Sarmodel, as well as the selfish and cynical antics of Livia in the 14th century plotline.  Sullivan also makes great use of various entertaining footnotes, which not only provide further context for this fantasy version of the world, but also add some additional comedy outside the flow of the main story.  This humour blends well with the darker elements of The Red Winter, and the contrast and occasional lighter tone makes this book even easier to read and enjoy.  Indeed, Sullivan’s entire writing style in The Red Winter was very inviting and easy going at times, and I was quite impressed with how effortlessly he conveyed a lot of complicated bits of real-life history and his own personal lore to the reader.  There was never a part of The Red Winter that got bogged down in extensive occult discussion or deep dives into history, and Sullivan’s writing keeps the reader hooked all the way from start to finish.

One of the big highlights of The Red Winter for me was Sullivan’s clever use of French history, which also tied into a wider world of magic and religious truth that only the protagonist and his associates are aware of.  As with most successful urban fantasy series, Sullivan ensures that the setting of The Red Winter is very similar to the real-world in terms of history and society, but with hidden magic just beneath the surface and only visible to a few.  The author works these elements cleverly into the story, with the protagonist explaining to the reader the realities of magic and the divine, both in text and through the aforementioned footnotes.  These descriptions and explanations work into the main narrative well, and you soon understand the implications of what the protagonist is experiencing or doing, as well as the dark consequences of everything that he does.  While much of the magic in this book is more subtle than some other fantasy reads, it is still quite impactful, and its clever design and inclusion of battling angels, demons and other godlike beings really upped the stakes at times.

On top of the fantasy elements, Sullivan does an excellent job showcasing three different periods of French history, especially based around the Gévaudan region of France.  This includes the post-Hundred-Years War period in the 14th century, the early waning days of the French monarch in 1766, and the angry start of the French revolution around 1785.  Each of these are explored masterfully, and not only does this help to give each separate plotline its own unique identity, but Sullivan gives some interesting mystical or spiritual origin to some certain historical events.  However, the historical element I liked the most was the compelling dive into the mysterious occurrence of the Beast of Gévaudan.  A heavily documented series of creature attacks in Gévaudan in the 1760s, the story of the Beast of Gévaudan wasn’t something I was too familiar with before getting this book, but boy am I interested in it now.  While Sullivan does put his own spin on the origins of these events, he did capture much of the actual recorded history of the Beast of Gévaudan attacks, with several historical figures appearing as supporting characters.  I found this to be deeply fascinating, and it served as a very interesting centre to much of the story, primarily the near half of the book set in 1766.  I cannot emphasise just how fascinating Sullivan’s dive and use of this curious event was to the plot of The Red Winter, and I really must congratulate him for finding and using such a fitting piece of historical weirdness.

Finally, I need to mention some of the great characters featured throughout The Red Winter.  Sullivan utilises a rich cast, combining immortals and magical beings, with normal humans caught up in their crossfire.  The obvious focus is on main protagonist and point-of-view character Professor Sebastian Grave, a seemingly immortal being who has already lived for over a thousand years at this point in the story.  An entertaining figure, bowed by his experiences yet still retaining the ability to fall in love and make mistakes, Grave was an interesting conduit for the reader to explore this dark tale, and I loved his unique and often cynical take on events, often written with some unfortunate hindsight.  While you don’t get a lot of character development from Grave due to his immortal status, there is still some moving moments with this character, especially when more tragedy comes his way, and he is forced to deal with old mistakes and failings.  The way that Sullivan simultaneously showcases Grave’s passionate romance with Antoine in 1766, and the distain Antoine holds for him in 1785, added some great drama to the plot, and you really become intrigued by what led to these events.  This doomed romance and the history behind it drive much of Grave’s later story, and it was compelling to see how much regret he holds and how it continues to impact him.

Aside from Grave, there are several other great characters of note in The Red Winter, many of whom steal the show in their own way.  This includes the demonic spirit Sarmodel, a mysterious being that has lodged itself into Grave’s soul, giving him immortality and much of his power.  Thanks to their connection, which is nearly another romance, Sarmodel serves as a background voice to Grave’s actions.  I loved the constant bickering back and forth between Grave and Sarmodel (like a very old married couple), and it honestly added a lot of humour and internal discord to the novel.  Sarmodel’s needs also serve as a great motivator for this protagonist duo, with Sarmodel constantly driving Grave to find sources of life and magic to feed him, and it was interesting to see how that impacted their adventures.  The use of the d’Ocerne father and son duo was also an excellent character use in The Red Winter, primarily because of their relationships with Grave, but also because of how their separate mistakes and secrets impact each other and bring greater tragedy to the plot.  Throw in a disobedient succubus assistant, controlled by her own vices, various interesting historical luminaries and even the Archangel Michael who is working his own angle in events, and the cast of The Red Winter was impressive, and helped move the story in some awesome directions.

Thanks to his obvious talent, impressive ability and fantastic imagination, Cameron Sullivan’s debut novel, The Red Winter, was an exceptional read, and I honestly still can’t get over how much I loved it.  A particularly clever, moving and addictive novel, The Red Winter was an absolute pleasure to read, and I loved every single second I spent with it.  I honestly hope that Sullivan revisits his main characters again in the future, as there is so much potential for further adventures across history.  Until then, The Red Winter remains one of the most impressive recent debuts I’ve had the pleasure of reading, and indeed it was one of the very best books I read in the first half of 2026.

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Warhammer 40,000: Chem Dog by Callum Davis

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Tie-in Novel, WarhammerLeave a comment

Publisher: Black Library (Audiobook – 27 March 2026)

Series: Warhammer 40,000

Length: 9 hours and 28 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The Warhammer 40,000 universe continues to grow with an outstanding debut novel from new author Callum Davis, Chem Dog, a cool and intense read with a great plot behind it.

Readers of this blog will know that I have so much love for the awesome Warhammer 40,000 franchise, which produces so many amazing and unique books each year.  Part of the reason this works so well is that the Black Library makes use of an intriguing collection of new and established authors to tell tales of this complex and grim dark universe.  This includes a range of first-time authors, many of whom have a compelling Warhammer 40,000 book as their debut novel.  I have had a blast reading several of these debuts over the years, and the latest one I want to highlight is the impressive Chem Dog by Callum Davis.  The very first full novel from Davis, Chem Dog is a follow up to his previous short story, Those Without Mercy, and tells a gripping story of war, mistrust and unlikely camaraderie amid a brutal campaign.

Upon the vital, war-torn planet of Kruxx, disaster has struck the Imperium of Man.  Under attack by ruthless ork invaders, Kruxx’s most heavily defended fortress, the Bastion Ajaxus, has fallen.  Overwhelmed by hordes of brutish aliens, the defenders have been brutally cut down, and the bastion reforged into a crude but deadly ork fort.  To ensure victory on Kruxx, the remaining Imperial soldiers need to retake the bastion at any cost, but the fate of the war may lay in the hands of the most unlikely of soldiers, the Savlar Chem-Dogs.

The refuse of an infamous prison world, the Savlar Chem-Dogs are a notorious and unreliable penal legion.  Killers and thieves given the chance to die on the field of battle, the Chem-Dogs are an unlikely group of defenders for humanity whose only incentive to stay in the fight is the promise of loot taken from the bodies of the fallen.

Few know how imperfect the Chem-Dogs are more than Commissar Bastun Hasp, a relentless rule follower, dedicated to lethally enforcing order with his bolt pistol.  However, ordered to join the likely fatal assault on Bastion Ajaxus and recover vital intelligence from its occupied halls, Hasp begins to feel doubt for the first time in his career, especially as his only backup are a squad of Chem-Dogs he previously sentenced to death.  Forced to cross over deadly enemy-infested territory and join a bloody siege, can Hasp keep the Chem-Dogs loyal long enough to complete his mission, or will a far more sinister threat claim all their lives?

Chem Dog was an awesome new Warhammer 40,000 entry that quickly grabs your attention and keeps you hooked with its compelling narrative, entertaining characters and great action sequences.  A powerful and intense first full novel from new author Callum Davis, Chem Dog was an easy book to fall in love with and is a must read for all Warhammer fans.

Davis crafts together a very entertaining action and adventure narrative for Chem Dog that brings in some interesting character moments and overarching Warhammer intrigue to create a captivating and exciting read.  Starting off with an intense extended battle sequence with some short-lived characters that shows the helpless and grimdark nature of the Warhammer 40,000 universe perfectly, the story soon switches to the main protagonist, Commissar Bastun Hasp, as he is given his mission to journey to a besieged former Imperial citadel.  Chem Dog quickly expands on some story points introduced in the preceding short story Those Without Mercy, with several characters from this previous entry returning to accompany Hasp to the citadel.

Much of the resulting first half of Chem Dog is an exciting and brutal adventure arc, as Hasp and the Savlars travel across the hostile Kruxx terrain, fighting against deserters and rampaging ork bands.  This does an excellent job of setting up the desperate nature of the plot, as well as showcasing the unstable main characters as they attempt to work together.  After some great action set pieces and locations, several of which showcase just how expendable members of the main cast truly are, the book evolves into an intrigue-laden siege story, as the protagonists arrived at the Bastion Ajaxus and find themselves drawn into the big assault on the citadel, which quickly goes to hell in one particularly amazing extended sequence.

The second half of Chem Dog soon turns into one continuous and bloody affair, as the protagonists and some contentious allies are forced to fight throughout the enemy fortress in some unique ways.  Davis loads in some excellent action scenes here, while overlaying a level of mystery and mistrust over proceedings, especially as nothing goes the way they expect.  Things get progressively darker as the story continues, with the last major sequence seeing some very interesting antagonists, including a unique take on the threat of the orks.  The big finale of the story is brutal and features some not unexpected betrayals and revelations, as well as some genuinely tragic loss.  I rather enjoyed how the story came together, although I will admit I was a little disappointed by the somewhat abrupt ending to the book.  I think that Davis could have expanded on a few points and allowed for a more satisfying conclusion, however, it does leave some elements open for a potential sequel, which I would be very interested in checking out.

I felt that Davis did an excellent job writing his first full-length Warhammer novel, structuring his story and telling it in an effective manner.  While there were some issues with the ending, for the most part Chem Dog was a particularly powerful read that combined clever character work with some intriguing dives into the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Effectively told from several alternating perspectives, the structure draws the reader into the overarching quest as well as the unashamedly criminal protagonists.  Taking some inspirations from The Dirty Dozen (although not as directly as Gav Thorpe’s Last Chancers series), this was a brutal read that covered compelling elements of trust, loyalty and intrigue, especially in the last half.  I was quite impressed by how Davis was able to capture the gritty nature of the continuous conflict the protagonists found themselves in, with the exhaustion and anger of the characters on full display.  The real highlight of the book has to be the various battle sequences that Davis loaded into the plot, with the protagonists caught up in a ton of intense and well-written action scenes.  I had such an easy time envisioning the very realistic and intense fights that emerged, as this is clearly a part of the writing process that Davis really excels at.

Unsurprisingly, considering this is Davis’s first novel, Chem Dog works well as a standalone read, written in way that made it open to a wide range of readers.  While elements of the author’s previous short story are referenced by the characters, it is done in a way that lets the reader know what previously happened, so you won’t be lost if you hadn’t read it first.  Davis’s style also allows readers with less familiarity with the Warhammer 40,000 universe to come in and read Chem Dog, and it would serve as an interesting entry novel for potential fans, especially for those who enjoy criminal antics and grim, military aesthetics with their science fiction plots.

Chem Dog naturally will appeal more to established fans of the universe, especially those who want to see the notorious Savlar Chem Dogs in action.  The author expertly captured the resourcefulness, resentment and looter mentality of these unlikely soldiers, and it was entertaining to see them in action, especially when compared to other traditional Imperial Guard regiments.  This excellent portrayal of the Chem Dogs and other human troops, as well as the Commissars commanding them, was a great highlight of the plot, and it more than made up for some certain eccentric portrayals of the orks that Davis slipped in.  As such, I felt that Chem Dog was a particularly awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, which is guaranteed to grab the imagination or a huge range of readers.

On top of the excellent writing, I need to highlight the amazing characters.  The most prominent of these is the relentless Commissar Bastun Hasp, who is reluctantly forced to lead these criminal soldiers into battle.  Serving as the primary narrator and protagonist for the book, much of the book’s drama is based around Hasp’s inner conflict in leading the Savlars.  Initially shown to be implacable in his disdain for Chem Dogs under his command, Hasp’s growing respect for them causes him some major issues, as his harsh commissar mentality and training requires him to see them as unredeemable.  This inner conflict is perfectly enhanced by Hasp receiving comparable contempt from other officers and commissars for leading a group of criminals, as well as Hasp’s secret reliance on the battle chems that the Savlars are forced to breath.  This great inner conflict results in some powerful moments for Hasp throughout the book, and he proved to be an excellent and compelling central character for the plot.

While Hasp serves as the main protagonist of the story, Davis does ensure that the various other members of the squad are shown in some detail.  While a generally expendable group of characters, you do get quite invested in the group of criminal misfits that Hasp leads, and it was fun to see them influence and get influenced by their commissar throughout the course of the plot.  While there are a bunch of fun Salvar members in Chem Dog, the main one you follow is the squad leader, Rastus, who serves as a great secondary protagonist and point-of-view character.  Rastus’s more straightforward, if criminally minded, narrative worked well alongside Hasp’s conflict-laden thoughts, and it was entertaining to see Rastus act as a bridge between the Commissar and his opportunistic squad.  Davis has fun with the rest of this group of killers, although my favourite had to be the extremely loyal ogryn (the universe’s equivalent of an ogre) Grukkur, who serves as a dim-witted enforcer for Hasp.  Grukkur was a wonderfully over the top and simple figure, and I felt he rounded out the cast nicely, providing both comic value and insane moments in combat.  Throw in some other human solider with uncertain motives and a particularly fanatical extra commissar, and Chem Dog is loaded with some amazing drama and character conflicts, that allows for quite an addictive read.

As is my habit with most Warhammer novels I check out, I ended up getting the audiobook version of Chem Dog, which is easily the best way to enjoy the elaborate and varied tales of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.  Chem Dog was a particularly good audiobook, as it easily presented its intense action narrative and unique characters, and ensured that listeners could easily power through its nine-and-a-half-hour-long runtime.  A big reason that Chem Dog was such an epic listen was thanks to the vocal talents of narrator Richard Reed.  One of more versatile narrators who lends their voice to the Warhammer franchise, Reed has previously impressed me on several previous outstanding audiobooks, including The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath, Lords of Excess by Rich McCormick (another great debut), Grim Repast by Marc Collins, just to name a few.  Reed does another outstanding job here in Chem Dog, with a range of awesome voices and a great overall tone that moves this slick action narrative along at a quick pace.  I loved the various over-the-top, yet fitting, voices that Reed came up with for several of the characters, including the stringent commissars, the unruly criminal soldiers and even a booming ogryn voice, that was particularly fun.  All this results in an exceptional listen, which allowed me to power through Chem Dog in no time at all, and I cannot recommend this format enough, especially with one of the best Warhammer narrators voicing it.

The future of Warhammer 40,000 fiction continues to look bright, as Callum Davis produced an outstanding read with his debut novel.  An exciting and intense novel, loaded with action and compelling characters, Chem Dog was an amazing read that provides some fantastic look at a unique faction in the grim dark universe.  A sharp, well-written novel that you can easily get addicted to, Chem Dog was a very impressive debut, and I hope to see more from Davis in the future, especially if he revisits the protagonists from this novel again.

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Quick Review – We Saw What You Started by Carla Salmon

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Quick Review, Thriller, Young AdultLeave a comment

Publisher: Pan Australia (Trade Paperback – 1 July 2025)

Series: Standalone 

Length: 336 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Prepare for some troubled fun in the sun with the fantastic 2025 Australian young adult fiction debut, We Saw What You Started by new author Carla Salmon.

Plot Synopsis:

Three deadly fires. One suspect. A thriller of surf and sea.

Otto was a star surfer back in California, but now he just wants a fresh start. When fires break out in Red Sands, the locals are suspicious. It’s no coincidence that Otto’s at the scene every time. Is it?

Milly isn’t so sure. Small town talk isn’t always right – especially when it comes to her ‘perfect’ brother, who doesn’t deserve to become captain of the surf lifesaving club. What if the new boy is innocent?

Can Otto and Milly trust each other to find the truth behind the fires? And what happens when you do the wrong things for the right reasons?

We Saw What You Started was a compelling and exciting debut from Salmon, who provides a cool thriller narrative amongst youthful hijinks on a rural Australian coastline.  Starting off with some immediate peril as the protagonist of the story, Otto, gets caught up in an apparently deliberate bushfire, you are quickly introduced to the small-town setting of Red Sands, as well as the dramas surrounding Otto and Milly.

Salmon effectively splits the narrative of We Saw What You Started between the perspectives of Otto and Milly, who grow close as the story progresses.  However, with an important swimming and lifesaving contest on the horizon, things become complicated for both as a series of arsons take place around town, often when Otto is nearby.  This naturally increases the drama of the plot, as Otto deals with suspicion from the Red Sands townsfolk, especially when his troubled past in America becomes known.  At the same time, Milly, driven by her own desire for independence and respect from her father, becomes one of Otto’s only allies.  The two start teaming up to investigate the arsons, resulting in some interesting moments of investigation, conflict and teenage rebellion, that play into the main plot extremely well.

The author does an exceptional job pulling together a great young adult crime fiction story in the second half of We Saw What You Started, loaded with high stakes and powerful dives into the protagonist’s traumatic past.  The revelation of who is responsible for the arsons, and the big confrontation at the end, are nicely set up, and Salmon loaded up a ton of fun hints throughout the book that really pay off.  Everything wraps up nicely, with the ongoing character struggles resolved and everyone getting their happy ending, allowing for a fantastic and heartfelt standalone read that did an excellent job of blending its crime fiction elements with the various personal problems of its intriguing young cast.

Overall, I felt that We Saw What You Started was an excellent debut novel that helped to showcase the Carla Salmon’s ability as a writer.  Expertly combining an intriguing crime fiction narrative with some fantastic young characters and a striking Australian setting, We Saw What You Started that will appeal to a wide range of readers, especially it’s intended young adult audience, who can relate to Salmon’s protagonists and their struggles.  This was a wonderful Australian novel and a great introduction to Carla Salmon, who looks set to continue her writing adventures in 2026.

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Waiting on Wednesday – 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell

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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 a cool upcoming thriller with the awesome sounding 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell.

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I like to think that over the years I have more than proven my love for unique thrillers with intriguing or distinct plot ideas that are near guaranteed to produce amazing and highly entertaining reads.  As such, I always keep an eye out for these sorts of books, and few upcoming novels fit the bill more than the epic 2026 release 138 Main Street, the debut novel of new author Gavin Bell.

Set for release in May 2026, 138 Main Street features a very fun crime fiction concept, when a serial killer starts targeting people around the United States who live at a specific address, the titular 138 Main Street.  However, because of the sheer quantity of main streets in America, the FBI are unable to predict where the killer will strike next, resulting in nationwide panic, vigilante violence and more, as the killer plots a revolution.

I love this fantastic plot idea, which is honestly extremely brilliant and entertaining.  If Bell can back up this cool concept with an equally outrageous narrative and some great writing, then I think that 138 Main Street has the potential to be one of the more memorable and impressive crime fiction debuts of the year.  I cannot wait to see how this interesting new book unfolds, and 138 Main Street is sure to be an outstanding read.

Plot Synopsis:

138 MAIN

AN ADDRESS TO DIE FOR…

There’s a killer on the loose. And he’s targeting one specific address—138 Main Street. The problem? There are over 7,000 Main Streets in the USA. And the police and FBI have no clue which one will be next.

For FBI Special Agent Ben Walker and his rookie colleague, Officer Zoe Hill, the pressure to solve the case is unimaginable. There aren’t enough police officers to cover every house, and vigilante residents are attacking anyone who rings their doorbell. Main Street might be one of America’s most popular addresses, but for those living at number 138, it comes down to fight or flight.

Then a manuscript is sent to the New York Times, purporting to be the manifesto of the “Main Street Killer” and demanding radical social change. As the effect of the terror campaign takes hold across the nation, Walker and Hill find themselves in a race against time to stop the killer. But with their target always several steps ahead, and almost 3,800,000 square miles of ground to cover, they’ll have to find him first…

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy2 Comments

Publisher: Daphne Press (ebook – 25 November 2025)

Series: What We Eat – Book One

Length: 480 pages

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a tasty fantasy debut? Then look no further than the clever and distinctive 2025 release, Seven Recipes for Revolution by talented new author Ryan Rose.

Plot Synopsis:

The Bear meets Attack on Titan in this exhilarating, food-based epic fantasy filled with high stakes and monster steaks, perfect for fans of Pierce Brown and Jay Kristoff.

Seventeen-year-old Paprick is a common butcher, carving slabs of meat from gargantuan monsters so elite chefs can prepare magic-granting meals for the rich. But Paprick’s true passion is cooking, and if he can learn the secret art, his dreams of liberating his people and sharing the monsters’ magic with the world could come true. He steals the precious ingredients needed to practise recipes at home, but if he’s caught, he’ll be executed.

As his desperation grows, he ventures into the black market and uncovers a spice imported from unknown lands. Combining it with the last of his stolen meat, he cooks a dish the world has never tasted before, with side-effects he couldn’t have foreseen.

The dish’s magic grows Paprick to kaiju-size, and legends of his powers spread among the people. Immediately, the rulers arrest him, but Paprick convinces them to make him a chef’s apprentice―if they ever want to learn his Recipe. However, his exposure to the world of high cuisine reveals the rot at its centre, and with his new power, rebellion is only a few recipes away…

Seven Recipes for Revolution was a particularly awesome book that really showcased Ryan Rose’s excellent imagination and ability to craft a compelling story around his unique food-based magic.  The first book in Rose’s What We Eat series; Seven Recipes for Revolution was an outstanding read that greatly impressed me with its clever story and unique ideas.

Rose produced a delicious story for Seven Recipes for Revolution, which quickly grabs the reader’s attention.  Primarily told in a chronicle format from the perspective of a future Paprick before his execution, you are soon transported to the protagonist’s early days as a common butcher in a segregated society of magical foodies.  This early part of the book serves as an excellent introduction to the protagonist and the larger world the series is set in, as you soon learn about the food magic of this nation, as well as the magical beasts whose meat give them power.  It doesn’t take long for Paprick to find himself in the middle of a deadly revolution when, after stealing magical meat from his job, he is able to create a new recipe that allows him to grow to massive size.  Able to leverage his discovery with the rulers of the city, the Rares, Paprick is allowed to become an apprentice chef, which leads him into even greater trouble.

What follows is an interesting centre to the narrative as Paprick enters a whole new world of cuisine in an excellent magical school narrative as Rose provides some compelling looks at the city’s main chef school.  I loved the mixture of interesting classes, which feature both cool magic and awesome-sounding food, and it serves as a great background to the rest of the plot as Paprick gets further involved with the revolution, as well as a bloody conspiracy lurking underneath the surface of Rare society.  The last third of the book is a fantastic blur of action and intrigue, as various secrets come to light and the protagonist faces some very dark choices and challenges.  The build-up to these events in the main story is well supported by the sequences occurring in the present day, as the future Paprick messes with the mysterious chronicler recording his story, while also providing some interesting hints of events to come.  All this leads up to a great conclusion, and I loved the fun twists that emerged as you get towards the end.  Readers come away very satisfied from Seven Recipes for Revolution, and you are left wanting to find out what happens next.

I really enjoyed how Rose pulled together his first book, and the unique fantasy story he came up with was particularly inventive and well-written.  Rose really showed off his creative style early, quickly introducing readers to a cool new fantasy realm where magic resides in the meat of gigantic beasts, known as emphon, and the way you prepare the food grants different abilities and powers.  It was really fascinating to see a complex and segregated fantasy society built around this magical cookery, and the resulting obsession with cooking and food that the characters gave Seven Recipes for Revolution a distinctive and complex feel.  Rose made full use of these creative elements throughout his story, and the resulting training, battles and intrigues related to secret recipes and culinary abilities was quite spectacular.

In addition to the amazing worldbuilding , I must compliment the way that Rose set out the story using the chronicle method, which shows the older Paprick telling his narrative to an initially unnamed archivist who has history with the protagonist.  Having a character retell the story of their life as narrative tool doesn’t always work, but I think was particularly effective in Seven Recipes for Revolution, especially as it added some fun uncertainty and visions of the future to the mixture.  Much of this is done through various interruptions from the archivist as they refute parts of Paprick’s story and claim that he is either embellishing or adding in material to make himself look better.  I liked how this established the protagonist as a bit of an unreliable figure, and you’re never quite sure where his story will go next.  The conversations about the future Paprick and the archivist give each other also adds to the anticipation of the main plot, and you are always waiting for the events they hint about to drop.  This cool style works so well with the combined fantasy and intrigue elements of Seven Recipes for Revolution’s plot, and you really get stuck into the food-based carnage and complex betrayals that emerge both in the main story and the plot surrounding the future recording of Paprick’s tall tale.

Thanks to his outstanding imagination and excellent storytelling ability, Ryan Rose’s debut novel, Seven Recipes for Revolution, was a particularly awesome read, and it’s one I’m glad I checked out last year.  Loaded with cool food-based magic, duplicitous characters and some amazing action, Seven Recipes for Revolution was addictive fun from start to finish, and I really enjoyed how it came together.  Seven Recipes for Revolution ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Rose continues his series later this year with his upcoming book, Eight Tastes of Treachery.

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A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver

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Publisher: Hemlock Press (ebook – 31 December 2025)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 384 pages

Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

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Brillant new author M. K. Oliver presents one of the more entertaining novels of early 2026, with the wonderfully devious and captivating book, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage.

Plot Synopsis:

There’s a dead body in my living room.

I’ve not called the police because it was I who stabbed him. Seven times in all. The truth is, it’s surprisingly difficult to dispatch someone with a vegetable knife.

In case you’re wondering, the dead man is not my husband. I do resent our pitiful sex life and his woeful lack of ambition, but I wouldn’t murder him for it. Not yet, anyway.

Right now, I have far more pressing scheming to get my daughter into the perfect school; buying my dream home in Hampstead; and disposing of a corpse.

A woman’s work is never done. I’ve created the perfect life – and I’ll kill to keep it.

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was a fantastic and very amusing crime fiction thriller that I honestly couldn’t get enough of.  The debut novel of M. K. Oliver, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage perfectly utilised it’s delightfully deceitful and pragmatic protagonist to tell an outstanding story.

Oliver pulls together an awesome and insane narrative for A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage, which follows a particularly compelling protagonist in Lalla Rook, a busy wife, mother and relentless sociopath, with dreams of a bigger home and getting her daughter into the perfect private school.  However, Lalla’s plans threaten to come crashing down around her when she brutally murders an intruder who breaks into her home before her child’s birthday party.  What follows is a deeply entertaining romp of secrets, lies and ambition, as Lalla tries to balance achieving her goals for the future with disposing of the dead body currently hidden in the house.  Oliver builds a very amusing and fast-paced story around this, as Lalla soon encounters problems with inconvenient witnesses, prying police, and a whole second murder.  These problems brought on by the inopportune murder blend with the protagonist’s other issues, including with her disinterested husband not working hard enough to achieve the career goals Lalla set for him, her controlling mother-in-law trying to destroy her marriage, her daughter is starting to showcase similar sociopathic tendencies that are ruining her chances at an elite academic institution, and the constant issues of her social-climbing friends.

These fun elements come together into a very entertaining story, and it is a ton of fun to watch A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage’s ruthlessly pragmatic protagonist deal with each of these issues in her own manipulative and intense way.  Of course, things continue to get further out of hand for Lalla as the narrative continues, with the mysterious dead man who started her recent misadventures having a connection to dark secrets from her past.  Worse, Lalla soon finds her carefully constructed life starting to come crashing down as her plans hit annoying snags as those closest to her are plotting against her.  I love how well Oliver showcases the protagonist losing control in the last third of this book, and it really ups the stakes of A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage, especially as you have no idea just how far his protagonist is going to go to achieve her goals.  The final part of this book came together extremely well, as the protagonist’s various schemes and problems blend into a series of manipulations and deadly encounters, which results in a highly entertaining and chaotic conclusion.  The result was pretty damn perfect, as nearly every character gets exactly what they deserve thanks to some hilarious and insightful carnage.

I must admit I was quite surprised when I found out that A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was Oliver’s very first novel, as it was impressively well written.  Featuring a fast-paced narrative perfectly told from the first-person perspective of a particularly captivating protagonist, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage blends a thriller narrative, loaded with personal tales of deceit and murder, with some fantastic humour set around an amazing protagonist.  This protagonist, Lalla, allows for much of the book’s comedic charm, as you watch her casually manipulate those around her to get what she wants.  Oliver does such a good job of capturing Lalla’s sociopathic nature with his writing, and I loved his take on this amazing female character.  The way this protagonist goes after what she wants with no shame or regret, while being completely aware and uncaring of the impact she is having on those around her, is very refreshing and entertaining, and while you know she is evil, you can’t help rooting for her.

It helps that even though Lalla is a murderous and manipulative figure, she honestly isn’t the most selfish character in the book, and it proves quite fun to see the resourceful Lalla go up against the spoiled upper-class housewives, corrupt businessmen and other elites in her quest to get what she wants.  This great character-driven humour is further enhanced by some amusing examinations of ambition and avarice in various forms, especially as some characters get exactly what they are looking for in some very unlikely ways.  This all deeply enhances Oliver’s very impressive story, and I really enjoyed just how hilarious and thrilling this story could be in equal measures.

Overall, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was an outrageous and hilarious debut thriller that I cannot recommend enough. M. K. Oliver did a remarkable job with this first book, and I loved the wildly entertaining scenario he created and the brilliant story he wrote around it.  Clever and funny in equal measure, A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage was an incredible read and I cannot wait to see what amazing books Oliver writes in the future.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Debuts of 2025

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official topic for this week involved listing your Bookish Goals for 2026, which while interesting, is something I don’t think I can contribute to. Instead, for this week I am going to continue listing some of my favourite books of 2025 (make sure to check out my previous lists that highlighted my favourite sequels, audiobooks, pre-2025 novels, new-to-me-authors in 2025 and overall favourite books of 2025), by examining my favourite debuts released in 2025.

2025 was an awesome year for debuts as there were an excellent array of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining first novels.  I always love checking out new authors when they produce their first book or dive into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the debut talent on display this year.  As such, I am glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best of these releases in this Top Ten list.

To be eligible for this list, the book had to be a 2025 release that was either the author’s first novel ever, or a novel that was substantially different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre).  I ended up reading quite a few good debuts in 2025, which allowed me to pull together a full list of 10 books.  I am pretty happy with the results, and I feel that this list captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly.  So, let us see what made the cut.

Top Ten List:

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino

The first debut I want to highlight on this list is the very fun crime fiction novel, Best Offer Wins.  An impressive debut book from Marsia Kashino, Best Offer Wins follows an obsessed character, who after having her heart broken by the housing market too many times, vows to do whatever she needs to get her dream house.  A wonderfully over-the-top and addictive read, Best Offer Wins was an amazing first outing from Kashino and one I had so much fun reading.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent

Warhammer fiction is always a franchise that has a lot of new authors making their big debut, and this was particularly true in 2025 with some awesome first-time books from talented debuting authors.  One of my favourites was The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent, which was one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 books of last year.  Following a small band of terrifying Night Lords Chaos Space Marines as they bring fear and death to all their enemies, The Remnant Blade was an extremely epic novel, and I was very impressed by Mike Vincent, who showed himself to be a new Warhammer author to watch.

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Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose

One of the more compelling fantasy novels of 2025 was the outstanding debut Seven Recipes for Revolution.  A great first outing from Ryan Rose, Seven Recipes for Revolution saw a lowly nobody rise to become an acclaimed and powerful chef in a society based around magical food that grants deadly abilities.  Loaded with twists, clever action and a ton of outrageous cookery, Seven Recipes for Revolution was an outstanding read, and I’m already excited to read the sequel coming out later this year.

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The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers

I always love reading some awesome debut Australian fiction, and one of the best examples from last year was The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers.  Set in the Blue Mountains, The Reunion follows a group of former friends who find themselves forced to remember the tragic events the drove them apart years before.  A slick and compelling debut that grabs your attention quickly, The Reunion was an excellent crime fiction read that makes full use of its Australian bush setting.

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

The next book on this list was one of my favourite novels of 2025, with The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson.  A complex and highly addictive novel, The Raven Scholar was Hodgson’s debut in the fantasy genre (having previously written historical crime), and boy was it something special.  Set around several skilled competitors as they attempt to win a tournament to become king, The Raven Scholar forced them also contend with murder, betrayal and a deadly conspiracy.  An exceptional novel that I just could not put down, The Raven Scholar was an exceptional read, and it was so impressive how well Hodgson adapted to a new and very different genre.

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An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris

Jenny Morris presented one of the more unique crime fiction debuts of 2025, with the thought-provoking novel An Ethical Guide to Murder.  Following a damaged protagonist who develops the ability to transfer life between people, An Ethical Guide to Murder soon goes to a dark place as the protagonist becomes a deadly vigilante.  Clever and deeply intense, this was a great debut for an excellent author.

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Gunnawah by Ronni Salt

One of the more unique Australian novels of 2025 was the amazing debut from Ronni Salt, Gunnawah.  Set in small-town Australian during the turbulent 1970s, Gunnawah tells its own unique story set around the backdrop of historical drug wars and corruption.  An excellent novel and an outstanding debut.

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Warhammer 40,000: Final Deployment by R. S. Wilt

The other Warhammer 40,000 debut of 2025 that I want to highlight on this list is Final Deployment by R. S. Wilt.  Following a small band of elite soldiers as they attempt to stop a planet-wide rebellion, Final Deployment was an exceptional action novel, especially as the protagonists soon find themselves outmatched by three deadly opponents.  An ultra-awesome read from start to finish, Final Deployment was so damn good, and I will be grabbing more Warhammer 40,000 novels from Wilt going forward.

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Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

This next entry on the list features a great thriller that was written by two interesting authors.  While leading thriller author Harlan Coben is not a new contributor to the crime fiction genre, it was the first book he wrote with actress Reese Witherspoon.  Serving as both the debut novel from this great pair, as well as Reese Witherspoon’s very first book, Gone Before Goodbye was an easy inclusion on this list, especially as it featured a fun and intense thriller narrative.  It will be interesting to see if these two write together again, and I personally would also be keen for Witherspoon to write her own solo book.

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Of Flame and Fury by Mikayla Bridge

The final book on this list was the excellent young adult fantasy novel, Of Flame and Fury.  The debut of Australian author Mikayla Bridge, Of Flame and Fury was a great read, that featured an entertaining enemies-to-lovers narrative set around racing giant phoenixes.  Initially appearing to be typical young adult fantasy fare, Bridge produces a very complex narrative in Of Flame and Fury that really impressed me, especially when it comes to the book’s big twist.  I ended up having an absolute blast with Of Flame and Fury, and it is a very worthy book to end this list on.

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Well, that is the end of this list.  As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them.  Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction.  I am excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres.  I am also excited to see what amazing debuts come out in 2026, and I am currently enjoying my first debut from this year with A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by M. K. Oliver.  Make sure to check back this time next year to see what debuts from 2026 are the best from this year.

Quick Review – An Ethical Guide to Murder by Jenny Morris

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (ebook – 16 January 2025)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 400 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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In the mood for a curious crime fiction read with a clever philosophical edge?  Then make sure to read the outstanding 2025 debut, An Ethical Guide to Murder by new author Jenny Morris.

Plot Synopsis:

How to Kill Your Family meets The Power in this entertaining and thought-provoking read, that asks:

If you had the power between life and death, what would you do?

Thea has a secret.

She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them.

Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another – something she finds out the hard way when her best friend Ruth suffers a fatal head injury on a night out.

Desperate to save her, Thea touches the arm of the man responsible when he comes to check if Ruth is all right. As Ruth comes to, the man quietly slumps to the ground, dead.

Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit.

Boss annoying her at work? She can take some life from them and give it as a tip to her masseuse for a great job.

Creating an ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’ helps Thea to focus her new-found skills.

But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds that it isn’t as simple as she first thought.

How can she really know who deserves to die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out?

Early last year I had the very great pleasure of reading Jenny Morris’s very first novel, An Ethical Guide to Murder.  This excellent book featured a compelling plot focused on a protagonist Thea, with the ability to transfer life between one person to another.  After accidentally fatally utilising this power to save her friend, Thea soon finds herself tempted to tip scales between life and death to make a better world.  Working with an ambitious love interest, Thea soon sets up her own Ethical Guide to Murder and begins to target those she believes to be truly wicked.  However, not everything is as it seems, especially when Thea comes face to face with the consequences of her actions, and the dark side of choosing who gets to life and who gets to die.  The resulting personal conflicts with those closest to her, followed by shocking revelations about those she has placed her faith in, will push her over the edge especially when she comes face to face with the person responsible for ruining her life.

I really enjoyed the unique story that Morris came up with for An Ethical Guide to Murder, which proves very easy to get addicted to.  Morris does a good job setting the scene for Thea’s unique abilities in the first part of the book, as well as her stressful life and the people around her.  The transition towards a secret, life-taking vigilante is well written, especially with the inclusion of a seemingly noble love interest with his own plans for her abilities, and the reader is poised to support Thea with her plans.

The last half of the book continues this story in a fantastic manner, while also adding in some strong philosophical and ethical elements, as Thea finds herself torn about whether she was ever doing the right thing.  The resulting battle of morals, especially as Thea also finds herself under investigation and forced to try and contend with true evil closer to home, allows for some deep and heartfelt moments in the book, until you honestly don’t know what the right course of action is for Thea anymore.  Everything wraps up on a heartfelt note, as the protagonist comes to terms with their powers in their own way, while also addressing all their personal problems.  I think Morris’s strong choice of ending for An Ethical Guide to Murder fit the rest of the narrative extremely well, and you come away from this book very thoughtful and appreciative of Morris’s dive into her protagonist’s psyche, and the fantastic discussion about the value of life and the impact of those who misuse it.

Overall, An Ethical Guide to Murder was a very strong debut that I was glad I got the chance to read last year.  Clever, thought-provoking, and filled with some strong characters, An Ethical Guide to Murder was an outstanding read that is worth checking out.

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Quick Review – Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

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Publisher: Century (Trade Paperback – 14 October 2025)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 340 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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The unique writing team of acclaimed author Harlan Coben and world-famous actress Reese Witherspoon present a compelling and very exciting thriller, with Gone Before Goodbye.

Gone Before Goodbye was a very interesting read, that caught my attention when it was first announced thanks to the combination of it being Reese Witherspoon’s debut novel, and my previous experiences with the always impressive Harlan Coben.  I have had a great time with some of Coben’s previous novels, including I Will Find You, Think Twice and Nobody’s Fool, so I was very curious to see how this book turned out.

Plot Synopsis:

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink.

A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan … until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement.

But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is … Gone Before Goodbye

Gone Before Goodbye proved to be an exciting and enjoyably fast-paced read that drags you in quickly thanks to its unique plot, multiple twists and compelling medical focus.  Starting off with some good introductions to the key characters and highly damaged protagonist, you are soon drawn into the damaged life of Maggie and the mysterious job she chooses to accept.  After some useful exposition sequences in the hidden Russian compound that help to highlight how far the protagonist is out of her depth, things inevitably go downhill, and Maggie is forced to flee with the help of some unexpected allies.

What follows is a quick paced sequence of events across the world as Maggie and her family attempt to uncover the dark conspiracy that has been woven around them.  The authors do a good job of tying the current events of the book into Maggie’s complex past, including the death of her husband and their controversial medical company, and the various threads come together nicely as Gone Before Goodbye nears it ends, with lots of action and character growth thrown in for good measure.  The dramatic conclusion wraps things up nicely, and I especially loved the fantastic final twist, which was a particularly dark, but clever, way to end this entire novel.

This book comes together quite nicely, and you can really see the interesting combination of styles between Coben and Witherspoon here.  The fast-paced, character-focused storytelling, loaded with sudden twists, thrilling action and complex dramatic moments is classic Coben, who endeavours to quickly grab the reader’s attention and hook them early.  On the other hand, the inclusion of a strong military doctor protagonist is clearly Witherspoon referencing her parents, and I liked how this new author utilised something close to her and her family in her very first novel.  The resulting medical scenes are some of the best parts of the book, especially as the authors endeavoured to provide some detailed realism to the resulting sequences, and I enjoyed how they tied into Gone Before Goodbye’s larger narrative.

Gone Before Goodbye is further enhanced by some excellent and distinctive characters, including the damaged protagonist, some fun villainous figures, and the very entertaining biker character Porkchop, Maggie’s father-in-law who steals the show with every scene he’s in.  I did think that Gone Before Goodbye did come off a little too cinematic at times, and you can tell that the authors are thinking ahead to the inevitable television adaptation, especially with memorable characters like Porkchop.  Still, this cinematic forethought doesn’t take the reader too much out of the story, and the resulting book is a compelling thriller that is a lot of fun to get through.

The team of Harlan Coben and the debuting Reese Witherspoon’s first outing was an amazing success as Gone Before Goodbye was an entertaining and captivating thriller read that will appeal to a lot of readers.  Clever, twisty and filled with some great characters, Gone Before Goodbye was a ton of fun to get through, and I cannot wait to see what both authors have to write going forward, either by themselves or as a very distinctive team.

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