Had I, Mona Lisa by Natasha Solomons not been the chosen book for this month’s U3A reading group, I doubt I would have encountered it. I’m so glad I did and it’s my pleasure to share my review today.

I, Mona Lisa was published by Penguin in paperback in 23rd February 2023 and is available in all formats through the publisher links here. 

I, Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa has hung in the Louvre for over two-hundred years. She has watched alone in silence as millions of people have admired her behind the glass.

Now, she is finally ready to tell her own story.

Over five centuries, from da Vinci’s bustling Florentine studio to the opulent French court, Mona will be desired, stolen, heartbroken, curious, furious, and above all, she will be heard.

 My Review of I, Mona Lisa

The life of the painting Mona Lisa told through her own voice.

What a remarkable book. Initially I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it as it took me a while to adjust my reluctant acceptance of a first person narrative told by a painting. I didn’t much like Mona Lisa either to begin with. However, my prejudices were entirely that – prejudice based on ill formed opinion, and I confess I was entirely wrong. I ended up being mesmerised by Natasha Solomons’ narrative.

It’s impossible to overstate the exquisite, meticulous and fascinating research that has gone into I, Mona Lisa. The historical details, the real people and places, and the superb insight into art that meld into the most convincing, sensuous prose, all provide a unique and spell-binding story. So vivid are descriptions, that Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings and drawings become instantly recognisable and the settings are fabulous. The narrative is an aesthetic delight – not least because of the realism included. 

Whilst the reader is given huge insight into the artist, and thereby becomes almost as obsessed by Leonardo da Vinci as is Mona Lisa, it is the painting that is the star of the narrative. I love the bold first person signifier of the title, because even though Lisa becomes all things to all men over the centuries as they try to define and possess her, her sense of self is never diminished in the story. What made me despise her initially made me admire her later. I, Mona Lisa is a feminist text every much as it is a mesmerising imagining of the famous painting. 

Indeed, it is the themes like feminism in I, Mona Lisa that are the greatest triumph for me as a reader. The sense of obsession and love, the depiction of power and corruption, the insight into greed and jealousy are all brilliantly illustrated. But above all, the sense of grief is utterly compelling. Lisa may be an unfinished image, but she is a fully emotional person too.

Whilst I usually zip through books, I, Mona Lisa took me ages to read. It is so intense, so intimate and so intricate that I needed time for my brain to assimilate and appreciate what I’d read. Honestly, I began reading I, Mona Lisa thinking I might not finish it, and ended up being stunned by its brilliance. It might be for every reader, but I thought it was wonderful. 

About Natasha Solomons

Natasha Solomons is the author of five internationally bestselling novels, including Mr Rosenblum’s List, The Novel in the Viola, which was chosen for the Richard & Judy Book Club, and The Gallery of Vanished Husbands. Natasha lives in Dorset with her son, daughter and her husband, the children’s author, David Solomons with whom she also writes screenplays. Her novels have been translated into 17 languages. When not writing in the studio, Natasha can usually be found in her garden.

You can find Natasha on X @natashasolomons, and Instagram.

My enormous thanks to Suk Pannu for arranging to have Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts sent to me after we chatted at Capital Crime and to Felicity Denham for making sure it arrived. I so enjoyed Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone (reviewed here) and am delighted to share my review of Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts today. 

Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts is published by Harper Collins imprint Hemlock and is available for purchase through the links here. 

Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts

It’s the most glamorous event of the year

Mrs Sidhu has snagged the contract of her life: catering the grand opening of Berkshire’s new art gallery.

But there’s horror among the hors d’oeuvres

Then the gallery’s star painting is stolen, and Mrs Sidhu’s favourite waitress is left dead on the floor.

Now it’s caterer vs murderer

The odds are stacked against her, but Mrs Sidhu is determined to crack the strangest case of her career and serve up her signature dish: just desserts.

My Review of Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts

Mrs Sidhu is catering a prestigious event. 

Hurrah! It’s always an anxious time when reading a second book in a series in case it doesn’t quite match up to the first (Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone) but I thought Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts was even better. It felt a little bit darker this time because of Daisy’s demise, but that served as a contrast to the wit and humour threaded throughout so that the narrative is completely engaging. Suk Pannu’s observational eye for who we are is a truly winning feature of the story.

The plot is stunning, being twisty and packed with action. I made several incorrect guesses as I was duped by the writing, just as much as Inspector and Mrs Sidhu are so that I felt immersed in the action. Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts races along making it impossible to put it down. I think what works so well is the plausibility of red herrings and the hugely satisfying end to the narrative. The story is completely absorbing.

I loved the development of Mrs Sidhu. She retains all those features of a typical Indian ‘Auntie’ that were in the first book, but this time there is more of her internal persona so that she comes to life even more. She retains her obsession with food and solving (interfering in) crimes so that she feels familiar. However, her stultifying grief at the loss of her husband, her frequent suppressed anger and some surprising actions give her an edgier and thoroughly compelling aspect. I adore her relationships with Burton and with her son Tez as she realises Tez isn’t just a child. Mrs Sidhu begins to understand her own loneliness, making me want Burton to fall in love with her but you’ll need to read Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts to discover if this happens.

Underpinning a warm, witty and engaging story are affecting, relatable and engaging themes of self-awareness, humility and pride, loneliness, friendships, relationships and an assiduously researched insight into the world of art. These combine into a really absorbing story.

I think Mrs Sidhu’s Just Desserts is a fabulous cosy crime. It is also a wonderfully observed insight into humanity. Entertaining, engaging and exciting, I think it deserves a top slot in the genre. Make sure you read it. 

About Suk Pannu

Suk Pannu wrote for Goodness, Gracious, Me and five series of the Emmy Award winning Kumars at No. 42. He’s written for BBC’s My Family and is a regular contributor to TV and Radio sketch and topical shows with spells on The News Quiz, Swinging, Armando Iannucci’s Charm Offensive.

His debut cosy crime novel, Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone was published by HarperCollins in 2023.

For further information, follow Suk on X @SukPannu, Bluesky and Instagram. 

My grateful thanks to Caitlin Moran at Harper Collins for sending me a surprise copy of Playing the Field by Tabitha Webb. It’s my pleasure to share my review today.

Playing the Field was published by Harper Collins imprint HQ on 30th July 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Playing the Field

An escape to the country never looked so good…

Eliza Fox is down and out in London. 38-years-old with no savings, a boss with a diva complex, and a boyfriend who is shagging his secretary, it is definitely time to call a halt to city life.

So, Eliza straps her sequins and heels into her trusty yellow Citroen, and arrives windswept and exhausted into Farmington. Her to-do-list for her fabulous new life is simple: locate an acceptable flat white outside London, pay off her mounting debts, and absolutely do not fall for any devastatingly handsome farmers.

But when she spots local heartthrob Luke Stanley emerging shirtless from a lake, like some sort of rural Poseidon, Eliza wonders if she might just be in for the ride of her life…

My Review of Playing the Field

Eliza’s relationship has broken down. 

Anyone who thinks all the most exciting action takes place in the big city needs to read Playing the Field! Eliza’s relocation to Farmington sees her plunged into a passionate affair, and includes a cast of characters that are a microcosm of the greater world. I loved the fact that there are people of all ages in the gossipy village because it added different perspectives and interest. 

Eliza’s life is so complicated that reading Playing the Field is a real roller-coaster. Tabitha Webb intermingles a steamy developing love affair between Eliza and Luke with village life, weddings, puppies and a smattering of celebrity, in a manner that feels fresh and modern to read. Playing the Field has several well written spicy scenes that are occasionally quite explicit but which add to the enveloping sense of attraction between Eliza and Luke. 

Luke is a glorious heartthrob, but what sets him apart from stereotype is that, whilst he is physically perfect and does have secrets of his own, he is not the conventional Darcy-esque brooding hero, but rather is an open, generous and reliable individual. This serves as a brilliant contrast to the more mercurial Eliza who runs away from her own problems and refuses to trust her own judgement. 

I confess I didn’t initially warm to Eliza. Certainly I was sorry for her that her so-called partner Henry was so unfaithful, but her seeming obsession with rebound sex felt a bit too prevalent. However, as Playing the Field developed, I realised this aspect was part of her own self-deception and an aspect of Eliza becoming more comfortable in her own skin whilst learning what is really important to her. From being unsure about her at the start I found myself urging her onwards and I was desperate for her to recognise Luke’s true worth! 

Indeed, whilst Playing the Field can be read as a straightforward sexy romance, if the reader looks more closely they discover a depth and breadth of emotions from love to jealousy, and insecurity to determination. Tabitha Webb explores the difference between lust and love and illustrates how age differences between partners, nationality and romance for those more mature in society are all part of the rich tapestry of love. Other themes explore first love, infidelity, the need to have our own identity beyond marriage and parenthood and, really fabulously, how friendships and communities function. All these elements make the story thoroughly engaging.  

Playing the Field is sheer escapism in a fun, sexy romp that is highly entertaining and that has added depth. I raced through it and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

About Tabitha Webb

Tabitha Webb is a British fashion and homeware designer, author, and broadcaster. She launched her eponymous womenswear collection in 2015. For five years, Tabitha wrote a monthly fashion and lifestyle column for HELLO! Magazine. She is also a regular podcast guest, public speaker, and commentator on fashion, interiors, and entrepreneurship.

In July 2026, Tabitha launched a collaboration with PRAI Beauty and Marks & Spencer, alongside her new YouTube channel and podcast, Tabitha Talks Love.

An accomplished author, Tabitha’s second romance novel, Playing the Field, follows her debut novel No Regrets.

Tabitha lives in Hampshire with her husband, Gav, and their two daughters, Betsey and Primrose.

For further information, visit Tabitha’s website, or find her on Instagram. 

It has been my pleasure to know Elly Griffiths for some years and to have interviewed her too. However, I simply haven’t read enough of her books, so I’m thrilled to share my review of the opening story of the brand new Ali Dawson detective series, The Frozen People, not least because The Frozen People has recently been awarded the prestigious Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the year for 2026.

You’ll find Elly featured here on Linda’s Book Bag on other occasions.

Available in all formats, The Frozen People is published by Quercus and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Frozen People

Ali Dawson is a police officer working on crimes so old, the joke goes, that they are not only cold but frozen. What most people don’t know is that the team travels back in time to complete their research – a process pioneered by the mysterious Italian physicist, Serafina Pelligrini.

So far the team has only ventured a few years back but Ali’s boss has a new assignment for her. He wants her to step back to 1850, the heart of the Victorian Age, to clear the name of Cain Templeton, the eccentric great-grandfather of Tory MP Isaac Templeton.

To prepare for the challenge ahead, Ali researches the Victorian era. She learns that Cain Templeton was part of a sinister group called The Collectors, the rumour being that you had to kill a woman to become a member. Duly prepared, she arrives in London in January 1850, at the peak of the so-called mini ice age, to start her journey in a house used by artists, with a dead woman at her feet.

Soon she finds herself in extreme danger. Even worse – she appears to be stuck, unable to make her way back to the present, to her life and to her son, Finn.

My Review of The Frozen People

Ali Dawson is a time travelling detective.

What a fabulous book. The Frozen People is Elly Griffiths at her very best as a consummate story teller. No wonder this is a prize winning book. I absolutely loved it.

The plot of The Frozen People simply hums with authenticity, blending modernity with Victorian London perfectly. The sights, sounds, conventions and society of 1850 are so astutely depicted that it is as if the reader has been transported back in time with Ali. It feels all the more satisfying because Elly Griffiths weaves in those prosaic aspects that are usually skated over or ignored, such as personal hygiene. Not only does this add realism, it creates humour. Indeed, The Frozen People is frequently witty and all the more engaging as a result. 

I thought the story was completely fabulous. Interwoven with references to literature as well as containing highly dramatic moments, there’s a captivating narrative that is spell-binding. What I thoroughly enjoyed was the way Ali is left hanging in Victorian London whilst the story switches to her son Finn so that the reader experiences at first hand Finn’s desperation to know what has happened to her.

Both Finn and Ali are magnificent characters. The mother son relationship is brilliant and I really appreciated the naturalness between them. It is so refreshing to have a feisty protagonist in Ali who is believable, likeable and strong without cliched ‘detective problems’ such as bitterness in failed marriages, volatile anger or illicit substance addiction. This makes Ali hugely appealing. It’s not to say that she is one dimensional, but rather that she is a mother and a woman confident in her own skin who is not averse to taking matters into her own hands. I cannot wait to discover what happens to her in the future as seeds are sown throughout The Frozen People. Ali is an absolute blinder of a character.

I loved, too, the themes of The Frozen People. There’s a real sense of history and a subtle look at race and gender without the heavy handedness of an axe-grinding agenda so that the reader has cause to reflect almost without realising it. There’s loyalty, trust, relationships, a sprinkling of feminism and a lightness of touch in examining how historical and modern societies function. 

I absolutely adored The Frozen People. It’s the perfect embodiment of how to write a crime mystery. Forget readers who will inhale this series as that goes without saying, but aspiring writers will learn so much from its superb crafting. Fantastic book! 

About Elly Griffiths

Elly Griffiths is a multi-award-winning author and a No. 1 bestseller. She has written numerous crime novels for adults; four for children, and a volume of short stories. Her books for adults include the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, the Brighton Mysteries and the Detective Harbinder Kaur series, as well as The Frozen People and The Killing Time, the first two books in the Ali Dawson Mysteries. Elly’s many accolades include the CWA Dagger in the Library, the Edgar Award, the Fingerprint Award for Crime Novel of the Year and the Theakston Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution Award, as well as the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year Award. Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband and their cat, Pip.

You can follow Elly X @ellygriffiths, find her on Bluesky, Instagram and Facebook or visit her website for more information.

Having absolutely adored Frank & Red by Matt Coyne (reviewed here) and it being one of my books of the year in 2024 I genuinely let out a yelp of pleasure when a surprise copy of Matt’s second novel, The Trouble with Sister Francis arrived. I cannot thank enough Joe Thomas at Headline. It’s my pleasure to share my review of The Trouble with Sister Francis today.

Published by Wildfire on 27th August 2026, The Trouble with Sister Francis is available for pre-order through the links here. 

The Trouble With Sister Francis

Sister Francis is an unlikely nun.

She’s sixty, sweary, drives like a lunatic and smokes like a stacked chimney . . . and she runs the Blessed Assumption Boys Club.

Richie, Bennett, Kenny and Stan are four best friends from the Whittle council estate with little to do but get up to no good. After a run-in with local bullies, they discover the crumbling, forgotten club and find themselves in the company of the most remarkable person they will ever meet.

Set against early 1980s Britain, The Trouble with Sister Francis is a funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking story of unlikely heroes, quiet rebellions, fierce loyalty and unexpected hope.

And at the centre of it all lies a long-forgotten journal that might just change everything. 

My Review of The Trouble With Sister Francis

In the early 1980s, young lads Richie, Bennett, Kenny and Stan encounter Sister Francis.

I confess that having so utterly adored Matt Coyne’s first novel Frank & Red, I was apprehensive about The Trouble with Sister Francis. What if it didn’t live up to my expectations? It didn’t. It exceeded them! I completely adored this book too. I’m going to struggle to review it because I don’t want to give anything away and really just want to say ‘Buy the book because it’s brilliant…’ 

The 1980s setting is superb. The sweets, the music, the clothing, the vocabulary used by the lads attending the local church club, all of them combine into the most vivid sense of time. So too does the thread of The Journal of Reginald R. Hartfeld 1938-1941 [Abridged] which presents the life of an evacuee and gives an insight into the war years.

It is the bringing together of these two eras that is so compelling. As Rich, Kenny, Bennet and Stan find themselves drawn into Sister Francis’s orbit, the two time frames support some of the major themes of Matt Coyne’s story. He explores societal convention, a sense of duty and responsibility, and all manner of weighty concepts with the lightest of touches so that the reader fails to recognise the impact and importance of his story until it hits them hard in the solar plexus. However, the most profound aspects are the themes of friendship, belonging and home. Matt Coyne’s ability to convey meaning as well as entertainment is remarkable. Through fantastic humour – and I literally laughed until I cried, and couldn’t breathe, on more than one occasion – and heart-rending emotion – I wept inconsolably too – Matt Coyne entertains, educates and completely blindsides his readers. Truthfully, The Trouble with Sister Francis is one of my all time favourite reads. 

And what a person Sister Francis is. Her unconventional feisty nature, her quietly ironclad control and her hidden softness make her simply wonderful. She might be a nun, but she’s a rule breaker unafraid to turn a blind eye when necessary and so uncompromising on occasion that grown men quake in their boots when she has them in her sights. Reading about Sister Francis made me laugh and cry, but it also made me cheer aloud and fist bump the air even as she made me reflect on true humanity, compassion and empathy. Reading about Sister Francis does not leave the reader unchanged or emotionally unscathed. I’ll be thinking about her for a very long time. 

The characters are actually all stunning. Except for Father Sheridan and a couple of others whom I would quite cheerfully throttle, I think of them with such affection and fondness that it’s hard to grasp that they are not real people. It is impossible not to have your heart broken by Kenny. He put me in mind of so many of the underprivileged youngsters I taught in the past, as did all the boys, because Matt Coyne’s portrayal is so realistic. I thought Rick’s narrative voice was amazing. The story is presented through his adult lens and yet he loses nothing of his childhood perspective, making him all the more unforgettable and affecting. 

I know I’ve been somewhat vague in this review, but I cannot express emphatically enough how much I loved The Trouble with Sister Francis. Matt Coyne has created the most exquisite narrative. It’s hilariously funny. It’s realistic. It’s emotionally charged. It’s written with beautiful human understanding. The Trouble with Sister Francis is sheer perfection and I pity those who don’t get the chance to read it. Fantastic! 

About Matt Coyne

Man vs Baby’s Matt Coyne is from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.  In September 2015, Matt’s life was turned upside down by the arrival of his son Charlie. After three months of parenthood, he logged on to social media and wrote about his experience of having to live with ‘a furious, sleep-murdering, unstable and incontinent, breasts-obsessed midget lodger’. Within days, his post about surviving the first few months of parenthood was shared by millions all over the world.

Following this, Matt created his popular blog Man vs Baby, which now has over 370,000 followers on social media. And has written two Sunday Times bestselling books based on his parental triumphs and disasters, the first entitled: Dummy and the second Man vs Toddler.

He has also written for The Guardian, The Telegraph and GQ Magazine and has been Vuelio Parenting Influencer of the Year and Blogosphere Parent Influencer of the Year.

Matt lives in Sheffield with his son Charlie, his partner Lyndsay and a Jack Russell terrier with ‘issues’ called Eddie.

For further information, visit Matt’s website, follow him on X @mattcoyney and find Matt on Facebook and Instagram.

My absolute gratitude to Caitlin McCoy at Harper Collins for sending me a surprise copy of The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson. I’m delighted to share my review of The Wild Beneath today.

The Wild Beneath will be published by HQ on 27th August 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Wild Beneath

The pull of the land or the call of the sea…

Annie MacLeod always knew she was different, growing up on a sailboat, navigating by stars and swimming with sea creatures, alongside her best friend, Evan. But when a tsunami hits, Annie is stranded on land; her entire world, and her eccentric identity, torn apart and upended.

In the wreckage, she rescues a wordless man named Walker, who emits a hum only she can hear. Their connection is instant. Walker’s touch gives Annie visions of the ocean’s hidden world, a life she’s never known but feels inexplicably drawn to. Yet even as she is pulled toward him, Evan – the steadfast love who has always been there – remains on dry land, offering stability and security. Annie is torn between Evan’s grounding presence and Walker’s magnetic secrets. But then, Walker vanishes, along with the answers Annie needs about who she really is.

Six years later, Annie has left the sea and buried the past – until Walker returns, pulling her back towards the ocean and the life she abandoned. The truth has roots more ancient than she ever could have known, and Annie must confront a choice that will test her heart and determine her future.

A fierce and entrancing debut novel of one woman caught between two worlds that won’t let her go.

My Review of The Wild Beneath

A tsunami has shattered Annie MacLeod’s world.

This. This is exactly what a book should be. The Wild Beneath is utterly, utterly wonderful and I could not have loved it more. 

The plot of The Wild Beneath is mesmerising. I felt the pull of the narrative every moment I wasn’t reading so that my experience was akin to Annie’s experiences – she is pulled by the sea, by her relationships with Walker and Evan and by the sounds reverberating through her body. When I wasn’t reading The Wild Beneath, I was thinking about it. It permeated my thoughts continuously.

It’s impossible to categorise The Wild Beneath. In part it’s a magical fantasy, drawing on traditional fables of merfolk, in part it’s a love story and it’s also a coming of age narrative. Alongside these aspects The Wild Beneath is also an ecological story. But what it is above anything else, is an intangible, pulsating tale that is far, far greater than the sum of its parts. It is, quite simply, superb. 

Kelly Anderson’s prose is beautiful. With the briefest of sentences she conveys a profound depth of emotion. The writing is as fluid, varied and immersive as the sea against which the narrative is set. I adored the division of the story into the four phases of tides because it gave unity and coherence whilst allowing the wildness and capriciousness of the sea to be explored. Direct speech is natural and so engaging that it feels so intimate and real it is as if the reader is eavesdropping on the characters. The Wild Beneath is an absolute masterclass in emotive and immersive writing.

The characters are magnificent. Each is unable to be truly themselves, each needs to learn to listen not only to others, but to the universe, and, more importantly, to their own innermost pulse of life – to the wild beneath. Through Walker, Annie and Evan learn that listening skill. This is a story that illustrates how we can be true to ourselves. Walker is magical, mythical, magnificent. He is the drum beat at the heart of Annie. 

Annie is superbly depicted. She is every bit her mother’s daughter and yet she is as individual as it is possible to be. Her love for both Walker and Evan is as instinctive and raw as it is possible to be so that I had no idea how the story would resolve or whether I had the emotional strength to find out, whilst being unable to draw myself away. My heart ached for her.

Whilst I was completely captivated by Annie’s character development and the love story that surrounds her, other themes enthralled me too. In The Wild Beneath Kelly Anderson considers what constitutes family. Mara and Ruth have very different approaches to caring for Annie but it is obvious they are both doing their best within their own parameters.  Kelly Anderson looks at mental and physical health and how they are affected by lifestyle and pressure to work or conform, especially through Evan’s relationship with his father. She also considers the environment as the sea disgorges objects through the tsunami and Isaac logs the trees. These themes may sound ‘worthy’ but they are woven with such dexterity into the narrative they simply make it even more multi-layered and engrossing.

It’s impossible to articulate filly my views of The Wild beneath. I feel my review has barely scratched the surface. Metamorphic, magical and moving, The Wild Beneath is absolutely fantastic and I adored it unconditionally. What. A. Book. 

Read it and discover how to listen to the beat of your own essence!

About Kelly Anderson

Dr. Kelly Anderson is a family physician with fellowships in HIV and emergency medicine. She has worked extensively in rural and remote emergency departments, spent fifteen years at the Inner City Family Health Team at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and built the clinical team at Felix Health. After completing the Bookends Novel Fellowship, she trained in the Gateless Writing Academy and is a certified Gateless writing teacher. Kelly spent much of her childhood in British Columbia, and now lives in Guelph, Ontario with her family. The Wild Beneath is her first novel.

For further information, visit Kelly’s website and find her on Instagram . 

My enormous thanks to both lovely Becky Hunter and the wonderful Caroline James for sending me surprise copies of The Nile Cruise. I was thrilled to read The Nile Cruise, particularly as a cruise from Luxor to Aswan was the first ‘exotic’ holiday we ever took.  It’s my absolute pleasure to share my review of The Nile Cruise today (aptly read on my most recent cruise). 

You’ll find Caroline featured on several other occasions here on Linda’s Book Bag.

The Nile Cruise was published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 30th July 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Nile Cruise

Will an adventure sailing The River Nile turn the tide for Hattie?

Hattie Mulberry is exhausted. Worn out from the demands of everyone around her, she’s long overdue a break. So, she decides to take a holiday – the adventure of a lifetime, following in the footsteps of her literary hero, Agatha Christie.

Before Hattie knows it, she’s embarking on a glamorous Nile cruise. Not only a voyage steeped in history and world-famous sights, but one where the passengers are almost as fascinating as the views from her luxurious cabin…

As the eclectic band of travellers journey between ancient temples and legendary tombs, guided by handsome Egyptologist Sam, secrets surface, desires awaken, and tensions simmer beneath the Egyptian sun.

Will the magic of moonlit nights on the Nile bring romance and renewal? Or will the infamous curse of Tutankhamun cast a shadow when least expected?

My Review of The Nile Cruise

Hattie is taking break. 

What an absolute pleasure to catch up with Hattie Mulberry as she escapes on a cruise along the Nile whilst Alf (and Drake) refurbish her ancient bathroom. I loved this book! 

Firstly, there is the meticulous research that must have gone into making the Egyptian setting so vivid and authentic. Caroline James transported me right back to my own Nile Cruise because the attention to detail; the heat, the tombs, the people and events, was so realistic it was as if I were aboard the SS Nefertari with Hattie. Anyone who has done this trip will have memories reignited by Caroline James and for those who’d love to go, The Nile Cruise takes the reader there brilliantly.

The plot is so entertaining. We learn about Egypt through carefully curated detail, but we also have a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance, a little bit of crime and a glorious injection of humour so that there’s enjoyment in The Nile Cruise on many, many levels. 

Hattie is utterly, utterly, fabulous being generous in all senses of the word. Amply sized with a big hearted attitude to others, her inner beauty is heightened in contrast to the superficial appearance of Anoushka. Through Hattie and the other guests aboard; Caroline James illustrates perfectly how our airbrushed Instagram world is unrealistic and frequently untrue. Instead, her characters feel real and relatable. This means that readers are given permission and confidence to be comfortable in their own skin even as they are being entertained by the narrative. 

Alongside the brilliant characters, the author explores themes that are incredibly relevant to today’s society. In the microcosm of the cruise boat, the reader contemplates identity, grief, love in later life, sexuality, adventure, marriage, parenthood and friendship. The Nile Cruise feels like a narrative written with truth and understanding. Whilst Peter provides humour, for example, the reasons behind his actions are profound and moving. 

I thought The Nile Cruise was a total smasher of a read. It entertained me thoroughly, made me laugh and moved me, and at the same time enhanced my own attitude to life, making me determined to enjoy every moment. How brilliant is that? 

About Caroline James

Caroline James is the celebrated author of later-life fiction, including The Cruise, the Amazon Top Five & #1 best-seller that has captivated cruise ship passengers worldwide, and her eagerly anticipated follow-up novels, The Cruise Club, The Arctic Cruise and The Nile Cruise are out now.

Her novel Atticus Arnott’s Great Adventure is described as “A heartwarming and uplifting read where the characters shine from the page.”

Caroline’s vibrant storytelling stems from her colourful career. Before becoming a full-time writer, she carved out a fascinating path in the hospitality industry, owning a charming country house hotel and a lively pub. As a media agent, she worked closely with celebrity chefs, giving her an insider’s perspective on the glitz, glamour, and grit of the culinary world. When she finally turned her focus to writing, she discovered her true calling, penning best-selling novels that have garnered her legions of fans.

When she’s not writing in her cosy writing retreat, Caroline enjoys tranquil walks with Fred, her Westie, and refreshing swims in a local lake. As a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the SoA, ARRA, and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists, Caroline is a champion of lifelong creativity.

For further information, visit Caroline’s website, follow her on X @CarolineJames12 and find Caroline on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram. 

I cannot thank enough Mia Quibell-Smith at Vintage for sending me a surprise copy of The Drowning Place by Sarah Hilary. As I explained to Sarah when we were chatting at Capital Crime, I saved The Drowning Place to take on a cruise! Thankfully I am able to share my review today.

It’s far too long since Sarah appeared here on Linda’s Book Bag.

The Drowning Place was published by Harvill on 16th April 2926 and us available for purchase through the publisher links here.

The Drowning Place

Every place has its ghosts.

Edenscar, a town in the Peak District, has more than most. 17 years ago, its inhabitants were hit by tragedy when a school bus veered off the road and everyone on board drowned. Everyone, that is, except Joseph Ashe. His miraculous survival has haunted him and the town ever since.

Now a Detective Sergeant in the local police, Joe is called to the scene of a brutal and apparently inexplicable crime. The whole town is spooked, but Joe’s new boss, DI Laurie Bower, more used to inner-city police work, has no time for superstition. She just wants to find the very real killer who has left no trace and apparently had no motive.

Joining forces, Joe and Laurie work to uncover the secrets of Edenscar, both past and present.

But when you dig up the dead, expect to get your hands dirty…

My Review of The Drowning Place

DI Laurie Bower has moved forces and is working with DS Joe Ashe.

Not usually a great fan of police procedural narratives, I was utterly enthralled by The Drowning Place and thought it was brilliant.

Sarah Hilary’s prose manages to be simultaneously brief, beautiful and incisive so that the reader finds themselves completely ensnared. The writing is, quite simply, wonderful. 

As one would hope, there is an enthralling and entertaining plot with brutal murders being investigated. As clues are threaded into the narrative the reader is compelled to read on. I found the resolution satisfying, surprising and believable so that, filled with drama, The Drowning Place delivers a police procedural story with aplomb. 

However, that thoroughly engaging story which would make the novel fantastic in its own right, is a mere strand in the book. The drowning place is a literal setting for the background to Joseph Ashe’s personality and home area, and there’s a real sense of small town intensity that feeds into the tension of the story. But the place where the drownings occurred is also a metaphorical setting of grief, despair and guilt which pervades events, prompting attitudes and actions in characters that I found so impactful. The past never leaves Joe alone, shaping him, controlling him and making him the police officer he is now. I didn’t so much read this book as experience it viscerally.

I loved Joe. What a credible, broken, stoic and astonishing man! The arrival of Laurie disturbs the local status quo so that, as she begins to find her feet in Edenscar and becomes Joe’s boss, so her presence enables the reader to gain greater insight into his personality. His relationship with Sammi is one of the most moving in fiction that I’ve encountered. I don’t want to ruin the read for others by saying too much, but I felt the emotional intensity between them almost physically as I read. 

Laurie too is so well depicted. She treads a fine line between compassion and steely determination. Unafraid to admit when she’s wrong, but equally determined to stick to her guns when she believes herself to be right, she is the perfect counterbalance to Joe. I think what we have in Laurie and Joe is a pairing that will become one of the most loved in a generation of crime writing. 

Alongside this wealth of interest and entertainment lie themes that feel all too pertinent to today’s society. In The Drowning Place there are examples of prejudice, manipulation, poverty, wealth, corruption and so on. Each is handled with sensitivity and dexterity so that when some of the later, terrifying, events occur they feel totally authentic. Reading The Drowning Place feels as if you’re in the hands of an incredibly skilled writer who knows just how we all think and feel beneath the surface and who is able to convey that truth with absolute perception and humanity whilst delivering a fabulous nattative. 

It’s quite hard to review The Drowning Place adequately. It is exciting to read. It has compelling characters. It is frequently emotional and often surprising. With the sparsest of prose Sarah Hilary creates the deepest of meaning. Elegant, eloquent and exquisite, The Drowning Place is crime fiction at its very best. I thought it was fantastic.

About Sarah Hilary

Sarah Hilary is the critically-acclaimed author of nine novels. Her debut, Someone Else’s Skin, won the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year 2015 and was a World Book Night selection, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and a finalist for both the Silver Falchion and Macavity Awards in the US. No Other Darkness, the second in her DI Marnie Rome series, was shortlisted for a Barry Award.

In April 2026, The Drowning Place introduced readers to DS Joseph Ashe at the start of a brand new series set in the Peak District.

Sarah is Programme Director for St Hilda’s Crime Fiction Weekend, and co-founder of Ledburied, a crime fiction festival in her home town. Her short stories have won the Fish Criminally Short Histories Prize, the Cheshire Prize for Literature, and the SENSE Prize.

For more information, follow Sarah on X @Sarah_Hilary, find her on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram or visit her website.

My huge thanks to Sriya Varadharajan at Penguin Random House for sending me a surprise copy of We Tell Lies by K. L. Slater. I’m delighted to share my review of We tell Lies today. 

We Tell Lies was published by Penguin’s Michael Joseph on 13th August 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

We Tell Lies

Emily is ready to leave the lies behind. Moving into a beautiful new home and finally with money in the bank, her partner Oliver has promised that they can put their life as con artists firmly in the past. They can relax, settle in, even do ordinary things like getting dinner with the couple next door.

But what if the couple next door is hiding something too?

Because on picture-perfect Orchard Lane, something is not right. Unsettling messages start to arrive. Emily becomes convinced someone is watching them. And then Oliver begins to behave strangely as well.

She wants to trust him. She wants to believe they’re in this together ― especially if someone might know their darkest secrets.

But when murder comes to Orchard Lane, Emily realises she only knows one thing for sure about her husband.

He’s a very good liar…

My Review of We Tell Lies

Emily and Oliver are moving into Orchard Lane.

I am an idiot. I have never read K.L. Slater before and We Tell Lies has convinced me that I have been missing out. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it is twisty, fast paced and filled with plausible, thoroughly toxic characters. Indeed, We Tell Lies could be defined as thoroughly nasty, but that is a complete compliment! 

The plot is so cleverly constructed, opening with a breathtakingly dramatic prologue that underpins the narrative but that keeps the reader guessing throughout. Under different time frames that develop the relationship between Emily and Oliver, the reader is drip fed intriguing information that makes them wonder just what the couple have really done. This makes for gripping reading and engages the imagination brilliantly. 

The Orchard Lane setting of We Tell Lies is fabulous. It lends a traditional unity of place whilst affording the development of characters who all have something to hide. Reading We Tell Lies certainly makes the reader look with fresh eyes at their own neighbours in a rather unsettling manner. We Tell Lies is the perfect embodiment of ‘all that glisters is not gold’ and had me reassessing so much of what goes on around me.

I loved the characters; particularly Emily as I was never quite certain how reliable a narrator she truly was, even though her first person account gives her status and focus. I found this completely intriguing. Through Emily and all her characters K. L. Slater explores the thin veneer of civilisation and, as a result, draws in the reader as they attempt to determine who is telling what lies. This is such absorbing writing. The psychology of who we are, what we do and how we present ourselves to others is handled so intelligently that it is impossible to put the book down.

However, all the adults aside, it was Roman and his friendship with Sanj that touched me the most. I would never have imagined a packet of Haribo might have felt so emotional! 

The themes in this cracking psychological novel are treated with such skill. In We Tell Lies K. L. Slater examines the nature of truth, upbringing, greed and relationships so entertainingly. But the most compelling element for me was the examination of morality. Several characters make the wrong choices for the right reasons and vice versa. Equally the reasons for some choices plunge the reader into their own moral dilemma in wondering how they might have behaved and chosen in the same circumstances. At the very least this is entertaining, but K.L. Slater makes it disturbing too.

I thought We Tell Lies was excellent. It’s thoroughly engaging, completely entertaining, twisty, compelling and interesting. We Tell Lies has shown me what I’ve been missing by not having read K. L. Slater before. Make sure you don’t make the same error! 

About K. L. Slater

Kim is the number one, Sunday Times bestselling author of over twenty-five psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over three million copies of her books worldwide and writes for Audible, Bookouture and Penguin Michael Joseph. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village. 

For further information visit Kim’s website, follow her on X @KLSlaterAuthor and find Kim on Instagram and Facebook. 

My enormous thanks to Tracey Iceton for sending me a copy of Sparky: my barn owl story in return for an honest review. It’s my pleasure to share that review today.

Published by Cinnamon on 11th May 2026, Sparky is available for purchase here. 

Sparky

Hatched in the UK in August 2017, Sparky is a captive-bred barn owl. Raised by humans, living with them, she accepts them as essential to her life, benefiting from the security they can provide, but suffering under the uncertainty they can inflict.

And here, thanks to her current human, t-raay-cee, Sparky recounts her unique story. By turn heart warming and disturbing, Sparky offers an owl’s-eye view of her relationship with her human mates and her search for a special human to bond with lifelong.

A mesmerising and ambitious work that crosses genres and raises important questions about how we connect deeply with the more-than-human world.

My Review of Sparky

The relationship between barn owl Sparky and humans.

What a wonderful book. I knew there would be considerable natural history interest for me between the covers of Sparky, but I hadn’t anticipated the wonderful craft of writing Tracey Iceton displays. Her prose is mesmerising, frequently poetic and highly effective in conveying the potential thoughts and feelings of Sparky. Never mind the interest of the barn owl, I think this volume would make a wonderful guide to writing for others. Initially I found the ‘pronunciation’ from Sparky a little discordant, but came to realise that it is exactly as it should be. Sparky is not human and had she been displayed that way it would have done her a huge disservice.

There’s a thoroughly engaging account here as Tracey and Sparky develop their relationship – and it is a relationship. That’s not to anthropomorphise Sparky, but rather to stress what an intelligent bird she is and how important she becomes to the author, whilst always being treated as a bird. We learn a considerable amount about Sparky’s nature, her care and her needs so that the book is informative as well as surprisingly touching and emotional. Some of this effect is created through the different time frames of Before and Now as they weave into a tapestry of how Sparky and Tracey came together. As a result, we get insight not just into Sparky but into Tracey’s personality too. 

I really enjoyed Sparky. It gives a fascinating insight into a world so few of us will encounter and Tracey Iceton provides that insight with compassion, sensitivity and considerable humility. Anyone remotely interested in the natural world will be entranced, entertained, enthralled and educated by Sparky. It’s not to be missed. 

About Tracey Iceton

Tracey Iceton is the author of four previous books. Her Celtic Colours Trilogy (2016-2019, Cinnamon Press) tells the story of a hundred years of Troubles in Ireland, following one family through four generations of the conflict from the Easter Rising to the Brexit Vote. Rock God Complex: The Mickey Hunter Story (2020, Cinnamon Press) recounts the exploits of Crown & Kingdom’s legendary guitarist Mickey Hunter.

Iceton’s articles and short stories have appeared in national and international journals, magazines and anthologies. She has won or been shortlisted in several notable writing competitions. Her doctorate, Troubles Women (2017, Northumbria University), was a practice-led project exploring the portrayal of female paramilitary protagonists in Troubles fiction.

Formerly an English and creative writing teacher, Tracey continues to work with emerging writers, offering mentoring and editing, although most of her time is divided between home life with her husband, cats and birds of prey, animal rescue volunteering and running, which she took up in case she ever needs to chase a furred or feathered friend

For further information, visit Tracey’s website.