Review: The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder (Book 1)

 

London 1881. Can two crooked women stop a murder?

Extravagant medium Mrs Ashton and her lover, blunt working-class Mrs Bradshaw, run a spiritualist scam. Mrs Ashton secretly reads minds.

Believing that Mrs Ashton is genuine, grieving Lady Violet craves the truth behind her mother’s untimely death. But Lady Violet’s powerful husband Sir Charles hates spiritualists. Has he killed before?

Uncovering this MP’s wicked crimes will put all three women in terrible danger…

To solve a shocking murder, look both sides of the grave.

“I loved this book! Victorian murder mystery meets "ghost" story, with delicious sprinklings of compassion and mischief…”

Caroline Day, author of Sunday Times Bestseller Hope Nicely's Lessons for Life

Review

The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder: A Spooky Victorian Mystery by Stephen Cox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Victorian era is so well-suited to a cozy mystery. The time period that gave us Sherlock Holmes and fingerprinting just feels like the right place for a small group to uncover a crime. This book features a charming set of would-be spiritualists who con the cons they pursue. Mrs. Ashton and Mrs. Bradshaw make for quite the pair as they work to bring justice.

Steven Cox has a formal yet approachable prose that matches the era without being so stilted that it's unrelatable for modern audiences. His sense of humor buzzes in at regular intervals to keep the story from becoming too heavy. The plot is well-crafted and easy-to-follow without becoming convoluted.

Overall, a fun story with enough twists to ramp up the fun and characters you will care about.

View all my reviews

Purchase Links

https://stephencox.co.uk/books/upcoming/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crooked-Mediums-Guide-Murder-Victorian-ebook/dp/B0FLK68742/

https://www.amazon.com/Crooked-Mediums-Guide-Murder-Victorian-ebook/dp/B0FLK68742/

Exciting News: Book 2 in the Crooked Medium series is now available for pre-order!! - https://stephencox.co.uk/buy-terror/

Author Bio – My grandmother told me I read too much.  I remember walking in the garden when I was small, telling myself stories. It was over thirty years of wanting to be a novelist before I tried… and succeeded.

The Crooked Medium’s Guide to Murder arose because I wanted to write about Britishness and specifically about Englishness; about our complex relationship with the past; I wanted leads who were morally grayer but still capable of kindness. It was time for a novel with queer leads. And in quite desperate times, I needed to write something with some uplift. It’s the first book intended to start a series.

My first books, Our Child of the Stars and Our Child of Two Worlds are set in the 1960s USA. It’s about Gene and Molly, a childless couple, and Cory, the little boy from the stars that they adopt, under such challenging circumstances. The books got lovely reviews and are available on both sides of the Atlantic. 

I spent nearly all my childhood in Bristol, and I’m now an adoptive Londoner.   I live with my partner, and it’s the best thing our two adult children come back from time to time. Our garden rages wild.

Social Media Links

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Review: Reasons to Act

 

Can a Marine on a mission handle Hollywood’s hottest star? The sparks on the action movie set are nothing compared to the ones flying between them…

Olivia Quinn succeeds through simplicity and discipline, whether she’s dominating in the gym, or serving as a Marine. But when her director brother unexpectedly makes her the military consultant on his latest action film, her structured plans go out the window and she’s thrown into an unfamiliar and unpredictable world alongside hotshot action star Chris Blackstone. The cocky actor is everything she can’t stand, with his chiseled, self-important abs, condescension, and charm—for to everyone except her.

Chris is determined to make Desert Strike the blockbuster hit his new production company needs. A fake PR romance with his popular co-star keeps the public’s attention on the movie and distracts the media from his messy family drama. The last thing he has time for is clashing with a disturbingly hot, no-nonsense Marine consultant who sees right through his act. And he definitely can’t afford to fall for her.

Staged explosions give way to sizzling chemistry neither of them can ignore. But when Chris’s ghosts and the paparazzi twist their connection into a media firestorm, he faces a brutal choice: Will he protect the career and image he works so hard for—or fight for the woman who makes him feel like a real person? And under the burning spotlight, Olivia must decide if a lifetime of building strength means she’s strong enough to be honest with herself and open her heart to the vulnerability of love.

Review

Reasons to Act by Jaime P. Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How about a little escapist fiction for your afternoon?

Chris is the sexy actor and Olivia is the fierce marine consultant. They are drawn together on-set and quickly battle their way toward love.

Pros? Olivia is confident, capable and doesn't need saving. Chris can bring the heat. The Hollywood insider pieces feel realistic - there is information about the set and staff that get forgotten in most Hollywood books.
Cons? The characters are a little shallow, and I felt the stakes were a little low.

So, it's a fun book with plenty of heat written by a writer who cared enough to get their facts straight.

View all my reviews

Purchase Links

Amazon ebook:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GT8QX241

Barnes & Noble:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reasons-to-act-jaime-p-bradley/1150109635?ean=9798991950763

Apple:

https://books.apple.com/us/book/reasons-to-act/id6767947725

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/reasons-to-act?sid=59ee7982-7e93-486d-b24d-9680e0d5c936&ssid=y8CabJOZfqij8ILgJazUy&cPos=1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jaime_P_Bradley_Reasons_to_Risk_A_steamy_celebrity?id=lmrPEQAAQBAJ

Bookshop.org EBOOK

https://bookshop.org/p/books/reasons-to-act-a-steamy-celebrity-marine-romcom-novella-jaime-p-bradley/39024a82f1635a8b?ean=9798991950770&digital=t

Bookshop.org PRINT

https://bookshop.org/p/books/reasons-to-act-a-steamy-celebrity-marine-romcom-novella-jaime-p-bradley/39024a82f1635a8b?ean=9798991950763&next=t

Author Bio –

Jaime got hooked on romance novels at an inappropriately young age. She’s a New England dairy farm kid turned Wyoming cowgirl turned cattle genetics writer, turned romance writer. Jaime lives with her former US Marine husband and spends her days wrangling their four children and numerous farm animals, reading or writing romance novels, binging on romance-related podcasts, and adding more things to her to-do list than she could ever possibly get done.

Social Media Links –

Tiktok.com/@jaimepbradley

https://www.instagram.com/jaimepbradley

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/52989677.Jaime_P_Bradley

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61566539554538

https://www.pinterest.com/authorjaimepbradley/

Review: The Mothers of SW19

Unassuming Emma, a blogger turned wannabe social media influencer, moves to an exclusive enclave in SW19 to get her son into the best school in the area. On the first day of school, she bumps into Annabel, a gregarious journalist who is head of the PTA.

An unfortunate misunderstanding leads to a clash, and the school gate mothers taking sides. Emma’s world has been blown apart by motherhood. As she struggles to find her new identity, she has to defend herself against Annabel and her clique. The mean girls with mortgages.

Emma learns a devastating secret about Annabel that could destroy her entire life. Will Emma play dirty to win, and what lengths will Annabel go to protect what she has?

There can only be one winner. But what will be the cost?

Review

First, I think it is very brave to write about the school where your own children attend. It takes “write what you know” to a almost frightening level. 

This book is an all too common tale of the modern family. Two women are buying for small piece of the Social pie using any means necessary to feel relevant in a world that continues to force women into obscurity. Even Taylor Swift with all of her success has been reduced by a ring on her finger. And it’s sad, because so many women to find fulfillment, love and belonging as they form a family. I loved that this book show showed that the women really did love their children and their husbands even as they made a series of tragic decision decisions that cost them everything that brought them true joy. 

“We have kids. More than that, Thomas and I have a brand.” what a statement on modern life. I will be thinking about this paragraph each time gossip pops up in my social media.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8901010413

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/09zb3P2L

Author Bio –  Catherine Yardley is a freelance journalist and author. She writes for The Sunday Times, Stylist, The Times, Telegraph, Metro, Huffpost and the i paper. She’s the editor-in-chief of Frost Magazine. The Mothers of SW19 is her third novel. Her two other books published are Ember and Where The Light is Hottest. Both did well and got fantastic reviews. She has been on numerous podcasts, including The Conversation with Nadine Matheson and Confessions of a Debut Novelist with Chloe Timms. She lives in SW19 with her husband and children.

Social Media Links – https://x.com/Balavage

@catherineby.bsky.social

https://www.instagram.com/frostmag

https://www.threads.net/@frostmag

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063463605581

https://www.tiktok.com/@balavage

 

Review: The Little Porto Book Club

 

In a city full of stories, can she write her own…

Introvert and self-described whodunnit enthusiast Viviane has never much believed in living life outside of the pages of a book. But when her interfering mother insists that Viviane needs some friends who aren’t fictional, she decides to head into the beautiful bustling streets of Porto in search of her community.

What better place to start than by reading her favourite mystery in the corner of a little-known café? But when one, then two, and then outrageously six other people decide to join her silent book club Viviane realises that she is firmly out of her depth. There’s Thomas, a middle-aged man hiding his love for romance novels, Lucinda, a chic sixty-something with a penchant for Christie, and then there’s Tiago, the man of every romance novelist’s dreams.

But when one of these newfound friends disappears from the book club without a word, will the community come together to find their fellow lost soul, and will Viviane find love along the way…?

Purchase Links

https://amzn.eu/d/0an1mkon

https://a.co/d/09BBX9Ol

https://amzn.asia/d/0gWivcP7

https://a.co/d/06QBhgxV

Review

 

Author Bio – Rebecca Raisin is an internationally bestselling and RNA awards winning romance writer from Perth, Australia. Her books are set in stunning locations around the world providing a touch of escapism for her readers and those who like to partake in a spot of armchair travel from the comfort of their own home. Rebecca writes quirky heroines who haven't figured it all out yet but are perfectly relatable, flaws and all. You'll find themes such as friendship, love, new beginnings, food, wine and travel. She's known for writing books for book lovers.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

www.twitter.com/jaxandwillsmum

https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaraisinwrites2/

Rebecca Raisin’s Exclusive Readers | Facebook

RebeccaRaisinWrites (@rebeccaraisinwrites) | TikTok

Review: The Scandalous Lady Mina

 

A Victorian enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance

Lady Wilhelmina, once the darling of the ton, fled England in shame after jilting her fiancé. Following a decade in disgrace, Mina’s returning to Society’s ballrooms on a luxury steamship…and encounters her ex-fiancé’s distractingly handsome cousin, Max Cavendish—her once friend, now enemy!

Max’s guard is up, yet being in close quarters with Mina sparks a wave of dangerous attraction that makes him want to discover the truth behind the scandal. Wealthy engineer Max is used to being in command of his world and his emotions, but his complicated feelings for Mina are making him feel decidedly out of control…

Review

The Scandalous Lady Mina by Lara Temple
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ah, the Set is not one to forgive. Poor Lady Mina is 10 years out from a scandal of her own making and she is still not forgiven nor forgotten. Her ability to hold her head high despite the gossip makes her an ideal escort for a soft-hearted ingenue about to hit the operatic stage. Unfortunately, this means she will be forced to endure the anger of her stilted fiance's family.

Mina holds her own in the story. She is full of poise and gracefully avoids begging for anyone's good will. She guides young Eliza with kindness and realism. I wanted her to find her happy ending, so she made a good cornerstone for the story.

Septimus, Max's uncle and Mina's employer, is the unsung star of his own show and he standout player in this story. He is full of an artist's disdain and misplaced enthusiasm. He brings much of the humor and emotional drive to the story. It is no wonder that he's mentioned in nearly every review - he's an absolute delight even when he's being manipulative.

I struggled more with Max. Although he seems logical about his concerns, his dead-set refusal to look at a situation from all sides and make space for forgiveness hit me as a "red flag" - but maybe he will learn from the experience. Isn't that what we all fantasize about these rough-edge men in books?

The sexual tension is strong but not overly erotic. It's a good example of Harlequin heat. I enjoyed the romance despite some structural and character hiccoughs. Yes, it's a little hard to follow at times and I got lost in point of view more than once, but it's overall a fun story with well-structured characters.

View all my reviews

Purchase Links

Amazon UK: The Scandalous Lady Mina: Disgraced lady sets sail with the enemy! A Regency romance on a luxury ship for fans of enemies to lovers and forced proximity sparks! New in 2026! eBook : Temple, Lara: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Amazon US: Amazon.com: The Scandalous Lady Mina eBook : Temple, Lara: Kindle Store

Author Bio –

Lara Temple is an award-winning author of strong and sexy historical romance. She lives in London with her husband, two children, and one very fluffy dog, and they are all very understanding about her disappearing into her little office where she looks out over the garden as she dreams up her Happy Ever Afters.

 

Social Media Links –

website: www.laratemple.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/laratempleauthor1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/LaraTemple

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LaraTemple1

Amazon author page US: http://bit.ly/LaraTemple

Amazon author page UK: http://bit.ly/LaraTempleUK

 

Giveaway to Win an e-copy of The Scandalous Lady Mina by Lara Temple (Open INT)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Gleam box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

https://gleam.io/kAW5B/win-an-e-copy-of-the-scandalous-lady-mina-by-lara-temple-open-int

Cover reveal: Mrs Clutterbucks Christmas Emporium

When Mabel Clutterbuck opens a Christmas shop in sleepy Merrycombe Bay, she has no idea how
much her little emporium is about to change the hearts and minds of the people who live there.
Mabel Clutterbuck reluctantly returns to the seaside town she grew up in to be closer to her ailing
mother. However, the old woman’s fading memories keep confusing Mabel with her sister Clara -
the sister who sacrificed everything to care for their mother before recently disappearing without
trace.

Determined to breathe new life into the old shop Clara used for her crafting endeavours, Mabel
transforms it into Mrs Clutterbuck's Christmas Emporium, a magical haven filled with vintage
decorations, festive treasures, and a little bit of wonder.

The true magic, however, lies in Mabel's Lucky Dip Gift Boxes. Carefully chosen for the hidden
heartaches of the customers who buy them, each one brings comfort, hope, and unexpected joy.
Not everyone in Merrycombe Bay is convinced, though, especially the formidable ladies of the local
WI!

As Christmas approaches, an unexpected romantic encounter gives Mabel a glimpse of a future she
never thought possible. And while she helps others find happiness, she begins to heal the parts of
herself she thought would remain broken.

But beneath the sparkle of fairy lights and festive cheer, old wounds refuse to stay buried. Why did
Clara leave Merrycombe Bay? And if she returns, will Mabel lose everything she's finally found -
including the future she never thought she deserved.

Heartwarming, uplifting and sprinkled with Christmas magic, Mrs Clutterbuck's Christmas Emporium is a story of family secrets, second chances, unexpected romance, and the power of kindness.

Pre-order Link - https://amzn.eu/d/0h1XusUq
Publication Date: 6 th November 2026

Author Bio

Nicola May is a bestselling author renowned for her heartwarming and humorous romantic
comedies. With twenty-three books to her name, her work has captured readers' hearts around the
world, has been translated into fifteen languages and consistently ranks in the top 100 of Amazon's
Kindle bestseller charts. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cream teas in her beloved Devon, hikes
through nature, and occasionally places a bet on the horses.

Social Media Links –

w: www.nicolamay.com
i: author_nicola
fb: Nicola May Romance Author | Facebook

Review: House of Thieves

 

At Terrington Hall, objects are treasured while people are forgotten.

Chief conservator Amy is restoring the Hurly family’s guilt-stained hoard when a theft forces her to hire Harrison, a security adviser on a personal quest to uncover his own history.

Unknown to anyone, an invisible presence woven into the fabric of the house watches their every move.

When Harrison uncovers a room sealed for decades, the investigation shifts from simple theft to the resurrection of murderous secrets. In a house where the past is too heavy to escape, the dead don’t need bodies to tell their stories — they just need someone to listen.

One house. Two mysteries. Two centuries apart.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/SpbHfueEYdU

House of Thieves by Rachel Walkley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful cover. I felt drawn to the world immediately and it remained a strong symbol for the book throughout the reading.

This is a difficult novel to review without leaving spoilers. The author did a good job of setting up a story where almost every detail is necessary. A group of conservators work in the present to uncover the secrets held in different time periods. I enjoyed the use of the House as the "ghost" in the story, the entity who is both innocent and guilty of all the secrets. There are some definite pacing issues. I encourage readers to stick with it until the end because the payoff comes.

This novel is more historical literary fiction than gothic horror. It has mysteries but little eeriness. If you relax and enjoy the story, the genre won't matter much.

View all my reviews

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H9HY2WZL

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H9HY2WZL

https://books2read.com/u/m2gOqG

Author Bio –

Rachel Walkley is a former librarian and scientist who lives in the North West of England, where she spends her spare time making music and writing. Her debut novel, The Women of Heachley Hall, was a bestseller in the UK and Australia. Known for weaving together family secrets, magical mysteries, old houses and inspirational women, Rachel also writes gripping female-led crime novels under the pen name Rae Shaw.

Social Media Links –

Rachel Walkley’s author website

Social Media