What Rachael Reads

Book Details Title:   Nine Missing Girls Author:  Steena Holmes Genre:  Psychological Thriller Publisher:  Joffe Books Publication Date:  19th March 2026 Page Count:  261 Series:  No Blurb Nine missing girls. Nine cases the world wants to forget. One detective who never will. Each file is someone’s daughter. Someone’s sister. And if Meri Amber can’t bring them home, she’ll make sure their stories end with justice. As the FBI’s leading child abduction specialist, Meri has spent her career chasing the vanished – from Minnesota to Montana, from abandoned barns to dark cellars that still echo with screams. But every case cuts deeper than the last. “I’m Detective Meri Amber. I’ve been searching for my sister for twenty years. Every missing girl is a mirror. Every scream behind a wall could be hers. I’ll never stop looking. These are the stories of the girls I’ve found, the truths I’ve uncovered, and the cracks in my own past I can’t seem to seal.” From the ...

Matchmaker by S.E. Lynes My rating: 4 of 5 stars Matchmaker by S.E. Lynes is a psychological thriller, based in the north of England. Told through multiple POV’s, we meet Cat and Megan. Cat is a young woman with a troubled history, and she deliberately seeks out Megan to chase a link from her own past. Megan, a married mum of two, has an agenda of her own for Cat - a ploy to out her husband as a cheat. Little do they both know, not everyone is who they say they are. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. A bit of a slow burner to start with, but really picks up the pace towards the end and leaves you wanting to keep turning the pages! A couple of clever twists and great character development. I’ve read a couple from this author now, and would definitely recommend. My rating: Genre: Psychological Thriller Publisher: Bookouture Publication date: 13th March 2026 Pages: 364 Buy on Amazon    View all my reviews

 Just a short update this Monday evening to remind any of you lovely readers that the blog is back! (And very much still under construction!) I am using my non-reading, non-reviewing, non-working, non-parenting time to learn a few skills, including web design; so watch this space!  In the meantime, I am currently re-reading the David Raker series by Tim Weaver. I first came across the series around 4 years ago, and there may (or may not) be a previous blog post about it because I loved it! I saw a post on Twitter last week advertising the latest release in the series and having just finished the Kate Marshall series by Robert Bryndza, I thought it's probably a great time to start the Raker series all over again to really dig deep into the character. When you read (or binge watch) a series consecutively, I feel like you really get to know the characters on a deeper level and you don't have that time lapse in between where you can forget some of their quirks and flaws. I raced t...

So, you may have noticed already, but I've been a little quieter than normal on the blog! Fear not fellow literature lovers, I am still here! I have been inundated with book review requests, end of term madness, (normality with 3 children!) and taken some time out to actually read the books I need to review! (It does help if you actually read them first, trust me!) This is just a little update for you. My current read is The Roanoake Girls by Amy Engel . It's been on my 'to-read' pile for quite a few months now and I am enjoying it immensely. My last read was the amazing Lie to Me by J T Ellison . I was fortunate to receive an advance copy and gave it the 5 stars it fully deserved. A brilliant psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Gone Girl, kept me guessing until the end. My next post will be a short review of The Roanoake Girls once I have finished it. I will then be moving on to a few independent authors of differing genres, so watch this space for details....

About the Author... K L Slater Kim is the bestselling author of psychological crime thrillers ' Safe With Me ,' ' Blink ' and, the soon to be released, 'Liar.' For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents and collected a stack of rejection slips. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing. Before graduating in 2012, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents and a book deal which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’ Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac. She also writes award-winning YA fiction for Macmillan Children's Books, writing as Kim Slater. Author website: www.KLSlaterAuthor.com Twitter: @KimLSlater Facebook: KL Slater Author About the book... Liar by K L Slater How far would you go to protect your family? Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his children, with...

Today I am pleased to get my turn on the blog tour of Mark Roberts' new thriller ' Day of the Dead '. Let me introduce you to a fantastic author and a really, really great book! About the author... Mark Roberts Meet Mark Roberts. Born and raised in Liverpool and educated at St. Francis Xavier's College. Mark taught in mainstream schools for twenty years and for the past twelve in a school for teenagers with severe learning difficulties. He received a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best New Play of the Year. and was long listed for the Golden Dagger for ' What She Saw '. ' Blood Mist ' is the first novel in the DCI Eve Clay series and is set in his native Liverpool. About the book... A serial killer. A hero to some. A wanted criminal to others. The man who calls himself Vindici broke out of prison last year. Now he's filmed himself torturing and killing paedophiles in Liverpool's affluent suburbs. Half the city are ...

It's #thrillerthursday on the blog today! Thrillers are my favourite genre and the more fast-paced and heart-stopping the better! I have a whole list of favourite thriller authors, but one of my top five is Robert Bryndza. I have chosen Robert's latest thriller Last Breath to feature in today's #thrillerthursday. His series featuring DCI Erika Foster is nail-bitingly good. I can't wait for the next installment! About the book... * The most recent in the DCI Erika Foster Series. * He’s your perfect date. You’re his next victim. When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it’s not her case. While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can’t help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar locatio...

The Child by Fiona Barton When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore. For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her. For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered. And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth. The Child’s story will be told. The Child by Fiona Barton My rating: 5 of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic. 5 star read. If you liked Fiona's previous novel, The Widow you will love this. The Child brings the return of heroine reporter Kate Waters, investigating the discovery of a newborn skeleton found on a building site. We are told the story of the baby through various narratives, but mainly focusing on Kate and two other characters, Angela and Emma. Who does the baby belong to, and how did it end up being buried decades ago? A gri...

Summer is upon us at last, so grab your beach towels and sun creams and dive into some of my favourite upcoming thrillers for 2017! The Child by Fiona Barton Release Date: 27/7/2017 Available now! When a paragraph in an evening newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore. For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her. For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered. And for the third, a journalist, it’s the first clue in a hunt to uncover the truth. The Child’s story will be told. Bestselling author of ' The Widow' Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell Release Date: 27/7/2017 Available now! THEN She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.  NOW  It’s been ten years ...

This book was one of the first ever books I was approved for on NetGalley. It has sat on my 'to-read' shelf for nearly 7 months. Having read it today, all I can say is, why did I wait so long? I am a huge fan of the relatively recent 'psychological thriller' genre and despite Out of Reach originally being published in 1997, it is as fresh and as current as its modern counterparts. The truth is always just out of reach… Kate McCaulay thinks she has rebuilt her life. She has a job as a local newspaper reporter, a flat above an antiques shop in a village by the sea, and a close group of friends. But one day her carefully erected existence collapses when tragedy explodes back into her life. Ten years ago Kate’s eight-week-old baby, Jamie, was stolen. The loss destroyed her marriage and still haunts her dreams with guilt and longing. And now letters have started arriving on her doormat, anonymous letters that read, ‘I know where he is…’ Tragedy strikes again when her colle...

Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner My rating: 5 of 5 stars 'Manon Bradshaw is back. As dusk falls a young man staggers through a park, far from home, bleeding from a stab wound. He dies where he falls; cradled by a stranger, a woman’s name on his lips in his last seconds of life. DI Manon Bradshaw can’t help taking an interest – these days she only handles cold cases, but the man died just yards from the police station where she works. She’s horrified to discover that both victim and prime suspect are more closely linked to her than she could have imagined. And as the Cambridgeshire police force closes ranks against her, she is forced to contemplate the unthinkable. How well does she know her loved ones, and are they capable of murder?' It has been a while since I read the first in the DS Manon series. I remembered Missing Presumed as a great read, but had forgotten Manon to a large extent. It didn't take many chapters for her witty character to come flooding ba...

Today's review is a thriller set to be released in the UK on 27th July this year. Firstly, as always, thank you to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. Friend Request by Laura Marshall is described as "a pulse-pounding psychological thriller for fans of The Girl on the Train , I See You and The Darkest Secret " (Amazon) and 'A read-it-in-one-sitting thriller... Twisty and gripping but always relatable, Friend Request is the ultimate it-could-happen-to-you read' (Erin Kelly). I was hooked from the moment I saw the blurb... Maria wants to be friends. But Maria is dead. Isn't she? When Louise Williams receives a message from someone left long in the past, her heart nearly stops. Maria Weston wants to be friends on Facebook. Maria Weston has been missing for over twenty-five years. She was last seen the night of a school leavers' party, and the world believes her to be dead. Particularly Louise, who has lived her adult life with a ...

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes My rating: 5 of 5 stars Elizabeth is fast becoming one of my favourite thriller writers. Into the Darkest Corner is simply stunning. A chilling, mind-twisting tale of domestic abuse and its effects long after the fact. Couldn't put this one down! View all my reviews

The Bone Field by Simon Kernick My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think Simon is definitely on my favourite author list after reading this. I couldn't put it down. Something about cold cases always piques my interest so I had a feeling I would enjoy this. After reading a guest blog post by Simon I was in equal parts horrified and excited to discover that The Bone Field is just the start of the story with the remainder split over several books to come. I was unsure how this would end and whether I would be left bereft waiting for the rest of the tale. Simon wrapped it up satisfyingly enough but with a humdinger of a cliff hanger! The Bone Field was the first of Simon's novels for me but definitely won't be the last. I loved his style and flow and found this book unpredictable which was a refreshing change from predicting the ending. One to watch out for in 2017 and eagerly anticipating the next installment. View all my reviews

Rattle by Fiona Cummins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! Just, wow! The first novel I have read by Fiona and I just loved it! I knew from the first few chapters that it was going to be a good one! I love her style, the ease of reading and attention to detail. The pace of the story was perfect and the character depth was just enough to get to know them, without all the extra baggage. Overall it was much better than I had expected. The synopsis didn't scream at me to make me want to read it, but having done so, I would highly recommend it and I am looking forward to more from Fiona. View all my reviews

Wow! What a read! After the halfway point I genuinely could not put this down!! I became a huge fan of B A Paris after last year's Behind Closed Doors (who didn't?!) and The Breakdown has only cemented my opinion. Fast-paced and gripping, it will leave you wanting more and more. Just as with Jack and Grace in Behind Closed Doors, here we are introduced to Cass and Matthew, a seemingly ordinary couple with run of the mill jobs and a few close friends to hang out with. Paris' character development is pure genius and the attention to detail second to none. On a personal level I really connected with Cass as someone who has suffered with anxiety and memory problems. We follow her as her life is almost falling apart at the seams, with the ever present and dependable husband to lean on. When a murder occurs a little too close to home, and with a murderer still at large, will the strange things going on around her be enough to send Cass over the edge before its too late? Pre-...

Watch Me by Angela Clarke My rating: 5 of 5 stars Angela Clarke is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. Having devoured her debut Follow Me last year I couldn't wait to read more from her. The ultra-modern take on the serial killer thriller is fantastic and bang up to date. Watch Me is another cool, crisp thriller that's right at home in 2017. View all my reviews

I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this! I think it's probably safe to say that K L Slater's Blink is one to watch out for in 2017. Her previous novel Safe With Me was outstanding and Blink is even better. Toni Cotter has recently moved to Nottingham with her 5 year old daughter Evie to be closer to her Mother after losing her husband to the war in Afghanistan. She is grief stricken and struggling to cope, often relying upon her dead husband's prescription meds to get her through the day. Things seem to be looking up when she gets a part time job at a local estate agency and the people around her seem nothing but friendly and helpful when it comes to beautiful little Evie. Three years later, Evie has disappeared, taken from her Mother. Where is she? Who has taken her? It seems that the only person missing her is lying in a hospital bed after suffering a severe stroke. She cannot move, she cannot speak, she can't even blink. She is runnin...

Kate Rafter is a successful war reporter. She's the strong one. The one who escaped Herne Bay and their father. Her sister Sally didn't. Instead, she drinks. But when their mother dies, Kate is forced to return to the old family home. And on her first night she is woken by a terrifying scream. What secret has Kate stumbled upon? And is she strong enough to uncover the truth . . . and make it out alive? A completely unputdownable story about the secrets families hide, with a twist that will knock your socks off, this thriller is the hottest debut since The Girl on the Train. I have literally just finished this book and couldn't wait to review it. My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood was breathtaking! I didn't realise how good it was until 75-80% through and then I couldn't put it down. At 400 pages ( Kindle Edition ) it took me 2 days to finish reading it around the 3 little ones, but I enjoyed it, a lot! The author's style is beautiful and well crafted....

Sunday mornings are my favourite time of the week, especially during late Autumn when it's all dressing gowns and fluffy socks! In fact, I have cosied up that much the last week or so that I forgot to blog. Oops! I have read a fair few books in that period. All of which I have enjoyed immensely and will include a short review and links below.  It seems my 'to be read' pile (TBR for short) is getting longer by the day! I have discovered a fair few new authors in 2016 including Alex Lake and K.L. Slater and I cannot wait to read their next installments! Speaking of K.L. Slater, I read the brilliant Safe With Me last week. A gripping psychological thriller. Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even … Anna  lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can do. Then...