Lyndsey Hall's Blog, page 8

Cover Reveal: A Fair Deception & A Fair Vendetta

I’m absolutely in love with the new covers I’ve commissioned for my Fair Tales novellas! If you’ve seen the original cover for A Fair Deception, that was always supposed to be for the complete collection, I just used it as a placeholder when I decided to publish the first story separately. Now my second novella is almost ready to be published and I realised I would need some new individual covers for the two novellas.

I wanted the individual covers to tie in with the main Fair Tales cover, and to be honest, the designer has knocked it out of the park, creating two new covers that use purple and navy shades to keep the series in the same colour palette whilst making sure they’re all eye-catching in their own right.

Ready to see the new covers? Okay, here is the original, series cover for Fair Tales:

I still love this cover, and it will be the cover for the collection paperback and ebook (if I’m able to reuse it, Amazon might not like that, and I might decide to make the full collection a paperback exclusive).

And here is the fresh recover for A Fair Deception:

How gorgeous is Daya, the sharp-tongued huntress and future Gnome Queen? (It’s not a spoiler if you’ve read The Fair Queen, or know that it’s a loose Cinderella adaptation… otherwise, sorry?).

Click on the cover to check out the blurb and grab the ebook on Amazon. OR, you could read it for free when you sign up to my email newsletter. And the best part about joining my email list is that you’ll be the first to know when A Fair Vendetta is available, and you’ll also get that one for free! And the following three Fair Tales stories, which I’m hoping to publish in 2023.

Ready to see the cover for my upcoming novella, A Fair Vendetta?

I am so excited to share this story with you once it’s ready for public consumption. It follows Mena, a Sylph (air-magic) who was orphaned years earlier at the hands of Celeste soldiers (aether-magic), and is now on a mission for vengeance against the man who stole everything from her.

It’s a sweet, clean sapphic romance about two girls from opposite sides of the tracks, and I’m really enjoying writing it! Plus, how incredible does Mena look on that cover? If you’re a fan of the Throne of Glass series, particularly The Assassin’s Blade, then I’m sure you’ll love A Fair Vendetta.

I’m planning to have this novella out by August, so join my email list now and you can be reading A Fair Deception while you wait!

I know, I know. I’m too good to you.

Happy reading, friends!

Lyndsey

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How you can protect the environment by reading more books

June 5 is World Environment Day, and I’m here to tell you how you can help us save the world, one book at a time.

TL;DR Buy charity anthologies and get some fantastic short stories in exchange for a donation to an environmental charity.

Protect the Oceans

Enchanted Waters is a collection of ten short fantasy stories featuring water magic and piscine mythical creatures, from kelpies, ashrays and mermaids to selkies, naiads and even snow pirates. All profits from the sale of Enchanted Waters go to Oceana to support their mission of cleaning up the world’s oceans, promoting sustainable fishing and protecting sealife and coastal communities. Since release, we have raised over $600 for Oceana and hope to continue donating as much as possible to this worthy cause.

Read the full blurb and get your copy on Amazon.

Protect the Rainforests

Enchanted Forests features ten brand-new fantasy stories by the bestselling, award-winning and up-and-coming authors behind Enchanted Waters. Featuring magical woodlands, mystical forests and a whole host of fantastic beasts, these stories can all be read as standalone, although some may feature characters you’ll know from Enchanted Waters or the authors other works. All profits from the sale of Enchanted Forests will go to the Rainforest Foundation, furthering their work to protect the rainforests, support indigenous communities who rely on the forests for resources and income, and reducing deforestation.

Read the full blurb and preorder your copy on Amazon.

Our third anthology, coming June 2023, will be titled Enchanted Flames, and all profits will go to a charity working to help communities prone to wildfires. Keep an eye out as preorders will open very soon!

Thank you for your support, happy reading!

Lyndsey

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Mid-year update 2022

How is it June already? 2022 has absolutely flown so far, and as we’re now halfway through the year I thought it was a good time to check in and do a little update on my reading and writing progress.

Reading

I set my Goodreads Reading Challenge to 36 books for 2022 – I’m an incredibly slow reader and I don’t have a lot of time to read between work, writing, being a mum and all of the other plates I’m spinning. But I’m really pleased with my progress so far, I’ve read fourteen books and am on track to hit my target.

I fell into a huge reading slump while I was editing The Solitary King at the end of last year. I couldn’t get into any fantasy books, I started several and just ended up putting them down and trying something else – nothing to do with the books themselves, and I’m looking forward to going back to them (I’m halfway through A Court of Silver Flames on audio and a few chapters into House of Sky and Breath on audio, so it’s definitely not because I chose badly!). I ended up grabbing a couple of crime/domestic thrillers from the library and they turned out to be exactly what I needed, so I’ve been predominantly reading thrillers all year. But I can feel the slump coming to an end, and I’m ready to jump back into my one true love, fantasy.

Here are the books I’ve read in 2022 so far:

The Hunting Party by Lucy FoleyFeathers of Blood by Alice IvinyaHow the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly BlackThe Man Who Died Twice by Richard OsmanTribe of Midnight by Iris KnoxOne of Us is Next by Karen McManusThis Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea PitcherWatching You by Lisa JewellStrangers by C.L. TaylorSisters by Michelle FrancisBroken Things by Lauren OliverThe Death of Me by Michelle Davies

And I’m currently reading I Know What You’ve Done by Dorothy Koomson. Then it’s back to fantasy for some of my favourite authors’ new books, including Kingdom of Feathers by Alice Ivinya.

Writing

After editing and publishing TSK, I was so completely burnt out I couldn’t write a word for months. I’m only just coming out of my burn out and it feels so good to be inspired and motivated again.

I’m currently working on a new WIP, it’s the next email subscriber exclusive story, A Fair Vendetta, and you can find out more about it and the rest of my upcoming short stories for subs in this blog post. My plan is to publish all five shorts on Amazon as ebooks, and give them away free to my email list, and once they’re all published I’ll compile them into a collection called Fair Tales which will be available in ebook and paperback.

I’m also really excited to be cowriting a short story for an anthology with the absolutely incredible Shana Vernon! We’re working on a villain romance/redemption story for Jafar from Aladdin, which we’ve titled Three Dark Wishes. It features a gender-swapped Aladdin and Jasmine, and a romantic arc for Jafar and our female Aladdin (all names will of course be changed, we’re not planning on getting sued by Disney!).

And I’ll also be getting back to The Fair War, book three in the Fair Chronicles, as soon as I can, but at the moment the muse is really pulling me towards these two stories, and who am I to argue!

Publishing

Back in January, I published the second book in my The Fair Chronicles series, The Solitary King. It’s doing really well, and was a fantastic launch, more than quadrupling what I achieved with The Fair Queen. Reviews are coming in steadily and they’re really positive. I’m actually planning to have a few free days to celebrate the release of an upcoming anthology, so keep your eyes peeled if you’d like a copy of TSK for FREE!

Get The Solitary King on Amazon

Then in April, Once Upon a Name was published, a short story anthology that I put together with some of my Enchanted Anthologies friends and coauthors, and a whole host of new teammates! Working with such a big team (twenty of us) was an incredible experience and I learned so much from every one of my coauthors, about writing, publishing, marketing and more. My story, Baroness of Blood and Bone, is an urban fantasy centred around a female alpha of a pack of wolf shifters and her quest for vengeance under the Blood Moon. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever written before and I actually loved it, so don’t be surprised if somewhere down the line I do write a full length urban fantasy series!

And today marks exactly one month to the day Enchanted Forests comes out! We enjoyed working together on Enchanted Waters so much that we decided to do it again (and again, but more on that soon!). As you can tell from the title, these stories focus on forests and woodlands, featuring all manner of magical and mythical creatures including unicorns, elves, and a talking racoon. My story, One Fair Eve, is a spin on the goblin market with a young man in Victorian England searching for a way to get into the prestigious musical conservatory he dreams of, and finding more than he bargained for.

Preorder Enchanted Forests on Amazon

And that’s it for the first half of 2022 so far! Seeing it all written down like that, I’m really proud of what I’ve achieved this year, alongside all of my other commitments and responsibilities, and being thrown some serious curveballs.

How is your 2022 going so far?

Lyndsey

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The Solitary King audio book is coming!

I’ve got great news! I just signed on the dotted line with my lovely (and incredibly talented) audio book narrator and producer, Olivia, for the audio version of The Solitary King!

BlurbWhen Aria returns to the Fair Realm to attend a ball at the Salamander castle, it isn’t long before things take a turn for the deadly.

With her father’s home in ashes and her newfound family reduced to dust, Aria finds herself King Auberon’s captive once more. Deep within the mountains that border the Celeste Kingdom, Aria is powerless to fight back, her newly-discovered abilities suppressed by the weight of the rock that surrounds her. But when a Celeste guard whispers about rebellion and promises to help her escape, Aria is desperate to trust him.

Crown Prince Xander returns home to the Gnome castle, laden with grief for his brother and father, and dreading the day he will be crowned king. Preparations are underway for his marriage and coronation, but thoughts of the girl he betrayed trouble him day and night. Until the morning of his wedding, when a note arrives that Aria has been taken by Auberon once more, and Xander is forced to choose between his life of duty and obedience, and what he believes is right.

Perfect for fans of dark romantic fantasy novels like Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series.

Coming Autumn 2022, The Solitary King will be available in audio book from Audible and iTunes! If you haven’t listened to The Fair Queen yet, you can get it from Amazon, and if you already own the ebook it’s hugely discounted (around $5/£3.50).

If you’re in the UK, I actually have some free review codes available for The Fair Queen audio book, so you can get a free copy in exchange for leaving an honest review.

I can’t wait to hear the first fifteen minutes of book two in audio, it was such an exciting and fun experience with book one so I’m really looking forward to repeating it with Olivia.

And I can’t wait to share the finished article with you later this year!

Lyndsey

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Review: Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Hi friends! You all know how much I’ve been loving thrillers recently, and I was lucky enough to pick up my library hold of Broken Things by Lauren Oliver (author of Panic and the Delirium series) before I took off on my holiday across Europe earlier this month.

This book combined my three favourite things: Young Adult, true crime, and fairytale books-within-books. If you enjoyed The Hazel Wood, with its creepy collection of fairy stories (now available in book form as Tales from the Hinterland) woven through, but kind of wish the stories had stayed fictional, then you might just like this book.

Long story short, I loved it. Keep reading to find out why!

Blurb

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

Title: Broken Things

Author: Lauren Oliver

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Broken-Things-Lauren-Oliver-ebook/dp/B0791H6451/

Rating: 4.5 stars!

Review

I loved the voice in this book, it’s so strong and entirely YA, but the themes and plot are really dark and heavy. Lauren Oliver manages to balance the absolute worst of humanity (the brutal and ritualistic murder of a young girl) with plenty of humour and lighter moments, making this an exciting read with enough tension and suspense to keep me turning the pages late into the night (cue me having nightmares – worth it).

The story is split between the POVs of Mia, a quiet but incredibly strong eighteen-year-old whose mum has a bit of a hoarding problem, and her ex-friend Brynn, the acerbic, fake-addict who has spent the last few years hiding in institutions rather than face the wrath of her neighbours. Because Mia and Brynn have been judged guilty by the residents of their small town, despite never being convicted for the murder of their best friend when they were thirteen, and life in Twin Lakes has been unbearable ever since.

With the five-year anniversary approaching, Mia stumbles across the original copy of the book the trio were obsessed with as pre-teens, The Way Into Lovelorn, and starts to wonder all over again who could have known about their obsession and used it to kill their best friend. With the help of Brynn, a curvaceous beauty influencer called Abby, and Owen, the boy who was the original suspect back when the murder first happened, they set out to uncover the real murderer and the motive behind Summer’s death.

The novel is interspersed with sections from the classic fairytale book the girls loved, as well as snippets from the fan fiction they were writing, Return to Lovelorn. There are also flashbacks to the year it all happened, and extracts from the police interviews with those involved. The pace is quick with plenty of twists and turns, the plot never slowed or dragged, and the main characters were entirely credible (although some of the secondary characters, including the antagonist, sadly, are a little two-dimensional).

I enjoyed everything about this book, from all the dance references in Mia’s chapters, to the deliciously slow revelation of the toxic friendship the three girls shared, and the pressure-cooker style atmosphere Oliver created in their tiny, oppressive town. I knocked half a star off because I sussed the killer really early on, like on the second mention of the character (Oliver later makes it a bit too obvious by highlighting the girls’ method of naming the fictionalised characters in their fan fic), and I wasn’t wholly convinced by their motivations or explanation of the crime. But it didn’t detract from the book that much for me, it was more about the journey, and I actually wouldn’t have minded if there had been no big reveal – if the killer had never been uncovered or the truth had been that Summer’s death was a suicide as a result of her traumatic childhood. (Sorry if that’s a bit of a spoiler, but there is a real killer and they do get unmasked.)

There’s also lots of great representation in this book, Brynn is a lesbian and Abby is omnisexual. Plus Abby is described as “fat and very beautiful” and is regularly portrayed as attractive and desirable, from both Mia and Brynn’s perspectives. Themes include rehabilitation facilities, home schooling, foster care, mental illness, cosplay, alcoholism, hoarding disorder, child abuse, small towns, first love, self harm and the intensity of teenage friendships.

As far as trigger warnings go, if you’re sensitive to anything related to child sexual abuse, violence towards children, self harm, drink or drug abuse, then you might want to give this one a miss. Oliver doesn’t pull any punches, and while she doesn’t go so far as to graphically depict the murder or describe Summer’s injuries in too much detail, she doesn’t shy away from the emotional impact of what happened.

This was a brilliant thriller with a great cast of characters and a fast-paced plot, I really enjoyed the way the story peeled itself back, layer by layer, until the climax became almost inevitable. But my favourite thing about this book is Lauren Oliver’s writing. There are so many quotes I could give as an example, and you can take a look at the ones highlighted on Goodreads, but I’ll leave you with this one:

“In books, secret worlds are accessible by doors or keys or other physical objects. But Lovelorn was not such a world, and appeared at whim and only when it felt like it, with a subtle change like the slow shifting of afternoon to evening.”

Lauren Oliver, Broken Things

If you adore invented fairytales or books-within-a-book, like The Tales of Beedle the Bard, The Language of Thorns and Tales From the Hinterland, or if you’re a true crime fan (check out Sadie by Courtney Summers!), or you just love a really well-written YA book with a strong voice, great characters and good mystery to unravel, then I highly recommend Broken Things!

Lyndsey

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Want to read Enchanted Forests for free?

Love reading free books? Want to help us raise funds for the Rainforest Foundation? And support some independent authors while you’re at it?

Then you’re in the right place! We’re looking for reviewers to read our collection of magical forest-themed stories and leave an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub.

Click the image below to apply:

In return, you’ll also get to choose an ebook from our pool of books as a thank you.

And the best bit is, sign ups before May 15 will have their name included in the Acknowledgements of Enchanted Forests!

The sign up form for an ARC of the whole anthology closes on June 10.

ARCs of the complete anthology are due to be sent out by June 15 at the latest and we’d love for reviewers to leave their review by 7 July at the latest.

Here is the direct sign up link for the anthology street team: https://forms.gle/6UZvte9VhnJv6rDX6

Then join our Facebook Fan Group to keep up to date with the release and find out more about our stories, as well as the Enchanted Anthologies authors.

And if you’d like to help, but you won’t have time to read the whole thing before release day on 1 July, I’ll be looking for ARC readers for just my story, One Fair Eve, very soon, so keep an eye out for the announcement!

Thanks for supporting me, my coauthors and our fund raising efforts!

Lyndsey

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Cover Reveal: Twice Upon A Name is coming 2023!

I’m so excited to share this, we’ve been keeping it under our hats for quite a while, but I can finally tell you that we’ll be following up with Twice Upon a Name!

Coming April 2023, we’ll be bringing you a whole new cast of characters provided by our favourite online fairytale name generator, with a few cheeky appearances from some old friends. This new collection of stories will all be able to be read as standalones, but if you’ve read Once Upon a Name you might recognise a few characters!

Are you ready to see our absolutely stunning (if I do say so myself) new cover?

Look how pretty it is sitting next to our first book baby!

Fancy getting to know the OUAN & TUAN authors a little better, and discovering all of our other books? Lucky for you, I’ve interviewed most of my coauthors so far, and you can read those interviews here:

Alice Ivinya

NDT Casale

Elena Shelest

Astrid V.J.

Susan Stradiotto

Dani Hoots

R.S. Williams

Meadoe Hora

Bekah Berge

Marie Reed

D.M. Taylor

Sarina Langer

Ashley Steffenson

Sky Sommers

I can’t wait to get started on my story, the name I’ve been given this time is Ailia Cobaltmidnight, and I’m already thinking about what exciting adventures she’s going to have!

Lyndsey

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Interview: Fantasy and Romance Author Susan Stradiotto

It’s release week for ! We’re so excited to share this collection of weird and wonderful short fantasy stories with you, and we can’t wait to hear what you think.

Today I want to introduce you to another OUAN coauthor, Susan Stradiotto.

Susan Stradiotto writes fantasy for New Adult and later Young Adult audiences, with storylines enjoyable for adults too. Themes focus mostly on relationships of all kinds, family situations, coming of age, and finding oneself or one’s destiny.

Keep reading to find out more about Susan and her books!

Hi and welcome to the blog, Susan. First off, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m originally from Texas. I grew up with the firm belief that ya’ll was a word and there was no I in oil. To this day, when I say, “You guys,” my brother corrects me by saying, “Ya’ll.” So there’s that. I moved around a bit but settled down in Minnesota with my husband to raise the family in 1999. I’ve lived in the Twin Cities area ever since.

We’re still very close to our three adult children and enjoy playing fantasy games (DnD, Gloomhaven, etc.) on the regular with them. My husband and I have 2 dogs: a Bernese Mountain Dog named Delaunay and a mini-Dachshund named Knox the Dox. However, along with my daughter I own 3 more Berners: Hodgins, Valkyrie, and Wanda. They’re still puppies, but we’re planning to breed them—first litters likely in late 2022, early 2023.

Oh wow, that many dogs sounds like a dream! I’ve got two German Shorthaired Pointers and they’re the sweetest. So, when did you start writing and what inspired you? 

I’ve always dabbled in writing. Usually, I’d write something once I’d read another story that inspired me. 

What are your favourite genres and tropes to read?

I gravitate toward longer stories with a thorough world and some political machinations. That, however, doesn’t mean I like politics. As N.K. Jemesin said in her master class, “All stories about people and their relationships are political.” 

My favorite genre, I believe, is Historical Fantasy. 

Favorite tropes are a tougher topic. I think most things are okay as long as they’re done well, but there aren’t any that make me pick up the book on that trope alone.

Some of my fave books are Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy series and N.K. Jemesin’s Hundred Thousand Kingdoms series. 

I love historical fantasy too, especially when the world building is rich and the historical aspect is really well researched and accurately portrayed. Kerri Maniscalco who wrote Stalking Jack the Ripper is brilliant for that, at the end of her audio books she includes a sort of appendix where she explains the historical details she uses and their real-world discovery and uses. It’s fascinating, and really makes you appreciate and respect the amount of effort she went to to craft a brilliant and accurate story.

Tell us about your most recent or favourite published work.

The work I’m the most proud of is The Serpentine Throne. It’s a 5-book series about a princess who’s lost both her parents and is the only person in the empire who believes her father still lives. It has many of the characteristics of a young adult finding yourself type story, but it’s geared toward the college age in that the characters experience a few more mature themes. This story was greatly inspired by my son who has adored all things dragon since he was in the 3rd grade and learned the difference in dinosaurs and dragons. 

The mythos in The Serpentine Throne is inspired by Japanese culture but is overall highly original. There are themes of found family and real family, learning the differences in love and lust, and rising to be something that the person thought they never wanted.

The first in series is free here: https://books2read.com/callofthestormsorcerer/

That sounds fabulous, I can’t wait to read it! Where do you find inspiration for your characters or settings? 

Almost always, I am writing a story with one individual in mind. It’s usually someone I care about or once cared about in my life. I have a short story addressed to my mother, The Serpentine Throne addressed to my son, a romance novel addressed to a dear friend who I wanted to give a happy ending. Usually, my stories are to answer a need or desire I see in those people. 

There are a couple of stories I’ve also written when inspired by something larger in life—a turning of the wheel of time, if you will. That’s especially true in my novella, The Muse of Wynter.

For short stories, I will also find inspiration in the research I’m doing for a longer work. Such was the case with my free short story for signing up for my newsletter (The Wanderer and the Devil). 

Bottom line is that inspiration is almost everywhere, it’s just what feels like the best story to tell at the moment that pulls me forward.

It sounds like you’ll never be short of inspiration or a story to tell! Would you say you’re a plotter, pantser or plantser? 

I’m going with plotter. Even if I deviate, I usually have to do some plotting to get back on track.

I’m the same, I need an outline to keep me heading in the right direction! So, what are you working on right now?

I have 2 active projects at the moment. The first is a contemporary romance novel. The second will be a historical epic fantasy, tentatively entitled Blood of the Skies.

They both sound so exciting! I’d love to branch out into another genre at some point, possibly domestic thrillers, plus I have a historical fantasy WIP that I’m so excited to start working on once The Fair Chronicles is complete! What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors? 

Start your story. Finish your story. Then worry about the rest.

Perfect advice, after all, many people start a book, but very few actually finish it, and even less go on to publish. If you write a complete manuscript you’re among the tiny percentage of people who will ever write THE END. And then the real work starts!

Thank you so much for chatting with me today, Susan! Before you go, how can we find out more about you and your books? 

Susan’s Website:  https://susanstradiotto.com 

Sign up to Susan’s Newsletter and get a FREE story!: https://www.subscribepage.com/susansfantasycommunity 

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanstradiotto/ 

Join her Facebook group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/aworldawayfantasyreaders 

Upcoming Release: Raine of Fire, A Wickney Mystery Novel coming August 23, 2022: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58736734-raine-of-fire

I hope you enjoyed my chat with Susan, she’s an incredibly talented author and has been an absolute dream to work with on , I’m so honoured to be able to call her my coauthor and friend. Susan also has a story in an upcoming anthology that is supporting charities in Ukraine. It’s just 99c to preorder and will be released on 28 June, so if you’re looking for ways to support the people of Ukraine during this horrific time, please do consider buying Feathers of Hope – you’ll get over ten stories by NYT and USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors in return!

Happy reading!

Lyndsey

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YA Thrillers That Will Give You Chills

Fantasy might be my one true love, but I also have a soft spot for thrillers. Crime and domestic thrillers are my usual jam, but recently I’ve read some absolutely brilliant, gripping YA thrillers, so I wanted to share some recommendations with you! I know, I’m good like that.

So, if you’re looking for a gripping thrill-ride that’ll keep you up at night turning the pages and leave you gaping at the final line, you’re in the right place. Here we go…

One of Us is Lying & One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

Now a Netflix Original series! I read One of Us is Lying a few years ago when it was released, and I really enjoyed it and bought the sequel straight away when it came out, but I never got round to reading it. That is, until the Netflix adaptation came out, and whilst it was a fun watch, I knew I remembered things differently in the book. It prompted me to pick up One of Us is Next and finally read it, to see what happened after Simon. Well, I flew through it in a couple of days, I think I actually enjoyed book two and the new generation of Bayview students even more than the first book! I even went out straight away and bought Two Can Keep a Secret (another book by Karen M. McManus, but not in the same series) so I’d have another thriller by the same author to read when I get the craving again.

I highly recommend these books if you like shows like 13 Reasons Why, and of course, the recent One of Us is Lying Netflix adaptation! There’s a third book, titled One of Us is Back, coming out next year, so there’s plenty of time to get caught up with the Bayview Four.

This Lie Will Kill You by Chelsea Pitcher

I grabbed this book off the shelf when I bought Two Can Keep a Secret – it was sitting right next to it, I’m fairly sure there was some kind of two for £7 deal, and I mean, look at that cover? It looked like exactly what I was craving in my post-One of Us is Next rush. And I wasn’t wrong. Like a cross between Cluedo (that’s Clue to my American friends) and Riverdale, this book had me up late and reading on my lunch break at work to find out what happened and who did what to who, when and why.

This one is somewhat darker than the One of Us series, with strong Pretty Little Liars and Riverdale vibes (that dolls house in PLL is pure This Lie Will Kill You, and Ruby, one of the MCs, is a total Cheryl). It dances on the line between thriller and horror, but without the gore, so if you’re in the mood for a chilling and suspenseful read, then this one’s for you.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

This is one I haven’t read yet, but I’ve heard good things and can’t wait to dive in! Here’s the blurb:

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?

The blurb reminds me a bit of Sadie, which I absolutely adored, so this will be jumping up to the top of my TBR!

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Speaking of Sadie, I listened to the audio book last summer and was blown away by this incredible book! Told through the POV of Sadie, who is hunting for her younger sister’s killer, and a podcast hosted by an investigative journalist who is trying to find Sadie, it’s layered and complex but so gripping and tense.

If you can, I highly recommend listening to the audio of this one, as it really does show the whole podcast format in the best way. But there is a lot of very triggering content in this one, so please do be aware before diving in, if you’re likely to be triggered by themes of sexual assault and child abuse.

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

This is another one I’m yet to read, but I loved Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series, and the blurb for this one is just too good to pass up.

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.

Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous. 

Now, some of the reviews have called it predictable, but I’m actually okay with that. I love a shocking twist as much as the next girl (Gone Girl, I’m looking at you) but I really enjoy the journey towards the truth and even if I call the killer in the first few chapters, I probably can’t guess every element of what went on, so there’s still plenty to discover. Plus, I really like being right, so there’s that.

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

Last, but not least, is this from the author of Anna Dressed in Blood (my FAVOURITE YA horror) and Three Dark Crowns. Kendare Blake is an incredible author, so this 1950s set, true crime inspired thriller with a potentially supernatural twist (Kendare calls it “true crime with a vampire”) sounds like my dream read. Here’s the blurb:

Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation.

Summer 1958—a string of murders plagues the Midwest. The victims are found in their cars and in their homes—even in their beds—their bodies drained, but with no blood anywhere.

September 19- the Carlson family is slaughtered in their Minnesota farmhouse, and the case gets its first lead: 15-year-old Marie Catherine Hale is found at the scene. She is covered in blood from head to toe, and at first she’s mistaken for a survivor. But not a drop of the blood is hers.

Michael Jensen, son of the local sheriff, yearns to become a journalist and escape his small-town. He never imagined that the biggest story in the country would fall into his lap, or that he would be pulled into the investigation, when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to.

As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?

Right? Right?? I’m off to buy and read this book immediately.

Happy reading friends,

Lyndsey x

Kingdom of Lies is FREE this weekend!

Just a quick note from me this week, to sat that one of my favourite books, Kingdom of Lies by R.S. Williams is FREE until Monday 11th April!

Grab your free ebook from Amazon, and please leave a review when you’re done! Reviews are so important for authors, especially us indie authors, and just a few words can really make a difference to our reach.

Happy reading friends!

Lyndsey x