Julie Tudor is Not a Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich

July 27, 2025

Julie Tudor is Not a Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich

Julie Tudor is 49 years old and has found the love of her life in Sean, her 25 year old coworker at the large financial services company where they both work. But he doesn't know that. All he knows is that she makes him uncomfortable. Julie knows that she and Sean are star-crossed, meant to be together until a young woman named Xanthe starts work at the company and throws a wrench into Julie's plans. But Julie isn't about to settle for anyone coming between her and Sean, so she decides it's time to take decisive action.

Oh, Julie, you are definitely a psychopath. Julie has a flirtatious relationship with reality at the best of times. Her unique world view and interior monologue kept me turning the pages - I felt like my mouth was hanging open in disbelief half the time. I admit I felt sorry for Julie when her coworkers were making fun of her and she didn't realize it, while at the same time cringing at some of the things she did. It's a fast read that is perfect for vacation or beach reading, dark, disturbing, creepy and funny all at the same time. If there is a more unreliable narrator out there, I don't know who it is. There are hints of animal cruelty, so sensitive readers should be warned. I could see this becoming a miniseries on Netflix. Love the cover art!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

February 29, 2024

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintoch

Reality TV is all the rage, and there is a new one set in North Wales. But this one has a nasty twist: instead of being a survival show as advertised, the producer plans to expose each contestant's most shameful secret. It comes as a complete shock to the seven contestants, and after the first show airs, one contestant slips away into the Welsh mountain in the middle of the night, unable to face what may be coming for him. DC Ffion Morgan is assigned to the missing persons case, but that turns out to be the least of her problems.

This is the second book in the DC Ffion Morgan series, and we get to revisit many of the characters from the first book (The Last Party). There are many games at play here, not just the reality show, and everyone involved has their own agenda. The plot moves along at a good pace and kept me turning the pages. I hope Mackintosh is planning another book in the series, since I look forward to watching Ffion and Leo's relationship developing. And for all my dog-loving friends who used to call me wanting to know if the dog is okay at the end of the book (any dog, in any book), not to worry: Dave the dog is still with Ffion at the end of the book. (At the moment, I have a sweet but needy senior golden retriever foster dog who sheds constantly, so I can relate to Ffion's struggles with Dave.)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

North Wales

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

September 17, 2022

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh

It's New Year's Day, and almost everyone in the small Welsh town of Cwm Coed has turned out for the traditional lake plunge. There was a massive New Year's Eve party the night before at the exclusive lake community called The Shore, and some people are hungover while others are still drunk. But the annual event is abruptly cancelled when a body is found floating offshore. Since the border between England and Wales runs right down the center of the lake, a detective from each side is assigned to the case. It seems like everyone in the community has something to hide or someone to protect, as well as a reason to want the victim dead.

This was a very good modern mystery. There was a twist in the middle that I did not see coming. Quite honestly, the murder victim was a thoroughly reprehensible person and needed killing. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys contemporary mysteries.

Lake country in Wales (not the lake in the book, which is fictitious)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC.

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

January 25, 2020

The Poison Garden by Alex Marwood

After dozens of dead bodies are discovered at the compound of a survivalist cult in a remote area of Wales, police find one adult and a few children are the only survivors.  Romy is the single adult to survive.  She is pregnant and hiding her pregnancy because she fears that the police won’t let her go if they find out.  Romy and her two younger siblings are taken in by their aunt, their only living relative, who grew up in a fundamentalist religious colony outside London.  But as soon as Romy is away from the prying eyes of authority, she begins searching for other cult members who were either absent at the time of the murder/suicide, or left the compound years earlier, and it soon becomes clear that Romy has her own agenda. 

Who doesn’t love a good cult book?  This one has overtones of the Jonestown mass suicides in Guyana in 1978.  Unlike Marwood’s previous books, The Poison Garden isn’t really mystery or a thriller, although there is plenty of suspense about life within the survivalist cult and as the former cult members try to assimilate (or not) into their new surroundings.  There were a number of errors in the text, so I hope a good editor went through and corrected the text before publication (for example, Romy was in the hospital for several weeks after being removed from the compound – since present day passages are set in 2016, a routine blood test or physical exam would almost certainly have revealed her pregnancy).  A fast and entertaining read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in return for a review.