The LDN Gal
A SOUTH EAST UK LIFESTYLE BLOG

A Cruel Twist of Fate by H. F. Askwith

A Cruel Twist of Fate
Young Adult | Mystery | Gothic
PENGUIN
320

Helena, a humble sweetmaker’s life is about to fall apart as her mother prepares to go to debtor prison. To help, she secures a job as a governess at the mysterious Archfall Manor, a secretive isle estate famed for its celebrated inventors, the Caudwell family. Hoping to restore her own family’s fortunes, she also seeks answers to their misfortunes caused by the family on the island, many years ago.

A Cruel Twist of Fate focuses on Helena, a sweetmaker desperate to save her mother from debtor prison.

In a brazen attempt to restore her family’s fortunes, Helena deceptively applies to be a governess at Archfall Manor, the infamous home of the secretive Caudwell family.

The collection of inventors who live on the isolated isle have many a sinister rumour shrouding them and Helena, quickly becomes ensnared by them.

She works swiftly and secretly, trying to solve the mystery of her own father’s disappearance at the manor in her infancy.

However, as people start to get hurt, she must act quickly to discover the culprit. For her own and the entire household’s safety.

Thrown into the depths of secrets and betrayal

The Gothic mystery thriller has a good pacing and the remote setting is wonderfully sinister. Its beautifully descriptive writing adds to the uneasy feeling of the landscape and characters.

I particularly liked the way H. F. Askwith developed Helena as the protagonist. She is a vivacious and intelligent character who is relentless in her search for truth and justice.

The other mostly eccentric characters are difficult to read, progressing the story and its mystery fantastically. You’ll feel a step ahead, just to be pulled in another direction.

Although fascinating, I do wish the ending had been fleshed out a little more as I didn’t feel fully satisfied with the closure.

Overall, a fabulous read full of twists and turns with a well-developed female lead. It’s certainly worth a read in 2024.

A Cruel Twist of Fate by H. F. Askwith was released on January 18 2024 via PENGUIN. 

I personally have read A Cruel Twist of Fate. However, I did receive a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley and this post does contain affiliate links.

Read more book reviews on The LDN Gal

The Glennmare Girls by Anya Mora

The Glennmare Girls by Anya Mora
The Glennmare Girls
Adult Fiction | Psychological Thriller | Mystery | Dark Academia
Joffe Books
242 pages

Popular Kitty is missing and a teacher has been injured on campus and cannot recall what happened to him.

In a strange rural elite boarding school, detectives, teachers and Kitty’s friends try to unpick the happenings of that night. What happened to Kitty and what is everyone else hiding?

Located on an island close to Seattle, Glennmare Academy is a strange place for unruly young women of affluent East Coast families that is stringent with its no-technology teaching.

The young women who attend are isolated. They immerse themselves in their studies and friendships to a toxic degree.

One of the most popular among the cohort is Kitty Calloway. She’s a girl who leaves a lasting impression on everyone she meets – but she’s now missing.

On the same night, her literature teacher, Wells Halifax, is found on the remote boarding school’s beach unconscious. Once awoken, he has no recollection of the last six months and his close friends are quick to travel to his aid.

Everyone at Glennmare Academy is shocked by the turn of events and detectives and staff are left suspicious of the night’s happenings.

Surely her tight-knit friendship group knows more than they are letting on and just how close was Mr Halifiax to his students?

A rural boarding school filled with secrets

Told cleverly in multiple narratives, The Glennmare Girls by Anya Mora slowly builds suspense with many different points of view. Its short and snappy chapters ensure a great pacing.

The main characters are well-developed and complex. However, more insight into some secondary characters and their interesting backstories would have been appreciated.

Despite this, there’s lots of clever detail throughout alongside twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end.

Please note, difficult themes include: sexual assault self-harm, eating disorders, mental health, grooming and animal abuse.

The Glennmare Girls by Anya Mora was released on 18 December 2023 via Joffe Books. 

I personally have read The Glennmare Girls. However, I did receive a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley and this post does contain affiliate links.

Read more book reviews on The LDN Gal

The Next Girl by Emiko Jean

The Next Girl by Emiko Jean book review
The Next Girl
Adult Fiction | Crime | Mystery | Thriller
Penguin General UK
368

Losing her sister cemented Chelsey’s decision to become a detective. Throughout her career, she’s done everything possible to bring justice to missing girls.

One day, a cold case is blown open when a local teenager, Ellie Black, is found after being missing for two years.

The traumatised girl is a shell of herself and isn’t cooperating. Chelsey suspects there’s more to this case and will do anything to solve it.

When two hikers discover Ellie Black, a teenager who’s been missing for two years, Detective Chelsey Calhoun rushes from her bed to investigate.

Thankfully, Ellie is still alive. Last seen at a motel party, all previous leads did little to help the case.

As expected, Ellie is much changed and a shadow of her former rebellious self.

In turn, Detective Chelsey Calhoun has had a traumatic life and is sympathetic to Ellie’s harrowing experience. Losing her sister in her youth, her family and entire world fell apart. Thus, Chelsey will do anything to protect other troubled girls.

However, Ellie refuses to cooperate and with time being of the essence, Chelsey is suspicious. She is relentless in furthering the case and bringing the perpetrator to justice. What is Ellie hiding?

A traumatised teenager who refuses to talk

Told in a dual narrative, The Next Girl by Emiko Jean builds suspense with memory snippets throughout, adding context and depth to the story and its characters.

Both characters are incredibly complex with traumatic pasts. However, the point of view is predominantly told from Chelsey’s perspective. This was interesting as it added a unique insight into the workings of the police.

In contrast, I particularly liked the way Jean demonstrated Ellie’s fractured mindset and illustrated the PTSD she faced from her ordeal. She does an excellent job exploring the psychology of a kidnap victim alongside complex trauma.

Many twists will keep you guessing throughout this dark thriller. Overall, you’ll struggle to put it down and it’s certainly worth a read in 2024.

The Next Girl by Emiko Jean will be released on May 9 2024 via Penguin General UK. 

I personally have read The Next Girl. However, I did receive a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley and this post does contain affiliate links.

Read more book reviews on The LDN Gal

You Wouldn’t Catch Me Dead by Tess James-Mackey

You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead by Tess James-Mackey
You Wouldn’t Catch Me Dead
Young Adult | Thriller | Horror
Hachette Children’s Group
320

Keely will do anything to forget her past. Moving to a new school, she hopes to keep a low profile by keeping her head down. However, when forced on a group camping trip to a remote location in Wales with five peers, she’ll have to find her voice and learn to rely on others again.

You Wouldn’t Catch Me Dead by Tess James-Mackey is centred around Keely, a recluse desperate to keep a low profile in a new town.

Forced to take part in a school camping trip with five of her classmates, she must learn to quickly adapt and interact with others.

Isolated in the Black Mountains in Wales, a freak accident means the tense group must work together to get help. Unfortunately, the area is remote. There is no signal, people or transport nearby.

Like her peers, Keely remains on edge in the wilderness. However, she has more than current events haunting her. In this terrifying situation, she is triggered by her past, swept away often in her grief.

As things continue to go wrong, she becomes suspicious that there’s something nefarious going on. Together, these ambitious students must get help – and quickly.

The turmoil of teenage angst and grief

The novel has a nice pacing. The flashback chapters were useful in adding depth to Keeley’s character and understanding her somewhat steely personality. In addition, the final few chapters were fast-paced, throwing you into turmoil.

The remote setting is spectacularly spooky and sinister. The scenic descriptions add to the uneasy feeling throughout.

I particularly liked the way James-Mackey explored and illustrated grief. I thought it was very realistic and poignant.

Overall a thrilling and at times sinister youth adult novel with well-developed main characters. It’s certainly worth a read in 2024.

You Wouldn’t Catch Me Dead by Tess James-Mackey will be released on January 18 2024 via Hachette Children’s Group. 

I personally have read You Wouldn't Catch Me Dead. However, I did receive a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley and this post does contain affiliate links.

Read more book reviews on The LDN Gal