Janet Gordon is married, retired, obsessed with her Westlake Terrier, Rollo – and books are her passion. She reads multiple books a week across all genres and reviews them for Rest Less.
This month’s round-up features City Girls Forever, Sisterhood, A Deadly Inheritance, Forbidden Waters, and Welcome to the Neighbourhood.
Note: Prices can often change, so you may notice some variations on the providers’ websites. Prices and availability are accurate as of the 19th of February, 2026.
City Girls Forever by Patricia Scanlan (Amazon £8.42, Kindle £4.99)
I don’t know what it is about the popular female Irish writers, but their books are so readable, and I love them.
The original City Girls trilogy was first published in the early 90s and, now, decades later, comes the fourth instalment, City Girls Forever. We return to the lives of Devlin, Maggie and Caroline, now in their late 40s/early 50s.
Set in Dublin, Devlin, owner of the city’s most popular spa and gym, Maggie, a bestselling author, and Caroline, who retrained as a physiotherapist, are still besties. Each, of course, has a host of new drama and problems to face, and seeing the way the three besties navigate them makes for such a riveting read.
I absolutely love this series and all of Scanlan’s novels. I can’t recommend them enough.
Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly (Amazon £7.99, Kindle £4.99, HarperCollins £9.99)
Cathy Kelly is another wonderful Irish author whose family-led sagas are always bestsellers, and she might just do it again with Sisterhood.
Lou could be described as a doormat, though she’d prefer to be seen as someone who’s always looking out for everyone else.
When her 50th birthday party is derailed by her selfish mother, who blurts out a secret she’d kept hidden for decades, it’s the final straw for Lou. She finally takes the leap and does something just for herself. Accompanied by her sister, Toni (who’s facing the truth about her husband’s secrets), they head off on a totally unexpected journey that ends up in Sicily.
Sisterhood is marvellous, feel-good reading from a well-loved author. What a gripping story of misplaced emotions and unsatisfactory family relations. This one will certainly tug on your heartstrings. No wonder Kelly’s novels sell worldwide.
A Deadly Inheritance (Amazon £7.92, Kindle £5.99) by Jane McParkes
Set in Cornwall, A Deadly Inheritance is a wonderful addition to the cosy crime bookshelf.
Olivia Wells is an extremely successful eco-architect based in New York. Both her godparents have recently died and left her the trusteeship of a disused railway station in the Cornish village of Penbartha. And so, she heads across the world to help get the renovation on a sound footing.
Upon arrival, Olivia is completely on board with the restoration and feels that everyone else thinks the same. But, a day after arguing with her good friend, she finds their murdered body at her desk. Olivia has become the prime suspect and must put her trust in an unlikely ally to clear her name.
A Deadly Inheritance has rich descriptions of the Cornish area and well-rounded characters. I simply didn’t guess “whodunit”, and I adored the twists and turns.
Forbidden Waters by Rob Parker (Amazon £15.39, Kindle £7.97, Bloomsbury £13.29)
I’m not quite sure how to classify this – it’s sort of a cosy mystery combined with serial killer crime.
Ex-salvage diver and amateur private eye Cam Killick has been hired to find a fishing lure dropped behind a locked gate after a wealthy man was fishing for giant pike. Cam and his dog Nala manage to find the coveted lure. However, he also spots something else – a shiny, glinting knife covered in fresh blood and impaled on a piece of heart!
My favourite bit of Forbidden Waters is Cam’s character. Suffering from PTSD from his military life, all kinds of traumas are swimming around in his mind, but everything we learn about Cam just endears him more. And of course, his pooch is an absolute delight.
Win!
Courtesy of Raven Books, there are two copies of Forbidden Waters to be won. To have a chance of winning, answer the question below…
What is the name of Cam Killick’s dog?
a) Nana
b) Nala
c) Noona
Terms and conditions
The giveaway will close at 11.59pm on 1st March 2026, and the winner will be chosen at random in a prize draw on 2nd March 2026. The winner will be connected by Janet via email for the fulfilment of their prize.
Welcome to the Neighbourhood by Jane Fallon (Amazon £4.99, Kindle £4.99)
Welcome to the Neighbourhood is Fallon’s 11th compulsive reading novel.
When single lady Kitty moved to London, she thought her life would begin. But Ashdown Close, while technically in the city, is serious suburbia, where the most exciting chat on the street’s WhatsApp group is about who didn’t put their bins out.
That is, until one day, when Kitty, peering from behind her curtains, sees an intriguing-looking woman sneaking out of neighbours Sian and Rich’s house. Alarm bells start ringing, especially as she knows Sian wasn’t home.
Kitty and her best friend, Grace, spend hours analysing what could be going on, and of course keep coming back to the obvious answer: Rich is having an affair. But being a nosy neighbour has consequences.
I just love Jane Fallon’s books. They’re witty, spiced with humour, brilliantly written and full of compulsive twists. I really had no idea where she was going with this.
For more reading inspiration, head over to our books, literature, and writing section. Or, for further book and literature discussions, you might be interested in joining the thriving book club over on Rest Less Events.
Have you read any of these books? Or have you added any of them to your reading list? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.