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 Unsolved, The Cruise Club, A Place in the Sun, Meet Me at Sunset, Deadline, These Summer Storms, and The Storm.
Note: Prices can change often, so you may notice some variations on the providers’ websites. Prices and availability are accurate as of the 22nd of July, 2025.
Unsolved by Heather Critchlow (Kindle £4.99, Amazon £8.47)
I was lucky to be invited to our local library to meet author Heather Critchlow, who was discussing her new series.
The first three books in the series, Unsolved, Unburied, and Unsound, are out now, with the fourth, Unknown, releasing in August.
I’d suggest starting with Unsolved, the first in the series, where we meet Cal Lovett. He’s a true crime podcaster, married to artist Allie, with teenage daughter, Chrissie, and family dog, Rocket. Cal has a dark past – his older sister Margot disappeared when Cal was just nine, and her body has never been found.
Is this what led Cal into true crime podcasts?
While researching unsolved crimes, he discovers another young woman, Layla, who disappeared without a trace back in 1986. Layla vanished whilst horse riding. Her horse eventually found its way back to the stables, albeit with a huge cut on its flank. But of Layla, no trace – and it’s now a cold case.
Layla’s parents are desperate to know what happened to their daughter, and with money smoothing the way, Cal travels to Scotland to see if he can find anyone who remembers Layla’s disappearance.
Whilst Unsolved definitely isn’t cosy crime, it’s certainly compulsive. I haven’t yet read the other three in the series, but I’m certainly looking forward to them.
This is one gritty new series.
The Cruise Club by Caroline James (Kindle £2.99, Amazon £9.19, HarperCollins £9.99)
Cosy crime writer Carmen Cunningham is at the end of her tether. Stuck at home and subjected to her mother’s every demand, Carmen’s debut novel became an internet bestseller, despite criticism from her mum.
When Carmen is contracted for a second novel, she has a huge writer’s block. So, when she sees an advertisement for a cruise, featuring her favourite bestselling crime writer, Ruskin Reeve, as their star guest, Carmen finds herself booking a cabin.
She explains to her mother that there will be a “carer” looking after her, but Mum whips out her credit card and books herself onto the same cruise, making sure she has the cabin next door.
Oh, poor Carmen! However, while manoeuvring her mother’s wheelchair on board, she befriends Fran and Stan and her whole world changes. Fran is a whizz at finding clothes to suit people and takes the novelist in hand. And getting to know loads of other cruisers, Carmen is amazed at how kind people are and how they help care for her mum
The Cruise Club has wonderful descriptions, exquisite food, sun, sea, sand and romance. Carmen emerging from her dowdy, sludgy chrysalis makes for a lovely read.
A Place in the Sun by Jo Thomas (Kindle £0.99, Amazon £5.50)
Thea’s husband, Marco, died suddenly, leaving her bereft and penniless. Marco had been a person of major impulse spending, using their money to buy a derelict house called Casa Luna in Tuscany.
And so, she takes her little ones – five-year-old Aimee and 11-year-old Luca – to Casa Luna for the summer to renovate the house and sell it before the children return to school back home.
The way the village helps Thea and her children get Casa Luna liveable again makes a wonderful story, and is proof that the heart of the community is everything.
If you love this author, she’s written another seven summery titles (and a Christmas one, too!).
Meet Me at Sunset by Carol Kirkwood (Kindle £8.99, Amazon £9.99, HarperCollins £16.99)
Another favourite author of mine is BBC newsreader, Carol Kirkwood. For me, her latest novel, Meet Me At Sunset, is her best yet.
Camille, Andre and Nicholas studied together at the Central School of Fashion. One crazy New Year’s Eve, the threesome decided that they were fed up with scraping by on odd fashion jobs. Instead, they would band together and become ‘Camille Andre’, a go-to fashion brand, with Nicholas as the brains behind the scenes.
I also love how Kirkwood name-drops big celebrities, famous restaurants and expensive accessories and interweaves it with romance, intrigue, double-dealing, and jealous girlfriends.
This is an ideal holiday book, and you’ll no doubt race through and finish reading with a satisfied sigh. I loved it.
Win!
Courtesy of HarperCollins, one lucky reader can win a copy of Meet Me at Sunset by answering this question…
Which island is Meet Me at Sunset set on?
a) Ibiza
b) Majorca
c) Gran Canaria
Terms and conditions
The giveaway will close at 11.59pm on 3rd August 2025, and the winner will be chosen at random in a prize draw on 4th August 2025. The winner will be connected by Janet via email for the fulfilment of their prize.
Deadline by Steph McGovern (Kindle £9.99, Amazon £9.97)
And yet another familiar screen face, and this time it’s a debut novel from Steph McGovern.
With an earpiece and microphone, receiving instructions from whoever’s behind the scenes, reporter Rose Steedman is skilled at finding someone interesting to talk to. She juggles broadcasting with her wife, baby, and commitments beyond recording.
And so Rose is delighted when she’s given a major scoop and asked to interview the Chancellor of the Exchequer at a Royal Mint printing works.
We’re introduced to several characters like Zoya, the outside broadcast producer, and Jonesey, the cameraman, who never falters. They’re a tight little unit dedicated to their work and to making Rose look good on camera.
Just as she begins to interview the Chancellor, she hears an unfamiliar voice from her earpiece, telling her that “they have Kate and Rory”, her wife and son.
I raced through this one. The writing is taut, the peek behind the scenes is excellent, and the storyline is terrific.
These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean (Kindle £12.99, Amazon £18.19)
The Storm family’s wealth is untold, so much that they own a private island, just off Rhode Island. When Mr Storm dies unexpectedly, the whole family gathers for the reading of the will.
Well-known artist Alice is the only family member who had enough self-belief to break away. She doesn’t want anything her father has left for her. He didn’t care about her when she was alive, so why should she care now? But what she truly thinks is buried deep inside.
When Jack Dean, Mr Storm’s right-hand man, appears to dispense his final wish, one last game of a lifetime of manipulation begins.
These Summer Storms is beautifully written, with sharp language, gripping interactions between the family members, and many twists and turns. I couldn’t put this one down, and I can’t recommend it enough.
The Storm by Gemma Denham (Kindle £4.99, Amazon £9.99)
With a deadline looming, Lizzy makes a sudden decision to stay at a spa hotel in the middle of nowhere. Following her satnav up a single-track road, she emerges somewhere in the Lake District. And, checking into her hotel room, she’s pleased to discover that the Wi-Fi is almost non-existent, and there’s a desk just right for her to work at.
During lunch, she meets the other residents like nasty Mr Franks, a honeymoon couple that scarcely let go of one another’s hands and Diedre, an overmade-up lady who’s dining alone.
That night, Lizzy hears a horrific scream and, following the sound, she finds Dierdre lying dead in her bed. And that’s the first body.
Lizzy decides to play private detective, realising they’re unable to call the police since the Wi-Fi has disappeared. In fact, the wires have been cut, and there’s a terrible storm on the way, leaving all the guests trapped in the hotel with a killer.
I enjoyed reading this, safely tucked up in bed with Rollo beside me, with working Wi-Fi, and no storms on the horizon. This one is a great holiday read for a change of pace.
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