My Top Ten Books of 2025

 

... as usual, not necessarily published in 2025, but that's when I read them!  

In no particular order, click the title to read my review.

Boatyard Views 

by Val Poore

A collection of Val's essays about her life on the water - 

beautifully put together, amusing and informative!

Marguerite: Hell Hath No Fury! 

by Judith Arnopp

The story of Margaret of Anjou, a major player in the Wars of the Roses

All The King's Bastards 

by Gemma Lawrence

Alternate, speculative history - what would have happened if Henry VIII had died from his jousting injury, early in 1536?  Fascinating!

Last Train to Freedom 

by Deborah Swift

A mission of great importance in the dangerous arena of Europe during WWII ... the train in question is the Trans-Siberian Express

About the Real Stages of Grief 

by D G Kaye

Part memoir, part advice - D G Kaye talks about bereavement and how she has learned to live with her loss 

Burke and the War of 1812 

by Tom Williams

Fictional account of the factual mission of James Burke, to recruit the American First Nations to fight with Britain against the US

A Pact With The Devil 

by Anna Legat

Murder and demonic possession in 15th Century Poland

Death of a Clown 

by Catherine McCarthy

The story of Charlie, the reluctant clown - beautiful book

The Long Walk 

by Slavomir Racwicz

The allegedly true story of Slavomir Rawicz, who escaped from a Siberian labour camp during World War II, and, with comrades, trekked thousands of miles to reach safety. 

The Book of Thornhold 

by Judith Arnopp

A novel of long-short stories, about a family across the centuries.  Marvellous.

I hope you will select at least one of these for your next read - you won't regret it!  

Happy reading, and happy new year!

📚📚📚📚📚

DEATH OF A CLOWN by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon - available for pre-order. Publishes 27 May.
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Saw the author talking about it on X, requested an ARC.

In a Nutshell: 'a metaphorical tale of dark fantasy, a story of hope, courage and self acceptance.'

Chester was born into the circus, into the life of a clown, but his public persona of tragi-comedy is not one that sits well with him.  What he really wants to do is change his entire life.  See the world, concentrate on his main passion - his writing.  As we join him in this unusual tale, circumstances have given him the impetus to begin his adventure.

This is such a beautiful book, in so many ways.  I always read on Kindle, preferring it, but I wanted to hold this in my hands.  The writing itself is so emotive and atmospheric, bringing the cities and theatres to life; it's the best I've seen from this author.  Chester himself is a total darling, someone you badly want to find happiness.

Interspersed with the events of his own life are the stories he writes under his pen-name of Runo Quill.  These are often metaphors for his own life, though one, The City of Silence, was more like a warning from fiction about the threats to free speech we experience in our own world.  I love clever deviations from the main theme of a novel, especially when, like these, they give you the feeling of delving down intriguing side alleys before resuming your journey.

Death of a Clown will be released on May 27th - I highly recommend!

THE HOUSE AT THE END OF LACELEAN STREET

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Twitter, and have read a few of this author's books!

In a Nutshell: Unusual supernatural story about trauma and acceptance

I took the opportunity of receiving an (uncorrected) ARC, as I know Catherine McCarthy's stories are always worth reading. She is a master of atmosphere, writes with a fine turn of phrase and illustrates her characters so well.  

In this mysterious tale, Howard, Claudia and Stacey find themselves on a bus that takes them to the house of the title, where there is nobody else present (aside from the most efficient staff, who neither we nor the characters ever see).  All three are at rock bottom emotionally, because of adverse circumstances in their lives and particular events that appear to have been the 'last straw'.  As the truth about their lives is revealed, sometimes by hint, sometimes in a dream sequence or hallucination, the purpose of their stay becomes more apparent.

I was certainly invested in these characters, and read the book quickly, though I did feel a little 'yes, but why? How?' after I'd read the ending.  This is only personal taste; I'm one of those readers who likes to have everything spelled out at the end and get actual, definite answers.  The outcome is positive in many ways; I just wanted more of it!    

A MOONLIT PATH OF MADNESS by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: Twitter; have read and enjoyed others by this author before.

In a Nutshell: Eerie visions in an old family house in Wales, at the turn of the 20th Century.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which I read in just a few days.  Grace Morgan from Vermont inherits the old family home in Newport, South Wales and, after the death of her mother, makes the decision to move back there with faithful maid Lilah.  Family mysteries and secrets abound, and Grace begins to have curious visions, as did her mother.

A Moonlit Path of Madness is a quieter work of the supernatural horror genre - I'm not much of a one for ghoulies and ghosties, but this is more about the emotions of the characters than things that go bump in the night.  Those emotions are so well portrayed, the whole story so atmospheric - and who could resist that glorious cover?  The writing flows, and I was completely immersed all the time I was reading it, eager to know what would happen, wrong about most of my predictions, which is always a plus!

I've just tried to write about the ending three times and deleted each time, because it's hard to do so without giving clues, so I'll simply say that it's just right, with an essence of melancholia that fits so well with the rest of the story

IMMORTELLE by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've read short stories by this author and liked them very much; thus, I bought!

In a Nutshell: Novella, dark mystery/ghost/mild thriller, set in rural Wales about a hundred years ago (I think).

The story is about Elinor, a ceramic artist interested in pagan and supernatural folklore/magic, whose daughter Rowena dies under mysterious circumstances.  In her grief, Elinor starts work on an immortelle (a ceramic, glass-domed wreath, particularly popular in the Victorian and Edwardian eras) as a memento as a memento for Rowena's grave.

Soon, many local people are asking her to make immortelles for their own dead loved ones, and, around a year later, one of the departed recipients appears to her.  Elinor has always had suspicions about Rowena's death, and believes that at some point her fears will be confirmed.

As with the other stories I've read by Catherine McCarthy, this one reeks of Welsh mysticism and secrets hidden in the hills, floating by on the wind or trickling in with the tide.  It is beautifully written, with not a drop in quality all the way through; it is this, and the atmosphere Ms McCarthy creates, that made this a page turner throughout, even in the middle section which is more concerned with emotion than events.  Such was the subtle build up of suspense that I felt, all the way through, as if there might be a truly shocking occurrence just round the corner.

I'd class it as a low-key supernatural mystery rather than horror, though it does have that dark, sinister quality to it that this author pulls off so well; it probably comes naturally, as she was clearly born to write this stuff!  The story totally works; it fits nicely into the novella length with an ending that is pleasing on several levels.

MISTS AND MEGALITHS by Catherine McCarthy @serialsemantic

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I read the final story, Carreg Samson, in a horror anthology and thought it was excellent, so wanted to read more.

In a Nutshell: low-key horror/supernatural stories set in Wales

I read this over a period of two days, and was most impressed.  Catherine McCarthy's love of her country and the spiritual attachment she feels to its past are so evident, all the way through; I haven't been to Wales for many years, and it made me want to go back there.

In every collection such there will be those you love, those you like, and those that don't quite hit the spot for you, but there is not one weak story in Mists and Megaliths.  One of the aspects I loved was that I didn't guess how any of them were going to end.  Not one - and the writing itself made me fall into the story, each time.  My favourites were:

MÃRA - about a husband and wife who purchase a 'spirit box' before moving into a new house, not knowing what they are living with... in the notes for the story (there are notes for each one, a feature I liked very much, as it made them mean so much more), we learn that this is semi-autobiographical.  It's a real shocker.

RETRIBUTION - about a certain darkness that falls over a village and its church, and what Ewan Jenkins does to remedy this.

COBLYNAU - an old man with dementia, sitting by a window in a residential care home, wonders when the Coblynau, the mythical goblin-like creatures that haunt mines and quarries, will arrive for him.  I loved this one partly because it made me think of visiting my mother in the care home in which she lived for around six years before she died (Alzheimer's), and how we would see her struggle to find the words she wanted to say.  Also, it reminded me of sewing her name tapes into her clothes!

CARREG SAMSON - I was pleased to find this one at the end, and enjoyed reading it again.  Carreg Samson is a huge, ancient stone that has watched the movements of man over millennia, and knows that another period of darkness is coming soon...

If you're a fan of the darkly mystical and folklore (or is it more than just folklore?), you will love these stories.  Well done, Catherine McCarthy - a fine collection!

DIABOLICA BRITANNIA by various authors @serialsemantic @john_f_leonard @kabauthor #RBRT

4 out of 5 stars

On Amazon UK
On Amazon.com
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: through Twitter, though it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member; thus, I am reviewing it for Rosie's blog, too.

In a Nutshell: Anthology of horror short stories by various authors, proceeds to go to the NHS's Covid-19 research.  

I'm delighted to see that this anthology, for such a good cause, is still doing well on Amazon.  At just £2.99 or $3.77 (or equivalent, depending on where you are), everyone should purchase a copy!

Keith Baird, whose project this is and who published the book, has brought together a fine group of horror authors to bring you a selection of stories, all very different, that covers the wide range of the horror genre as a whole, so there's something for everyone. As with any such collection, some stand out more than others, though of course this is largely a matter of personal taste.

My favourites are the first and last:

Carreg Samson by Catherine McCarthy
About an ancient stone, all that it has seen over millennia, and the dark 'It' that counters man's greed and destruction of the earth.  Loved every word.

Call The Name by Adam L. G. Nevill 
Another story about the destruction of the earth by man, set forty years in the future; it's a long one, a fine way to end the anthology; fabulous.

Others that stood out for me:

The Secret of Westport Fell by Beverley Lee
A superbly atmospheric story set in the 19th century, about a young woman who, failing to find a husband, goes to live in the back of a dark, misty beyond to tend her ailing aunt.  

We Plough The Fields and Scatter by Stephanie Ellis
Eerie, sinister traditions in a remote village that doesn't want anyone to leave...

Linger by John F Leonard
A man is bequeathed a mansion by his father, who he has never met, and discovers it might be more of a curse than a gift.  What lurks behind that hidden door?

Even if the purpose of its publication didn't make it a 'must buy', it's worth getting for these five stories alone.  😈 😱