Tag: Thriller

Sunday Summary – 23rd November 2025

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Today’s Sunday Summary brings plenty of reading progress. I’ve enjoyed the week off work, and the good news is, I’ve got another one next week! I’ve enjoyed doing some jobs round the house, and reading… of course! 

On the blog, I shared a book review for Stephen King’s The Waste Lands. I’ve enjoyed reading this series so far, and The Waste Lands is probably my favourite book so far! 

On Friday, I shared a Shelf Control post. In this series, I look at upcoming books on my TBR. Friday’s feature was a historical fiction classic that’s nearly 1000 pages long. 

 

Books Read

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

Last week, I shared in my Sunday Summary that I was about 50% through the book. It’s a long audiobook, and I had approximately 14hrs audio left. I wasn’t sure if I’d manage to listen to it all this week. Progress so far was pretty slow. However, I shouldn’t have doubted myself! 

I’ve spent a good portion of the week doing household jobs that allow me to listen to audio as well. That, and working on a large cross-stitch project! I love listening to audiobooks at the same time. Thankfully I’m not having to wrestle kittens off my work too frequently anymore and the two hobbies go side-by-side very well 😂

I finished The Shadow of What Was Lost yesterday and I have lots of thoughts! The epilogue did so much for convincing me to pick up the sequel. I’m looking forward to documenting my thoughts on this one properly. 

 

Empire of the Dawn 

Another finish I was hoping for this week, but didn’t quite get to, was Empire of the Dawn. 

I’ve read the book spasmodically over the week. And I’m enjoying it! However, with the jobs I’m doing at home at the moment, I’ve not done much in the way of conventional reading. I was also out watching Wicked: For Good last night. 

My focus will be to finish Empire of the Dawn next week. As of this Sunday Summary, I’m about 20% through. I’m intrigued where the story is going to take us. 

 

The Housemaid’s Secret

The final book I’ve progressed with this week is one I started today – The Housemaid’s Secret. Just as I was settling down to read Empire of the Dawn, one of the kittens decided to fall asleep on my arm and rendered holding a hardback book impossible. 

So, I started my next audiobook instead! It’s been a good few months since I listened to The Housemaid earlier this year. My efforts to continue series whilst they’re still fresh in my mind motivated me to start The Housemaid’s Secret. 

Already, I have listened to 2 hours and 30 minutes of the housemaid secret so far. If you are a stats boffin, that puts me at 26% progress in one sitting. Not bad, eh? I always feel like progress goes really quickly when I pick up a short audiobook straight after a lengthy one 😂 When you consider this audiobook is just under 10 hours long, it’s only a fraction over a third of The Shadow of What Was Lost in terms of page count. Big difference! 

I’m actually enjoying the shorter and more faster post read. I do enjoy a lengthy epic, but sometimes something short and sweet (and a thriller to boot) helps pick up the pace.

 

Books Discovered

It’s another quiet week here in terms of new additions to my monthly TBR. I actually took a book off my reading list when prepping for Friday’s Shelf Control post. It’s fair to say things are moving in the right direction… 

 

Coming Up… 

Next week is the last week of November. Please tell me where that’s gone! I’ll have to start mentioning the C word before long 😂 

Before that though, I’ve got plenty of non-festive related content to share with you. I’m pointedly avoiding this week’s Top Ten Tuesday post theme to get away from the festivities – how bad is that? 

My first post of the week will be a recap on where I’m up to with my reading goals this year and an opportunity to set my final intentions for the last month of the year. How close am I to my reading goals? Is there anything I can do to get myself over the finish line with some of these before the end of the year? That post is all about setting out my intentions. I hope you can check in with me and celebrate my progress so far. 

On Friday, I’ll return with a First Lines Friday feature post. I’m in the mood to set myself a challenge for next week’s post. Sometimes I like to make my life difficult, okay? 😆 For next week’s First Lines Friday, I’m challenging myself to feature a book that is either for a young adult or new adult audience. Most of my reading list falls outside of these two genres, so I’ve got my work cut out for me to feature something interesting that meets these criteria.

Last, but certainly by no means least, I’ll be back the same time next week with another Sunday Summary. Fingers crossed, I’m able to use my time off work to get a lot more reading done before I’m back to the daily grind. 

That’s all for me in this Sunday Summary update, however. How have you spent your weekend? What projects do you have ongoing at the moment, bookish or otherwise? 

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Books Review: The Waste Lands – Stephen King

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When I started reading The Waste Lands, I’d had a couple of slower reads right before it. It’s not the best mindset to go into a book in, but it happens. Thankfully, The Waste Lands is a sequel to a series I’d loved to date. It felt like a safe option – and rightly so! 

Picking up this book coincided with time off work and long story short, I demolished the book in a matter of days and broke my slump. Stephen King is a pretty safe bet for me in that regard. The Waste Lands was fun, and I particularly enjoyed the ending. 

 

The Waste Lands – Stephen King  

Genre: Fantasy / Horror

Pages: 581

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 

Publication Date: 23 Jun 2003

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

 

Goodreads – The Waste Lands

In the third novel in King’s epic fantasy masterpiece, Roland, the Last Gunslinger, is moving ever closer to the Dark Tower, which haunts his dreams and nightmares. Pursued by the Ageless Stranger, he and his friends follow the perilous path to Lud, an urban wasteland. And crossing a desert of damnation in this macabre new world, revelations begin to unfold about who – and what – is driving him forward.

 

My Thoughts

Plot 

I started The Waste Lands at a bit of a disadvantage – it had been 4 years since I read The Drawing of the Three. I’d read some recaps prior to starting the book to be on the safe side. However, if you are in this boat, fear not! The book naturally recaps what has happened to date anyway. Although I had prepared myself in case this wasn’t a feature of the book, it wasn’t necessary. It’s a feature I valued a lot picking up this book. 

The plot of this book has a natural and interesting progression as well. Much like the earlier books in the series, The Gunslinger and The Drawing of the Three, there’s a lot of travel. We also see more characters in this book. It helps set a wider scene for Roland, Jake, Eddie and Susannah. To date, the narrative has felt a little centred on them without too much context or interaction in the wider world of Mid-World. I enjoyed the increased world-building in The Waste Lands, it’s fair to say!

 

Characters 

Roland gets quite complex in The Waste Lands, because he’s suffering as a result of end in the second book. He’s created a paradox, and his personal timeline is impacted as a result. 

Even though our dark, moody gunslinger is the main character, he’s far from a lone beacon in a dystopian world. Eddie and Susannah are coming along in their character arcs, and things get really weird with Susannah. No spoilers here folks! The wider narrative scope and the cast that comes along with it make for interesting reading. Tick tock and the creepy man in Lud are notable on progress with the story and are standouts. 

The character that stole the show for me, however, is Blaine. It’s a mad invention, and one you can only expect from Stephen King. However, it was a fun, nail-biting cliffhanger to the story! Not everyone loves how The Waste Lands ends. Not everyone loves the cliffhanger, and having read Wizard and Glass, it would have made sense just to finish this part of the story. However, it made me pick up Wizard and Glass a lot sooner than the four year gap I left between books 2 & 3. 

 

Setting 

Mid-World is a creepy, Western themed post-apocalyptic world with unusual links to a world not unlike our own. It’s dark, with shattered remains begging you to ask the question of what has happened to Mid-World. That’s no doubt a revelation for a later book, but it captures the interest of us readers early on, and gives us ample time to speculate!  

I really love this setting and the complexities of the ties to other worlds. It’s an interesting aspect of the narrative, that makes the book more relatable through association to worlds we know. 

 

Narrative Style 

Although The Waste Lands is a long book, it’s pretty compulsively readable! Well, I read the nearly 600 page book in four days. Now, I was off work at the time, but even still. It’s unlike me to consistently read 150 pages a day without a deadline. 

I like big and long books, so whether a chapter is long or short doesn’t make much difference to me. The intensity of the action and pacing of events make The Waste Lands a very compulsive read. 

 

Summary 

The Waste Lands was a fun sequel to pick up. We’ve already seen a lot of character progression in the series, and The Waste Lands was a perfect continuation of both plot and character-driven narrative. I love that Stephen Kling’s horror and thriller genius fits into a fantasy. It’s a way he gets to touch one of my favourite genres. It makes The Dark Tower a strong contender for one of the most memorable series I’m reading to date. 

Have you read The Waste Lands, or other books in The Dark Tower series? 

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Sunday Summary – 16th November 2025

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This Sunday Summary is one I’ve been looking forward to writing. Why? Because it finally coming around means I’m now off work for Two. Whole. Weeks! Yes! I’ve got all the time for reading, crafting, doing some random jobs round the house and generally enjoying a slower pace. 

But, before I get too hot on what’s happening next week, I suppose I should update you on my news from the week just gone, right? That’s the point of my Sunday Summary after all! 

In terms of content, this week I shared a Top Ten Tuesday of books I enjoyed that were out of my comfort zone. This is a fun one if you’re looking for a diverse list of reads and need some inspiration. On Friday, I shared a First Lines Friday and the opening lines to my current read. 

 

Books Read

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

Progress has been a little slow with The Shadow of What Was Lost up until now. This week though, I’ve tripled last week’s meagre hours progress. And, as I’ll be spending a good chunk of time home in the next couple of weeks, it’s prime time for audiobook listening! 

Events I’ve listened to today have taken the story in a direction I wasn’t expecting. However, I’m keen to see where it leads. Naturally, I expect to make a lot more progress in the next seven days. I’m coming up 50% through, with under 14 hours left. Can I do it in a week? We’ll see! 

 

The God of the Woods 

In last week’s Sunday Summary, I shared that I was pushing for completion of The God of the Woods ahead of book club. 

Thankfully, I finished The God of the Woods the night before and it was a great read. It was also well received at the club, so it was a good choice all round. 

The mystery was twisty yet somewhat resolved how I wanted it to. The narrative was cleverly written and I was engaged all the way through! 

 

Empire of the Dawn 

The final book to share progress with in today’s Sunday Summary is my current read, Empire of the Dawn. I’m looking forward to reading more of this book. With a bit of a rush to finishing the God of the woods, I stepped back a little from reading in the last couple of days. That’s no reflection on this book though! 

At 50 pages in, I am back up to speed with what has happened to date and I can’t wait to see where his final book takes us in Gabriel’s story. 

Needless to say, I’m excited picking this up coincides with my time off work. It’s a hefty book over 750 pages. Will I get it finished next week? I sincerely hope so! 

 

Books Discovered

I’ve not added any more books to my reading pile this week. Whilst that’s not the most exciting news for you, it’s not a bad thing for me 😅 

 

Coming Up… 

I feel like I’m overdue a backlist review. With that in mind, my plan is to share my thoughts on a classic fantasy horror from Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series. The Waste Lands is the third book of the series and I hope you like reading my review. 

On Friday I return with a Shelf Control post. In this series, I feature upcoming books on my reading list and why I’m looking forward to reading them. I’m excited to look forward at what is coming up on my TBR – fingers crossed you are too! 

Finally, I’m back with another Sunday Summary post at the end of next week. I’ve got no excuse for a lack of reading progress, although I don’t expect that to happen in the slightest! 

What is the name of the book you last finished? How do you rate it? 

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Sunday Summary – 9th November 2025

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Today’s Sunday Summary post is jam-packed full of reading progress and a recap of what else I’ve shared on the blog this week. Having taken a bit of a break in order to catch up with some reading obligations, it’s fair to say it’s good to be back. 

As always, before I get into what I’ve been reading over the course of this week, let’s take a look at the blog posts I’ve shared. 

 

Blog Posts

My first post of the week was my review of Wizard of Ends: United Army by Vanessa Finaughty. This was a fun read to pick up and review. I thought I might struggle with sharing my thoughts given I have yet to read the earlier books in the series. However, I had plenty to share in that review and I hope you can check that out.

Next, I shared my monthly wrap-up for October‘s reading progress. That post went live mid-week. Having had a bit of a lull with reading progress mid-month, I went into drafting that post thinking I hadn’t read a lot. However, I had a better month than I thought. I still picked up a good number of books, even if progressed slow towards the end. If you want a recap of the books I’ve read in the last month, take a look at that update here. 

Hot on the heels of that post, I shared my review of The Angel Prophecy by Rob Jones on Thursday. I was one of the last stops on the blog tour for this book. If you read my review on The Atlantis Covenant and liked the sound of that book, The Angel Prophecy continues that series. It’s very Indiana Jones, so if that’s your bag, take a look. 

Aside from this Sunday Summary post, that was all I had scheduled for this week. However, I was in the mood to share my Monthly TBR for November this week rather than next. I hadn’t put that in my schedule as I didn’t want to overcommit. However, it’s ready and live! Check out which books I’m reading this month here.

 

Books Read

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

I confess, with the latter books in this Sunday Summary taking priority, I haven’t listened to a whole lot of this book this week.

However, I am still enjoying the story. My intention is to record my thoughts on this book and now I’m a third of the way in, I have plenty to talk about already. I’m enjoying the different storylines that are taking place at the moment and I hope the characters end up coming together. Whether that will happen in this book or later in the series, I don’t yet know. Regardless, I’m really excited to find out what happens next. I have just one reading obligation left and then The Shadow of What Was Lost will start to see greater progress.

 

The Angel Prophecy 

With my review for The Angel Prophecy imminently coming up due, my focus early this week was to read this book ready for the review.

The Angel Prophecy is actually quite a short book, so I polished this off in British short order. I was already familiar with the setting, characters and style of the book after reading The Atlantis Covenant back in September. The Angel Prophecy lift up to this expectation, and I hope that reflects in my review I published on Thursday. 

The Angel Prophecy was a fun quick read. Having found myself lagging on other reads of late, it was fun to have a short, snappy and action-packed book.

 

The God of the Woods 

The last book I’ve picked up this week, and has especially been the focus of my reading this weekend, is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. 

I’ve already pushed back our workbook or meet by two weeks in order to get this read before the meet. Attendance is pretty low this month, so I kind of had to pick it up in order to make the meet worthwhile. It’s a bit of a shame, because this is a great book! As of this post, I’m coming up halfway through the book having binge-read the start this weekend.

Not only does this book span multiple timelines, but it’s also a multi perspective book. I like the mystery and intrigue this adds as we don’t know who knows what or where false information could be strewed amongst the narrative; there is no central truth if you like, and I’m curious to see how this plays out. There are multiple characters in the book who aren’t exactly made out to be altruistic. Do they have a role in what has happened both in the past and in the present day? I’m very excited to find out! 

 

Books Discovered

Since I added a few books to my reading list just last week, I’ve behaved this week. Mostly. Whilst I haven’t spent any money, I did add an Amazon first reads book to my account – Artificial Truth. 

 

Coming Up… 

My first post next week is going to be a Top Ten Tuesday post. This week’s topic is Books I Enjoyed That Were Out of my Comfort Zone. I have plenty of those, owing to the fact that I read quite diversely. I’m looking forward to sharing my list already! 

Later in the week, I’m back with a Friday feature not seen on my blog in over a month! I’ll be back with a First Lines Friday update. I already have a book in mind to feature. Naturally, I’ll need to check the first lines are actually ‘interesting’ enough. Knowing this author though, I’m pretty sure it’ll make the cut.

Finally, this time next week I’ll be sharing my next Sunday Summary instalment. My goals for next week are: –

  • Finish The God of the Woods
  • Get to at least 75% progress with The Shadow of What Was Lost
  • Get to at least halfway through Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff

Will quantifying these goals help? We can only find out next week in my Sunday Summary! 

I’ll catch you then; in the meantime, what’s the latest book you’ve read? 

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Blog Tour Review: The Angel Prophecy – Rob Jones

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Having recently read and reviewed The Atlantis Covenant, an earlier book in the series to The Angel Prophecy, it didn’t take much to persuade me to take part in today’s blog tour! I loved the action in that first book, and it’s a theme that continues in today’s review. 

I’m really pleased to bring my thoughts to you on this final day of the blog tour. If you want to check out more about the book, at the bottom of this post I have a graphic with the names of the other bloggers who have taken part in the tour. I’d love if you could check some of those out after this post! 

Finally, before I get stuck into this review in earnest, thank you to Rob Jones, Boldwood Books and Rachel for the opportunity to read and review today’s book. The Angel Prophecy was a fun, action-packed read! Whilst I was provided a copy of the book for the purposes of providing my review below, my thoughts are my own. 

 

The Angel Prophecy – Rob Jones

Genre: Action/Thriller

Pages: 256

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Original Publication Date: 21 Oct 2025

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – The Angel Prophecy

 

A mission like no other, will test the team to the limit ⚠️

Dr Max Hunter, Special Agent Amy Fox and the rest of the HARPA Team are on the most important mission of their lives to rescue their teammate Quinn Mosley, HARPA Director Jim Gates and his wife Susanna, and Hunter’s UNESCO manager Professor Juliette Bonnaire who have all been kidnapped by a mysterious organisation claiming to be the Illuminati.

The group’s leader, Oriax, says he will trade their friends’ lives for the Sword of the Archangel Michael and gives them a 24 hour deadline to meet his demands. 🗡️

In a race against time, from Europe to Moscow and beyond, Hunter leads his small team on a high-speed rollercoaster ride, attempting to track down Oriax before the deadline expires and rescue Quinn and the others as well as keeping the ancient sword out of Oriax’s depraved hands, but will they succeed in this most lethal of challenges?

 

Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/TheAngelProphecy

 

My Thoughts 

Plot

I knew from The Atlantis Covenant that this was going to be an action-packed book. Needless to say, it didn’t disappoint! 

With high-stakes and a tight deadline, the team pull together to rescue those closest to them. Their adventures take them across the globe, unravelling clues to find the man determined to take a precious artefact off their hands. Oriax will stop at nothing to wield the sword he believes will grant him immense powers. He won’t hesitate to eliminate those who stand in his way, either. Naturally, the HARPA team find themselves in the firing line on multiple occasions. Danger lurks around every corner. This already relatively short, fast-paced novel becomes even easier to absorb when the pages fly by. I couldn’t put this book down! 

I read The Angel Prophecy and The Atlantis Covenant very close together. The books are cohesive in narrative setting and style, but the storylines are so unique that The Angel Prophecy stands well and apart from its predecessor. 

Although the book has a lot of action, we still be snippets of dialogue that allow us to understand the nature of the places, artefacts and motives within the book. This is predominantly an action-driven story, but there is enough world-building included that it doesn’t feel like an under-developed aspect of the book. 

 

Setting

Like The Atlantis Covenant, events of the book take us across the globe. From suspect warehouses in London to awe-inspiring monasteries in the Middle East, both the familiar and the exotic add excitement to the story. As someone who loved history in school, I really enjoyed the cultural and archaeological aspects of the narrative. Regardless of your views on religion or conspiracy, the story behind the sword is an interesting one. 

The regular travel that takes place in the story drives the narrative, yet is easy to follow. The mix of familiar places and settings keeps us grounded and the book more relatable to the everyday reader. Then, we are whisked off in all manner of elaborate transportation (no spoilers) to more exotic and or dangerous climes. The unknown yet vividly described places we end up in this book are easy to imagine and add interest to this already intriguing story.  

 

Characters 

I feel like Dr Max Hunter has progressed a little since The Atlantis Covenant. Whilst still compelled to run into danger head-first, I feel he is a little less cocky, over-confident know-it-all in this instalment. I like this version of Max Hunter. He’s more realistic than the man we met in The Atlantis Covenant. 

The nature of the storyline means we see less of some characters in this book. However, I enjoyed it nonetheless. On the contrary, I enjoyed seeing scenes from Quinn without the rest of HARPA to hide behind. She gets chance for her normally quiet and shy persona to come to the forefront. 

There are a lot of characters in this book. However, with a core set of protagonists consistent with earlier books in the series, there are well-defined boundaries of who is more important to the narrative compared to the supporting cast. It makes things infinitely easier to follow. 

 

Narrative Style

At about 250 pages, this is a relatively short read compared to my average. The short, punchy chapters combined with this made The Angel Prophecy a very quick read. I devoured it in a couple of days! 

The mystery of the plot, and being invested to know whether events unfold in line with the prophecy spur us on to the action-packed conclusion to this book. All these elements combine to make for a quick, easy read. Honestly, if you are looking for a compelling story but not so much depth you’re wading in world-building info dumps, The Angel Prophecy strikes the perfect balance. 

 

Summary

In terms of my reading experience with The Atlantis Covenant, The Angel Prophecy met all my expectations. I knew what kind of book I was getting into, and the familiar characters in a fresh story was exactly what I hoped for. I stand by my initial comments that this book (and series) is ideal for Indiana Jones fans. Danger is never far around the corner, but at least these machinations aren’t faced by one man alone, but an epic team! 

 

Author Bio

Rob Jones has published over forty books in the genres of action-adventure, action-thriller and crime. Many of his chart-topping titles have enjoyed number-one rankings and his Joe Hawke and Jed Mason series have been international bestsellers. Originally from England, today he lives in Australia with his wife and children.

Social Media Links 

Facebook: @RobJonesNovels

Twitter: @AuthorRobJones

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RobJonesNews

Bookbub profile: @RobJones

Shelf Control #96 – 10/10/2025

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Today’s psychological thriller is absolutely relevant in today’s world. Social media is in our pockets and the forefront of our minds for a significant amount of time. Most of our connections are innocuous at least, fulfilling at best. However, what happens when that connection turns sinister? That’s the feature of today’s Shelf Control post! 

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Best Eaten Cold – Tony Salter

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Pages: 296

Audience: Adult

Publisher: ETS

Publication Date: 23 Mar 2017

Goodreads – Best Eaten Cold

 

Imagine that someone wants to do you harm. Someone you once knew, but have almost forgotten. Now, imagine that they are clever, patient and will not stop. They’ll get inside your head and make you doubt yourself. They’ll make you question who you are, and ensure that everyone you care for starts to doubt you too. Each perfectly-orchestrated doubt will slowly, steadily, build to a crescendo and destroy you. This is real and it could be happening to you.

Best Eaten Cold is a chilling reminder of how quickly – and how blindly – we have learnt to trust in the online world, despite the somewhat ironic fact that none of us really understand it at all.

Fabiola lives an idyllic life in Oxford – beautiful house, adoring husband, happy healthy baby. She thinks she’s left her past behind her. But in a world of smartphones and social media, it’s not so easy to wipe the slate clean.

Best Eaten Cold is a terrifying psychological thriller of gaslighting, technological trickery and the depths of human vindictiveness.

It is a nail-biting story that could happen to any one of us in this digital age.

 

My Thoughts

I’m interested in this storyline for its sinister nature. That someone could make a slow, calculated attack on someone like this… there must be some serious justification in their eyes. 

This plot is already curious enough, but when we know our protagonist has a past it naturally makes us wonder what relevance this has to the present storyline. What is she hiding? Is it serious? Is it even related at all? 

The online element of events that play out is really relevant in today’s society. It makes people so accessible to this kind of attack too. Gone are the days when being at home and around those you loved offered psychological safety. We leave a big open door in the form of our online activities to allow anyone into our safe space. Into our heads. 

Best Eaten Cold is a well-rated novel. Fans of mystery, suspense and psychological thrillers like me will hopefully agree that Best Eaten Cold is intriguing. With any luck, I’ll be able to confirm or deny that for you soon! And t won’t be soon enough, it’s been on my TBR since January 2020!

Have you read Best Eaten Cold? Are you reading any other books in the same genre you’d like to recommend? 

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Shelf Control #95 – 19/09/2025

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It’s been a little while since I featured a legal thriller, and the name behind this title. I’ve got three books by this author on my TBR, and in today’s Shelf Control, I share the only one of a three that’s part of a series. 

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Rogue Lawyer – John Grisham

Genre: Legal Thriller

Pages: 352

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publication Date: 20 Oct 2015

Goodreads – Rogue Lawyer

 

On the right side of the law, sort of, Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. His office is a customized bulletproof van, complete with Wi-Fi, a bar, a small fridge, and fine leather chairs. He has no firm, no partners, and only one employee: his heavily armed driver, who also so happens to be his bodyguard, law clerk, confidant, and golf caddie. Sebastian drinks small-batch bourbon and carries a gun. He defends people other lawyers won’t go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. Why these clients? Because he believes everyone is entitled to a fair trial, even if he, Sebastian, has to bend the law, cheat, to secure one. He hates injustice, doesn’t like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system’s notions of ethical behavior.

 

My Thoughts

On paper, the events of Rogue Lawyer appear to be a little unhinged. A lawyer with a bodyguard roaming around in a van and representing the people reputable lawyers won’t touch out of a sense of justice? Sure, sign me up! It’s hardly your everyday read. This is one of three books I have on my list to read by John Grisham. If you’re interested, the other two are The Litigators and The Rainmaker. 

I’ve yet to try John Grisham, but he’s a household name. I’m hopeful I’ll enjoy his books. In which case, I’ll have a whole TBR of just his books… never mind the 200 others I want to read from everyone else. 

On a serious note, the uniqueness of the premise is what makes me want to try this book, regardless of how well known he is or any sense of obligation I need to try him. I know a few people who like his books – in fact, I think I have a copy of this book after a recommendation from someone clearing their book stash at work and letting me take it. 

It’ll be nice to get back to a genre I’ve not read for a while either. I pride myself on my ability to pick up almost anything. I’m definitely in the habit of reading some genres more than others. However, now and then, I enjoy something a little different. If there is one thing that can be said for today’s Shelf Control feature, it’s precisely that! 

Thanks for reading today’s Shelf Control post! Have you read Rogue Lawyer, or other books by John Grisham? 

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Blog Tour Review: The Atlantis Covenant- Rob Jones

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Hello readers! If you’re a huge fan of Indiana Jones, historical artefacts and high-stakes action, The Atlantis Covenant is the book I’d recommend for you! And good news – I’m reviewing it today as part of the ongoing blog tour with Rachel’s Random Resources. Buckle up and let’s get to it!

Before I give you the details, as always, a huge thank you to Rachel, Boldwood Books and the author, Rob Jones. It’s been a little while since I took part in a tour, but reading this fun, high-stakes book has inspired me to get back in the game.

Also, full disclosure here that I received a copy of the book in order to provide my review. However, this is an unbiased review and my views expressed are my own.

Now… let’s see more about the book!


The Atlantis Covenant – Rob Jones

Genre: Action/Thriller

Pages: 344

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Original Publication Date:  31 Aug 2025

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟


Goodreads – The Atlantis Covenant

 

The greatest mystery of all time is about to be revealed.

When world-famous archaeologist and ex-soldier Max Hunter finds a mysterious artifact in a tomb beneath the Gates of Nineveh, his lifelong dream of finding Atlantis comes one step closer.

But he’s not the only one looking for it…

His discovery unleashes a high-speed hunt for the lost civilization between a mysterious Swiss foundation, the FBI, and the world’s most secretive society.

From the dangers of the Iraqi desert to Cuba and the jungles of El Salvador to the enigmatic Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Hunter faces a race against time and murderous enemies who will stop at nothing to claim the greatest prize in history. As he fights for his life, it soon becomes apparent that his enemies are searching for something altogether more sinister than the lost city…

Hunter must use his unique ingenuity and knowledge to decipher the clues and find Atlantis – and its lethal treasures – before they fall into enemy hands.


Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/AtlantisCovenantbook

 

My Thoughts

Plot

If you are a fan of very fast-paced, action-driven books, The Atlantis Covenant is right up your alley! With danger lurking around every corner, Max Hunter and the FBI find their lives on the line as they look to uncover the truth of the lost city of Atlantis.

This is arguably a very plot-driven book. That’s not to say that aspects of world-building (history) and character development suffers, because they don’t. However, the motivation to read on each chapter is to uncover what happens next.

And there’s action in almost every chapter. Old rivalries and archaic, powerful forces come into play, and the secrets of Atlantis aren’t safe. With both sides racing to beat each other to discover the truth, everything is to play for…

Although this first book does naturally leave us on a bit of a cliffhanger into the next in the series, the action that takes place in The Atlantis Covenant is wrapped up in full. Looking at the synopsis for the next book, it doesn’t directly follow on from this first. I’m pretty confident that each of these could be read standalone. Whether you’re a fan of series or solo books, The Atlantis Covenant caters to all.

 

Setting

The Atlantis Covenant takes us across the globe. From the seas of Cuba to jungle rainforest, Egypt and The Valley of the Kings and to Arctic climes, the book features archaeological sites on every corner of the planet.

The jet-setting in this book is exciting to read about. As someone who really enjoyed history growing up, getting to hear about well-known sites such as the Valley of the Kings makes this thriller more interesting. I really enjoyed the archaeological aspects of this book and the emphasis this has on the storyline and places visited. It gives the book a lot of grounding, even when events carry us off rapidly to the next revelation (and inevitable gunfight).

I appreciate this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If that’s you, that’s okay. The relevance to the storyline is explained but not explored in any great length of detail. It gives context to the plot and moves on.


Characters

Throughout The Atlantis Covenant, we meet a variety of characters. From military men to goth girl hackers, the group pull together to help in his quest discover Atlantis and its secrets. The characters draw upon a wide variety of experience and skills, and not all from altruistic origins.

Now, I do confess, I do have one niggle about how some characters are introduced in this book. Pretty early on, I recognised a pattern of male characters being introduced for the action they’re involved in and women being introduced by their appearance. I wasn’t a big fan of this double-standard, but credit where it’s due, this stops after the first few chapters.

I really enjoyed the diversity of the characters that made up the main group. However, I can’t dismiss the wider cast introduced in this book either. Over the course of the book, we are introduced to a significant number of characters. So maybe even still, I am no trouble keeping trying (or at least, on which side they are).


Narrative Style

The Atlantis Covenant is fast-paced. Punchy. Full of action and eager to get there. Chapters are nice and short and snappy to fit this pacing. It works very well with the narrative and is a big driver to encouraging you to read ‘just one more chapter’ over and over.

Even though I personally lean towards a preference for longer, more detailed chapters, this was perfect for the book. It didn’t detract from my personal experience in the slightest and complemented the narrative.

As a result, The Atlantis Covenant is a pretty quick read. Having struggled and DNF’d another book right before this one, it was the fast-paced and engaging remedy I didn’t know I needed!


Summary

The Atlantis Covenant is a high-action, fast-paced novel. If you are a huge fan of Indiana Jones films, this book is just like these. With a balanced blend of action intertwined with archaeology, history, and conspiracy, this book piques my interest in the best of ways!

The good news is, you can continue to read the series already. If you want to read on, The Revelation Relic is the next book to whet your appetite.


Author Bio

Rob Jones has published over forty books in the genres of action-adventure, action-thriller, and crime. Many of his chart-topping titles have enjoyed number-one rankings, and his Joe Hawke and Jed Mason series have been international bestsellers. Originally from England, today he lives in Australia with his wife and children.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: @RobJonesNovels

Twitter: @AuthorRobJones

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RobJonesNews

Shelf Control #93 – 25/07/2025

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Welcome to today’s Shelf Control post! If you’re reading this as this goes live, I’m out celebrating with one of my best friends as she gets married. There’s no rest for the wicked though. I’ve just prepped ahead of time so I can relax and enjoy a momentous day. 

Today’s Shelf Control feature is a thriller by an author I’ve read once so far, but I have a couple more of his books on my TBR. 

As always, I’ll recap what Shelf Control is about and then we’ll get into the details of the book!

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

Her Last Move – John Marrs

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 351

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 08 Nov 2018

Goodreads – Her Last Move

 

He hides in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment. Each kill is calculated, planned and executed like clockwork.

Struggling to balance her personal and professional life, young DS Becca Vincent has landed the biggest case of her career — and she knows that it will make or break her. But how can she identify one face in a sea of thousands? With the help of Police Super Recogniser Joe Russell, she strives to catch a glimpse of the elusive murderer, but he’s watching her every move.

Time is not on their side. The body count is rising, and the attacks are striking closer and closer to home. Can Becca and Joe uncover the connection between the murders before the killer strikes the last name from his list?

From the bestselling author of When You Disappeared and The Good Samaritan comes his most thrilling novel yet.

 

My Thoughts

I’ve only read one book by John Marrs so far (The Minders), but I’ve added a few to my reading list. His books and synopses sound compelling. After reading The Minders, I’m inclined to believe these books will live up to expectation.

Her Last Move strikes me as a compelling mystery with a thriller element. I’m enjoying getting into books of this nature this year and I’m excited to pick this one up. There’s plenty of tension already hinted that in the plot, and I can’t wait to see how this pans out in reality.

John Marrs is an author I’m looking to reading more of in future. He’s written a good number of books now and I also have the likes of When You Disappeared and The Good Samaritan on my TBR. As to how well received these later two books are will determine whether I end up reading more of his collection! 

Thanks for reading today’s Shelf Control post! Have you read Her Last Move or any books by John Marrs? 

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Shelf Control #92 – 27/06/2025

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What better way can I celebrate a fun Friday off work than with a Shelf Control post?! I mean, I could be reading the books on my reading list instead of talking about them, but there we are! It would help whittle the list down… 

Seriously though, I’m really happy to be back with my next Shelf Control instalment. In today’s post, I feature a psychological thriller novel I added to my TBR back in October 2019 – nearly six years ago. I even featured the books in a Top Ten Tuesday post geared around new releases I was excited for. If that doesn’t tell you how far behind I am, I don’t know what will. Even still, to date I’m excited to pick up this book. With a synopsis based on a psychology study, it’ll bring back the old days of taking psychology classes. 

Before I get ahead of myself, here is a recap of what the Shelf Control regular feature is about!

Shelf Control is a meme run by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. It’s a celebration of the unread books on our shelves! The idea is to pick a book you own but haven’t read and write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up.

If you want to read more about the Shelf Control feature, check out Lisa’s introductory post.

 

An Anonymous Girl – Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Pages: 375

Audience: Adult

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

CPublication Date: 08 Jan 2019

Goodreads – An Anonymous Girl

 

Looking to earn some easy cash, Jessica Farris agrees to be a test subject in a psychological study about ethics and morality. But as the study moves from the exam room to the real world, the line between what is real and what is one of Dr. Shields’s experiments blurs.

Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking… and what she’s hiding.

Jessica’s behaviour will not only be monitored, but manipulated.

Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl will keep you riveted through the last shocking twist.

 

My Thoughts

As somebody who enjoyed studying psychology at school, a book that plays on this subject and how people can be manipulated is naturally a topic of interest. It’s scary how easy the brain can be fooled. 

I’m also interested in the morality aspect of the storyline and how far it’s going to go. If you’ve ever done or taken part in a psychology experiment, you should know that those leading an experiment are not meant to do anything that can be seen as morally grey or worse. What exactly do the experiments entail, and what could they have in mind that could cross this line?

I’ve enjoyed picking up more mysteries this year. It’s a genre I go through spells where I’ll read more of it, and then less so. I’ve been enjoying getting back into this type of book. Picking them up for our work book club has been ideal. It’s a genre many people at my place like, so the club gets good engagement that way. This would actually be a good book to suggest to the group to read in future. 

Have you read An Anonymous Girl? Are there any other books you would recommend as great reads for book clubs? 

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