Now is the time of short, wet, dark days that make me want to huddle next to an open fire (although my house doesn’t have one), cook meals heavy in carbs and rich in spices and read to bring some light into my life.

But… my wife has put a homemade wreath on my door, candles on the mantlepieces and today she’ll dress our Christmas tree, which all help to push back the dark.

Anyway, heere’s what I’ve read and bought this week and what’s up next.

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This week, I’ve been reminding myself of how much pleasure I get from reading well-crafted short stories. I’ve escaped into the Kinsmen universe, revisited Ray Bradbury’s astonishing imagination and been entertained by a 1991 collection of Christmas crime stories. I tried out a Christmas-themed horror novella and spent another Christmas with Meg Langslow and her family, waiting to see who would get murdered this year.

Out of work for months, Lussi Meyer is desperate to work anywhere in publishing. Prestigious Blackwood-Patterson isn’t the perfect fit, but a bizarre set of circumstances leads to her hire and a firm mandate: Lussi must find the next horror superstar to compete with Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Peter Straub. It’s the ’80s, after all, and horror is the hottest genre.
But as soon as she arrives, Lussi finds herself the target of her coworkers’ mean-spirited pranks. The hazing reaches its peak during the company’s annual Secret Santa gift exchange, when Lussi receives a demonic-looking object that she recognizes but doesn’t understand. Suddenly, her coworkers begin falling victim to a series of horrific accidents akin to a George Romero movie, and Lussi suspects that her gift is involved. With the help of her former author, the flamboyant Fabien Nightingale, Lussi must track down her anonymous Secret Santa and figure out the true meaning of the cursed object in her possession before it destroys the company – and her soul.

An entertaining Christmas horror story, heavy on eighties horror nostalgia and publishing industry insider jokes. The humour worked and somehow helped to amplify the horror.

Sometimes the smallest towns have the darkest secrets.
Siblings Wendy and Jason Wyatt-Yarmouth and their friends are in British Columbia, enjoying a two-week vacation. Tragedy strikes the group of privileged students when two of them crash through the ice into the frozen river.
It’s Christmas Eve and the snowstorm of the decade has settled over the peaceful Canadian mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia. Constables Smith and Evans have a busy shift, attending fender-benders, tumbling pedestrians, and Christmas-tree fires. At the stroke of midnight, they arrive at the scene of a car accident: a vehicle has gone off the snowy road into the icy river. It seems to be an accident. But when the autopsy reveals a shocking secret, Constable Molly Smith and Sergeant John Winters are plunged into the world of sexual predators, recreational drugs, privilege, and high living.
Meanwhile, Charlie Bassing is out of jail and looking for revenge, a handsome Mountie is giving Molly the eye, and her mother, Lucky, is cheerfully interfering in the investigation.

This was a pleasant surprise. An engaging police procedural with a strong portrayal of a small Canadian mountain town in winter. I’d expected a cosy mystery, similar to her Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries but this was better.

The mystery around the deaths at the heart of the story was a good one but what I liked most about it was that the people involved felt real.. I got a strong sense of the young police officer being part of the community that she’s policing. She grew up there and she knows everyone.

This is the third book in the Constable Molly Smith series, but, although I haven’t read the others, I had no trouble following it.

I enjoy the book enough that I want to read the next book in the series soon.

You’d never guess Lottie Jones had skeletons in her closet.
She’s lived in town for decades now. She’s getting older. She lives for the simple pleasures of weekly bingo games at church, and gossiping with her friends about their children’s love lives.
But when investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past, and specifically about her connection to numerous unsolved murders, well, Lottie just can’t have that.
But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realises this crime might just be the death of her…

There were lots of good things in this book. The depiction of old age and remembered youth, of anger that flares into rage, of coldly calculated and meticulously executed cover-ups was engaging and real.

Yet, I never really settled into the book. I didn’t figure out why until right at the end. It was Lottie. The story is told from her point of view. She’s clever, sometimes self-deprecating, often witty and almost fearless. She’s loyal to her son. She enjoys the company of her friends. She’s realistic about the inevitability of her capabilities declining as she ages, without being overwhelmed by it. She’s also a monster. Someone who kills, again and again, with no remorse and little hesitation. Her only regrets are the mistakes she’s made that might have gotten her caught. 

So, there’s a level to this story where the impulse to cheer for Lottie as she slaughters her way through her problems feels like giving way to manipulation.

A hit woman’s work doesn’t stop for the holidays. As the advent calendar winds down, Paige slips into a palatial house, ignoring a blizzard of texts from her ex-husband. No surprise—Julian always gets maudlin this time of year. The real shock comes when the target is not alone. His young daughter is there too.
Risking the wrath of her organization, Paige retreats. There are some lines that, for personal reasons, she just won’t cross. But when she returns on Christmas Eve to finish the job, the girl is still there…along with someone even more startling. As the ghosts of her past gather—to haunt or to help, it’s unclear—Paige must confront old traumas and outwit her superiors to make it to Christmas morning alive.

‘The Kill Clause‘ was a solid novella about an assassin reaching the end of her ability simply to kill who she’s told to kill and ask no questions. There wasn’t much of a Christmas flavour, and I didn’t believe the ending, but it was an entertaining read.

He review is HERE.

The leader of the fierce Reigh people expires during an intergalactic summit, putting 30 million colonists’ lives and livelihoods in jeopardy. When the new heir to the Reigh throne, Lord Nagrad, demands restitution, the phrase “‘a life for a life” turns the intergalactic calamity into an arranged marriage contract between Lord Nagrad and sharply intelligent diplomatic analyst Deirdre Lebed… and the negotiation of terms becomes anything but formal!

This was a smile. Ilona Andrews said it was a story written as a dare. Even though it’s very much a tongue-in-cheek piece of writing, Ilona Andrews has still created a believable universe and an engaging set of characters to deliver the (sometimes gaudy) humour, and, of course, it’s laced with a quirky version of romance.

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This week, I picked up three more Christmas-themed books, the first novel in an Urban Fantasy series and a dystopian speculative fiction novel.

A royal tinker and a rogue soldier must unite to stop the monsters threatening their city—and unravel the secrets lurking within it.

Rowan doesn’t just work with machines—she hears them. The hum of engines, the whisper of gears and wires—they speak to her through the magic that flows from her mech hand. Whether she’s fine-tuning the colossal automaton that protects New Torwood City or toiling in her workshop, being a mechanic is the only life she truly enjoys. But the Regent’s Council wants more. They demand a princess who will embrace the pomp and ceremony of royal duty, not a tinker with oil-stained hands.
When she’s unexpectedly recruited into Ranger Squad 54 for a mission deep into the wild Meadows, Rowan leaps at the chance. Finally, a way to serve her city and put her unique talents to use—far from the glittering halls of royalty.

Conall, an ex-commander, knows the dangers of the Meadows firsthand. Discharged from the Rangers when his inner wolf broke free during battle, he now makes a living running rare artifacts between New Torwood and the southern cities. But the Rangers have a new mission for him—one that could clear his tarnished record. A group of international scientists has vanished, and recovering them is critical for the future of New Torwood. Failure could push the city into a war it cannot afford.

Thrown together on a high-risk mission, Rowan, Conall, and the Rangers of Squad 54 will face unimaginable dangers in the wilderness and uncover dark secrets that could shake the foundations of the city they’ve sworn to protect. But the real menace might be at the heart of New Torwood itself.

I enjoyed Kim McDougal’s ‘Dragons Don’t Eat Meat‘ but I haven’t been back for the rest of her Valkyrie Bestiary series, although it’s now complete. I was intrigued to see that her next series was Steampunk fiction. The second book was published yesterday (although there’s no audiobook version yet). so, if I like ‘A Knack for Metal and Bone‘, I can move straight on to ‘Mech and Magic’.

When true crime podcaster Harley Granger drifts into Madeline Martin’s bookshop days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up a past that Madeline would much rather forget.
Granger’s work has earned him fame and wealth – and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Granger also has a lot of questions about the night Madeline was left for dead, the only surviving victim of killer Evan Handy.
Handy, who also murdered Madeline’s best friend and is suspected in the disappearance of two local sisters, has been in jail for a decade. Since then, though, three other young women have gone missing in similar circumstances. Is the true predator still out there somewhere?
As Christmas approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline must confront the past to answer questions that have haunted her since that day. Is the truth more terrible than she ever imagined?

‘I was tempted by ‘Christmas Presents’ (2023) because it’s Christmas and because Lisa Unger’s ‘The Kill List‘ entertained me this week.

It’s Christmas time in Millers Kill, and Reverend Clare Fergusson and her husband Russ van Alstyne – newly resigned from his position as chief of police – plan to enjoy it with their baby boy. On their list: visiting Santa, decorating the tree, and attending the church Christmas pageant. But when a beloved holiday parade is crashed by white supremacists, Clare and Russ find themselves sucked into a parallel world of militias, machinations and murder.

Meanwhile, single mom and officer Hadley Knox has her hands full juggling her kids and her police work. She doesn’t want to worry about her former partner – and sometimes lover – Kevin Flynn, but when he takes leave from the Syracuse PD and disappears, she can’t help her growing panic that something has gone very wrong.

Novice lawyer Joy Zhào is keeping secrets from her superiors at the state Attorney General’s Office. She knows they wouldn’t condone her off-the-books investigation, but she’s convinced a threatening alt-right conspiracy is brewing – and catching the perpetrators could jump start her career.

NYS Forest Ranger Paul Terrance is looking for his uncle, a veteran of the park service gone inexplicably missing. He doesn’t think much of an ex-cop and out-of-town officer showing up in his patch of the woods, but he’s heard the disturbing rumors of dangerous men in the mountains.

‘At Midnight Comes The Cry‘ (2025) is the tenth Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne mystery. I’m most of the way through the ninth book, ‘Hid From Our Eyes‘ (2020). ‘At Midnight Comes The Cry’ isn’t avialable in the UK yet, but, when I saw it was a Christmas story, I decided to have a hardback copy imported from the US. It’s just arrived, so I’ll be able to read it before Christmas.

When the four Essinger children gather in Austin for Christmas, they all bring their news. Nathan wants to become a federal judge. Susie’s husband has taken a job in England. Jean has asked her boyfriend and (once-married) boss to meet her family. Paul has broken up with Dana, mother of their son Cal. But their parents have plans, too, and Liesel, the materfamilias, has invited Dana and Cal to stay, hoping to bring them back together. As the week unfolds, each of the Essingers has to confront the tensions and conflicts between old families and new.

‘Christmas In Austin’‘ (2019) is a roll of the dice. Benjamin Markovits is a Bristh/American writer whose book, ‘The Rest of Our Lives‘ made the 2025 Booker Prize Shortlist, which may or may not be a recommendation. When I looked his up, this Christmas-themed novel caught my eye. Maybe I’ll find it fascinating.

It’s 2058. Six years ago, the Winter of Disconnect shattered Britain and stole Jas McDonnell’s childhood. She survived. Millions didn’t.
Now Jas manages survivor’s guilt with electromagnetic emotional correction, artificially induced reality, and good old chemical escape. She scrapes a living under the unblinking lenses of the storybirds, hoping to trigger their interest algorithms and stream a few moments of her life to poverty-voyeurs in the transhumanist playground of Grand London.
But when a truckload of illegal bio-fabricators arrives in her backwater town, life turns upside-down for Jas. The posthuman demigods in the capital are definitely watching now. And her real-time soap opera is about to become a horror movie.

I was hooked by the premise for this one. The sample read well and Amazon were selling it for £0.99 so now it’s on my TBR pile.

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This week‘s reading is a mixed bag: an Alternative History novella about revenge and hippo farming in Louisiana, a thriller in a remote snowbound cabin, a Jane Austen novel that I haven’t read before and another attempt at blood-soaked Christmas humour.

In the early 20th century, the United States government concocted a plan to import hippopotamuses into the marshlands of Louisiana to be bred and slaughtered as an alternative meat source. This is true. 
Other true things about hippos: They are savage, they are fast, and their jaws can snap a man in two. This was a terrible plan. 
Contained within this volume is an 1890s America that might have been: a bayou overrun by feral hippos and mercenary hippo wranglers from around the globe. It is the story of Winslow Houndstooth and his crew. It is the story of their fortunes. It is the story of his revenge.

‘River of Teeth’‘ (2017) is was Sara Gailey’s debut novella. It was was a finalist for the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novella. I enjoyed their novel ‘Magic for Liars’ and their novella ‘Spread Me’ so I was delighted when I discovered that they’d started their career with this really wild idea. I’m hoping for over-the-top fun.

Graham Richards, the sole survivor of a deadly shooting, has retreated to a remote cabin in the woods to escape the pain of his past. Living off the grid, he grows his own food and uses solar power for his energy needs, hoping to spend the rest of his life in obscurity.
However, Graham’s desire for solitude is shattered when a little girl goes missing in the nearby town, and the scarred man in the lonely cabin becomes the prime suspect. Graham finds himself pulled back into the world he wanted to leave behind, using his survival skills and instincts honed from years in the wilderness to clear his name and find the missing girl. But as he delves deeper into the case, he realizes that the threat is far greater than he ever imagined.

‘Off the Grid’ (2019) is another roll of the dice. I liked the cover and I’m in the mood for a story set in the snow.

Emma is young, rich and independent. She has decided not to get married and instead spends her time organising her acquaintances’ love affairs. Her plans for the matrimonial success of her new friend Harriet, however, lead her into complications that ultimately test her own detachment from the world of romance.

‘Emma’ (1817) is part of my Jane Austen Binge Read. I haven’t read it before (although I’ve seen ‘Clueless‘ and the 2009 BBC TV adaptations starring Romola Garai.

She’s making a list, she’s checking it twice…
Jessica Williams loves Christmas: the food, the drink, the fairy lights, the opportunities to take out all the miserable people who ruin the festive season for others. And what better cover for her murderous intentions than taking a job as Mrs Claus at the Ellsbury Christmas Market grotto? After all, who would possibly think Mrs Claus could stab a man through the eye with a Phillips-head screwdriver?
Fearne Dixon hates Christmas. As the long-suffering wife of the Ellsbury Christmas Market’s manager, she’s sick to the back teeth of it and it’s still only November. But then the bodies start piling up, an old rival arrives back in her life, and Fearne reaches breaking point.
When the lives of the two women collide, who will end up on the Naughty List?

‘How To Slay At Christmas’ (2025) is the third of Sarah Bonner’s ‘How To Slay’ books. I’m hoping for dark humour and festive bloodshed.

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I’ve read two of my five books for my my SPELL IT OUR challenge. I’ve already deviated from my original list but, I’m having fun.

I’ve picked up on the suggestion to collect the first letter of book titles for books I read during the challenge and see if I can make some SCRABBLE type words from them. I have four letters so far but none of them are vowels.