On Bee's Bookshelf

  November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsí has a secret penpal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time. But when the date arrives, Marsí is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsí and her penpal had agreed to meet. November, 1977. Stína’s disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsí It’s from her penpal, and he’s still out there... Desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified that he might coming after her next, Marsí returns to her hometown and embarks on an investigation of her own. But Marsí has always had trouble distinguishing her vivid dreams from reality, and as insomnia threatens her sanity, it seems she can’t even trust her own memories. And her sister’s killer is still on the loose... "'I know,' I p...

Girls just want to have fun. But unfortunately womanhood isn’t always fun. This collection showcases eight short stories that tap into the collective knowledge of trauma that women experience, the societal shackles, the stripping of power and control, the politicisation of our bodies — and tries to find some understanding and meaning in all the suffering and madness. The Experiment highlights the double standards in parenting and work, following a woman trying out living as a “tradwife” as another attempt to connect with herself and figure out what role she wanted in her life while the town grieve the murder of a young girl. It was a brilliant opener, toeing the line between suspense and reality; showcasing the many routes a woman can do when not stripped of her agency. In our anthologies namesake, It’s No Fun Anymore, a couple are at a convention with their child and Melanie thinks about how different the world is for women as they age, become mothers and wives and comparing her life ...

  The vacation ended. The heat didn’t… Meet Suzie French teacher, newly single, newly heartbroken. After an awful break-up, she heads to Mallorca for a much-needed holiday with her cousins, expecting sun, sangria, and siestas. She isn’t expecting to fall in love – especially not with the handsome Spaniard who rescues her when she gets separated from her group during an ill-judged midnight skinny dip. But what starts as a steamy holiday romance built on white lies and mistaken identities turns into something more complicated when “Carlos” shows up at the school she works at. Except his name isn’t Carlos. It’s Charlie Carter, and he’s the new Spanish teacher. Now they’re stuck in department meetings pretending they haven’t seen each other naked, both feeling thoroughly duped, both wondering if that hot holiday fling can exist in real life? But when they’re thrown together again on a school trip to Seville, the heat between them proves impossible to resist. The Queen of Chaos is back,...

  If you clicked on this, you're probably like me and absolutely love Antti Tuomainen so you wanted a little peek at the cover of his upcoming release, The Winter Job coming this October! I always recommend him to my readers for his trademark blend of exciting thriller stories, witty humour and unnameable strangeness that makes his books utterly addictive.  Want to know more? Read the blurb here:  A darkly humorous and warmly touching suspense novel about friendship, love and death, The Winter Job flies a hundred and twenty kilometres an hour straight into the darkest heart of a Finnish winter night. Helsinki, 1982. Recently divorced postal worker Ilmari Nieminen has promised his daughter a piano for Christmas, but with six days to go – and no money – he’s desperate. A last-minute job offers a solution: transport a valuable antique sofa to Kilpisjärvi, the northernmost town in Finland. With the sofa secured in the back of his van, Ilmari stops at a gas station, and an old...

  We're back and bringing you another sneak peek of a chilling thriller to cool you down through this heatwave. Orenda books have let me have a little look at the cover for the new instalment in the darkly delightful  Áróra Investigation series by Lilja Sigurdardóttir. You may have already seen my other reviews for the rest of the series so you know I am OBSESSED.  Want to hear more? Check out the blurb here: When the chief suspect in the disappearance of Áróra's sister is found dead, and Áróra's new financial investigation leads to the street where her sister was last scene, she is drawn into a shocking case that threatens everything … The chilling, twisty, award-winning series continues… When the fate of Áróra's missing sister, Isafold, is discovered, Áróra is relieved that she can halt a search that has taken over her life, even if the mystery remains unsolved. But when Isafold's boyfriend – chief suspect in her disappearance – is found dead in the same place tha...

She’s found  the one . He’s just not the one for  her . Jessie doesn’t believe in love at first sight. Until one sunny Saturday in London, a fire alarm in Whole Foods throws her into a stranger's arms. Cal is charming and funny: their chemistry is instant.  Quick-fire flirting turns into the most romantic day of Jessie’s life. But that evening they're forced apart before swapping numbers. Jessie is devastated – has she just lost  the one ? After weeks of searching, Cal turns up on her doorstop holding two dozen red roses. It feels like fate.  The only thing is, they’re not for her… "Okay, fine, I'm reading into everything. If I could press these moments like flowers to keep forever, I would. I feel it in my bones: what is happening is important, and I will want to remember it all." Laura Jane Williams clearly puts some kind of secret ingredient because I just EAT UP everything she writes. Fun, indulgent, sweet romances with a familiar romcom vibe but excellent w...

I'm very excited to be able to share a sneak peek of the brand new book from one of the queens of nordic thrillers, brought to you by my very good friends at Orenda Books. Introducing Home Before Dark by the one and only Eva Björg Ægisdóttir.  Want to hear more? Check out the blurb here: November, 1967, Iceland. Fourteen-year-old Marsi has a secret penpal – a boy who lives on the other side of the country – but she has been writing to him in her older sister’s name. Now she is excited to meet him for the first time. But when the date arrives, Marsi is prevented from going, and during the night her sister Stína goes missing – her bloodstained anorak later found at the place where Marsi and her penpal had agreed to meet. November, 1977. Stína’s disappearance remains unsolved. Then an unexpected letter arrives for Marsi. It’s from her penpal, and he’s still out there… Desperate for news of her missing sister, but terrified that he might coming after her next, Marsi returns to her...

This Christmas, in the romantic Scottish Highlands, a white lie and a fake-dating proposal between exes snowballs out of control in the brand-new festive romance from Emily Stone. You know I love a good cosy romance to get me through the winter so I am thrilled to share the cover of Yours for the Season. If you can't wait that long, or you want to add some more titles to your Christmas wish list, check out my review of Emily's last festive release, Always in December here. Want to know more? Check out the blurb here: Christmas with your ex and his family in a cosy cottage in the snowy Scottish Highlands? It's the last place Mel imagined spending the holidays.  But when her ex-boyfriend Finn shows up on her doorstep, only months after inexplicably dumping her at his sister's engagement party, asking her to pretend to his family they're back together, she agrees - on one condition. Mel can publicly dump Finn at the end of the week and show him just how it feels.  Bu...