The shock of it almost being 2025 is softened by the fact you will all get to read Bad Blood by Sarah Hornsley soon. It’s an incredibly thriller that grabs you by the throat. I love a legal thriller and Bad Blood is an outstanding one. A perfectly paced and twisty story that captures small towns perfectly after Justine Stone returns after her ex-boyfriend is accused of murder.

I never saw the ending coming and the story is complex and gripping, with brilliant characterisation. An addictive thriller which will leave you thinking about it long after you have finished reading. A triumph.

What would you do if your childhood sweetheart was accused of murder?

Justine Stone left her hometown in Essex eighteen years ago, and she hasn’t looked back since. Married to Noah, with a beautiful house and a high-flying career as a barrister, she rarely thinks about her ex-boyfriend, Jake. 

Until she’s given her first murder case, and sees his face staring up at her, charged with a horrific double murder. 

The Jake that Justine loved would never have hurt anyone. But as evidence begins to come to light, Justine has to face up to the fact that perhaps she never really knew Jake at all. And as the past begins to merge with the present, Justine’s life that she’s worked so hard to create begins to fall apart. 

You can run from your secrets. But they’ll always catch up with you.

Out 27 March 2025.