August Reading Wrap Up

August was another brilliant reading month for me. Here are the highlights!

Kindle Unlimited Highlight

Tiny Daggers

Caroline Corcoran

Tiny Daggers is a sharp and addictive psychological thriller set in the heat of Miami, where old rivalries resurface with devastating consequences. Holly Jones’s seemingly perfect life begins to unravel when her former school friend, Holly Wild, reappears after twenty years. What follows is a tense and unsettling battle of egos—“Good Holly” versus “Bad Holly”—that keeps the reader guessing at every turn.

The novel is fast-paced, stylishly written, and brimming with tension. While not every character is likable, they are all compelling, and the dual perspectives cleverly shift sympathy back and forth until the explosive finale. Dark, twisty, and utterly engrossing, Tiny Daggers is a summer thriller with a rich people vibe. Really fun read.

Stand Out Paperback

Publisher Mail

He will stay like this forever, Robert’s arm draped round him. They will be forever twenty.

Scotland, 1933. Bobby MacBryde is on his way. After years grafting at Lees Boot Factory, he’s off to the Glasgow School of Art, to his future. On his first day he will meet another Robert, a quiet man with loose dark curls – and never leave his side.

The untold story of the woman who played a critical role in bringing psychedelics into the mainstream—until her audacious exploits forced her into the shadows—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire

Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner for the books. I am so excited to read these.

Book Club Reads

Barnsley Library Book Club

The Ashes of London

Andrew Taylor

Set in the aftermath of the Great Fire of London, The Ashes of London offers rich historical detail and an evocative sense of time and place. The novel follows two protagonists, James Marwood, a government clerk, and Cat Lovett, a defiant young woman linked to a regicidal past, as their paths intersect in a murder investigation tied to political conspiracy. While the descriptions and historical context are well-crafted, the narrative often feels slow and unfocused. The lack of suspense and underdeveloped characters detract from the mystery, and the dual narrative style (first-person for James, third-person for Cat) may disrupt immersion for some readers. Though the premise is intriguing, the story ultimately lacks the momentum and emotional stakes expected of a compelling historical thriller.

BCW Reading Group

ARCs

Watching You

Helen Fields

Watching You is another expertly crafted police procedural from Helen Fields, combining psychological insight with gripping suspense. Criminal psychologist Connie Woolwine and her partner Brodie Baarda are drawn into a chilling investigation involving three seemingly unconnected murders in Edinburgh. As familiar characters from Fields’ broader universe reappear—including DS Lively and DS Salter—longtime fans will enjoy the crossover, while new readers will find a taut and immersive narrative that stands strongly on its own.

Fields’ use of shifting timelines, layered perspectives, and emotionally resonant character work heightens the psychological tension throughout. The novel explores themes of grief, obsession, and vulnerability with nuance, particularly through the compelling subplot involving surgeon Beth Waterfall and her past trauma. Connie’s unique, empathic profiling methods contrast brilliantly with Lively’s hard-edged pragmatism, creating dynamic investigative interplay.

With sharp prose, a haunting atmosphere, and a truly unpredictable conclusion, Watching You is a standout instalment in Fields’ catalogue—both thought-provoking and unputdownable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Stand Out Indie

What are you reading?

I love to hear what others are reading. Please drop your fave August reads in the comments.

Happy Reading!