Pen and Paper

14 Mar 2026

THE SHRINE.

THE SHRINE by LESLEY THOMSON.

Genre: Crime / Detective Fiction

Tour Dates: 12th - 18th March 2026

Publication Date: 12th March 2026

Publisher: Head of Zeus – Aries Fiction

Standalone Tenth Book in the The Detective's Daughter series

Estimated Page Count: 352

A decades-old murder. A haunting legacy. A plot for revenge.

Stella Darnell knows her partner Jack is hiding something. After following him one evening, she discovers he's been consulting a psychic in a desperate attempt to reach his dead mother. A sceptic by nature, and feeling betrayed by his lies, Stella fears what this means for their relationship.

Seeking distraction, she accepts DI Toni Kemp's invitation to join her for a holiday in a small village in Gloucestershire. But the visit is derailed when a body is discovered at a shrine where a woman died decades earlier.

Drawn into the investigation, Stella must confront the legacy of a once-famous psychic whose shadow still hangs over Prestbury – while in the darkness, someone bent on revenge waits patiently for the perfect moment to strike...

Perfect for fans of LJ Ross and Kate Rhodes, this is the tenth gripping mystery in this must-read series that can be enjoyed in any order.

The first book by this author that I've read by this author but it won't be the last.
The 10th book in The Detective's Daughter series, not that this in any way took away from my enjoyment of the book. I'm only a little sad that I didn't come to the party any sooner ... but then I now have the pleasure of beginning with book one, The Detective's Daughter.
With great characters {one of whom is a toy poodle}, a relationship strained by the discovery of spiritualism ... as if this isn't enough to put a strain on arelationship, that the stake-out is the very church that one of the duo has been frequenting ... well, I'll say no more.
The Shrine is a wonderfully quirky mystery that is maybe a bit too twisty-turny at the beginning; the various threads to the story perhaps a tad confusing but then in a bit of an eureka moment it suddenly all falls into place resulting in a gripping, page turner of a murder mystery that certainly had me wanting to read more.

With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for organising a paper copy. One of several bloggers participating in the Blog Tour/Book Birthday Blitz of this book, agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own; no financial compensation was asked for nor given; threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.

Lesley Thomson is the bestselling author of The Detective’s Daughter series, which has sold over 850,000 copies worldwide. The tenth instalment, The Shrine, marks a major milestone in the acclaimed series. Renowned for her atmospheric, character-driven mysteries, Thomson’s writing has been likened to Barbara Pym for its keen psychological insight and wit. Her debut, A Kind of Vanishing, won the People’s Book Prize, cementing her reputation as a distinctive voice in crime fiction. She lives in Sussex with her partner and their dog. Visit her website at

www.lesleythomson.co.uk

https://www.instagram.com/lesleythomson/https://x.com/LesleyjmThomson

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10 Oct 2025

WHAT GOES AROUND.

WHAT GOES AROUND by MICHAEL WENDROFF.

Genre ... Thriller

Publication Date ... 4th October 2025

Publisher ... Bloomsbury/Head of Zeus

Estimated Page Count ... 400

Standalone Novel

Order Link ... https://amzn.to/43wg9Cz

EVIL HAS MANY FACES

Chilling murders terrorize a town and bring together two detectives to face the hardest tasks of their lives. Jack Ludlum, who relies on his brawn to get things done, is now paired with his archenemy, Jill Jarred, a brilliant investigator with keen intuition. As they delve into the secret world of incels and white supremacists, and conflict between local authorities and the FBI rages, a media frenzy further complicates the mission.

Is there a serial killer on the loose? Or something entirely different? Will the detectives' clashing personalities be their undoing, or can they unite to stop the killer before they kill each other?

What Goes Around is a dynamic thriller that examines the intricacies of love, loss, and the unbreakable bonds that transcend time. With its pulse-pounding pace, captivating characters, and a revelatory twist that challenges the boundaries of life and death, this novel will keep you hooked from the first page to the last, and thinking long afterwards.

Hands up, a women of a certain age, my concentration isn't what is was and thus the jumping around between multiple perspectives got a bit taxing at times ... that there were several plots running concurrently with multiple suspects and a tad too many motives certainly didn't help any either. But then, as I said, a woman of a certain age, this says as much about me as it does the writing which on the whole I otherwise found really strong.
Alongside detectives Jack and Jill, drawn into the world of incels and white supremacists {to my mind, by far the most interesting thread of the story}; that the author managed to project their beliefs whilst at the same time condemning them, a masterful piece of writing in a book that I had mixed feelings about.
Whilst I enjoyed how the author demonstrated how Jack and Jill {he very much the brawn, she very much the brains} worked together first as colleagues who are rivals to, well, I wouldn't want to give too much away but to colleagues who have more than a professional interest in each other I would have preferred it if he hadn't gone down that particular route. These two aside, the portrayal of local law enforcement as lazy and largely incompetent was disappointing but in contrast there was Saint; my favourite and, in my opinion, the strongest of the characters who despite knowing right from wrong is continually tempted to do the wrong thing.
Something of a rollercoaster of a ride that was slightly let down by a, what, a weird, a bizarre ending that to my mind though the author pulled it off well enough somehow just didn't quite work, on the whole, alongside the crime aspect which explained incels really well without explaining them {if you see what I mean}, What Goes Around has much to offer and I'm delighted to hear rumours of a prequal as I believe Michael Wendroff has the potential to go from strength to strength.

Michael Wendroff is the author of What Goes Around, a debut thriller published by Bloomsbury, which bestselling author Eric Rickstad calls a “brilliant debut,” and bestselling author Lisa Black says, “starts off at a breakneck pace and doesn’t let up until it reaches its unexpected conclusion.” Plus, #1 bestselling author J.D. Black says, “Relentless and gritty, Wendroff expertly weaves a narrative that begs, ‘just one more page…’”

The book was inspired by what his mother said to him the second he was born: “Oh! How nice to see you–Again!”

Michael has an MBA in marketing from NYU, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame. He is a global marketing consultant. He shares his time between New York City, Sarasota, Florida, and Lake Garda, Italy. He is married and has three wonderful children.

His mother was an editor (watching his mother scribbling in red ink on manuscript pages at home on weekends prepared him for his own editor's comments!). She remarried a literary agent, so Michael was friendly with many authors, and even spent a vacation with Robert Ludlum. Watching Ludlum hand-write his 450 page novels on yellow legal pads didn't dissuade Michael from trying to write a novel (though he's thankful for his PC).

What Goes Around was launched in the USA, UK, and Australia, and foreign language rights have been sold in Italian, Japanese, and Hungarian. The hardcover went through 3 printings, and now the trade paperback is available (along with audio book and e-book).

Fun fact: Michael's great-grandfather was brought over by Thomas Edison from the University of Copenhagen to work with him. He holds a number of patents, including for plastic buttons. Michael proudly wears button- down shirts whenever he can.

Website ... michaelwendroff.com

Instagram ... https://www.instagram.com/mwendroff/?hl=en

Mwendroff, mwendroff

Facebook ... https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089800836318

Michael Wendroff, Author

X ... https://x.com/mwendroff

Michael Wendroff, @mwendroff

Linked in ... https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-wendroff-ba75014/

Michael Wendroff

TikTok ... https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelwendroff

Michaelwendroff

You Tube ... https://www.youtube.com/@mwendroff

mwendroff
With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for organising a paper copy. One of several bloggers participating in the Blog Tour/Book Birthday Blitz of this book, agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own; no financial compensation was asked for nor given; threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.
As well as on Pen and Paper this review {or links to it} has been shared on my personal FB page, other book sites on FB, Pinterest, GoodReads and Waterstones.