
Release date: September 16 2025
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 176
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars
Synopsis
When once-renowned police detective Julia Torgrimsen is brought out of forced retirement to investigate the murder of Bruno Donaldson, a billionaire she worked with whilst undercover, she doesn’t expect to find two bodies. Both are Bruno–identical down to the fingerprints–and both have been shot.
Review
Nicholas Binge is back with a fast-paced science fiction novella that follows ex police detective Julia Torgrimsen as she teams up with a newly recruited constable to uncover who has murdered billionaire Bruno Donaldson. When they discover two bodies – both with the exact same fingerprints – the two become entangled in an investigation into London’s elite and a conspiracy that could destroy life as they know it.
Ascension by Nicholas Binge was one of my favourite reads of 2023, so I was very excited to get to this. The book is less than 200 pages, and I ended up racing through it in a single sitting. This is a gripping and entertaining read that I didn’t want to put down. Binge has created a really compelling plot that is executed so well. If you enjoy police procedurals but with a sci-fi twist, Extremity should definitely be on your TBR.
The story is told from three different POVs, and I thought that worked really well. I really liked Julia; I thought she was a brilliant character. I thought the story came to a really interesting conclusion, and I would love to read another book following the same characters. If you’re looking for a compelling novella that’s full of tension, action, and mystery, that is one you do not want to miss!

Release date: September 25 2025
This gripping YA horror story follows siblings Mia and Johnny. Mia and Johnny are the children of an infamous serial killer who is currently serving life in prison for his crimes. Attempting to put the past behind them, Mia and Johnny attend university in Edinburgh. There, Johnny is offered the job of a lifetime, to interview Vlad Tepez, one of the most famous rock stars in the world. Tepez mysteriously vanished from public life, and if Johnny can find out why, it could make his career, but Vlad isn’t everything he seems. When two students turn up dead at the university, Mia begins to investigate; however, her investigation goes in a direction she absolutely did not expect.

Shauna Lawless is back with a new book in The Gael Song series, and it is absolutely unputdownable. Isolde, daughter of Fódla, has reappeared after her disappearance one hundred years ago. But worringly, Isolde has no magical abilities, and the strength of the Fomorians is growing. Soon, everything Isolde knows begins to change, and war is once again on the way. Will Isolde be able to stop the Fomorians from taking control, and at what cost?

Spiderlight is a gripping epic fantasy tale that follows a group of misfits as they embark on an epic quest to defeat the dark lord Darvezian. To do this, they must first seek help from the Spider Queen. The Spider Queen grants their wish, but sends along one of her children to accompany them. The group knows this quest will be a dangerous one, and those loyal to Darvezian will do anything to stop them.
Ascension is the newest release from A Dowry in Blood author S. T. Gibson and the second book in Gibson’s Summoner’s Circle series. Picking up after the events of Evocation, we follow Rhys as he tries to come to grips with his new role as High Priest. Things don’t go quite to plan, and Rhys finds himself with quite a lot on his shoulders. He is supported by his wife, Moira, and boyfriend David, but Rhus is determined to be an outstanding High Priest at any cost, even if that means biting off more than he can chew.
The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich is a dark and addictive gothic horror that follows psychiatrist Mina Murray. Mina receives an email from her old best friend, begging for help. Mina makes the decision to travel back to the Welsh town she left behind. Mina soon discovers Lucy has a strange illness, similar to a strange patient she had back home. As Mina tries to unravel the mystery of Lucy’s illness, she must confront the past she left behind.
Rainforest is the new terrifying horror tale from Dark Matter author Michelle Paver. Dark Matter is one of my all time favourite books, and I’ve reread it many times, so I was very much looking forward to reading this dark tale, this time set deep in the rainforest. Simon Corbett is an entomologist, determined to salvage his career; he takes a job in the heart of the jungle. As Simon carries out his research, he soon learns that something dark and deadly might be lurking in the jungle with him.
C L Taylor is back with a new twisty thriller, this time following Mum Jude, who finds herself strangely drawn to the Dad of her daughter’s new best friend. Through gossip with the other Mums, Jude learns about Will’s past – two tragedies and two dead wives in a short space of time. Jude soon finds that rumours are flying everywhere, what really happened to his wives, could it have been murder?
The Pact is a taut, gripping thriller that follows six teenagers who make a horrible mistake one night and leave three strangers dead. One of the group (Megan) decides to take the blame for what they did, allowing her friends to go on to their bright futures, but it will cost them one favour each when she is released from prison. Twenty years have gone by, and now Megan has been released. One by one, the group begins to disappear, but can they appease Megan before it’s too late?
The Mourning Necklace is a dark and gripping historical fiction tale from Kate Foster, author of The King’s Witches. The story follows Maggie Dickson, a young woman convicted of murdering her newborn baby. Sentenced to hang for her crime, Maggie is taken to the gallows, but survives her hanging. Maggie awakens with a string of bruises around her neck and is faced with two impossible questions: how did she survive, and will they hang her twice?