Book Reviews
Most of the reviews on this website are written by members of our Oundle Crime book group, and if you enjoy reading crime fiction and thrillers and want to know more about Oundle Crime, click here. Having said that, we love posting reviews of other literary genres, so if you’d like to write something about a book you’ve enjoyed, please send your review to us at join@friendsofoundlelibrary.org.uk
Our book reviews are rated from 1 to 5 Stars, where 5 Stars is outstanding. To find out more about our scoring system, scroll down to the bottom of this page. Below are our latest reviews, and if you click through to one you’ll find our 6-month archive. Finally, if you decide to buy a book linked to our website, we may earn commission from Bookshop.org – an online retailer that supports independent bookshops.
12 March 2026
Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans
If you’re looking for a bit of escapism, this undemanding but lively book is something you might enjoy. It’s the kind of thing we all sometimes feel the need to read. 4 Stars.
6 March 2026
Oundle Crime recommends (Part 2)
Here is the second part of Oundle Crime’s report for February, which covers authors from H-S …
28 February 2026
Oundle Crime recommends (Part 1)
February’s list was so long that we’ve split Oundle Crime’s report into two. Here’s the first part, which covers authors A-G …
23 February 2026
The Black Wolf by Louise Penny
The latest mystery in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. It’s chilling and well-plotted, and the tension builds slowly to an action-packed conclusion.
14 February 2026
Columba’s Bones by David Greig
Another novella from The Darkland Tales series, this re-imagines the Viking raid on Iona in 825 AD. Our reviewer says ‘This is a great little book, beautifully written, almost lyrical.” 4+ Stars.
8 February 2026
Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine
This isn’t just another celebrity cosy crime novel, but a cleverly written whodunnit that has lots of charm. 4 Stars.
1 February 2026
Oundle Crime recommends
The reading theme in January was historical mysteries, mixed in with whatever else people chose to read. The recommendations range from swashbuckling adventures to cosy crime, with some brand-new novels and a few 5 Stars as well …
25 January 2026
The Island by Ragnar Jónasson
Our reviewer listened to this as an e-audiobook and loved it. It’s Book 2 of the Hidden Iceland trilogy but works well as a standalone novel. Ingenious, complex and atmospheric it earned 4 Stars
17 January 2026
Clean Kill by Stephen Leather
The Dan ‘Spider’ Shepherd novels by British author Stephen Leather, are action thrillers, which are relentlessly exciting. This is Book 20 in the series and it matches up to the previous nineteen very well.
11 January 2026
Helle’s Hound by Oskar Jensen
Described as a “mix of classic crime fiction and Robert Galbraith”, this is the second outing for Torben Helle, Danish expat art historian and amateur sleuth. It’s a preposterous story but entertaining to read.
What’s in a Star?
Deciding why you like an author or have enjoyed a book is, of course, entirely subjective, and everyone who comes along to meetings of Oundle Crime has different tastes. So how do we try to get some consistency in our Star ratings? Well, after some discussion, we’ve come up with the following:
- 5 Stars: Outstanding and unforgettable. A book you can’t wait to tell others about.
- 4 Stars: A good book with an interesting, layered story. Will still remember after a month.
- 3 Stars: Not good or bad, just an average story and characters. You enjoyed reading it, but might not remember it after a month.
- 2 Stars: Poorly written, superficial and probably a bit of a yawn. Forgettable.
- 1 Star: Rubbish through and through. A book you wish you hadn’t read and don’t want to remember!
ADDRESS
Friends of Oundle Library
Glapthorn Road
Oundle
PE8 4JA
