Hello my lovely readers. Hope you are keeping warm in the minus temperatures this week. Today I’m writing my first review of 2024 and I’m excited! I’m going to try a different style of my review. I’ve been writing what happens and my reactions in my Notion and I thought I would share it.

I love the fact that I start off 2024 as I started 2023 with Cynthia Murphy book and a 5 star read!

True-Crime obsessed Paige, and her family, move across the Atlantic to her father's eerie hometown, and it's not long before she uncovers the town's dark history - a string of unsolved murders and disappearances in the 90s.
And then notes start appearing at their dilapidated old home, about the secrets the house is keeping. The clues lead Paige to a diary concealed in the walls that belonged to one of the missing girls. Could this be the key to solving a quarter-of-a-century mystery, or will this make Paige the next target?!

So let me give you a little bit about the book. Paige lived in Manchester all her life until the unthinkable happened, her grandparents passed away. Months before she had taken time off school to help with looking after her grandmother, so leaving behind England wasn’t as hard as she thought when she had become distanced from her own life for so long. So they moved to small town Shorehaven, USA where her dad is from. But Shorehaven has a lot of unsolved murders and disappearances especially in the house they have bought, it has a sinister history. Decades later not their return ‘Hello Paige’ letters are suddenly for her, enticing her to reveal the truth. The true-crime nerd within her is curious not too. With the help of her new friends, Carter and Madison, they try to uncover the towns deepest and darkest secrets whilst also learning the lingo and fitting in.

02/01/2024 – I’ve read a good chunk of this book today and every single chapter has a final line that honestly sends shivers down you. It’s enticing you in, it’s feeding off the curiosity of the reader to read on. Heart racing, chills – urgh I just freaking love it. Could this be my favourite of Cynthia’s? Time will tell.

05/01/2024 – I have finished the book. Wow those last 100 pages had you flipping. I could not tell who it was and the way Cynthia very sneakily leads you on or diverts your attention to someone else and BAM! I’m your murderer that you didn’t see coming.

I loved the romance between Paige and Carter, something bittersweet that was woven and entangled amongst the grittiness of the thrills. But boy did I have some doubts in the beginning about Carter. As I said before, Cynthia has a craftiness to her writing that just completely messes with your living soul. Oh boy. It brings feelings, and chills that gets your heart racing – desperate to know who did it. I love it.

I loved the inclusivity of all the characters. It goes without saying that my favourite were the twins, Madison and Carter. Whilst they started off a bit creepy in their first appearance, imagine almost like a Teen version in The Shining where they just appeared. But that din’t last long before I just loved them. Each of so down to earth characters, their support for one another especially with Carter going through Cancer. With that brought about his strength to overcome and not be defined by what he has. I think his friendship with Paige really shined through. Each of them are so loveable and they each bring something to the book. Madison and Carter’s mums also know as The Moms – Mum and Mama, loved that, brought so much banter to the book, and slight comedy to the book. What I also I loved the dilemma of a british girl living in small town america for the first time and getting the lingo.

Signed Sealed Dead is an ode to my favourite horror movies, Scream. You can feel the atmosphere of the movies in the books. The classic small town horror, and the nod to the nostalgic 90s vibes. with thrilling, sensational twists, the leaving the reader me completely wide-eyed and wanting to know more. One of the best small town murder books I’ve read. For the last 2 years I have read a book by Cynthia Murphy, The Midnight Game last year and this year Signed Sealed Dead and both have been 5 star reads. Way to kick off my reading year. Cynthia can you do the same next year please too. 

Thank you to Scholastic to sending me a copy in exchange for a well.