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KINDIG GEMS OF 2025 - Part 1

  • Writer: Kindig
    Kindig
  • 15 minutes ago
  • 5 min read
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KINDIG GEMS OF 2025

PART 1


2025 has been a great year for new book releases! I have found some GEMS this year, so lets explore them together:


THE GARDEN

NICK NEWMAN


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In a place and time unknown, two elderly sisters live in a walled garden, secluded from the outside world. For as long as they can remember, Evelyn and Lily have only had each other. What was before the garden, they have forgotten; what lies beyond it, they do not know.


Each day is spent in languid service to their home: tending the bees, planting the crops, and dutifully following the instructions of the almanac written by their mother. So, when a nameless boy is found hiding in the boarded house at the centre of this new Eden, the reality of their existence is irrevocably shattered. Who is he? And where did he come from?




Kindig says: 'I absolutely adored this book; it slowly creeps in and grips you from the inside out. It really is one of those books I don’t want to give too much away whilst writing my review and just urge you to read it and see what I mean. Thank you to Random House UK & Transworld Publishers – Doubleday for the ARC'



BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG

KYLIE LEE BAKER


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Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and suicides in Chinatown. But none of that seems so terrible when she’s already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister, Delilah, being pushed in front of a train.


Before fleeing the scene, the murderer shouted two words: bat eater.


So the bloody messes don’t really bother Cora—she’s more bothered by the germs on the subway railing, the bare hands of a stranger, the hidden viruses in every corner, and the bite marks on her coffee table. Of course, ever since Delilah was killed in front of her, Cora can’t be sure what's real and what’s in her head.


She pushes away all feelings and ignores the advice of her aunt to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the gates of hell open. But she can't ignore the dread in her stomach as she keeps finding bat carcasses at crime scenes, or the scary fact that all her recent cleanups have been the bodies of East Asian women.


As Cora will soon learn, you can’t just ignore hungry ghosts.


Kindig says: 'The first thing I noticed when reading this book is how beautiful the prose is, it was simply a joy to read. It’s part horror, part crime thriller - instantly gripping and so well written. Thank you to Harlequin – Mira for the ARC'



THE BOOK OF GUILT

CATHERINE CHIDGEY


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Morning, afternoon, night.


The mothers are always watching.


Vincent, Lawrence and William are the last remaining residents of a secluded New Forest home, part of the government’s Sycamore Scheme. Every day, the triplets dress in their assigned colours; yellow for Vincent, green for Lawrence and red for William. They do their chores, play their games and take their medicine while under the watchful eyes of three mothers: Mother Morning, Mother Afternoon and Mother Night. 


Their nightmares are recorded in The Book of Dreams.

Their lessons are taken from The Book of Knowledge.

And their sins are reported in The Book of Guilt.


All the boys want is to be sent to the Big House in Margate, where they imagine a life of sun, sea and fairground rides. But, as the government looks to shut down the Sycamore Homes, the triplets begin to question everything they have been told.


Kindig says: 'The writing of The Book of Guilt is in my favourite type of style, where everything is slowly drip-fed to the reader. The Book of Guilt is speculative fiction at its finest and kept me hooked throughout. Thank you to John Murray Press for the ARC.'



ONE YELLOW EYE

LEIGH RADFORD


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Kesta’s husband Tim was the last person to be bitten in a zombie pandemic. The country is now in a period of respite, the government seemingly having rounded up and disposed of all the infected.


But Kesta has a secret . . .


Tim may have been bitten, but he’s not quite dead yet. In fact, he’s tied to a bed in her spare room. And she’s made him a promise: find a cure, bring him back.


A scientist by day, Kesta juggles intensive work under the microscope alongside Tim’s care, slipping him stolen drugs to keep him docile, knowing she is hiding the only zombie left. But Kesta is running out of drugs – and time. Can she save her husband before he is discovered? Or worse . . . will they trigger another outbreak?


Kindig says: 'One Yellow Eye is not a fast-paced zombie horror - it’s a poignant story of grief and the inability to let go of those you love and the consequences of that in a dystopian setting. Gripping and sad and highly recommended. Thank you to Tor Books UK and Tor Nightfire for the ARC.'



WATCHING YOU

HELEN FIELDS


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On the dark streets of Edinburgh, a killer is waiting.


When a body is found, it is only the beginning. Soon there will be seven more.


In the city’s hospital, renowned surgeon Beth Waterfall is grieving.


Her beloved only daughter fell prey to a vicious stalker a year previously – and now he’s coming for her too.


Edinburgh’s police are desperate.


After one body comes another, and then another. The brutal deaths are all seemingly unconnected, yet DS Lively and forensic profiler Dr Connie Woolwine know they are dealing with a serial killer – they just need to prove it.


But time is running out, and Beth Waterfall already looks set to be the next victim…


Kindig says: 'One thing that I love about Helen Fields’ writing is that she really puts you in the shoes of her characters and makes you empathise with them. Watching You is another brilliant and twisty read from Helen Fields. Thank you to Avon Books UK for the ARC.'




Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers and the authors for allowing me to read their ARCs. Tune in next time for Part Two of my Kindig Gems of 2025 & keep checking Kindig Blog for all the news on latest releases and upcoming bestsellers!

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