Wow, this book was fantastic! A fast read that had twist after twist. And an ending that just 🤯🤯🤯 another thriller that kept me up way too late because I had to know.

Bella’s best friend Vicky was murdered when she was just 10 years old, the killer never found. Now Bella is returning to her childhood home and finds a notebook of her mother’s writing while cleaning the house out. The front of the book reads Burn This.. but inside is the start of the story of Vicky’s death. The ending is missing. Bella sets out to find out once and for all who murdered her friend.

Bella was quite frustrating at times, rushing in and getting herself into trouble with her questions and actions. It is a story of family secrets and drama and I loved it!!

Thanks so much to Canelo for another fabulous thriller. Pub on July 24th and definitely worth a read.

I loved the premise but didnt enjoy the actual book as much as id have hoped. The characters were a let down for me, they didnt really interest me or feel believable or relateable. Some of the sub plots felt a bit half hearted and not really developed or explored, just skirted over to get to the conclusion. It was quite a quick read though and I did stick with it hoping for an improvement as we got on with the book but it never really clicked for me.

Kept my interest, it’s a fine book overall. The main character is kinda annoying I dunno if it’s an English thing or what but she makes such a big deal about going to a bar and really acts like a married woman in her 70s when she’s only just turned 40 it kept making me roll my eyes and she just went the wrong way about things but you don’t need to like the main character to enjoy a book obviously. Overall it’s grand

Got this book early but not paid for review

The premise of a daughter finding a journal from her mother that said, "burn this," is a good one. However, there were a few things about the writing that didn't keep me connected to the story.

There were too many mundane details or pages where the plot didn't move forward with regards to the mystery.

I thought the main character was okay, but everything was on the surface - if that makes sense. I couldn't really get too invested in her and she became whiny when pursuing the case.

The last quarter of the book was building up to answering our questions, but that ending - ahhhh, I just don't know. It was very abrupt when - here - there should have been more details. She made the decision and boom, we were done.

Thank you NetGalley and Canelo for an e-copy of BURN THIS to review.

I rate BURN THIS three out of five stars.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out this month. Yeah pretty decent as thrillers go! Was the ending completely unexpected? No but some twists were. The mc was the queen of jumping to conclusions though.

Bella finds a note written by her late mother - loved the premise and I loved the themes and ideas I just felt it was a bit rushed and I wanted more about Bella and her relationships with her brother and family

This book was so good!! I loved the suspense and it kept me reading and interested in what would happen!! A suspense filled book for your summer beach read!

I was excited to read this for the unique premise (after I got the plot straight in my head). It's a quick read because it's very plot-driven and there is little to no characterization or setting establishment. The main character is very one-dimensional (besides selfish and self-absorbed) and the narrative is more telling than showing. Basically I was racing through the text of names of family relatives to find out who the killer was. It was a surprise, but the MC's enabler, cowardly actions were so disappointing at the end it turned me off to the book. It lowered the rating from a 4 to a 3. I recommend a more noble ending if you want a higher rating from reviewers on Goodreads.
Thanks for the digital review copy.

Finding a diary full of poetry and secrets....isn't that something we all dream of doing?

Bella Wilkins is sorting through her mother's things and finds a diary with "BURN THIS" on the cover. As a normal person, Bella opens the book and starts reading. She uncovers a terrible secret, one that has haunted Bella for most of her life.


The premise of this book is fantastic, but it started to be a little Flowers in the Attic to me somehow. There were so many characters that they all started to blend, but still the end,.....the satisfying end is exactly what I wanted.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

When she is ten, Bella’s best friend is murdered. Bella blames herself, because she should have been the one to go into the woods that day. After Vicky’s body is discovered, life changes for Bella. As soon as she is able she leaves her home town. She doesn’t go back until her brother, Frank, asks for her help in selling their parents’ home.
When Bella and her daughter head back to her childhood home she starts to receive unusual messages. Her sorting of her parents’ belongings turns up some unusual things. Things which suggest someone knew more about Vicky’s murder than was shared at the time, and things which strongly suggest someone has a motive for keeping this information quiet.
Before we know it the secrets are tumbling out. Few people come out of this well, and I was rather surprised that things ended as they did.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this.

I was captivated from the start. The title, the description, and the plot had a grip on me. I couldn't wait to read this book...and I was not disappointed. Filled with drama, manipulation, and dark secrets, this book is everything you want in a thriller. The author did a good job with character description and they felt relatable. There were some parts that felt a bit slower than other, which is why I gave this 4 stars. However, I highly recommend this read and can't wait to see what else the author creates.

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I enjoyed this book which follows Bella after she finds a mysterious note whilst clearing her parents house. She then begins her quest to find out the meaning behind it.

I'd recommend this book if you enjoy a good who done it.

This book had a really exciting premise which immediately drew me in. Bella is sorting through her dead mother's personal belongings when she comes across a notebook with the words BURN THIS on the cover.

Unable to resist (and who could??), Bella reads through the book which is full of her mum's poetry and other general musings until Bella stumbles across an entry which suggests that Bella's mum witnessed the murder of Bella's childhood best friend, Vicky.

Full of regret over the circumstances of Vicky's death, Bella takes the notebook to the Police who are uninterested - as are her friends and family who dismiss the entry as a fictional account. Bella disagrees and digs deeper and when she starts to receive threatening messages, she knows that someone is determined to keep what happened 30 years ago a secret.

Like I say, this was a brilliant premise and was executed well. There are so many suspects and dodgy characters, you will be changing your mind time and time again throughout this book and whilst I was able to guess the main part of the ending, there were a number of smaller twists and turns which had me gasping.

A really good page turner and thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such an interesting premise and such a promising start. The book doesn’t live up to that, but it’s an easy one-afternoon read. I wish the characters had more depth to them. 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley And Canelo for letting me read an ARC of this book.

Burn This by Sophie McKenzie is a fast-paced, emotionally charged thriller that pulls you in from the very first chapter. Known for her gripping YA and adult suspense novels, McKenzie delivers another addictive read filled with secrets, twists, and high stakes. The characters are raw and real, each dealing with loss, guilt, and the desperate need for truth. Tension builds steadily as the story hurtles toward a fiery, unforgettable climax. McKenzie’s writing is sharp and unflinching, making it impossible to put the book down. Burn This is a must-read for fans of psychological drama with heart and heat.

There were moments whilst reading this that I enjoyed but there were a lot of moments that were not as enjoyable. I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary detail at times. I also did not find Bella to be a very believable character and her relationship with her family was odd. Not to mention some of her behaviour just looked crazy.
This aside, there are dark secrets to uncover and when the action aspect of the plot gets going and secrets start to come out, this does become an intense and enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy.

This mystery of this book really came together nicely in the end! Suspenseful enough to keep you turning the pages wanting to find out exactly what happened and wanting to get all the details!
Left me with my eyes wide open at the end!
Glad I’m not in that family, but here for the drama as an outside reader!

A gripping and emotionally resonant thriller about what we forget, what we bury, and what we owe the people we’ve lost. When Bella returns home after her mother’s death, she finds clues that her mom may have known who killed Bella’s best friend thirty years ago. What follows is a smart, twist-filled mystery where the characters are just as compelling as the plot. Thoughtful, suspenseful, and hard to put down, this is one of those thrillers that lingers. Perfect if you like Lisa Jewell or Alice Feeney.

Bella is clearing out stuff from her parent’s house after her mother dies. In a box with her name she finds a notebook hidden saying that her mother knows who murdered Bella’s best friend Vicky when they were younger. On the cover of the book it says “BURN THIS”.

This book is a perfect mix of suspense, love and a lot of irritation on my part as there is loads of gaslighting the main character… I really love when a book can bring out real feelings like this. I recommend everyone to read this book when it’s out!

I rated the book 3.75 stars.

Vicky was murdered at the age of 10. Her killer was never found. Years later, Bella, her best friend, has returned to the area. Her mother has recently died, and among her belongings, Bella discovers a journal. Her mother writes that she witnessed the murder and knows who is responsible. The only problem? Her mother’s dead, and the journal she was writing in has pages missing. Bella is determined to uncover the secrets of the past and discover who is to blame.

I enjoyed this book. The plot was well thought out and constructed. The story began quite slowly, but by the middle of the book, I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down. Whilst the ending felt a little rushed, it made complete sense in the plot.

The main character, Bella, made for an intriguing narrator. She has a personal interest in solving the mysteries, which makes her decisions and actions more emotionally driven. At times, I was unsure who to trust, and I think the author has done an excellent job of putting the reader in Bella's shoes. The other characters were fleshed out and likable.

I did feel like there was less emphasis on the victim, Vicky, because we never really got to know who she was. That meant that the emotional investment was aimed towards Bella and the need for her to find peace.

Overall, this was a well-written book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. If you enjoy Alice Feeney, I think you'll enjoy this one too.