The Spotlight by Nicola Martin

Author : Nicola Martin

Book : The Spotlight

/General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers /

Publication date : June 18, 2026

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Blurb:

Killer tunes.

Kirby Turner is on her last chance. With her previous girlband career dead in the water alongside the band's lead singer, Hailey, she's been drifting for years. But then came the call. Arena tour. Had a last-minute dropout. Want a girl drummer. Feminist thing or something. Would be good for you.

Killer lyrics.

When she finds out who the artist is, it feels like fate. Silver might now be the most famous singer on the planet, but Kirby knows her best as Alice Taffer, her former bandmate. From before Hailey died, and Kirby was blamed, and she slid into the gutter while Alice shot towards the stars.

Killer.

It seems too good to be true that they're reunited now - and as the tour begins, and Kirby is playing in front of fans again for the first time in years, it feels like coming home. But as the music starts to bring back buried memories of that last day with Hailey, she starts to was Hailey's death really her fault? How exactly did Silver rise to the top so fast? And now that Kirby's got everything she ever wanted - what would she do to hold on to it?

My thoughts:

A murder mystery intertwined with the music industry proved to be a very intriguing combination that kept me on my toes throughout. Kirby is in a toxic pop band and her drug abuse isn't helping either... Hayley was planning to go her own separate way until she was found dead. That was five years ago, and now Kirby has a chance to revive her music career, but to do so, she must partner with her former bandmate Alice. The pacing was absolutely perfect, and I loved how social media and publicity influenced the atmosphere and plot, making the mystery even more compelling. I could never have guessed who the murderer was, even though I tried my best, and I was unraveling the clues alongside Kirby every step of the way. Baffled in the best possible way throughout the entire book. It was my first read by this author, but definitely won't be my last.