Monday, August 10, 2026

Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah, Amy Melissa Bentley (Narrator)

I heard about this book from The Cozy Mystery Bookclub. They were so enjoying the story that I decided to pick it up before I heard the ending. I'm glad I read it first but I was a little disappointed in who the murderer ended up being, it didn't feel fairly clued. 
There are definitely some beats which don't read quite cozy. I know that it generally means murder happens off-page but there was also a little more "on page" in this romance than you usual see. 

Three stars
Beacon Bakeshop #1
This book came out February 23, 2021
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Sunday, August 9, 2026

The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot

Dr. Francesca "Frankie" Giovanni loves living in her small town. She doesn't love summer people (tourists) and she really doesn't like the owner of the house next door, Ash Merit. He bought it from a lovely couple and now it's an AirBnB with Really. Annoying. People. The latest one is asking Franki if she can get rid of the ghost that's in her house. All of the woman's food has been taken, but it obviously wasn't a regular burglary. The Summer Person does leave and Ash comes to town. He's there for two reasons. One to see what is going on in the house and two to find a lost girl for his boss, the one he bought the house for. See, even though Ash has a real job that doesn't really play into this story at all, he's also really, really good at finding things. And this particular girl is just one in a series of missing girls that may actually be linked to the events of the previous book.
It took me a while to get into this book and I'm not sure the third narrator was needed but it was a nice follow up to the first in the series.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out August 11, 2026
Witches of West Harbor #2
ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager
Opinions are my own

Saturday, August 8, 2026

Spy x Family, Vol. 14 by Tatsuya Endo, (translator) Casey Loe

Anya earns both a Stella and a Tonitrus Bolt in her end-of-year exams. Loid decides to ignore the bolt for now and celebrate the Stella by taking a skiing trip. While there, they are involved in a locked room mystery when one of the other occupants of the chalet is almost murdered. I wish that story had been longer but there is a limit to how many strips are in a chapter.
There is also the story of Anya's school having a dance. She tries to get close to the younger Desmond but he is not interested (aka he runs away.)
Finally, we get the story of Henry Henderson, the school's headmaster. It seems he had a past with Becky's chauffer/minder, Martha.

Four stars
Follows Vol. 13
Followed by Vol. 15
This book came out September 4, 2024
Borrowed as hard copy from library
Opinions are my own

Friday, August 7, 2026

Read Your Mind by Oz Pearlman

I hadn't heard of this author before, just enjoy reading books about how to be successful. Coming from a mentalist, it makes sense that most of the habits have to do with working with people. Nothing really ground breaking but an interesting way to experience them, through various tricks that he used in both his magic and mentalist shows. I love hearing about memory tricks, but they don't work for everyone. He trains people on the alphabet backward using a storyline and pnemonic but assumes that people will remember that particular device. 

Three and a half stars
This book came out October 30, 2025
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own 

Monday, August 3, 2026

Spy x Family, Vol. 12 by Tatsuya Endo, translator Casey Loe

Our favorite family is dealing with a world post-Anya's class being kidnapped. Anya has to go back to schoole while Yor and Lloid go back to work. Yor's coworkers are skeptical when she refuses to speak ill of her husband so she creates problems that don't really exist. Meanwhile, Lloid is also dealing with her brother Yuri as both sides race to get to super spy Winston Wheeler before the other. 


Four stars
Follows Vol. 11
Followed by Vol. 13
This book came out October 4, 2023
Borrowed as hard copy from library
Opinions are my own

Sunday, August 2, 2026

Harvest Season by Brynne Weaver

Nolan and Harper are back again. Less killing in this book but they are still having to deal with all of the deaths in the first book. The true crime group who lost two members in the first book are in town trying to figure out what happened to their friends. There was also a big reveal at the end of the last book that is having consequences in this book. Consequences that leave Nolan and Harper at odds at the end of this book.

Three and a half stars
Seasons of Carnage Trilogy #2
Follows by Tourist Season
This book came out June 9, 2026
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Saturday, August 1, 2026

Probable Caws by Donna Andrews

The book is off to a galloping (pun, har) start when Meg gets a phone call from her father. A local horse rescue has been pushed off their land and are being moved to Ragnar's property. All hands are needed. 
There are a few prickly characters in this book including Abel, the man whose land the horses were on, his brother George, who thinks he inherited half the property and wants the horses off, and Helen, the woman who runs the Hoof and Hearth nonprofit. There is a death but it was not anyone I expected at first. 
A lot of our favorite returning characters are away for this book which was fine. The mystery was a bit thin and the solution a bit improbable but I still enjoyed the reading. 

Four stars
Meg Langslow #39
Followed by Jay to the World
ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss