The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian

Zoe Faust is finally settling down. She's been living out of an RV for years but bought a house in Portland, Oregon. She's hopeful of putting down roots. But that hope is dashed when her contractor dies on her front steps and she makes the mistake of telling the police that it's poison. Of course, they're going to suspect her. At least she had already met the officer before when he came to drag away the young teenager who broke into her house.

All this would be bad enough but it turns out she also has a living gargoyle that she has to deal with. In her centuries of living, she's not had to put up with anything like this. But maybe it's something she can get used to. 

I'm not sure all the bits and bobs of this story hang together particularly well but it was an enjoyable story. 

Three and a half stars

Accidental Alchemist #1

This book came out January 8, 2015

Followed by The Masquerading Magician

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Salt, Sweat & Steam by Brigid Washington

stars

This book comes out April 28, 2026

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

This Weekend Doesn't End Well for Anyone by Catherine Mack

As the narrator even notes, there are a LOT of people in this book. There were nine people that were going to be integral to the story introduced within the first 11% of the book (might have been 10, 11 is just when I looked.) I had to write them all down just to keep track of how each one was related to the narrator. And I've read the other two books in this series. The ending was a bit complicated but the clues were there if you listened.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 28, 2026

The Vacation Mysteries #3

Follows No One Was Supposed to Die at this Wedding

ARC audiobook kindly provided by Minotaur Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin

stars

Castle Knoll Files #3

This book comes out April 28, 2026

Follows by How to Seal Your Own Fate

ARC kindly provided by Dutton and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher, narrator James Marsters

It's about a year after the previous book. Harry has been busier than usual. The ghosts of the city seem to be in a tizzy. And a young woman walks into his office, asking for help. She says she sees visions and that Harry is going to be the reason one outcome occurs versus another. He's been working with Michael, a knight of the Lord. And they'll have to keep working together in order to take down an old enemy who is now walking through their nightmares. 

Three stars

Dresden #3

This book came out September 1, 2001

Follows Fool Moon

Followed by Summer Knight

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie with narrator David Suchet

I get this story and the "Triangle at Rhodes" confused with each other. Both are Poirot on vacation with a glamorous woman, in this book, Arlena Stuart, who ends up dead. Both have a female confidante. The confidante in this one is a famous dressmaker who was the childhood friend of the dead woman's husband. In this story, the dead woman's husband has a daughter. His first wife was accused of murder and acquited. The second wife (the dead woman) was also accused of murder and acquited. However, Arlena was rather stupid and vain. She was also having a rather ill-concealed affair with a gentleman who was also on vacation at the Jolly Roger, Patrick Redfern. 

Three stars
Hercule Poirot #23

This book came out in 1941

Follows One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Followed by Five Little Pigs

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher, narrator James Marsters

 Harry is still under a curse, he's still in Chicago, but he's trying harder to find work since his job with the Chicago police force hasn't been as lucrative since the first book in the series. His friend asks him about a particular rune but it's magic far beyond what she can control so Harry refuses to tell her, which is the right thing. But then he's pulled into a series of murders that look like they were committed by something like a wolf. It's bad enough that the FBI is in town to take the case. 

Three stars

The Dresden Files #2 

This book came out January 9, 2001

Follows Storm Front

Followed by Grave Peril

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own