The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne by Ron Currie Jr.

I can't remember which podcast I heard about this on and, by the time I got it, had forgotten the story. It took me awhile to get into the book. The prelude kicks off the story with a rare instance of the narrator speaking directly to you, the reader. I had to flip through and make sure the rest of the book did not continue in that vein because that is one of my least favorite conceits for a story. However, I kept going and was drawn into the world of Babs Dionne and her daughters Lori and Sis. The book mainly focuses on Lori and Babs thought we get a rich tapestry of secondary characters as well. 

This is a lovely glimpse of so many towns in the rural United States. Once vibrant but depending on one main industry which, when it collapses, takes the town down with it. When that happens, drugs often move in. Babs has become the leader of the town in many ways. Is she a good person? Objectively not. Is she doing the best she can to save the people she loves? Yes. 

Four stars

This book came out March 25, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own 

The Botanist's Assistant by Peggy Townsend

Margaret Finch is described in the book as tall and big-boned. Several times. There are also a number of references to her nickname, Big Bird. So, a bit of an oddity. And her personality only helps to set her apart. Her life is ruled by routines with the same outfits on the same day of every week, getting to work on time, etc. She also has a rigid sense of rules and will follow them, even to the point of her own detriment. 

Her entire world is shattered when she finds her boss dead. When thinking back over the scene, she becomes convinced that he was murdered. But, having no friends and few people who even like her, no one wants to listen to what she has to say. 

This was a short book with a lot of beats that repeat, but was overall an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 18, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Last Lady B by Eloisa James

Every girl dreams of marrying well, especially in the early 1800s. Not every girl would want to marry a man who is seventy years old, older than her father. But not every girl has a sister who also needs to marry and, while both are pretty enough and have a good lineage, their family cannot provide them with a dowry. And Genevieve would like to at least give her sister a chance at love. So she marries Lord Burnsby. And seven months later, she is visiting his hunting lodge in the Highlands. She will meet his heir and the heir's wife. She does not expect Lord Godric, boyhood friend of the heir, nor Lord Burnsby's seemingly mad illegitimate sister, and his daughter. Genevieve certainly doesn't expect to meet Sophonisba, Lord Burnsby's mistress of thirty years. And she certainly doesn't expect to find her own voice and start speaking up. Nor to find love while she's still married.

A Gothic novel in the best sense. I couldn't get past our heroine falling in love while still married but I enjoyed the ghosts, the drama, and, of course, the compulsory madwoman in the attic (although Mima is allowed to roam freely in this book.)

Four stars

This book comes out May 12, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Gallery Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Death Masks by Jim Butcher with James Marsters (Narrator)

The war between the Red Court and the Council is raging. There is a possible end in sight if Harry will agree to battle mano-a-mano with the vampire's champion. But he still has to make a buck so when a priest from the Vatican is referred to him, Harry is interested. He's shocked to learn that the item that the priest is searching for is the Shroud of Turin. And if those aren't enough, he's pulled into the investigation of a headless, handless corpse. Then, there's the fact that Susan, his ex(?)-girlfriend is back in town.

There was SO MUCH going on in this book. It took me awhile to get into it and I wish we could have seen more of the "problem of the week" that was in this book but there was a lot of time spent on the overarching stories. 

Three stars

Dresden Files #5

This book came out September 3, 2002

Follows Summer Knight

Followed by Blood Rites

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery

Steven Pike has just left jail. He only has enough money to get to Tithe Hall. Well, to the railway station. He barely makes it to the hall. There's only one problem; no one is expecting him. But the butler quickly pivots and adds him to the crew. They'll need the help. Something big is happening and SOMEONE needs to watch seventy-nine-year-old Miss Decima. She's scared off most of her previous ladies maids. Like The Nanny, he's there so he's pulled into the madness. The viscount is having everyone seal up their rooms so that the catastrophes that Halley's Comet is going to cause (as reported by papers of the time) will be mitigated. But when everyone wakes up the next morning, someone is dead. As the newcomer, one who just got out of jail, Steven is going to have to launcch his own investigation to clear his name.

Four stars

Stockingham & Pike #1

This book came out October 30, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk, Allyson Morgan (Narrator)

The comparisons to an Agatha Christie novel are glaring. It starts with the narrators name, the title that is so close to the 4:50 to Paddington, and a snow storm that stops a train. 

 The narrator had a plan. Well, a couple of plans. Her husband has bought her a ticket to a train that has no cell service. She can ride it to Montrea  and then come home. Plenty of time for Agatha to write the five thousand words needed to follow up her best selling novel. She's going to use it for a different plan that the reader (listener) wont know for most of the book. Agatha purposely chose a seat that wasn't near anyone else. So she's surprised when Finch sits down next to her. He wants her seat and is determined to get it. So, Agatha moves. As she does, she notices that Cyan (sp?), her stalker/ex-something, is also on the train. That  would have been bad enough, but then the train stops. And someone dies.

We go back and forth between the past and the present and see how Agatha got to this place, what her plans really are for the train ride, and why this day is so important for her.

The beginning was a bit slow and the ending didn't make sense with the tone of the rest of the book, but I really enjoyed the middle.

Three stars

This book came out October 28, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Payback by Elizabeth Rose Quinn

The third person point of view bounces around a bit between many of the main characters so every interactioni is shaded by their own knowledge that they may or may not share with the reader. The view we most often see is that of Cami. She is heading to her weekend jail, called Pay to Stay. Rather than serving a full sentence, wealthy offenders can pay $200/night to do their time on the weekends. We find out that she is taking the fall for her boyfriend and he, in turn, is funding her lifestyle, including her nights at the Pay to Stay. 

We also learn more about a woman who is taking the fall for her father who has dementia, one who is a campaign manager, a doctor's wife, one with an emotional support iguana, and a nun. Also in the jail are the guard whose brain we also see (he's someone who craves power and a prisoner who is being transported. One of them ends up dead and the rest are trying to solve the murder.

I enjoyed most of this story and it really felt like "And Then There Were None," but then it went way off the rails and I wasn't expecting that. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out May 5, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own