The Phantom of Nantucket Carolyn Keene, narrator: Jorjeana Marie

Nancy, Bess, and George are off on another adventure. Bess has a friend, Jenna, on Nantucket who is about to unveil a new museum exhibit that is going to solve the mystery of a ship that sank over a hundred years ago. But someone seems determined to sink the exhibit before it is opened. First, a banner for the exhibit is painted with the word "Liar" in red. Then, a key piece of the exhibit disappears from the museum. The curator is reluctant to call the police but, upon hearing that Nancy is an amateur detective, agrees to let her work on the case. 

This is somewhat interesting that, in the original series, Nancy had quite a few head injuries. This time it's George who gets bonked. 

Three
stars

Nancy Drew Diaries #7

Follows Secret at Mystic Lake

Followed by The Magician's Secret

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

How To Find A Nameless Fae by A.J. Lancaster

What is a princess supposed to do when she's turned forty-one and the curse that she was born with never comes to fruition? Giselle's mother failed to guess a fae's name and he was supposed to come fetch her in return. But that hasn't happened. And Giselle has lived her whole life with no one wanting to get close to her because she's just going to leave. So, she's going to strike out and write her own story, heading into the fairy realm to find the being who has prevented her from living her life.

It turns out, the fae has lost something as well. And the two are now inextricably linked. The more time she spends with the fae, the less Giselle is convinced she's like to leave.
There were parts that you can't think too hard about but an overall charming story.

Four stars

This book came out June 26, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Do You See What I See? by Peter Swanson

Nicholas, our first person narrator, had some success with his first novel, a dip after his second, and was not renewed by his publishing company for a third. Marco Tavares, on the other hand, his third book hit the New York Times best seller list and stayed for eighteen months. There's even going to be a major motion picture. 

The problem is with his follow up book. Linda, the agent for both men, summon Nicholas to New York, he's not sure what to expect. It certainly isn't that Linda wants him to go to the Cape for Christmas. It seems like Marco has the idea for his next book. And the book is mostly written. He just needs some help sorting it all out. And that's where Nicholas comes in. He's a bona fide orphan so it's not like he's going elsewhere for Christmas. Of course, he ends up taking the commission or there wouldn't be a story. 

So. Nicholas is going to the Cape for Christmas. Along with Marco, his wife, Maeve, Marco's sister, Cat, and the grandmother who raised them, Louisa. Also there are a best friend that Marco makes fun of, his ex-girlfriend and her husband, and a man who claims Marco stole his idea for the bestselling novel. It is a scene ripe for a murder. Even the characters comment on in it.
In three stories, Nicholas slowly unfolds more and more of the true story. We don't ever really learn what happened, but Swanson gives a satisfying conclusion to a book that says 128 pages in Netgalley but showed 87 in my ereader. It is truly impressive what our author unfolds in this tight of a story and I enjoyed it completely. 

Four and a half stars

This book came out October 6, 2026

ARC kindly provided by William Morrow and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Middlebridge Mysteries 2 by Ken Cuperus, narrator: Anna Cathcart, narrator: Eric McCormack

It's sophomore year for Violet Wilner. She's ready to take on more responsibility in the cold cases that she's been helping work on for Professor Bellowes along with her frenemy, Stewart. And not one, but both of these characters will be mixed up in a mystery. One murder and the other robberies. But the first one hits the closest to home. When a body is unearthed in a building that is being torn down, Violet's mother comes into town because she knew the deceased, as did the new president of Middlebridge University (who we never hear from again.)

These stories were a little light but I enjoyed them for what they were. 

Four stars

Middlebridge Mysteries #2

Follows Middlebridge Mysteries

This book came out August 27, 2026

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner

Arleta Starstone may have the last name of a wizard but she is a human. One of the magicless people of Adenashire. So why has she been invited to the Great Adenashire Bakeoff? Well, it's because her neighbor, a pair of orcs that she considers her stand in fathers after her parents died, sent in one of her baked items. Now there's a wood elf at her door and he wants to take her to the championship. There will be adventures along the way and then once she gets there. Arleta is going to have to grow in ways she doesn't expect in ordder to try and win the money prize. But she may end up with even more than that in the friends she makes along the way. 

Three stars

Adenashire #1

This book came out November 13, 2023

Opinions are my own

Legends & Lattes: The Graphic Novel by Travis Baldree, adapter: Samuel Sattin, illustrator: Shanti Rittgers, illustrator: Sarah Webb

I read this as an all-words book and was left with a smile on my face. When I saw this book, I wondered how well the story would lend itself to a slightly different interpretation. Had I not read the book first, I think I would have liked this iteration a little bit more. Instead, I found myself missing ther rhythm of Baldree's writing. It's just not quite the same in picture form and I think there are pieces missing that added the whimsy that made me really enjoy the original. However, it was still an enjoyable book and I enjoyed the artwork immensely. 

Viv is an orc who is tired of fighting. Her long-term goal has finally come to fruition and after her last battle, she takes off. In Thune, she's going to open a coffee shop. The fact that no one in Thune knows what coffee is isn't going to stop her. 

She immediately finds the owner of a specific shop and then a Hob named Cal to help her build. As the building goes up and gets finalized, she meets more and more people like the succubus who will help her run the place and a small mouse to provide baked goods. Like life, there will be some ups and downs but this story will end with an HEA. 

Three and a half stars

Legends & Lattes #1

This book comes out October 6, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Murder for Miss Hortense by Mel Pennant

Decades ago, Hortense and eleven other people were part of a Pardner. Sometimes called a lottery, it is people putting money in together and each person benefitting at some point. This particular Pardner grew even larger and they started using money to benefit their community at well. Then they started dipping into protecting their community and investigating crimes. At some point, Miss Hortense was thrown out of the Pardner. 

Now, there are few people remaining who were part of that original group. And quite a few of the remaining members are dropping dead. But why? 

This was an interesting story, but it took me some time to get into the cadence and then I lost track of some of the characters. 

Three and a half stars

Miss Hortense #1

Followed by Miss Hortense and the Last Rites

This book came out June 10, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own