The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully

Olivia Blunt was a fact finder, but when she learned of Merritt, she knew she wanted to work for the woman. The book opens with her on her way to the job interview. While she thinks she has sunk herself, she ends up with the job. It's not what she thinks. For weeks, she just does more fact finding. Until Hayley Summersworth calls. Her mother's death has been deemed a suicidy but she knows that her mother must have been murdered. Now Olivia on her first case at a luxury resort. But she's staying in the employee dorms, avoiding talking to her future mother-in-law about wedding flowers, and potentially missing her fiance's opening night. 

The mystery was interesting but fell flat at the end. The best part of this story was really the character development. 

Three stars

Merritt & Blunt Mysteries #1

Followed by the Forty-Year Grudge

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

August 2026 Rereads

As always, opinions are my own

After the Funeral by Agatha Christie

Three and a half stars

Hercule Poirot #27

Follows Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Followed by Hickory Dickory Dock

This book came out in March 1953

Audiobook from Hoopla

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

Ernest Cunningham #4

Follows Everyone this Christmas Has a Secret

This book came out March 17, 2026

Hard copy from library

Philippa Flynn's Year of Panic and Piracy by Jacqueline Firkins

stars

This book comes out September 1, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley

Opinions are my own

Muriel and the Mystery by Charlotte Parent

How adorable is this cover? It's what really drew me to request this book from NetGalley. 

Muriel is in the woods and comes upon a mystery. Then she sees it again.  Then she discovers it's home. But what she does next is a good lesson for us all. 

I think I may be a bit too pedantic for this book. The reveal of the mystery was confusing. I've discovered that the book was translated from French and wonder whether some of joy was lost in the translation. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out September 1, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Tundra Book Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

While the Patient Slept by Mignon G. Eberhart

Sarah has been sent to a house that she is not already excited about as it is far out of town, meaning it won't be easy to leave during her four hour afternoon break. And the situation gets worse as the taxi taking her out to the house crashes and she meets the Federie family. As it is in many mysteries, the family is past eccentric and into downright strange. The family patriarch has had a stroke and everone is on edge.

There are the youngest generation, March, and Eustace Federie. Then there is the middle generation, Adolph Federie who makes a rude remark to Sarah and his wife Isobel. Three other friends are there, one of Eustace's, Deke Lonergan, one nameed Mittie Frisling, and one of the patriarch's, Mr. Dimmuck. Two servants make up the rest of the cast: the butler, Grondal, and the cook, Kema. 

On the first night, there are a quick succession of people who come to Sarah, asking her to alert them first when what's his face wakes up. But then, the murder happens. Luckily, it is Lance O'Leary, who Sarah already knows, who has come to help solve the crime. Too bad his presence isn't enough to prevent another murder. 

The story ends up being very convoluted and there is a strange amount of detail about March. 

Three stars

Sarah Keate #2

Follows The Patient in Room 18

Followed by The Mystery of Hunting's End

This book is being reissued February 3, 2026

ARC kindly provided by Penzler Publisher and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Once Upon a Thriller by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Jorjeana Marie

Nancy, Bess, and George are on a "camping" trip, staying in a cabin. They get to the location, take a quicky hike around the lake, then decide to visit the nearby town. Once there, they discover that the local bookstore, Paige's Pages has burned down. Outside are a number of fans who had been getting ready for a book signing by a reclusive author who only ever signs books at that particular store. 

That's not the only odd thing to happen in town and many of the strange happenings seem to mirror the plot of the author's first book.

An interesting story that is fluffier than the others so far in this series but it is aimed at the middle grade so that is something to consider.   

Four stars

Nancy Drew Diaries #4

Follows Mystery of the Midnight Rider

Followed by Sabotage at Willow Woods

This book came out May 7, 2013

Opinions are my own

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene, narrator: Laura Linney

I didn't remember this book from reading it before. It's nice to find new titles even in a series I thought I had completed. Granted, this is a children's series, but there was a lot of coincidence and some fairly unbelievable aspects to this story. It was certainly interesting to think of Nancy in scuba gear. 

She's helping her friend Emily who is having some problems while converting a family house to an inn. She is also engaged to be married. There are any number of things going wrong including her jewelry inheritance being stolen from a room that a whole group is in.

There is also a sub-but-related-plot of someone impersonating Nancy.  

Three and a half stars

Nancy Drew #4

Follows The Bungalow Mystery

Followed by The Secret of Shadow Ranch

This book came out in 1930