Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser (Narrator)

Sixteen years ago, a famous artist was killed. Of course, it was the long-suffering wife who had endured any number of affairs. Most recently, he had told her that he was leaving her for his latest model, a young, rich girl. Plus, he was trying to send her sister away to boarding school, the sister she had so grievously wronged as a baby and now tried to do everything for.

Their child was sent to Canada. She's now about to get married, but she wants to know whether her mother's letter, proclaiming her innocence, is true or not. No one but Hercule Poirot would be able to solve this case.

Four stars
Hercule Poirot #24
This book came out in 1942
Followed by The Hollow
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

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

Sunday, April 26, 2026

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

Saturday, April 25, 2026

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
ARC audiobook kindly provided by Minotaur Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Friday, April 24, 2026

Thursday, April 16, 2026

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

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

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
Followed by Five Little Pigs
Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla
Opinions are my own