Monthly Rereads October 2025

Opinions are my own

Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

Four stars

This book came out July 30, 2024

Roman’s Chronicles, #1

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Murder at the Mousetrap by Helena Marchmont

Four stars

Bunburry #1
This book comes out September 1
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau, Caitlin Kinnunen (Narrator)

Fourteen-year-old Mary Jane is growing up in 1970s Baltimore. Her family seems "normal" for the time, stay at home, perfectionist mother, emotionally distant working father. But her life is about to be turned upside down when she becomes the nanny for three-year-old Izzy Cone. 
Izzy's parents are nothing like Mary Jane's. They shout, they show public affection, and their house is not organized to within an inch of its life. But there is a lot of love and some famous stars. Dr. Richard Cone is a psychiatrist and has cleared his whole schedule to help Jimmy work on his addictions. Jimmy is married to the electric Sheba who was on a television variety show and has many brothers. 
In a house of chaos, Mary Jane becomes the most stable person. As she tries to bring order into the swirling emotions of the people in the Cone house, she learns exactly how fallible adults can be and starts to see flaws, even in her own family. She also learns that there is no one lifestyle that is going to provide perfection. 
This is very much a book that reflects the values of the time including both casual and fairly blatant racism. Mary Jane is figure out how to navigate feelings that are suddenly bigger than what she is used to. A very familiar feeling for almost anyone who has been a teenager.

Four stars

This book came out May 11, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Witch and Tell by Angela M. Sanders

Josie Way hasn't been enjoying life lately. Her love life is in the dumps and someone is siphoning off her magic. Now, her friend's boyfriend seems to have disappeared and there is a townsperson who has started a crusade against cats. And not just cats in real life, but book cats as well.

There was a lot and yet nothing going on in this book. The pacing of these books seems to be slow, slow, A LOT IS HAPPENING, slow. It can make it reading the books a bit of a slog, sometimes. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 28, 2025

Witch Way Librarians #7

Follows The Witch is Back

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews with Bernadette Dunne (Narrator)

Meg has two cousins getting married the Saturday before Christmas. Not a great day to begin with but their inconsiderate choices don't stop there. They are getting married on the same day at the same location and are feuding about it the whole time. Somehow, Meg's mom has become their de facto wedding planner since they've run everyone else off. The only bright point is that they are having their receptions at the Caerphilly Inn and Ekaterina is able to handle their nonsense.

Robin is only a little less adept at handling them at the church. It's just too bad that the front of the church is closed off at the moment and everyone is having to go through the graveyard. The same graveyard that has only just been re-consecrated after a series of pranks by some local teens. The same graveyard where a body is discovered.A

If you are a regular Langslow reader, you will probably clock both the victim(s) and the perpetrator(s) (trying to obfuscate this a little.) And that just adds to the delight of this book. The mystery is overall a little thinner than normal but a good read.

Four stars

Meg Langslow #38

Follows For Duck's Sake

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

Calling All Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Another Blessings novel and storylines are being advanced. 

Devon July is getting older. As a child, he was treated as a prodigy, a child who could preach as well as an adult. Now, he's having trouble adjusting, hiding behind a wig and a LOT of denial and ego. 

His adopted great, great-grandmother is also having troubles. Her past has come back to haunt her and she's not sure what do do about it. She has promised to lead Devon on a spirit journey but her own turmoil is interfering somewhat.

There are a number of other characters included. I wouldn't start with this book as the stories are really better when read as a series. 

Three stars

This book came out October 28, 2025

Follows A Christmas to Remember

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell

I was really expecting more with a subtitle like "Notes on Modern Irrationality." Really, most of this boiled down to concepts that have been around for... quite awhile. Like "Sunk Cost Fallacy" or the "Recency Illusion." Neither are new in the scope of humankind. 

Montell is a good writer but I wish there had been either a warning that this was more memoir than I was expecting or a deeper dive into some of these concepts. Montell generally defines them but doesn't give the same rigor to these as she had in previous books. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out April 9, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

A Murderous RIde; A Taste of Murder by Helena Marchmont, Nathaniel Parker (Narrator)

 A Murderous Ride

In book one of this series, Alfie went to Bunburry to see the cottage his aunt had left him. He had spent time in the village as a child and being here as an adult was bringing back memories, both good and bad. He decided to stick around not least because he solved a murder with his aunt's friends Liz and Marge. 

We learn that Alfie is not much of a driver; there appears to have been an accident in his past. But he lives in the country and the bus system is... not the best. And his aunt has left him a vintage Jaguar. It is that Jaguar, that ends up on top of a mechanic and lands Alfie straight in the crosshairs of the local sergeant who decides, basically on sight, that Alfie must be the man who murdered him. 

It's up to Alfie and the crew to determine who the real killer was and clear his name.

Three stars
Bunburry #2

This book came out November 1, 2018

Follows Murder at the Mousetrap

Followed by A Taste of Murder

Audiobook from Audible

A Taste of Murder

Vivian has been mentioned in previous books. Her absence from Alfie's life has been a bit murky. In this book, we get more information not only on why she is no longer with Alfie, but also how the two met. But that is wrapped around a murder in the present day. 

A local farmer is murdered. Alfie's friend Betty is suspected of the crime as she had had an arguement with the man about how he treated his animals. 

Three stars

Bunburry #3

This book came out November 1, 2018

Follows 

Followed by Death of a Ladies' Man

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

A Wedding in the Lowcountry by Preslaysa Williams

Trevor and Avila were childhood friends and could have been something more... but weren't. No they're both back in Myrtle Beach. Trevor as a professor at a nearby university, and Avila is there to get her recently deceased mother's house on the market. 

Also with Avila is her daughter, the one with whom she got pregnant after a one night stand and the reason her mother kicked her out of the house. 

I liked that Avila had room to grow but wish had started earlier in the book as she was somewhat annoying before she started to open up. 

Three stars

This book came out February 18, 2025

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

 This is a really interesting book that I hope to have the chance to read again. I highly recommend getting a copy of your own to be able to really dive into Le Cunff's suggestions.

Too much of our life is centered on "productivity" or "career" where we could be working toward happiness. There are a LOT of examples which dilutes the message a little but I overall enjoyed this book. 

Four stars

This book came out March 24, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Find Your Why: A practical leadership book to bring purpose to your team by Simon Sinek, David Mead, Peter Docker

This is a companion book to Sinek's "Start with Why." This book helps you to define and refine your why. It's a long process (estimated needing at least 3 hours for individuals, 4 for teams.) It starts with stories and discovering what themes are in the stories you remember the most, what gives you pride or regret. This is best done with a facilitator and there are notes throughout the book to help them. 

One thing that stuck with me is that people's whys may sound the same on the surface and that's okay. Hows and whats will provide variety to everyone. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 5, 2017

Connect to Start with Why

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Shining #1 The Shining Stephen King , Campbell Scott (Narrator)

I read this most years around Halloween.  Absolutely spooks me every time.

The story of a recovering alcoholic who takes his family up to a secluded mountain hotel where he'll stay as the winter caretaker. However, his five-year-old son, Danny, is special. He has "The Shining," a mystical second-sight that allows him to sense the thoughts of those around him. And it's waking up the hotel....

Four and a half stars

This book came out January 28, 1977

The Shining #1

Followed by Doctor Sleep

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs

What a fun book. 

Asil has been set up on a series of dates. A group of "concerned friends" think he needs companionship so they have put his information on a series of dating apps. He will need to go through all of the dates for his friends to leave him alone. Sounds innocuous enough but somehow, Asil has to deal with any number of baddies on each of the dates. For some of the dates, we get to see the whole thing, others are told to us from the perspective of the date already being over.

Four and a half stars

This book came out October 21, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own
 

Foreboding Foretelling at Ficklehouse Felling by P.J. Fitzsimmons

Anty has been invited to a country house. Specifically, the group is going to be attending a seance. Of course, the practitioner, Professor Smudge, foretells death. Aunt Marge (the sister of the current Ficklehouse owner, Ogden Ficklehouse) is unimpressed. She knows Anty's mother and implores Anty to try and unmask Professor Smudge as a fraud. It seems that she is set to leave the next morning and wants Anty to talk Smudge and, well, bribe him to take back his prediction. It's just too bad that someone dies before the money changes hands. 

There was so much fun in this book. The Boisjoly mysteries are always a romp but I think Fitzsimmons particularly enjoyed writing this book. I listened to this one and the narrator seemed to be having fun as well. 

Four stars

Anty Boisjoly #7

This book came out November 18, 2024

Follows The Case of the Caseof Kilcladdich

Followed by Mystery and Malice Aboard RMS Ballast

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

A Shot in the Dark; A Little Night Murder; London Calling by by Neil Richards, Matthew Costello, Nathaniel Parker (Narrator)

A Shot in the Dark

This is a short book, so a fast read. Nothing in depth but think that, as a whole series, might be quite fun.
Sir Harry Mortimer and his wife, Katherine, have just arrived in England after meeting overseas durinng the Great War. Harry is called away so Kat has to make her way to his family manor by herself. When she finds the dower house, it's all locked up so she's going to find the big house by herself. As she arrives, shots are fired and a man's body falls from a window. But it's the wrong number of shots. What is going on?

Three and a half stars

Mydworth Mysteries #1

This book came out January 31, 2020

Audible book of mine

A Little Night Murder

Kat and Harry are starting to get a little bit of a reputation. First they solved a murder and then they found the silver plate missing from the church. Now, the woman who runs the local Women's V(I don't remember what this stood for) Center has reached out. She has been trying to get a local woman away from the woman's abusive husband. However, that's not why she called Kat. Instead, she would like some help proving that the woman's son did not die accidentally, he was murdered. 

Sid had been a known poacher. And he was shot in an apparent accident. But Sid knew how to handle guns and it seems suspicious that he died in this manor. Add on that he was seeing the daughter of the man on whose land he was poaching and there could be some motive for murder.

The actual motive came a bit out of left field but the fun at this point is learning more about Kat and Harry, each of whom are more than they appear on the surface. 

Three and a half stars

Mydworth Mysteries #2

This book came out September 22, 2019

Audible book of mine

London Calling

Liz Spence is in her early twenties and she dreams of being on stage. She's leaving Mydworth for the bright lights of London, encouraged by a local talent scout. Her parents are worried and her mother reaches out to Kat and Harry for help. So Harry and Kat are off to the big city. Besides, it will give Harry a chance to show Kat his "pied a terre." What they find goes deeper than just a girl's disappearance, but they know how to help. 

It's short and quick with a little danger but not too much. 

Three and a half stars

Mydworth Mysteries #3

This bookc came out November 25, 2019

Audible book of mine

Opinions are my own

Golden Age Christmas Mysteries edited by Otto Penzler

A collection of stories by Otto Penzler, many of which I hadn't read before (and I read a lot of christmas mystery stories.) Most were taken from the Ellery Queen magazine and some have aged better than others; the writing was certainly different at the time many of them were written. Of course, one of them stars the detective himself. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 14, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Penzler Publishers and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Burning Court by John Dickson Carr

I picked this one up because I enjoy John Dickson Carr but I forgot how off the rails the solutions can be. The writing throughout most of the book is smooth and interesting. And it stays interesting but I don't think it's a solution that would be put out today. 

A publisher, Edward Stevens is reading a book on female murderers by a a reclusive author. He is astonished to see a picture that looks startlingly like his wife, down to the bracelet that she wears. But by the time he gets home, the picture is no longer in the manuscript. 

That concern is overshadowed by the fact that he is called because his friend believes that the friend's uncle, Miles Despard, was murdered. Stevens is skeptical because the idea had never been presented before. There WAS the testimony of the housekeeper that there was a woman dressed in old fashioned clothes who seemingly walked through a wall that has been covered up for over two hundred years. She has nothing to gain by saying that  and more evidence starts to mount. What actually happened?

Three stars

This book came out in 1937, reissued November 4, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Penzler Publishers and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Lips Like Sugar by Jess K. Hardy with Stephen Borne (Narrator), Andi Arndt (Narrator)

Cole Sanderson is used to strange women kissing him, he used to be a rock star after all. But he's not expecting the baker who is making his best friend's wedding cake to lay one on him. Nor is he expecting her to ask him to be her pretend boyfriend. 

Mira Harlow is desperate. Her ex is back in town with his perfect wife and she's in town with her son and her mother. So she kisses the next guy who walks in the door. And, the two know that they won't work. Cole is big city, always on the move; Mira is a homebody raising her teenager and helping her mother who is slowly descening into Alzheimers. 

I was frustrated by these characters because I felt like they felt like they were so in a rut of who they thought they were that they took a long time to crawl out of it.

Four stars

This book came out March 28, 2024

Bluebird Basin #2

Follows Come as You Are

Followed by Wish You Were Here

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

You're so Basic by Angela Casella

Danny and Mira are going to be roommates. Danny lives in his friend's apartment. His friend has moved in with his girlfriend so the girlfriend's sister is moving in with Danny. Both think it's going to be an interesting experience because Danny is an introvert who doesn't talk a lot, works from home, and is a morning person while Mira loves to be around people, owns her own bar, and is very much a night owl. 

The two both have previous relationships that have damaged them in their own ways but, when Mira breaks her foot and the two end up spending a lot of time together. 

There is also subplot that I didn't think was really needed about people spying on Danny but that whole point could have been left out as it did nothing to serve the plot. 

Three stars

This book came out 

Follows You're So Bad

Followed by You're so Vain

Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters

Georgie lives in a sleepy village, Buncombe-upon-Woolly. Well, it was a sleepy village. Until all the murders. There have been enough of them that there has been an actual uptick in visitation to said sleepy village (people who she refers to as the "Murder Tourists.")

She's not so sure that the latest death in town isn't one more, Mr. Penbaker. The local doctor, an admirer of Georgie's sister, says it was natural causes but Georgie isn't so sure. So she writes to the famous detective, Delacey Fitzgibbons. But he does not come. Instead, he sends his assistant, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford. And what use is that supposed to be to Georgie?
Her opinion does not improve upon meeting the man himself. He is far too handsome and well-dressed to be of any use. 

There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek winks to the reader in this book and I quite enjoyed them. Things like the murder tourists, Georgie noting that she did not enjoy romance in her mysteries

Four stars
This book came out October 14, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Fatal Descent by John Rhode and Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr)

Dr. Horatio Glass is visiting the office of an eccentric publisher. He is friends with the fiance of Mr. Tallant's niece who also works for the company, Temple Publishing. It is in Mr. Tallant's private elevator that he is killed, in between floors . He was not a very nice person (though he didn't seem particularly evil from what little we saw of him.) But the why isn't nearly as mysterious as the how. How could he have been shot in an elevator having been closed in alone just moments before?

I think this was probably a fair play mystery, but I don't know enough about said clues to be able to say. Certainly a product of its time but not as bad as it could have aged. 

Three stars

This book came out in 1939

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Cher: The Memoir, Part One by Cher, Stephanie J. Block (Narrator)

There are very few people who are mononyms and Cher is possibly the most famous. She has had hits that span multiple decades, had a hit TV show, and won an Oscar for her movies. This book covers a bit of her grandmother's story, some of her mother's, and then into her own birth. 

She had a peripatetic childhood, moving with her  mother as she married and divorced and married and divorced... quite a number of times. At one point, Cher was even left in an orphanage for months after her father ghosted the family.

Her story is fascinating and she is an incredibly strong woman to have made her way through so many hardships in life. I'm looking forward to Part Two. 

Four stars

This book came out November 19, 2024

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Smart Brevity by Roy Schwartz, Jim Vandehei, Mike Allen

Write less, get more readers. Basically the theme of this book. And it's true. I especially liked the admonition to never have more than 20 words on a PowerPoint slide. My organization tends to present with walls of text that are thoroughly unhelpful. I also liked the info on how to run a short and effective meeting. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 20, 2022

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

What a lovely story written in the Gothic tradition. 

Set in 1905, Zebedee "Zeb" Wyckham has been invited for a family reunion at his  cousin Wynn's house. He wasn't particularly excited to go (his immediate family is pretty horrible and he only barely remembers Wynn), but Wynn managed to talk him into it. 

He is startled to see that the house is in the middle of the moors and is basically a monstrosity. Inside the house is Wynn, Zeb's brother Bram and his wife Elise, dissolute cousin Hawley, and another, more distant cousin, Colonel Dash. Also in the house? His former boss (and lover), Gideon. Oh, and a young cousin, Jessamine, to whom Wynn will leave all of the family money, but only if she marries one of the family members.  

With writing on the walls, ghostly presences, and an atmosphere made even more eerie by gas lamps, this was a spooky (but not scary) book that I could barely put down.

Four stars

This book comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Perfect Crime Party edited by Kel McDonald

 I really liked the cover photo and liked the description of this book. I did, however, only read the first two paragraphs and missed the fact that this is not only a collection of stories, but a collection of various authors. So, that threw me off for a little part of this volume. 

stars

This book came out July 8, 2025

ARC kindly proided by Consortium Books and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards

Six people have been invited to Midwinter to solve a mystery. There's a lot going on in this story including puzzles that the readers can solve themselves. I haven't ever read anything by Edwards (I've read many of the books he's edited), but I wonder if all of his books are written like fair play classic age golden mysteries set today. This book very much felt that way up to and including the end where all of the clues were laid bare to the reader to see how much you picked up on. 

Though this book goes through a few different first-person "journals" (not really journal entries but it sort of makes sense within the context of the story), the one we see the most is Harry Crystal, a mid- to low-tier mystery writer who, even with thirty-two books, is quickly sliding into irrelevancy. And that was hastened by the influencer with whom he arrives to Midwinter. All told, there are going to be six guests this Christmas. There are also four board members going to be present as well as some staff. Quite an interesting Christmas is stacking up to be had and then the first body appears... what does this have to do with what happened five years ago?

Four and a half stars

This book comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Don't Be Yourself Why Authenticity Is Overrated (and What to Do Instead) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

I've always thought that the admonition to "just be yourself" doesn't make sense in the workplace context. Chamorro-Premuzic agrees whole-heartedly. There are definitely some... interesting examples given in this book. 

And a lot of these examples do make sense. How showing up authentically as a leader is a proof of privilege or how authenticity can be lost if a diversity program is not set up correctly. The author also tells us about the four authenticity traps and how to avoid them. 

Overall, the end of the story is not to be inauthentic but to show up as your best self. That may mean faking it some days. He argues that focusing on emotional intelligence will help you more and that if you learn to understand your coworkers, it will create a better work environment. 

Three stars

This book comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache

Olivia has hated her in-laws pretty much since she met them. Uber rich and obnoxious, she's not sure why her husband, Miles, turned out to be an amazing man. Luckily, they're about to move with their two children to Australia, so this will be the last Christmas they have to spend at Weiss Manor. No more little asides, no more having to dress for dinner, no more having to play pleasant families.

Almost everyone will be there, Miles's mother and father, his aunt, uncle, and grandmother, as well as his brother's family. It's a large crew and everyone will be looking down their noses at Olivia's family. Except for the one cousin who's not coming because he is in jail. 

The whole story is told from Olivia's point of view as she navigates the holiday season, this year made all the more treacherous as the bodies start piling up. In the end, very few people will make it out alive. Luckily, the dog survives.

This was one of those books that took me awhile to get into. I had to get to about a third of the way through before I really started to hop on board for the ride. If I had understood more about Bache's humor, I might have been on board  sooner. I did enjoy the twist at the end. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 14, 2025

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins UK and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

If the Broom Fits by Sara Bourgeois

Brighton Longfield is not having a great time of it. She is divorced, recently fired, and her car just broke down. Luckily, it fires back up and she's able to make it into Coventry towing her U-Haul behind. Her new home, the one she inherited from her great aunt Maude "Mad" Tuttlesmith, is known as Hangman's House which is spooky enough but it doesn't look like it's even inhabitable so she stays at the local B&B. There, she meets a professor of the paranormal. He's a jerk to her. Later, Brighton learns he's definitely not endearing himself around town either. Too bad she's the one to discover him dead behind the local diner. 

She's not really a murder suspect but she has bigger things to deal with as she discovers that she's a witch and her family was pushed out of Coventry by the Skeenbauers, another local family of witches.

This is a shorter book so there are plot points that are rather abrupt but it was overall a nice read.

Three stars

This book came out March 17, 2019

Wicked Witches of Coventry #1

Followed by Doom and Broom

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

Feint of Art by Hailey Lind

Annie Kincaid knows fake paintings. She grew up with a forger and may or may not have dabbled herself. These days, she's just trying to keep her faux finishing business afloat even as her new landlord is raising the rent prices. 
An ex reaches out and Annie agrees to go back to the museum she was fired from. The ex wants her to verify the authenticity of a newly acquired Caravaggio. It is definitely not an original. In fact, she recognizes the style. When the janitor who was also there at their midnight meeting turns up dead, Annie comes under the focus of the police. She decides to clear her own name. 

It took me a LONG time to get into this book. Definitely not a recent book; it isn’t aging well. Too many people to keep track of, most of whom aren't integraly to the story. 

Three stars

This book came out September 3, 2006

Annie Kincaid Mystery #1

Followed by Shooting Gallery

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer by Dorothy Gilman, Barbara Rosenblat (Narrator)

In a first, many characters return from the previous book. These include Kadi Hopkirk who was introduced to us as she hid is Mrs. Pollifax's closet and her friend Sammy who is going to be the next leader of an African country. Kadi has been staying in touch, and is especially bonded with Mrs. Pollifax's husband, Cyrus. But it's Mrs. Pollifax she turns to when Sammy sends her a message saying that he needs her help.

When Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax get to Africa, they will need to keep all of their wits about them as rumors swirl that Sammy is a sorcerer. Seeming to back it up are a number of murders that appear to have been perpetrated by a lion, but Mrs. Pollifax is suspicious. 

Three stars

This book came out in 1995

Mrs. Pollifax #12

Follows Mrs. Pollifax Pursued

Followed by Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason Narrated by Jacqueline King; Jonathan Case; Ayesha Antoine; Barnaby Edwards; Angus King; Anna Acton; Roy McMillan

Midge McGowan has spent her life in the property office. It may technically be a civilian position and she may have originally hoped to do more in police, but she has mostly enjoyed her work. She is plainspoken and admits she's overweight. We even get a description of her gouty knee. 

It's her last day of work as she is retiring. Even her... friend (she knows that times have changed; it's probably okay to admit their relationship but... it's been a long time) is at the party. And the party is underwhelming, to say the least. At least she gets a retirement present. It's "a haunted Christmas weekend" at Atherton Hall (locally known as the Tin House.) 

Midge doesn't like to travel and doesn't like people and seems to have a history with the owner of the Haunted Christmas, John "Jack" Rendell (sp?). Bridie, who is undergoing cancer treatments, is insistent that Midge go. She seems to have a habit of telling Midge what to do. 

It seems Midge will be traveling with 4 others, Noah (a podcaster who explores the supernatural), Ronna (no longer Ronna Rx), and a married couple, Dr. and Mrs. Morris. There is also a driver, Harold in addition to owner Jack.

On the way to the Tin House, there is a snowstorm (locked room mystery?). The group starts to get to know each other and learn even more as they settle into their rooms, and start to have dinner. Then, the first body appears. Now they are set up in the house with a killer. 

The narrator is fabulous. I really don't think I would have enjoyed the book half so much reading it. There are extracts from Noah's podcast which make a fun addition. The mystery was fairly clued even if I didn't think it was entirely plausible. 

Four and a half stars

This edition comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Harper Audio Adult

Opinions are my own

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan

Did this book have a lot of depth? No. Were ALL of the characters well-developed? No. Did it make me cry tears of emotional happiness at the end after I tore through the book? Yes. 

Morgan can be an uneven writer for me but she knocked this story out of the park. Three adult children are coming home for Christmas. One daughter, Rosie, is having some problems in her marriage. Her twin, Becky, knew Declan first. Maybe they would be a better match. 

Becky knows that something is wrong. And that's more than the giant snowstorm that has stranded her at the airport. Her brother's best friend (whose family lives right next door) has one of the last rental cars. There's never been a romance between them but there's also never been just one bed.

Last is brother Jamie who is bringing his new girlfriend Hayley. He has a big announcement. Could an engagement be in the offing?

Four stars

This book comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Pollifax Pursued by Dorothy Gilmanby, Barbara Rosenblat (Narrator)

Cyrus is not at home, and there are strange things happening. Items are moving around, food has gone missing, and there are strange men in the garden. Mrs. Pollifax is not one to overreact, but she really thinks something is going on. When she finds Kadi Hopkirk hiding in her closet, she is almost relieved. At least that explains everything that has been going on. Now the chase is on.
It seems Kady has a friend, Sammy, whose father is president of an African country. When they accidetally met, he passed her important information. Of course, this is right up Mrs. P's alley and she is immediately on the bandwagon to help. That means a car chase, a call to her CIA contact, and being housed in a carnival. 

Three stars

This book came out in 1995

Mrs. Pollifax #11

Follows Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief

Followed by Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder by F.H. Petford

World War II is in full force when Alma Timperly is informed that her aunt has died and left her a hotel in Cornwall. Alma is initially confused because she had no idea that she even had an aunt. But the lawyer seems nice and Alma's intuition is telling her that he is trustworthy. So she is off to take over the Timperly Spiritualist Hotel. 

There, Alma is surprised to learn that her aunt actually had the gift of talking to the dead. Even more surprisingly, Alma seems to have the gift as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if either of the two other spiritualists actually have the gift. That doesn't dissuade people from coming to see them at the hotel.
The hotel is fairly well run and Alma is pretty much able to step in. She also has a couple of suitors and seems to move quickly. However, they are in a war and life just moves quickly then. She'll also have to move fast to uncover the German spy that is operating out of her place.

There was a little much going on in this story but I enjoyed it overall. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 2, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

A coworker mentioned reading this book but that she was having a hard time getting through it. I've been on a streak of business-related books and the parts that she described sounded interesting. 

I totally get it what she means about the slog. It took me a long time to get through this book. It's not just the fact that this book is almost 20 years old and that life has changed so much. While Ferris has a number of thoughts that sound good on the surface, it's like listening to a car salesman. It's all too good to be true. Ferris has a giant blindspot in regards to his own privilege that makes it hard to think that everyone could follow his suggestions and get to where he is. 

Is anything imminently wrong? No, but hindsight (and probably even a bit of thought at the time) shows that most of his suggestions aren't going to work in the ways that he is promising.

Two and a half stars

This book came out January 1, 2011

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club is back and celebrating the wedding of Joyce's daughter. Even there, they find themselves embroiled in intrigue. It seems the best man needs Elizabeth's help. But Elizabeth is still reeling from events of the last book and isn't completely on her game. Luckily, her friends (and their families) are behind her. 

It seems the best man, Nick, has found a bomb under his car. He's pretty sure he knows why and it has to do with his security company and a large amount of money.

In this book, we get some new characters as well as some old enemies who make for uneasy alliances. We don't get to see as much of our favorite coppers, but we do get to see Elizabeth and her friends do what they do best. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 30, 2025

Follows The Last Devil to Die

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Viking Penguin

Opinions are my own

Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

The book opens with the Weasels trying to find a monkey that has escaped from the palace. They overhear a plot that becomes entwined with a request to Wrex. Napoleon has escaped Elba and there are fears of another war. At the same time, England and France are in a race to see who can build the first telgraph. 

The Weasels are starting to grow up and Raven is learning more about the Stock Exchange which plays into the story as well. They are all, once again, learning to accept change when Wrex learns some surprising news about his late father. 

The cast keeps growing. I'm assuming that there will be more about new members in upcoming books but there wasn't as much story this time and more of a focus on the characters, but even that was a little spread thin with the numbers of people we are following. 

Three and a half stars

Wrexford & Sloane #9

This book came out September 30, 2025

Follows Murder at King's Crossing

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

Sinek argues that we think of too many things in life, including life itself, as a finite game. As if there is a goal to get to and then you're done. He argues that we should, in fact, be thinking as if there are things in life that are infinite, that we are going to be continiually working towards goals that may be moving. 

This is a typical business-type nonfiction book with stories carefully picked to ensure that they are going to support the author's versioni of how we should be working. An interesting read and somewhat atypical in that it's not asking businesses to set a specific goal but it is another in a set of books that could have been done as a Ted Talk and didn't need to try and force an expansion.

Three stars

This book came out January 1, 2017

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

The book opens with something very valuable being hidden in a library. Then we start to meet the people who work in said library. Most of them have been working there for awhile, all of them have something to hide. There is a new staff member, Hazel, who also has A History. It is not, as would happen in most stories, her arrival that sets the cat among the pigeons. Instead, it is the murder of one of the patrons who attended the first library game night. Having the police show up makes the staff very uncomfortable. It also allows them to learn more about each other (and the obligatory addition) and themselves.

It took me a long while to get into this book, but I trust Thomas and kept going. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 30, 2025

ARC kindly provieded by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own