HBR Daily Leader by Harvard Business Review

I read this as an ebook and think it would be better as a hard copy; something to keep by your bed or another easy place to open up and read an entry every day. 

Basically, this is almost a calendar of information to use to become "an exceptional leader." Each of the daily snippets come from a longer article (that you can read online. 

An interesting concept with bite-sized information. May also drive traffic to their website when people would like to know more. 

Four stars

This book comes out December 3, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna

Lyndy and Stella need a break, They've got too many people giving them advice on how to move forward with their lives. So they head up to visit some of Stella's relatives in Scotland. Freddie and Alice are heading up with them as well. And who else shows up? Freddie's father, Sir Edwin.

Based on some of the glimpses we see of other characters, Sir Edwin is beloved by no one. So it's no surprise that he ends up dead. Especially since he had been accused of attacking a laundry maid. 

The local police land on a suspect pretty quickly. It's Lyndy. After all, his fingerprints are all over the murder weapon.

This book was fine but I've enjoyed others in the series more.

Three stars

This book comes out November 26, 2024

Follows Murder on Mistletoe Lane

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Witch Is Back by Angela M. Sanders

Reverend Clarence Duffy has died and the town is excited to see inside his house since he had been a shut in for two years. It's called the Aerie and there's going to be an estate sale. His son Adam had been his caretaker. It is he, his brother Benjamin and Benjamin's wife who are running the estate sale. 

But that's not the biggest news in Josie's life; it's what her mother says to her as they're leaving that chills her to the bone. She sees disaster ahead. Josie needs to tell Will that she's a witch. 

I liked this book since it moved a number of relationships along. The mystery was sort of a side piece but we get to learn more about Josie and Will as well as her parents. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 26, 2024

Follows Gone with the Witch

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Spy Test by Joel Jessup

Definitely buy this book as a hard copy. Navigation, puzzle solving, and readability will all be better that way. 

This is a collection of puzzles that are a nice range of types. There are cryptograms, pictures, and logic puzzles. Each is designed to tell you whether you could be a spy. Is that true? Eh. But they're fun even if a little frustrating to navigate as an ebook. 

Three stars
This book comes out November 19, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

Generations ago, a sailing ship lost a treasure off the coast of Nova Scotia. Decades ago, a group of friends found the treasure. Then, it disappeared. Since then, there has been a society of their offspring dedicated to finding the treasure. But they are all in their eighties and nineties. Or dead. 

This book jumps between characters as well as between the past and present. We also move from first person narration, to third person omniscient, to a different third person omniscient, to some epistolary. And there are layers of the mystery. In other words, there's a lot going on. There's even a touch of fantasy at the end. For someone who doesn't mind a sort of sprawling book that runs all over, this is going to be a great book. 

Three stars

This book came out October 15, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Grove Atlantic and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Body at the Grand Hotel by Benedict Brown

At the end of the last book, Marius got some new information about what may have happened to his father. But he is trying not to dwell on that and is excited to be distracted by a letter inviting him to be an honorary member of the Torquay Mystery and Detection Society. They are inviting him to give a speech the night before the local October Ball. Marius decides, why not? Bella, Inspector Lovelace, and his family all decide to come along as well. 

When he gets there, he discovers that the group is not exactly the fans he had supposed them to be. Instead, he is thrown to the wolves by their leader, Mrs. Thistlethwaite. The same Mrs. Thistlethwaite who Marius finds dead in the hotel pool the next morning. 

This is a twisty turning mystery that is maybe a little overwrought. There was some time spent in a crossover with Brown's Lord Edgington series and that did feel a little forced. The ending was interesting but I'm not sure everything was sewn together successfully. Still, an enjoyable read, overall. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out November 15, 2024

Follows The Castleton Affair

Marius Quin Mystery #4

ARC kindly provided Storm Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala

It's Corn Festival time in Shady Palms. They have a small-ish town so they have teamed up with nearby Shelbyville. Of course, Brew-ha has a stand. And they impress not only the mayor of Shelbyville but also her wife. And it's the wife that ends up dead in a corn maze with Adeena nearby clutching a knife.

Lila has a lot of realizations in this book, especially as she ends up talking to the murdered woman's best friend who also ran a business with her. The parallels in her own life are startling. The woman even has a doxie as well. 

I didn't love the ending of this book. It didn't feel as sewn together as previous books but the overall tone of the book is the same as previous in the series and the story moved along the characters really well. 

Four stars

This book comes out November 12, 2024

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #5

Follows Murder and Mamon

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Kiss in the Dark by Suzanne Enoch

Sam has been asked to ask for some last minute security upgrades at a museum in New York so she heads up to help out. When she gets up there, it turns out that she was called because the curator got a note warning them that a thief was targeting this display specifically. When Sam sees the note, she realizes is that it is from one of her dad's old aliases. And she finds out that the reason this specific museum has been targeted is because the curator is connected to Sam's father. 

Of course, there are complications because the FBI is still trying to get Sam. And her father is ready to serve her up on a platter.

Not my favorite Sam and Rick story but it was fine and I really liked the reveal at the end. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 8, 2024

Sam and Rick #2

Follows Barefoot in the Dark

ARC kindly provided by Independent Publishers Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

This Will Be Fun by E. B. Asher

What a lovely book. It's an exploration of what it's like to be a hero but to be haunted by the thing that people consider you a hero for. 

Clare, Beatrice, and Elowen saved the princess and the kingdom. In the process, they lost their friend (and arguably the best of them, Galwell the Great. Now, years later, they've been invited to the wedding of the rescued princess but none are particularly pleased to attend. 

Beatrice and Elowen have basically hidden themselves away. Clare revels in his fame but his outward levity masks his inner turmoil after having lost the love of his life. But did he ever really have her?

The story does jump back and forth in time which is not one of my favorite plot devices. But we do get to see the characters' growth as well as read through some fun romps. Is the story really completely developed? Maybe not but it's a fun read.

Four stars

This book comes out October 29, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyage, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Third Shift Society Volume Two

Ellie and Ichabod return in an continuation of their adventures from the first book. The supernatural detectives are still working on some random cases but we also get a glimpse into what may have happened to Ichabod. Some of his past does include an old flame, Maris. 

Ellie finally does admit what happened to her with Alice as well which is helpful to the group as a whole. She also is coming more into her powers which is fun to see. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 29, 2024

Follows Third Shift Society Volume One

ARC kindly provided by Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling

Bowen Penhallow is a loner (except for his friend Declan who is, admittedly, a ghost). But he has been having a bit of back and forth with Tamsyn Bligh. She is a procurer of magical items. How does she get them? Eh. Maybe best not to ask. But she is a human who is not put off by magical things. She does enjoy meeting Bowen. 

But when she arrives at a house party and realizes that he is there too, she's a bit shocked. Even more shocking is a spell that sends them back in time where they will need to help his grandparents fall in love. They do adjust the course of history, but they also fall in love.

The plotlines don't quite all fit together but it's an overall fun story.

Three and a half stars

The Ex Hex #3

This book comes out October 8, 2024

Follows The Kiss Curse

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyage, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Deja Brew by Celestine Martin

Sirena is a kitchen witch and she has some strict rules for being a kitchen witch that were passed down by her grandmother. It's those abilities that allow her to brew a wish tea. Her wish allows her to re-live her October in the hopes that she'll get the job she wants. She's been out of the work force taking care of family and her last boss stole her recipes so she's not in a good place. Hopefully, allowing herself some more time will let her correct her mistakes. What she doesn't expect is that she gets to spend more time with Gus.

August Dearworth is a former reality show star. He was a showy magician and reveled in the spotlight. But he loved and lost. Now, he's a historian and surprisingly happy to be in the Grove. He's drawn to Sirena like no one else and the two are magic together. But it's an overwhelming magic and both of them are a little hesitant to jump into a relationship.

What I enjoyed about this book is that we go past the date of the first wish. Often, we get to the day of the wish and everything has worked itself out. Sirena and Gus are going to have an extra couple of months in this story. 

I heard about this book on a podcast and asked for it from NetGalley. I was lucky enough to get a copy and, while it didn't hit quite as nicely for me (not all of the story parts melded for me), I really did enjoy most of this book. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 1, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Mystery in the Title by Ian Ferguson; Will Ferguson

A surprise call has Miranda being offered a role in a fabulous new film with five-times Oscar-nominated Harry Tomlin. She jumps at the chance. He's a BIG NAME and she's not going to question the fact that the contract has no tricky clauses. It's just a lot of money for a chance to work with the nicest man in Hollywood. 

So why is it Harry who ends up dead after crashing through a skylight? Nothing makes sense. And then his replacement comes in. It's an old beau of Miranda's and a foe of her husband Edgar's. Now she's juggling feelings between her nearly ex-husband for whom she still has feelings (though he doesn't appear much in this book), her handsome ex-co-star who is a divine kisser (although he has a horrible personality), and the handsome and charming producer (although she doesn't really have feelings for her.)

Three and a half stars

This book comes out October 22, 2024

Miranda Abbott #2

Follows I Only Read Murder

ARC kindly provided by Mira and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

This Christmas is bringing an interesting twist, Ernest's ex-wife Juliette is in jail. She claims she woke up next to her murdered lover. The police say she murdered him. Now she's sitting in jail and Ernest has lied to his fiancé about why he's left town.

The dead man was a former Hollywood star who left it all to help drug addicted youth get clean. More than one character says that he saved their lives. And yet, the man is dead. But he's not the only one who is going to die in this novella. The reasons for each death are intertwined but hidden behind the doors of a an advent calendar.

This story was... okay. But it's not as tightly put together as either of the other stories in this series and the rules for a holiday story aren't put together as well. Worth reading if you are reading the whole series but I'm not sure it is good on its own. 

Three stars

Ernest Cunningham #3

This book comes out October 22, 2024

Follows Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect

Blue Christmas Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends are in Tupelo. While there, a fabulous replica of Elvis's belt is stolen and she and Tinkie are called in to help. This isn't their home turf so it's definitely harder than usual to figure out what is going on. There are a number of musical opportunities and no end to who might have stolen the belt. 

I wasn't sure that the final suspects were really believable as such. There are a number of Elvis-related puns that were fun to read but did get to be a lot to wade through. 

Three stars

Sarah Booth Delaney #28

This book comes out October 15, 2024

Follows Lights, Camera, Bones

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

Meg's sister-in-law Delaney is pregnant and about to burst. While she's on bedrest, the rest of the family is helping out by feeding her chickadees. This leads to Rose Noir finding a body behind the barn. The bad new is that it's the Gadfly.

Gordon Norton, called the Gadfly by Meg's family, has been a thorn in the side of many people in the true crime community. He keeps trying to prove that people who have been exonerated were actually guilty. In fact, he's been harassing them pretty thoroughly. Which is why no one was happy about the fact that he was coming to the true crime conference that Meg's grandmother, Cordelia, had put together. 

There seem like a few more side characters than usual but we do get to see a lot of the regulars. I didn't love the ending and the motives but the overall book is a nice addition to the series. 

Three and a half stars

Meg Langslow #36

This book comes out October 15, 2024

Follows Between a Flock and a Hard Place

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Christmas Movie Ultimate Trivia Book Test by Neal E. Fischer

This is another book that will probably be better as a physical book than as an ebook. The answers are often on another page and flipping back and forth can get a little hairy. 

The trivia in this book is... amazing. There are So Many movies included in this book. Yes, some of them may be argued as Christmas-adjacent, but the author does address this. There are twelve different categories including thrillers, animated movies, and even a whole section devoted just to Christmas Carol adaptations. It's a fun book with a lot of great trivia. There are even little mini sections in between. 

Other than the navigability issues, it's quite a nice book. 

Four stars

This book came out October 1, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Quarto Publishing Group - becker & mayer and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Scott travels all over the world for his job but he's ready to settle down. And there's something about coffee shop owned by Dina that is helping to stir his longing for the home fires. While he is very interested, she is a little more hesitant.

Dina is a witch. And when she was younger, she put a spell on someone she was in love with and it has reverberated through her love life since. She is not anxious to start something with this man who is so attractive. But he just keeps showing up in her life. Even at her friend's wedding where (darn those matchmakers!) they've been put in the same cabin. So, Dina decides not to fight fate. But will Scott survive?

Three stars

This book comes out October 1, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Happy Bloody Christmas by Jo Middleton

Anna Johnson is waking up to a life that she's not totally in love with. So, normal. She's hungover, her husband is oblivious, and her kids are temperamental. In fact, her husband lets her start the day with something... odiferous. She's lamenting her life with a house to clean up after a party and her husband's judgmental family showing up in 26 hours. And it's all gotten worse. Not only was her cat locked into the larder, but so was a dead Santa Claus. And the dead Santa Claus was her boss who no one really liked. 

I liked aspects of this story, it was quick, it take place over a day. Also, I enjoyed the fact that Anna and Oli seem to have a realistic marriage where they sometimes love each other and sometimes... eh. I didn't always get the comedy but I tried not to hold that against this book (that seems more like a me thing). I also didn't like how much Anna was actively interfering with the investigation. Note that this is not a "fairly clued" mystery as there is really only one hint as to who the killer is. 

Three stars

This book came out September 26, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Avon Books UK and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I don't like time jumps (which this had), some of the misunderstandings were a bit much, and Ethan was a bit TOO much (but only a bit.) However, I stayed up late to finish this book and fell asleep with a smile. Quite lovely.

Maggie Chase has had her confidence destroyed and is happier to stay home. But then an invitation comes and her publisher tells her it's one she doesn't want to turn down. So, she boards a plane to a mysterious location where there is to be a party hosted by she doesn't know who. Unfortunately, also on the plane is Ethan Wyatt, her nemesis in their publishing house. He can never remember her name and always seems to be laughing at her. So that's a great start to the vacation. 

They finally land and discover that they've been plonked right into a locked room mystery, complete with characters who disappear and characters who die. It even happens that Maggie has some close calls herself. Can she really trust the man she is getting to know?

Four and a half stars

This book comes out September 24, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own