Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

A

After solving her first murder, Vera Wong is riding high. She has her found family and her son is dating a detective. Vera's even calling the detective her daughter-in-law (but she doesn't need to know that.) However, she really could use some more excitement in her life. Falling for a scammer isn't exactly what she had in mind. 

stars

This book came out April 1, 2024

Vera Wong #2

Follows Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Homicide in the Indian Hills by Erica Ruth Neubauer

stars

This book came out March 25, 2025

Jane Wunderly #4

Follows Secrets of a Scottish Isle

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose

One day, Pomona Afton is the toast of the town. Her wealthy family gives her entree into any number of soirees and parties and ensure that she never has to work. And hers is as disfunctional as any number of books have described wealthy families. Though they don't interact often, Pomona's grandmother rules the roost. Even so, Pomona does ignore her when she starts texting and leaving messages. She assumes she'll have time to find out what her grandmother wants. Too bad her grandmother is savagely murdered. Even worse, her grandmother recently updated her will so that, if she did die, all of the family assets were to be closed up immediately meaning Pomona has no home and no money with only 30 minutes to get out. 

For awhile, she's able to live with her brother and his girlfriend but soon realizes that is too small of an apartment. She decides to take her old nanny up on her offer to live with the woman's son. His apartment is even worse but at least she has the opportunity to work in the coffe shop he manages. And it's at his place that she decides she's going to solve her grandmother's murder.

Large parts of this story are improbable and some aren't even the zany stretches I so often enjoy but there is some real growth in Pomona's character (it seemed awfully fast though there were some hints she was ready to change before her life was turned upside down which helped.) It's fluff that wasn't fairly clued but provided me with some entertainment. 

Three and a half stars
This book comes out March 18, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Socialite's Guide to Sleuthing and Secrets by S. K. Golden

Evelyn is just trying to make it through life with agoraphobia. Plus, her paramour, Mac, took off at the end of the last book. But she's maintaining. At least until someone sends her a tiara. It's that tiara that attracts the attention of a group of ladies lunching at The Gold Room. Their leader appears to be a woman named Lois. And it's Lois who ends up dead. 

While dealing with the fallout from that death, Evelyn is also working around the rumors of the Gentleman Thief. He robs the wealthy leaving only a red pocket square behind. 

I enjoyed this book. I really liked that Evelyn is getting out of the hotel more often (whether by hook or by crook.) Didn't love the end of her foray into the city but I am excited to see what happens in the next book. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out March 11, 2025

Follows The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating

ARC kindly provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C.L. Miller

Carole and Freya had been invited to join a cruise as antiques experts. But the invitation was rescinded. Oh well. When asked to come to a local maritime museum where a picture donated by Freya's old mentor, Arthur, had been stolen, they are looking up information and discover that the cruise is, indeed, still on. And they'll be able to join. 

Once they get there, they recognize some old friends, some of whom are not using the names they had the last time Carole and Freya saw them. Also on the cruise? Supposedly a big bad who is getting ready to turn over his name and his business of obtaining certain objects and then selling them off to the highest bidder. And a number of his usual bidders are on the ship as well, all of them wanting to keep their secrets.

This book took me awhile to get into it and I didn't remember all of the side characters from the previous book but there were a number of hints as to why they were important so I think new people would be fine as well. I think the transitions from third person narrator to another narrator to first person kept me from really ever immersing myself in the book but it was a good read. 

Four stars

This book came out February 18, 2024

Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder #2

Follows Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Cursed Princess Club Volume Four by LambCat

In the last book, Nell predicted that one of the cursed princesses would die. The princesses are trying not to think about that. In fact, Gwen is thinking about planning a dinner party. And she asks Frederick for help. She is finally starting to feel better about herself, her reflection isn't showing as many cracks. But, of course, she's not there yet. 

Four stars

This book comes out January 28, 2025

Follows Vol. 3

Followedy by Vol. 5

ARC kindly provided WEBTOON Unscrolled and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Remember When by Mary Balogh

Balogh's Ravenswood series around the Ware family and it's matriarch Clarissa's turn to find love. 

Before she married the Earl of Stratton, Clarissa was a Greenfield and her best friend was Matthew Taylor. Matthew was the younger son of a nearby land owner so their friendship was a little over the line considering how wealthy her family was but nothing scandalous. Though they loved each other, Clarissa had a chance to marry the catch of the season and she loves him too. Was that a mistake? Now in her early fifties, she is wondering that fact. But she doesn't think so. Though she and her husband did not have a true love match, they did love each other. But he's gone and Matthew is still here. What could that mean for them?
Matthew was heartbroken when Clarissa married. He also married but his wife died in childbirth. He left to travel the world but returned to the place where he grew up. Now, he's the village carpenter, making beautiful furniture. That's the reason Clarissa stops by, to request a cradle for her coming grandchild. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out January 7, 2025

Ravenswood #4

Follows Always Remember

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz

Ever since she woke up from a night she didn't remember, Amelia's talents for seeing people auras has magnified. She can't see them during the day, but at night, she sees a fog of emotions that people have left behind them. This new sight has made it so that she fears going out at night. She's even seeing a therapist for it. But now, her life has gotten stranger since there seems to be a man stalking her. So she calls in some help. 

Gideon Sweetwater is a private investigator. He's wealthy enough to be able to pick his own cases. And he's interested in Amelia's. While he's not exactly sure she's actually seeing what she thinks she sees, he's willing to take a chance. And thank goodness he does, because there actually are some forces after Amelia and not everyone in her life is as they appear. 

You don't HAVE to have read the other books in this series to enjoy it but it would help. 

Four stars

This book comes out January 7th, 2025

The Lost Night Files #3

Follows The Night Island

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread as hard copy from library March 2025

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