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 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

I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War

Khin Haymar is ecstatic to learn that she's being offered a story about Tyler Tun. She's excited for the job opportunity. The fact that Tyler is Hollywood's current Hottest movie star doesn't hurt. Soon she's getting to know this thoughtful, sexy many outside of his shiny star-ness but there's one night at a party when she's approached by a strange man. He attacks her and... well, she does something bad. And Tyler sees her and accidentally helps. They decide to cover it up for... reasons (?) I get that Khin is probably under some stress but her decisions don't really make sense. 

From there, the two are stressed but falling in love. Then there's the (I think unnecessary) late misunderstanding. And the ending felt a bit rushed. 

The marketing on this one is a bit off. The blurb I read said this made it feel like it would be a funny romance and, because of that, it took me a while to get into this book. 

Three stars

This book came out October 8, 2024

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press 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

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

The Medici Manuscript by C.J. Archer

Sylvia is still working in Glass Library with Professor Nash and they've discovered an interesting manuscript. There are markings that seem like the book may have come from the well-known Medici family. But there are other markings as well. Some that seem like they might point to some potent magic. 

The whole gang is there again, Sylvia's friend, Gabe, Gabe's aunt, and his friend. And they're all trying  to figure out what they mean. But then the book disappears. Plus, there's the whole "people trying to kidnap Gabe" issue and him discovering more about his own magic.

An interesting addition to the series and at least one impediment to the path for Sylvia and Gabe gets removed. But that plot point could come back later.

Three stars
This book came out March 7, 2023

Follows The Librarian of Crooked Lane

Followed by The Untitled Books

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

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 Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer

Sylvia Ashe is all alone in the world. Her brother died in the war and her mother in the flu that followed after. She was lucky to get a job in a library, even if the boss is a raging misogynist. Most women have lost their jobs after the men returned from war. Now she only has her friend Daisy.
It’s Daisy reading a newspaper one day that sets them off on a grand adventure. There is a picture of an heir to a title, Gabe Glass. He has a connection to her brother and Sylvia would like to know what it is.
While she doesn’t find out all of the information in this book, she does get to help Gabe figure out who is creating forgeries of magic paintings. She also gets a job in a library on Crooked Lane, one that specializes in book on magic.

Four stars

This book came out September 6, 2022

The Glass Library #1

Followed by The Medici Manuscript

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Rise and Divine by Lana Harper

Daria "Dasha" Avramov is a devil eater and it's complicated her life in any number of ways. First, demons do NOT taste good. In fact, they are downright nasty. And eating them makes her thirsty. Really, really thirsty. And her ability makes it so that it is very easy for her to be pulled across the veil. In many ways, she'd actually prefer to be there. But Ivy Thorn isn't there.

Ivy knew that Dasha had a complicated past. Well, and that her current life is complicated. Her future probably will be as well. That's why the broke up. But she is incredibly hot. Which is why they got back together. But then they broke up again. Ivy would have said they were never, ever, ever getting back together but then things start happening 

Four stars

This book comes out August 20, 2024

The Witches of Thistle Grove #5

Follows In Charm's Way

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group

Opinions are my own

Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

If you've ever looked up how houses have fared after a makeover show, you'll see that people are often unhappy. Based on what she's hearing through the grapevine, the Smetkamps are going to in the same place. They've won a makeover from Marvelous Mansions but the producer seems shady and the workforce is unsettled. Meanwhile, Meg is just trying to make sure they stay in code. 

Someone seems particularly against the show though (or maybe it's the Smetkamps) because they've gathered up the wild turkeys and released them on the Smetkamps street. There's a fairly amusing bit where an Amazon driver almost gets taken out by the turkeys. He makes it out alive with some help but someone else on the street does not. So, Meg is once again sleuthing a murder mystery. 

This book doesn't have much with Josh and Jamie, nor Michael. We do see any number of other regular characters in this book though and it is a nice addition to the series. 

Four stars

Meg Langslow #35

This book comes out August 6, 2024

Follows Let It Crow, Let It Crow, Let It Crow

Followed by Rockin' around the Chickadee

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

ARC of audiobook kindly provided by MacMillan and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop by Emmeline Duncan

There were a LOT of names in the beginning of this story and I felt dumped into a situation. I think the author was trying to avoid info-dumping but it took me a bit to get into the rhythm of the story. 

Bailey Briggs normally love Halloween but this year is particularly challenging. She's taken over the family bookstore and is hosting what she hopes will be the first of an annual literary festival. Also, there's a camera crew in town taping for a ghost hunting type show. Both have people who grew up in town and there seems to be something going on between them. One will end up dead. 

There's a lot going on in this book including Bailey finding out more about her family. A good start to what I assume will be a series. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out July 23, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death by Valerie Burns

I am generally quite enjoying this series. In this one, former influencer/socialite-turned-baker/bakeshop-owner, Madison, is forced to confront her own past when her former friend shows up in towner. Brandy Denton became "former" when she slept with Maddy's ex-fiancée, Elliot. Now that Maddy seems to be gaining a social media following and a new life, Brandy has shown up in New Bison, seemingly wanting to ruin Maddy's life again. 

I say I am "generally" enjoying this series because Maddy is (at least to my memory) suddenly very emotional. She's breaking down, running out of rooms, and generally being more helpless than I remember. I'm hoping that got edited in the print copy but really annoyed me in this book. Hopefully, that changes in the series going forward as I have enjoyed these books so far. 

Three stars

This book comes out 

Baker Street #3

Follows Murder is a Piece of Cake

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

An Assassination on the Agenda by T. E. Kinsey

Harry Featherstonehaugh has once again pulled his sister, Lady Hardcastle, and her lady's maid, Florence, into the affairs of the British Government. A gentleman has been killed and he needs them to step in and figure out why. But that is just the beginning of a mystery that will have them racing around London, trying to stop an assassination. As they try to prevent this from happening, they will have to deal with bureaucrats as well as men who don't believe they should be doing this job. 

An okay addition to the series but I can't pinpoint why this one didn't flow as well. I think it felt like there were some storylines just talked on to bulk up the book. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 21, 2024

Follows A Fire at the Exhibition

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer

Opinions are my own

The Cornish Campsite Murder by Fiona Leitch

Jodi and Nate are having a bit of a busman's holiday. They're off to a music festival  but they'll be slinging pies in a food truck for a friend who is missing the festival in order to go to his daughter's wedding. Also at the festival are most of a band that Jodi recognizes. Somewhat belatedly as she had actually catered for two of them recently. And this was a band she LOVED in her twenties. 

It turns out they are performing, but not the whole band. The lead singer won't be performing with them. But when Jodi is sneaking a pee in the VIP tent, she overhears the lead singer having an argument with some of the current band members. When he turns up dead later, she is left wondering who could have committed the crime.

If you've read this particular series, you will enjoy this book. If you haven't read this series before, I don't think it's particularly needed. 

Four stars

This book came out June 28, 2024

The Nosey Parker Mysteries #7

Follows a Cornish Seaside Murder

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins UK and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Under Your Spell by Laura Wood

Clementine Monroe is infamous, but not of her own volition. She is the daughter of a rock god and is one of three girls born within four months, all his daughters. Now she's all grown up and finding out her job has not been renewed and was just dumped by her boyfriend and, yeah, he took her cat. The trifecta of suckitude that starts many a romance novel. But this book is nice in that it's first person and we really get to see how Clementine and Theo Elliott fall in love. 

After she and her sisters cast a spell, it seems like things might be perking up. Clemmie is looking for a job and Theo needs someone to hang out with him while he finishes up an album that he was supposed to deliver two years ago. See, he was a boy band god but Clemmie never really paid attention because she was really into old rock. Also, I'm not remembering why Theo's assistant couldn't just... come with him. So there might be some points where disbelief suspension might be a little harder but I really did enjoy the relationship building

Four stars

This book comes out June 25, 2024

ARC kindly provided by Atria Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Sunshine State by D.P. Lyle

Billy Wayne Baker, admitted serial killer, has contacted Jake and Nicole. Sure, he's killed some people; but he's offended. He's only admitted to five but has been convicted of killing seven. He wants them to figure out which two are the ones he didn't kill. But he's not going to tell them which ones.

So, with the help of Pancake and Ray, they are going to head to Pine Key. They are going in under the guise of seeing whether the story of the murders there would make a good movie. Luckily, Nicole's Uncle Charles is a major producer and is willing to go in on the plan.

At first, the solution seems obvious, but as they dig, some town secrets will be uncovered. It's a good thing both Jake and Nicole have been taking Krav Maga.

Three stars
This book came out May 21, 2019

Jake Longly #3

Follows A-List

Followed by The OC

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

A fun story though I am not a fan of jumping back and forth in time. I quite enjoyed Annie as a character. She's in her mid-20s and thought she'd have life figured out at this point but she sure doesn't. When visiting her (possibly somewhat flaky though we don't see her much in this book) mother, Annie sees some mail addressed to her. It's from her great aunt's lawyers. Though Annie's mother has, for decades, been thought to be her great aunt's presumptive heir, it seems that a last minute change is being made and Great Aunt Frances would like to see her and the other heirs to talk it through. So Annie travels to Castle Knoll, only to discover that her aunt has been killed and the person who solves the crime will inherit a fortune.
I didn't think this was fairly clued but the story was intriguing nonetheless. Lots of options for sequels: Annie's mother's history, Annie's father, her best friend, more about the Great Aunt's stepson.

Four stars

This book comes out March 26, 2024

Castle Knoll Files #1

ARC kindly provided by Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A-List by D.P. Lyle

Nicole's uncle, the famous producer Charles Balfour, is in need of a PI so he calls Jake's dad. Nicole is still an employee (at least according to the ID she held on to from the last case) so she drags Jake down to New Orleans to find out what happened to Kristi Guidry, a young woman who was strangled, puportedly by A-list star Kirk Ford. They were alone in the hotel room so it seems like he is the obvious (and only) suspect. Mucking up the works are Kristi's brothers and her uncle who are searching for revenge. Can Jake and Nicole solve the mystery before Kristi's family kills Kirk?

Also included are a pair of fantastically gorgeous identical twins, Pancake (who may have found a girlfriend in the movie's makeup artist) and a fortune teller.

About the same level of insanity as the first book though this one wasn't as well put together.

Three stars

This book came out December 12, 2017

Jake Longly #2

Follows Deep Six 

Followed by Sunshine State

Borrowed as ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own