Just Stab Me Now by Jill Bearup

This was an interesting premise and I think Bearup did a fine job at having a story within a story but having so many characters started to weigh down the actual progress of any of them DOING anything.

Caroline Lindley just wants to finish her book. If only her characters would do what they are supposed to. But her characters don't really understand their motivations and they tell her so. Especially Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst. 

As the widow of a prominent nobleman killed in war, Rosamund us used to holding her family together. A new threat has come to the kingdom and she is required to go back to her home country to try and broker peace. She's to travel with one knight who most definitely is not going to be a love interest. No matter what Caroline tries.

Three stars

This book came out February 5, 2024

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Witching Moon Manor by Stacy Sivinski

It's been a little over a year since the events of the first book. Anne, Violet, and Beatrix have missed their birthday together but the three are reuniting in their Chicago home. Violet is haunted by a mistake she made during her and her husband's acrobatic act. Beatrix no longer seems to have any words. And Anne has to prevent an apocalypse. 

I actually liked this one a bit better than the first because we are getting more character and world building. 

Three and a half stars

The Spellbound Sisters #2

This book came out October 1, 2024

Follows The Crescent Moon Tearoom

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Holly Village Murders by Benedict Brown

Marius and Bella have another mystery to solve when her Aunt Adele dies. They immediately head for her cottage in Holly Village which is made up mainly of people who are classed as "elderly." There have been a number of deaths in the past year but that's not really suspicious based on the median age. 

What is odd, however, is that the Manet that was over Adele's fireplace has disappeared and another painting was put in it's place. Compounding that is the fact that Adele's death is not the last that this group of people will see. 

An interesting story wherein Bella and Marius are pretending to be married. A nice addition to the series. I don't think you'd need to read other books in the series but it might help. 

Three and a half stars

Marius Quin Mystery #6

This book came out November 10, 2025

Follows Arsenic and Old Lies

ARC kindly provided Storm Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski

This book is the equivalent of a warm cup of tea. Just nice. Maybe not super exciting, but an even read. 

Three sisters run a teahouse where they read the futures of the witches of Chicago. They have always been in lock step but that is starting to falter. Violet is entranced by an acrobat at a visiting circus. Beatrix's recent manuscript submission is about to take the literary world by storm, and Anne's powers are growing at a pace she is reluctant to reveal to her sisters. 

They are further thrown off balance when one of their regulars reveals that she sees a curse behind their eyes. Suddenly, their whole world is upside down. And it's not helped by the fact that the Council has decided that the three of them must help three witches complete their "Tasks" before the other three die. 

Three and a half stars

The Spellbound Sisters #1  

This book came out October 1, 2024

Followed by The Witching Moon Manor

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rattle His Bones by Carola Dunn, Lucy Rayner (Narrator )

Daisy is putting together an article about the Kensington’s Natural History Museum. When she goes, she meets an assortment of characters including curators, security, and guests. She comes for a return visit,
joined by her nephew and her fiancé’s daughter. They’re fascinated by the dinosaurs and butterflies. Of course, this would be the visit that a curator is murdered.  Surprising no one (as this is a fiction book), it is Detective Chief Inspector Alec Fletcher who is called in to solve the case. 

Throw in a displaced Royal Duke and some missing jewels, and it’s a romp to the end. 

Three stars

This book came out in 2000

Daisy Dalrymple #8

Follows Styx and Stones

Followed by To Davy Jones Below

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Premium Plus

Opinions are my own

The Case of the Case of Kilcladdich by P.J. Fitzsimmons, Tim Bruce (Narrator)

There are two whiskey distilleries in Glen Glennegie and every so often, there is a tasting to determine which one will be the Glen Glenngie label. This is the year and Anty is in the village as one of the three tasters. The other two are a childhood friend that he could almost fall in love with and the golf-mad widow of the colonel who used to be the third chair. She doesn’t seem to know much about tasting whiskey but she does know a lot about golf. 

Before the tasting can even happen, one of the patriarchs of the two feuding families is killed. Then the other. It seems obvious that the two murders are related. Inspector [] is brought in to help. A foe (of sorts) to Anty, he is determined to solve the case. But Anty has some help this time in the form of Fiona. 

Did the mystery make a lot of sense? Eh. Was it a thoroughly delightful romp along the way? Oh yes. 

Three and a half stars

Anty Boisjoly #6

This book came out May 5, 2023

Follows Reckoning at the Riviera Royale

Followed by Foreboding Foretelling at Ficklehouse Felling

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Miss Morton and the Missing Heir by Catherine Lloyd

Someone has stepped up to claim Miss Morton’s family title. The Scuttons from Epping in Essex have applied to the earldom. Except, of the three there, Mrs. Scutton, the claimant’s mother, seems like the only one who is pushing the information. Thomas seems somewhat indifferent while his sister Mary downright doesn’t believe it. 

But, before Caroline can pull out the information that Mary knows, the woman is killed. Mrs. Scutton is there and sees Mary's newly-freed-from-prison husband and his brother running away. We don't get to see the husband much, but everyone seems inclined to beleive Mrs. Scutton. Why would she lie?

If you've read the Miss Morton stories before, you can probably guess some of the twists. Still fairly light and I really wish we had gotten to see more of the husband, but a quick, mostly enjoyable read. 

Three stars

This book comes out September 30, 2025

Miss Morton #4

Follows Miss Morton and the Deadly Inheritance

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own 

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Tao left her homeland when she was a child. She predicted her father's death and, when it came true, her whole world came crashing down. Now, she roams the countryside of her new home, telling small fortunes. Those are easier than life changing fortunes and allow her to make some money. Right now, she's just trying to stay one step ahead of the guild. Her life is better than it was before she left, but she's lonely. 

In this story, she starts to meet people (and animals) who are going to make it so that she has a core group of friends who can help her to continue to lead her life the way she wants.

This was a cute story. It dragged in a couple of places and I'm not sure that everything wrapped up cleanly but I generally enjoyed the story. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out November 5, 2024

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro with narrator Imogen Church

As a nurse who worked with Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War, Gemma has seen a lot of death. But she wasn't expecting to have to deal with the death of her twin brother in a carriage accident. This changes the trajectory of her life in major and unexpected ways. It's especially strange that he left two odd sentences in his reporter's notebook. She takes his notes to the police. They're not interested until she gets to talk to Sebastian. 

An inspector on the force, Sebastian was rocked by the death of his wife. These days he's getting by through copious applications of alcohol and opium. He knows it's interfering with his life, and he's definitely going to quit. Tomorrow. 

The two team up to solve the murder of not only Gemma's brother but the young woman who was hung up on a cross in the cemetery with a pig's heart strung around her neck. 

This was darker than I was expecting with more explicit violence. Not a series I'd want to read at night, but an interesting start.

Three and a half stars

Tate & Bell #1

This book came out February 29, 2024

Followed by Murder at Traitor's Gate

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray

Ms. Austen has always been popular and there have been a number of mysteries based around her books. This book takes every one of Austen's novels and brings main characters (or their children) to a house party at the Knightleys. In this timeline, Emma and George have just gotten married and are having a house party. For reasons, everyone is invited to join. And Mr. Wickham decides to crash. Of course, he's such a bad, bad dude, that nearly everyone has a reason to have killed him. 

This book was... fine. Some of the characters felt too changed from the books and much of the story felt forced. I liked the substory of the younger Mr. Darcy and Ms. Tilney but would have liked it more if it wasn't connected to the original books. 

Three stars

Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney Mysteries #1

This book came out May 3, 2022

Hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

Lady Avely's Guide to Lies and Charms by Rosalie Oaks

It has been nine years since Dacian killed Lord Charles Garvey and it is time for him to determine what actually happened that night. While he has always believed what he saw, he now wonders if there may not have been some Musing (magic) involved in the story. He and Judith head out with Judith’s husband’s son, Robert, to see what they can uncover.

All is not well at Garvey House  however. Lady Garvey refuses visitors and her granddaughter, Georgina seems to be a prisoner. The current Lord Gavey, Charles’ brother Kenneth, won’t come to the house at all, preferring to stay in the village. 

The story took a LONG time for me to get into and I had to power my way from about a quarter in to the two-thirds mark where it picked up again. There was a leap into the story that happened seven years ago that didn't make sense to me and then a lot of side characters that may be building to the overall arc of the story but didn't provide much other than very temporary red herrings for the end of the story. 

Three stars

Matronly Misadventures #2

This book came out November 13, 2024

Follows Lady Avely's Guide to Truth and Magic

Followed by Lady Avely's Guide to Guile and Peril

ARC kindly provided by Parkerville Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Arsenic and Old Lies by Benedict Brown

The last book was left on a cliffhanger. Marius and Bella he just returned from solving another crime and Marius had discovered the body of someone Bella loved in his living room. Now, he has to figure out what to do next. And that is to apparently ignore the body completely (an amatuer detective who follows police orders? I'm not sure how to process this.) In fact, this particular murder isn't really touched on again until the end of the story. 

Instead, Marious, needing inspiration to get around his writer's block, decides to investigate a cold case. In particular, he chooses the case of Felicity Mortimer who was accused of poisoning her much older, infirm husband. The case interests him because the evidence seemed so thin but the judge was so overly irate in his sentencing.

While Marious does some investigating on his own, Bella does eventually joins his efforts. There will be two more murders before the two can finally figure out what is going on, and what actually happened fifteen years ago.

The ending felt a bit rushed to me but the suspects were certainly a group of characters who, while maybe not fully fleshed out, were entertaining.

Three and a half stars

Marius Quin Mystery #5

This book came out July 11, 2025

Follows A Body at the Grand Hotel

Followed by The Holly Village Murders

ARC kindly provided Storm Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Puzzle of Parham House by Benedict Brown

Christopher's normally imperturbable mother is... perturbed. A letter from an old friend has come asking for help. Not from Christopher or his grandfather, but from his mother. We've seen in previous books that she is no slouch when it comes to solving mysteries. But it wouldn't be a Lord Edgington book without the man himself. He invites himself along. And brings his servants. And Delilah. Christopher had already offered to help as well. So the whole troupe moves over to an estate not actually that far away. 

It's there that Alicia Pearson and her husband are restoring a Jacobean house. There are strange things happening though like small objects being moved around. It's hard to tell who it might be between all of the workers and the archaeologists. 

It will be up to Christopher to push, prod, and cajole his grandfather into solving the mystery. Until now, we've seen Lord Edgington as an immutable force, almost all knowing. This book brings him, quite suddenly, back to the land of the humans. 

Three and a half  stars

Lord Edgington Investigates #13

This book came out April 21, 2024

Follows The Christmas Bell Mystery

Followed by Death at Silent Pool

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own