The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie

Sarah's father has chronic fatigue and it's affecting the whole family. It's to the  point that the family is about to lose their house and she might have to move. But that would be terrible since she finally found a place where she belongs and two best friends who need her too. And it's her friends who suggest that they go out to the old abandoned funhouse. It's rumored that triplets hid treasure in the building a long time ago and that it is still there. The three of them are really good at escape rooms so they're certain they can find the treasure.

This is a fun romp that I would have adored as a kid. As an adult, it makes me very nervous that they decided to go out to a building that hadn't been open in many, many decades iwthout telling anyone where they went. There were some parts that defied even my ability to suspend disbelief but I overall enjoyed the story.

Four stars

This book came out April 2, 2024

The Delta Games #1

Followed by The House with No Keys

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Doggone Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sarah Booth is ready for a new case but is not expecting Tammy Odom to ask her to find a lost dog. This is not the last dognapping, either. Even Sweetie Pie and Chablis are taken for awhile. It will be up to Tinkie and Sarah Boothto get as many dogs back as soon as possible before they disappear for good.
An old foe is back again.

Three stars

Sarah Booth Delaney #28

This book came out May 27, 2025

Follows Blue Christmas Bones

ARC kindly provided by Minotaur Books and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

Death on Deadline by Robert Goldsborough with L.J. Ganser (Narrator)

Goldsborough has done an amazing job capturing Stout's stories and cadence. This book is no different. In it, Lon Cohen relates to Archie that his newpaper might soon be under new leadership. The new owner is a right-wing magnate who is more concerned about sales than about the truth. 

The current owner inherited from her husband, but only a little over a third of the shares. Her stepson, stepdaughter, and nephew all own chunks as well as her lawyer and the current editor. While some of them are guaranteed to work with her, she's going to have to work on others. Either way, she's going to fight the takeover. At least, until she ends up dead of an apparent suicide. Wolfe doesn't believe it and is on the case. 

Four stars

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries #2

This book came out in 1987

Follows Murder in E Minor

Followed by The Bloodied Ivy

Borrowed as audiobook from Blackstone Audio

Opinions are my own

Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts

The book opens on the day that Sloan Cooper dies. She's a Natural Resources officer and happens in on a robbery in progress. We get a description of her time in the hospital and an overview of her recovery at her parents' home in Heron's Rest. They have some new neighbors on their lake. Nash Littlefield has left the big city and his big city life to become contractor. His younger brother has decided to move with him, defying the family that wanted them to grow up and be doctors and lawyers and such. The two end up in each other's spheres when their siblings fall into insta-love. Nash and Sloan are also attracted to each other but their siblings being in a relationship makes it complicated. Plus, Sloan just moved back and accepted a job that gets her a promotion. And, though it's not technically in her town, she's worried about a number of disappearances. Especially concerning is that all of the people who have gone have something in common with her.

This is a Roberts book that is more about a mystery and less on the romance though there is some good relationship and character development. The baddies were on the gross side and their personalities felt over-exaggerated but I still enjoyed the story overall. 

Four stars

This book comes out May 27, 2025

ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

My Father Always Finds Corpses by Lee Hollis

Jarrod Jarvis, former child star and murder solver, is now in his fifties. He's mourning the loss of his partner, Charlie, and his semi-estrangement from his daughter, Liv. Right now, he's focusing on directing a play and managing all of his actors, at least one of whom has an even bigger personality than he does.

Liv, meanwhile, is wrestling with a decision. He boyfriend, a documentary film student named Zel, wants his next film to be about her. About her reunting with her birth mother. She's not sure that she wants to go along with it, but Zel has already set the ball in motion. Through the process, Liv meets more of her family. Just when she's starting to wonder whether this was a good idea, Zel is murdered. 

It's only then that Liv learns that her father used to be a boy detective. And the two will team up to solve Zel's murder.

This was an interesting mix of genres and premises and I look forward to more from Hollis in this (hopefully) series. 

Four stars

This book comes out May 27, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Manic Pixie Dream Earl by Jenny Holiday

Edward "Effie" Astley is an eligible young lord. All of London knows it. In fact, women are throwing themselves at him. He mostly spends his life writing and trying to avoid his father. At least he has his yearly Earl's Trip to look forward to. Except, he sort of forgot. Again. But his friends know him well and are prepared for this eventuality. 

One of the people that Effie has been corresponding with is Juliana Evans. She does not know that Effie is a man but she is about to uncover that truth.

I was really expecting this book to be more like the first, with a clear throughline with points of both heaviness and levity. This book took longer to get through as there seemed to be a lot more meandering and even plodding at points. I also didn't completely believe that the end would be an HEA because I'm not sure that their relationship grew in this book as much as Effie did as a person. 

Three stars

This book comes out May 27, 2025

Follows Earl's Trip

ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Just F**king Say It by Susie Ashfield

stars

This book came out May 21, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Elliot & Thompson and NetGalley

Opinions are my own