It Takes a Psychic by Jayne Castle

Leona Griffin used to be a para-archaeologist. Now, she verifies antiquities. That's the reason she's here to night, at the Society's new member ball. She's going to verify that the offerings people bring are authentic. She's distracted by two things: the first being a man that keeps looking at her but no one else seems to notice, the second is a dustbunny that seems to want her help. 

It is the strange man, Oliver Rancourt, who helps her when the evening starts to fall apart. First, as she is verifying antiquities on stage, she's put to a test, second, one of the antiquities is an artifact known as Pandora's box which the host seems overly eager for her to open, then there's the raid, and the dead body. Overall, not a very good night. 

The two make it out but it's just the beginning of their journey. Soon, Leona is joining Oliver in heading to a small town, Lost Creek. It seems to keep coming up in his investigations and also seems to be attached to the night at the Society. 

This story was fine. I spent a lot of time trying to remember who characters were from previous books in the series. I think new readers would have fewere issues because there is some linking information but not enough to be helpful. There is also sort of an abrupt bridge from the beginning of the story to the end. I'm not sure why Leona would have gone to a small town with a man she just met even for a mysterious stone. There are bookish "reasons" but I was mostly thinking "you're willingly going to a secondary location." 

Three stars

Ghost Hunters #17

This book comes out June 3, 2025

Follows People in Glass Houses

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Audible December 2025

The Mystery of Watermead Manor by Jay Gill

Gerald and Ida Langley have just gotten married and people are gathering at Watermead Manor to celebrate. This is a fairy tale match with the handsome young millionaire marrying the gorgeous young lady. The whirlwind romance is not celebrated by everyone at the manor but Henry Fleming is delighted to have been invited. He's a bit late, finishing up another case. When he arrives, almost everyone is happy to be there. Some of the unhappiness leaks out into the form of a poisoning and Henry is soon on another case. 

Three stars

Henry Fleming Investigates, #1

This book came out June 1, 2023

Follows Murder in Fulbridge Village

Followed by The Mystery of Watermead Manor

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell with narrators Kristin Atherton, Louise Brealey, and more

Josie is turning 45. She's out to dinner with her husband but her eye is caught by another group. It looks like someone else is celebrating their birthday on the same day. When they run into each other in the bathroom, it turns out that, not only do Alix and Josie share a birthday, they are turning the same age. Josie does a little exploring and discovers that Alix is a moderately successful podcaster. Her series on successful women has just wrapped up and Josie has an idea. What about a series about women who are in the process of making their lives better? Of course, Josie would make a perfect focus. 

When Alix agrees, it sets off a series of events that leads to both women's lives imploding.

It was an interesting read but I never felt fully invested in the characters so I never got fully immersed in the book.

Three stars

This book came out July 20, 2023

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

May 2025 Monthly Reread

As always, opinions are my own

Devil May Care by Elizabeth Peters

Three and a half stars
This book came out in 1977

Borrowed as audiobook from Blackstone Audio

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

It took me awhile to settle into this book. It depended quite a bit on knowing characters from the previous book in the series. I never quite remembered who everyone was. And, for as often as I pick up books with the alternating timeline premise, it's still not one of my favorites although this book utilized it better than many others.

More secrets are coming up from the past. Annie's aunt, even though she was paranoid and alone toward the end of her life, spent a lot of time investigating people in her small village and putting together files on them. And those files will come in handy when a roof collapses and evidence from a decades old mystery is uncovered. That evidence leads to deaths in the present, some from characters that have been in both books. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out April 29, 2025

Castle Knoll Files #2

Follows by How to Solve Your Own Murder

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

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