Last One Out

 

Last One Out by Jane Harper
4/14/26; 368 pages
Flatiron Books  

Last One Out by Jane Harper is a recommended domestic literary drama/mystery set in a dying town in rural New South Wales.

Carralon Ridge is a dying town, with many of  the houses and buildings all previously bought up by a mining company. Five years ago during a college break, Sam, the son of Griff and Rowena (Ro) Crowley disappeared when visiting at Carralon Ridge. All that was left was his rental car with all his belongings inside. Sam had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy. After Sam disappeared, the family fell apart and Ro left, leaving her husband and daughter behind. Every year Ro is returns to the town to be with her husband and daughter Della on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance for a memorial service. 

With the dust and grit from the mining operation ever present and a handful of people left among the abandoned, empty homes and buildings, the setting is depressing. This visit, however, Ro is determined to find clues in the disappearance of Sam that may have been previously overlooked. Even though their relationship is strained, it becomes clear that someone may have secrets they want to keep secret.

Undoubtedly, Harper is an exceptional writer and she manages to create an atmospheric novel that is depressing and generates a sense of menace and danger while exploring a mother's grief amidst a dying town. Harper gets all the points for her ability to create a scene and bring it to life. On the other hand, this is also a glacially slow-paced plot focused much more intently on the character's grief and trauma rather than the mystery. Some descriptive scenes seem repetitious in the narrative.  

In the end much of Last One Out felt overly long and much too slow paced for the majority of the novel. It does pick up toward the end and becomes the promised mystery, but it wasn't quite the great novel I was expecting from Harper. It is still recommended for the quality of the writing. I'll be looking forward to Harper's next novel.  Thanks to Flatiron Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Waitress

 

The Waitress by K L Slater
4/17/26; 298 pages
Bookouture

The Waitress by K L Slater is a recommended popcorn thriller that require readers to suspend a massive amount of disbelief.

Alicia has left her young son in the care of her sister Jen and moved to London ostensibly to make enough for them all to start a new life for themselves. In London she begins working as a waitress for Elevate, an events planning/catering group. Her real job is to keep her eyes open and watch Trent Connors. Events at a reception at The Orbit, an exclusive high rise for the elite, result in her meeting Trent and quickly becoming close to him - so close that he offers to hire her to play the role of his girlfriend for a large salary. Trent really wants her to observe, listen, and evaluate a business associate of his, Steve Brett, the same man who has been blackmailing and threatening Alicia and wanted her to watch Trent. Let the games begin.

With short chapters and a predictable narrative direction, this story of blackmail and corruption is a quick read but it isn't quite as compelling or have the depth and believably of the other novels by Slater that I've read. It is told through multiple points-of-view, although mainly through Alicia's. This is also a tale of all the characters repeatedly making questionable decisions, however, Alicia's desire to make a better life for her son and sister is understandable.

Certainly you have to begin setting the disbelief aside right away when Alicia is almost immediately hired to be Trent's girlfriend at a high salary and new wardrobe. Hint: if something is too good to be true, it is. Another hint: if something is too good to be true, look for ulterior motives. Chapters through Jen's point-of-view have her back with an abusive boyfriend, another life lesson ignored by these characters. Speaking of the characters, Alicia is a developed character, but along with the other characters not particularly likable or reliable. 

The Waitress will be best appreciated by fans of Slater's novels and those who enjoy popcorn thrillers. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Hope Rises

 

Hope Rises by David Baldacci
4/14/26; 432 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Walter Nash #2 

Hope Rises by David Baldacci is a highly recommended thriller and the follow up to Nash Falls (2025), which ended on a cliff hanger. In the case of this series, you need to read Nash Falls before starting Hope Rises in order to understand everything that is going on, as well as the backstory. 

Walter Nash, an informant for the FBI, has transformed himself and is now using the alias of Dillon Hope. He is working as a body guard for the despicable Rhett Temple but his ultimate goal is to take down Victoria Steers and her global criminal operation. As Temple's body guard he accompanies him to Hong Kong at the bidding of Steers. She informs the two that plans are in place for them to free her mother, Masuyo, from a prison in Myanmar. While Nash seeks vengeance, Temple believes following her orders, of which there is no choice, will result in him being able to disassociate from her. Nash knows she will never release her power over anyone, yet being on the inside will potentially give him access to destroy her. 

That's all I'm going to say in order to avoid major spoilers. Let me reiterate, to appreciate Hope Rises you must read Nash Falls first. It's a wild ride to get there, but the loose ends are all tied up here.

This is another well-written novel that is fast-paced, action-packed, and full of twists, however, I'll be the first to proclaim that you need to set aside a healthy heaping amount of disbelief while reading. The chapters are short, helping keep the action and plot moving along quickly. There were certain developments which, admittedly, required the acceptance of more turn of events than I was willing to acquiesce to and this did lessen my interest somewhat as it changed some of Nash's original goals.

Hope Rises is a great, twisty thriller to read for everyone who was left hanging after reading Nash Falls. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.     

The Left and the Lucky

 

The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin
4/14/26; 256 pages
HarperCollins  

The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin is an exceptional, heartbreaking, beautiful, yet harrowing novel about a friendship between a man and a boy which may save both of them.  The Left and the Lucky is very highly recommended and will definitely be on my list of the very best books of the year. I love this novel. It may be my new favorite novel by Vlautin, but, really, all of his books are excellent.  

In working-class Portland, Oregon, eight-year-old Russell's life has been ruled by abuse and neglect. The family lives with his grandmother, who has dementia. His mother, Connie, works nights as a stripper while his fifteen-year-old brother Curtis, is angry, troubled and increasingly a physical threat to everyone. Russell, who is small for his age, copes by sleeping on the floor in his grandmother's room, but when she goes into care, he spends most of his time outside, avoiding Curtis and waiting for their neighbor Eddie to get home and dreaming of ways to escape.

Eddie Wilkens is a workaholic house painter in his early forties whose wife has left him. He is kind, patient, thoughtful, and caring. After finding Russell out late, alone one night, he now makes sure Russell has a good meal daily and also gives him small jobs to do, like cleaning paint brushes and caring for Eddie's old dog, Early, while also keeping hims safe. Eddie's main employee is Houston, an alcoholic who he has to care for to keep him functioning. Russell ends up living with Eddie and the two become a makeshift father and son, helping each other.

This is a thoughtful, well-written novel. It isn't revealed until late in the novel the real meaning of the book's title and the pain that Eddie has carried for nearly twenty years. It makes the title so poignant but also explains the reason for the care, generosity, and patience Eddie bestows on everyone. It illustrates why Eddie helps others overcome circumstances they are facing and changes their lives.  Yeah, between Russell's circumstances, Eddie's care, and other events, this is a crying novel during multiple chapters.

All the characters are portrayed as fully realized, but broken individuals, including young Russell. Vlautin excels at creating everyday, realistic, and flawed characters who are facing trials that can seem insurmountable. Even with all the pain in the narrative, there are also small moments of humor and keen insight along the way. 

The Left and the Lucky is a perfect choice for reader who appreciate novels where characters face difficult situations, and fans of Willy Vlautin and Fredrik Backman's novels. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Handle with Care

 

Handle with Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
4/14/26; 288 pages
Thomas Nelson 

Handle with Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is highly recommended women's fiction novel following three women who become hostages when a domestic dispute escalates in the small coastal town of Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

Not much happens is ever happening in Sunset Beach, so it is shocking when a domestic dispute at the post office results in four women being taken captive. After a prolonged angry discussion with the postal employee, his wife Nadine, her husband Tommy quickly returns with a gun and the four women there, including Nadine, become his hostages. What follows is a gentle hostage situation, but it is also a deep dive into the thoughts and lives of three of the women, Sylvie, Morrow, and Blythe. 

This is not a fast-paced thriller. While, yes, he is threatening them with a gun, they can't leave, and the situation is frightening, but there is never any real sense that any of the women are truly in danger.  What the situation presents is the chance to take a close examination of the lives of each of the three women who walked into the post office that day. Each of them was planning to mail something that would change their lives. The narratives follows the thoughts of  Sylvie, Morrow, and Blyth. Also involved is Hope, a police officer with her own issues to face. 

Suggestions that this would make a great book club selection are based on the secrets each woman has based on what she was planning to mail. Each of their individual situations would be good fodder for a variety of conversations, and discussion questions are included at the end. Topics include aging, forgiveness, personal struggles, honesty, grace, and hope.

The novel is structure to resemble the five parts of a letter, which, if I'm being honest, wasn't highly effective as it might be in this day and age, although I can appreciate the idea. There were several other issues, some which were addressed after the novel ended, which requires setting disbelief aside. Most immediately glaring was just a front and back door at the post office, no loading docks, side entrances, etc. Additionally, I would have tossed the idea of a hostage situation out and brainstormed another reason for the women to be stuck in a room together for a period of time.

Handle with Care is a good choice for those who enjoy women's fiction where a group of women bond during a crisis. Thanks to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a complimentary advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Too Close to Home

Too Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass
4/14/26; 304 pages
Park Row Books 

Too Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass is a highly recommended domestic drama/popcorn thriller. Set disbelief aside and enjoy the over-the-top action. 

Regan, Sasha, and Andi are good friends who live in the elite community of Cloverhill Lakes. It seems to be a perfect suburban community - until Regan's car blows up after she loaned it to another mom, Ally, who just wanted to run to get more ice for the community's labor day picnic. Clearly Regan, a recent widow, was the target, but why? The police think it was a prank gone wrong. 

Sasha is worried about what her teenage son is involved in while sneaking around town. She's also hiding her support for her ex from her current husband, Ray. 

At the same time Andi is dealing with her ex-husband Ray's new wife, Tia, clearly a future HOA president in the making, who is trying to cause problems. When Andi's new husband, Carson, teaches her how to use a gun for protection before he leaves on a trip, it is the second of a series of events, following the initial explosion, which quickly escalate into an over-the-top, twisty thriller.

There is a whole lot of action going on in this well-written, twisty domestic drama which will hold your complete attention throughout. You'll easily set disbelief aside (as several events are over-the-top and poor decisions are made, repeatedly) and keep reading to see what in the world is going to happen next. This is what you expect from a popcorn thriller. The narrative unfolds between the three perspectives of Regan, Sasha, and Andi. The chapters are short, quickly moving the action and point-of-view to the next character, propelling you forward from one crisis to another.

All the characters are introduced at the same time so be sure to pay attention at the beginning in order to keep the different characters separate in your mind. Then sit back and enjoy the ensuing mayhem which follows the initial explosion. Admittedly, the ending is truly over-the-top but so are several other events in the plot, so relish the drama leading up to the dramatic ending. Thanks to Park Row Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Burning Man

 

The Burning Man by Trevor Negus
4/12/26; 400 pages, est
Inkubator Books
DCI Danny Flint Book #14 

The Burning Man by Trevor Negus is a highly recommended, detailed investigative procedural and the fourteenth book in the series featuring DCI Danny Flint.

An accident on the outskirts of Nottingham results in a burned-out car. While the injured driver was pulled from the car just in time, a body is later discovered in the trunk (boot) of the car. What appears to be a murder case for DCI Danny Flint, quickly turns more complicated when the victim is identified as an undercover Customs and Excise officer working on stopping the smuggling of massive quantities of heroin into the UK. Suddenly Flint and his team find their murder investigation hampered by another teams undercover operation while simultaneously the body count is rising.

This is a police procedural made for fans of complicated, detailed, and realistic investigations. Each new piece of information or clue uncovered are logically followed up on during the investigation. There is a dual plot following the raw material for the drugs being picked up in Afghanistan and then the final product making its way to Nottingham. At the same time Flint's investigation into the initial murder is becoming increasingly complicated by more murder, the Customs and Excise operation, and corruption. All these complications also serve to increase the risk and danger to everyone involved.

The characters are all well-written and portrayed as realistic individuals with strengths and weaknesses. Everyone already following this long running series will know the characters, especially DCI Flint, and their abilities. This can be enjoyed as a standalone novel too, although you won't have any history of previous cases. 

The Burning Man is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy police procedurals following detailed investigations. Thanks to Inkubator Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.