The Old Fire

 

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin
Translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins 
1/13/26; 192 pages
S&S/Summit Books

The Old Fire by Elisa Shua Dusapin is recommended literary domestic fiction translated from the French by Aneesa Abbas Higgins. Two sisters, Agathe and Vera, return to the crumbling family home five years after their father's death in order to clean it out after selling it.

Agathe, a 30 year-old screenwriter living in New York, left her home at 15 to live in the U.S. and hasn't returned to France until her Vera calls and asks for help cleaning the family home out.  Véra has been aphasic since she was six, after their mother left them, and communicates through texts. Now the two, almost strangers, have nine days to empty the house which will them be demolished while simultaneously old memories, resentments, secrets, and traumas resurface.

This atmospheric novel has a unsettled, melancholy feeling due to the dilapidated house, the untamed setting, Agathe's personal struggles, and even the hunters in the woods, all intermingling with the haze of old memories, hurts, and expectations. The pace is slow, but the novel is short. In spare writing, it begs the question what do we owe an estranged family member and can you set your past aside.

The two sisters know very little about each other, have no connection except their parentage, and don't appear to truly care to try to reconnect. Agathe, as a successful scriptwriter, has achieved some success, but Vera's life is unknown. Their relationship growing up was complex and left scars. And, no, to answer the question Vera asks, the two would not be friends if they weren't sisters. 

The Old Fire will be best appreciated by those who enjoy atmospheric, pensive literary novels. Thanks to S&S/Summit Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Murder Your Darlings

 

Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum
1/13/26; 368 pages
HarperCollins

Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum is a recommended romantic suspense drama, perhaps highly recommended for the right reader. 

Simone “Sam” Vetiver is a writer who just finished a publicity tour for her latest novel and now faces both writer's block and a deadline for her next book. She receives an fan email from successful author William Corwyn and attends one of his publicity events where the two the two meet and go out for dinner. This is the start of a steamy affair. During this time William is being stalked by a woman he calls The Rabbit, who also begins to follow Sam. However, everything isn't as it seems to be.

The plot unfolds through the point-of-view  of Sam, William, and the Rabbit. The glimpse into the publishing world was interesting and when the plot finally becomes interesting toward the end of the novel it did make up somewhat for the bulk of it. Sam is a well developed character, which is part of what made it hard to believe she'd fall for William who is more of a caricature of a type of man. Rabbit is an interesting character who is introduced into the narrative as an antagonist.

For me, the majority of the novel was glacially slow paced. Honestly, I almost gave up on this novel early on and struggled to keep an interest in it until the last quarter, when it does become much, much better. I'm not a fan of romance novels, so all the steamy encounters were just time wasters, especially when it was made clear from the start that William is an arrogant narcissistic player. It was impossible to believe Sam was foolish enough to fall for his drivel. 

Murder Your Darlings would best be appreciated by those who enjoy romance novels. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Inside Man

 

Inside Man by John McMahon
1/13/26; 400 pages
St. Martin's Press
Head Cases #2 

Inside Man by John McMahon is an exceptional, very highly recommended investigative thriller. This is the second novel in the series and an excellent followup to Head Cases. Gardner Camden and the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit of the FBI are back and this time their investigation reveals potentially connected cases. 

In their investigation involving fraud and a militia group stockpiling ghost guns and ammunition, PARs confidential informant Freddie Pecos is found murdered. When Gardner Camden and  Joanne "Shooter" Harris are at Freddie's it becomes clear that someone else killed him as his co-conspirators in the militia group are trying to contact him and are on their way to his house. As the team investigates, an unidentified man is caught on camera with Freddie. This man is connected to another case at the FBI, an unsolved series of murdered women. Now they may have a serial killer they need to stop along with the militia group.

The PAR Unit of FBI's Behavioral Sciences department team is composed of FBI Agent Gardner Camden, an analytical genius in solving puzzles, riddles, and codes, as well as recognizing patterns and interconnections between items. Team members Cassie Pardo, who is detail-oriented and brilliant with numbers, Jo "Shooter" Harris is a weapons expert, and tactician, and Richie Brancato, a data analyst. Former leader Frank Roberts comes back to help lead the investigation and may be back to stay.

This is another well written, fast-paced, un-put-downable procedural in the Head Cases series. The plot immediately grabbed my attention as both investigations are suspenseful, intelligent, and intriguing. It is a pleasure to follow the team as they uncover clues, make connections, figure out patterns, and analyzing each new development.

The characters are all fully realized, complex individuals with obvious strengths along with their individual unique abilities, quirks and weaknesses. This second book in the series furthers the character development, including Gardner's personal life and relationship with his daughter. I really enjoy all the members of PAR and can't wait for their next outing!

Inside Man is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys investigative thrillers that are fast-paced and well-written. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Head Cases

 

Head Cases by John McMahon
1/28/25; 352 pages
St. Martin's Press
Head Cases #1

Head Cases by John McMahon is a very highly recommended investigative thriller following members of the FBI's PAR (Patterns and Recognition) Unit as they hunt down a serial killer who is targeting other serial killers. As a fan of McMahon's exceptional P.T. Marsh series, it's a pleasure to say I love the start of this new series and am looking forward to the next book in the series, Inside Man, released in January 2026.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius who has an eidetic memory and an unique ability for solving puzzles, riddles, and codes, as well as recognizing patterns and interconnections between items. He is part of a team of misfits who compose the PAR Unit of FBI's Behavioral Sciences department lead by Frank Roberts who are brought in for cases that no one else can solve. Team members working with Gardner include his partner Cassie Pardo, who is detail-oriented and brilliant with numbers, Jo "Shooter" Harris is a weapons expert and tactician, and newbie Richie Brancato, a data analyst.

This specialized team isn't normally in the field, but when Ross Tignon, a man who, after murdering three women, was previously declared deceased seven years earlier is found dead, again, they are called in to investigate. This is quickly followed by a second victim, Barry Fisher, who was just paroled after serving 31 years in prison. The killer calls Gardner to boast, threatens his family, and suggests the team call him god, which leads them to give him the moniker "mad dog." He also plants clues on the victims. to see if the team, especially Gardner, can follow them.

As expected, the writing is absolutely excellent in this outstanding procedural. The plot is fast-paced, interesting, suspenseful, intelligent, and held my complete attention throughout. The case is enigmatic, which explains why PAR was assigned it when usually they work on cold cases. It was nothing but sheer pleasure to observe the team uncovering clues and following up on them intuitively and logically, sometimes with surprising outcomes.

The characters are all portrayed as fully realized, unique, complex individuals with both strengths and weaknesses. This is a team of misfits who didn't fit in with the regular FBI. Gardner is brilliant, unique, and socially awkward, however, although possibly more socially adept, all of the team members have their own gifts and quirks and could be described the same way. This is a great ensemble of characters and I am looking forward to their next case.

Head Cases is a perfect choice for anyone who enjoys procedurals that display excellence in both the writing and executed. Be sure to look for the second book in the series, Inside Man, released in January 2026.

The Briars

 

The Briars by Sarah Crouch
1/13/26; 320 pages
Atria Books

The Briars by Sarah Crouch is a highly recommended literary mystery melded with a romance novel.

After her marriage ends, Annie Heston accepts a job as a game warden in the small town of Lake Lumin, Washington, in the forests and mountains of the Pacific Northwest. When she arrives, Annie discovers a small office where she works closely with young local sheriff Jake Proud. Immediately there is a cougar that she needs to track and collar. This becomes more serious when a body is found near hiking trails with claws marks on it. Later it is determined that the claw marks were postmortem, the young woman was already dead.

The search is on for who killed the young hiker. While tracking the cougar, Annie meets recluse Daniel Barela who owns land near the lake. He allows her to set traps for the cougar and the two immediately feel a connection. Then the body of another young woman is found in the briars that border Daniel’s property, and Annie assists the local sheriff with the investigation.

The well-written novel immediately sets the atmosphere and setting of the plot while introducing the characters. Annie is an interesting young woman who has been deeply hurt but is very invested in her job as a game warden. Jake is depicted as an outgoing, friendly, and inexperienced. Daniel is a much more careful and guarded character, but his background, which he eventually shares with Annie, is heartbreaking. All the characters are depicted as fully realized individuals with strengths and weaknesses.

The narrative is mainly told through the point-of-view of Annie and Daniel, with some chapters through Jake's perspective. Since the town is small, Annie helps Jake with the murder investigation, While the search for the cougar is what intrigued me about the synopsis of the novel, the narrative very quickly set that plot point aside and focused on the burgeoning relationship between Annie and Daniel and the murder investigation. I'm not a great fan of romance novels. The unexpected focus on the quickly developing new relationship felt unrealistic as did the unlikely pairing of Jake and Annie investigating the murder together.

The Briars is a good choice for those who enjoy literary mysteries mixed with romance. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

One Sun Only: Stories

One Sun Only: Stories by Camille Bordas
1/27/26; 304 pages
Random House

One Sun Only: Stories by Camille Bordas is a highly recommended collection of twelve literary short stories which explore the human condition. The majority of these were originally published in The New Yorker with the rest either from The Paris Review or original stories.

All of the stories are thoughtful character studies and present a slice of life of life rather than a conventional plot. They are perceptive, attentive, and reflective while following characters through a specific situation or while dealing with an occurrence. The characters can be acutely soul-searching and flawed as their lives are portrayed from multiple faucets while they deal with various situations.

The quality of the writing and use of language is what elevates these stories above the ordinary, even while they frequently portray ordinary events in the lives of their characters. The characters all react in understandable, ordinary ways to the events that they are experiencing. Admittedly, because the stories are more a slice of life with no real final resolution, I did feel a loss of closure for some of the stories. On the other hand they really represent a perfectly presented slice of life.

One Sun Only: Stories is a wonderful choice for anyone who enjoys literary short stories. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Illusion of Truth

Illusion of Truth by James L'Etoile
1/6/26; 430 pages
Oceanview Publishing
Detective Emily Hunter #3

Illusion of Truth by James L'Etoile is a very highly recommended procedural and mystery. This is the third novel featuring Detective Emily Hunter following Face of Greed and River of Lies. It can be enjoyed as a standalone procedural.

Two explosions hit the police officers who responded to a false report of a break-in at a church in Sacramento. Fellow cop and Detective Emily Hunter's boyfriend, Sergeant Brian Conner, is caught in the blast and is in serious condition. Emily and her partner Javier Medina are investigating when Officer Clay Milton determines that bomb components found at the scene can be traced to those in remote control cars. Soon another bomb targets more officers with a similar m.o. While Emily and Javier are trying to follow clues, City Councilman Rob Davis, is inciting antagonism and riots against the city’s police force. Emily must discover what incident from the past ties all the officers together and now makes them all a target.

During the tension from the high pressure investigation, Emily is also dealing with Brian's health struggles and her mother’s progressing Alzheimer’s. Emily and Brian's relationship was facing a hurdle before his serious injuries, which may change everything. At the same time Javier is also facing some challenges in his relationship with his girlfriend. These story lines don't detract from the main plot, but do add depth and realism to the characters, helping their development as individuals.

The pace is fast and the plot feels realistic in this well-written intricate procedural/mystery that feels like it could be ripped from headlines today. The political ramifications and involvement of various government departments along the way add credulity to the plot which is intricate, twisty and intelligent. The pressure and tension are unrelenting as the investigation unfolds.

Part of the plot is inferred in the title. Illusory truth is when repeated exposure to false information leads people to believe it is true, even when recognized as false. We can be more likely to believe something if we've heard it repeated multiple times. There are numerous examples of this in the news today where people set critical thinking and fact-checking aside.

Illusion of Truth is a wonderful choice for anyone looking for a tension-packed procedural. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.