Murder Takes a Vacation

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman
6/17/25; 272 pages
William Morrow

Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman is a recommended cozy mystery featuring widow Muriel Blossom, 68, on a Parisian river cruise.

Mrs. Blossom found a lottery ticket in a parking lot that resulted in an $8 million dollar win. She decides to see the world, starting with a trip to France and a river cruise with her best friend, Elinor. She meets Allan at the airport and he helps her negotiate her way to the transatlantic flight. He continues to assist her in London when she misses her connecting flight and the two enjoy each other's company for a day. The next day she continues on to Paris. 

Mrs. Blossom ends up meeting a man who was following her, Danny Johnson, and he becomes a part of her trip, for better of for worse. In Paris someone searches her room and Allan turns up dead there when he was supposed to have meetings in London. Danny, who may be FBI or a PI, warns Mrs. Blossom that she might be in danger. Mrs. Blossom continues on to meet her friend Elinor and go on their cruise, finding Danny is also on the trip.

This novel had potential. The quality of the writing is good. Muriel Blossom is a charming character and there were many details that were appealing in this mystery, including her love of art and details about places. It works as a cozy because nothing is graphic. She reflects on her deceased husband and her life. She ponders her daughter and family moving overseas, leaving her on her own. She's starting a new chapter of her life and now has the money to do it.

On the other hand, there were several elements that were overwhelmingly problematic. First and most notably is the fact that there is no real mystery. It is abundantly clear throughout the novel exactly what is going on but Muriel remains utterly clueless. She talks about her weight and being old incessantly. Finally, she is too trusting and has no ability to read people. Being pleasant does not equate being gullible. Lippman has written better novels.

Murder Takes a Vacation is a good selection for those who like cozy mysteries without a lot of suspense. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Hazel Says No

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross
6/17/25; 352 pages
Hanover Square Press

Hazel Says No by Jessica Berger Gross is a recommended coming-of-age novel tackling topical issues including the me too movement and cancelling people.

Gus Blum, an American studies professor, accepted a tenured position as department head at a college in Riverburg, Maine.  His wife Claire is a clothing designer, daughter Hazel is an eighteen-year-old high school senior and son Wolf is eleven-year-old sixth grader in middle school. His family moves from Brooklyn to the small town and try to find their place where they are one of the few Jewish families in town.

On the first day of school Hazel has the principal of her new high school call her to his office and proposition her. He also threatens her future college acceptances. The fall out from this impacts everyone in the family. Adding to the turmoil is the poorly planned first lecture her father gives, which was based on one he gave many years earlier. It results in a petition to fire him.

The narrative unfolds through the point-of-view of each family member in alternating chapters. Each of the members of the Blum family is struggling and experiencing stress from several different directions and sources. Obviously the harassment looms large, but the resulting fallout causes guilt, victim-blaming, and trauma among the family members. Additionally, it captures the struggles associated with moving to a small town and finding a way to try to fit in.

While the first half of this new adult novel is excellent, starts strong, and gives all the family members compelling, credible voices, in the second half it then evades the realistic direction it was taking. First the narrative suddenly loses track of what was making it successful and begins to takes on the author's voice rather than that of the characters. It becomes lecturing rather than leaving room for thoughtful reflection upon all the events. The unrealistic turn in the plot feels affected which totally changes the tone. I started out totally engrossed in the novel and was tempted to set it aside in the second half.

Hazel Says No is recommended for the right readers. It could be a good book club selection. Thanks to Hanover Square Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Question of Guilt

Question of Guilt by Sally Rigby
6/12/25; 246 pages
Storm Publishing
Sebastian Clifford #7

Question of Guilt by Sally Rigby is a recommended procedural/cozy mystery and the seventh book in the Sebastian Clifford series. In this outing private investigators Sebastian (Seb) Clifford and Lucinda 'Birdie' Bird take on investigating a cold case. It can be read as a stand alone novel.

Thirty-six years ago Daryl Brackstone's mother Helen was murdered. Her father, who was convicted for the crime, recently died while still in prison. Daryl never believed her father was guilty. When a true crime podcaster  contacted her about her mother's murder, Daryl decided to hire a private investigator to look into the case, which brought her in contact with Seb and Birdie. 

The duo decide to take on the case and discover that the police didn't look at anyone but her father and her mother Helen was part of a secretive activist group investigating high-level corruption. Soon the investigators are being targeted which clearly indicates someone has something to hide.

This an even-paced investigative mystery. Clues and information are logically followed as more facts are uncovered in their inquiry, leading the two to further areas to examine. Admittedly, the plot is also very predictable this time. When the opening scene shows the reader that the father was not involved in the murder, it removed the question of guilt and thus some of the tension from the investigation. It might have been a better choice to not start with that scene.

It was entertaining to follow Seb and Birdie looking into the case and see their partnership develop further. Seb's college-aged daughter makes an appearance and is great at assisting with research. The inclusion of Birdie going on a date was a pointless addition to the story and felt like pandering. Personally, I have enjoyed Rigby's other mysteries more. Thanks to Storm for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Deep Water

Deep Water by Paul Heatley
6/8/25; 306 pages
Inkubator Books
Tom Rollins #17

Deep Water by Paul Heatley is a highly recommended action-packed thriller. This is the seventeenth book featuring Tom Rollins, a former black ops specialist who is known for vigilantism and seeking justice by what ever means possible. This is another intense action/adventure page-turner.

Tom Rollins is working a construction job in Newark, NJ, when Dennis, a young man who he works with, witnesses a brutal crime and sees the perpetrators. Tom accompanies him to the police to report it, but it quickly becomes clear to Tom that the police know who did it and are being paid off by them. When the two crooked officers come to their job site to take Dennis and Tom in for questioning, Tom secretly prepares for what he knows will be their demise. He's right, but his preparation means they escape. Now they are on the run being ruthlessly hunted by a security force representing the Penneys and their pharmaceutical empire.

Expect non-stop action, constant threats, and a credible adversary in this suspenseful thriller. The pages will fly by following the mysteries, murders, violence, and henchmen galore. Sure, you'll have to set disbelief aside, but that is easily done while following the actions of Rollins, an intelligent, observant, and, above all else, lethal one-man-demolition-crew seeking justice.

Even though this is the seventeenth book in the series, Deep Water can easily be read as a stand alone novel. There is enough background information seamlessly included in the plot to understand Tom Rollins and his background. Those new to the series could always go back and read previous titles if you enjoy this fast-paced, gripping thriller.

Deep Water is a perfect choice for those who want a thriller featuring an action-hero plot. Thanks to Inkubator Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Death at the White Hart

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall
6/10/25; 352 pages
Penguin Group

Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall is a highly recommended procedural set in the English village of Fleetcombe. This is the debut novel of the creator of TV's Broadchurch series.

A man is found dead in the middle of the road tied to a chair with a stag’s antlers attached to his head. The victim is well known and immediately identified at the scene as Jim Tiernan, who ran the White Hart pub. Called to the scene is Detective Nicola Bridge, 38, who has recently come to Fleetcombe, a small West Dorset village, from Liverpool. She thought a slower pace would be good for her marriage. Also called is rookie DC Harry Ward. He is ten years younger and a newcomer too. Nicola has years of experience and Harry is eager to assist and learn.

The department has no real experience with a crime of this sort so all of Nicola's experience is desperately needed, as well as her observation skills. Harry is surprising with how much he steps up to assist. As with any small town, there are plenty of secrets and history between everyone. Not all those questioned are forthcoming or open with the information they know

This well written, intelligent procedural features a complex investigation, an even pace, and fully realized characters. All the clues are logically followed and as a pub owner, the list of local people who need to be questioned, and re-questioned, includes people who knew Jim or had interactions with him the night of the crime. The characters all feel like unique, real people which makes it very easy to follow the investigation and piece together clues along the way. These characters deserves a sequel.

Death at the White Hart is a prefect choice for anyone who enjoys British police procedurals. Thanks to the Penguin Group for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Plays Well with Others

Plays Well with Others by Lauren Myracle
6/10/25; 288 pages
Blackstone Publishing

Plays Well with Others by Lauren Myracle is a very highly recommended character based domestic thriller/suburban noir. The whole is much more than the parts when everything comes together for an engaging, compelling thriller. This debut adult fiction novel is a success.

Jake (Jacquelyn) Nolan lost her husband, baby, and best friend in one fell swoop. She was pregnant, gave birth early, lost her son, and then discovered her husband, Adam, was having an affair with her best friend, Shelby, and he was leaving her. She wrote an angry comment on social media and then wrote an angry private response to Shelby, who immediately edited Jake's comments to make her look bad and posted their private correspondence on social media. It exploded online and made Jake a social pariah.

Now Jake has moved to a bungalow on Sweetwater Lane in Fort Collins, Colorado. She keeps to herself as she is still recognized after the social media scandal, but her neighbor Mabel welcomes her to the neighborhood and the two become best friends. Mabel has her own issues, past and present, bothering her. There are also some children in the neighborhood who have their stories told. including Bethany, Mabel's 10-year old stepdaughter, Billy, with an abusive mother, and siblings Delilah and Wendell, who are living with their aunt.

This is well-written, fast-paced novel is really a character study with a plot that explores betrayal, deceit, friendship, toxic social media, and revenge. The narrative is an engrossing page-turner that is full of twists and secrets along with some humor. It is a novel that will hold your complete attention and just becomes more compelling with each chapter. It was surprising how much I enjoyed this novel.

The chapters all are from either Jake, Mabel, Billy, and Wendell's point-of-view, with Jake's story the initial main focus. At first readers may wonder why the children's viewpoints, but it all comes together at the end. The characters, including the children, are all fully realized individuals and realistically developed with strengths and weaknesses.

Plays Well with Others is a great choice for those who like a character based thriller set in the age of social media. Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Jill Is Not Happy

Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda
6/10/25; 256 pages
Penzler Publishers

Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda is a highly recommended domestic thriller featuring a very flawed couple in a toxic marriage.

Jack and Jill Tingley met in college and have been married for over twenty years. With their daughter Maggie now away at college, Jill has planned a road trip to Utah for her and Jack to reconnect. Jack, on the other hand wants nothing more to do with Jill. He has a mistress and is planning to divorce Jill as soon as they return. The only reason he has stayed with her for so long is due to a tragic secret the two share. Jill is not happy; she is not going to allow Jack to leave and she has it all in writing.

With each chapter the fast-paced narrative switches between the point-of-view of Jack and Jill. As more secrets are revealed, the toxicity, scheming, and tension explode off the page along with the new twists in the plot. Jill is presented as especially cunning and obsessive, but the deviousness and duplicity of both characters is revealed along the way. Ultimately none of the characters are trustworthy or likable, but following their drama is deliciously entertaining.

Jill Is Not Happy is a perfect choice for those who enjoy reading fast-paced domestic thrillers with devious characters. Thanks to Penzler Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Kill Your Darlings

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson
6/10/25; 288 pages
William Morrow 

Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson is a highly recommended murder mystery in reverse. The marriage and relationship of Thom and Wendy Graves is told in a nonlinear timeline, starting at 2023 with chapters going backward in time to 1982.

Thom Graves is a tenured English literature professor who drinks too much and is a womanizer while Wendy is a published poet. The two have been married for over twenty-five years, their son Jason is an adult, and Wendy is ready to murder her husband. She has to murder him rather than divorce him to ensure he keeps a secret the two share from many years ago and he has dropped some hints recently that he may be writing a murder mystery about their secret.

The slow moving narrative starts with what would normally be the ending and subsequently moves four decades back in time providing the history of their relationship through both of their points-of-view. Each step back in time provides more information and clues about their past and insight into their present, or rather the ending that starts the novel. The final chapters, the beginning, can reveal the significance of later, or earlier events.

What kept me reading was the unique format and I wanted to see if it would work when I reached the end/beginning. Honestly, this story of an unhappy marriage wasn't that engaging until about the 40% mark in my ebook at which point it seems more connections between present and past are coming together and more revealing details emerge. The ending, or the beginning, was worth the wait. While I can appreciate a narrative with flashbacks within the narrative, I may avoid novels with this structure in the future.

Kill Your Darlings will be appreciated by readers who can appreciate the nonlinear timeline. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

 

Believe Me Now

Believe Me Now by S. M. Govett
6/10/25, 320 pages
Crooked Lane Books

Believe Me Now by S. M. Govett is a recommended investigative thriller that unfolds between dual narrators. The title is Believe in the UK.

Natalie Campbell experienced a traumatic event ten years ago and still struggles with PTSD and blackouts. She has coping strategies and routines to help her and she also relies on her husband Ryan. Then her life is shaken up when she begins to receive the same kinds of threatening letters she was sent years ago. Following this her husband is accused of the same crime that ruined her life and the accuser, Alice Lytton, is found dead.

DI Helen Stratton understands past trauma. Stratton joined the force to make a difference for lost or missing women after her sixteen-year-old sister disappeared years ago and the police didn't take it seriously. Now she's been on the force for years and assigned a new partner, DC Bradley. The two are assigned to the murder case of Alice.

Following the two very different points-of-view in alternating chapters works very well in this investigative thriller. Natalie is a very sympathetic character but with her blackouts readers also won't know if she is entirely a trustworthy one. Stratton is a bit of a prickly woman, but an observant and competent detective that you will trust.

There are plenty of suspects and the suspense is high throughout the fast-paced novel. I knew exactly who did it very early in the novel and all the twists and additional information didn't change my opinion, but they did add depth to the plot. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Karen

Karen: A Brother Remembers by Kelsey Grammer
5/6/25; 456 pages
Harper Select

Karen: A Brother Remembers by Kelsey Grammer is a so-so personal memoir and tribute to his sister Karen who was murdered. In Colorado Springs on July 1, 1975, eighteen-year-old Karen Grammer went in to pick up her paycheck at Red Lobster and was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by three men who were planning to rob the restaurant. Kelsey Grammer was just twenty-years-old at this time. Understandably this tragic loss impacted his whole life.

In a stream-of-consciousness style full of many digressions, Grammer recalls Karen and how he struggled throughout his life to deal with his grief over her tragic death and try to focus on the good memories of Karen. The narrative jumps around in time and covers many different events and struggles in his life, some involving Karen, many that don't.

The whole memoir just feels like a tangle of Grammer's memories, is sometimes repetitious, and more about him rather than a tribute to his sister's memory. Many of us have tragically lost a sibling and as one of them any memoir I would write would celebrate her life. Any focus on my struggles with grief and acceptance would be a postscript with places to find help, but then, of course, I'm not famous.

In the final assessment, the no affectation or filter, stream-of-consciousness approach did not result in a cohesive narrative and was a struggle to read. This needed focus, organization, a good editor, and a re-write. Thanks to Harper Select for providing me with a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Death at Fakenham Races

Death at Fakenham Races by Ross Greenwood
6/5/25; 485 pages
Boldwood Books 
DI Ashley Knight #5

Death at Fakenham Races by Ross Greenwood is a highly recommended police procedural. Even though this is the fifth book in the DI Ashley Knight/Norfolk Murders series, it can be read and appreciated as a standalone novel too, especially if you enjoy horse racing.

During heavy snow fall the police are called out to investigate a loud argument at the Fakenham Racecourse. When the officers arrive and separate to investigate, one officer, Frank, is attacked and left unconscious and the snow covered car of bookmarker Jonny Lowe is in a parking lot. After a body is later found, also snow covered, DI Ashley Knight and team are called in to investigate. The body is identified as that of Glen Gordon, one of the local horse owners. There appears to be no apparent motive for the murder. 

As the investigation continues Jonny Lowe is found murdered. Clearly the murders are somehow connected to the racetrack, but no motive seems readily apparent, but the list of suspects keeps growing. Someone must be hiding something that would tie it all together among the many people involved in horse racing at Fakenham.

The murder investigations were interesting, intricate, and clues are logically followed in the well-written police procedural. As the investigation unfolds becomes clear that there are many people and a lot of work going on behind the scenes. The answer may be more complicated than anyone thought and the stakes are higher than initially imagined. The plot moves at a quick pace and the suspense rises with each new interview and clue.

At the opening of the novel Greenwood thankfully has a cast of characters which will help refresh your memory of who's who, which I appreciated. Those who have read other novels in the series know these characters and their interaction with each other while solving cases. Personally, I think readers who are acquainted with and enjoy the world of horse racing would enjoy this a bit more than I did, however, Greenwood always writes a good mystery.

Death at Fakenham Races is a good selection for those who enjoy intricate procedurals and horse racing. Thanks to Boldwood Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Fifty Fifty

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
6/3/25 (originally 9/3/20); 384 pages
Atria Books
Eddie Flynn #5

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh is a very highly recommended legal thriller. Atria Books has made a wise choice to re-releasing this excellent series in paperback. (Fifty Fifty was originally published on 9/3/20.) Even though this is the fifth book in the Eddie Flynn series it can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone novel.

Eddie Flynn is a streetwise ex con-artist who is now a defense attorney. A contact at the police station calls him to let him know that he needs to get to the station now. When he arrives the station is pack with lawyers trying to represent either of the potential clients, sisters Alexandra and Sofia Avellino. They are both charged in the murder of their father, Frank Avellino, former NYC mayor who is worth an estimated 50 million dollars. The sisters both called 911 almost simultaneously, blaming the other for their father's murder. One or both of them is a killer. 

Eddie ends up representing Sophia with assistance from ex-FBI agent Harper and retired judge Harry Ford. Alexandra is represented by new lawyer, Kate Brooks, who took over the case out from under her former firm, Levy, Bernard and Groff. Kate is assisted by her friend ex-NYPD friend Melissa Bloch. The prosecutor, Dreyer, plans to try the sisters together. 

Fifty Fifty is exceptionally well-written, expertly plotted, intelligent, twisty, and wildly entertaining legal thriller! A nail-biting warning may be in order too, as the tension remains high throughout and the pace is lightning fast. The narrative is presented in five parts and told through the alternating point-of-view of Eddie, Kate, and "She," one of the sisters who is obviously a killer. You won't know the truth until the very end, which will shock you.

This one is a real page turner as it it impossible to predict what is going to happen next. It is a pleasure to watch Eddie and the team work and this is the book where Kate and Bloch are introduce into the series. All of the characters in the series are written as unique, realistic individuals with strengths and weaknesses.

Fifty Fifty is a perfect choice for those who enjoy legal thrillers. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Badlands

Badlands by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
6/3/25; 368 pages
Grand Central Publishing
Nora Kelly & Corrie Swanson Series #5

Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is a very highly recommended action-packed thriller and the fifth novel in the series featuring archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. It can definitely be read as a standalone novel and features strong, capable female protagonists. Preston and Child dependably deliver another winner.

FBI Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the investigation into the skeleton of a woman found in the New Mexico badlands. The woman apparently walked into the desert, removed all her clothes while walking, and died of heatstroke and thirst. By the bones are found an arrowhead and two round green stones. When Corrie calls Nora to look at the arrowhead, Nora immediately took more interest in the stones which she identifies as extremely rare green lightning stones. The body is identified as Molly Vine, a science teacher who went missing five years earlier.

When another body is found and identified as Mandy Driver, a geological consultant, two green lightning are again found by her. Their investigation leads Corrie and Nora to believe that the two deaths might be connected to Professor Oskarbi who had ties to both deceased women at the University of New Mexico. He also had an interest in the Gallinas, indigenous people who used lightning stones and were wiped out in the 13th century by the Chaco Canyon people. How does this all connect together?

As expected Badlands is a well-written, heart-stopping thriller which held my complete attention from start to finish. The plot moves at a lightning-fast pace and the setting, which comes to life, is beautifully described. Yes, you might have to set some disbelief aside, but there are also real historical facts woven into the plot. The investigation follows some complicated turns along the way, and there are several different story lines going on as everything heads to a run-in with the supernatural. You'll definitely want to read this in one sitting.

Corrie and Nora are great characters and it was wonderful to see them back, working together. They are both intelligent, insightful, and competent women and their characters continue to develop in this outing. Nora's brother Skip is back, making questionable decisions as is Corries friend, Sheriff Watts.

Badlands is an excellent choice for anyone who loves page-turning, action-packed thrillers. 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 Ghostwriter

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
6/3/25; 368 pages
Sourcebooks

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark is a very highly recommended, clever mystery and family drama that unfolds in two timelines while exploring a tragic event from the past.

Olivia Dumont is a ghostwriter who has been estranged from her father, the famous horror writer Vincent Taylor, for years so she is shocked when she is offered a job writing a book for him. It isn't a horror novel. It's a memoir focused on events from June, 1975, when his two teenage siblings, Danny and Poppy, were murdered in their Ojai, California, home. Throughout Olivia's childhood in Ojai rumors were always swirling around that Vincent was responsible for the murders. 

Olivia accepts the job because she needs the money. Once she arrives in Ojai, she learns that Vincent is in poor health and has been diagnosed with Lewey body dementia. He has notes for the book, but can no longer write it. Olivia must try to decipher his notes and piece together clues from other sources to try and determine what really happened to Danny and Poppy fifty years ago.

The writing and plotting is excellent in this slow-burn mystery/thriller/family drama. While the start feels slow moving, the suspense and tension keep building up along with the pace as more information is uncovered and Olivia tries to piece clues together. It is unclear if Vincent is telling Olivia the truth or if he even honestly recalls what happened. The NDA Olivia signed also prohibits many of the obvious research routes she would normally take.

The narrative follows two time lines. In the present Olivia is searching for information in Vincent's notes, Poppy's diary and later her films, and some interviews. From the past are flashbacks and observations from Poppy and Vincent in 1975. The balance between following Olivia in the present and the scenes in the past work exceptionally well together in the narrative while proving more insight, clues, and twists. They are all compelling characters as you follow their stories. The final denouement pushed the rating up on this one.

The Ghostwriter is an excellent choice for those who enjoy a murder mystery mixed with a family drama. Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie

Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie by James Lee Burke
6/3/25; 368 pages
Grove/Atlantic
Holland Family Saga #5

Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie by James Lee Burke is a very highly recommended historical fiction family drama/coming-of-age/good vs. evil story set in Texas opening in 1914 during the WWI time period. This is the fifth novel in the Holland Family Saga.

Young teen Bessie Holland is struggling through life with an alcoholic, former Texas Ranger father, Hackberry Holland, and her brother Cody. Their mother is deceased. An ongoing feud with the Fowler family results in Cody losing an eye via Jubal Fowler and his slingshot. Cody runs away to NYC. Hackberry confronts Jubal's father Winthrop, which result's in Bessie shooting Winthrop. She ends up in jail, but is later released, but the violence around her continues. Bessie flees to stay with Cody in NYC where more trouble awaits. She later returns to Texas where the ongoing violence there escalates.

The writing is exceptional as Burke descriptively captures the setting (in Texas and NYC) and the time period. This is when oil drilling was new in Texas and cars were becoming more common. Women were often dismissed and/or abused by men. Bessie is fourteen when the novel opens so this is set during her teen years. The violence and corruption around her is overwhelming, yet she always speaks her mind, stands up for herself, doesn't back down from conflict and fights back against the bullies and thugs.

Bessie is a fully realized, complicated character with both strengths and weaknesses. She finds a friend and mentor in her former English teacher, Ida Banks, and Mr. Slick, a spirit/drifter/haint who helps her again and again. Most of the characters around her are unethical, evil, threatening men. The few exceptions stand out.

Even though this is the fifth book in the Holland family series, it can be read as a stand alone novel. I was unsure when supernatural elements appeared early in the narrative and almost stopped reading, but Mr. Slicks  appearance and on-going presence in the plot isn't distracting and ends up adding to the plot. Ultimately this is a very violent plot where any justice is hard fought with moral ambiguity, but it also showcases a strong, young female protagonist.

Don't Forget Me, Little Bessie would be an excellent choice for those who like westerns and family dramas with strong women. Thanks to Grove/Atlantic for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

False Claims

False Claims by Lisa Pratta
6/3/25; 288 pages
William Morrow

False Claims: One Insider's Impossible Battle Against Big Pharma Corruption by Lisa Pratta is a very highly recommended account of a whistleblower taking on corruption and fraud in the pharmaceutical industry.

Lisa Pratta had a successful career in pharmaceutical sales when she joined Questcor Pharmaceuticals. Her job was to promote to doctors the drug Acthar, which, if prescribed correctly, could relieved flare-ups of multiple sclerosis (MS) with the goal to get them back to baseline, the condition they were in before the flare-up. However during sales meetings, Questcor was encouraging its salespeople to promote off-label use of the drug while also inflating the price of the drug to an outrageous and unjustifiable cost, $28,000 per vial. They were also encouraging giving doctor's office staff and nurses gift cards when visiting.

Pratta declined to promote off-label usage, kickbacks, or provide bribes, but stayed with the company while acting within the law because she needed the job to care for her special needs son. When her friend and colleague, Pete Keller, informed her that he was going to report Questor’s fraudulent practices to the federal government. Knowing Pratta's feelings, Keller encouraged her to join him. She did, while still working at Questcor and providing inside information for nearly a decade.

After recent experiences, many people have come to realize the corruption and unscrupulous behavior used by corrupt pharmaceutical companies and False Claims offers an insiders view into some of the practices of Big Pharma. Questor was bought by Mallinckrodt, which settled with the federal government, but the same sales practices are still used by other companies.

Pratta recounts both her professional and personal experiences in this straightforward, well-written narrative that has the tone of a memoir. Her childhood abuse and personal struggles along the way made her commitment to stay with the company and continue helping provide information for the federal case even more incredible. 

Pratta provides practical advice to readers at the end as she encourages everyone to advocate for themselves, be proactive, do research, and refrain from taking any medical advice at face value. Perhaps most importantly, if a physician prescribes you a medication to ensure they are not bias ask about any relationship they have with the manufacturer or if they have attended conferences paid for by the company. 

False Claims is an excellent choice for anyone following the corruption in Big Pharma. Thanks to William Morrow  for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

A Dead Draw

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni
5/27/25; 395 pages
Thomas & Mercer
Tracy Crosswhite #11

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni is a highly recommended thriller and the eleventh book in the Seattle Detective Tracy Crosswhite series. It can be read as a stand alone novel.

A handgun that Detective Kinsington Rowe confiscated is identified as the weapon used to kill Julia Hoch and Bridgette Traugott, two cold cases Tracy Crosswhite is working on in her department’s cold case unit. When interrogating Erik Schmidt, the owner of the weapon, he taunts her and makes it clear that he was close to Ed House, the man who kidnapped and killed her sister, Sarah. Tracy is rattled by the sociopath and uncharacteristically loses her temper. When Schmidt is released on a technicality he is out for revenge and is likely targeting Tracy.

Talking to Schmidt induced flashbacks from the past for Tracy and leads to a critical mistake during a department shooting exercise. Needing to refocus and get her concentration back, Tracy, Dan (her husband), daughter, and their nanny go to their weekend house in her hometown of Cedar Grove. There she can practice her marksmanship skills with Mason Pettibone, her first shooting instructor. He has Tracy work with his granddaughter, Lydia, an exceptional shooting instructor who’s on the spectrum.

The writing is excellent, as expected. The tension remains high throughout because the stakes are high, even though it is clear early on in the narrative where the plot is heading. At the same time there is not much investigating. Readers will know Schmidt is stalking Tracy. Proficiency with firearms and marksmanship is an essential factor in the plot. There is plenty of information and interaction with firearms, along with tie-ins to westerns in this outing for those who are interested. If you aren't, you can skim sections. 

Adding to the tension are memories, inner conflicts, and past events coming back to haunt the present. Tracy is a fully realized character at this point and is always a sympathetic reliable one too. Her struggles with past memories resurfacing is understandable and something many can experience and wrestle with as they try to get back on course. Lydia is a wonderful new character and I hope she reappears in future novels.

Those following the Tracy Crosswhite series will enjoy reading A Dead Draw. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Compound

The Compound by Aisling Rawle
6/24/25; 304 pages
Random House  

The Compound by Aisling Rawle is a highly recommended literary fiction debut that takes on a dystopian reality show competition.

Lily is a beautiful young woman who joins the cast of a reality TV show. The competition begins when 10 women wait on site for 10 men to cross a desert landscape to join them on the compound. The winner is the one who stays the longest as the others are sent home along the way. The contestants are required to pair up and share a bed. For this show there is immediately a problem as only 9 men show up, which means one woman will be eliminated immediately. 

The group will complete group challenges for items the whole group needs or can use. Then they also have individual challenges where they can earn luxury rewards for themselves. As the competition continues it becomes increasingly unsettling for numerous reasons, which you'll have to discover for yourself.

The Compound will immediately grab your attention for a number of reasons and then will hold that attention right to the end. It might help if you have some basic familiarity with reality TV shows, but you will be able to follow what is happening even if you don't. Honestly, it might be best to dive into this without a lot of extraneous information about it and just experience the narrative as the author intended. The themes explored will become abundantly clear along the way, as will the dangers. I will admit that I wasn't a huge fan of the ending.

The Compound is a good choice for those who appreciate literary fiction with a dystopian feeling. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Potting Shed Murder

The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton
5/27/25; 304 pages
Kensington

The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton is a highly recommended cozy murder mystery.

Daphne and James Brewster and their three children have moved from London to the Cranberry Farmhouse in Pudding Corner with the neighboring village of Pepperbridge, in Norfolk. The family is settling into the country life and their children are happy at Pepperbridge Primary School. Daphne is known as the "Vintage Lady" and she has a shop with restored and hand-painted furniture. 

Life in the country, however, means Daphne is actually meeting her neighbors, something that didn't happen in London. When the headmaster of Pepperbridge, Charles Papplewick, is found dead in his potting shed on his allotment patch, the list of suspects and motives, along with plenty of secrets and accusations begin to appear. 

Daphne is the amateur sleuth in this cozy mystery as she carefully pieces clues together that could determine who was responsible for the murder - and there are several suspects. Some suspects are unlikable right from the start, others are sympathetic. There are several flashbacks exploring motives. The narrative follows Daphne and all the various people who could be suspects in the death of Papplewick. Daphne is also a very appealing character and it would be nice to see her return in another mystery.

The writing is descriptive as it creates a picture of the setting and introduces all the people in the village. The pace is even but slow for much of the novel, picking up toward the end. It's actually the quality of the writing that elevates the novel and encourages you to continue reading even though the pace is so slow at first. Normally, I'm not a huge fan of cozy mysteries, but this was a nice interlude.

The Potting Shed Murder is a good choice for cozy murder mystery fans. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Doorman

The Doorman by Chris Pavone
5/20/25; 400 pages
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The Doorman by Chris Pavone is a recommended novel of class, privilege, and murder set in NYC.

Chicky Diaz is a well liked doorman at the Bohemia, an elite apartment house in NYC. He is deeply in debt due to his late wife’s medical bills. Unhappily married Emily Longworth and her billionaire husband Whit live in the penthouse. In apartment 2a, Julian Sonnenberg, whose gallery and marriage are both failing, has just been diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart valve problem. In the streets are demonstrations and the ever present threat of  violence breaking out.

While the quality of the writing is as good as I expected and what kept me reading, the pace felt glacially slow for much of the novel. I kept reading, anticipating more intrigue, secrets, and action which didn't pick up until the end. Additionally, the narrative is enmeshed in class, privilege, prejudice, and other current topics which diminished the novel for me as, generally, I'm reading for relaxation and entertainment. Most of the characters are well-developed, but unlikable, with the exception of Chicky, who is at least a sympathetic character. While I wasn't a fan of this one, I am looking forward to Pavone's next novel.

The Doorman is a good choice for those who like character studies that cover contemporary socioeconomic and sociopolitical themes and are set in NYC. Thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Nightshade

Nightshade by Michael Connelly
5/20/25; 352 pages
Little, Brown and Company
Detective Stilwell #1

Nightshade by Michael Connelly is a very highly recommended police procedural/thriller.  This marks the start of a new series from Connelly.

Due to infighting and office politics, L.A. County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been transferred from homicide to policing Santa Catalina Island. He has come to enjoy Catalina. The first case he has is serving a search warrant in the investigation of an illegally decapitated buffalo on the island’s nature preserve. Then he is contacted when a hull scraper reports a body in a bag weighed down by an anchor chain in the harbor. Stilwell dives down to confirm the claim and immediately determines that the body has been in the water for days and it is a woman with a purple streak in her hair.

The mainland team takes over the murder investigation but Stilwell knows the detective assigned to the case, Rex Ahearn, is an incompetent investigator. He actually then has a tie-in to the homicide case when the exclusive, century-old Black Marlin Club reports the theft of a black jade marlin sculpture. The manager of the club thinks a waitress he fired may have stolen it. When looking into the theft Stilwell finds out she had a purple steak in her hair. This gives him a reason to actually investigate the murder.

This is a well-written, intricately plotted, and action-packed investigative procedural. The murder is the central investigation but at the same time there are several other cases, secrets, and corruption involved. Further complicating matters is that Stilwell doesn't trust the mainland detectives to do a thorough investigation. The clues and discoveries continue to be exposed at a fast and furious pace while the danger increases along with the complexity.

Stilwell is a well-developed character with strengths and flaws. He is tenacious, intelligent, methodical, and has great investigative instincts. Connelly has left plenty of room for further character development in future installments of the series. That would include the character of Tash, a woman who is the assistant harbor master and in a relationship with Stilwell.

Nightshade is a great choice for anyone who enjoys complex police procedurals. Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Making a Killing

Making a Killing by Cara Hunter
5/20/25; 368 pages
HarperCollins
DI Fawley series #7

Making a Killing by Cara Hunter is a highly recommended, intricate police procedural and the seventh book in the DI Fawley series. This novel continues the story of a missing child, Daisy Mason, from 2017's Close to Home, the first book in the series.

Nick Vincent, producer of true-crime show Infamous, learns that there may be questions about the Daisy Mason murder case. Her mother was convicted but has always claimed to be innocent. He sends a researcher to look into the claims. Two months later a woman's body is found in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence can't verify the body's identity, but did find evidence which is identified as belonging to Daisy.

DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in with his team to run the case. He now knows that Daisy is still alive and her mother is innocent. Daisy would be 16 now, but what really happened 8 years earlier and who is the dead woman?

The well-written, compelling narrative follows a complicated set of clues and information trying to discover the identity of the dead woman and find out what really happened to Daisy, as well as where their mistakes were made years previously. The premise of the plot is attention grabbing, but the pace felt a little slow at the start, or perhaps it didn't grab my attention immediately. This resolved itself later, but initially it was a struggle. Once I connected with the rhythm of the writing it held my attention to the end.

Hunter includes notes on all the characters at the beginning of the novel to provide background and refresh readers recollection of the team. Also are all the newspaper articles, website pages, documents, phone call transcripts, emails, pictures, etc. in the multi-media format Hunter uses to show the evidence collected during the investigation. Alas, it doesn't work well with the e-book reader I prefer, so get this in a hard copy or perhaps use a tablet. 

Making a Killing is for those who love procedurals which include a multi-media format. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Memory Collectors

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve
5/20/25; 336 pages
Crooked Lane Books

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve is a very highly recommended speculative mystery with science fiction undertones in which four strangers all travel back to the same day in their past, a day that changed all of their lives. This is a compelling, un-put-downable novel.

In 2028 Aeon Expeditions, a time travel invention of Mark Saunders, allows clients the chance to spend an hour in their past. Four people in Ventura, California, have all been among the lucky applicants chosen to revisit a random day in their past. Elizabeth would love to spend one more hour with her son, Sam, who died in a senseless accident. Andy wants to find his first love who ghosted him after a whirlwind romance. Logan desires to experience the active lifestyle he had before an accident left him in a wheelchair. Brooke is looking for an hour of relief from the guilt of an unforgivable mistake. 

Unknown to them before their trip to the past, they are all going to return before August 25, 2025, a day that changed all of their lives forever. When they don't return to the present after an hour, the four find themselves stranded in the past for five days and their paths eventually cross. Their visit can't alter the past or the future, but perhaps it can change how they view it.

The Memory Collectors is an exceptionally well-written, original, compelling, and fast-paced genre-bending narrative. Although the premise, traveling back in time, is a staple in science fiction, in this case it is simple the literary device used to propel forward and explore much deeper themes in the character-driven novel. These themes cover a myriad of topics, including loss, guilt, bitterness, second chances, hope, grief, forgiveness, closure, and redemption.

Chapters alternate between the points-of-view of the four characters and their experiences. The characters come to life and are all portrayed as fully realized, sympathetic individuals with both strengths and weaknesses. What they end up having to face as they all head for the date is unexpected and unpredictable, but ultimately it does result in closure.

Pick up The Memory Collectors if you enjoy character driven mysteries. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Missing Ones

The Missing Ones by Anita Waller
5/9/25; 282 pages
Boldwood Books

The Missing Ones by Anita Waller is a very highly recommended thriller which features the search for a brutal killer.

Ray Eke was an accountant before his breakdown. Now he wants nothing to do with numbers anymore and spends his days collecting litter for the city council. When he finds the brutalized body of a woman on his rounds, he immediately calls the police. The victim is Lauren Pascoe, who went missing three years before. It clear that during those years someone kept her as a prisoner and tortured her. When a second young woman, Hannah Wrighton, disappears the police are sure the killer has abducted the next victim and the search is on.

The pages flew by in this well written, fast-paced thriller/procedural. Although the torture involved is gruesomely and graphically described which may be difficult for some to read, the main focus is the investigation. All the clues are logically followed and the search for the perpetrator is in high gear.

While reading, the clues will provide you with several suspects to keep in mind. All of the characters are realistically portrayed in the narrative. DI Chris Chandler is introduced in this novel. He has relocated and is learning about the strengths and weaknesses of his new team while trying to find a heinous killer.

Thanks to Boldwood Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.