Two Kinds of Stranger

 

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh
3/24/26; 400 pages
Atria Books
Eddie Flynn #9

Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh is an excellent, very highly recommended twisty psychological and legal thriller. This is another un-put-downable, riveting page-turner which follows two cases and is the ninth novel featuring Eddie Flynn. It can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel.

Elly Parker is a social media influencer on TikToc known for her daily random acts of kindness who had misfortune to be filming when she discovered her husband James and best friend in bed together.  The video went viral before she could delete it. Even though her world has collapsed, Elly continued to do her acts of kindness without filming. When she helps a man with a broken leg get his suitcase down the stairs, it is actually part of a devious plan that results in Elly being charged for the murder of her husband and best friend. Elly hired Flynn to defend her, pitting him against an unknown sociopathic killer and master manipulator.

The second case is closer to home when Flynn's ex-wife Christine, her new husband Kevin, and his 16-year-old daughter are being threatened by con-man Arthur Cross and his associate. He is having the family watched and threatened with the intent on extracting  revenge after Kevin legally defeats his plot to inherit millions.

Two Kinds of Stranger is a well-written, outstanding, and entertaining addition to the series. The writing and plotting is exceptional. The tension remains high throughout this fast-paced engrossing thriller as Eddie and his team work out the defense. Eddie's plans are unpredictable and you likely won't know what he's planning until it's already accomplished, but it is entertaining and intriguing to follow Eddie's actions and clever plans come into fruition.

Eddie Flynn is a defense attorney and master strategist. He is also a former streetwise con-artist who thinks outside the box. The defense team include: legal partner Kate Brooks, office manager Denise, investigators Melissa Bloch and Gabriel Lake, and his mentor retired Judge Harry Ford. Eddie is known for using some questionable and creative tactics to uncover the truth. There are always complications along the way that put Eddie and his team under a constant threat.

All the members of Eddie's team work well together and they all have distinct personalities. It is engaging and sometimes amusing to see Eddie's encounters with the wide variety of contacts he has around the city. You might have to set a little bit of disbelief aside, which I gladly did because the whole novel is so well done.

Two Kinds of Stranger is absolutely very highly recommended for everyone who enjoys legal/psychological 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.    

The Survivor

 

The Survivor by Andrew Reid
3/24/26; 336 pages
St. Martin's Press 

The Survivor by Andrew Reid is a highly recommended thriller set on a subway train while a secret killer menaces a young man with a past. 

Ben Cross is having a bad day. He has just been fired on the first day at his job with DataDyne Solutions in NYC. His mind is reeling as he manages to board the subway. Once on, he begins to receive anonymous text messages from a killer who sends him the picture of one victim and informs Ben that certain passengers will die when they get off at their stop. When the first man targeted dies, Ben knows his unknown tormentor is telling the truth. Even more disconcerting and alarming is the fact that this killer knows Ben's secret, hidden past. 

After setting up Ben's situation, chapters then alternate between Ben’s perspective and that of NYPD detective Kelly Hendricks, who investigates the first murder.  With Ben full of anxiety and trapped on the train while receiving the threatening texts, the opening chapters feel claustrophobic and ominous. Once the police enter the scene and Kelly manages to get on the train, the new information she learns changes the whole course of the narrative. Obviously Ben's past is involved in the present situation, but why and who?

Ben was a problematic character. Once readers learn his background, his anxiety and self doubt is more understandable. The plot improves once detective Kelly Hendricks is introduced. She is a great character and the novel benefits from her presence. The final scenes are actually a huge information dump of background story which leads up to the current situation and explain why Ben is being targeted. Setting some disbelief aside is required. 

The Survivor is a good choice for those who enjoy thrillers in a closed setting. 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.

The Lucky Winners

 

The Lucky Winners by K.L. Slater
3/18/26; 362 pages
Bookouture 

The Lucky Winners by K.L. Slater is a highly recommended suspense novel following a couple who have won a lottery to win a dream home and cash.

Merri and Dev are behind on bills and the bill collectors are always calling, so when Dev buys a ticket to win the house of their dreams, and gives it to her for their anniversary, she thinks it was a waste of the little cash they have. Then they actually win the home worth millions by Lake Windemere in the lake district along with $250,000 cash. It seems their troubles are over, or have they just begun? While Dev shines in the attention, Merri has a past that she hasn't told Dev about so being in the spotlight is uncomfortable. Making new friends also is uncomfortable for her.

Who hasn't dreamed of winning a life changing sweepstakes? That dream is what will initially pull you into the plot, although most people would choose to sell or a cash option rather than moving to an unknown area with a huge target on their heads from winning the lottery. That is Merri and Dev's first mistake and this quickly becomes clear as they try to settle in and make new friends while a shadowy person is watching them.

The pace is even through most of the plot and doesn't pick up until the end. While the present day chapters follow their win and trying to acclimate to the house and area, alternate chapters flash back to Merri's past, telling her story. Once the story of Merri's past is started, the direction it is likely going to take is predictable, especially with hints at her big secret throughout the novel. There are also some chapters from the watcher, a man who has a grudge against Merri and is planning to take retribution. It is a decent suspense thriller, well-written, and will hold your attention throughout. 3.5 rounded up

The Lucky Winners will be appreciated by those who enjoy novels of suspense. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

A Better Life

 

A Better Life by Lionel Shriver
2/10/26; 304 pages
HarperCollins 

A Better Life by Lionel Shriver is an exceptional, very highly recommended domestic drama and fictional dystopian treatise on contemporary immigration issues. Shriver has always kept her own counsel and never shied away from controversial topics, which is appreciated by this reader. A Better Life will be on my list as one of the best books of the year. 

Gloria Bonaventura, 62, is a divorced mother of three living in Brooklyn. Both of her daughters, Palermo and Vanessa, are living on their own, but her son Nico, 26, is still living in the family home, and has never looked for employment after college. When NYC starts a program called 'Big Apple, Big Heart' that would pay people to take in a migrant as a boarder, Gloria is thrilled and applies. Martine Salgado, a Honduran immigrant, arrives and immediately ingratiates herself with Gloria, as well as Palermo and Vanessa, taking on household chore. Nico is skeptical and believes she has ulterior motives. When Martine's uninvited brother, Domingo, arrives things begin to go south and Nico's concerns become realistic.

This fictional account hits all the problems and nuances concerning open borders and immigration on both sides of the issue. Along the way there are some incredible human flaws, humor, and foolishness portrayed. Pointing out defects in a system or program is not anti- anything; it is using your mental acuity to examine an issue logically and realistically. There were times while reading that I wanted to yell at the characters, especially Gloria, to stop accepting the exploitation, realize that there are people who don't mean well, and take action, especially when Domingo showed up. This all begged the question, How much is one expected to tolerate to conform to ever changing arbitrary societal views?

What I have always appreciated about Shriver is that she is an incredibly gifted wordsmith. Her novels are intelligent, well-reasoned, impeccably written, and the correct word is always utilized. She also likes to tackle a specific topic in her books,  the plot is well researched, clearly presented, and believable.  Shriver never kowtows to the changing politically correct landscape, and I am all in for what ever topic she chooses. This would be a perfect choice for a book club that enjoys lively, perhaps heated, discussions.

The characters, likeable or not, are all presented as fully realized, complicated individuals with strengths and weaknesses. In this case, you will know these people or have met their doppelgangers on an almost daily basis. They can be foolish or perceptive, but they are all honestly portrayed as realistic individuals. 

A Better Life is a perfect choice for those who can appreciate novels on contemporary topics and enjoy Lionel Shriver's novels.  

Life: A Love Story

 

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg
3/17/26; 208 pages
Random House  

Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg is the very highly recommended story of a life. This is a heart warming, intimate novel that captures the many forms love takes in a lifetime and will certainly be on my list as one of the best books of the year.

Ninety-two-year-old Florence "Flo" Greene has learned from her doctor that she has four-to-six-weeks left to live due to terminal cancer. In this novel she is writing a letter to Ruthie, the woman who grew up next door to her.  For Flo, Ruthie was like a daughter and she is leaving her house and everything in it to her in her will. In the letter Flo reminisces about events in her life and describes the items she is leaving Ruthie. 

In between excerpts from the letter, which Flo is working on writing throughout the novel, are events happening and people Flo is meeting right now, including neighbor Teresa, who is a death doula.The letter quickly becomes an autobiography of a life well-lived with plenty of ups and downs along with lessons Flo learned. It is uplifting and positive, while also being honest and everything shared is wrapped in warmth and wisdom. Even while knowing the end is near, Flo also takes a chance and tries something new.

The writing is exceptional in this short, lovely novel. Yes, it is clear from the start the Flo is nearing the end of her life, but Berg gives us a the chance to spend time with a character whose wisdom, kindness, warmth, and honesty are all traits to aspire to. May we all have a Flo in our lives or be the Flo for others.

Life: A Love Story is an exceptional, heartwarming story that would be a perfect choice for those who can appreciate a life well lived. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley . My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

North of Ordinary

 

North of Ordinary by Sue Aikens, with Michael Vlessides 
3/10/26; 304 pages
Sourcebooks 

North of Ordinary by Sue Aikens is a highly recommended memoir covering the author's difficult childhood, coming-of-age alone in Alaska, starting a family in the Lower 48, and eventually life at Kavik River Camp in Alaska, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Aikens was the star of National Geographic’s Life Below Zero.

There is no question that starting as a child Aikens's life has been a long fight for survival and her autobiography honestly covers it all. It was rather shocking when her mother abandoned her in Alaska at age twelve. The fortitude required to survive in Alaska on her own at that young age highlighted the personal strength and determination which is was evident throughout her life.  Aikens resilience and self reliance are a strength which serve her well and reflect the harsh reality of living in the wilds of Alaska, while also cementing her love for and connection with the land.

She does head south to the lower 48 states, marries twice, and has two children. When her children were teens, she felt she was losing part of herself in the busy life around her and she craved solitude. She moved back to Alaska and eventually became the manager/owner of the Kavik River Camp in Alaska’s North Slope, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. In this remote location she experienced brutal winters and the constant threat from wildlife. It is a harsh, unforgiving life of hard work and solitude that also provides a beauty of its own. The story of the bear attack is brutal. 

Aikens was the star of National Geographic’s Life Below Zero which ran for 23 seasons from 2013-2025. Admittedly, I do not watch much TV and did not know who Aikens was before agreeing to read an advanced review copy of her memoir. Anyone who enjoys survival stories or tales of rugged, remote living circumstances, as well as fans of the TV show, will definitely appreciate this memoir. I, however, did question some of her choices which were never adequately explained. 

North of Ordinary is a great choice for fans of the long running National Geographic TV series Life Below Zero. Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Want to Know a Secret?

 

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden
3/3/26; 368 pages
Poison Pen Press 

Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden is a highly recommended domestic psychological thriller with soap opera overtones. Originally published on January 5, 2021, new fans will be excited to read this earlier popcorn thriller by McFadden being released by Poisoned Pen Press.

April Masterson has a YouTube baking show called "April's Sweet Secrets." She is married to Elliot, a lawyer, and the two have a seven-year-old son, Bobby. Everything seems bright, shiny, and sweet in April's world. Her best friend is Julie, who has iron-clad control of the PTA, neighborhood HOA rules, and the book club. Julie's son Leo is the same age as Bobby. New neighbors, Maria and Sean, also have a son, Owen, who is seven and April immediately makes them her BFFs too. But someone is trying to sabotage April's perfect world. She is receiving anonymous texts pointing out her failings, as well as cruel comments on her YouTube show. Someone knows her secrets and that simply won't do.

This is one of those soap opera-esque novels that is an extreme take on suburban denizen's behaving badly while showing smiling faces or acting like Karens. Like any entertaining over-the-top drama, most of the characters are unlikable with exaggerated personalities. At first you will feel some sympathy for April. You would definitely not want her as a neighbor, but it does seem like someone is out to hurt her. Then the last quarter of the novel from another character's point-of-view will totally change your view and the plot gets twisty and wildly unpredictable.

McFadden excels at portraying characters who all have a plethora of secrets, with plenty of twists along the way. Really, I didn't like any of these characters, but it was entertaining to follow all their drama. Thanks to Poison Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

A Perfectly Nice Family

 

A Perfectly Nice Family by Nicole Trope
3/6/26; 314 pages
Bookouture 

A Perfectly Nice Family by Nicole Trope is a highly recommended psychological thriller. Troupe always very reliably writes a compelling thriller full of twists.

Stephanie Gordon is recently divorced from her physician husband, Christopher, who was having an affair with his office manager, Vanessa. Stephanie and their children, Luke, sixteen, and Avery, twelve, based on the divorce settlement, are living in the family home until the children are out of school, but money can be a struggle. It doesn't help that Christopher always makes Stephanie ask for him to pay support. When her bestfriend Gail mentions a nice family who lost their home in a fire is looking for somewhere to live while they wait for the insurance settlement, Gail suggests Stephanie rent the granny flat in her backyard to them. It would add income for Stephanie while helping someone in need. 

The family, Cecilia and Jason Kemp along with their daughter Polly, fifteen move in. and seem perfectly nice, but perhaps a little odd. Quickly, Stephanie begins to think renting to them was a mistake. They are constantly asking for something. Celia seems strange. Polly is rude and flirting with Luke. Jason is always there, watching. When things start to break and require expensive repairs, Stephanie has had enough and asks Gail for more information about them. 

This is a well-written psychological thriller where the atmospheric tension slowly simmers for much of the novel, right up until everything boils over. You will be suspicious about what is really going on for much of the novel, because there are plenty of hints that something isn't right, but once it is all uncovered and the twists begin, it becomes a nail-biter right up to the end. The intense ending will hold your complete attention. 

Stephanie is a fully-realized character with both strengths and weaknesses. Her patience is amazing through much of the novel. Anyone who has experienced the life circumstances she is going through will understand how great she really is as a character and you will be on her side. Honestly, having things break in your house when you can't afford repairs is always a nightmare. Most readers will feel the uneasiness of being watched while reading and will also be questioning Gail's reliability as a freind w-a-y before Stephanie does.

A Perfectly Nice Family is a great choice for those who enjoy psychological thrillers. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Big Nobody

 

Big Nobody by Alex Kadis
3/10/26; 320 pages
Random House 

Big Nobody by Alex Kadis is a highly recommended coming-of-age novel following Constance (Connie) Costa, a half-Greek, half-British teenager in the 1970s. 

It’s 1974 in London and Connie, 14, is stuck with her abusive father, “The Fat Murderer,” after the tragic death of her mother and younger brothers. George Costa requires Connie to attend Greek Night (aka Freak Night) every Friday night where the only thing to look forward to is talking to and smoking cigarettes with her friend, potentially boyfriend, Vasos (Vas) Petrides. George uses violence to punish Connie and keep her in line while preventing her from doing things other teens do, like attending school dances (disco night). She spends most nights in her room, playing her guitar and talking to her posters of Marc Bolan and David Bowie about her plans to murder her father who "was probably always an abomination of nature."

This well-written debut novel perfectly captures teen angst along with a firm sense of time and setting. In this debut novel you will sympathize with Connie. She is a fully realized, complicated character placed firmly in the time period and many of her actions and choices reflect her age. Vas is also a character who is judged and restrained by cultural expectations thrust upon him.

Soon becomes clear that the abuse/punishment is generational. Her grandfather abused her and her father denied it. Now her father controls her every move and freely hits her when angry. Her Auntie Roulla is aware of everything but can only do so much to protect her as she is restrained by cultural expectations placed on her and enforced by her husband. There will be an increased of sympathy for Connie as more information makes her continual focus on killing her father understandable.

The majority of the novel takes place from 1974-1977, with the final section jumping forward to 2007. I must mention that Kadis inherently understands the 70's and uses this superpower to really capture the time period. Even the posters in Connie's room, causally mentioning disco, and clothing choices in the novel line up with the time period. Unlike a previous novel I read supposedly set in the 70's, there are very limited phone calls and even a mention of getting off the phone due to the cost. The final section of the novel provides some closure, but also require you to set a bit of disbelief aside. On the other hand, the final line in the novel is brilliant.

Big Nobody is a perfect choice for anyone who enjoys well-written coming-of-age stories with an edge. Thanks to Random House for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

She Fell Away

 

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash
3/10/26; 352 pages
Atria Books
Lake Harlowe #1 

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash is a highly recommended mystery and is the first book in a new series featuring Lake Harlowe, a U. S. State Department diplomat. 

Lake Harlowe has recently accepted a new appointment in Wellington, New Zealand, when she receives a notice that American NFL player Bruce Walter has been found dead, seemingly from an accidental overdose. Part of her job is to support American citizens who are traveling abroad. This also includes notifying the next of kin if necessary, but when contacting Bruce's wealthy family, his father, Glen, immediately becomes threatening and combative. Quickly following this, an exchange student from Las Vegas, 18-year-old singer/songwriter Bowie Bishop, is reported missing by her mother Suzie. Suzie, a former rock star, is currently a cocktail waitress at a Las Vegas casino owned by Glen Walter. As Lake tries to assist in the search for Bowie, the search quickly ties into something more nefarious and ties into wide spread corruption.

The writing is good and very descriptive, but the pace was slow to take off. The pace does pick up in time, and the atmosphere becomes oppressive, melancholy, and suspenseful as the psychological complexity of the characters and the situation they find themselves involved with is slowly revealed. Several of the plot twists are largely predictable, so the journey the narrative sends you on must hold your interest, which it does to some extent. As the plot develops the novel does become more compelling and interesting, but while reading I felt like I had heard this story before. 

Chapters are mainly told through the point-of-view of Lake, with some from Bowie. Some of the chapters follow a non-linear timeline. Lake is a complicated, unique character and there are several small insights into her troubled past. Bowie is an interesting character and actually better developed than Lake. The lyrics to some of the songs she is writing are included. This seems to be a new trend in current novels. If I'm being honest, I am quickly becoming weary of reading novels about aspiring musicians which include their song lyrics. 

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash could be a good choice for those who enjoy mysteries and want to read the book starting a new series. 3.5 rounded up. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Westward Women

 

Westward Women by Alice Martin
3/10/26; 304 pages
St. Martin's Press 

Westward Women by Alice Martin is a so-so dystopian/alternate history/plague novel. This is Martin's literary debut. 

An illness is spreading across the country that affects young women, 18-35 years-old. It begins with itching, followed by memory loss, and then an unstoppable compulsion to journey west. The novel follows three women Eve, Teenie, and Aimee. Eve is a reporter who thinks following the story will be her big break. She hears about a man called the Piper, who has a bus and assists women in their journey west. Aimee, who is searching for her infected best friend Ginny, has also heard of the Piper. Teenie is a infected woman heading west.

Honestly, I normally enjoy dystopian science fiction novels and was intrigued by the synopsis and premise of this one.  Initially, Martin does get points for the quality of her writing. She manages to create a dream-like atmosphere while following her characters, But an atmospheric setting does not make up for the failings.

My problems with the novel started almost immediately. Take note: it is supposedly set in 1973. If you are setting a novel, even an alternate history novel during a specific time period you need to know how life worked then. At that time you would not be picking up phones making random phone calls, especially long distance calls at will. You would be looking for quarters to use at a phone booth, you would be dialing an operator to reverse charges. Any business would ask if the call was local before allowing you to use their phone. Cell phones did not exist then, yet Martin has her characters making phone calls without a second thought all the time. This was immediately very distracting and annoying.

The very slow pace of the novel did not help distract me to overlook that overt error. Then, although the plot is told through the point-of-view of her three main characters, they were really interchangeable for much of the beginning of the novel. Initially, it requires great concentration to tell them apart. Once the plot reaches the halfway point, story lines were predictable. Finally, once the overt messaging started it became repetitious while any actual, historical connections to the time period were ignored. 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.

Served Him Right

 

Served Him Right by Lisa Unger
3/10/26; 384 pages
Park Row Books 

Served Him Right by Lisa Unger is a recommended revenge thriller following two sisters and their group of friends along with a plethora of medicinal plants discussions.

After a gripping opening the focus switches to sisters Ana and Vera. The two are very close and were raised by their late Aunt Agnes, who also taught them about herbal remedies. Vera is hosting an ex-orcism brunch for Ana's breakup with Paul. Invited are a group of her close friends, including Iggy, Esme, and Payton. During the brunch the police detective Timothy Bandeau knocks at the door informing the group that the body of Ana's ex, Paul has been found buried in a shallow grave by a walking trail. Ana is an obvious suspect. The brunch quickly ends, but soon after this Iggy becomes violently ill and must be hospitalized.

The quality of the writing is good, as expected, but after a strong start most of the novel is slow-paced.  Adding to the slow-pace is a plot that starts out strong, moving quickly, and then it slows down to a slog through the majority of the novel. Switching between multiple points of view and timelines did not help hold my interest, especially when many of the chapters seemed like filler with little plot development. It does pick up toward the end with some twists and a satisfying conclusion. It might help to hold your interest if you are highly interested in natural remedies, herbal cures, using poisonous plants, and mysterious groups of women healers.

Admittedly, none of these characters are likable or appealing in any way so it was a struggle to even want to know what happens to them. Iggy had promise as a likable character but she is hospitalized and near death for most of the novel. Paul was an evil man and deserved his fate so the question is who extracted revenge for his nefarious deeds. There are many past secrets/actions brought to light along the way.

Served Him Right will be best appreciated by those who enjoy novels focusing on unlikable characters extracting revenge and lots of medicinal plants discussions. Unger is a favorite author and normally all her books are highly rated, however this novel is just average and doesn't represent her best work. Thanks to Park Row Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Dead Woman Walking

 

Dead Woman Walking by Carolyn Arnold
2/25/26; 304 pages
Bookouture
Detective Amanda Steele #15  

Dead Woman Walking by Carolyn Arnold is a highly recommended procedural and the 15th book in the Amanda Steele series set in Woodbridge, Virginia. This continues to be an excellent series. 

Detective Amanda Steel and her partner Trent Stenson are investigating the murder of Christine Lane, a real estate agent. After Amanda's half-brother Spencer calls her worried because he can't get a hold of his girlfriend, Christine, she and Trent get permission to look into it. Their inquiry results in Christine's body being found in a house she was showing. Spencer is immediately on the suspect list, along with others, because of his relationship with her. The house where the body was found is owned by caustic lawyer Dominique Sharp, who certainly also has enemies.

The Amanda Steel series continues to be a well-written, excellent series of procedurals. The novel moves at a fast pace and is well plotted as the investigation logically follows clues and discoveries. The tension increases as the investigation continues to look at new suspects, lines of inquiry, and unexpected information. Even though this is the 15th book in the series, it can be appreciated as a standalone novel, especially for fans of procedurals who are carefully following the investigations rather than personalities. 

At this point fans of the series know Amanda and Trent, but those new to it will appreciate the intelligent, likable characters. They always logically follow the lades provided by the information they discover. This wasn't my favorite case the two have solved, but it is always enjoyable to join in one of their investigations.

Dead Woman Walking is a great choice for readers who enjoy fast-paced, engaging police procedurals. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Wait for Me

 

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns
3/3/26; 336 pages
Celadon Books 

Wait for Me by Amy Jo Burns is a highly recommended domestic drama following two folk singers decades apart. This beautifully written story will hit the right note for those who love poetry, song writing, and music. 

In 1973 folk singer Elle Harlow, 22, reaches the height of her fame, following two successful albums and one devastating betrayal. After an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry stage, she disappears from the public view, back into her rural Appalachian home town. In 1991, Marijohn Shaw, 18, is pumping gas at her father Abe's rural Pennsylvania gas station while writing songs and playing her broken mandolin. Marijohn was found in a basket along with the mandolin and a note with her name outside the gas station in 1973, right after Abe swears Elle Harlow stopped for gas. It is assumed Elle is Marijohn's mother.

When Marijohn and her friend Laz are making a video right as a meteor strikes the woods and they record it all. The video of the meteor is on the news and Elle sees it, along with the mandolin Marijohn is playing. She immediately recognizes the mandolin as one originally owned by her mentor Merry and seeks out Marijohn. Elle wants to know where she got it while demanding it's return to her, which opens up a relationship between the two women. 

This is a beautifully written, even-paced novel that focuses on songwriting, mentorship between women, the struggle for success, and personal relationships. The importance of lyrics, music, and how together songs tell the personal story of someone's life plays an important role in the novel. There is a great focus on writing lyrics and the written lyrics to songs are even included at the end of the novel. The lives of these characters develop through the lyrics they are writing. The dark side of the music industry is also an important part of the plot.

The atmospheric novel follows several different timelines as the narrative unfolds telling the story of both these women across the years, before and after they meet. The complex relationship between women, as well as with the loves of their lives, is also portrayed. The characters are presented as fully realized individuals, including both strengths and weaknesses. All of their emotions and experiences end up being tied back to the lyrics they write.

There is some disbelief that must be set aside during several parts of the novel. Since much of the novel focuses on the music industry and song writing, an interest in both will assist readers in enjoying the plot. Wait for Me is a great choice for those who enjoy novels with music and lyrics as a main focus of the characters. Thanks to Celadon Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Mother Upstairs

 

The Mother Upstairs by Becca Day
3/2/26; 272 pages
Bookouture 

The Mother Upstairs by Becca Day is a highly recommended psychological thriller which moves at a lightning fast pace. Take note that it should be titled The Mother-in-law Upstairs. In the opening before Mellie’s wedding to Henry her future mother-in-law, Pauline Winslow, confronts her saying, "I know your secret and I will not let you marry my son." After which the narrative jumps ahead two months and we learn that her mother-in-law had a stroke following this declaration.

Now Pauline is moving back home the home where Mellie and Henry currently live. She is purportedly completely incapacitated and requires for for everything, but Mellie has reason to believe Pauline is more capable than she's letting on. Mellie knows that Pauline will expose her secret, but Mellie is also looking into Pauline's secrets. While doing so, she discovers a secret of Henry's. 

This is an entertaining, fast-paced psychological popcorn thriller that will hold your complete attention throughout and is exactly what you are looking for from Becca Day. Set all your disbelief aside and go with the flow. There is no way to predict where the plot is heading. Secrets abound and seem to multiply everywhere. As the unsettling narrative unfolds readers will begin to learn about some of these secrets, which all lead up to the revelation of what was Mellie's huge secret and an absolutely over-the-top final scene. 

Mellie is a character that you will support and hope she comes out safe at the end. You know she had a tough childhood. As more and more secrets are exposed, her fear and anxiety is ever present and growing. It is clear that a threat is present and she must expose it. Pauline is the obvious antagonist, but she is bedridden, right? Or is she? And what's up with her loving husband Henry.

The Mother Upstairs is a good choice for those who enjoy fast-paced psychological thrillers. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

A Far-flung Life

 

A Far-flung Life by M. L. Stedman
3/3/26; 448 pages
Scribner 

A Far-flung Life by M. L. Stedman is a highly recommended epic family drama, character driven novel. It is a novel of family tragedies and secrets as it follows members of the MacBride family living on Meredith Downs, a vast sheep station that covers nearly a million acres and contains 20,000 sheep in the outback of Australia. 

In 1958  a truck accident results in the death of Phil MacBride and that of his eldest son. Younger son Matt, 17, survives, but suffers from a traumatic brain injury resulting in cognitive issues and memory loss. Matriarch of the family, Lorna MacBride, visits Matt at the hospital and eventually cares for him along with his older sister, Rosie, 20, while trying to keep the sheep station running. This is followed by a secret which eventually ends up resulting in Rosie's death, but  she leaves behind a son, Andy, who has a youthful optimism and a love for geology. During the Australian mining boom in 1969, geologist Bonnie Edquist and her team start exploring the Meredith Downs lands and she forms a connection with Andy and also Matt. 

This is an exceptionally well-written family saga that follows the repercussion of tragedies and secrets across decades while also addressing the self-sacrifices that families and people can make while dealing with the implications of their moral imperfections while protecting those they love. The writing is descriptive, capturing both the setting and the inner lives lives of these people. There are several incidents in the plot, that do, in fact, remind one of a Greek tragedy, that may bother some readers, although listing them would mean spoilers. 

The plot can be quit compelling, however, it is also overwhelmingly gloomy, depressing, overly long, and the pace can be glacially slow. While I wanted to know what happened to these characters, especially later in the novel when two new characters were added , I also founding my self wanting the narrative to reach a conclusion. Emotions run high throughout the novel.

The main characters are all developed as fully-realized individuals with obvious strengths and weaknesses. They will all come to life for you. Of the secondary characters, Roo shooter Pete Peachy, was also a well-developed character who added important depth to the plot. Other secondary characters were also well-written and added to the overall story arch.  This is a 3.5 rounded up.

A Far-flung Life is a great choice for those who enjoy long, epic family sagas full of secrets and emotion. Thanks to Scribner for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Strangers in the Villa

 

Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding
3/3/26; 336 pages
Grand Central Publishing 

Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding is a highly recommended psychological thriller focusing on a couple who are trying to rebuild trust in their relationship when they befriend a couple of tourists.

Curtis, Sydney Lowe’s husband, has admitted to having an affair which sends them to couples counseling. The two decide to leave NYC and move to Spain to repair their marriage while while also renovating a remote hilltop villa in Spain’s Costa Brava. One day they have a young Australian couple, Bianca and Damian, show up at their door with car problems. Sydney, craving companionship, invites them inside and eventually encourages them to stay, saying they could help them work on the villa. Curtis isn't as thrilled with her decision. Soon it becomes clear that everyone has secrets and the Aussie's have their own agenda.

After I  the jumped the enormous hurdle of setting aside disbelief and accepted that anyone would be foolish and naive enough to invite strangers to stay in their home, and this took great effort, the novel quickly became tension packed and compelling. Everyone has some secret agenda going and clearly there is more to everyone's story than they are admitting. The setting serves to isolates all the characters while slowly releasing clues to increase the trepidation that something is very wrong and there are many secrets left unspoken. 

The well-written, fast-paced narrative follows the point-of-view of the various characters and also includes notes from the marriage counselor the Lowe's were seeing before they moved. Some of the secrets are slowly revealed, but they are not always what it is assumed. Sydney is obsessed with the woman Curtis said he was with for only one night. Curtis has a bigger concealed problem. Damien and Bianca have even more hidden objectives. Once everything begins to come out, the novel becomes un-put-downable. 

Strangers in the Villa is a good choice for those who enjoy destination psychological thrillers and can set disbelief aside. 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.   

Missing Sister

 

Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson
3/3/26; 272 pages
William Morrow 

Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson is an exceptional, very highly recommended domestic thriller. This tension-packed, well-written Southern character-driven drama following the complex relationship between sisters, as well as revenge. Any novel by Joshilyn Jackson is a novel that should be read immediately. This is one of the best of 2026. 

Penny Albright is a rookie cop in Kennesaw, Georgia, whose deceased twin, Nix, is always on her mind. The two grew up with the close connection twins and sisters share. Second guessing actions she could have taken, Penny continues to feel guilty after Nix died from an overdose five years earlier.  So when she is called to her first first murder scene, Penny is shocked to realize she recognizes the victim, Danny Bowery. He is one of the three men who assaulted Nix, sending her into the downward spiral which ended in her death. 

When Penny is tasked with cordoning off the area, she smells something and goes off to investigate. In an alley she finds a woman, drenched in blood, vaping, with a bloody box cutter nearby.  She calls herself Thalia Grey and intimates that Bowery's death is related to something much larger. Something that involves sisters.  Something that is not done, that doesn't involve cops. Penny feels an inexplicable connection with Thalia, tells her to run and lets her go. She bags the box cutter and says nothing, later hiding it. Circumstances spiral out of control, leaving Penny willing to sacrifice her career to find out who Thalia really is and, perhaps, help her.

As expected, the writing is excellent, the pace is fast, and the tension rises with every page in this un-put-downable thriller following Penny investigating on her own. Penny also knows that Xav Castillo, another one of the three men involved in Nix’s death, has also been murdered recently and questions if his death is connected to Bowery's death. With Thalia's comment that it was about sisters on the forefront of her mind, Penny wonders if it is about revenge for Nix or a sister of Thalia. Complicating matters are family issues, with her niece Shadow, who has been suspended from school for hacking, and her wandering, influencer brother, Shadow’s father, Gand, arriving. 

Penny is a complex, fully-realized character with both strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I thought she was a great, well-developed character. Jackson captured the special connection that sisters, especially twins, can have, including the talking to/thinking about the missing sister after one passes away. Thalia along with the supporting characters also come to life under Jackson masterful writing. 

All of the twists and surprises in the plot are unpredictable while adding to the anxiety and fear over what could happen next. Perhaps some suspension of disbelief is required, but I willingly, easily did so as the tension increased along with the questions and danger. My complete attention was held right up to the surprising final denouement. I sincerely hope this is the start of a new series featuring Penny Albright.

Missing Sister is an excellent choice for everyone who enjoys character-driven domestic thrillers. Thanks to William Morrow for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.  

One Beautiful Year of Normal

 

One Beautiful Year of Normal by Sandra K. Griffith
2/24/26; 312 pages
She Writes Press  

One Beautiful Year of Normal by Sandra K. Griffith is a highly recommended Southern domestic drama, with gothic and soap opera undertones, which focuses on character development while exploring family secrets.  

At age eight while living in NYC, August Caine's father was murdered and her French mother retreated into silence and depression. August was caring for her mother and their home until Helen showed up on August's eleventh birthday, getting her mother help and taking August to Savannah. August spent one wonderful year with her Aunt Helen and experienced a real childhood, safety, a social life, and bonding with an adult who cared for her. Then her mentally ill mother arrived, and snatched August away to France and keeping them constantly on the move so they couldn't be found.

Then August, at age thirty, receives a shocking phone call from a Savannah attorney informing her that her Aunt Helen has passed away - but August's mother said she died fifteen years earlier. August, who was living in Paris under a new name, returns to Savannah, Georgia for her aunt Helen's funeral and to settle the estate, which August inherits. Once there she realizes she needs to solve her father's murder, address the complex relationship with her mother, dig into her family history, and even reconnects with an old friend.

This is a well-written, descriptive and atmospheric, but slow-paced, character driven drama written from August’s first-person perspective as she explores her past while dealing with her current situation. Much of her life has been filled with deception, starting with her father's unsolved murder followed closely by her mother's illness and lies, resulting in much of the soul-searching narrative focused on an examination of her life. The plot is really an introspective deep dive into the psychological effects of the trauma and deceit in her life. This exploration makes since based on Griffith’s background in psychology.

The narrative was interesting and held my attention, however, the novel also requires a huge does of disbelief to be accepted. The obvious first doubt raised is that no one questioning/noticed much sooner August, at age eight after her father was murdered, taking care of her mother and moving through the city. This includes the police officer who eventually contacted Helen. The second, which gave the novel a soap opera feeling, was the depiction of everyone seemingly recipients of great generational wealth.  Finally, the end felt rushed, like an information dump. 

One Beautiful Year of Normal  is a great choice for those who enjoy Southern domestic dramas, and enjoy ghost stories. Thanks to She Writes Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Wolves Are Watching

 

The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston
2/24/26; 240 pages
Crooked Lane Books
Lew Ferris Mystery #4 

The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston is a highly recommended cozy mystery set in the Northern Wisconsin woods which follows a murder investigation, illegal betting, arms dealing, and some fly fishing. This is the fourth book in the Lew Ferris series following Wolf Hollow, Hidden in the Pines, and At the Edge of the Woods. It can be enjoyed as a standalone novel but reading the previous books in the series does provide more background information. 

Sheriff Lew Ferris, of McBride County and the Loon Lake area of northern Wisconsin, receives a call from the state patrol who think a couple of missing wolf watchers, the McKenzies, may be in her area. Lew quickly calls part time deputy Ray Pradt, an excellent tracker and fishing guide, to assist in the search. Ray agrees, but also brings to Lew's attention the information that a man is trying to blackmail one of the students he is coaching to throw the first round of a state high school fishing tournament. 

When assessing the situation, Ray is sure he knows the area where the missing wolf watchers would likely go. During the search he finds an old log cabin which has recently been fixed up and is now full of crates of high-powered weapons. Lew puts the cabin under surveillance hoping to catch the illegal gun runners and now has three cases to investigate.

This is another well-written, fast-paced, and fun addition to the ongoing mystery series. All the books include an investigation of possibly interlocking crimes, involve outdoor activity, and will include fly fishing at some point. The wolves in this outing are a distraction as the humans are much more dangerous predators. Dentist Doc Osborne, along with Dani and other known characters, are back and make an appearance during the investigations. 

The Wolves Are Watching is a great addition to the series where the books are entertaining, short, and can be quickly read as the mysteries are all straightforward, investigated logically, and not full of complications. 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.