Something True

 

Something True by Gina Cafasso
7/29/26; 220 pages
Independently published 

Something True by Gina Cafasso is a highly recommended introspective novel tackling the question of beginning to live a life of personal authenticity and honesty.

Veronica (Vera), 54, has been a capable professional for years, while waiting for her real life to start. Whenever someone needed something, she was the one who was always there and now she has begun to realize that being needed was her existence, as though she was a resource rather than a person. She is the one who is always fine, always useful. The one who was adored, but never chosen in a 7 year relationship. Vera wanted to write something true when she first started a novel at age 31 and then set it aside for over 20 years. She has now retired from a job she has excelled at for 11 years and plans to finally write something true, but first she needs to learn to be available to herself. Vera's newly discovered medical situation also pushes her to finally confront what she wants in life. 

This is a beautifully written, descriptive and contemplative novel where a woman is examining her life, her inner life versus her outer actions, and finding it lacking. Many of her inner thoughts will resonate with readers. The real issue is that she was never honest with herself and never did things for herself that she would enjoy. The style resembles stream of consciousness and is sometimes repetitive as Vera's inner thoughts are shared on repeat but phrased differently. This would resemble someone struggling with the concept of being available to herself and what she wants. The narrative is full of symbols representing her changed thought patterns.

Vera's professional persona, the one that she is questioning, is present in many people across a multitude of professions - smile and project competence while in the public or at work. Her real struggle is understanding herself and what she wants. She is having an existential crisis and wondering who she really is now that she's not working. If I'm totally honest, I reached a point while reading where I wished her well but I also wanted to tell her to cherish the luxury she has of being able to afford to retire early without the financial concerns of day to day living. Not everyone can afford or has the extravagance of this much time to have an existential crisis or search for who they really are in their 50's. 

Something True is a wonderful selection for those who enjoy introspective novels about a woman examining her life's choices. Thanks to Gina Cafasso for providing me with an advance reader's copy via LibraryThing Early Readers. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Osteoporosis

 

Osteoporosis: The book I wish I'd had when I was diagnosed by Lisa Pocius MD
6/16/26; 232 pages
Lisa Pocius MD
https://mybone.health 

Osteoporosis: The book I wish I'd had when I was diagnosed by Lisa Pocius MD is a very highly recommended, clear and concise guide written for those newly diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia. 

Knowledge is, indeed, power, and this a very accessible book is a treasure trove of information and an well organized reference for those facing bone loss. Dr. Pocius wrote Osteoporosis after her own diagnosis, so this is personal and provides the basic information she wishes someone had given her. This guide respects your intelligence, refuses to scare you, and gives you a concrete plan for a stronger future. The information provided will be useful for anyone with a family history of fractures, low bone density, adults over 50, and everyone diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia.

The guide is organized into three parts. Part 1: Discovery; Part 2: Treatment and Active Management; and Part 3: Living with Osteoporosis. Each chapter helpfully has Key Takeaways at the end. Following the guide is a chapter on Frequently Asked Questions, a Glossary of Medical Terms, and Notes. You can choose to read the guide straight through or start with the 30-day Action Plan and come back later for additional information.

Honestly, I wish I had this guide a year ago after being diagnose with osteopenia, which was a shock in itself, and then had to figure out a course of action on my own. As I was reading Osteoporosis I used a whole little pack of post-it flags to note important information. Clearly, I can't share the whole book, but I will note some of the topics flagged. I want to emphasize that the scan is very, very easy, and here Dr. Pocius explains how to read the numbers. Also, although the majority of those diagnosed are women, men also can have osteoporosis and genetics plays a big role. She clearly explains bone structure with illustrations and notes early signs of bone loss, including loss of height, receding gums, weakened grip, brittle nails, stooped posture, and chronic back pain. Medications that may affect bone health are also listed.

Part 2 begins with information and illustrations on resistance exercises and follows with nutrition and bone health. The importance of calcium levels, Vitamin D, and nutrition is covered. If you are like me you will suddenly realize that you are not getting as much calcium in your diet as you thought, need to adjust your diet, and, perhaps, even add supplements. Foods to embrace and what to avoid are discussed and there are several useful pages of charts with beneficial food, the nutrients provided, and additional notes, followed by a suggested daily meal plan. This is followed by medication choices and working with medical professionals. Part 3 discusses living safely with your diagnosis.

Osteoporosis is a excellent choice for everyone seeking information on osteoporosis or osteopenia, especially those recently diagnosed. I was thrilled to receive it and want to thank Lisa Pocius MD at https://mybone.health, for the review copy via LibraryThing Early Reviewers. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo

 

Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo by Janet Evanovich
11/10/26; 320 pages
Atria Books
Stephanie Plum series #32

Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo by Janet Evanovich is a wildly entertaining and danger-packed crime novel featuring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. It has been a minute since I actually laughed-out-loud while reading and this happened several times while reading this 32nd novel in the long running series. It was pure pleasure to join Stephanie again while she works her magic. Needless to say it is very highly recommended. 

Stephanie and Joe Morelli are married, but she is struggling with actually living with someone - and his Grandma Bella who insists Stephanie is pregnant. She is still working for her cousin Vinnie as a bail bonds enforcement officer and the flamboyant Lula is right there as her partner as they chase down the bail jumpers in Trenton, New Jersey. They have several successful captures, but the tricky and dangerous Ziggy Zucker continuously eludes them and she has acquired a mysterious enemy sending threatening notes and disturbing packages. Additionally, Ranger, her ex-fiancé and mentor, hires her to help as a security guard for the 10 year-old daughter of a powerful political figure.

Expect more cars totaled and damaged than ever in this well-written plot that is filled with both danger and hilarity, often simultaneously. It provides a lightning-fast pace, plenty of suspense, action, risks, complicated relationships, and a hint of romance while providing the entertainment we expect from a Stephanie Plum novel. Some of the car accidents are memorable, as is Stephanie's attempts at cooking. You may have to set disbelief aside, but this is worth it so you don't get the evil eye from Grandma Bella. 

Everyone you know is back: Lula, Connie, Morelli, Ranger, Rex the hamster, Vinnie, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie’s parents, along with a few juicy tidbits from the old gossipy ladies. The dialogue between characters is pitch-perfect. This is mostly escapism, rather than a heavy, complicated novel with a brief exception within the job for Ranger, and it was exactly what I needed. Even though this is part of a long-running series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel. 

Split Second: Thirty-Two Switcheroo is an excellent choice for those who enjoy humor in their crime novels. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Baby Queen

 

Baby Queen by Ty Landers
11/17/26; 320 pages
Harper Perennial 

Baby Queen by Ty Landers is a very highly recommended Southern family crime drama set in Alabama. This is a great debut novel and not to be missed.

Natalie (Nat) Link has return to Noccalula, Alabama, and is back living with her irascible Grandmother Lana Link, who has declining health, on the family's honey farm. Nat's mother became Vivien "Green," ran off to Hollywood as a teen, and left an infant Nat to be raised by her grandmother. Now Nat has sold the horse farm her mother loved to finance her new endeavor. She used the money to start making honey-based skin care products. When contractors cleaning up the farm find a well-preserved body in a 55 gallon drum of honey, Sheriff Ed Sorter identifies it as that of Tom Rath, Nat's father, who went missing in 1988 at age 21. Nat learns about this when promoting her products on a local TV show, "Morning Y'all."

At the same time Adam Harmony and his brother Boy, used car salesmen and hired killers, are introduced, along with former detective Bob Sauk, current private investigator, who has a grudge and has been keeping records on the Link family, especially Lana, for over 20 years. Sheriff Sorter even calls Sauk when Rath's body is found. Suddenly Nat realizes that her grandmother has likely been involved in a criminal business enterprise with questionable partners for years. Nat is increasingly threatened to continue the operation, or else, and may need Sauk's help. 

In this well-written, entertaining Southern noir there is a plethora of things going on simultaneously in the fast-paced plot, and most of those things are clearly illegal or morally dubious. There are several major plot twists and plenty of action in the narrative. Expect family secrets, grudges, murder, scheming, drugs, shady people and a whole lot of dysfunction. There is something going on throughout the entire novel that will keep you glued to the pages as you keep reading as fast as you can. There is some offbeat humor to off-set all the power struggles, action scenes, and family trauma depicted. 

Nat is a great character. Clearly she had no idea what her feisty grandmother was involved in and how the family made money. She just wants to start her skin care business. Instead, she is presented with what is seemingly a non-choice, go along with the present set up or risk losing her life. She is a fully-realized character with strengths and weaknesses. You will be wishing her the best, even though it is not certain she will survive. Bob Sauk is also a fully-realized character who clearly has many flaws, but there are also some strengths and skills still there. 

Baby Queen is a excellent choice for those who enjoy crime dramas, Southern noir, and dysfunctional family dramas. Thanks to Harper Perennial for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Riddle Maker

 

The Riddle Maker by Bruce Borgos
11/17/26; 352 pages
St. Martin's Press
Porter Beck Mystery #4 

The Riddle Maker by Bruce Borgos is a very highly recommended investigative mystery and the fourth book in the Porter Beck series. It was a pleasure to return to Lincoln County, Nevada and it's environs to following Beck and Charlie on more investigations. 

Sheriff Porter Beck receives an anonymous riddle addressed to him that a tourist originally found it in the Black Mailbox, located in the desert by Area 51. Arshal Jessup delivered the message to Beck and Charlie Blue Horse, a state police detective and Beck's fiancee when they are in Los Vegas for Charlie's OB appointment and Beck's eye doctor appointment. Charlie is 6 months pregnant and the two have decided to get married. Beck's retinitis pigmentosa (degenerating night vision) hasn't progressed, but this time the doctor wants him to try a new procedure PHAROS-11, which could bring back some night vision.  The riddle leads them to Lake Mead where they find a 55 gallon oil drum chained to the bottom. Inside are the remains of Press Halvorson, a man who went missing in 1975 and Beck's grandfather.  

When FBI profiler Jett Lowell learns of Beck's riddle, she immediately travels to Nevada. Jet believes a serial killer is at work. She also received a riddle 7 years ago, when she was 24, about her brother who was kidnapped when he was 5 and she was 14. His body was never found. Everyone unravels Jett's riddle, finding another body. This results in another riddle and body. At the same time, Beck asks X-files (Greg Knutson) to investigate 2 crop circles covering an acre each in alfalfa fields that the dogs go crazy when near.  Additionally, Charlie goes to investigate another bull elk shooting and is almost killed by a sniper. Needless to say, there is a whole lot going on in Nevada.

This is another well-written, excellent addition to the series. The pace is lightning-fast and the tension quickly rises throughout this intelligent and complex investigative mystery. Both the intrigue and the action are sustained and truly non-stop right to the exciting conclusion. Expect an intricate, immersive plot that moves quickly while keeping your engagement high. Twists abound in the narrative as discoveries and new information are uncovered. The setting is a major part of the series. I think it can be read as a standalone novel, but will definitely be enjoyed by those following the series.

All the characters in the series are well-developed and portrayed as realistic individuals with strengths and weaknesses. Returning supporting characters to the series are back, if briefly, including Beck's dog, Columbo/Bo, Arshal Jessup, Sev Valasco, Vegas Detective Darlene Spear, Beck's sister Brinley and daughter Mercy, the identical twin deputies (Twin Peaks/Jolly Greens), Deputy Tuffy, and the podcaster named “X-Files."

The Riddle Maker is an excellent choice for those who enjoy investigative mysteries. 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.

All the Little Secrets

 

All the Little Secrets by May Cobb
11/17/26; 400 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark 

All the Little Secrets by May Cobb is a very highly recommended soapy domestic thriller. This is the sequel to All the Little Houses, set in the mid-1980s, and marks the return to Longview, Texas, I have been anxiously awaiting. 

It opens with a murder and brings back all the egos, trash talk, grudges, secrets, infidelity, drinking, social scandals, amoral actions expected and adds a couple ruthless power grabs to the mix. This, again, quickly becomes a wildly entertaining guilty pleasure to read. While it says it is a standalone thriller, I really think you need to read All the Little Houses first and then jump right into All the Little Secrets. Trust me on this. I'm not going to say much purposefully so it won't spoil anything.

The well-written, complex plot opens following a murder. The social order in Longview is in turmoil and among the mourners there are several suspects. At the same time there are also several schemes in play where people want to increase their own position and power in the local hierarchy. The ghost of the deceased is still around, observing everything. 

All the characters from the first novel are here:  Alexander and Charleigh Andersen and their spoiled daughter Nellie; Jackson Ford, Charleigh's best friend; Ethan and Abigail Swift, their daughters Jane, Julia, and Molly; Luke; and Detective Roy Walker. In short chapters that make the pace move very quickly, the narrative switches between the point-of-view of Detective Walker, Jackson, Charleigh, Abigail, Nellie, Jane, and, briefly. Julia. As the narrators tell the story through their perspective, the suspense and tension increase. This novel would make a great movie or TV show with all the beautiful, unlikable characters scheming while smiling.

Yet again, everyone is behaving badly, which is what keeps this soapy melodrama un-put-downable. There is also a backstory for several of the characters that increase the tension and drama. This time out the ending brings more closure but leaves things open for a third book. Honestly, just like the first novel, every character is unlikable, ruthless, and resentful while planning the downfall of someone while trying to elevate themselves. All the lies, secrets, misbehavior, scheming, revenge, drinking, grudges, etc., run rampant through every page and with every character. 

All the Little Secrets is the perfect choice for anyone who enjoys soapy dramas full of people behaving badly and especially those who have read All the Little Houses. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Collateral Heart

 

The Collateral Heart by Jeffery Deaver
11/17/26; 416 pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons
Lincoln Rhyme series #17 

The Collateral Heart by Jeffery Deaver is a highly recommended investigative thriller and the 17th book in the Lincoln Rhyme series. After former Homicide Detective Lincoln Rhyme became a quadriplegic, he began working as a Forensic Criminalist/Consultant with the NYPD. Amelia Sachs is his partner and wife who acts as his eyes as she walks crime scenes. This time they are investigating a series of arson cases in New York City.

The first fire was set at the abandoned Abernathy & Ca building in Spanish Harlem and nearly kills a homeless man living there. The arsonist left behind a clue: a fireproof box with the number 1 painted on and contents that provide clues which once parsed indicate more fires will be happening and they do. The two turn to James Harper, a famous historian and host of a popular history podcast for information about the clues. Simultaneously another investigation is underway. Desdemona (Des) Vale is a detective and grandmother from Long Island who is determinedly and diligently searching for the killer of a young woman. 

Adding to the complexity, NYPD partner, Detective Lon Sellitto visits Rhyme to discuss the attempted assassination of Edward McGuire, founder and CEO of McGuire Computer Services, the developer of a new large language search engine. The assassin, anti-corporate activist Thomas Elron Olsen, was shot by McGuire's bodyguard, but Sellitto suspects a larger widespread conspiracy is afoot. Could all of this tie together?

This is a well-written, complex series of investigations underway that keep a steady pace as clues are uncovered and leads followed in the plot. In the investigations everything - clues, information, and evidence - is all logically uncovered and followed up on. There is a whole lot of additional information and historical background provided to support the investigation in the narrative that also serves to add complexity to the already complicated twisty plot. I did feel my attention waning at times while reading, but everything does lead to a satisfying conclusion.

At this point, when you reach book 17 in a series, the main characters and supporting characters are all well known and established. This time, Des Vale is a wonderful character and addition to the plot. I especially enjoyed following her character development that was detailed enough that it seemed to point to another appearance in a future novel.

The Collateral Heart is a great choice for those who enjoy complex investigative procedurals and are following the Lincoln Rhyme series. Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.