Murder at an English Pub (Sarah Vane #1) by Alice Castle

 Murder in a quaint seaside town.

This cozy mystery set in Merstairs features a sixtyish retired GP whose husband has recently died. Sarah Vane moves next door to her old friend, Daphne, and looks forward to embracing seaside life. While looking at a hut owned by her friend as a place to store some of her extra boxes, Sarah and Daphne discover a body hidden in a trunk. It happens to be the local pub landlord who was thought to be on a vacation. There are plenty of suspects, and Sarah tries her hand at amateur sleuthing. 

This was sluggish and redundant at times and I'm sorry to say that the focus on the antics of Sarah's dog, Hamish, was beyond irritating. Way too much of the dog for me. I wanted to read an absorbing mystery, and this was not really it. Quite predictable from the start, the narrative wound its way slowly to the murderer at the center. The main character, Sarah, was not very believable for her all her being a doctor and fancying herself a detective. The first in a series, I won't be reading further installments. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book (both provided by the publisher) but had to put the audiobook aside because I could not listen to the narrator's voice a moment longer. It was grating and sounded like a 100-year-old crone (I mean woman). Not for me. 

This is the first in a new series to be read in order.

Genre - cozy contemporary mystery

Murder in Mayfair (#18 Eleanor Swift) by Verity Bright

 Another entertaining installment in one of my favorite cozy historical mystery series. 

Lady Eleanor Swift is taking in Wembley's British Empire Exhibition while aloft in a hot air balloon and sees a murder from above. By the time she gets back to ground, the shooter and the victim are gone. All she finds is a piece of a jewelry clasp almost hidden in the dirt. Of course, she's intrigued and frustrated by the situation. Meanwhile, she's been asked by Lady Philomena Chadwick to help her with locating a stolen pearl necklace. Lady Philomena believes that a member of her staff has taken it, and Eleanor agrees to go undercover at her home pretending to be governess to the Chadwick children.  Are these two cases related and can Eleanor and her butler, Cliffor, along with her fiance, Detective Hugh Seldon, find out what is happening?

It's hard to keep coming up with great new plots in a long running series, so I appreciate that I still find these so enjoyable and look forward to them. I like the characters and always relish coming back to see what they get up to next. Love the period details about the clothes, food, homes, society, etc. and the historical references. I can't imagine reading these out of order, so be sure to start at the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

BLOG STOP TOUR on July 1, 2024

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This is the 18th book in a series that should be read in order.

Genre - cozy historical mystery

A Talent for Murder (#3 Henry Kimball) by Peter Swanson

 Fast and clever mystery thriller.

Shortly into their marriage, librarian Martha Ratliff starts to suspect that her husband, Alan, is a serial killer. He travels a lot as a salesman, but he'd never given her a reason to become suspicious. Then she finds a streak of blood on one of the shirts he had worn on a recent trip to a conference in Denver. Martha is good at research, and she starts to investigate any links between crimes that happened in the cities her husband had gone. What she discovers, 5 suspicious deaths, leads her to turn to her old college friend, Lily Kintner. Lily had previously helped her with a difficult situation involving a man and Martha needs her again. 

This went in an unexpected direction, but I enjoyed it tremendously as the twisty plot unfolded. I liked the main characters of Lily and Henry as always because they are so different to the normal hero types in this genre. The pacing was good and the writing was excellent. Easy to read in a single sitting because it is hard to put down. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC (provided by the publisher) and the 6 different narrators really added to the production quality as their voices gave life to each of the characters. I love it when different narrators are used in audio making it easy to listen as one can easily figure out which character is speaking. 

Note - this is the third in a series featuring Lily Kintner and Henry Kimball. I've read the previous ones and feel that this is a series that should be read in order. Can't wait for Swanson's next book.

This is the third in a great series that should be read in order from the beginning.

Genre - mystery thriller, suspense, crime thriller, murder

Behind a Closed Door by J.D. Barker

 This suspense thriller serves as a cautionary tale. Be careful...

If ever there was a book that would make me think long and hard about all my connected electronics, this was it. Our smart homes, smart phones, and all of the social media combined with the extensive list of apps should give us pause. What do we really know about what all of that is tracking in our lives.

Abby and Brendan Hollander are going through a bit of a rough patch in their marriage. A therapist suggests they download the new popular app, Sugar & Spice, to bring some excitement and intimacy into their relationship. What could go wrong -- it's just an app. A little bit of fun, right?  After all, no one can MAKE you do anything you don't want to do, correct? Little do they know...

No spoilers here but I almost DNF because of all the violence and graphic sex details. I didn't really like any of the characters who just made one bad decision after another. The premise and concept were unique, and I wanted to see how it played out, so I did finish. I tried listening to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC (provided by the publisher), but the narrator was so bad at doing women's voices that I had to stop. I've found it's always a mistake to have only a single narrator for most books and it definitely negatively affects the quality of the production. 

I've loved other books by this author, but this was a disappointment.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - suspense thriller, graphic sex and violence

A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci

 Set in the late 1960s in Virginia, this was an absorbing legal thriller during a time of racial tension and shifting social constructs. 

Jack Lee, a white lawyer from Freeman Country, Virginia, joins forces with a Black lawyer from Chicago, Desiree DuBose, to defend Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with the murder of an elderly white couple for whom he had worked. Given the place and time, the odds are against the jury and the courts giving Jerome a fair shake and even friends and family are divided in their reactions to Jack’s defense. Many other forces are at play during this trial and justice seems to be looking the other way.

While quite uneasy and uncomfortable reading about these aspects of racism and violence, I was completely taken by the characters and the evolving drama and revelations during the course of the trial. 

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book by this author and I’d forgotten what an excellent writer David Baldacci is. Hard to put aside, the whole experience was made even better by the fabulous audio version that I was listening to while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. There were 4 different narrators who did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life and transporting me to that locale and that era. I highly recommend it.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre = legal thriller, mystery, racial tensions, family drama. Social and civil unrest

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James

 Historical gothic mystery thriller and domestic drama.

All things Gilded Age are popular now, and this book seems like it could fit alongside some of the current offerings on television and in novels. In this book, a young, married woman confronts her terrible marriage and the betrayals of her husband in a most desperate way. 

Millie Turner is wealthy and was given Rose Briar Hall, a white marble mansion on the North Shore of Long Island, by her father. Married to Charles, a stockbroker, she's giving the party of the season when a scandal changes everything. Now shunned and in isolation, Millie navigates her memories through a haze that makes her husband question her sanity. 

Are you like me? I just go nuts when I read stories of women threatened to be institutionalized for "hysteria" and because their husbands want rid of them? I spent much of the book railing against the injustices perpetrated on women of that age at the hands of the men whom they trusted and loved. Millie was stronger than most, but she did have the emotional support of a better man. Many reminders in this novel of how far women have come since 1900 but still so far to go. Some sex scenes I could have lived without, but overall, a nice period piece.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC (both provided by the publisher) and enjoyed the experience. I did like the narrator, Sofia Willingham, well enough though as is typical, the voices tend to all sound alike though she made some effort to change it up a bit. It would be so much better if the audio featured both male and female vocals. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - historical, mystery, subjugation of women, Gilded Age

The Last Hunt (Final Hunt #2) by Audrey J. Cole

 Sequel brings this thriller duo to a predictable and improbable conclusion.

Cameron Prescott Jenkins has moved to Tok, Alaska, following the death of her serial killer husband. At least she hopes he is truly and finally dead. She is trying to start over with her new state trooper boyfriend and put her past behind her. Unfortunately, when a new body is found that bears some similarities to the methods used by John Prescott in his murderous spree, Cameron is not certain that he is not back and ultimately seeking revenge. 

Narrated by Leslie Howard, this audiobook moved at a face pace. The voice of the narrator did not change much and so most of the characters sounded way too much alike. The nuances and differences did little to help me in telling them apart. This is usually not a problem because I typically following along in the e-book while listening, but at times I had difficulty figuring out whom of the large cast of characters was speaking. 

I had read the first book and this picked up right where the other left off, but I would not read this one without having read the first. I never cared for Cameron or found her likeable or believable as a woman in this remote area of Alaska posing as a super woman survivor type. I also couldn't understand why all these law enforcement types were so helpful to her and gave her all sorts of investigation information that usually would not be shared. I don't feel justice was served by the ending. If there is more to this story or about these characters, I won't be following along.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC. I had been offered a copy of the e-book as well but apparently missed the download deadline. 

This is a sequel to The Last Hunt. Read in order.

Genre - mystery thriller

The Deepest Lake by Andromeda Romano-Lax

 Absorbing atmospheric mystery thriller.

When 20-year-old Jules goes missing in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, while trying to find herself and develop her writing skills, her father immediately sends all kinds of his contacts to try to locate her without success. Eventually presumed drowned in the deep lake, it's 3 months later when her mother, Rose, decides to go there and attend an exclusive writer's retreat under a fake name to see if she can get some answers about what happened to her daughter. 

This is a mother-daughter story on one level and a suspenseful thriller as well. As Rose searches and asks questions at the retreat and in the local town, she discovers (as we all usually do) that she didn't really know her daughter as well as she thought she did. The locals are quiet and even though Rose speaks fluent Spanish, they aren't encouraged to talk to her. Likewise, the staff at the writer's retreat, and its famous author hostess, Eva Marshall, are less than forthcoming and some even deny that Jules was ever there. Rose soon discovers that all was not above board at this lovely tropical workshop compound. 

I really enjoyed the mother and daughter characters in this book. Their personalities evolved slowly with the narrative alternating between them. The setting was very important to the story and the descriptions brought the place to life. Eva Marshall was quite the woman and author with many lies to tell and secrets she must keep. The interaction between the other attendees and the townspeople were revealing and added color to the novel. 

I listened to the audiobook and the two narrators, Susan Bennett and Rebecca Quin Robertson, did a fantastic job voicing the characters with appropriate feeling and tone. I followed along in the e-book ARC which definitely enhanced my enjoyment. Definitely recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - suspense, mystery thriller

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant

 A captivating mystery thriller.

Emlyn has come a long way since Tyler ruined her life and she lost her best friend, Janessa, over him. Now she works as a wilderness guide living alone in a trailer in Idaho backcountry. She's cautiously made some friends, including a Forest Service ranger named Varden. Slowly she is trying to come to terms with her situation and to find some peace, but all of that is shattered when Tyler contacts her because Janessa has gone missing. Janessa was documenting her van life on social media with her boyfriend, Bush, and suddenly went silent. Against her better judgement, Emlyn allows herself to be drawn back into Tyler and joins him in his desperate search for their friend. 

This was beautifully written and the narrative shifts back and forth in time as we learn Emlyn's history with Tyler and Janessa. The descriptions and details of the vast wilderness that Emlyn inhabits creates an atmosphere and setting that matches Emlyn's inner turmoil. Some twists and turns provide the suspense, and nothing is quite as it seems. Emlyn struggles with her self-perception and experiences some true growth as she faces the truth. I could relate to Emlyn as a main character and the story was very poignant and realistic. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC (both provided by the publishers) and enjoyed the narrator though there was not much differentiation in her tone and pitch for the various male and female characters. 

Definitely this would make a good choice for a book club to discuss the whole nature of finding yourself, starting over, and getting beyond your past. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery thriller

One of Us Knows by Alyssa Cole

 I just could not get into this try as I did and now give up marking it DNF at 66%.

The character has dissociative identify disorder and is confused about everything that is happening. So was I. 

The setting was interesting - a castle on a mostly deserted island gave all the Gothic feels.

I was listening to the audiobook as I followed along in the e-book ARC provided by the ppublisher and the narrator was great and voiced the MANY characters quite well.

The plot, as it were, was meant to be a mystery but at this point there was yet to be the murder. 

Moving on.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - psychological fiction, mystery

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk

 What happened that night in the basement of the rare books library?

Six people were invited to participate in a Greek ritual organized by one of the library assistants on the night before graduation. Most of the invited had a connection to the library but one tagged along with the drug (acid) that is meant to be used to enhance the experience. The library finally closed and they were locked in the basement for the night. The lights went out. Almost immediately, one is found dead. There was no way to communicate their distress because of scheduled IT maintenance and no phone signals. One by one, the attendees are picked off.

The premise was intriguing, but the execution left me rolling my eyes in boredom. Lots of repetition and characters that I could not care less about. The narrative shifted from person to person and in time as the reader learns more about them. Unfortunately, none were so endearing as to be missed when they died off. With all that happened, still was not sure I understood whatever was meant to be the main point nor were any of the answers to my questions given. It was a continuous ramble. I suppose if one was a rare book person or into Greek mythology, it might have proved more compelling, but I'm neither. Frankly, I should have marked it DNF and moved on.

I listened to the audiobook while following along with the e-book ARC - both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Hannah Cabell, was OK but the recording would have benefited with having a male voice as many of the characters sounded exactly the same. 

Overall, quite a disappointment to me, a library lover who was aghast when some books were ruined. I'm even less interested in the antics of college students or reenactments of silly rituals based on mythology.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - locked room mystery, murder, Greek Mythology, college student antics

The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel (Molly the Maid Book 2) by Nita Prose

 Lovely contemporary cozy mystery.

I love the literal and no-nonsense Molly the Maid. She reminds me of the main character in a much-loved children's book series, Amelia Bedelia, with how she perceives and interacts with the world. 

When a famous author collapses and dies right in front of her in the Regency Grand Hotel Tearoom at a special VIP event, Molly is shocked to hear that it was a homicide. She teams up with her cohort of colleagues at the boutique hotel and joins forces with Detective Stark to find out who killed the author JD Grimthorpe. There is no way that Molly is going to let this scandal besmirch the reputation of her beloved hotel, especially not now since she became Head Maid. 

Told in a past and present shifting timeline, the reader learns that Molly had actually met and known JD Grimthorpe when she, as a child, went to his mansion to help her grandmother who was working there as a maid. Some of the details Molly recalls help her while assisting in the investigation.

Love all the characters in this series and I enjoyed this second book as much as I did the first. I do look forward to more installments with Molly and her fellow workers, friends, and partner, Juan. I like the hotel setting and all the descriptions of the place. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I really enjoyed the narrator, Lauran Ambrose, who brought such quality to the production and enhanced my enjoyment of the novel. Definitely recommend this series.

This is the second book in a series that should be read in order for best enjoyment.

Genre - contemporary cozy mystery

Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh

 Disturbing, dark, and haunting mystery thriller.

For over six years since Grace Crow disappeared, her cousins Amelia and Kylee have wondered what happened to her. Living in a small, depressing go nowhere town, Beaumont, Missouri, hasn't made their loss less unbearable and their aunt, Grace's mother, still holds a vigil every year as they wait to find answers. Grace had been desperate to flee Beaumont by leaving home to go to college, but she never made it out of the place. Now Amelia and Kylee plan their escape, but there are still way too many questions. Then, human remains are discovered. Could they finally get some closure?

This was somewhat depressing as a bleak drama and the claustrophobia and desperation of life in Beaumont really created the perfect atmosphere for the plot to unfold. The characters were all quite interesting, some good and some horrid with others walking that fine line between. Some I liked and others I detested (especially Norman). The story is told in a then and now line with shifting points of view between Grace in the past and Amelia and Kylee in the present. I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook (narrated by the excellent Jorjeana Marie) while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. She did an amazing job voicing the characters and that definitely enhanced my appreciation of the book. 

I liked this novel but be prepared for triggers such as pedophilia. I enjoyed the writing quality and was really absorbed as the secrets and revelations came to light. The only part I did not care for, and what really affected my overall rating, was the conclusion. It was unexpected, yes, and I just did not like the way it ended. I would have rather seen many other resolutions and I especially do not like ambiguity in a mystery, but I'll leave it here.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - mystery thriller, murder, pedophilia 

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

 What would you do for money?

If you are a reality show fan, you will probably like this one.

Five contestants are chosen to appear on a game show called One Lucky Winner. The person who wins will take home 10 million dollars. All of them are assigned a game name - The Best Friend (Maire), The Confidant (Camille), The Senator (himself), The Boyfriend (Samuel), and the Executive (Ned) - want desperately to win the money. Things are not exactly as advertised, however, once they all gather at the secluded winery estate in Northern California. As the rules are explained and the game begins, live streamed all over the world, the stakes become clear. Long held secrets are revealed and each of the players wonders if they will make it out alive. 

I wish I had liked this more. It was difficult because the characters were so hideous that I couldn't find a single one to root for. Maire especially got on my last nerve with all her whining. I did not find any of the scenarios believable and given what the reader finds out about each of them, none should win anything. I wanted all their bad deeds to come to light! Yeah, I'm probably an outlier, and I don't watch reality television, so this plot and the story was not the one for me. The narrative has a then and now format as we learn some of the backstories of the contestants. Regardless, the whole concept of that show and how it was run strained credulity, and the ending was the biggest disappointment of all. Not because of what happened to the game show host, Fern, but because of something she did. No Spoilers.

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I didn't care for the voice of the narrator and the way different characters sounded. This production would really have benefitted from a larger cast to speak the various roles.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - reality shows, locked room thriller, secrets and lies

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclay

 No good deed...

Compelling and fast-paced domestic thriller.

Richard Boyle, father of a daughter and married to Bonnie, prevents a disaster when he stops a would-be bomber at the door of the high school where he teaches English. His notoriety creates several huge problems almost immediately. Not only is the family of the boy with the bomb suing him, but he's being blackmailed by an unstable former student. In addition, a group of parents is now questioning his selection of assigned reading. Soon, Richard is caught up in a tangled web that also involves some murderous drug dealers. Trying to handle all of these potentially ruinous situations alone has resulted in an even bigger issue because he has no idea whom he can trust.

This was fun and I enjoyed it tremendously as I do all of Barclay's books. He's got his usual theme of a good family man trying to do the right thing despite getting caught up in drama or tragedy. I like the author's writing style and his characters. The plot was well-developed and kept me guessing with a few red herrings here and there. 

I had fun listening to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrators were both fabulous and enhanced my appreciation of the novel. They did a great job voicing the many different characters with nuance and skill. 

Definitely recommend this one!

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - domestic and family drama, mystery, thriller

The Hospital by Leslie Wolfe

 The blurb was appealing but this thriller was ultimately disappointing.

A woman wakes up paralyzed, blind, and without most of her memories. She believes she is in the hospital because someone tried to kill her. Emma can’t remember who hit her over the head and it seems that her traumatic brain injury is also making her completely helpless. She suffers severe anxiety over her situation as a parade of nurses and her doctor care for her. 

I really struggled with this one. I like medical thrillers, but other than some brief use of terms it was not actually that type of book. The situation Emma was in seemed so implausible and the tired trope of amnesia just ruined my attempts to seek any bit of realism. I did not care for any of the stereotypical characters in the narrative and the pacing was slow and uneven. I was not at all surprised by the climax or conclusion and found it quite predictable. I’ve read other books by this author and will probably try her again in the future. 

I should note also that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Tanya Eby and I did not like her voice at all and it barely changed with the different characters. I followed along in the e-book ARC as that usually enhances my reading experience but it didn’t work this time.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - psychological thriller