Monday, August 31, 2026

State of the Stack (August 31, 2026)

This is my monthly post which details progress made on review books. I want to thank the authors and publishers who have contributed their books. 

Read This Month 

Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.
  1. Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima (September 2)
  2. Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 3)
  3. The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (September 3)
  4. A Field Guide to Death and Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen (September 8)
  5. A Deadly Entanglement by Cathy Pegau (September 9)
  6. I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (September 10)
  7. Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (September 15)
  8. The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (September 22)
  9. The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 22)
  10. The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 24)
  11. Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (September 24)
DNF
  1.  
Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.
  1. Murder in Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 4)
  2. Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (August 5)
  3. The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloan (August 6)
  4. Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 6)
  5. Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (August 11)
  6. For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 13)
  7. The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber (August 18)
  8. The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury (August 25)
  9. Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (August 27)
New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.
  1. The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (September 29)
  2. The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (October 20)
  3. The Trial of Magdelena Overmorrow by Caitriona Moran (November 3)
  4. Cry of the Rain Crow by Laurie L. Dove (December 8)
  5. A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5)
  6. The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (January 19)
  7. Last Mission to Paris by Susan Elia MacNeal (January 19)
  8. The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 26)
  9. A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (February 2)
  10. Murder Most Cryptic by Alys Cummings (February 16)
  11. Peril in the Night by Katharine Schellman (March 23)
All TBR Review Books

September
October
November
December
January 
February 

March
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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 31, 2026)

 It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a mixed week. Weather cycled from warm and sunny to cool and rainy. My dentist appointment turned weird when I swallowed my new crown. Now, I have to wait until they make it again and reschedule my appointment. In my defense, I was gagging and my dentist dropped the crown onto my tongue. 

My visit with my friend went well. We are going to call these visits "bookcations" because we both get lots of reading done. We finished the last two audiobooks in The Others series and have to look for something different to read on her next visit. We also went out to eat and did a lot of talking. She told me about her newest thing. She creates blind date with a book packages with books she wants to get rid of and sells them at local farmer's markets and craft fairs. She also showed me some cute bees that she's crocheting for craft fairs too. 

I did manage to read three of my September 29 review copies early in the week and started the last two of that group. Cursed City is 528 pages long; I've been reading 10% or so and then switching to another book for some variety. I put them on hold while my friend is here so that we can listen together. Since I didn't add any review copies this week, the stack now numbers 41.

I hope to finish the rest of September's books this week since I'll be doing my State of the Stack post. I also need to set up LibraryThing for September by adding a September collection. And I need to do some spreadsheet things for my monthly report. The way my calendar fell out this month my State of the Stack post will go live on Monday which is only the 31st, but I already have two posted scheduled for September 1.

Read Last Week
  • The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 29) -- Fourth in the Matthew Venn mystery series. My review will be posted on September 22. 
  • The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (Review, September 29) -- New entry to the Truly Devious YA mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.
  • Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 29) -- New entry in the Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

Bought:


What was your week like?
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Friday, August 28, 2026

Audiobook Review: The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Shattered King
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg
Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Series: The Shattered King (Book 1)
Publication: 47 North (September 2, 2026); Brilliance Audio (September 2, 2025)
Length: 10 hours and 51 minutes

Description: A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the war front. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can

But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is like nothing Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment—only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness—even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.

My Thoughts: Nym is a healer and beekeeper in a small town far from the capital city, She's the sole support of her family of seven now that her brother has been conscripted into the king's army. When she is conscripted and sent to the capital to heal the ailing Prince Renn, she's determined to fail so that she can be sent home quickly. 

However, Prince Renn's shattered lumis might be beyond her ability to heal. She thinks of it as a shattered crystal chandelier with its pieces scattered everywhere. She manages to glue a couple of shards together which causes Renn to be able to move his foot. His mother, the queen, is hopeful and demanding of Nym. She forces her to work on Renn without rest or food or any care until she finally collapses.

Her collapse brings home to Renn just how hard she is working and lets him see her as a person for the first time. He begins to make things better for her despite his mother's impatience. As Nym works on Renn, the two become friends and even fall in love hopeless as that might be. A peasant and an heir to the throne can have no future. 

And while Nym is working on Renn and making gradual improvements to his health, war is brewing in the kingdom. But for some reason unknown to Nym, many of her repairs aren't holding with Renn and he still suffers major setbacks to his regaining of his full health. 

Then the neighboring kingdom invades...

This was an engaging epic fantasy romance. I liked the worldbuilding and the magical system. Both Nym and Renn were complex people.

I got the Kindle copy from Amazon Prime Reading and added on the audiobook July 21.. You can buy your copy here.
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Thursday, August 27, 2026

Audiobook Review: Dark Summer by Iris Johansen

Dark Summer
Author: Iris Johansen
Narrator: Joyce Bean
Publication: Brilliance Audio (October 21, 2008)
Length: 11 hours and 38 minutes

Description: Devon Brady is a devoted veterinarian working in a makeshift hospital at an island search and rescue site. When Jude Marrok arrives with his wounded black lab Ned, she has no idea that she is about to be plunged into a whirlwind of terror, destruction, and unstoppable passion.

The last thing Devon needs is to be drawn into Marrok's high-stakes game. And while she feels increasingly drawn to him and his extraordinary dog, she doesn't trust him. Then the bullets start flying and she has nowhere else to run. The body counts gets higher while a mortal mystery swirls around a pack of gifted canines called the "Dogs of Summer."

Is Jude her salvation or her damnation? Are the secrets he's protecting worth killing...or dying for? With lighting-fast pace, unforgettable characters, gut-wrenching action, and sizzling sensuality, is compelling new terrain for this master storyteller.

My Thoughts: Devon Brady is a veterinarian and a member of search and rescue teams. She's volunteering on an island near Venezuela when Jude Marrok arrives with his injured black lab Ned. he leaves Ned with her to treat and says he'll pick him up at her home near Denver. Devon doesn't know what to make of the pair. She loves the dog but wonders if the man is worthy of keeping him.

She returns to Denver and her practice there briefly before Jude calls telling her to take Ned and get out of the office. Jude's enemies have caught up to them and want Ned and are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. Jude arrives in time to save Devon and Ned, but Devon's staff are murdered.

Jude takes Devon to his ranch to keep her safe. He is intrigued by her but is very slow to share his secrets with her. Ned and three other dogs and all targets for a variety of enemies who want to use them. The dogs have incredibly long life spans and seem to have the ability to heal. Jude will do anything to keep the dogs safe. 

The enemies are gathering while Jude and Devon are falling in love. And some of the enemies are right inside his compound. The story is filled with tension and danger for Devon, Jude and the dogs. The action is fast-paced, and the paranormal twist just adds to the story. 

This classis Johansen - first published in 2008 - was a great romantic suspense title with enough of the paranormal to add zest. 

I bought this audiobook June 14, 2026. You can buy your copy here.
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ARC Review: Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot

Until She Dies
Author: Kendra Elliot
Series: Noelle Marshall (Book 3)
Publication: Montlake (September 8, 2026)

Description: Detective Noelle Marshall and FBI Agent Max Rhodes unearth bodies and secrets as they become targets of a serial killer in a chilling novel of suspense by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

When a search dog locates a mass burial ground in the Oregon forest, Detective Noelle Marshall is plunged into a hunt for a killer who’s hiding in plain sight. The key to her case lies in a decades-old secret: a lone survivor who escaped and is still out there, living in fear. The murderer is a phantom who left behind a collection of victims with nothing in common but their final resting place.

As pressure mounts to identify the bodies and find the killer, the investigation draws in FBI Agent Max Rhodes—Noelle’s partner in work and in life. They’ve hunted monsters before, but this one has spent years preparing for this moment, and he craves revenge. As the search narrows and the clock tightens, Noelle and Max must confront a predator who knows the terrain—and their weaknesses—better than they do.

My Thoughts: The third Noelle Marshall thriller begins with a hike in the woods and a search dog who discovers a mass burial site. Identifying the victims is the first step to finding out who murdered them all. When the first woman is identified, it is discovered that she has a four-year-old daughter who is also missing. Finding the child becomes the first priority and leads Noelle to work with her partner Max Rhodes who is with the FBI.

Things get even more complicated when a connection is made to Noelle's foster daughter Emma. One of the bodies may be that of her missing mother. At least a gun traced to her missing mother is found in one of the graves. 

This hunt brings in a lot of characters from the author's previous book series though most have only a walk-on role. The story centers on Emma's need for information about her parents and Noelle and Max's search for the missing child and the hidden murderer. 

The story was fast-paced and twisty. It was filled with suspense and tension. Secrets long buried are revealed as the story unfolds. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Audiobook Review: The Long Call by Ann Cleaves

The Long Call
Author: Ann Cleaves
Narrator: Ben Aldridge
Series: Detective Matthew Venn (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 3, 2019); Macmillan Audio (April 8, 2021)
Length: 11 hours and 36 minutes

Description: In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. On the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.

Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

The case calls Matthew back to the people and places of his past, as deadly secrets hidden at their hearts are revealed, and his new life is forced into a collision course with the world he thought he’d left behind.

My Thoughts: This story begins with Detective Matthew Venn standing outside the church where his father's funeral is being held. He's been estranged for years since he no longer believed in the evangelical faith of his family.

He's called to the beach nearby where a man has been found dead. He has no identification on him and only a tattoo of an albatross on his neck to possibly identify him. Venn and his team soon learn that the man was a former drifter with mental health challenges who is currently cooking at the Woodyard - a local community center and adult day care. 

Simon Walden had been living with Caroline Preece and Gaby Henry. Caroline is a social worker who has the Woodyard in her territory and Gaby is an artist in residence there. Matthew is thinking that he'll have to step aside from the case since his husband Jonathan is in charge of the Woodyard and there might be a conflict of interest. 

While they are busy investigating Simon's murder, a woman with Down's Syndrome who also spent time at the Woodyard goes missing. Venn and his team are searching everywhere for this missing vulnerable adult. Lucy has known Simon who had befriended her on her daily bus ride home. 

Venn soon comes to believe that there is something shady going on at the Woodyard. This feeling is confirmed when a second woman with Down's Syndrome is kidnapped from the center too. Venn and his team find himself investigating anyone connected with the center including the board of directors which includes the pastor from the church that threw him out as a teenager. 

I enjoyed this mystery and liked getting to know the various police officers who are part of Venn's team. His subordinate Jen was one of the viewpoint characters in the story as was the father of the kidnapped Lucy. 

Nice start to a series. 

I bought the Kindle copy May 28 and the audiobook July 21, 2026. You can buy your copy here.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2026

Audiobook Review: Death of an Irish Druid by Catie Murphy

Death of an Irish Druid
Author: Catie Murphy
Narrator: Ruth Urquhart
Series: The Dublin Driver Mysteries (Book 6)
Publication: Tantor Media (January 21, 2025)
Length: 6 hours and 43 minutes

Description: Featuring the humor and charm of Ireland, a compelling whodunit, a sleuthing American expat, and Jack Russell Terrier puppies, the latest book in the Dublin Driver cozy mystery series is perfect for fans of Carlene O'Connor!

Megan is excited to show her visiting American friends the best of Ireland. A dead body in a holy well, however, was not on her list. The victim is Seamus Nolan, nicknamed "the Irish Druid" for his controversial efforts to rewild his country estate. The local police seem all-too-willing to write off his death as an accident. But Megan's instincts say not so fast.

Megan knows that sleuthing cost her her last girlfriend. Maybe solving another murder will help her make peace with that. And she's even more determined to figure out whodunnit when she learns that an antiquated law may pass the estate on to Nolan's land-grabbing, sell-out uncle instead of his beloved daughter.

But then, with Nolan out of the picture, a rival conservationist's bid for a major grant is uncontested. And as more suspects crop up, so does a toxic surprise on the estate, throwing everyone's plans, and Nolan's reputation, into jeopardy. Now Megan will have to unearth a killer with a dirty secret.

My Thoughts: Megan Malone has taken a couple weeks off as a limousine driver in order to show her friends Rafe and his wife around Ireland. Her first stop for them is Bridget's Well which is a site known for helping women get pregnant. The pair wants to have a baby and hasn't been able to get pregnant.

Megan discovers the body of a man in the well. It turns out to be Seamus Nolan who has been nicknamed the Irish Druid. He's a large landowner who is determined to rewild his country estate. Naturally, she calls the police but is unable to call her favorite policeman since he's off with his girlfriend as she shoots a movie in the Middle East. 

The local policeman is too quick, in Megan's opinion, to call the death an accident despite the fact that his bicycle has gone missing. Megan gets involved in the mystery when she befriends Nolan's teenaged daughter who needs help coping with everything surrounding the death. 

From a great-uncle who wants to sell off the land immediately to a mother who is wondering what's in the will for her and problems with just who is the one who stands to inherit the estate, the young woman has a lot of problems to solve. She's also like to know if her father's death was murder or the accident the police claim.

All the while, Megan is also still dealing with the loss of the girlfriend who just couldn't take being involved in one more murder investigation. 

This was another entertaining mystery filled with interesting characters. 

I bought this one April 8. You can buy your copy here.
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