Audiobook Review: Black Rose by Nora Roberts

Black Rose
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Susie Breck
Series: In the Garden (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 59 minutes

Description: A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night.

At 45, Rosalind Harper is a woman whose experiences have made her strong enough to bend without breaking - and weather any storm. A widow with three grown sons, she survived a disastrous second marriage, and built her In the Garden nursery from the ground up.

Through the years, In the Garden has become more than just a thriving business - it is a symbol of hope and independence to Roz, and to the two women she shares it with. Newlywed Stella and new mother Hayley are the sisters of her heart, and together, the three of them are the future of In the Garden.

But now that future is under attack, and Roz knows they can't fight this battle alone. Hired to investigate Roz's Harper ancestors, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie finds himself just as intrigued with Roz herself. And as they begin to unravel the puzzle of the Harper Bride's identity, Roz is shocked to find herself falling for the fascinating genealogist.

Now it is a desperate race to discover the truth before the unpredictable apparition lashes out at the one woman who can help her rest in peace.

My Thoughts: The second book in the In the Garden trilogy is Rosalind's story. Roz has built a life for herself and her sons after being widowed when she was young. She has parlayed her talents and her funds into a successful gardening center. She works with her oldest son and two young protegees in widowed mother Stella and single mother Hailey. 

When she was facing an empty nest as her son's moved off for their own careers, she entered into a marriage with a man who was a cheat and a liar. When she realized, she divorced him and thought that all she had to do was put her mistake in the past and promise herself never to make it again. 

But when Dr. Mitchell Carnegie is hired to do a family genealogy and identify the Harper Bride who had been haunting the family for generations, Roz finds a man she can love and trust. But the ex hasn't finished with Roz. Between crashing her Christmas Party with his new woman, opening credit cards in her name, and resigning from her Country Club in her name having sent a nasty letter to the club, Roz has a lot to deal with. 

Then there is the Harper Bride who has become more aggressive in the current situation. While still okay with the children, she is trying to interfere with all three women's new romantic relationships. 

The Bride is identified in this one - not by name - by the role she had in a male Harper's life. She was a mistress whose baby was stolen from her to be passed off as the legitimate Harper heir. Taking her child drove her crazy and left her with a vendetta against the family. 

I enjoyed this ghost story/romance. I love the depth of all the characters and the strong relationships between them. 

I bought this one March 11, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair

Fire Must Burn
Author: Allison Montclair
Series: Sparks & Bainbridge Mysteries (Book 8)
Publication: Severn House (January 6, 2026)

Description: The owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are back, and more determined than ever to bring love matches to the residents of Post-WWII London . . . so something as trivial as being dragged into a spy mission isn’t going to stop them!

Sparks fly when an old friend comes to town . . .

London, 1947. After recent events have left the normally steadfast Iris Sparks thoroughly shaken, she’s looking forward to some peace. With The Right Sort doing well, she and business partner Gwen Bainbridge are due a holiday. Until Iris’s former boss enlists their help for a secret mission.

Iris, who left British intelligence after the war, is being recruited for her Cambridge connection to one Anthony Danforth. She hasn’t seen Tony in almost ten years, yet she and Gwen must manipulate him into hiring their marriage service.

Tony’s suspected of being a Soviet operative, and an undercover agent posing as his perfect match could discover the truth. Despite her reluctance at being dragged back into the world of espionage, Iris agrees. After all, Tony was once a very good friend. If he’s innocent, she’ll happily prove it. If not? Well, no one ever said being a spy was easy . . .

Those who enjoy reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries and Dorothy Sayers will adore this warm and witty historical mystery!

My Thoughts: Iris's past is the focus of this 8th book in the Sparks & Bainbridge series. The Brigadier who was Iris's boss when she was a spy during World War II has come to her because he is suspicious of a man returning from China. 

Tony Danforth was Iris's friend when they were both students at Cambridge. Iris is torn between her old friendship and the possibility that Tony is an agent for the Communists. To determine if this is true, Iris and Gwen convince him to become a patron of their marriage bureau and match him with an agent the Brigadier has inserted. 

When Tony is firebombed in his new flat, Iris and Gwen get involved in finding out why. If it has something to do with his political leanings, they have one answer. But Iris believes that it has more to do with something that happened while they were students at Cambridge. This event is shrouded in mystery but did result in the suicide of one of Iris's other friends. 

I enjoyed the flashbacks to Iris's university days. I also like the way Gwen and Iris work as a team. I enjoy their strong friendship. 

I bought this one January 16, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn

Cat on a Hot Tin Woof
Author: Spencer Quinn
Series: Chet and Bernie Mystery (Book 16)
Publication: Minotaur Books (April 14, 2026

Description: Join Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of fiction" (Boston Globe), and his human partner Bernie as they scramble to solve a case exposing the dark side of internet fame.

Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency’s next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person―only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.

Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family's income is on the line.

The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice―and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime.

My Thoughts: The sixteenth book in the Chet and Bernie mystery series begins with a missing cat. Bitty has come to hire Bernie and Chet to find Miss Kitty, her rescue cat and internet sensation. Bitty is most concerned with getting Miss Kitty back. Her mother is very concerned about losing the $75 thousand a month they are raking in due to Miss Kitty's popularity. 

Bernie is more enthusiastic about the hunt than Chet who isn't all that happy to be looking for a cat. The failed police dog isn't all that fond of cats. But where Bernie goes, Chet goes and provides his insights mostly via his very sensitive nose to his human partner. 

The search leads to Bitty's dad who has recently been divorced by her mother. But finding and then losing his body means that Chet and Bernie have lots more investigating to do. 

There are lots of references in the story to earlier Chet and Bernie cases which I have not yet had a chance to read. I would guess that people familiar with the whole series would enjoy the reminiscing. I though Chet's viewpoint including his really short memory for anything but scents was an intriguing entry into the story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer

Carving Shadows into Gold
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Narrator: Cecily Bednar Schmidt et al.
Series: Forging Silver into Stars (Book 2)
Publication: Bloomsbury YA (January 28, 2025)
Length: 15 hours and 47 minutes

Description: Dangerous magic. Fateful choices. Broken promises. The spellbinding series by New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer continues.

The King’s Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Gray’s life, one false move could end everything.

Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges--and unlikely adversaries.

After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen’s side, with magic on her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can’t trust anyone--including the man she thought she loved.

Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king’s rivals gain strength, time is running out.

War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer. . .

My Thoughts: This is the middle book in the Forging Silver into Stars trilogy. It sees the main characters from the first book separated and learning and growing and getting more involved in the main conflict. 

King's Courier Tycho is at odds with the king but still loyal to him. To save the king's life, he makes a bargain with a scraver. That bargain brings him into the fight between rival groups of scravers and might put him at odds with the king.

Jax was taken by Tycho to Emberfall for safety. When Tycho is sent back to the king, Jax is left alone in a country where he doesn't speak the language and has no friends. He needs to learn and build his place there all the while missing his lover Tycho.

Baker Callyn finds herself at the queen's side and taking care of the young princess. She discovers that she has magic which is anathema to most of the queen's kingdom. She discovers that the man she thought she was falling in love with is loyal to the queen but wants the king and all magic to leave the kingdom. 

This episode likely doesn't stand alone since there are really no beginnings or endings, but was a nice continuation of the story begun in Forging Silver into Stars. 

I bought this one February 18, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton
Author: Jennifer N. Brown
Publication: St. Martin's Press (April 14, 2026)

Description: A dual-timeline murder mystery set in an English country manor, when an ambitious professor discovers the long-lost manuscript of a Reformation-era prophetess

Historian Alison Sage has made a groundbreaking archival discovery―she found a manuscript containing the prophecies of a 16th century nun, Elizabeth Barton. Barton’s prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn led to her execution and the destruction of all copies of her prophecies―or so the world believed.

With Alison’s discovery, she is catapulted to academic superstardom and scores an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium, a week of research among a select handful of fellow historians at a crumbling manor in England, located next to the ruins of the priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

What begins as a promising conference turns into a nightmare as the eerie house becomes the site of a murder. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect, and it seems that answers lie at the root of a local legend about centuries-old hidden treasure. Alison’s research makes her best-suited to solve the mystery―but when old feelings resurface for a former colleague, and the stakes of the search skyrocket, everyone's motives become murky.

Alison’s cutthroat world of academia is almost as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton’s sixteenth-century England, where heretics are beheaded, visions can kill, and knowing who to trust is a deadly art. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a thrilling novel, crackling with the voices of the past and propelled by a mystery that will leave readers in suspense until the very last page.

My Thoughts: The Lost Book of Elizabeth Brown in a dual timeline murder mystery. It begins in 1525 when farmhand Elizabeth Barton has a vision. When that vision comes true, the local priest is called in. He calls in a more superior priest who is determined to use Elizabeth in the fight to keep Henry VIII from abandoning the Catholic Church is his quest for divorce. 

Elizabeth is taken to a local convent where she is interviewed by Edward Bocking who becomes her spiritual advisor and the one who writes down Elizabeth's visions with a lot of editorializing of his own. Political turmoil ensues and Elizabeth winds up convicted of treason, tortured and hanged to death. She could have just been a footnote in history except Dr. Allison Sage discovers one copy of the book Bocking wrote and attributed to Elizabeth buried in an archive in Brussels. 

Allison writes her book about Elizabeth which gives her academic prestige and brings her to the attention of others who have their own reasons to be interested in Elizabeth's life. Allison is invited to a small academic concordance in a house on the land where Elizabeth's convent was. Old myths have kept alive the story that the nuns and the local Catholic family gathered wealth and buried it for the day when Catholicism would rule in England again. The treasure has never been discovered but they think Allison might have the clues in Elizabeth Barton's book that will uncover it. 

Allison is surprised and more than a little dismayed to find an old lover at the conference. She is even more surprised when he seems to be too interested in the myths of wealth. When the creepy houseman is murdered and her old boyfriend is attacked, Allison finds herself in a lot of danger as she tries to untangle the mystery. 

I liked the way the book alternated between Elizabeth's timeline and Allison's. Both were interesting in their own right. It is clear that Ms. Brown is a medieval scholar who specializes in material written by and about women. I learned a lot about the time of Henry VII and his heirs. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 6, 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...

Happy Easter to those who celebrate! We have had snow every day since April 1 and have a snow-covered front yard again. My brother tells me the roads were slippery when he came home from work last night. There really wasn't a lot of snow accumulation because the temperatures were relatively warm. Right now, the road is clear and the temperature is 32. I'm sure my brother will clear the driveway and the drift left by the snowplow later today. There's actually supposed to be light rain this afternoon which should also take care of some of the new snow accumulation.

I had a pretty good reading week. I also took advantage of some Audible sales this week. I did confine myself to books I already owned Kindle copies for and that were on my reading calendar. A pre-order came in on the 31st, and I used an Audible credit to add the audiobook. I started listening to it and will be listening for a while. It is over 21 hours long. 

I spent some time setting up my May reading calendar and making the basic posts for my blog. As I watch baseball this afternoon, I'll finish as much of each post as I can before I actually read the books or listen to the audiobooks. 

March Report

I read 33 books in March bringing my yearly total at the end of March to 102. I read 18 of my own books with 13 coming off the TBR pile and 5 being rereads. I also read 15 review copies. I listened to 15 audiobooks this month with many of them also having Kindle copies in my collection which lowers TBR mountain by 2 but only counts as one book read. 

I added 26 books to my LibraryThing account in April including 13 new review copies and six new audiobooks. I used three Audible credits. The other three audiobooks were cheap audiobooks from Chirp. Ten of my new additions are still on TBR mountain but are also already on my reading calendar. 

I am doing pretty well so far this year with reading what I buy. I've even managed to chip a few (mostly audiobooks) from my 2025 TBR pile. Of the 84 books I've added so far in 2026, only 14 are still on my TBR pile. Fifty of the new additions were review copies which I don't put on the TBR pile. 

Here's my State of the Stack for March. 

Read Last Week

• Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer (Audiobook, mine since February 18) -- Finale of epic fantasy. Great relationships and great worldbuilding. My review will be posted on April 14.
• How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin (Review, April 28) -- Third Castle Knoll mystery. This one is set in London. Dual timeline. My review will be posted on April 21.
• Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, mine since December 3, 2025) -- Classic Krentz romantic suspense story. My review will be posted on April 21. 

• Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner (Kindle, mine since July 8, 2025) -- Third Frankie Elkin mystery has her traveling to a remote Pacific Ocean atoll in search of a serial killer's missing sister. My review will be posted on April 16.
• Summer in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, mine since December 3, 2025) -- Final romance in the Eclipse Bay trilogy stars Octavia Brightwell and Nick Harte. My review will be posted on April 23.
• Love You More by Lisa Gardner (Kindle, mine since March 2) -- First Tessa Leonni thriller and 5th D. D. Warren mystery. Dual viewpoint. My review will be posted on April 17.

• Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Review, April 28) -- Women's fiction about friendship and finding yourself. My review will be posted on April 22.
• Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner (Kindle, mine since October 1, 2025) -- 4th in the Frankie Elkin mysteries has her in Tucson looking for a missing Afghan refugee. My review will be posted on April 23.

Currently

• This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews (Kindle & Audiobook, mine since March 31) - I have about 7 hours left of this 21+ hour audiobook
• A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon (Review, May 5)

Next Week

• Campus Murder Club by Kristi Rose (Chirp Audiobook, mine since July 1, 2025)
• I, Spy by L. M. Kemp (Review, May 5)
• Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh (Review, May 5)

• Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, mine since April 6, 2025)
• Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner (Audiobook, mine since April 1)
• Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn (Review, May 12)

Reviews Posted

• Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Dawn in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss (Review copy)

• The Blood Trail by Matt Query & Harrison Query (Review copy)
• The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (Review copy)
• The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C. L. Miller (Review copy)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (Review, August 11)
• The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (Review, September 8)

Bought:

• This Kingdon Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews (Kindle with Gift Card; Audiobook, Audible Credit)
• Rules of the Game by Nora Roberts (Audiobook, $3.19)
• The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, $6.48)

• Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan (Audible Credit)
• Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner (Audiobook, $4.50)

What was your week like?

ARC Review: The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C. L. Miller

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea
Author: C. L. Miller
Series: The Antique Hunters (Book 2)
Publication: Atria Books (February 17, 2026)

Description: “Freya and Aunt Carole, everyone’s favorite antique-hunting, mystery-solving duo, return in a sequel that somehow manages to be even more captivating than their first adventure” (Tom Ryan, USA TODAY bestselling author) as they are on the hunt for a dangerous criminal aboard a cruise ship.

When a painting vanishes from a maritime museum and a dead body is found nearby, Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carole of the Lockwood Antique Hunter’s Agency are called to investigate.

Following a lead that takes them aboard a glamorous antiques cruise sailing toward the Red Sea in Jordan, they quickly discover that the ship’s art gallery is filled with stolen antiquities. Each antique is also listed in Freya’s late mentor’s journals that detail unsolved cases. In chasing a murderer with a stolen painting, they may have found something more sinister than they could’ve imagined…

Their hunt soon turns deadly when they learn the enigmatic and dangerous art trafficker named The Collector could be on board. But on a ship full of antiques enthusiasts—plus some unexpected familiar faces—will Freya and Carole be able to discover the Collector’s identity and stop his murderous plans before the ship docks? Or will the killer strike again?

“An intriguingly complex locked-cruise-ship mystery filled with wonderful characters, murdery twists, humor, and fascinating antiquities details, Miller’s The Antique Hunter’s Death on the Red Sea is a page-turning delight from start to finish” (Celeste Connally, author of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord).

My Thoughts: Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carole begin their next case with a call from a small maritime museum. A painting donated by Freya's mentor Arthur Crockleford has been stolen and a body has been found outside the museum. Naturally, the police are more interested in the body than the missing painting. 

Freya is trying to establish the Lockwood Antique Hunter's Agency in honor of Arthur and with the help of journals he'd written listing antiques and antiquities that he wanted to recover for their rightful owners. She hits a roadblock when her gig as an antiquities expert on a cruise ship is unexpectedly cancelled. Aunt Carole manages to use her charm to get the pair onto the ship where they both find themselves deep into a sticky situation. 

The Collector who has been a famous antiquities thief for a couple hundred years is purported to be on the ship to pick his successor. Phil, Freya's acquaintance from the FBI, is also on the ship looking for the Collector who was responsible for his partner's death many years earlier. And Bella, a thief Freya met in the first book in this series, is also aboard looking for revenge. 

Freya and Aunt Carole busy themselves trying to sort out what is going on since it seems apparent that Arthur had pointed them to the cruise and all the chicanery aboard. The cruise is filled with suspicious characters and danger. 

I enjoyed this story of a woman who is trying to find a new path in life and learning that working together is better than trying to go it alone. The characters were interesting and well-rounded. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.