Monday, June 30, 2025

State of the Stack #166 (June 30, 2025)

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. Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (June 17)
  2. Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath (June 17)
  3. The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard (June 18)
  4. Trixie Belden: The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell (June 19)
  5. Them Bones by David Housewright (June 19)
  6. A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber (June 24)
  7. Tricks of Fortune by Lisa Chern (June 25)
  8. Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt (June 26)
  9. Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert (July 1)
  10. The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos (July 1)
  11. The Myth Maker by Alie Dumas Heidt (July 2)
  12. Rage by Linda Castillo (July 3)
  13. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (July 3)
  14. Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts (July 8)
  15. Fateless by Julie Kagawa (July 9)
  16. Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (July 10)
  17. Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (October 1)
DNF
  1. Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox (July 1)
Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.
  1. Grave Words by Gerri Lewis (June 3)
  2. Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (June 3)
  3. A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari (June 4)
  4. Believe Me Now by S. M. Govett (June 5)
  5. Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West (June 7)
  6. The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott (June 10)
New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.
  1. A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber (June 24)
  2. Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell (July 29)
  3. A Silence in Belgrave Square by Jennifer Ashley (August 12)
  4. A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber (August 26)
  5. If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia (September 2)
  6. Framed in Death by J. D. Robb (September 2)
  7. All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan (September 9)
  8. A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly (September 23)
  9. The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong (November 4)
  10. The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott (November 4)
  11. Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (November 11)
  12. Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (November 11)
  13. At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (November 18)
All TBR Review Books

July
August
September
October
November
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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 30, 2025)

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 Monday! How in the world did it get to be the end of June already? This year seems to be going by so fast. 

I had a quiet week. It cooled off enough to run the furnace for a couple of cycles this past week, but it looks to be warming up again. The storms that were supposed to roll through the area a couple of time last week missed us. We did ger enough rain that the grass was too wet for my brother to mow the lawn on either of his days off last week. It's getting a bit shaggy, but he does have another day off tomorrow which might work for lawn mowing. 

I spent a lot of time side-tracked last week in my reading and listening. I got caught up in a science fiction mystery series by Catherine Asaro. And, just as I finished the most recent one to be available on audiobook, I learned that the eARC for the October release is this series was available at Baen Books. I had to buy and read it. I have the review scheduled for the beginning of October. 

I'm behind in my reading by eye but well ahead in my reading by ear. Unfortunately, I usually read four by eye and two by ear each week which means I'm behind again. This week I need to concentrate on reading the books I actually have listed on my calendar for July 10 and later posts. There are six by eye on my stack before my next by ear which I am currently reading. 

I'll do a more thorough month in review next week, but it looks like I've read 202 books as of June 29 according to my Google spreadsheet. Now I'm off to work on my State of the Stack post.

Read Last Week
  • Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts (Review, July 15) -- Second Vandy Myrick mystery set in Queenstown, New Jersey. My review will be posted on July 8)
  • The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread) -- Third book in the Major Bhaajan science fiction mysteries. I reviewed this one here.
  • The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread) -- Fourth book in the Major Bhaajan science fiction mysteries. I reviewed this one here. 
  • The Down Deep by Catherine Asaro (Mine; Audiobook Reread) -- The first Dust Knights science fiction mystery. My review for the Kindle book is here. 
  • Fateless by Julie Kagawa (Review, July 15) -- First in a YA epic fantasy trilogy. A young thief finds herself the only one who can defeat the newly resurrected Deathless King but first she has to gather colleagues and survive. My review will be posted on July 9.
  • Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (eARC from Baen Books, October 7) -- Second Dust Knights mystery has a team from the Undercity preparing to take part in the Olympics and dealing with lots of prejudice. My review will be posted on October 1. 
  • Gone Gull by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since June 28, 2022) -- 21st Meg Langslow mystery with the usual combination of mystery and humor. My review will be posted on July 17.
  • Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (Review, July 15) -- Contemporary romance with some Dungeon & Dragons fantasy included. My review will be posted on July 10.
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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Saturday, June 28, 2025

Audiobook Review: Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot

Her First Mistake
Author: Kendra Elliot
Narrator: Stephanie Nemeth-Parker
Series: Noelle Marshall (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2025)
Length: 10 hours and 7 minutes

Description: When a very personal cold case murder is reopened, a detective’s secrets come to light in a novel of shocking twists and suspense by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Thirteen years ago, Assemblyman Derrick Bell was murdered in his home by an intruder. His wife, Noelle Marshall, was left for dead. The crime was unsolved, but it wasn’t forgotten.

Today the FBI is tackling a fresh perspective on the case and looking to Noelle, now a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office, for new clues. It is reopening everything Noelle thought was behind her. Memories of her escape from a traumatic childhood. A marriage that wasn’t the perfect love story she’d been promised. And a husband whose charm and privilege hid a dark side. But Noelle has been hiding something too: a secret about the night Derrick died that she has never told anyone.

As past and present and leads and misleads collide, one thing is frighteningly clear. Derrick’s murder wasn’t just unsolved. It’s unfinished. And only the truth—no matter the risk—can save the next victim.

My Thoughts: A side character from the author's Mercy Kilpatrick series gets her own story in this new series starter. Noelle Marshall is a Deschutes County sheriff's detective who has a hidden past that is now being revealed.

Thirteen years earlier, Noelle was the wife of politician Derrick Bell. Bell was murdered in his home and Noelle severely injured. She doesn't remember what happened when her husband was killed and she was attacked. She still has memory issues to the present day. Those past memories have never surfaced. 

Now the FBI is reinvestigating the case in the hopes of finally being able to solve it. FBI special agent Max Rhodes and his partner have come to reinterview Noelle, her sisters, her brother-in-law, and her great aunt who had all moved to the area from Sacramento where the crime was committed. 

Much of the story is told in flashbacks from the time of the murder of Derrick Bell and for the five years preceding it charting the relationship between Noelle and Derrick. It's a story of a hardworking, poor woman who meets a rich man with political ambitions. They fall in love and Noelle finds herself in a relationship where she can never be accepted by her in-laws and Derrick's siblings and where she finds herself compromising herself for her husband's sake. It was sad watching the hopeful new romance devolve into a situation where Noelle becomes an emotionally abused wife. 

These flashbacks are in direct contrast to Noelle's present life where she is a successful woman and detective even though she is wary about any new relationship. 

I enjoyed this story very much and look forward to more in the series. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.
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Friday, June 27, 2025

Friday Memes: Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot

 Happy Friday!


Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 
Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:
"Did you vote for him?"

"I don't remember." FBI special agent Alice Patmore paused outside the impressive country home, studying the huge porch with its columns and heavy beams.
Friday 56:
"That's just temporary," he said. "You've got the presence of a queen and the intelligence of a rocket scientist. You're perfect."

She snorted. "More like model rockets."
This week I am spotlighting Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot. I just bought this new book by a favorite author. It stars a new character. Here is the description from Amazon;

When a very personal cold case murder is reopened, a detective’s secrets come to light in a novel of shocking twists and suspense by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

Thirteen years ago, Assemblyman Derrick Bell was murdered in his home by an intruder. His wife, Noelle Marshall, was left for dead. The crime was unsolved, but it wasn’t forgotten.

Today the FBI is tackling a fresh perspective on the case and looking to Noelle, now a detective for the Deschutes County sheriff’s office, for new clues. It is reopening everything Noelle thought was behind her. Memories of her escape from a traumatic childhood. A marriage that wasn’t the perfect love story she’d been promised. And a husband whose charm and privilege hid a dark side. But Noelle has been hiding something too: a secret about the night Derrick died that she has never told anyone.

As past and present and leads and misleads collide, one thing is frighteningly clear. Derrick’s murder wasn’t just unsolved. It’s unfinished. And only the truth—no matter the risk—can save the next victim.

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Thursday, June 26, 2025

Audiobook Review: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures
Author: Margot Lee Shetterly
Narrator: Robin Miles
Publication: HarperAudio (September 6, 2016)
Length: 10 hours and 47 minutes

Description: The phenomenal true story of the Black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America's greatest achievements in space. Now a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules, and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets and astronauts into space.

Among these problem solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South's segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America's aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly these overlooked math whizzes had shots at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam's call, moving to Hampton, Virginia, and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.

Even as Virginia's Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley's all-Black West Computing group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War and complete domination of the heavens.

Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and the space race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA's greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades as they faced challenges, forged alliances, and used their intellects to change their own lives - and their country's future.

My Thoughts: HIDDEN FIGURES was a compelling listen. I was swept into the early days of NASA and the lives of some of the Black women who labored diligently and mostly in the background to bring the United States into the space age. 

Starting with World War II and the labor shortage that provided openings for bright Black women to work in the aerospace industry in Hampton, Virginia, and ending some forty years later, the accounts of the Black mathematicians who dealt with all the issues of segregation when they weren't at work was a story woven between the developments of flight and spaceflight and the gradual social changes of Black-White interactions. 

I enjoyed the author's thoughts in both the Prologue and Epilogue that illuminates her journey to learn about the times and these extraordinary women who accomplishments were mainly hidden in the background of a burgeoning industry. 

I was reminded over and over again that the adage of having to work twice as hard to get half as far was a reality for women of the time and even more so for Black women. 

I bought this one May 23, 2021. You can buy your copy here.
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ARC Review: Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt

Dogged Pursuit
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 31)
Publication: Minotaur (July 1, 2025)

Description: In Dogged Pursuit, David Rosenfelt takes readers back to the start of this beloved series as Andy Carpenter begins his career as a defense attorney in Paterson, New Jersey.

Andy Carpenter has spent the three years since graduating law school working as a prosecutor in Paterson. But having seen how the system never looks out for the little guy, he leaves to start his own practice as a defense attorney. His office might be a little bit of a dump, but he's excited to make a change.

Andy goes to the shelter to adopt a dog, where he meets his beloved golden retriever, Tara, for the first time and feels an immediate connection. The shelter is crowded and Tara's been sharing space with a dog named Sunny; Andy hates to break them up and so asks to take Sunny, too, but since there's a pending criminal case involving the owner, he'll need to get written permission for temporary possession.

Andy discovers that Sunny's owner, Frank Tierney, has been arrested for the murder of his ex-boss. But he takes an immediate liking to Frank and his clear dedication to his dog, and ends up with his first case along with the two dogs.

This prequel to the long-running and perennially popular Andy Carpenter mysteries is a gift for fans and a terrific entry-point for newcomers.

My Thoughts: Andy Carpenter has just left the prosecutor's office in Patterson, New Jersy, to set up as a defense attorney. His marriage to Nicole is in trouble because they have different views of the future. Andy can't see himself as a corporate attorney working for his wealthy father-in-law. He wants to make a difference for real people. He has set himself up as a defense attorney and opened an office above a fruit stand in downtown Paterson.

Andy is also ready to fulfill his lifelong desire to get a dog. He goes to a local shelter with the goal of finding a small dog to be his companion. But one look at the golden retriever sharing a cage with another dog and his heart is lost. Not only does he bring home Tara but he wants to adopt Tara's cage mate Sunny too. The only problem is that Sunny is owned by a man who is in jail and accused of murder.

Andy goes to visit Frank Tierney to get him to sign off on Sunny's adoption and becomes his lawyer.  Frank has been accused of setting a car bomb which killed his former boss at the trucking company and two other people who were catching a ride with him after a staff party. 

Andy begins looking into the case. He hires an investigator - Laurie Collins - who used to be in law enforcement as recommended by police officer Pete Stanton. And he calls on his accountant Sam Willis to do some sleuthing via internet hacking. He soon learns that all is not well at the trucking company. In fact, it is looking like a criminal enterprise. But that criminal enterprise doesn't necessarily connect to whether or not Frank was a murderer until Andy does some of his legal shenanigans on Frank's behalf.

I really enjoyed getting to know Andy Carpenter's origin story. I liked seeing how he began gathering his investigative team. I liked the way he was drawn to Laurie. And I liked Andy's personality.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2025

ARC Review: Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern

Tricks of Fortune
Author: Lina Chern
Series: Play the Fool Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Bantam (July 1, 2025)

Description Tarot card reader extraordinaire Katie True gets embroiled in another local murder when her best friend becomes the prime suspect in this exciting mystery from the Edgar Award-winning author of Play the Fool.

Katie True has gotten her crap together. . . sort of. Now that the sinister events of the past year have wound down, Katie has finally made her dream come true and opened her own tarot reading room—even if it’s in her sister’s old real estate office in an outdoor strip mall. It’s a good start, but her momentum grinds to a halt when the murder of beloved veteran police officer, Matthew Peterson, shakes her and her small community to the core.

Katie is torn. Lieutenant Peterson had saved her life as a child and holds a special place in her past. Even worse, her closest friend Gina—who knows Katie better than she knows herself—is the primary suspect.

As the investigation unfolds, the details surrounding Peterson’s death become increasingly murky, as does Gina’s innocence. All Katie knows is that following her intuition has gotten her this far. But will her trusty tarot deck help her when the truth about the people she loves is too terrible to face?

My Thoughts: Katie True finds herself in the middle of her second mystery when the police officer who rescued her from a car accident when she was an infant is found dead - a potential murder victim. Worst of all, her best friend is the prime suspect for the crime.

As Katie uses her intuition and tarot cards to try to make sense of the death, she finds herself learning all sorts of secrets about people she thought she knew. 

I liked the flashbacks to when Katie was introduced to tarot cards by her aunt and liked the way the flashbacks fit into the plot. Katie is an interesting person who relies on intuition and who doesn't have her life together. Most of her family is successful and goal oriented. She is still exploring her possible future.

This was an engaging story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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Tuesday, June 24, 2025

ARC Review: A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber

A Tarnished Canvas
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Lady Darby Mystery (Book 13)
Publication: Berkley (June 24, 2025)

Description: Lady Kiera Darby had planned to spend the winter practicing her painting, but instead, she must find the flaw in a killer’s masterpiece when an art auction results in one participant’s final bid.…

March 1833. Kiera and her husband, Sebastian Gage, have decided to settle in Edinburgh for the winter with their infant daughter. This also allows Kiera to enjoy long hours painting in her studio, making progress on the portraits she soon hopes to unveil in her own exhibit. She’s thrilled when she receives an invitation to the auction of the late Lord Eldin’s coveted art collection, and she and Gage eagerly accept. When the floor collapses beneath the gathering, killing one of their fellow bidders, Kiera and Gage are lucky to escape with their lives.

Within days it becomes apparent that what at first seemed to be a terrible accident is actually something far more nefarious. Someone deliberately compromised the integrity of the structure, though the police are unsure of the culprit’s aim. Sergeant Maclean requests Kiera and Gage’s assistance in figuring out who would wish to harm the bidders. As they dig deeper, it becomes increasingly apparent that the victim was not the killer’s intended target . . . and that Kiera was lured to the auction deliberately. Kiera and Gage must utilize all their resources to unveil a monster willing to risk the lives of dozens of bystanders to achieve their ends. But they’re on the verge of making a dire miscalculation. For one of the cleverest tricks in a painter’s repertoire is the art of misdirection, and their eyes have been drawn far from the gravest danger.

My Thoughts: The thirteenth book in the Lady Darby mystery series finds Kiera, Gage, and family settled in Edinburgh for the winter. Kiera is busy painting portraits for an exhibition; Gage is bored because there is no case for him to investigate. When a mysterious invitation to an art auction leads to the collapse of the floor where the auction is being held, things change. 

Both Kiera and Gage are caught in the collapse but are only lightly injured. There is one death. Gage is invited to investigate by the police because the floor collapse was engineered and not the accident that the newspapers are reporting. 

An overheard argument provides a starting point for their investigation which ranges from an enemy of the man whose art and collectibles are being auctioned to a dastardly plot to call attention to unsafe building practices. The investigation also passes through learning who sent Kiera the invitation to attend the auction.  

On the personal front, Kiera and Gage's daughter Emma is turning one year old which brings back memories of the dangers that surrounded the pair at the time of Emma's birth. Also, Kiera is feeling a lot of self-doubt as she waffles about having an exhibition of her new collection of portraits of ordinary people. 

This was another engaging episode in a long-running series. I enjoyed it very much. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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Book Review: The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The Daughter of Time
Author: Josephine Tey
Series: Inspector Alan Grant Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Evergreen Publishers (January 28, 2023)

Description: Inspector Alan Grant of Scotland Yard, recuperating from a broken leg, becomes fascinated with a contemporary portrait of Richard III that bears no resemblance to the Wicked Uncle of history. Could such a sensitive, noble face actually belong to one of the world’s most heinous villains – a venomous hunchback who may have killed his brother’s children to make his crown secure? Or could Richard have been the victim, turned into a monster by the usurpers of England’s throne? Grant determines to find out once and for all, with the help of the British Museum and an American scholar, what kind of man Richard Plantagenet really was and who killed the Little Princes in the Tower.

My Thoughts: I'm still trying to figure out why a mystery with a man confined to a bed in hospital with a broken leg and concussed spine was so engaging. I couldn't put the book down!

The story opens with Inspector Alan Grant staring at the ceiling in his hospital room. A friend brings a variety of historical pictures to try to get him interested in solving historical mysteries while he is convalescing. The portrait of Richard III intrigues him and sets him on a quest to find out more about the man and his supposed evil deeds. 

He's assisted by a young American researcher who followed a girlfriend to London and is now studying in order to keep his father off his back. Brent Carradine acts as Grant's legs and soon comes to share his fascination with the mystery of Richard III.

I loved the historical detail and the way Grant uses his investigative skills to piece together the puzzle. 

I bought this one May 24. You can buy your copy here.
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