Book Review: The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews

The Inheritance
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Breach Wars (Book 1)
Publication: NYLA (August 10, 2025)

Description: We are at war. The interdimensional invasion brought us unimaginable suffering, but it also awoke talents slumbering deep within us, a means to repel and destroy our enemy. Every day new gates open, leading to breaches filled with monsters and valuable resources. If you are a Talent, your country needs you. The world needs you. Be the hero you were born to be.

Adaline is a Talent. Ten years ago, she had a happy marriage and a job she loved. The invasion shattered both. Now she works for the government, searching the breaches for magic metals and medicine to help Earth repel an interdimensional enemy. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition...Risking her life became routine.

She had gone into the dimensional gates hundreds of times. She was always well protected. This time everything goes wrong. Now Ada is trapped in the labyrinth of alien caves unlike any other. Her only companion is a scared German Shepherd named Bear. Together they must uncover the breach's secrets and escape, because Ada promised her children that she will come home.

The future of humanity depends on it.

My Thoughts: Ilona Andrews begins a new urban fantasy series with a bang. Ada Moore is a Talent. Ten years after the first breach occurred she is a divorced mother of two and an Assessor. It is her job to go into these dimensional gates and determine if there are any items of value - minerals, plants, etc. - to retrieve before the gate is collapsed. 

She's gone into hundreds of gates, but this time things go wrong. When aliens appear, chasing still another alien, she is abandoned by the man whose job it is to get her out safe. The alien who was being chased gifts her with a jewel that sinks into her head before dying. 

Ada and her only companion - a German shepherd - have to find a way to survive and get out of the breach. She promised her kids that she wouldn't die. Luckily, the alien's gift gives her knowledge and other surprises that help her make it back home, but not before she meets other aliens and learns about the purpose of these breaches. 

Meanwhile, the leader of the guild that was running this exploration is determined to bring the bodies back and seal the breach.  

This was a great story with intriguing world building. I look forward to reading more in the series. 

I bought this one August 12, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews

 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:

We are at war.

This war isn't about wealth, resources, or territory. It's a war of biological extermination. The very essence of humanity is at stake.

Friday 56:

I quashed the scream before it left my mouth. My fingers were free. I moved my arm around, The bracer stayed as if glued.

This week I am spotlighting The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews. I'm a fan of the authors and eager to read this story set in a new world. Here is the description:

We are at war. The interdimensional invasion brought us unimaginable suffering, but it also awoke talents slumbering deep within us, a means to repel and destroy our enemy. Every day new gates open, leading to breaches filled with monsters and valuable resources. If you are a Talent, your country needs you. The world needs you. Be the hero you were born to be.

Adaline is a Talent. Ten years ago, she had a happy marriage and a job she loved. The invasion shattered both. Now she works for the government, searching the breaches for magic metals and medicine to help Earth repel an interdimensional enemy. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition...Risking her life became routine.

She had gone into the dimensional gates hundreds of times. She was always well protected. This time everything goes wrong. Now Ada is trapped in the labyrinth of alien caves unlike any other. Her only companion is a scared German Shepherd named Bear. Together they must uncover the breach's secrets and escape, because Ada promised her children that she will come home.

The future of humanity depends on it.

Audiobook Review: Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Through the Evil Days
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Toran 
Series: A Clare Ferguson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Book 8)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (November 5, 2018)
Length: 14 hours and 19 minutes

Description: Now a New York Times bestselling author, Julia Spencer-Fleming rises to the accolade with a powerful, and emotionally charged novel fans have been yearning for.

On a frigid January night, Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne and Reverend Clare Fergusson are called to the scene of a raging fire, that quickly becomes a double homicide and kidnapping. Which is the very last thing Russ needs...Currently he's struggling with the prospect of impending fatherhood. And his new wife is not at all happy with his proposal for their long-delayed honeymoon: a week in an unelectrified ice-fishing cabin. The vestry of St. Alban's Church has called for the bishop to investigate Clare's "unpriestly" pregnancy. She has one week to find out if she will be scolded, censured, or suspended from her duties. Officer Hadley Knox is having a miserable January as well. Her on-again-off-again lover, Kevin Flynn, has seven days to weigh an offer from the Syracuse Police Department that might take him half a state away.

As the days and hours tick by, Russ and Clare fight personal and professional battles they've never encountered. In the course of this one tumultuous week the lives of the Millers-Kill residents listeners have come to love and cherish change forever. Listeners have waited years for Through The Evil Days and Julia Spencer-Fleming delivers with the exquisite skill and craftsmanship that have made her such a success.

My Thoughts: Russ and Clare are set to go on their honeymoon - in January, at a remote rural cabin with no electricity or running water - to go ice fishing. They are also carting along a lot of "baggage." Russ has just learned that the town council will be making a decision in a week about whether or not to disband the police department and contract services from the State Highway Patrol. Clare has been given an ultimatum by her bishop. He wants her to resign for "unpriestly" behavior. She is also dealing with the fact that she was still using drugs and alcohol when she became pregnant and the baby could be facing significant issues. Even worse, she and Russ had agreed to not have children before she found herself pregnant and Russ isn't dealing at all well with it.

Throw in arson, two executed people in the house before it was burnt, and a missing eight-year-old girl who has just had a kidney transplant and needs her immuno-suppressant drugs or she will die and the story gets filled with drama and tension. Mikayla's mother has lost custody of her because of her drug use. When the police go to search for her, they find that she is gathering pharmaceuticals used in making crystal meth. She flees before they can find out if she has Mikayla.

Meanwhile, the storm of the century bringing snow, ice, falling trees, downed power lines, and collapsed cell towers is bearing down on the region. And Russ and Clare attract the attention of bad guys who send them fleeing from their shelter in the height of the storm. 

While Clare and Russ are dealing with their issues, Kevin Flynn and Hadley Knox are also dealing with theirs. Hadley's ex-husband has shown up demanding money, threatening to take her children back to California, and threatening to expose her secrets. And Flynn is still dealing with his love for Hadley and also a job offer in Syracuse.

This was a fast-paced and tension-filled story. Many characters are faced with difficult decisions and police work has to go on while they are troubled. The ending leaves a number of plot threads dangling and I can't wait for the next book to tie them off. 

I bought this one August 29, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley

At Death's Dough
Author: Mindy Quigley
Series: Deep Dish Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Minotaur Books (October 28, 2025)

Description: The next book in the delectable Deep Dish Mystery series by Mindy Quigley, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

It’s February in the ritzy lakeside resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and love is in the air. Pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is gearing up to celebrate her first Valentine’s Day with hunky police detective Calvin Capone, great-grandson of the infamous Chicago mobster. But their romance is put on ice when a shocking discovery plunges them into a century-old crime with ties to Capone’s notorious forefather.

As old secrets surface, Delilah realizes that nearly everyone in town―from Capone’s cagey cousin to her own quirky customers―has something to hide. With the pressure mounting and the past closing in, Delilah must help Capone follow a trail of clues that could lead them to a priceless treasure... or into a deadly trap. Can Delilah serve up justice before history repeats itself? Or will she and Capone end up sleeping with the anchovies?

My Thoughts: February is a quiet time in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Delilah is worried about her restaurant's bottom line and banking on a great Valentine's Day for her bottom line. She very reluctantly ice fishes with her great-aunt Biz and business partner Son. They are looking for fish and are surprised when the ice auger brings up human body parts.

With her police detective boyfriend Calvin Capone away investigating, it is left to his boss to investigate when a body is found under the ice. Delilah knows the man. She met Dominic Capone when he and Calvin's mother stopped in at Delilah & Son. Dominic was as eager to play up his relationship with gangster Al Capone as Calvin is to downplay it. But what made him decide to scuba dive in a frozen over lake?

With the chief eager to declare it a tragic accident, it is up to Delilah and her crew to really investigate the death. Old secrets from the heyday of gangster activity in Geneva Bay resurface in this engaging cozy culinary mystery. 

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

Book Review: The Boy by Tami Hoag

The Boy
Author: Tami Hoag
Publication: Dutton (December 31, 2018)

Description: An unfathomable loss or an unthinkable crime? #1 New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag keeps you guessing in her most harrowing thriller yet.

When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier outside the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he's ever seen. Genevieve's seven-year-old son, KJ, has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well. Meanwhile, Nick's wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits with the grieving Genevieve. A mother herself, Annie understands the devastation this woman is going through, but as a detective she's troubled: Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind?

When KJ's sometimes babysitter, twelve-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing the very next day, the town fears a maniac is preying on their children. With pressure mounting from a tough, no-nonsense new sheriff, the media, and the parents of Bayou Breaux, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. Is someone from Genevieve's past or present responsible for the death of her son? Is Nora a victim, or something worse? Then everything changes when Genevieve’s past as a convicted criminal comes to light. Could she have killed her own child to free herself from the burden of motherhood, or is the loss of her beloved boy pushing her to the edge of insanity? Could she have something to do with the disappearance of Nora, or is the troubled teen the key to the murder? How far will Nick and Annie have to go to uncover the dark truth of the boy?

My Thoughts: This thriller is the second book in the Broussard/Fourcade series. Both are police detectives in a small Sheriff's office in Cajun Louisiana. They are a married couple with a five-year-old son. 

Nick Fourcade is called to a crime scene where he discovers a brutally murdered seven-year-old boy. His mother is injured but managed to run to a neighbor's home to get help. Fourcade is also still investigating the sexual assault of an autistic teenage girl which has stirred lots of public sentiment. 

Annie Broussard is also investigating the murder. Since she's good with children, she's assigned to interview the young boy's twelve-year-old babysitter. She finds a chaotic home situation and a missing babysitter. The girl's mother hadn't even noticed that she had been missing for a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the new sheriff who happens to be a flaming narcissist, is resenting every moment of publicity that Fourcade is getting and resents that he has no control over Fourcade or Broussard. He has a fiancée and potential stepson who are being psychologically abused by him when they fail to behave perfectly.

This twisty thriller had me changing my opinion about the killer numerous times as different things were discovered in the investigation. I enjoyed the setting. I also really liked both Nick and Annie.

I bought this one August 14, 2025, as a BookBub deal. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie

The Bone Thief
Author: Vanessa Lillie
Series: Syd Walker (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (October 28, 2025)

Description: When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.

In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family's fears.

As Syd investigates both crimes, she's drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it's not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.

The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren't isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society's doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town's most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.

From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed.

My Thoughts: Archaeologist Syd Walker finds herself involved with an elite historical society when a young Native girl goes missing and soon after the newly excavated bones of another young Native woman and her baby is discovered on the grounds of the Founders Society. Overnight, those bones disappear leaving Syd to find both the living girl and the bones. 

Syd has inherited the job of her newly retired boss with the society. She finds herself dealing with members who want to turn the area into an historical theme park centering around their very extensive dig and featuring artifacts that her former boss has found over many years. 

Syd, being Cherokee, is appalled at the notion that bones of Natives and other artifacts will be on display, but she takes her cues from the Native trickster Coyote to pretend to go along with those plans while trying to find the missing girl and the missing bones.

The book, set in 2008, shows the conflict between the traditional White society and the Natives who are trying to reclaim their birthright and land. 

I enjoyed this story which also includes characters from Syd's previous adventures who are trying to get over the events of that book. Syd is also married to Mal who is soon to have their baby which makes things even more complicated for her. 

I liked the way history was woven into the story.

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

Audiobook Review: The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

The Enchanted Greenhouse
Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Series: The Spellshop (Book 2)
Publication: Bramble (July 15, 2025), Macmillan Audio (July 15, 2025)

Length: 13 hours and 32 minutes

Description: New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

My Thoughts: This is Terlu Perna's story. After creating a sentient spider plant out of loneliness, she was sentenced to be turned into a wooden statue. She was to stand in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium for some indeterminate time. 

Terlu wakes up later on an island covered with massive magical greenhouses. At first, she doesn't know how she came to be there and alive again. She needs to find the gardener which she does after a search of many lushly described greenhouses. 

Terlu finds the gardener who isn't at all happy to see her when he learns that she was a librarian and not a sorcerer. He needs to sorcerer to keep the greenhouses from failing. He's already lost more than 100 of the 365. 

Terlu would like to help him, but she greatly fears doing magic again. She doesn't think she could survive being re-statuefied. She almost inadvertently revives a sentient and chatty Ressurection Rose and from their other sentient plants. She spends time trying to learn the secrets of the sorcerer who created the greenhouses and the sentient plants. He died many years previously after sending all of his gardeners but one away and putting all his sentient plants to sleep. 

The sorcerer had grown more and more paranoid as the years passed and his spells were not only in a language Terlu, who has a gift for languages, doesn't know but they are also in code and include mirror writing and backwards writing to add to the difficulty of discovering his spells. 

As Terlu tries to learn the spells, she is falling in love with Yarrow, the last gardener. His faith in her helps her learn the sorcerer's secrets. The story was lush, descriptive and romantic. I loved the slow-build romance between Terlu and Yarrow. I loved the way each of them completed the other. 

I bought this one August 14, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (October 20, 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...

This was a nice Fall week. High temperatures in the 50s and 60s and low temperatures staying above freezing. The leaves are turning colors. 

I finally got my long-delayed haircut and will have to get used to the new length. The bangs might be closer to baby bangs than I was anticipating but they'll grow.

I did finish my chapter-a-day nonfiction book and haven't picked my next one yet. I may pick a book of short stories next since I tend to collect them but not read them. I think I'll wait until November 1 when I will have finished A Night in the Lonesome October.

I'm gradually chipping away at my November review stack which was much taller than I thought. I still have three of seven November 11 releases, all four November 18, and all three November 25 to read. My current read (I'm about half-finished) and one other book are by new-to-me authors. And a couple of the November 18 books are highly anticipated. Julia Spencer-Fleming and Nora Roberts are auto-buys for me. 

I added five new review copies this week as a result of email invitations. I also added one of Nora Roberts trilogies to my listening stack when they went on sale at Chirp. I also added one of Lois McMaster Bujold's fantasies which was also offered at Chirp, but I bought it from Amazon for about the same price since I like the Audible interface a little bit more than the Chirp interface. Then there were the usual Kindle deals that I just couldn't pass up. 

I've decided not to start my next audiobook (Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop) until I've finished my current read. It should give me incentive to finish Haze which I'm enjoying but which isn't an old favorite. 

I have a morning of doctor's appointments and tests on Wednesday, but otherwise it should be a quiet week. I might spend it looking for 2026 Medicare Advantage plans since my current plan won't be offered next year. 

Read Last Week

• Diviner's Bow by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook, mine) -- Reread of the third in the Colemeno story arc. 
• Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (Review, November 11) -- Two detectives with the Sheriff's Department investigate the murder of a property developer. My review will be posted on November 4.
• The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (Mine since March 30, 2017) -- Fascinating nonfiction about the development of English. 

• Innocence Road by Laura Griffin (Review, November 11) -- A woman comes back to her hometown to work for the police department just in time for a notorious conviction to be overturned and the exonerated killer comes home. Meanwhile, she's dealing with a serial killer targeting young women. My review will be posted on November 5.
• Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook) -- I read and reviewed the ARC. Now I listened to the story for the first time. 
• Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally (Review, November 11) -- Third Lady Petra mystery takes place at Windsor Castle in 1815. A celebrity chef is murdered. My review will be posted on November 6.

• How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook, mine since June 28, 2022) -- Christmas in Caerphilly and a whole cast version of A Christmas Carol is in the works if Meg can manage to keep the alcoholic lead actor sober and on the stage. My review will be posted on November 25.
• Written in Red by Anne Bishop (Audiobook, Mine) -- I felt like a reread of this favorite series.

Currently

• Haze by Katharine Kerr (Review, November 11)

• A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (Chapter a Day)

Next Week

• Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (Review, November 11)
• The Queen Who Came in from the Cold by S. J. Bennett (Review, November 11)
• Blood Oath by Steve Urszenyi (Review, November 18)

• Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann (Review, November 18)
• At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Review, November 18)
• The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (Review, November 18)

Reviews Posted

• A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Audiobook)
• Entranced by Nora Roberts (Audiobook)
• One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook)

• Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook (Review copy)
• Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs (Review copy)
• The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer (Audiobook)

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

Review:

• Inside Man by John McMahon (Review, January 13)
• Tell-Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow (Review, January 27)
• First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (Review, February 17)

• The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (Review, April 7)
• An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (Review, May 19)

Bought:

Audiobooks:

• The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook, $4.99)
• The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)

• The Hollow by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)
• Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)

Kindle Books:

• Touch of Red by Laura Griffin (BookBub, $1.99)
• Winter's Child by Margaret Maron (BookBub, $.99)

• Murder in the Queen's Armes by Aaron Elkins (BookBub, $.99)
• Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts (BookBub, $.99)
• Lost & Found by Jayne Ann Krentz (BookBub, $2.99)

• The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton (BookBub, $1.99)
• Only Rogue Actions by Jennifer Estep (Kindle)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer

The Black Wolves of Boston
Author: Wen Spencer 
Narrator: Ian Allen Carlsen et al.
Series: The Black Wolves of Boston
Publication: Audible Studios (February 21, 2017)
Length: 18 hours and 15 minutes

Description: Rebuild a life, save a city

Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked by vampires outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last 300 years - each time less and less successfully. Now he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun.

Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil. What she doesn't know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters.

Seth is the 16-year old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King. Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around.

Joshua believes he is a normal, college-bound high school senior. His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls.

These four must now come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people who lost everything struggle to save Boston by saving each other.

My Thoughts: This was a great story about love, friendship and accepting yourself for yourself. Of course, it was also urban fantasy so we had evil Wickers who wanted to take over the werewolf Prince of Boston and make him their puppet.

The story starts with brand new werewolf Joshua being rescued by Decker who is a depressed vampire who is hundreds of years old. Decker has been getting more and more isolated and has been hoarding things to combat his loneliness. He takes Joshua home and they two form a firm friendship.

The story is told from Decker's viewpoint and Joshua's. It is also told from the viewpoint of Seth who is the 16-year-old Prince of Boston who has been in the care of the Wolf King in New York City since his whole family was massacred when a Breach let evil into the world when Seth was thirteen. He wants very much to return to Boston along with his older cousin Jack who is one of the Wolf King's Thanes.

Elise is also a viewpoint character. She is a Virtue whose purpose in life is to live among humans and seek out evil and destroy it. Elise has known Decker all of her life but is so focused on being a Virtue that she only uses him as a tool. Elise, too, is alone and lonely.

The four characters come together to find and defeat the Wickers before they can succeed at their evil plan. Along the way there are a lot of funny moments in this story. Joshua has a tendency to turn into a small wolf pup when he's frightened or when he sneezes. It also has some touching moments as we learn that Seth has been longing for more family and really wants Joshua to be the older brother he thought was lost forever. 

This is a wonderful story filled with characters real enough to step off the page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I bought this one July 19, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer

 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:

Joshua really thought it would be easier to catch a rabbit; he was a werewolf, after all. The stupid things, though, could turn on a dime and kept zigging while his body zagged.

Friday 56:

The house had three bathrooms total. Ewan found and used all three without realizing that he was marking his territory.

This week I am spotlighting a reread. I first read The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer back in 2020. I wanted to refresh my memory before I read the sequel which was recently published. I am choosing the audiobook for this reread. Here's the description from Amazon:

REBUILD A LIFE, SAVE A CITY

Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked by vampires outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last three hundred years—each time less and less successfully. Now he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun.

Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil. What she doesn’t know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters.

Seth is the sixteen-year old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King. Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around.

Joshua believes he is a normal, college-bound high school senior. His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls.

These four must now come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people who lost everything struggle to save Boston by saving each other.

Audiobook Review: One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming

One Was a Soldier
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Series: Clare Ferguson/Russ van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 7)
Publication: Blackstone Audio (April 22, 2011)
Length: 17 hours and 31 minutes

Description: At the Millers Kill Community Center, five veterans gather to work on adjusting to life after war. Reverend Clare Fergusson has returned from Iraq with a head full of bad memories she's using alcohol to wipe out. Dr. George Stillman is denying that the head wound he received has left him with something worse than simple migraines. Officer Eric McCrea is battling to keep his constant rage from affecting his life as a cop, and as a father. High school track star Will Ellis is looking for some reason to keep on living after losing both legs to an IED. And down-on-her-luck Tally McNabb has brought home a secret - a fatal one.

Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne just wants Clare to settle down and get married - to him. But when he rules Tally McNabb's death a suicide, Clare sides with the other vets against him. Russ and Clare's unorthodox investigation will uncover a trail of deceit that runs from their tiny Adirondack town to the upper ranks of the Army, and from the waters of the Millers Kill to the unforgiving streets of Baghdad.

My Thoughts: The seventh book in the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries sees Clare returned from Iraq and dealing with what she saw by abusing pills and alcohol. When one of her parishioners comes back from war having lost both legs to an IED, she convinces him to take part in a veteran's support group. He will if she will. The two find Dr. George Stillman there and Officer Eric McCrea from the Millers Kill police force and a young woman named Tally McNabb. Trip Stillman had a traumatic brain injury that he is claiming to be just migraines. McCrea is having trouble dealing with the constant anger that fills his life. And Tally is keeping a secret about her tour in Iraq.

When Tally is found dead by her swimming pool, Russ and most of the evidence declares it a suicide. Clare and her fellow veterans from the support group are so sure and begin an investigation. Tally was working as an accountant for Opperman's business which, besides the resort, does contracting work for the government in Iraq. And it looks like she came home with a lot of cash money - like a million dollars. 

Besides the stress of planning her wedding to Russ with more than she needs of her mother's "help," Clare has the usual stresses of her ministry and her investigation into Tally's death. No wonder she's hiding her dependence on pills and alcohol from everyone including Russ. 

I enjoyed this story. It was compelling listening. I was so involved in the problems of all of the vets in the support group and so hoping that they could find peace. I also enjoyed catching up on other members of the Millers Kill police force too. 

I got this one from Audible Plus. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Entranced by Nora Roberts

Entranced 
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: MacLeod Andrews
Series: The Donovan Legacy (Book 2)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (August 23, 2023)
Length: 7 hours and 11 minutes

Description: The Donovan Legacy continues in Entranced, #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts’ mesmerizing novel about a headstrong detective expanding her mind to paranormal possibilities while opening her hardened heart to love.

Tough and tenacious, Mary Ellen Sutherland is a private investigator who never gives up on a case or a friend in need. When her friend’s baby is abducted and every clue leads to a dead end, Mel reluctantly turns to Sebastian Donovan, a psychic reputed to possess extraordinary abilities. Despite her skepticism, Sebastian proves to be amazingly gifted—especially when it comes to enchanting Mel, body and soul.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Donovan Legacy stars Sebastian Donovan. He is a psychic who can find people and things and read people's minds. Mary Ellen Sutherland is a private investigator who comes to him when her friend's baby is abducted. Even though she doesn't believe in psychics, Mel agrees to work with Sebastian if it will help her find young David. 

Using a combination of her skills as a PI and Sebastian's gifts, David is found and a baby selling ring is discovered. Mel and Sebastian team up along with the FBI to break up the ring. While they are undercover as a wealthy couple looking to do anything to finally have a baby of their own, Mel and Sebastian fall in love. 

This was another excellent paranormal romance. It was also excellent romantic suspense. 

I bought this one from Chirp May 12, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs

Blind Date with a Werewolf
Author: Patricia Briggs
Publication: Ace (October 21, 2025)

Description: When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends,” his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories.

Dear Asil:

We are worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for you: five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people from online dating sites. You should also know that we have informed the whole pack and instigated a betting pool. Have fun!

Sincerely,

Your Concerned Friends

My Thoughts: This story collects the existing Asil stories and adds a couple of new ones. The premise is that some "concerned friends" have gifted Asil with a series of blind dates because they are worried about him. Asil is a very old werewolf who has come to the Marrock's territory because he wants to die and only the Marrock is strong enough to kill him. However, the Marrock has uses for Asil as an executioner who can take out werewolves who need to die before they give all werewolves a bad name. 

Asil has become reclusive and depressed, and he struggles to keep control of his wolf who is becoming more and more distant. 

The first date has Asil attending a Vampire Ball in Missoula. Young people who are pretending to be vampires have set this up. Asil's date has also been set up. It turns out that Kelly is a gay young graduate student and not the female that he was purported to be. And some of the vampires are not pretending. 

The second date has Asil rescuing a tiger shifter and a lioness who is also an ancient goddess. His foster daughter Mariposa, who was a black witch, has a role to play in this one.

The third date has Asil meeting a social worker named Tami who seems to be a white witch and helping her rescue some of her clients from a wyrm. But things are not quite what they seem and Asil needs to save the day again. 

The fourth date has Asil meeting a ghost hunter who is the victim of an ancient fae. She's a woman who resonates with both Asil and his wolf and completes his reentry into life and love. 

The fifth date concerns rescuing Mariposa's daughter from a very old vampire who was living in Spokane unknown to the local alpha. 

These were entertaining interrelated stories. I have always thought Asil was an intriguing character and loved learning more about him. 

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

Audiobook Review: A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King

A Monstrous Regiment of Women
Author: Laurie R. King
Narrator: Jenny Sterlin
Series: Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes (Book 2)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (February 11, 2014)
Length: 11 hours and 43 minutes

Description: It is 1921 and Mary Russell—Sherlock Holmes's brilliant apprentice, now an Oxford graduate with a degree in theology—is on the verge of acquiring a sizable inheritance. Independent at last, with a passion for divinity and detective work, her most baffling mystery may now involve Holmes and the burgeoning of a deeper affection between herself and the retired detective. Russell's attentions turn to the New Temple of God and its leader, Margery Childe, a charismatic suffragette and a mystic, whose draw on the young theology scholar is irresistible. But when four bluestockings from the Temple turn up dead shortly after changing their wills, could sins of a capital nature be afoot? Holmes and Russell investigate, as their partnership takes a surprising turn in A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King.

My Thoughts: This is the second book in the Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell series. It is 1921. Mary has graduated from Oxford with theology and chemistry degrees. She has also attained her majority and gained control of her fortune. She has kicked out her aunt and is remodeling her farmhouse. She is also in a quandary about her relationship with Holmes.

While wandering about London, she encounters Lady Veronica Beaconsfield who was a lodging mate at Oxford. They lost touch when Mary had to disappear as a result of a previous case. Ronnie is working at Good Works in London. She introduces Mary to Margery Childe and her New Temple of God. Mary is intrigued by Margery's theology.

But questions arise when she learns that three well-to-do young women has died in suspicious circumstances after leaving substantial sums of money to the New Temple of God. Mary investigates with a bit of assistance from Holmes who is busy helping Mary with another problem. Ronnie's fiancé has come back from World War I greatly changed and addicted to heroin. Mary asks Sherlock for help.

Then Ronnie is almost killed in what looks at first like an accident and Mary is also almost killed when she's walking with Margery. Mary manages to take down the villain and save herself and Margery. But then Mary is kidnapped. She's held for a number of days by criminals who attempt to addict her to heroin before Sherlock manages to find and rescue her. 

This was excellent historical fiction filled with all sorts of period details. I love the relationship between Mary and Holmes.

I bought this one April 11, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook

Death on Dickens Island
Author: Allison Brook
Series: A Books on the Beach Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane (October 21, 2025)

Description: A divorced sleuth in her thirties must bring peace back to her small town after a murder tears neighbors and family members apart in this series debut from Agatha Award nominee Allison Brook, perfect for fans of Cynthia Riggs and Eva Gates.

Delia Dickens has come home to Dickens Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, after a twelve-year stint in Manhattan. She’s looking forward to helping her father revitalize the general store that the family owns as well as curating a small book nook. Most importantly, she wants to reunite with her fifteen-year-old son. But Dickens Island isn’t the peaceful town Delia remembers–and she might be in more danger here than she ever was in the big city.

Delia’s Aunt Reenie and Uncle Brad, both prominent community leaders, are at odds over the sale of a farm and its future use. This has created friction, not only in their marriage, but amongst the citizens of the town. When a young woman, new to the town council and friendly with Brad, is found murdered, everything escalates and reaches a new boiling point.

With Reenie and Brad both suspects in the case and at each other’s throats, the townspeople start to take sides. When the ghost of her grandmother visits her, Delia learns how past events have impacted the present, and it is up to her to expose the farm’s sordid secrets in order to catch a murderer and restore peace to her beloved island.

My Thoughts: This first in a new series stars Delia Dickens who has come home to Dickens Island after some years away in Manhattan. She is helping her father in his general store and writing some articles for her brother's newspaper. She is also trying to rebuild her relationship with her fifteen-year-old son who has spent most of his life living with her parents. 

When a young woman is murdered and Delia's uncle is one of the prime suspects, Delia becomes an amateur sleuth. She has the unexpected help of the ghost of her grandmother who knows the ins and out and who's who of the island past and present. 

The island is in turmoil because of the issue of purchasing a local farm and determining its future use. Delia's aunt and uncle who are both on the council have vastly different views of the future of the farm and the island. Their views are coming close to polarizing the rest of the island's residents.

Meanwhile, Delia's relationship with her son is going through its own ups and downs. When Connor skips school to hunt for treasure from a map purported to be left by Captain Kidd, it leads to a break-in at their house and the discovery of a long-buried body.

This was an engaging cozy mystery. I'm eager to read more about Dickens Island and its residents. 

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