ARC Review: How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson

How to Get Away with Murder
Author: Rebecca Philipson
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 24, 2026)

Description "If you picked up this book because you truly want to get away with murder, you will not be disappointed. Simply turn the page and we'll get started."

This fresh debut thriller finds a Scotland Yard detective trying to find the author of a self-help book that promises quite literally to teach readers how to get away with murder, which seems to have inspired London's newest murderer.

Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen has been on leave for six months, recovering from a breakdown she suffered at work, but when a fourteen-year-old girl is murdered in a local park, Sam jumps at the chance to return to the job and prove that she's still got what it takes to be the Yard's most successful homicide detective. One of the case's only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How To Get Away With Murder by a man named Denver Brady.

Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of our time, which is why no one's ever heard of him. Chapter by chapter, he details his methodology and his past victims, and as Sam's investigation progresses and the details of the book go viral, Sam begins to suspect that there’s more to the author than what he’s revealed. But in order to find a killer and get justice for young Charlotte, Sam must learn to trust her instincts once again, before Denver Brady--or someone else--really does get away with murder.

My Thoughts: DI Samantha Hansen has been on medical leave from the Metropolitan Police Force for six months after a breakdown at work. When a fourteen-year-old girl is found murdered in a park, Sam wants to get involved in the case. She goes to her mentor on the force - the man who has been guiding her career since her father's death when she was nineteen - and convinces him to let her back to work.

The only clue to the case is a copy of a book called How to Get Away With Murder by Denver Brady. The book was found in Charlotte's backpack. 

Sam's mentor Harry assigns her to tracking down Brady and gives her a new recruit to be her partner in the investigation. Sam wasn't really ready to come back to work. She has attention problems making it difficult to read Brady's books and her anxiety makes it impossible for her to look at the crime scene photos. But she and her partner begin the search for Brady by trying to track down his supposed victims. 

The more Sam and her partner look into the facts of the books and try to follow the money trail for the book's profits, the more Sam begins to believe that Brady had nothing to do with Charlotte's murder. But Harry wants the quick solution to the case and any possible murderer and puts the pressure on Sam.

This was a twisty story. Told in alternate chapters from Brady's book and Sam's actions, the story was a compelling read. I liked Sam's determination to find the truth about Charlotte's murder. I liked her doggedness in tracking down Denver Brady and his supposed victims. 

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

ARC Review: The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy

The Ghost Women
Author: Jennifer Murphy
Publication: Dutton (February 24, 2026)

Description: A mysterious art academy in the woods, a deck of ancient tarot cards, a centuries-old secret

On a hot August morning in 1972, the body of Abel Montague, a student at St. Luke’s Institute of the Arts, is found hanging from a tree in the forest. An ancient Hanged Man tarot card is found in the back pocket of his pants and his body has been positioned into the exact pose illustrated on the card.

When Detective Lola Germany arrives at St. Luke’s—a former monastery that once housed a secret order of monks who carried out witch trials and executions—she believes they are dealing with a ritualistic murder. While interviewing school administrators and Abel’s classmates, Lola discovers Abel’s live-in girlfriend, Pearl, seems shaken but also might be hiding something—along with her group of friends who call themselves witches.

When more students are found dead, each body arranged like a tarot card, Lola realizes she is trapped in a web of power and ambition that spans centuries. Soon the lines between past and present, spiritual and tangible, begin to blur, and the only way to survive is to seek answers from places she never imagined.

My Thoughts: This twisty mystery is filled with ghosts, tarot cards, and murders at a secretive art college on a South Carolina island. 

Detective Lola Germany, with a secret past of her own, is called to St. Luke's when the body of a young student is found hanging from the infamous ghost tree. His body has been posed like that of the Hanged Man from the tarot deck. Frustrated by the lack of cooperation given by the head of the school, Lola tries to investigate and interview the students who know Abel Montgomery. 

Then there are more deaths. Two students jump from a burning tower like the deaths depicted on The Tower tarot card. Hemlock poisoning and accelerants indicate that the deaths were murder, not the accident to school's dean is claiming.

The story is told from multiple points of view. Lola and Pearl who was Abel's live-in and who is a seer carry the bulk of the story. Other characters include Krista who is also a student and a green witch and Esme who is the dean's snitch and a victim.

The story is a twisted tale of murders over centuries, ghosts of wronged women, and young artists with witchy talents. Surrounding all of it is Lola who is back home and working as a police detective after a career as a prima ballerina which ended in tragedy.

I enjoyed the dreamy prose and the mysticism. I also liked the way the past was woven into the story. 

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

ARC Review: Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews

Buried in Shamrocks
Author: Lisa Q. Mathews
Series: Irish Bed & Breakfast Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (February 24, 2026)

Description: Kate Buckley returns to her Irish-themed hometown for the summer, but when her ex becomes the prime suspect in his fiancée’s murder, she must clear his name for the sake of their daughters, perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano and Carlene O’Connor.

Kate and her daughters, Maeve and Bliz, are back in Shamrock, Massachusetts, and Kate faces a big decision: Should they move back to their hometown for good? As she contemplates the idea, all the businesses in town, including her family’s B&B, the Buckley House, are busy preparing for the annual Great Shamrock Fair in hopes of luring back tourists after a murder during St. Patrick’s Week.

But when Kate’s ex, Ian, arrives in town from Ireland to perform with his band at the festival and his new fiancée, Fallon, is found dead at the fairgrounds, any chance of a fun and peaceful family summer goes up in green smoke.

Much as she wants nothing to do with her ex, Kate knows Ian is innocent. Amid the swirl of activity in town and her sister Colleen’s determination to keep the annual Miss Shamrock contests alive, Kate enlists her devastated eldest daughter and her father, the former Shamrock police chief, to help her unwind the trail of evidence.

With clues—and danger—piling up, can Kate find Fallon’s true killer and save her ex, before the Great Shamrock Fair and the town’s chances for a summer full of green go bust?

My Thoughts: Kate Buckley and her two daughters have come home for the summer and maybe forever. It is time for the annual Great Shamrock Fair and things aren't going well. The man who usually does the butter sculpture has had an accident and his artist daughter is standing in. Kate's ex and his band are scheduled to play at the festival and stay at her parents' B&B. So is a rival group of elderly Itish musicians who are her father's friends. 

Her ex, Ian, has also brought along a fiancée named Fallon who is the manager of the band. When Fallon is found dead, it is up to Kate to clear her name and Ian's name too. Of course, she also has to deal with her youngest who is a contestant for Little Miss Shamrock and her eldest who resents that Ian hasn't kept in touch with the family. 

This was a fun cozy with an interesting setting and main character. 

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

ARC Review: The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston

The Wolves Are Watching
Author: Victoria Houston
Series: Lew Ferris Mysteries (Book 4)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (February 24, 2026)

Description: Sheriff Lew Ferris has a new partner in crime in the fourth installment in Victoria Houston’s atmospheric mystery series, perfect for fans of Marc Cameron and Nevada Barr.

It’s early September when a competitor in a high school fishing tournament is approached by a stranger who threatens him and his family in an attempt to blackmail him into throwing the first round of the tournament. The boy flees into the woods, where at night he sleeps with wolves watching him from the shadows.

When the boy’s father asks Lew’s deputy, Ray Pradt, for help finding his son as well as the man who threatened him, they’re thrown into a world of illegal betting that’s more dangerous than either could have imagined. Meanwhile, Lew Ferris learns that a couple who went on a wolf-watching trip has disappeared without a trace, right near an old log cabin that Ray remembers from his childhood.

Sheriff Lew Ferris finds herself challenged more than ever before: arms dealing, sports betting, blackmail, and wolves. Is she under threat from predators too?

My Thoughts: The fourth mystery starring Sheriff Lew Ferris takes place in early September. A competitor in a high school fishing tournament is approached by someone who wants him to cheat. A man and woman who are wolf watchers disappear. And an old cabin in a protected area has been fixed up and is being used for illegal arms. 

Lew is assisted by her investigator Ray Pradt who is a coach for the fishing team and an excellent guide and tracker. He's the one who brings Lew to the old cabin and he's the one who discovers the wolf watching couple's bodies buried in a shallow grave. 

The illegal arms have Lew calling in the Feds who set up a sting at the cabin which is blown by a cop who needed to use the outhouse in the early hours. Clues seem to indicate that all three cases are connected and all clues also lead to a family that used to be prominent in the area. 

The story is told from multiple viewpoints which gradually come together as Lew and her cohorts work on solving the case. 

I enjoyed this story which stars a fly-fishing sheriff who is a whole lot smarter than the crooks believe. 

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

ARC Review: The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly

The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor
Author: Lucy Connelly
Publication: Cooked Lane Books (February 24, 2026)

Description: A new job can be killer in this series debut mystery set in Wales, perfect for fans of Sheila Connolly and Paige Shelton.

After crossing the pond, Dr. Gwen Griffith finds herself in the quirky place she fell in love with, Dillynaidd, Wales. A former managing editor for a Texan newspaper, Gwen is ready for the next stage in her life as the head of the journalism department at the local university in town. With her best friend, Carolyn Sparks–who is also the university’s dean–at her side, Dillynaidd feels like a dream, until murder comes knocking at her doorstep.

Gwen had only just met the victim, Dr. Alice Rice, at a faculty party, but that doesn't stop police detective Gareth Jones from suspecting her of foul play–after all, the victim was found on her doorstep. With her journalism background, Gwen decides that it’s up to her to clear her own name. But she’ll need all the help she can get when her idyllic small-town life is turned upside down in order to stay one step ahead of the killer.

This brand-new series by Lucy Connelly, author of the Scottish Isle mysteries, will charm cozy mystery readers everywhere.

My Thoughts: Gwen Griffith, after an early retirement as a newspaper editor, has accepted a new job as a professor in the journalism department at the college where she took her undergraduate degree. Her best friend is the university's dean and put her on to the job. Gwen is eager to get to know the people working for her and gladly accepts her friend's invitation to a gathering to meet them. Dr. Alice Rice is the only one Gwen has trouble with. Alice resents the newcomer Gwen has been given the post she wanted so badly. She makes all sorts of rude remarks at the party.

Later that evening, when Gwen has returned to her new flat, Alice comes to her door, makes a cryptic remark, and falls dead into Gwen's arms. Gwen's curiosity is aroused. She wants to learn more about the woman no one from faculty to students liked. And when the verdict of murder by poison is given, she is even more curious. 

Gwen teams up with her new assistant who is also headed for a career as an investigative journalist to learn more about Alice and about who might want her dead. Somehow, Gwen finds herself on the killer's radar. Anonymous notes, a stalker, and a near miss hit-and-run indicate that someone believes Gwen is getting too near to solving the case. 

I enjoyed this first in a new series title. I liked the setting and characters. I liked Gwen's young assistant and can see the local detective as a possible love interest for Gwen in future stories. 

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

ARC Review: The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander

The Whisking Hour
Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mysteries (Book 22)
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 24, 2026)

Description: Another delicious installment in Ellie Alexander's Bakeshop Mysteries set in Ashland, OR!

Fall is in full flush in the charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, and baker Juliet Capshaw is excited to celebrate the season with a night at the theatre. Lance Rousseau, Ashland’s renowned theater director and one of Jules’ closest friends, has put his own spin on a production of the Broadway classic Perfect Crime, drawing the audience into a cozy New York apartment as a nefarious set of suspects pulls off the perfect murder. As the final show approaches, Jules and the team at Torte are eagerly whipping up a murderous feast for the cast party, baking a bevy of treats like panna cotta eyeballs with blood orange coulis, deviled eggs, and savory cheese fingers with pumpkin dipping sauce.

On the day of the soirée, life seems to imitate art when a storm rolls over the Siskiyou Mountains, ushering in gusty winds and unrelenting rain. The audience buzzes with electric energy as the lights flicker and the actors take the stage. After the actors take their final bow, the cast trickles into Carpenter Hall, ready for a night of frivolity. But when an actor is discovered dead in his dressing room, Jules wonders if she’s just witnessed the real perfect murder.

My Thoughts: Jules Capshaw is eagerly awaiting the birth of her twins in this 22nd Bakeshop Mystery. It's fall and the OSF is putting on a murder mystery. Her friend Lance who is the theater director is busy planning his wedding and calls upon a noted New York director to put on this show. 

When the director is murdered and found in the lead actress's dressing room, Lance with Jules very reluctant help begin their own investigation. Jules would be more than happy to leave the investigation to the very competent Ashland Police Force. 

Even a cursory investigation provides lots of suspects. The lead actress has been bullied by the producer. The director's almost ex-wife has her own reasons for wanting him dead. One of the other actors has been pushed by the director into stalking other cast members. The female understudy is trying to gather evidence that the director has a history of hitting on his pretty female cast members. Even the props guy has reasons to want the director dead. 

Besides the various villains and searching for the clues, the food Jules and her staff create all sounds amazing. Unlike many culinary cozies, this one doesn't have selected recipes in the back. 

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? (February 16, 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...

I had a great reading week. I managed to stay on track with what I had planned to read without taking any audiobook detours. I hope to do the same thing this week and rebuild my cushion of scheduled posts. I have decided that, while I really like audiobooks, I don't like romance audiobooks. When I'm reading a print copy, I can skim over the love scenes if they get too long or embarrassing. I can't do that as easily with an audiobook. 

Despite our January thaw coming late this year, I still stayed inside all week. Friday and Saturday the temperatures reached the mid-forties. Melting ensued leaving our driveway clear and dry and grass showing in large bare spots on our lawn. We do have today and Monday when the temperatures should be in the lower 40s and the skies clear and blue too. 

Of course, a winter weather event is also in this week's forecast. There is a chance of snow in the forecast from Tuesday night until Friday. The exact track of the storm isn't known yet. We could get rain or up to 6 inches of snow. Wednesday is supposed to be the day with the bulk of the precipitation. 

I do have a brief doctor's appointment on Monday and want to get 2026 license tabs for my car which means a trip to the DMV. Otherwise, I should be able to stay home and read. 

My brother has Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday off this week. I'm planning to make a Marry Me Chicken crockpot soup on Monday. I don't know what he plans to cook on his days off. 

Read Last Week

• Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan (Audiobook, mine since February 9, 2026) -- Contemporary thriller. The second book starring former US Marshal Regan Merritt. My review will be posted on February 26,
• The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy (Review, February 24) -- A mystery set at a reclusive art school. The story has ghosts, murders staged to look like Tarot cards, and a detective with a secret past. My review will be posted on February 19.
• How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson (Review, February 24) -- This twisty thriller has a woman coming back to work after a breakdown and trying to track down the author of a book about being a serial killer. There are alternate chapters from the book. My review will be posted on February 20.

• A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn (Review, March 3) -- Tenth Veronica Speedwell historical mystery. Wonderful main character with a unique voice. My review will be posted on February 24.
• Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (Audiobook, mine since February 8, 2026) -- Spicy sports romance with some depth. My review will be posted on February 27.
• Collared by David Rosenfelt (Kindle, Mine since September 29, 2023) -- Fifteenth in the Andy Carpenter mystery series. My review will be posted on February 25.

• Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey (Review, March 10) -- Fun paranormal mystery with a great setting and intriguing main character. My review will be posted on March 3.
• Magic & Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett (Review, March 10) -- Contemporary romantasy with great worldbuilding and a nice love story. My review will be posted on March 4.

Currently

• Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer (Audiobook, mine since January 18, 2026)
• A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (Review, March 10)

Next Week

• The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D. Brinkworth (Review, March 10)
• Jolene by Mercedes Lackey (Mine since November 18, 2025)
• You Did Nothing Wrong by CG Drews (Review, March 17)

• The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle by C. L. Miller (Review, March 17)
• Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips (Review, March 17)
• The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner (Review, March 17)

Reviews Posted

• The Reckless Bride by Stephanie Laurens (Audiobook)
• Half City by Kate Golden (Review copy)
• Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews (Audiobook, mine)

• First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (Review copy)
• Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove (Review copy)
• The Edge by Dick Francis (Mine)

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

Review:

Bought:

• Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb (Gift Card Kindle & Audiobook)
• Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan (Audiobook, Audible Credit)
• Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (Audiobook, Gift Card)

What was your week like?

Book Review: The Edge by Dick Francis

The Edge
Author: Dick Francis
Publication: G. P. Putnam (August 2, 2005)

Description: To the Jockey Club, the racing world would be a better place without Julius Apollo Filmer. An expert in corruption with a devastating line in witness intimidation - and proving to be a slippery character to put behind bars. Baffled, they call in undercover security agent Tor Kelsey to keep an unflinching eye on Filmer and his associates. A mission that takes him from the finest of English racecourses to the wild Canadian interior - on a luxury transcontinental train journey to end them all. On board, a troupe of actors are playing out a murder mystery for the amusement of their diamond-studded passengers. Ideal cover for a secret investigator with secrets of his own. And better still for an ice-cool blackmailer for whom murder is just one of many options...

My Thoughts: Tor Kelsey works as an investigator for the Jockey Club. He was raised around horses, left England for about seven years, had his trust funds come due, and was looking for meaningful work. His former trustee introduced him to the head of the Investigations Department who offered him a job. He has been working more or less undercover for three years. 

Julius Apollo Filmer was one of the men he watched. He has found some way to blackmail owners into selling him or giving him their best horses. All of the owners are too frightened to tell the Jockey Club what he's been doing. Before a young groom could confess all, his body was found in a ditch. Filmer was brought to trial but was acquitted. 

Now, Filmer has decided to take part in a Canadian venture that puts a number of horses, owners, grooms, and racegoers on a train that will be traveling across Canada and stopping at various racetracks along the way. Tor has been given a place on the train to keep an eye on Filmer who doubtless has some dastardly plan in place though no one knows what it is. The train is also hosting a bunch of actors who are doing a murder mystery along the journey.

Tor assumes the role of one of the waiters on the train reasoning that no one will look past the uniform. Anonymity has been his friend in his new job, and he doesn't want to lose it. The only ones in country who know his secret identity are the young woman who is organizing the tour, and she only knows part of the truth, and the head of the Investigations department of the Canadian Jockey club. 

This was an engaging mystery filled with lots of action and adventure. Tor was a great character who job means that he is lonely most of the time. He's bright, he's dedicated, and he's very observant. 

I bought this one January 1, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

Owl Be Home for Christmas
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series:  Meg Langslow (Book 26)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (October 15, 2019)
Length: 9 hours and 32 minutes

Description: The 26th book and the sixth Christmas mystery in the Meg Langslow series, Owl Be Home for Christmas is yet another wonderfully merry and funny book from New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews.

It's a few days before Christmas, and Meg's grandfather is hosting a scientific conference on owls at the Caerphilly Inn. Most of the family are there, helping out in one capacity or another, including Meg's grandmother, Cordelia--invited by Grandfather in rare gesture of peace-making, to share her expertise on rehabilitating large birds, including owls. An unexpectedly severe snow storm traps the conference-goers in the hotel, and one of the visiting ornithologists is murdered. Even if Caerphilly is able to clear the roads in time, Chief Burke doesn't want the various suspects to scatter to half a dozen continents before he identifies the killer, so there's a very real possibility that none of them will make it home for Christmas . . . at least not unless Meg comes to the rescue.

Full of intrigue and snow, this Christmas mystery will take readers home to Caerphilly for Christmas.

My Thoughts: A sudden snowstorm maroons the attendees at a scientific conference on owls put on by Meg's grandfather. The attendees and a lot of Meg's family are at the Caerphilly Inn helping with the conference. The snowstorm, coming so close to Christmas, has really put a damper on people's holiday plans. 

The death of an obnoxious attendee puts even more of a damper on the conference and the holidays. Luckily, Horace has found himself stranded at the Inn since he couldn't get home from patrol. And the Chief of Police is available on the other end of the satellite phone. 

The investigation is not easy given that the victim was almost universally despised by the other attendees. The one exception is his assistant who seems to have an unhealthy obsession with the victim. As Meg and Horace try to sort out the timelines and question the suspects, they discover that many of the people at the conference seem to have good reasons for killing the man. 

This was an entertaining episode in this long-running series. I enjoyed Meg's investigations even though they put her in danger. 

I bought this one December 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

Murder Will Out
Author: Jennifer K. Breedlove
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 17, 2026)

Description: Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner Jennifer K. Breedlove brings coastal Maine to life in Murder Will Out, a lighter, modern gothic mystery that's as atmospheric as it is heart-warming.

Come for the memories. Stay for the murder...

Little North Island, off the coast of Maine, is so beautiful it could be a postcard. Organist Willow Stone cherishes her memories of childhood summers spent on the island with her godmother Sue... even though her visits ended abruptly, and she hasn't seen or heard from her godmother in over fifteen years. Until a letter from Sue―and word of Sue’s death―brings Willow back to the picturesque island.

The islanders rarely mention Sue without also bringing up Cameron House, and the controversy around Sue’s unexpected inheritance of the sprawling mansion. When Willow overhears someone threatening the next heir to the property, she starts to question whether Sue’s death was really an accident, and can’t help but wonder whether someone on this sleepy island is willing to stop at nothing―even murder―to claim Cameron House for their own.

Through Willow’s eyes, as well as those of others on the island, a mystery unfolds that keeps drawing Willow back to Cameron House and the very real ghosts that walk its corridors.

My Thoughts: Graduate student and organist Willow Stone receives a letter from her godmother Sue which calls her back to Little North Island off the coast in Maine. Willow hasn't seen Sue since her parents took her away when she was thirteen. She never knew why she no longer spent summers on the island. Unfortunately, the letter was delayed, and Willow arrives just in time to play at Sue's memorial. 

She interacts with Sue's friends on the island including her fiancé Rina. Mostly she interacts with Cameron House, a haunted mansion on the island. There have been some suspicious deaths centered around Cameron House including Sue's. Sue's letter indicated that there was something she wanted Willow to find. 

Willow has to discover a bunch of secrets and find out who is killing the heirs to Cameron House. The island is populated with a number of interesting people. Many of Sue's friends came there after living different lives Away.

I liked Willow who was a young woman who was introverted and needed a lot of quiet time. She was curious and brave. She gradually makes a place for herself on the island. And she could see many of the Cameron House ghosts who tried to help her with discovering what she needed to find.

I enjoyed this debut mystery and will be looking for more from the author. 

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

ARC Review: First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong

First Sign of Danger
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Haven's Rock (Book 4)
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 17, 2026)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong continues the atmospheric Haven's Rock series as Casey Duncan investigates a threat to their off-the-grid Yukon town.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven's Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven's Rock, they realize they're in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they're no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven's Rock. Only by tracing the hikers' movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven's Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

My Thoughts: The fourth book in the Haven's Rock series begins with a couple of hikers getting too close to their new secret community. Casey and Eric are hiking with their baby Rory when the come upon hikers who are well off the beaten path and hiking at an odd time of the year.

When one of the hikers is killed and carried off by a grizzly, Casey and Eric need to find out who they were and why they were hiking where they were. They suspect that their other neighbors who are supposed to be gold mining might have some association with the deaths. 

Missing hikers, a grizzly, a buried body, and a mysterious mining camp cause Casey to be pulled in lots of directions as she tries to discover what is going on and if their new settlement is safe. This was an enjoyable mystery with lots of twists and turns. 

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

Audiobook Review: The Reckless Bride by Stephanie Laurens

The Reckless Bride
Author: Stephanie Laurens
Narrator: Simon Prebble
Series: The Black Cobra Quartet (Book 4)
Publication: HarperAudio (October 26, 2010)
Length: 14 hours and 54 minutes

Description: The fourth book in New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Stephanie Laurens’s sensational Black Cobra Quartet, The Reckless Bride is a brilliant mix of intrigue, danger, and historical romance from one of the very best in the business. A breathtaking adventure set in England’s Regency Era, The Reckless Bride continues the acclaimed romance novelist’s extraordinary chronicle of love and duty, as brave ex-officers of the Crown band together to destroy the traitorous fiend known as The Black Cobra.

My Thoughts: This book is the conclusion of the Black Cobra Quartet. Rafe Carstairs is the one who has the original of the letter that will bring the Black Cobra to justice. He and his companion have decided to travel overland from India to England in the hopes of outwitting the Black Cobra's minions.

In Buda, the come upon Lady Congreve who has been beset by criminals. They rescue her and she invites them to travel with her party as guide and guard as they travel rivers to get back to England. In her party is her grand-niece Miss Loretta Michelmarsh. He takes one look at the beauty and wonders just what he has gotten himself into. 

Meanwhile, Loretta has been dragooned to travel with her aunt after turning down her eighth proposal of marriage. Loretta has been hiding herself behind a meek and mild personality and therefore attracting men who are drawn to that sort of woman. But the men bore her silly. She has a hidden identity of a correspondent for a newspaper and is using her trip to send back vignettes of European travel. She is dismayed and surprised by her attraction to Rafe. 

As they travel along the river and sightsee at the various stops, they are beset by criminals. Rafe immediately assumes that these are hirelings of the Black Cobra despite the fact that they are not Indian and are not wearing the distinctive black headgear of the gang. 

As they travel, Rafe and Loretta become closer despite each's determination to stay away from the other. The fires burn hot and love scenes ensue. I will have to say that I found the lengthy love scenes just a little bit boring and wanted a return to the action of the story. 

They do eventually arrive in England and find their way to the rendezvous point. This time they are really in danger from the Black Cobra's minions. I enjoyed the scenes where the Black Cobra was exposed and captured. I also liked the updates on the other couples from the earlier three books. 

I bought this one December 26, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Half City by Kate Golden

Half City
Author: Kate Golden
Series: Harker Academy (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (February 17, 2026)

Description: Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about, not if the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, all while trying to ace her classes, avoid falling for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

My Thoughts: Viv Abbott lives in Astera. She's twenty-one and works at a museum for her sister-in-law. She is also an aeon - a specialized and rare sort of demon hunter. She has been hiding that part of her life from everyone since she watched her father - another hunter - lose his life to a band of Brood demons. 

When she is spotted rescuing a young mother and her children from a monster attack, she is recruited to attend the Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. There, she finds friends who understand her. She also finds romance in the person of one of her instructors who also happens to be a Brood demon, but one who has sworn off taking souls. There is also something dangerous and secret going on at Harker. It looks like someone is trying to gather the ingredients for a spell that will give unimaginable power to the Thane - the head demon. 

Viv has to deal with all sorts of stresses. She's still trying to maintain her human life and friends while learning more about her powers and the world the lives alongside the human world. 

This was an engaging start to a series. The was a cliffhanger ending but lots of things were resolved in this episode. I liked Viv. She is smart, impulsive, and carries a deep loneliness inside. Finding friends, even if she is still keeping some secrets from them, expands and enriches her life. I am eager for more in this series. 

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? (February 9, 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...

I had a nice week even though I didn't meet my goal of finishing my February review copies before my friend arrived on Thursday. I did finish four of the six. Once my friend arrived, we switched to audiobooks which we could listen to together while she made red resistance hats and I played computer games. 

We first listened to The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews which I will be reviewing later in February. Then, since she has started reading books by Anne Bishop, we listened to Turns of Fate. I had listened to it before. It was still good to listen to. Then I began Written in Read. She is eager to come visit again soon because we just finished chapter 15 when she had to leave for home. 

I have a quite week coming. There are no appointments on my calendar. 

Read Last Week

• Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander (Review, February 24) - The 22nd Bakeshop Mystery has a very pregnant Jules trying to solve the murder of a much-disliked visiting director at the OSF. My review will be posted February 17.
• Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)

• Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (Review, February 24) -- Second Irish Bed & Breakfast mystery. My review will be posted on February 19.
• The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly (Review, February 24) -- First in a new cozy series set in Wales. A retired newspaper editor turned college professor solves the crime. My review will be posted on February 17.
• The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston (Review, February 24) -- 4th Lew Ferris mystery is centered around lost wolf watchers, a cache of illegal weapons, and someone attempting to cheat at a high school fishing tournament. My review will be posted on February 18.

• The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews (Audiobook, mine since December 7, 2025) -- Meg Langslow, book 28. Meg is running Helping Hands for the Holidays and needs to convince Harvey the Hoarder to let people into his house to help him organize and do some house repairs. My review will be posted on my blog February 26.
• Indulgence in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (Audiobook Reread)

Currently

• How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson (Review, February 24)
• The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy (Review, February 24)

Next Week

• A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn (Review, March 3)
• Collared by David Rosenfelt (Mine since September 29, 2023)
• Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan (Mine since May 12, 2025)

• Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey (Audiobook, Mine since February 7, 2025)
• Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer (Audiobook, Mine since January 18, 2026)
• Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey (Review, March 10)

Reviews Posted

• Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan (Review copy)
• Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer (Review copy)
• Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz (Review copy)

• From a High Tower by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)
• One Step Too Far by Lisa Garnder (Mine)
• The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera (Review copy)

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

Review:

• A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong (Review, March 24)
• Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle (Review, June 30)
• Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (Review, July 14)

Bought:

• Jules Cassidy, PI by Suzanne Brockmann (Kindle, Gift Card)
• Magelight by Kacey Ezell (Kindle, Gift Card)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: From a High Tower by Mercedes Lackey

From a High Tower
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Jennifer Van Dyck
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 10)
Publication: Audible Studios (June 2, 2015)
Length: 11 hours and 47 minutes

Description: The tenth novel in Mercedes Lackey's magical Elemental Masters series reimagines the fairy tale Rapunzel in a richly-detailed alternate Victorian world

Giselle had lived fourteen years of her life in an abandoned tower. Her mother kept Giselle, a young Air Master still growing into her abilities, isolated for the sake of herself and others.

This life left her unprepared when a handsome young man appeared at the base of her tower. But when the young stranger entered her window, he tried to force himself on her. She was saved by Mother, an Earth Master, who hurled the man out the window he had climbed in.

The Foresters of the Black Forest were Earth Masters whose job it was to cleanse the ancient forest of evil elementals, and over the next four years, they shared their fighting expertise to teach Giselle self-defense. By the age of twenty, Giselle was an expert markswoman, and it was this skill that she used to survive when Mother died. Cutting her long hair, she masqueraded as a boy to enter shooting competitions and used the prize money to support herself.

But she could not forget the first man who assaulted her, for when that stranger had fallen from her tower long ago, his body had never been found. In Giselle’s heart, she was certain his magic had helped him to survive the fall. Surely, it was only a matter of time before he found her and sought revenge. Was she prepared to stand against him?

My Thoughts: This is a riff on Rapunzel and is set in Victorian Germany. Giselle was purchased by her mother from a poor family because she recognized Giselle's potential magic. Her mother was an Earth Master and Giselle is a budding Air Master. 

When Giselle was fourteen and while her mother was away gathering supplies, a handsome young man arrives and tricks Giselle into letting her into her tower. He assaults her and Giselle is only rescued by her mother's convenient return. Her mother has the Foresters teach her self-defense skills including marksmanship. Giselle becomes an expert marksman which lets her survive when her mother dies.

At twenty, Giselle is out disguising herself as a man in order to enter shooting contests to earn money. A local army commander sees her and wants her in the Army. Giselle uses her air spirits to get away from him, but he dies in the escape which fills Giselle with guilt. She goes to a local Earth Master for healing, and the Earth Master introduces her to a traveling American Wild West Show where she is treasured for her shooting. 

However, the man who assaulted her is not finished with her. When Giselle brings the Show home with her to winter over at her isolated home, the masters in the company have to fight off the villains who are determined to capture Giselle and her supposed treasure. 

This was an engaging coming of age story with ties to the ninth book in the series. Giselle becomes friends with that story's heroine who assists her with her problems, teaches her about her magic, and provides a course to the future for Giselle. 

I bought this one September 28, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Midnight Taxi by Yoshi Gunasekera

The Midnight Taxi
Author: Yoshi Gunasekera
Publication: Berkley (February 10, 2026)

Description: When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera.

Siriwathi Perera doesn’t quite know where she’s going in life. She never expected to be a taxicab driver in New York City, struggling to make ends meet and still living with her parents at twenty-eight. The true-crime podcasts that keep Siri company as she drives don’t do much to make up for the legal career she imagined for herself, or the brother she’s grieving.

When public defender Amaya Fernando gets into her cab, they make a quick connection through their shared Sri Lankan roots. Siri, whose social circle is limited to her grade-school best friend, Alex, thinks things might finally be looking up with this new potential friendship. But she’s suddenly dropped into her own true crime when she discovers her next passenger murdered in the backseat, and she has to call Amaya sooner than she’d expected.

Pinned as the obvious and only suspect, and desperate to clear her name, Siri chases down leads across the boroughs of New York City with Amaya’s help. But with her court date looming, they have just five days to find out who really killed the midnight passenger—or Siri’s life will be over before she can even truly live it.

My Thoughts: Siriwathi Perera is a cab driver in New York City. While she knows the city well, she doesn't know where she is going in her life. She's twenty-eight, lives at home with her parents, and is grieving the death of her older brother and the death of her dreams of law school. 

When one of her fares winds up dead with a knife in his heart when she goes to drop him off at the airport, her life changes dramatically. Luckily, one of her earlier fares is a public defender and fellow Sri Lankan. She's the one Siri calls when she discovers the body.

Siri listens to true crime while driving but never expected to see the justice system from the inside. She's bailed out by her best friend from her days at an exclusive private school. Now she and her attorney have just six days before the grand jury meets to find out who murdered the man in the cab's backseat.

I enjoyed the setting of this one. I liked Siri who is still trying to find herself and build a life after her beloved brother's death. She's smart and observant and very determined to stay out of jail. I liked the glimpse into Sri Lankan culture and also the glimpse into life in New York City. 

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