Audiobook Review: Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts

Blood Brothers
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Phil Gigante
Series: Sign of Seven (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 4 minutes

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents the first novel in a compelling trilogy about three brothers bound by fate, blood, and a timeless enemy.

In the town of Hawkins Hollow, it’s called The Seven. Every seven years, on the seventh day of the seventh month, strange things happen. It began when three young boys—Caleb, Fox, and Gage—went on a camping trip to The Pagan Stone...

It is only February, but Caleb Hawkins—descendant of the town founders—has already seen and felt the stirrings of evil. Though he can never forget the beginning of the terror in the woods twenty-one years ago, the signs have never been this strong before. Cal will need the help of his best friends Fox and Gage, but surprisingly he must rely on a stranger as well.

Reporter Quinn Black came to Hawkins Hollow hoping to make its eerie happenings the subject of her new book. She too can see the evil the locals cannot, somehow connecting her to the town—and to Cal. As winter turns to spring, they will shed their inhibitions, surrendering to a desire that will grow and form the cornerstone of a group of men and women bound by the fight against what is to come from out of the darkness…

My Thoughts: Caleb, Gage, and Fox decided to camp out to celebrate the eve of their tenth birthday. All were born the same day - July 7, 1977. They chose to hike to the Pagan Stone and managed to unleash a long-buried demon. 

Every seven years since, the demon made an effort to manifest and cause all sorts of chaos in the small Maryland town of Hawkins Hollow. It used to be only the seven days after July 7 that were filled with chaos. This year - the 21st after their camping trip - the chaos in beginning earlier. 

Quinn Black came to Hawkins Hollow to write a book about the happenings to follow several other books she'd written about eerie happenings in other places. But Quinn finds that she has a strange connection both to the Pagan Stone and to Caleb Hawkins. 

The two are joined by Layla who had a compulsion one day to leave her job and travel to Hawkins Hollow - a town she had never heard of before. Quinn also convinces her friend Sybil, a gifted researcher, to join them. And Gage who left Hawkins Hollow the day he turned eighteen has come home too. 

Together, the six need to find a way to defeat the demon once and for all. They combine their various skills and form relationships to strengthen themselves and each other. 

I enjoyed this somewhat spooky paranormal romance title. I love the way Roberts builds strong, loving relationships for her characters.

I bought this one from Chirp October 14, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley

Gutter Mage
Author: J. S. Kelley
Publication: Gallery Books (September 21, 2021)

Description: J.S. Kelley weaves epic fantasy and hardboiled noir in this fast-paced, twisting tale of magic, mystery, and a whole lot of unruly behavior.

In a kingdom where magic fuels everything from street lamps to horseless carriages, the mage guilds of Penador wield power equal to the king himself. So when Lord Edmund’s infant son is kidnapped by the ruthless Alath Guild, he turns to the one person who’s feared by even the most magically adept: Rosalind Featherstone, a.k.a. the Gutter Mage.

But as Roz delves into the circumstances behind the child’s disappearance, she uncovers an old enemy from her traumatic past and a long-brewing plot that could lead to the death of countless innocents, as well as the complete collapse of Penadorian society itself!

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy stars Roz Featherstone. She is known as the Gutter Mage but nobody better call her that to her face. She works as a sort of private investigator in the country of Penador. 

Roz is called to the home of Lord Edmund to find his kidnapped infant son. Clues lead to the Alath Guild, one of the new mage guilds. But there are disturbing signs that an old enemy, one she thought she had killed some fifteen years earlier, wasn't quite as dead as Roz believed.

As Roz and her partner Lysander search they discover that things in Penador aren't what she always thought. Nor is she who she always thought she was. 

Teaming up with a mage from a more respectable guild, Roz and Lysander track down the infant to a mining town high in the mountains. But they learn that there never was an infant and the spirits who are harnessed to run the kingdom doing everything from lighting the streets to heating the homes aren't what she thought they were either.

This was an engaging fantasy with an intriguing main character with some anger management issues. I liked the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one September 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier

The Snow Lies Deep
Author: Paula Munier
Series: Mercy Carr Mysteries (Book 7)
Publication: Minotaur Books (December 2, 2025)

Description: The latest thrilling installment in the bestselling Mercy Carr mystery series

Mercy and Troy are looking forward to baby Felicity’s first holiday season, and they’re determined to make it a Christmas to remember. At Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée, hosted by Northshire’s finest and funded by Mercy’s billionaire pal Feinberg, Amy’s little girl Helena is sitting on Santa Claus’s lap. She’s telling him she’d like a Bitty Baby doll just like little Felicity when the bearded man leaps up, thrusts the toddler at her mother Amy, and staggers away from the festivities. He disappears into the woods. By the time Elvis and Mercy find him, Santa Claus aka the town mayor, is lying on his back, dead. A yule log made of oak sits on his chest, burning bright, a beacon of light on the darkest day of the year.

This strange murder is the first of a series of similar Solstice-themed killings targeting the town’s most prominent citizens. Beloved family friend Lillian Jenkins, the grande dame of Northshire, could be next. Mercy and Troy and the dogs must team up with Thrasher and Harrington to capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.

My Thoughts: Mercy and Troy are getting ready to celebrate their nine-month-old daughter Felicity's first Christmas. But before they do, they have to find out who is killing people starting with the local mayor who's playing Santa for the Solstice Celebration. 

Lazlo Ford is a family friend. He's a financial advisor who is temporarily serving as mayor after the previous mayor's death. He was roped into being Santa when the usual Santa had to visit his sick grandmother. Mercy and Felicity are visiting with him when he thrusts Felicity into Mercy's arm and runs off into the woods. 

When Mercy and her dog Elvis manage to track him down, he has been shot dead and a burning yule log put on his stomach. Mercy doesn't want to get involved in the investigation since she would prefer to spend time with her baby, but everyone in town just assumes she'll investigate. 

While Mercy investigates and discovers that Lazlo had a secret past, Troy and his dog Suzie Bear are busy tracking a poacher who is illegally hunting fur animals. 

But Lazlo's is only the first death and Mercy needs to get to the bottom of the case before she ruins her daughter's first Christmas. 

I enjoyed this seventh book in the Mercy Carr mystery series. The characters are well drawn. The plot was fast paced. 

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

Audiobook Review: How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews

How the Finch Stole Christmas
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series: Meg Langslow Mysteries (Book 22)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (October 25, 2017)
Length: 8 hours and 39 minutes

Description: As in her previous Christmas mysteries, Six Geese a-Slaying, Duck the Halls, and The Nightingale Before Christmas, Andrews continues to write “firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie’s Christmas books” (Toronto Globe and Mail).

New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews takes us home to Caerphilly for the holidays in her new hilarious Christmas mystery How the Finch Stole Christmas!

Meg's husband has decided to escalate his one-man show of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production with a large cast including their sons Jamie and Josh as Tiny Tim and young Scrooge and Meg helping as stage manager.

The show must go on, even if the famous—though slightly over-the-hill—actor who's come to town to play the starring role of Scrooge has brought a sleigh-load of baggage and enemies with him. And why is Caerphilly suddenly overrun with a surplus of beautiful caged finches?

My Thoughts: Christmas in Caerphilly includes a full-scale production of A Christmas Carol this year. Michael is directing, Jamie and Josh have roles, and Meg is the stage manager. Things are going on in the usual chaotic manner.

A famous actor has been cast in the role of Scrooge. However, he has a major drinking problem, and it has become a whole town conspiracy to keep him away from booze. Yet he is still managing to find some somewhere.

Meg discovers his source when she follows him to an isolated rural farm. She also discovers a plethora of animals including many exotic animals which leads her to a smuggling operation. A raid is planned with the assistance of the sheriff, the local vet, and many others. They are also concerned about an elderly wheelchair-bound woman who is living in the house surrounded by dozens of cats. 

A body is discovered during the raid who turns out to be the actor's booze supplier. He'd been shot and the actor is now a suspect who goes on the lam. 

Will she find the killer before opening night? And what will they do for a Scrooge if the actor turns out to be a murderer?

This was the usual fun mystery. I liked that Meg manages to be the voice of reason when all around her is dissolving into chaos. 

I bought this one at Chirp June 28, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: All My Bones by P. J. Tracy

All My Bones
Author: P. J. Tracy
Series: On Old Juniper Bookshop Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (December 2, 2025)

Description: Madeline Brimley, new owner of a bookstore in a small Georgia town, finds herself playing sleuth when a friend is charged with the murder of a much-disliked woman.

Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months.

When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren't many people in town who hadn't wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm's Fairy Tales―ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt's best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer―before she becomes the next victim.

My Thoughts: Madeline Brimley wants to plant roses developed by her recently deceased Aunt Rose in front of the bookshop she inherited from her. She has enlisted the help of her friend Gloria Coleman who is the local Episcopal priest and her neighbor. 

While digging through the heavy Georgia clay the come upon a layer of Quikcrete and some bones. The front of the bookstore has become a crime scene. The bones are discovered to belong to Bea Glassie. She's been missing for the past six months and no one including her sister had noticed or cared. But now her sister Idell is making up for her earlier silence. She has accused Gloria of killing Bea because she heard the two arguing at the church one day. 

Bea and Idell are rich, elderly women who haven't made many friends in town. They argued over a man and haven't spoken for many, many years. But Idell calls on a cousin in charge of a branch office of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and harasses him enough to convince him to arrest Gloria.

Madeline needs to find the killer in order to set her friend free. Bea's abrasive personality doesn't narrow the pool of suspects. Everyone in Enigma, Georgia, has wanted her dead a time or two. From an old boyfriend to her estranged sister to tradesmen she's stiffed of fees, there are lots of suspects. 

This was an engaging small-town cozy set in rural Georgia. Madeline who grew up in Enigma but left for an acting career as soon as she graduated from high school has only recently returned to take care of the bookshop she inherited from her aunt. She has both and insider and outsider's point of view and a rather dramatic nature. 

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? (November 24, 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 an excellent week. We don't have any snow yet. That might change as a couple of inches of the heavy, wet stuff is predicted for this week just in time to mess up Thanksgiving travel. Luckily, I am already at my destination. Bill took the turkey out of the freezer and put it into the garage refrigerator to thaw today. He has Tuesday off to shop for any other Thanksgiving needs. I think we actually have everything already, but it won't hurt to check.

After reading Challenges, I was inspired to dive back into the Honor Harrington world. Counting all the peripheral series, there are over 40 books set in the world. And I have all of them in either print, Kindle or audiobook. And some of them in all three formats. I reread the first five stories. The first four were on my Kindle and the fifth was a combination Kindle/audiobook. I think that's enough for now and plan to switch to something else.

I recently got some of James White's Hospital Station stories as Chirp Audiobooks. I read them many, many years ago. I think it's time to see if they have stood the test of time. 

My time of free reading is almost over. I'll be diving into my January review stack starting the last week in December. I have almost completed the reviews for my December calendar already and should be looking at those review books later this week. 

I haven't picked my audiobook for this week, but I am leaning towards Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop. I enjoyed my review copy. The advantage is that I can listen and don't feel obligated to write a review since I reviewed the ARC so recently. 

Read Last Week

• The Elusive Bride by Stephanie Laurens (Kindle, mine since August 6, 2025) -- Second book in the Black Cobra Quartet of historical mystery romances. My review will be posted on December 3.
• Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths (Kindle, mine since July 8, 2025) -- The third Harbinder Kaur contemporary mystery. My review will be posted on December 6.
• Challenges by David Weber (Kindle, mine since November 4, 2025) -- Eighth collection of novellas set in the Honor Harrington universe. My review will be posted on December 10.

• The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz (Chirp Audiobook, mine since November 11, 2025) -- Second book in the Lost Night Files trilogy. My review will be posted on December 18.
• On Basilisk Station by David Weber (Kindle, mine since March 2, 2008) -- First book in the Honor Harrington series of space operas. My review will be posted on December 11.
• The Honor of the Queen by David Weber (Kindle, mine since March 2, 2008) -- Second book in the Honor Harrington series. My review will be posted on December 17.

• Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, mine since November 11, 2025) -- Conclusion to the Lost Night Files trilogy. My review will be posted on December 23.
• Field of Dishonor by David Weber (Kindle, mine since July 6, 2020) -- 4th in the Honor Harrington series. My review will be posted on December 25.
• The Short Victorious War by David Weber (Kindle, mine since November 20, 2025) -- 3rd in the Honor Harrington series. My review will be posted on December 24.

• Flag in Exile by David Weber (Mine since July 6, 2020) -- Reread of the 5th book in the Honor Harrington series. 
• The Price of Lemon Cake by Jennifer Ashley (Kindle, Mine since August 6, 2025) -- Novella in the Below Stairs mystery series. 
• Mrs. Holloway's Christmas Pudding by Jennifer Ashley (Kindle, Mine since August 6, 2025) -- Novella in the Below Stairs mystery series. 

Currently

• Secrets of the Lost Ledgers by C. J. Archer (Kindle, mine since January 26, 2025)

Next Week

• Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman (Kindle, mine since January 27, 2025)
• All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Kindle, mine since August 6, 2025)
• The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey (Review, December 30)

Reviews Posted

• Black Tie and Tails by Wen Spencer (Audiobook)
• Charmed by Nora Roberts (Audiobook)
• Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna (Review copy)

• The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (Review copy)
• Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney (Review copy)
• To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston (Mine)

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

Review:

• The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy (Review, February 24)
• Storm Warning by James Byrne (Review, May 26)

Bought:

• The Short Victorious War by David Weber (Kindle, $6.99)
• Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (Kindle, $11.99 after Kindle Rewards)
• Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (Audible Credit)

• Jolene by Mercedes Lackey (Kindle, $8.99)
• The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley by Mercedes Lackey (Kindle, $8.99)
• Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz (Kindle Daily Deal, $.99)

• Death at Inishmore Castle by Lucy Connelly (BookBub, $.99)
• Hart's Ridge by Kay Bratt (BookBub, Free)
• The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson (BookBub, $2.99)

What was your week like?

Book Review: To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston

To Kill a Badger
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: The Honey Badger Chronicles (Book 6)
Publication: Kensington (August 26, 2025)

Description: Laugh-out-loud humor, a feminist outlook, and one-of-a-kind shape-shifting romance come together with the continuation of the fan-favorite Honey Badger Chronicles from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelly Laurenston.

Nelle Zhao is a loner, born and bred. Her own company is plenty, and her thoughts are certainly way more interesting than the tedium of reality. But she's also fiercely loyal—to her honey badger teammates and their mission, and now to the three gorgeous big tiger shifters known as the Malone brothers. Especially Keane, who doesn't know how to accept a friendly paw. But Nelle excels at helping! And at ignoring other people's irrational demands, such as doing it all alone. Keane, poor pretty kitty, doesn't understand the kind of assistance a shit-starting honey badger like Nelle can truly offer....

Keane knows two things—he doesn't like other people, and he is going to take down the de Medicis' human trafficking ring. Alone, as in by himself. It's safer that way. But the truth is the de Medicis are a seriously evil coalition of male lion shifters who are not only snatching innocent humans for fun and profit, but who also killed his father. And their combined power means that Keane's going to have to let long-legged, jet-setting Nelle join the fight. And getting close to Nelle is suddenly bringing out his roar....

Contains mature themes.

My Thoughts: This sixth book in the Honey Badger Chronicles stars honey badger Nelle Zhao and Amur tiger shifter Keane Malone. It features quite a number of characters from earlier books in this series and other series by Laurenston making it a big, complicated story packed with quirky characters. 

Nelle is fighting to stay out of her sister's over-the-top wedding. Starting a war with the de Medici lions seems like a good way to do that. Since the de Medici lions are playing in human trafficking and determined to exterminate honey badgers, this is something that needs doing. Nelle's mother isn't taking any excuses about skipping the wedding though. 

Kean would rather concentrate on bringing his football team up to competitive levels but the de Medicis are getting in his way too. He's had a grudge against them since they killed his father. Teaming up with Nelle is going to take him on all kinds of adventures that he'd rather not have. 

This was a fast-paced story filled with really, really quirky characters and lots of action. I enjoyed the story and loved the romance between Nelle and Keane. 

I bought this one September 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.