ARC Review: The Chase by Felix Francis

The Chase
Author: Felix Francis
Series: A Dick Francis Novel
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 8, 2026)

Description: When an art dealer's misfortunes start to look premeditated, he uncovers a conspiracy that he'll stop at nothing to expose in the next Dick Francis novel—perfect for fans of Harlan Coben.

Forty-nine-year-old Fabian Tulley is only trying to run his own art gallery in London’s Mayfair in peace. But someone seems determined to ruin his life. Accused of selling a fake Alfred Munnings painting, he is unable to prove his innocence because the police are holding the piece as evidence. While running a retail sale at Cheltenham Racecourse, some of his other paintings are vandalized. Then a couple of men try to run him down in the racecourse parking lot.

To make matters even worse, his clients are being threatened to stay away from his gallery, and his landlords are trying to cancel his lease. Everything is against him, but with someone threatening his life’s work, Fabian is determined to fight back.

And what a fight it turns out to be.

My Thoughts: Fabian Tulley is an art dealer who specializes in pictures of horses. When he is accused of selling a forgery of an Alfred Munning painting, he needs to prove it is not a fake to clear his reputation. But being accused of selling forgeries is just the beginning of Fabian's problems. 

Jack Lofthouse, the man who bought the painting he is now claiming is a fake, is a bully determined to ruin Fabian. The reason isn't at all clear as to why he has set this as a goal. But he is very persistent. He arranges for Fabian's display of art at a horse racing event to be vandalized. He arranges not one but two different attempts at killing Fabian by use of a motor vehicle and he sets men to attack Fabian.

And while all this is going on, his landlords have given him notice to vacate his business address so that the site can be redeveloped. They are offering a pittance which isn't enough for Fabian to pay his workers or relocate his business. And to make things worse, someone has hijacked his email customer list and sent a message telling everyone to avoid his gallery or else. 

As Fabian tries to unravel what is going on he does have some allies. A client who happens to be a retired lawyer wants to look over his lease and an old friend and potential new girlfriend provides shelter and other assistance.

This is a throwback to an old Dick Francis style story. An ordinary man through intelligence, stubbornness and decency manages to figure things out and triumph over evil. It was a very enjoyable story.

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

State of the Stack (August 31, 2026)

This is my monthly post which details progress made on review books. I want to thank the authors and publishers who have contributed their books. 

Read This Month 

Dates indicate the date the review was/will be posted.

1. Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima (September 2)
2. Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 3)
3. The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (September 3)
4. A Field Guide to Death and Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen (September 8)
5. A Deadly Entanglement by Cathy Pegau (September 9)
6. I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (September 10)
7. Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (September 15)
8. The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (September 22)
9. The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 22)
10. The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 24)
11. Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (September 24)

DNF

1.  

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Murder in Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 4)
2. Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (August 5)
3. The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloan (August 6)
4. Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 6)
5. Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (August 11)
6. For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 13)
7. The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber (August 18)
8. The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury (August 25)
9. Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (August 27)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (September 29)
2. The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (October 20)
3. The Trial of Magdelena Overmorrow by Caitriona Moran (November 3)
4. Cry of the Rain Crow by Laurie L. Dove (December 8)
5. A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5)
6. The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (January 19)
7. Last Mission to Paris by Susan Elia MacNeal (January 19)
8. The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 26)
9. A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (February 2)
10. Murder Most Cryptic by Alys Cummings (February 16)
11. Peril in the Night by Katharine Schellman (March 23)

All TBR Review Books

September

• Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 29)
• The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (September 29)

October

• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6)
• Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams (October 6)

• Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (October 13)
• Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 13)
• Jay to the World by Donna Andrews (October 13)

• Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey (October 13)
• Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks (October 13)
• The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blake (October 20)

• The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (October 20)
• Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)
• The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton (October 27)

• Murder at Pellhurst Pond by Clara McKenna (October 27)
• Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley (October 27)

November

• A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
• Midnight in the House of Commons by Charles Finch (November 3)
• Sunflower Season by Danica Nava (November 3)

• The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow by Catriona Moran (November 3)
• Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
• Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)

• You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry (November 10)
• Fall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor (November 10)
• Bad Company by Sarah Paretsky (November 10)

• Thunderbird Ranch by Laura Griffin (November 10)
• The Riddle Maker by Bruce Borgos (November 17)
• Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts (November 17)

December

• Murder Unabridged by P. J. Nelson (December 1)
• Revenge in a Small Town by Delia Pitts (December 1)

• Meet Me at Midnight by Sophie Sullivan (December 8)
• Cry of the Rain Crow by Laurie L. Dove (December 8)

January 

• A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5)
• Roundabout by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart (January 19)
• The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (January 19)

• Last Mission to Paris by Susan Elia MacNeal (January 19)
• Scream City by Hannah Morrissey (January 26)
• The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 26)

February 

• A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (February 2)
• Murder Most Cryptic by Alys Cummings (February 16)

March

• Tell Me What You See by Samantha Jayne Allen (March 2)
• Peril in the Night by Katharien Schellman (March 23)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 31, 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...

This was a mixed week. Weather cycled from warm and sunny to cool and rainy. My dentist appointment turned weird when I swallowed my new crown. Now, I have to wait until they make it again and reschedule my appointment. In my defense, I was gagging and my dentist dropped the crown onto my tongue. 

My visit with my friend went well. We are going to call these visits "bookcations" because we both get lots of reading done. We finished the last two audiobooks in The Others series and have to look for something different to read on her next visit. We also went out to eat and did a lot of talking. She told me about her newest thing. She creates blind date with a book packages with books she wants to get rid of and sells them at local farmer's markets and craft fairs. She also showed me some cute bees that she's crocheting for craft fairs too. 

I did manage to read three of my September 29 review copies early in the week and started the last two of that group. Cursed City is 528 pages long; I've been reading 10% or so and then switching to another book for some variety. I put them on hold while my friend is here so that we can listen together. Since I didn't add any review copies this week, the stack now numbers 41.

I hope to finish the rest of September's books this week since I'll be doing my State of the Stack post. I also need to set up LibraryThing for September by adding a September collection. And I need to do some spreadsheet things for my monthly report. The way my calendar fell out this month my State of the Stack post will go live on Monday which is only the 31st, but I already have two posted scheduled for September 1.

Read Last Week

• The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 29) -- Fourth in the Matthew Venn mystery series. My review will be posted on September 22. 
• The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (Review, September 29) -- New entry to the Truly Devious YA mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.
• Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 29) -- New entry in the Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.

• Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)
• Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)

Currently

• Encore in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (Review, September 29)
• Cursed City by Kate Golden (Review, September 29)

Next Week

• The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver (Audiobook, Mine since June 14)
• The Fey Duology by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, Mine since July 1)
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 30)

• Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick (Audiobook, Mine since August 19)
• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (Review, October 6)
• Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams (Review, October 6)

Reviews Posted

• Death of an Irish Druid by Catie Murphy (Audiobook)
• Dark Summer by Iris Johansen (Audiobook)
• The Oxford Guide to Scandal & Lies by Kate Westbury (Review copy)

• Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (Review copy)
• The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Audiobook)
• The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg (Audiobook)

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

Review:

Bought:

• The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan (Kindle)
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Shattered King
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Series: The Shattered King (Book 1)
Publication: 47 North (September 2, 2026); Brilliance Audio (September 2, 2025)

Length: 10 hours and 51 minutes

Description: A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the war front. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can

But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is like nothing Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment—only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness—even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.

My Thoughts: Nym is a healer and beekeeper in a small town far from the capital city, She's the sole support of her family of seven now that her brother has been conscripted into the king's army. When she is conscripted and sent to the capital to heal the ailing Prince Renn, she's determined to fail so that she can be sent home quickly. 

However, Prince Renn's shattered lumis might be beyond her ability to heal. She thinks of it as a shattered crystal chandelier with its pieces scattered everywhere. She manages to glue a couple of shards together which causes Renn to be able to move his foot. His mother, the queen, is hopeful and demanding of Nym. She forces her to work on Renn without rest or food or any care until she finally collapses.

Her collapse brings home to Renn just how hard she is working and lets him see her as a person for the first time. He begins to make things better for her despite his mother's impatience. As Nym works on Renn, the two become friends and even fall in love hopeless as that might be. A peasant and an heir to the throne can have no future. 

And while Nym is working on Renn and making gradual improvements to his health, war is brewing in the kingdom. But for some reason unknown to Nym, many of her repairs aren't holding with Renn and he still suffers major setbacks to his regaining of his full health. 

Then the neighboring kingdom invades...

This was an engaging epic fantasy romance. I liked the worldbuilding and the magical system. Both Nym and Renn were complex people.

I got the Kindle copy from Amazon Prime Reading and added on the audiobook July 21.. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Dark Summer by Iris Johansen

Dark Summer
Author: Iris Johansen
Narrator: Joyce Bean
Publication: Brilliance Audio (October 21, 2008)
Length: 11 hours and 38 minutes

Description: Devon Brady is a devoted veterinarian working in a makeshift hospital at an island search and rescue site. When Jude Marrok arrives with his wounded black lab Ned, she has no idea that she is about to be plunged into a whirlwind of terror, destruction, and unstoppable passion.

The last thing Devon needs is to be drawn into Marrok's high-stakes game. And while she feels increasingly drawn to him and his extraordinary dog, she doesn't trust him. Then the bullets start flying and she has nowhere else to run. The body counts gets higher while a mortal mystery swirls around a pack of gifted canines called the "Dogs of Summer."

Is Jude her salvation or her damnation? Are the secrets he's protecting worth killing...or dying for? With lighting-fast pace, unforgettable characters, gut-wrenching action, and sizzling sensuality, is compelling new terrain for this master storyteller.

My Thoughts: Devon Brady is a veterinarian and a member of search and rescue teams. She's volunteering on an island near Venezuela when Jude Marrok arrives with his injured black lab Ned. he leaves Ned with her to treat and says he'll pick him up at her home near Denver. Devon doesn't know what to make of the pair. She loves the dog but wonders if the man is worthy of keeping him.

She returns to Denver and her practice there briefly before Jude calls telling her to take Ned and get out of the office. Jude's enemies have caught up to them and want Ned and are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. Jude arrives in time to save Devon and Ned, but Devon's staff are murdered.

Jude takes Devon to his ranch to keep her safe. He is intrigued by her but is very slow to share his secrets with her. Ned and three other dogs and all targets for a variety of enemies who want to use them. The dogs have incredibly long life spans and seem to have the ability to heal. Jude will do anything to keep the dogs safe. 

The enemies are gathering while Jude and Devon are falling in love. And some of the enemies are right inside his compound. The story is filled with tension and danger for Devon, Jude and the dogs. The action is fast-paced, and the paranormal twist just adds to the story. 

This classis Johansen - first published in 2008 - was a great romantic suspense title with enough of the paranormal to add zest. 

I bought this audiobook June 14, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot

Until She Dies
Author: Kendra Elliot
Series: Noelle Marshall (Book 3)
Publication: Montlake (September 8, 2026)

Description: Detective Noelle Marshall and FBI Agent Max Rhodes unearth bodies and secrets as they become targets of a serial killer in a chilling novel of suspense by a Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

When a search dog locates a mass burial ground in the Oregon forest, Detective Noelle Marshall is plunged into a hunt for a killer who’s hiding in plain sight. The key to her case lies in a decades-old secret: a lone survivor who escaped and is still out there, living in fear. The murderer is a phantom who left behind a collection of victims with nothing in common but their final resting place.

As pressure mounts to identify the bodies and find the killer, the investigation draws in FBI Agent Max Rhodes—Noelle’s partner in work and in life. They’ve hunted monsters before, but this one has spent years preparing for this moment, and he craves revenge. As the search narrows and the clock tightens, Noelle and Max must confront a predator who knows the terrain—and their weaknesses—better than they do.

My Thoughts: The third Noelle Marshall thriller begins with a hike in the woods and a search dog who discovers a mass burial site. Identifying the victims is the first step to finding out who murdered them all. When the first woman is identified, it is discovered that she has a four-year-old daughter who is also missing. Finding the child becomes the first priority and leads Noelle to work with her partner Max Rhodes who is with the FBI.

Things get even more complicated when a connection is made to Noelle's foster daughter Emma. One of the bodies may be that of her missing mother. At least a gun traced to her missing mother is found in one of the graves. 

This hunt brings in a lot of characters from the author's previous book series though most have only a walk-on role. The story centers on Emma's need for information about her parents and Noelle and Max's search for the missing child and the hidden murderer. 

The story was fast-paced and twisty. It was filled with suspense and tension. Secrets long buried are revealed as the story unfolds. 

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

Audiobook Review: The Long Call by Ann Cleaves

The Long Call
Author: Ann Cleaves

Narrator: Ben Aldridge
Series: Detective Matthew Venn (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 3, 2019); Macmillan Audio (April 8, 2021)

Length: 11 hours and 36 minutes

Description: In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his estranged father’s funeral takes place. On the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.

Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.

The case calls Matthew back to the people and places of his past, as deadly secrets hidden at their hearts are revealed, and his new life is forced into a collision course with the world he thought he’d left behind.

My Thoughts: This story begins with Detective Matthew Venn standing outside the church where his father's funeral is being held. He's been estranged for years since he no longer believed in the evangelical faith of his family.

He's called to the beach nearby where a man has been found dead. He has no identification on him and only a tattoo of an albatross on his neck to possibly identify him. Venn and his team soon learn that the man was a former drifter with mental health challenges who is currently cooking at the Woodyard - a local community center and adult day care. 

Simon Walden had been living with Caroline Preece and Gaby Henry. Caroline is a social worker who has the Woodyard in her territory and Gaby is an artist in residence there. Matthew is thinking that he'll have to step aside from the case since his husband Jonathan is in charge of the Woodyard and there might be a conflict of interest. 

While they are busy investigating Simon's murder, a woman with Down's Syndrome who also spent time at the Woodyard goes missing. Venn and his team are searching everywhere for this missing vulnerable adult. Lucy has known Simon who had befriended her on her daily bus ride home. 

Venn soon comes to believe that there is something shady going on at the Woodyard. This feeling is confirmed when a second woman with Down's Syndrome is kidnapped from the center too. Venn and his team find himself investigating anyone connected with the center including the board of directors which includes the pastor from the church that threw him out as a teenager. 

I enjoyed this mystery and liked getting to know the various police officers who are part of Venn's team. His subordinate Jen was one of the viewpoint characters in the story as was the father of the kidnapped Lucy. 

Nice start to a series. 

I bought the Kindle copy May 28 and the audiobook July 21, 2026. You can buy your copy here.