ARC Review: Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jessie Q. Sutanto

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block
Author: Jessie Q. Sutanto
Publication: Berkley (April 28, 2026)

Description: A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he's leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn’t sure who's the bigger loss.

Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she’s going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her—after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. And where better to learn to cook for your husband than France, the most romantic country in the world?

However, Mebel quickly learns that she has mistakenly enrolled in a culinary school not in glamorous Paris but rather in England—and in some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program. And this unlikely friendship starts to show Mebel that maybe there’s more to her than being the perfect trophy wife…

My Thoughts: Mebel Tenadi is the perfect Chinese Indonesian trophy wife. She has spent forty years dealing with her husband's needs and propping him up. She lives a life filled with shopping, dinners, shopping, and interfering into the life of her son and his family. 

When her husband Henk comes to her and demands a divorce so that he can be with the family's much younger personal chef, Mebel is gobsmacked. This isn't the future that she had envisioned. After some flailing around and some retail therapy, she decides that if her husband wants a chef, she will become the best one. 

Mebel finds a school in Paris that has the advantage of being near the Hermes store and applies. However, when she arrives, she finds that she hasn't been accepted to that school but rather a satellite school in England near Oxford. She arrives in Cowley and suffers all sorts of culture shock from the rural setting to the single-bedded dormitory room. Then there is even more culture shock when the young students don't automatically defer to her. 

Gemma is befriended by some of her young classmates who quickly bring her into the modern age of women's rights and assertiveness. And she begins an affair of her own with one of the directors of the school who is a famous French chef. 

As she learns each new culinary skill, she develops more pride in herself and her accomplishments and she begins to wonder if winning back her straying husband is really what she wants to do with her life. And when she learns something about her new lover, she is determined to find justice for her young friend and his other victims. 

This was an entertaining story. I didn't care much for the hedonistic Mebel at the beginning of the books but came to really enjoy her as the story progresses and she grows into herself.  

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

Audiobook Review: Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz

Trust No One
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Amanda Cobb
Publication: Recorded Books (January 6, 2015)
Length: 9 hours and 43 minutes

Description: A New York Times bestselling masterpiece of romantic suspense from the author of Promise Not to Tell...

When Grace Elland finds her boss, motivational speaker Sprague Witherspoon, murdered, a vodka bottle on his nightstand is a terrifying reminder of the horrors of her past—one that can be no coincidence.

To regroup, Grace retreats to her childhood home, Cloud Lake, where she meets venture capitalist Julius Arkwright, a man who lives to make money, by any means necessary. But the intense former Marine has skills that Grace can use—to figure out her future. And he’s the perfect man to help Grace when it becomes clear she is being stalked.

As Witherspoon’s financial empire continues to crumble around them, taking a deadly toll, Julius will walk Grace step by step into her past to uncover a devious plan to destroy not only Grace, but everyone around her as well...

My Thoughts: Grace Elland's plans for her future change abruptly when she finds her boss - motivational speaker Sprague Witherspoon - murdered. The vodka bottle on the nightstand brings back some trauma from Grace's own troubled past. 

She decides to regroup and come up with a new career plan in her hometown of Cloud Lake. She meets venture capitalist Julius Arkwright at a dinner planned by her childhood friend who has a blind date in mind. Julius was recruited by Grace's friend's husband who is the local police chief to see if Grace might actually have murdered Witherspoon. 

Julius and Grace begin a relationship when it seems that Grace might have some use for him in her future plans. She has also attracted a stalker which also makes Julius who was a former Marine useful. It also seems to be apparent that Witherspoon's death might have some connection to that long ago event when she rescued a kidnapped boy and killed his abductor with a broken vodka bottle. 

Grace and Julian build their relationship as they try to untangle the threads that tie the two events together. I enjoyed Grace's positive attitude and the way it contrasts nicely with Julius's more cynical viewpoint. I also enjoyed the banter between the characters. 

I bought this one December 3, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: How to Cheat You Own Death by Kristen Perrin

How to Cheat Your Own Death
Author: Kristen Perrin
Series: Castle Knoll Files (Book 3)
Publication: Dutton (April 28, 2026)

Description: From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series

Some secrets are deadlier than others

1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she’s stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington--a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.

Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura’s new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.

Annie is no stranger to murder--after all, she’s solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She’s read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.

As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura’s doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she’s next. With her mother’s life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: The third Castle Knoll mystery takes Annie to London. She gets a call from her mother about a new protegee which makes Annie suspicious. Her mother Laura has never taken a protegee before and this new one has ties to Castle Knoll. Annie arrives in London to find the body of the protegee Felicity in a nearby dumpster. She's had her heart surgically removed and she's lying on a stack of Laura's paintings. 

The body reminds Annie of something she read in Frances Adams' diaries. Frances had moved to London in 1968 to attend university and finds herself swept into the fast, rich crowd as a new friend of Vera Huntington. Vera is the sister of one of Frances's academic rivals. Vera is also exciting and troubled and needy. When she is murdered with her heart cut out, her surgeon husband is quickly convicted of the crime. 

But now there are ties between the two different murders. Laura has made her name for paintings that were likely stolen from Vera's estate by her ex-husband. She has been dealing with threats and blackmail for years and Annie never knew. 

Old crimes meet new ones in this episode. I liked the way the two timelines of the story were interwoven. I liked Annie's growing relationship with Rowan Crane who also had a past relationship with Felicity. I liked the way the mysteries in each timeline were interwoven too. 

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? (April 20, 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 another one of those Spring weeks in Northern Minnesota. We hit a high of 73 degrees on Thursday and then Saturday's high was 36. We had some strong thunderstorms roll through of Friday but only got .3 inches of rain. Lots of the snow, except in the shady sheltered areas, melted this week. 

My lab visit on Monday was a bust. They didn't have what was needed for one of the scheduled tests. Since I already had another lab appointment on the calendar for April 21, they postponed all of the tests to do on that date. I was hoping they could do them all on the 13th, but I'll have to go on the 21st instead. Luckily, the lab is only a couple of miles from my house. It is much more convenient than going downtown and needing to park in a ramp. 

Thursday's test was downtown, so I recruited my brother to drive me there. That test went well. I think, if I'm interpreting the report correctly, that we are still in a watch and see period with no immediate follow-up needed.

Otherwise, my week was quiet. I read and listened a lot. I did add two more books to my review stack and am starting to accumulate September books. I turned down a number of requests this week for May and June releases since I already have enough review books for those months. I might finish the last of my 11 May releases this week. Then I can start on my 14 June releases. 

The Braves are playing excellent baseball right now and I'm enjoying watching their broadcasts. There is nothing else I'm watching on television right now. Audiobooks and Kindle books are more interesting to me than television programs. 

Read Last Week

• Cast in Blood by Michelle Sagara (Review, April 28) -- 19th in the Chronicles of Elantra fantasy series. My review will be posted on April 23. 
• The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (Review, May 12) -- Another excellent thriller by a favorite author. My review will be posted on May 6.
• Touch & Go by Lisa Gardner (Audiobook, Mine since April 1) -- Tessa Leoni thriller which also is part of the D. D. Warren series. My review will be posted on May 1.

• Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since March 15) -- A fantasy coming-of-age story starring Darian, a young orphan who runs away to the Hawkbrothers. My review will be posted on May 5.
• The Cupid Dilemma by April Asher (Review, May 12) -- Spicy contemporary romance that is also a paranormal romance. My review will be posted on May 7.
• Rules of the Game by Nora Roberts (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since April 1) -- Classic contemporary romance between a professional baseball player and the woman who is directing some commercials. My review will be posted on May 8.

• When You See Me by Lisa Gardner (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since March 20) -- 11th D. D. Warren. Twisty thriller that includes characters from other earlier books. My review will be posted on May 7.
• An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (Review, May 19) -- Fifth Ripped Through Time novel. My review will be posted on May 12.
• Owlsight by Mercedes Lackey (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since March 15) -- Second book in the Owl Mage Trilogy brings in young healer Keisha to add to Darian and the Hawkbrothers. My review will be posted on May 12.

Currently

• Bark of Night by David Rosenfelt (Kindle, Mine since June 1, 2021)
• Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since March 15)

Next Week

• The King's Ransom by Janet Evanovich (Kindle, Mine since March 17)
• Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan (Audiobook, Mine since April 4)
• The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer (Kindle, Mine since March 8)

• Storm Warning by James Byrne (Review, May 26)
• Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney (Review, May 26)
• Ode to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (Review, May 26)

Reviews Posted

• Red Lily by Nora Roberts (Audiobook)
• Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan (Review copy)
• Liar's Creek by Matt Goldman (Review copy)

• Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer (Audiobook)
• Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner (Mine)
• Love You More by Lisa Gardner (Kindle)

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

Review:

• Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (Review, September 22)
• The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (Review, September 29)

Bought:

• Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner (Kindle & Audiobook)

What was your week like?

Book Review: Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Love You More
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: D. D. Warren (Book 5)
Publication: Bantam (March 8, 2011)

Description: WHO DO YOU LOVE?

One question, a split-second decision, and Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?

AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . .

As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

. . . TO SAVE HER?

For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn, no one to trust, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training, every trick at her disposal, to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.

My Thoughts: This excellent thriller is the fifth book in the D. D. Warren series. It is a complex story which asks the question: who do you love? Tessa Leoni is a state trooper and the mother of six-year-old Sophie. She has married Brian who works as an engineer for an old company. He works 60 days on-60 days off. 

One day Tessa calls the police because she has shot and killed Brian and her daughter is missing. Since Tessa is concussed, has a broken cheekbone, and numerous other bruises, it looks like a case of self-defense against an abusing husband. 

D. D. Warren is given the case and works with her former lover Bobby Dodge. She has questions about the story she's been told, and the pressure is on to find the missing child. She is not convinced that the crime is what it looks like. She becomes even more convinced with the pathologist learns that Brian's body was frozen before it found its way to the kitchen. D. D. is sure that Tessa is lying about what happens. She believes that Tessa murdered both her husband and daughter. 

D. D. is also dealing with some personal issues. She has found herself pregnant and is dealing not only with the nausea and lethargy but also whether or not she wants a baby and a relationship with the baby's father. 

Flashbacks and Tessa's point-of-view sections give more about the things that D. D. cannot see and paint a whole different picture that what is apparent. 

This was an excellent, fast-paced thriller. I'm eager to read more about Tessa and more in D. D.'s series.

I bought this one March 2, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Red Lily by Nora Roberts

Red Lily
Author: Nora Roberts
Narrator: Susie Breck
Series: In the Garden (Book 3)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (June 10, 2008)
Length: 10 hours and 34 minutes

Description: A Harper has always lived at Harper House, the centuries-old mansion just outside of Memphis. And for as long as anyone alive remembers, the ghostly Harper Bride has walked the halls, singing lullabies at night...

Hayley Phillips came to Memphis hoping for a new start, for herself and her unborn child. She wasn't looking for a handout from her distant cousin Roz, just a job at her thriving In the Garden nursery.

What she found was a home surrounded by beauty and the best friends she's ever had - including Roz's son Harper. To Hayley's delight, her new daughter Lily has really taken to him. But to Hayley's chagrin, she has begun to dream about Harper - as much more than a friend.

If Hayley gives in to her desire, she's afraid the foundation she's built with Harper will come tumbling down. Especially since she's begun to suspect that her feelings are no longer completely her own.<

Flashes of the past and erratic behavior make Hayley believe that the Harper Bride has found a way inside of her mind and body. It's time to put the Bride to rest once and for all, so Hayley can know her own heart again - and whether she's willing to risk it...

My Thoughts: The final novel in the In the Garden trilogy stars Hayley Phillips and Harper Ashby. Hayley had come to her distant cousin Roz when she found herself pregnant and shortly after the death of her father. She was looking for a new start and found it with family and by getting involved in the nursery business. 

She fell in love with Roz's son Harper, but she was either pregnant or a new mother. Besides Harper doesn't seem interested in her. However, Harper had fallen in love with her too and was taking things slow until he felt Hayley had caught up with his feelings. 

But, behind the scenes, the Harper Bride ghost is becoming more visible and more dangerous. She has graduated from singing to the Harper babies to threatening family members. And lately she has taken to taking over Hayley's body and wants to take over her life. 

For a happy ending for Hayley and Harper, the people of Harper House - Roz and her new husband Mitch and Stella and her new husband Logan - need to discover what it is the ghost wants and how they can finally lay her to rest.

This was another great story. Roberts is an expert at relationships and especially friendships between women. She is also excellent at romances that are very realistic. This one certainly qualified. 

I bought this one March 11, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner

Still See You Everywhere
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Frankie Elkin (Book 3)
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (March 12, 2024)

Description: In this “frightening, full of twists, and completely satisfying" thriller from a New York Times bestselling author, three women: a kidnapped young girl, a serial killer on death row, and a recovering alcoholic, are on a terrifying trajectory to save a life before the clock runs out (Karin Slaughter).

Missing persons expert and nomadic loner Frankie Elkin travels the country searching for the lost ones the rest of the world has forgotten. Her specialty, cold cases that typically end in tragedy. But this one could be different. Kaylee Pierson, “The Beautiful Butcher,” confessed from the start to enticing 18 men home before slitting their throats.

As the clock winds down to her death, Pierson has finally received a lead on her baby sister, abducted years ago. Kaylee’s dying wish: to know Leilani is safe and sound. Frankie is eager to possibly rescue a teenage girl, even if it involves flying to a remote atoll in the Pacific, where a charming tycoon is constructing an eco-resort—and possibly holding Leilani against her will. But now Frankie is trapped on an island with a dozen strangers and numerous deadly deceptions.

As the danger mounts, Frankie faces her toughest challenge with no chance of rescue, no hope of escape, and a massive storm rolling in…

My Thoughts: Frankie Elkin's next case takes her to an empty atoll south of Hawaii in search of the sister of a woman on death row who proudly acknowledges that she murdered eighteen men and fed their remains to her pigs. Kaylee Pierson, the Beautiful Butcher, wants Frankie to find her younger sister before she dies. Her only clue is a note indicating that Leilani is with Kaylee's abusive ex-boyfriend.

Sanders MacManus is a tech billionaire turned property developer. He is also Kaylee's ex. He's developing an atoll he owns into an eco-friendly resort. Frankie gets a job as a general go-fer on the atoll and begins her investigations. 

The project is being plagued by accidents but the crew - a bunch of introverts and misfits - are still trying to complete the project. Mac is scheduled to arrive with his ward Leilani which will give Frankie a chance to assess the situation. After some previous bad cases, Frankie needs a win and rescuing Leilani would certainly qualify. 

Things are not as they seem. A major storm hits the atoll, the Beautiful Butcher escapes from prison leaving her lawyer who happens to be Frankie's contact beaten near to death making the atoll her destination, and Leilani is not the victim she appears to be. 

As Frankie deals with the weather and the twists and turns and betrayals on the island, she isn't sure who she can trust in this action-packed thriller. Frankie is an intriguing character who is an alcoholic with an obsessive need to find the lost. She has little regard for her own safety as she tries to make things right. 

I bought this one July 8, 2025. You can buy your copy here.