Audiobook Review: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons
Author: Marie Brennan

Narrator: Kate Reading
Series: A Natural History of Dragons (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (February 5, 2013); Macmillan Audio (November 15, 2013)

Length: 10 hours and 17 minutes

Description: First in a fantasy series combining adventure with the inquisitive spirit of the Victorian Age.

"You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten. . . ."

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

My Thoughts: This historical fantasy tells the story of Isabella, Lady Trent, who is famous for her studies of dragons. It is told as a memoir in her own voice beginning from her initial enthusiasm begun as a child to her first expedition at age 19.

Set in a Victorian analog, Isabella is an unusual girl for her interest in natural history, but she is also a determined one. As an upper-class woman, her role is clear: marry and make a home for her husband. When she goes husband hunting at seventeen, she chooses a man who has an equal interest in natural history in the hopes that he will still allow her to read and study in that field.

After a miscarriage at about eighteen, her husband is offered a place in an expedition to the mountains of Vystrana and convinces the leader to take her along in the role of the expedition's secretary and artist. This story tells about her adventures and discoveries there.

This was an excellent story that works really well as an audiobook. I am eager to listen to the rest of her adventures. 

I bought this one August 20 and added the audiobook for $8.50 on September 24. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton

The Bone Woman
Author: Paige Shelton
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (October 27, 2026)

Description: As a renowned forensic consultant digs into a case that could reconnect her with her long-missing father, she uncovers dark truths about her desert hometown.

This twisty, atmospheric mystery from New York Time bestselling author Paige Shelton will send chills racing down readers’ spines.

The desert runs through Hazel Dylan’s marrow. She grew up on the edge of The Wild, an untamed expanse outside her hometown of Black Vulture, Arizona. She became fascinated with bones as a child while observing her taxidermist father, Wilmot, until he disappeared without a trace decades ago. Now, after years of study and countless cases, she’s known as the Bone Woman. She can read the dark stories that bones tell.

When a hiker makes a disturbing discovery in The Wild—bleached human bones arranged with surgical precision into a taxidermy-like sculpture of a coyote mid-howl—Sheriff Calloway summons Hazel to the scene. Not just for her formidable expertise but because it looks like it could be Wilmot’s work. Could Hazel’s father be behind this twisted creation? Are these his bones?

Hazel doesn’t want to believe either is true, but after another sculpture is found and Wilmot’s well-known talisman—a rogue finger bone—is discovered amid both sets of remains, she can’t deny the optics.

As the case takes Hazel deep into her past, she unearths long-buried secrets. And with time running out, she’ll have to risk her own skin to catch the killer.

My Thoughts: Hazel Dylan grew up in Black Vulture, Arizona, on the edge of The Wild. Her father was a taxidermist who raised her alone after her mother died in childbirth. However, her father disappeared without a trace when Hazel was 13. Hazel was watched over by the town and by Sheriff Calloway who has been one of her father's friends. 

Twenty years have passed and Hazel has built her reputation as someone who knows bones. She consults with law enforcement and others all over the world. So, when Sheriff Calloway calls her to look at something he's found, she isn't surprised. However, the find rocks her world and has her looking back to the time of her father's disappearance which is a time period where Hazel has memory gaps.

Someone has turned a collection of human bones into an object the resembles a mounted animal from her father's collection. An extra bone similar to one her father always carried with him makes the tie to her father very clear. 

A second find of human bones shaped to resemble a desert scorpion and also made of human bones makes the situation even eerier. Hazel and Calloway need to identify the people whose bones were used in such a perverse way and identify the person making the installations. 

Since we also have sections from the point of view of the perpetrator, we know that his final goal is to kill Hazel and turn her into his next art project. We also learn that he is hiding himself in clear sight in Black Vulture. 

There are a number of new people in Black Vulture who might be the killer. The new people include a new police chief and deputy, a new scientist from The Institute, and a visiting professor from Boulder who has an interest in these sorts of bone sculptures. And some of the other residents are keeping secrets too.

This was an entertaining mystery. I liked Hazel who has a unique fascination and knowledge of bones. I look forward to reading more about her in future stories. 

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

ARC Review: Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley

Murder in the Upper Crust
Author: Mindy Quigley
Series: Deep Dish Mysteries (Book 6)
Publication: Minotaur (October 27, 2026)

Description: The sixth book in the delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

Chef Delilah O’Leary is going where no deep dish pizza chef has gone before: a swanky wellness retreat, where she's agreed to cater for a crowd of the who’s who. Instead of cashing a fat check for an easy gig, though, she encounters a diabolical plot with more layers than one of her signature pies.

The exclusive event, hosted by superstar guru Rhiannon Frost, promises inner transformation―but when a spiteful attendee turns up dead during the guided meditation, Delilah smells more than incense in the air. Every guest has a motive…and access to a sinister walled garden brimming with exotic poisonous plants.

With her restaurant short-staffed, and her boyfriend, Detective Calvin Capone, splitting his time between bartender duties and undercover sleuthing, Delilah’s got her hands full. Can she slice through the lies before the killer strikes again? Or will this luxe getaway turn into a one-way trip to the great beyond?

My Thoughts: Chef Delilah O'Leary finds herself at a swank wellness retreat. Her sous chef Sonya's new girlfriend Willow Wilson has a new job working for Rhiannon Frost who has made her name with her philosophy and through her latest best-selling book. Rhiannon is hosting a seminar at Nightshade Garden which is owned by Jay Mazur who was a famous rock star. 

Jay and his daughter SilverMoon who is dating Delilah's ex Sam are working together to turn Nightshade Garden into a profitable event center. SilverMoon has a business dealing aromatherapy, candles and essential oils which she hopes Rhiannon will advertise at her seminars. 

When the caterer for the event backs out, Sonya and Willow beg Delilah to take over. She reluctantly agrees since both she and her boyfriend Capone have the days off and Delilah had other plans for things that they could do together. 

The first thing Delilah notices is the tension at the seminar. Sure, Sonya is worried about introducing Willow to her overwhelming mother Fran, but there is more. One of the attendees spends her time glaring at Rhiannon, SilverMoon and Rhiannon's publisher are holding secret meetings where Delilah overhears the word blackmail, and Rhiannon is driving Willow crazy by asking her to do three people's jobs and being really passive-aggressive to her. 

When the glaring woman is found murdered by the smoke from a poisoned candle, it is up the Capone, Delilah, and the new Chief of Police to solve the crime before all the rich attendees scatter to the ends of the earth. 

This was another excellent episode in this series. I like Delilah's practicality and the way even she gets swept up, at least momentarily, by the dazzling Rhiannon. The new police chief is a hoot with the way she keeps going off on verbal tangents. 

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

ARC Review: Murder at Pellhurst Pond by Clara McKenna

Murder at Pellhurst Pond
Author: Clara McKenna
Series: Stella and Lyndy Mysteries (Book 8)
Publication: Kensington (October 27, 2026)

Description: Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst and his wife Stella, an American "Dollar Princess," dive into a new investigation after discovering a body in a pond on the estate of a man rumored to have killed his wife…

When a hot air balloon lands near Morrington Hall, it draws the attention of Stella and Lyndy as well as others, including Quentin Lockyear, son-in-law of Reuben Woodridge, a recluse who is suspected of murdering his wife. Quentin is keen to invest in aeronautic ships and automobiles, and invites Stella and Lyndy to Woodridge’s estate, Exbury Lodge.

Upon their arrival, they meet the mysterious patriarch, accompanied by his nurse, and his daughter, Enid. Reuben takes Stella and Lyndy on a tour of his stables and a large mill pond on the property, encouraging them to take his skiff out whenever they like. Returning the next day for a bird shoot, the couple go for a ride in the skiff only to discover a body in the pond.

The woman is dressed in expensive clothes but has no identification on her. An accidental drowning? Suicide? What is she doing on the property? When an autopsy reveals traces of poison, Stella and Lyndy attempt to discover who she was and who might have had a reason to do her harm. Rumors aside, what secrets are they hiding at Exbury Lodge?

My Thoughts: Stella and Lyndy next mystery begins when they discover the body of a well-dressed young woman while boating in the mill pond at Exbury Lodge. Reuben Woodbridge who owns the lodge was once a friend of Lyndy's father but has become a reclused since the death of his wife and rumors of his complicity in the death. 

Reuben's daughter and her husband are trying to convince him to move with them to London where his financial business is. He doesn't want to leave his home and horses. His health is failing and his young nurse isn't very competent at nursing. And his grandson seems to have a gambling problem. 

When the grandson is also found dead in an apparent fall from a horse, Stella and Lyndy's best suspect for the death of the young woman takes eliminates himself leaving them looking for someone who wanted both of them dead. 

Reuben's son-in-law has been trying to convince him to invest in the latest crazes for balloons and fast cars and has gathered balloonists and auto enthusiasts to try to convince him. While the son-in-law is a possible suspect since he has clear financial motives for getting his father-in-law out of the way, he wouldn't have had any reason to kill the young woman. 

Stella and Lyndy have lots to sort out including a postmistress with a grudge against Reuben and a nurse who is acting in a suspicious manner. All the while Stella is under pressure from her own mother-in-law because she's been married for a year and is not yet pregnant. Stella seems to be surrounded by mothers and babies which makes her feel jealous and deficient.

This was an interesting and entertaining episode in the Stella and Lyndy series. 

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

Audiobook Review: Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Enchanting the Fae Queen
Author: Stephanie Burgis

Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya
Series: Queens of Villainy (Book 2)
Publication: Bramble & Macmillan Audio (January 27, 2026)

Length: 10 hours and 33 minutes

Description: Stephanie Burgis delivers another irreverent, sparkling, and sexy installment in the Queens of Villainy series, where a seductive fae queen meets her unexpected match in the enemy empire's valiant general.

Queen Lorelei is a notorious fae seductress, with a trail of broken hearts in her wake. But behind her glamorous lifestyle and sparkling mask lurks a dangerously intelligent woman who’d do anything to keep her people safe, including kidnap the empire’s most famous hero.

The virtuous high general Gerard de Moireul represents all that is moral and true. He has to, after his parents were executed for treason. The last thing he needs is the Queen of Balravia, who showers glitter and rainbow-colored sparkles everywhere she goes without the slightest regard for good taste, decorum, or royal dignity.

They’re opposites in every way, but when they're swept up together in a grand--and deadly--fae tournament, they discover all of each other’s most hidden truths--and how perfectly they might be suited for each other after all.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Queens of Villainy series centers around the notorious fae Queen Lorelei. She has a glamour lifestyle and seems like a flutterhead, but that hides a dangerously intelligent woman who will do anything for her people.

She kidnaps Gerard de Moireul who is the high general of the king's army. He is ferociously loyal to him in part to make up for the treason his parents committed against the throne. He has a reputation for being moral and true. 

Lorelei needs to convince him that his king has dastardly plans to murder all of the fae in his kingdom, plans he has been keeping secret from his general. But before she can present her case, the two are swept back into faerie and forced to participate in a contest convened by one of her enemies. This enemy is not only determined that Lorelei and her partner not win, but that she doesn't survive. 

As the two face perils together, they can no longer hide their love for each other and determination to keep each other safe despite the perils. Falling in love and admitting to it will vastly complicate both of their lives. 

This was another excellent fantasy.

I bought this one July 24 for $2.99 and used an Audible credit for the audiobook September 22. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines

Joy to the Bones
Author: Carolyn Haines
Series: Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries (Book 31)
Publication: Minotaur Books (October 27, 2026)

Description: In this final installment of the series, sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney is up against her biggest―and most personal―mystery yet.

Still reeling from the discovery that her parents’ deaths, decades ago, might not have been an accident, Private Investigator Sarah Booth Delaney doesn’t know who to believe anymore. Her best friend and business partner, Tinkie, purposefully kept her in the dark; her lover, Coleman, intentionally lied to her; and her meddlesome ghost-turned-spiritual-guide, Jitty, kept more secrets than she can count. Now, even the people Sarah Booth once trusted more than anything are suspect.

Armed with new knowledge about her parents’ car crash, Sarah Booth sets out to solve her biggest case yet: her parents’ murder. And she’s prepared to do it alone if she has to.

But the Mississippi Delta doesn’t pause for anyone, not even Sarah Booth. While trying to untangle the truth about her parents’ fate, Sarah Booth gets roped into investigating the DeLonge Mansion, a magnificent old house with seemingly no one left alive to claim it. With the return of her nemesis, Gertrude Stromm, looming over her head―and the pieces of her failed relationships still scattered around her―Sarah Booth has her work cut out for her this holiday season.

My Thoughts: The final episode in the Sarah Booth Delany mysteries finally solves the mystery that has been in the background for the whole series. Sarah Booth has learned that her parents' car accident when she was only twelve was not an accident at all. They were murdered. She is determined to find out what happened.

The case she and her partner Tinky are investigating doesn't seem to have any relation to her parents' deaths at first. They are hired by a land developer to find out who own the old DeLonge Mansion so that he can buy it for his development. 

The DeLonge Mansion has been falling apart for years and has been the site for teenage parties filled with ghost stories. The family has been gone since the Civil War and good riddance to them since they had a reputation for abusing their slaves and their horses too. Sarah Booth and Tinky run into roadblock after roadblock in their investigation since the records are buried in a bunch of LLCs. 

Exploring on the grounds doesn't help either as they find themselves chased by masked men with assault weapons and they discover a previously unknown air strip that is likely being used for illegal things. 

And Sarah Booth's illusive enemy Gertrude has her fingers all over the case. She's determined to kill Sarah Booth, her animals and her friends. Law enforcement including her boyfriend have been unable to find Gertrude. 

This was an excellent conclusion to a long-running series that brings answers and closure while indicating a happy future. 

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? (October 19, 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...

After last weekend's great weather, weather returned to normal this past week. It was cold, rainy and windy most days. This weekend has been cold, windy and sunny which isn't really an improvement. 

I kept busy watching a lot more baseball than I thought I would and indulging in a Vorkosiverse reread. It has been a couple of years since I did that. I have 4 and a half books left to read but have to catch up on some review books before I continue.

This week looks like it will contain more baseball. The competition for the American League entry into the World Series is turning out to be a nail biter. At least, there is no football to watch. The Vikings have their bye week today. 

I added quite a few books to my collection this week. Taking advantage of a Double Points day at Amazon, I bought Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros in Kindle and audiobook. I also got two other Kindle books on sale for $2.99 each. I also found that I was lacking Kindle copies of some of my Vorkosigan books. 

Then I added five new review copies to my stack. These additions bring the total pile to 44 books. Eighteen are still 2026 releases. Twenty-six are already on the pile for 2027.

I also spent some time learning the new interface at LibraryThing. I mostly like it but figuring out how to batch edit collections took me three days of trying various things before I got it. 

Read Last Week

• Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)
• Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)
• Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)

• Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)
• Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)
• Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)

Currently

• The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow by Caitriona Moran (Review, November 3)
• Sunflower Season by Danica Nava (Review, November 3)
• A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook Reread)

Next Week

• The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune (Kindle, Mine since September 14)
• You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry (Review, November 10)
• Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (Review, November 10)

• Thunderbird Ranch by Laura Griffin (Review, November 10)
• Bad Company by Sara Paretsky (Review, November 10)
• Fall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor (Review, November 10)

Reviews Posted

• The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (Review copy)
• The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blake (Review copy)
• Split Screen by Lee Goldberg (Review copy)

• The Case of the Christie Curse by Kelly Oliver (Audiobook)
• Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Late for the Wedding by Amanda Quick (Audiobook)

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

Review:

• Mrs. Christie & the Mystery in the Mews by Amanda Chapman (Review, December 8)
• Mary Russell's Ghost by Laurie R. King (Review, February 23)
• The Muscle Car Murder by Diane Kelly (Review, March 30)

• For Butter or Worse by Ellie Alexander (Review, April 6)
• Raiders of the Lost Bark by Spencer Quinn (Review, April 13)

Bought:

• Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros (Kindle & Audiobook, $16.46)
• The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (Kindle, $2.99)
• A Mysterious Season by Deanna Raybourn (Kindle, $2.99)

• Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle, $6.99)
• Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle, $6.99)
• A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle, $6.99)

What was your week like?