Audiobook Review: Scream for Me by Karen Rose

Scream for Me
Author: Karen Rose

Narrator: Tavia Gilbery
Series: Romantic Suspense (Book 8)
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (May 13, 2008); Blackstone Audio (June 4, 2008)

Length: 16 hours and 17 minutes

Description: Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in Die for Me. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.

With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.

My Thoughts: This romantic suspense title stars Alex Fallon who is an Emergency Room nurse. After the murder of her sister, her mother's suicide, and her own attempted overdose, Alex was taken away from Dutton, Georgia, to live with her mother's twin sister and her family in Ohio. She has buried her memories of that troubled time in her life which has cost her her marriage. Things are brought back to the surface when she is contacted by social services to take custody of a small child who is the daughter of her stepsister Bailey who is missing.

Agent Daniel Vartanian of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations is also a Dutton resident. He's back home after the deaths of his parents and his brother Simon who was a serial killer. Simon left some very troubling pictures behind. Daniel has a current string of murders that mirror the murder of Alex's sister to solve.

Alex and Daniel work together to solve the murders, find Bailey, and recover Alex's lost memories. Along the way they fall in love. This story is told from multiple viewpoints including that of the current killer and other local villains. 

I enjoyed this story. I liked reading it better than listening to it. I found the narration of the audiobook difficult mainly because the narrator was not very good at the male voices which made it hard to separate who was talking in any scene. Also, the quick jumps from character to character and setting to setting also seemed to work better for me when I was reading rather than listening.

I bought the Kindle copy December 31, 2025, and audiobook on May 4, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb

Stolen in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death (Book 62)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (February 3, 2026)
Length: 13 hours and 9 minutes

Description: A violent death and a vault of stolen treasures has Eve Dallas struggling to solve crimes old and new in the next thriller in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series.

"Narrator Susan Ericksen masterfully conveys Eve’s emotions...And Ericksen’s adept handling of the cast of characters, including Dallas’ partner, Peabody; her commander, Whitney; and the victim’s family demonstrates her skill. A compelling performance." — Kirkus (Earphones Award Winner)

A blow to the head with a block of amethyst has left multibillionaire Nathan Barrister dead—while nearby, a vault, its door ajar, sits filled with priceless paintings, jewelry, and other treasures. Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband, Roarke—who misspent his youth in Ireland as a scrappy thief—recognizes at least two stolen pieces among the hoard. The crime scene suggests a burglar caught in the act. But only one item seems to be missing.

Then it’s revealed that the vault had actually belonged to the victim’s late father—and no one in the household knew it was there until a recent remodeling project exposed it. To protect the family name and business, they explain to Eve, they’d been looking for a way to return the ill-gotten gains anonymously and avoid the police. But now the police are all over their elegant house, and have a bigger, bloodier mystery to solve.

By all accounts, Nathan Barrister was a good man, a generous employer, a devoted husband and father. As for his father—he clearly had secrets. Now it’s up to Eve and her team to find out if those secrets got Nathan killed—and if it was a crime of passion or revenge.

My Thoughts: Eve and Roarke are called from a gala to the scene of the murder of multibillionaire Nathan Barrister. He was struck on the head by a large piece of amethyst. However, the big surprise is the open vault next to him. The vault, concealed by Nathan's father, contains a huge number of stolen paintings, jewelry and other treasures. One of the most valuable pieces of the collection is missing. The Royal Suite contains five pieces with lots and lots of emeralds. It was also stolen by Roarke from the Tate Gallery in London when he was nineteen which makes the case very personal for Eve.

While a lot of the focus is on the treasures in the vault and the missing Royal Suite, Eve is most concerned with the murder. At first glance, it looks like the murder happened during the course of the robbery. But there are questions raised in Eve's mind about the timing. She needs to find out how someone knew about the hidden vault when Nathan, his wife, his college-aged daughters, and his sister did not know it existed until it was recovered during some remodeling.

Nathan's father was a known womanizer who was also beginning to suffer from memory issues in her very old age. He could have let the location of the vault slip to one of his many women. In fact, there is a blonde who is a possibility if anyone can track her down. 

Eve has to balance her investigation with her need to protect Roarke from Interpol which has long looked at Roarke as a suspect any time something of great value goes missing. Roarke is certain that he has covered his past crimes completely and isn't worried. Eve is. When an old enemy of Roarke and Eve's turns out to be involved in the theft and murder, Eve is even more concerned about Roarke's reputation. 

This was an excellent episode in this long-running series. I like the way Roarke has become such a valuable resource not only to Eve but to the NYPSD as a whole. I also like the growing and deepening love between Eve and Roarke. 

I bought this one February 13. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Blood on the Sand by Kacey Ezell

Blood on the Sand
Author: Kacey Ezell
Series: Magelight (Book 2)
Publication: Baen Books (April 7, 2026)

Description: IN HER DARKEST HOUR, AELYS CHOSE FREEDOM . . . BUT CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Bellatrix Aelys turned her back on the family that betrayed her and chose to forge her own destiny alongside the dangerous men she had accidentally bound. Now free, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the uneasy choice to continue to work with Aelys as her protectors and business partners. But when Aelys faced off against her family, she didn’t eliminate every threat, and now mysterious forces are moving against her once more. Fearing for her safety and that of her men, Aelys agrees to do a simple task for her old teacher: escort some old “friends” to Zandrine, one of the fabled cities located in the south of the empire.

Only, not everything is as it seems. Zandrine is a city built on secrets and blood and pain. Aelys and her protectors will have to face the demons of the past and the dark schemes of the present, all while trying to figure out who they are to one another and how the four of them— warrior, sorceress, forester, and thief—can meld their strengths to keep each other alive.

Can Aelys, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the necessary hard choices that will forge them into a team capable of surviving these new challenges? Or will the pain of the past and the danger of the present destroy them one by one?

My Thoughts: Bellatrix Aelys and her guards Romik, Daen, and Vil are trying to figure out who is trying to capture Aelys. They decide to leave and are recruited by one of Aelys's trusted teachers at the Lyceum to travel to Zandrine as escort for her sons Bellator Acten and Ageon Tyrus. She has known both men since her days at the Lyceum.

Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil are still working out their relationships since Aelys broke the geas that bound the men to her. While she has changed a lot from her wimpy days when her magic was secretly bound by her aunt, Aelys still lacks some self-confidence and can't imagine that her warrior, archer, and thief would willingly bind themselves to her. 

Their destination - Zandrine - is a city Romik promised himself that he's never return to but a shipwreck caused by storms and dragon attacks makes it necessary. They find a city that is greatly changed since Romik was last there. The empire has outlawed slavery which used to support the games which are the heart of the city's prosperity. The city is trying to find a new stability and a new power structure.

When Romik is forced back into the games to save the son of the man who once owned him, rules mean that Aelys, Vil and Daen are also bound for the arena. They need to reestablish their bonds if they are to survive, but this time Aelys knows that she isn't coercing them in any way. And since the Emperor, in disguise, is present for reasons of his own, Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil find themselves recruited into his rebellion against his grandmother and her cohort. 

This is clearly the middle book in a trilogy. A lot does happen as Aelys grows into herself and her power and the relationship with her protectors is formalized. Nothing more is learned about the person the quartet is running from, but it looks like the next book will find her back within his reach. The story was filled with excellent worldbuilding and lots of excitement. I look forward to reading more. 

I bought this one April 10. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery
Author: Kate Khavari
Series: Saffron Everleigh Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 9, 2026)

Description: Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh has set sail on her first research expedition, but it's disrupted by accusations of murder when one of her fellow scientists is murdered in this daring fifth installment.

Saffron Everleigh is newly engaged and full of optimism as she sets off on the adventure of a lifetime for any scientist: a research expedition. She sails to newly formed Turkey with her fiancé, Alexander Ashton, and a bevy of fellow researchers under the watchful and reformed eye of Dr. Henry. With only two other women on board, Saffron soon finds she is right back in the same infuriatingly misogynistic environment that marked the earliest days of her career. Only this time, Saffron is determined to show everyone, including Alexander, that she can handle the trials of an expedition.

And trials she has in spades. Before the expedition team has even arrived, Saffron has managed to find an enemy in historian Joseph Clark, who frequently torments the assistant that Saffron has taken under her wing, Martin Neill. But when Martin unexpectedly dies, Saffron is targeted as the main suspect.

Falling ruins, venomous snakes, and mysteriously blocked passages are the least of Saffron’s worries. With unexpected help from a familiar face, Alexander and Saffron have to work fast to prove not only that Saffron is innocent but that they both have nothing to do with a larger conspiracy at play among the expedition crew.

My Thoughts: The fifth Saffron Everleigh historical mystery sees Saffron on her first scientific expedition. She is traveling to the newly formed Turkey to explore Smyrna. Her fiancé Alexander Ashton is along on the expedition which is led by Dr. Henry. Unfortunately, Dr. Joseph Clark is also along on the expedition and is the one Saffron is supposed to work with most closely. 

Clark has taken an inexplicable dislike to Saffron and is playing dangerous pranks on her including a venomous snake, locking her in an underground room, dosing her with sleeping powders, and toppling a loose stone on her. Dr. Henry and even Alexander are inclined to see these things as pranks often done to those new on expeditions though Alexander believes Clark is going much too far. 

Saffron is determined to take care of herself despite these "pranks" and doesn't want to look weak by depending on her fiancé who has assigned her a "helper" named Martin Neill who is a young biologist. When Neill takes ill and dies, Saffron becomes an immediate suspect in his death because of rumors Clark has started about their supposed relationship. 

Arrested by the Turkish police, Saffron needs to depend on Alexander and a mysterious character from earlier in the series to unravel what is happening and to clear her name. Saffron soon finds herself in the middle of antiquities smuggling and old secrets. 

This was another engaging historical mystery about an interesting main character trying to make a place for herself in a man's world. 

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

Audiobook Review: Apprentice in Death by J. D. Robb

Apprentice in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death (Book 43)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (September 6, 2016)
Length: 13 hours and 6 minutes

Description: Lieutenant Eve Dallas returns in a fast-paced new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb.

Nature versus nurture...

The shots came quickly, silently, and with deadly accuracy. Within seconds, three people were dead at Central Park's ice skating rink. The victims: a talented young skater, a doctor, and a teacher. As random as random can be.

Eve Dallas has seen a lot of killers during her time with the NYPSD, but never one like this. After reviewing security videos, it becomes clear that the victims were killed by a sniper firing a tactical laser rifle, who could have been miles away when the trigger was pulled. And though the locations where the shooter could have set up seem endless, the list of people with that particular skill set is finite: police, military, professional killer.

Eve's husband, Roarke, has unlimited resources - and genius - at his disposal. And when his computer program leads Eve to the location of the sniper, she learns a shocking fact: There were two - one older, one younger. Someone is being trained by an expert in the science of killing, and they have an agenda. Central Park was just a warm-up. And as another sniper attack shakes the city to its core, Eve realizes that though we're all shaped by the people around us, there are those who are just born evil...

My Thoughts: Eve's 43rd case begins with a shooting at Central Park's ice-skating rink. Three people are dead - a young woman practicing for an ice-skating troupe, an obstetrician skating for exercise, and a man celebrating his anniversary with his wife by recreating their first date. 

At first there seems to be no connection between the victims and no reason to target any of them individually. They were shot with a high-powered sniper rifle from far away. Fearing a LDSK - long distance serial killer, Eve digs deeper into the lives of the victims while Roarke designs a computer program to track the path of the laser beams and find the killer's nest. 

A very observant hotel desk clerk manages to describe the two suspects when the hotel room used for the shooting is found making Eve one step closer to finding the killers. It's a pair of shooters. One is older the other younger who seems to be related to the older. 

Before they can be identified, there is another shooting. This time it is Times Square that is the target area and five are killed including a young police officer. Eve manages to find a connection and identify the killers - a father-daughter team. 

The father was a former police tactical officer who left the force after his second wife died in a car-pedestrian accident. He's made a target list including anyone he can even loosely connect to the accident in his search for revenge. The list includes the obstetrician she was scheduled to see, the police officer first on the scene, and many more. 

But identifying the perpetrators doesn't mean catching them. The older sacrifices himself to let his daughter get away. But the daughter wants to complete her father's agenda and then start on her own beginning with her stepfather, mother, and stepbrother. 

Her next hit is outside of Madison Square Garden where she kills the lawyer who would take her father's case and seventeen other people. Eve and Roarke are even more anxious at this shooting since Mavis and Leonardo were there so was Sommerset who was using the tickets Roarke already had for the event. 

Besides the police procedural aspects of the story, the story was also concerned with fathers and children and nature versus nurture as Eve reflects on her father and Roarke on Sommerset. And circling everything is Bella's upcoming first birthday party. Bella is a prime example of a child being raised by excellent, nurturing parents. 

This is one of my favorites in this long-running series. The writing style resonates with me. The characters are engaging and, after 42 books, feel like real people with ethics, values, and love. 

I bought this one as a Kindle book in 2022 and an audiobook in 2023. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Beach Thriller by Jamie Day

Beach Thriller
Author: Jamie Day
Publication: St. Martin's Press (June 9, 2026)

Description: Some people lose themselves in a novel. Others lose everything.

Holly Sinclair, a struggling author, is dead broke. After being evicted from her New York apartment, she returns to her family’s dilapidated beach house in coastal New England with one urgent goal: write a book that sells. Fast.

Reinventing herself won’t be easy, but the old seaside town offers a few unexpected allies. Gail, a driven local Realtor, introduces her to a charming handyman who can help her get back on her feet. Serena, the town psychic, offers encouragement and an unsettling warning about danger ahead. And Jade, a teen runaway, is hiding out in Holly’s attic and desperately needs a safe place to land.

Holly takes Jade in, and soon the girl finds work with the powerful Carmichael family. Their dynasty has faded, but their connection to Holly’s past is darker than she wants to remember. Their secrets could put both women at risk.

Not everyone is glad to see Holly return. Someone in town is watching her every move. The Watcher knows something Holly doesn’t. The past may be a foggy echo, but it’s close enough to come rushing in with the tide.

My Thoughts: Holly Sinclair doesn't want to return to her hometown of Beauport, Massachusetts, but when she's evicted from her NYC apartment, she doesn't have a choice. She's hoping she can find an idea for her next book which is being very illusive. 

Jade Jensen is looking for answers in Beauport. She's run away from a bad family situation and is squatting in the attic Holly's old house. She's seventeen and has a stint in juvie in her past. 

Holly is dead broke, but she has inherited the family beach house now that her mother has passed away. The local lawyer who managing her mother's estate isn't encouraging about how soon the house will be through probate but he's willing to front her the money she needs to fix it up. 

But someone doesn't want Holly to stay and maybe find some answers to questions she still has about her older sister Anna's death in the guesthouse of Miramar, the home of the wealthy Carmichaels, and the place where Anne met with Conrad Carmichael for a summer romance. 

Holly had half-written a book about Anna and Conrad's summer romance which Jade discovers in the attic. She encourages Holly to finish the story, but Holly doesn't know the ending. This book reveals it through the viewpoints of Holly, Jade, and a mysterious Watcher. 

I enjoyed this story. I love the beach setting. I loved both Holly and Jade's characters. 

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

State of the Stack (June 1, 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. Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley (May 26)
2. Skyring Water by Louis L'Amour & Beau L'Amour (May 27)
3. A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (May 28)
4. Beach Thriller by Jamie Day (June 2)
5. A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery by Kate Khavari (June 3)
6. Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd (June 9)
7. The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis (June 9)
8. Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (June 10)
9. Restless Bones by Gillian French (June 11)
10. A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber (June 18)
11. Storm Tide by Paul Doiron (June 23)
12. The Neighbors Are Watching by Aggie Blum Thompson (June 24)
13. Enter the Nightmare by Jane Castle (June 25)

DNF

1.  Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Griffin Speaker by Jan M. Flynn (May 5)
2. The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (May 6)
3. The Cupid Dilemma by April Asher (May 7)
4. An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (May 12)
5. Storm Warning by James Byrne (May 19)
6. Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney (May 19)
7. Ode to the Bones by Carlolyn Haines (May 20)
8. The Final Target by Nora Roberts (May 21)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon (July 14)
2. Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter (July 14)
3. The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (July 28)
4. The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloane (August 11)
5. Murder at Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 11)
6. Those Who Are Gone by Laurie R. King (September 8)
7. Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 8)
8. Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 29)
9. The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 29)
10. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6)
11. Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 13)
12. The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke (October 20)
13. Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)
14. A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
15. Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
16. Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)

All TBR Review Books

July

• Dead Men Don't Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (July 7)
• The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen (July 7)
• Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (July 7)

• Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (July 14)
• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (July 14)
• Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (July 14)

• The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon (July 14)
• Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter (July 14)

• Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli (July 21)
• Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (July 21)
• Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman (July 21)

• Fossil Feud by Maggie North (July 28)
  
• Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard (July 28)
• Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (July 28)

• Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 28)
• The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (July 28)

August

• Probable Caws by Donna Andrews (August 4)
• (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall (August 4)
• Death on the Books by Victoria Gilbert (August 4)

• Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (August 4)
• Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 11)
• A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett (August 4)

• Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (August 11)
• The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloane (August 11)
• Murder at Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 11)

• For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 18)
• Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (August 18)

September 

• The Oxford Guide to Scandals & Lies by Kate Westbury (September 1)
• The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (September 8)
• Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima (September 8)

• Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 8)
• Those Who Are Gone by Laurie R. King (September 11)
• I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (September 15)

• A Field Guide to Death & Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen (September 15)
• Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (September 22)
• The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (September 29)

• Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 29)
• The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 29)

October

• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6)
• Please Enjoy your Stay by Tara Goedjen (October 13)
• Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 13)

• The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke (October 20)
• Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)

November

• A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
• Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
• Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)