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?

Book Review: Late fo the Wedding by Amanda Quick

Late for the Wedding
Author: Amanda Quick

Narrator: Josephine Bailey
Series: Lavinia Lake and Tobias March (Book 3)
Publication: Bantam (April 29, 2003); Random House Audio (August 5, 2004)

Length: 10 hours and 39 minutes

Description: New York Times bestselling author Amanda Quick returns with a thrilling new venture into romance and mystery, featuring the most unusual, highly compatible--undeniably combustible--pairing of Tobias March and his mesmerizing partner, Lavinia Lake.

An invitation to a country house party at Beaumont Castle provides a perfect solution to Tobias and Lavinia’s most exasperating challenge: how to escape the chaos of London for a remote, relaxing--and above all romantic--retreat from prying eyes and wagging tongues. But the lovers’ plans are foiled when their first cozy interlude of the weekend is disrupted by the appearance of a stunning woman from Tobias’s past. Aspasia Gray’s beauty is as haunting as her connection to Tobias. Her long-deceased fiancé was a friend of his--in addition to being an eccentric assassin. The mysterious nature of the bond between Tobias and Aspasia makes Lavinia more than a little uncomfortable. Especially as her first encounter with Aspasia occurs when she finds her in Tobias’s bedchamber...

It seems Aspasia is seeking protection--and solace--after receiving an ominous message that eerily recalls the past. Suddenly the obstacles standing between Tobias and Lavinia appear greater than just a little London gossip--and far more deadly. When events at the castle suggest someone is imitating the dead killer’s methods, the team of Lake and March fervently pursue the investigation--and each other--as their leads take them from Society’s most elegant haunts--and most discreet hideaways--to London’s shadiest backstreets. As their relationship heats up, so does the intrigue. Soon Lavinia will have to employ all her talents to flummox the scoundrel who so rudely interrupted her rendezvous. And then she and Tobias can get back to more pleasurable affairs.

My Thoughts: The last book in the Lake and March historical mystery series has the couple looking for a killer's apprentice from March's past. The first murder occurs at a house party where March had hoped to finally be able to spend some quality time with Lake in a real bed and with no need to rush their passion. However, when an old friend appears and when Lavinia witnesses the murder victim fall screaming from the roof, those nice romantic plans change. 

Aspasia Gray hires March when she receives a threatening message. Her partner who was March's protegee in spycraft turned out to have been a murderer for hire who committed suicide when he was about to be caught. It seems someone is trying to recreate his criminal techniques.

After finding some possible victims, Lake and March need to track down a killer. Lavinia Lake comes to be convinced that the killer has been hired by some high society ladies to prevent their granddaughters from being married in most unsuitable marriages. 

Tobias isn't convinced at first that the new killer is doing what Lavinia believes. He thinks the killer might be out for revenge. In either case, Lake and March need to follow the clues to the killer from wig shops to high society to the more dangerous parts of London.

Lavinia and Tobias also find their personal relationship heating up. Tobias would like to marry Lavinia and her niece and his brother-in-law are very much in favor of that. Tobias doesn't feel that he has the financial security to make the offer, and he learns that marriage is not necessarily something a woman wants because of the legal implications for her. 

This was an entertaining historical romance and historical mystery. 

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

Audiobook Review: Sizzle and Burn by Jayne Ann Krentz

Sizzle and Burn
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Islay Jacobs
Series: Arcane Society (Book 3)
Publication: Tantor Audio (July 4, 2023)
Length: 9 hours and 56 minutes

Description: Raine Tallentyre always tried to heed her late Aunt Vella’s advice—and keep her paranormal abilities a secret. But when she journeys to Shelbyville, Washington, to clear out her aunt’s house, Raine’s highly developed sensitivity leads her to a horrifying discovery: a young woman is held captive in a basement storage locker. And her kidnapper is on the loose.

Without warning, a new man enters Raine’s life—investigator Zack Jones. While Raine hears voices, Zack sees visions, and suddenly Raine experiences an intense, thrilling intimacy with him that she never dared to expect. There’s one complication, however: Zack is working for the secret Arcane Society. Dedicated to the study of paranormal phenomena, the organization lost Raine’s trust long ago, when it shattered her family with an act of betrayal.

Now, as a killer makes her his target, and a cabal of psychic criminals known as Nightshade operates in the shadows surrounding them, Raine and Zack must rely not just on their powerful abilities but on each other as well.

My Thoughts: Raine Tallentyre is in Shelbyville, Washington, to clear out her recently deceased aunt's house to prepare it for sale when her psychic talents lead her to discover a young woman help captive in a locked basement closet. She's found the latest victim of a serial killer who is determined to kill the witches. 

Meanwhile, Zack Jones is trying to find out what happened to a missing Arcane Society agent who disappeared in Shelbyville. Zack is a level 10 psychic with an unusual talent. He works as a part-time agent for the Arcane Society.

Raine and Zack meet and fall in love but there are definite roadblocks on their path to a happily ever after. Not the least of them is her distrust for the Arcane Society that threw her father out for doing unauthorized experiments on the founder's formula that was used to give the first members of the Society their psychic gifts. 

Nightshade is eager to find the formula which they see as a necessary step to their goal of beating the Arcane Society and taking over the world. As Raine and Zack deal with various agents of Nighshade, they find themselves in danger from multiple fronts. Not only does Nightshade want them dead but the serial killer also has Raine in his sights.

This was another engaging episode in the Arcane Society series of paranormal romances. 

I bought this one at Chirp March 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Split Screen by Lee Goldberg

Split Screen
Author: Lee Goldberg
Series: Eve Ronin (Book 7)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (October 20, 2026)

Description: Reality and fiction collide in shocking violence for Detective Eve Ronin in a propulsive thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

When Erin Casey, the actress who plays LASD detective Eve Ronin on TV, is gunned down after a ride-along, the intended target is obvious: the real Eve. What isn’t obvious is why.

As Eve hunts the shooter, her world fractures into more deadly reflections. The new sheriff forces Eve to exploit her fame to burnish his image―or he’ll destroy her partner, Duncan. And a reckless half sister Eve never knew she had pulls her toward a criminal conspiracy that’s already dumped a corpse in a Topanga Canyon ravine.

To save Erin, protect her half sister, and survive herself, Eve must find the killers before they strike again―and before her enemies inside the department finish the job for them.

My Thoughts: The story starts with the death of an actress by an apparent drug overdose which isn't totally unexpected since she's been an addict for years and has blown up her career a few times because of it. 

While waiting for the tox screen, Eve's called to meet with her new Sheriff. He wants to use Eve's reputation to burnish the tattered reputation of the LASD. He uses her partner's future as a lever to force Eve to comply. Duncan is under investigation for actions around the forced resignation of the former Sheriff. The new Sheriff also orders Eve to take the actress portraying her on the television show about her career. 

Erin Casey shows up for the ride along in a car identical to Eve's and dressing and looking more like Eve than Eve does. Eve takes Erin along while she runs an errand for her estranged father who is one of the producers on Erin's show. It seems that her father has scattered other illegitimate children throughout the area and one is in trouble. Her mother is convinced that she's involved herself in prostitution after failing to find a job in journalism. Eve slips a tracker onto her new half-sister's car to see where she's been going all those nights she's out impossibly late.

Then another call comes in and Erin finds herself really seeing what Eve does. A noted doctor is found beaten with a baseball bat next to his bougie car and behind his clinic. That one should be a no-brainer since the doctor's partner saw the doctor's ex-wife and current boy toy speeding away from the scene.

But then Erin is shot while out for coffee with a friend and Eve believes that it is because someone thought she was Eve. Of course, the shooter shouting "Die, Ronin, die" was sort of a clue. Since videos of the scene indicate the shooters could be from a Russian mob, she recruits Walker to go along with her to see a mob boss he knows which leads to all sorts of complications.

This was a busy episode with lots of realizations for Eve and lots of changes for the whole cast of characters. I enjoyed the fast-paced action.

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