Book Review: The Lady Jewel Diviner by Rosalie Oakes

The Lady Jewel Diviner
Author: Rosalie Oakes
Series: The Lady Diviner Series (Book 1)
Publication: Parkerville Press (January 11, 2021)

Description: Diamonds, Death, and Devonshire tea… in a magical Regency England

Miss Elinor Avely's proper upbringing cannot prepare her for the tiny, spinster vampire who crashes into her sitting room and demands to be fed with a sheep.

Elinor already has enough troubles without having to catch ruminants. First, her secret gift for divining jewels has landed her in scandal, exiling her from London society. Second, a nobleman of dubious repute wants her to find a cache of smuggled jewels, hidden somewhere along the Devon coastline. Last – and worst – she is invited to cream tea at the local manor. And while the autocratic and magnificent Earl of Beresford might be there (and perhaps the jewels themselves too), Beresford is the last person Elinor wants to meet over cream tea.

When a dead body is discovered along the cliffs, of course, such delicate considerations become secondary. Fortunately, Elinor now has a small vampiric chaperone – even if said spinster has a habit of appearing stark naked – and together they are ready to risk the hard questions.

Where are the jewels hidden? Who killed the smuggler? And just when is the cream tea being served?

My Thoughts: THE LADY JEWEL DIVINER was an engaging historical fantasy. Elinor Avely finds herself exiled to the Devon coast after a scandal during her season in London. She was caught with a missing jewel on her person, turned down the Earl of Beresford's impromptu marriage proposal, and fled to a friend's cottage with her mother and brother. 

Elinor meets a vampiri named Miss Aldreda Zooth who can turn into a bat, has been hibernating for 80 years in the local church, and who can help Elinor with her magical gift of finding jewels - particularly diamonds. Elinor's gift is one she is most usually accustomed to hiding since it isn't really socially acceptable. However, with a cache of missing jewels stolen from French aristocrats fleeing Napoleon somewhere in the area, Elinor needs help to find them. Aldreda could also use her help finding a missing pearl necklace her previous mentor hid.

Elinor needs to deal with the confusing Earl of Beresford who is handsome, intriguing, and maddening and also good at keeping secrets of his own. She is also being pressured by another London aristocrat who is demanding she find the missing jewels for him. 

With the help of her vampiri chaperone and a rather handsome young selkie prince, Elinor has lots of adventures on her quest to find the jewels. 

I bought this one July 20, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver

The Case of the Body on the Orient Express
Author: Kelly Oliver
Narrator: Penelope Rawlins
Series: The Detection Club (Book 2)
Publication: Boldwood Books (July 14, 2025)
Length: 8 hours and 19 minutes

Description: Don't miss the next installment in Kelly Oliver's brilliantly addictive Detection Club cozy mystery series!

Paris, 1928: Agatha Christie and fellow writer Dorothy L Sayers board the Orient Express, bound for Constantinople. Christie in particular is looking forward to a break from recent dispiriting events in both her work and private life – the finalisation of her divorce from her philanderous husband Archie, and the miserly reception of her latest book.

But before the duo can settle in to enjoy the luxuries of their first-class journey, their journey is derailed when a fellow guest drops dead during the dinner service. And as the last person to speak to the victim, Dorothy finds herself a prime suspect in his murder.

As the train hurtles East, Sayers’ resourceful assistant Eliza and her friend Theo must navigate a maze of suspects. But with each passing mile, the stakes rise, and when another body is discovered, their search to find the killer before they reach their destination becomes increasingly complicated.

Can Eliza and Theo stay one step ahead, crack the mystery and clear Dorothy’s name? Or will this be one journey too far for the amateur sleuths?

My Thoughts: The second Detection Club mystery takes place on the Orient Express. Eliza is accompanying her boss Dorothy L. Sayers as she heads to a writer's conference in Istanbul. Agatha Christie is along heading for an archaeological expedition in Ur. Theo is on the train too. He's working as a waiter in order to get to the writer's conference.

When one of the passengers who once had an encounter with Dorothy dies of poison during dinner service, Eliza decides to look into the death to make sure to clear Dorothy's name. She needs Theo's help to get access to areas passengers don't visit. 

Eliza and Theo discover that quite a few people want the man dead but have their main suspect eliminated when someone murders him too. They find themselves in the middle of a criminal enterprise and a potential espionage case as they learn more about the victims. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery.

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

Audiobook Review: The Astral Library by Kate Quinn

The Astral Library
Author: Kate Quinn

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Publication: William Morrow (February 17, 2026)

Time: 9 hours and 15 minutes

Description: From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself?

My Thoughts: THE ASTRAL LIBRARY is a book for book lovers. Alex Watson is a former foster child barely hanging on. She's working at three part-time jobs and living off-the-books at a friend's apartment. When her debit card is declined and she can't resolve things, she heads to the reading room at the Boston Public Library to think about her life. She stumbles through a door she hasn't seen before and meets the Librarian who offers to let her move to her favorite book. 

Books are the things that saved Alix. She could always escape into her favorite fantasy worlds when life got too hard. Her only keepsakes from a youth spent in foster care are her battered copy of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis and a bumper sticker her mother left behind saying "They got the Library of Alexandria--They're not getting mine."

But things don't go smoothly for Alix. She finds herself helping the Librarian when she learns that others who have found homes in books are in trouble. She becomes an assistant - a library page - and finds herself traveling from Sherlock Holmes to The Great Gatsby to the worlds of Jane Austen trying to keep the travelers safe.

When the Librarian is injured, it becomes Alix's responsibility to protect the library from Library Board who is determined to modernize and monetize the library. Alix isn't quite alone in her task. She has a friend whose business is making fashion and who specializes in historically accurate period costumes. But Beau has issues of his own including an up-coming loan payment to his father who helped him start his business and a very detailed gown for a movie premiere that his needs to finish. 

This was a wonderful story for all readers because who hasn't fantasized about living inside a favorite book. I enjoyed it very much.

I bought this one July 8 for $2.99 and used an Audible Credit for the audiobook August 30. You can buy your copy here.

State of the Stack (September 30, 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. Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 23)
2. The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (September 29)
3. Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams (September 29)
4. Jay to the World by Donna Andrews (October 6)
5. Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks (October 6)
6. Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey (October 7)
7. Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (October 8)
8. Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 8)
9. The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (October 13)
10. The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke (October 14)

DNF

1.  

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

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

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths (November 17)
2. Save a Horse by Jen Doyle (January 12, 2027)
3. Perfect in Death by J. D. Robb (February 2, 2027)
4. Please Kill My Boss by Evie Ross (February 9, 2027)
5. The Last Match by Jessa Maxwell (February 16, 2027)
6. Elodie and the Dark Lord by Ashley Poston (March 16, 2027)
7. Big Cult Energy by Jack Friday (June 1, 2027)

All TBR Review Books

October

• Split Screen by Lee Goldberg (October 20)
• Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)
• Murder at Pellhurst Pond by Clara McKenna (October 27)

• Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley (October 27)
• The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton (October 27)

November

• Murder in the House of Commons by Charles Finch (November 3)
• A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
• The Trial of Magdelena Overmorrow by Catriona Moran (November 3)

• Sunflower Season by Danica Nava (November 3)
• You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry (November 10)

• Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)
• Thunderbird Ranch by Laura Griffin (November 10)
• Bad Company by Sara Paretsky (November 10)

• Fall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor (November 10)
• Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
• The Riddle Maker by Bruce Borgos (November 17)

• The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths (November 17)
• Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts (November 17)

December

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

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

January

• Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5)
• Save a Horse by Jen Doyle (December 12)

• The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (January 19)
• Last Mission to Paris by Susan Elia MacNeal (January 19)
• Roundabout by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart (January 19)

• The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 26)
• Scream City by Hannah Morrissey (January 26)

February

• A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (February 2)
• Perfect in Death by J. D. Robb (February 2)
• Please Kill My Boss by Evie Ross (February 9)

• Murder Most Cryptic by Alys Cummings (February 16)
• The Last Match by Jessa Maxwell (February 16)

March

• Tell Me What You See by Samantha Jayne Allen (March 2)
• Elodie and the Dark Lord by Ashley Poston (March 16)
• Peril in the Night by Katharine Schellman (March 23)

June

• Big Cult Energy by Jack Friday (June 1)

Book Review: Dragon Blood by Eileen Wilks

Dragon Blood
Author: Eileen Wilks
Series: World of the Lupi (Book 14)
Publication: Berkley (January 2, 2018)

Description: The battle against a vengeful goddess reaches a climactic point as Lily Yu must now face the ultimate challenge in a dangerous new realm—without her husband, Rule …

When a mission to rescue five children stolen by an Old One falls apart under the assault of a demon prince, Lily wakes up in a strange reality—and is immediately taken captive by the dragon spawn who rule there. Jumping worlds has fractured her party, and Cynna is her only companion.

Although the clock is ticking, time works differently, and Lily has miraculously gained a week. That means seven days to free herself, find Rule and the others, rescue the children, and make it home alive. All before the dragon spawn holding her hostage trade her to the Old One. It would almost be doable if this weren’t Lóng Jia—also known as Dragonhome: the birthplace of dragons.

My Thoughts: The fourteenth book in the World of the Lupi series begins with the party that went to Dis to rescue five children separated. Lily and Cynna are on a world called Dragonhome and in the custody of the Dragon Spawn who rule there. The spawn have made a deal with Lily's enemy who plan to trade the children for something they really want. 

Meanwhile, Grandmother and Rule along with Gan are on the same world but a long distance away. They are making their way to where Lily and Cynna are to try to rescue them and get there before the children arrive. 

Both groups have adventures and spend a lot of time worried about each other and those they left 

behind in the middle of a battle on Dis. They need to figure out how to rescue their children and find a way to defeat the amoral dragon spawn.

While this is the last in the World of the Lupi series, it doesn't feel like it was planned to be the last. There seem to be a lot of plot threads left dangling.

I bought this one September 2 when I realized I was missing this last book in a series. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas

The Vanished Sister
Author: Sherry Thomas
Series: The Lady Sherlock Series (Book 9)
Publication: Berkley (September 29, 2026)

Description: Charlotte Holmes—aka Sherlock Holmes—becomes entangled in a puzzling missing person case that hits close to home for her beloved Mrs. Watson in this Victorian-set mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of A Ruse of Shadows.

It’s been three years since Charlotte Holmes struck a decisive blow against Moriarty's operations in Britain, three years of relative calm and benign developments. In a buoyant mood, everyone gathers at Lord Ingram's seaside cottage in North Devon for what promises to be a perfect summer holiday. Until Mrs. Watson receives an invitation from Mrs. Carstairs, her long-estranged sister, to attend a house party nearby.

Mrs. Carstairs has married spectacularly well. She is the mistress of a great manor, a doyen of all domestic arts, and still an unforgettable beauty. Now she clamors for a reconciliation with her sister. Mrs. Watson does not trust Mrs. Carstairs's motives. Yet she cannot help but feel tremors of the old admiration for this once-beloved sister.

Then Mrs. Carstairs disappears without a trace. The next day a woman is discovered floating on the waves, her build and coloring matching those of Mrs. Carstairs. But her husband insists that the corpse fished out of the Bristol Channel cannot be his wife. So where is the real Mrs. Carstairs? Would she have purposely dragged Mrs. Watson into a murder investigation? Or was it Sherlock Holmes's involvement that she needed from the very beginning?

My Thoughts: The mystery in the ninth Lady Sherlock series strikes close to home. Mrs. Watson has long been estranged from her older sister. They chose different life paths with Mrs. Watson choosing the demi-monde and her sister a seemingly more reputable path. Mrs. Justina Carstairs married very well and is the mistress of a great manor. Years earlier, when Mrs. Watson's daughter was born, that sister came to her and demanded that she say the child was not her own but the daughter of cousins who had passed away. Thus, for years, Mrs. Watson couldn't claim her own child. 

Now, with the children grown, Mrs. Carstairs invites Mrs. Watson and her "niece" to attend a house party at her seaside home. Mrs. Watson reluctantly attends and finds a house full of tension and secrets. When her sister disappears, Mrs. Watson calls on her friend Charlotte Holmes to help find her and untangle the lies. 

Actually, Charlotte has already been called on in her Sherlock Holmes persona to look into some things. Things get complicated when a body is discovered which at first seems to be Justina but is soon discovered to be another woman altogether. Looking into her life leads Charlotte and Mrs. Watson to uncover long buried secrets and plots filled with twists and turns.

This was another engaging episode in the Lady Sherlock series. 

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

ARC Review: Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams

Where There's Smoke
Author: Rachel Louise Adams
Series: Delores Hoffman Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (October 6, 2026)

Description: Following the USA Today bestselling series debut, No Rest for the Wicked, Rachel Louise Adams returns with Where There’s Smoke.

A lot has happened in Dolores Hawthorne’s life since the events of last Halloween. She’s divorced, traded being a forensic pathologist for a job as a medical examiner, and now lives in small-town Wisconsin, close―but not too close―to her family.

Dolores doesn’t have much in the way of work, but that all changes when a body is found at the local slaughterhouse. Benedict Marcy owned Marcy’s Meats, and is affectionately called Mr. Mercy across the region. This high-profile case quickly catches the attention of Dolores’s friends at the FBI.

From the very beginning, this case is full of contradictions and surprises, and the team quickly learns someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to stop them from finding out the truth behind Benedict Marcy’s murder.

My Thoughts: The second book starring Delores Hawthorne was a twisty thriller. Delores is now divorced. She's given up her job as a forensic pathologist in LA for a position as a medical examiner in her home county in Wisconsin. She's closer to her family and trying to build a relationship with the half-siblings she hardly knows. She's also dealing with the issue that caused her to leave home for LA nineteen years earlier which includes dealing with stalkerish behavior and her ambivalent feelings about the upcoming trial for her rape. 

Work is generally much slower than LA but a suspicious death at a local meat packing plant changes all that. Benedict Marcy, known as Mr. Mercy in the area for his philanthropy, has been found dead in one of the tanks used to prepare slaughtered hogs in his plant. Being immersed in boiling water doesn't make Delores's autopsy easy. Things go even more awry when the hundreds of samples on their way to Eau Claire are destroyed or contaminated when the cop driving them there is lured off the road and murdered before having his cruiser sent into a river. 

The FBI is called in. The team includes Paul who was part of the first book and his new partner Kate who also grew up in rural Wisconsin, knows Delores, and is just beginning her career with the FBI. Paul is determined to recruit Delores for the FBI and thinks flirting with her is the way to go. 

The events quicky escalate as Delores, Paul and Kate try to unravel all the twists and turns. There is the local prison who inmates are sent to the packing plant as employees and who have suffered a suspicious number of fatal accidents, none of which came to the attention of the medical examiner. There is also a new drug in the area which might be the cause of the murders. 

This was an engaging mystery with interesting characters and a nicely twisty plot. 

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