ARC Review: Rage by Linda Castillo

Rage
Author: Linda Castillo
Series: Kate Burkholder (Book 17)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 8, 2025)

Description: In this gripping installment of the Edgar Award winning series, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a brutal double murder that takes her into the dark underbelly of society and exposes the dangers of Amish lives gone wrong.

Summer has arrived with a vengeance in Painters Mill, and a macabre discovery by three Amish children brings the quiet to a grinding halt. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on scene to find the dismembered body of 21-year-old Samuel Eicher, a local Amish man who owned a successful landscaping business. What twisted individual murdered him in such a sadistic way?

The investigation has barely begun when, miles away, a second body is found, stuffed into a barrel and dumped in a ravine. The deceased is 21-year-old Aaron Shetler, Samuel Eicher’s best friend. What could these two young Amish men have been involved in that led to such violent ends?

With a heat wave bearing down, Kate learns quickly that, for reasons she doesn’t understand, no one is willing to talk about what happened to the men. Just as she begins to fear the case may be hopeless, a mystery woman comes forward and reveals that fun-loving Aaron and Samuel had recently befriended some very unsavory characters―individuals who may have ties to a larger, more sinister, black market.

To solve the case, Kate must delve into the most sordid corners of her community, but when she gets too close, the killers target Kate herself. Will the secrets simmering beneath the surface of Painters Mill take another life before she can expose the truth? Or will Kate be the final victim?

My Thoughts: The seventeenth Kate Burkholder mystery begins with the discovery of the dismembered body of a twenty-one-year-old Amish man. He owned a successful landscaping business. And the investigation is no sooner begun than a second man's body is found stuffed in a barrel. 

The two men were friends but no one in the close-mouthed Amish society is willing to say much about either man leaving Kate with a bunch of dead ends. She did find a picture in the first man's home of a young woman and spends quite a bit of time trying to locate her. 

Kate's investigations take her to a local brewery, a local strip joint, and the prestigious country club patronized by visitors to the area. And somewhere along the way, Kate finds herself attracting the interest of bad guys who want to encourage her to stop investigating. 

Kate's investigation leads to a number of villains in a rather large conspiracy. I enjoyed this mystery. I thought it was fast-paced and exciting. 

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

ARC Review: The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

The Frozen People
Author: Elly Griffiths
Series: Ali Dawson Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Pamela Dorman Books (July 8, 2025)

Description: Cold cases are a lot easier to solve when you can travel back in time to find new evidence. Unless, that is, you get stuck in the nineteenth century…

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: This time travel mystery introduces Ali Dawson and her associates who are police investigators of cold crimes. They have an advantage unknown to other such investigators. They can travel back in time. They are part of a secret program known only to the highest echelons of government. 

One of the ones who know about the project is Justice Minister Isaac Templeton. He wants the team to go back to 1850 to clear one of his ancestors of accusations of murder. Ali is the one chosen to make the leap, but things go wrong. Ali finds herself stranded in 1850 when an apparent murderer takes her place when she was supposed to return. Ali needs to survive until her team finds a way to retrieve her. 

But in the present time, Isaac Templeton is found murdered, and his administrative aid Finn Kennedy is accused of the crime. Finn happens to be Ali's son. With a police force under pressure from higher up to find a killer, he is arrested despite some glaring holes in the case. The idea of explaining about the time travel is a non-starter both because of its secrecy and its lack of believability. 

Ali does manage to return to the present in order to work on her son's case, but a colleague needed to take her place in 1850. He begins his own investigation and learns some secrets. 

This was an entertaining story. I liked the way the viewpoint is split between Ali and John who are the two time travelers and Finn. The plot was twisty and, while the murder of Isaac Templeton is resolved, there are enough loose ends to provide for future stories. 

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

ARC Review: The Myth Makers by Alie Dumas Heidt

The Myth Maker
Author: Alie Dumas Heidt
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 8, 2025)

Description: Someone is killing women and staging their bodies in strange, evocative scenes in this Greek-mythology-inspired serial killer thriller perfect, for fans of Alex Michaelides and Tana French.

Cassidy Cantwell has devoted her life to becoming a detective, never forgetting the cold case that has influenced her entire career: the unsolved murder of her best friend. Cassidy tries to balance her demanding job with her suffocatingly close-knit family and her increasingly clingy boyfriend, but when a strange new murder case comes across her desk, she’s determined to solve it, especially when it turns out the victim was the wife of her college ex-boyfriend.

While Cassidy’s partner, Bryan, works to prove that her ex is their suspect, Cassidy can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more to the case that they’re not seeing. After the medical examiner finds a strange ring among the victim’s personal effects that the husband insists didn’t belong to his wife, Cassidy is struck by similarly odd details from a previous crime scene—details that seem to have an uncanny connection to a Greek myth.

When another body attracts public attention and the FBI joins the hunt, the case gets increasingly complicated–and solving it seems further and further out of reach. With anonymous taunts about her best friend’s death dragging her attention away, Cassidy finds herself pulled in different directions–sacrifice her personal life for the sake of her career, or put everything she has into finding years-old answers to a case that haunts her still.

And the killer behind the murders isn’t done yet.

My Thoughts: Rookie police detective Cassidy Cantwell gets involved in a baffling serial killer case. The killer is staging each of his female victims as goddesses from Greek mythology. Their first victim happens to be married to her college boyfriend.

As the cases pile up and the FBI gets involved, the team begins working almost around the clock which has severe consequences for Cassidy's own relationship with her boyfriend. He's tired of coming in third after her job and the investigation of the murder of her high school best friend some years earlier.

Jenna's murder becomes more than a bunch of notebook filled plastic bins when someone decides to start sending Cassidy mementos from their shared past. But Cassidy doesn't have time to pursue these new leads until the current killer is caught. 

This was a fast-paced and engaging thriller with an intriguing main character. My only complaint is that the cover doesn't seem to match the story within the book. 

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

ARC Review: The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos

The Blue Horse
Author: Bruce Borgos 
Series: Porter Beck (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (July 8, 2025)

Description: A controversial wild horse round-up in the high desert of Nevada results in two murders and too many suspects for Sheriff Porter Beck to deal with.

A helicopter driving a controversial round-up of wild horses suddenly crashes and the pilot is found to have been shot. Then the person coordinating the round-up for the Bureau of Land Management is savagely murdered, buried up to her neck and then trampled to death by the very same wild horses. And there's no lack of suspects―with the wild horse advocacy group having sworn to protect the horse At Any Cost! Now the state and federal agencies are showing up looking for answers or at least a scapegoat.

Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days.

Porter Beck's new girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse, arrives to help with the investigation, which leads them to Canadian Lithium mining operation near the round-up area that sets off Beck's mental alarm bells. Brinley, Beck's sister, is leading a group of troubled kids in a wilderness program, when one of them, Rafa, bolts one night. When Brinley catches up to him, they're just outside the mine―in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

With his personal life in turmoil, too many suspects and too many secrets, the feds pushing for a quick resolution, and his impetuous (if skilled) sister in the mix, one wrong step could be deadly for Porter Beck.

My Thoughts: The third Porter Beck mystery begins with the death of a helicopter pilot who is rounding up wild horses. Sheriff Porter Beck is in his last weeks as sheriff before he takes a state-wide post in criminal investigation. 

But the murder of the pilot is only the first death. A video is put up showing the death of the BLM manager involved in the round-up. What doesn't show is that one of truck drivers is also murdered. The FBI comes in after her death because she was a federal employee. The FBI would like a fast resolution to the case, but Beck isn't convinced that the obvious suspects weren't set up to take the blame.

Covid is making itself felt in his county despite it being both very rural and sparsely populated. His chief deputy, who is supposed to take his place as sheriff, comes down with a case of it the is severe enough to require her to spend time on a respirator. His already stretched department is stretched even more with people going out sick. 

Meanwhile, Porter is dealing with his night blindness and the prospects of becoming totally blind in the relatively near future. He's also dealing with his girlfriend Charlie Blue Horse's shifting moods and secrets. And his sister Brin disappears when she's volunteering with a group of troubled teens on a wilderness camping trip. 

The story is packed with action and very engaging. 

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

ARC Review: Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert

Death and the Librarian
Author: Victoria Gilbert
Series: Blue Ridge Library Mystery (Book 9)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (July 9, 2025)

Description: It’s summertime in Virginia, but things are about to get out of hand when murder darkens the annual arts festival in this ninth installment of the critically acclaimed Blue Ridge Library mystery series, perfect for fans of Ellery Adams and Miranda James.

Library director Amy Muir has always been suspicious of wealthy art dealer Kurt Kendrick. As a close family friend, the ties that bind them are strong, but his murky past is concerning, especially since he is the godfather to Amy and her husband Richard’s six-year-old twins. When a visitor to their small, historic Virginia town is found dead after publicly accusing Kurt of committing a decades-old murder, Amy is determined to prove that Kurt didn’t kill anyone, in the past or the present. But the evidence Kurt’s accuser sent to Sheriff Brad Tucker before her untimely demise indicates otherwise.

With Amy’s own aunt and other older town residents corroborating some of the details related to the first murder and a witness placing Kurt near the scene of the second crime, it seems Kurt is doomed to swift and severe justice. Amidst the fun and excitement of an arts festival that features the premiere of Richard’s new dance company, Amy faces her own challenging performance—balancing her work and family life while dancing on the edge of danger.

With family and friends harboring suspicions about Kurt and Amy bedeviled by her own wavering trust in his innocence, she must fight to uncover the truth before a hidden killer strikes again.

My Thoughts: When a visiting author of true crime books is murdered while attending a local arts festival, Library Director Amy Muir finds herself doing some research for the local police and getting herself in danger when she comes too close to the murderer.

Maureen Dryden has capitalized on the success of her first true crime story and is planning her second book which will be a succession of stories from small towns. She wants to look into the disappearance of Edward Jaffe who disappeared in 1967. While the newspapers barely mentioned the disappearance, Amy's aunt and her twin's godfather may have some information they've never shared about the disappearance. And Kurt, the twin's godfather, was seen at the inn where Maureen's death occurred. 

Amy finds herself juggling her research for the police with the care of her children and the preparation for her husband's launch of his new dance company. As she looks into the case described in Maureen's first book, she learns that enemies were made who might be involved in her death. 

This was an engaging story filled with interesting characters and a fast-paced plot. I enjoyed catching up with Amy and her circle again in this ninth book in the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries. 

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

State of the Stack #166 (June 30, 2025)

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. Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell (June 17)
2. Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath (June 17)
3. The Secrets We Keep by Amy Lillard (June 18)
4. Trixie Belden: The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell (June 19)
5. Them Bones by David Housewright (June 19)
6. A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber (June 24)
7. Tricks of Fortune by Lisa Chern (June 25)
8. Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt (June 26)
9. Death and the Librarian by Victoria Gilbert (July 1)
10. The Blue Horse by Bruce Borgos (July 1)
11. The Myth Maker by Alie Dumas Heidt (July 2)
12. Rage by Linda Castillo (July 3)
13. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (July 3)
14. Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts (July 8)
15. Fateless by Julie Kagawa (July 9)
16. Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (July 10)
17. Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (October 1)

DNF

1. Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox (July 1)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Grave Words by Gerri Lewis (June 3)
2. Knave of Diamonds by Laurie R. King (June 3)
3. A Botanist's Guide to Rituals and Revenge by Kate Khavari (June 4)
4. Believe Me Now by S. M. Govett (June 5)
5. Making Friends Can Be Murder by Kathleen West (June 7)
6. The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott (June 10)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber (June 24)
2. Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell (July 29)
3. A Silence in Belgrave Square by Jennifer Ashley (August 12)
4. A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber (August 26)
5. If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia (September 2)
6. Framed in Death by J. D. Robb (September 2)
7. All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan (September 9)
8. A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly (September 23)
9. The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong (November 4)
10. The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott (November 4)
11. Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (November 11)
12. Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (November 11)
13. At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (November 18)

All TBR Review Books

July

• Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh (July 15)
• The Last Wizard's Ball by Charlaine Harris (July 22)
• Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell (July 22)

• Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher (July 22)
• Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee (July 29)
• Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (July 29)

• Road Trip with a Rogue by Kate Bateman (July 29)
• Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell (July 29)

August

• The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (August 5)
• Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor (August 5)
• For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews (August 5)

• Picking Up the Pieces by J. B. Abbott (August 12)
• The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan (August 12)
• Knife in the Back by Karen Rose (August 12)

• Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (August 12)
• A Silence in Belgrave Square by Jennifer Ashley (August 12)
• The Story That Wouldn't Die by Christina Estes (August 19)

• The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by JD Nichols (August 19)
• Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg (August 19)
• Death at an Irish Village by Ellie Brannigan (August 26)

• A Lonesome Place for Murder by Nolan Chase (August 26)
• Mrs. Christie and the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman (August 26)
• Claws Out by Cate Conte (August 26)

• Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander (August 26)
• A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber (August 26)

September

• Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley (September 2)
• If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia (September 2)
• Framed in Death by J. D. Robb (September 2)

• The Deepest Cut by P. J. Tracy (September 9)
• All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan (September 9)
• A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau (September 16)

• Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh (September 16)
• No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams (September 16)
• Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen (September 23)

• Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner (September 23)
• You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan (September 23)
• A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (September 23)

• A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly (September 23)
• The Librarians by Sherry Thomas (September 30)

October

• Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima (October 14)
• Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connelly (October 14)

• Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (October 14)
• And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters (October 14)
• The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (October 14)

• And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt (October 14)
• Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook (October 21)

November

• The Hidden City by Charles Finch (November 4)
• The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong (November 4)
• The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott (November 4)

• Innocence Road by Laura Griffin (November 11)
• Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally (November 11)
• Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (November 11)

• Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (November 11)
• Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann (November 18)
• At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (November 18)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 30, 2025)

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...

Happy Monday! How in the world did it get to be the end of June already? This year seems to be going by so fast. 

I had a quiet week. It cooled off enough to run the furnace for a couple of cycles this past week, but it looks to be warming up again. The storms that were supposed to roll through the area a couple of time last week missed us. We did ger enough rain that the grass was too wet for my brother to mow the lawn on either of his days off last week. It's getting a bit shaggy, but he does have another day off tomorrow which might work for lawn mowing. 

I spent a lot of time side-tracked last week in my reading and listening. I got caught up in a science fiction mystery series by Catherine Asaro. And, just as I finished the most recent one to be available on audiobook, I learned that the eARC for the October release is this series was available at Baen Books. I had to buy and read it. I have the review scheduled for the beginning of October. 

I'm behind in my reading by eye but well ahead in my reading by ear. Unfortunately, I usually read four by eye and two by ear each week which means I'm behind again. This week I need to concentrate on reading the books I actually have listed on my calendar for July 10 and later posts. There are six by eye on my stack before my next by ear which I am currently reading. 

I'll do a more thorough month in review next week, but it looks like I've read 202 books as of June 29 according to my Google spreadsheet. Now I'm off to work on my State of the Stack post.

Read Last Week

• Death of an Ex by Delia Pitts (Review, July 15) -- Second Vandy Myrick mystery set in Queenstown, New Jersey. My review will be posted on July 8)
• The Vanished Seas by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread) -- Third book in the Major Bhaajan science fiction mysteries. I reviewed this one here.
• The Jigsaw Assassin by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Reread) -- Fourth book in the Major Bhaajan science fiction mysteries. I reviewed this one here. 

• The Down Deep by Catherine Asaro (Mine; Audiobook Reread) -- The first Dust Knights science fiction mystery. My review for the Kindle book is here. 
• Fateless by Julie Kagawa (Review, July 15) -- First in a YA epic fantasy trilogy. A young thief finds herself the only one who can defeat the newly resurrected Deathless King but first she has to gather colleagues and survive. My review will be posted on July 9.
• Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (eARC from Baen Books, October 7) -- Second Dust Knights mystery has a team from the Undercity preparing to take part in the Olympics and dealing with lots of prejudice. My review will be posted on October 1. 

• Gone Gull by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since June 28, 2022) -- 21st Meg Langslow mystery with the usual combination of mystery and humor. My review will be posted on July 17.
• Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods (Review, July 15) -- Contemporary romance with some Dungeon & Dragons fantasy included. My review will be posted on July 10.

Currently

• Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh (Review, July 15)
• The Obsession by Nora Roberts (Audiobook Reread, Mine since February 15, 2021)

Next Week

• Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell (Review, July 22)
• The Last Wizard's Ball by Charlaine Harris (Review, July 22)
• Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher (Review, July 22)

• The Librarian by Judith A. Barrett (mine since May 24)
• Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Review, July 29)
• Give Me a Reason by Jayci Lee (Review, July 29)

Reviews Posted

• Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (Audiobook)
• Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern (Review copy)
• The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Mine)

• Dogged Pursuit by David Rosenfelt (Review copy)
• Her First Mistake by Kendra Elliot (Mine)
• A Tarnished Canvas by Anna Lee Huber (Review copy)

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

Review:

• Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (Review, Baen eARC, October 7)
• At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Review, November 18)

Bought:

• Patriot Games by Tom Clancy (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)
• The Locked Tomb Mystery by Elizabeth Peters (Chirp Audiobook, $3.99)

• The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen (BookBub, $2.99; Audiobook Add-On, $1.99)
• The Down Deep by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook Add-On, $7.49)

What was your week like?