ARC Review: The Midnight Taxi by Yoshi Gunasekera

The Midnight Taxi
Author: Yoshi Gunasekera
Publication: Berkley (February 10, 2026)

Description: When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera.

Siriwathi Perera doesn’t quite know where she’s going in life. She never expected to be a taxicab driver in New York City, struggling to make ends meet and still living with her parents at twenty-eight. The true-crime podcasts that keep Siri company as she drives don’t do much to make up for the legal career she imagined for herself, or the brother she’s grieving.

When public defender Amaya Fernando gets into her cab, they make a quick connection through their shared Sri Lankan roots. Siri, whose social circle is limited to her grade-school best friend, Alex, thinks things might finally be looking up with this new potential friendship. But she’s suddenly dropped into her own true crime when she discovers her next passenger murdered in the backseat, and she has to call Amaya sooner than she’d expected.

Pinned as the obvious and only suspect, and desperate to clear her name, Siri chases down leads across the boroughs of New York City with Amaya’s help. But with her court date looming, they have just five days to find out who really killed the midnight passenger—or Siri’s life will be over before she can even truly live it.

My Thoughts: Siriwathi Perera is a cab driver in New York City. While she knows the city well, she doesn't know where she is going in her life. She's twenty-eight, lives at home with her parents, and is grieving the death of her older brother and the death of her dreams of law school. 

When one of her fares winds up dead with a knife in his heart when she goes to drop him off at the airport, her life changes dramatically. Luckily, one of her earlier fares is a public defender and fellow Sri Lankan. She's the one Siri calls when she discovers the body.

Siri listens to true crime while driving but never expected to see the justice system from the inside. She's bailed out by her best friend from her days at an exclusive private school. Now she and her attorney have just six days before the grand jury meets to find out who murdered the man in the cab's backseat.

I enjoyed the setting of this one. I liked Siri who is still trying to find herself and build a life after her beloved brother's death. She's smart and observant and very determined to stay out of jail. I liked the glimpse into Sri Lankan culture and also the glimpse into life in New York City. 

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

Book Review: One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner

One Step Too Far
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Frankie Elkin (Book 2)
Publication: Dutton (January 18, 2022)

Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a chilling thriller about a young man gone missing in the wilderness of Wyoming . . . and the secrets uncovered by the desperate effort to find him

Timothy O’Day knew the woods. Yet when he disappeared on the first night of a bachelor party camping trip with his best friends in the world, he didn’t leave a trace. What he did leave behind were two heartbroken parents, a crew of guilt-ridden groomsmen, and a pile of clues that don’t add up.

Frankie Elkin doesn’t know the woods, but she knows how to find people. So when she reads that Timothy’s father is organizing one last search, she heads to Wyoming. Despite the rescue team’s reluctance, she joins them. But as they hike into the mountains, it becomes clear that there’s something dangerous at work in the woods . . . or someone who is willing to do anything to stop them from going any farther.

Running out of time and up against the worst man and nature have to offer, Frankie and the search party will discover what evil awaits those who go one step too far . . .

My Thoughts: Frankie Elkin's second adventure takes her to a wilderness area to search for a young man who disappeared from a camping trip celebrating his upcoming marriage. Three of his groomsmen managed to stumble out of the woods and the fourth was soon located, but Timothy O'Day was never found. 

Despite his father's annual search for Tim or his remains, no trace had ever been found. Frankie comes to town as the fifth and final search is getting started. Despite a lack of experience hiking in the wilderness, Frankie manages to insinuate herself onto the team. She takes the place of the fourth groomsman who is hospitalized as a result of his alcoholism. The other members of the group are the father of the groom, three remaining groomsmen, a local guide, a Bigfoot hunter with lots of wilderness experience, and a woman and her cadaver dog Daisy.

No sooner than they get to their base camp after a harrowing hike than things start to go wrong. One of the groomsmen is lured from his tent and the rest scatter to find him. When they return to the camp, they learn that most of their food is missing with no indication that animals took it. 

The father refuses to give up the search. He has promised his dying wife that he will return her son to her before she dies. When they begin exploring an area with caves and crevices, they are shot at and one of the groomsmen is bashed on the head with a rock. 

The group begins arguing about what to do and ends up splitting up with the ablest hikers heading back to get help. The group is further split up when the father demands that he be allowed to search the cave area again. All the while, Frankie is talking to people and doing what she can to learn more about Tim and about what happened on the first fateful camping trip. 

The story is packed with adventure. The descriptions of the hikes and their flight from a well-armed enemy are chilling. Only my knowledge that there are books three and four in the series, gave me any hope that Frankie would survive both the attacker and the wilderness. 

This was an edge of the seat thriller. I really, really enjoyed it and loved learning more about Frankie and why she lives the life she does. 

I bought this one July 8, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz

Antihero
Author: Gregg Hurwitz
Series: Orphan X (Book 11)
Publication: Minotaur Books (February 10, 2026)

Description: In the next book in this New York Times best-selling series, Evan Smoak takes on his most complex mission yet―one where he not only has to protect but also avenge, and find a way to balance vengeance with mercy.

Once a black ops assassin for the government known as Orphan X, Evan Smoak broke with the program and went deep underground, using his operational rules and skills to help the truly desperate with nowhere else to turn.

When Luke Devine, one of the most powerful men in the world, has a psychological crisis, Evan flies to the East Coast to help him. While there, he learns of a young woman who was kidnapped off the New York City subway, clearly in danger and in need of aid. With no name and few clues, Evan and his team track down the missing woman, who was assaulted and abandoned. Evan offers his help―and sets out finding the young men responsible. But the woman insists that Evan abandon his usual methods―no vengeance and, in particular, no killing. Which will prove no easy feat given the mounting incoming threats from all sides. In a mission that takes Evan from coast to coast, from the poorest corners of society to the richest, Orphan X must figure out a way to protect the innocent, avenge the victimized, and balance justice with a measure of mercy.

My Thoughts: This is the eleventh book in the Orphan X series. Evan finds himself involved in the case of a young woman grabbed from the subway, raped and taped for international consumption. After he locates her, he offers his help. But the young woman has some demands. She demands that he not kill the perpetrators of her abuse. This is counter to Evan's usual way of dealing with problems. 

However, he and his colleagues begin the hunt for the perpetrators using all of his resources and many of the people he has met on earlier adventures. Along the way he deals with his own attitudes and relationships. 

I enjoyed this story despite the fact that I haven't read any of the earlier adventures except the first. The writing style took a little time for me to get into the rhythm of the story. I would imagine that people who were caught up on the series would see lots of nuances that I missed and would recognize characters as they appeared. 

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

ARC Review: Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin
Author: Nancy Springer
Series: The New Adventures of Enola Holmes (Book 4)
Publication: Wednesday Books (February 10. 2026)

Description: Enola Holmes―international bestselling and Netflix streaming sensation―returns when the rescue of a young woman sends her into battle with her brother Sherlock against his most deadly, implacable enemy - Professor Moriarty.

In February 1891, London, Enola Holmes―the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes―is attending a burial when she hears the faint sound of a handbell in the graveyard. It is not in Enola’s nature to ignore such oddities, no matter the occasion and when she investigates further, as is the Holmes' family instinct, she discovers something absolutely chilling. The ringing bell is attached to the tombstone erected over a recent gravesite and someone, buried within, is pulling the string to ring the alarm.

Galvanized into action, Enola and her companions swiftly and successfully unearth the coffin within, freeing a still-living young woman, one Trevina Trairom. Enola, by predilection and by trade a Scientific Perditorian, a finder of lost things, finds herself comforting and protecting this young girl. The girl herself is a mystery – she remembers very little, including her identity, and has no idea who has buried her alive, much less why. While protecting this mysterious girl from an enigmatic enemy, she discovers that Sherlock is engaged in a related mystery. Enola joins Sherlock in his battle against the scourge of London, the Napoleon of Crime himself, Professor Moriarty. Facing her most brutal foe ever, determined to protect and unravel the secrets surrounding the mysterious Trevina, Enola takes her place more fully than ever as a proud member of the Holmes family.

My Thoughts: Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of Mycroft and Sherlock, begins her next mystery in a graveyard. She's there to bury her landlady when she hears a ringing bell and discovers that the occupant of the grave is not dead. Enola discovers a young woman whose name is Trevina. 

Trevina doesn't remember much more than her name at first leaving Enola to determine who she is and who buried her alive. Enola's investigations lead her into one of Sherlock's most difficult cases when she learns that her young rescue is the niece of the dreaded Professor Robert Moriarty. 

Enola finds herself up against Moriarty's very dangerous henchmen as she tries to solve her mystery. I enjoyed the Victorian setting and Victorian attitudes in this engaging historical mystery. I liked Enola's first person account of her investigation and adventures. 

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

ARC Review: Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan

Maybe This Once
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Series: Rock Bottom Love (Book 3)
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (February 10, 2026)

Description: From the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan, comes a small-town, opposites-attract romance about two people who end up with more feelings than they bargained for after pursuing a summer fling.

Tired of living in the shadow of her famous parents, Charlotte Ashford gladly left behind a life of glitz and glamour to pursue her true passion: becoming a counselor. However, when a viral video upends Charlie’s plans, she wonders if the real key to discovering herself is through her late father.

Grayson Keller has finally settled in one place, surrounded by family, and secure in his business. By his third summer as owner, Get Lost Lodge is thriving. Whatever happens, Grayson is perfectly content with his quiet life and careful heart. That is, until he meets Charlie, whom he can’t seem to get out of his head.

On the surface, Charlie and Grayson have nothing in common, but they can’t fight their attraction to each other. They’ve both been hurt before, and they’re not looking for anything serious. The solution is easy: they’ll date, have some fun, and walk away unscathed. Right? Or, maybe this once, they can see past the hurt to what, or who, is on the other side waiting for them.

My Thoughts: Charlotte Ashford is on the run from scandal and winds up with her great uncle in Northern Michigan. She's lost her dream job as a play therapist before it has even begun. Grayson Keller has built a new life for himself as the owner of Get Lost Lodge after a bitter divorce. Neither is looking for a new relationship. 

Charlie and Gray's romance is a slow building one. Neither is eager for more heartbreak in their lives. And Charlie is only in the area for a while. She's taken a job as a college professor while she finds out what she wants for the rest of her life. 

This is the third book in a series and the characters from the first two books have major roles in this one. Their romances are sort of settled with marriages coming soon. There is a strong bond between Gray and his brother and sister. They are a welcoming blended family who have taken Charlie's great-uncle in as a family member and are welcoming to Charlie too. 

But Charlie's troubles seem to be following her to the Get Lost Lodge when an ex-boyfriend who wants to use her celebrity to advance his own career and a producer who wants to center a reality TV show around either Charlie and her ex or Get Lost Lodge arrive to plead their cases. 

This was an engaging story about two people who have been battered by events in their lives but who are willing to take another chance at love and the lives they want to have. I enjoyed the characters and the setting. 

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? (February 2, 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...

This was a nice quiet end of January week. The temperatures which had been very cold moderated late in the week when we actually had a high temperature of 9 degrees on the 30th. Low temperatures were all below zero with Tuesday's -20 being the lowest. 

This week is supposed to be warmer. It's 17 with light snow right now on Sunday morning. The coming week's forecast shows only one low temperature below zero with the highs ranging from 17 to 33. There isn't any significant snow in the forecast. In fact, the days are supposed to be sunny or partly sunny which will be good for making solar power if today's snow doesn't cover too many of the solar panels. 

I have a friend coming to visit late in the week. She'll be here from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing her since it has been a while. Keeping up on Facebook is nice, but a real face-to-face visit is better. 

My plan this week is to concentrate on review copies. I would like to finish the February releases before my friend arrives. This should be doable since I'm caught up on the Liaden Universe read along for a while. I'm finding reading the books in the order they were written to be a little jarring. When I read the series which I do pretty often, I always choose to read the books according to internal chronology and usually, if I skip around, I read according to story arcs within the series. Next in line for the read along is Balance of Trade which is the first Jethri book. I may skip that one since I reread the Jethri arc last August. 

Tomorrow is a double points day at Amazon. I have two books on my "Books I'm Waiting For" list that I plan to purchase. I also have enough points to get a $3 discount on one of them. And then there is the Gift Card burning a hole in my pocket. The rest of that list hasn't been published yet. Most of them are auto-buys that I don't want to forget about like the latest J. D. Robb or the latest Kendra Elliot. 

January Report

I read 40 books in January. Twenty-eight of the books were mine. Twelve were review copies. I listened to 24 audiobooks over the course of 302 hours in January. Most of the audiobooks were among the 21 rereads in January. I also read seven books from my TBR mountain. 

I added 35 books to my collection in January. Twenty-six of them were review copies. I also added three Kindle copies and 5 Kindle/Audible Add-Ons copies. Since I have a Gift Card from Christmas, I didn't pay for any of the Kindle copies. I did pay for the Audible Add-Ons, but the highest priced one was $5.60. I spent somewhere around $27 for all five. That might be a low spending record for me.

Only 5 of my new additions are on my TBR mountain and all of them are on my reading calendar. I may not be lowering TBR mountain very much, but I am keeping up with 2026 purchases. TBR mountain totals 2689 on this First of February. 

I published my State of the Stack post today. I read twelve review books but added 26 to my collection. I have 53 unread review copies with release dates from late February to mid-August. Another publisher has been added to those who offer me review copies. Besides Crooked Lane, St. Martin's, and Berkley, Atria now seems to have me on its radar. 

Read Last Week

• First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (Review, February 17) -- Latest in the Haven's Rock series has Casey and Eric dealing with a variety of problematic neighbors. My review will be posted on February 11. 
• When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, Mine since December 3, 2025) -- First in the Sons of Anson Salinas romantic suspense trilogy. My review will be posted on February 24.
• Plan B by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook Reread)

• Local Custom by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook Reread)
• Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove (Review, February 17) -- Debut mystery with ghosts. Enjoyable characters and interesting setting. My review will be posted on February 12.
• Scout's Progress by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook Reread)

• I Dare by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook Reread)
• The Edge by Dick Francis (Kindle, mine since January 1, 2026) -- A classic Dick Francis about an investigator for the Jockey Club and a transcontinental Canadian train trip. My review will be posted on February 13.
• Beast Business by Ilona Andrews (Kindle, mine since January 30, 2026) -- Hidden Legacy 6.5 contains novellas and short stories. Most of them feature Arabella who is the youngest Baylor daughter. 

Currently

• Kindred in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander (Review, February 24)

Next Week

• Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (February 24)
• The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston (February 24)
• The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly (February 24)

• How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson (February 24)
• The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy (February 24)
• A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn (March 3)

Reviews Posted

• Hidden Talents by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Lost & Found by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Terns of Endearment by Donna Andrews (Audiobook)

• Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb (Review copy)
• Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell (Review copy)
• The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (Audiobook)

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

Review:

• The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D. Brinkworth (March 10)
• Blood Trail by Matt Query & Harrison Query (April 7)

• Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (June 16)
• Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (July 14)
• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (July 14)

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

Bought:

• Untouchable by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook Add-On, $5.45)
• Beast Business by Ilona Andrew (Kindle, Gift Card)

What was your week like?

State of the Stack #173 (February 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. A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen (January 20)
2. Tell-Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow (January 21)
3. Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh (January 22)
4. Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb (January 27)
5. Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell (January 28)
6. Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan (February 3)
7. Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer (February 3)
8. Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz (February 4)
9. The Midnight Taxi by Yoshi Gunasekera (February 5)
10. Half City by Kate Golden (February 10)
11. First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (February 11)
12. Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove (February 12)

DNF

1. Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson (February 10)

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz (December 30)
2. Wildwood by Amy Pease (December 31)
3. The Storm by Rachel Hawkins (January 1)
4. Axe and Grind by Taylor Hutton (January 1)
5. Wreck Your Heart by Lori Rader-Day (January 3)
6. A Deadly Clue by Victoria Gilbert (January 6)
7. The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura (January 6)
8. The Bookbinder's Secret by A. D. Bell (January 7)
9. Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart (January 8)
10. Inside Man by John McMahon (January 8)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (March 10)
2. The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D. Brinkworth (March 10)
3. Missing by E. A. Jackson (March 17)
4. The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle by C. L. Miller (March 17)
5. The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly (March 31)
6. Family Lies by Karen Rose (March 31)
7. Blood Trail by Matt Query & Harrison Query (April 7)
8. How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin (April 28)
9. Mrs. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jessie Q. Sutanto (April 28)
10. Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon (May 5)
11. The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (May 12)
12. The Final Target by Nora Roberts (May 26)
13. The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis (June 16)
14. Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (June 16)
15. A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher (June 23)
16. Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan (June 23)
17. The Neighbors Are Watching by Aggie Blum Thompson (June 30)
18. Dead Men Don't Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (July 7)
19. The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen (July 7)
20. Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (July 14)
21. The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (July 14)
22. Fossil Feud by Maggie North (July 28)
23. Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard (July 28)
24. Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (July 28)
25. Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 11)
26. For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 18)

All TBR Review Books

February

• The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander (February 24)
• The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy (February 24)
• How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson (February 24)

• The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly (February 24)
• The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston (February 24)
• Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (February 24)

March

• A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn (March 3)
• The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D. Brinkworth (March 10)
• A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (March 10)

• Magic & Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett (March 10)
• Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey (March 10)
• The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle by C. L. Miller (March 17)

• Missing by E. A. Jackson (March 17)
• The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner (March 17)
• Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips (March 17)

• You Did Nothing Wrong by CG Drews (March 17)
• The Survivor by Andrew Reid (March 24)
• Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict (March 24)

• Family Lies by Karen Rose (March 31)
• The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly (March 31)
• The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst (March 31)

April

• Blood Trail by Matt Query & Harrison Query (April 7)
• The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer (April 7)
• The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (April 7)

• Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn (April 14)
• The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown (April 14)
• Liar's Creek by Matt Goldman (April 21)

• Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan (April 21)
• Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto (April 28)
• How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin (April 28)

May

• A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon (May 5)
• The Anniversary by Alex Finlay (May 12)

• The Cupid Dilemma by April Asher (May 12)
• An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (May 19)
• The Final Target by Nora Roberts (May 26)

• Ode to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (May 26)
• Storm Warning by James Byrne (May 26)

June

• Beach Thriller by Jamie Day (June 9)
• Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (June 16)

• The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis (June 16)
• Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan (June 23)
• A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray (June 23)

• The Neighbors Are Watching by Aggie Blum Thompson (June 30)
• Storm Tide by Paul Doiron (June 30)

July

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

• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (July 14)
• Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (July 14)
• Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (July 28)

• Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard (July 28)
• Fossil Feud by Maggie North (July 28)

August

• Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 11)
• For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 18)