ARC Review: Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima

Fighting Edge
Author: Margaret Mizushima
Series: Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries (Book 11)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 8, 2026)

Description: Major crimes intersect in this nail-biting installment of the Timber Creek K-9 mysteries by award-winning author Margaret Mizushima.

A routine welfare check becomes a nightmare when Deputy Mattie Walker finds a young mother dead and a hysterical toddler, possibly the only witness to a brutal crime. Before the investigative team can start piecing together what happened, Mattie discovers another criminal act in Timber Creek.

During a traffic stop for speeding, Mattie observes a nervous driver and a teenage passenger frozen with fear. A quick sweep of the car with her K-9 partner, Robo, reveals a dangerous mix of drugs and suspected human trafficking, providing Mattie with grounds to arrest the driver. After she places the teenager in protective custody, the sheriff’s department hands the case over to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

As the team gathers evidence and information, Mattie’s husband, veterinarian Cole Walker, notices suspicious activity during ambulatory calls at dog kennels, indicating yet a third crime lurking in the shadows. What begins as isolated incidents quickly reveals a chilling truth: Organized crime has infiltrated their rural mountain community.

Every clue leads to more questions, and each answer brings them closer to greater danger. Do Mattie and her law enforcement partners have what it takes to shut down this criminal ring before it claims more victims? And could its next victim be someone Mattie loves?

My Thoughts: Deputy Mattie Walker and her dog Robo are called to do a welfare check and find a young mother dead on her couch with her two-year-old Emma crying in her crib. With drug paraphernalia left in the house the cause of death looks clear but still suspicious. And it seems Emma saw her mother's death but can't speak clearly enough to tell the police what happened. 

Meanwhile, veterinarian Cole Walker is seeing a new patient at his clinic. He's doing a pre-purchase check of a rottweiler that Bret Beaty is interested in purchasing for breeding. He and his family are still getting over an attack in which he and his teenage daughter were held at gunpoint in his clinic.

Then Mattie makes a routine traffic stop and encounters what looks like a trafficking situation to her. Robo uncovers a cache of drugs in the car's spare tire which gives her a reason to arrest the driver and retain the scared teen who is with him. 

The young mother had been a victim of trafficking until she managed to escape and start a new life in Colorado. Now, it looks like her past has caught up with her and trafficking is finding its way to small town Colorado.

This was another exciting episode in the Timber Creek K-9 mysteries. I love the relationship between Mattie and her K-9 Robo. I also like her growing closeness with her new husband Cole and Cole's two daughters. 

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

ARC Review: Those Who Are Gone by Laurie R. King

Those Who Are Gone
Author: Laurie R. King
Series: Raquel Laing (Book 2)
Publication: Bantam (September 8, 2026)

Description: Cold-case detective Raquel Laing faces new threats and long-buried secrets in this gripping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series.

SFPD Homicide Inspector Raquel Laing had what might politely be termed a “difficult childhood,” until she was taken in by a loving family at the age of nine. She still lives with her adoptive sister, Dee, an online investigator for organizations all over the world.

Trouble arrives with an all-too-common case for Inspector Laing: the homicide of a drug dealer in a deserted corner of San Francisco. But the everyday rapidly spirals into complications—just as a simple search into the family’s ancestry is throwing Dee into her own world of turmoil.

Raquel’s case blows up far too close to home, thanks in part to the illicit shortcuts she took in the investigation, and while her unique skills are too valuable for the SFPD to suspend her entirely, she is removed from Homicide and put onto the Cold Case Unit.

On the one hand, Cold Case lets her work with her friend and mentor, Al Hawkin. On the other, it leaves her free to look at some disturbing facts about her past—and at the devastating news that Dee has uncovered in her own search for the truth.

Cold cases heat up, the distant past intrudes, and two sisters begin to suspect that they are tied together in ways they never imagined—ways that threaten attention from a powerful and vicious international cartel.

Because the truth is, those who are gone . . . have never truly left.

My Thoughts: The second Raquel Liang mystery brings Raquel's work home. While recovering from being shot, Raquel is working on cold cases with her mentor Al. The case she is assigned is a drive-by shooting in 1997. The two men were associates of her father who was also murdered in 1997. She is also working on a current homicide. Gilbert Gallegos was gunned down in an abandoned parking lot, and a video has shown up on YouTube of the killing. 

Raquel is good at seeing connections, but maybe this time she's too good. She sees a connection between Gallegos death and the death of her father. Both were killed the same way. Both were involved in the drug trade. And the guns used in the shootings were used in a number of other murders of people associated with the drug trade. 

While Raquel is working on her two cases, her sister Dee is doing some research of her own. She's sent her DNA to one of those online sites and the results throw her. She learns that Emma and Tom Liang were not her birth parents, that she, like Raquel was adopted. This hits her hard and her first reaction is anger at the Liangs for never telling her about the adoption. She also learns that she might be related to Delores Ortega and have other Ortega relatives. She begins trying to track down Delores and other family members and runs into roadblocks after roadblocks. 

While Raquel is helping Dee, she sees another possible connection. Dee's past might be connected to her two cases. 

There is a hidden actor who is also a viewpoint character who is connected to it all. But can Raquel unravel it all in time to save lives? Raquel is an intriguing character. She's neurodivergent and some the skills she uses as a homicide detective are those she honed as a foster child in some really bad homes. 

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

ARC Review: The Chase by Felix Francis

The Chase
Author: Felix Francis
Series: A Dick Francis Novel
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 8, 2026)

Description: When an art dealer's misfortunes start to look premeditated, he uncovers a conspiracy that he'll stop at nothing to expose in the next Dick Francis novel—perfect for fans of Harlan Coben.

Forty-nine-year-old Fabian Tulley is only trying to run his own art gallery in London’s Mayfair in peace. But someone seems determined to ruin his life. Accused of selling a fake Alfred Munnings painting, he is unable to prove his innocence because the police are holding the piece as evidence. While running a retail sale at Cheltenham Racecourse, some of his other paintings are vandalized. Then a couple of men try to run him down in the racecourse parking lot.

To make matters even worse, his clients are being threatened to stay away from his gallery, and his landlords are trying to cancel his lease. Everything is against him, but with someone threatening his life’s work, Fabian is determined to fight back.

And what a fight it turns out to be.

My Thoughts: Fabian Tulley is an art dealer who specializes in pictures of horses. When he is accused of selling a forgery of an Alfred Munning painting, he needs to prove it is not a fake to clear his reputation. But being accused of selling forgeries is just the beginning of Fabian's problems. 

Jack Lofthouse, the man who bought the painting he is now claiming is a fake, is a bully determined to ruin Fabian. The reason isn't at all clear as to why he has set this as a goal. But he is very persistent. He arranges for Fabian's display of art at a horse racing event to be vandalized. He arranges not one but two different attempts at killing Fabian by use of a motor vehicle and he sets men to attack Fabian.

And while all this is going on, his landlords have given him notice to vacate his business address so that the site can be redeveloped. They are offering a pittance which isn't enough for Fabian to pay his workers or relocate his business. And to make things worse, someone has hijacked his email customer list and sent a message telling everyone to avoid his gallery or else. 

As Fabian tries to unravel what is going on he does have some allies. A client who happens to be a retired lawyer wants to look over his lease and an old friend and potential new girlfriend provides shelter and other assistance.

This is a throwback to an old Dick Francis style story. An ordinary man through intelligence, stubbornness and decency manages to figure things out and triumph over evil. It was a very enjoyable story.

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

State of the Stack (August 31, 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. Fighting Edge by Margaret Mizushima (September 2)
2. Fury in Death by J. D. Robb (September 3)
3. The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle (September 3)
4. A Field Guide to Death and Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen (September 8)
5. A Deadly Entanglement by Cathy Pegau (September 9)
6. I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (September 10)
7. Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (September 15)
8. The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (September 22)
9. The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (September 22)
10. The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 24)
11. Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (September 24)

DNF

1.  

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Murder in Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (August 4)
2. Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (August 5)
3. The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloan (August 6)
4. Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (August 6)
5. Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (August 11)
6. For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (August 13)
7. The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber (August 18)
8. The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies by Kate Westbury (August 25)
9. Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (August 27)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (September 29)
2. The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (October 20)
3. The Trial of Magdelena Overmorrow by Caitriona Moran (November 3)
4. Cry of the Rain Crow by Laurie L. Dove (December 8)
5. A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5)
6. The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (January 19)
7. Last Mission to Paris by Susan Elia MacNeal (January 19)
8. The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 26)
9. A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (February 2)
10. Murder Most Cryptic by Alys Cummings (February 16)
11. Peril in the Night by Katharine Schellman (March 23)

All TBR Review Books

September

• Cursed City by Kate Golden (September 29)
• The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (September 29)

October

• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6)
• Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams (October 6)

• Please Enjoy Your Stay by Tara Goedjen (October 13)
• Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (October 13)
• Jay to the World by Donna Andrews (October 13)

• Home for the Homicides by Elle Cosimano & Hannah Morrissey (October 13)
• Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks (October 13)
• The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blake (October 20)

• The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (October 20)
• Joy to the Bones by Carolyn Haines (October 27)
• The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton (October 27)

• Murder at Pellhurst Pond by Clara McKenna (October 27)
• Murder in the Upper Crust by Mindy Quigley (October 27)

November

• A Glimmer of Death by Laurell K. Hamilton (November 3)
• Midnight in the House of Commons by Charles Finch (November 3)
• Sunflower Season by Danica Nava (November 3)

• The Trial of Magdalena Overmorrow by Catriona Moran (November 3)
• Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver (November 10)
• Murder of a Merry Gentleman by Celeste Connally (November 10)

• You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry (November 10)
• Fall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor (November 10)
• Bad Company by Sarah Paretsky (November 10)

• Thunderbird Ranch by Laura Griffin (November 10)
• The Riddle Maker by Bruce Borgos (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)

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

January 

• A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (January 5)
• Roundabout by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart (January 19)
• The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (January 19)

• Last Mission to Paris by Susan Elia MacNeal (January 19)
• Scream City by Hannah Morrissey (January 26)
• The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (January 26)

February 

• A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (February 2)
• Murder Most Cryptic by Alys Cummings (February 16)

March

• Tell Me What You See by Samantha Jayne Allen (March 2)
• Peril in the Night by Katharien Schellman (March 23)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 31, 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 mixed week. Weather cycled from warm and sunny to cool and rainy. My dentist appointment turned weird when I swallowed my new crown. Now, I have to wait until they make it again and reschedule my appointment. In my defense, I was gagging and my dentist dropped the crown onto my tongue. 

My visit with my friend went well. We are going to call these visits "bookcations" because we both get lots of reading done. We finished the last two audiobooks in The Others series and have to look for something different to read on her next visit. We also went out to eat and did a lot of talking. She told me about her newest thing. She creates blind date with a book packages with books she wants to get rid of and sells them at local farmer's markets and craft fairs. She also showed me some cute bees that she's crocheting for craft fairs too. 

I did manage to read three of my September 29 review copies early in the week and started the last two of that group. Cursed City is 528 pages long; I've been reading 10% or so and then switching to another book for some variety. I put them on hold while my friend is here so that we can listen together. Since I didn't add any review copies this week, the stack now numbers 41.

I hope to finish the rest of September's books this week since I'll be doing my State of the Stack post. I also need to set up LibraryThing for September by adding a September collection. And I need to do some spreadsheet things for my monthly report. The way my calendar fell out this month my State of the Stack post will go live on Monday which is only the 31st, but I already have two posted scheduled for September 1.

Read Last Week

• The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 29) -- Fourth in the Matthew Venn mystery series. My review will be posted on September 22. 
• The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (Review, September 29) -- New entry to the Truly Devious YA mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.
• Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 29) -- New entry in the Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series. My review will be posted on September 24.

• Desperation in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)
• Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)
• Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)

Currently

• Encore in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread)
• The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (Review, September 29)
• Cursed City by Kate Golden (Review, September 29)

Next Week

• The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver (Audiobook, Mine since June 14)
• The Fey Duology by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, Mine since July 1)
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 30)

• Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick (Audiobook, Mine since August 19)
• Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (Review, October 6)
• Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams (Review, October 6)

Reviews Posted

• Death of an Irish Druid by Catie Murphy (Audiobook)
• Dark Summer by Iris Johansen (Audiobook)
• The Oxford Guide to Scandal & Lies by Kate Westbury (Review copy)

• Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (Review copy)
• The Long Call by Ann Cleeves (Audiobook)
• The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg (Audiobook)

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

Review:

Bought:

• The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan (Kindle)
• The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg

The Shattered King
Author: Charlie N. Holmberg

Narrator: Natalie Naudus
Series: The Shattered King (Book 1)
Publication: 47 North (September 2, 2026); Brilliance Audio (September 2, 2025)

Length: 10 hours and 51 minutes

Description: A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the war front. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can

But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is like nothing Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment—only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness—even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him.

My Thoughts: Nym is a healer and beekeeper in a small town far from the capital city, She's the sole support of her family of seven now that her brother has been conscripted into the king's army. When she is conscripted and sent to the capital to heal the ailing Prince Renn, she's determined to fail so that she can be sent home quickly. 

However, Prince Renn's shattered lumis might be beyond her ability to heal. She thinks of it as a shattered crystal chandelier with its pieces scattered everywhere. She manages to glue a couple of shards together which causes Renn to be able to move his foot. His mother, the queen, is hopeful and demanding of Nym. She forces her to work on Renn without rest or food or any care until she finally collapses.

Her collapse brings home to Renn just how hard she is working and lets him see her as a person for the first time. He begins to make things better for her despite his mother's impatience. As Nym works on Renn, the two become friends and even fall in love hopeless as that might be. A peasant and an heir to the throne can have no future. 

And while Nym is working on Renn and making gradual improvements to his health, war is brewing in the kingdom. But for some reason unknown to Nym, many of her repairs aren't holding with Renn and he still suffers major setbacks to his regaining of his full health. 

Then the neighboring kingdom invades...

This was an engaging epic fantasy romance. I liked the worldbuilding and the magical system. Both Nym and Renn were complex people.

I got the Kindle copy from Amazon Prime Reading and added on the audiobook July 21.. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Dark Summer by Iris Johansen

Dark Summer
Author: Iris Johansen
Narrator: Joyce Bean
Publication: Brilliance Audio (October 21, 2008)
Length: 11 hours and 38 minutes

Description: Devon Brady is a devoted veterinarian working in a makeshift hospital at an island search and rescue site. When Jude Marrok arrives with his wounded black lab Ned, she has no idea that she is about to be plunged into a whirlwind of terror, destruction, and unstoppable passion.

The last thing Devon needs is to be drawn into Marrok's high-stakes game. And while she feels increasingly drawn to him and his extraordinary dog, she doesn't trust him. Then the bullets start flying and she has nowhere else to run. The body counts gets higher while a mortal mystery swirls around a pack of gifted canines called the "Dogs of Summer."

Is Jude her salvation or her damnation? Are the secrets he's protecting worth killing...or dying for? With lighting-fast pace, unforgettable characters, gut-wrenching action, and sizzling sensuality, is compelling new terrain for this master storyteller.

My Thoughts: Devon Brady is a veterinarian and a member of search and rescue teams. She's volunteering on an island near Venezuela when Jude Marrok arrives with his injured black lab Ned. he leaves Ned with her to treat and says he'll pick him up at her home near Denver. Devon doesn't know what to make of the pair. She loves the dog but wonders if the man is worthy of keeping him.

She returns to Denver and her practice there briefly before Jude calls telling her to take Ned and get out of the office. Jude's enemies have caught up to them and want Ned and are willing to kill anyone who gets in their way. Jude arrives in time to save Devon and Ned, but Devon's staff are murdered.

Jude takes Devon to his ranch to keep her safe. He is intrigued by her but is very slow to share his secrets with her. Ned and three other dogs and all targets for a variety of enemies who want to use them. The dogs have incredibly long life spans and seem to have the ability to heal. Jude will do anything to keep the dogs safe. 

The enemies are gathering while Jude and Devon are falling in love. And some of the enemies are right inside his compound. The story is filled with tension and danger for Devon, Jude and the dogs. The action is fast-paced, and the paranormal twist just adds to the story. 

This classis Johansen - first published in 2008 - was a great romantic suspense title with enough of the paranormal to add zest. 

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