Audiobook Review: Death of an Irish Mummy by Catie Murphy

Death of an Irish Mummy
Author: Catie Murphy
Narrator: Ruth Urquhart
Series: Dublin Driver Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: Tantor Media (August 17, 2021)
Length: 7 hours and 3 minutes

Description: Squiring a self-proclaimed heiress around Dublin has got limo driver Megan Malone's Irish up until she finds the woman dead....

American-born Cherise Williams believes herself to be heir to an old Irish earldom, and she's come to Dublin to claim her heritage. Under the circumstances, Megan's boss Olga at Leprechaun Limos has no qualms about overcharging the brash Texas transplant for their services. Megan chauffeurs Cherise to the ancient St. Michan's Church, where the woman intends to get a wee little DNA sample from the mummified earls - much to the horror of the priest.

But before she can desecrate the dead, Cherise Williams is murdered - just as her three daughters arrive to also claim their birthright. With rumors of famine-era treasure on the lands owned by the old Williams family and the promise of riches for the heirs, greed seems a likely motive. But when Olga surprisingly becomes the Garda's prime suspect, Megan attempts to steer the investigation away from her boss and solve the murder with the help of the dashing Detective Bourke. With a killer who's not wrapped too tight, she'll need to proceed with caution - or she could go from driving a limo to riding in a hearse....

My Thoughts: The third Dublin Driver mystery has Megan Malone driving a self-proclaimed heiress to an earldom named Cherise Williams around Ireland as she tries to get a DNA sample from the deceased earl to prove her right to the inheritance. When Megan finds her client dead, her boss Orla's first thought is to fire Megan and kick her out of her apartment. 

Orla had been content to overcharge the brash Texan but doesn't want the bad publicity Megan's finding of her third corpse will bring to Leprechaun Limos. When the deceased's three bickering daughters arrive from Texas and demand Megan as a chauffeur, Orla has to retreat from her position at least temporarily.

Megan and the three Williams girls are determined to fulfill their mother's last wishes. Someone killed Cherise apparently to keep her from inheriting what looks like an empty title. They all want to know why and who.

I enjoyed this mystery. I like Megan who's an ex-pat from Texas making a new life for herself after twenty years in the military. She's settling into Ireland and happy in her job except when bodies keep turning up. 

I bought this one April 8. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton

A Terrible Fall of Angels
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Narrator: Holter Graham
Series: Zaniel Havelock (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (August 17, 2021); Penguin Audio (August 17, 2021)

Length: 12 hours and 9 minutes

Description: Angels walk among us, but so do other unearthly beings in this brand new series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton.

Meet Detective Zaniel Havelock, a man with the special ability to communicate directly with angels. A former trained Angel speaker, he devoted his life to serving both the celestial beings and his fellow humans with his gift, but a terrible betrayal compelled him to leave that life behind. Now he’s a cop who is still working on the side of angels. But where there are angels, there are also demons. There’s no question that there’s evil at work when he’s called in to examine the murder scene of a college student—but is it just the evil that one human being can do to another, or is it something more? When demonic possession is a possibility, even angelic protection can only go so far. The race is on to stop a killer before he finds his next victim, as Zaniel is forced to confront his own very personal demons, and the past he never truly left behind.

The first in a new series from the author of the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series.

My Thoughts: Zaniel Havelock is a police detective who works in the magical crimes division. He's a former angel speaker. His current case takes him to the scene of a brutal rape/murder of a college coed. It is soon clear that the case is about a demon possession, but it is unclear at first whether the young man possessed was willing or unwilling. 

As Zaniel, called Havoc by his colleagues, investigates, he is also dealing with a failing marriage that he really does not want to fail. He wants to fix things up with his schoolteacher wife so that he can return to his home and three-year-old son. He's trying to fit marriage counseling into a life that is already full of this current case. 

I enjoyed meeting Zaniel and wandering in his world. His psychic gifts caused his parents to give him to the College of Angels at the age of seven for his education. He spent time there with his friends Levaniel and Siriel until Levaniel was thrown out of the organization when his mind broke from his interactions with angels. Then Zaniel left, joined the Army and then the police force. 

The world is one in which angels and other beings also live. The College of Angels is very much a Christian organization with a close relationship with angels. It disdains other creeds. Zaniel's life experiences and work colleagues show him that witches and shamans and their guardian spirits are also valid ways of interacting with the supernatural. 

The worldbuilding was intriguing.

I bought this one as a Kindle book March 17, 2026, and as an audiobook May 16, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 15, 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...

Last week included cold and rainy weather and a visit from a friend. Kept indoors by the weather, we had lots of time to chat and continue are listening to Anne Bishop's The Others series. We finished Written in Red, listened to all of Murder of Crows and Vision in Silver, and began Marked in Flesh which will encourage her to come again soon in order to finish the series. 

I finished listening to Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop which I had begun before my friend arrived and also listened to The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews. Now I have only one of the Meg Langslow series to read before I am caught up on the series. The next in the series - Probable Caws - is on my August review stack. 

I did read two more of the July 14 releases from my review stack. Apparently feeling confident about reading review books, I added six more to the stack when they were offered to me this week. I did turn down a couple that didn't appeal or didn't comfortably fit onto my reviewing calendar. 

I realized that I didn't have Kindle copies of two of the Liaden Universe books and added them to my collection. I am rereading that whole series in what started to be chronological order by date written but which has turned out to be a much more random pattern since I've been reading them by internal arcs instead of strictly chronological order. These two very early in the internal chronology stories are ones that I seldom reread. I did read and review the two stories in 2020 when I got the audiobooks. 

I also added the first three books in a historical mystery series centered around Agatha Christie. I had a Kindle copy of the first that I bought in 2025 but added the audiobook and then both Kindle and Audiobook copies for the next two books in the series. I need to stop opening the Chirp daily newsletters or this this series likely wouldn't have come to my mind at all, but the third audiobook was on sale there and sounded like a book I would enjoy. 

Next week I hope to stay closer to what is on my calendar and finish my July 14 review books and start the July 21 releases. For audiobooks, I hope to finish Crystal Soldier and Crystal Dragon in my quest to reread all the Liaden Universe books. I also have the last backlist Meg Langslow mystery to read and will be doing my own Christmas in June thing. 

Read Last Week

• Written in Red by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)
• Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)
• Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread)

• Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread) -- First in the Island of Wyrd series.
• The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews (Audiobook, mine since June 5) -- 27th book in the Meg Langslow humorous mystery series. My review will be posted on July 10.

• Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (Review, July 14) -- First in a new series about a unique detective set in Austin, Texas. My review will be posted on July 7.
• Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter (Review, July 14) -- Traditional urban fantasy set in the Jane Yellowrock universe. My review will be posted on July 7.

Currently

• Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Next in my Liaden Universe reread)
• The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon (Review, July 14)

Next Week

• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (Review, July 14)
• Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (Review, July 14)
• Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Review, July 21)

• Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli (Review, July 21)
• Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman (Review, July 21)
• The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews (Audiobook, Mine since June 5)

Reviews Posted

• Summer in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Miss Amelia's List by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)
• Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd (Review copy)

• Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (Review copy)
• The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis (Review copy)
• Restless Bones by Gillian French (Review copy)

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

Review:

• The Chase by Felix Francis (Review, September 8)
• A Deadly Entanglement by Cathy Pegau (Review, September 15)
• The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton (Review, October 27)

• You, Me, & the Conspiracy by Emma Barry (Review, November 10)
• Fall for a Fairytale by Isabelle Taylor (Review, November 10)
• Meet Me at Midnight by Sophie Sullivan (Review, December 8)

Bought:

• Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, $3.99 after Kindle Rewards)
• Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Kindle, $6.99)

• The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver (Audiobook, $4.93)
• The Case of the Body on the Orient Express by Kelly Oliver (Kindle $4.99 & Audiobook $4.93)
• The Case of the Christie Curse by Kelly Oliver (Kindle $4.99 & Audiobook $4.93)

• And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Kindle, $1.99)
• Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan (Kindle, $2.99)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: Miss Amelia's List by Mercedes Lackey

Miss Amelia's List
Author: Mercedes Lackey

Narrator: Zura Johnson
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 17)
Publication: DAW (December 24, 2024), Tantor Media (February 18, 2025)

Length: 13 hours and 7 minutes

Description: The seventeenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series follows Amelia Stonehold and Serena Meleva as they navigate property acquisition, marriage proposals, and other ancient horrors in Regency England, but with the help of elemental magic

The year is 1815, and an American, Miss Amelia Stonehold, has arrived in the Devon town of Axminster, accompanied by her "cousin" Serena Meleva. She’s brought with her a list to tick off: find a property, investigate the neighbors, bargain for and purchase the property, staff the property and...possibly...find a husband. But Amelia soon finds herself contending with some decidedly off-list trouble, including the Honorable Captain Harold Roughtower, whose eyes are fixed on her fortune. Little does Amelia know that his plans for her wealth extend far beyond refurbishing his own crumbing estate — they include the hidden Roman temple of Glykon, where something very old, very angry, and very dangerous still lurks.

But Roughtower isn’t prepared to reckon with the fact that neither Amelia nor Serena are pushovers. And he certainly isn’t ready for the revelation that he has an Earth Master and a Fire Mage on his hands — or that one of them is a shapeshifter.

My Thoughts: This seventeenth Elemental Masters fantasy takes place in 1815 and stars Amelia Stoneheld and Serena Meleva. They are young Americans from South Carolina who have come to England with a list. They are eager to connect with other elemental masters, find a property for their brother to extend the family business of textiles and dies, and maybe find spouses. 

Amelia is an Earth Master and a channel while Serena is a fire mage and a shapeshifter whose second form is a leopard. They are welcomed by the same family already hosting Amelia's brother James. The are also elemental mages and eager to introduce the two young women into society. 

The girls are rather between classes. While Amelia's father owns substantial land in South Carolina, he is also in trade. This means that they aren't acceptable to the haut ton but there is a large society of tradesmen and another of elemental mages for the girls to enjoy. There are typical young women who enjoy parties and fashion.

They have arrived in England at a very difficult time. Napoleon has escaped and is causing panic in England while running roughshod over Europe. But, even worse, a huge volcanic exposition in the south seas has caused dangerous weather changes. It is the year without a summer and with a very hard winter in the future. A lot of the story has to do with preparing for the upcoming weather changes by gathering supplies and stockpiling winter clothing. 

The girls have been befriended by Lord Alderscroft who is the head of the hunt in England. His patronage should make fulfilling their goals, and checking things off Amelia's list, easier. He's found them a rental property in Axminster to be their base as they try to check off the rest of things on their list. The only bad thing about the move to Axminster is that they will be in close proximity to fortune hunter the Honorable Captain Harold Roughtower and his friend Mr. Phillip Nightsmith whom Amelia overheard making very rude comments about her.

This was an engaging story, but the pacing was odd. All the danger and action seemed to have been packed into the last chapter. After a story that had almost no action, things ramped up very quickly. I like the worldbuilding in this series. I like the way Regency manners combine with hidden magicians and magical creatures. 

I bought this one on Kindle June 16, 2025, and audio on May 12, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Summer in Eclipse Bay by Jayne Ann Krentz

Summer in Eclipse Bay
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Gail Shalan
Series: Eclipse Bay (Book 3)
Publication: Tantor Media (September 5, 2023)
Length: 8 hours and 40 minutes

Description: Summer has arrived in Eclipse Bay and things are definitely heating up between the Hartes and the Madisons. It seems that the mysterious new gallery owner, Octavia Brightwell, is thinking about having a scandalous fling with that rogue Nick Harte before she leaves town. As far as Nick is concerned, a short-term affair sounds perfect. But it isn't going to be easy.

One big obstacle is Mitchell Madison. For reasons of his own, Mitchell has taken it upon himself to play guardian to Octavia. He's made it clear that if Nick fools around with her, there will be a price to pay. And then there's Nick's young son, Carson, who has his own agenda where Octavia is concerned. He doesn't want his father messing up his plans.

Summer in Eclipse Bay is going to be eventful this year. Some long-buried secrets from the infamous Harte-Madison feud are about to surface. The past and the present are on a collision course.

My Thoughts: Nick Harte has come back to Eclipse Bay with his almost six-year-old son Carson. Nick is a successful novelist. In fact, a running joke through the story is that no one in Eclipse Bay admits to reading his books. 

Octavia Brightwell is a newcomer to Eclipse Bay. She has opened a successful art gallery. She also has a hidden agenda. She wants to help resolve the feud between the Madisons and the Hartes. Only she's too late. The Hartes and Madison have found their own resolutions in the romances between the grandchildren. Octavia is planning to sell the gallery and move on.

When she meets Nick, she's intrigued but he has a reputation for having only short-term affairs since his wife's death. Nick is also intrigued by her and more than willing to have an affair although he isn't the one who wants a short-term affair. Rather than giving her "the talk," it is Octavia who sets the ground rules. 

The conflict in the story revolves around a newly discovered and very valuable painting discovered in the estate of a local recluse. It is stolen from Octavia's gallery and the locals are spreading the rumor that she is the one who has stolen it. 

At Octavia's request, Nick channels his fictional detective to find the painting and the source of the local rumors. 

This was a nice romance and a nice conclusion to the Eclipse Bay trilogy. 

I bought this one December 3, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Restless Bones by Gillian French

Restless Bones
Author: Gillian French
Series: A Shaw Connolly Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 16, 2026)

Description: Fingerprint analyst Shaw Connolly grapples with both a new case and the lingering presence of her sister's killer in Gillian French's second compelling Maine thriller.

When a missing woman’s body is discovered in a submerged car one year after her disappearance, Shaw Connolly is called to process the scene. She finds a single print belonging to a long-dead female ex-con; could it be the key to identifying the murderer? As usual, Shaw won't stop looking until she’s dredged up more than a few hidden crimes.

All the while, Shaw’s past won’t let her go. Just as the Connolly family begins to find some peace after the arrest of Shaw’s sister’s killer, Anders Jansen, Shaw receives a request from her state police contact. Anders, in prison awaiting trial, has claimed responsibility for the murders of two other young women whose cases have grown cold over the past decade. But he refuses to help the police unless Shaw agrees to act as a special consultant in the search.

Despite her misgivings―Anders’s love of malicious mind games is as toxic as ever―Shaw could never prolong another family’s suffering. Her agreement to assist jeopardizes not only the fragile healing of her own family’s wounds, but the rebuilding of her marriage and her relationship with her youngest son, who’s colliding with some hard truths of how cruel people can be. It seems, for Shaw, closure is a long way off . . . but danger may be closer than she thinks.

My Thoughts: The second Shaw Connelly mystery begins with her being called in to fingerprint a car that had been submerged. Along with the body of a long-missing woman, Shaw finds fingerprints for a woman who supposedly died before the car went into the water. 

Since Shaw has finally solved the mystery of her long-missing sister and is now dealing with the grief that goes with finally knowing the truth, she is the best one to help the new victim's parents deal with their loss. 

Shaw is also called in when the body of an elderly woman is discovered at her isolated home. She has been wrapped in her bed coverlet and left out in the yard. The first thing Shaw notices is that a spare room was apparently used and then thoroughly cleaned before the crime scene was discovered. She does find some partial prints, but most belong to that victim. Other prints seem to have been deliberately distorted in an attempt to foil identification. 

While she is busy with her day-to-day jobs, she is also dealing with an eleven-year-old son who is being bullied at school. Also, she is uncertain about her relationship with her husband who moved out because he could no longer take her obsession with finding her missing sister.

Shaw would like to be left in peace to deal with her grief, but the man who killed her sister and is sitting in prison wants to tell her about other women he's killed. Shaw hates the idea of spending any time with him, but she also can't stand the idea of not listening if it could help families know what happened to their missing. 

Shaw is a complex character. She's smart-mouthed and has a quick temper. She's dealing with grief as she best knows how and she's dealing with her relationships within her family also as she best knows how. 

I enjoyed getting to know Shaw. She was an intriguing person. I also liked the Maine setting.

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

ARC Review: Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson

Wildflower
Author: Becky Jenkinson
Publication: Del Rey (June 16, 2026)

Description: A magical florist journeys from the kingdom’s capital to its wild woods to fulfill an unusual request, and stumbles upon friendship, conspiracy, and the buds of new love in this debut cozy fantasy.

“Wildflower is a lovely respite from reality, featuring a charming cast of characters, snappy dialogue, and so much heart. Prepare to be enchanted.”—Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside!

Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity “Fliss” Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble’s path: to Willoh Vane.

Fliss knows the outcast—yet teasingly handsome—sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She’s witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will’s help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she’s delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long—the truth.

My Thoughts: Felicity Farrow has been cursed from birth to always tell the truth. This has made it difficult to make friends, and it makes her a tool for the increasingly paranoid queen. Fliss's one and only friend Card is soon to marry Prince Bastion who is the heir to the throne. She is to be his Maid of Honor. 

Fliss is a floral mage who is well-versed in the lore of flowers. She has a way of using flowers to sooth, comfort, or discomfit as she feels the need. She has lately been commissioned to locate some unusual flowers for an anonymous buyer. 

In order to find the unusual flowers, she needs the help of sorcerer Willoh Vane who is in the middle of a feud with Prince Bastion. Will has taken the blame for a magical spell gone really wrong in order to protect the prince. The spell has blighted much of the north of the kingdom and caused the people there to rebel.

As Will and Fliss search for the flowers, they fall in love and Fliss begins to wonder at the purpose for the flowers. They also uncover a number of secrets from the past. Some of the secrets include their own mothers.

This was a cozy fantasy. It was also a sweet romance. LGBTQ+ themes may limit this one for younger readers. 

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