State of the Stack (March 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. The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander (February 17)
2. The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly (February 17)
3. The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston (February 18)
4. Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (February 19)
5. The Ghost Women by Jennifer Murphy (February 19)
6. How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Phillipson (February 20)
7. A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn (February 24)
8. Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey (March 3)
9. Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett (March 4)
10. A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano (March 5)
11. The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by JD Brinkman (March 5)
12. You Did Nothing Wrong by C. G. Drews (March 10)
13. The Antique Hunter's Murder at the Castle by C. L. Miller (March 10)
14. Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips (March 11)
15. The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner (March 12)
16. Missing by E. A. Jackson (March 13)

DNF

1.  

Read Previously, Posted This Month 

Dates indicate when the review was posted.

1. Maybe This Once by Sophie Sullivan (February 3)
2. Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer (February 3)
3. Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz (February 4)
4. The Midnight Taxi by Yoshi Gunasekera (February 5)
5. Half City by Kate Golden (February 10)
6. First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (February 11)
7. Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove (February 12)

New This Month 

Date indicates when the book will be released.

1. A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong (March 24)
2. I, Spy by L. M. Kemp (May 5)
3. Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh (May 5)
4. Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley (June 2)
5. A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery by Kate Khavari (June 9)
6. A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber (June 23)
7. Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle (June 30)
8. Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (July 14)
9. Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Lemoncelli (July 21)
10. Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 28)

All TBR Review Books

March

• Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict (March 24)
• The Survivor by Andrew Reid (March 24)
• A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong (March 24)

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

April

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

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

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

May

• Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh (May 5)
• I, Spy by L. M. Kemp (May 5)
• 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

• Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley (June 2)
• Beach Thriller by Jamie Day (June 9)
• A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery by Kate Khavari (June 9)

• The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis (June 16)
• Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson (June 16)
• A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber (June 23)

• A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (June 23)
• Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan (June 23)
• Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle (June 30)

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

July 

• Dead Men Don't Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (July 7)
• The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen (July 7)
• Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (July 14)

• Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (July 14)
• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (July 14)

• Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli (July 21)
• Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard (July 28)
• Fossil Feud by Maggie North (July 28)

• Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (July 28)
• Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (July 28)

August

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

 

Audiobook Review: Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

Fangirl Down
Author: Tessa Bailey

Narrator: Callie Dalton
Series: Big Shots (Book 1)
Publication: Avon (February 13, 2024)

Length: 11 hours and 29 minutes

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey launches a super sexy sports romance series with a rom-com about a bad boy professional athlete who falls for his biggest fan...

Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

My Thoughts: This sports romance stars Wells Whitaker who is a golfer. Once a rising star, he has fallen on hard times. He's drinking too much, fighting too much, and losing too often. It also stars Josephine Doyle who was Wells' biggest fan. She showed up at his tournaments and cheered him on even when is was playing and behaving badly. But when Wells has on final tantrum and walks off the course in the middle of a tournament, Josephine has had enough.

Josephine has enough problems of her own. The latest hurricane has destroyed her family's pro shop after she has let the insurance lapse. It was a choice of paying for the insurance or paying for the insulin she needs for her Type 1 diabetes. She's also let her health insurance lapse and is forced to medicate her diabetes out of pocket. 

At her lowest, Wells comes to her with a crazy idea. He'll hire her to be his caddy. He hopes to turn his game around, but mostly he wants to help out his biggest fan. 

The two fall in love and there are lots of spicy (maybe very spicy) love scenes. But they still have real problems to solve. Josephine needs to be two places at once. She needs to caddy and she needs to be at home working on repairing her pro shop. As a caddy, she is helping Wells with his game, his temper, and his attitude, but she's feeling guilty for what she has left behind since it is her family's legacy. 

Wells needs Josephine with him but recognizes that she has other responsibilities. This creates a lot of tension between them.

This was an entertaining sports romance with quite a bit of depth. Fans of the genre will enjoy the story. 

I bought this one February 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

The Gift of the Magpie
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series: Meg Langslow Mysteries (Book 28)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (October 20, 2020)
Length: 9 hours and 30 minutes

Description: New York Times best-selling author Donna Andrews returns with another Meg Langslow mystery crafted "firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie's Christmas books" (Toronto Globe and Mail).

The 28th audiobook and the seventh Christmas mystery in the Meg Langslow series, The Gift of the Magpie is yet another wonderfully merry and funny book from New York Times best-selling author Donna Andrews.

Meg’s running Caerphilly’s Helping Hands for the Holidays project, in which neighbors help each other with things they can’t do and can’t afford to have done. Her hopes for a relatively peaceful (if busy) Christmas vanish when someone murders Harvey the Hoarder, whose house the Helping Hands were decluttering. Was there any truth to the rumor that he had something valuable hidden beneath all his junk? Was one of his friends, neighbors, or relatives greedy enough to murder him for the rumored treasure? And what about the magpie that has been bringing her family bits of tinsel and costume jewelry - does the bird’s latest gift hold a clue to solving the crime?

Full of intrigue, this Christmas mystery will take listeners home to Caerphilly, where the suspense falls as thick as the snow.

My Thoughts: Meg Langslow is running the Helping Hands for the Holidays program this Christmas season. Her biggest project is for Harvey the Hoarder who has a house and yard filled with clutter. His neighbors and relatives are threatening to sic Adult Protective Services on him.  

Having convinced Harvey to let them move everything to a closed furniture store so that other workers can do needed repairs on his house and let them have room to spread out his belongings to make it easier to sort them, the packing and moving begins. There are boxes and boxes of papers that range in importance from expired coupons to wills. 

Harvey goes home to spend the night after a day of sorting only to be attacked in his garage and left for dead. In fact, Doctor Langslow and the Chief of Police do announce that Harvey is dead. There are lots of suspects including his avaricious second cousins and the neighbors who have been keeping a very close eye on his house. But before Meg can figure out who wanted Harvey dead, she has to figure out why this shy, reclusive man would be anyone's target. 

This was another engaging episode in the long-running Meg Langslow mystery series. I enjoy the combination of mystery and humor in the series. 

I bought this one December 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan

Don't Open the Door
Author: Allison Brennan

Narrator: Amy McFadden
Series: Regan Merritt (Book 2)
Publication: Mira (January 24, 2023); Harlequin Audio (January 24, 2023)

Length: 11 hours and 11 minutes

Description: A family torn apart. A botched investigation. She’ll stop at nothing to get answers.

US Marshal Regan Merritt never bought the FBI’s theory that her ten-year-old son’s murder was tied to her job. Yet as leads went cold, she’d had to walk away from the marshals, the case and her now ex-husband, Grant, who blamed her for Chase’s death.

After Regan receives a chilling voice mail from her former boss, Tommy, claiming new information about Chase’s murder, she can no longer stay away from her pain-filled past. Especially when Tommy’s murdered before she can return his call.

Now more than ever, Regan’s determined to find the truth, but the more she digs, the more evidence points to Grant as the killer’s true target. But Grant isn’t talking. As she tries to pin down her ex, Regan discovers something much bigger and far more sinister is at play—and she’s running out of people she can trust.

My Thoughts: Regan Merritt left her career as a US Marshal after her son was murdered in their home. She and her husband divorced, and he blamed her and her work for their son Chase's death. She left the DC area and returned to her home in Arizona.

Regan's partner Tommy never gave up on investigating Chase's murder. He took a leave of absence around the time of the one-year anniversary of the murder. He left a message on Regan's phone that he had found something and was going to his bosses to lay out the facts. Before he could, a sniper shot and killed him outside his home. They took his files leaving Regan with only his cryptic message.

Regan comes back to Virginia to bury her friend - and continue his investigation. She soon learns that her ex was in communication with Tommy but is very reluctant to meet with Regan to tell her what he knows. It seems his law firm was into something really shady. 

There are lots of clues and lots of suspects in this story which might start with a bank robbery and the murder of a teller. The teller's sister has some information that she didn't know was important until Tommy tracked her down. Now the sister is on the run from fake FBI agents and Regan is trying to find her to learn what she knows.

This was a fast-paced and twisty thriller.

I bought this one May 12, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Collared by David Rosenfelt

Collared
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 16)
Publication: Minotaur (July 18, 2017)

Description: Collared is the next novel in David Rosenfelt's witty, heartfelt mystery series sees attorney Andy Carpenter suddenly fostering a child and defending a close friend suspected of murder

Lawyer Andy Carpenter’s true passion is the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs with his friend Willie Miller. All kinds of dogs make their way to the foundation, and it isn’t that surprising to find a dog abandoned at the shelter one morning, though it was accompanied by a mysterious anonymous note. But they are quite surprised when they scan the dog’s embedded chip, and discover that they know this dog. He is the “DNA dog.”

Two and a half years ago, Jill Hickman was a single mother of an adopted baby. Her baby and dog were kidnapped in broad daylight in Eastside Park, and they haven’t been seen since. A tip came in that ID’d a former boyfriend of Hickman’s, Keith Wachtel, as the kidnapper. A search of his house showed no sign of the child but did uncover more incriminating evidence, and the clincher that generated Wachtel’s arrest was some dog hair, notable since Wachtel did not have a dog. DNA tests showed conclusively that the hair belonged to Hickman’s dog. Wachtel was convicted of kidnapping, but the dog and baby were never found.

Now, with the reappearance of the dog, the case is brought back to light, and the search for the child renewed. Goaded by his wife’s desire to help a friend and fellow mother and Andy’s desire to make sure the real kidnapper is in jail, Andy and his team enter the case. But what they start to uncover is far more complicated and dangerous than they ever expected.

My Thoughts: Andy's next case begins when a dog is left tied to the front door of the dog rescue he runs with is friend Wilie. The dog is chipped and turns out the be named Cody and owned by Jill Hickman. The dog had disappeared a couple of years ago when Jill's adopted baby son was kidnapped from a local park. Neither the dog nor the baby had been seen since.

In a spectacular trial, Jill's ex-boyfriend Keith Wachtel was convicted of the crime. His chief accuser was the nanny who claimed to recognize him. There was also other evidence including dog hair and fibers. Keith had proclaimed his innocence. 

In order to help out Jill and try to find out what happened to her baby, Andy reluctantly becomes Keith's lawyer so that he can get the trial transcripts and the discovery documents. He also calls his team together to look into the case. They especially want to find the nanny who disappeared after the trial was over. They suspect she's the one who dropped off Cody at the foundation which raises all sorts of suspicions in Andy's mind. Of course, the $750,000 deposit in her bank account shortly after the conviction is suspicious too. 

Andy's investigations take him deep into Jill's company where Keith also worked until he was fired under suspicion of industrial espionage which he also denies. Andy has to look into where the financing came from for Jill to expand her operation and finds the funds came from a noted drug dealer giving him another suspect in the original kidnapping.

This was an engaging and entertaining episode in the Andy Carpenter series. I love Andy's snarky and sarcastic point of view. I also love seeing his relationship with his wife and recently adopted son. 

I bought this one September 29, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

When All the Girls Have Gone
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Amanda Leigh Cobb
Series: Sons of Anson Salinas (Book 1)
Publication: Recorded Books (November 29, 2016)
Length: 10 hours and 26 minutes

Description: When Charlotte Sawyer is unable to contact her step-sister, Jocelyn, to tell her that one her closest friends was found dead, she discovers that Jocelyn has vanished.

Beautiful, brilliant - and reckless - Jocelyn has gone off the grid before, but never like this. In a desperate effort to find her, Charlotte joins forces with Max Cutler, a struggling PI who recently moved to Seattle after his previous career as a criminal profiler went down in flames - literally. Burned out, divorced and almost broke, Max needs the job.

After surviving a near-fatal attack, Charlotte and Max turn to Jocelyn's closest friends, women in a Seattle-based online investment club, for answers. But what they find is chilling. When her uneasy alliance with Max turns into a full-blown affair, Charlotte has no choice but to trust him with her life. For the shadows of Jocelyn's past are threatening to consume her - and anyone else who gets in their way.

My Thoughts: WHEN ALL THE GIRLS HAVE GONE pairs a struggling PI named Max Cutler and a woman who works in a retirement community. They meet when Charlotte picks up her vacationing stepsister Jocelyn's mail and finds a note from her sister's best friend and fellow member of their investment club. When Charlotte tries to contact the friend, she learns that she has died, the apparent victim of a drug overdose. Charlotte decides to go to the friend's - Louise's - home to pick up some papers that she wanted Jocelyn to have.

Max Cutler has been hired by Louise's cousin who doesn't believe that his cousin was using drugs. Max has relocated to the West Coast after some issues with his previous job as a profiler. He is obsessed with trying to find a villain from his childhood. His mother got involved in a cult and, when the cult fell apart, the leader set off a series of explosions. His mother died but he and eight other children were rescued by a local police officer. Most of the kids were reunited with relatives but Max and two other boys were orphans. They were raised by the cop who became their foster father. The question of what became of the cult leader has haunted Max ever since.

When Charlotte and Max try to contact her sister Jocelyn, they learn that she is not where she said she would be. Max and Charlotte partner up to try to find her. Meanwhile, the other members of their investment club are also receiving threats. Max and Charlotte also find themselves barely surviving an attempted murder.

I enjoyed this story. I liked that both Max and Charlotte had similar characters. Neither is looking for a new relationship but something just clicks when they meet. She has an unwavering faith in him and an innate understanding of him. He also feels comfortable sharing things about his past with her that he hasn't shared before. 

This is a great story with a couple of nice twists along the way.

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

ARC Review: A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

A Ghastly Catastrophe
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Series: Veronica Speedwell Mysteries (Book 10)
Publication: Berkley (March 3, 2026)

Description: Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure, but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar® Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide—and Veronica and her intrepid beau Stoker know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Romany boy may know more about their first victim, and the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear that e secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

My Thoughts: The tenth Veronica Speedwell historical mystery begins with both Veronica and her significant other Stoker trying to stave off boredom. It has been a while since their last adventure. But when a corpse appears outside Highgate Cemetery and it is drained of blood, Veronica and Stoker are both intrigued. 

The young man was of the upper class, and his death is quickly covered up by his family. They certainly don't want any hint of scandal. Veronica throws out the theory that the young man was killed by a vampire which raises Stoker's hackles and a bet ensues. 

Then a second young man who happens to the be best friend of the first commits suicide after receiving a note containing dried poisonous plants. Veronica and Stoker soon learn that they were both involved in an exclusive and very secretive club. 

Their investigations take them to a Romany camp in the company of one of Stoker's old friends and her private investigator husband as they try to track down a witness. And they attempt to interview a reclusive American millionaire and his private secretary. 

As they get closer to the solution, they go from hunters to hunted. Veronica and Stoker have drawn the attention of the leaders of the very secret club. 

I enjoyed this historical mystery. I am especially fond of Veronica's unique point of view as she narrates the story. I love the Victorian attitudes and the Victorian setting. 

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