Tuesday, June 9, 2026

ARC Review: Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd

Murder at the Spirit Lounge
Author: Jess Kidd
Series: Nora Breen Investigates (Book 2)
Publication: Atria Books (June 16, 2026)

Description: In the second installment of the Nora Breen Investigates series—“perfect for cozy mystery lovers” (Book Riot)—beloved former nun Nora Breen returns, this time to track down a ghostly killer before it’s too late.

When Dolores Chimes, a famous medium, arrives in Gore-on-Sea, even surly Detective Inspector Rideout is lured in by her promises of messages for the afterlife.

But after a reading goes disastrously wrong, Dolores loses her life—and the six sitters at the séance with her fall victim to supernatural deaths themselves in the days following the nightmare of a reading.

Determined to unveil the truth, Nora finds herself chasing a ghostly serial killer she believes to be responsible, before the sixth victim—Detective Rideout himself—perishes along with the others.

My Thoughts: Nora Breen, former Carmelite nun, is back again solving crimes in Gore-on-Sea in the years shortly after World War II. 

A famous medium arrives in Gore-on-Sea and hosts a seance with a select group of patrons. A gangster, an upcoming young actress, a retired army officer, a Lady and her downtrodden daughter, and Detective Inspector Rideout all arrive by invitation to hear messages from the dead. 

Nora is called in when the medium dies suspiciously during the seance. After all, she spent many years as a nurse at her monastery. When other attendees at the seance also begin dying in unexpected ways, Nora and Rideout have to find the killer before Rideout becomes the last victim. 

I enjoyed this historical mystery. I like that Nora is trying to find a place for herself in the world after leaving the Carmelites. In this one, she begins working for the local newspaper which fits her personality excellently. I enjoyed all the post-WWII details.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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ARC Review: The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis

The Last Time We Saw Her
Author: Jaclyn Goldis
Publication: Atria/Emily Bestler Books (June 16, 2026)

Description: Ten years ago, a teenage summer camper disappeared while searching for a rumored treasure on a remote island. Now, the long-buried truth of what happened to her and the long-lost gold threatens the lives of her friends in this thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Chateau.

Ten years ago, a group of American teenage summer campers went to a lush and isolated Azores island for a hiking and heritage trip. But when a clue to a local legend of buried treasure emerged, the summer devolved into a frenzied hunt and culminated in the disappearance—and rumored murder—of “it girl” camper, Sydney. She was never seen again and the treasure never found.

Now, a decade later, Sydney’s closest circle returns to honor her memory: Sydney’s sister and fellow camper, Olivia; a group of childhood camp friends; and their beloved counselors. They’ve all agreed to participate in a documentary probing what really happened to Sydney.

The group reunites in paradise and retraces their old haunts, hiking along crater lakes and submerging in thermal hot springs. But not everyone has innocent motives for returning to the island. And when the documentary filming reveals explosive truths and fresh hints resurrect the tantalizing treasure hunt, the group begins to implode. Old feuds reignite—and then one of them turns up dead.

Which means that a murderer has surfaced...again.

My Thoughts: This mystery takes place on the Azores. Ten years after Sydney disappeared, her fellow campers and their counselors gather the remember her and, maybe, finally learn what happened to her. 

Olivia was Sydney's sister. She was accused, at the time, of killing her sister but there wasn't enough evidence to try her. She's spent the past ten years becoming a bestselling author who writes mysteries loosely based on that summer trip. She also suffers from anxiety and sometimes has blackouts which means she doesn't know what she knows about Sydney's death. 

Lexa was Sydney's best friend. Over the past ten years, she's married Olivia's rich former boyfriend and built a life for herself. 

Eli is the rich boyfriend. He's an easy-going type and what his wife refers to as a Happy Baby.

Reuben was another scholarship kid at the camp. He is a failed businessman keeping up appearances.

Jules was one of the counselors. Now, she's trying to secure her financial future by making a documentary about the events of the past ten years and her efforts to find out what happened.

Aiden was the other counselor on the trip. He's a marine biologist now who is studying sharks,

Cass was Reuben's little sister who tagged along with the older teens when she could. Now, she is a medaled Olympic gymnast training for the next Olympics.

Ten years earlier, the camping trip turned into a treasure hunt when one of the campers found a clue that had them all running all over the island and dreaming of being rich. The treasure was never found but that doesn't mean that some of them are still looking.

This is a story of tangled relationships and secrets. It is told from multiple viewpoints and includes sections of the documentary. This was a twisty story. I enjoyed the setting and the information about a Jewish presence on the Azores. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.
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Monday, June 8, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 8, 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 summer week. It has been too warm for the furnace but not warm enough for the air conditioner. It has been nice to have the windows open for the fresh air. We're making and banking a lot of solar power. 

I'm looking forward to a friend coming to visit for a couple of days starting this afternoon. Unfortunately, it looks like she'll be bringing the rain with her which might limit any outdoor activities. 

I was looking at Facebook yesterday and this post from Jayne Ann Krentz surprised me.
I don't think I've ever had an excerpt from any of my reviews picked up and publicized by the author or publisher before. 

I added one review book to my stack this week which continues a series that I've been reading. It is also my first December review copy. I also bought five audiobooks. Looking ahead at my July calendar shows me a lot of review book reading like five next week, three the week after that, five the week after that, and ending July with four more. Since I enjoy audiobooks, I decided to buy the audiobooks for the books that I had already slotted into the calendar to join the Kindle copies I already have. Four of them cost less than I pay for an Audible credit, so I bought them. I did use an Audible credit for the fifth.

With company coming, I don't know how much progress I'll make on reading books on my calendar this week. Luckily, I am at least three weeks ahead and can visit without feeling guilty. She left last visit in the middle of the first book in Anne Bishop's The Others series. I think she'll want to keep listening to those which I don't mind at all since I usually listen to them a couple of times a year anyway.

Read Last Week
  • Dead Men Don't Play Fetch by David Rosenfelt (Review, July 7) -- The latest Andy Carpenter mystery. My review will be posted on June 30.
  • Murder on the Clock by Lucy Connelly (Audiobook, Mine since April 8) -- Fourth Mercy McCarthy cozy mystery. My review will be posted on July 2.
  • Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook, Mine since April 26) -- First in the Lost Night Files trilogy. My review will be posted on July 14.
  • The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by Chiara Bullen (Review, July 7) -- Cozy romantasy with interesting characters and world building. My review will be posted on July 1.
  • Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (Review, July 7) -- Contemporary Thriller told from multiple viewpoints about revenge and an old mystery set around a beauty pageant in Texas. My review will be posted on July 2.
  • See How They Hide by Allison Brennan (Audiobook, Mine since June 4) -- A Quinn & Costa thriller. My review will be posted on July 3.
Currently
Next Week
Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:
Bought:
What was your week like?
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Friday, June 5, 2026

Audiobook Review: Scream for Me by Karen Rose

Scream for Me
Author: Karen Rose
Narrator: Tavia Gilbery
Series: Romantic Suspense (Book 8)
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (May 13, 2008); Blackstone Audio (June 4, 2008)
Length: 16 hours and 17 minutes

Description: Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in Die for Me. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.

With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.

My Thoughts: This romantic suspense title stars Alex Fallon who is an Emergency Room nurse. After the murder of her sister, her mother's suicide, and her own attempted overdose, Alex was taken away from Dutton, Georgia, to live with her mother's twin sister and her family in Ohio. She has buried her memories of that troubled time in her life which has cost her her marriage. Things are brought back to the surface when she is contacted by social services to take custody of a small child who is the daughter of her stepsister Bailey who is missing.

Agent Daniel Vartanian of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations is also a Dutton resident. He's back home after the deaths of his parents and his brother Simon who was a serial killer. Simon left some very troubling pictures behind. Daniel has a current string of murders that mirror the murder of Alex's sister to solve.

Alex and Daniel work together to solve the murders, find Bailey, and recover Alex's lost memories. Along the way they fall in love. This story is told from multiple viewpoints including that of the current killer and other local villains. 

I enjoyed this story. I liked reading it better than listening to it. I found the narration of the audiobook difficult mainly because the narrator was not very good at the male voices which made it hard to separate who was talking in any scene. Also, the quick jumps from character to character and setting to setting also seemed to work better for me when I was reading rather than listening.

I bought the Kindle copy December 31, 2025, and audiobook on May 4, 2026. You can buy your copy here.
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Thursday, June 4, 2026

Audiobook Review: Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb

Stolen in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Series: In Death (Book 62)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (February 3, 2026)
Length: 13 hours and 9 minutes

Description: A violent death and a vault of stolen treasures has Eve Dallas struggling to solve crimes old and new in the next thriller in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series.

"Narrator Susan Ericksen masterfully conveys Eve’s emotions...And Ericksen’s adept handling of the cast of characters, including Dallas’ partner, Peabody; her commander, Whitney; and the victim’s family demonstrates her skill. A compelling performance." — Kirkus (Earphones Award Winner)

A blow to the head with a block of amethyst has left multibillionaire Nathan Barrister dead—while nearby, a vault, its door ajar, sits filled with priceless paintings, jewelry, and other treasures. Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband, Roarke—who misspent his youth in Ireland as a scrappy thief—recognizes at least two stolen pieces among the hoard. The crime scene suggests a burglar caught in the act. But only one item seems to be missing.

Then it’s revealed that the vault had actually belonged to the victim’s late father—and no one in the household knew it was there until a recent remodeling project exposed it. To protect the family name and business, they explain to Eve, they’d been looking for a way to return the ill-gotten gains anonymously and avoid the police. But now the police are all over their elegant house, and have a bigger, bloodier mystery to solve.

By all accounts, Nathan Barrister was a good man, a generous employer, a devoted husband and father. As for his father—he clearly had secrets. Now it’s up to Eve and her team to find out if those secrets got Nathan killed—and if it was a crime of passion or revenge.

My Thoughts: Eve and Roarke are called from a gala to the scene of the murder of multibillionaire Nathan Barrister. He was struck on the head by a large piece of amethyst. However, the big surprise is the open vault next to him. The vault, concealed by Nathan's father, contains a huge number of stolen paintings, jewelry and other treasures. One of the most valuable pieces of the collection is missing. The Royal Suite contains five pieces with lots and lots of emeralds. It was also stolen by Roarke from the Tate Gallery in London when he was nineteen which makes the case very personal for Eve.

While a lot of the focus is on the treasures in the vault and the missing Royal Suite, Eve is most concerned with the murder. At first glance, it looks like the murder happened during the course of the robbery. But there are questions raised in Eve's mind about the timing. She needs to find out how someone knew about the hidden vault when Nathan, his wife, his college-aged daughters, and his sister did not know it existed until it was recovered during some remodeling.

Nathan's father was a known womanizer who was also beginning to suffer from memory issues in her very old age. He could have let the location of the vault slip to one of his many women. In fact, there is a blonde who is a possibility if anyone can track her down. 

Eve has to balance her investigation with her need to protect Roarke from Interpol which has long looked at Roarke as a suspect any time something of great value goes missing. Roarke is certain that he has covered his past crimes completely and isn't worried. Eve is. When an old enemy of Roarke and Eve's turns out to be involved in the theft and murder, Eve is even more concerned about Roarke's reputation. 

This was an excellent episode in this long-running series. I like the way Roarke has become such a valuable resource not only to Eve but to the NYPSD as a whole. I also like the growing and deepening love between Eve and Roarke. 

I bought this one February 13. You can buy your copy here.
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Book Review: Blood on the Sand by Kacey Ezell

Blood on the Sand
Author: Kacey Ezell
Series: Magelight (Book 2)
Publication: Baen Books (April 7, 2026)

Description: IN HER DARKEST HOUR, AELYS CHOSE FREEDOM . . . BUT CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Bellatrix Aelys turned her back on the family that betrayed her and chose to forge her own destiny alongside the dangerous men she had accidentally bound. Now free, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the uneasy choice to continue to work with Aelys as her protectors and business partners. But when Aelys faced off against her family, she didn’t eliminate every threat, and now mysterious forces are moving against her once more. Fearing for her safety and that of her men, Aelys agrees to do a simple task for her old teacher: escort some old “friends” to Zandrine, one of the fabled cities located in the south of the empire.

Only, not everything is as it seems. Zandrine is a city built on secrets and blood and pain. Aelys and her protectors will have to face the demons of the past and the dark schemes of the present, all while trying to figure out who they are to one another and how the four of them— warrior, sorceress, forester, and thief—can meld their strengths to keep each other alive.

Can Aelys, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the necessary hard choices that will forge them into a team capable of surviving these new challenges? Or will the pain of the past and the danger of the present destroy them one by one?

My Thoughts: Bellatrix Aelys and her guards Romik, Daen, and Vil are trying to figure out who is trying to capture Aelys. They decide to leave and are recruited by one of Aelys's trusted teachers at the Lyceum to travel to Zandrine as escort for her sons Bellator Acten and Ageon Tyrus. She has known both men since her days at the Lyceum.

Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil are still working out their relationships since Aelys broke the geas that bound the men to her. While she has changed a lot from her wimpy days when her magic was secretly bound by her aunt, Aelys still lacks some self-confidence and can't imagine that her warrior, archer, and thief would willingly bind themselves to her. 

Their destination - Zandrine - is a city Romik promised himself that he's never return to but a shipwreck caused by storms and dragon attacks makes it necessary. They find a city that is greatly changed since Romik was last there. The empire has outlawed slavery which used to support the games which are the heart of the city's prosperity. The city is trying to find a new stability and a new power structure.

When Romik is forced back into the games to save the son of the man who once owned him, rules mean that Aelys, Vil and Daen are also bound for the arena. They need to reestablish their bonds if they are to survive, but this time Aelys knows that she isn't coercing them in any way. And since the Emperor, in disguise, is present for reasons of his own, Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil find themselves recruited into his rebellion against his grandmother and her cohort. 

This is clearly the middle book in a trilogy. A lot does happen as Aelys grows into herself and her power and the relationship with her protectors is formalized. Nothing more is learned about the person the quartet is running from, but it looks like the next book will find her back within his reach. The story was filled with excellent worldbuilding and lots of excitement. I look forward to reading more. 

I bought this one April 10. You can buy your copy here.
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Wednesday, June 3, 2026

ARC Review: A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery by Kate Khavari

A Botanist's Guide to Tradition and Treachery
Author: Kate Khavari
Series: Saffron Everleigh Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (June 9, 2026)

Description: Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh has set sail on her first research expedition, but it's disrupted by accusations of murder when one of her fellow scientists is murdered in this daring fifth installment.

Saffron Everleigh is newly engaged and full of optimism as she sets off on the adventure of a lifetime for any scientist: a research expedition. She sails to newly formed Turkey with her fiancé, Alexander Ashton, and a bevy of fellow researchers under the watchful and reformed eye of Dr. Henry. With only two other women on board, Saffron soon finds she is right back in the same infuriatingly misogynistic environment that marked the earliest days of her career. Only this time, Saffron is determined to show everyone, including Alexander, that she can handle the trials of an expedition.

And trials she has in spades. Before the expedition team has even arrived, Saffron has managed to find an enemy in historian Joseph Clark, who frequently torments the assistant that Saffron has taken under her wing, Martin Neill. But when Martin unexpectedly dies, Saffron is targeted as the main suspect.

Falling ruins, venomous snakes, and mysteriously blocked passages are the least of Saffron’s worries. With unexpected help from a familiar face, Alexander and Saffron have to work fast to prove not only that Saffron is innocent but that they both have nothing to do with a larger conspiracy at play among the expedition crew.

My Thoughts: The fifth Saffron Everleigh historical mystery sees Saffron on her first scientific expedition. She is traveling to the newly formed Turkey to explore Smyrna. Her fiancé Alexander Ashton is along on the expedition which is led by Dr. Henry. Unfortunately, Dr. Joseph Clark is also along on the expedition and is the one Saffron is supposed to work with most closely. 

Clark has taken an inexplicable dislike to Saffron and is playing dangerous pranks on her including a venomous snake, locking her in an underground room, dosing her with sleeping powders, and toppling a loose stone on her. Dr. Henry and even Alexander are inclined to see these things as pranks often done to those new on expeditions though Alexander believes Clark is going much too far. 

Saffron is determined to take care of herself despite these "pranks" and doesn't want to look weak by depending on her fiancé who has assigned her a "helper" named Martin Neill who is a young biologist. When Neill takes ill and dies, Saffron becomes an immediate suspect in his death because of rumors Clark has started about their supposed relationship. 

Arrested by the Turkish police, Saffron needs to depend on Alexander and a mysterious character from earlier in the series to unravel what is happening and to clear her name. Saffron soon finds herself in the middle of antiquities smuggling and old secrets. 

This was another engaging historical mystery about an interesting main character trying to make a place for herself in a man's world. 

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