Friday Memes: Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

I wasn't worried about him. Worrying about Jameson Winchester Hawthorne was about as useful as trying to argue with the wind.

Friday 56:

I moved, swift and sure, reordering the letters, unscrambling them and writing them anew in the dirt below the original.

This week I am spotlighting Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. This is a collection of short stories and novellas set in the Inheritance Games world. Here's the description from Amazon:

Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series
 
There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.
 
An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret. 
 
Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.
 
This collection includes:

• That Night in Prague (novella)
• The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
• The Cowboy and the Goth
• Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn’t)
• $3CR3T $@NT@
• One Hawthorne Night*
• What Happens in the Treehouse* 
• Pain at the Right Gun

*previously published in limited release

Audiobook Review: Hid from Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Hid from Our Eyes
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Series: Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne (Book 9)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (April 7, 2020)
Length: 13 hours and 37 minutes

Description: This program includes a bonus conversation with the author

New York Times best seller Julia Spencer-Fleming returns to her beloved Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series with new crimes that span decades in Hid from Our Eyes.

1952. Millers Kill Police Chief Harry McNeil is called to a crime scene where a woman in a party dress has been murdered with no obvious cause of death.

1972. Millers Kill Police Chief Jack Liddle is called to a murder scene of a woman that's very similar to one he worked as a trooper in the '50s. The only difference is this time, they have a suspect. Young Vietnam War veteran Russ van Alstyne found the body while riding his motorcycle and is quickly pegged as the prime focus of the investigation.

Present-day. Millers Kill Police Chief Russ van Alstyne gets a 911 call that a young woman has been found dead in a party dress, the same MO as the crime he was accused of in the '70s. The pressure is on for Russ to solve the murder before he's removed from the case.

Russ will enlist the help of his police squad and Reverend Clare Fergusson, who is already juggling the tasks of being a new mother to her and Russ' baby and running St. Alban's Church, to finally solve these crimes.

Listeners have waited years for this newest book and Julia Spencer-Fleming delivers with the exquisite skill and craftsmanship that have made her such a success.

My Thoughts: In this ninth addition to the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series, Clare and Russ are dealing with lots of new stresses. They are trying to fit being parents of a fussy infant around two very demanding and more-than-full-time jobs.

The town Aldermen want to shut down the local police force and get policing from the State Patrol. And a body of young woman is found on an isolated road which echoes an eerily similar crime from 1972 where Russ was a person of interest. That case was eerily similar to a case in 1952. In each case, an unidentified young woman was found dead with no apparent cause of death.

An unsolved case isn't going to help Russ convince to town to keep its police force. His mother and a strong supporter in Clare's church who are both savvy politicians begin a campaign to save the local force requiring Russ to smooze with anyone who will let him talk. Clare's new intern is a transgender woman who has ties to the rich, summer people who live in the camps that the town police watch over and volunteers her mother to help with the campaign.

Adding to the stress on the police force is that the newest officer - Hadley Knox - has a vindictive ex who is suing her, former officer Kevin Flynn, the police force, and the town for endangering his reputation and planting meth in his suitcase. Unfortunately the accusation is true. Flynn did plant the drugs hoping to get the ex off Hadley's case and protect her and her children. Flynn had moved on to the Syracuse police force after a break-up with Hadley and is currently undercover looking for extremists. He is with the carnival that comes to the fair each year - the same carnival occurring when each of the murders took place.

Meanwhile, Clare is dealing with stress which isn't good for a recovering alcoholic and pain pill user and has a lot of temptation to deal with. A fussy baby and Russ's stresses all weigh heavily on her.

I liked that the story rotated between the cases in 1952, 1972, and the present day. I liked the connections in that a young patrol officer was present in 1952, was the police chief in 1972 and a mentor to Russ and is there in the present case to add his insights. I liked that the cops in all three cases were dedicated to solving the crimes and protecting the people.

This is a great series. I look forward to more - especially since there is something of a cliffhanger ending to this one.

I bought this audiobook August 30, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott

The Nameless Land
Author: Kate Elliott
Series: The Witch Roads (Book 2)
Publication: Tor Books (November 4, 2025)

Description: Surprising betrayals, surprising alliances, and surprising discoveries of heritage abound in this energetic sequel to The Witch Roads.

When the royal party finds themselves in a land they never believed they could access, it will take all of Prince Gevulin's (admittedly impressive) diplomatic skills to forge a coalition with an unlikely group of would-be allies.

Meanwhile, as Elen mourns her lost love, an unwelcome visit to the land of her birth brings back the traumatic memories of the childhood she shared with her sister.

And a surprise visit from an unwelcome family member threatens to derail the plans of multiple opposing factions.

Loyalty cannot be demanded, only won

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy is the sequel to The Witch Roads. Deputy courier Elen has been dragged into the affairs of princes. She has been swept into the retinue of Prince Gevulin who has treason in mind.

Gevulin is heading for the nameless lands in search of allies in his conspiracy to overthrow the Emperor who is his sister. He has drafted Elen as his guide not knowing that the nameless lands were lands she and her heart sister were glad to flee as young girls. Going back threatens her life and the life and safety of her young nephew who is also an apprentice warden in the party.

Elen is also mourning the loss of the being who had taken over Gevulin and the first book and then left him to complete his own mission. Gevulin wasn't supposed to remember being taken over but that part of the deal didn't work. Remembering has told him things about Elen that put her and her nephew in danger. 

But her lost love isn't quite as lost as she had thought. He is given permission by one of the prince's potential allies to take over her body which reunites the lost lovers for a while. 

This was engaging epic fantasy seen through the eyes of someone with very little social standing but quite epic powers. Elen is a woman who has a past she doesn't remember and a skill that could lead a prince to control of the empire if she can stay alive.

I liked the worldbuilding with its varied creatures. I liked the characters even the prince grew on me a bit as I got to know him as something other than a man willing to do anything to get the throne. Elen was intriguing. She was a woman who had modest goals: enough to eat nine days out of ten and a pair of good boots. She was also willing to do anything to make sure her nephew had a safe and fulfilling life. 

While this story can stand alone, it gains richness and depth by reading The Wild Roads first. 

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

ARC Review: The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong

The Devil in Oxford
Author: Jess Armstrong
Series: Ruby Vaughn Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur (November 4, 2025)

Description: Set after the Great War, Jess Armstrong’s USA Today bestselling and award-winning series is historical gothic murder mystery at its best, and Ruby Vaughn returns in The Devil in Oxford.

If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would immediately point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, the pair run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen’s penchant for arcane, unusual—and occasionally illegal—books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby is also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall.

When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is hastily arrested, and Ruan arrives…wanting to speak with Ruby. It seems both the arcane and her Pellar have followed Ruby to Oxford.

The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for Ruby’s help. It soon becomes painfully clear that there is more going on in Oxford than meets the eye. Ruby and Ruan will have to uncover the dark secrets of the competitive world of antiquities while trying to understand the peculiar force that keeps drawing them back together.

My Thoughts: It is 1922 and Christmas time. Ruby Vaughn and Mr. Owens are spending time in Oxford where Mr. Owens is attending an Antiquarian Society annual meeting. Ruby is hoping for a quiet time free from the occult and murder investigations where she can consider her relationship with Ruam Kivell. 

However, an invitation to an exhibition of artifacts leads to a dead body stuffed into an airtight container. Ruby could consider it not her problem until a friend comes to her begging for her help solving the crime. 

When Ruan also arrives in Oxford, he and Ruby find themselves trying to discover just what is going on. Ruan was a student at Oxford and has a number of acquaintances including the father of his bewst friend who died duting the war. 

With missing artifacts, a missing book from the Bodleian, and possible drug smuggling, Ruby would have enough to deal with. But piling on is the appearance of another imposter claiming to be her mother who was lost along with her father and sister on the Lusitania. 

When Ruby starts seeing things and having flashbacks to her time as an ambulance driver during the First World War, she fears that she is losing her mind and becomes plagued with even more disturbing dreams. Fighting to determine what is real becomes a large part of this story. 

I enjoyed the setting and the characters in this third Ruby Vaughn mystery. 

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

ARC Review: Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron

Crescent City Christmas Chaos
Author: Ellen Byron
Series: Vintage Cookbook Mystery (Book 4)
Publication: Severn House (November 4, 2025)

Description: It's Christmas. It's cozy. It's culinary. It's chaos! It's the fourth book in this fabulous mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

Have yourself a merry little . . . murder?

Ricki James-Diaz gets the best present ever when her parents arrive in New Orleans for the holidays. Not only is it a chance to catch up, it’s also an opportunity to jog her mom Josepha’s memory about Ricki’s adoption. The details have always been shrouded in mystery. And Ricki understands why when she learns her mother was blackmailed for years, simply for not wanting to lose her precious daughter.

But digging into the past soon lands the James-Diaz clan in water hotter than a big pot of gumbo! When the woman who extorted Ricki’s mom is found dead at her home, Josepha becomes the primary suspect. Now Ricki has another murder to solve, and tracking down a killer in Crescent City is going to take a miracle.

Luckily, ‘tis the season! And Ricki has all the staff at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum on hand to help. Can she prove her mother’s innocence and have the case wrapped up in time for Christmas?

My Thoughts: It's Christmas time in New Orleans. Ricki James-Diaz is surprised by her boyfriend when he hires Ricki's father to be the cameraman shooting his TV special. Ricki looks forward to talking to her mom and learning more about her birth parents. She learns that her mother has been blackmailed for years by a woman named Phyllis Gibbs who worked in the office of the Charity Hospital where her mother was a nurse. 

Gibbs helped Ricki's mother by changing her records to indicate she was widowed rather than single which was a key point to allow a Black woman to adopt a white infant. But Gibbs demanded payment for her assistance. 

When Gibbs is found dead after recent visits by Ricki, her mom Josepha, and dad Luis, Josepha and Luis head the suspect list in the eyes of the New Orleans police. Ricki is on the cast to prove her parents innocent and find the guilty party. Her friend Nina has the case but is more preoccupied finding the Bongle Bandit who is breaking into all sorts of stores and potentially scaring the tourists. 

Ricki learns all sorts of things about Phyllis Gibbs as she investigates. The woman was running all sorts of scams and had a plethora of enemies who might have committed the crime. Among them are her next-door neighbors in her exclusive residential area. And the people she worked with at a Concierge Medical group weren't happy with her either. 

When Ricki's boyfriend Virgil gets swept onto the suspect list because Phyllis left money to the animal rescue he's involved with, Ricki has even more reason to solve the crime. 

This was an engaging cozy mystery with tasty recipes included. I liked that Ricki runs a vintage cookbook and housewares store inside a culinary museum. She had a lot of help from her friends as she worked at solving the case.

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

ARC Review: The Hidden City by Charles Finch

The Hidden City
Author: Charles Finch
Series: Charles Lenox (Book 15)
Publication: Minotaur (November 4, 2025)

Description: Against the vividly drawn backdrop of Victorian London, amateur sleuth Charles Lenox must unlock a mystery concealed in the architecture of the city itself, in this new novel from acclaimed author Charles Finch.

It's 1879, and Lenox is convalescing from the violent events of his last investigation. But a desperate letter from an old servant forces him to pick up the trail of a cold case: the murder of an apothecary seven years before, whose only clue is an odd emblem carved into the doorway of the building where the man was killed. When Lenox finds a similar mark at the site of another murder, he begins to piece together a hidden pattern which leads him into the corridors of Parliament, the slums of East London, and ultimately the very heart of the British upper class.

At the same time, Lenox must contend with the complexities of his personal life: a surprising tension with his steadfast wife, Lady Jane, over her public support of the early movement for women's suffrage; the arrival of Angela Lenox, a mysterious young cousin from India, with an unexpected companion; the dizzying ascent of his brother, Sir Edmund Lenox, to one of the highest political posts in the land; the growing family of his young partners in detection, Polly and Dallington; and the return of the problems that have long bedeviled one of his closest friends, the dashing Scottish physician Thomas McConnell.

Featuring a beloved cast of characters, a top-notch puzzle, and Finch's trademark humor and richness of historical detail, The Hidden City is a novel by a master at the top of his form

My Thoughts: This fifteenth book in the Charles Lenox series takes place in 1879. Charles is recovering from being stabbed during his previous case and the recovery isn't going as well as he had hoped. He's in constant pain which has had a bad effect on his mood. He's been ignoring his responsibilities at his detective agency. 

However, a letter from the woman who was his housekeeper when he first set up his detective agency gets him involved in a mystery again. Someone seems to be scaring her and trying to break into her flat. Charles learns that the previous resident was a man who was murdered in the same building where his former housekeeper lives. The pharmacist was universally disliked in the neighborhood but the potential suspects in his murder all have iron clad alibis. 

Charles is also involved in meeting and caring for the daughter of his cousin who passed away in India. He's surprised when he goes to meet her ship to find that she has brought along her Indian best friend. She had switched her First Class ticket for Third Class so that they could both come. Her arrival brings back good memories of times with her father and some regrets that he hadn't seen him for many years. 

Charles is also having some conflicts with his wife who has begun protesting and marching for Women's Suffrage. Charles is worried for her since protestors are not well treated. 

I enjoyed this story which is the first in the series that I have read. I liked the setting which I felt was well-described. I thought Charles was an interesting character. I liked his empathy and his curiosity.

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

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (October 27, 2025)

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...

It is hard to believe that it is the last week in October. This year has really whizzed by. Looking out the window does show me trees with colorful leaves or no leaves at all, and the temperatures are cooling off. My brother tells me he had to scrape frost off the windows of his car after work on night this past week. He realized that he hadn't put scrapers and snow brushes in his new car yet.

My doctor's visit and tests this week have led to still another doctor's visit this Tuesday. This one is at 8AM which is a couple of hours before I usually get out of bed. I am trying to trick my body by setting this morning's alarm for 8 AM, tomorrow's for 7AM, and Tuesday's for 6AM. I hope that will make me coherent on Tuesday's doctor's visit. However, going to bed before midnight or even 1AM is not the way I want to live my life. I like staying up late.

Otherwise, I'm watching The Voice and the World Series. I am still working my way through November's review copies and should finish them this week if things go according to plan. I'm not starting my next audiobook (Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop) until I finish my current review copy and have a good start on the next on my stack. 

I will finish A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny on Halloween. The chapters are getting longer as the book nears its conclusion. 

Read Last Week

• Haze by Katharine Kerr (Review, November 11) -- Space opera with intriguing characters and great worldbuilding. My review will be published on November 6.
• Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (Audiobook reread) -- Second in The Others series.
• Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (Review, November 11) -- 3rd in series stars rattkin Fern who finds herself on an adventure as she tries to figure out what she wants from life. My review will be posted on November 8. 

• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron (Review, November 4) -- 4th in a series set in New Orleans at Christmas time. Engaging characters and tasty recipes. My review will be posted on October 28.
• The Queen Who Came in from the Cold by S. J. Bennett (Review, November 11) -- 5th in a series in which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a secret amateur sleuth working through her Assistant Press Secretary Joan McGraw. Great historical detail and espionage. My review will be posted on November 11.
• The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (Review, November 18) -- Conclusion to the Lost Brides trilogy leans into horror along with the romance. Still an excellent story. My review will be posted on November 13.

• Testimony of Mute Things by Lois McMaster Bujold (Novella, Mine since October 24) -- The latest in the Penric and Desdemona fantasy series jumps back to a mystery solved while working for the princess-archdivine of Martensbridge. 
• Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop (Audiobook Reread) -- the third book in The Others series.

Currently

• Blood Oath by Steve Urszenyi (Review, November 18)

Slow and Steady

• A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (Chapter a Day)

Next Week

• Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann (Review, November 18)
• At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Review, November 18)
• Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna (Review, November 25)

• The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews (Review, November 25)
• Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney (Review, November 25)
• To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston (Mine since September 18)

Reviews Posted

• The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (Audiobook)
• At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley (Review Copy)
• The Boy by Tami Hoag (Mine)

• The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews (Mine)
• Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook)
• The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie (Review Copy)

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

Review:

• Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron (Review, November 4)

Bought:

• A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas (Chirp Audiobook, $5.99)
• Honor Bound by C. J. Archer -- Kindle ($3.99), Audiobook Add-on ($4.82)

• Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge (BookBub, $1.99)
• Testimony of Mute Things by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle, $3.99)

What was your week like?

Book Review: The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews

The Inheritance
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Breach Wars (Book 1)
Publication: NYLA (August 10, 2025)

Description: We are at war. The interdimensional invasion brought us unimaginable suffering, but it also awoke talents slumbering deep within us, a means to repel and destroy our enemy. Every day new gates open, leading to breaches filled with monsters and valuable resources. If you are a Talent, your country needs you. The world needs you. Be the hero you were born to be.

Adaline is a Talent. Ten years ago, she had a happy marriage and a job she loved. The invasion shattered both. Now she works for the government, searching the breaches for magic metals and medicine to help Earth repel an interdimensional enemy. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition...Risking her life became routine.

She had gone into the dimensional gates hundreds of times. She was always well protected. This time everything goes wrong. Now Ada is trapped in the labyrinth of alien caves unlike any other. Her only companion is a scared German Shepherd named Bear. Together they must uncover the breach's secrets and escape, because Ada promised her children that she will come home.

The future of humanity depends on it.

My Thoughts: Ilona Andrews begins a new urban fantasy series with a bang. Ada Moore is a Talent. Ten years after the first breach occurred she is a divorced mother of two and an Assessor. It is her job to go into these dimensional gates and determine if there are any items of value - minerals, plants, etc. - to retrieve before the gate is collapsed. 

She's gone into hundreds of gates, but this time things go wrong. When aliens appear, chasing still another alien, she is abandoned by the man whose job it is to get her out safe. The alien who was being chased gifts her with a jewel that sinks into her head before dying. 

Ada and her only companion - a German shepherd - have to find a way to survive and get out of the breach. She promised her kids that she wouldn't die. Luckily, the alien's gift gives her knowledge and other surprises that help her make it back home, but not before she meets other aliens and learns about the purpose of these breaches. 

Meanwhile, the leader of the guild that was running this exploration is determined to bring the bodies back and seal the breach.  

This was a great story with intriguing world building. I look forward to reading more in the series. 

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

Friday Memes: The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

We are at war.

This war isn't about wealth, resources, or territory. It's a war of biological extermination. The very essence of humanity is at stake.

Friday 56:

I quashed the scream before it left my mouth. My fingers were free. I moved my arm around, The bracer stayed as if glued.

This week I am spotlighting The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews. I'm a fan of the authors and eager to read this story set in a new world. Here is the description:

We are at war. The interdimensional invasion brought us unimaginable suffering, but it also awoke talents slumbering deep within us, a means to repel and destroy our enemy. Every day new gates open, leading to breaches filled with monsters and valuable resources. If you are a Talent, your country needs you. The world needs you. Be the hero you were born to be.

Adaline is a Talent. Ten years ago, she had a happy marriage and a job she loved. The invasion shattered both. Now she works for the government, searching the breaches for magic metals and medicine to help Earth repel an interdimensional enemy. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition...Risking her life became routine.

She had gone into the dimensional gates hundreds of times. She was always well protected. This time everything goes wrong. Now Ada is trapped in the labyrinth of alien caves unlike any other. Her only companion is a scared German Shepherd named Bear. Together they must uncover the breach's secrets and escape, because Ada promised her children that she will come home.

The future of humanity depends on it.

Audiobook Review: Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Through the Evil Days
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Toran 
Series: A Clare Ferguson and Russ Van Alstyne Mystery (Book 8)
Publication: Macmillan Audio (November 5, 2018)
Length: 14 hours and 19 minutes

Description: Now a New York Times bestselling author, Julia Spencer-Fleming rises to the accolade with a powerful, and emotionally charged novel fans have been yearning for.

On a frigid January night, Chief of Police Russ Van Alstyne and Reverend Clare Fergusson are called to the scene of a raging fire, that quickly becomes a double homicide and kidnapping. Which is the very last thing Russ needs...Currently he's struggling with the prospect of impending fatherhood. And his new wife is not at all happy with his proposal for their long-delayed honeymoon: a week in an unelectrified ice-fishing cabin. The vestry of St. Alban's Church has called for the bishop to investigate Clare's "unpriestly" pregnancy. She has one week to find out if she will be scolded, censured, or suspended from her duties. Officer Hadley Knox is having a miserable January as well. Her on-again-off-again lover, Kevin Flynn, has seven days to weigh an offer from the Syracuse Police Department that might take him half a state away.

As the days and hours tick by, Russ and Clare fight personal and professional battles they've never encountered. In the course of this one tumultuous week the lives of the Millers-Kill residents listeners have come to love and cherish change forever. Listeners have waited years for Through The Evil Days and Julia Spencer-Fleming delivers with the exquisite skill and craftsmanship that have made her such a success.

My Thoughts: Russ and Clare are set to go on their honeymoon - in January, at a remote rural cabin with no electricity or running water - to go ice fishing. They are also carting along a lot of "baggage." Russ has just learned that the town council will be making a decision in a week about whether or not to disband the police department and contract services from the State Highway Patrol. Clare has been given an ultimatum by her bishop. He wants her to resign for "unpriestly" behavior. She is also dealing with the fact that she was still using drugs and alcohol when she became pregnant and the baby could be facing significant issues. Even worse, she and Russ had agreed to not have children before she found herself pregnant and Russ isn't dealing at all well with it.

Throw in arson, two executed people in the house before it was burnt, and a missing eight-year-old girl who has just had a kidney transplant and needs her immuno-suppressant drugs or she will die and the story gets filled with drama and tension. Mikayla's mother has lost custody of her because of her drug use. When the police go to search for her, they find that she is gathering pharmaceuticals used in making crystal meth. She flees before they can find out if she has Mikayla.

Meanwhile, the storm of the century bringing snow, ice, falling trees, downed power lines, and collapsed cell towers is bearing down on the region. And Russ and Clare attract the attention of bad guys who send them fleeing from their shelter in the height of the storm. 

While Clare and Russ are dealing with their issues, Kevin Flynn and Hadley Knox are also dealing with theirs. Hadley's ex-husband has shown up demanding money, threatening to take her children back to California, and threatening to expose her secrets. And Flynn is still dealing with his love for Hadley and also a job offer in Syracuse.

This was a fast-paced and tension-filled story. Many characters are faced with difficult decisions and police work has to go on while they are troubled. The ending leaves a number of plot threads dangling and I can't wait for the next book to tie them off. 

I bought this one August 29, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley

At Death's Dough
Author: Mindy Quigley
Series: Deep Dish Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Minotaur Books (October 28, 2025)

Description: The next book in the delectable Deep Dish Mystery series by Mindy Quigley, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

It’s February in the ritzy lakeside resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and love is in the air. Pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is gearing up to celebrate her first Valentine’s Day with hunky police detective Calvin Capone, great-grandson of the infamous Chicago mobster. But their romance is put on ice when a shocking discovery plunges them into a century-old crime with ties to Capone’s notorious forefather.

As old secrets surface, Delilah realizes that nearly everyone in town―from Capone’s cagey cousin to her own quirky customers―has something to hide. With the pressure mounting and the past closing in, Delilah must help Capone follow a trail of clues that could lead them to a priceless treasure... or into a deadly trap. Can Delilah serve up justice before history repeats itself? Or will she and Capone end up sleeping with the anchovies?

My Thoughts: February is a quiet time in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. Delilah is worried about her restaurant's bottom line and banking on a great Valentine's Day for her bottom line. She very reluctantly ice fishes with her great-aunt Biz and business partner Son. They are looking for fish and are surprised when the ice auger brings up human body parts.

With her police detective boyfriend Calvin Capone away investigating, it is left to his boss to investigate when a body is found under the ice. Delilah knows the man. She met Dominic Capone when he and Calvin's mother stopped in at Delilah & Son. Dominic was as eager to play up his relationship with gangster Al Capone as Calvin is to downplay it. But what made him decide to scuba dive in a frozen over lake?

With the chief eager to declare it a tragic accident, it is up to Delilah and her crew to really investigate the death. Old secrets from the heyday of gangster activity in Geneva Bay resurface in this engaging cozy culinary mystery. 

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

Book Review: The Boy by Tami Hoag

The Boy
Author: Tami Hoag
Publication: Dutton (December 31, 2018)

Description: An unfathomable loss or an unthinkable crime? #1 New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag keeps you guessing in her most harrowing thriller yet.

When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier outside the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he's ever seen. Genevieve's seven-year-old son, KJ, has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well. Meanwhile, Nick's wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits with the grieving Genevieve. A mother herself, Annie understands the devastation this woman is going through, but as a detective she's troubled: Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind?

When KJ's sometimes babysitter, twelve-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing the very next day, the town fears a maniac is preying on their children. With pressure mounting from a tough, no-nonsense new sheriff, the media, and the parents of Bayou Breaux, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. Is someone from Genevieve's past or present responsible for the death of her son? Is Nora a victim, or something worse? Then everything changes when Genevieve’s past as a convicted criminal comes to light. Could she have killed her own child to free herself from the burden of motherhood, or is the loss of her beloved boy pushing her to the edge of insanity? Could she have something to do with the disappearance of Nora, or is the troubled teen the key to the murder? How far will Nick and Annie have to go to uncover the dark truth of the boy?

My Thoughts: This thriller is the second book in the Broussard/Fourcade series. Both are police detectives in a small Sheriff's office in Cajun Louisiana. They are a married couple with a five-year-old son. 

Nick Fourcade is called to a crime scene where he discovers a brutally murdered seven-year-old boy. His mother is injured but managed to run to a neighbor's home to get help. Fourcade is also still investigating the sexual assault of an autistic teenage girl which has stirred lots of public sentiment. 

Annie Broussard is also investigating the murder. Since she's good with children, she's assigned to interview the young boy's twelve-year-old babysitter. She finds a chaotic home situation and a missing babysitter. The girl's mother hadn't even noticed that she had been missing for a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the new sheriff who happens to be a flaming narcissist, is resenting every moment of publicity that Fourcade is getting and resents that he has no control over Fourcade or Broussard. He has a fiancée and potential stepson who are being psychologically abused by him when they fail to behave perfectly.

This twisty thriller had me changing my opinion about the killer numerous times as different things were discovered in the investigation. I enjoyed the setting. I also really liked both Nick and Annie.

I bought this one August 14, 2025, as a BookBub deal. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie

The Bone Thief
Author: Vanessa Lillie
Series: Syd Walker (Book 2)
Publication: Berkley (October 28, 2025)

Description: When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.

In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family's fears.

As Syd investigates both crimes, she's drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it's not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.

The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren't isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society's doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town's most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.

From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed.

My Thoughts: Archaeologist Syd Walker finds herself involved with an elite historical society when a young Native girl goes missing and soon after the newly excavated bones of another young Native woman and her baby is discovered on the grounds of the Founders Society. Overnight, those bones disappear leaving Syd to find both the living girl and the bones. 

Syd has inherited the job of her newly retired boss with the society. She finds herself dealing with members who want to turn the area into an historical theme park centering around their very extensive dig and featuring artifacts that her former boss has found over many years. 

Syd, being Cherokee, is appalled at the notion that bones of Natives and other artifacts will be on display, but she takes her cues from the Native trickster Coyote to pretend to go along with those plans while trying to find the missing girl and the missing bones.

The book, set in 2008, shows the conflict between the traditional White society and the Natives who are trying to reclaim their birthright and land. 

I enjoyed this story which also includes characters from Syd's previous adventures who are trying to get over the events of that book. Syd is also married to Mal who is soon to have their baby which makes things even more complicated for her. 

I liked the way history was woven into the story.

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

Audiobook Review: The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

The Enchanted Greenhouse
Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Narrator: Caitlin Davies
Series: The Spellshop (Book 2)
Publication: Bramble (July 15, 2025), Macmillan Audio (July 15, 2025)

Length: 13 hours and 32 minutes

Description: New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel set in the world of The Spellshop! Follow her to The Enchanted Greenhouse, a cozy fantasy nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

My Thoughts: This is Terlu Perna's story. After creating a sentient spider plant out of loneliness, she was sentenced to be turned into a wooden statue. She was to stand in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium for some indeterminate time. 

Terlu wakes up later on an island covered with massive magical greenhouses. At first, she doesn't know how she came to be there and alive again. She needs to find the gardener which she does after a search of many lushly described greenhouses. 

Terlu finds the gardener who isn't at all happy to see her when he learns that she was a librarian and not a sorcerer. He needs to sorcerer to keep the greenhouses from failing. He's already lost more than 100 of the 365. 

Terlu would like to help him, but she greatly fears doing magic again. She doesn't think she could survive being re-statuefied. She almost inadvertently revives a sentient and chatty Ressurection Rose and from their other sentient plants. She spends time trying to learn the secrets of the sorcerer who created the greenhouses and the sentient plants. He died many years previously after sending all of his gardeners but one away and putting all his sentient plants to sleep. 

The sorcerer had grown more and more paranoid as the years passed and his spells were not only in a language Terlu, who has a gift for languages, doesn't know but they are also in code and include mirror writing and backwards writing to add to the difficulty of discovering his spells. 

As Terlu tries to learn the spells, she is falling in love with Yarrow, the last gardener. His faith in her helps her learn the sorcerer's secrets. The story was lush, descriptive and romantic. I loved the slow-build romance between Terlu and Yarrow. I loved the way each of them completed the other. 

I bought this one August 14, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (October 20, 2025)

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 Fall week. High temperatures in the 50s and 60s and low temperatures staying above freezing. The leaves are turning colors. 

I finally got my long-delayed haircut and will have to get used to the new length. The bangs might be closer to baby bangs than I was anticipating but they'll grow.

I did finish my chapter-a-day nonfiction book and haven't picked my next one yet. I may pick a book of short stories next since I tend to collect them but not read them. I think I'll wait until November 1 when I will have finished A Night in the Lonesome October.

I'm gradually chipping away at my November review stack which was much taller than I thought. I still have three of seven November 11 releases, all four November 18, and all three November 25 to read. My current read (I'm about half-finished) and one other book are by new-to-me authors. And a couple of the November 18 books are highly anticipated. Julia Spencer-Fleming and Nora Roberts are auto-buys for me. 

I added five new review copies this week as a result of email invitations. I also added one of Nora Roberts trilogies to my listening stack when they went on sale at Chirp. I also added one of Lois McMaster Bujold's fantasies which was also offered at Chirp, but I bought it from Amazon for about the same price since I like the Audible interface a little bit more than the Chirp interface. Then there were the usual Kindle deals that I just couldn't pass up. 

I've decided not to start my next audiobook (Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop) until I've finished my current read. It should give me incentive to finish Haze which I'm enjoying but which isn't an old favorite. 

I have a morning of doctor's appointments and tests on Wednesday, but otherwise it should be a quiet week. I might spend it looking for 2026 Medicare Advantage plans since my current plan won't be offered next year. 

Read Last Week

• Diviner's Bow by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook, mine) -- Reread of the third in the Colemeno story arc. 
• Wild Instinct by T. Jefferson Parker (Review, November 11) -- Two detectives with the Sheriff's Department investigate the murder of a property developer. My review will be posted on November 4.
• The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (Mine since March 30, 2017) -- Fascinating nonfiction about the development of English. 

• Innocence Road by Laura Griffin (Review, November 11) -- A woman comes back to her hometown to work for the police department just in time for a notorious conviction to be overturned and the exonerated killer comes home. Meanwhile, she's dealing with a serial killer targeting young women. My review will be posted on November 5.
• Gold Dust by Catherine Asaro (Audiobook) -- I read and reviewed the ARC. Now I listened to the story for the first time. 
• Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally (Review, November 11) -- Third Lady Petra mystery takes place at Windsor Castle in 1815. A celebrity chef is murdered. My review will be posted on November 6.

• How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook, mine since June 28, 2022) -- Christmas in Caerphilly and a whole cast version of A Christmas Carol is in the works if Meg can manage to keep the alcoholic lead actor sober and on the stage. My review will be posted on November 25.
• Written in Red by Anne Bishop (Audiobook, Mine) -- I felt like a reread of this favorite series.

Currently

• Haze by Katharine Kerr (Review, November 11)

• A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (Chapter a Day)

Next Week

• Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (Review, November 11)
• The Queen Who Came in from the Cold by S. J. Bennett (Review, November 11)
• Blood Oath by Steve Urszenyi (Review, November 18)

• Midnight in Memphis by Thomas Dann (Review, November 18)
• At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Review, November 18)
• The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (Review, November 18)

Reviews Posted

• A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King (Audiobook)
• Entranced by Nora Roberts (Audiobook)
• One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook)

• Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook (Review copy)
• Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs (Review copy)
• The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer (Audiobook)

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

Review:

• Inside Man by John McMahon (Review, January 13)
• Tell-Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow (Review, January 27)
• First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong (Review, February 17)

• The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (Review, April 7)
• An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong (Review, May 19)

Bought:

Audiobooks:

• The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (Audiobook, $4.99)
• The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)

• The Hollow by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)
• Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)

Kindle Books:

• Touch of Red by Laura Griffin (BookBub, $1.99)
• Winter's Child by Margaret Maron (BookBub, $.99)

• Murder in the Queen's Armes by Aaron Elkins (BookBub, $.99)
• Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts (BookBub, $.99)
• Lost & Found by Jayne Ann Krentz (BookBub, $2.99)

• The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K. Hamilton (BookBub, $1.99)
• Only Rogue Actions by Jennifer Estep (Kindle)

What was your week like?