ARC Review: Dark Horse by Felix Francis

Dark Horse
Author: Felix Francis
Series: A Dick Francis Novel
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 23, 2025)

Description: Sid Halley is brought in to investigate a stalking turned murder case in this thrilling addition to the Dick Francis novels, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben.

Imogen Duffy is an up-and-coming Irish jump jockey making her mark in steeplechase racing. But not all is well in Imogen's life. Jealous of her success, Imogen’s controlling boyfriend Liam is stalking her and when she tries to break it off with him, he turns violent. Fleeing to England, Imogen hopes to leave Liam behind. But Liam vehemently refuses to let her go–until he’s found dead, stabbed with a knife bearing Imogen’s fingerprints.

Imogen’s father, convinced of her innocence, seeks out Sid Halley to ask for his help uncovering the truth and Sid reluctantly agrees to investigate. The case becomes all too personal soon after, when Sid realizes he is being stalked and threatened – is it the killer? With his life and reputation on the line, Sid races to solve the case before someone else ends up dead.

This pulse–pounding addition to the beloved series will enthrall readers, turning pages at a gallop to discover what the truth is–and who to trust.

My Thoughts: Imogen Duffy is an Irish jump jockey just beginning to make her mark on racing. She is also a young woman who has left an abusive boyfriend who isn't taking her defection well. Liam Carson is also a jockey but not a remarkable one. He invaded her parents' home and was beating Imogen when her father arrived home. The police don't seem to be taking her case seriously. Apparently, she wasn't hurt badly enough for filing an assault charge. 

Imogen wins a big race which makes her name known but loses her job with her trainer who happens to be Liam's father and has her reputation ruined by Liam's accusations that she is promiscuous. Luckily, she gets a call from an English trainer who wants her to ride for him. Imogen looks at the move to England as a chance to get away from Liam. 

She is still terrorized but tries to set that aside to build a new life. But Liam follows her to England and continues his stalking and harassment. He even tries to injure her when he is entered into the same race that she is riding in. The Stewards call her in for an inquiry where Liam lies his head off about his conduct in the race. 

Then Liam forces his way into her cottage in England and Imogen is only saved from another beating when a handyman comes to install a security chain on her door. She was in the middle of threatening Liam with a kitchen knife when the handyman arrives. Her new trainer takes her to the police to report Liam's home invasion, but it is Imogen who gets the caution for threatening Liam with a knife. 

She is arrested on way back to Ireland to spend some time with her parents while she is suspended from racing for a couple of days. Liam Carson has been found dead, and she is accused of murdering him by stabbing him with one of her kitchen knives. 

Part 2 has Imogen's father coming to Sid Halley to find out who killed Liam and to prove that his daughter didn't. Sid has long been out of the investigating business, but Imogen's father calls in a debt. Some years earlier he had saved Sid's wife's life.

Sid quicky finds out that all the evidence against Imogen is circumstantial. He also learns that her court appointed lawyers are eager for her to take a plea deal since they aren't at all sure that she is innocent. Sid looks into things and coaches her lawyers on their strategy.

Then things get twisty.

This was an enjoyable mystery. I liked catching up with Sid Halley. I was on the edge of my seat as Imogen was being stalked and terrified by Liam. I did feel that ending came rather quicky after the detailed build-up.

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

Friday Memes: Dark Horse by Felix Francis

 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:

"Don't you bloody touch me!"

Friday 56:

There were twenty-six runners still in the race, and closely bunched, as they jumped the Chair and the water, before setting out on their second circuit, with Hightown Harry still prominently placed in the leading half dozen.

This week I am spotlighting Dark Horse by Felix Francis from my Review stack. I was a longtime reader of Dick Francis and have read some of his son Felix's books. This one continues the adventures of one of Dick's characters Sid Halley. 

Here's the description from Amazon:

Sid Halley is brought in to investigate a stalking turned murder case in this thrilling addition to the Dick Francis novels, perfect for fans of Harlan Coben.

Imogen Duffy is an up-and-coming Irish jump jockey making her mark in steeplechase racing. But not all is well in Imogen's life. Jealous of her success, Imogen’s controlling boyfriend Liam is stalking her and when she tries to break it off with him, he turns violent. Fleeing to England, Imogen hopes to leave Liam behind. But Liam vehemently refuses to let her go–until he’s found dead, stabbed with a knife bearing Imogen’s fingerprints.

Imogen’s father, convinced of her innocence, seeks out Sid Halley to ask for his help uncovering the truth and Sid reluctantly agrees to investigate. The case becomes all too personal soon after, when Sid realizes he is being stalked and threatened – is it the killer? With his life and reputation on the line, Sid races to solve the case before someone else ends up dead.

This pulse–pounding addition to the beloved series will enthrall readers, turning pages at a gallop to discover what the truth is–and who to trust.

ARC Review: A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly

A Dark and Deadly Journey
Author: Julia Kelly
Series: An Evelyne Redfern Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 23, 2025)

Description: Evelyne Redfern returns in A Dark and Deadly Journey, the next book in international bestselling author Julia Kelly’s captivating historical mystery series.

After being sidelined for a pesky gunshot wound, typist-turned-field agent Evelyne Redfern is ready for her next assignment with Britain’s secretive Special Investigations Unit. When a British Intelligence informant in Portugal mysteriously disappears just after hinting that he has vital information about German plans that could tip the balance of World War Two, Evelyne and her dashingly irksome partner, David Poole, are sent headed to Lisbon to find him.

Once they land, Evelyne and David aren't even able to leave the airport, before she discovers one of their fellow aeroplane passengers murdered and uncovers a diary with a clear link between the victim and their missing informant. With their mission in jeopardy before it can truly begin, Evelyne and David fight to keep their cover intact as they descend deeper into the shadows that surround Lisbon’s glittering collection of wealthy expats and dangerous spies. This case will test Evelyne and David’s training, charm, and wit―and their growing attraction for one another.

My Thoughts: Evelyne Redfern's third mission for Britain's Special Investigations Unit pairs her with her partner David again as they travel to Portugal. It seems a confidential informant has gone missing, and they are tasked with trying to find him. Evelyne also has a secret mission given to her by her superior. She needs to track down her long missing father and try to convince him to work as an agent for the British.

Evelyne's investigation actually began in England when she received a safe deposit box key and a message written in code. They were sent by her estranged father. Upon opening the box, Evelyne discovers a cache of her mother's jewelry which she had been told her father at sold years earlier. The instructions were to take the unopened box to a London jeweler. However, when she arrives, all she finds is a ransacked shop. 

Things don't start well in Portugal. Returning to the plane for a book she left behind, Evelyne discovers a dead man with a broken neck. Portugal's police investigators are very suspicious of Evelyne's story and presence with the dead body. She had nothing to do with his death, but she did take a notebook from his body written in code. 

Between her secret investigation, the hunt for the missing informant, and the mystery of the man on the plane's death, Evelyne and David are kept very busy. Since, apparently, everyone in Portugal is an agent for one government or another, they spend a lot of time trying to figure out everyone's agenda. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery filled with interesting characters,

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

ARC Review: You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan

You Make It Feel Like Christmas
Author: Sophie Sullivan
Publication: St. Martin's Griffin (September 23, 2025)

Description: All bets are off when a single-minded photographer and a professional hockey player are forced to spend a week together on his sister’s Christmas tree farm, perfect for fans of Jenny Holiday and Maggie Knox.

Maisie Smart doesn’t look back. Not on the choice she made to be a photographer, and not on the one-night stand she had six months ago. But sleeping with a professional hockey player who bolted the morning after is a whole new level of embarrassing. Now she’s about to spend the week at Tickle Tree Farms with her family this Christmas―and then the universe throws a Grinch in her festive plans.

Nick King is a mess. After a significant injury benches him, he has more time to dwell on his anxieties and the one-night stand he can’t get out of his head. With the holidays around the corner, he figures visiting his sister and nephew at their Christmas tree farm will be a good way to sort himself out. That’s impossible when he learns Maisie is there, still beautiful and justifiably angry about the way he left. But Christmas is the time for second chances, and the forced proximity may help Nick and Maisie unwrap feelings neither of them can walk away from twice.

My Thoughts: A dyslexic photographer and a professional hockey player with anxiety meet unexpectedly six months after their one-night stand when they get together for a family Christmas celebration. 

Maisie Smart joins her parents, older sister and older brother with the brother's husband's family to celebrate the holidays. She loves Christmas but she doesn't love that her mother keeps trying to encourage her to go back to school to get degrees and give up her "hobby" of photography. She also trying to deal with her broken heart after the one-night stand she fell for ghosted her.

Nick King is recovering from a knee injury and has some tough decisions to make about his future in professional hockey when he joins his sister and nephew for the holiday season. He's suffering from anxiety and rightly so as the injury joins the death of his mother and his sister's divorce in the worry column. He also can't stop thinking about the woman he met at a wedding six months earlier. 

They have a lot to deal with when they meet again at his sister's new tree farm. Maisie wonders of she can give him a second chance, and she wonders how their lives can possibly mesh with her in Seattle and him traveling with his hockey team. This was a great contemporary romance. I loved the characters.

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

ARC Review: Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner

Murder at Blackwood Inn
Author: Penny Warner
Series: A Haunted Dead and Breakfast Mystery
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 23, 2025)

Description: A haunted house and the occult are the least of Carissa Blackwood’s problems when her eccentric aunts are accused of murder in this cozy series debut by multiple award–winning author Penny Warner.

Ghostwriter Carissa Blackwood is having the worst year of her life. After leaving her cheating husband, she finally takes up the offer to help her two eccentric aunts manage the Blackwood Bed ’n’ Breakfast Inn in Pelican Point, California–a house they only recently inherited from their deceased father, Bram Blackwood. The old man dabbled in the occult, and his daughters haven’t fallen far from the family tree. Aunt Runa is into crystals and plans to hold séances at the reportedly “haunted” house. Aunt Hazel has an herbary and offers herbal cures for everything from headaches to paranormal visions. But it’s Hazel’s poison garden that really concerns Carissa.

When one of the townspeople dies from a poison that could have only come from Aunt Hazel’s garden, the town is quick to point fingers. It doesn’t help that one of Aunt Runa’s charms is found at the scene of the crime. With a little help from Noah, the mysterious and handsome handyman; Aiden, the charming newspaperman—and the ghost of Carissa’s grandfather—it’s up to Carissa to clear her aunts and find the real killer before someone else is checked out for good at the B&B.

My Thoughts: Carissa Blackwood has come to Pelican Point, California, to help her aunt's run their new bed & breakfast. Her aunts are a little eccentric. One is devoted to crystals and the other to herbs and poisonous plants. They have decorated their inherited Italianate mansion in a spooky theme. From a black, purple and green exterior to rooms decorated for famous horror movies, Carissa is wondering if she's making a right move after her acrimonious divorces and losing her job as a ghostwriter for a famous author. 

However, her aunts have decorated her room according to a Nancy Drew theme, and are supportive of her desires to write her own mysteries once the inn is up and running. 

The reception they are holding on the evening before their first guests arrive is supposed to introduce them to the locals. However, only five people attend and all have their own agendas from the other innkeeper in town who resents their competition to the next door neighbor wo worries that the odd color scheme will destroy his home's value to the real estate agent who has been trying to convince the sisters to sell out and buy a nice oceanside condo. 

Things go from bad to worse when the real estate agent is found dead in her bed the next morning with one of Aunt Runa's crystals under her bed. Further investigations lead to the conclusion that she was poisoned with belladonna which Aunt Hazel tends in her poisons garden. 

With the police focusing on Aunt Hazel, it is up to Carissa to channel Nancy Drew and find out who really murdered the realtor. 

This was an entertaining cozy mystery set in a bed & breakfast that I would like to visit. 

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

ARC Review: A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard

A Tour to Die For
Author: Michelle Chouinard
Series: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco Mysteries (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 23, 2025)

Description: In Michelle Chouinard’s A Tour to Die For, Capri Sanzio is back, giving a true crime tour her guests won’t soon forget. After all, a tour guide who specializes in serial killers knows better than most that San Francisco is a city with killer charm.

Capri Sanzio knows that when you give serial killer walking tours for a living, unexpected situations are more common than San Francisco's famous fog. So, when one of her guests claims to see a woman being attacked during a tour, Capri remains unphased. The police search the apartment in question and find no evidence of anything amiss, so they chalk it up to a false report from a true crime fanatic looking to be a part of a case. And Capri thinks they might be right, since lately her tours have been attracting even more obsessives than usual--as it turns out, finding the actual serial killer who committed the "Overkill Bill" murders didn't stop the constant questions about her grandfather's supposed crimes, it only intensified them.

But Capri would never forgive herself if someone is in trouble and she walks away. Plus, something about the whole situation has every one of Capri's investigative journalist instincts going haywire--why would someone lie about seeing an attack? So Capri starts to dig, and when her questions lead to a body, she finds herself at the center of another murder investigation.

My Thoughts: Capri Sanzio is an expert on murders in San Francisco. She even has a tour company that follows the paths of historical murderers. One evening, she's running her Barbary Coast tour when one of her tourists spots a woman being strangled in a lighted window. Capri calls 911 but the responding officers only find an empty, but lighted apartment. 

Lorraine, who is fifth grade teacher from a couple of hours away, is sure that she saw someone being strangled and encourages Capri to look into it. She even sends a scoop to the newspaper to try force Capri's hand. 

Capri is curious enough to explore more. She talks to the building's landlady who tells her that Leeya is a local artist who works with found materials. She also tells Capri that Leeya has a boyfriend along with a mother and a sister. Capri contacts, or tries to contact, all of them but none have seen Leeya. 

Then Leeya's body is found in a dumpster outside her rented studio and the disappearance soon becomes a murder. Capri's new boyfriend Homicide Inspector Dan Petito encourages her to keep her distance, but Capri is longing to resurrect a career as an investigative journalist that she set aside to marry and become a mother. 

This is Capri's second book. She's still dealing with the popularity she gained by solving the Overkill Bill murders. This led to a rift with her father, a successful podcast, and a book contract to write about Overkill Bill. 

She's investigating Leeya's murder while running a business, planning a new podcast, writing a book, and building a romance with a new guy. She's also dealing with her deadbeat ex who is trying to so some business with her daughter without telling her daughter that her ex is a deadbeat. 

This was an engaging story filled with all sorts of fascinating things about San Franciso. It was also a fast-paced mystery filled with suspicious characters and dangerous situations. I recommend it. 

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

ARC Review: Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen

Murder in Miniature
Author: Katie Tietjen
Series: A Maple Bishop Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 23, 2025)

Description: The second installment in the Maple Bishop historical mysteries continues the adventures of intrepid amateur sleuth Maple Bishop.

Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, this smartly plotted series will appeal to fans of Rhys Bowen.

In post-WWII Vermont, Maple Bishop has a thriving dollhouse business and a new career as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff's office. On the surface, she seems to be doing well, but deep down Maple is still reeling from the death of her husband. When the body of an aspiring firefighter–who was close childhood friends with Kenny, the sheriff’s deputy and Maple’s confidante–is discovered in the charred remains of a burned cabin, Maple is called in to help determine whether the fire was an accident or a case of murder by arson.

Realizing there’s more to the crime than meets the eye, she sets out to unearth the discrepancies from the scene by re-creating the cabin in miniature. The investigation leads them to Maple’s old Boston neighborhood, forcing her to confront the past she’s desperately trying to forget.

As Maple and Kenny sift through clues, they uncover dark secrets that hit close to home, unraveling in unexpected ways—and putting their lives in danger.

My Thoughts: The second Maple Bishop mystery has her doll house business flourishing and a new consultant gig with the local police. She's called in by the Chief of Police to investigate the death of a young firefighter in a cabin. She's eager to do something out of the ordinary but sad at the death of her friend Kenny's childhood friend. 

She is determined to make four nutshells to recreate the crime scene to figure out the timing and accelerant used. She also goes back to Boston with Kenny to try to locate the victim's mother and inform her of the death. Going back to Boston encourages her to see if she can find some answers to her brother's death too. 

Maple has some decisions to make too. She's offered a position in the Boston prosecutor's office which would let her use her unused law degree. But it would mean leaving the life and friends she has made in Vermont. 

This was an engaging historical mystery set in 1950. I liked that Maple has gotten her first television but isn't sure that she will enjoy having it. I also like her growing circle of friends.

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? (September 15, 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...

Last week was a nice quiet week. We had quite a few foggy days and cooler than average temperatures. Yesterday began foggy but the sun broke out by afternoon at our house. Bill said that the fog reappeared as he went down the hill for his wanderings. He said the dividing line was Skyline Parkway which is a road that winds its way the length of Duluth at an elevation of about 500 feet above the lake. There are a number of scenic overlooks along Skyline Drive when the sky is clear. I added a link so you can see what it looks like. 

The big news of the week was that I bought my brother a new computer. He has been complaining for months about how slow his computer is and he'd been shopping around for a new one. He likes to see what he is buying. So, he visited Best Buy and the local store that he has used to repair his computer. His main problem, beyond his lack of decisiveness, was that he doesn't know enough about computers to know what he wants. When he got a price quote of $1500 from the local shop, I said that was way too much for what he uses his computer for which is mainly reading the local newspaper and visiting YouTube to listen to music. I went to Amazon and bought him one with a touch screen and adequate speed and memory for what he needs for a less than a third of what he was quoted. I ordered it on Wednesday, and it arrived on Friday. I had it set up for him including recreating his bookmarks and adding a printer by Friday afternoon with most of the time spent refreshing my memory about Chrome which is his preferred browser. I use Edge myself and there are some differences. 

I didn't read as much as usual mainly because I ran into two review books that weren't holding my attention. I'm currently at 82% of one of them with no compelling need to find out how the story resolves. The other one has me bribing myself to read a chapter and then rewarding myself with more of my current audiobook which explains why I read three audiobooks last week and am well into the fourth today.

There is a lot of carryover from last week's stack in my plans for this week's reading. The first three are by authors I have enjoyed in the past and I'm eager to get to them if I can just finish the two that are bogging me down.

Bill goes back to work today with his usual 2:30 to 11 PM schedule. I'll miss his cooking even though he likes cooking spicier food than I would pick. He made an Italian Chili this past week that was too spicy for me even though he used the less spicy options in the recipe. I'm looking forward to making myself some nice bland macaroni and cheese this week and maybe some hamburger gravy to serve over mashed potatoes. 

Read Last Week

• One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook) -- 7th Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery. My review will be posted on October 16.
• The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (Mine since January 6, 2025) -- YA thriller about a missing woman who reappears after being missing for sixteen years and how her daughter who is the narrator reacts. My review will be posted on October 4)
• Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima (Review, October 14) -- Tenth is a series starring a female sheriff's deputy and her K-9 Robo. My review will be posted on October 7.

• Tinker by Wen Spencer (Audiobook, Reread)
• Wolf Who Rules by Wen Spencer (Audiobook, Reread)
• Elfhome by Wen Spencer (Audiobook, Reread)

Currently

• And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters (Review, October 14)
• Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connelly (Review, October 14)
• Wood Sprites by Wen Spencer (Audiobook, Reread)

Next Week

• Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (Review, October 14)
• The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (Review, October 14)
• And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt (Review, October 14)

• Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook (Review, October 21)
• Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs (Review, October 21)
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Mine since August 14, 2025)

Reviews Posted

• Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh (Review copy)
• A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau (Review copy)
• No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams (Review copy)

• Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews (Audiobook)
• The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (Review copy)
• Murder at King's Crossing by Andrea Penrose (Mine)

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

Review:

• Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs (Review, October 21)

Bought:

• Black Tie and Tails by Wen Spencer (Kindle & Audiobook)
• Framed in Death by J. D. Robb (Kindle & Audiobook)
• The Warbler by Sarah Beth Durst (Kindle Daily Deal, $2.49)

What was your week like?

Book Review: Murder at King's Crossing by Andrea Penrose

Murder at King's Crossing
Author: Andrea Penrose
Series: Wrexford & Sloane (Book 8)
Publication: Kensington Books (September 24, 2004)

Description: For fans of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and Bridgerton—a masterfully plotted mystery that combines engaging protagonists with rich historical detail and “an unusually rich look at Regency life,” (Publishers Weekly), plus a touch of romance that readers of Amanda Quick and Deanna Raybourn will savor.

Celebration is in the air at Wrexford and Charlotte’s country estate as they host the nuptials of their friends, Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. But on the afternoon of the wedding, the festivities are interrupted when the local authorities arrive with news that a murdered man has been discovered at the bridge over King’s Crossing, his only identification an invitation to the wedding. Lady Cordelia is horrified when the victim is identified as Jasper Milton, her childhood friend and a brilliant engineer who is rumored to have discovered a revolutionary technological innovation in bridge design. That he had the invitation meant for her cousin Oliver, who never showed up for the wedding, stirs a number of unsettling questions.

Both men were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, a scientific group dedicated to making radical improvements in the speed and cost of transportation throughout Britain. Is someone plotting to steal Milton’s designs? And why has her cousin disappeared?

Wrexford and Charlotte were looking forward to spending a peaceful interlude in the country, but when Lady Cordelia resolves to solve the mystery, they offer their help, along with that of the Weasels and their unconventional inner circle of friends. The investigation turns tangled and soon all of them are caught up in a treacherous web of greed, ambition, and dangerous secrets. And when the trail takes a shocking turn, Wrexford and Charlotte must decide what risks they are willing to take with their family to bring the villains to justice . . .

My Thoughts: The eighth Wrexford & Sloane historical mystery begins with some friends' wedding at the Wrexford's country estate. But the quiet time after the festivities is disrupted when one of the wedding guests doesn't arrive and a body with the wedding invitation in his pocket is found. 

Fearing that the body belongs to a favorite cousin, Cordelia soon learns that it isn't her cousin but a childhood friend of hers named Jasper Milton instead. To add to the confusion, the cousin is missing and a possible suspect in Milton's death.

The investigation leads to the Milton's fellow scholars and to someone who wants Milton's scientific discovery. The discovery could lead to much more efficient bridges which would lead to a better transportation network, and it isn't only Britain that is interested in that. 

Suspects range from the French to the Russians to English businessmen who see a huge profit in better bridges. And the British government has a strong interest in Milton's discoveries too. Wrexford and Charlotte are busy trying to find out who murdered Milton and a couple of the others in Milton's club of fellow mathematicians and engineers. Adding to the investigative team is Peregrine who joins the Hawks after he was expelled from Eton after a stink bomb episode. 

This was another enjoyable historical mystery. 

I bought this one January 1, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Murder at King's Crossing by Andrea Penrose

 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:

"Damnation!" Hair spiking up in disarray, spectacles sliding down the slope of his beaky nose, the man glanced up from the work papers strewn across his desk and stared at the clock with a look of dawning horror. "What pernicious quirk of the cosmos has made six hours fly by in the space of one?"

Friday 56:

"Murdered!" exclaimed Wayland. "There must be some mistake!" He looked at his friends in mute appeal. "We all know that country coroners are notoriously uneducated and ill-trained."

This week I am spotlighting Murder at King's Crossing by Andrea Penrose. This one has been waiting on my TBR mountain but moved rapidly to the top when I was approved for the next one in this series on NetGalley.

Here's the description from Amazon:

For fans of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and Bridgerton—a masterfully plotted mystery that combines engaging protagonists with rich historical detail and “an unusually rich look at Regency life,” (Publishers Weekly), plus a touch of romance that readers of Amanda Quick and Deanna Raybourn will savor.

Celebration is in the air at Wrexford and Charlotte’s country estate as they host the nuptials of their friends, Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. But on the afternoon of the wedding, the festivities are interrupted when the local authorities arrive with news that a murdered man has been discovered at the bridge over King’s Crossing, his only identification an invitation to the wedding. Lady Cordelia is horrified when the victim is identified as Jasper Milton, her childhood friend and a brilliant engineer who is rumored to have discovered a revolutionary technological innovation in bridge design. That he had the invitation meant for her cousin Oliver, who never showed up for the wedding, stirs a number of unsettling questions.

Both men were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, a scientific group dedicated to making radical improvements in the speed and cost of transportation throughout Britain. Is someone plotting to steal Milton’s designs? And why has her cousin disappeared?

Wrexford and Charlotte were looking forward to spending a peaceful interlude in the country, but when Lady Cordelia resolves to solve the mystery, they offer their help, along with that of the Weasels and their unconventional inner circle of friends. The investigation turns tangled and soon all of them are caught up in a treacherous web of greed, ambition, and dangerous secrets. And when the trail takes a shocking turn, Wrexford and Charlotte must decide what risks they are willing to take with their family to bring the villains to justice . . .

ARC Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi

The Shattering Peace
Author: John Scalzi
Series: Old Man's War (Book 7)
Publication: Tor Books (September 16, 2025)

Description: After a decade, acclaimed science fiction master John Scalzi returns to the galaxy of the Old Man's War series with the long awaited seventh book, The Shattering Peace

THE PEACE IS SHATTERING

For a decade, peace has reigned in interstellar space. A tripartite agreement between the Colonial Union, the Earth, and the alien Conclave has kept the forces of war at bay, even when some would have preferred to return to the fighting and struggle of former times. For now, more sensible heads have prevailed – and have even championed unity.

But now, there is a new force that threatens the hard-maintained peace: The Consu, the most advanced intelligent species humans have ever met, are on the cusp of a species-defining civil war. This war is between Consu factions... but nothing the Consu ever do is just about them. The Colonial Union, the Earth and the Conclave have been unwillingly dragged into the conflict, in the most surprising of ways.

Gretchen Trujillo is a mid-level diplomat, working in an unimportant part of the Colonial Union bureaucracy. But when she is called to take part in a secret mission involving representatives from every powerful faction in space, what she finds there has the chance to redefine the destinies of humans and aliens alike... or destroy them forever.

My Thoughts: This science fiction story is the seventh book in the Old Man's War series. Ten years have passed since the events of the previous book (and in real life too.) Gretchen Trujillo is a mid-level diplomat working in the Colonial Union bureaucracy. She's the expert on the Obin - one of many alien races humans have met in their journeys to expand into space. Her father is a higher-level diplomat.

When Gretchen's father gives her the assignment of trying to determine what happened to Unity Colony - a hollowed-out asteroid circling a planet the Obin had intended to colonize. The existence of Unity Colony comes as a surprise to Gretchen since one of the conditions of the tripartite agreement which ended the war was that there was a moratorium on founding new colonies. 

Unity Colony was intended as a test case to see if citizens of the Colonial Union, the Conclave and Earth could live together peacefully in a single environment. Now the colony has disappeared, and the Colonial Union wants to know why. Gretchen's father was instrumental in the formation of the colony and one of her oldest friends is among the colonists. 

An expedition is formed to find out what happened to the colony. When they arrive at the site where it was supposed to be, the colony is gone with no evidence of where it could be. What is there is a prism containing a single Consu. The Consu are a very superior sort of alien immeasurably advanced compared to all the other species. They have a nasty habit of messing with other species to further their goal of "perfecting" all species. They also rarely condescend to speak to other species, but this one that Gretchen names Kitty does speak to her and has a task for her. After which, he will tell her what happened to the colony. 

Gretchen soon learns that the Consu are facing a civil war in which one faction wants to destroy the colony and Earth to "perfect" humans. The runaway Consu has developed a new kind of physics of spaceflight which could make the Consu even more powerful and dangerous to humans and aliens. It is up to Gretchen to out-think the aliens, save the colony, and save all the aliens from Consu interference. 

This was an engaging space opera with a great main character. Gretchen is smart and mean and tricky enough to win over the dreaded Consu. I think it works well as a story whether or not you have read the previous six books in the Old Man's War series. I enjoyed the story despite my reservations about the efficacy of Gretchen's final solution.

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

ARC Review: No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams

No Rest for the Wicked
Author: Rachel Louise Adams
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 16, 2025)

Description: With an expert hand, Rachel Louise Adams’s debut No Rest for the Wicked reads like an edge of your seat, heart-pounding scary movie.

In one Halloween obsessed Midwestern town, everyone’s on red alert after a local politician goes missing. Little do they know it’s only the beginning.

It’s been close to twenty years since forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. The town is famous for its Halloween celebrations, but also its history of violent deaths linked to the holiday. To Dolores, it’s the place she fled, family, bad memories, and all. Until the FBI calls to tell her that her father--the former mayor turned US Senator--is missing under mysterious circumstances.

Some people count to ten to wake up from a nightmare. Dolores always counts the bones of her head instead: sphenoid, frontal, lacrimal. But no matter how many times she counts them, it doesn’t change the fact that her father is missing, that his final words of warning to her were to trust no one, and that now, the rest of her family is giving Dolores a chilling welcome. With Halloween fast approaching, Dolores must face the past she left behind before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: Forensic pathologist Dolores Diaz is called home to Little Horton, Wisconsin, when her father goes missing. She left town at eighteen and hasn't been back or communicated with her family for about 16 years. She left because of an incident that she has blocked from her memory and isn't eager to uncover what she has forgotten.

Dolores' father left a note telling her not to trust anyone and the FBI in the persons of FBI Special Agents Wyatt Holt and Paul Turner want to know why. Dolores has to face the past she left behind and uncover long-buried memories to survive because her father's death is just the first. 

I enjoyed this twisty mystery with an intriguing main character who counts skull bones rather than to ten when she needs to regain control. I liked the flashbacks to 2003 where the cause of her memory lapse begins. 

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

ARC Review: Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh

Beyond Her Reach
Author: Melinda Leigh
Series: Bree Taggert (Book 10)
Publication: Montlake (September 16, 2025)

Description: In the wake of a woman’s savage murder, the suspects and motives are only mounting for Sheriff Bree Taggert in a twisting novel of suspense by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

In a quiet suburban neighborhood in upstate New York, single mom Kelly Gibson is slain in her home—the victim of a rage killing. Right away, Sheriff Bree Taggert has three persons of interest: an angry soon-to-be ex-husband, a furtive rebound boyfriend, and an obsessive neighbor.

But as Bree and investigator Matt Flynn work together to narrow the field, there’s a shocking twist in the case: a second woman is murdered in the same brutal fashion.

While investigating, Bree is attacked and left for dead. When another woman is kidnapped, Bree and Matt must act quickly to unravel the deceptions in Kelly’s life and death and find a killer before someone else dies.

My Thoughts: The tenth Bree Taggert mystery has her investigating the brutal murder of a woman in her home in upstate New York. Kelly Gibson was in the middle of a divorce and a home renovation project when her throat was slit by a box cutter. 

Bree and her live-in and part time investigator Matt Flynn quickly identify three potential suspects. The almost-ex-husband who wanted her to sell the house so that he could start a new life with her replacement is a good candidate. So is the guy she met on a dating app. Then there is the overly interested and possibly stalkerish guy who lives across the street. 

As Bree and Matt investigate, they are also dealing with Matt's sister's impending birth which will put Bree's chief deputy on the sidelines since he's the father. Then there's Turbo who is supposed to be in training as a police dog but who is already an accomplished escape artist with lots and lots of energy.

Bree has her favorite suspect, but another woman is murdered in the same way as Kelly while she is interviewing him. They only thing the two women seem to have in common is that both dated the same potential suspect who also has an airtight alibi.

Then Bree is attacked by having a concrete block dropped on her patrol car and having the car run over a strip which blows out her tires. Only the presence of Turbo saves her when the potential killer comes to finish her off. 

The case finally comes together when a third woman is kidnapped.

This was an excellent addition to the series. I love the relationship between Bree and Matt. The side characters are also interesting people. 

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

Audiobook Review: Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews

Die Like an Eagle
Author: Donna Andrews
Narrator: Bernadette Dunne
Series: Megs Langslow Mystery (Book 20)
Publication: Dreamscape Media (August 2, 2016)
Length: 8 hours and 46 minutes

Description: Meg is Team Mom, and Michael is coach of their twin sons' youth baseball team, the Caerphilly Eagles. Meg tangles with Biff Brown, the petty, vindictive league head. On opening day Biff's lookalike brother is found dead in the porta-potty at the ball field. So many people think Biff's scum that it would be easy to blame him, but he has an alibi - and Meg suspects he may actually have been the intended victim.

With Die Like an Eagle, listeners can look forward to another zany Meg Langslow mystery - this one filled with the spirit of America's pastime and Donna's eagle eye.

My Thoughts: Die Like an Eagle is the 20th book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series. This time it centers around the great game of baseball. Meg and Michael's twins are in a coach-pitch summer league and having lots of fun. 

But Biff Brown who is the league head isn't making it fun for the parents. From crazy rules to restricted practice times to a poorly maintained field and facilities, those who aren't already intimidated by Biff's vindictive tactics are afraid to make any moves against him. 

Meg is already looking for Biff to discuss town business since his construction company is supposed to be rehabbing the town square before the next local holiday. Her calls and emails are going unanswered, and she is getting very frustrated with him.

When a body is discovered in Biff's noxious porta potty at the ball field, Meg at first thinks it's Biff. Turns out that it is Biff's lookalike half-brother and frequent game umpire who is the victim. But who would want him dead when Biff has so many enemies?

Meg has to track down the killer if she wants the Founders' Day baseball tournament to go on. And she has to track down Biff to get him to fulfill his contract with the city or step aside so someone else can do the job. 

This was another excellent entry into the long-running series filled with the usual eccentrics and the usual humor. 

I bought this one as a Kindle book November 21, 2024. The Chirp audiobook was on sale for $2.99 when I bought it on August 16. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau

A Murderous Business
Author: Cathy Pegau
Series: A Harriman & Mancini Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 16, 2025)

Description: A sharp, captivating historical mystery about two queer women in turn-of-the-century New York, for fans of Lavender House and A Most Agreeable Murder

There can be a blurry line between what is ethical and what is legal.

Margot Baxter Harriman took the reins of B&H Foods after her father passed. It’s not easy being a business woman in 1912, but she is determined to continue what her grandparents started decades ago, no matter what it takes.

So when Margot finds Mrs. Gilroy, her father’s former assistant, dead in the office with a half-finished note confessing to nebulous misdeeds at B&H, she seeks out help from a very discreet, private investigator to figure out what's going on. Her company, and her good name, are at stake if scandal breaks...and she could lose everything, including her freedom.

Loretta “Rett” Mancini has run her father’s investigation operation since he started becoming increasingly forgetful. When Margot offers her the chance to look into the potential scandal with B&H, she jumps at it.

But the more the two dig in, the more it becomes clear that Margot's company may be too far lost...and someone is willing to kill them both to keep things quiet.

Charming and witty, Cathy Pegau's A Murderous Business is perfect for fans of Lev Ac Rosen, Enola Holmes by Nancy Springer, and the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney mysteries by Claudia Gray.

My Thoughts: This historical mystery set in 1912 pairs Margot Baxter Harriman and Loretta "Rett" Mancini. Margot has inherited her father's food canning company and is trying to run it despite the opposition she faces from her male Board of Directors. When she comes upon the body of her father's retired assistant Mrs. Gilroy who died in the middle of writing a note confessing to unnamed offenses, Margot looks for a discrete investigator to find out what is going on.

Rett is her father's assistant in a detective agency. She's assumed more and more responsibility as her father's forgetfulness has increased. When Margot comes to her, she takes the case and decides not to tell her father about it. 

They quickly uncover secrets including a safe deposit box filled with cash when they begin their investigations. Only they don't know what crime the deceased Mrs. Gilroy was covering up. They discover some fraud where fake employees claim and are reimbursed for fictitious injuries. But the note said "death" and the fraud scheme has no deaths attached to it. 

Then the blackmailing food inspector comes to call. Mrs. Gilroy's death ended his financial windfall and he wants it resumed. Before Margot can decide what to do about the blackmail, the food inspector is found bound and shot in the river. Since Margot was the last to see him and was arguing with him too, the police are interested in her whereabouts at the time of the murder. 

Margot's alibi lies in the fact that she had been with Rett, Rett's girlfriend, and a new friend Shiloh with whom Margot spent the night. This is not something a woman in 1912 is eager to share. Scandal could bring down the company she's trying to save just as much as the unnamed crimes Mrs. Gilroy mentioned. 

This was an entertaining historical mystery. I like that it is the first book in a new series. Both Margot and Rett are interesting characters trying to make their way in a world that doesn't give single women much room or many choices. 

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? (September 8, 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 first week in September despite the very chilly temperatures and rain. After high temperatures of 76 on Monday and 75 on Tuesday, high temperatures were in the fifties and even low 50s for the rest of the week. It is noon on Sunday, and the temperature is 55. The skies are sunny today. We did get over an inch of rain this week with most of it on Tuesday. 

My medical test on Friday was nice and easy. I am still waiting to hear from my doctor about the results. I did schedule my flu and Covid shots for this week. So, the medical stuff isn't finished. The shots are scheduled at my nearby clinic which is much easier for me to drive to. 

My brother has the week off. He already has plans for what he'll be cooking. We have no other plans for the week. I have baseball to watch as the season winds to a close. I also have a never-ending stack of books to read. 

The calendar is packed with October 14 review book releases. I'm also planning to keep listening to the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series as I get ready to read the new one in a couple of weeks. 

August Report

I read 36 books in August. Twenty were mine; sixteen were review copies. Of the twenty, sixteen were audiobooks including nine rereads. My reading totaled 12, 270 pages and 197 hours of listening. 

Coincidentally, I also added 36 books to my LibraryThing account in August. Eight were review copies and six were audiobooks. Twenty-four are still on TBR mountain. A few of them are on my October reading calendar in spots not needed for review books. 

Here is my State of the Stack report which I use to keep track of review books. 

Read Last Week

• The Librarians by Sherry Thomas (Review, September 30) -- Contemporary ensemble cast mystery filled with quirky characters. My review will be posted on September 23.
• All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz (Kindle and Audiobook, mine since August 21, 2025) -- Classic romantic suspense by a master. My review will be posted on September 27.
• The Killing Stones by Ann Cleaves (Review, September 30) -- First in a new series but with characters from other series. Mystery set in the Orkneys at Christmas time. My review will be posted on September 24.

• I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Chirp Audiobook, mine since January 4, 2024) -- Sixth in the Clare Feguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series. My review will be posted on October 2.
• Entranced by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, mine since May 12, 2025) -- Second in the Donovan Legacy paranormal romance series. My review will be posted on October 16.

• The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths (Mine since July 18, 2025) -- Second in the Harbinder Kaur mystery series. My review will be posted on September 30.
• Naked in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- First in the In Death series. 
• Mirage City by Lev AC Rosen (Review, October 7) -- Fourth in the Evander "Andy" Mills historical mystery series. He's a gay PI in 1952 California. My review will be posted on October 2.

• Glory in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- Second in the In Death series
• Immortal in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook Reread) -- Third in the In Death series

Currently

• The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson (Mine since January 6, 2025)
• One Was a Soldier by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audible Plus)

Next Week

• Dying Cry by Margaret Mizushima (Review, October 14)
• And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters (Review, October 14)
• Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connelly (Review, October 14)

• Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (Review, October 14)
• The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (Review, October 14)
• And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt (Review, October 14)

Reviews Posted

• Steadfast by Mercedes Lackey (Audiobook)
• River's End by Nora Roberts (Audiobook)
• The Deepest Cut by P. J. Tracy (Review copy)

• The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Audiobook)
• All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Review copy)
• Flash Point by Tracey Devlyn (Mine) 

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

Review:

• Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree (Review, November 11)
• Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna (Review, November 25)
• Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart (Review, January 13)

Bought:

• Listen to Me by Tess Gerritsen (BookBub, $1.99)
• White Night by Jim Butcher (BookBub, $2.99)
• Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99)

• Demon's Bluff by Kim Harrison (BookBub, $1.99)
• Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison (Kindle, $1.99)
• Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune (BookBub, $2.99)

What was your week like?