Audiobook Review: All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming

All Mortal Flesh
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Series: Ferguson/Van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 5)
Publication: Blackstone Audio (March 4, 2010)
Length: 13 hours and 41 minutes

Description: Police Chief Russ van Alstyne doesn't expect any gossip in the town about his carefully contained feelings for the Reverend Clare Fergusson. So he certainly doesn't expect to be the prime suspect when his wife is found murdered in their own home. To the state police, it's an open-and-shut-case of a disaffected husband, silencing first his wife, then the investigation he controls.

But nothing is as it seems in the small Adirondack town of Millers Kill, where betrayal twists old friendships and evil waits inside white-clapboard farmhouses. Russ and Clare struggle against the reach of the law, the authority of the church, and their own guilty hearts in All Mortal Flesh.

My Thoughts: Russ van Alstyne becomes the prime suspect when his wife Linda is found murdered and mutilated in their kitchen. They were going through marital difficulties, and she had kicked him out of their house. He's been living with his mother and has no alibi for the time period of his wife's death.

He can hardly tell anyone that he and Clare Ferguson had gotten together at the isolated cabin where she had gone for a retreat to discuss what they plan to do about their relationship. Each is in love with the other, but Russ's marriage is definitely an impediment to them having any sort of public relationship. Clare is feeling guilty about potentially breaking up Russ's marriage. 

Clare is also dealing with being assigned a new deacon whom she views as the bishop's watchdog and whose goal is to keep Clare on the straight and narrow. Even though Clare and Russ had decided to keep apart, Clare has to be there when her friend needs her support. 

But an overzealous deputy has called in the State Police which takes the investigation out of the local's control. The imported investigator is eager to make a case for Russ and the murderer. Russ is forced to do his investigating on the down low. 

Things take quite a twist when it is discovered that the body on Russ's kitchen floor is not Linda, but rather a pet sitter who was hired to look after Linda's new cat. Of course, that means that Linda is still missing and the suspicion shifts to Clare who might have had motive for killing Linda to clear her way to Russ.

This was a very emotional and action-packed episode in this series. It was an emotional roller coaster for both Clare and Russ. The mystery part of the story was well-done too. 

I bought this one from Chirp January 4, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

The Postscript Murders
Author: Elly Griffiths
Series: Harbinder Kaur (Book 2)
Publication: Mariner Books (March 2, 2021)

Description: "This droll romp is a latter-day Miss Marple.”—Washington Post

Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.

The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing.

But Natalka had a reason to be at the police station: while clearing out Peggy’s flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript: PS: for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.

And then things escalate: from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes . . .

My Thoughts: An elderly woman dies and three unlikely detectives are determined to find her murderer. Peggy Smith led a quiet life in a retirement home looking out the window and keeping track of what she sees. When her carer Natalka finds her dead in her chair, she thinks it might have been natural causes. 

Peggy's across the hall neighbor Edwin and Benedict who runs a coffee stand on the beach were also Peggy's friends and determined to find out what happened to her. One baffling clue can be found in the many books in her rooms. A substantial number of them are dedicated to her or she is mentioned in the books' acknowledgements. Then a card saying Peggy was a murder consultant is located. 

Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin begin trying to track down the authors who have acknowledged Peggy to see if they can find out who might have wanted her dead. 

Natalka has brought her questions regarding Peggy's death to DS Harbinder Kaur who is curious but doesn't think there is a case. But then one of the authors who thanked Peggy is murdered. It turns out that his mother and Peggy were friends until his mother's death. And Natalka and Benedict are threatened by a person with a gun while going through Peggy's apartment. 

The trio decides to head to Aberdeen for an author convention to meet with another of the authors who mentioned Peggy in their book's dedication. And still another author with ties to Peggy is found dead of the same cause as Peggy. That brings Harbinder to Aberdeen to work with the local police.

The story is filled with twists and turns. It is also populated with an eccentric but engaging group of detectives. I enjoyed the story very much. 

I bought this one July 18. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (September 29, 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...

Happy end of September! I'm bummed because the baseball season has ended for my Atlanta Braves. I will likely watch the playoffs and the World Series, but I'm not really invested in any team participating.

I'm up early (for me) on this Sunday morning so that I can watch the Minnesota Vikings play from Dublin. It will be the same next Sunday when they play from London. 

This was an otherwise quiet week. We had great weather. There was no rain, and the temperature hit 80 degrees on Thursday. The rest of the week was in the 60s and 70s. I had the doors and windows open for the breeze every day.

I finished reading all of my October review copies and even had a chance to read a few from my TBR pile. This coming week I will be starting my November review copies, but I'll also have time for more from my TBR mountain. 

I'm behind on my goal for reading nonfiction this year. I decided to choose The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson for my next nonfiction read. It's been hanging out on my Kindle since 2017. I'll be trying to read a chapter a day. 

Read Last Week

• And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt (Review, October 21) -- Andy is sucked into another case when a man who adopted a dog from his foundation is arrested for murder. My review will be posted on October 11.
• Death on Dickens Island by Allison Brook (Review, October 21) -- First in a new cozy series set on an island. This one has secret rooms and ghosts. My review will be posted on October 14.

• Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs (Review, October 21) -- A connected group of short stories all starring werewolf Asil. My review will be posted on October 15.
• At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley (Review, October 28) -- 5th in the Deep Dish Mysteries. Delilah and her friends need to solve the murder of a cousin of her boyfriend. My review will be posted on October 23.

• The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer (Audiobook) -- Reread of this first book in a series. Urban fantasy. My review will be posted on October 18.
• The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (Audiobook, Mine since September 24) -- Cozy Romantasy. My review will be posted on October 21.
• The Boy by Tami Hoag (Mine since August 14, 2025) -- Entertaining and twisty thriller set in Cajun country in Louisiana. My review will be posted on October 22.

Currently

• Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook Reread)
• The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews (Mine since August 12, 2025)

Chapter-a-Day Read:

• The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson (Mine since March 30, 2017)

Next Week

• The Hidden City by Charles Finch (Review, November 4)
• These Violet Delights by Madeleine Roux (Review, November 4)
• The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong (Review, November 4)

• The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott (Review, November 4)
• Hid from Our Eyes by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook Reread)
• Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Mine since November 21, 2024)

Reviews Posted

• Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose (Review copy)
• The Librarians by Sherry Thomas (Review copy)
• The Killing Stones by Ann Cleaves (Review copy)

• Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook)
• To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook)
• All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)

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

Review:

• Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb (Review, February 3)
• Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan (Review, April 21)

Bought:

• The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)
• The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)
• The Next Always by Nora Roberts (Chirp Audiobook, $4.99)

• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (Audiobook, Audible Add-On)
• The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

• Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz (BookBub, $2.99)
• The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten (Kindle Daily Deal, $1.99)
• Bad Liar by Tami Hoag (BookBub, $1.99)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz

All Night Long
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Amanda Cobb
Publication: Recorded Books (March 15, 2015)
Length: 10 hours and 6 minutes

Description: Shy, studious Irene Stenson and wild, privileged Pamela Webb had been the best of friends for one short high school summer. Their friendship ended the night Pamela dropped Irene off at home - and Irene walked in to discover her parents' bodies on the kitchen floor. It was ruled a murder-suicide, and Irene fled Dunsley, determined to wipe out every memory attached to her Northern California hometown. But now she has been summoned back.

Pamela's email had been short and cryptic. More alarming, it included the code word they had used as teenagers, suggesting an urgency and secrecy that puzzled Irene. What could be important enough to make her former friend get in touch after all these years? She won't find out - at least not from Pamela, who lies dead in the luxurious home of her father, a US senator, pill and liquor bottles beside her. The shock has barely subsided before the rumors begin to swirl.

Irene had planned to get out of this place as quickly as possible. But her reporter's instinct - and her own hunger to know the truth - compel her to extend her stay at the local lodge. Even more compelling is the man who runs the place - a hazel-eyed ex-marine who's as used to giving orders as Irene is to ignoring them.

Luke Danner can see the terrified young girl hidden beneath Irene Stenson's black-clad, confident exterior - and he is intent on protecting her. But he is also driven by passions of his own, and together they will risk far more than local gossip to sort out what happened to Pamela Webb and what really happened on that long-ago summer night.

My Thoughts: Irene Stenson left her Northern California home after her parents died in what looked like a murder-suicide. She has never gotten over their deaths. She refuses to believe that her father killed her mother and then himself. 

Many years later, Irene hears from her former best friend Pamela who says she has some news about the events of that night to share. Irene heads back home, rents a cabin at a run-down resort run by Luke Danner, and goes to see her former friend. Luke follows her when she leaves the resort late at night to rendezvous with Pamela who has stopped answering her phone or texts. That means that both of them are there when Irene discovers Pamela's body. It's an apparent suicide since Pamela is surrounded by pill and an empty pitcher of martinis. 

Irene isn't buying it. She can't believe that Pamela would kill herself when she had called Irene to her to give her some sort of message. Irene remembers an old hiding place of Pamela's and discovers a key. It is an ordinary key, and she doesn't know what it will open. Then the house is set on fire while she and Luke are searching it for any clues of what really happened. 

Meanwhile, Luke and Irene are falling in love. Luke has family issues. His family is sure that he is suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome since he isn't behaving the way they expect. That isn't Luke's problem. But Irene does suffer from post-traumatic stress and can recognize it in others. 

Luke is a man who wants to go his own way rather than be sucked into the family wine business. He has a doctorate in philosophy and served in the Marines. He's currently writing a book which he hasn't mentioned to his family. 

This romantic suspense title comes from early in the author's career. It has a lot of the things that author has become known for: quirky characters, snappy dialog, and romance. It was an excellent romantic suspense title. 

I bought this one for Kindle and audiobook August 21, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz

 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:

Seventeen years earlier...

The house at the end of the lane was filled with darkness and night.

Friday 56:

Irene winced. "I shouldn't have implied that. But there's no getting around the fact that Webb is a powerful man."

This week I am spotlighting All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz. I read this one back in 2006 or 2007. I recently got the Kindle and Audiobook for a reread. Here's the description from Amazon:

From New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz comes an electrifying novel of passion, murder, and small-town scandal.
 
Investigative reporter Irene Stenson hasn’t been to her hometown of Dunsely, California, since the gruesome night she found both her parents dead on the kitchen floor. Now, seventeen years later, Irene has received a shocking new lead about their deaths—and is determined to discover the truth of what happened on that long-ago night.
 
Staying at a local lodge, she finds herself confiding in handsome Luke Danner—an ex-marine who’s as used to barking orders as Irene is to ignoring them. But Luke sees the terror beneath her confident exterior—and can’t help but want to protect her. He is also driven by passions of his own, and as they’re drawn together into the heart of danger, they will risk far more than either of them expected.

Audiobook Review: To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming

To Darkness and to Death
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Toren
Series: Ferguson/Van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 4)
Publication: Blackstone Audio (December 13, 2018)
Length: 14 hours and 5 minutes

Description: In the small Adirondack town of Millers Kill, an old lumberman sits in the dark with his gun across his knees. Not far away, an unemployed logger sleeps off his bender from the night before. The owner of the town's last paper mill tosses in his bed. And a young woman, one of three heirs to the 250,000-acre Great Camp, wakes alone in darkness, bound and gagged.

Chief of police Russ Van Alstyne wants nothing more than a quiet day of hunting in the mountains on his 50th birthday. His wife needs to have the town's new luxury resort ready for its gala opening night. The Reverend Clare Fergusson expects to spend the day getting St. Alban's Church ready for the bishop's annual visit. Her long-distance suitor from New York expects some answers about their relationship during his weekend in town.

In Millers Kill, where everyone knows everyone and all are part of an interconnected web of blood or acquaintance, one person's troubles have a way of ensnaring others. What begins as a simple case of a woman lost in the woods leads to a tangle of revenge, blackmail, assault, kidnapping, and murder. As the hours tick by, Russ and Clare struggle to make sense of their town's plunge into chaos - and their own chaotic emotions.

Something terrible waits in the ice-rimed mountains cradling Millers Kill. Something that won't be content with just one death - or two.

In To Darkness and to Death, Julia Spencer-Fleming continues her moving story of the way a small town, as well as a great city, can harbor evil, and the struggle of two honest people to deal with the ever-present threat of their feelings for one another.

My Thoughts: It's Russ's fiftieth birthday and he's hunting with a friend with the new gun his wife Linda gave him. Linda is busy finishing her drapery order before the new resort opens. Clare is supposed to be preparing for the bishop's annual visit but gets called out by search-and-rescue to help locate a missing young woman. 

In the background to all of this is the pending sale of a 250-thousand acre Great Camp. The missing woman is one of three heirs who should be getting ready to sign the paperwork selling the camp and putting it into a nature conservancy. 

Closing the camp to logging has an impact on many of the locals including Russ's hunting companion who is being forced into retirement and the closure of his logging company and a young man named Randy who is one of his former employees and is now jobless. The hunting buddy is especially impacted because his daughter works for the conservancy that is putting him out of business. The owner of the local papermill is also greatly affected since it will mean closing his five-generation family business. 

When the hunting companion's daughter is found badly beaten and near to death on a logging road near the camp, it is first thought that she was the missing woman the search-and-rescue had been called out to find. 

This was a twisty and engaging story filled with villains who are both stupid and self-serving. And in the background, Russ and Clare are trying to find the honorable thing to do about their relationship. They are in love but have other promises that get in the way of them being together in Russ's case or forming a new relationship in Clare's.

Both the twisty mystery and the equally twisty relationship issues kept me listening long into the night. 

I bought this one from Chirp January 4, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose

Murder at Somerset House
Author: Andrea Penrose
Series: Wrexford & Sloane (Book 9)
Publication: Kensington (September 30, 2025)

Description: Beyond the gilded ballrooms and salons of Regency London lurks a sinister web of intrigue and deception, and when a murder occurs within the scientific community, Lord Wrexford and Charlotte are the perfect pair to unravel it in USA Today bestselling author Andrea Penrose’s latest masterfully plotted mystery for readers of Charles Dodd, C.S. Harris, and Deanna Raybourn.

A welcome interlude of calm has descended on Wrexford and Charlotte, though with three lively young boys in their care and an unconventional circle of friends and allies, quiet rarely lasts long. And sure enough, in the dead of night, an old acquaintance appears and asks for help. His brother-in-law has been accused of murdering a fellow member of the prestigious Royal Society at their London headquarters, Somerset House.

Wrexford agrees to investigate, and with a little unexpected help from their young charges, discovers that what seemed a simple case may be part of a darker, more dangerous plot, where science, money, and politics collide. A mysterious new technical innovation threatens to ignite a crisis throughout Europe, with frightening consequences for London’s financial world.

There is also personal upheaval for Wrexford and Charlotte, when a shocking secret from the past brings a profound change to their family, testing the bonds of loyalty and trust as never before . . .

My Thoughts: This story takes place after Napoleon has been sent to Elba but before the Battle of Waterloo. It is a time of upheaval and Wrex and Charlotte are waiting for the next shoe to drop. When Wrex is asked to look into the murder of the brother-in-law of an old acquaintance, the team finds itself deep in the machinations going on in England. 

Atticus Boyleston was a member of the Royal Society and a scientist working on electricity and magnetism. He had more interactions with the Frensh scientists working on the same problem than his fellow British scientists are happy with in the time after Napoleon's carnage. He was in the process of making a grand announcement when he was murdered. 

The British government has asked Wrexford not to pursue his investigation. They have reasons to want the brother-in-law to be considered the killer in order to give them time to find the real killer and figure out French agents are planning. 

Wrex still investigates because he wants to find out about the scientific discovery the Boyleston was working on. Communication via electricity could make revolutionary changes in the way the world works, and it is in England's best interests that the French don't make the discovery first. 

But this plot turns out to be a red herring. The French have a more dastardly plot in the works. One which disrupts the Stock Exchange to make it impossible for the British government to get necessary funds to fight against Napoleon in his new quest for the throne of France. Kit, Cordelia, and Raven are assisting a genius of the Stock Exchange with their math skills to prevent this plan from succeeding. 

Adding to the intrigue and tension, Wrex learns one of his father's secrets which he had been intending to research before this latest crisis. It turns out that he has a young sister named Eddy who needs a home since her nurse/governess is dying. Twelve-year-old Eddy is mature and self-possessed and has a way with animals. She is also an orphan in need of a home.

This was another excellent episode in this series. I love learning more about the time as the author includes real historical figures along with characters needed to further the plot. I like the way Wrex and Charlotte are building their own found family. I liked the fast-paced action and the twisty plot. 

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

ARC Review: The Killing Stones by Anne Cleaves

The Killing Stones
Author: Anne Cleaves
Series: Jimmy Perez and Willow Reaves (Book 1)
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 30, 2025)

Description: The Killing Stones marks the eagerly awaited return of Ann Cleeves' beloved detectives from the Shetland series, and a gripping new investigation with a stunning new setting, from the New York Times bestselling author and creator of three iconic detectives beloved in TV and print: DI Jimmy Perez (the Shetland series), DI Vera Stanhope, and DI Matthew Venn (The Long Call).

It's been several years since Detective Jimmy Perez left Shetland. He has settled into his new home in Orkney, the group of islands, off the northern coast of Scotland, with his partner Willow Reeve and their growing family. One stormy winter night, his oldest and closest friend, Archie Stout, goes missing. Ever the detective, Perez catches a boat to the island of Westray, where Archie worked as a farmer and lived with his wife and children.

But when he arrives he finds a shocking scene: Archie's body, on an archaeological dig site and an ancient Westray story stone with precise spirals carved into it beside him, the clear murder weapon. The artifact, taken from a nearby museum, seems to suggest a premediated murder.

But Perez is so close to the case that he struggles to maintain an objective distance from the potential suspects. He finds it difficult to question Archie's wife, whom he's known for years. Rumors swirl about the dead man's relationship with a young woman new to the island, an artist. With each new lead, the case becomes more twisted and Perez wonders if he will ever find out what happened in his friend's final days.

My Thoughts: Jimmy Perez gets called to Westray one stormy winter night where he finds the body of one of his good friends. Archie Stout's body is discovered at a closed archaeological site bludgeoned to death with a story stone carved with spirals and Viking runes. The stone and its partner were taken from the local museum.

As Jimmy investigates his friend's murder, his partner Willow is on maternity leave waiting for the birth of their second child. She can't help getting involved in the investigation because of bad weather and the nearness to Christmas which is keeping the Glasgow police from arriving. 

Then, there is a second death. A school teacher named George Riley is also found murdered and stuffed into a niche at another historical site. His murder weapon was the second story stone. 

Jimmy is working on the theory that the deaths have to do with archaeological sites and some potential plagiarism of historical research. Archie's father's research has been used by an English archaeologist named Tony Johnson who has become famous because of his publication of Archie's father's research which he has claimed as his own. George was in the process of writing a children's history book which exposed the archaeologist's plagiarism. 

Unfortunately, that theory comes to grief with Tony Johnson's body is discovered at still another historical site. 

I really enjoyed this twisty mystery. The conclusion of which was totally unexpected. I loved the descriptions of Orkney and the various islands and historical sites. I liked the relationship between Jimmy and Willow and look forward to more of their adventures. 

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

Audiobook Review: Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Out of the Deep I Cry
Author: Julia Spencer-Fleming
Narrator: Suzanne Torren
Series: Fergusson/Van Alstyne Mysteries (Book 3)
Publication: Blackstone Audio (August 28, 2015
Length: 15 hours and 1 minute

Description: When the local doctor disappears from the small town of Millers Kill, New York, it doesn't take long for the gossip mongers to start insinuating foul play. Amid escalating suspicions that he was "disposed of" due to his ongoing fight to prevent authorities from cutting his clinic's funding, Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson and police chief Russ van Alstyne are enlisted to investigate. Neither could have bargained for what they discover, however, as they pursue an investigation that takes them deep into the past - to the Jazz Age, Prohibition, and the Great Depression - and to a series of sordid and horrifying secrets one family will risk everything to keep hidden.

My Thoughts: It begins with a confrontation at the local free clinic when an anti-vaxxer confronts the doctor blaming a vaccine for her son's autism. Clare just happens to be passing by on her way to volunteer at the local historical society for Lent. 

Then a leak in the churches roof leads to an immediate need for funding. One of the church's board members suggests liquidating a trust that she has been managing from her mother's inheritance. The only problem is that the earnings from the trust have been supporting that same free clinic as a memorial to the board member's father who disappeared in 1930. 

Then the doctor disappears after a confrontation with the anti-vaxxer and the hunt is on to find him. With Clare certain that the anti-vaxxer had nothing to do with the disappearance despite being the last to see the doctor and Russ investigating, the two are thrown together more than they should be since they are already denying their love for each other despite his wife and her vows. 

There were numerous flashbacks to the events that led to the formation of the trust and the lives of the board member's parents which explain where the money came from and how it came to be that their four young children died of diphtheria. 

This was an excellent entry into the series. I absolutely hurt for Clare and Russ and the difficult choices that they have to make in their personal lives. I also enjoyed the mysteries of the doctor's disappearance and the disappearance of the board member's father. 

I bought this one from Chirp January 4, 2024. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

The Librarians
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publication: Berkley (September 30, 2025)

Description: "This delicious murder mystery is a must-read for any library lover!”—New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt

Murder disrupts four quirky librarians' lives when they try to hide among books to keep their secrets.

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge....

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together....

All in a day’s work.

My Thoughts: THE LIBRARIANS takes place in a small Austin, Texas, public library. It is the workplace of four quirky librarians. Astrid has faked a Swedish accent since she was a college student, Sophie is the head librarian. She's gay and raising a teenage daughter on her own. Jonathan is gay, a former football player, and a former Navy SEAL. Hazel is a game designer and heiress. 

Astrid had had a relationship with a guy who ghosted her but who has now reappeared in her life and is found dead of an apparent fentanyl overdose near the library after a successful game night. One of the participants threatened to expose Sophie's secret and then she, too, is found dead of an apparent overdose.

With the police hovering, the librarians are all trying to keep their secrets and still find out what happened to the two victims. All sorts of relationships are exposed. Hazel's dream lover whom she hasn't seen for years turns out to be Astrid's crush's business partner. Hazel's dream lover is also the roommate of the guy Jonathan has been crushing on since high school. 

The story was filled with twists and turns and told from multiple viewpoints. I enjoyed the story once I got used to the shifts in viewpoints. I liked the characters and the ways they built friendships. I didn't really care for the non-linear storytelling until I began to pay closer attention to the chapter titles. 

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 22, 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 another quiet Fall week. We had rollercoaster temperatures with a high of 85 on Tuesday and a high of 56 on Friday. Consequently, both the furnace and the air conditioner were used this week. We also had some rain and fog later in the week. Here's the chart showing our solar energy production for the week. 

We need more sunny days before the panels are covered with snow for months and months. 

Reading went better this week as I finally finished the two review copies that were bogging me down. I also finished listening to the Elfhome series. I know Wen Spencer is working on another Elfhome book, but it is a prequel and won't tie up any of the dangling plot threads left at the end of STORM FURIES. I do hope she eventually writes another book tying up those loose threads. 

I should finish the rest of my October review copies next week. I am eager to read some of the books I've recently added to my TBR pile. BTW, all the various book bloggers I've discovered through Facebook Reels are not good for my TBR stack. Luckily, I took advantage of Kindle Rewards double point days to add most of them to my stack. 

Now that they have been eliminated from the playoffs, my Atlanta Braves are on a winning streak. I have been enjoying the last games in their season. It is getting tricky fitting in the games now that football season has begun. Both the Minnesota Vikings and the Braves are playing today at about the same time. Luckily, because I watch baseball through MLB.COM, I can watch the baseball game after I watch the football game. And Monday The Voice begins its new season. The first episode overlaps Monday's Braves game so I'll time shift that game too. 

Read Last Week

• Death on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connelly (Review, October 14) -- Fourth Dr. Emilia McRoy mystery set in rural Scotland. My review will be posted on October 8.
• Wood Sprites by Wen Spencer (Audiobook reread) -- Fourth in the Elfhome series. 
• And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters (Review, October 14) -- Humorous mystery set in 1933 England about a village with more than its share of murders. My review will be posted on October 7.

• Project Elfhome by Wen Spencer (Audiobook Reread) -- Book 4.5 in the Elfhome series. This is a collection of shorter works about side characters in the world. 
• Harbinger by Wen Spencer (Audiobook reread) -- Book 5 in the Elfhome series.
• Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (Review, October 14) -- Latest in the Eve Ronin series has her investigating a body found in a barrel and a helicopter crash. My review will be posted on October 9.

• Storm Furies by Wen Spencer (Audiobook reread) -- Sixth book in the Elfhome series
• The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong (Review, October 14) -- Horror novel set in New York when a young woman has to spend one month on some property to inherit it's $10 million value. Spooky and twisty. My review will be posted on October 9.
• Big Jack by J. D. Robb (Audiobook, mine since June 5, 2025) -- 17.5 in the In Death series and companion to HOT ROCKS. Eve investigates a couple of murders committed by a man who wants to find a fortune in stolen diamonds. My review will be posted on October 21.

Currently

• And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt (Review, October 14)

Next Week

• 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)

• The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst (Kindle, mine since August 14, 2025)
• At Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley (Review, October 28)
• Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Audiobook, mine since August 29, 2025)

Reviews Posted

• Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen (Review copy)
• A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (Review copy)
• Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner (Review copy)

• You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan (Review copy)
• A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly (Review copy)
• Dark Horse by Felix Francis (Review copy)

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

Review:

• The Wolves Are Watching by Victoria Houston (Review, February 24)
• Buried in Shamrocks by Lisa Q. Mathews (Review, February 24)

• Spellbound by Murder by Stacie Ramey (Review, March 10)
• Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips (Review, March 17)

Bought:

• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Kindle)
• Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley (Kindle)
• To Kill a Badger by Shelly Laurenston (Kindle)

• Whisper of Warning by Laura Griffin (BookBub, $1.99)
• A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn (BookBub, $1.99)

What was your week like?