Audiobook Review: And the Crowd Went Wild by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

And the Crowd Went Wild
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrator: Kelli Tager
Series: Chicago Stars (Book 11)
Publication: Avon (February 10, 2026)

Length: 10 hours and 8 minutes

Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips, a romance between a star quarterback and one of the country’s most beautiful—and misunderstood—actresses.

After a mortifying—and very public—humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn’t seen in almost twenty years?

But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he’s a gridiron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods…and out of his sight.

Except Dancy’s not good at staying invisible. Her efforts to rebuild her career clash with Clint’s desperation to regain his focus, all made more challenging by a rescue dog, a local woman in trouble, a meddling mother, an ex with an agenda…and the sizzle of rekindled emotions.

As Dancy attempts to get her life on track and Clint tries to get his groove back, can these two one-time lovers navigate their rocky pasts and complicated present to find themselves…and each other?

My Thoughts: Actress Dancy Flynn is in a bad place. She's recently divorced from superstar Roth Hardy who left her for a younger woman who is now pregnant. Dancy had wanted children. Roth had not. Once divorced, she visited a sperm bank to have a child of her own. A miscarriage at ten weeks was just about the final straw.

After meeting in a disastrous encounter at a gala in Chicago, Dancy flees to Wisconsin and to the home of her first boyfriend. Clint Garrett is the Chicago Stars quarterback who is still holding a grudge against Dancy for breaking his heart while they were in high school. 

Garrett does let Dancy stay, but only in the railroad caboose he's restoring on the edge of his property. Dancy adopts a dog she names Watch from the dog in The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warren. She didn't want a dog but couldn't abandon the already once abandoned mutt. 

When the ex arrives offering her a meaty role in his next movie and needing her help with getting into his role, Dancy thinks things are finally looking up for her. But she faces another heartbreak when he leaves after she gets him ready for the part and selects another actress to play the role Dancy had assumed was hers. 

And while all of this is going on, Dancy and Clint are becoming friends again even though Clint is suffering his own career issues. 

This was an engaging and excellent story of resilience and second chances for both careers and for love. I really liked it. 

I bought this one June 14. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Long Game
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Narrator: Cassandra Morris
Series: The Fixer (Book 2)
Publication: Audible Studios (August 2, 2016)
Length: 10 hours and 10 minutes

Description: For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington, DC, fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties.

When Tess is asked to run a classmate's campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets. Meanwhile, Tess' guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can - and cannot - be trusted on Capitol Hill.

Tess knows better than most that power is currency in Washington, but she's about to discover firsthand that power always comes with a price.

Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Ally Carter, the second audiobook in this thrilling series will leave listeners breathless.

My Thoughts: I loved this book. It is a fast-paced thriller with murder, intrigue, and betrayal primarily set in an exclusive private school in Washington DC. Tess Kendrick is a fixer like her mother. She has a talent for solving problems and her school provides her with lots of opportunities. Drafted into the campaign for student council president that one of her friends is mounting, Tess has to deal with the behavior of another of the candidates who thinks it is okay to post compromising pictures of her candidate to social media. Things get more complicated when the rival candidate is murdered and one of Tess's friends is the prime suspect. 

Meanwhile, her mother Ivy is dealing with a terrorist who happens to be the lover of one of the president's sons and an assassination attempt on the president. Strangely enough, the two cases are both parts of a bigger conspiracy.

I like Tess who is bright and loyal. I can see her working on her relationship with her mother who had left her with her grandparents to be raised while she pursued her dangerous career in Washington DC. Tess grew up believing that her mother was her older sister. She is having trouble getting over the lies and the abandonment. She is also forging a relationship with her grandfather who is a Washington kingmaker and her mother's rival. 

The writing was compelling and the story was filled with tension.

I bought this one July 13. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan

Make It Out Alive
Author: Allison Brennan
Narrator: Suzanne T. Forlin
Series: Quinn & Costa Thrillers (Book 7)
Publication: Hanover Square Press & Harlequin Audio (January 27, 2026)
Length: 11 hours and 57 minutes

Description: Allison Brennan returns to her bestselling series with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that thrusts Quinn and Costa into the crosshairs of a sadistic serial killer.

Three newlywed couples have disappeared from an exclusive resort in Florida, only to turn up dead soon after. With the location and the similarities between the female victims as their only leads, it’s up to the FBI Mobile Response Team to catch a serial killer before anyone else ends up dead. And they have the perfect bait—Detective Kara Quinn, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the targeted women.

Undercover as newlyweds pretending to enjoy their honeymoon, Kara and FBI Agent Matt Costa set a flawless trap. When their plan works and they arrest the predator, Matt sends the rest of the team home so he and Kara can have the weekend for some much-needed R&R. But on Monday morning, the couple doesn’t show up to work, and the MRT learns they never checked out of their hotel.

As their team tries to find them, Matt and Kara learn the truth—the killer wasn’t acting alone. He had a partner who succeeded where he failed. Kidnapped and forced into a twisted escape room, they need to find a way out, because if they don’t escape, they’ll die.

My Thoughts: Quinn and Costa have been posing as newlyweds in order to catch the killer who has kidnapped and murdered three previous couples at the same resort. Their ploy works and they capture Garrett Reid when he attempts to drug and kidnap them. 

Having a suspect under arrest, Matt sends the rest of the team home so that he and Kara can have a nice, quiet weekend at the resort. But when they don't show up for meeting on Monday, it soon becomes apparent that Reid was working with a partner, a partner who has now kidnapped Matt and Kara.

As the team works to uncover what happened to them, Kara and Matt find themselves in an abandoned and boobytrapped factory in Georgia needing to find a way to make it out alive. Meanwhile, Catherine is trying to figure out why her profile was so far off and how the team can find the partner and Matt and Kara.

This was an exciting episode in the series. It was packed with tension and vividly described scenes when our heroes were in danger. I liked the way Matt and Kara's relationship is growing. I also liked the way the team all works together to unravel the clues to save Matt and Kara. I did wonder though why Catherine, the profiler, became the team leader after Matt's disappearance rather than Michael who had the law enforcement background.

I bought this one June 14. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: You Can Tell Me by Melinda Leigh

You Can Tell Me
Author: Melinda Leigh

Narrator: Mandy Figueroa
Series: Olivia Cruz (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (May 12, 2026)
Length: 10 hours and 52 minutes

Description: Crime writer Olivia Cruz is drawn into the dark secrets of a missing friend in a terrifying novel of suspense by #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.

On the three-year anniversary of true crime writer Olivia Cruz’s horrific kidnapping, she’s scheduled to walk her podcaster friend Zoe March through the crime scene, but Zoe fails to show. Olivia knows Zoe would never stand her up—not today.

Zoe’s husband, who claims she never came home the night before, has reported her missing. But marital conflicts make the police suspect she has left him. Olivia thinks otherwise. The police aren’t looking for Zoe, so Olivia begins her own investigation. Retracing her friend’s last steps, she finds Zoe’s phone and a text with one chilling word: Run.

It soon becomes apparent that Zoe has been keeping secrets, and with her true crime podcast, there’s no telling what she has unearthed. To find her, Olivia must dig into her friend’s past. Did Zoe vanish to escape a killer, and is Olivia walking into a deadly trap?

My Thoughts: Olivia Cruz is finally ready to talk about the horrific kidnapping that changed her life three years earlier. She is scheduled to meet with her friend and podcaster Zoe to walk her through what happened. However, when she arrives at the site, Zoe is not there. 

Olivia meets with Zoe's husband who is very concerned and she meets with Zoe's podcast producer who is not. With the police not considering Zoe missing since a woman has a right to leave her husband and life, Olivia with her boyfriend Lincoln Sharpe and her niece Nikki begin their own investigation. 

It soon becomes apparent to Olivia that she really doesn't know very much about her friend's past or her secrets. Her husband Dylan Sanders is also keeping secrets including that his marriage with Zoe is having major problems. 

Each secret they uncover puts them all in more danger in this exciting thriller. I really enjoyed the tension in this one. I liked learning more about characters who have appeared as side characters in earlier books by the author. Knowing about those characters isn't necessary. The book stands alone perfectly well. 

I bought this one May 20. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Ruling Class by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Ruling Class
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Narrator: Ina-Marie Smith
Series: The Fixer (Book 1)
Publication: Bloomsbury YA (September 2, 2025)
Length: 10 hours and 5 minutes

Description: This mystery thriller by the bestselling author of The Inheritance Games is a gripping story of high stakes, betrayal, and unpredictable twists.

Any problem can be fixed for a price . . .

When Tess Kendrick is  isent to stay with her older sister in Washington D.C., she has no idea that Ivy is the capitol’s go-to “fixer,” a person who can make powerful people’s scandals disappear with a snap of her fingers. Tess never thought she and Ivy had much in common, but when she enrolls at the exclusive Hardwicke School, she soon finds herself thrust into the role of high school fixer, solving problems for the children of the D.C. elite.

But secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life, and their worlds come crashing together when a scandal from the halls of Hardwicke reaches Capitol Hill. As the stakes turn deadly, Tess must uncover who’s behind the power play before she becomes a target herself.

My Thoughts: Seventeen-year-old Tess Kendrick lives in Montana on her grandfather's ranch. She has been taking care of him while he is developing Alzheimer's, but the school alerts her older sister Ivy Kendrick when Tess's behaviors change. 

Ivy sweeps Tess away to Washington, D.C., where she works and transfers her grandfather to a facility in Boston for possible treatment. Tess resents being swept away by the older sister she thinks abandoned her years earlier. She doesn't even know what Ivy does.

Tess is enrolled in the Hardwicke school where she meets the children of Washington's movers and shakers. Many of them know more about Ivy than Tess does. She learns that Ivy is a fixer who manages to take care of a multitude of problems in Washington.

Many of her classmates look at Tess as their own fixer which isn't far from the truth. When she comes upon a freshman crying in the bathroom, she's the one who confronts the older boys who have taken pictures of her and confiscates the phone. She later learns that the girl is the Vice President's daughter and the picture taking slime is the son of the Whip. 

When she arrives, things are already in turmoil. Her fellow student Henry's grandfather is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He dies under what the grandson believes are suspicious circumstances and her new friend Vivvy's father is the man who operated on him. Vivvy overhears enough to believe that he killed him. 

Tess and her new friends are busy investigating. So is Ivy but their investigations, while on parallel tracks, are secret from each other. 

This was an engaging and suspenseful thriller filled with secrets. I loved getting to know Tess and empathized with both the disruption in her life and the uncertainty in it. Tess has lots of problems to solve not least of which is the relationship with her sister. Luckily, she has the brains and ability to do so. 

The cliffhanger ending is sending me running to The Long Game which continues the story. 

I bought this audiobook May 11. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Bravest Hour by Anna Lee Huber

The Bravest Hour
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Verity Kent (Book 9)
Publication: Kensington (August 25, 2026)

Description: British Intelligence Agent Verity Kent managed to survive four years of The Great War, slipping in and out of German-occupied Belgium and northeastern France, dodging serious consequences or capture. But as she faces her most dangerous—and devastating—challenge yet, her luck may have run out. Hopefully, her resilience has not . . .

November 1920. Dublin, Ireland. Verity’s efforts to foil a contemptible plot by the traitorous Lord Ardmore and save countless lives—as well as the British government’s reputation—has exposed her to detrimental scrutiny, bringing her contact with the Irish rebels to light. Crushingly, she finds herself incarcerated in Dublin Castle, the “Dread Bastille,” where she must withstand interrogation from her own countrymen.

Despite her circumstances, Verity knows better than to talk—though decrying Ardmore to his face would be more than satisfying. For once again he has escaped culpability, scapegoating his associates. Her only hope is intervention from her shadowy superior. And yet, when rescue finally comes, Verity finds herself changed by what she has endured, perhaps for the worst.

Still, there’s no time for respite or healing. Ardmore’s latest nefarious objectives go beyond mere treason. Allegiances are shifting as the war between the Irish Republican

But just when victory seems assured, one shocking and vicious turn of events changes everything. Now Verity must decide where her loyalty lies. And it may not be on the same side as the man she’s loved to the grave and back.

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the Dublin story arc and begins with Verity arrested by the British who think she is working with the rebels. While she is being questioned and tortured, Sidney is pulling every string he can to get her released. Since Verity doesn't trust any of the British government in Ireland, she is determined not to tell them anything. And then there is the Official Secrets Act she signed while she was an intelligence agent during World War 1.

Sidney does manage to get Verity out of the clutches of those in Dublin Castle, but concessions have been made. She and Sidney need to help them find Michael Collins who is leading the Irish revolt against the British government, and they can't leave Dublin until they do. 

Meanwhile, their enemy Lord Ardmore is still hatching his nefarious plots and generally causing discord in Ireland. Sidney and Verity are determined to find the evidence to bring him to justice. The more Sidney and Verity get involved with finding proof of Ardmore's treason and the more they become invested in the Irish cause, Verity especially wonders if her loyalty to Britain has been misplaced. She suffers a real crisis on conscience in this story. 

I enjoyed the historical detail about events in Dublin during 1920. It was packed with intriguing detail and included of a cast of actual historical figures along with other characters to suit the needs of the story. 

I thought this one brought the three-book arc to a satisfying conclusion and left Verity and Sidney is a good place. Fans of the series will breathe a sigh of relief at the end. 

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? (August 17, 2026)

 It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a nice quiet week highlighted by a trip to the dentist for the first of two appointments to replace a crown. It went okay, but a trip to the dentist will never make my list of favorite things. 

The weather was nice with highs in the upper 70s for most of the week. We could use some rain but didn't get any. It is currently 69, windy, and cloudy. 

I had a nice reading week. I did have one review book that didn't really grab me. It is unusual for me to take four days to read a 300-page book, but I kept putting it down to listen to an audiobook or four. I did finish it and ultimately found it satisfying. 

This was a big week for adding books to my stack. Besides getting Audible copies of two books on TBR mountain, I also added three Kindle copies for books I already have in print but want to reread and I added one book from Prime Reading and its accompanying audiobook. I'm doing pretty well on reading what I buy. I only have 14 books purchased in 2026 that I haven't read yet and most are already on my reading calendar.

Then there were the six new review copies I added to my stack.

My review stack took a jump from 40 books to 44 with the new additions. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending how you look at it, I will be reading mostly review books for the next couple of weeks. I'm leaning toward fortunately since most of them are books in series and by authors I have already read and enjoyed. 

Since I have finished all of the audiobooks on my September calendar, I'll likely be rereading audiobooks for the next couple of weeks. The first audiobook on my October calendar is one where I might choose to read my Kindle copy instead. Or I might choose to read along with my Kindle copy as I listen.

 
Read Last Week

• Salvage Right by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread) -- A Liaden Universe story. 
• The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 3) -- Third in the Matthew Venn mystery series. My review will be posted on September 15.
• A Labyrinth of Honeybees by Heather Fawcett (Kindle & Audiobook, Free with Prime) -- a short fantasy story. 

• Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since June 26) -- Romance with ghosts. Great story. My review will be posted on September 17.
• Shadows in Death by Nora Roberts (Audiobook Reread) -- 51st in the In Death series
• Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 11) -- 30th in the Stephanie Plum humorous mystery series. My review will be posted on September 16.

• A Deadly Entanglement by Cathy Pegau (Review, September 15) -- Second Harriman and Mancini historical mystery. My review will be posted on September 9.
• I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (Review, September 15) -- Contemporary horror story. My review will be posted on September 10.
• Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 13) -- Romantacy set in Montreal. My review will be posted on September 17.

Currently

• Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (Review, September 22)
• Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• Turning Darkness into Light by Marie Brennan (Kindle, Mine since May 16)
• The Pumpkin Vice Cafe by Ellie Alexander (Review, September 29)
• The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 29)

• Cursed City by Kate Golden (Review, September 29)
• The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (Review, September 29)
• Murder on Threadneedle Street by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 29)

Reviews Posted

• Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner (Audiobook)
• Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols (Review Copy)

• Night Candy by Max Tomlinson (Audiobook)
• For Services Rendered by Will Thomas (Review Copy)
• Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich (Kindle, Mine)

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

Review:

• The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas (Review, September 29)
• The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison (Review, October 20)
• The Trial of Magdelena Overmorrow by Caitriona Moran (Review, November 3)

• A Murder Most Irregular by Vicki Delany (Review, January 5)
• A Rogue's Guide to Winning a Wife by Meredith E. Phillips (Review, February 2)
• Peril in the Night by Katharine Schellman (Review, March 23)

Bought:

• Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich (Audiobook, Audible Credit)
• Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (Audiobook, Audible Credit)

• Slightly Shady by Amanda Quick (Kindle, $1.99)
• Don't Look Back by Amanda Quick (Kindle, $6.99)
• Late for the Wedding by Amanda Quick (Kindle, $6.99)

• The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg (Kindle, Prime Reading)
• The Half-Hearted Queen by Charlie N. Holmberg (Audiobook, $3.99)

What was your week like?

Audiobook Review: Night Candy by Max Tomlinson

Night Candy
Author: Max Tomlinson

Narrator: Terry Dien
Series: Colleen Hayes (Book 5)
Publication: Oceanview Publishing (July 25, 2023)

Length: 10 hours and 47 minutes

Description: 1970s San Francisco: the sights, the sounds, the serial killers

As the '70s draw to a close in San Francisco, things do not bode well for the city—or for ex-con PI Colleen Hayes, whose daughter Pam, in a tragic turn of events, has lost her baby. Pam leaves San Francisco, and Colleen, who moved there to reunite with her, starts to wonder what she's doing in the Bay Area.

Meanwhile, a serial killer given the name "Night Candy" is targeting sex workers, both male and female. The situation doesn't improve when Colleen's friend and ally—SFPD Inspector Owens—is arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, who was found burned in a fire the same night the pair had tried to rekindle their love. Could Owens have really done what they say? Even Colleen has her doubts.

But there are people depending on her: Owens, who needs help finding his ex-wife's real killer, and a trio of sex workers Colleen keeps her eye on—especially with Night Candy on the loose. Then, one of the three girls is next to disappear. If anything is to test Colleen's resolve, December 1979 seems to be it.

My Thoughts: When Colleen's police officer friend Inspector Owens is accused of murdering his ex-wife and the man in charge of the investigation is Owen's mortal enemy, she finds herself very involved in proving that her friend is not guilty of murder. Meanwhile, Colleen is worried about some working girls because the serial killer known as Night Candy is still targeting sex workers. 

Colleen is also still grieving the loss of a potential grandchild and the disappearance again of her daughter Pamela. She has to finally reconcile herself to the fact that she and her daughter will not develop the close relationship she wants. 

The story was filled with period details for 1979 including the fashions and songs on the radio. I enjoyed this engaging story which is filled with twists, turns, and plots. 

I bought this one April 27. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner

Crash & Burn
Author: Lisa Gardner
Narrator: Christina Traiser & Mikael Naramore
Series: Tessa Leoni
Publication: Brilliance Audio (February 3, 2015)
Length: 13 hours and 26 minutes

Description: The number one New York Times best-selling author's latest stand-alone thriller, with a cameo by her fan-favorite character, Boston Detective D.D. Warren

My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn't.

Nicole Frank shouldn't have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero.

I'm looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn't exist.

Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can't find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky's husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn't trust anything she says.

My husband claims he'll do anything to save me. Except, most likely, he can't.

Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman's lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead.

My Thoughts: CRASH & BURN was an excellent twisty thriller starring Sergeant Wyatt Foster and Tessa Leone with a guest appearance by D. D. Warren. 

It all begins on a rainy night in New Hampshire. Wyatt is called to a car accident. A woman has driven her car off a cliff and then climbed back to the road for help. She concussed, has been drinking, and is confused but she's sure that she was traveling with a little girl named Vero who can't be found. An immediate search if begun for Vero but not even search dogs can find her. 

Wyatt learns that Nicky Frank is suffering from Post Concussive syndrome. She has recently suffered a number of falls and concussions. When she wakes up in the hospital, she doesn't even recognize her husband. 

The story is told from both Wyatt's and Nicky's viewpoints. In Wyatt's, they are searching for Vero and also trying to find out why Nicky has hired Tessa's investigative agency to find someone for her. Nicky seems like a woman without a past who might have been kidnapped as a child to be part of a child sex trafficking ring. In Nicky's viewpoint which is pretty surreal, we learn that Nicky is confused about just how old this Vero is and has some pretty dark memories about her. 

The story was compelling and really, really twisty. I enjoyed it very much. 

I bought this one April 16. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: For Services Rendered by Will Thomas

For Services Rendered
Author: Will Thomas
Series: Barker and Llewelen (Book 17)
Publication: Minotaur (August 18, 2026)

Description: In London, 1896, private enquiry agent Cyrus Barker's world is upturned when his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Nightwine, previously believed dead, turns up with evil on his mind, launching devastating and secretive attacks against not just Barker, but his network of friends and close associates.

In 1896, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, would be reformer and revolutionary, turns up in London, running away from China's Imperial Qing Secret Service, who has placed a substantial bounty on his head for his political activities. Captured by those agents, he's imprisoned in the Chinese Embassy until he can be smuggled back to China to face execution.

In the meantime, private enquiry agents Cyrus Barker and Thomas Llewelyn receive the unbelievable news that Sebastian Nightwine is both alive and in London. Not just that, it seems he's taking action against Barker and his close associates. At the same time, they've been hired to find this missing Sun Yat-Sen. With elements of the Chinese secret service, elements of the British government, and Nightwine himself all working against them, Barker & Llewelyn are at risk of being cornered by the deadliest set enemies they've yet faced.

My Thoughts: The intrepid Victorian detective duo of Barker and Llewellyn are hired to locate Dr. Sun Yat-Sen who has gone missing on a visit to London. He is on the run from the Imperial Qing Secret Service accused of treason against the emperor. Meanwhile, Sebastian Nightwine, long thought dead, is back in London determined to get revenge on Barker and his close associates from his days in China.

Thomas Llewellyn is the narrator and Barker the lead and very enigmatic senior partner. Things get exciting when Barker's associates begin to be kidnapped leaving Barker to find them before they too are returned to China for the prices on their heads. 

I liked the sections narrated by Sun Yat-Sen who has been captured and held prisoner in the Chinese Embassy. I also enjoyed the references to many of the duo's earlier cases. The story had an excellent Victorian setting. 

Fans who have been following along will be excited to read this seventeenth adventure. 

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

Book Review: Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine by Janet Evanovich

Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine
Author: Janet Evanovich

Series: Stephanie Plum (Book 29)
Publication: Atria Books (November 1, 2022)

Description: Stephanie Plum breaks the rules, flirts with disaster, and shows who’s boss in this whip-smart and fast-paced thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling “crown princess of detective fiction” (BookPage) Janet Evanovich.

Monday mornings aren’t supposed to be fun, but they should be predictable. However, on this particular Monday, Stephanie Plum knows that something is amiss when she turns up for work at Vinnie’s Bail Bonds to find that longtime office manager Connie Rosolli, who is as reliable as the tides in Atlantic City, hasn’t shown up.

Stephanie’s worst fears are confirmed when she gets a call from Connie’s abductor. He says he will only release her in exchange for a mysterious coin that a recently murdered man left as collateral for his bail. Unfortunately, this coin, which should be in the office—just like Connie—is nowhere to be found.

The quest to discover the coin, learn its value, and save Connie will require the help of Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur, her best pal Lula, her boyfriend Morelli, and hunky security expert Ranger. As they get closer to unraveling the reasons behind Connie’s kidnapping, Connie’s captor grows more threatening and soon Stephanie has no choice but to throw caution to the wind, follow her instincts, and go rogue.

Full of surprises, thrills, and humor, Going Rogue reveals a new side of Stephanie Plum, and shows Janet Evanovich at her scorching, riotous best.

My Thoughts: Connie the long-time office manager for Vinnie's Bail Bonds goes missing in this latest Stephanie Plum adventure. She has been kidnapped by people who want the commemorative coin Vinnie took as collateral for the bail of a man who apparently committed suicide by shooting himself twelve times. 

The main problem is that the coin is no longer in the room where physical collateral is usually kept. Stephanie's first task is to track down the missing coin which leads her to a man determined to make his career panhandling with a little pickpocketing thrown in. The panhandler is named Carpenter Beedle, and he has failed to appear for his court date. That makes him first on Stephanie's to-do list. 

Carpenter did have the coin, after picking Vinnie's pocket, but he sold it to Benji at the comic book store, who then sold it to collector Melvin Sparks who has it along with five other identical commemorative coins but doesn't want to sell any of them. 

Luckily, Stephanie has the help of her friends Lula, Morelli, and Ranger along with the questionable assistance of her Grandma Mazur, because this case keeps adding complications. One such complication is needing to bring in Bella Morelli, her boyfriend Joe Morelli's grandmother, because she missed her court date for her arson trial. Everyone is afraid of Bella who is known for cursing anyone who crosses her in any way. Stephanie doesn't believe in the curses but she's wary of Bella anyway.

Stephanie and her colleagues are at their wacky bests in this episode which, naturally, includes wrecking yet another car and spending $450 on a Whatever - a car made of parts found in a junkyard - until that one is also bombed by one of the guys she's returned to jail after skipping their court date. 

While Stephanie still can't decide between the two men in her life, she has come to realize that not only does she like tracking down people who skip their court dates, but that she's actually pretty good at it. This was another funny episode in a long-running series. 

I bought this one for $2.99 on June 1, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz

Fired Up
Author: Jayne Ann Krentz
Narrator: Islay Jacobs
Series: Arcane Society (Book 7)
Publication: Tantor Media (August 27, 2024)
Length: 9 hours and 53 minutes

Description: More than three centuries ago, Nicholas Winters irrevocably altered his genetic makeup in an obsession fueled competition with alchemist and Arcane Society founder Sylvester Jones. Driven to control their psychic abilities, each man's decision has reverberated throughout the family line, rewarding some with powers beyond their wildest dreams, and cursing others to a life filled with madness and hallucinations.

Jack Winters, descendant of Nicholas, has been experiencing nightmares and blackouts—just the beginning, he believes, of the manifestation of the Winters family curse. The legend says that he must find the Burning Lamp or risk turning into a monster. But he can't do it alone; he needs the help of a woman with the gift to read the lamp's dreamlight.

Jack is convinced that private investigator Chloe Harper is that woman. Her talents for finding objects and accessing dream energy are what will save him, but their sudden and powerful sexual pull threatens to overwhelm them both. Danger surrounds them, and it doesn't take long for Chloe to pick up the trail of the missing lamp. And as they draw closer to the lamp, the raw power that dwells within it threatens to sweep them into a hurricane of psychic force.

My Thoughts: Jack Winters has a problem. As a descendent of Nicholas Winters, he fears that he has inherited the Winters' curse which will make his psychic gifts out of control. He needs the Burning Lamp but it went missing on a family moves many years earlier. 

Jack comes to Chloe Harper, a private investigator, to find the missing lamp. Chloe has a talent for finding missing things and a psychic gift for reading dream energy. She might be the only one who can save him. 

Chloe's ability to read dream energy has become a handicap in her life. Because everyone sheds dream energy, she finds that she can be around anyone who is sleeping and dreaming. This hasn't done good things to her love life. In fact, she's convinced that only celibacy will solve her problem. 

As Jack and Chloe search for the Burning Lamp, they fall in love. But eluding a powerful, evil organization that also wants the lamp and Chloe to use it, makes falling in love something that has to come second in both their lives. 

This was an entertaining paranormal romance. I like the relationship between Jack and Chloe. I also like Chloe's circle with includes her mutt who has separation issues. 

I bought this audiobook May 13, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Murder on Charity Lane by Jo Nichols

Murder on Charity Lane
Author: Jo Nichols
Series: Marigold Cottages Mysteries
Publication: Minotaur (August 18, 2026)

Description: Months after the shocking murders at Marigold Cottages, eccentric landlady Mrs. B finds the peace and quiet a little too peaceful. That’s why she invites her young friend CJ Moore to move into a now-vacant cottage: CJ is a suspect in the death of her employer, a wealthy Santa Barbara philanthropist who tumbled down the stairs of his mansion during a dinner party. The dead man’s much-younger widow claims she saw CJ push him, but Mrs. B is certain that she’s innocent. Why? Oh, just a feeling.

That’s enough for her to summon the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective. Lily-Ann will marshal the facts, Hamilton will dig around online, Sophie and Nicholas will offer eyewitness testimony, and everyone will hope that Ocean keeps Mrs. B out of trouble.

Just as the tenants begin to suspect that Elsa is in fact the perpetrator, there’s a second murder. A bloodier one. And with their tight-knit community in the crosshairs, they must prove her innocence - or accept her guilt.

My Thoughts: The eccentric characters who live in Marigold Cottages in Santa Barbara have a new mystery to solve when Ocean's new girlfriend CJ is accused of killing her elderly employer. Mrs. B is all in on reassembling the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective to solve the crime. In fact, she is so all in as to put the cottages at risk to secure CJ's freedom from jail.

This story is told from multiple viewpoints. Lily-Ann is the one who puts all the facts together in her spreadsheets and with her unique viewpoint. Sophie, a fund raiser, and Nicholas who works for the city have met the victim and his wife at a party at his home where Sophie was invited to make contacts with rich Santa Barbarans. They were present when Frank fell from the top of a stairway and broke his neck. 

CJ has worked for the retired music producer since she finished college and has a father-daughter relationship with him. Unfortunately, his wife Karina is not CJ's biggest fan. She resents CJ's closeness with her much older husband. Therefore, when he falls, she immediately tells the police that CJ pushed him. 

Other viewpoints include Vernon who is the police detective assigned to the case and who has had previous encounters with the Marigold Cottage residents, Hamilton who is the computer guy who is phobic about leaving his house, Ocean who is the artist in residence and the most likely to ride herd on Mrs. B. Mrs. B is also a viewpoint character and the most eccentric of the crew. 

This was a fun mystery filled with widely disparate characters who have nonetheless formed a found family to envy. 

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? (August 10, 2026)

 It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

I had a busy week by my standards. I had a dentist's appointment which will be leading to two more appointments since I need to replace a crown. I'm really not looking forward to the experience though I'm told it will be easier than the appointments when the crown was first done more than 30 years ago. I did manage to cough very little at my cleaning and hope I won't be coughing too much for the next appointments. 

It looks like I did a lot of reading this past week but looks are deceiving. Three of the books I finished were short stories. Each took just over an hour to read or listen to. They were more than made up for by another audiobook I listened to this week. It seemed endless which isn't too much of a surprise since I learned the print version has 459 pages. My current audiobook is also a long one but I'm enjoying it a lot more. 

I added nine books to my stack this week including three new review copies. Three of the new additions were from Prime Reading which also included audiobooks. I've already read and returned two of them. The other new audiobook is for a book I already have as a Kindle version. I used one of my Audible Credits for it. I bought Cursed City for my keeper shelf since it was on sale for $2.99. I enjoyed it when I read it as a review copy earlier this year. 

Adding three review copies and reading only two means that my review stack is back at 40 TBR. I do have three on the pile for next week and hope nothing new is added to the review stack. 

This is the week to vote in the Primary Elections to determine who'll be on the ballot in November. It is also a full week of vacation for my brother. He has no plans but needs to use up accrued vacation hours. It will be sort of a preview for his retirement which is getting closer. He plans to retire next April when he hits age 70.

Read Last Week

• Golden in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook, Mine since May 2, 2023) -- Reread of the 50th book in the In Death series.
• Shards of Glass by Michelle Sagara (Audiobook, Mine since May 11) -- First in the Academia series which is related to the Chronicles of Elantra series. My review will be posted on September 10.
• The Case of the Christie Conspiracy by Kelly Oliver (Audiobook, Mine since June 14) -- Historical mystery. I actually preferred the Kindle version to the audiobook because it was easier to keep track of the characters and clues. My review will be posted on September 8.

• The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 5) -- Prime reading and audiobook, short story.
• The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki Van Sickle (Review, September 8) -- Paranormal cozy mystery. My review will be posted on September 3)
• The Girls on the Shore by Ann Cleeves (Kindle, Mine since August 6) -- Short story starring Matthew Ven and Jen Renfrew. 

• Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since July 31) -- YA Space Opera. My review will be posted on September 11.
• The Lion's Tusk by Robert Jackson Bennett (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since August 5) -- Prime reading short story and audiobook in the Ana and Din series. 
• A Field Guide to Death and Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen (Review, September 15) -- Second Harry and Emma mystery. My review will be posted on September 8.

Currently

• A Deadly Entanglement by Cathy Pegau (Review, September 15)
• Salvage Right by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• I Am the Monster Under the Bed by Emily Zinnikas (Review, September 15)
• Murder on the Sacred River by Tasha Alexander (Review, September 22)
• The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves (Audiobook, Mine since August 3)

• Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich (Kindle, Mine since July 20)
• Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (Kindle, Mine since June 23)
• Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts (Kindle & Audiobook, Mine since June 29)

Reviews Posted

• Shattering Dawn by Jayne Ann Krentz (Audiobook)
• Bad Scene by Max Tomlinson (Audiobook)
• Murder at Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley (Review copy)

• Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly (Review copy)
• The Matchmaker's Cottage by Kat Sloane (Review copy)
• Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan (Review copy)

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

Review:

• Cry of the Rain Crow by Laurie L. Dove (Review, December 8)
• The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst (Review, January 19)
• The Book Hunter by Jayne Ann Krentz (Review, January 26) - Cover not yet revealed

Bought:

• A Labyrinth of Honeybees by Heather Fawcett (Prime Reading & Audiobook)
• The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves (Audiobook, Audible Credit)
• The Lion's Tusk by Robert Jackson Bennett (Prime Reading & Audiobook)

• The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst (Prime Reading & Audiobook)
• The Girls on the Shore by Ann Cleeves (Kindle, $.99)
• Half City by Kate Golden (Kindle, $2.99)

What was your week like?