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: Death at Inishmore Castle by Lucy Connelly

Death at Inishmore Castle
Author: Lucy Connelly

Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherall
Series: A Mercy McCarthy Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Bookouture (April 10, 2025)

Length: 6 hours and 32 minutes

Description: A grand castle, a glass of Irish whiskey, a good book by the fire… and a rather mysterious murder?

Historic Inishmore Castle is opening its doors for the first time, hosting a charming weekend of whiskey tasting and soda bread baking. Sisters Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy are badly in need of a break, but their relaxing trip takes a decidedly unrestful turn when Mercy finds fellow guest Father Brennen slumped over the desk in the library… Did he have one glass too many or did someone want him dead?

Even more curiously, Mercy swiftly learns that the priest was no priest at all. So why was he searching through dusty old journals? Can the legend of Inishmore’s lost treasure possibly be true?

Mercy’s suspicions of foul play are confirmed when another of their party is found drowned in the lake at the edge of the manor’s estate. It can’t be a coincidence! Someone in this idyllic Irish castle is up to no good and Mercy is determined to find out who’s behind it, accompanied by her reluctant fellow sleuth and beloved dog Mr. Poe.

With a host of frightened guests and worried staff, and a storm closing in, Mercy soon has more suspects than bedrooms in the castle. Could it be the unconvincing nun, the busybody birdwatcher, or are the owners hiding something sinister? When Mercy realizes there are secret passages in the walls, she thinks she might have cracked the case… but will she track the killer down, or will Inishmore be her resting place forever more?

My Thoughts: The third Mercy McCarthy mystery has Mercy, her sister Lizzie, and lots of their neighbors from the court spending the weekend at Inishmore Castle. The owners of the castle are planning to open it to visitors and also make their whisky brand more popular. 

Among the other guests are a priest and a nun. Mercy is suspicious of them as they don't act like any other priests and nuns she has met. She finds them arguing on a couple of occasions despite their claims that they don't know each other. 

When Mercy discovers the body of the priest in the study, Mercy wants to call Kieran - after she does a bit of investigating herself, but a storm has knocked out cell phone service and flooding has made the bridge to the castle impossible. She discovers identification in the priest's wallet bearing another name and convincing her that something odd is going on. 

A break in the storm allows Kieran and his crew to arrive. The two begin to investigate with Kieran reluctantly allowing Mercy to participate. There are rumors of a lost treasure hidden in the castle which might account for the priest in disguise. 

When the nun, who also turns out to be fake, is also murdered by strangulation and disposal in the pond, the crime gets more complex. Mercy had been looking at her as the prime suspect. There are other things going on and other suspicious guests. The young birdwatcher is not talking about her past. The accountant is most notable to Mercy for his shifty eyes. And the rich couple from Tennessee who are eager to distribute the local whisky includes a kleptomaniac wife. 

Untangling all the characters and finding the treasure keeps Mercy and Kieran busy and the real killer is still to be caught. 

This was another entertaining cozy. Mercy is overly curious and impulsive but has a good heart. Keeping her safe looks to be Kieran's new goal in life. 

I bought this one for my Kindle November 21, 2025, and the audiobook May 25, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley by Mercedes Lackey

The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 16)
Publication: DAW (January 11, 2022)

Description: The sixteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series follows sharpshooter Annie Oakley as she tours Europe and discovers untapped powers.

Annie Oakley has always suspected there is something "uncanny" about herself, but has never been able to put a name to it. But when Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show goes on tour through Germany, Bill temporarily hires a new sharpshooter to be part of his "World Wide Congress of Rough Riders": a woman named Frida, who also happens to be an Elemental Master of Air. Alongside this new performer, Annie discovers that she and her husband, Frank, are not simply master marksman, but also magicians of rare ability.

As they travel and perform, Annie must use her newfound knowledge and rare skill to combat creatures of the night scattered across the countryside, who threaten both the performers and the locals. Annie's got her gun, and it's filled with silver bullets.

My Thoughts: This Elemental Masters story takes place in Europe - mostly Germany - and follows the adventures of Annie Oakley. Annie is the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She and her husband Frank are hard-working performers. 

A new performer comes to the troupe with her husband especially to meet with Annie.  Frida and her husband are elemental masters who have recognized Annie's talents as being more than just a very skilled shootist. Frida is an Air Master who is convinced that Annie is one too. She convinces Annie to take training to use her gifts. Annie is skeptical, not because she doesn't believe she has gifts but, because she doesn't want to spend her life hunting and killing monsters.

However, the monsters don't feel the same way. Annie had an encounter with a werewolf when she was a child who cursed her and who has never forgotten about her. Now, he has followed her to Europe and is trying to claim her for his pack. Annie, Frank, Frida and her husband also confront other monsters during the winter season in Germany. Sometimes they have to kill them. Other times, Annie is able to use persuasion to make them stop their evil ways.

This was an entertaining episode in the Elemental Masters series. I liked the setting. I liked the mythology. I liked the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one November 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6 by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6
Author: Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Series: Liaden Universe Constellation
Publication: Baen Books (May 5, 2026)

Description: A constellation of shining stories set in the vastly diverse space opera world of the Liaden series

The sixth Constellation collects eleven stories set in Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s vast, versatile, and beloved Liaden Universe®. Themes range from military to western to found family, and include discovery stories and novel outtakes. All showcase Lee and Miller’s deft touch with characterization and their acclaimed world-building skill. Also included in this volume is the text of Sharon Lee’s speech accepting the Robert A. Heinlein Award for outstanding published works in science fiction literature, which was presented at the 59th Baltimore Science Fiction Convention.

Stories included in this collection are: “Standing Orders,” “Gadreel’s Folly,” “The Last Train to Clarkesville,” “Wise Child,” “Songs of the Fathers,” “From Every Storm a Rainbow,” “Our Lady of Benevolence,” “Chimera,” “Neutral Ground,” “Mother’s Love,” and “Core Values,” plus a foreword from the author, original to this volume.

My Thoughts: This sixth collection of Liaden stories includes mostly stories written in 2025. However, Chimera was published on Baen.com in 2015 and then just slipped through the cracks. Wise Child and Standing Orders were published in 2016 and 2021 but never collected in earlier constellations.

These stores all fit into the Liaden Universe though some like The Last Train to Clarksville are really out there and nowhere close to the main lines of the novels. Clarksville is the authors' take on a Western complete with animals that are the equivalent of buffalo and beef cattle. It even includes a posse chasing after the hero who manages to rescue two sweet young things when their vehicle is stuck on a train track with the train coming. 

A number of the stories are what is known as origin stories. One is Tollance Berik-Jones's story as he manages to escape from the Lyre Institute one more time. His job is to mentor self-aware machine intelligences. He appears in a few of the later mainline novels. A second origin story is that of Geritsi slentAlin who is one of the Haosa on Colemeno. 

Two of the stories give different takes on Torin and Vaiza Xinrood who are orphans sent from Civilization to the Haosa to get them out of the way. Neither story is canon since there is still a third telling of Torin and Viaza's story in one of the Colemeno books. 

Perhaps the story I enjoyed the most was the one that told what happened to Lomar Fasholt and her family after they were forced to flee from their home world. We first met her in one of the very earliest Liaden books because she was a trade partner with Shan yos'Galan before the Department of the Interior totally disrupted things for Clan Korval.

All in all, the stories were engaging and good at filling in some blank spots or exploring new settings within the Liaden Universe. 

I bought this one May 10. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Blood on the Sand by Kacey Ezell

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I bought this one April 10. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg

Murder by Design
Author: Lee Goldberg
Series: Edison Bixby (Book 1)
Publication: Thomas & Mercer (Book 1)

Description: In a world carefully constructed for murder, solving crimes takes a keen mind and eye in a witty, clever, and fresh reinvention of the whodunit by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and, due to a traumatic brain injury, impulsively rude. He’s also a brilliant insurance investigator who solves baffling crimes by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible. Enter Wally Nash: a struggling actor hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.

Their first case together looks like a simple accident. Caroline Crowley took a nasty fall down a staircase at a shopping mall in front of dozens of witnesses. Video clearly shows the deadly misstep. But Bixby is certain she was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. The mall itself made the crime intentional, if not inevitable.

Now Bixby must prove his outrageous theory before a very cunning killer gets others on his hit list to murder themselves, too.

My Thoughts: MURDER BY DESIGN was an engaging mystery by Lee Goldberg that introduces a new sleuthing duo. Edison Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and rude. This former police detective with an enviable solve rate suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was shot in the face by an assailant. His impulsive rudeness has caused him to lose his job with the police but primed the way for him to be an excellent insurance investigator. 

Wally Nash is a wanna-be actor who has thus far played a number of corpses and starred in a number of commercials for medical products. He's still waiting for his big break which he knows is just around the corner. He does temp work to make ends meet which they aren't currently doing. A short-term job as Bixby's minder seems ideal especially since it comes with free living quarters on Bixby's fanciful estate. 

Nash narrates this story and has a chance to play a number of different characters as he assists Bixby with solving a number of murders. The first has been declared an accident since a woman fell down a flight of stairs that she shouldn't be using at a mall. What first looks like an accident quickly becomes a murder investigation after Bixby looks at the scene. 

This first crime leads to a few more. All of which are determined to be murders by Bixby. All of which also occurred because of what Bixby sees as design flaws in the environment around the victims. Design of human spaces makes up a big part of this story and is the key to Bixby's deductions. 

This was an entertaining story. I enjoyed Nash's narration and self-delusion. The story was humorous and thought-provoking too. 

I received this one from Kindle First Reads. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Missing Witness by Allison Brennan

The Missing Witness
Author: Allison Brennan
Series: Quinn & Costa (Book 5)
Publication: Mira (January 23, 2024)

Description: When a key witness goes missing, Quinn & Costa must find her before a killer silences her for good…

Detective Kara Quinn is back in Los Angeles to testify against a notorious human trafficker, finally moving past the case that upended her life. But when the accused is shot in broad daylight, the chaotic scene of the crime turns up few reliable bystanders. And one witness—a whistleblower who might be the key to everything—has disappeared.

After another person close to the case is killed, it’s clear that anyone who knows too much is in danger, and tracking down the witness becomes a matter of life-and-death. But as explosive secrets surface within the LAPD and FBI, Kara questions everything she thought she knew about the case, her colleagues and the life she left behind months ago.

Now with FBI special agent Matt Costa’s help, she must race to find the missing witness and get to the bottom of the avalanche of conspiracies that has rocked LA to its core…before it's too late.

My Thoughts: Detective Kara Quinn in back in Los Angeles to testify in the case that caused her to leave LA and join Matt Costa's Mobile Response Team. But before she can testify, David Chen and his bodyguard are murdered and so is the ADA who was set to prosecute him.

With the FBI in the form of her nemesis Bryce Thornton wanting to investigate her for the crimes, she needs to depend on her new team to prove that she is innocent and to find out just what is going on in LA.

This episode has graft and fraud centered around the homelessness crisis. One of the viewpoint characters in Violet who is a computer nerd working in city government and who has a mother who is part of that population. She's been working with a man named Will who has founded his own group to try to end homelessness. 

All of the deaths, which keep piling up, are related to the central issue of homelessness including that of David Chen. 

This was a fast-paced and engaging thriller about a woman who had her world rocked when she needed to leave LA and has it rocked again when she returns. I like Kara Quinn a lot. She's a great cop though a little reckless. She's also a woman who was hurt badly by her parents and doesn't trust or like very many people. She is learning that there are good people that she can trust and maybe even love, but changing is a slow process.

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

Book Review: The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

The House Saphir
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publication: Feiwel & Friends (November 4, 2025)

Description: The "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" is back! #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before. This is a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery, perfect for fans Meyer's Cinder and Heartless.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest challenge: learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

My Thoughts: THE HOUSE SAPHIR is a reimagining of the Bluebeard fairy tale. It is set in a lush fantasy world complete with monsters and ghosts.

Mallory Fontaine is a con woman having lost her magic when doing a spell to help out her older sister. She and her sister Anais are trying to survive with fake spells, bogus card readings, and ghost tours. Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir who became known as Monsieur Le Bleu when he murdered three of his wives and was bested by the fourth a hundred years earlier.

Mallory gives tours of his townhouse in Morant. She has all the stories and the assistance of Saphir's ghostly first wife Triphine who is a bit of a hypochondriac. But her tour goes wrong one night when two of her clients turn out to be investigators investigating rumors of fraud. Luckily, the third client turns out to be the great-great grandson of Monsieur Le Bleu and wants to hire Mallory to remove his ghost from their country estate. 

Mallory quickly agrees in order to get away from the investigators despite her total lack of magic. She and her sister travel to the estate now fallen on very hard times. Mallory has to fake attempts to get rid of a very real and evil spirit. Along the way, she's falling in love with young Armand who isn't interested in his family's historic wine business but prefers working with medical herbs and other plants. 

When a young housemaid is murdered in the same manner as Le Bleu's wives, Mallory and Anais have to really find a way to defeat Le Bleu. They aren't quite alone. They are assisted by a pair of adventurers on a quest of their own. 

The worldbuilding in this story was intriguing. The characters well drawn and the setting elaborate. I enjoyed this retelling. 

I bought this one March 8, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The King's Ransom by Janet Evanovich

The King's Ransom
Author: Janet Evanovich
Series: The Recovery Agent (Book 2)
Publication: Atria (November 11, 2025)

Description: “Thriller master” (Mystery and Suspense Magazine) Janet Evanovich takes you on a global hunt to track down missing masterpieces in this action-packed and steamy follow up to the instant New York Times bestseller The Recovery Agent.

Gabriela Rose, recovery agent extraordinaire, can find just about anything. Too bad she can’t seem to lose her gorgeous-but-infuriating ex-husband Rafer Jones. And now he needs her help. His cousin, Harley, is in trouble…big trouble.

As the president of a too-big-to-fail bank, he invested an astronomical amount of money in insuring some of the world’s most priceless artifacts at the urging of his board. It seemed like a low-risk, high-reward business move, so he jumped in with both feet. But recently, these insured pieces started going missing and worse, there’s no paper trail of Harley being directed to make these risky investments. Unless the artwork can be recovered soon, it looks like Harley is going to be heading to jail as the fall guy for an ingenious crime.

Gabriela knows what she must do: travel around the world with Rafer to find the missing works of art, keep Harley out of jail, and save both his skin and his bank. Along the way, she’ll encounter corruption, threats, murder, mysterious dark forces behind a global conspiracy to destroy the world’s wealth, and a nefarious villain who will stop at nothing to bring the world to the brink of ruin.

My Thoughts: This is the second book starring Gabriela Rose, recovery agent. She can find anything which comes in handy when her ex-husband Rafer comes to her with his cousin Harley who is in big trouble. His bank has insured a bunch of artwork that has now been stolen leaving the bank on the edge of failing and Harley holding the bag. 

Gabriela with Rafer and Harley following her around begins a journey all over the world to find the missing items - including the Rosetta Stone - to get Harley out of trouble. She's not the only one on the trail of the missing art. The mysterious Ahmed is searching for a missing Egyptian golden coffin that was part of the heist. And the group that arranged the thefts is also after Gabriela and gang. They travel from London to Egypt to Italy and all along the way Gabriela has useful friends. 

This was a fun caper story. I liked the relationship between Gabriela and her ex. There was a lot of amusing banter. 

I bought this one March 17, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Bark of Night by David Rosefelt

Bark of Night
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 19)
Publication: Minotaur (July 16, 2019)

Description The next novel in David Rosenfelt’s witty, heartfelt mystery series featuring lawyer Andy Carpenter and his faithful golden retriever, Tara.

When defense lawyer Andy Carpenter’s veterinarian asks to speak to him privately at the checkup of his golden retriever, Tara, the last thing Andy expects is Truman. Tiny, healthy, French bulldog Truman was dropped off days ago with instructions to be euthanized by a man everyone thought was his owner. But now the owner is nowhere to be found.

Andy is furious. Who would want to euthanize a perfectly healthy dog with no explanation? He is willing to whisk Truman away to the Tara Foundation, the dog-rescue organization which is Andy’s true passion. They will find a home for Truman. But that’s not all the vet tells Andy. Thanks to Truman’s chip, it’s discovered that the man wasn’t Truman’s owner at all . . . Truman's real owner has been murdered.

It’s now up to Andy – with help from his loyal sidekick Tara, Truman and the rest of the gang – to solve this case. In the latest in the popular Andy Carpenter mystery series, David Rosenfelt’s charmingly clever wit and love of dogs are back and better than ever.

My Thoughts: Andy Carpenter's next case comes to him via his veterinarian. The vet has had a man drop off a dog to be euthanized. Investigation shows that the dog wasn't his but rather belonged to a man who was recently murdered. Andy wants to find the man who dropped off the dog and finds himself involved in the murder investigation. 

Things get more complicated when the man who dropped off the dog is also murdered along with his wife. Then there are the suspicious deaths of homeless men from all over the country. Since the first murder victim was a documentary film maker, Andy and his team investigate to find out if his death was related to his career.

Andy's client appears to have been set up for the crime because he happened to be the victim's last interviewee regarding his current film project. Also, items from the scene including the murder weapon were found buried at his house. 

As usual for the Andy Carpenter mysteries, the story is told from multiple viewpoints. My favorite is always Andy's viewpoint since I enjoy his sarcastic voice and quick wit. 

I bought this one June 1, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Kiss Her Goodbye by Lisa Gardner

Kiss Her Goodbye
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Frankie Elkin (Book 4)
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (August 12, 2025)

Description: #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner returns with the 4th installment in her bestselling Frankie Elkin series, in which Frankie is called to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan refugee, whose friend suspects she is in grave danger—before it is too late.

A young mother haunted by war, determined to make a fresh start. But sometimes, the sins of the past aren't so easy to escape.

Recent Afghan refugee Sabera Ahmadi was last seen exiting her place of work three weeks ago. The local police have yet to open a case, while her older, domineering husband seems unconcerned. Sabera's closest friend, however, is convinced Sabera would never willingly leave her three‑year old daughter. At her insistence, missing persons expert Frankie Elkin agrees to take up the search through the broiling streets of Tucson. Just in time for a video of the young mother to surface—showing her walking away from the scene of a brutal double murder.

Frankie quickly notes there's much more to the Ahmadi family than meets the eye. The father Isaad is a brilliant mathematician, Sabera a gifted linguist, and their little girl Zahra has an uncanny ability to remember anything she sees. Which given everything that has happened during the girl's short life, may be a terrible curse. When Isaad also disappears under mysterious circumstances and an attempt is made on Zahra's life, Frankie realizes she must quickly crack the code of this family's horrific past.

Someone is coming for the Ahmadis. And violence is clearly an option. When everything is on the line, how far would you go to protect the ones you love?

Frankie is about to find out.

My Thoughts: The fourth Frankie Elkin mystery takes Frankie to Tucson to find a missing Afghan refugee. Sebera Ahmadi has gone missing. Her friend is sure that she wouldn't have left her four-year-old daughter behind if she had left by her own choice. 

Whenever Frankie comes to a new place, she needs to find a job and a place to live. This time she is hired to pet-sit for an eccentric tech billionaire and offered a place on the estate. Only the pets are a large iguana and snakes. A huge ball python and twelve baby pythons are her new charges. Frankie hates snakes and the idea of defrosting a rat to feed the big one is almost enough to make her look for another job. 

The job does come with perks including a car and driver and a somewhat unusual chef which does a lot to make up for the snakes. Besides, Bart the billionaire is out the door before Frankie can say she doesn't want the job. 

Frankie begins her investigation which is complicated by the fact that Sebera has lots of secrets and very real enemies after her. She's a genius and a polyglot who worked for British and US military intelligence for a while before she left Afghanistan when the Taliban invaded Kabul. 

This story, told from both Frankie and Sebera's points of view had a lot of information about the plight of political refugees and the horrors they faced trying to get to a place of safety. It was also a complex and engaging thriller. 

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

Book Review: Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Love You More
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: D. D. Warren (Book 5)
Publication: Bantam (March 8, 2011)

Description: WHO DO YOU LOVE?

One question, a split-second decision, and Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?

AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . .

As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper’s mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

. . . TO SAVE HER?

For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn, no one to trust, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training, every trick at her disposal, to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.

My Thoughts: This excellent thriller is the fifth book in the D. D. Warren series. It is a complex story which asks the question: who do you love? Tessa Leoni is a state trooper and the mother of six-year-old Sophie. She has married Brian who works as an engineer for an old company. He works 60 days on-60 days off. 

One day Tessa calls the police because she has shot and killed Brian and her daughter is missing. Since Tessa is concussed, has a broken cheekbone, and numerous other bruises, it looks like a case of self-defense against an abusing husband. 

D. D. Warren is given the case and works with her former lover Bobby Dodge. She has questions about the story she's been told, and the pressure is on to find the missing child. She is not convinced that the crime is what it looks like. She becomes even more convinced with the pathologist learns that Brian's body was frozen before it found its way to the kitchen. D. D. is sure that Tessa is lying about what happens. She believes that Tessa murdered both her husband and daughter. 

D. D. is also dealing with some personal issues. She has found herself pregnant and is dealing not only with the nausea and lethargy but also whether or not she wants a baby and a relationship with the baby's father. 

Flashbacks and Tessa's point-of-view sections give more about the things that D. D. cannot see and paint a whole different picture that what is apparent. 

This was an excellent, fast-paced thriller. I'm eager to read more about Tessa and more in D. D.'s series.

I bought this one March 2, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner

Still See You Everywhere
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Frankie Elkin (Book 3)
Publication: Grand Central Publishing (March 12, 2024)

Description: In this “frightening, full of twists, and completely satisfying" thriller from a New York Times bestselling author, three women: a kidnapped young girl, a serial killer on death row, and a recovering alcoholic, are on a terrifying trajectory to save a life before the clock runs out (Karin Slaughter).

Missing persons expert and nomadic loner Frankie Elkin travels the country searching for the lost ones the rest of the world has forgotten. Her specialty, cold cases that typically end in tragedy. But this one could be different. Kaylee Pierson, “The Beautiful Butcher,” confessed from the start to enticing 18 men home before slitting their throats.

As the clock winds down to her death, Pierson has finally received a lead on her baby sister, abducted years ago. Kaylee’s dying wish: to know Leilani is safe and sound. Frankie is eager to possibly rescue a teenage girl, even if it involves flying to a remote atoll in the Pacific, where a charming tycoon is constructing an eco-resort—and possibly holding Leilani against her will. But now Frankie is trapped on an island with a dozen strangers and numerous deadly deceptions.

As the danger mounts, Frankie faces her toughest challenge with no chance of rescue, no hope of escape, and a massive storm rolling in…

My Thoughts: Frankie Elkin's next case takes her to an empty atoll south of Hawaii in search of the sister of a woman on death row who proudly acknowledges that she murdered eighteen men and fed their remains to her pigs. Kaylee Pierson, the Beautiful Butcher, wants Frankie to find her younger sister before she dies. Her only clue is a note indicating that Leilani is with Kaylee's abusive ex-boyfriend.

Sanders MacManus is a tech billionaire turned property developer. He is also Kaylee's ex. He's developing an atoll he owns into an eco-friendly resort. Frankie gets a job as a general go-fer on the atoll and begins her investigations. 

The project is being plagued by accidents but the crew - a bunch of introverts and misfits - are still trying to complete the project. Mac is scheduled to arrive with his ward Leilani which will give Frankie a chance to assess the situation. After some previous bad cases, Frankie needs a win and rescuing Leilani would certainly qualify. 

Things are not as they seem. A major storm hits the atoll, the Beautiful Butcher escapes from prison leaving her lawyer who happens to be Frankie's contact beaten near to death making the atoll her destination, and Leilani is not the victim she appears to be. 

As Frankie deals with the weather and the twists and turns and betrayals on the island, she isn't sure who she can trust in this action-packed thriller. Frankie is an intriguing character who is an alcoholic with an obsessive need to find the lost. She has little regard for her own safety as she tries to make things right. 

I bought this one July 8, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Naked Came the Phoenix edited by Marcia Talley

Naked Came the Phoenix
Edited by Marcia Talley
Publication: Minotaur Books (April 1, 2010)

Description: "An all-star lineup of 13 women mystery authors has produced one madcap, murderous tale" in this serial novel by Nevada Barr, JD Robb, and others (Publishers Weekly).

The promise of discretion and pampering—and a long-overdue reconciliation with her mother—draws Caroline Blessing, the young wife of a newly-elected Congressman, to the fancy Phoenix Spa. But after her first night in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Caroline wakes to find the rich and famous guests in turmoil and under suspicion: the spa's flamboyant and ambitious owner has been murdered. As the secrets come out, and the body count rises, can Caroline keep herself from becoming the next victim?

This serial novel features chapters by Nevada Barr, J.D. Robb, Nancy Pickard, Lisa Scottoline, Perri O'Shaughnessy, J.A. Jance, Faye Kellerman, Mary Jane Clark, Marcia Talley, Anne Perry, Diana Gabaldon, Val McDermid, and Laure R. King.

My Thoughts: This was an interesting project. This serial novel written by thirteen women mystery authors tells the story of Caroline Blessing's visit to the Phoenix Spa in the Blue Ridge mountains. Caroline is hoping for reconciliation with her distant mother after her father's death. She also has some questions about her own life since she is recently married to a freshman congressman and has given up her career as a cellist with a symphony orchestra to support his dreams. 

Caroline is fascinated by the variety of celebrities at the spa including an aging rock star, a noted film actress, and the latest model taking the high fashion world by storm. There is also a has-been and probably alcoholic film producer and a popular and also aging psychic. 

When Caroline sneaks out the raid the kitchen after a less-than-filling dinner, she overhears an argument between the spa's owner Claudia de Vries and someone she can't identify. It isn't long after that the Caroline discovers Claudia's body in one of the spa's famous mud baths. 

The detective assigned to the case is a transplant from Philly who is having some issues getting the spa's guests and staff to agree to talk to him without their lawyers. And the politics get twisted rather quickly when it is learned that Caroline's mother Hilda who has been the secret majority stockholder has inherited the spa. This comes as quite a surprise to Claudia's husband who is the spa's medical doctor. 

As each chapter switches authors and adds on to the plot. We have a couple of babies given up for adoption, shady managers with drug habits, and a variety of other characters dropping in and complicating the story. 

Laurie R. King is the author who comes last and has the none-too-easy task of tying up the loose threads and solving the murders which have added up to four people before all is said and done. I did notice that characterizations shifted as different authors added on to the story. It was, overall, an interesting mystery and an interesting literary project. 

I bought this one April 15, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

 

Book Review: Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair

Fire Must Burn
Author: Allison Montclair
Series: Sparks & Bainbridge Mysteries (Book 8)
Publication: Severn House (January 6, 2026)

Description: The owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are back, and more determined than ever to bring love matches to the residents of Post-WWII London . . . so something as trivial as being dragged into a spy mission isn’t going to stop them!

Sparks fly when an old friend comes to town . . .

London, 1947. After recent events have left the normally steadfast Iris Sparks thoroughly shaken, she’s looking forward to some peace. With The Right Sort doing well, she and business partner Gwen Bainbridge are due a holiday. Until Iris’s former boss enlists their help for a secret mission.

Iris, who left British intelligence after the war, is being recruited for her Cambridge connection to one Anthony Danforth. She hasn’t seen Tony in almost ten years, yet she and Gwen must manipulate him into hiring their marriage service.

Tony’s suspected of being a Soviet operative, and an undercover agent posing as his perfect match could discover the truth. Despite her reluctance at being dragged back into the world of espionage, Iris agrees. After all, Tony was once a very good friend. If he’s innocent, she’ll happily prove it. If not? Well, no one ever said being a spy was easy . . .

Those who enjoy reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries and Dorothy Sayers will adore this warm and witty historical mystery!

My Thoughts: Iris's past is the focus of this 8th book in the Sparks & Bainbridge series. The Brigadier who was Iris's boss when she was a spy during World War II has come to her because he is suspicious of a man returning from China. 

Tony Danforth was Iris's friend when they were both students at Cambridge. Iris is torn between her old friendship and the possibility that Tony is an agent for the Communists. To determine if this is true, Iris and Gwen convince him to become a patron of their marriage bureau and match him with an agent the Brigadier has inserted. 

When Tony is firebombed in his new flat, Iris and Gwen get involved in finding out why. If it has something to do with his political leanings, they have one answer. But Iris believes that it has more to do with something that happened while they were students at Cambridge. This event is shrouded in mystery but did result in the suicide of one of Iris's other friends. 

I enjoyed the flashbacks to Iris's university days. I also like the way Gwen and Iris work as a team. I enjoy their strong friendship. 

I bought this one January 16, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Jules Cassidy, PI by Suzanne Brockmann

Jules Cassidy, PI
Author: Suzanne Brockmann
Series: Troubleshooters (Book 20)
Publication: Suzanne Brockmann Books (January 29, 2026)

Description: Troubleshooters series fan-favorite Jules Cassidy is back!

Starting over is never easy, but when Jules is forced out of the FBI, he has the help of his good friend, former Navy SEAL Sam Starrett, as he takes on his first case as head of the Troubleshooters personal security firm’s brand new Los Angeles office.

Jules’s assignment: Locate a woman named Emily Johnson, the unexpected heir to a Hollywood producer’s massive fortune. The weird twist? The producer’s estranged son is the client who’s hired Jules and Sam to find this mysterious stranger who’ll inherit what should have been his—millions he claims he does not need or want.

Still, the investigation should be simple despite the lack of information about this woman with a very common name. But Jules knows that with Sam’s help, he’ll find her, even if they have to knock on the door of every Emily Johnson in the greater Los Angeles area.

Best of all? This easy case is danger-free.

But as the WTFs surrounding the investigation start piling up rapidly and haphazardly, it soon becomes clear to both Jules and Sam that someone’s gunning for their mysterious and hard-to-find Emily—and for them, as well.

In a novel that’s part mystery, part drama, part comedy and all heart, Brockmann’s long-awaited return to the Troubleshooters world also delivers the story of Jules Cassidy’s first-ever investigation as a seventeen-year-old high school student.

Shortly after his father’s untimely death, Jules and his mother move back to her rural Connecticut hometown, where Jules begins his senior year as the “new kid.” It’s not long before he is immersed in solving a crime—someone is attacking girls at weekend parties. With the help of a new group of friends, Jules is determined to catch and bring the violent perpetrator to justice.

But life doesn’t always go according to plan…

My Thoughts: This new entry into the Troubleshooters series stars former FBI Agent Jules Cassidy. Because of changes in Presidential administrations, Jules has resigned from the FBI and joined Troubleshooters. He is tasked with setting up a Los Angeles office which works out well because his husband Robin has the offer to star in a new television series. 

Jules and Robin are dealing with heartbreak because the surrogate who was supposed to have their baby had a late-term miscarriage in Texas and almost died before she could be transported to a more woman friendly state. However, although she lives, she can no longer have children. Jules and Robin are both grieving the loss of their child and their friend's loss too. Add that to Jules grieving the loss of a career he loved and you have an emotional episode.

Jules and Sam Starrett are setting up the office and hoping to ease into the investigation business. They accept what should be an easy case. Locate a lost heir for the estate of an old man who was a Hollywood producer. They are hired by the deceased's lawyer and estranged son to locate Emily Johnson. Unfortunately, both claim not to know who Emily is and Emily Johnson is a far too common name. 

As they begin to investigate with Jules missing the FBI's ability to generate background information, they soon discover that there are more difficulties than finding a woman with a common name. Someone doesn't want them to succeed and is willing to use assault weapons.

This story is told from Jules' point of view, but it is also told from the point of view of the deceased's son who is keeping secrets of his own and who knows very well who Emily is and why he wants her to inherit the estate instead of himself. 

The story also includes flashbacks to a younger Jules who has moved to a new town after his father's death and is trying to make a place for himself which isn't easy for an openly gay teen. He finds a friend group and also works with his friends to track down a rapist targeting young women. 

This was an engaging story. I'm glad that it is the beginning of a new story arc since Jules, Robin and Sam are great characters. 

I bought this one February 2, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Jolene by Mercedes Lackey

Jolene
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 15)
Publication: DAW (December 1, 2020)

Description: The beloved Elemental Masters series moves to America for the first time in a rich retelling of The Queen of the Copper Mountain, set against the backdrop of Tennessee coal country.

Anna May Jones is the daughter of a coal miner, but a sickly constitution has kept her confined to the house for most of her life. Hoping to improve her daughter’s health—and lessen the burden on their family—Anna's mother sends her to live with her Aunt Jinny, a witchy-woman and an Elemental Master, in a holler outside of Ducktown.

As she settles into her new life, Anna learns new skills at Aunt Jinny’s side and discovers that she, too, has a gift for Elemental magic that Jinny calls “the Glory”. She also receives lessons from a mysterious and bewitching woman named Jolene, who assures her that, with time, Anna could become even more powerful than her aunt.

But with Anna’s increasing power comes increasing notice. Billie McDaran, the foreman of the Ducktown mine, begins to take an interest in Anna and her abilities—even though Anna has already fallen in love with a young man with a talent for stonecarving.

If she wants to preserve the life she has come to love, Anna must use her newfound powers to oppose the foreman and protect those around her.

My Thoughts: The fifteenth Elemental Masters fantasy retells The Queen of Copper Mountain and uses Dolly Parton's Jolene to do it. 

Anna May Jones is the daughter of a coal miner in the coal mining town of Soddy. She's sickly. Her mother sends her to live with her Aunt Jinny who lives in a holler by Ducktown. Jinny is an earth elemental master. She soon discovers that Anna could also be an earth elemental master with some training. 

Just getting away from the mines has made Anna healthier. Her health improves still more as she learns to use earth magic with her aunt. Anna falls in love with Josh who is the eldest son of the family down the road. He's a gifted stone carver with a little bit of earth magic of his own. 

This was a lush fantasy set in the hollers of Tennessee. It was filled with local culture and magic. I liked that Anna had the opportunity to learn from Jolene who is a very powerful elemental and that she was able to learn from some Cherokees who managed to hide out when the Removal happened. I liked the romance between Anna and Josh.

There were some things I didn't care for. While I enjoy colorful idioms and regional speech, I don't like dialect. I mean I really don't like dialect. Sometimes the text was almost impenetrable unless I read it out loud. Second, I'm not sure that the climactic scene when Anna needs to rescue her Josh from Jolene should have been humorous. But I couldn't help hearing the tune for Jolene as I was reading about Anna begging her not to take her man. 

Third, the pacing of the story seemed off. There was an incredibly long buildup of Anna learning from her aunt and falling in love with Josh and then with just a few pages left there was a climax and a resolution. There was some foreshadowing of what the climax would be, but it still felt rushed to me. 

I bought this one November 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Don't Open the Door by Allison Brennan

Don't Open the Door
Author: Allison Brennan

Narrator: Amy McFadden
Series: Regan Merritt (Book 2)
Publication: Mira (January 24, 2023); Harlequin Audio (January 24, 2023)

Length: 11 hours and 11 minutes

Description: A family torn apart. A botched investigation. She’ll stop at nothing to get answers.

US Marshal Regan Merritt never bought the FBI’s theory that her ten-year-old son’s murder was tied to her job. Yet as leads went cold, she’d had to walk away from the marshals, the case and her now ex-husband, Grant, who blamed her for Chase’s death.

After Regan receives a chilling voice mail from her former boss, Tommy, claiming new information about Chase’s murder, she can no longer stay away from her pain-filled past. Especially when Tommy’s murdered before she can return his call.

Now more than ever, Regan’s determined to find the truth, but the more she digs, the more evidence points to Grant as the killer’s true target. But Grant isn’t talking. As she tries to pin down her ex, Regan discovers something much bigger and far more sinister is at play—and she’s running out of people she can trust.

My Thoughts: Regan Merritt left her career as a US Marshal after her son was murdered in their home. She and her husband divorced, and he blamed her and her work for their son Chase's death. She left the DC area and returned to her home in Arizona.

Regan's partner Tommy never gave up on investigating Chase's murder. He took a leave of absence around the time of the one-year anniversary of the murder. He left a message on Regan's phone that he had found something and was going to his bosses to lay out the facts. Before he could, a sniper shot and killed him outside his home. They took his files leaving Regan with only his cryptic message.

Regan comes back to Virginia to bury her friend - and continue his investigation. She soon learns that her ex was in communication with Tommy but is very reluctant to meet with Regan to tell her what he knows. It seems his law firm was into something really shady. 

There are lots of clues and lots of suspects in this story which might start with a bank robbery and the murder of a teller. The teller's sister has some information that she didn't know was important until Tommy tracked her down. Now the sister is on the run from fake FBI agents and Regan is trying to find her to learn what she knows.

This was a fast-paced and twisty thriller.

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

Book Review: Collared by David Rosenfelt

Collared
Author: David Rosenfelt
Series: Andy Carpenter (Book 16)
Publication: Minotaur (July 18, 2017)

Description: Collared is the next novel in David Rosenfelt's witty, heartfelt mystery series sees attorney Andy Carpenter suddenly fostering a child and defending a close friend suspected of murder

Lawyer Andy Carpenter’s true passion is the Tara Foundation, the dog rescue organization he runs with his friend Willie Miller. All kinds of dogs make their way to the foundation, and it isn’t that surprising to find a dog abandoned at the shelter one morning, though it was accompanied by a mysterious anonymous note. But they are quite surprised when they scan the dog’s embedded chip, and discover that they know this dog. He is the “DNA dog.”

Two and a half years ago, Jill Hickman was a single mother of an adopted baby. Her baby and dog were kidnapped in broad daylight in Eastside Park, and they haven’t been seen since. A tip came in that ID’d a former boyfriend of Hickman’s, Keith Wachtel, as the kidnapper. A search of his house showed no sign of the child but did uncover more incriminating evidence, and the clincher that generated Wachtel’s arrest was some dog hair, notable since Wachtel did not have a dog. DNA tests showed conclusively that the hair belonged to Hickman’s dog. Wachtel was convicted of kidnapping, but the dog and baby were never found.

Now, with the reappearance of the dog, the case is brought back to light, and the search for the child renewed. Goaded by his wife’s desire to help a friend and fellow mother and Andy’s desire to make sure the real kidnapper is in jail, Andy and his team enter the case. But what they start to uncover is far more complicated and dangerous than they ever expected.

My Thoughts: Andy's next case begins when a dog is left tied to the front door of the dog rescue he runs with is friend Wilie. The dog is chipped and turns out the be named Cody and owned by Jill Hickman. The dog had disappeared a couple of years ago when Jill's adopted baby son was kidnapped from a local park. Neither the dog nor the baby had been seen since.

In a spectacular trial, Jill's ex-boyfriend Keith Wachtel was convicted of the crime. His chief accuser was the nanny who claimed to recognize him. There was also other evidence including dog hair and fibers. Keith had proclaimed his innocence. 

In order to help out Jill and try to find out what happened to her baby, Andy reluctantly becomes Keith's lawyer so that he can get the trial transcripts and the discovery documents. He also calls his team together to look into the case. They especially want to find the nanny who disappeared after the trial was over. They suspect she's the one who dropped off Cody at the foundation which raises all sorts of suspicions in Andy's mind. Of course, the $750,000 deposit in her bank account shortly after the conviction is suspicious too. 

Andy's investigations take him deep into Jill's company where Keith also worked until he was fired under suspicion of industrial espionage which he also denies. Andy has to look into where the financing came from for Jill to expand her operation and finds the funds came from a noted drug dealer giving him another suspect in the original kidnapping.

This was an engaging and entertaining episode in the Andy Carpenter series. I love Andy's snarky and sarcastic point of view. I also love seeing his relationship with his wife and recently adopted son. 

I bought this one September 29, 2023. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner

One Step Too Far
Author: Lisa Gardner
Series: Frankie Elkin (Book 2)
Publication: Dutton (January 18, 2022)

Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a chilling thriller about a young man gone missing in the wilderness of Wyoming . . . and the secrets uncovered by the desperate effort to find him

Timothy O’Day knew the woods. Yet when he disappeared on the first night of a bachelor party camping trip with his best friends in the world, he didn’t leave a trace. What he did leave behind were two heartbroken parents, a crew of guilt-ridden groomsmen, and a pile of clues that don’t add up.

Frankie Elkin doesn’t know the woods, but she knows how to find people. So when she reads that Timothy’s father is organizing one last search, she heads to Wyoming. Despite the rescue team’s reluctance, she joins them. But as they hike into the mountains, it becomes clear that there’s something dangerous at work in the woods . . . or someone who is willing to do anything to stop them from going any farther.

Running out of time and up against the worst man and nature have to offer, Frankie and the search party will discover what evil awaits those who go one step too far . . .

My Thoughts: Frankie Elkin's second adventure takes her to a wilderness area to search for a young man who disappeared from a camping trip celebrating his upcoming marriage. Three of his groomsmen managed to stumble out of the woods and the fourth was soon located, but Timothy O'Day was never found. 

Despite his father's annual search for Tim or his remains, no trace had ever been found. Frankie comes to town as the fifth and final search is getting started. Despite a lack of experience hiking in the wilderness, Frankie manages to insinuate herself onto the team. She takes the place of the fourth groomsman who is hospitalized as a result of his alcoholism. The other members of the group are the father of the groom, three remaining groomsmen, a local guide, a Bigfoot hunter with lots of wilderness experience, and a woman and her cadaver dog Daisy.

No sooner than they get to their base camp after a harrowing hike than things start to go wrong. One of the groomsmen is lured from his tent and the rest scatter to find him. When they return to the camp, they learn that most of their food is missing with no indication that animals took it. 

The father refuses to give up the search. He has promised his dying wife that he will return her son to her before she dies. When they begin exploring an area with caves and crevices, they are shot at and one of the groomsmen is bashed on the head with a rock. 

The group begins arguing about what to do and ends up splitting up with the ablest hikers heading back to get help. The group is further split up when the father demands that he be allowed to search the cave area again. All the while, Frankie is talking to people and doing what she can to learn more about Tim and about what happened on the first fateful camping trip. 

The story is packed with adventure. The descriptions of the hikes and their flight from a well-armed enemy are chilling. Only my knowledge that there are books three and four in the series, gave me any hope that Frankie would survive both the attacker and the wilderness. 

This was an edge of the seat thriller. I really, really enjoyed it and loved learning more about Frankie and why she lives the life she does. 

I bought this one July 8, 2025. You can buy your copy here.