ARC Review: The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi

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

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

THE PEACE IS SHATTERING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARC Review: Beyond Her Reach by Melinda Leigh

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARC Review: A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARC Review: All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan

All This Could Be Yours
Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
Publication: Minotaur Books (September 9, 2025)

Description: Is a debut author's blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller by "master of suspense" (Publishers Weekly) and USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Debut sensation Tessa Calloway is on a whirlwind book tour for her instant bestseller, All This Could Be Yours. In a different city every night, Tessa receives standing ovations from adoring fans while her husband Henry and their two children cheer her on from their brand-new dream house.

But there's a chilling problem with Tessa's triumphant book tour―she soon discovers she is being stalked by someone who's obsessed not only with sabotaging her career, but also with destroying her perfect family back home.

Tessa fears the fallout from an impossible decision she once made―what felt like a genuine deal with the devil―appears to be coming due. And she’s realizing that every high-stakes bargain comes with a high-stakes price. If Tessa can't untangle who's threatening to expose her darkest secrets, she'll lose her career, her family―and possibly her life.

My Thoughts: Debut author Tessa Calloway is on an extensive book tour with her instant bestseller All This Could Be Yours when she begins to experience odd things. She finds a locket in a hotel room drawer with a picture inside. Being social media savvy, she posts and asks for help from her many followers in locating the owner of the locket. 

As she travels from one exhausting event to another, she begins to feel as if she is being stalked. Odd questions about her hometown and her teenage years are following her from city to city. She has a secret about those earlier years that not even her husband knows and her publisher certainly does not know. Tessa fears that the secret will come out and ruin her new career.

Meanwhile back at home, her husband Henry is settling into their new home with their two children and Tessa is feeling that she's losing track of what is going on with her family. She only spent one night in the new home before the book tour began and now Henry's making friends with the neighbors.

This was a tense and suspenseful thriller. I liked Tessa even when her author's imagination seemed to be magnifying the suspicious events. There was a great feeling of creepiness that permeated the story that sent some shivers up my spine as I was reading it. 

I recommend this story for those who attend author events and wonder about the author off the stage. 

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

ARC Review: Framed in Death by J. D. Robb

Framed in Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Series: In Death (Book 61)
Publication: St. Martin's Press (September 2, 2025)

Description: Death imitates art in the brand-new crime thriller starring homicide cop Eve Dallas from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb.

Manhattan is filled with galleries and deep-pocketed collectors who can make an artist's career with a wave of a hand. But one man toils in obscurity, his brilliance unrecognized while lesser talents bask in the glory he believes should be his. Come tomorrow, he vows, the city will be buzzing about his work.

Indeed, before dawn, Lt. Eve Dallas is speeding toward the home of the two gallery owners whose doorway has been turned into a horrifying crime scene overnight. A lifeless young woman has been elaborately costumed and precisely posed to resemble the model of a long-ago Dutch master, and Dallas plunges into her investigation.

My Thoughts: This 61st book in the In Death series isn't so much a mystery as we learn the villain early on as it is a police procedural. We see all the steps in the investigation to locate and stop the killer. 

I enjoyed reconnecting with so many characters from earlier in the series. Though many of them appeared only briefly. I loved that the house for Mavis, Leonardo, Peabody and McNab is finally completed and rapidly becoming a home. It is always great to catch up with Bella too. 

I enjoyed the way Eve counts on Roarke for quite a few things. In this one, his knowledge of art (and experience as an art thief) is very useful. I always enjoy Eve and Roarke's interactions. Eve and Peabody's partnership is deepening too. Peabody possesses a wide range of knowledge that helped with this case too.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. 

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

ARC Review: If It Makes You Happy by Julia Olivia

If It Makes You Happy
Author: Julia Olivia
Publication: Berkley (September 2, 2025)

Description: Grab your favorite fall candle, cuddle into a comfy blanket, and travel back in time to 1997 in this cozy, slow-burn romance set in the autumn glow of small-town Vermont.

Now with exclusive bonus content!

My new next-door neighbor seems to have everything figured out. Small town golden boy? Check. Single dad extraordinaire? Check. Hot baker forearms? I didn’t notice them, I swear.

I, on the other hand, don’t–at all–have anything figured out. Trust me, I didn’t think taking over my mom’s dream bed and breakfast in Copper Run Vermont was going to be easy. It should be a good place to heal after my divorce. But apparently my scones belong in the garbage with my small talk skills. As pointed out by none other than Cliff.

Cliff is inescapable. He knows exactly what people need–always. His charm, the way he wears flannel, and even his pastries, make not wanting to be friends with Cliff and his daughters pretty hard.

Friends? I can make friends. That’s safe. Except I’m leaving in three months to pass the inn off to my little sister and get the promotion in Seattle I’ve been working towards. So ask me why I’m thinking about kissing my hot neighbor.

My Thoughts: IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY was a nice romance. Goal-driven Michelle travels from her fast-paced life in Seattle after her mother's sudden death to take over the bed & breakfast that was her mother's life dream. 

The timing isn't perfect. Even if the time running the inn is only a couple of months, it will mess up her fast track in her advertising career. But the trip will give her a chance to come to terms with her divorce from Allen. 

She isn't really prepared for what she is going to find in a small town in Vermont. Least of all is she prepared to meet Cliff, the divorced guy who lives next door with his two daughters. But Cliff is a friendly sort who had promised Shell's mother that he'd be around to help. His friendly manner and delicious baked goods and wacky sense of humor all appeal to Shell.

But can two very different people find a way to make things work? With her in town only until her younger sister finishes college and takes over the inn and him content to live and work in the small town forever, they have lots of things to work out. 

The story had a great cast of characters including Rocket the dog Michelle gained custody of in the divorce. Cliff's daughters were great characters too. And the assorted friends who want to help add to the interest. Even Cliff's ex-wife had her role to play.

Fans of romances with grown-up characters with busy lives will enjoy this story.

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

ARC Review: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

Sisters in the Wind
Author: Angeline Boulley
Publication: Henry Holt and Company (September 2, 2025)

Description: From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.

Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago; “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state”. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her; Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.

Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend”; a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister; and more siblings; a grandmother who’d look after her and a home where she would be loved.

But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she's hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of?

When the past comes for revenge; it’s fight or flight.

Angeline Boulley's award-winning canon of books puts compelling characters and fast-paced action at the center of narratives rich in historical context. Read Firekeeper's Daughter; Warrior Girl Unearthed; and the soon-to-be-released Sisters of the Wind in any order; but like the world itself; there are echoes within each for the other stories.

My Thoughts: Lucy Smith is an escapee from foster care. Her father died of colorectal cancer when she was 13. He had married a woman he hoped would take care of Lucy after his death. But the woman had no interest in anything about Lucy except her inheritance. She neglects her and then voids the adoption when Lucy sets off fireworks in the storage garage where she has kept the loot accumulated with her new inheritance.

Lucy is sent into foster care. After being told to deny her Native American heritage which she is ready to do since her father told her she was Italian not Native American, she is set to Miss Lonnie on an isolated island. There she meets a foster care veteran named Liz and the two form a tight friendship. But a fire causes them to be split up with Lucy going to the Sterlings who are religious fanatics with a criminal and abusive son that they cover for. When she learns that the son is abusing his nine-year-old sister, she tries to tell her social worker who doesn't believe her especially since the Sterlings deny everything.

Lucy's next stop is an isolated farm run by the Hoppy's. She happy in the rural setting and enjoys the farmwork and the companionship of other foster kids. But things get suspicious when she notes that the Hoppys take in a lot of pregnant girls and arrange adoptions for their babies. Then the girls rather mysteriously disappear. When Lucy gets pregnant by one of the other foster kids who conveniently disappears, she has to figure out what to do for herself and her baby. 

She goes on the run where she meets Jamie Jameson who recognizes her by her likeness to her unknown-to-her mother and her likeness to her deceased sister. He calls in his friend Daunis Fontaine who was her sister's best friend. Together they try to get Lucy to meet with her mother and fight off charges of arson when the diner she worked at was bombed. Lucy has secrets and an enemy who isn't willing to let bygones be bygones. 

But trusting Jamie and Daunis might be more than a girl who spent five years in foster care and learned that no one can be trusted can do.

This was an excellent story with lots about foster care and the care and treatment of Native American children. I loved the characters.

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

ARC Review: A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

A Moment's Shadow
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Verity Kent Mysteries (Book 8)
Publication: Kensington (August 26, 2025)

Description: Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .

My Thoughts: It is August 1920 and Verity and her husband Sidney are still in Dublin hunting down a missing shipment of phosgene. They know Lord Ardmore stole it and they know he must have some sort of nefarious plan. However, they don't know what the plan is or where the gas is now. 

This is a very political novel. Keeping track of the various factions who are working for Ireland's future is a complex task both for Verity and Sidney and this reader. Verity's friend Alex whom they were originally sent to Ireland to locate has switched to the Irish side rather than the British which Verity and Sidney have neglected to inform Verity's British bosses about. 

Verity herself is very conflicted about the whole war going on. She's seeing behaviors that remind her way too much of the way the Germans behaved in occupied Belgium. She also doesn't hold a very high opinion of the official British Intelligence in Ireland.

Just to make things more complicated, there is also a jewel thief removing valuable jewelry from the British upper classes in Ireland. They are tasked with locating the thief which gives them a reason to stay in Ireland after Verity's boss C demands that they come back to England. 

Despite the overabundance of politics, this was an entertaining story. I sympathized with Verity as her loyalties are tested. My only complaint about the story was the cliffhanger ending which will leave readers distressed until the next story in 2026.

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

ARC Review: Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander

Laying Down the Latte
Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mysteries
Publication: Minotaur (August 26, 2025)

Description: Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, Oregon!

Baker Jules Capshaw, along with her husband, Carlos, and Torte’s resident barista, Andy, are packing their bags and preparing for the ultimate coffee excursion in Costa Rica. A fortuitous invitation from one of Carlos’s former colleagues, Valentina, has them venturing to the coffee capital of the world for a tasting tour and an immersive weekend at her family's organic coffee farm.

They soak in the tropical breezes, the vibrant colors, the sounds of morning birdsong, and the sweeping views of the historic coffee farm. Valentina is the ultimate host, offering them traditional meals and thrilled to have their input as she’s preparing to open a coffee counter and bakery on the farm.

The getaway is just what Jules needed. A chance to relax and unwind, curl up with a book and iced latte by the pool, and tinker in Valentina’s kitchen, dreaming up new recipes to bring home. Except her tranquil weekend quickly turns into a nightmare when one of Valentina’s employees is found dead in the pulping machine. Now, Jules will have to put her vacation on hold to try and uncover the murderer before one of Torte's beloved workers becomes the next body thrown into the mix.

My Thoughts: Jules Capshaw, her husband Carlos, and barista Andy travel to Costa Rica to spend a long weekend with friend Valentina. They bring Andy because Valentina owns and lives on a coffee plantation. They expect a quiet weekend of reconnecting with old friends and learning more about coffee production but find themselves involved in solving a murder when Valentina's cousin and co-owner of the plantation is killed while operating some machinery. 

There are all kinds of things going on. Miguel had decided to sell his half of the plantation to a huge corporation which displeased and angered everyone else on the plantation from his cousin to his workers to the man who buys most of the coffee for his coffee shops. When the farm manager is arrested, Jules, Carlos and Andy get involved in finding the real killer since none of them believe the manager is guilty.

Lots of information about coffee growing and production and lots of recipes fill this culinary cozy. It is also rife with possible suspects who, in Jules's mind are more probable, than the young farm manager. Engaging story with interesting characters and a great setting. 

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

ARC Review: A Lonesome Place for Murder by Nolan Chase

A Lonesome Place for Murder
Author: Nolan Chase
Series: Ethan Brand Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane (August 26, 2025)

Description: In this dark mystery, perfect for fans of C. J. Box, one wrong step leads Ethan Brand to the most dangerous case of his career...and the most personal.

Hoping to surprise his sons, Ethan Brand, the chief of police of a small town in northern Washington state, is contemplating buying a horse. But when the horse literally stumbles upon an abandoned smuggling tunnel, Ethan and his lead investigator Brenda Lee Page discover a dead body connected to a decade-old mystery.

Ten years ago, Tyler Rash, a troubled friend of Ethan’s, vanished without a trace. The body in the tunnel has Tyler’s ID and personal effects.

As Ethan and Brenda Lee investigate Tyler’s disappearance, they follow a trail that leads them to a cross-border smuggling operation connected to the town’s notorious family of smugglers. And when a bomb is sent to Ethan’s own house, the case takes a deadly and personal turn. A killer is stalking Ethan Brand–a killer he’ll have to face if he wants to see his family again.

My Thoughts: The second Ethan Brand mystery has Ethan taking a look at his past. When he is looking at a horse to buy for his sons, the horse stumbles into a tunnel built on an isolated ranch. Exploring the tunnel leads to a body with a wallet giving the name of Tyler Rash.

Tyler had been taken in by Ethan's family when he was a boy. Ethan's dad Jack really bonded with Tyler since they were both outdoorsmen and survivalists. Finding what looks to be his body, Ethan is faced with his relationship with his father who disappeared into the wilderness when Ethan was a teenager.

But, when Chief Deputy Brenda Lee discovers that the body is not Tyler's, the mystery deepens. It makes Ethan wonder if Tyler is still alive out there somewhere. A visiting DEA Agent is also wondering if Tyler is still out there since the tunnel mirrors other smuggler's tunnels that she has investigated. 

Ethan is also involved in the local race for mayor since he has had a bad relationship with the current mayor since firing his corrupt nephew and admires the woman who is running against him. Stolen campaign signs and harassment of the candidate opposing the mayor takes up some of his time too.

When a letter bomb is delivered to Ethan's house, he knows he's getting close to something but isn't sure exactly what. 

This was an intriguing mystery. I really like Ethan Brand's character. He's a Vet who came home from Afghanistan with a prosthetic and oxy addiction but managed to straighten up to become the Sheriff. He's dealing with the fact that his wife left him and took his sons to Boston. He's had some relationships including one with a married woman who decided to go back to her husband. And he has a sort of relationship with Sissy McCandless who is running the biggest crime family in the area. 

I liked the story and look forward to more in the series. 

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

ARC Review: Death at an Irish Village by Ellie Brannigan

Death at an Irish Village
Author: Ellie Brannigan
Series: An Irish Castle Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane (August 26, 2025)

Description: Entrepreneur Rayne McGrath’s wedding venue is open for business until a dead and unburied body is found at the cemetery in the third Irish Castle mystery.

With six months left to fulfill the provisions of Uncle Nevin’s will and save the fixer-upper castle she and her cousin inherited, Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith’s bridal venue venture is finally bringing in money. To unite the reluctant villagers, some who’d vehemently protested their efforts to modernize the village, they agree with Father Patrick’s idea to create a group of volunteers to clean the old cemetery behind the beloved church. When a body is found by one of the historic tombstones, the cousins must work overtime to solve the newest case.

The plot thickens and an unsolved crime from the past is unearthed when it’s discovered that the body was on top of a fake grave that has connections to Rayne’s ancestors. With two weddings scheduled at the castle and her mother on the way, Rayne fears she won’t be able to balance it all, yet she rolls up her sleeves and dives into old family journals in hopes of puzzling out not one but two mysteries.

Perfect for fans of Carlene O’Connor and Sheila Connolly, this whimsical cozy will charm mystery readers everywhere.

My Thoughts: The third Irish Castle mystery has Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith searching for ways to fulfill the terms of Rayne's uncle's will. They have a year to make the village and castle solvent. Things would go smoother if murders didn't keep happening. 

This time, with a wedding to take place at the castle, Rayne and Ciara discover a body leaning against a tombstone during a clean-up of the graveyard. As Rayne and Ciara look into Aiden Dennehy's death, they soon learn that he had a number of people who might prefer him to be dead. The garda are convinced that the bartender who punched him the previous night because Aiden was messing around with his sister is at the top of the list. 

Rayne and Ciara don't believe that Beetle the publican killed Aiden but don't have a stronger possibility. They are busy getting ready for the weekend wedding which will provide funds for the winter which is only one thing on their massive to-do list. High on the list are finding a lawyer to help answer some of their pressing questions, dealing with the property management firm to discover just what they own, and finding a way to draw younger people to the town to bolster the population and the economy.

A trunk found in the attic filled with photo albums from the 1920s raises more questions than it answers and doesn't help identify the Thomas McGrath supposedly buried in the main cemetery instead of the McGrath plot. 

Adding even more complications is Freda Bevan who wants to annex the village Rayne and Ciara are trying to save and an elderly and wealthy lady from Dublin who is demanding the Rayne and Ciara look into the death of her 90-year-old brother who lived in the village. 

Throw if a few romantic relationships and Rayne's sociopathic ex who has escaped from prison and may or may not be hiding out in Mexico and you have a plot filled to overflowing. 

The story is filled with a large cast of characters between people working at the castle and the people living in the town. It was hard to keep track of them all. Also, the story could likely have been 20% shorter if the constant repetition of plot points was eliminated. It was like the author wrote each chapter months apart and felt that the reader needed the reminders. 

Fans following the series will want to read this one despite its flaws and clear lack of resolution of the plot concerning whether or not Rayne and Ciara will be able to save the town and the castle. Various other plots introduced in this episode are solved or partly solved. 

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

ARC Review: Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
Author: Amanda Chapman
Series: Mrs. Christie (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley (August 26, 2025)

Description: Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.

Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan’s Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she’s left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she’s not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library’s Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she’s there to help solve a murder— that has not yet happened.

But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.

Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths —including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits—Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer’s devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, “murder is never simple.”

My Thoughts: Agatha Christie takes a field trip from the afterlife to help book conservator Tory Van Dyne solve a couple of murders. 

Tory works at the Mystery Guild Library in New York City. The library was started by her grandmother who left the top two floors to Tory as her apartment and the basement as the workshop where she repairs old books. Tory suffered a trauma that has made her reclusive, but she is gradually coming to terms with the trauma.

One of the features of the library is a room set up as a duplicate of Christie's library in England. When her cousin Nic comes to her in distress after her agent was pushed in front of a subway train, Tory agrees to help her cousin, and she is aided by the appearance of a woman who introduces herself as Agatha Christie and who appears in the room set up as her library. 

But Tory isn't alone in her investigations. The librarian who is a good friend of hers and who doesn't believe in ghosts is drawn in. So is an eleven-year-old neighbor who is lonely after the death of her mother. And so is police detective Sebastian Mendez-Cruz.

And it is a good thing they have teamed up because the agent is only the first death. 

I really enjoyed the frequent quotes from Agatha Christie's works which make up a big part of the Christie character's vocabulary as well as beginning each chapter. I loved Tory's point of view. She has a really quirky sense of humor and a wonderful turn of phrase. 

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

ARC Review: Claws Out by Cate Conte

Claws Out
Author: Cate Conte
Series: A Cat Cafe Mystery (Book 9)
Publication: St. Martins Paperback (August 26, 2025)

Description: The ninth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast and featuring the cat cafe owner Maddie and her cat JJ.

After a long, snowy winter on Daybreak Island, Maddie and her cat cafe crew are finally ready to embrace the spring, though life is anything but calm. With Val and Ethan's wedding taking center stage, Maddie finds herself juggling wedding plans alongside a new and unexpected venture―a generous donation has made her the co-owner of a traveling cat cafe truck. To kick off the new chapter, she seizes the chance to take the truck on its inaugural trip to a cat literary festival in Provincetown, accompanied by her family and some of the shelter crew.

The festival is organized by the renowned cat-romance author Jasmine Prescott, who also runs a beloved cat rescue foundation on Cape Cod. But when Jasmine's longtime friend and fellow author Vivi St. Clair arrives with a boatload full of drama―everything from a dangerous ex-husband to an unwanted Netflix crew―tensions run high. At first, it seems like just another dose of celebrity chaos―until Vivi is found murdered. As new evidence ties Maddie and her cat cafe into the investigation, Maddie must dig deeper into the tangled web of secrets, rivalries, and feline-friendly drama to uncover the truth. The question is: what’s the connection between the cat cafe and Vivi’s untimely death?

My Thoughts: This cozy mystery is the ninth book in the Cat Cafe series. Maddie and her Cat Cafe crew were gifted with a mobile cat cafe and take it on its first outing to a literary festival in nearby Provincetown. 

Noted cat-romance author Jasmine Prescott is the host of the fund raiser for the cat shelters she sponsors. And special guest Vivi St. Clair is also making an appearance. Not being a reader of that genre herself, Maddie depends on her young sister Sam to know who's who and to do all the fan-girling. 

Also along on the trip are Maddie's sister Val and her fiancé Ethan who are bickering and showing stress with their wedding coming up soon. 

As Maddie deals with tension between Val and Ethan, she also finds herself involved in a murder investigation when Vivi is found stabbed to death on the pier. Vivi had all sorts of drama surrounding her including a mobster ex-husband, a stalker, and an intrusive Netflix film crew. 

But Maddie isn't alone in her quest for answers, she has her grandfather who's a police chief turned private investigator and Harry who is also a retired police officer. Only Harry goes missing which adds even more stress to the investigation. 

This was another fun episode in this long-running series. Most of the series regulars appear with roles of varying importance in this episode. Fans of the series will enjoy this latest edition. 

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

ARC Review: Murder by the Book by Amie Schaumberg

Murder by the Book
Author: Amie Schaumberg
Publication: Mira (August 19, 2025)

Description: Two dead students. A coded reference to Shakespeare. And the promise of darker things to come.

Near a small college campus, a student is found strangled in an abandoned barn on the outskirts of town. She's been posed to look like a painting of Ophelia from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the scene taunting the police with a message they don't understand. Detective Ian Carter is known as a straitlaced cop, but seeing the girl's body leaves him shaken and uncertain of where to turn—until a chance meeting with a charmingly awkward literature professor ends with her accidentally seeing, and solving, a clue left by the killer.

Professor Emma Reilly knows that the books she loves might hold the key to unraveling the killer's crimes now that a second murder has been discovered, with the victim posed as the Lady of Shalott this time. However, when the murderer strikes too close to home and kills a third student, one from Emma’s classes, she realizes that the safety of her insular life might be nothing more than an illusion. She must find the strength to confront a killer who is turning the stories she loves into lurid scenes of death.

Amie Schaumberg has crafted a smart, thrilling and utterly compelling mystery that will have you trying to figure out whodunit right up until the end.

My Thoughts: When a body is discovered in an abandoned barn near a small college campus in Oregon. Detective Ian Carter and his partner are assigned the case. Both can see that the body dump was staged but neither is sure what the staging implies. 

Luckily, Ian is scheduled to attend an exhibition of Pre-Raphaelite art where he meets literature professor Emma Reilly. The two enjoy the exhibit and each other enough to plan a date. The date which consists of dinner at Ian's house allows Emma to accidentally see the crime scene photos. She recognizes the staging as being Ophelia from Shakespeare. She provides a valuable clue and wants to help with the investigation, but Ian doesn't want to let her since he had a confidential informant die in an undercover operation he blames himself for. 

But Emma isn't able to just forget about the investigation. Her mind doesn't work that way. She reads like a very high-functioning person on the autism spectrum. She doesn't necessarily catch social clues, is very introverted, and puts on a personality in order to face her classes. 

Emma gathers herself a posse including Rory who is a former boyfriend turned department chair, Carolyn who is Rory's administrative assistant, Charlie who is an intern at the local newspaper and Carolyn's roommate, and Niall who teaches psychology at the college. Together they hash out the clues of the first death and the other two that quickly follow. While they are supposed to stay away from actual physical investigations, the do find themselves exploring the various crime scenes. 

The mystery was very literary in that there were lots of references to classical literature and classical art and various quotations from literature form some of the clues. But it was also a fast-packed thriller with lots of action and danger especially for Emma. 

I enjoyed this one.

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

ARC Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective
Author: Jo Nichols
Publication: Minotaur (August 19, 2025)

Description: The perfect summer read, full of charm and heart, written in the vein of The Thursday Murder Club or Only Murders in the Building but with a southern California twist.

Mrs. B, the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who’s hiding secrets.

The tenants live contentedly in their doll-house bungalows in Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, until their peace is shattered when Anthony, a quiet, hulking, but potentially violent ex-con moves in. Three weeks later, a dead body is discovered on the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. Anthony is arrested, and the tenants heave sighs of relief. Until Mrs. B, convinced that he's innocent, marches down to the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants band together and form “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” to save their beloved landlady. As clues are unearthed and secrets are revealed, the community of misfits only grows more tight-knit...until a second body is found. Full of eccentricity, humor, community, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective will keep you hooked until the last page.

My Thoughts: This story told in multiple viewpoints takes place in some small bungalows in Santa Barbara. Mrs. B is the landlady. She has filled her cottages with broken people. Among them are a young playwright who is getting over being stalked, an agoraphobe, a queer sculptor raising her two kids, a perfectionist with an almost ex-husband, and a man who works in the City Planning department and has some secrets. 

When Mrs. B rents the last cottage to a man who has recently left prison and is a tattooed giant, the others wonder what she was thinking. But the story starts when they find a dead man in the bushes in their courtyard. 

The local police inspector thinks he has a slam-dunk: former con plus new body means he obviously murdered him. He isn't willing to entertain other options despite what the other residents tell him. The residents of Marigold Cottages form a text group and become closer to each other while trying to free their new friend. 

It even gets to the point where Mrs. B confesses to the murder in order to take the heat off her new tenant. But then Lily-Anne's ex tries to kill her and the body of a local developer who has been hounding Mrs. B. to sell her valuable property so that he can build apartments is found just feet away from the first body who also happens to be someone the developer brought in to help finance the deal. 

This was an intriguing and twisty mystery with nicely quirky characters. I liked seeing the story be gradually revealed through the various characters. 

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

ARC Review: The Story That Wouldn't Die by Christina Estes

The Story That Wouldn't Die 
Author: Christina Estes
Series: Jolene Garcia Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Minotaur (August 19, 2025)

Description: Emmy Award-winning reporter Christina Estes uses her twenty-year career for inspiration for her mysteries. In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, Jolene Garcia refuses to stop investigating, but someone is determined to kill the story—and maybe her.

Phoenix, Arizona TV reporter Jolene Garcia is fresh off winning her first Emmy and committed to covering stories that matter to her community. But Jolene’s managers want stories that grab immediate attention and generate clicks, not ones that take time to develop.

When a beloved small business owner dies in a car crash, Jolene isn’t convinced it was an accident. He’d been raising questions about who keeps getting lucrative deals at city hall—questions that powerful people don’t want answered. The deeper Jolene digs, the more suspicious things she uncovers.

Exposing greed, ambition, and deception could become the biggest story of Jolene’s career. Her bosses tell her to drop it. But there’s a story here, and Jolene’s going to find it.

My Thoughts: Phoenix, Arizona, television reporter has just won her first Emmy for reporting on the death of a local shock radio personality and is now feeling a little let down when she's assigned to check out cupcake bakeries to see if their products are really gluten-free. 

Jolene would rather be investigating the home invasion death of a lobbyist deep in the city's bid process. She's been told by a competitor that the bid system is rigged. When the competitor dies in a suspicious car accident, she feels that she's on the right track, but her boss is still fixated on cupcakes.

Her investigation has her getting threats and nearly being killed in a hit-and-run and there isn't a cupcake in sight. 

I liked Jolene's determination to find the answers both for seeing that the truth comes out and for her own career advancement. She is definitely single-minded and sometimes insensitive because of it. I liked that as readers we're finding out more about the past she's downplayed or concealed. 

This was an engaging contemporary mystery with intriguing characters. 

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

ARC Review: A Silence in Belgrade Square by Jennifer Ashley

A Silence in Belgrave Square
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Series: Below Stairs Mystery (Book 8)
Publication: Berkley (August 12, 2025)

Description: Valiant cook and amateur sleuth Kat Holloway must uncover the secrets of Victorian London’s most elite noblemen to save the man she loves, from the New York Times bestselling author of Speculations in Sin.

Kat Holloway knows that her beau and confidante Daniel McAdam has a talent for dangerous work as a Scotland Yard agent. At long last though, Daniel’s coldhearted boss has promised that after a final mission, his debt will be repaid, and he’ll finally be free. However, Daniel must risk his life one last time, masquerading as a secretary to an elderly viscount who could be the mastermind behind the recent plots against the Queen and her government.

Using her contacts throughout London, Kat discovers several of her friends and colleagues have been victims of vicious blackmail. They’ll do anything to protect their scandalous secrets, even conform to the blackmailer’s political agenda. If Kat and Daniel wish to save each other and the Crown, they must prove the blackmailer’s identity and evade those who will stop at nothing to eliminate them.

My Thoughts: In this eighth Below Stairs mystery, Cook Kat Holloway investigates the suspicious circumstances of the death of an elderly viscount Her beau Daniel has been sent into the viscount's home as a personal secretary at the orders of his boss who wants Daniel in dangerous situations and wants him dead. Monaghan has promised that this will be Daniel's last mission for him if he successfully resolves it. 

The viscount is suspected of being part of the Irish war for self-rule. The Fenians don't mind some terrorism in the form of bombs in various places if it will help their cause. Managhan wants Daniel to find some proof of the viscount's involvement. 

Meanwhile, Lady Cynthia brings Kat's attention to some blackmail letters that have been sent to various ladies with prominent husbands including Lady Cynthia's deceased sister and some of Lady Cynthia's friends. At first, the letters don't seem to have a connection with Daniel's investigation, but ties are found, and the danger ramps up. The second letters demand a payment of the woman using her influence to convince her influential husband or relative to the writer's viewpoint. 

Kat isn't going to let Daniel investigate alone despite his orders for her to keep out of it. In fact, none of Daniel's friends are going to let him investigate on his own. Among other things, Kat inserts a friend of hers as a maid in the house and Daniel's foster brother inserts a groom into service for a neighboring household. 

This story was an exciting entry into the series. I especially liked that Kat finally comes to realize what she really feels for Daniel. I also like the setting, and the pride Kat takes in her work as a cook. 

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

ARC Review: Knife in the Back by Karen Rose

Knife in the Back
Author: Karen Rose
Series: A New Orleans Novel (Book 4)
Publication: Berkley (August 12, 2025)

Description: From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose comes another "intense, complex, and unforgettable” novel.

Officer Naomi Cranston was framed for stealing cocaine from the evidence locker and coerced—through threats to her young son—into not fighting the charges. After five years in prison, she has tried to put the ordeal behind her, but the crooks who framed her have returned, this time demanding she move drugs along with her flower shop’s deliveries. They threaten her son once again, but this time she’s not capitulating quietly. She hires Broussard Investigations to protect her and her son, to prove her innocence, and to put the real bad guys away.

As a former cop, Burke Broussard is well aware of the corruption in the New Orleans police department. He had always believed Naomi Cranston to be guilty and isn’t inclined to take her case. Until he sits down to listen to her side of things. Until he sees her tortured innocence written all over her beautiful face…

A relationship born amid an investigation is a fragile thing. Will it survive the danger and the threats? Will it survive the truth?

My Thoughts: Former police officer Naomi Cranston spent five years in prison for a crime she didn't commit. She's been out for a year and is working in a flower shop when the cop who railroaded her and threatened her son comes to her demanding that she move drugs for him. 

At the urging of her boss at the flower shop, Naomi goes to Broussard Investigations to get some protection for the teenage son who is being threatened. Burke Broussard is also a former NOPD officer who left to start his own investigations agency. At first, he believes like the rest of the NOPD that Naomi is a dirty cop, but her story convinces him and has strong echoes of his own departure from the NOPD.

But the dirty cops aren't ready to give up on getting Naomi to do what they want. They attempt to kidnap her son and attempt to kidnap the children of the other investigators at Broussard Investigations. Everyone at the agency and especially Burke want to stop those who are threatening their children. 

While all this tension is going on, Burke and Naomi fall in love. Burke never thought he would since the loss of his fiancée in a plane crash years ago broke his heart so badly. And Naomi whose ex-husband testified against her in a testimony filled with lies doesn't have much faith in love or men. 

I enjoyed catching up with the many characters at Broussard Investigations introduced in the three earlier books. And I really enjoyed seeing Naomi come out of her shell and champion her own agency. The romance between Burke and Naomi was also heart-warming. 

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

ARC Review: The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

The Witch's Orchard
Author: Archer Sullivan
Publication: Minotaur (August 12, 2025)

Description: A ninth generation Appalachian herself, Archer Sullivan brings the mountains of North Carolina to life in The Witch’s Orchard, a wonderfully atmospheric novel that introduces private investigator Annie Gore.

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore joined the military right after high school to escape the fraught homelife of her childhood. Now, she’s getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

Ten years ago, three little girls went missing from their tiny mountain town. While one was returned, the others were never seen again. After all this time without answers, the brother of one of the girls wants to hire an outsider, and he wants Annie. While she may not be from his town, she gets mountain towns. Mountain people. Driving back into the hills for a case this old―it might be a fool’s errand. But Annie needs to put money in the bank and she can’t turn down a case. Not even one that dredges up her own painful past.

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge, Annie begins to track the truth, navigating a decade’s worth of secrets, folklore of witches and crows, and a whole town that prefers to forget. But while the case may have been buried, echoes of the past linger. And Annie’s arrival stirs someone into action.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed THE WITCH'S ORCHARD. Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore became a private investigator after leaving the service. She is just holding on to that career. When a young man from rural North Carolina comes to her with a case, she wants to help him out (and get his fee so that she can get her watch out of hock.)

Returning to the sort of rural life she joined the Air Force to get out of brings up memories of her own past as she investigates the disappearance of three young girls from one small mountain town. Ten years earlier, three girls disappeared over the course of a couple of months. One, an autistic child, was returned after being gone a couple of weeks. The other two were never found. 

Annie describes her job as asking questions until she stirs things up. That's what she does as she reinterviews those who were around at the time of the disappearances. Circling through her investigation is an old mountain story about a witch and her apple garden. She asks most of the people she interviews to tell her their version of the story which helps Annie understand them.

This was an engaging story with a great main character. I liked the way Annie engaged with her suspects and ferreted out long buried secrets. 

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