The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

 

First Line: I don't know how long I've been down here in the dark.

Audrey is a search and rescue expert who's never stopped looking for her ex-best friend, Janie, who disappeared when they were teenagers. When Audrey comes across evidence that a recent teenage runaway may actually have been kidnapped from land belonging to the town's most prominent family, she's going to have to dig through decades of secrets to find out what happened to the runaway... and all the girls before.

~

The Girls Before alternates chapters between a girl trapped in the dark and Audrey, the search and rescue expert who's looking for a missing girl that no one else believes is missing.

Audrey is one of those angsty characters I've grown bored of-- convinced that her way is the right way and willing to needlessly put her life at risk to prove her point. To make matters worse, there's also the de rigueur prominent (and prominently twisted) family in town. 

There are twists and surprises, but Audrey never thrilled me. The story dragged. If it had been tightened up, I may have cared how it all turned out; but it wasn't, and I didn't. I must make a note to myself to avoid books with angst-riddled characters. After The Girls Before, I find myself in dire need of a straightforward murder and a determined cop.

The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

eISBN: 9781250343093

Flatiron Books © 2026

eBook, 307 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: D

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Sanctuary by Garry Disher

 

First Line: It's a Tuesday evening and you're watching Caught Out on YouTube.

Grace has been a thief since she was a child. She's a good thief, taught by experts. But it's not the life she wants. It's a solitary life, always watchful, always on the move. She wants to change.

When a run-in with an old associate has her lying low in a small rural town, Grace finds an antiques shop with a timid but friendly owner who has a room for rent. This may be the perfect opportunity for Grace to have that new life. 

But dangerous men are looking for her, and she should never let her guard slip because no matter how far she runs, her past comes right along with her.

~

Australian author Garry Disher never disappoints, and Sanctuary is proof of that.  

For some reason, I've always had a penchant for reading about career thieves, and the character of Grace had me hooked from the moment I met her. Her voice drew me right in. Grace has been a thief since childhood, specializing in small, high-value items. She was taught by experts, and the identity of one or two of those experts may surprise you. She's not proud of being a thief, but it's the only way she knows how to live. Needing to feel better about herself, she loses herself in books and music whenever she can. When she finds the small town antiques shop owner, Erin, she sees her chance for a normal life, and I was certainly cheering her on. It's amazing how sympathetic this woman is, and if she taught me anything, it's that a life of thievery is exhausting. I'd never want to try it. Reading about it is enough for me.

To keep the pace fast and the blood pumping, there are characters devoted to finding Grace with varying degrees of menace, including one mediocre police officer who's always been overlooked. The twists and turns are plentiful and kept me guessing.

If you're in the mood for a fast-paced character study, I recommend Sanctuary. I bet you'll be cheering for Grace, too.

Sanctuary by Garry Disher

eISBN: 9781613168097

The Mysterious Press © 2026

eBook, 312 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A

Source: NetGalley

Tahoe Fear by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Kyle Fosbek felt the skin on the back of his neck prickle with fear as Bo Andrew sat down on the bench next to him.

When 90-year-old Hazel Fosbeck's grandson, Kyle, disappears, she asks private detective Owen McKenna to investigate. The elderly woman, who likes to live off the grid and drives a 1943 Willys, is afraid that Kyle has run afoul of the Andrews brothers, vicious brutes who are the latest in the Andrews family who have feuded with the Fosbecks for a hundred years.

Each time McKenna finds someone who may have information as to Kyle's whereabouts, that person dies-- tied to a concrete block and dropped into Lake Tahoe's icy water.

McKenna has to move fast. With the help of his Great Dane, Spot, and his buddy Sergeant Diamond Martinez, Owen plans a showdown with the killers. The stakes are high, but McKenna is determined to win.

~

As a long-time fan of Todd Borg's Owen McKenna books, I'm constantly amazed by his ability to work so much history of the Lake Tahoe area into his stories-- and by how he can create so many memorable characters.

In Tahoe Fear, Borg really ratchets up the adrenaline. There are two kidnappings in the book, and the first really had me biting my nails. Not that the second one didn't concern me. It did. But I knew nothing was going to happen to the person (or there would be dire consequences from readers). The first one, though, actually raised my heart rate. I'm normally not easily affected, but the feeling of danger was palpable.

90-year-old Hazel Fosbeck was an excellent addition to the cast of characters. She's a law unto herself, and although I thought my husband was the best driver of off-road vehicles, Hazel and her 1943 Willys left him in her dust.

The mystery in Tahoe Fear was multi-layered with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing. As always, the characters shone brightly, and the dog lovers will enjoy Spot and the added information about canine scenting abilities. 

If you haven't made Owen McKenna's acquaintance yet, you really should-- especially if you love character-driven stories with plenty of action. Normally, I would advise first-timers to begin at the beginning, but I can understand why some people would hesitate to do that with a (so far) 24-book series. The important thing is to meet these characters and to experience the Lake Tahoe setting. If you're hooked (as I'm sure you will be), you can always go back to the other books. You'll have lots of good reading waiting for you.

Tahoe Fear by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296342

Thriller Press © 2026

Paperback, 320 pages

Thriller/Private Investigator, #24 Owen McKenna

Rating: A

Source: the author

The Night Hunter by Natalie Moss

 

First Line: We dove headlong between the trees, red-green mopani leaves whipping our brows and thick grasses tangling under our ankles.

Estranged sisters Danielle and Grace must return to their family home located within a wild-game reserve in the South African bush to take care of their deceased mother's final wishes. To ease the pain of their loss--and the tension between them-- each sister invites two friends to come along with them and their guide on the two-day journey.

The trip begins as a safari adventure but turns into a nightmare when one of them is murdered the first morning at the campsite. In their panic, they crash their vehicle, leaving them stranded with no way to call for help.

Danielle must lead them on foot across miles of unforgiving landscape. To make it even worse, not only do they have to be vigilant because of the dangerous wildlife, but they also have to outfox someone whom they realize is trying to sabotage their escape.

~

The setting, the wildlife, the dangerous cross-country trek... all of these things enticed me to read Natalie Moss's The Night Hunter. Those parts of the book were excellent. I did feel as though I were with them as they set out on foot for safety. Is there a leopard up in that tree? Are crocodiles hiding in that stream? Did I just hear a lion cough? I wish all these bugs would stop feasting on me. I really enjoyed that part of the book.

Unfortunately, when it came to the characters, The Night Hunter fell flat. I have developed a very low tolerance for characters so filled with angst that they constantly try to second-guess themselves and everyone else. Danielle was so angst-filled that it's a wonder she could move. She and her sister, Grace, had a larger-than-life conservationist mother who was responsible for their emotional instability. Since the woman was dead, she was always seen in Danielle's memories. I think I would have had a better reaction to both Danielle and the story if the book had been structured so readers got a chance to meet this woman for themselves. To see her in action instead of always being told what she was like.

If you like survival-in-the-wild adventure stories, The Night Hunter is a good one. If, like me, you are a character-driven reader, you may have a few problems with it.

The Night Hunter by Natalie Moss

eISBN: 9798217187874

Berkley © 2026

eBook, 345 pages

Thriller

Rating: C

Source: Net Galley

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

 

First Lines: It's interesting to note that there are two groups of people who are rarely, if ever, suspected of murder. These groups are elderly women and little girls.

When her neighbor turns up dead in their quiet Melbourne suburb, whispers begin to swarm around 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick. Why should the neighbors be whispering about Elsie? She's grumpy, fiercely independent, never without a sarcastic comment, and minds her own business. But someone found out her secret.

Elsie hasn't always been Elsie. At one time, she was Mad Mabel Waller, Australia's youngest convicted murderer-- a secret she's kept buried for decades.

That is, until 7-year-old Persephone moves in across the street. Full of opinions, questions, and no sense of personal boundaries, she sets her sights on Mabel and refuses to be deterred. With a 7-year-old shadow, a neighbor who seems to have it in for her, the police sniffing around, and the media circling like vultures, Mabel does the only thing she can: she takes matters into her own hands. 

~

The first two sentences of Sally Hepworth's Mad Mabel told me that I was in for something special. By page five, I was in love with Mabel. Perhaps it was because I identified with her a bit, but I loved her voice and her grumpy, sarcastic wit. I lost count of the times I laughed out loud at one of Mabel's comments. 

But there's more to Mabel than being a sharp-tongued, grumpy old lady. As she told her story to two young podcasters, my heart broke for her. The more I read, the more I wanted a Happily Ever After for her. Was I under her spell? You bet.

The marvelous thing about Mad Mabel is that the entire cast of characters shines. They aren't static or cardboard. They change before our eyes, and they hold surprises for us. Not only did the characters hold surprises, but the plot did, too. One of the characters seemed a bit "off" to me, and by the book's end, I was miffed that I didn't guess the truth about the person.

If you're in the mood to be charmed by a character to the point where you'd move heaven and earth to bring her joy; if you're in the mood for a story where you have a little trouble putting all the puzzle pieces into the correct places, well, there's only one thing to do: read Mad Mabel.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

eISBN: 9781250284556

St. Martin's Press © 2026

eBook, 348 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Last One Out by Jane Harper

 

First Line: He had been here, that was clear from the marks in the dust.

Just a handful of residents remain in Carralon Ridge, once a thriving rural village in New South Wales. For the past ten years, its houses and buildings have been bought up and left to rot by a mining company operating at its borders.

Five years ago, Ro lost her son. Sam vanished while visiting Carralon Ridge during a break from college. Sam loved the town and had been working on an oral history to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether.

Now, Ro has returned to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance. Soon, she suspects that something important was overlooked in his case. Nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, but someone wants to make sure that its secrets die with it.

~

Several years ago, my husband and I spent many days searching out and visiting old ghost towns from one end of Arizona to the other. It was lots of fun, a great way to explore the state, and very educational as well. Reading Jane Harper's Last One Out reminded me of those times. 

I felt the dust of Carralon Ridge seep into every pore and crevice of my body. It blurred my vision, and the blazing sun made me want to reach for my sunglasses.  In other words, Harper's setting is superb. Here in Arizona, entire towns have been swallowed whole by mining companies in search of gold and copper, so it was easy for me to visualize this Australian town slowly being put to death.

However, Harper doesn't just give readers an incredibly evocative setting; she populates it with multi-faceted characters. After her son's disappearance, Ro's family fell apart, and when she returns to join her husband, Griff, and daughter, Della, for a remembrance ceremony for Sam, she can't resist revisiting the last places her son was known to visit. As she moves from place to place and talks with the town's remaining inhabitants, readers get to know her-- and them-- and become just as invested in learning the truth of her son's disappearance. 

Harper has proven to be a master of creating settings, characters, and plots that get under my skin. Last One Out is a must-read for those who like to be swept away in the pages of an absorbing story.

Last One Out by Jane Harper

eISBN: 9781250291400

Flatiron Books © 2026

eBook, 336 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg

 

First Line: There are some things you need to know before I start telling you this incredible, improbable, but absolutely true story.

Struggling actor Wally Nash didn't really know what he signed up for when he agreed to be Edison Bixby's "minder." Bixby is wealthy, handsome, and-- due to a traumatic brain injury-- impulsively rude. Wally has been hired to keep Bixby from offending everyone he meets.

A former police detective with a 100% clearance rate, Bixby is now an insurance investigator who solves his cases by figuring out how the design of the man-made world around us makes them possible.

Wally's first case with Bixby looks like a simple accident, but Bixby is positive that the victim was murdered by design, subtly manipulated into causing her own demise. Now all Bixby has to do is prove his theory before more people die.

~

Having enjoyed and come to depend on Lee Goldberg's laugh-out-loud funny, fast-paced thrillers with his Ian Ludlow and Eve Ronin series, I was really looking forward to this first Edison Bixby novel, Murder by Design. Unfortunately, the book fell flat for me.

Edison Bixby's looks, wealth, and home would make him the stuff of fairy tales if not for his mouth. He's always been obnoxious, but a traumatic brain injury has loosened what few restraints he had on his tongue. No longer in the Los Angeles Police Department, he is now the stuff of nightmares for the insurance company that hired him. The man needs someone to keep a close eye on him to prevent any more lawsuits, and that's where wannabe movie star Wally Nash comes in.

We see everything through Wally's eyes, and for a while, that's entertaining. (He tends to see everything as an opportunity for his Big Break in films.) Also intriguing is Bixby's contention that the design of man-made things can be the source of crime. Then, there's the relationship Bixby has with LAPD officer Bridget McGregor. Not only did McGregor get right up my nose, but I just couldn't buy into how their relationship worked.

In fact, that wasn't the only thing that didn't quite make sense. Too many aspects felt over the top. To be honest, the suspension bridge of my disbelief collapsed two-thirds of the way through Murder by Design. Perhaps it was partially due to my low tolerance of obnoxiousness. Hopefully, your mileage will vary. 

Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg

eISBN: 9781662533600

Thomas & Mercer © 2026

eBook, 236 pages

Thriller, #1 Edison Bixby

Rating: D+

Source: Net Galley

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

 

First Line: Tyburn, 1534. Elizabeth was at first unafraid at the Tree.

When sixteenth-century nun Elizabeth Barton was executed for her prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, it was thought that all copies of those prophecies had been destroyed-- until historian Alison Sage discovered a manuscript. 

Her find catapults Sage into academic superstardom and earns her an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium. For one week, she will be living with other historians in a crumbling English manor house next to the ruined priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

When a murder occurs, this promising conference turns into a nightmare. Everyone is a suspect, and everything seems to point to a local legend about a centuries-old treasure. Alison's research makes her the logical choice to solve the mystery, and she soon learns that the world of academia is every bit as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton's sixteenth-century England.

~

Debut novelist Jennifer Brown has crafted a strong dual timeline mystery featuring a fascinating bit of English history. Elizabeth Barton, better known as the Mad Maid of Kent, had a vision and became locally famous, drawing pilgrims to the priory where she lived. The resulting monetary windfall gathered men with ulterior motives around this naive, unschooled girl. 

While Elizabeth is navigating a very dangerous time in English history, historian Alison Sage is finding the paths of academia rather murky. Everyone at the conference is outstanding in their fields. Everyone has a degree. Everyone is published... and everyone seems to have their own agendas. But what are those agendas?

The strongest part of The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is the mystery. What's going on at this conference? Will the Mad Maid of Kent's voice be heard once again? Yes, the history and the mystery are solid, and definitely held my interest. However, I never did fully engage with any of the characters, and since that is what I like most in the books I read, I was a bit disappointed.

Read this book for the history and the mystery, and you should enjoy it. Read it mainly for the characters, and you might find it lacking.

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown

eISBN: 9781250383600

St. Martin's Press © 2026

eBook, 307 pages

Dual Timeline Thriller, Standalone

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley

Catching Up on My Book Reviews...Again

 

This is my latest attempt to share the books I've read with you all. My only excuse is that, for the past few months, I've been much too easily distracted to concentrate on reviews. 

These won't be the size of my normal reviews, but I will provide links to Amazon in each title if you want to learn more about any of the books.

Deadly Remains by Kate Ellis

#29 Wesley Peterson police procedural set in Devon, UK

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: Kate Ellis's Wesley Peterson series has been a "Go To" series for me for years. I love the blend of mystery, history, and archaeology. 

While Wesley and his team investigate the death of a celebrity ghostwriter and his missing laptop, Dr. Neil Watson, with the help of Wesley's teenage son Michael, excavates a crashed World War II plane on Dartmoor.

The mystery is solid, and the ongoing lives of the characters rich and satisfying. You can tell how much I like this series by the fact that it's 29 books long (so far), and I've read every one.

Killer Thriller by Lee Goldberg

#2 Ian Ludlow thriller set in Hong Kong

Rating: A

My Thoughts: After thoroughly enjoying the first book in the series, True Fiction, once again, I found myself in need of some light, fast-paced fun, so I turned to this second. I was not disappointed. 

In fact, his assistant Margo's choice of weapon in a fight had me howling with laughter. There's lots to learn about China and even filmmaking, but if you're in the mood to buckle your seatbelt and sit back for a laugh-filled adventure, I can't recommend this one highly enough.

One of my favorite lines? "The ambiance was so masculine that infertile men could increase their sperm count just by walking in the door."

Ian Ludlow's observations alone are well worth the price of admission. I'm sad that there's only one more book in the series.

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell

Standalone Historical Fiction set in the Egypt and the Middle East

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: Narrated by schoolteacher Agnes Shanklin, we follow her through life with a suffocating mother, through the losses of World War I and the Great Influenza, and right into the creation of the modern Middle East. 

Russell, once again, has a marvelous sense of time and place. I found myself wanting to swat flies as Agnes walked the streets of Cairo, and the friendships she made with people like Winston Churchill, T.E. Lawrence, and Gertrude Bell gave the sheltered woman's life a fairy tale aspect. Few would have expected her to have the bravery to set out on such an adventure by herself.

All in all, Agnes reminded me of a young Eleanor Roosevelt, and I enjoyed her story.

Jungle of Stone: The Extraordinary Journey of John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya by William Carlsen

Set in Central America

Non-Fiction

Rating: C+

My Thoughts: I have always been fascinated by the ancient civilizations of the Aztec, the Inca, and the Maya, so this book was right up my street.

The sections on the Maya were fascinating, but the book bogged down with the detailed biographies of Stephens and Catherwood. For some reason, the title of the book led me to expect more Maya than it delivered, which was disappointing.

A Fatal Feast at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison

#11 in the Honeychurch Hall cozy series set in England

Rating: C+

My Thoughts: Although the number of cozy mysteries I read has fallen in recent years, there are still certain series that I follow, and this is one of them.

Unfortunately, not all entries in a long-running series can be dazzling. This one is lackluster. There is little humor, nothing about antiques, and the whodunit was easy to deduce. The emphasis is on people's mean-spirited, money-grubbing actions, and that's never been a favorite of mine.

I'd also like to add that I think it's past time for Kat's mother's chickens to come home to roost. I've never liked her allergy to the truth and what it's done to the people in her life, but I doubt it's going to happen. I have a feeling that most readers find her funny. I wish I did!

That's all for now. I'm getting really close to being completely caught up. When that happens, I may have palpitations! 

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

 

First Line: Michael had grown quite fond of the anonymous souls who paused beneath his window.

After years of a complicated life in the intelligence service, Michael has been enjoying a reclusive life in his New York townhouse, inventing lives for the people he watches strolling through the park across the street, and having his every need taken care of by his housekeeper, Mrs. Baker.

But this quiet life of his changes when the girl he's been watching for some time drastically changes her routine. Michael realizes she is in danger and decides to do what he can to help her.

In no time at all, Michael finds that he needs to use all the tricks of his former trade because he's just plunged headlong into the New York underworld.

~

After years of enjoying Jeffrey Siger's Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis mysteries set in Greece, I wasn't about to miss this first in his new Redacted Man series. Although Michael, the retired intelligence officer, could remind readers of Sherlock Holmes with the number of his townhouse being 221, his housekeeper named Mrs. Baker, and his exhaustive knowledge, Michael says, "I get to play the Wizard of Oz." He prefers to work behind the scenes, and the contacts he's made throughout the years are nothing short of amazing.

It did take me a while to warm up to the characters; their histories unfold so gradually, but I did: Angel, the young girl Michael decides to help, a brother and sister who find themselves over their heads when the brother acquires a very dangerous man's treasure, Michael's friends in the neighborhood, Michael himself, and especially Mrs. Baker.

With a strong, fast-paced plot and engaging characters, A Study in Secrets was a pleasure to read. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. 

A Study in Secrets by Jeffrey Siger

eISBN: 9781448317073

Severn House © 2026

eBook, 212 pages

Thriller, #1 Redacted Man

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Three Reviews for the Price of One Post!

 

First Line from Prologue: Île de la Cité, Paris 2019. The fire peels Notre Dame like an illuminated manuscript soaked in water, its layers separating, releasing their secrets.

Skylark is a dual-timeline story about underground Paris. The timelines take place in 1664 and 1939, and concern the daughter of a master dyer at the Gobelin Tapestry Works who tries to save her father when he is unjustly accused of a crime, and a psychiatrist faced with the Nazi persecution of Jews.

The prologue concerning the burning of Notre Dame led me to expect more from the present day; however, it was used just to show readers how certain events can uncover stories and secrets. 

Seventeenth-century dye-making techniques and the three hundred plus kilometers of tunnels and catacombs under Paris made for some very interesting reading, but the story ultimately never engaged me as much as I thought it might. 

Skylark by Paula McLain

eISBN: 9781668028179

Atria Books © 2026

eBook, 464 pages

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

First Lines: I never meant to see what was in his drawer. I was never a mother who snooped.

In this thriller, two teenage girls have been found dead in a wealthy Chicago suburb, and high school counselor Abby Rosso begins to suspect that her son might be their killer.

Occasionally, I forget that I have to be careful with the psychological thrillers that I choose to read. In the case of What Boys Learn, I found whodunit to be much too easy to deduce and the neurotic Abby Rosso extremely annoying. The pace of the book was very slow, and more editing would not only have sped the story along but also not given me the time to realize how little I cared for any of the characters.

What Boys Learn by Andromeda Romano-Lax

eISBN: 9781641296922

Soho Press © 2026

eBook, 464 pages

Standalone Psychological Thriller

Rating: D

Source: Net Galley

First Line from Prologue: Cambridge, 1935. The banks of the River Cam were a bustle of activity on the first day of the Lent Bumps.

When Iris Sparks' friend from her Cambridge days is suspected of being a Soviet operative, British Intelligence coerces her to find out the truth. First, she and business partner/friend Gwen Bainbridge must find a way for the suspect to hire their marriage service.

I have enjoyed this series from the very first book, and having the opportunity to see the irrepressible Iris Sparks in her university days was a treat. Fire Must Burn also gives readers a chance to watch a spy-in-training while navigating the murky dealings of the intelligence service. 

While reading this eighth book in the series, I suddenly realized that one of the reasons I like it so much is the repartee between Sparks and Bainbridge, and that repartee is reminiscent of T. E. Kinsey's Lady Hardcastle series, another favorite of mine.  

Bring on the next adventure for Iris and Gwen! These books are definitely "more-ish."

Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair

eISBN: 9781448315949

Severn House © 2026

eBook, 256 pages

Historical Mystery, #8 Sparks & Bainbridge

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Mark These Read

 

Welcome to the latest edition of my feeble attempts to catch up on my reviews. These catch-up reviews are going to be short and sweet, but at least you'll have an idea of what pages I've been turning the past few months! (I'll also provide links to Amazon in each title if you want to learn more about any of the books.)

Let's get started!

The Last Supper by Rosemary Shrager

#1 Prudence Bulstrode cozy mystery

Rating: B

My Thoughts: This mystery revolving around a murder during an English country house shooting party started a bit awkwardly, but soon hit its stride. The author is a celebrity chef, and readers certainly get an insider's look at both celebrity chefs and cooking. 

One thing I liked about Prudence Bulstrode (besides her name!) was the fact that she planned all her sleuthing around the meals she had to prepare for the guests at the country house. So many times, amateur sleuths seem to forget that they have bills to pay and blithely skip away to look for clues. 

Filled with interesting characters, a solid mystery, and plenty of humor, I'll be returning to see what Prudence cooks up next.

Michael's Wife by Marlys Millhiser

Standalone Suspense

Rating: C+

My Thoughts: Having enjoyed Millhiser's book, The Mirror, I looked forward to this tale of a woman with amnesia who finds herself thrown into one of those rich, entitled families that would put a nest of vipers to shame. Unfortunately, I found the book to be pedestrian and lacking suspense.

My advice: Skip this one, but if you like excellent time travel stories, find The Mirror.

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

Standalone Historical Fiction

Rating: A

My Thoughts: After watching the film, Out of Africa, I read many non-fiction books about that time period in Africa (fascinating!) One of the books that made my all-time favorite books list was Beryl Markham's memoir, West With the Night.

When I began to read Circling the Sun, I immediately fell under the spell of Markham's voice. This woman lived an incredible life, mixing the early days of aviation (she was the first person to fly solo west across the Atlantic), growing up with the Kikuyu in Kenya, African wildlife, and horse racing.

McLain's book is a tale well told, and I'll be reading more of her work.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

#1 Martini Club thriller

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Maggie Bird lives in the seaside village of Purity, Maine-- along with several other retired CIA operatives. When Maggie's past rises up, she goes to those friends to take advantage of the more than 100 years of experience they share. 

As Maggie showed me how careful she is with every single move she makes, I was exhausted-- and grateful that I'll never have to live that way. Local police chief Jo Thibodeau is a hoot ("Outmaneuvered by a bunch of old folks"), and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her as well as Maggie's neighbor, Luther Yount, and his granddaughter Callie.

Side note: I've learned more about the state of Maine by reading mysteries!

There you have it-- four more books that I read over the summer. When will I catch up? Your guess is as good as mine!

Have you read any of these? Which ones? What did you think? Did I tempt you with any of them? Inquiring minds would love to know!

 

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

 

First Line: Dear Netflix, My name is Dominic Eastwood and I'm a big fan of your true-crime documentaries.

Pub owners Sue and Mal Eastwood have revived their isolated rural pub called The Case Is Altered by featuring a weekly trivia game. Then strange things begin to happen. A body is found in a nearby river, and regulars are outraged when a new quiz team appears every week and comes in first. Every. Single. Time.

But the body and the mysterious quiz team aren't the only mysteries at The Case Is Altered. Sue and Mal Eastwood have their own secret, and their past may have finally caught up with them.

Five years later, the pub is derelict, and their nephew Dominic is determined to make a documentary about their story. What really happened at the pub? Does a single question really have the power to kill?

~

Author Janice Hallett is proving herself to be a queen of the plot-driven mystery. As a character-driven reader, I tend to steer clear of these mysteries, but Hallett's stories are proving to be an exception.

The Killer Question is told through newspaper articles, chat forums, emails, and text messages, and I was surprised by how this method of storytelling captured my interest as each clue was teased out. Another enjoyable aspect of the book is showing the behind-the-scenes operation of pub quizzes-- how questions are formulated, how owners pay close attention to how the quizzes affect their sales, and how the quiz teams each seem to have a personality of their own.

Whenever I feel the need to read a plot-driven mystery, I know the author to look for: Janice Hallett. She knows how to get my little grey cells whirring.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

eISBN: 9781668083550

Atria Books © 2025

eBook, 448 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: B+

Source Net Galley

Tahoe Speed by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Lake Tahoe skier Colin Burns stood at the top of the speed-skiing course in Vars, France, a ski resort south of Mont Blanc, Europe's tallest mountain.

When restaurateur Genevieve Laurent fell in love with speed skier Colin Burns, she began to believe in dreams, just like Colin. However, when Colin died on a speed course in France, her world was upended. 

Some things about Colin's death did not make sense to her, so Genevieve contacted Tahoe private detective Owen McKenna for help. When he did try to help her, tragedy struck, and, feeling responsible, McKenna vowed to find answers, find a killer, and put Genevieve's life back together.

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Author Todd Borg always knows how to involve his private detective in some fascinating subjects, and Tahoe Speed is no exception. This time, it's speed skiing, which I simultaneously found interesting and frightening. (Sorry, speed skiers, Franz Klammer winning the downhill in the 1976 Olympics is as fast as I want to go.)

Little did private investigator Owen McKenna know that, when he agreed to help Colin's soulmate, Genevieve Laurent, he would become involved in a world of fine dining, insurance policies, protection rackets, and strange weaponry. As always, the mystery is intriguing, and it drew me right in, but the main reason why I will continue to come back for more is the wonderful family Borg has created around his main character. 

Of course, there's his sidekick, Spot, a Harlequin Great Dane, as well as the love of his life, insect expert Street, and her adopted deaf daughter, Camille. And he couldn't get by without all his friends in the local police. I'm also hoping that two new characters in Tahoe Speed-- restaurateur Genevieve Laurent and police rookie Hattie Foster-- will make future appearances.

Even if I don't meet Genevieve and Hattie again, I will always perk up when I know there's a new Owen McKenna mystery available. I'm addicted to this series' fascinating, fast-paced mysteries and their unforgettable characters. Hurry up, Mr. Borg, I'm ready for the next one!

Tahoe Speed by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296335

Thriller Press © 2025

Paperback, 320 pages

Thriller/Private Investigator, #23 Owen McKenna

Rating: A

Source: the author