Review: The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club (Hu Done It #1) by Gloria Chao

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder ClubThe Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club by Gloria Chao
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club is a humorous Cozy Mystery following chemist, Kathryn Hu. Kat is a little socially awkward and hasn’t made a lot of friends in Boston, where she works in a research lab.

She does have a boyfriend though, Tucker Jones, who is the light of her life. At least until she finds out that he has two other girlfriends, Olivia and Elle.

The women decide to team up to teach the cheating jerk a lesson, but when they enter his apartment to exact their revenge, they end up discovering his very dead body.

Crap. Their DNA and fingerprints are everywhere in his apartment. They did arrive there hoping to do him dirty. They’re innocent though. They swear they’re innocent, but who is going to believe them?

In order to clear their names, Kat, Olivia and Elle need to find the real killer. They go undercover and end up finding a lot of folks that may have wanted Tucker dead.

With a hot detective sniffing around, will they be able to uncover the truth before they go down for the crime?

This was really cute. I put off reading it for so long and now I’m kicking myself. I was surprised at how invested I became in this mystery and characters. I would equate the humor and coziness to the Aunties series by Jesse Q. Sutanto, so if you liked that series, this could be for you.

Admittedly, it did take me a minute to get used to Kat’s narrative voice. She’s quite quirky, and makes a lot of Dad Jokes, but I ended up coming to love her. I feel like when you realize her awkward silliness is 100% genuine to who she is, she becomes incredibly likable.

For me the star of this show is the relationship that develops between these three women. All of them were in positions where they could really use a friend and the way they bonded over this toxic man was just so satisfying.

Particularly for Kat. I feel like as the Reader, it’s easy to become so empathetic for Kat’s experience. She’s not close with her parents. She has no real friends in Boston, where she moved for her job, and her colleagues unfortunately just don’t understand her.

The way she grows as a person through her friendships with Olivia and Elle was so beautifully-executed by Chao. While the mystery was fun, the way Kat grew as a character was the highlight for me.

I would recommend the audiobook for this one. The narration by Carolyn Kang brought so much life to this story, and she definitely delivered the comedic timing as well.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to continue on with this series. I’m interested to see how Chao is going to build it out from here.

View all my reviews

Review: With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

With Friends Like TheseWith Friends Like These by Alissa Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars**

With Friends Like These follows a group of women, all adults currently living their lives in and around NYC, who met while roommates at Harvard. For decades they’ve been playing a secret game that they call the Circus.

Since they’re all highly-competitive, the Circus, which I would describe as a bit of a Murder Game, has a tendency to get slightly dangerous. In fact, the death of classmate is alluded to throughout the story in connection to the Circus.

Our MC is Sara. She wants out of the Circus and is prepared to break the news to her friends. Sara also finds herself strained financially though, so when the group discovers that a small fortune is awaiting the winner of this round, she decides to suck it up and play one more time.

Needs must and all that.

As the Circus begins, Sara believes the others may not be playing by the rules. The higher stakes could be pushing people to new extremes.

As the danger turns real, and people start pointing fingers, Sara discovers those closest to her may be dangerous. Will their fake kill game turn deadly, or will all the women be able to make it to the end unscathed?

This story was fine. IMO, it’s a little basic, and certainly not as exciting, or intriguing, as I needed it to be, however, I’ve also read a lot worse. I think maybe for someone just branching out into Thrillers and for someone who likes stories involving complicated friend groups, this could definitely work.

We get the entire story from the MC, Sara. I didn’t mind that. It was actually refreshing to focus on one perspective, as it feels like most stories lately pull out all the stops with regards to perspectives, and even timelines.

Unfortunately, Sara wasn’t a particularly compelling lead. She sort of reminded me of that girlfriend you have, who is a lovely person, but tells the longest and most rambling stories, providing details you in no way need. The whole time she’s talking, you’re smiling and nodding, while you’re internally screaming, get to the bloody POINT!!!

I believe this is a debut for Alissa Lee, and it does show a lot of promise. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom. Do I wish I had enjoyed this a little more? Sure, but I also will not be writing off Alissa Lee as an author at this point.

I’d pick up whatever she writes next. I’m sure with more time and experience her stories will come to deliver all I’m looking for in a gripping Thriller novel. This story had a great concept, it just needed a bit more bite for me.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I will be keeping an eye out for future works from Alissa Lee.

View all my reviews

Review: The Cornish Honeymoon Murder (Nosey Parker Mysteries #10) by Fiona Leitch

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder (The Nosey Parker Mysteries #10)The Cornish Honeymoon Murder by Fiona Leitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder is the 10th-book in the Nosey Parker Mystery series by Fiona Leitch.

This is my favorite currently-running Cozy Mystery series. I absolutely adore the entire series and look forward to each new installment as they release.

If you’re unfamiliar with this series, these books follow Jodie Parker, who resigned from the Metropolitan Police in London after a close call, and returned to her native village of Penstowan, in Cornwall, with her daughter, Daisy.

It’s there that Jodie created her own catering company and it proved a success. With the help of Daisy, her Mom and other friends, she’s created quite the little team. And let’s not forget the series MVP, Germaine, the Pomeranian.

In spite of her new business ventures, old habits are hard to break, so Jodie ends up assisting the local coppers, including her new husband, DCI-Nathan Withers, with their investigations. They’re truly a match made in heaven.

In this installment, newly-married couple, Jodie and Nathan, are heading out for their honeymoon. They’ll be attending a soft launch of a new luxury eco-resort on a secluded Cornish Island. They’ve been personally invited by the resort’s owner, who they have a history with.

While it is their honeymoon, it appears someone is trying to sabotage the resorts opening, and the owner has asked them there to try to get to the bottom of it. If there’s a snake in his grass, he wants to know who it is.

Since it’s free, Jodie’s Mom, Shirley, her daughter, Daisy, and Germaine, decide to tag along. What honeymoon is complete without your Mom, daughter and dog?

Honestly, I’m so glad they went. I know it sounds silly, but these books would not be complete without this full cast we’ve come to know and love.

The couple plan to take full advantage of the luxury resorts amenities, all whilst casually questioning staff, and the handful of other guests. Unfortunately, a storm sweeps through, throwing a kink in everyone’s plans and trapping them on the island.

When a quarrelsome guest is found dead in the wreckage of the boat house the next morning, it appears there may be a murderer in their midst.

With the local police unable to reach the island to deal with the matter appropriately, it’s up to Jodie and Nathan to flesh out the killer before anyone else falls victim to their murderous ways.

The Cornish Honeymoon Murder is such a fun installment to the series. I loved that we got a new setting for this one, and appreciated that it was a secluded island setting, where of course they get trapped by inclement weather.

Some may feel that’s done too much, but not me, I’ll take every time. I live on a island, love islands, and know just what it’s like to be stranded by inclement weather. This set-up never fails to bring the atmosphere and intensity for me.

The character interactions had me giggling, and it was an intriguing mystery. I say it every time I finish a book in this series, I love these characters so much. They’re practically family to me at this point.

I can’t recommend this series enough to other Cozy Mystery Readers. Particularly, if you enjoy stories with a fun family dynamic, or mysteries with a small town setting. Jodie and her family bring so much humor and light-heartedness to these stories. They’re a joy to read.

Also, it has just the right amount of humor for my tastes. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s still incredibly well-written, paced and plotted. As long as these books continue to be written, I’ll continue to be reading them.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I already have a copy of the next book, The Cornish Halloween Murder, which releases at the end of September 2026.

I’ll definitely be getting to it soon!

View all my reviews

Review: House of Margins by Tlotlo Tsamaase

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

House of MarginsHouse of Margins by Tlotlo Tsamaase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

House of Margins is a story of multiple parts. We follow Ranewa, whose sister, Anaya, went missing whilst participating in a very exclusive writer’s residency program in Cape Town, South Africa. Anaya was a rising star in the literary world, and went missing just prior to the announcement of the Günter Prize.

We also get excerpts from a True Crime podcast, created and hosted by another writer who had been in the writer’s program with Anaya, as she tells the story of the events leading up to Anaya’s disappearance. It’s sensationalized, hugely popular, and ends up attracting Ranewa’s attention.

We also get Anaya’s perspective, relaying her time in the residency program and the relationships formed there. It’s mysterious, serious and tackles some heavy topics. I respect that Tsamaase didn’t shy away from the difficult things, and the way the story evolves is compelling.

I loved the incorporation of the writing residency program and the feel of Günter Huis, the colonial mansion where the writer’s stay during their residency. It had such a eerie feel and did become an entity unto itself.

Admittedly, there were aspects I found difficult to track, and I’m sure I missed some details because of that.

I feel like the audiobook could have been better served with more variation amongst the audio narrators. There were three narrators involved in this production, which was well done, but honestly, their tone was all very similar.

I’m sure that’s me, but it did make it challenging to differentiate between the podcast, Anaya’s portions and Ranewa’s portions. The podcast was the easiest to differentiate out of the three, because it did incorporate normal podcast elements, like outros and intros, likes, comments, etc.

Regardless of anything I may have missed, the author’s intent and the topics explored still make this a memorable and fascinating read. I liked the more surreal elements as well, and the way the house became involved in what was happening to Anaya.

I would recommend this. It’s a tough one to explain as far as genres. It could really be categorized as so many different things. I would say Literary Horror could be a strong fit, so if that’s the kind of thing you’re into, you should absolutely give this one a go.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Erewhon Books and RB Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. Tsamaase put a lot of heart and passion into this story and it shows. I would love to read more from her in the future!

View all my reviews

Review: Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Adam, Mine.Adam, Mine. by K. Ancrum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Adam, Mine. A love letter to Frankenstein. A Queer Romantic story following Victor Frankenstein, and the teen boy who would become his monster, his curse, Elias Hilfiker.

This story does incorporate many elements of the original source material, but Ancrum absolutely brings her own passion and spin to the story. I enjoyed the set-up, meeting Victor, and the events that brought him and Elias into contact, but after that it did start to lose me.

Don’t get me wrong. I liked it. The audiobook was well narrated, and I thought the story itself was good. K. Ancrum is a beautiful writer, I just think in this moment, it wasn’t the right book for me.

I wanted a bit more darkness and sinister vibes, but I should have known from the synopsis that it would lean more in the direction of seriousness and romance.

Because of the mismatch of my mood to the story, I ended up being bored by the 2nd-half in particular. It became something very one note for me. I felt no real variation in intensity, and it definitely lost my attention over time.

I have read from K. Ancrum in the past, The Wicker King, which I absolutely loved, and honestly, the tone of this is fairly similar. That’s why I’m confident that it’s a me problem, not a book problem.

I know that a lot of Readers will really enjoy this, but sadly, it just did work for me at the time that I read it. Additionally, it’s only been 4-days since I finished it, and I literally remember next to nothing. That’s never a good sign.

With this being said, please don’t let my lackluster review keep you from picking it up. If you love K. Ancrum, the story of Frankenstein, or think the synopsis sounds intriguing, you should absolutely give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins Children’s Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I wish I would have picked this up in a different moment, I feel like it could have been a different experience.

Nevertheless, I have to be honest, and this one sort of missed the mark for me. I’ll absolutely be picking up more from K. Ancrum in the future though, so this doesn’t phase me a bit. We can’t love them all.

View all my reviews

Review: Blacktail by Scott Hawkins

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

BlacktailBlacktail by Scott Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blacktail is such a unique Dark Fantasy story. Admittedly, not something I would typically gravitate towards, however, I’ve heard such great things about Scott Hawkins writing, I had to jump on board for his latest work.

This story follows a wolf named Blacktail, in a world beseiged by men, who sets out on a journey of revenge for the death of his mate.

The entirety of the story is told via a cast of animal characters. I know books like this exist, but this is the first one I’ve ever read. I’m generally super sensitive to animal content, so never really dare, but this kept me captivated.

The tone is that of a Dark Fable, and while I feel like the meaning went way over my head, I was enamored by the quality of the writing and the uniqueness of the content.

I loved how we followed Blacktail on this journey, and it felt like every place he stopped, the other animals he encountered, he was always learning something new. Through those experiences it almost felt like little vignettes. I enjoyed that.

I’m truly in awe of how Hawkins made these characters feel so stunningly realistic. Here I am reading from a perspective of a squirrel like, yeah, that makes sense.

So, while I wouldn’t chose to the lead the discussion in book club on this one, I still had a great time with it. It did make me feel a little simple. LOL

Thank you to the publisher, Crown Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was certainly a unique reading experience!

View all my reviews

Review: The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night by Joshua Chaplinsky

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at NightThe Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night by Joshua Chaplinsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Man in the Watch Still Visits Me at Night is a Surreal Horror novel that kept my brains whirring like the inside of a watch; one in desperate need of service.

I was instantly attracted to this novel based on the title. The title alone is creepy to me. What do you mean the man in the watch is visiting you at night? That doesn’t sound healthy.

This story follows three women, Jenna, Nancy and Mrs. Vogel, but they’re not the only perspectives we get to read from. This is a story centering on some very heavy topics, such as abuse and neglect.

The majority of it is set at the Vogel House, which is your typical haunted house at the edge of town, or is it? The Vogel House is a character unto itself. With the perspectives constantly shifting, the Readers sense of time can become muddled quickly. I felt uneasy. It was great!

I could see this being described as a fever dream, but too me, it’s not really. I don’t tend to enjoy fever dream narratives, because I hate not knowing what’s going on.

In this story, whichever perspective I was in, whether it was Jenna, or Mrs. Vogel, or Brian, etc., I always could understand what was happening to them, and what they were experiencing and feeling. To me, where the dream-like quality comes from is the time portion.

It was unsettling in such a compelling way. I was never frustrated with it, or wanting to give up. I just had to know how all of these perspectives were connected.

Chaplinsky’s writing is incredible. It’s so not the type of Horror writing I tend to gravitate towards, but oh man, he captured my attention and never let up.

I had to use my whole brain, the whole time. I was so invested. I think I know what happened, but do I really?

It’s heavy. It’s a mindf*ck of a book. It’s a 5-star.

Thank you to the publisher, CLASH Books for providing me with a copy to read and review. Sometimes stepping outside of your comfort zone is a beautiful thing, and this is one of those times.

I’m looking forward to more from Joshua Chaplinsky!

View all my reviews

Review: Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Nobody Panic!Nobody Panic! by C.J. Vick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

In the Summer of 1986, moths inundated the town of Somerville, and Janet was strong-armed by her BFF Maggie into joining the PTA. Two wild occurrences.

Janet has an overriding misfit reputation that’s plagued her since high school, but Maggie’s support and good humor is enough to drag her out of the house for one night. With her slightly melted deviled eggs in tow, the ladies make their way to the meeting.

Unfortunately, most of the other members are just as awful as Janet remembers, and she clearly sticks out like a sore thumb. What’s also noticeable is the absence of Sue, the best bundt cake maker known to man.

The next day, Sue’s body is discovered, the first in what becomes a series of missing housewives. The official story isn’t adding up. Janet’s encyclopedic knowledge of true crime assures her of that.

When Maggie is the next to go missing, Janet is convinced something malevolent is sweeping through Somerville.

Pairing up with two other misfit moms, and the coroner’s apprentice, who had a big ole’ crush on Janet in high school, Janet starts investigating and what she uncovers goes way deeper than Sue’s murder, and a few missing PTA members.

It appears Somerville has been harboring a dark secret spanning back generations. In order to stop this plague on the town, it appears that Janet will need to confront the demons in her own home first. If she fails, she risks losing herself and all she loves forever to the darkness.

After reading the synopsis for Nobody Panic!, I knew this was a story I wanted to pick up right away. It sounded pure 80s, like one of the fun chaotic and campy Horror stories that I was raised on, and it didn’t disappoint.

This is such a fun read. It’s campy in all the right ways. It’s almost innocent in a way, Janet’s personality and the way the drama unfolds, it so pure and good.

The plot was dripping with 80s-nostalgia and Satanic Panic. Vick definitely delivered all the vibes I was hoping for when I went into it.

The only very slight critique I would give is that in the later half, when action really began to pick up, it was hard for me to stay focused, or really picture in my mind, all of what was going on. It had moments where it was almost too chaotic, if that makes sense.

However, this is probably more of a me problem than the book. I mention it only because it did have a slight effect on my experience, as I had to read certain sections a couple of times in order to track what was going on.

Focusing on the numerous positives though, Vick knocked the tone and humor of 80s-Horror out of the park. The chapters were also each titled after 80s-songs, which was so fun. I would love a complete playlist. It would be amazing.

I would definitely recommend this to people who love campy Horror, or books with heavy 80s vibes. Also, definitely recommend for fans of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. The two could be cousins.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Sourcebooks Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know this doesn’t release for a long time yet, but I couldn’t resist picking it up to kick off my Spooky Season.

Also, if this is a debut from C.J. Vick, I think we’re going to have a long and beautiful relationship. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!!!

View all my reviews

Review: As the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

As the Snow GathersAs the Snow Gathers by Mere Joyce
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

As the Snow Gathers was such a hugely-anticipated 2026-release for me. Sadly, I walked away disappointed.

Ah well, we can’t win them all.

This is a historical novel set in the village of Aplin Shade, deep in the remote corners of the Canadian wilderness. We follow Dominic, a native of Aplin Shade, and Lex, his boyfriend, who works at the logging camp near town.

As a young adult, Dominic is now the head of his family. His father was killed in a carriage accident, and his sister, who suffered head trauma in the accident, will never make a full recovery. She’s never been the same. Thus, Dom is left to provide for his mother and his sister on his own.

Life is not easy in Aplin Shade, and Dom and Lex have dreams of moving somewhere less bleak, buying a farm and taking Dom’s family with them.

The odds are stacked against them though, as even their love for one another must be kept a secret. They also both have enemies in the town, and outside of town dangerous beings known as the Fanteur, lurk in the woods.

The Fanteur are known to steal the bodies of the dead of Aplin Shade, only to return them later, drained of blood. They’ve never been known to take the living. Until now. Now something has changed, but the townsfolk have to clue as to what it could be.

It seems the Fanteur are on the attack, and no one is safe, particularly the men of the logging camp, entering the forest to cut down the trees.

We follow Dom and Lex as they fight to survive, and try to make their dreams come true. With dangers around every corner, both human and not, will that ever be possible?

Y’all, I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this one. In the opening bits, the first 10%, I was definitely intrigued. I liked the cold, unforgiving atmosphere that Joyce was bringing to the page.

By 30%, I was scratching my head. There was a lot of romance happening, which fine, but not what I signed up for. I was losing the intensity of the atmosphere to the intensity of the feelings between Lex and Dom. Again, fine, but where was the atmosphere? Where was the Horror?

By 48%, I was almost ready to give up. Nothing was happening. Every page felt so slow, just crawling along in detail. I think a lot of it for me was that I found Dom boring. Just as a character in general, I couldn’t care less about him.

No offense, Dom.

Additionally, the Fanteur as the big bad was equally disappointing. I just wasn’t feeling it. I probably should have DNFed, but I just kept waiting for the stuff to hit the fan.

There is a couple of scenes, where we did get action and in those moments I did like Joyce’s more gorier descriptions. I think she did well in that area. I just needed 89% more of it to pull this out of the 2-star read territory.

I think at the end of the day, it just wasn’t the right fit for my tastes. It felt like the longest 368-page book I’ve ever read. For me, the romantic relationship overshadowed everything else, and that’s not what I wanted.

I know there’s gonna be a huge readership for this novel, but I’m just not part of it. I’m happy I gave it a shot, but am disappointed it didn’t work out differently.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I never write an author off after just one book, so look forward to seeing what Mere Joyce comes up with next.

View all my reviews

Review: The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

The MoorwitchThe Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Moorwitch follows a witch named Rose, who as a young girl was forced to strike a sinister bargain with a fae in order to escape her abusive home. A decade later, that fae is back and ready to demand his side of the deal repaid.

She’s tasked with discovering the gateway to the realm of the faerie. If she does, her dwindling magic will be restored and she’ll be freed from her fae handler once and for all.

Knowing the approximate area of the gateway, Rose ends up going undercover as a governess at a crumbling Scottish estate. While it would be best if she kept her head down and just set to the task at hand, Rose can’t help but become emotionally invested in her young charge.

She also can’t deny the budding attraction she feels towards the laird of the estate, Conrad. It’s his adventurous sister she is now responsible for, and as time passes, she becomes more and more invested in their small family.

It seems it’s not just Rose’s magic and freedom at stake, but now also her heart. Will the witch be able to focus enough to complete her mission in time, or will she end up losing her magic forever? The clock is ticking.

The Moorwitch definitely took me by surprise. I received an Audio ARC last year, but had been very intimidated to pick it up. I do not read a lot of Fantasy, and the 15.5-hour audibook length scared me, not gonna lie. I was worried it would take me forever to get through.

I was wrong to be worried. I was pulled in from the very start. The writing was great, as were the characters. I loved Rose as an MC and also thought that the narration by Elizabeth Knowelden was perfect for her character.

The set-up was very well done and easy to understand. I also liked how quickly Khoury got to the point, and got Rose to where she needed to be.

The chemistry between Rose and Conrad was so good. They were so annoyed with each other and it had me giggling and kicking my feet. Speaking of the chemistry though, I also really appreciated that this is clean. There’s zero steam.

In a world of Fairy Smut, it’s nice to focus on an actual plot.

At the end of the day, I thought this was a delightful read. I’m so glad I finally shook off the nerves and just went for it. It was so much fun.

Thank you to the publisher, Brillance Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m only sorry I kicked it around for so long before picking it up. I’d love to read more from Jessica Khoury!

View all my reviews