Review: Nine Lives by Catherine Steadman

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Nine LivesNine Lives by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

After a messy divorce, Frankie moves herself and her lovable cat, Blue, into their own place in a posh London neighborhood.

It’s her first time living on her own for many years, so of course there’s a bit of anxiety surrounding that. The neighborhood seems lovely though, and Frankie is ready to settle in. Lord knows, she needs a fresh start.

Being alone in the house, particularly at night, does leave Frankie unsettled. She assumes this is something that will just take getting used to. Everything is fine, right?

But then after Blue arrives home after an evening carousing the neighborhood, Frankie makes a startling discovery. Someone has etched the words HELP ME into his collar.

Frankie is shocked. She doesn’t know what to believe. Is this some sort of a prank, perhaps? Local teens looking to get a rise out of somebody?

Frankie’s not willing to just let it go, regardless. Someone could really need help. Assuming that Blue couldn’t have gone too far, and the person in distress must be nearby, Frankie digs out an old cat cam to attach to his collar to try to figure out where the person may be located.

As Frankie starts secretly watching the footage that Blue is capturing each day, she starts to learn a lot inadvertently about the households around her.

Eventually, Frankie finds the footage she’s been waiting for. Now her casual curiosity has become an obsession. She needs to find the truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to get it.

I had an absolute blast reading Nine Lives. Catherine Steadman definitely delivered all the fun things I look for in a Suspenseful Neighborhood Drama. She got my pulse racing so many times and I was fully invested.

I also loved the use of the cat cam. I felt like it was such a clever way to progress the plot. The voyeuristic nature of this, it’s deliciously-compelling. Who doesn’t want to know what’s going on inside their neighbors homes?

Steadman wastes no time getting us to the action of this story either. Within the first 10%, I was hooked. There were some disturbing things happening, even within Frankie’s home, that were getting under my skin. I had to know what was going on.

Frankie was a great MC for me. She sort of fits my tastes as far as her reliability as a narrator went. She is unmoored by her recent divorce and her new home. There were moments when I questioned whether I could believe everything she was telling me.

With this in mind, I’m sure this won’t work as well for everyone, because of that, but for me, it was a real success.

In addition to Frankie, she had some other neighbors that I also really enjoyed. I liked seeing her relationships with those neighbors develop throughout.

Frankie really need someone in her corner after all she’d been through with her ex, and I felt like a couple of people she met on her street would be able to fill that role for her. It made me feel hopeful in a way, even with all the craziness that was going on as well.

As this story approaches the conclusion, the pace really picks up. Steadman has now slotted into place for the Reader exactly what is going on, and if you’re invested still by that point, you will be on the edge of your seat.

One would assume they know how a story like this is going to conclude, but Steadman still managed to bring major intensity and cause of concern. I was gagged, racing through, I just needed to see how it was gonna wrap up.

I would highly recommend this to Psychological Thriller Readers, particularly those who love messy neighborhood drama. Steadman delivers that here in spades.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have a feeling this will be making my Favorite Books of 2026 list!

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Review: It Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson

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It Happened One MurderIt Happened One Murder by Liz Lawson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After getting fired from her dream magazine job in NYC, Harriet Baker returns to her hometown, a sleepy beach town in New Jersey, to lick her wounds and recover.

Unfortunately, living with her eccentric mother and narcissistic step-father isn’t necessarily a soothing environment for her. Nevertheless, Harriet won’t be there for long. She just wants to keep her head down until she can return to some semblance of her former life.

Then her mother decides to throw an extravagant birthday party for her. The last thing Harriet would want, but like with everything else, her mom is like a tornado and poor Harriet just gets sucked unwilling up into the cyclone.

At the party, full of her Mom’s friends and acquaintances, Harriet ends up running into her one-time fling, Nic Allbright, whose family is catering the event. She’d not forgot those short weeks with Nic, but it did take her a moment to recognize him.

That’s not awkward at all…

When the party abruptly ends in murder, all eyes are looking to Nic’s sister, Sara, who was the chef at the party. She knowingly left in a huff after a loud squabble with the individual who now lays dead on the beach.

Nic knows his sister is innocent and he needs to clear her name. Harriet also has a motivation to investigate the crime. She’s been offered her old job back if she writes an article uncovering what really happened the night of the party. After all, True Crime is popular.

For her article, Harriet is going to need Nic’s cooperation. She needs access to his sister, and if he is going to clear Sara’s name, he needs Harriet’s skills as an investigative reporter. But will they be able to put the past in the past, and actually work together?

It Happened One Murder is a really cute romantic Cozy Mystery. I loved the set-up of the party and how quickly Lawson got us to the murder, and hence the mystery.

I also really enjoyed Harriet’s perspective, what was going on with her as far as her job and family. I also loved the beach setting. Nic was charming and compelling as a love interest as well. I liked the backstory of their time together as teens, and how differently their lives had gone since then.

While the mystery itself didn’t quite knock my socks off, the likable characters and the romance more than made up for it. The banter between Harriet and Nic was great, and I appreciated that we got both of their perspectives. I think it added a lot, as far as understanding their relationship.

I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy cozy, low stakes, mysteries with a side of romance. I think Lawson balanced all the elements of this story very well and I’m excited to read more from her in the future.

Thank you so much to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This story is as cute as its cover!

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Review: The Season of Sinking by Daphne Woolsoncroft

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The Season of SinkingThe Season of Sinking by Daphne Woolsoncroft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Season of Sinking is the latest release from Daphne Woolsoncroft, author of the gripping 2025-Thriller, Night Watcher. This novel features one of my favorite tropes, where an MC returns to their hometown after a long time away and ends up investigating some sort of mystery.

In this story, we’re actually following twin sisters, Imogen and Amelia. The women return to their small hometown of Blair, Washington, after their mother suddenly passes.

They return to pack up her house and settle the estate, but Imogen is bothered by the circumstances of her death, and believes foul play could be possible.

The details of the night her mother died, they just don’t make sense to Imogen, and she can’t quite let it rest. Additionally, strange things start happening around the house, and that along with her Mom’s mysterious death, having Imogen’s spidey senses pinging off like crazy.

With the help of the cute boy next door, Rory, Imogen begins digging deeper into what happened to her Mom. There are also some other black spots in Imogen’s memory regarding her past, and she starts digging around there too.

We do get Amelia’s perspective as well, but Imogen is definitely the driving force behind this narrative. She’s unsettled by everything going on, and definitely takes a very active role trying to clear up her questions.

As many of us know, sometimes it’s best to leave the past in the past, but also, sometimes it comes to get you whether you’re ready or not. Imogen may get her answers, but at what costs?

After really enjoying Woolsoncroft’s last novel, Night Watcher, I was excited to get to this one, and though it wasn’t quite as successful for me as her 1st-novel was, I still feel it was quite entertaining and well-written.

Night Watcher played into some of my own personal fears, and I did love the podcast element of that one. This one though was still intriguing. I like how Woolsoncroft builds up the tension in her stories, and the way she reveals different layers to her mysteries.

I also loved the Pacific Northwest setting. This one is set on a lake, and the landscape and place felt like such a pivotal part to the story. It was easy to envision and I felt like the mood of the place was a good match for the story being told.

Overall, though this wasn’t the strongest fit for me as far as the content went, I still think it’s a great read. The characters are fantastic, particularly Imogen, and the writing is fluid and engaging.

I would definitely recommend this to Mystery Thriller fans, particularly if you like atmospheric stories with characters digging into their own pasts. I think this is a great pick for Summer reading as well; easily consumable in a weekend, or while you’re on vacation.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to see what Woolsoncroft writes next!

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Review: Beware the Abbott Boys by Chelsea Abbott

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Beware the Abbott BoysBeware the Abbott Boys by Chelsea Ichaso
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A year ago, the small town of Silver Creek was shattered when popular high schooler, Mariana Flores, was killed in a car explosion. Even though the police ruled out foul play, the local rumor mill tells another story.

Ask anyone in town and they’ll tell you the Abbott boys had to have been involved. Granted, they do work as mechanics and had been working on Mariana’s car just prior to the incident, but still, there’s no evidence.

The Abbott boys, triplets, Henry, Bram and Adam, are used to the town chattering about them, but they were close to Mariana, so her death hit their household very hard, and the allegations didn’t help matters.

Hayden, the girl next door to the Abbotts, knows they’re innocent. She’s Henry’s best friend, but she feels a special connection to each of the brothers and she knows they wouldn’t have done anything to harm Mariana.

When the new school year starts, another popular high school girl is found dead in the woods abutting the school.

When security camera footage reveals a figure seen entering the woods with the victim, it’s clear they’re wearing a special hoodie. One with a giant A on the back. A hoodie all three of the Abbott brothers own, but which one was it?

To clear their names, Hayden begins an investigation of her own, but the deeper she digs the more she starts to question, how well does she really know the Abbott boys?

I had a lot of fun with Beware the Abbott Boys. It’s a great YA Mystery-Thriller, full of drama and all the things that go along with that. The characters were well-imagined and I feel like Ichaso did a great job building up the intensity.

The mystery of it was fairly simplistic, NGL, but that didn’t retract from the enjoyment I had going along for the ride. Clearly, I’m not the target audience for this, but in spite of that, I still really enjoyed my time with it and can appreciate how much a Teen audience would love this.

Honestly though, with this being said, I love YA Mystery-Thrillers and Horror. I don’t think I’ll ever stop reading them. I’ll never age out of the category.

I like all the drama, and how deeply the characters feel their emotions. It reminds me of a simpler time in my own life, and each story feels nostalgic almost in their own way. Also, the stakes don’t tend to get as serious, and frankly depressing, as Adult dramas.

But that’s just me…

I would highly recommend this one to YA Mystery-Thriller Readers. For me, Ichaso’s books are getting stronger and stronger as she goes and I’m looking forward to whatever she writes next.

Thank you to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Fire and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. This is one of the most engaging YA Thrillers I’ve read this year, and I’m very happy I made time for it!

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Review: Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9) by Steve Cavanagh

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Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn, #9)Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two Kinds of Stranger is the 9th-book in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series. I’ve really been enjoying this series. I haven’t read them all, and I’ve read them completely out of order, but I don’t feel like the order matters much.

Each book is its own unique case. What doesn’t change though, is the incredible cast of characters and Cavanagh’s fluid and engaging writing style.

If you aren’t familiar with the series, it does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around the New York City area.

The case in this book involves social media influencer, Elly Parker, who accidentally live streams the moment she catches her husband’s infidelity.

Devastated and unmoored, Elly leaves him and tries to stay out of the limelight as much as she can. On a rare occasion outside, she has a chance encounter with a stranger that plunges her into a nightmare she could never imagine.

Now facing the most serious of charges, for crimes she did not commit, Elly reaches out to the infamous Eddie Flynn, to defend her. Eddie is convinced Elly is innocent, but it’s harder to prove it than one would think, as an evil mastermind is manipulating the evidence from the shadows.

This mystery culprit seems to be one step ahead of Eddie, but Eddie didn’t get his reputation under false pretenses. This mystery criminal may have finally met their match.

This was a super compelling case. I loved that we got Elly’s perspective, so we knew exactly what had happened, but how was Eddie going to prove the truth?

We also got a glimpse into the mind of the baddie, and though I hated them, it was interesting. As with the rest of the books in the series that I’ve read, this is very fast-paced.

Cavanagh is constantly dropping new evidence and escalating the action. It’s not just action and intrigue though, this series also features fantastic characters.

While their relationships are built-up throughout the series, Cavanagh provides enough context that you can jump into the series wherever you want, and you won’t feel lost.

This is the 4th-novel that I’ve read in the series, and I’ve also read the prequel novella, The Cross. I’m looking forward to continuing. It’s a great series for anyone who loves intelligent and compelling Legal Thrillers.

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy to read and review. This series has been such a complete surprise for me, so thank you for bringing it to my attention.

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Review: Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay

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Dead but Dreaming of Electric SheepDead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Philip K. Dick meets the Coen Brothers in this genre-bending near-future tech nightmare that is as bitingly funny as it is horrifically believable…

The above-line from the start of the Publisher’s synopsis is a perfect description, and really tells you all you need to know about this latest Paul Tremblay novel.

In this novel, we’re following Julia, a 20-something semi-professional gamer, whose estranged mother, Janice, is the CFO of one of the world’s largest tech companies.

Julia lives with her Uncle and works two jobs she’s not crazy about, so when her Mom offers her a high paying temp position perfect for her skill set, she can hardly say no. She goes to a fairly perfunctory interview and of course, is offered the job.

What is it, you wonder? Oh, no big deal. All she has to do is chaperone a man in a semi-vegetative state, who happens to have top-secret, proprietary AI implanted in his head, across the country from California to the East Coast.

It’s very Weekend at Bernie’s, if you can imagine that vibe, and the classic flick does get mentioned quite a bit. Not in an obnoxious way, but it certainly helps set the scene.

Except in this case, the man, who Julia actually calls Bernie, is remotely controlled via a cell phone controller that Julia uses essentially like one of her video games.

I won’t say anything else about the plot. I feel like you can get the gist from that, but I will mention that we aren’t just getting Julia’s perspective. Oh no, Tremblay’s not going to make it that easy for you.

This story is told from two perspectives: Julia and You. The You perspective, as you may assume, is told in 2nd-person, and I’m generally not a fan of that. I’ll be honest, we start this story in a You perspective and it threw me for loop.

I wasn’t sure I would be able to proceed. Not only is it 2nd-person, it’s also very fever dream at the start. I know, I know, that completely makes sense in relation to the story, but yeah, it threw me at first.

I’m so, so, so happy that I stuck with it. Julia’s perspective is great, and the further into the story I got, the more the whole 2nd-person thing started to make sense, and really match the overall story being told.

This is such a weird and compelling book. It’s odd AF, and even though it took me a bit to settle into the narrative style, once I got my bearings, I was completely invested.

I found it funny, thought-provoking, emotional, and honestly, scary in its own way. As someone who gets freaked out thinking about the scope of potential future tech, that’s not that far off, this definitely struck a cord in that regard.

I do feel like Tremblay took a risk with this one, and I’m really hoping it pays off for him. I respect the hell out of it.

It’s part futuristic Frankenstein reimagining, part satire of the corporate tech industry and part horrifying tale of what our future could possibly hold.

There’s so much going on, and it’s quite nuanced. I’m looking forward to reading it again someday. Seriously, moments after finishing, I wanted to read it again. Knowing the ending, I want to go back to the start and see what other details I can pick up on. I feel like over time this could definitely bump up to a 5-star read for me.

Tremblay has a big ole’ brain. I’ve known this of course, but this novel makes it even more clear than ever. I guarantee this story WILL NOT be for everyone, but I think for the Readers who are able to settle in and connect with it, it’s going to have a lasting impact.

Thank you so much to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was easily one of my most anticipated reads of 2026 and I can honestly say, I have a strong feeling it will end up as one of my most memorable of the year.

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Review: Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

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Fabulous BodiesFabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fabulous Bodies follows Poppy Stringer, a fashion influencer, who also happens to peddle in dead bodies at night. Hey, it’s hard to make a living in this economy. Don’t judge.

Poppy receives a call one night that prompts her to retrieve the body of one of her heroes, recently deceased rockstar and queer icon, Eddie Michaels.

She heads to the Medical Examiner’s office, where she’ll finagle access to his corpse, and then get him out of there. It’s all routine for Poppy. That is, until Eddie wakes up.

What follows is a Supernatural Adventure romp through one bloody night in Palm Springs. Poppy is along for the ride, whether she wants to be or not, and Eddie certainly has some surprises for her.

Fabulous Bodies was fabulously-creative, as I’ve come to expect all Chuck Tingle books to be. It’s an odd story, a bit chaotic and surprisingly thoughtful in its character work. I loved the journey Poppy had emotionally.

She was forced to come to a lot of important realizations about her life and relationships. We love that for her. Personal growth, yayee! All with the backdrop of trying to defeat a murderous and undead former idol of hers; NBD.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Mara Wilson, and I felt like Mara’s voice was perfect as Poppy. It truly felt like I was just listening to her tell this crazy story about one f*ed up night. I would highly recommend that format.

I also liked how wacky and graphic Tingle made this. It’s campy and unhinged, but also written very well. It reminded me in some ways of books such as Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison, and My Ex, the Antichrist by Craig DiLouie, both of which I enjoyed.

The commentary that Tingle included on fame and influence, were also well done. It’s light, but there, apt social commentary for our times. I appreciate Tingle allowing Readers the space to think for themselves, and in a story this wild, there’s plenty of food for thought.

At this same time though, you can just have fun with. I had a lot of fun listening to it. It’s certainly unpredictable. While I’m not sure how long the details will stick with me, in the moment it was pure entertainment.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Tingle’s newest releases as you never really know what you’re going to get. We love a surprise!

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Review: The Only One Who Knows by Lisa M. Matlin

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The Only One Who KnowsThe Only One Who Knows by Lisa M. Matlin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Only One Who Knows follows Minnow Greenwood after she quits her job as a TV News Reporter, and breaks up with her fiance all in one go.

Feeling like there’s nothing left for her in Melbourne, Minnow returns to her small hometown of Kangaroo Bay, a place she thought she’d never live again.

She reunites with her estranged brother and even starts to assist with the family business. Her family has a rough history, with both her mother and then their father having disappeared on them. But that’s Kangaroo Bay for you. Everything about it is rough.

When bodies start washing ashore, apparently victims of shark attacks, Minnow isn’t buying the story being told by the police. Minnow starts to do a little investigating of her own into the town she knows is riddled with dark secrets.

This was interesting. I liked some aspects of it, mainly the setting and Minnow herself, and then others I didn’t care as much about. Because of this, the overall experience was a bit of a mixed bag for me.

The bits about sharks, abalone, and the fishing community in general, I could have done without. Of course that’s just personal preference. I would have preferred just the missing person bits, and maybe a little town history.

However, I did like the way it was wrapped up and I also like how Minnow was forced to face past. I do tend to love stories where the MC returns to their hometown, after a long period away, and end up looking into past mysteries, etc. This definitely checked off that box.

For the most part though, I was fairly bored. The tone is also quite morose, and the mystery lacked a certain intensity for me. I think 3-stars based on my experience is quite gracious, but I know there are a lot of Readers who will be able to connect with this one more than I did.

Thank you to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though I found this one to be underwhelming, I still plan to pick up Lisa M. Matlin’s future releases.

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Review: The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston

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The Someday GardenThe Someday Garden by Ashley Poston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Someday Garden follows Sophie Drear, who gets hired for the Summer to be the new Head Gardner at the captivating Lilymoor House. This enchanting property on the coast of Maine is one Sophie has been familiar with for years.

When Sophie’s job at the New York Botanical Garden starts to feel stale, and she’s offered the chance to work at Lilymoor for the Summer, she feels compelled to accept.

Lilymoor is just as lush and enchanting as she remembered, but the grounds are also in need of some TLC. It’s not just her staying at the property either, there’s a couple other staff members and the vibrant older woman who owns it.

As Sophie settles in, she feels renewed by the magical property. She can breath again, and she starts to really care about the future of Lilymoor and all who reside there.

The most fascinating aspect for Sophie is the door that appears, seemingly at random, allowing her to enter a secret garden. Within the secret garden is a handsome and mysterious man, seemingly trapped within its walls.

I don’t feel like I’m doing a great job summarizing what you’ll find within these pages, but honestly, it’s a difficult one to try and describe. What I can tell you is how magical and emotional this story is. Poston certainly knows how to squeeze your heart to within an inch of its life.

Poston is the only author who consistently makes me cry, and I love her for it. The way she examines different kinds of love, not just romantic love, feels so special to me.

This is such a gorgeous novel. I was swept away to the Coast of Maine, an area I’m very familiar with, and absolutely came to adore everything about Lilymoor House and its quirky group of residents.

The Someday Garden has many different aspects to enjoy, but for me the emotional progression Sophie experiences during her time at Lilymoor truly stands out.

Prior to her arrival, she’s suffered a terrible personal loss, and I feel like we got to see all aspects of her grief and self-discovery. The way Poston explored such a sensitive and relatable experience as grief, I cannot praise it enough. There’s such care and grace in the way she tackles these types of topics. No one does it better.

I also feel like Poston has such a unique and magical sense of Contemporary storytelling. The tone she sets and the ability to pull a Reader in, it gets me every time. On the surface, this might not seem like my kind of book, but it certainly turned out to be. This now lives in my heart rent free.

I would definitely recommend this to Contemporary Romance Readers, particularly those who enjoy Magical Realism within their stories, or anyone who has enjoyed Ashley Poston’s work in the past. This is right up there with The Dead Romantics and The Seven Year Slip for me.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Poston comes up with next. Her creativity knows no bounds!

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Review: Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson

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Without a ClueWithout a Clue by Melissa Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

Without a Clue is a light and funny Romantic Cozy Mystery from Melissa Ferguson. I’ve never read from Ferguson before, so I didn’t know what to expect going in.

I was initially drawn to this because of the cover, and then was hooked by the fact that it’s set on a Book Cruise, like what do you mean? A Book Cruise!? I needed to know more.

This story follows Pip Dupont, a Personal Assistant for a very famous Mystery author, Hugh Griffin. Hugh and six of his author friends, each from a different genre, make up a writing group known as The Fabulous Seven.

Pip organizes a Book Cruise, where the Fabulous Seven will be the guests of honor, a bit of a writing retreat for them, and then the rest of the cruise guests are fans, who want an opportunity to meet these beloved authors.

Hence, the Book Cruise is born.

Pip plays the role of frazzled assistant well, because that’s exactly what she is. With hundreds of devoted Readers, and seven headstrong authors to keep track of, it’s a lot.

Pip never expected the disaster that occurs on the second-day though, when Hugh is found murdered.

Cruising in the midst of the Atlantic ocean, with no help close at hand, and a cruise security force that’s clearly inept, it’s up to Pip to figure out who the culprit is. Their Book Cruise has suddenly turned into a Murder Mystery cruise.

Aided by her friend, and crush, Nash, a successful author of Western novels, Pip digs in deep, questioning the others and trying to navigate the complex relationships and sensitive egos of the authors, all with a killer on board.

This is a really cute Cozy Mystery. It went in a direction I hadn’t expected, and I did really enjoy the Book Cruise setting and the cast of characters. The various authors brought humor and fun, and Pip was a great MC to follow.

My reading experience was definitely enhanced by the fabulous narration of Karissa Vacker, one of my all-time favorite narrators. I would definitely recommend the audiobook if you’re going to pick this up.

I would say even for a Cozy Mystery, this is very low stakes, so it’s perfect for weekend or vacation reading, when your mind just wants something light.

I liked having the romantic tension between Pip and Nash as well. I don’t tend to mix Romance with my Cozies, but it worked here. Nash was a fun love interest and I felt like the relationship felt very natural, as they’d known each other for a while due to the Fabulous Seven.

While this won’t standout as a long-term favorite, I didn’t need it to be. It gave me exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up, and I can only praise it for that.

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was very enjoyable and I would be interested in picking up more from Melissa Ferguson!

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