2025 releases

Review: Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen #1) by Jess Kidd

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Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Murder at Gulls Nest is the 1st-installment of a Historical Cozy Mystery series by Jess Kidd. This series follows Nora Breen, who has recently asked to be released from her vows.

Yes, that’s right, Nora was a nun. That alone had me intrigued about this series. It’s pretty hard not to love an ex-nun turned amateur sleuth.

The impetus behind Nora’s recent choice is the apparent disappearance of her former novice, Frieda. Frieda was always a reliable letter writer (it’s the 1950s), so when her letters stop suddenly, Nora grows concerned. Nora feels compelled to seek Frieda out, to check on her safety.

She follows a line from one of Frieda’s letters and ends up at the Gulls Nest, a charming seaside hotel in Kent, which really acts more as a boarding house. Nora, hiding her identity, begins staying at the Gulls Nest and inserts herself into the lives of the residents there.

It’s not long after Nora arrives that people start dying under shady circumstances. Now it’s not just the disappearance of Frieda that Nora needs to figure out, but also who’s murdering the residents of the Gulls Nest, and why?

I felt like this was a great start to a series. The writing is excellent and it felt like it had a lot of heft, a bit more serious than a lot of Cozies I tend to enjoy, but Nora’s character absolutely sucked me in.

I’m a nosey old broad myself, so I found it easy to relate to her. I loved watching her skills at engaging with people, and getting them talking. She had a touch of Miss Marple, or Jessica Fletcher, about her in that regard. People just opened up to her. They want to tell her things.

The residents at the Gulls Nest are an intriguing cast as well. I did find it a touch challenging initially keeping everyone straight, but once the action really kicked off, that unmoored feeling sort of went away.

The 2nd-book, Murder at the Spirit Lounge released earlier this Summer, and I’m excited to get to it. I have a feeling that like with many Cozy Mystery series, you become more and more attached to the characters as the series goes on.

I’m looking forward to learning more about Nora’s background mayhaps in the next book. We did get a glimpse into her past here, and she’s definitely lived a life.

I’m also interested to see how her relationship with Detective Rideout develops moving forward. If it will evolve into more of a romance, or if it will perhaps just be an incredible partnership of investigative minds, for which I would be happy to accept.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m so sorry it took me this long to get to this one. It was a great experience, not sure why I’ve been putting it off, but I certainly won’t be waiting to read the next installment!

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Review: Hollow (A Gothic Shade of Romance #1) by Karina Halle

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Hollow (A Gothic Shade of Romance Book 1)Hollow by Karina Halle
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Hollow is the 1st-book in Karina Halle’s Gothic Shade of Romance series. I know nothing about this series, but I believe it’s just a duology, ending with Legend. As you may guess from my rating, I will not be continuing on.

This is a Spicy Sleepy Hollow retelling, where Kat Van Tassel hails from a family of witches, and she’s been set from childhood to marry her BFF, Brom Bones. However, before they reach the age to marry, Brom suddenly disappears, leaving Kat’s future is up in the air.

Kat ends up enrolling in the Sleepy Hollow Institute, which happens to be run by her family. The field of study at the school, advanced witchcraft. It’s all very secretive and Kat feels unprepared for her studies there.

On her very first day, she finds herself instantly drawn to the school’s newest professor, Ichabod Crane. There’s a reciprocating draw on his side as well, which we know because we also get his perspective.

When Brom returns in the midst of all this, after 4-years away, with amnesia, and a much darker personality, Kat is thrown for a loop. Does she return to the boy she was promised to in her childhood, the boy she once loved, or explore this new relationship with the hot professor?

But Crane and Brom have a history too, and this is where things start to get messy. Just kidding! Things were messy wayyyy before that, hence part of my dislike. This couldn’t be more contrary to my tastes if it tried.

I did like that the audiobook featured dual narration and I did like the initial set-up. After that though, it was pretty much all downhill.

I didn’t get the gothic atmosphere I wanted at all, nor a sense of place. Sleepy Hollow is such a vibe, I wanted that oozing off the page. IMO, this felt like it could have been set at any time, in any place, which was a huge disappointment.

Honestly, it’s on me. I heard Sleepy Hollow and I jumped for it, when I should have dodged out of the way. I know I don’t like this type of book. No matter how much I try to make it work, because I see so many other people enjoying them and I want to as well, it doesn’t work.

It’s just not for me. I found all the spicy scenes to be absolutely cringe and ridiculous. I was listening to the audiobook, and I cannot tell you how many times I said, ewwwww, out loud whilst listening. The descriptions and adjective choices, yuck.

Speaking of yuck, I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum. I know this novel has a huge audience of Readers who’ve not only read it, but loved it. Sadly, I’m just not part of that crowd. If you loved this one, I’m genuinely happy for you.

We all deserve incredible books and we’re all allowed to have different tastes and kinks. For me, I’m happy to cross this one off this list and never look back. Thank you to the publisher, Ace and Tantor Audio for providing me with copies to read and review. I appreciate it!

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Review: The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin

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The Vanishing PlaceThe Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

After a murder in the New Zealand bush, and a witness who looks like a ghost of the past, Effie decides she must return to her home country, a place she’d sworn never to return.

Effie grew up in the bush, caring for her younger siblings, raised by parents who completely cut them off from the rest of the world. It was a hard existence, and the children experienced things that would make you toes curl. It’s left permanent scars on Effie’s psyche.

Effie’s been living her adult life in the UK, far from the places of her earlier traumas. When she gets a phone call though, from someone from her past, telling her of this young witness, who looks just like a younger version of herself, she has to return.

She needs to put this to bed. She needs to actually find out what happened to her family, and perhaps help this young witness in the process. In order to do so though, Effie’s going to have to face the demons of her past all over again.

I read this at the wrong time, I think. I didn’t vibe with it all. Though reading the synopsis, you’d think I would. Unfortunately, I was bored for the majority of the story. The writing is great, so it’s not that, and I did appreciate the depth of it, but it just wasn’t for me right now.

Many of my Book Friends, whose tastes normally align with mine, loved it, so def don’t take my word for it. I honestly think it was just the wrong book for me in the moment.

I never connected with the characters in a way that would establish the empathy I think is needed to truly enjoy a story like this. I needed to be invested in Effie and her past, and sadly, I just wasn’t.

It was refreshing to read a story set in New Zealand and I did enjoy the audiobook narration as well. I also think the author did a good job of taking us back-and-forth between past and present without making it confusing or convoluted.

I think there’s a lot of heart in this story, unfortunately my ice cold heart just wasn’t receptive to it at this time. i would definitely be open to reading more from this author in the future though.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy more Literary Thrillers, particularly with a strong focus on the family.

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Review: Futility by Nuzo Onoh

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FutilityFutility by Nuzo Onoh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, this is one of the weirdest books I’ve EVER read, and I read a lot of strange stuff; a lot of extreme stuff. Futility has left it’s mark on me, that’s for sure.

I was instantly attracted to this cover. Look at it!

I loved the Nigerian setting, and the two MCs, Chia and Claire, were about as fascinating as you’re going to get. You’re in their heads, and it’s frankly, not a fun place to be, but I could not stop.

The writing is so unapologetic. There’s no censoring what these two, I’ll be honest, pretty horrible human beings were thinking all the time. Onoh was really in your face with it, and I respect that.

I’m not saying these ladies didn’t have their reasons, or motivations, for being the way they were, but yeah, pretty much zero redeeming qualities.

There were also elements, that helped drive the plot, that I was so surprised by; that I wasn’t expecting. Without giving too much away, it’s a kind of folkloric element that I felt really pulled all the aspects of the story together. Without sounding too old, it was very cool.

This is the first I’ve ever read from Nuzo Onoh, but it’s not going to be the last. I would recommend this for fans of Weird Fiction, particularly of the graphic variety. I would caution others that it’s very strange and quite detailed in its gorier bits. Tread with caution.

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Review: No One Aboard by Emy McGuire

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No One AboardNo One Aboard by Emy McGuire
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I love this cover. It’s what immediately attracted me to this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t love the story inside as much as the gorgeous cover art.

In the 1st-quarter, I thought to myself, I wonder why the overall rating is so low? I was sort of into it. It didn’t seem like it was deserved of under a 3.5-overall. However, as the story went on, I started to understand why.

The story follows a wealthy family, Francis and Lila Cameron, and their two children, as they embark on a family vacation on their luxury sailboat.

The kids, whose names escape me now, I believe have just graduated high school, so this is a transitional moment for them, and that is explored as well.

Three weeks later, the boat is found with no occupants off the coast of Florida. What happened to the Camerons?

I found a lot of the build-up rather forgettable, and then there was a twist, a coincidence let’s say, about 65% of the way through that was sort of like, really? IDK, it just all seemed a little ridiculous to me.

Like the ocean itself, I’m a little salty about this overall though, so take my opinion for what you will. I’m sure there is an audience for this. Sadly, I’m just not in it.

Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me a copy to read and review.

While this had promise, it just ended up a big ole’ flop for me. I would try more from this author though, nevertheless. I never give up on an author after only one go. Some of them might wish I did, but I don’t.

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Review: Your Favorite Scary Movie by Ashley Cullins

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Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of HorrorYour Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror by Ashley Cullins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was excellent. I loved everything about it and learned so much. I love this type of Nonfiction that explores Horror Fiction in Pop Culture, and it’s impact.

The aspect I loved the most about this one, was the discussions of Wes Craven and his impact on the genre I love with my whole heart. Some of those moments even brought tears to my eyes. The world lost him too soon.

To hear the love that the people who worked with him had for him, not just love, but respect, it was so moving.

Cullins did an incredible job compiling her research. This must have been such an incredible project to undertake. You can tell what a fan she is, and she interviewed so many people integral to the success of the franchise.

This also made me incredibly nostalgic for that time when the first movie released. I was a Freshman in college and got to watch it at a cheap movie theater by my University. It was in the Winter, and if memory serves, it was fully sold out.

The energy in the theater, and the way it captured the minds of audience. It’s fair to say that it took over campus, with people trying to scare each other, dropping lines from the movie, making prank phone calls. It was such a moment in time. I’m so happy I got to experience that.

I would recommend this to any fan of the Scream franchise, or Wes Craven, as well as general fans of Horror Fiction. I also highly recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this, but I’m kicking myself now.

This could easily make my favorite books of the year list!

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Review: The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards

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The Wasp TrapThe Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Wasp Trap is a Psychological Thriller novel set at an intimate dinner party in a Notting Hill townhouse.

The dinner guests are six University friends reunited after the death of their past employer, a Professor, who brought them all together in 1999 to build a dating website based on psychological testing.

What starts as a bittersweet, somewhat awkward reunion, quickly spirals into a vicious game, as the guests are given an ultimatum. Either they reveal their darkest secrets, or they’re forced to pick each other off one-by-one.

It’s clear what’s happening is connected to their past, but they’re all gonna need to open up and be honest if they want to have any chance of figuring it out.

Alternating between past-and-present, the Reader is filled in on that period of time in 1999, as well as the lasting repercussions it may have had.

This was good. I enjoyed the set-up most of all, and did find it entertaining in the moment. For me, some of the back-and-forth was confusing, particularly since certain characters felt samsie.

I didn’t have the easiest time keeping all of the characters straight. Not necessarily in the scenes as they’re happening, but more transferring what happened to who in the past, and connecting that to their present day character.

Will, who is an author, was the most obviously distinct to me, but the others…

The end gets really wild, and I do enjoy OTT-Thrillers, but for me, I was almost mentally checked out by that point. I did like this author’s ideas and the way he incorporated the twists, and even though this didn’t blow me away, I would still be interested in picking up more from him.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Locked Room Mystery fans.

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Review: 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache

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12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Prior to moving their family to Australia, Olivia and her husband, Miles, as well as their two children, must go spend a two-week Christmas holiday with Miles’s extremely wealthy and terrible family.

Olivia, a Romantasy author, from a family who couldn’t be more different than her husband’s, has always felt judged and out of place at the Weiss family estate. Nevertheless, she loves him and shall grin and bear it, because that’s what a good partner does.

As expected, his family is shockingly-rude from the get-go. It’s going to be a long two weeks. All the relationships are toxic and if Miles’s mother is around, the backhanded jibes are never far behind.

We won’t mention the tension you could cut with a knife due to the great inheritance debate over the multi-million dollar fortune. Olivia couldn’t care less about the money though, she cares more about the poor treatment that she, Miles and their children receive.

She can’t wait to get on the plane to Australia. Let’s gooo!

Soon after their arrival, an accident results in a family member’s death. Shortly thereafter, another family member falls victim to a terrible accident.

But then a third? Are we still believing these are accidents? As the bodies pile up, one after another, in admittedly quite creative ways, it becomes clear to Olivia that there’s a killer amongst them, but who?

Motivations and hostilities abound. It could honestly be anyone, or multiple people. It’s certainly not beyond the stretch of imagination that a plot to seize the inheritance could be in play.

When inclement weather cuts them off from the world, Olivia takes it upon herself to try to weed out the killer. Can she possibly get to them, before they get to her first?

The clock is ticking on a Christmas they’ll never forget. If they live to remember it, that is.

I had so much fun with this novel. It’s thoroughly deranged, but in a really fun way. I loved Olivia’s perspective. Her wry delivery and sarcasm, as well as the dark humor that Bache brought to the story made it wickedly-entertaining.

It felt quite cinematic as well. I feel like it would make a great holiday movie, like a Knives Out version of a holiday movie. I feel like it could translate so well into that format because of the drama and humor.

I was picturing Naomi Watts as Olivia, and Ewan McGregor as Miles. Not bad images to have in your brain, either one.

I also need to applaud Bache’s creative kills. I’m a Horror girl, and I love a unique or creative kill. Bache definitely delivered in that capacity here.

Another thing worth mentioning, that I really appreciated about this, was the relationships between Olivia, Miles and their kids. They were very close and remained so throughout the story. They felt supportive to one another, and were really the only bright light in this family.

I’m so glad I finally read this one. It was a great fit for my tastes in the Mystery genre. I loved all the twists and reveals. Messy family is drama is one of my favorite things in fiction and this took messy to the next level.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

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Review: One of Us by Dan Chaon

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One of UsOne of Us by Dan Chaon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Hot on the heels of reading, and enjoying, Liar’s Dice, a Coming of Age story set in 1970s Brazil, last week, I decided I was having a Coming of Age moment and decided to pick up another. I’ve had One of Us on my radar for a long time because of the author, Dan Chaon, and felt like now was the time to finally give it a go.

This is a Literary Horror-Coming of Age story, set in 1915-U.S., following orphaned twins, Bolt and Eleanor. After their mother dies, the twins are taken in by a con-man, who claims to be their long-lost Uncle Charlie.

The twins have a special connection and an ability to read each other’s minds. To shysters like ole’ Uncle Charlie, the twins abilities, particularly at this time, could easily be exploited and end up being quite valuable. But Uncle Charlie isn’t just a shyster, he’s also a violent man.

After a late-night poker game, where one of his rages ends in murder, Eleanor and Bolt decide it’s time to move on. They need to run away as fast as they can.

They end up on an orphan train and then at an auction, where they’re ultimately scooped up by an apparent savior, Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders, which is a traveling sideshow, a popular form of entertainment during this time period.

They travel by train across the country, performing in different locations, and we follow the twins as they settle into their new life. We learn a lot about the other members of the show as well, and Chaon did a great job of incorporating their many different stories, bringing humanity to the story in an oddly-beautiful way.

It’s the first time Eleanor and Bolt have really been a part of something like this, but as Bolt falls deeper and deeper into the found family of the Emporium, Eleanor finds herself growing farther away.

With Uncle Charlie on their trail, the twins are suddenly in more danger than ever. Will they be able to evade his capture, and protect their new family in the process?

This was a really interesting story. I’ve definitely never read a Coming of Age story quite like this before. I did find the time period and the idea of this traveling sideshow very compelling, but emotionally, I never really felt like I was able to connect with Eleanor and Bolt’s story.

I’m not sure why that is, necessarily. The writing was great, very fluid and it did have solid pacing. I think that maybe it was just my head space at the moment.

I definitely can appreciate what the author did here, giving a space where the misfits can get their time in the spotlight and I would recommend it for Historical Fiction fans. Particularly, those who may like something a little darker, or surreal in their stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m definitely interested in picking up more from Dan Chaon in the future. This was good.

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Review: Very Dangerous Things by Lauren Muñoz

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Very Dangerous ThingsVery Dangerous Things by Lauren Muñoz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very Dangerous Things is set at J. Everett High, a private school that annually stages a murder mystery game for their Criminology students.

Basically, a fake murder occurs, the students form teams, and follow clues to try to solve the murder. When Xavier Torres is found dead in the greenhouse, the students initially believe that the game has begun. Sadly though, Xavier’s death has not been staged.

He’s actually been murdered.

We follow Dulcie Castillo, a crime junkie and Criminology student, who was determined to win this year’s game. Xavier’s sudden death has certainly shocked the student body, but Dulcie remains determined to solve the crime.

Xavier’s ex-girlfriend, and Dulcie’s ex-best friend, Sierra Fox, seems to be everyone’s main suspect, including the police, but Sierra swears she is innocent.

Sierra reaches out to Dulcie for help. She figures if anyone can prove her innocence it would be Dulcie, and though Dulcie has some hurt feelings regarding their relationship, she doesn’t really believe Sierra is capable of murder.

The thing is, the school is an isolated place. No one else has been arrested, or even suspected. If Sierra didn’t do it, that leaves a killer among them. Can Dulcie get to the bottom of it, before anyone else loses their lives?

Very Dangerous Things is a super delightful YA Mystery. I loved the private school setting, and the cast of characters, in addition to the mystery elements, were super-compelling. Lauren Muñoz is underrated, IMO.

This kicks off so quickly. We get to the heart of what we’re going to be investigating within the first 10% of the book, and I really appreciate that. Muñoz didn’t waste time introducing every person and having a big run-up to the murder. It’s just like, here we are, let’s get cracking.

I also loved how in the dark I was for the longest time. I had zero suspects in mind. We were getting so much information on various characters, but they all seemed so believable and earnest. I couldn’t imagine who out of this cast could have possibly wanted to kill poor Xavier.

It was fun the way Muñoz set-up the way Dulcie went about solving the crime as well. The various techniques and her thought process as she was assessing various clues. I felt that aspect was so well done, and in a way sort of paid homage to some of the great classic fictional detectives.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good YA Mystery, particularly if you enjoy a private school setting.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait for whatever Muñoz writes next!

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