2025 releases

Review: This is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller

~ megs14malloy

This Is My BodyThis Is My Body by Lindsay King-Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is My Body is a dark and emotionally-fueled Horror novel following single-mom, Brigid, and her daughter, Dylan. When we first meet them, Dylan has gotten into an altercation at school, and it quickly becomes clear that her behavior has recently changed.

Brigid has noticed that her once fun-loving daughter has become more moody, secludes herself, and suddenly has a hair-trigger temper. Is it regular teenage rebellion though, or something more?

As the days pass and Dylan’s behavior gets more combative, Brigid can’t help but think about a circumstance that played out within her very Catholic household, featuring her zealot uncle, Father Angus.

Through past and present timelines, we learn of the situation in Brigid’s past that’s similar to the one she’s living now with Dylan. Even though she feels like she has moved on, truly escaped her past, will she be forced to return to the home she left behind in order to save Dylan?

At the start, I’ll admit, Brigid rubbed me the wrong way. I found myself asking, who is the child here? This didn’t keep me from getting sucked in though.

The more I learned about Brigid and her past, the more I started to understand her. She’s on such a journey throughout the story, and for her, the stakes, her daughter’s life, could not be higher. It gives the whole story an air of desperation that kept me flying through.

In fact, I read this entire book in one-sitting, which I haven’t done in quite some time. I found the religious and occult elements both intriguing and so well done.

Brigid also begins to explore a possible relationship with a woman from her past, Zandy, and I loved the inclusion of Zandy in the story. She was such a great side character, who provided the perfect balance to Brigid’s personality.

I would also say the past perspective, where we learn a lot about what went on in Brigid’s childhood, was just as compelling as the current perspective. I loved how the two ended up sort of merging as this raced towards the heart-pounding, stomach-dropping conclusion.

Overall, this was a great Possession story, including fantastic, absolutely toe-curling, Body Horror. Tongues, eyes, all the things, nothing was safe; just how I like it.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Possession stories, or Religious Horror, as well as anyone looking for a Horror story with a Queer representation. This is the first that I’ve read from this author, and I’m looking forward to reading more from them.

Thank you, Quirk Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was such a pleasant surprise!!

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Review: Swept Away by Beth O’Leary

~ megs14malloy

Swept AwaySwept Away by Beth O’Leary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Swept Away is the 2nd-novel that I’ve tried from beloved Contemporary author, Beth O’Leary. The 1st was The No-Show, which was a bit of a miss for me.

I sort of wrote O’Leary off after that. It just wasn’t really a great time for me. However, after seeing the cover of this, call me shallow, but I had to read it. And you know what, I’m really glad that I did.

In this story we’re following Lexi and Zeke, who after a one-night stand on a houseboat, end up lost at sea together. For a sea-loving girl like myself, this sounded like a sensational set-up, and that proved to be true.

As they discover what’s happened and the reality of the situation sets in, they have a lot of adjustments to make, and a lot of ‘getting to know each other’ to do. With provisions low, it quickly turns into a game of survival.

I did end up really enjoying this one. While it did take a while for me to feel truly invested, around 50%, I ultimately did come to care about these two characters and their journeys, both as a couple and separately.

I liked that there was an age gap, with her being the older of the two. I also liked getting both of their perspectives so we could see how they were both feeling about their circumstances, and interactions. They definitely had their ups-and-downs.

I would say, it was never really gripping for me though. The plot just sort of meandered along, taking it’s time to actually get anywhere and when it did, minus one situation, the stakes never felt high, or pressing.

With this being said though, I do feel like for me, the character work made up for that. I did like how well-fleshed out both Zeke and Lexi were, and that they both had family issues that they were trying to work through.

I also enjoyed their banter, and I feel like because of their dire circumstances on the boat, it was realistic for them to fall for each other as quickly as they did. Bonus points for rescuing an injured seagull that they named Eugene.

At the end of the day, this was an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion. I am certainly glad I picked it up, and would recommend it to other Adult Contemporary Readers.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would be interested in checking out more of O’Leary’s work now.

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Review: Breath In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley

~ megs14malloy

Breathe In, Bleed OutBreathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Breathe In, Bleed Out follows Hannah, a young woman plagued by grief after losing her fiancé on a wilderness excursion.

No one knows the truth of what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way. She remembers though, and it haunts her so much she’s finding it hard to function in every day life.

When her friend group gets invited to an exclusive Wellness Retreat by Joshua Tree, and she mentions it to her therapist, he thinks it’s a great idea and encourages her to go.

In spite of her doubts, Hannah reluctantly agrees. Perhaps it’s the fresh start she needs. It can’t hurt, right?

As she joins her best friend, Tess, and the rest of their friend group, making their way to Joshua Tree, I quickly wondered, why are these people friends? Or more specifically, why are they friends with Hannah? Offense sort of intended.

It’s an odd group, but nevertheless, I was along for the ride. When they get to the town abutting the retreat, the real Slasher vibe starts to set-in. Including a run-in with a hostile local, and a potential historical aspect that could lend its influence to future killings.

And even though I was starting to really enjoy these classic Slasher elements, the character work veered quite quickly into eye roll territory. The stereotypes overfloweth, and Hannah was the biggest jerk amongst them, IMO.

I was feeling like I should have been rooting for her as a potential final girl, yet I found myself rooting for her to be the first victim.

Ultimately, those feelings continued for the rest of the book. While it was a fun Slasher story, it felt very uneven in enjoyment for me as well.

I do appreciate McAuley sticking to a true Slasher style, but at times it leaned too heavily into the character interactions and since they were all so annoying, I just didn’t care.

Therefore, I loved the kills and hated the characters. Frankly, I wish the killer would have taken out more of them…

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn’t knock it out of the park for me, I would be interested in checking out more from this author.

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Review: The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling

~ megs14malloy

The Starving SaintsThe Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Starving Saints is a Historical Horror novel, replete with a strong religious focus. The story is set at Aymar Castle, which has been under siege for months.

With food stores running low, and no signs of rescue in sight, it seems the residents will soon need to resort to extreme measures in order to survive.

As they teeter on the brink of total destruction through starvation, salvation arrives in the form of the divine figures of the Constant Lady and her Saints. Just like that, the castle stores are replenished and the weak are strengthened.

But how did they get in? And what are they really?

The castle gates are fully barricaded, protecting against their enemies. Soon the entire castle is under the sway of these mysterious saviors, partaking in epic feasts of horrifying origin. As the castle seems to fold under the Saints will, our three MCs are the only ones who seem to see the situation for what it really is.

This story is told through three main perspectives: Ser Voyne, a war hero, Phosyne, a nun-turned-sorceress, and Treila, a serving girl. All three women are working in service to the King, though in different capacities.

Initially, I was wondering how Starling was going to more heavily connect the three perspectives, and I ultimately loved how that was done. I also loved how fully fleshed out all three characters ended up being.

Ser Voyne was def my fave. She was delivering HEAVY Brienne of Tarth vibes, and I was absolutely eating it up.

((Punny!!))

I was also pulled in by the tone of the novel. I was intrigued by the the historical setting, the religious and political characters, as well as their superstitions and belief in miracles.

After the Saints arrived, when the feasts begin and various other odd interactions, it starts to get very trippy. It’s scary and unsettling in an indescribable way. At least to me. It got under my skin what was happening, as I had no explanation and no one was seeing it but me.

I’m sure that sounds silly, but I think I was just so invested, I was able to put myself in these characters shoes and thinking about being in this castle, and experiencing these things truly got under my skin.

Granted, I’m not generally a fan when things get too fever dream, which this toes that line. I still like to be able to track events clearly, even when the characters don’t know what’s going on, and a lot of the time fever dream writing only gives you the same insight as the characters.

This though, I feel was done really well. I think it’s because not all of the characters succumb to what’s going on in the castle regarding the Saints to the same degree, so you still have a bit of a more coherent view of the happenings. I feel like that’s why it worked for me.

This does end up getting really wild, and it is my favorite that I have read from this author thus far. By a long shot, actually. I’m hoping for more like this.

Overall, I really, really, really enjoyed this. It is so strange, but in such an enchanting, dark and unsettling way. The atmosphere and characters exceeded my expectations, and I’m thrilled with that.

I have no idea if I truly understood what the author was trying to get across with this, but I’ve developed my own, quite intricate, theory involving the holy trinity, and I’m choosing to look at it that way for now. It just feels right.

With Saints like these, who needs Devils. This novel absolutely offers up a lot of FOOD for thought.

I highly recommend it to fans of Historical, or Religious, Horror, as well as anyone looking for a wild, unsettling story set in a medieval castle.

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Review: Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft

~ megs14malloy

Night WatcherNight Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nola Strate is a late-night radio host in Portland, Oregon. Her show, Night Watch, features listeners calling in to share stories of hauntings and other creepy happenings.

One evening, a caller, seemingly in present distress, strikes a special cord with Nola, reminding her of her own escape from a serial killer years before.

It’s after this disturbing call that Nola begins to feel like she’s being watched. Could it possibly be The Hiding Man, the serial killer from her past, back to finish the job, or is there a new threat looming just outside her sight?

Nola is convinced it is The Hiding Man, but will she be able to figure out who it actually is before it’s too late?

Y’all, this was really good. I listened to the audiobook and felt like the narration fit the story to a tee. It legit had some moments that got under my skin, playing into some of my own real life fears. Nola was also quite believable as an MC with an intriguing backstory.

I also loved the overriding True Crime feel. Nola’s show, Night Watch, gave it a podcast vibe that I thought was really well done. At times, I felt like a real-life listener.

It was compelling from the start, and I found myself completely invested very early. I think it was that call that’s mentioned in the synopsis, that Nola receives at the show, it would be impossible to walk away after that.

The mystery was super intriguing. Had Nola’s past truly come back to haunt her? I wasn’t sure, but I loved sticking around to find out.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys intense Thriller stories, perhaps with a podcast, or serial killer element. Also, this is just Horror enough to appeal to true Horror fans. Don’t believe me? You’ll have to check it out for yourself.

Thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author, especially if she remains in this lane.

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Review: Something I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker

~ megs14malloy

Something I Keep UpstairsSomething I Keep Upstairs by J.D. Barker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Something I Keep Upstairs is set in the coastal New Hampshire town of Newcastle, and follows a story told by Billy Hasler.

He shares with the Reader the events that happened to him and his group of friends in the Summer he was 17, that would change the course of all of their lives.

That was the Summer before they were all supposed to head off to college, as most of us know an oft emotional and pivotal time in a young person’s life.

When his best friend, David Spivey, inherits his deceased Grandmother’s mysterious house on a nearby island, it seems the perfect spot for Summer shenanigans. As they start to spend time there with their friends though, it becomes clear that the island houses a dark past.

Things spiral out of control for the group. It becomes the stuff of nightmares, and it’s hard to trust what you’re hearing from Billy. This house is evil and it’s something that’s effected generations of people in Newcastle.

It doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon either. Will Billy be able to escape its hungry grasp unscathed, or will he suffer the same fate of many before him?

For my personal tastes, Something I Keep Upstairs wasn’t a super enjoyable reading experience. My attention frequently wavered and I probably only managed to retain 1/2 of it. Nevertheless, I have to give many extra points for Barker’s fluid writing style and wild-creativity.

While this had some strong attributes, like the atmosphere and inclusion of local history/lore, a few of the concepts weren’t to my tastes. I also felt it dragged on for way too long. Coming in at just shy of 500-pages, this story felt like a monster undertaking that struggled to get off the ground.

I did love the sort of confessional Coming of Age narrative style though. I think that was a great choice by the author, and perhaps if the ‘what’ of the island captured my attention a little more, I wouldn’t have minded the length as much.

Some of the extra points also go towards the many unexpected turns of the story, which I never saw coming. However, with this being said, I did find it difficult to track some of the side characters and past events/time shifts.

At the end of the day though, I think it was merely a mismatch for my tastes. I can appreciate the skill it took to create this story, but for me, it just wasn’t a hit.

With this being said, this is purely my personal opinion based upon my reading experience. Just because I wasn’t the biggest fan, doesn’t mean you wouldn’t love it. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks it sounds interesting to give it a go. It’s absolutely worth the shot!

Thank you to the publisher, Hampton Creek Press and Recorded Books, for providing me with copies to read and review. I def plan to check out more from this author!

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Review: The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey

~ megs14malloy

The Wolf TreeThe Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Wolf Tree is an Adult Mystery novel set on a remote Scottish island. Late last year, I saw a few of my trusted book friends reviewing this one quite favorably.

As is my custom, I was immediately filled with uncontrollable FOMO, so I sought out a copy. Then as is also my custom, I let it sit on my unread shelf for months and months and months.

Recently, I finally decided to give it a go, wanting a strong Police Procedural Mystery full of atmosphere and intrigue. Oh baby, did I get what I wanted.

This story follows George Lennox, and her partner, Richie Stewart, who’re embarking on their first big detective assignment since George suffered a terrifying accident on the job that left her with a serious head injury.

The powers that be have finally decided that George is ready to get back out there, and she and Richie are sent to Eilean Eadar, a remote windswept rock, best known for the unsolved mystery of the lighthouse keepers who vanished from there back in 1919.

The small community who lives on the island, easily more sheep than people, are used to self-sufficiency. They live a remote and rugged life and are used to looking after one another, through good times and bad.

George and Richie are sent there to investigate after a young man, Alan, is found dead at the base of the lighthouse. The islanders, led by a ubiquitous priest, Father Ross, seem determined to thwart the DIs’ investigation. The local story is Alan took his own life, but is that really what happened?

Due to it’s remote location, the detectives are forced to stay on the island for the duration of their investigation. The more they interact with the locals and learn about their culture and history, the more George becomes convinced that something is seriously off here.

I had so much fun with this one. I became completely invested in the mystery and loved the partnership of George and Richie. They’re definitely a detective duo I want to read more of. I like how McCluskey gave them an interesting history in addition to the mystery they were solving.

McCluskey also nailed the island atmosphere and I found this to be spooky in addition to mysterious. I loved the feel of the locals. They were believable, yet also untrustworthy. It gave the whole thing an unsettling feeling from the start.

I did have moments where I felt challenged to keep up with a lot of the side characters, but for the most part, I think McCluskey did a great job creating a thick web of intrigue, while also keeping it accessible and understandable.

About halfway through, I was curious if this was going to become a series, and I’m so happy to report that there is a 2nd-book, The Cursed Road: A new gripping Scottish crime thriller from the bestselling author of THE WOLF TREE, set to release very early next year.

Y’all, I will be first in line for that. George and Richie are such a great match, their skill sets playing perfectly off one another. Richie, as a more aged, experienced detective, of course feels protective over George, and for her part, she’s just testing her limits.

I would recommend this for fans of Caz Frear’s Cat Kinsella series, the DC Morgan series by Clare Mackinstosh, or the DCI Jonah Sheens series by Gytha Lodge.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait for the next book to release!

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Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

~ megs14malloy

Hemlock & SilverHemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read…a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind, in the Publisher’s synopsis for this book, I felt like all my dreams were coming true.

Kingfisher gracing us with a Snow White reimagining, you know it’s bound to be amazing. Spoiler Alert: IT WAS!!!

This story features, Anja, a healer who specializes in poisons. Anja receives a summons from the King to assist with his daughter, Snow, who appears to be dying and they can’t figure out why.

Nothing seems to be helping. Anja is smart, creative and experiments frequently to create different antidotes. If anyone can save the young princess from some unknown threat, it’s gonna be her.

This is just the basic set-up for this story, because I don’t want to risk giving anything away. As with most of Kingfisher’s work, Anja ends up surrounding herself with an endearing cast of side characters, including a brooding guard and opinionated cat.

I can’t tell you how much I loved Anja. From the very start, she felt like someone I could relate to. I know this sounds silly, since this is a Fantasy story, but her narrative voice, the way she thought and related to the world around her, it’s so similar to myself.

I’ve actually felt that way about many of Kingfisher’s main characters, so perhaps the two of us just have very similar senses of humor.

Anja was also delivering solid intrepid scholar vibes, which was so fun and interesting to follow. She definitely is a bit out of her comfort zone traveling to the kingdom to help the king, but stays strong even though it’s intimidating and does what needs to be done.

The mystery behind what was happening to Snow was super compelling as well. As that unfolds, I loved how dark Kingfisher took it, and some of the imagery that was created was so darkly-beautiful.

The guard, Javier, when they started investigating Snow’s illness together, OMG, there were so many funny moments. The stellar narration of the audio def brought life to that humorous banter. I could picture it all like a movie.

Another thing worth mentioning is how well Kingfisher writes animals and animal companions. This is a common thread I’ve found in her works. They all have so much personality, like all of our real life animal companions.

You can tell she is an animal lover. I never worry about animals being killed or abused in her stories. Taking that worry away makes it a much cozier read for me.

Overall, I felt this was brilliant. Anja made this story special for me, and memorable. She’s easily my favorite protagonist of the year so far. I would lay down my life for her.

I’m such a huge Kingfisher stan, so I was expecting to love this, but I was actually surprised how swept up in the story I became. The audiobook had me hooked.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m so happy to have another novel to add to my Favorites Shelf!!

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Review: It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest

~ megs14malloy

It Was Her House FirstIt Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

‘I suppose we get the ghosts we get,
not necessarily the ones we want.’

After Ronnie Mitchell receives an inheritance due to the tragic passing of a family member, she purchases a rundown mansion in West Seattle. With anxiety high and in need of distraction, this could be just the project she needs.

Ronnie has some carpentry experience, so feels like she’ll be able to tackle anything the house throws at her. Unfortunately, what she knows nothing about is the bloody, violent history of this particular house.

Will that come back to bite her, or can she handle that too?

It Was Her House First was a captivating read, even though somehow it wasn’t at all what I expected. I enjoyed it though very much. It reminded me a bit of The September House, so I would recommend it for fans of that book. It’s not quite as graphic, but still manages to give those vibes.

I loved our present perspective MC, Ronnie. I connected with her way of thinking and it made it extra enjoyable. She has a bit of a wry, honest sense of humor, always just laying it out there for the Reader. I loved that.

We also get different perspectives that help to fill us in on the history of the house. These perspectives are all tied to it’s heartbreaking history, and unsurprisingly, they’re still very much connected to the house and the present situation Ronnie finds herself in.

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the house itself and the longer that Ronnie is there, the more interested she becomes in filling in that history knowledge for herself.

I appreciated Ronnie’s strength and determination when it came to the house. Unsettling things begin happening fairly quickly after she takes ownership, but she never shies away. If anything, she leans in, going further than I think a lot of people would.

She felt very brave to me. Sometimes to a level where you questioned her choices, but nevertheless, she had a goal and she was sticking to it, come hell or high water.

Overall, I feel like this one is an interesting twist on a standard haunted house tale. I enjoyed the interactions of all the various players involved in the drama, and feel like Priest pulled off a lot with this one.

Even though it is a haunted house story, it has a bit of a cozier feel. As mentioned above, I would recommend it to Readers who enjoyed The September House, but also to fans of Rachel Harrison and T. Kingfisher’s Adult Horror.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from Cherie Priest!

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Review: The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

~ megs14malloy

The Marigold Cottages Murder CollectiveThe Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

With a story as fun and cozy as this cover, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective gave me everything I was hoping for and then some. I did not expect to love this as much as I did, but I was pulled in and held so tightly.

The audiobook is a fabulous way to go with this one, as the dual narration of Meg Price and Jim Meskimen helped fuse humor and heart even more so into the story.

The comp to The Thursday Murder Club in the publisher’s synopsis is definitely apt, but whereas with those books, the main characters are all mostly elderly, this story features more of a range of ages and backgrounds.

I feel like their differences, firstly, make them easier to remember, but also made the dynamics among them so heart-warming, interesting and funny.

I adore the Thursday Murder Club series, don’t get me wrong, but I actually think it took me less time to learn this cast of characters and to fall in love with them. Sophie, Mrs. B, Ocean, and all the others, are just so darn lovable.

The mystery was also super compelling and I loved watching them all bumbling around trying to figure it out. They all wanted to protect one another, often with calamitous results.

It’s got a real wacky found family vibe, and the Southern California setting was also an enjoyable backdrop. Overall, I think this is such a fun and carefree Cozy Mystery that I’m definitely hoping will turn into a much longer series.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had a fabulous time with this!!

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