Review: The Expectant Detectives (The Expectant Detectives #1) by Kat Ailes

The Expectant Detectives (Expectant Detectives, #1)The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Expectant Detectives is a new style of Cozy Mystery that I have certainly never read before. I found it to be charming and a heck of a lot of fun; pure enjoyment.

I love Cozy Mysteries that feature an MC and their friend group trying to solve a local mystery. A few favorites, to be noted for example, from recent years would be The Thursday Murder Club, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and The Marlow Murder Club.

All three of these books have one important thing in common, the MCs are older than we would typically find in the Mystery genre. These older, dare we call them elderly, characters are quirky, fun and provide a bit of a different perspective than the norm.

In The Expectant Detectives, Kat Ailes uses a very similar set-up to other Cozies, but her intrepid group of amateur sleuths are pregnant women, not elderly individuals.

In this story, we meet and follow, Alice. She and her boyfriend, Joe, are expecting their first child. Although not planned, they’re both excited about the pregnancy and looking forward to the next steps in their relationship.

Thinking their city-located flat will be too small for their growing family, they decide to move to the sleepy village of Penton. They just feel like it would be a more desirable place to raise a child. Safer and all that…

That is until a dead body is discovered at a prenatal class they have joined. They can’t believe it. This is not what they thought village life would be like.

Now everyone in attendance at the class is a suspect, including Alice and Joe.

Together with a few of the other pregnant women, Alice begins looking into the murder herself. She needs to clear their names before this baby arrives.

Side note, Alice has a glorious dog, Helen, who could easily turn out to be my favorite character of the year. I just adored her and the joy she brought to the narrative.

I was really entertained by this story. The audiobook was well done, the narration so on-point with the humor that it had me laughing out loud numerous times.

I thought Ailes set-up for this story was creative and truly unlike anything I’ve read before. Alice has a dry, witty sense of humor that worked well for me. She tells it like it is. She’s pretty blunt about her pregnancy and the way it is changing/affecting her body.

I also liked that it wasn’t just Alice that was pregnant, she had her new friends to share the experience with, as well as to help her do some first-rate investigating.

For me, I wouldn’t say the initial murder was totally compelling. It didn’t even make sense to me at first how they were so confident it was a murder, like it almost felt like it could have been an accident or something.

Nevertheless, I was willing to go on that journey with the characters because I was enjoying them so much. After a while, the more the ladies dug in, the more secrets and intrigue they revealed, then I was hooked.

Overall, this is a fantastic debut Mystery. It had just the right amount of humor and fun, mixed in with the actual mystery. I think the longer this series goes on, the more attached that I’m going to get to these characters and this village as well.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Kat Ailes!

View all my reviews

Review: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

The HeiressThe Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore. That’s quite a name and the lady herself has quite a story. In The Heiress, you get a front row seat to all her drama.

Buckle up, baby, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

In Rachel Hawkins latest novel, she treats us to the complicated life story of Ruby McTavish and the fractious family she left behind.

At the time of her death, Ruby was the wealthiest woman in North Carolina. She was also its most notorious resident.

Her notoriety started early when she was kidnapped as a child, a very wealthy child. Her face and story were everywhere. The talk of the town, you could say.

Unlike the tragic case of the Lindbergh baby though, Ruby was found alive and returned into the arms of her family. A seemingly happy ending.

Ruby lived an eventful life from that time forward. Widowed four times over, with marriages the stuff of gossip columns, her early infamy never really had the chance to wear off.

After her death, the family estate, Ashby House, set high in the Blue Ridge mountains, along with Ruby’s nine-figure fortune is left to her adopted son, Camden, much to the chagrin of the other surviving McTavish family members.

Camden doesn’t want anything to do with the estate, or the inheritance. He rejects it and moves to Colorado. He marries, becomes an English teacher and lives a fairly normal life.

10-years later, after the death of his Uncle, a summons for his presence brings Camden, along with his wife, Jules, back to North Carolina and into the fold of the McTavish family.

Cam may be displeased about their stay in North Carolina, but Jules has other thoughts. She loves the property and is enamored by the idea of it being all theirs.

The more she learns about Cam’s estranged family, the more determined she becomes for him to claim everything Ruby intended for him to have. The more they learn about Ruby though, the more tainted her legacy seems to become. What exactly is her story?

I found this to be absolutely addictive. I listened to the audiobook and loved how it was formatted, as well as the multi-cast narration.

We get both Cam and Jules perspectives, as well as Ruby’s story through a series of letters she has written to an unknown recipient. Cam and Jules are both providing the present timeline, as they travel to Ashby House and stay there with Cam’s family for their first time.

Ruby’s letters provide us with a glimpse of her life from the start. We go through her various romances and learn of the events that shaped her into the woman she becomes.

I loved the set-up and Hawkins was successful in capturing and holding my attention. I wouldn’t say there was a ton of action, but as a character study, it’s definitely intriguing.

If you love deep-held family secrets and drama, you will most likely enjoy this one. It’s seriously the most twisted Family Drama, and I love twisted!!

As the past catches up with the present, the truth of who Ruby was writing to is revealed and thus, the truth of her life becomes clear. OMG, what a crazy life!

Overall, I had a lot of fun with this. It’s great storytelling. There’s varied layers of deceit and backstabbing, which we love to see. My only wish is that it could have been a little longer and that there could have been more suspense.

Nevertheless though, a really enjoyable read.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I always get excited for the newest Rachel Hawkins, and am already anticipating whatever she writes next!

View all my reviews

Review: What Waits in the Woods (Detective Rita Myers #2) by Terri Parlato

What Waits in the WoodsWhat Waits in the Woods by Terri Parlato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What Waits in the Woods is the 2nd-book in Terri Parlato’s Detective Rita Myers series. This is an Adult Police Procedural Mystery following, you guessed it, Detective Rita Myers.

I actually didn’t read the 1st-book, All the Dark Places, prior to reading this one, but I enjoyed this so much, I started the 1st-book immediately after and have already finished it.

It’s fair to say, I will continue to pick up each book in this series as they’re released. Keep ’em coming, Parlato!

This is a dual perspective story following Detective Myers and Esmé Foster, a young woman directly connected to the mystery investigated in this book.

I listened to the audiobook and the dual narrators truly brought these two perspectives to life.

Esmé left her small hometown of Graybridge, 11-years ago to pursue her ballet career. After an injury and a recent break-up though, she decides it’s finally time to return after she gets a call from her brother stating their father isn’t well.

The day that Esmé returns, a body is discovered on her family property. She arrives home to police cars and questions, not exactly the homecoming she was expecting.

Making matters worse is the fact that the dead body isn’t just some stranger, it’s Kara Cunningham, one of Esmé’s closest childhood friends.

Esmé is devastated by the loss of her friend, but there’s something else needling her as well. Esmé and Kara looked a lot alike, what if she was actually the intended target?

Esmé has her reasons for believing this could be the case, but it’s going to take her processing a lot of old baggage to actually figure it out.

Detective Rita Myers gets called to the Foster property after the discovery of Kara’s body and immediately digs in to her investigation. Detective Myers has a lot of experience and genuine care in her work.

There’s no doubt she is going to get to the bottom of this grisly crime, no matter what it takes.

I had so much fun reading this. The mystery was intriguing, the plot was fast-paced and the reveals were exciting and more often than not, unexpected.

I think Detective Myers is a fabulous main character and I know I am just going to become more and more attached to her as the series continues.

She’s a seasoned detective, no-nonsense and smart. She works with a lot of younger detectives and cops and you can tell that they look up to her as a leader.

I also enjoyed getting to know her more on a personal side outside of work. She has some interesting neighbors and even a potential love interest that I am hoping to learn more about in subsequent books.

As with many Mystery series, I don’t feel like you need to necessarily read these books in order. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything going into this because I hadn’t read the 1st-book yet. It’s a complete story unto itself.

I do feel, though, that this is the type of series where the longer you stay involved with this group of characters, the more attached you become, and the higher your enjoyment level will ultimately be.

I knew right away that I would continue on with this series. The writing is compelling, the mystery is well-formatted and the characters are likable.

This is a very solid Police Procedural Mystery. I would recommend it for fans of Caz Frear’s Cat Kinsella series, or Gytha Lodge’s DCI Jonah Sheens series, as I feel like the tone here and quality of the mystery are very similar to those.

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

I’m so excited to have a new Mystery author to follow. I hope this series keeps going for a long, long time!

View all my reviews

Review: First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

First Lie WinsFirst Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ashley Elston is a beloved author of YA-Mystery/Thriller and Contemporary stories. She’s one of my favorites actually.

I’ve picked up all of her releases since I first discovered her top-notch writing on full display in This Is Our Story, published in 2016.

That one kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the pace of it and the investigatory elements woven throughout. I was stoked to have a new author to swoon over.

With First Lie Wins, Elston delivers us her first work in the Adult space. I’m happy to report, she’s entering the fairly-saturated Thriller market with a banger.

This story was completely engrossing and intriguing, with well-fleshed out characters. It grabbed a hold of my from the very beginning and never let up.

Normally, I would summarize a bit of the plot, but I don’t want to here. I want you to go in knowing little to nothing about this story. That’s the best way to experience it, IMO.

I’m not sure that I ever read the synopsis. Elston’s name on the cover was enough.

This story does feature action, high-stakes and shady underground networks. I would say it is on trend with such recent releases as Zero Days and Before She Finds Me.

If you enjoyed either of those two books, you should absolutely pick this one up. I would also recommend this to anyone who enjoys a long-game; IYKYK.

Elston’s writing is so fluid and engaging, it’s clear she would be successful in whatever genre she chooses to write in. Personally though, I am hoping for a lot more in this space. This was fascinating and well-structured.

An exciting Adult Thriller.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Pamela Dorman Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This was a great way to kick off my 2024-reading journey!

View all my reviews

Review: That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally

That's Not My NameThat’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

That’s Not My Name was a great start to a new reading year. If this is what 2024 has in store, I’m a happy girl!

I’ve been on a holiday for the past 10-days. My house needed cleaning, I needed to unpack, organize, it was a whole day affair. Thanks to Megan Lally, that day was a breeze.

I started this one as soon as I started cleaning this morning and could not stop. It’s super compelling, with fabulous narration for the audio. Before I knew it, it was done.

This story follows two perspectives, Mary and Drew. There are dual narrators for the audio and they were each perfect for the character they were portraying. They were convincing as teens, which isn’t always the case.

When we meet Mary, she is injured and in distress. She is taken to a police station and expresses that she has no memory of who she is, or how she got injured.

As she and the kind Officer who picked her up try to decide what their next steps will be, a frantic man arrives at the station looking for his daughter.

She doesn’t remember him, but really, she doesn’t remember anything. He is able to provide the Officer with everything needed to prove she’s his daughter, Mary Boone. He has School IDs, family photos, even her birth certificate.

The Officer leaves Mary in his care, but does promise to check up on her soon, after she’s had a chance to rest.

Drew’s whole life changed weeks ago after his girlfriend, Lola, disappeared. He hasn’t been 100% truthful about the last night he saw her, not with anyone, not even the police, and now the guilt is eating away at him.

Making matters worse, the whole town, even people he considered friends, seem to think he is responsible for her disappearance. It’s always the boyfriend, right?

Drew tries to stay positive and focused. He knows he didn’t do anything to Lola and he’s determined to find her before it’s too late. He needs to prove his innocence, but he also feels he owes it to her after what he did.

The longer Lola is missing though, the more his chances of finding her diminish. He knows that, he’s realistic, so clearly time is of the essence. Along with a couple of friends Drew begins some sleuthing of his own, following leads to a place he never would have suspected.

When I tell you I was drawn in from the very start of this story, that is not an exaggeration. Getting Mary’s perspective as she struggles to recover memories and figure out what happened to her, that whole narrative was so freaking compelling.

Then with Drew, I was equally transfixed by his story. He doesn’t reveal everything right away and you can tell he is second-guessing some things. I needed to stay with him until the end.

I love how Lally paced this out. The perspective shifts were so well done. It’s definitely a ‘one more chapter’ kind of read. Each chapter left me wanting more in such a fun way.

The intensity builds at a nice steady pace as you are given more and more information about what the truth actually is for these two. By the end, I was racing along and felt so many emotions by the end.

I loved the conclusion and am just so very pleased by the overall experience. I am absolutely blown away that this is a debut. Lally knocked this out of the park, IMO and I am super stoked to see what she delivers us next.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a tense, fast-paced, emotional YA Thriller. I think this would work well for fans of Kit Frick, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Mindy McGinnis, or even Natalie D. Richards.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Megan Lally is going on my autobuy list for sure. I can’t wait for more!

View all my reviews

Review: Notes on a Murder by B.P. Walter

Notes on a MurderNotes on a Murder by B.P. Walter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

This was wild. It’s like The Talented Mr. Ripley meets Hostel and in all the most sinister of ways…

This book first came onto my radar when I started seeing trusted book friends reviewing it favorably. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if I see a friend reading and liking a book, I want to be reading and liking that book!

FOMO is real, so I scurried out and was luckily able to acquire a copy fairly quickly.

I don’t want to say anything about the plot or characters. The publisher’s synopsis is equally as vague, so you may as well just suck it up and jump in.

Notes on a Murder pulled me in from the start. I read the first 1/3 in one sitting. I was so captivated by the narrator of the audiobook, and the way that Walter formatted the story.

There are past and present sections, some cleverly incorporated 2nd-person narrative, and plenty of provocative intrigue to keep you turning pages.

I loved the Greek setting and felt like that was really well played out. That backdrop set the perfect tone for this OTT-tale that definitely went places I wasn’t expecting.

This got dark. These characters, wow, they surprised me with the lengths they went to in this story.

The sinister feel got deeper and faster as it went. It was like a snowball rolling down hill, building momentum, before it finally took out everything in its way at the bottom.

This is the first of Walter’s works I’ve read, but if they are all this disquieting, I will definitely be reading more.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I recommend this one to Readers who enjoy dark, twisted Thrillers.

View all my reviews

Review: Murder Most Antique (Stamford Mysteries #2) by E.C. Bateman

Murder Most Antique (The Stamford Mysteries #2)Murder Most Antique by E.C. Bateman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder Most Antique is the 2nd-book in E.C. Bateman’s Stamford Mysteries series.

I really enjoyed the 1st-book in the series, Death at the Auction, and have been eagerly anticipating this follow-up.

This Cozy Mystery series follows Felicia Grant, whose has returned to her home village of Stamford to help her Dad run their family-owned Auction House.

In this installment, Felicia has been convinced by her best friend, Cassie, Stamford’s Mayor, to assist with the town’s annual Georgian Fair. Felicia is mildly put out, but she tries her best to grin and bear it. She’s hoping the lavish period costumes will be the worst she’ll have to endure.

When the headline speaker is found dead though, it’s clear this isn’t going to your average fair. As more bodies drop, Felicia finds herself trying to track down another killer.

Who says small town life is boring?

I enjoyed this. It’s a good book, but I didn’t have as much fun with it as the installment. It seemed to drag for me for some reason. It just felt overly-long and I wasn’t super intrigued by the mystery.

It does kick-off quickly, with a person missing before you are even 10% in, but after that, I don’t know, it just never really took off for me.

Yeah, I don’t really know what else to say. Sadly, it just wasn’t a gripping read for me. At the end of the day, I’m still proper attached to these characters and hope that the series continues.

I really enjoy Felicia so much, but I hope if there is another installment that it brings back a bit more of her humor. This one almost felt too serious for her. It sort of lost some of the dynamic magic amongst the characters from the 1st-one.

I would recommend this series for anyone who enjoys Cozy Mysteries that feature small town, or village, life. The amateur sleuthing vibes are on point and I am looking forward to seeing more of Felicia and friends.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this wasn’t a new favorite, I am really hoping we get more books in the series.

View all my reviews

Review: A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

A Twisted Love StoryA Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from A Twisted Love Story after seeing a few mixed reviews. For me it was a fun and engaging Domestic Drama, which offered up quite a bit of food for thought that I wasn’t necessarily anticipating.

Downing was able to draw me in and keep my attention, which is pretty tough to do during the holiday season!

This story focuses on Wes and Ivy, whose contentious romance has nevertheless lasted for a decade.

Their on-again, off-again nature may seem toxic to outsiders, but for them, it is their deep, passionate love for one another that pushes them to extremes at times.

Ivy messes up though and ends up contacting the wrong outsider and drawing her attention to their relationship. Unfortunately, the new woman in their life is a detective and Wes and Ivy have something they’re desperate to hide.

As Detective Karen Colglazier begins to circle the couple like a shark, the heat ramps up and they start feeling serious pressure. It’s a classic game of cat-and-mouse as Ivy and Wes scramble to get out from under the Detective’s scrutiny.

When I first began this story, I hadn’t read the full synopsis. Samantha Downing’s name was enough to attract me to the book. As it was first kicking off, we’re getting a lot of info regarding Ivy, Wes and their relationship. I was curious how it was going to gain intensity, or suspense, from that set-up.

It soon became clear Downing had a plan and I just needed to relax into it. She definitely pulled it off in the end.

I found this story to be compelling and highly readable. While I would tamper your expectations as far as thrills go, I think as a character exploration and twisted romance, this one is extremely well-paced and plotted.

I may be reading too much into it, but it made me think a lot about assumptions. We all make assumptions, even if unintentional, a lot of time based on our own experiences.

We’ve all heard of, or even know of, relationships like Wes and Ivy’s. I enjoyed watching the side characters interacting with them and discussing their relationship with them.

Each of these friends and family members it seemed felt they knew what was best, but I don’t feel like any of them were ever truly spot on with this couple.

Most interesting to me was the Detective’s perspective. She was definitely making assumptions about them, which I felt were incorrect, but then things would happen that would make me second-guess my own interpretation. It was super enjoyable and engaging.

I would recommend this story to people who enjoy dramatic, possibly OTT-Domestic Dramas. This title says it all, this is a twisted love story. That’s exactly what it is.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is only my second Downing novel, but I’m excited to pick up more!

View all my reviews

Review: The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas

The PaleontologistThe Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was sold on The Paleontologist after the publisher’s synopsis noted it to be about a haunted paleontologist…

The full synopsis sounded gripping. There’s also a fabulous cover, plus, a short, simple, yet effective, title.

As a one-time Anthropology major, who focused in Physical Anthropology, I felt like this was the Horror novel I’d been waiting for. Sadly, it absolutely wasn’t.

In this story we follow Curator of Paleontology, Dr. Simon Nealy, who has returned to his hometown in Pennsylvania during the Covid pandemic to begin work at the Hawthorne Museum of Natural History, a museum he remembers well from his childhood.

It’s actually the last place he ever saw his little sister. Morgan was just 6-years old when she was abducted from the museum, at a time when she was purportedly to be under the supervision of Simon, who wasn’t much older.

Their mother was a real piece of work, and she’s the one who put them both in that position on that fated day. Simon has been haunted severely by the event ever since, whilst Mom seemingly feels zero responsibility.

As he returns now, the past is brought to the surface once again and poor Simon is left wondering if his sister’s spirit is still trapped at the Hawthorne somehow. He is seeing and hearing things he can’t explain. The museum is a cage of wonder and terrors.

I am not going to go on about this too much. It absolutely wasn’t for me and frankly, I’m super disappointed about it. IMO, this book is just one more thing that Covid ruined. The concept itself is great. The execution, not so much.

I was so anxious for this to end. I even switched from an ebook to the audio to try to make it go by quicker.

I don’t know, perhaps if you enjoy being reminded of Covid every third paragraph or so, you might enjoy it more than I did. An example would be, if you’ve ever wondered about the masking status of each and every character you meet, than this one may be for you.

It wasn’t just the pandemic chat that ruined this for me though, the MC, Simon, was also as dull as dirt, IMO. He was giving me nothing. But in fairness, neither was anyone else.

I wasn’t drawn in, compelled, or intrigued. Big meh energy.

I’m happy to move on. I’m not giving on this author. I will give them another shot. I’m just hoping this is a one-off.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this wasn’t my cup of tea, I definitely appreciate it.

View all my reviews

Review: The Guest by B.A. Paris

The GuestThe Guest by B.A. Paris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

B.A. Paris is back and she’s bringing my favorite kind of suspenseful Domestic Drama with her.

I had so much fun reading The Guest. Frustrating in the best ways, I found it to be completely addictive and one heck of a gripping roller coaster ride.

In this story we meet Iris and Gabriel, a married couple living in the British countryside. They have a grown daughter who is currently working abroad in Greece, so all is fairly peaceful on the homefront.

That is until the day a local boy suffered a terrible accident, falling into a nearby quarry. Gabriel was the one to find the boy’s battered body and even though Gabriel’s a skilled doctor, there was nothing he could do.

The boy couldn’t be saved, but Gabriel did get to be with him in his final moments, so he wasn’t alone.

Gabriel hasn’t been the same since that tragic day, and even though Iris is trying to help him cope, it’s definitely put a strain on their relationship.

As they are grappling with this, an unexpected house guest arrives. Their old friend, Laure, has shown up from Paris. She says that she and her husband, Pierre, have had a terrible fight and she needs a place to stay.

Iris and Gabriel have been best friends with Laure and Pierre for many, many years, so they tell Laure that she is welcome and that she can stay for as long as she needs.

Laure moves herself in and makes herself as comfortable as possible, wearing Iris’s clothes and shadowing her every move. As the days and even weeks pass, the couple begins to question Laure’s story and her motives.

What is she really doing there and when the heck is she going to leave?

As tension mounts, more people get drawn into the twisted drama; the new couple in town, their handsome gardener and even Iris and Gabriel’s daughter.

As mentioned above, I really enjoyed this one and found the narrative to be compulsively readable. From the Prologue, Paris had absolutely hooked me. She definitely has a gift for drawing the Reader in.

From the initial set-up, with Laure arriving at the house, you can just tell it is going to get freaking wild. There’s a vibe under the surface of constant tension and intrigue.

No matter how crazy things get though, I always find Paris’s main characters to be relatable. I never have a problem putting myself in their shoes and imagining what I would do in any given situation.

This one had me biting my nails with tension, yelling at Laure, yelling at Iris. I would have done some major clean-out of my house, that’s for sure.

I really got sucked into all of the interpersonal drama in this story, but also loved the mystery running throughout. It was hard to tell who you could trust and some of the connections were also shady.

There were some real strong reveals and I was happy with the way it ultimately concluded. This did feel more reminiscent to some of Paris’s earlier works as well, which were a little stronger for me than her more recent releases.

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a taut, twisted Domestic Drama, particularly if you have enjoyed B.A. Paris’s earlier stories.

I would also recommend reading this one with a friend, or Book Club. I actually Buddy Read it and thought it was exciting to discuss it with someone else as we discovered the twists and turns together.

Overall, I thought this was such a great read. I’m so happy Paris continues to write these types of stories. As long as she is writing them, I’ll be reading them.

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review. The Guest is releasing on February 20, 2024, and IMO, this one should not be missed!!

View all my reviews