book review

Review: The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

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The Night BirdsThe Night Birds by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dark, creepy and hella atmospheric, The Night Birds is a wildly-entertaining ride of nail-biting intensity. Christopher Golden does this type of Folk Horror so well, IMO.

Maybe you’re like me, and though you appreciate the majesty and beauty of birds, they also creep you the heck out? If so, you should read this. Picturing myself in the shoes of some of these characters gave me absolute chills.

This story is set in Galvaston, Texas, and mainly revolves around a group of characters researching the Christabel, a 19th century freighter that lies half-sunken in waters shadowed by eerie mangroves and other wildlife.

With a vicious storm bearing down, most of the small crew abandon the Christabel, choosing to stay on dry land while they wait it out. Charlie Book, their leader, however, chooses to stay on board as usual. The ship has weathered many storms. It’s not going anywhere.

When he arrives on the docks after dinner, preparing to head back out to the Christabel, he’s shocked by the sudden appearance of his ex-girlfriend, Ruby. She’s begging him for help and protection, and she’s not alone.

With her is a mysterious woman, Mae, as well as an infant. They’re bedraggled and clearly on the run, but from what?

Even though he has big reservations about the situation, Book can’t refuse Ruby. If she’s in danger, he wants to help. Thus, he shuttles them all out to the Christabel.

Meanwhile, with the coming storm, something else seems to be coming, lurking in the dark and stormy night. Using shadows as cover and hiding a ravenous evil.

As forces close in on the Christabel, Book’s team senses that something is amiss and they try desperately to get back to the ship to help their friend. Little do they know, the storm is the least of their problems now.

I became invested in this story so quickly. I love Christopher Golden in general, and feel really comfortable with his writing style. It has such a classic Horror feel for me, and I love how he takes care to set a scene and pulls the Reader into his character’s lives.

He creates characters you want to succeed; to be okay, to live. I was rooting for Book and Ruby, as well as the side characters, Luisa, Gerald and Alan, the entire way through.

This would honestly make a great movie; good versus evil battling it out amongst the mangroves. I was on the edge of my seat and horrified as it unfolded. It was non-stop punches the entire second-half.

Some of it did get a little difficult to track as the action and intensity built up, but that could just be because of the speed at which I was reading it. I was so desperate to find out how this was going to conclude, I was flying through.

This is a witchy story, which is alluded to in the synopsis, as well as mentioned in the genre tags, but I just want to be clear, this is dark stuff; ancient stuff. The imagery involved, it’s heavy and excellent to read if you love Horror.

Overall, I had a great time with this. It’s so fun and addictive. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the atmosphere and characters, as well as the horror imagery throughout.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Golden releases next!!!

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Review: The Devil’s Advocate (Eddie Flynn #6) by Steve Cavanagh

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The Devil's Advocate (Eddie Flynn, #6)The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

The Devil’s Advocate is the 6th-installment to Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, and it’s the 3rd-book that I’ve read in the series thus far. I’m having a lot of fun. They keep me so engaged and guessing like nothing else.

This series 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 New York City. Or at least, that’s what I thought, until this case…

In this book, Eddie actually gets called away from the city in order to work a death penalty case in a small town in rural Alabama. As you can imagine, this is quite a culture shift for our city boy, Eddie.

Andy Dubois is facing death, accused of killing a young lady that he worked with at a diner. Eddie believes Andy is innocent and that he’s being railroaded by the local DA, Randal Korn, a man known for counting his death penalty convictions like notches in his belt.

From the moment they arrive in town, Eddie and his teammate, Harry, are met with cold shoulders, and various obstacles making them aware that their presence in town is not welcomed. Nevertheless, they push on.

A man’s life is on the line and it’s gonna take a lot more than what these locals are dishing out to scare Eddie away. In just a week, Eddie and his team need to overcome this corrupt system and find the real killer before time runs out for Andy.

The Devil’s Advocate is another really fun case with Eddie and his dynamic team. I enjoyed how this one gets Eddie out of his comfort zone in NYC and into the deep South.

This one didn’t feel as psychological as the other 2-books I’ve read in the series. It focuses more on small town corruption and flaws within the criminal justice system in general, but I thought it was a nice change of pace.

There was also a lot more involvement with officials from the Federal system, which was interesting. I feel like I’ve seen a whole new side of Bloch, one of Eddie’s valuable teammates. She’s one of my favorites, so it was nice to see her built out a little more.

This is the kind of case that will absolutely get your blood boiling. It actually had me on the edge of my seat too, because it felt very dangerous for Eddie and his team. You never want to be an outsider in a situation like this.

I feel like Cavanagh did a great job of building that intensity and making it feel believable. Sadly, corruption isn’t just in fiction, and numerous lives have been affected by it in cases much like this.

I particularly enjoy the courtroom elements, but honestly, they’re all just so compelling. They’re fast-paced, easy to read and wicked entertaining. As you can tell, I’m really looking forward to picking up the rest of the books.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria, for introducing me to the Eddie Flynn series and providing me with copies to read and review. I highly recommend these books for people who love intense Legal Thrillers!

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Review: The Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi

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The Third Rule of Time TravelThe Third Rule of Time Travel by Philip Fracassi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rule One: Travel can only occur to a point within your lifetime.
Rule Two: You can only travel for ninety seconds.
Rule Three: You can only observe.
The rules cannot be broken.

The Third Rule of Time Travel follows Beth Darlow, a scientist, who along with her husband, Colson, developed a machine that would allow a user’s consciousness to travel back through time to relive random moments in their lives.

It’s a stunning scientific breakthrough, yet it does have some limitations, and potential hazards. It also may not be quite as dialed in as they originally think.

After Colson is tragically killed, Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and to continue their work alone. She’s aware of the machine’s kinks, and she wants to be sure they get them worked out safely.

She’s poured her heart and soul into this project, and handles it with great care. When she starts getting pushed by the big boss though, Beth needs to take some risks in order to please the powers that be. She’s not fully comfortable with the things they’re asking of her, but she feels she has to proceed nonetheless.

That’s when Beth begins to notice unsettling shifts in her reality. Perhaps they didn’t have the full understanding on this technology like they thought they did?

This is such an interesting concept, unsurprisingly, executed so well, with great writing from Fracassi. I actually wish it would have been longer so all the topics could have been expanded upon even further.

This is only the 2nd-novel I’ve read from Fracassi, the 1st being Boys in the Valley, which was my favorite book of 2023. I was so surprised how wildly-different these two books are, but what they share is Fracassi’s smooth, accessible writing style.

I think it is so impressive when an author can jump around amongst different genres, and still deliver in such a believable way. I gotta give him props for that.

But, yeah, this had such a fun set-up. It was compelling from the start, easily drawing me into Beth’s world and current circumstances with her work.

I enjoy following characters who are scientists, so this one definitely scratched that itch. I like how much mystery there was surrounding what had happened to Beth’s husband, as well as the shady feel of the company she works for.

After Beth starts to push the tech and notice glitches, I like how she questioned all of their research and prior beliefs. She didn’t double-down on anything, she wasn’t arrogant in her stance. She was a woman seeking the truth, and I found that very compelling.

Towards the end it did get crazy. I mean the concepts we’re dealing with, they’re not easy to conceptualize always, and I did have fun trying to track everything happening to Beth.

It did give it a bit of a fever-dream feel, but not in an overwhelming way, so I was fine with that. I actually feel like this is one of those books where I could possibly enjoy it even more upon reread.

I would recommend this to any Sci-Fi fans, particularly if you enjoy stories that play with time and what we understand about temporal space.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a very enjoyable read!

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Review: When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy

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When the Wolf Comes HomeWhen the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Jess, a struggling actress, wraps up her diner shift early, she returns home and discovers a disheveled little boy hiding in the bushes outside of her apartment.

She gently coaxes the boy out, and using her distinctive humor, gets him to trust her enough to tell her he’s in serious danger, and now, she probably is too. That’s when the stuff hits the fan and all heck breaks loose in the form of the boy’s viciously-violent father.

Jess has no choice but to run with the boy in tow, but is anywhere going to be safe from the one hunting them, who seems to have preternatural skills?

Initially, Jess believes she knows the precariousness of their situation, but it gets way more perilous and downright crazy than she could have ever predicted.

Wow, wow, wow; that was my initial reaction upon finishing When the Wolf Comes Home. I hadn’t looked at any reviews prior, so I wasn’t sure how others were receiving it, but I immediately knew it was a top contender for my favorite book of 2025.

I cried actual grown-ass lady tears for the last 1/2-hour of the audiobook, which is fabulously-narrated. There were minutes, legit continuous minutes, towards the end where I had full body chills after a big reveal, when I realized what had actually happened.

This was the first time I’ve read from Nat Cassidy, and I’ll be honest, this wasn’t what I anticipated. He incorporates much more dark humor than I expected, and I was living for it.

I thought I was getting one type of story when I picked this up, but it went in a wildly different direction and I loved the creepy-creativity behind that turn. The thought of these events actually happening IRL, like what would you do!?

In spite of the gruesome nature of this story, I still managed to connect to it in a deeply-emotional way. It took me by surprise. I felt so many different things, for example, a protective love for Jess and the kiddo.

Why did you do this to me Cassidy? I don’t like to feel things!

((j/k: I love it))

Please be sure to read the Afterward from the author if you pick this one up. It’s beautifully done, straight from the heart and I feel like it gave me an even deeper understanding and appreciation of what he achieved with this story.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I loved this so much and am looking forward to going back and reading Cassidy’s entire backlist now.

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Review: Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn #5) by Steve Cavanagh

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Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn, #5)Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Fifty Fifty is the 5th-installment to Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, but it’s only the 2nd-book that I’ve read in the series thus far.

Take it from me, I say this with confidence, it doesn’t matter where you start with this series, as long as you start it.

If you aren’t familiar with the series, as I wasn’t, 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 New York City.

This starts off with such a bang, and it never let go of me. A complete mindf#*k, if you will. The opening scene features a 9-1-1 call that introduces us to the gruesome crime that is going to pull Eddie into a case for the record books.

Two sisters, Alexandra and Sofia, one of them brutally murdered their father, but which one?

Eddie thinks he knows who the guilty party is, and he only chooses to defend innocent people. Thus, he chooses to defend the girl he thinks deserves to be free, but is he right?

Fifty Fifty was such an incredibly fun ride. This case is hella dark and twisted, the two sisters pitted against one another, it was so intense. I couldn’t put it down.

My head was spinning the whole way through. I flipped back and forth between the two sister suspects so many times, trying to figure out who the killer was. It was completely engaging and wickedly compelling.

I love the way Cavanagh provided clues along the way that could’ve arguably fit either girl. It was a mental workout trying to figure it out, and I love a good workout.

I’m so happy to have discovered this series in 2025. These gorgeous new covers being released by Atria are the perfect reason to snatch them all up for my bookshelves. I’m looking forward to reading the rest.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you enjoy fast-paced, high-stakes, twisty Legal Thrillers, I highly recommend the Eddie Flynn series!!!

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Review: Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

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Our Last Wild DaysOur Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loyal left her small hometown of Jacknife, Louisiana, when she was just 18-years old, after a falling out with her best friend, Cutter. When she left, she took a lot of guilt with her over what she’d done to Cutter.

Now a decade later, Loyal returns to Jacknife to help care for her Mom, who seems to be teetering on the edge of dementia. Loyal is nervous about being back. It feels like she’s been on the run from her past this whole time.

Luckily, Loyal, a journalist, is able to get a job working at the tiny local paper, which she’d contributed to when she had been in high school. She hasn’t burned every bridge.

Her first day on the job, she and her coworker, Sasha, get word that a body has been discovered in the swamps. They rush to the scene to see what info that can glean from the responding officers.

It’s quickly revealed that the body belongs to Loyal’s estranged best friend, Cutter. Loyal is devastated on so many levels. She was hoping for a chance to reconcile with her friend, to apologize for what she had done, but now she’s been robbed of that chance.

Cutter’s early ife had been filled with hardship and tragedy, and from what Loyal’s heard, it’s only gotten worse recently. Now she’s been taken out just as tragically.

Many believe Cutter most likely took her own life, but Loyal isn’t buying that. There’s no way the girl she knew would do that, but how well did she actually know Cutter anymore?

Loyal and Sasha begin digging for answers, discovering small town corruption and dangerous dealings along the way. Will they be able to expose the truth, or will Cutter end up just being another person lost to the swamp?

Our Last Wild Days is Anna Bailey’s 2nd-novel, and IMO, it’s an improvement over their debut, Where the Truth Lies, which was good, but nothing about it really stood out for me.

I feel like this novel is going to stick in my mind. The characters were fantastically-developed and I thought the South Louisiana setting, the atmosphere created around that, was excellent as well.

If you enjoy gritty Crime Fiction, with a touch of a Hillbilly Noir-type feel to it, you should definitely give this one a shot. It has a nice slow burn, that definitely pays off if you stick around until the end.

And when I say slow burn, I don’t mean that it feels slow. The story itself builds at a nice clip, I just feel like Bailey really invested the time in building out the story in a way that would pull the Reader in and make them care.

By the end, I needed answers as badly as Loyal did. I needed for Cutter’s true story to be told. The characters felt completely realistic. I think for anyone who grew up in a small town in the U.S., you may even start to see bits and pieces of your own hometown on display here.

I’m impressed with this. I think Bailey has found their stride, and it’s only going to keep getting stronger. I hope they stick in this lane. This sort of atmospheric Crime Thriller really suits their writing.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to Bailey’s next novel already!!!

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Review: Overgrowth by Mira Grant

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OvergrowthOvergrowth by Mira Grant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

When she was just 3-years old, Anastasia Miller, wandered into the woods to locate a beautifully-smelling flowering plant. It was then that she disappeared.

A massive missing person search ensued, only to have Anastasia come back home, visibly unharmed days later. It was at that point that her story truly began.

She’d been abducted by aliens. Her purpose now was to prepare, or warn, the humans about the coming invasion.

She told everybody she could, her whole life, even into adulthood. People came to assume it was a quirky character trait stemming from the trauma she must have suffered during the period of time she went missing, but no one seems to really believe she’s an alien.

When an alien signal broadcast around the world starts to get picked up, it’s validity undeniable, it seems maybe people should have taken Anastasia’s warnings seriously.

The invasion is coming. Stasia’s bio-family is finally on their way and their intent could put all of humanity at risk. They were warned. It’s too bad they didn’t listen.

This novel had such a great start. The first 25%, I was so intrigued. The audiobook narration was fabulous, and perfect for Anastasia’s perspective.

The pace was very solid in the first half. I enjoyed the side characters a lot. Stasia’s boyfriend, Graham, and her roommates, they all played huge roles in this story, and I liked the found family feel of their group.

The tone reminded me quite a bit of the Alchemical Journeys series by Seanan McGuire. In fact, I had to remind myself a couple of times that this wasn’t just another installment to that series; even the cuckoos were mentioned.

Unfortunately, this started to lose me in the second-half. The intrigue completely flew out of the stratosphere for me when the aliens flew in. There was just something about the way that was done and presented, the direction it ultimately went, that didn’t work for me.

I was hoping for a vastly different outcome regarding the conclusion, however, there’s no denying the quality of Grant’s writing and character development.

She’s a master of intentional writing. There are no wasted words and everything has meaning and depth. It’s not just entertainment. There’s a lot more going on within her stories, which I do appreciate so much.

So, while this one was a bit of a mixed bag for me, I’m still a huge fan of Mira Grant and will continue to pick up anything she writes in the future.

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

If you’re looking for a Alien Invasion story, this is def worth checking out. I know many Readers are going to love this!

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Review: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

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Close Your Eyes and Count to 10Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 features a extreme version of Hide-n-Seek, played by various daring Adults, and streamed online to countless fans.

Maverick Dillan is a wildly-popular creator and influencer in the Adventure space. This game is his baby, and even though it has been played before with disastrous consequences that still haunt him, he’s up to host another round.

This round of the game is set to be played on the remote Falcao Island. In addition to Maverick and his people, we follow single-Mom, Adele, whose children get her to sign up for the game.

After her husband left them, Adele has had to wear a lot of different hats in their family, including resident badass. When her kids show how enthusiastic they are for the game, and how much they believe in her, she would be hard pressed to say no.

Plus, the $1,000,000 prize could change everything for them.

This story is very social media based, so it’s not surprising we get snippets in a mixed media format to introduce the Reader to the game and the players.

While I loved the set-up and the premise behind the game, as well as all the players involved, the social media aspects did feel a bit over-exaggerated. It felt a little, and this is just my opinion, that maybe the author was perhaps pandering a bit to the BookTok crowd.

That’s a very minor point though. I thought the set-up and basic premise of this story were both very well developed. I love how pulled into Adele’s life I felt, and how much I was rooting for her as a contestant.

The game itself did remind of Hide by Kiersten White, but honestly, I feel like it was executed better here. No offense to anyone who loves Hide. I get it, but that one definitely fell flat for me with the gaming element.

This one gave me more of the fast-paced energy and drama that I wanted. I would recommend it to Readers who enjoy books with a gaming trope. It’s worth the read.

This does give a lot of insight into Maverick and his partners in their dealings behind the scenes of the show. That was a good element to add, although personally, I did feel like that took over a bit.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time with Close Your Eyes and Count to 10. I loved the idea of the game having a bit of a survival element, and the setting on a remote island was great. Also, Unger added in inclement weather, which I always appreciate.

Unfortunately, the further it went along, the more it started to lose me. I wanted more time with the contestants and what they were going through, and instead I felt that aspect was sort of overshadowed by the drama going on amongst the game’s hosts, as mentioned above.

It was still an entertaining read, however, even with these minor complaints. I just wish I could have felt as connected and intrigued with it at the end, as I did at the beginning.

I would recommend the audiobook format. It was engaging and kept me flying through. I found the narrator very believable, particularly in Adele’s perspective.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I haven’t read a lot from this author, but I do want to pick up more of her work.

Even though this wasn’t perfect for me, you cannot deny the fluidity and captivating nature of her writing.

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Review: Another Fine Mess (Bless Your Heart #2) by Lindy Ryan

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Another Fine Mess (Bless Your Heart, #2)Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Fine Mess is the 2nd-book in Lindy Ryan’s Cozy Horror-Mystery series, Bless Your Heart. This adorable, yet slightly graphic series, is set in small town-Texas in the 90s.

It’s a series my Horror-loving, Cozy Mystery-obsessed heart didn’t know it needed, but now adores with wild abandon.

I can’t say too much about the plot without potentially giving away important aspects of the 1st-book, Bless Your Heart, so I’m going to keep this short and simple.

Basically, these books follow the women in the Evans family, who own and operate a Funeral Home. This is a very important job, because in their small town, the dead sometimes rise and they’re not happy. It’s the Evans job to make sure they stay dead and buried.

While the 1st-book was more of a vampire-esque story, this one has the town believing that some sort of hybrid-wolf is on a rampage, killing townsfolk and possibly stealing pieces of their bodies. It’s a bloody mess.

We follow the Evans women, and a few of their allies, as they try to determine what’s actually going on, and stop it before more innocent lives are lost.

The deeper they dig however, the more it seems this killer may be somehow connected to them, but how?

I thought this was so entertaining. I listened to the audiobook again and love Stephanie Nemeth-Parker’s narration. It’s such a great fit for this series. I highly recommend the audio format.

To me these books have the perfect mix of Horror, heart and Mystery. The Horror aspects are mainly contained within the kill scenes and the supernatural elements. Other than that, it is all Cozy Mystery.

I think Ryan does a great job of blending those two worlds together, and I know a lot of Readers, myself included, absolutely adore both genres. Having them together like this is just such a delight.

Even though I don’t find the mysteries to be particularly memorable, I still love reading them. It’s not something that’s going to stick with me until the end of time, but I don’t really need it to.

I read for entertainment and to escape from real life for a while, and Ryan definitely provides me that escape with these stories. I walk away a happy girl!

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m really hoping this series continues.

I would love to spend more time with the Evans women. I feel closer to them now than ever!

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Review: How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files #2) by Kristen Perrin

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How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files #2)How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

How to Seal Your Own Fate is the 2nd-installment in Kristen Perrin’s Castle Knoll Files. These books follow Annie Adams, who has recently moved to the tiny village of Castle Knoll after inheriting her Great-Aunt Frances’s property upon her untimely death.

In the 1st-book, Annie needs to solve the mystery of who murdered her Great-Aunt. In this one, she needs to solve the murder of the person who foretold that death, the fortune teller, Peony Lane.

These Cozy Mysteries are told through both present and past storylines. Annie is in our present, and our past perspective is told via Frances. The past we examine here is 1967, when Frances is being pulled between two men: the wealthy, Ford Gravesdown, and the earnest, Archie Foyle.

There is a mystery in the past as well, which involves a car accident that claimed the lives of some members of Ford’s family. We shift back and forth between past and present, find out the connections, and ultimately gets answers to both mysteries.

I’ve really enjoyed both books in this series so far. I feel like Perrin has developed a nice little formula, and it’s working.

Upon picking this one up, I was immediately happy to be back with Annie in Castle Knoll. I do love her as a main character. Admittedly, it does take a minute, at least it did for me, to settle into the flow of the story, the back-and-forth can be a little jarring at first.

Once you are able to get your bearings though, it does flow nicely. I feel like the chapters are short and punchy, and always left me wanting to know more.

This one is twisted. The mystery of the car accident, there are a lot of puzzle pieces involved, and it did get a little hard to track at times. Especially because a lot of my focus was also on Peony’s death in the present.

I did feel it got a little convoluted towards the end, but nevertheless, it was a fun time and I did enjoy how it concluded. It looks like we’ll be getting a 3rd-book and I’m definitely on board for that.

I appreciated how Annie has come to understand and relate to her Great-Aunt Frances so much more over the course of these two books. I also love her settling into her new life, and look forward to seeing more of that in future.

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

I would recommend this to all Cozy Mystery fans, particularly those who enjoy a historical element in their Cozies, or those who enjoy small village vibes.

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