8.16.2026 - Promise Me Never

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by the writing duo known as Liv Constantine.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

After a whirlwind romance, aspiring writer Savannah is married to superstar horror novelist Bennett Bryson.  They settle into Bennett's secluded upstate home.  But soon, cracks appear in Bennett's behavior and he becomes secretive and controlling.  She's also surrounded by reminders of Bennett's first wife who died in a tragic accident.  Then she gets a warning that Bennett may not be who he appears.

Go into this one as blind as possible to fully enjoy it!  This was another wonderful book from this duo and I was flipping the pages as quickly as possible to see where it would all end up.  There are plenty of twists along the way, characters who aren't who they appear to be, and even a dog - what's not to love?  You may have to suspend your disbelief a bit, but the twists and reveals just make it more fun.  Pick this one up for a great summer thriller!  

8.15.2026 - Get Lost

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal for gifting me the fiction debut novel by Justin Halpern.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Lila Dixon gets a call that her mom has gone missing, but it wouldn't be the first time so she doesn't panic.  Except that this time, her estranged dad is the prime suspect.  As much as he has disappointed her, she doesn't believe he has anything to do with her mom's disappearance, so the two begin investigating.

Well, that was fun!  Halpern's trademark humor is on full display here and I thoroughly enjoyed going along for the ride.  Lila had to grow up tough and mostly on her own, so she won't take gruff from anyone - and there are quite a few nefarious characters here.  This is a fast-paced mystery with the theme about repairing relationships.  

8.14.2026 - Murder on Charity Lane

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both an audio and digital ARC of the second book in the Marigold Cottages Murders series by Jo Nichols, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Jim Meskimen and Meg Price.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

The residents of Marigold Cottages, owned by the lovable and interesting Mrs. B, have returned to a new normal after the recent events on the properties.  Mrs B invites a friend she met at the YMCA, CJ, to live in the cottages.  But when CJ's employer dies at a party where some of the Marigold residents are also attending, the gang is back!

This is such a fun series and I enjoyed more time with these characters, especially Mrs. B who is a hoot.  While it's mostly a cozy mystery, there's still a good mystery or two involved with lots of suspects to pick from.  While you could certainly read this as a stand-alone, the author doesn't spend a lot of time on the characters' back stories, so I'd recommend starting with the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective for extra fun.  I liked how this book moved the characters' relationships further along.  The narration was great and I mostly listened to this one.  Looking forward to more in this series!

8.14.2026 - A Killer Plot

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for gifting me a digital ARC of the second book in the Jane Hepburn Mystery series by E.C. Nevin.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

After solving the murder of her literary agent at last season's crime book festival, Jane has received an invite to a coveted book party in London.  She'll get to reconnect with her friends, Daniel and Natasha, whose debut novel was to be the star of the night.  Instead, Jane once again finds a dead body.  And then another.  The trio must work together to see if they can solve these crimes.

This is a fun, cozy mystery series set in the world of authors, books, publishing so of course I love it!  While you could read this as a stand alone, it's much more fun to start at the beginning, especially since another book will be coming.  While it may be cozy mystery, it's not one that I had any clue to the perpetrator, so it was fun from beginning to end.  The three main characters are of different ages and backgrounds, but are there for each other no matter what.  Carve some time out and read this one - I'm anxious for book 3, please!

8.12.2026 - Stay Buried

 Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest horror/thriller by Jennifer McMahon.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

In 1919, Frankie is working with her uncle, the town doctor, when a mysterious illness strikes the town.  The community suspects supernatural forces and blame the town's knackerman, a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts.  In 2016, Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother suddenly two years ago.  When their grandmother dies, she leaves them with many questions as well as a property in Boone's Ferry, Vermont.  The two set out to investigate the town.

Jennifer McMahon has once again gifted us with such a creepy story and intriguing characters.  I was so involved in both timelines, whose chapters always seemed to end with a cliffhanger, and I was desperate to get back to each setting.  The Knackerman was such a creepy character in both timelines.  What I truly loved was the strong women in this book, women who stuck to their guns, even when they knew it wasn't going to end well for them.  Even little Mini was a superstar.  But that ending - mind blown.  If you love a dark, historical twist to your scary reads, this one is definitely for you!

8.12.2026 - A Thousand Little Goodbyes

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Lucy Gilmore.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Chrissie and Scarlett have been best friends since they met at a hospital when they were both young.  Their friendship has endured throughout the years, and they finally get the chance to take the cross-country road trip they've been wanting to do for a long time.  They plan on stopping at only small hotels and at every weird roadside attraction along the way.  But life is always there to throw a curve.

I'm a fan of Gilmore's books and this was another emotional read.  The friendship between the two women was strong, even with very different personalities.  There was a bit of melodrama in it and I saw the plot twists coming, but I still thoroughly enjoyed being a quiet passenger along for this road trip.

8.10.2026 - Under the Falls

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Richard Russo.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Tyler Sinclair left Stone Mountain at 18 with no plans of returning.  Now, he's the famous frontman of a band called Stone Mountain, and he's returning to his hometown for the first time for a benefit to support his friend, Doc.  The concert doesn't go as planned and things go terribly wrong afterwards.  

After I read the prologue of this book describing Upstate NY, I was sold.  Okay, I think the internet folks have said that this book has some questionable events and might well have been better suited to the TV series it was first imagined for.  But I still thoroughly enjoyed it and could easily overlook the supposed flaws.  Because it was still an interesting story, with morally gray characters and behaviors, in a setting that doesn't always allow for more.  I'd bet it would make a really good TV series too.