5.9.2026 - The Anniversary

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Alex Finlay, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Ari Fliakos and Brittany Pressley.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

In 1992, two 17-year-olds' lives are changed and forever intertwined.  Quinn is from the wrong side of town and is arrested after he tries to break up a fight.  Julies is high school royalty, who survives a brutal attack by the "May Day Killer" - a serial predator who strikes every May 1st in midwestern small towns.  Over the next decade, their lives are revisited every May 1st, as secrets unravel and the May Day Killer is still out there and hurting young women.

Fabulous!  I loved how this novel played out, forwarding one year with each of the main characters, slowly spooling out all the backstories and secrets they carry.  Their lives are very separate yet slowly veer together as time clicks by.  The tension was high throughout and I felt strongly towards both of these main characters.  Plus, the 1990s nostalgia was perfect!  The narrators did such a good job bringing these characters to life and the story was the better for it.  Another wonderful thriller (maybe my favorite?) by Alex Finlay!

5.8.2026 - The Mediator

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer, and Brilliance Publishing for gifting me a physical, digital and audio ARC of the new crime fiction novel by Robert Bailey, perfectly narrated by Ann Marie Gideon.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Max Ringo was once a star at an elite law firm.  Then a car accident left her addicted to painkillers.  Fresh out of rehab, she is making her comeback as a mediator, and is appointed to handle a high-stakes divorce.  But then the husband kidnaps her teenage son, Nathan, and tells Max that she either settles the case on his terms or her son dies.

This book takes place over three days, as the suspense and tension kept ramping up hour by hour.  Told from multiple POV, we get the backstories of what led this couple to divorce as well as all the power struggles involved.  .Max is a great character - flawed, but trying to do her best for herself and her son.   Her addiction was handled respectfully - any one of us could find ourselves in such a situation.  This is the first book I've read by this author, but I'm anxious for more.   I always like a good legal thriller and this was all that and then some - plus, it's the first in a series starring Max Ringo and I am completely on board for more!  The narration was great and I had no issues differentiating characters.  I enjoyed listening to it when I couldn't be reading.

5.7.2026 - Ash

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins | Mariner Books, and HarperAudio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut novel by Louise Wallace, perfectly narrated by Saskia Maarleveld and Natalie Beran.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Thea is a vet in a rural practice, called back from her maternity leave early.  But the animals aren't causing her to be overwhelmed, it's everything else in her life.  Then a weather event causes everything to change.

I loved this short novel but am so glad that I had the opportunity to both listen to it (and the fabulous narrators) and read it.  In between the story are "figures," mostly poetic type musings, and hearing them spoken added so much.  The weather event was eerily similar to the pandemic reactions (no toilet paper available!) and the dark ash falling on top of everything else in Thea's life was just so symbolic.  This is such a unique and powerful look at all the demands of being a working mom of very young children.  

5.6.2026 - Five

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this unique novel by Ilona Bannister.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

The narrator quickly introduces us to five passengers waiting for a train, and tells the reader that one is about to die from the oncoming train.  We are then introduced to the characters' lives to understand who they are and what has led them to the station at this particular time.  The time ticks down as the reader tries to guess which character will die.

Wow - this one was so unique and intense.  As you meet these unlikeable characters and learn their backstories, you begin thinking about which of them deserves to die, which will then have you questioning your own morals.  The genius of this book is first making you care about these characters and their foibles, easily putting yourself and others into similar positions.  It's so easy to judge others for their behavior.  I loved the format of the author/narrator talking to the reader, counting down the minutes, using dark humor and perfect plotting.  I couldn't put this one down.  

5.6.2026 - The Wish

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for gifting me a digital ARC of the new contemporary novel by Heather Morris.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Jesse is fifteen, but spending her days in the hospital with a terminal illness.  She just has one wish - a video experience of her life.  Alex is a virtual reality games designer and the one picked to make Jesse's wish come true.  

Heather Morris is famous for her wonderful historical fiction novels, but you can feel how important this contemporary fiction novel is to her, a reflection of her over 20 years of work in the social work department of a hospital.  She knows firsthand the impact that such a diagnosis has on the patient and family members.  While this book is sad, it's also hopeful.  One of my favorite lines - It only takes a moment to die; the rest of the time we're living.  While this was a very moving story, there are very important life lessons within.  

5.6.2026 - Dispatches from Grief

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Infinite Books for gifting me a copy of this moving memoir by Danielle Crittenden.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Danielle Crittenden received the phone call that all parents dread and none can prepare for - her 32-year-old daughter, Miranda, had been found dead in her Brooklyn apartment.  This beautiful book is both a tribute to Miranda and an honest portrayal of unimaginable grief.  She allows the reader to accompany her on the path of their family's after.  It's beautifully written and a wonderful companion for anyone going through grief - and isn't that all of us at various points in our lives?  Highly recommended. 

5.5.2026 - The Author Weekend

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest novel by Laura Zigman, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Gabra Zackman, Carol Monda, Joel Froomkin, and Emily Lawrence.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

This is bestselling mystery writer Faye Wader's first-ever fan weekend.  Everything is precisely planned by Faye and her assistant down to the smallest detail. What wasn't planned was the attendance of rival novelist Abby Schuss.  Faye thinks things can't get worse - until there's a dead body.

I'm been a fan of Zigman's work in the past and this was so much fun - I can't count how many times I laughed out loud at the antics.  Told from multiple POV, we hear from Faye, Jade, as well as her publisher, agent, and others.  The audiobook cast makes this even more fun and I so enjoyed listening to it.  It's a satirical (maybe?) look into the publishing world, where allegiances are only as good as the latest sale numbers, with the addition of a locked-room murder mystery.  Certainly not all the characters are likable, but they are ones that you will still be kind of rooting for because you can relate to their insecurities.  It's wild and the ending was pitch perfect.  A must read if you like your humor a little on the dark side!