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.

8.10.2026 - Brimstone Hollow

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the 2nd book in the Annie Gore series, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Emily Pike Stewart.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Katie May's estranged father is one of Appalachia's last snake-handling preachers, but when she learns that he has been fatally bitten and a funeral held within 24 hours, she is rightly questioning just what happened.  She hires PI Annie Gore to take the case.  When Annie arrives in the small Eastern Kentucky town, she realizes that this won't be a quick trip and that someone is looking to stop her investigation.

Another wonderful book following her debut, The Witch's Orchard.   I loved heading back to the Appalachian Mountains with Annie in her beloved Datsun 260Z named Honey (BTW, my husband has a 280Z!).  Annie is the perfect PI - a tough, ex-Air Force investigator, with her own past to reckon with.  The small town atmosphere keeps the plot swirling with secrets and tension, and the characters all feel realistic.  I highly recommend the audiobook for both of these books - the narrator is wonderful and I will forever get chills thinking about her snake noises!  

8.9.2026 - Most Ardently Yours

 

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

Zoe dreams of being a romance writer, but her ex-boyfriend convinced her she wasn't good enough.  Now she's sworn off men except for fictional ones, and of course her favorite is Austen's Mr. Darcy.  She stumbles across a bookshop in London and the owner, Nick, refuses to sell romance novels.  When she finds a copy of Pride & Prejudice on a top shelf, she takes it.  But after reading from it, she realizes she has summoned Mr. Darcy to the present day.  Can he ever be as good as he is in the novel?  

I'm surprised that this one is not getting better reviews, because even as someone like me who is not an Austen superfan enjoyed it!  Yes, it's filled with magical realism but it's also filled with all those things that Freya Sampson does so well - found family, charming characters, and just a fun storyline.  Pick this up when you need an escape from reality that will surely bring a smile to your face.

8.9.2026 - When Lemons Give You Life

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for gifting me a digital ARC of the sophomore book by Anna Johnston.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Retired Michelin-star chef Griff Barlow has lost his appetite for life.  He's living in an aged care facility and decides to make himself one last meal - a lemon tart.  But the act of cooking brings a spark back to his life, and he's soon sneaking in the kitchen regularly, while trying to maintain a big secret from the staff and his sister, Lisa.  Lisa has her own troubles but feels brighter with a new man in her life.  Can these siblings make things right before it's too late?

I was a huge fan of Johnston's debut, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, and this book was similarly wonderful.  Johnston has a gift of writing about older characters that will steal your heart, while at the same time imparting wisdom into their care.  I fell in love with these flawed characters as they try to deal with many complex issues in the best way they can.  Of course. you have to suspend some belief, but that's the magic of fiction.  The story spools out between Griff and Lisa's POV over various time periods, giving the reader needed background into just how they ended up where they are.  I loved the compassion Griff showed to the residents and how he stressed their worth, no matter what.  Definitely something we all need to remember.  Be sure and read the author's note at the end.  

8.8.2026 - Sex on Murder Island

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for gifting me a digital ARC of the second in the Luella van Horn series by Jo Firestone.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.5 stars!

Marie Jones (aka PI Luella van Horn) finds herself on the verge of eviction when she gets a call that changes everything.  She's asked to find evidence of a woman having an extramarital affair.  The job requires her to go to Murder Island, a private island for the very rich just outside of NYC.  Then the suspected lover is found murdered and she soon finds herself in the midst of another crazy investigation.

This series is crass and crazy, but there's something about the snarky voice of Luella that has me laughing out loud.  These books are not for the delicate among us, but they are a riot and do leave me wanting more.  I liked that Luella gathered a few friends in this investigation as well.