2.4.2025 - The Secret of Snow

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this charming and heartfelt debut by Tina Harnesk.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Máriddja is quite eccentric, eighty-five years old, and facing a cancer diagnosis. She’s determined to keep the truth about her illness from her husband Biera, who is suffering from dementia, while also finding someone who can take care of him once she’s gone.  Kaj is a new transplant to the village, recently engaged to Mimmi, and mourning the death of his mother. One day, when Kaj unexpectedly finds a box of Sámi—the indigenous people of Scandinavia—handicrafts belonging to his mother, he unlocks something he never anticipated.

If you are a Fredrik Backman fan, you will love this book.  Set in Sweden, your heart will go out to this elderly couple with no family trying to survive on their own.  It sounds like it might be a depressing book, but it's anything but, because the author balances it so well with humor and charm.  Máriddja talks to Siri, thinking she's a friendly operator, and the ensuing conversations will have you in stitches, all the while understanding how technology can be so confusing to elderly people (I certainly feel that way quite often myself!).  Be sure and read the author's note on the story of the Sámi people.  Just a lovely book.

2.4.2026 - Good Intentions

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by Marisa Walz, with the audiobook beautifully narrated by by the wonderful Brittany Pressley.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4 stars!

Cady gets the call she never could have imagined; her twin sister, Dana, has been seriously hurt in a car accident.  Cady meets another woman in the waiting room who has also had an imaginable loss.  Cady soon becomes obsessed with this woman, telling herself that she has such good intentions to help her over her grief.

This is such a wonderful debut, so well-written and multi-layered.  It’s a story of grief on so many fronts, from grieving a twin, a daughter, a son, a miscarriage.  It’s also about grieving the losses that result from death, such as changes in family, relationships, marriages, and jobs.  And about obsession – how easy it is to get too involved to the detriment of all.  I liked the way the story spooled out – Cady talking to her twin, Dana, explaining all her actions since Dana’s death.  It’s eerie, unnerving and you won’t be able to look away until that surprising end.  Will be looking for more from this author!

2.1.2026 - We Were Never Friends

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for gifting me a physical and digital ARC of the latest thriller by Kaira Rouda.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Sorority sisters Roxy, Jamie, Beth, and Amelia have come together to celebrate the engagement of Roxy's son to Beth's daughter.  The location is a beautifully restored Palm Springs mansion. But the mansion is eerily similar to the hotel where tragedy struck during Spring Break 25 years ago, bringing all those memories to the surface.

As with all of Kaira Rouda’s books, this is a tense, atmospheric mystery, but this one has a locked-room premise with a touch of some possible supernatural feelings as well.  Plus, there’s that whole sorority sister thing – kind of mean girls grown up.  Be aware that there are only a couple of likeable characters – everyone has secrets they are hiding.  But it definitely kept me entertained on a cold day when I have a cold, and I was happy to be able to transport myself to California.

1.31.2026 - Blade

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing | Thomas & Mercer for gifting me both a physical and digital ARC of the latest thriller by Wendy Walker.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own!

Ana Robbins was a rising star in the ice skating world and, with issues at home, her family dropped her off at the renowned Palace in Colorado, an elite training facility.  Tragedy forced her to leave all that behind.  Now 14 years later, she's a successful defense attorney working with minors.  She's called back to The Palace to help defend a young skater accused of a brutal crime.  She claims she's innocent, but all the evidence points towards only her.  Ana's investigation brings up all the childhood memories she's tried so hard to push down.

As stated in her author's note, Wendy Walker was a childhood skating star, poised to make it big, when she decided to take her life in a different direction.  Her first-hand knowledge and experience shine through every page of this book.  It also feels very relevant with stories such as this in the news all too frequently.  Told in "Now" and "Then" timelines, we get a front row seat to all the trauma these young women faced, most without family guidance, and relying on those in charge to steer them in the right direction.  I was fascinated with the peek into the skating world, and the mystery was tense and suspenseful.  Wendy Walker has penned another great thriller!

1.29.2026 - Little One

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company, and Hachette Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this novel by Olivia Muenter, with the audio perfectly narrated by a favorite, Helen Laser.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 4.5 stars!

 

Catharine West seemingly had an idyllic childhood, growing up on a community-based farm that attracted others in need of a change.  But as she grew older, she recognized the darkness.  A decade later, Catharine has done her best to reinvent her life when an email from a journalist changes all that.  He wants to know if she is the same Catharine who lived in a mysterious cult in central Florida.  

 

Little One is one of those books that draws you in from the beginning, immersing you into Catharine’s childhood.  Told in alternating “Now” and “Then,” each timeline was gripping, but I also couldn’t wait for the next.  This will definitely make you think about the fine line between our “wellness” culture and an actual “cult,” and that ending – wow!  I was thinking about that long after I closed the book.  I also loved the audiobook version, which included different sound effects for voice recordings, for example, and Helen Laser was fabulous as always.

1.28.2026 - The Swamps

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Podium Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this novella by Seraphina Nova Glass.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Husband and wife team Ethan and Macy run a paranormal show on YouTube, but are hoping to grab a Netflix opportunity.  When two women disappear in the swamps in the bayous of Louisiana, they feel it's the perfect opportunity to do some real investigation to catch the eyes of the producers.  Along with their teammates Max and Tasha, they begin their investigation, but things are about to take a dark turn.

This was the perfect length for this spooky story.  It has it all - creepy cabin, alligator filled swamps, fortune tellers, an abandoned institution, and a church revival.  Plus, there are wonderfully sinister illustrations in between chapters to up the tension.  I was flipping the pages as fast as possible and finished it in one sitting.  Wonderful!

1.27.2026 - Missing Sam

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by the wonderful Thrity Umrigar.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Ali and Sam are a gay couple living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, both dealing with estrangement from their families due to their lifestyle.  After an argument, Sam goes out for an early morning run by herself and never returns.  Ali, a Muslim, becomes under attack on social media and in real life, and makes choices that make the situation worse.  Meanwhile, Sam is being held captive, trying to survive.

Umrigar has done it again, given us an emotional novel that explores so very many themes - racism, mental health, homophobia, family, religion - to name a few.  I was on the edge of my seat reading this book as the POV shifts between Ali and Sam.  It's a tense mystery but so much more, and the writing kept me glued and thinking about these characters each time I had to close the book.  The story felt extremely relevant to today's political and social environment, even though it was set in the time right before and at the start of Covid,  As someone who lived in a different Cleveland suburb for decades, I also loved the inclusion of so many familiar places.  I can't say too much without spoilers, but get this book into your hands now!