11.10.2026 - The First House

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Summit Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Avni Doshi.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.25 stars!

A husband tells his wife that he is leaving, that he was never happy.  A wife is left behind in their house with their two children.  She also has a complicated relationship with her family.  What happens to her next?

Told from the POV of an unnamed narrator, the wife, this is the story of a marriage gone wrong.  It's the story of that woman's fight to make a new life for herself and her children, taking back control that she gave to her husband and earlier, to her parents.  I loved the analogy of the cicadas' life cycle as compared to her becoming a new version of herself.  There's lots of info about astrology too and how people can let predictions control their lives.  It was a very reflective book, and I felt like I was inside the narrator's brain as she contemplates her life.

11.8.2026 This Jury is Guilty

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Laurie Blake.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Ripped out of the headlines, high profile Hollywood actor Danny Scott is accused of trying to murder his wife, actress Hope Harrison.  Twelve sequestered jurors must decide Danny's fate.  But even a jury has its secrets.

I'm always up for a good legal thriller, and this one turns the spotlight on the jury, because all of them are lying.  It takes the reader behind the scenes into the juror machinations, as they try and control each other's votes as well as the jury makeup itself.  It's told from many different POVs so you begin to understand where each is coming from and hopes to achieve.  I was glued to the pages to see just how it was all going to come out - and it was worth the wait for that ending!  Wonderful debut novel that has me anxious for more from this author!

11.7.2026 - The Party in the Woods

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of the new book by Fiona McPhillips, narrated perfectly by Conor Dunne  and Emer Heatley.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Twenty years ago, an illegal rave in the woods resulted in one of their group going missing, and DJ Annie gave up that life for good.  Now, married and the mother of two children, her friend group reunites when remains are found, presumed to be that of Sean.  It's starting to appear that someone in their group had something to do with his death, and may do anything to keep it hidden.

Told in two different timelines and from the POV of both Annie and Moe, one of her friends, we gradually learn what happened long ago at that party.  But everyone only knows part of the story.  Meanwhile, we also learn just how that party changed Annie and their group forever.  Everyone is carrying a lot of guilt and questions and everyone is suspect.  There are a lot of bad decisions here (youth and drugs are a bad combination), but I still felt for many of these characters, especially Annie.  The narration of the audiobook was wonderful - loved having both a male and female narrator plus those gorgeous Irish accents!

11.6.2026 - Bad Company

 

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 stand-alone novel by Sara Paretsky, with the audiobook narrated by Eliza Foss.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Lily appears to be an ordinary 70-something retiree, single and living in Chicago, but she has quite the past as a former CIA operative.  She's happy in her current life until she receives an anonymous package containing a magazine story with a previously unknown picture showing Lily in the background of a sacred women's ritual in Hayalistan, a former USSR territory.  Lily is determined to find out who's behind this.  Word of her investigation reaches the CIA and they know they must silence her, but Lily is more determined.

I love seeing strong, powerful older women in books now, and this one differed from many in that there were no cute, cuddly attributes related to Lily.  She's just tough and steel minded no matter her age or physical condition.  I appreciated all her volunteer activities as well, using what she learned as an operative to help the younger generation.  This story has a lot going on - political, moral, environmental - all wrapped up in a spy thriller.  It moved a bit slowly for me at times, maybe because my brain is on political overdrive at the moment.  I alternated listening and reading this book and thought the narrator did a wonderful job.

11.5.2026 - The Heights

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing | Cardinal for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Ian Rankin.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 3.75 stars rounded up!

The Heights, a luxurious apartment complex in London, has it all.  It caters to the uber-wealthy who don't appreciate their privacy being interrupted by a murder investigation.  

I liked the Only Murders in a Building vibe of this one, and DS Gillian Gish was a great character.  For whatever reason, I had some trouble keeping track of all the different characters, most of who had motives to kill the concierge.  It's definitely thought provoking on how the 1% live, and their portrayed expectations.  It was a big of a slow read for me, especially since I typically love police procedurals, but I'd be anxious to read more books starring Gish!

 

11.5.2026 - The Brightness

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for gifting me a digital ARC of the follow up to The Art of Fielding, by Chad Harbach.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

We follow Pella and Irma in the years after Westish College and into their adult lives.  Pella is engaged to Mike, and helping her best friend plan his wedding on Block Island.  But things go wrong, and Pella soon finds herself trying to start a new life in NYC.  Meanwhile, Irma's involvement in a political prank has gone viral.

I read The Art of Fielding when It came out forever ago, and while I don't remember much, I appreciate how that book appears in this book in a unique way.  You certainly don't have to have read it to read this one.  This has a lot going for it, and at almost 700 pages, probably too much.  I liked seeing how these young women tried to invent and reinvent their adult lives, and how their friendships changed.  There are certainly many relevant themes, although in a period before #MeToo, so some of the happenings feel extra cringey.  It's very character driven and I enjoyed my time with them.

11.3.2026 - Madeline McKnight Signs Off

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster | Atria Books for gifting me a digital and physical ARC of the debut novel by Evan Brooke.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Madeline is dying.  Once a powerful figure on Wall Street, she still uses pie charts, line graphs, and predictive formulas in her life.  Madeline knows she's going to need help, so she presents her goddaughter, Bri, an offer she can't refuse.  Bri, the daughter of Madeline's estranged best friend, is struggling with debt to finish nursing school.  Bri isn't expecting Madeline's feistiness nor her plans for the future.  Can Madeline make things better before it's too late?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all its snarky humor while dealing with some serious subjects.  Madeline was treated horribly in her past and that has fueled her behaviors.  But she has regrets too and a desire to leave things better.  There are just wonderful characters here, including Madeline's male friend, Lee, and Hopie, the dog.  Some of my favorite parts were Madeline's musings in between alternating POV chapters.  You'll also learn a lot about Hetty Green, known as the Witch of Wall Street, the richest woman at the turn of the 20th century.  On a personal note, I liked all the NE Ohio references.  Wonderful debut - looking forward to more from this author!