2.18.2026 - Evil Genius

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio | Ecco for gifting me an audio ARC of this wonderful book by Claire Oshetsky, narrated by Kimberly Farr.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

It’s 1974 in San Francisco and 19-year-old Celia Dent phone company employee keeps telling herself how lucky she is to be married to Drew, a man who says he loves her. But Celia’s contentment with her little life is shattered when a woman she knows is murdered in a love tryst gone awry.  Celia wonders just what that would be like to feel so passionately.  Soon, her thoughts become darker.

This was a new-to-me author and I just loved this book - genius indeed!  I'm sure it says something about my personality, but I just love dark, sharp humor in a book.  Plus, this one was so nostalgic, taking the reader back in time when working for the phone company was considered a lifetime job.  And not cellphone companies back then to be sure!  It was a different time for women specifically, and we see Celia growing in her desires for a better life.  Celia is such a great character and I loved to see her grow and change.  The narration was fabulous - wildly entertaining!

2.17.2026 - So Old, So Young

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster | Gallery Books | Scout Press for gifting me a digital ARC of this novel by Grant Ginder.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Six Friends.  Five Parties.  Twenty Years.  Six college friends come together at five parties over twenty years - what changes, what stays the same?  

While this is a story about the millennial generation, anyone can relate to looking back over your life, wondering how this decision or that brought us to where we are, and whether that's for the best or not.  No matter how hard we try, maintaining close friendships and relationships over a long period of time isn't always easy or possible.  I liked how this book was laid out - from the present in the prologue, to going back to that first college party, then moving forward.  We hear from the POV of the different characters who sometimes view the same happenings very differently.  This is a very character-driven novel, and some characters are more likable than others, but it's hard to overlook the themes we all face as we look back at how young we were, yet how old we felt then, and how old we are now.

2.17.2026 - When I Kill You

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by B.A. Paris, with the audiobook narrated perfectly by Georgia Maguire.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Nell has escaped her past by moving to London.  She’s now in a new relationship with Alex, frustrated only by the fact that she doesn’t see him enough.  However, she also feels that she’s being watched and is convinced that she didn’t really escape her past, and that someone is out for her.  Told through past timelines as well as from journal entries, we learn just what happened in the past to make her so afraid.

I’m a fan of this author and this was another good thriller.  I do have to say that Nell was so frustrating as a character because she kept making dumb decisions and putting herself in dangerous situations.  It was like a slasher movie where you’re screaming at the girl not to go into the basement!  But that didn’t keep me from racing through the book to see how it was all going to work out.  I alternated between reading the digital copy and listening to the audiobook so that I could figure it out, which I never did!  This is a tense thriller that will have you doublechecking to make sure you aren’t being followed.  The audiobook production was great, and Georgia Maguire once again was pitch perfect.

2.17.2026 - Good Daughtering

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dey Street Books, and Harper Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this important book by Allison M. Alford, PhD, with the author also narrating the audiobook.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

The place of daughters in families is something that is not really thought about - until it is.  I think this is an important book, although it will hit every woman differently based on where they are on life’s spectrum.  I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the kinship shift throughout our daughtering life and as our parents age.  When I started this book, I was at the end of that spectrum caring for an elderly mother, so those portions were more impactful for me personally.  I have two brothers who were more than happy to let me take care of all parts of her care.  She just died and now I'm dealing with all the paperwork myself too.  These are roles that the daughter (or typically the elder daughter) seem to inherit without question.  Thoughtful, well researched, and a very valuable read.

2.16.2026 - How to Get Away With Murder

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut book by Rebecca Philipson, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Michael Geary and Tamsin Kennard.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

DI Sam Hansen has been on a mental health break suffering from PTSD when a 14-year-old girl is murdered in a local park.  She jumps at the chance to prove she's still Scotland Yard's most successful homicide detective.  One of the only leads is a copy of a self-help book found in the victim's backpack called How to Get Away with Murder by Denver Brady.  Brady claims to be the most successful serial killer of all time and details his methods and victims.  

Wow - what a creative and well-written debut!  The story plays out in alternating chapters between the investigation into the murder and Sam reading the how-to book a chapter at a time.  This book-within-a-book guide to murder is filled with dark humor and nothing too gory, which blends perfectly with the more serious police procedural chapters.  Sam is a great, relatable character and her interactions with both her trainee, Taylor, and her found dog, Toni, were an added bonus.  And the ending?  Chef's kiss!  Plus the narrators were great - Geary's voice was perfectly creepy, while Kennard does her normal great job voicing Sam.  Can't wait to read more from this author!

2.16.2026 - Adrift

 

Many thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster | Atria Books | Emily Bestler Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by a favorite, Will Dean.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.  I've never rated his books lower than 5 stars and this one is no exception - 5 shining stars!

Peggy and Dean live on an isolated and run-down canal boat with their teenage son, Sampson.  Dean was once a promising author and still works on his craft every night, requiring his family to be completely silent while he does so.  Peggy is not allowed to work, but volunteers at the local library where she works on her own novel in secret.  Sampson is bullied relentlessly at school, and his home life is full of tension.  Soon things come to a boiling point.

Will Dean has done it again - I sped through this book with my heart in my throat the entire time.  The tension and fear drip off every page and I felt all the emotions along with the characters.  The control and isolation inflicted by Dean onto the family is complete - they are at his mercy for whatever scraps he offers.  Told in the alternating POV of Peggy and Sampson, we get a first row seat to the gaslighting and abuse.  It's raw, real, emotional and you won't be able to look away.  Very highly recommended!

2.15.2026 - A Killer Guest List

 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Sarah Bonner. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

The invitations come in the mail for the "Murder on the Moors" weekend at a luxury country house in Dartmoor.  Sadie has attended for the past 50 years; this year she's bringing her goddaughter.  Cassie and her wife are attending for the first time, hoping to relax at the luxurious setting, even though it's also sort of a work trip.  But this year someone new has taken over the murder mystery event and things are going to get very interesting.

I love a locked room mystery and a weekend set in a wonderful location revolving around solving a murder mystery definitely fit the bill.  Told from alternating POV between Sadie and Cassie, there are quite a few characters to keep track of, and twists and turns galore.  Sadie is an older woman who has lots of secrets, so she was a fascinating character.  Was it over the top?  Sure, but it was definitely fun and entertaining while letting you ponder the differences between justice and revenge.