Holmes, Marple, and Poe by: James Patterson and Brian Sitts

Publication Date: January 8, 2024

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

Crime! Murder! Who are you going to call?

In New York City, three intriguing, smart, and stylish private investigators open Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations. Who are these detectives with famous names and mysterious, untraceable pasts?

Brendan Holmes—The Brain: Identifies suspects via deduction and logic.

Margaret Marple—The Eyes: Possesses powers of observation too often underestimated.

Auguste Poe—The Muscle: Chases down every lead no matter how dangerous or dark.

The agency’s daring methodology and headline-making solves attract the attention of NYPD Detective Helene Grey. Her solo investigation into her three unknowable competitors rivals the best mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Edgar Allan Poe.  

My Review

Just like Patterson’s other books, this is a fast read. There are many mysteries that have to be solved in 352 pages, and they are. The only mystery that isn’t solved is who are these PI’s? What is their back story? Where did they come from and how did they get here? I enjoyed this but wanted to learn more about the main characters. I don’t know if theis will be a one off or another series but I would pick up the next one to see where it goes.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

i recieved this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: November 21, 2023

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

In this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh, a remote estate in New Zealand’s Southern Alps hosts a reunion no one will ever forget.

Seven friends.
One last weekend.
A mansion half in ruins.
No room for lies.
Someone is going to confess.
Because there should have been eight. . . .

They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago.

They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof. But when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.

As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost. . . .

My Review

I have to say that I was disappointed with this read. The twists were predictable and I only continued to read it to see if I was correct in my assumptions. I found it to be mediocre as a thriller.

I gave this book 3 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

A sharp-edged, supremely twisty thriller about three women who find themselves trapped inside stories they know aren’t their own, from the author of Alice and Near the Bone.

Celia wakes up in a house that’s supposed to be hers. There’s a little girl who claims to be her daughter and a man who claims to be her husband, but Celia knows this family—and this life—is not hers…

Allie is supposed to be on a fun weekend trip—but then her friend’s boyfriend unexpectedly invites the group to a remote cabin in the woods. No one else believes Allie, but she is sure that something about this trip is very, very wrong…

Maggie just wants to be home with her daughter, but she’s in a dangerous situation and she doesn’t know who put her there or why. She’ll have to fight with everything she has to survive…

Three women. Three stories. Only one way out. This captivating novel will keep readers guessing until the very end.

My Review

I have tried to read other books by this author in the past and they weren’t for me. I thought that being that this one had an intriguing premise and was not based on a fairy tale, that I would like it. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

I did not get on with the story at all. All of the characters annoyed me and the story-line was simplistic and not explained well. I did not care for the ending either.

I gave this book 2 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Publication Date: November 7, 2023

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

A Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek.

Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and secondhand books.

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.

What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

My Review

I love Viv. She is such an honest character. This was a great prequel story but I did like Legends & Lattes a bit more. This had more of the battle scenes that a fantasy story normally has, although it is still very much a cozy fantasy. I hope that we will continue to follow Viv and her adventures in the future.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Intern by Michele Campbell

Publication Date: October 3, 2023

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.

When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to help Madison or use her as a pawn? And why is somebody trying to kill her?

As the two women circle each other in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game, will they save each other, or will betrayal leave one of them dead?

My Review

This was an intense read. The characters were very realistic and their predicaments were believable. Judge Conroy as a character was executed flawlessly. Madison is put in the middle of multiple situations and is forced to make one crazy decision after another.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Description from the Publishers through Netgalley

From Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.

“Nobody does Christmas like Mary Kay Andrews.” ―Debbie Macomber

“Cozy up with Santa’s favorite novelist!” ―Adriana Trigiani

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Filled with family ties, both rekindled and new, and sparkling with Christmas magic, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS delivers everything Mary Kay Andrews fans adore, all tied up in a hilarious, romantic gem of a novel.

My Review

The first holiday book of the season! You can’t go wrong with a Mary Kay Andrews Christmas story. This was the perfect blend of rom-com, found family and childhood wonder. I loved the simplicity of the story and the warm feeling that it gave. A perfect holiday read. Of course, a little bit of inst-love didn’t hurt anyone at Christmas time.

I gave this book 4 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Publication Date: September 12, 2023

Description

Most people wouldn’t buy an infamous murder house to renovate for fun . . . but Sarah Slade is not most people.

“This debut novel deftly explores our shadows—the dark parts of ourselves we don’t want others to see. I couldn’t stop reading.”—Julia Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Writing Retreat

A therapist and self-help writer with all the answers, Sarah Slade has just bought a gorgeous Victorian in the community of her dreams. Turns out, you can get a killer deal on a house where someone was murdered. Plus, renovating Black Wood House makes for great blog content and a decent distraction from her failing marriage. Good thing nobody knows that her past is just as filthy as the bloodstain on her bedroom floor.

But the renovations are fast becoming a nightmare. Sarah imagined custom avocado wallpaper, massive profits, and an appreciative husband who wants to share her bed again. Instead, the neighbors hate her guts and her husband still sleeps on the couch. And though the builders attempt to cover up Black Wood’s horrifying past, a series of bizarre accidents, threatening notes, and unexplained footsteps in the attic only confirms for Sarah what the rest of the town already knew: Something is very wrong in that house.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. But as she peels back the curling wallpaper and discovers the house’s secrets, she realizes that the deadly legacy of Black Wood House has only just begun.

My Review

A haunted house story at its finest. I really did not know what to expect when I started reading this book but it had me hooked. I don’t think that I would ever purchase a house where someone was murdered but I understand the desire to own a house and being able to afford certain things. From the onset,we know that Sarah is struggling, in her maariage, in her career and with her self-esteem. I will not give any other details as it is best to go in blindly.

For a debut novel, this is a great fall weather read! I gave it 4 crowns. I would happily pick up future works by this author.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The September House by Carissa Orlando

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Description from the Publisher through Netgalley

“Why run from a haunted house when you can stay and ignore the ghosts? Just when you thought you’d seen everything a haunted house novel could do, The September House comes along and delivers an eerie, darkly funny, and emotionally grounded book about the ghosts that haunt houses and marriages.”– Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee. 

Margaret is not most people. 

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

My Review

This was a creepy book that had my face twisted in repugnance along the way. This is a haunted house story that has you questioning the narrator and her story the entire way through. Would you stay in your haunted house if it really only tormented you one month of the year? What if during that month, you were in grave danger; where there is dripping blood on the walls and the ghosts of past “residents” attacked you and wanted you to go into the basement where the Master of the house resides?

This was Margaret’s dream house. She came from a life of instability and was thrilled to be able to finally get a house of her own, especially one that looked the way this one did. Things were great at first but then, that first September, strange things started to happen. Was Margaret’s mental health deteriorating or did others see what was going on?

I gave this book 3 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Description from the Publisher through Netgalley

When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek.

“This is a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”—Jodi Picoult

“A brilliant, satisfying, compassionate mystery that is as much about language and storytelling as it is about a missing father. I loved this book.”—Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“I fell in love with the fascinating, brilliant family at the center of this riveting book.”—Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful

“We didn’t call the police right away.” Those are the electric first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing.

Mia, the irreverent, hyperanalytical twenty-year-old daughter, has an explanation for everything—which is why she isn’t initially concerned when her father and younger brother Eugene don’t return from a walk in a nearby park. They must have lost their phone. Or stopped for an errand somewhere. But by the time Mia’s brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father in this tight-knit family is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and cannot speak.

What follows is both a ticking-clock investigation into the whereabouts of a father and an emotionally rich portrait of a family whose most personal secrets just may be at the heart of his disappearance. Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut, Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing-person story into something wholly original, creating an indelible tale of a family who must go to remarkable lengths to truly understand one another.

My Review

What a beautifully written story. I loved every moment of the time I spent reading this. Angie Kim researched her materials so thouroughly that it showed in every word. The characters were relatable and sincere in their actions.

I will be thinking about this book for a long time. One of my favorites of the year for sure!

I gave this book 5 crowns.

I received this E-ARC from the publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

One Friday in Napa by Jennifer Hamm

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Description from the Publisher

A captivating story told in alternating perspectives a half-century and perfect for fans of The Dutch House and The Paper Palace, Hamm’s debut explores the pains and joys of devotion as two women learn the price of loyalty, the power of secrets, and the meaning of sacrifice.

Vene and her mother Olivia have always had a strained bond—even as a child, the word she used to describe her mother was “cold.” When she learns her mother is dying, Vene returns to her family’s home in Napa to see if she can nurture their neglected relationship, only to find Olivia as harsh as ever, seemingly unreachable.

Then Vene stumbles on Olivia’s old cookbook in which she discovers a passion within her mother she didn’t know existed. The clipped tone and quick judgments of her mother don’t match the young woman whose voice she finds between the pages—one that tells a story of romance, longing, duty, and aching heartbreak. Curiosity consumes Vene, and she embarks on an intimate journey to learn about the Olivia she never got to meet—before it’s too late.

About the Author

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jennifer Hamm graduated with a BA in English at UCLA and began her writing career developing screenplays for movies and television. As a travel writer, she has covered the globe on assignment for various magazines and brands. She also writes It’s Only for A Year, a long-running blog chronicling her adventures raising her four boys in two countries. Hamm currently splits her time between London and Los Angeles. Friday in Napa is her first novel.