Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

Weekly book lists of exciting new releases, bestsellers, classics, and more. The lists are curated by the editors of Kirkus Reviews.
— Read on www.kirkusreviews.com/book-lists/40-hottest-reads-summer-2026/

Browse the 2026 Thrillerfest Awards Nominees and Winners, and enter our sweepstakes for your chance to win select nominated titles!
— Read on www.criminalelement.com/thrillerfest-xxi-the-2026-itw-thriller-awards-and-sweepstakes/

See the full list of nominees and winners from the Mystery Writers of America’s 80th Annual Edgar® Awards.
— Read on www.criminalelement.com/the-2026-edgar-awards/

I first read a novel by this author during Covid. It offered just the kind of read that I wanted/needed at that time. I continue to enjoy Novak’s books which offer well drawn settings, interesting characters and enough plot to keep me turning the pages.

Readers follow three main characters in this story. The first is Charlotte. She married a pro basketball player who is a bit of an egotist. Should they be together? In addition to being a wife who tries to give her husband more than he may have deserved, Charlotte has published a first novel. She is suffering from writer’s block and has a due date for her second book when the story opens. Note that Charlotte will also learn something impactful early in the book. This is something with which she will need to come to terms.

Julian and Sloane are twins and long time friends of Charlotte. They each are at a crossroads. Julian has been given a medical diagnosis (not a spoiler as this comes out early in the story) and wonders if he will be able to continue as a landscape photographer. Will he and Charlotte become more than friends?

For her part, Sloane needs to make some important decisions in her marriage to Ben. One major issue requiring careful thought for Sloane is whether she wants to become a mother.

Charlotte discovers that she has a half sister in Italy. These three characters travel to Italy to meet Lilly and to discover what they want in life. The story takes off from here.

Readers will want the best for Lilly and these three. Enjoy this long novel as their lives evolve.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 April 2026

Post first published on 12 May 2026

Four stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

398 pages

Description:

from the publisher

An Instant USA TODAY bestseller!

A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start—and reveals secrets never imagined in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.

In the wake of her debut novel’s breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she’s scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn’t as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who’s been orphaned in Italy.

Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane’s charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn’t have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it’s a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she’s held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn’t—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.

More from Brenda Novak:

• The Summer that Changed Everything
• The Banned Books Club
• Tourist Season
• The Bookstore on the Beach
• The Messy Life of Jane Tanner

From the Publisher:

Description:

from the publisher

A fast-paced, all-too-real thriller featuring a mother and daughter caught in a global reckoning where family, loyalty, and power collide.

Alice Li, a first-generation Chinese American and former food blogger, has long lived in the shadow of her mother, Vivien Li— a Tiananmen Square dissident turned world-renowned human rights activist and passionate advocate for a free and democratic China.

When security and fire alarms go off simultaneously all around the world, setting off a panic, the signal is traced back to China. As world leaders scramble to respond, Vivien and Alice are called to the White House in hopes Madame Li can interpret the Chinese intentions. But why involve Alice?

If China isn’t behind the attack, Vivien warns, someone even more dangerous is pulling the strings. Mother and daughter must join together to overcome their estrangement if they have any hope of preventing global catastrophe. From DC to Ohio to Hong Kong, they work to prevent the next attack, along the way decoding an ancient legend and uncovering a secret language invented by women, for women.

The Last Mandarin is an electrifying study of absolute power and voracious greed, political terror and personal conviction. But it is also an intimate examination of choice, of sacrifice, of memory and myths, both cultural and personal. It is the story of a mother and daughter, as well as a compelling international thriller about the precarious balance of power across the world, and within a family. And what happens when both break down.

In a world ruled by power, even family can be a weapon.

My thoughts:

Eunice Wong flawlessly read this novel. She narrated the story and ratcheted up the suspense so well that I hated when I was called away from listening.

This narrator embodied many voices from a number of countries as panic circled the globe. She was especially adept at moving from Chinese to English when this was essential.

I highly recommend this audio version of Penny’s newest novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this listen. All thoughts are my own.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release date: 12 May 2026

Louise Penny previously wrote a thriller with Hillary Clinton. This time, she and Mellissa Fung are writing together and the result is electrifying.

The plot of this book is way too convoluted to fully describe in a review. I also would not want to give too much away as the story should be freshly discovered by the reader. Just know that there are a global set of extremely unexpected events, political machinations, a fear of what comes next that is palpable and people who are both good and bad.

The settings are very well described. Readers will feel that they are in DC, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and more as the pages turn. Readers will remember foods, tastes, smells, Xian soldiers, noodle shops, bakeries and a museum, to name just some of the locations.

This is a story of those who want to try to do what is right even when the odds are against them. Readers will watch as characters’ true selves become known for both better and worse. It can take time to know who is on what side.

In addition, however, this is a book about the power of family and other relationships and the immense importance of these bonds even when there are great challenges. There are sisters/brothers, husbands/wives, parents/children and bonds of brotherhood and shared beliefs. There are also relationships between world leaders. This aspect of the book, while perhaps not as thrilling, will linger with the readers.

I recommend this novel most highly. My admiration for Penny has increased again. Kudos as well to Fung whose fingerprint is everywhere in these pages.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 12 May 2026

Post first published on 14 March 2026.

Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description: This gives away some of the plot!

from the publisher

A fast-paced, all-too-real thriller featuring a mother and daughter caught in a global reckoning where family, loyalty, and power collide.

Alice Li, a first-generation Chinese American and former food blogger, has long lived in the shadow of her mother, Vivien Li— a Tiananmen Square dissident turned world-renowned human rights activist and passionate advocate for a free and democratic China.

When security and fire alarms go off simultaneously all around the world, setting off a panic, the signal is traced back to China. As world leaders scramble to respond, Vivien and Alice are called to the White House in hopes Madame Li can interpret the Chinese intentions. But why involve Alice?

If China isn’t behind the attack, Vivien warns, someone even more dangerous is pulling the strings. Mother and daughter must join together to overcome their estrangement if they have any hope of preventing global catastrophe. From DC to Ohio to Hong Kong, they work to prevent the next attack, along the way decoding an ancient legend and uncovering a secret language invented by women, for women.

The Last Mandarin is an electrifying study of absolute power and voracious greed, political terror and personal conviction. But it is also an intimate examination of choice, of sacrifice, of memory and myths, both cultural and personal. It is the story of a mother and daughter, as well as a compelling international thriller about the precarious balance of power across the world, and within a family. And what happens when both break down.

In a world ruled by power, even family can be a weapon.

From the Publisher:

Editorial reviews: This also gives away some plot details

From Kirkus Reviews:

March 1, 2026

What happens when an eminent mystery novelist collaborates with an award-winning journalist on a spy thriller? Pretty much everything you can imagine. While food blogger Alice Li is in retreat from her overbearing mother, famous Chinese dissident Vivien Li, in a restaurant bathroom, the alarm goes off. And not just the fire alarm, but every alarm in the city, the country, and around the world. Their triggering is clearly an act of terrorism, and the silencing of all those alarms, which comes as suddenly and inexplicably as their screeching, is anything but reassuring. Vivien spirits her daughter off to the White House, where Grant McAllister, the director of National Intelligence, informs Alice that her friend and fellow blogger Liam Palmer has just been fished from the Hong Kong harbor. McAllister and Alan Zhou, head of the China Mission Center, are convinced Liam knew something about those alarms, and President Fraser Pardington is determined to do whatever he can to prevent a sequel. He fails, of course, and the second act of global terrorism is even more disastrous than the first. All the president’s men and women initially believe the threat comes from the Chinese government, and Chinese President Chen Jiayang thinks the Americans might be behind it. Alice and Vivien race around the globe to track down the culprit, and what they find will knit together the fates of Alice’s family, the U.S. and China, and the history of the world as we know it. It’s just as exhausting as it sounds, but it may be the most ambitious spy novel you’ve ever read. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews (from a library site)

What makes for a: State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

A Novel

by Satoshi Yagisawa

 #MoreDaysattheMorisakiBookshop #NetGalley

Anyone who read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop will, I am sure, be delighted to spend “More Days” there. Here is everything that made the first novel charming-the narrator and her family, a number of quirky characters, the neighborhood filled with bookshops, and, of course the books.

Those who have not read the first book will be easily brought up to date though they may well want to seek out the earlier title. Both books are short and quick reads even as readers may wish they were longer.

This is a book for bibliophiles, lovers of Japan and those who like unique and quirky stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 02 July 2024

From the Publisher

The first book:

I would like to spend some: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (by Satsoshi Yagisawa)

#MahjongIllustrated #NetGalley

When I was growing up, my mother played Mahjong. The game moved swiftly and no-one took the time to explain what was happening. As an adult, I have only played Mahjong once. The other players were experienced and I was lost. Still, I have remained curious about this popular pastime.

This book was very helpful for me. It is a boon to a beginning player or anyone who needs a review of the game. This title is amply illustrated with diagrams as well as other illustrations. The tile pieces and goals of the game are succinctly listed in easy to understand text.

Anyone looking for a book on the basics of Mahjong should give this one a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 19 May 2026

Description:

from the publisher

The clickety-clack of mahjong tiles being mixed by a group of friends is one of the most soothing and distinctive sounds found across East Asia and, increasingly, North America. First developed in southern China in the early 19th century, mahjong – meaning ‘sparrow’ – is a fun and popular game that tasks you with solving a tile-matching puzzle before you run out of moves. Played by four people using 144 tiles, mahjong is not just a game of luck; it requires strategy, pattern recognition, and an understanding of the other players’ tactics. Mahjong Illustrated introduces this highly engaging and competitive game, which helps develop concentration and mental agility while at the same time building relationships and a sense of community. The book is divided into chapters designed for the beginner, offering a brief background history, with introductions to the tiles, rules, playing the game, and popular variants and competitions. Find out how to shuffle and stack tiles to start the game; learn the difference between a kong and a pong and how this can win you points; understand the significance of the honour tiles, including the four winds and the three dragons; and find out what ‘winning from the wall’ means to complete a ‘legal hand’.

An e book bargain today

When readers who have heard of Dorothy Parker think of her, they often imagine her at the Algonquin Hotel issuing bon mots. Sarcastic and seemingly in possession of herself, many envied her. However, this historical novel about Dorothy and some of her friends and acquaintances reveals that she had many reasons to feel unsettled and unhappy. The support of three friends helped her to get through.

Early in this novel readers learn that Dorothy is having trouble finding work. She is also having many difficulties in her marriage; her husband came back from WWI a changed (and unpleasant) man. Dorothy’s friends include Jane, a newspaper reporter; Winifred who is an actress and, Peggy who works at a magazine. They form a bridge group where they not only learn to play cards but reflect on life.

These characters are surrounded by many men. They include those who spent time at the Algonquin. All are men of their time and their treatment of women is often condescending.

Will these friends find their happy/happier endings? Find out in this well written work of historical fiction.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this title. All opinions are my own.

This title was published in August 2022.

From the Publisher

Sloane faced an unthinkable loss when her sister died (not a spoiler as readers learn this early in the story). She is engaged to a somewhat pompous fiance who has an over involved family and often make Sloane feel inferior. On top of all this, Sloane’s parents are not the easiest people.

Sloane escapes into her work as a librarian although that also has it challenges. One of these is an older gentleman who enjoys mentally fencing with Sloane. Will these two change each other? Will others also be drawn in? Readers may know the answer but will still, I think, enjoy this book. It gives voice to some of what is important in life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this title. All opinions are my own

This book was published in March 2023

From the Publisher