Many of us remember Inspectors Morse and Lewis, both in books and in TV series. More recently Simon Mason has published a series that is once again set in the university and its environs.
Mason has a conceit in the series. The two detectives are both named Wilkins. There the similarity ends. Ray is Black, well-educated and immaculate in appearance. Ryan grew up in a trailer park and mostly wears track suits. Both have the ability to solve complex investigations.
Zara Fanshawe was a kind of “It Girl” who at times seemed to have it all. How did things go so wrong for her, eventually ending in her death? The Wilkins men are on the case although Ray may be tempted away by a high up police person named Chester.
There are a number of murders to be solved. There are the wealthy and down on their heels. There are interesting connections among people.
I find it very easy to recommend this title and the series. A fourth book will be coming out soon. I will definitely be reading it!
Julia Kelly has written a number of historical fiction titles that I have enjoyed. With A Traitor in Whitehall, she adds a murder mystery into the mix. The result was an absorbing read.
Readers learn early on that protagonist, Evelyne, has a backstory through her parents' relationship . She moves forward from this into managing her own life. When she is tapped by a friend of her father's to work in Whitehall, both in a position there, and also with an eye to reporting to an outside source, little does she anticipate all that will happen.
One of the women who works in the typing pool has been found murdered. Why? Who did it? Readers will try to figure this out even as Evelyne works with David, supposedly a Minister's aide, on the case. There are many suspects.
In addition to the well conceived plot, I also enjoyed the setting in Churchill's War Rooms. Readers are given a genuine feel for what it would have been like to work in this deep underground setting during the war years.
One thing that I struggled with a bit, however, was keeping all of the women who worked with Evelyne straight. I went back a number of times to remember something about each of them.
This minor quibble aside, this was a book that I very much liked. I hope that Ms. Kelly will add another and make this a series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.
When two misfits discover they’ve inherited the same beach house, sparks fly in the most unexpected ways, in this hilarious and heartfelt rom-com from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.
Free-spirited travel influencer Hannah Spencer has spent five years touring the country in her vintage van, alone save for her hulking Great Dane, Dude. Until an unexpected inheritance from her pops has Hannah thinking about putting down roots in Cape Split, North Carolina, where she’s the new owner of a worse-for-wear seaside beach house. Or, rather, fifty percent of one. Turns out Simon O’Malley inherited the other half from his gramps.
As Simon and Hannah spend the summer tag-teaming repairs on the crumbling cottage, they discover it was once home to a timeless love story. As their own relationship shifts from enemies to friends to lovers, they begin to wonder if the house’s romantic past might be a good omen for their future together. But there’s one problem—Simon is set on selling the property at the end of the summer.
For Hannah, the Split isn’t like anyplace she’s ever been, and Simon isn’t like any man she’s ever known—she doesn’t want to let this new life go. She just needs Simon to see their budding relationship and this newfound community in the same way, or their first summer share might also be their last.
About the Author
Jenn McKinlay is the award-winning New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
From the Publisher:
Library Journal notes that McKinlay “offers an ode to summers on the beach, small towns and love itself.
My thoughts:
I had heard of this author and wanted to give one of her books a try, so I was delighted to be offered a spot on this blog tour. Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for this opportunity.
This book has what readers are looking for when they want a bit of an escape. The setting, characters, romance, and plot were all well done.
I enjoyed this title. It could easily be added to anyone’s beach reads shelf this summer. They will enjoy time spent in Cape Split with Hannah and Simon.
We all know that life does not always go to plan. What we choose to do next can make all the difference. This is the situation that Jess is experiencing as this lovely novel opens.
Jess has recently faced some hard times that have made it difficult for her to trust and believe in others. She has been couch surfing at her best friend’s and needs a place to live. This is how she comes to meet Joan who is looking for a lodger.
This device puts one younger and one older person together as Jess rents a room in Joan’s house. Joan is doing this in order to liven up her life. Indeed many things will happen for both of these women over the course of the story. One of the entertaining ones for me was to watch Joan and Jess switch with Jess swearing off her mobile for old fashioned communications just as Joan learns about the internet and more.
Will Jess and her close friends be able to save a vintage theater? What role (for good or bad) will Joan’s son play in this? Will someone from her past get in touch with “Joany?” Will these characters find some happiness? Read this one to find out. It is just delightful.
Many thanks to Headline and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pip: There's a small town in England where the murder rate would alarm any serious urban planner — and somehow three amateur sleuths keep showing up to fix that.
Mara: That's the world joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews is reviewing today, with a new entry in a cozy crime series that layers a very personal mystery underneath the main investigation.
Pip: Let's start with what's happening in Marlow.
The Marlow Murder Club Returns
Mara: The question this book poses is double-edged — there's the public crime and then there's the private one, and both are pressing on Judith at the same time.
Pip: The publisher's description puts it plainly: "Two dead celebrities. One village full of secrets. Someone is killing celebrities in Marlow. First, it's a famous soccer player. Then, a bestselling thriller writer."
Mara: So the main plot is a blackmail-and-scandal web connecting two very public deaths, and the trio has to untangle it without their usual police contact — DI Malik is suspended, which removes a key resource exactly when the case gets complicated.
Pip: For a quiet riverside town, Marlow does have what you might call an overactive homicide calendar.
Mara: The review actually names that directly, comparing Marlow's crime density to Christie's St. Mary Mead — the observation being that small, pretty places in this genre carry an outsize number of murders, and that's part of the cozy contract the reader accepts.
Pip: And layered under the celebrity killings is something more personal — Judith's past is resurfacing through a daughter her late ex-husband had with someone else, who is now making accusations about what Judith may or may not have done.
Mara: That subplot carries over from book four, so readers who've followed the series will arrive with context, but the review suggests new readers will find the question compelling enough on its own: did Judith do something unforgivable, and what really happened?
Pip: It's the kind of thread that makes you pick up the earlier books after finishing this one, which is either a feature or a trap depending on your reading queue.
Mara: The review closes warmly — a genuine hope that Thorogood continues the series, which is about as clear a recommendation as a book review can offer.
Pip: Cozy crime keeps finding new ways to make small places feel dangerous.
Mara: And personal history keeps finding ways to complicate even the most public investigations. More to come next time.
This is the fifth title to feature the Marlow, amateur detectives Becks, Suzie and, of course, Judith. I have read all of them and also have watched the TV series. Now, I have just read book 5 which I enjoyed.
Book 5 picks up where book 4 ended. This means that there is a subplot about Judith and her ex husband who reportedly died from drowning. Judith’s husband had a daughter with someone else. This d.aughter is making accusations against Judith. Did Judith do something unforgivable? What did really happen? Those who have read the earlier books will want to know, as will some new to the series.
Around this, there are once again too many murders in Marlow. For a small, pretty place, it has an outsize number of crimes, maybe a bit like in Christie’s St. Mary Mead.
Celebrities have been killed. Why? Is there a common thread? Of course, the intrepid threesome will do their best to find out.
I look forward to a new book in this series and hope Thorogood will give this to readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 07 July 2026
Post first published on 22 May 2026
About the book:
from the publisher
Description
“Fiendishly clever!” – Kirkus reviews
The new cozy crime novel from the bestselling author of The Marlow Murder Club, now a major TV series on PBS Masterpiece!
Two dead celebrities. One village full of secrets.
Someone is killing celebrities in Marlow. First, it’s a famous soccer player. Then, a bestselling thriller writer. When two shocking deaths rock their quiet riverside town, Judith, Suzie, and Becks—the unstoppable Marlow Murder Club—must untangle a dangerous web of blackmail and scandal to catch a killer.
But with their trusted police ally DI Malik suddenly suspended, and Judith’s own past threatening to resurface, the women are on their own. Suspects are multiplying like tabloid headlines, secrets are stacking up, and time is running out.
Can the Marlow Murder Club crack the case before the killer strikes again—or will this be the end of their crime-solving adventures?
It indicates that by blog has been read in over 150 countries.
I could not add this to my widgets so asked for tech help. Hopefully all will be fixed but right now I have no widgets at all. I miss them, especially the one for 100k plus views as it means a lot to me that readers spend time with my posts. Will see where this goes.
Here are over 1400 pages of reading joy. Plus, this title is free for e readers.
I have been reading Buzz Books compendiums for more than five years. I love them as they are such a terrific resource for those who want to know about upcoming titles.
There is so much in here. A number of forthcoming books have generous samples. In addition, there are listings in so many categories. In fiction, there are debuts, literary fiction, commercial fiction and more. The non-fiction section is broken down by topics, every thing from biographies to current events to history and many others.
I rate this resource most highly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Publishers Marketplace-Buzz Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 19 May 2026
Description:
from the publisher
Dive into Fall/Winter 2026’s shiniest releases, curated by industry insider Publishers Marketplace to showcase both established voices and emerging talents across Debut, Fiction, Nonfiction, and YA categories. At the end of most excerpts, you will find a link to download or request the full galley—exclusive to the NetGalley edition!
Whether you are in the book industry or not, Buzz Books is the best way to sample a selection of some of the most buzz-worthy titles coming soon. Buzz Books Fall/Winter 2026 presents a cornucopia of deluxe excerpts, with new work from Freida McFadden, Eric Idle, Wayétu Moore, Elizabeth Alexander, Chloe Benjamin, and many more!
Scrolling through these digital pages, you will find extracts of new titles from the sumptuous South Asian romance by Uzma Jalaluddin, Dina Gets Lucky, to Chad Harbach’s much-anticipated follow-up, The Brightness, to a revelatory history of white Christian womanhood in the US, Live Laugh Love by Kristin Kobes Du Mez. There’s campy body horror from the star of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Heather Gay, a novella from the creator of Welcome to Night Vale Joseph Fink, literary fiction from juggernauts Louise Kennedy and Lydia Millet, and if the list went any longer we’d be writing a whole new book ourselves. Trust us here: the good stuff’s on the inside.
Buzz Books is our love letter to the books and reading community we adore, and we are glad you are part of building the buzz for great books.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 