Month: December 2025

#TheInklingsDetectiveAgency #NetGalley

Anyone who has stepped into Narnia, or traveled with a Hobbit, or read stories by the wonderful Agatha Christie and/or Dorothy Sayers, will, I think, be intrigued by this book’s cast of characters. They are most impressive.

The locations and settings in this historical mystery were also well done. I enjoyed being in the clubs, the pubs, Lewis’s home and more. It was easy to imagine each of these places.

The mystery itself is fine. It is just not what most made me want to read this one. That said, I have hopes that this will be the start of a series.

Also, the cover is gorgeous. I wanted to read this one as soon as I saw it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Christian Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 05 May 2026

Post first published on 24 December 2025

Description:

from the publisher

J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, and other literary legends join forces to unravel a deadly conspiracy in this gripping mystery that sweeps from the halls of Oxford to the streets of London and the shores of Loch Ness.

In the streets of 1936 Oxford, dark forces are at play and members of a secret society keep turning up dead. After being called upon to help solve these murders, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and their fellow literary enthusiasts known around town as the Inklings trade their pens for magnifying glasses to catch this evasive killer. With time running out, they get a helping hand from mystery writers Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to help unravel a sinister web of secrets. Can they crack the case before the murderer strikes again?

Packed with historical intrigue, mystery, and a cast of literary giants, this novel is a masterful blend of high-stakes drama. Dive into a world where the creators of fantasy and mystery confront a real-life menace in a race against time.

Many thanks to everyone who has spent time enjoying books with me this year. It is wonderful to be part of a community of ardent book lovers. Here’s to more reading adventures in 2026!

#TheHunter #NetGalley

The Searcher…The Hunter. These linked and simply titled novels by Tana French are highly recommended. While The Hunter can be read without having read The Searcher, they are best as a pair (even if, for any reason, a reader picks up The Searcher second.)

These stories feel different from the author’s earlier Dublin Murder Squad books. I loved those and miss them but these two titles tell of new directions (and welcome ones) on French’s part.

Ardnakelty, the setting, a small, Irish, mostly farming community feels so real that a reader will believe that they could visit. It is a place with a population that includes some quirky characters.

Readers will get to know the most important characters well (although I think that some of the secondary characters sometimes were hard to keep track of). Among these are Trey. To me, she feels like a kindred spirit to Scout in Harper Lee’s book. Both have strong opinions and beliefs. Trey is a teen who has become close to Cal, initially despite herself. Cal is an incomer to Ireland. He has become a kind of mentor to Trey and their relationship has much meaning to both. Lena has become involved in a relationship with Cal though she does not want to marry. She also cares about Trey.

In this novel, Trey’s ne’er do well father, Johnny, is back from England. He has a grand scheme in mind. Readers can find out about this when the pick up the novel…and they should! How will Johnny’s arrival impact Trey who is just beginning to have some stability? Will there be a great deal of destruction?

This book, for me, was kind of a slow burn. I relished its pace however and was in no hurry to turn the last page.

It is very easy to recommend The Hunter. Its characters, setting and story are all memorable.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 05 March 2024

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/16/books/review/16TBR-AUSTEN-QUIZ.html

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/22/books/review/literary-trivia-quiz.html

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/books/bestselling-debut-novels-2025.html

I have been reading books by Erica James ever since her first, A Breath of Fresh Air, was published in 1996. An Ideal Husband is her newest release, having been published in 2024.

James writes stories that take place in attractive settings, feature characters with complex interrelationships and, generally, have reasonably happy endings. All of that is the case here.

This book has beautiful real estate including a well loved, family home, a refurbished lighthouse and more. I wanted to visit each of these places.

Protagonist Louisa and husband Kip have three adult children, in laws and grandchildren, all of whose lives intersect in these pages. Life seems good and Louisa is content. All of that changes, however, when Kip announces that he is leaving Louisa for their younger son’s ex. Definitely messy. Readers follow what happens to all of the members of the family, each of whom has their own challenges and faces loyalty issues. Will their be growth? Will characters remain stuck?

James looks over her characters with a sympathetic eye. She helps readers to understand how each of them has come to be in their present situation. Along the way the reader gets to know them very well.

This over page 400 book, kept me occupied during a bout of the flu. That seems like a good recommendation to me.

I look forward to whatever this author writes next.

Have you read this or other Erica James titles? If yes, what are your thoughts.

‘She’s so good, isn’t she? Wonderful on characterisation and family dynamics, and done very deftly, with wry humour’ Marian Keyes

The uplifting story of fresh starts and second chances from the Sunday Times bestselling author Erica James

🏡

After a long and seemingly happy marriage, Louisa is stunned when her husband Kip suddenly asks for a divorce. He’d never seemed unhappy – and they’ve raised three children together.

For months, Kip has been secretly seeing a younger woman – and if that wasn’t bad enough, it’s the woman who broke their youngest son’s heart.

Now Kip is moving out and embarking on a new life with Zoe, and Louisa is left to pick up the pieces. Their beloved family home, Charity Cottage, is up for sale, and tensions are running high.

Yet, despite the betrayal and anger, when Louisa lays eyes on what might be a unique and welcoming new home, she feels a first glimmer of hope that life might be taking a turn for the better.

And while Louisa is making exciting plans, Kip finds himself facing challenges of his own and begins to learn that living the dream may not be as simple as he thought…

🏡

Praise for An Ideal Husband:

‘So, so good … A deliciously satisfying story’ Cathy Kelly

‘I couldn’t put it down’ Sarah Morgan

‘A compelling family drama … Effortlessly elegant storytelling from Erica, as ever’ Veronica Henry

‘So warm and kind’ Fern Britton

I have been a huge fan of this series since the first, In the Bleak Midwinter, was published over twenty years ago. In that time, I have become very attached to Clare, Russ, Hadley, Keven and so many other folks who live in Millers Kill. Watching them grow and seeing their relationships evolve has been such a pleasure.

That said, this time I do feel that I need to issue a warning. In these pages, readers will find racism against Asians and Native Americans, anti-Semitism, domestic violence and many unlikable people. Know that all will be okay in the end but that this book may not be for everyone. It is the kind of read where one has to trust the author in order to keep going.

I admire Spencer Fleming for taking on incredibly relevant issues in these pages. The way that they juxtapose with the Christmas season backdrop shows both the worst and the most hopeful that there is.

This is another very strong entry in a strong series.

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

Pub date: 18 November 2025

Post first published on 22 December 2025

Description:

from the publisher

THE INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“Spencer-Fleming, in her most masterly turn yet, mixes heart-stopping action with deep empathy for her characters.” – Sarah Weinman, New York Times Book Review

New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming returns to her beloved Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series

It’s Christmas time in Millers Kill, and Reverend Clare Fergusson and her husband Russ van Alstyne – newly resigned from his position as chief of police – plan to enjoy it with their baby boy. On their list: visiting Santa, decorating the tree, and attending the church Christmas pageant. But when a beloved holiday parade is crashed by white supremacists, Clare and Russ find themselves sucked into a parallel world of militias, machinations and murder.

Meanwhile, single mom and officer Hadley Knox has her hands full juggling her kids and her police work. She doesn’t want to worry about her former partner – and sometimes lover – Kevin Flynn, but when he takes leave from the Syracuse PD and disappears, she can’t help her growing panic that something has gone very wrong.
Novice lawyer Joy Zhào is keeping secrets from her superiors at the state Attorney General’s Office. She knows they wouldn’t condone her off-the-books investigation, but she’s convinced a threatening alt-right conspiracy is brewing – and catching the perpetrators could jump start her career.

NYS Forest Ranger Paul Terrance is looking for his uncle, a veteran of the park service gone inexplicably missing. He doesn’t think much of an ex-cop and out-of-town officer showing up in his patch of the woods, but he’s heard the disturbing rumors of dangerous men in the mountains.

In New York Times Julia Spencer-Fleming’s latest novel, as Christmas approaches, these five people will discover their suspicions hang on a single twisting thread, leading to the forbidding High Peaks of the Adirondacks. As the December days shorten and the nights grow long, a disparate group of would-be heroes need to unwind a murderous plot before time runs out.

From the Publisher:

About the Author:

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING is the New York Times bestselling author of One Was a Soldier, and an Agatha, Anthony, Dilys, Barry, Macavity, and Gumshoe Award winner. She studied acting and history at Ithaca College and received her J.D. at the University of Maine School of Law. Her books have been shortlisted for the Edgar, Nero Wolfe, and Romantic Times RC awards. Julia lives in a 190-year-old farmhouse in southern Maine.-

Romance Stories for the Holidays

by Robyn Carr

An e book bargain

#HolidaysinVirginRiver #NetGalley

This book would make a perfect seasonal gift for a Virgin River fan who either has read some of the series or who has seen the Netflix show. Included are two novellas; they may have been published before so hard core fans might want to check before making a purchase. That said, this book is a treat. Included is a note from the author who talks about how Virgin River came to life as a place and home to its residents. Virtual Virgin River visitors will especially enjoy this I think.

Here is a book to relax with. Get a cup of tea or cocoa and indulge!

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

Pub date: 04 October 2022

368 pages

An e book bargain

 #TheMysteryGuest #NetGalley

Nita Prose’s first novel, The Maid, introduced the interesting hotel maid Molly. She will make readers appreciate the folks who do this work for their comfort. Molly was around murder in that book and history repeats itself here.

The murder takes place in the hotel’s newly refurbished and elegant tea room. The victim is a wildly popular mystery writer with a fan club. He was at the hotel to share an important announcement. Of course, he died before the speech and all of his cue cards are missing.

It turns out that Molly had a connection to this victim. She brings her unique intelligence and set of skills to figuring out what happened. Along the way, readers are treated to many of her aphorisms and get to enjoy her relationship with her grandmother among others.

I was lucky enough to hear the author speak at a mystery conference last year. She acknowledged the difficulties of writing a second book when the first was well received. In my opinion, Ms. Prose did a find job here.

Those who like a traditional mystery with an untraditional protagonist will enjoy The Mystery Guest. This book can be read on its own but readers who like Molly will probably want to read that first book as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was published in November 2023

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Heartwarming . . . Like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who’s rendered invisible because she’s an old woman, Molly and her grandmother are not seen because of the kind of work they do. In this affecting and socially-pointed mystery series, however, invisibility becomes the superpower of the pink-collar proletariat.”—NPR

“[Molly] returns in The Mystery Guest, which builds upon The Maid’s many charms. Prose peppers the mystery with sly jokes about the vagaries of crime writing, but Molly’s voice remains central and moving.”—The New York Times

“Molly is a singular character—she’s intelligent, unfailingly honest and the epitome of a professional maid—and readers will enjoy checking into the Regency Grand to follow her and her exploits.”—BookPage