Author: joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews

This title is published on 3 February 2026 and is highly recommended!!

#ThisBookMadeMeThinkofYou #NetGalley

I was so very excited when Berkley approved me for this title as I have enjoyed Libby Page’s novels ever since I came across The Lido. Picking a favorite book of hers is not easy but this one might just be it. It was sooo good.

This is a story for anyone who can imagine a tragic loss and the need to find a way forward. It is also for anyone who loves books. The intersection comes in this novel when the books lead to healing for Tilly Nightingale.

Not a spoiler because readers know this almost immediately, Tilly is a young widow. She desperately misses her husband Joe. He is very much a presence throughout this story.

Joe has left a unique gift for Tilly. Every month for a year, there will be a book waiting for her at a local bookshop. I do not want to spoil the fun by revealing any of these (real) book titles.

Each book leads to something for Tilly. There is growth through travel, for example. Again, I don’t want to spoil the reader’s pleasure by saying more.

For each month of the year, Page also has a list of books by topic. Readers will get some good suggestions in these.

Even though this title is predicated on loss, in some ways it felt like a fairy tale to me. Readers will hope for something of a happy ending by the novel’s end.

Meet Tilly and a rather special bookshop owner. Spend time with Tilly’s family and friends. Finish this book and start asking when will a new book by Libby Page come out?

I highly recommend this title. I loved it.

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

Pub date: 03 February 2026

Post first published on 15 December 2025

About the book:

from the publisher

A woman receives an unexpected gift from the man she loved and lost—a year of books, one for every month—launching a reading-inspired journey to live, dream, and love again in this glimmering and heart-stopping novel.

Twelve books. Twelve months. One chance to heal her heart…

When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago….

When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him.

At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.

Reviews:

“A beautifully crafted tribute to books, booksellers, and the transformative power of reading… Readers of all kinds will be captivated by this tender exploration of loss, healing, and the enduring connections that books create.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Page creates a cozy world that shimmers with whimsy even as she delicately explores grief… The novel serves as a reminder that books have the power to shape lives… The perfect cozy read for book lovers, sure to break and heal hearts.”—Kirkus (starred review)

About Libby Page:

from Amazon

Libby Page is a Sunday Times bestselling author whose work has been published in over 20 territories around the world. Before becoming an author, she worked in journalism and marketing. She is a keen outdoor swimmer and lives in Somerset with her husband and young son.

Other books by Libby Page:

#TheAccidentalRewrite #NetGalley

Milly Johnson is a writer whose books I always enjoy. Anyone who reads books by authors like Katie Fforde or Erica James, to name two, will most likely want to spend time in Johnson’s world.

Here is a story of reinvention, not all of it actually planned. Therein lies the plot.

Protagonist Polly wants to change her life for reasons that many will find quite believable. Maybe not completely believable is what happens to Polly when she leaves. It does make for a fun story though with good settings, characters and plot.

This is just a nice read, something that I really want these days and suspect that others do as well. Escape into this one and feel just a bit cheerier.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 30 September 2025

Post first published on 2 February 2026

Description:

from the publisher

From the Sunday Times and internationally acclaimed author Milly Johnson comes her charming US debut–a witty, heartwarming tale that combines the humor and charm of 1980s rom-com Overboard with classic British flavor. Dive into this remarkable women’s fiction novel and join heroine Polly on her hilarious, touching journey to rewrite her own story.

What if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

Polly Potter is losing the plot of her life. At work, her jerk of a boss is making her days unbearable. At home, she’s trapped in an unappreciated relationship with a man-child of a partner. She’s left completely drained by always putting others first. Amid this chaos, Polly finds solace in one place: the pages of her novel, where she shapes the world of the fearless and triumphant Sabrina Anderson, a character who embodies everything Polly wishes she could be. And thus a plan is born: Polly Potter is going to stop writing the life she wants and start living it.

Just as she makes her move–quitting her job, leaving her partner, and embarking on a road trip to start over–fate turns everything upside down. A wild turn of events leaves her far from home along the Yorkshire coast, in the hospital, waking up from a concussion, believing her name is Sabrina Anderson. She doesn’t know where she’s come from, but she feels she could heal in that seaside town, with the fresh air, seagulls, and a few kind strangers who take her into their lives. And into the heart of their joyful, boisterous Italian family restaurant–run by Teddy, the warmhearted son of her new landlady. When the restaurant is threatened, she knows she has the skills to help–and as her memory slowly returns, she must choose between Sabrina’s life or Polly’s. With her identity in question, Polly wonders: what if this new life could truly be hers? What if she could rewrite her story with a happier ending?

Previously published in the UK as The Happiest Ever After.

From the Publisher:

Also by Milly Johnson:

#BookPeople #NetGalley

Imagine a small village. It has a very traditional bookshop that has been in one family for generations. It prides itself on being serious and is run by a Darcy like owner.

Imagine that a new bookshop opens and that it is right across the street. It is run by an Elizabeth Bennett like young woman. She stocks all of the genre books that a reader might dream about. She also offers many types of meetings and activities.

Imagine also that there is going to be a book event that these two may need to both embrace. And…imagine sparks flying in what is justifiably described as a “spicy” romance title.

Add to all of this, a collection of love notes from the traditionalist’s great grandfather and a mystery woman. They refer to each other as H and C-Wuthering Heights anyone? They add some intrigue to the plot.

Mix all of thesetogether to find an enjoyable read that will appeal to its intended audience. There may not be suspense but there most definitely is fun in these pages.

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

Pub date: 28 January2925

#LastOneOut #NetGalley

Jane Harper is one of my favorite Australian mystery authors. As a recent article in the Australian Women’s Weekly noted, she and others including Dervla McTiernan and Sally Hepworthare having their moment. For me, a new title by Harper is always welcome.

The narrator of this title has the Australian accent that lends veracity to the narration. She drew me right into this story and its characters. I so wanted and dreaded finding out what happened to Ro’s son Sam who had disappeared. I was immersed in getting to know all of those around Ro including friends and family members.

Sam’s story is important but other events that affect characters in the story also very much draw the listener’s attention. This leads to a more complex work.

The setting of this book is an almost ghost town. The narration allowed me to visualize the landscape both in nature and as a place of vanished dreams and unoccupied homes.

Anyone who likes Australian crime fiction will, I think, enjoy this audio book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this title. All opinions are my own.

Release date: 14 April 2026

Description:

from the publisher

From the New York Times bestselling author of Exiles and The Dry comes a captivating new novel set in a modern ghost town.

Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains.

After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she’d become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn’t long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too.

But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam’s disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.

poisonedpen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/BN-Feb-26.pdf

The novelist Robyn Gigl picks her favorite courtroom dramas and legal whodunits — some of which may surprise you.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/books/review/legal-thriller-books.html

#MyFirst100Signs #NetGalley

Many adults now communicate with their babies using sign language. The author of this book begins by offering good advice about how and when to do this. I like that she acknowledges that every child is different and will begin to understand and sign in their own time. Her tips for approaching signing feel spot on.

Each one of the words featured in this book is accompanied not only by the sign but also by a cheerful and brightly colored illustration, making it an early picture book that a parent and child can look at together. Note though, that the author finds it helpful to pair signs with actions-for example, sign milk when giving a baby milk.

In addition to illustrating the sign, there is a written description of how to form each word. The words are organized alphabetically.

This book offers a good introduction to signing with a baby. I think that adults will want it in their library.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 21 April 2026

Description:

Help your baby “talk” before they can speak—with signs that turn everyday moments into meaningful connection. My First 100 Signs makes early communication easy and joyful with bright visuals and simple signs for everyday needs like “milk,” “more,” and “all done.” Designed for babies 6 months and up, this engaging book helps reduce frustration, boost bonding, and support language development—one sign at a time.

Start communicating with your baby—before they can talk.

My First Tiny Signs is a colorful and engaging introduction to baby sign language, featuring the most 100 most essential signs for everyday routines, needs, and connection. Designed for babies 6 months and up, this visual guide empowers parents, grandparents, and caregivers to help little ones express themselves with confidence—well before their first words.

Each sign is thoughtfully chosen for real-life use, from basics like “milk” and “diaper” to helpful expressions like “all done” and “thank you.” Bright, colorful illustrations and baby-friendly visuals turn each page into a picture-book experience that invites babies to look, learn, and engage.

Whether you’re supporting early language development, easing everyday frustrations, or simply bonding more deeply, My First 100 Signs makes baby sign language joyful, accessible, and part of the rhythm of your day.

#TheBackyardBirdChronicles #NetGalley

Many know Amy Tan because of her novels including the wonderful The Joy Luck Club. Here readers get to spend time with a Tan who wants to feel closer to the natural world. It is an incredible treat!

This title is in the form of a journal. I found it to have many insights and observations. To add to the gorgeousness of this title, the illustrations are by the author herself.

Those who already know Tan’s novels, as well as those who love birds and/or nature, and spending time with a wise woman, need to pick up this title when it is released.

Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor as well as NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 23 April 2024

#TheMurderatWorldsEnd #NetGalley

This book will surely be enjoyed by those who like “locked room” mysteries. The reason for the lock is interesting-it is that the Viscount of this residence wants to seal it off for safety reasons linked to his fears around Halley’s Comet. The comet was a huge event at the time and perhaps not fully understood, especially by the viscount.

Of course, a murder takes place. Two less than traditional amateur detectives are on the case. It is entertaining to watch them solve it.

Happily, it seems that this book is the first in a series. I look forward to what comes next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 06 January 2026

Post first published on 30 January 2026

From Kirkus Reviews:

The odd-couple intergenerational sleuthing duo is a welcome new arrival on the historical-mystery scene, with Stephen’s squeamishness about Miss Decima’s filterless fuming a mainstay of the book’s unremitting humor (Stephen: “I’d never heard language like it…and I’d just spent the last month sharing a bunk with a man called Filthy Mick”). A paragon of the locked-room historical mystery.

Description:

Knives Out meets Downton Abbey! Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo—an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian—hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world, in this locked-room mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ross Montgomery.

Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley’s Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom—every window, chimney, and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within… By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow.

All eyes turn to Stephen Pike, Tithe Hall’s newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn’t commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, eighty-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she’s been waiting for.

Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges, and rising terror to unmask the killer before it’s too late…

From the Publisher:

#TheBletchleyRiddle #NetGalley

I am quite happy to (very belatedly) bring this book to the attention of middle grade readers as well as adults.

Readers will be delighted to meet Jakob and Lizzie the siblings who have a lot going on in this WWII set novel. I found them both to be engaging narrators.

Among other things, the two are at Bletchley Park which was, of course, a very important place whose employees shortened WWII through their hard work on codes. What will Jakob and Lizzie contribute to the war effort? There will be puzzles to solve. In addition, their mother is missing. Is she dead? Kids will keep reading to find out how the plot of the story works out.

I loved the many extras at the back of the book so be sure to look. There are an historical note, Q and A with the authors, info on codes and more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group-Penguin Young Readers Group for this title. All thoughts are my own.

Pub date: 08 October 2024

Post first published on 29 January 2026

Description:

from the publisher

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A thrilling mystery and collaboration between award-winning and bestselling authors Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin! This historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother’s disappearance.

“Break out your Enigma machines! Sepetys and Sheinkin have written a thrilling World War II code-breaking adventure filled with ciphers, secrets, and spies.”—Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee

Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act…

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister, Lizzie, share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amid one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi’s Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.

The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother’s disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues that unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept?

From the Publisher:

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Two powerhouse authors collaborate on an enormously entertaining, expertly researched WWII novel with broad appeal…The authors successfully blend genuine suspense, sibling relationship issues, and humorous hijinks to create a tone both heartfelt and playful…Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz, this is an excellent fictional companion to Candace Fleming’s The Enigma Girls (2024)…Both masters of their craft, Sepetys and Sheinkin’s collaboration will draw fiction and nonfiction fans, not to mention a code-breaking coterie.”—STARRED REVIEW, Booklist

“Swift, snappy, and suspenseful storytelling.”—STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly

“An impressive joint effort between Sepetys and Sheinkin . . . With broad appeal to both WWII and mystery enthusiasts, this highly recommended title is a first purchase for all libraries serving tweens and teens.”—STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

“A master class in suspense…With its expert pacing and characterization and its careful delineation of historical and family stories, this is historical fiction at its best.”—STARRED REVIEW, The Horn Book