I love to read, recommend books and open the world of reading to others. I tutor to ensure that the next generation of readers will know the joys of a good book because their reading skills have improved. I am an avid reader, especially of mysteries and fiction. I believe that two of the world's greatest inventions were the public library and eyeglasses!
Jo Callaghan’s first novel was easily one of my favorite crime stories of 2024. All of the elements that made me love that book are back in Leave No Trace, the second in this series. These include characters with depth (and backstory), a plot that keeps the pages turning, and the use of a unique sidekick to detective Kat Frank.
AIDE is an AI created detective. Through a hologram, he looks very real. His thoughts, although at times concrete because of a lack of understanding of nuance, are often key to the case. It has been enjoyable to watch the “relationship” between Kat and AIDE evolve. That is just one of the joys of the series.
This time, Kat has asked for a “live” as compared to historical case. The one that she is given is rather grim. A man has been found at the top of a local landmark and he has been gruesomely murdered. The case will lead to fear and warnings to young men.
Readers know that the case will be solved. The enjoyment is in watching how the team accomplishes this.
Kudos to the author. I am already eager for book three.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
A Twist in the River is the fourth book in Stig Abell’s series about a former London detective who now lives pretty much off the grid. I have enjoyed all four. The earlier titles are Death Under a Little Sky, Death in a Lonely Place and, The Burial Place. (the three earlier titles are reviewed on my blog).
A bit of background: a relative left Jake a property in the country. It is large enough that it has many physical features, all of which are named for fictional detective characters. For example, there are the Agatha (Christie) Wood and (Raymond) Chandler Lake and (Nero) Wolfe Orchard. Other literary and crime fiction references also appear in the book. Jake is meant to not use modern technology as a condition of having the property. He does listen to a lot of music though and readers will find a helpful playlist at the end of the story.
Now that he is in Book Four, there are many characters to get to know or to welcome back. There are Livia and her daughter, a local detective, Aletheia and Martha whom Jake knows from his former work in the police and many others.
This time, young women are being found dead in the water. What connects them? Were they murdered or could it have been accidental? (Readers can guess the answer). All is revealed in a long and satisfying good read that also has some subplots.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 23 June 2026 or 24 March 2026. The dates conflict but it is out now so the March date is probably correct.
Post first published on 11 May 2026.
Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
351 pages
Note: At the time of this posting, this title is available on Kindle Unlimited for those who subscribe.
Description:
from the publisher
Former London detective Jake Jackson finds his new life in the country threatened when women start disappearing in this beautifully written and deeply immersive novel that will challenge even the most diehard mystery lover’s deductive skills.
A beautiful summer’s day
When young nurse Claire Davidson goes missing on the riverbank, the only clues left behind are her phone and shoes.
A mystery that sweeps the nation
People disappear all the time, but this case sparks an online frenzy. Amateur investigators descend on the rural idyll. Everyone has a theory. Is Claire Davidson just the story of a swim that went wrong, or could there be truth to the conspiracies?
A killer growing bolder
But when another woman is discovered dead in the river, signs point to murder. Jake Jackson, a former detective who came to the countryside searching for peace, must investigate before more lives are taken.
Editorial Reviews and author info:
from Amazon
“A leisurely whodunit wrapped in a loving homage to the bucolic life.” ⎯ Kirkus Reviews
“What a gorgeous read. It has the halo of an instant classic. This is a deep, searching novel, as preoccupied with human nature and ordinary evil as it is with detection.” – AJ Finn, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the Window, on Death Under a Little Sky
“What a joy to spend time with these characters again! An immersive, intelligent delight with huge atmosphere and heart. My favourite new crime series.” – Lucy Foley on Death in a Lonely Place
About the Author:
Stig Abell believes that discovering a crime fiction series to enjoy is one of the great pleasures in life. His first novel, Death Under A Little Sky, introduced Jake Jackson and his attempt to get away from his former life in the beautiful area around Little Sky, followed by Death in a Lonely Place and The Burial Place. Stig is absolutely delighted that there are more on the way. Away from books, he presents the breakfast show on Times Radio, a station he helped to launch in 2020. Before that he was a regular presenter on Radio 4’s Front Row and was the editor and publisher of the Times Literary Supplement. He lives in London with his wife, three children and two independent-minded cats called Boo and Ninja (his children named them, obviously).
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.
Spoiler below:
I do think that the complexity of adoption could have been given more importance in this book. A character discovers they were adopted and very little attention is given to this reveal and its impact. I also think that the birth mother in the story was described in some stereotypical and negative ways.
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.
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.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 