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.
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
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.
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’.
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.
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
Expect the unexpected in this fun debut to, what I hope, is a new series by Tamara Berry. It offers some eccentricity, a good story line and some unexpected events, all within the traditional(ish) mystery genre.
Amber must be feeling pretty desperate. She leaves home in the middle of the night and, although well below age, escapes to a community for older adults. Probably desperate to go here and to meet up with a relative she doesn’t even know. And, what about that tortoise? Add murder to the mix and the story is on its way. Lucky Amber has had some PI training.
This title is definitely worth a look and seems perfect for these lazy summer days.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Kirkus Reviews says: A knockout series debut from a veteran author with street cred in both mystery and romance…Despite Berry’s breezy tone and drop-dead-funny japes at Seven Ponds and its eccentric residents and staff, she tells a heartrending tale of how complicated families can be.” ― Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
I have read so much historical fiction that takes place during WWII and its aftermath. This makes it easy to think that I could skip reading a new book set in that time period and you may think that as well but DON’T. Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary novel.
From its visceral opening scene in which collaborators are shamed and attacked on a Paris street, and right on through the novel, this is an immersive, engaging and intriguing book. Within its pages readers will spend time with Charlotte and Vivi, a mother-daughter who survived the war and came to New York. The book is told in seamlessly interwoven timelines; there is one in which Charlotte works in a New York publishing house and Vivi is a fourteen year old school girl and a second that takes place during the war in Europe.
The characters in the novel are each brought to life from Horace, in a wheelchair, to Julian to so many more. The settings are also evocative. Readers will feel what it was like to scrounge for food and to reconsider moral stands in the Paris of the war. Book lovers will also enjoy the inside view of the world of publishing in the U.S. that Ms. Feldman provides.
Early in the book, Charlotte is at a makeup counter where she is told that a certain product “will erase your past.” But, of course, the past cannot be erased. Should it be? Another provocative quote is when Charlotte says that she was not Jewish until Hitler made her so. What does this mean to her? How do we form identities? These are just some of the issues to ponder.
I give this book a solid five stars and highly recommend it. Readers will be drawn in and the novel will resonate with them even after they have read the last lines.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Short novels by Japanese (and other) authors are quite popular now. I think that they speak to our collective uncertainty about the time we are living in and our need to feel nourished and calm. Books like Hot Chocolate on Thursday are genuine comfort reads and I enjoyed this title very much.
In a series of interconnected stories, readers will find characters whom they will like, relationships, and some life lessons, all of which are delivered in a non-preachy way that resonated for me. For example, there is a story of a kindergarten teacher who does not follow the custom and comes to school with a pale pink nail polish. Something is discovered at the end of this vignette about the impacts that people have upon one another. A different story is about a woman who excels at work but feels that she is not a good mother. What does she learn about herself that she is able to carry forward?
I note again the connections among the entries in the novel. For instance, the kindergarten teacher shows up in a story about a young woman who is getting married. It was fun to read and wonder who would reappear.
I highly recommend this title. It brightened the days on which I read it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 17 February 2026
Post first published on 26 February 2026
Description
Across a bridge in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo, a seasonal cherry blossom sits on the river. Nearby is the Marble Cafe, where a woman writes in a notebook and a young waiter prepares her favorite hot drink. Both wonder about each other and about the other lives of the clientele who frequent this charming little cafe behind the trees…
Without even realizing it, we may touch and change someone else’s life.
Taking a walk along the river, cooking the best tamagoyaki, ordering hot chocolate, forgetting to remove our nail polish… The small, everyday acts that we do can lead to unexpected encounters, reverberate far beyond our own circle, and ultimately make a difference in the world around us.
Hot Chocolate on Thursday is a tapestry of slice-of-life moments that each open and close with a woman ordering her regular hot chocolate at the mysterious Marble Cafe. What happens in between will touch and swell your heart, as we connect with a community of untold unfolding lives.
From the opening map to the very last page, here is a delightful rendition of Winnie the Pooh in graphic form. The essence of the stories is here and the illustrations truly bring the characters to life.
I think that both children and their adults will enjoy this version of the Pooh stories. I highly recommend this title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter-Ten Speed Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 13 October 2026
Description:
from the publisher
Experience the idyllic magic of the Hundred Acre Wood like never before through this charming graphic novelization of A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard’s beloved classic, Winnie-the-Pooh.
Adapted by Kevan Chandler and Eisner Award-winning artist Joe Sutphin, this enchanting adaptation brings all ten original Winnie-the-Pooh stories to life with soft, captivating colors and sprawling scenes that are faithful to the heartwarming spirit of Pooh and friends. Follow along for an adventurous romp through the Wood as Pooh helps Eeyore find his tail, gets stuck in a tight space after eating far too much honey, tries to catch a Heffalump with Piglet, joins Christopher Robin on an Expotition, and more.
Perfect for both new readers and lifelong fans of all ages, this beautiful graphic edition is a treasure to be cherished for generations to come.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 