Welcome back Phryne and Dot! A new novel with these beloved characters is always cause for rejoicing. This time, Phryne and Dot make their way to a spa for recovering WWI soldiers. It may sound like a peaceful retreat but series regulars know that mayhem is sure to follow, along with a resolution by the end of the novel.
Readers who enjoy fashion, wit and spas are sure to love this latest entry in the series. After reading this, many will look for other titles by Ms. Greenwood or they may want to watch the Miss Fisher mysteries on Acorn TV. Whichever way readers choose to encounter Phryne, they can’t go wrong.
Also note the gorgeous cover of this novel. The artwork is magnificent and Miss Fisher shines.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
I am a great fan of books about books. A favorite of mine is The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, and I recently read Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. Aoyama’s lovely title shares with the others a love of books and reading, an acknowledgment of how books open worlds to readers, and an understanding of how self-knowledge and growth are fostered through reading. A bit like, Wait Until the Coffee Gets Cold, What You are Looking for consists of a series of vignettes about people who are at a crossroads. When they meet a very particular librarian, they may not understand why she gives them certain recommendations (a small felted frying pan, the suggestion of a children’s book when the reader was asking for books on Excel) but readers can trust that all will become clear and that the books’ borrowers will benefit. This book is one that reads in a deceptively simple manner. There is much to think about as well in these pages, however, especially about the meaning of work. This book would make a delightful gift for a book lover. It looks very nice in its hardcover version. Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
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!
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.
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
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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
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.-
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 