The best historical fiction of 2025 — so far
The Crime Brulee Bake Off
by Rebecca Connolly
#TheCrimeBruleeBakeOff #NetGalley
I recently read an article in Library Journal about the mystery genre. It noted that there are a number of crossovers within the mystery field now; one of these new categories is the combination of mystery and romance. That is what readers find in The Crime Brulee Bake Off. They also find murder and BAKING!
Fans of shows like the Great British Baking Show will want to pick this one up immediately. It is fun to turn the pages and feel a party to insider knowledge of the workings of the show and the feelings of the contestants. However, one thing that fans of the TV series have not seen is murder and that is where a twist comes in. I also don’t know of any romances that began on the show as one does here.
Fans of traditional crime with a budding aristocrat and baker relationship will eat this one up.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date:04 February 2025
From the Publisher:
A blog tour for fans of Australian set crime stories: The Housemate
About the book:
The Housemate is the new standalone thriller from the award winning writer Sarah Bailey
Dubbed the Housemate Homicide, it’s a mystery that has baffled Australians for
almost a decade. Melbourne-based journalist Olive Groves worked on the story as a junior reporter and became obsessed by the case. Now, nine years later, the missing housemate turns up dead on a remote property. Olive is once again assigned to the story, this time reluctantly paired with precocious millennial podcaster Cooper Ng.
As Oli and Cooper unearth new facts about the three housemates, a dark web of secrets is uncovered. The revelations catapult Oli back to the death of the first
housemate, forcing her to confront past traumas and insecurities that have risen to the surface again.
What really happened between the three housemates that night? Will Oli’s relentless search for the murderer put her new family in danger? And could her suspicion that the truth lies closer to home threaten her happiness and even
her sanity?
The author:
Sarah Bailey was born in Melbourne, Australia, and lives there to this day.
Sarah’s debut novel, The Dark Lake, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2017, and is a best seller in Australia, the USA and Canada. It won both the 2018 Davitt Award for Best Crime Debut and the 2018 Ned Kelly award for Best First Crime.
Sarah has three sons and enjoys juggling her family life, her full-time advertising career and her writing
Who might want to read this one? (Me!)
A great read for fans of Find Me by Alafair Burke, Not A Happy Family by Shari LaPena, Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner and, Mother May I by Joshelyn Jackson.
I have read and enjoyed other books by this author and plan to read this one soon.
Let’s Eat: Family Dinners
The Ultimate Cookbook (Quick And Easy Weeknight Meals for the Whole Family)
by Cider Mill Press
#FamilyDinners #NetGalley
Wow! This cookbook comes in at over 800 pages. That tells readers that it is absolutely jam packed with recipes. In fact, there are over 300 in all.
Begin by reading the short introduction. Next is a helpful inventory of kitchen essentials; these include everything from cookware to spices and more. And then the recipes. Categories for these include Weeknight Wonders, Comfort Classics, Hands Off, Around the World, From the Garden, and Elevated.
The illustrations made me hungry. The recipes look relatively easy to follow.
Try Green Shakshuka, Grilled Pork Loin with Green Goddess Pesto or Chicken Teryaki Burgers, to name just three.
There is enough variety here to meet many tastes.
Those looking for one book with many choices for meals will want to give this one a look.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Cider Mill Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 24 December 2025
What is life like for: The Manhattan Girls (by Gill Paul)-an e book bargain
An e book bargain today
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.
This title was published in August 2022.
From the Publisher
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
You will want to meet the Nosy Neighbors! An e book batgain
I am thrilled to be on the blog tour for the delightful new book by Freya Sampson who is a favorite author of mine. Many thanks to the team at Berkley for this opportunity.
About NOSY NEIGHBORS
Two neighbors-at-war band together to stop a dangerous criminal in their midst in this enthralling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Ticket.
Welcome to Shelley House: a historic old apartment building in the quaint English town of Chalcot where 25-year-old Kat Bennett and 77-year-old Dorothy Darling reside. Kat and Dorothy are notorious enemies—Dorothy sees Kat as prickly and unapproachable, a punk with pink hair who prefers to keep to herself; Kat rolls her eyes at Dorothy, a cantankerous senior citizen who can’t seem to mind her own business and spends her days sternly reminding everyone in the building to mind the rules. When Kat and Dorothy receive word that Shelley House will be torn down and replaced by new condos, and that all its residents will be evicted, they’re devastated—but they won’t miss each other, or even their acquaintances in the building.
But then, their friendly neighbor, one who has been a vocal opponent of the demolition, is attacked inside his apartment. Kat and Dorothy begin to notice strange happenings and even break-ins at the apartment complex, and it quickly becomes apparent that trouble is afoot. The odd pair must work together to figure out who is behind the crimes at Shelley House before anyone else gets hurt. In the process, they may even learn to like each other—and to rally a neighborhood to save the home they hold so dear.
Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past.
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House’s longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there’s a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors—a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home.
When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it’s up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice.
About the Author
Freya Sampson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Chance Library and The Lost Ticket. She studied history at Cambridge University and worked in television as an executive producer, making documentaries on everything from the British royal family to neighbors from hell. She lives in London with her husband, children, and cats.
My thoughts:
Quirky characters, an historic building named for a poet, a greedy landlord, shenanigans, mystery, alliances, backstories, relationships, good plot-what more could a reader want? I highly recommend this engaging novel.
From the Publisher
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
“Nosy Neighbors is addictive reading. Freya Sampson has a wonderful talent for creating characters that feel vividly true to life, and it really shines here. This warm and moving novel is layered with mystery, emotion, and heart as it explores its powerful themes of guilt and community. I just know readers are going to love it as much as I do.”
—India Holton, author of The Secret Service of Tea and Treason
“Freya Sampson is a master at creating perfectly imperfect characters that burrow into your heart and leave a lasting impression. A brilliant novel full of heart and colorful personalities, you won’t be able to put it down until the very last word.”
—Lyn Liao Butler, Amazon bestselling author of Someone Else’s Life and Red Thread of Fate
Sampson (The Lost Ticket, 2022) once again presents a charming story about intergenerational friendship leading to healing…This heartwarming tale is full of subtle humor and rich characters.”—Booklist
“The tenants are as crafty and charming as the house in this all’s-well-that-ends-well tale.”—Kirkus
I enjoyed spending time with: The Shell House Detectives (Emylia Hall)-an e book bargain
#TheShellHouseDetectives #NetGalley
This is the first in, what appear to be, three Cornwall set mysteries featuring two characters with complex pasts. They are Ally and Jayden. Ally was widowed and misses her police officer husband deeply. Her daughter would like Ally to leave Cornwall to be with her in Australia; Ally is very ambivalent. Ally is an artist who creates works from the detritus that she finds on the beach. (She makes a relevant find there).
Jayden worked as a police officer who left the force after a tragedy. He is biracial and not sure if he fits into his wife’s community. Both of these characters are trying to keep their lives moving forward. Will solving a case help them to achieve their goals?
Ally’s husband Bill was haunted by one person’s death. When he arrested this man’s son, Bill offered to help him in the future. When this young man comes knocking on Ally’s door, she (regretfully) turns him away.
Events move forward and this young man is now in the hospital, gravely wounded. His grandmother and only support was not there for him when he got out of prison. Lewis Pascoe has an interaction with the couple that built a new home where his grandmother had been. These events set the scene for the novel.
I enjoyed the main characters in this book and was also interested to meet the people around them. There are many community members in the story so there is no lack of suspects. For example, there is the coffee shop worker and a recently divorced man who is trying to write a novel.
In addition to the mystery and the characters, Cornwall is also a strong presence in the book. Readers will be able to smell the sea, see the cliffs and walk along the shore.
All in all, this was a most enjoyable read. I recommend it to anyone who likes cozy mysteries.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 01 July 2023
A unique skill set: Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn
#KillsWellwithOthers #NetGalley
This book invites readers to again spent time with the Killers of a Certain Age. Although I have not read the first in this series, I felt that I was able to jump right in.
Readers meet four women who have a spectacular skill set including proficiency in disguise, strategy and killing. They are Helen, Billie, Natalie and Mary Alice. These women are called back into service to avenge a colleague’s murder and the mayhem then briskly takes off.
This book is full of action, drama, excitement, good characters, a variety of global settings and more. It is a kind of James Bond for the older woman (but not too old) vibe. I found it to be very enjoyable.
I have read other series by this author. This one is a bit different. Kudos to Raybourn for doing something new …and succeeding.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 04 March 2025
From the Publisher
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 