Ink and Shadows is the fourth entry in Ellery Adams’s Secret, Book, and Scone Society series. I have enjoyed all of the books and recommend them. They are, perhaps, best read in order although the author gives enough back story for a new reader to quickly catch up.
Two things that I love about the series:
The main characters. Each of them has struggled in life and moved forward. Each has a particular love or talent that is given its due in the books. My favorite is Nora. She owns the bookstore of my fantasies; there are amazing themed displays, a full array of titles, good coffee and knowledgeable staff. There are nooks to sit in and children’s story hours. Plus, Nora is a bibliotherapist. This means that the novel is filled with good reading suggestions. Nora has her past struggles and guilts; she has a new relationship which is in trouble in this title.
Nora’s friends are all women with their own stories and talents. They include a baker, a woman skilled in massage and comfort and two other close friends. Each has a gift for friendship.
The setting. The small town is lovingly portrayed. It is cozy with farmer’s markets, festivals, artisan shops, good foods and the outdoors close by.
There are murders sullying the town. Both a daughter and her mother are dead. Is the cause their interest in a grimoire or is there another reason? Are their deaths tied to the commune that they lived on prior to coming to Miracle Springs?
The author takes on some social issues as well. There is a group of women who believe in censorship and want Nora’s Halloween store windows taken down. There are also comments on CBD.
Readers who want a slightly less than cozy, cozy take a look at this series. I am already looking forward to the next book!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I picked this short (under 100 page) story when I was feeling a bit out of sorts. It did cheer me up.
Readers have to be willing to suspend disbelief but,if they do so, this is a fun read.
Tilly is no longer married and is facing some (temporary) housing issues. Her solution? Stay in one of the vacant properties that is on the books of the agency where she is employed. This works just fine until a tenant enters the house leaving Tilly and her dog fleeing to the attic.
This is how the stage has set for an enjoyable and witty holiday read. Since this is a seasonal story, readers can relax and enjoy waiting for the happy ending.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for this title. All opinions are my own.
Dear Mrs. Bird, the first novel that I read by this author, was a true favorite of mine as was her second novel, Yours Cheerfully. How thrilling to know that there will be another book about Emmy published soon. Even without the the benefit of this enjoyable sample, I would want to read this novel.
A J Pearce tells her stories with a light touch but one that also encompasses the difficulties of her characters and the world that they live in. Readers will root for Emmy and her friends as potential changes come to Women’s Friend. I will be marking my calendar for this title’s May 2023 release.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this sample. All opinions are my own.
The Blue Horse is the third entry in this series by Bruce Borgos. The first two books were titled The Bitter Past, and Shades of Mercy. I have not read either of these though I may now go back to them.
This is a story in which a lot (!) is happening. Much unravels following upon a planned horse roundup. There is murder. Also, there is lithium. To add to this, there are kids at risk who are on a wilderness trip.
Pick up this book to find out how each strand of this plot works out. Enjoy spending time with the characters and getting to know (or become reacquainted) with Sheriff Porter Beck and those around him. Also note the well described settings. All of these will offer a good use of some reading time.
This book will, I think, appeal to those who have enjoyed novels by Nevada Barr, as well as Paul Doiron and Craig Johnson.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 08 July 2025
Post first published on 7 December 2025
Description:
from the publisher
An USA Today bestseller!
A controversial wild horse round-up in the high desert of Nevada results in two murders and too many suspects for Sheriff Porter Beck to deal with.
A helicopter driving a controversial round-up of wild horses suddenly crashes and the pilot is found to have been shot. Then the person coordinating the round-up for the Bureau of Land Management is savagely murdered, buried up to her neck and then trampled to death by the very same wild horses. And there’s no lack of suspects—with the wild horse advocacy group having sworn to protect the horse At Any Cost! Now the state and federal agencies are showing up looking for answers or at least a scapegoat.
Sheriff Porter Beck has had better days.
Porter Beck’s new girlfriend, Detective Charlie Blue Horse, arrives to help with the investigation, which leads them to Canadian Lithium mining operation near the round-up area that sets off Beck’s mental alarm bells. Brinley, Beck’s sister, is leading a group of troubled kids in a wilderness program, when one of them, Rafa, bolts one night. When Brinley catches up to him, they’re just outside the mine—in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
With his personal life in turmoil, too many suspects and too many secrets, the feds pushing for a quick resolution, and his impetuous (if skilled) sister in the mix, one wrong step could be deadly for Porter Beck.
About the Author:
from Amazon
BRUCE BORGOS lives and writes from the Nevada desert where he works hard every day to prove his high school guidance counselor had good instincts when he said “You’ll never be an astronaut.” He has a degree in political science which mostly served to dissuade him from a career in law while at the same time tormenting his wife with endless questions about how telephones work. When not writing, you can usually find him at the local wine store. He is the author of The Bitter Past
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.
We all know that life does not always go to plan. What we choose to do next can make all the difference. This is the situation that Jess is experiencing as this lovely novel opens.
Jess has recently faced some hard times that have made it difficult for her to trust and believe in others. She has been couch surfing at her best friend’s and needs a place to live. This is how she comes to meet Joan who is looking for a lodger.
This device puts one younger and one older person together as Jess rents a room in Joan’s house. Joan is doing this in order to liven up her life. Indeed many things will happen for both of these women over the course of the story. One of the entertaining ones for me was to watch Joan and Jess switch with Jess swearing off her mobile for old fashioned communications just as Joan learns about the internet and more.
Will Jess and her close friends be able to save a vintage theater? What role (for good or bad) will Joan’s son play in this? Will someone from her past get in touch with “Joany?” Will these characters find some happiness? Read this one to find out. It is just delightful.
Many thanks to Headline and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.
Death of an Ex is Delia Pitts’ second mystery, following on Trouble in Queenstown. To fully understand Vandy’s life, readers may want to pickup both novels. She is a character whose life has not been easy. Vandy has experienced loss and pain. Still, she keeps moving forward, working as a private detective in her New Jersey community.
In this book, the case is very personal. Vandy is trying to understand why her (ex) husband was murdered. Who exactly was Phil? Were there aspects of him that Vandy did not know?
Despite this new loss, Vandy focuses on solving this case. Readers will be gripped as they wait to find out who was responsible.
This is a good (slightly dark) mystery. I hope that there will be a third in the series soon.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 15 July 2025
Post first written: 06 December 2025
Description
Delia Pitts expertly writes about family, race, class, and grief in her mysteries. Vandy Myrick captured readers’ and critics’ hearts in Trouble in Queenstown. She returns in Death of an Ex, where Vandy tries to piece together what brought her ex-husband’s life to an end.
Queenstown, New Jersey, feels big when you need help and tiny when you want privacy. For Vandy Myrick, that’s both a blessing and a curse. Now that Vandy’s back in “Q-Town,” her services as her hometown’s only Black woman private investigator have earned her more celebrity—or notoriety—than she figured.
Keeping busy with work helps Vandy deal with the grief of losing her daughter, stitching the seams, cementing the gaps. The memories will always remain, and they come crashing back to the surface when her ex-husband, Phil Bolden, walks back into her life. Promising everything, returning home, restoring family. Until she answers her door to the news that Phil has been murdered. And Vandy decides Phil is now her client.
It’s hard to separate the Phil that Vandy knew from the one Queenstown did. She sees him—and their daughter—in Phil’s son, who attends a prestigious local high school. She sees the layers of a complicated marriage with his wife. She sees all of Phil’s various roles: parent, husband, businessman, philanthropist. But which role got him killed?
Advance Praise
“A literary, absorbing whodunit encompassing murder, human compassion, and grief.” –Library Journal (starred review)
“Pitts has written a novel rich in the many layers of community while delving deeply into the character of Vandy; the balance between the two is perfect. A great choice for a reading group.” –firstClue
MURDER TAKE TWO, my contemporary noir novel, is available now. This suspenseful private eye thriller was published in February 2022. You can get your ebook or print copy of MURDER TAKE TWO now.
The author speaks:
from Amazon
My new mystery, TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN, will be published on July 16, 2024 by Minotaur, the suspense and crime imprint of St. Martin’s Press. This gripping contemporary novel features Vandy Myrick, a Black private investigator who returns to her New Jersey hometown to unravel a twisted family tragedy. Follow me on social media for more on the upcoming publication of TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN.
My recent work includes three short stories. You can find “Talladega 1925,” in Chicago Quarterly Review #33, an anthology of Black American Literature. Check out Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 for my story, “The Killer.” And my newest short work, “Midnight Confidential,” is included in Midnight Hour, a chilling anthology of crime fiction by authors of color.The new audio versions of Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 and Midnight Hour are exciting ways to dive into my short stories.
I am active in Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, and Mystery Writers of America. I enjoy hearing from readers. So drop me a question or comment on my website, “www. deliapitts .com.” Follow me on Instagram and Threads at “deliapitts50” and on Twitter as “blacktop1950”.
Death of an Ex is Delia Pitts’ second mystery, following on Trouble in Queenstown. To fully understand Vandy’s life, readers may want to pickup both novels. She is a character whose life has not been easy. Vandy has experienced loss and pain. Still, she keeps moving forward, working as a private detective in her New Jersey community.
In this book, the case is very personal. Vandy is trying to understand why her (ex) husband was murdered. Who exactly was Phil? Were there aspects of him that Vandy did not know?
Despite this new loss, Vandy focuses on solving this case. Readers will be gripped as they wait to find out who was responsible.
This is a good (slightly dark) mystery. I hope that there will be a third in the series soon.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 15 July 2025
Post first written: 06 December 2025
Description
Delia Pitts expertly writes about family, race, class, and grief in her mysteries. Vandy Myrick captured readers’ and critics’ hearts in Trouble in Queenstown. She returns in Death of an Ex, where Vandy tries to piece together what brought her ex-husband’s life to an end.
Queenstown, New Jersey, feels big when you need help and tiny when you want privacy. For Vandy Myrick, that’s both a blessing and a curse. Now that Vandy’s back in “Q-Town,” her services as her hometown’s only Black woman private investigator have earned her more celebrity—or notoriety—than she figured.
Keeping busy with work helps Vandy deal with the grief of losing her daughter, stitching the seams, cementing the gaps. The memories will always remain, and they come crashing back to the surface when her ex-husband, Phil Bolden, walks back into her life. Promising everything, returning home, restoring family. Until she answers her door to the news that Phil has been murdered. And Vandy decides Phil is now her client.
It’s hard to separate the Phil that Vandy knew from the one Queenstown did. She sees him—and their daughter—in Phil’s son, who attends a prestigious local high school. She sees the layers of a complicated marriage with his wife. She sees all of Phil’s various roles: parent, husband, businessman, philanthropist. But which role got him killed?
Advance Praise
“A literary, absorbing whodunit encompassing murder, human compassion, and grief.” –Library Journal (starred review)
“Pitts has written a novel rich in the many layers of community while delving deeply into the character of Vandy; the balance between the two is perfect. A great choice for a reading group.” –firstClue
MURDER TAKE TWO, my contemporary noir novel, is available now. This suspenseful private eye thriller was published in February 2022. You can get your ebook or print copy of MURDER TAKE TWO now.
The author speaks:
from Amazon
My new mystery, TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN, will be published on July 16, 2024 by Minotaur, the suspense and crime imprint of St. Martin’s Press. This gripping contemporary novel features Vandy Myrick, a Black private investigator who returns to her New Jersey hometown to unravel a twisted family tragedy. Follow me on social media for more on the upcoming publication of TROUBLE IN QUEENSTOWN.
My recent work includes three short stories. You can find “Talladega 1925,” in Chicago Quarterly Review #33, an anthology of Black American Literature. Check out Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 for my story, “The Killer.” And my newest short work, “Midnight Confidential,” is included in Midnight Hour, a chilling anthology of crime fiction by authors of color.The new audio versions of Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021 and Midnight Hour are exciting ways to dive into my short stories.
I am active in Sisters in Crime, Crime Writers of Color, and Mystery Writers of America. I enjoy hearing from readers. So drop me a question or comment on my website, “www. deliapitts .com.” Follow me on Instagram and Threads at “deliapitts50” and on Twitter as “blacktop1950”.
Supporting Healthy Sleep Practices for Wellbeing and Performance
by Dr Sarah Gilchrist
#TheEssentialGuidetoWomensSleep #NetGalley
Getting a good night’s sleep is so important and yet, there are times when this feels quite elusive. Many professionals have responded with guidance. What makes this book a bit different from some is that it is geared specifically toward women. It offers guidance over many stages of life from early on through menopause.
Readers may especially want to look at the sections on “Strategies for Good Sleep Health.” Chapter 10 also covers some interesting topics, as for example, one on different generations and screen time. The sections on one’s stage of life are also worth dipping into.
While this book seems to have been written for professionals, I think that the lay reader could also find it to be quite helpful.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 21 October 2025
Post published on 06 December 2025
Description:
from the publisher
Maintaining good sleep is a crucial yet often underrated pillar of a person’s wellbeing and general health. Despite this, there is limited guidance on how and why the various phases women experience in their lifetime may impact their quality of sleep, and what can be done to improve it.
This practical and accessible guide for health professionals introduces the concept of female sleep health across the lifetime, including key stages such as menstruation, fertility, working life, birth, perimenopause, and menopause. It also addresses sleep disorders, pain, and the impact poor sleep may have on mental health.
Readers will benefit from practical and detailed strategies on improving sleep, guidance on sleep aides and technology, and signposts to when clinical intervention is needed.
About the Author:
from Amazon
Sarah Gilchrist (BSc. MSc. DProf. FBASES) spent over 20 years working in the high-performance sport industry, latterly as a Technical Lead for the UK Sports Institute and Senior Physiologist with British Rowing. Her doctorate specialised in sleep and athletic performance, and she now provides consultancy on a range of performance areas, particularly relating to sleep. She is on the advisory committee of The Sleep Charity, a member of The British Sleep Society, previous Chair of the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (CASES) Accreditation committee and is a High Performance Sport Accredited practitioner.
In The Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave offers a perfect and immersive novel. Readers, put this one on your list of summer musts!
When Hannah falls in love with Owen, she marries him and moves to California to live with him and his teen daughter, Bailey. Owen has deep computer knowledge and is involved in the launch of a software program that is primed to make investors lots of money. The program that Owen works on will help users to erase items from their public histories. Is there an irony in this being Owen’s work?
One day, Owen disappears. He leaves a note for Hannah asking her to protect daughter, Bailey. From what? Who? From here a brilliant story filled with slow burning suspense engrosses readers. No spoilers so no more here.
The characters in this book and their relationships are so very well portrayed. I felt as if I knew Hannah and Bailey and found myself rooting for their developing connection with one another. Will Hannah, Owen and Bailey be reunited?
What led Owen to run? Is Hannah correct to believe in him? Find out. I highly (!) recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 