Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too!

#TheHunter #NetGalley

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.

Pub date: 05 March 2024

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/16/books/review/16TBR-AUSTEN-QUIZ.html

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/12/22/books/review/literary-trivia-quiz.html

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/books/bestselling-debut-novels-2025.html

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

🏡

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

‘So warm and kind’ Fern Britton

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.-

Romance Stories for the Holidays

by Robyn Carr

An e book bargain

#HolidaysinVirginRiver #NetGalley

This book would make a perfect seasonal gift for a Virgin River fan who either has read some of the series or who has seen the Netflix show. Included are two novellas; they may have been published before so hard core fans might want to check before making a purchase. That said, this book is a treat. Included is a note from the author who talks about how Virgin River came to life as a place and home to its residents. Virtual Virgin River visitors will especially enjoy this I think.

Here is a book to relax with. Get a cup of tea or cocoa and indulge!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 04 October 2022

368 pages

An e book bargain

 #TheMysteryGuest #NetGalley

Nita Prose’s first novel, The Maid, introduced the interesting hotel maid Molly. She will make readers appreciate the folks who do this work for their comfort. Molly was around murder in that book and history repeats itself here.

The murder takes place in the hotel’s newly refurbished and elegant tea room. The victim is a wildly popular mystery writer with a fan club. He was at the hotel to share an important announcement. Of course, he died before the speech and all of his cue cards are missing.

It turns out that Molly had a connection to this victim. She brings her unique intelligence and set of skills to figuring out what happened. Along the way, readers are treated to many of her aphorisms and get to enjoy her relationship with her grandmother among others.

I was lucky enough to hear the author speak at a mystery conference last year. She acknowledged the difficulties of writing a second book when the first was well received. In my opinion, Ms. Prose did a find job here.

Those who like a traditional mystery with an untraditional protagonist will enjoy The Mystery Guest. This book can be read on its own but readers who like Molly will probably want to read that first book as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this title. All opinions are my own.

This book was published in November 2023

From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Heartwarming . . . Like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who’s rendered invisible because she’s an old woman, Molly and her grandmother are not seen because of the kind of work they do. In this affecting and socially-pointed mystery series, however, invisibility becomes the superpower of the pink-collar proletariat.”—NPR

“[Molly] returns in The Mystery Guest, which builds upon The Maid’s many charms. Prose peppers the mystery with sly jokes about the vagaries of crime writing, but Molly’s voice remains central and moving.”—The New York Times

“Molly is a singular character—she’s intelligent, unfailingly honest and the epitome of a professional maid—and readers will enjoy checking into the Regency Grand to follow her and her exploits.”—BookPage

Jennifer Ryan has a talent for writing absorbing historical fiction. She began with The Chilbury Ladies Choir, a book that I very much enjoyed. Next came The Spies of Shilling Lane and then The Kitchen Front. I recommend all of these. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle is the next, English set, WWII story by this author. I really enjoyed it and recommend it highly.

This is a story that, to me, was about change and transformation. Do people have to stay in their strictly defined (by them or others) roles or can they move toward the lives that they want? Watch the characters to find out.

Readers follow three women whose lives and circumstances have been impacted by loss, the war and a heretofore acceptance of given roles. First is Grace; she is the daughter of a village vicar. When Grace’s mother died she stepped up to support her father. Grace, who puts her own needs last, is a very kind “do-gooder”. She is scheduled to marry another vicar but is she settling? What will happen when she again encounters the son of the squire who was a childhood friend? Readers will want the best for this good and likeable character.

Then there is Violet. She accepts and relishes her place in society. She is a rather self-important snob as the novel opens. When Violet is called up to do war work, how will she change? What talents will she discover? How will her views of people change? Violet has always wanted to marry a title, maybe even more than the man. What will happen when she meets a brash American?

Last, but definitely not least, there is Cressida. She is a successful fashion designer whose life is upended by the Blitz. Cressida is Violet’s aunt and Grace’s father is an old friend. Will Cressida and Grace’s father let go of their past grief enough to perhaps get together? Even if a reader thinks that they know the answers, there is pleasure in reading this title.

The author, in addition to telling her characters’ stories, provides readers with an interesting take on the period. Through fashion, readers learn about the system of clothing coupons and a contest for making do in a fashionable way with less. Cressida enters this contest. She also helps Grace to refashion her mother’s beautiful wedding dress…and, by the way, what is the history of this dress? And, of course, there is the sewing circle.

I truly loved this book. I enjoyed the people, the setting and the historical context. Even if you suffer from WWII historical fiction fatigue, I recommend that you read this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballentine for this title. All opinions are my own.

From the Publisher

The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle

An e book bargain

by AJ Pearce

#MrsPorterCalling #NetGalley

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.