Jenny Colgan is a mistress of her craft. She writes the kinds of books that readers hope for, especially when they are feeling stressed. This new book offers so much to enjoy. There is a wonderful Scottish setting, good characters and a bookshop! Of course, there is also romance and the holiday season. What more could possibly be needed?
Make this book a gift to yourself as the nights get longer. It will offer you the perfect escape.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon-Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.
I have long been a fan of Val McDermid’s crime fiction. I truly think that she is one of the very best writers of Tartan Noir. This book, though, is something different. It is personal.
In these pages (complete with woodcut illustrations), McDermid muses on winter. The prose is quite evocative. Reading these pages, McDermid may just change a person’s mind about a season that some find cold and bleak.
I read this book in small increments. I wanted to savor it. It is short and I wanted it to last.
Whether or not a person has read this author’s other books, they are in for a treat with this one. So, come to Scotland this winter. The (meditative) journey will be worth it.
Many thanks to Grove Atlantic-Atlantic Books and NetGalley for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 13 January 2026
Description:
From the U.S. publisher
In this radiant work of creative nonfiction, internationally beloved novelist Val McDermid delivers a dazzling ode to a lost world, ruminating on a single winter in her life as she journeys into the heart of the season’s ever-evolving community-based traditions
Val McDermid has always had a soft spot for winter: the bitter clarity of a crisp cold day, the crunch of frost on fallen leaves, and the chance to be enveloped in big jumpers and thick socks.
In Winter, McDermid takes us on an adventure through the season, from the frosty streets of Edinburgh to the windblown Scottish coast, from Bonfire Night and Christmas to Burns Night and Up Helly Aa. Recalling in parallel memories from her own childhood—of skating over frozen lakes and carving a “neep” (rutabaga) for Halloween to being taken to see her first real Christmas tree in the town square—McDermid offers a wise and enchanting meditation on winter and its ever-changing, sometimes ephemeral, traditions.
A hygge-filled journey through winter nights, McDermid reminds us that it is a time of rest, retreat and creativity, for scribbling in notebooks and settling in beside the fire. A treat for the hunkering-down, post-holiday reading season, Winter is a charming and cozy celebration of the year’s idle months from one of Scotland’s best-loved writers.
This is a beautiful novel about the hardest of times. Readers follow Lucy as she slowly comes to understand the magnitude and tragedy of the Covid epidemic.
This quote brings things into focus and puts the reader firmly in Lucy’s world:
Here is what I did not know that morning in March. I did not know that I would never see my apartment again. I did not know that one of my friends and a family member would die of this virus. I did not know that my relationship with my daughters would change in way I could never had anticipated. I did not know that my entire life would become something new.
Strout’s writing is so effective. Like Hemingway, she knows the value of some unembellished prose. This matter of fact style makes the awfulness of Covid even more acute.
Strout has written many novels. I have not read them all. However, I did recognize characters in this story from those that I had read. This, to me, adds to the sense of a universe populated by folks that I feel I know.
I recommend this book about Lucy, William and those around her as they spend time in Maine. It is impactful with tragedy, relationships and the need for resilience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I am very excited to be a part of this blog tour. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by this author. Fans of historical fiction will too. This book is definitely worth a look!
Many thanks to everyone at HTP for this opportunity.
About the Book:
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
Start reading:
PROLOGUE
Nottingham, England April 1931
JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER. Emma lingered in the storage area on the second floor of her father’s bookshop, Tower Bookshop, with Jane Austen’s Emma cradled in her lap. Sadly, not her namesake—her parents had named her Emmaline for an aunt she’d never met, who had died on Emma’s seventh birthday ten years ago.
Still, the book was one of Emma’s favorites.
“Emma.” Papa’s voice rose from somewhere in the bookshop, sharp with irritation.
She frowned. Papa was seldom ever cross with her.
Perhaps the smoke from the man who had come in with his cigar earlier still lingered in the shop.
She settled a scrap of paper into the spine of her book.
“Emmaline!” Something to that second cry snapped her to attention, a raw, frantic pitch.
Papa was never panicked.
She leaped up from the seat with such haste, the book dropped to the ground with a whump.
“I’m in the warehouse,” she called out, racing to the door.
The handle was scalding hot. She yelped and drew back. That’s when she saw the smoke, wisps seeping beneath the door, glowing in the stream of sunlight.
Fire.
She put her skirt over her hand and twisted the knob to open the door. Thick plumes of smoke billowed in, black and choking.
She sucked in a breath of surprise, unintentionally inhaling a lungful of burning air. A cough racked her and she stumbled back, her mind reeling as her feet pulled her from the threat.
But to where? This was the only exit from the storeroom, save the second-floor window.
“Papa,” she shouted, terror creeping into her voice.
All at once, he was there, wrapping a blanket around them, the one she kept in the shop for cold mornings before the furnace managed to heat the old building.
“Stay at my side.” Papa’s voice was gravelly beneath the blanket where he’d covered the lower part of his face. Even as he led her away, a great cough shuddered through his lean frame.
Beyond the wall of smoke was a vision straight out of Milton’s Paradise Lost as fire licked and climbed its way up the towering stacks of books, devouring a lifetime of careful curation. Emma screamed, the sound muted by the blanket.
But Papa’s hand was firm at her back, pressing her forward. “We have to run.” Not slowing, he guided her to the winding metal staircase. She used to love clattering down it as a girl, hearing the metal ringing around her.
“It’s hot,” Papa cautioned. “Don’t touch it.”
Emma hugged against his side as they squeezed down the narrow steps that barely fit the two of them together. It swayed beneath their weight, no longer sturdy as it had once been. The blazing heat felt as though it was blistering Emma’s skin. Too hot. Too close. Too much.
And they were plunging deeper into the fiery depths.
The soles of Emma’s shoes stuck to the last two steps as rubber melted against metal.
What had once been rows of bookshelves was now a maze of flames. Even Papa hesitated before the seemingly impassable blaze.
But there was nowhere else to go.
The fire was alive. Cracking and popping and hissing and roaring, roaring, roaring so loud, it seemed like an actual beast.
“Go,” he shouted, and his grip tightened around her, pulling her forward.
Together they ran, between columns of fire that had once been shelves of books. An ear-shattering crack came from above, spurring them to the front as fire and sparks poured down behind them.
Emma ran faster than she ever had before, faster than she knew herself capable. Papa’s arm at her side yanked her this way or that, navigating through the fiery chaos. Until there was nowhere to go.
Papa roared louder than the fire beast and released her, running toward the blazing door. It flew open at the impact, revealing clean sunny daylight outside. He turned toward her even as she rushed after him and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her into the street.
Emma gulped in the clean air, reveling in the cool dampness washing into her tortured lungs. A crowd had gathered, staring up at the Tower Bookshop. Some came to Emma and Papa, asking in a frenzy of voices if they were hurt.
In the distance came the scream of emergency sirens. Sirens Emma had heard her entire life, but had never once needed herself.
There was need now. She held on to Papa’s hand and looked behind her at the building that had been in her family for two generations and was meant to become hers someday. Her gaze skimmed over the bookshop to the top two floors where their home had once been.
The fire beast gave a great heaving howl and the top floor crumpled.
Someone grabbed her from behind, dragging her back as the rest of the structure came down, ripping her hand from her father’s. She didn’t reach for him again, unable to move, unable to think, her eyes fixed on the building as it crashed in on itself in a fiery heap. Their livelihood. Their home.
All the pictures of her mother who had died after Emma was born, all the books she and her father had lovingly selected from bookshops around England on the trips they’d taken together, everything they’d ever owned.
Gone.
Emma choked on a sob at the realization.
Everything was gone.
“We need a doctor.” A man’s voice broke through her horror, pulling her attention to her father.
He lay on the ground, motionless. Soot streaked his handsome slender face, and his thick gray hair that had once been the same shade of chestnut as hers was now singed in blackened tufts.
“Papa?” She sagged to the ground beside him.
His eyes lifted to her, watery blue and filled with a love that made her heart swell. The breath wheezed from his chest like a kettle’s cry. “You’re safe.”
Once the words left his mouth, his body relaxed, going slack.
“Papa?” Emma cried.
This time his eyes did not meet hers. They looked through her. Sightless and empty.
She shuddered at how unnatural he appeared. Like her father, and yet not like her father.
“Papa?”
The wailing sirens were still too far-off.
“I’m a doctor.” A man knelt on the other side of her father. His fingers went to Papa’s blackened neck and the man’s sad brown eyes turned up to her.
“I’m sorry, love. He’s gone.”
Emma stared at the man, refusing to believe her ears even as she saw the truth.
It had always just been Emma and her father, the two of them against the world, as Papa used to say. They read the same books to discuss together, they worked every day at the bookshop together, friends and colleagues as much as they were father and daughter. Once Emma had completed her schooling, she’d even traveled with him, curating books like the first editions they were still waiting on to arrive from Newcastle.
Now that beautiful light that shone in his eyes had dulled. Lifeless.
Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.
I’ll just put it out there: I loved this book. It is a novel for anyone who has ever felt the power of books and the delight in reading a special series (there is a fictional one in this novel) and for those who know how important relationships can be. It is part whimsy, part fairy tale, part game and all a page turner with heart. There are characters that I loved and wanted good lives for, most especially Lucy and Christopher who both suffered difficult childhoods. Lucy is in her twenties as the story opens while Christopher is seven. Lucy deeply wants to be Christopher’s parent as he very much needs one.
Those who enjoy stories about reclusive authors, puzzles and the power of dreams and wishes will find this to be a most satisfying read. Travel to Clock Island, try to solve a riddle and watch what happens.
Four adults who were childhood fans of author Jack will come to Clock Island. Lucy will also get to know Hugo, an illustrator and wing man for Jack. What will happen when they meet?
Read this fairy tale for adults. I wonder how many people you will then urge to read it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
#TheWishingGame #NetGalley
Pub date: 30 May 2023
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Meg Shaffer’s beautiful novel is part Willy Wonka, part magical realism, and wholly moving. It broke my heart and patched it over and reminded me that even as an adult, if you look hard enough, you can find the child still inside you.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling co-author of Mad Honey
“Our list of must-read fiction books wouldn’t be complete withouta novel that reminds readers of the power books hold between their pages. Meg Shaffer’s The Wishing Game may not contain any magic—this is a whimsical tale, but it’s grounded in reality—yet there’s something magical about the book.”—Reader’s Digest, in “Best Fiction Books of 2023”
Here is a simple but very appealing book for young children. The illustrations have vibrant colors and textures.
Discover what cats, dogs and children like with the simple captions that accompany the art work. Then, find out what the three groups have in common.
I highly recommend this book for its intended audience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing-Beach Lane Books. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 06 January 2026
Description:
from the publisher
Celebrate the small, often overlooked things that cats, dogs, and children love in this sweet and gentle picture book from Newbery Medal winner and author of the Henry and Mudge series, Cynthia Rylant.
Cats love boxes and windows and toys…and other things. Dogs love sticks and biscuits and puddles…and other things. Children love bubbles and cake and stories…and other things. But what do they all love? Love.
Editorial Reviews:
Review
An affectionately observant picture book that captures loving’s universality . . . Smudgy, thickly colored artwork has an approachable, naïve quality that suits the text’s minimalism as it builds to the repeated observation that creatures also share love for experiencing love. — Publishers Weekly — 10/6/25
Love is love is love in this collection of what is most loved . . . Rylant’s images are the epitome of sweetness . . . opportunities abound for little ones to make their own lists . . . Tenderly expressed sentiments, ideal for Valentine’s Day. — Kirkus — November 1, 2025
About the Author:
from Amazon
Cynthia Rylant is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the beloved Henry and Mudge, Annie and Snowball, Brownie & Pearl, Motor Mouse, Hornbeam, and Mr. Putter & Tabby series. Her novel Missing May received the Newbery Medal. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Val McDermid is such a talented writer and an absolute go to author for me. She has written a number of mystery series including those with Carol Jordan and Tony Hill, Allie Burns, Kate Brannigan, and Lindsay Gordon-while all of these are excellent, the Karen Pirie novels are my favorite. Each time a new one is released I debate between reading it and saving it; usually, as in this case, reading it wins.
The Karen Pirie books are always a joy. I love spending time with the characters and their relationships, the settings and the mysteries that face the HCU (historical crime unit). All of these elements are in Silent Bones.
A lot is going on in this book against the historical background of the Scottish independence movement. What happened to a young girl who went to a party? Whose body is found after a rainstorm? What other murder was he linked to? What does it mean to be a journalist? Will justice be served (even many years later)? What led to the death of a hotel manager? Is a book club in some way responsible? Pick this one up to find out.
In this novel, I learned a lot of new Scottish words which was fun for me. I also enjoyed McDermid’s comments on politics (though perhaps not everyone will).
My only complaint about a Karen Pirie book is that when it is finished, I will have a long wait until the next one is published. In the meantime, I highly recommend this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic-Atlantic Crime for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 02 December 2025
About the book:
from the publisher
Scotland, 2025. When torrential winter rain causes a landslide on a motorway, it dislodges more than mud and asphalt – it reveals a skeleton, concealed when the road was built eleven years prior.
Sam Nimmo, an investigative journalist who’d been poking his nose into the murky politics of the Scottish independence referendum, had become the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his girlfriend when he vanished. Now he’s reappeared, buried under the motorway. It’s the perfect cold case for DCI Karen Pirie, chief of Police Scotland’s Historic Cases Unit. What was Nimmo investigating that was worth killing over? Or was it revenge for murdering his girlfriend? Meanwhile, an allegation of murder has surfaced over the supposedly accidental death of a hotel manager. It may have links to another accident on a remote Highland road. It’s a series of puzzles that tests Karen and her team to their limits. And possibly beyond . . .
A darkly propulsive thriller of secrets hidden at the core of a Scottish Highlands town, Silent Bones reaffirms Val McDermid as a crime writer of inimitable power.
From the Publisher:
Praise for Silent Bones:
“McDermid is at the top of her game in the masterful latest installment of her DCI Karen Pirie series . . . McDermid’s procedural instincts are as sharp as ever, and she balances them with wrenching developments in Karen’s personal life . . . Readers will rest easy knowing they’re in the hands of a seasoned storyteller.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Flavoring her writing with colorful Scottish slang, McDermid combines compelling, intricate plotting with strong character development.”—Willy Williams, firstCLUE
“A propulsive, razor-sharp thrill-ride full of humour, heart, and trademark twists.”—Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colors of the Dark
“A perfect crime novel.”—Kate Mosse, author of The Map of Bones
Praise for the Karen Pirie Series:
“McDermid negotiates her ceaselessly exciting book’s twists like a master.”—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal, on Past Lying
“[A] relentlessly engrossing series.”—Wall Street Journal on Broken Ground
“There are few other crime writers in the same league as Val McDermid. Her stories are ingeniously plotted, moody . . . Absorbing . . . It’s Karen’s character that’s the enduring draw of this series . . . Out of Bounds is another terrific and intricate suspense novel by a writer who has given us 30 of them. As I said, there are few other crime writers in the same league as Val McDermid.”—Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post, on Out of Bounds
“We read crime fiction for enjoyment, comfort and reassurance. McDermid provides all this . . . Still Life shows that she is still at the height of her powers; it is deeply enjoyable, one of her best.”—Scotsman (UK) on Still Life
“McDermid is at the top of her game and readers will be highly rewarded for taking this new journey at her side.”—CrimeReads on Still Life
“A thriller as steely and superlative as its heroine.”—O, The Oprah Magazine on Broken Ground
“No one writes sturdier mysteries than Val McDermid.”—Chicago Tribune on Out of Bounds
“McDermid remains unrivalled . . . brilliant.”—Observer (UK) on How the Dead Speak
“Further evidence that her ‘Queen of Crime’ status will not be challenged.”—Scotsman on How the Dead Speak
“Chock-full of crime . . . fans and newcomers to the series will enjoy the twists and turns.”—Library Journal on How the Dead Speak
“McDermid’s books are relentlessly excellent, with sympathetically flawed characters, well-crafted storylines, a clever twist or two, and crisp dialogue. It’s no wonder she’s considered the queen of Scottish crime fiction.”—BookPage on Broken Ground
Other McDermid books that I have reviewed:
Note that Still Life was an e book bargain at the time that this was posted. That may not be true now.
I love this kind of book for kids. This title will engage and entertain them, all without needing any kind of device other than this book, brainpower and a pencil.
Here are three cases to solve in a kind of choose your own adventure format. In addition, there are puzzles to solve. All will challenge kids as they move through them but this will be a good kind of challenge.
This book would make a perfect addition to a home or school library.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 27 January 2026
Description:
from the publisher
Choose your path, solve the puzzles, and catch the killer in this second collection of three ingenious fictional murder mysteries that challenge young readers with logic problems, visual games, and dangerous decisions at every turn.
Arlo Banks rose to fame as an amazing puzzle solver. His adventures across the world led him to crack cases that out-foxed the smartest experts and boldest criminal masterminds. Now enrolled in British Secret Intelligence Service’s training program, Arlo faces his deadliest challenges yet in thrilling new adventures that have him unraveling the mystery behind a Hollywood star’s sudden death, investigating the disappearance of an ambassador, and exposing the secrets of a lethal international organization.
As Arlo Banks, you choose what path to take and what puzzles to answer to solve each mystery. From breaking codes to escaping traps, navigating mazes to sifting through evidence, Puzzle Sleuth Undercover is an addictive brain-teasing mix of story, game, and adventure. Just remember to choose wisely. Your next move could catch the killer—or be your last!
The cover of this book gave me the feeling that it would be a fun read and it was.
Here is the second in an enjoyable series that offers both mystery and comedy. It is a good combination.
This time mayhem again comes into Eleanor Dash’s life. The events unfurl around a wedding. There is murder and a group of guests all staying on Catalina Island who are suspects. Will Eleanor be able to fix things? What will happen along the way? Read this one to find out. Then wait for the next in the series.
As a side note: Eleanor Dash is quite similar to Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility while Emma is an eponymous Austen heroine.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.
A USA Today Bestseller An Indie Next List Pick (May 2025) An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (May 2025)
One of Zibby’s “Most-Anticipated Books of 2025” One of Goodreads’s “Most Anticipated Spring Mysteries and Thrillers” One of Publishers Weekly’s Summer 2025 Reads One of She Reads’s “For The Girlies Who Love Drama in Their Fiction Not Their Life” One of Library Journal’s “Book Pulse: Top Books Of the Week” One of Sacramento Bee’s “ California Island-Set Novels Take the Locked Room Mystery to Splashy New Levels”
“Fast and funny… Mack complements the twisty plot with Eleanor’s brisk and biting first-person narration, chock-full of amusing asides (often in footnotes) that examine the movie business and the craft of mystery writing. This one goes down smooth.”―Publishers Weekly
“Eleanor continues to be a sarcastic narrator who uses footnotes to speak to the reader. The novel is again full of pop references, romance, and a mix of suspects. It is an easy read that will keep you interested . . . to find out who did it.”―Booklist
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 13 May 2025
From the publisher:
The second in a witty, USA Today bestselling series following author Eleanor Dash as she goes from wedding guest to murder mystery investigator at her best friend’s wedding on Catalina Island.
Attending your best friend’s wedding should be a piece of (wedding) cake, but not for Eleanor Dash, bestselling author of the Vacation Mysteries series. Because murder seems to follow her every time she goes on vacation and is definitely her uninvited plus-one to the special occasion.
Emma Wood, Eleanor’s best friend since childhood, is starring in the movie adaptation of When in Rome, Eleanor’s first novel. Emma is also marrying Fred Winters, a major movie star and Emma’s co-star, who just happens to be playing Connor Smith, Eleanor’s ex and leading man of the series.
Filming wraps and they invite the whole cast and crew to their wedding at nearby Catalina Island. There may be a storm headed their way—because of course there is—but nothing will stop their nuptials . . . that is until Emma receives a note that says “Someone is going to die at the wedding.”
Eleanor is a professional at this point, and she’ll do everything she can to uncover the murderer so true love can prevail . . . before it’s too late for her and the rest of the storm-trapped wedding party
Editorial Reviews
Review
A USA Today Bestseller An Indie Next List Pick (May 2025) An Amazon Editors’ Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense (May 2025)
One of Zibby’s “Most-Anticipated Books of 2025” One of Goodreads’s “Most Anticipated Spring Mysteries and Thrillers” One of Publishers Weekly’s Summer 2025 Reads One of She Reads’s “For The Girlies Who Love Drama in Their Fiction Not Their Life” One of Library Journal’s “Book Pulse: Top Books Of the Week” One of Sacramento Bee’s “ California Island-Set Novels Take the Locked Room Mystery to Splashy New Levels”
“Fast and funny… Mack complements the twisty plot with Eleanor’s brisk and biting first-person narration, chock-full of amusing asides (often in footnotes) that examine the movie business and the craft of mystery writing. This one goes down smooth.”―Publishers Weekly
“Eleanor continues to be a sarcastic narrator who uses footnotes to speak to the reader. The novel is again full of pop references, romance, and a mix of suspects. It is an easy read that will keep you interested . . . to find out who did it.”―Booklist
Is there a more iconic American woman than Jacqueline Kennedy? Much has been written about her and yet she still retains an air of mystery.
In this novel Dawn Tripp successfully imagines Jackie’s life with a carefully researched title. Readers follow Jackie over a period of many years. They will learn more about her life before Jack, her courtship and marriage to both him and to Onassis, her role as a mother, her career, her cancer diagnosis and much more in this well written narrative. Readers will witness both the tragedy and the inner strength that defined this most impressive woman.
Tripp has written a long (over 450 pages) and immersive novel. It is very easy to recommend this title to historical fiction readers and those who are intrigued by the myth of this woman.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 18 June 2024
From the Publisher
Other books that I have reviewed about Jacqueline Kennedy
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 