I very much enjoyed this author’s Ireland set mysteries of which there were three, The Ruin, The Scholar, and The Good Turn. In The Murder Rule, the author changes everything up. This new book is not set in Ireland, but rather in the U.S., around the UVA Law School. The book is meant to be a thriller with an unreliable narrator who is single minded but not straightforward among most things.
Laura and her daughter, Hannah, share a very close relationship, albeit one with role reversals. Hannah worries about and cares for her mother who suffered enormous trauma in the past. The story behind her mother’s circumstances is what motivates Hannah throughout these pages.
Hannah is a third year law student at the University of Maine as the novel opens. She manipulates her way into a semester at UVA (the University of Virginia) Law School and to a spot on their Innocence Project. Hannah is there for her own purposes but her desire to see justice done does not mesh with the goals of the others with whom she works on Michael Dandridge’s wrongful (is it?) murder conviction.
Readers get to know Hannah, Laura and their situation well. They also spend time with the other law students, the head of the program and those involved in, and impacted by, the actions of Michael Dandridge.
I wanted to like this book as much as the others that I have read by this author, but, sadly for me, I didn’t. I found that there was a lack of warmth in these pages. I know that Laura was wronged and traumatized but somehow I didn’t care quite enough for her. The plot of this story also depended on actions that did not always feel realistic to me.
Those who like thrillers, law and courtroom stories and idealistic young lawyers to be may well enjoy this book. I just wished for more even as I respect that the author was trying to write something completely different from her earlier novels.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Those who enjoy cozy, Southern mysteries with a good cast of characters may want to give this title a look. I think that it will be enjoyed for its traditional mystery sprinkled with books and theater, along with a murder (of course) .
This book is the second in the series but can be read on its own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur Books for this title.
Pub date: 02 December 2025
About the book:
from the publisher
Madeline Brimley, new owner of a bookstore in a small Georgia town, finds herself playing sleuth when a friend is charged with the murder of a much-disliked woman.
Madeline Brimley recently inherited a bookstore in Enigma, Georgia, is embarking on her second career, after her first one (acting) founders upon the metaphorical rocks. Settling in, Madeline recruits her friend Gloria Coleman, the local Episcopal priest, to help her plant azaleas in the front yard of the old Victorian that houses the bookstore. Turning the soil, however, uncovers the body of one Beatrice Glassie, a troublesome woman who has been missing for the past six months.
When her friend Gloria is arrested for the murder, Madeline is determined to prove her innocence and, as she quickly finds out, there aren’t many people in town who hadn’t wanted to kill Bea Glassie at one point or another. And the very expensive and rare first edition of a particular volume of Grimm’s Fairy Tales—ordered by the victim and her sister is somehow tied to the grim death. With the help of her not-quite-boyfriend, a local lawman, and her deceased aunt’s best friend, Madeline plans to set a trap to catch the real murderer—before she becomes the next victim.
The first in the series:
from the publisher
Lilian Jackson Braun Award finalist, Indie Next pick, Library Reads pick, SIBA Read This Next! selection -Madeline Brimley returns to the small town Georgia bookstore she inherited, discovering that small towns hold deadly secrets.
Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she’s left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstop, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn’t leave immediately.
But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there’s another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it’s up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim.
About the Author
PJ NELSON is the pseudonym of an award-winning actor, dramatist, professor, and novelist (among other many other professions) who has done just about everything except run a bookstore. He lives in Decatur, Georgia
Having spent time in Bath, I was attracted to these books from the very first one. Here in the last title the author does what he does best. He tells a good story with a bit of humor.
Peter and his partner Paloma are invited to visit Julie with whom Diamond worked in the past. At first, Peter does not want to go, but he does so persuaded by Paloma. their journey has its challenges.
Peter is surprised to discover that Julie has lost her vision. She has not, however, lost her spirit or acuity. Julie gets Peter involved in the case of woman who may be wrongly in prison for murder. The victim had a rather gruesome death.
Read the book to find out what happened and how the author wraps up this last title. No spoilers.
The narration of the audiobook was spot on. I couldn’t wait to listen. I was very sorry to come to the end.
This is the 22nd entry in the long running detective series set largely in Bath, England. I have read every book and am beyond sorry to know that there will be no more. Still, the author is deserving of retirement at his age.
Many thanks to NetGalley and RB media for this title. All opinions are my own.
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.
Sarah Morgan has a knack for writing involving stories with good characters. In her latest book, I enjoyed getting to know Imogen (even if she exhausted me) and Dorothy. Their lives change over the course of the novel and readers will always be hoping that these changes are for the better. Readers will also hope that each is able to be honest about their backstories.
Imogen works hard, really hard, like all the time hard. She is very good at the event planning that she does until…
Dorothy has experienced sadness with the death of her husband. She feels fortunate to have a daughter and granddaughters even if her daughter feels that Dorothy is too close to Imogen.
What brings these women together? How do their stories intersect? Find out in a book that kept me wanting to read more. Now, I will wait impatiently for what this author writes next.
Recommended to readers who like holiday stories and women’s fiction.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Imagine a world where the collection of souls is secretly part of the corporate machine and even grim reapers get vacation time, and you have the concept behind Maxie Dara’s feel-good SCYTHE mystery series that KirkusReviews calls “one to watch.” In this lively second installment, a risk-averse Grim Reaper becomes her adrenaline-fueled twin brother’s reluctant keeper when a file outlining his impending death lands on her desk.
In A GRIM REAPER’S GUIDE TO CHEATING DEATH (Berkley Trade Paperback Original; on sale December 2, 2025), ever since the death of her parents, modern day Grim Reaper Nora Bird has been obsessed with avoiding risk, and what better place to learn how to stay safe than the company whose business it is to collect the souls of the deceased?
When Nora stumbles upon the file of her twin brother Charlie, who she hasn’t spoken to in over six months, she goes against her cautious nature and races to her brother with the stolen file in tow. Despite his skepticism, Nora convinces him (along with his chatty parrot Jessica) to join her on an impromptu road trip to evade Charlie’s determined killer and S.C.Y.T.H.E, whose mission of collecting souls has been disrupted by Charlie’s continued existence. The only problem? Every time Nora manages to save her brother from his mysterious killer, another cause of death appears on his file.
But when their journey leads them to the small town of Virgo Bay, home to their late father’s estranged family, they uncover an even greater mystery that will have them questioning everything they thought they knew about life, death, and the newfound family they have discovered. Nora will have to use everything she’s ever learned to keep her brother safe and unmask the killer, but as she connects with her larger-than-life brother and the family she never knew, Nora realizes her desire to cheat death could be keeping her from enjoying the best parts of life.
With this latest installment, Maxie Dara masterfully delivers a heartfelt story that celebrates sibling bonds and how life’s greatest adventures are worth a little risk.
The author:
Maxie Dara is a writer and actor from Ontario, Canada. She has been a freelance journalist focusing on the local arts and culture scene for more than five years, with bylines in publications such as Hamilton Magazine and Beyond James, among others. She is also a two-time award-winning playwright, taking home the Best of Fringe award at the 2017 Hamilton Fringe Festival for the musical comedy This Is Not a Musical: The Musical! and the 2020 Torpedo Prize for her play Alone Together, a pandemic drama. Maxie knew she wanted to be a writer at the age of seven, when she first fell in love with the written word. She also wanted to be a mermaid but has mostly focused on the writing side of things.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Witty…A long list of suspects, a dark sense of humor, and surprisingly weighty meditations on mortality carry the day. It’s a killer good time.” –Publishers Weekly
“A funny and charming exploration of growth, overcoming fears, and the lengths family will go to protect loved ones.” — Library Journal
“Continues exploring this imagining of death’s bureaucracy with a wry tone and will appeal to readers who like a bitter bite with their sweetness.” — Booklist
Praise for A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer-First in the series
“I’d follow this grim reaper anywhere. Wildly creative and impossible to put down, sure to induce both belly laughs and tears, A Grim Reaper’s Guide To Catching A Killer is full of heart and soul(s).”—Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance
“Witty, moving, and with a mystery that’ll keep you turning pages late into the night, Dara’s debut is a creative, laugh-out-loud novel about the business of death, and what it can teach us about family, love, and the best parts of being alive.”—Claudia Lux, author of Sign Here
“I was hooked right away by the inventive premise of Maxie Dara’s A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer, but it was the relationships that really did me in. I loved watching Kathy bond with Conner, a dead teenager, and work through her relationship with recent-almost-ex-husband Simon, all set against the backdrop of a surprisingly corporate job in human soul logistics. Funny and warm and full of little moments that kept me guessing, A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer is a delightfully fresh mystery!”—Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers
“Fun and lighthearted despite the presence of death, the characters are relatable and funny, and the paranormal aspects are balanced with the ordinariness of Kathy’s messy life. The ending fleshes out this creative premise and sets the book up for the next in a heartwarming series.”–Booklist
“This debut paranormal mystery offers humor, love, and a strong cast of characters who form a found family.”–Library Journal (starred review)
My comments:
This book is the second in a series. It feels like a less traditional mystery title but may well appeal to those who are looking for a more quirky read.
Many thanks to Berkley for the opportunity to be a part of this blog tour.
The book, not the audio, is an e book bargain I love this book! I did not want it to end as I did not want to bid farewell to Gamache and the other characters for at least another year.
I’ll start by commenting on the audio. The book was extremely well and engagingly narrated. I was constantly stealing time to listen to just a bit more. The narrator’s tone is just right and he captures each character’s voice in a unique way.
The story itself will be very welcomed by series readers although new readers could also enjoy it. Readers learn so much backstory about Armand Gamache including SPOILER? the loss of his parents and the roles of his grandmother and godfather in his life.
The setting for this title is a fully realized Paris where the Gamaches are visiting their son, daughter and their spouses and children, all of whom now live there. Armand also spends time with his godfather. I loved the opening scene at the Rodin Museum. Having visited there, I enjoyed my virtual return.
Just who is Stephen Horowitz? What has he done? Who wanted to harm him? What does it mean to be in a family? What are the responsibilities of corporations? What does loyalty mean? Can we protect those we love? These questions and more are raised in this thoughtful, deeply moving mystery.
I recommend this title most highly. I now plan to go back and read or listen to all of the books again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Exceptional new cookbooks, with fresh takes on easy baking, Thai cooking in America and seasonal pasta, as tested by New York Times Cooking and the Food desk.
— Read on www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/dining/best-cookbooks.html
I love this book! I did not want it to end as I did not want to bid farewell to Gamache and the other characters for at least another year.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 