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.
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callhan tells the story of Joy Davidman and C.S. (Jack) Lewis. I absolutely adored that book so was thrilled when I received an early review copy of Once Upon a Wardrobe, another novel about C.S. Lewis.
The structure of the story is that George, a young boy with a heart defect, discovers The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and wants to know more about it. George’s sister, who loves him deeply, shares that Lewis is at Oxford where she, Megs, is a student. Wanting to do what she can for George, Megs gets to know Jack and Warnie and brings the tales that Lewis shares home to her brother.
Jack’s life story is beautifully told. There were very hard times and yet a man emerged who is so beloved by many. I won’t detail the biography so that readers can discover it for themselves.
George is preternaturally wise about life while Megs is perhaps less so. Over the course of the novel, she learns that her beloved scientific point of view and way of solving problems is but one way to look at the world. She and George are both deeply human, seeking, loving people with whom readers will enjoy spending time.
Those who have read the Narnia stories will eagerly read this title looking for the same insights that young George is seeking…to understand where the characters in the books came from, who they may have been based on and more. Will those answers be in these pages? You will need to read the novel to find out.
Those who have not read the Narnia books can still love this title. Its insight into a person’s life with all of its tragedies and peaceful moments are for all readers.
I give this one my highest recommendation. Ms. Callahan your talent for understanding Lewis and life are so impressive.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Julia, a retired head teacher with a fondness for order, and her half-sister Frankie, who believes that rules are more like vague suggestions, are back—this time in the picturesque Cornish village of Portscatho.
Their morning swim off Tatum’s beach is rudely interrupted by a floating corpse. The police declare the death accidental, but the sisters have other ideas.
Soon, they’re knee-deep in smugglers’ tunnels, taking a bumpy ride in the back of a builder’s van, and facing down a gun-toting local with questionable fashion choices.
Can the sisters keep their heads above water long enough to uncover the truth or will the killer make sure they sink without a trace?
The Body That Floats – the mystery’s deep, the water’s cold, and the locals are packing more than just fishing gear.
The second charming and witty adventure in The Julia and Frankie Mystery series.
More Than Murder, the first book in the series was described as “A wonderful debut. Julia and Frankie are hilarious, and More than Murder is a real page-turner” by Antony Johnston, bestselling author of The Dog Sitter Detective series.
TWO ESTRANGED SISTERS. ONE DISAPPEARING BODY. A witty, cosy mystery packed with twists, turns and tea!
When her flamboyant and spirited half-sister, Frankie, returns to Little Clarsden to claim her share of Rose Cottage, left to them by their Aunt Lucy, she is met with a frosty reception from Julia, who still harbours an old grievance. In an attempt to mend their fractured relationship, the sisters attend a murder mystery weekend at the grand country house of the Medfield estate in the rolling hills of Somerset.
After the first evening’s supper, a “poisoned dart” “kills” one of the guests. In the classic whodunit style of a country house mystery, the game of tracking down the “killer” is afoot.
The playful intrigue takes a sinister turn when the sisters discover a real body hidden in a secret passage. When the body disappears before anyone else can see it, no one believes it ever existed..
Amid the glamour and intrigue of the other guests and the actors slipping in and out of character, it’s difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. Nothing and no one is as they seem.
With the body count rising and two murders to solve, our sharp-witted, sleuthing sisters set aside their differences, determined to unravel the tangled clues of the murder mystery, track down the real killer, and uncover the truth.
With laugh-out-loud banter, a hint of danger, and a twist even Agatha Christie would admire, can Julia and Frankie catch the culprit before the murder weekend becomes their last?
Witty and charming characters and a plot with more twists and turns than a country road, More Than Murder is a delightful blend of humour, mystery and the classic country house crime, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton and Benjamin Stevenson.
About the author:
Jayne started writing plays when she was eight and wrote her first “book” at fourteen. After graduating with a degree in psychology and drama, Jayne went on to win the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Buzz Goodbody’s Director Award. Whilst continuing to write, she started working as a professional theatre director , and two of her plays were performed at the London Fringe.
Attracted to the small screen, Jayne became absorbed in TV drama directing. Now a multi-award-winning film and TV drama producer, her credits include the BBC flagship brand SILENT WITNESS.
In addition to a successful film and television career, Jayne was integral in setting up a veterinary clinic on the remote island of Koh Tao in Thailand. She has also worked as a radio presenter.
Jayne lives in the West Country with her partner and two cuddly cockapoos. MORE THAN MURDER is Jayne’s debut novel and the first in this edgy, cosy crime series.
Many thanks to Hannah Hargrave for bringing this titleto my attention
Praise for More Than Murder
“Witty, charming and twisty, More Than Murder is a great start to an intriguing new cosy mystery series and I can’t wait to read more.” Thebookmagnet.co.uk
I have read and enjoyed every novel that I have read by Sophie Green. She is an author whom I found by chance.
Green is Australian writer who sets her stories in the recent past. Each features a group of women who connect with one another and share their struggles and joys.
This time readers the story takes place in the late 1990s on the Mornington Peninsula. Readers meet Frances, Joan, Kirrily and those around them. The people in their lives include husbands, children, friends and staff at the hotel.
Frances is the oldest of the characters. She had a great loss in her life and the hole that this left has deeply impacted how she has lived. Frances is lonely and has found connection with Sean, the hotel bartender with his own backstory. Readers also meet Frances’s son and daughter. They each have a story. This is emblematic of how Green expands reader’s worlds by involving them in the stories of the extended family of her main characters.
Joan has lived her life as a very traditional wife. One day, she decides that she has had enough. She goes to the Duchess Hotel where she pursues her art and meets the other main characters. Will Joan find herself and the life that she needs? Again, readers get to know others in Joan’s life including her husband, children and at least one of her old friends.
Kirrily has had a lot of responsibility in her life. She has also felt guilt for a terrible event that impacted one of her children. Kirilly works at the hotel. She has been flirting with someone there. Readers meet him along with her family. Will Kirrily find what she is looking for?
These characters all come together in many ways, one of which is at the titular Art Hour where Joan teaches.
Green again creates characters with whom I enjoyed spending time. I have one other of her books to still read. After that, I will eagerly wait for whatever she writes next.
Anyone who enjoys involving women’s fiction would do well to read this and Green’s other titles.
If you have read any of this author’s novels, please let me know your thoughts.
This book offers a cozy mystery surrounded by a number of word search puzzles. It is a light and relaxing title. Get to the end and solve the crime from your armchair.
This book will be enjoyed by puzzle solvers who want their puzzles to be fun and not too difficult. It is part of a series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Adams Media for this title. All opinions are my own.
Jodi Picoult is a fearless author who writes novels that address social concerns. Last year’s A Spark of Light was about abortion and the book before that, Small Great Things, was about race and privilege. Now, Ms. Picoult takes on what I think is a huge challenge, to write about death, life and the choices that we make. Readers should be aware that, as the story unfolds, there are many, many facts about ancient Egypt, death rites, physics and more.
This is the story of Dawn. Is she named Dawn because of the symbolism of a new day with its new beginning? Could be as each day she has choices to make.
The story begins with Dawn being given the chance to change her life after having been in a plane crash. Instead of going home, given the chance to go any where that she wants, Dawn goes back to Egypt. Egypt is where, in an earlier stage of her life, Dawn was a Ph.D. student and working on excavations. In her Egyptian existence, Dawn was very involved with fellow student Wyatt.
Dawn had left the dig when her mother became ill. This led her to meet Brian, whom she marries, and to her work as a death doula. Readers learn that a death doula serves a similar function to a birth doula; the doula is there to help the client with whatever they need. In this story, readers get to know one such client, Win, very well.
Dawn lives two lives over the course of the book. In one she is in Egypt, while in the other she is in Boston. What existence is the right one for her? Will they converge? How do we each live a meaningful life and also come to experience death? There are the huge questions contained in this novel.
The title of this book carries several meanings. There are two ways that Dawn could live her life. There is also literally a Book of Two Ways, a book that guided the ancient Egyptians at death.
If you are a fan of Ms. Picoult and/or if you are ready to take on some big themes and are happy to have your read interspersed with facts on an academic level, this could be the book for you. I found that this novel made me think. It made me care about the characters so I believe that Ms. Picoult has done it again. She has written that “big” novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery comes an unforgettable beach read about love, secrets, betrayal and the family we’re born into—and the one we choose for ourselves, perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Mary Kay Andrews. What would you do if you caught your brother cheating on your best friend?
While Beth is proud of her Malibu beach shop, Surf Sandwiches, she’s even prouder of her charismatic brother Rick, who rose from foster care through surgical residency. She makes subs, he saves lives. Life takes a turn for the happy after she finds out Rick is dating her new best friend, Jana. Then Jana’s handsome brother adds even more sparkle to Beth’s days…and nights.
But when she catches Rick with another woman—like, with-with—her visions of an idyllic family future disappear in one awful instant. Either she betrays her brother, or she keeps his secret and risks losing the man she loves and her best friend. Love and loyalty collide with secrets and betrayal in this witty and emotional tale about the lengths we’ll go to for family, from Susan Mallery, New York Times bestselling author of The Boardwalk Bookshop.
Start reading:
Beth Nield had no choice but to admit that her sixty-seven-year-old aunt had a much more interesting love life than she did. Actual living proof of that sad fact sat at their shared breakfast table, eating a high-fiber cereal while watching the morning news.
Hunter was a still handsome seventy something who’d worked for the USPS his whole life, retiring with a very nice federal pension. But his “real” money had come from playing the stock market. She had no idea where the two had met, but this was the third morning this month she’d found Hunter eating a hearty breakfast after a night of, well, nothing she wanted to think about.
Despite the fact that Beth’s divorce had been final just over a year ago, she hadn’t been on a date. As for spending the night with a man, well, she couldn’t begin to imagine that ever happening. She’d been telling herself she didn’t need that sort of distraction and that relationships were more trouble than they were worth, but thinking about how happy her aunt was these days, she was starting to wonder if maybe she was wrong. Perhaps there was something to falling in love. Not that she’d ever had much luck in the romance department—her divorce was proof of that. Her brother hadn’t been successful in love, either. Maybe there was a genetic flaw.
Not anything she was going to think about this morning, she told herself firmly as she put her breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and called out a goodbye to Hunter.
While the Los Angeles metro area was known to be a nightmare traffic-wise, Beth had what could only be described as a glorious commute. She lived a mere twenty minutes from where she worked, and the majority of that drive was along Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu. Yes, there were plenty of annoying stoplights, and on the weekends, visitors clogged the roads, but it was difficult to mind when just to the west was the Pacific Ocean.
Although Malibu was known the world over, the LA-adjacent community was in fact much smaller than most everyone imagined. The actual population was less than twelve thousand people, with the majority of the businesses and houses clinging to the coast. There were canyons and hills that stretched east, but the area everyone thought of when they heard the name was within a couple of miles of the water.
Beth made the familiar drive with her windows open and the scent of the salt air brightening her day. The ocean was more lively today with whitecaps visible out to the horizon and seagulls circling overhead. A light breeze danced with the palm trees. This early, the beaches would be relatively empty, but by noon, they would fill with locals and tourists, all eager to enjoy nature’s beautiful offering.
When she pulled into her reserved spot behind Surf Sandwiches, the sight of the cheerfully painted one-story building filled her with fierce, happy pride. She might have bought the business out of a sense of obligation and a need to help her brother, but over the years, she’d grown to love the place. When she and Ian had divorced, he’d asked to buy her out of their house. She’d used the money to purchase the vacant storefront next door and had expanded her business, giving her a much larger eating area for customers and a remodeled kitchen and prep area, not to mention additional parking. The latter was a precious commodity in always congested Malibu.
She’d kept the surfboard rack and outdoor shower for her customers who came directly from the beach across the street, and had painted the outside the same bright, cheerful yellow she used on the logo. To make the remodel go more quickly, she’d closed for three weeks, giving her just enough time to second-guess herself and wonder if all her regulars would forget about their favorite sandwiches. But at the grand reopening, there’d been a line nearly around the block, and since the remodel, sales were up thirty-eight percent. Information that would make any small business owner’s heart flutter with joy.
She unlocked the back door and walked to the newly enlarged employee space. Big lockers filled one wall, with comfy sofas opposite. During the refresh, she’d added a couple of sets of tables and chairs and had upgraded the Wi-Fi. By giving up space in her office, she’d squeezed in a third bathroom—this one for employees only.
It was barely eight in the morning, three hours before the store opened, but Yolanda and Kai were already hard at work prepping for the upcoming day. Surf Sandwiches was open from eleven until seven. The biggest rush was from about eleven-thirty until one, with a second, surprisingly intense post-school surge, followed by a gentle wind-down until closing.
Yolanda, a pretty, petite brunette with more energy than the battery bunny and three kids under the age of ten, was her go-to morning person. Despite her tiny stature, she had a killer mom glare that could reduce anyone with attitude to submission in less than three seconds. Even more significant, she wielded the Hobart meat slicer with surgeon-like precision. Even Rick, Beth’s actual surgeon brother, agreed Yolanda had mad skills.
“Morning,” Beth called as she stepped into the kitchen. “How’s it going?”
“Good.” Yolanda smiled at her. “Kai’s a worker. I don’t mind when he comes in early.”
Kai, a twenty-two-year-old who’d walked away from family money to surf rather than go to college, beamed at the compliment. “Yo, that’s high praise. Makes me want to work harder.”
Yolanda winked at Beth, as if silently saying that was the whole point of the words. Then her humor faded.
“We need lettuce. When I went to get it out this morning, I saw it’s all rotten.”
Beth groaned. “Not the lettuce. What happened?”
Yolanda pointed to the small kitchen where the industrial refrigerator and restaurant-size stove sat. “You can go look for yourself. I salvaged a few bunches, but we’re going to need a lot more for the day.”
An unexpected but not unheard-of disaster, Beth thought as she went into the kitchen and saw containers of sad-looking lettuce sitting on the counter, the good bunches already off to the side. She calculated the damage, took a couple of pictures with her phone and then pulled the ongoing Costco list from a drawer.
While she ordered most of her supplies from various distributors, like most small restaurant businesses, she relied on a big box store for backup. She added tomatoes to the list, then returned to the front to confirm they had everything else they needed.
She and Yolanda quickly discussed what she would be buying.
“Let me get in touch with my produce guy. I’ll head to Costco as soon as they open.”
“We’ll be fine,” Yolanda told her. “We know what to do.”
Beth went into her office, where she quickly booted her computer and the pay system she used. She found two large office lunch orders waiting and immediately forwarded them to the kitchen, where they would be flagged and reviewed. Once Yolanda determined what had to be made, the orders would automatically go in queue thirty minutes before they were supposed to be ready. The improved software had been expensive, but worth it. These days a lot of customers wanted to order and pay online, then just drop by to grab their food and get on with their lives.
She sent a quick email to her produce guy, complete with pictures. She’d been working with him for years and knew a credit would be sitting in her account by the end of day.
She helped with the prep work until it was time to head out with her shopping list. Getting to the closest Costco required a longer and less interesting drive than her commute to work. She listened to the radio and thought about all she had to get done when she returned to the store. Kai would make the cilantro, pumpkin seed and jalapeño pesto, which was usually her job. He was her newest employee, but he was a good hire. She was very fortunate with everyone who worked for her. Most had been with the store over a decade, and turnover was low. She paid well, offered great health care and did her best to be a fair and reasonable boss.
When she’d shut down for the three-week remodel, everyone had been paid their usual amount. She’d even arranged for a special evening at a local movie multiplex where she’d rented the smallest theater and had hosted dinner and a movie for staff and their families. Everyone had had a good time, and a few had mentioned making it an annual event—a reaction that made her happy. Tragically for her, that was the wildest her social life had been since the divorce. Except for work and her recent commitment to volunteering at a local food bank, she was kind of turning into a grumpy hermit, which wasn’t her nature at all. But she couldn’t seem to get motivated to, you know, get out and be in the world.
She missed having friends to hang out with. She missed being in a relationship, yet given how she was spending her days, she was very much stuck in a rut of doing nothing. Her aunt was warm and caring, but Agatha had her own life, what with her man friend and a new and oddly successful home business of crocheting custom bikinis.
Beth turned in to the industrial area where the Costco was located and drove toward the sprawling building at the end of the street. As she headed through an intersection, her gaze drifted to a large billboard on her right. Immediately her entire body went on alert as her brain struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. She instinctively turned toward the billboard—and accidently steered in that direction as well. Before she could slam on the brakes, she’d driven off the road, up onto the sidewalk (mercifully empty of pedestrians), stopping less than a foot from a fire hydrant.
It took a couple of seconds for her to start breathing again. Adrenaline poured through her from both the near accident and the billboard itself. She managed to put the car in Park before turning off the engine and getting out to stand on the sidewalk and stare in disbelief.
The billboard was huge and showed a happy couple staring into each other’s eyes. Not really noteworthy if she ignored both the fact that the man in question was her ex-husband Ian and the heartfelt message next to the photo.
Patti, you mean the world to me. I’m so grateful to have found you. I love you. Will you marry me?
She pressed a hand to her chest, as if to keep her heart from jumping out and flopping around on the road. Her brain was still having trouble processing what she was seeing, and she honestly didn’t know what was more confusing to her. The billboard itself, the fact that it was two blocks from Costco, or that her very ordinary, believer-in-a-routine ex-husband had proposed in such an un-Ian-like way. Oh, and maybe the fact that he had obviously moved on and fallen in love with someone else while she hadn’t been out with friends, let alone a man.
Ignoring a sudden wave of sadness, she sagged back onto the driver’s seat and pulled her phone from her handbag. Within seconds she was on Instagram and scrolling through to find Ian’s account. As their divorce had been as low-key as their marriage, she’d never blocked him, and apparently he’d never blocked her, either. Which meant she could see everything he’d posted for the past couple of weeks in color photographs and videos.
If the picture of the two of them holding champagne glasses and smiling at the camera was any indication, Patti had said yes. But instead of staring at the happy couple, Beth found herself searching the crowd of friends that was gathered around them. Friends she’d thought had been her friends as well, back when she and Ian had been married. The three couples had been tight, hanging out together, even taking the odd vacation as a group. But when the marriage had fallen apart, she’d discovered she was actually only the friend-in-law. The other two women hadn’t wanted to get together and had finally explained they were picking Ian. At the time, that had hurt about as much as the end of her marriage.
She flipped through more pictures and saw one of Ian and Patti with Ian’s large, extended family. The family she’d thought of as her own, appreciating the sheer size and volume of get-togethers. Growing up it had just been her, her brother and her mom. She’d always dreamed of being part of a big family, and with Ian, that had happened. Only once she and Ian split up, her relationship with them had ended as well.
Beth dropped the phone on the passenger seat and stared at the billboard. Ian was getting married again, to Patti—whoever she was. They would have a life, possibly kids. All the things she’d thought would happen when she and Ian had been together. Only they hadn’t.
She knew she didn’t want him back—their relationship was long over. But she did envy his future, or at least all the possibilities. Ian had kept living his life and looking for ways to be happy.
And here she was, in her car, alone and semi-friendless. Except for Jana, a relatively new friend she really liked, there was no one. Yes, she’d done great things with her business, but what about her personal life? Why was she half-parked on a sidewalk, staring at a billboard while on her way to Costco? Didn’t she want more?
A sharp pain cut through her—two parts regret but one part intense longing for more than the nothing she’d apparently chosen. She needed friends in her life and possibly a man. While the latter seemed like more than she could comfortably take on right now, the former was doable. She was a good person. She was likeable. The friend thing shouldn’t be so hard.
She needed more than just work, she told herself. She needed to get out of the house and start doing things. Anything. Beginning right this second. Or possibly after she made her Costco run. But today for sure.
SUSAN MALLERY is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of novels about the relationships that shape women’s lives―family, friendship, romance. Library Journal says, “Mallery is the master of blending emotionally believable characters in realistic situations,” and readers seem to agree―40 million copies of her books have sold worldwide. Her warm, humorous stories make the world a happier place to live. She’s passionate about animal welfare, which shows in the many quirky animal characters she has created.Susan grew up in California and now lives in Seattle with her husband and adorable poodle. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.
I happily began reading Beach Vibes as the author is known to me and has provided me with some good escapes. I was interested in it as soon as I saw the evocative cover.
I found that the cast of this book included many characters whom I enjoyed getting to know. I had a moment of thinking that the plot was taking obvious directions but that was not, in fact, the case.
Those who enjoy stories about women and their many relationships (family, friendships, work lives, romance) will want to take a look.
While this was not my favorite novel by Mallery it was a good read.
The audio:
The narrator was excellent with the sharpest and clearest diction. The story comes to life as it is read. For those who prefer to listen to their novels, this is a very good choice.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to both read this title and be a part of the blog tour.
Phaedra Patrick writes stories with heart and warmth. She creates characters with whom readers will enjoy spending time in stories that are about human relationships.
In The Year of What If, protagonist Carla has tried to live life through her mind and logic, rather than with her heart. That heart led her to a first marriage that did not last. Carla subsequently went, against the grain of her family that believes in portents, card readings and more, to form a dating agency based on evidence and careful matches. BUT…what if Carla’s premise is wrong?
Carla is engaged to marry someone with whom she has a very close match. Tom is kind, good and mostly a very safe partner. However, for reasons that readers will learn, Carla starts to think back on relationships that she had during her one time of breaking free when she traveled abroad. Watch for what she then does.
Who should Carla be with? How should she decide? Readers will want the best for her as they read this novel.
Carla and the other characters engage the reader. This is a good choice for an enjoyable summer escape. It will appeal to Ruth Hogan fans.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 25 June 2024
Look for Phaedra Patrick’s previous charming bestsellers!
This is a short (under 200 page) book that is filled with Leon’s thoughts, perceptions, observations and insights. Anyone (like me) who has enjoyed the Brunetti novels (if you haven’t, that means you haven’t read them yet), will enjoy spending time with Leon as she writes about teaching, her own writing process and research, Venice, authors and more. It is a delight.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 26 August 2025
About the book:
from the publisher
A memorable collection of stories and essays on writing, reading, teaching, and Venice by the celebrated author of the bestselling Guido Brunetti series
Donna Leon’s memoir, Wandering through Life, gave her legions of fans a colorful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life.
In Backstage, Donna reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs. She expresses her love for Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations and her appreciation for Sir Walter Scott’s generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience—from interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds, to meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women’s rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy. By contrast, the idea and opening scene of one of her novels came to her as she was walking through Venice.
Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city’s Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable tales: helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey, elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; and taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire.
Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti’s crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his.
Are you a person who finds getting on an airplane to be an adventure or are you a nervous flyer? Either personality type may well be riveted by this thriller in which much of the action centers on a long haul flight from London to Sydney (20 hours in the air!). In some ways, the story is a take on a locked room mystery in that much of the action is confined to the plane and the stories of its passengers and crew. However, there is also backstory so some time is spent on the ground and with other characters.
The book’s protagonist, Mina, is on the flight when…a note is given to her. What does it say? How will it influence what she does? In order for there not to be spoilers, it is not possible to say more except that this is a story that may well put readers on the edges of their seats.
My only quibble with this story is that I did not absolutely love some of the characters and I don’t just mean the “bad” ones.. I do, though, admire Ms. Mackinstosh’s imagination and storytelling ability. Readers, remember that this is fiction!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 