Named a best fiction title of 2025 by Kirkus Reviews
#MargueriteByTheLake #NetGalley
Wow! This book really kept me engrossed. I would say to myself that I had other things to do but still kept reading this perfect summer thriller. Take this one on vacation or read it at home, either way it is enjoyable.
Anyone who has read Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca will recognize Carter’s debt to that title. Similar elements include a grand house and its grounds, a complex marriage, a death, servants/employees with loyalties and more. However, this book can stand on its own and diverges from the original in some significant ways.
Phoenix is a talented gardener/landscape designer at the story opens. Two of her most prominent clients are Marguerite (of the eponymous painting) and her husband Geoffrey. They seem to have everything but did they? Read the book to find out.
What befalls Marguerite early in the novel? What was Phoenix’s role in Marguerite’s fate? What will happen as Phoenix increasingly insinuates herself into life at Rosecliff, Marguerite and Geoffrey’s estate? What kind of man is Geoffrey? How will his and Marguerite’s daughter Taylor figure in the story? What about Marguerite’s employees? As a reader, how will you feel about these characters? How will the suspenseful plot unravel? There are lots of questions. Again, read this one to find out. I highly recommend it.
Kirkus review states: “Not to be missed, and definitely not to be imitated.” Need I say more?
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.
I smile when I see one of these samplers posted on NetGalley. I always enjoy having an early look at some new mysteries.
For each title, find out what the book is about, read a sample and learn a little about the author. Then decide if you would like to read the full novel.
I always find that I am adding to my reading list after looking at this free resource. This time, I am interested in most of the titles.
Take a look. What might you like to read?
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 15 November 2025
About this title:
from the publisher
Looking for a new book that will make your heart race? The nineteenth edition of The Minotaur Sampler compiles the beginnings of 6 can’t-miss novels publishing April 2026 for free and easy sampling.
Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips is a hilarious mystery following an amateur private investigator and new father as he gets more than he bargained for when agreeing to track down a young girl’s missing father.
In Spencer Quinn’s Cat on a Hot Tin Woof, Chet, a dog investigator, and his human partner scramble to solve the case of a missing kitty that exposes the dark side of internet fame.
Rebecca Sharpe’s Harmless Women is a pacy thriller that follows a female con artist who chooses the wrong woman as her target, resulting in both women ending up on the run for their lives.
Liar’s Creek by Matt Goldman is a sweeping thriller where three generations of a strained family embark on a search for their missing relative in a picturesque small town that hides grave danger just below the surface of its beauty.
Jenny Elder Moke’s Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies is an engaging mystery rom-com where a no-nonsense woman in the publishing world must catch a killer in order to land the deal of a century, all while avoiding arrest and love.
Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce follows a woman’s search for her sister who goes missing shortly after a long-awaited return to her hometown in the English countryside, where the woods may be even darker than they seem.
This dual timeline historical fiction title is a winner! The story was quite absorbing and kept me turning the pages with its two main focuses-one is about Jeanne/Anya a WWII SOE volunteer, and another is about a young woman named Celia who works in a bookshop as the novel opens.
What is going on in the bookstore under its new ownership? How will events from WWII and 1960s crises like the division of Berlin and Cuba come into the story? How will the characters and events in the two time lines be connected? Readers will want to know.
In these pages, there are traitors, people who care deeply for their country, professionals and amateurs, all of whom are impacted by world events. Along with these big world worthy plots, there are also storylines that impact the characters smaller, personal worlds. There are about family ties, secrets, trust, being in love, friendship, creating a life one wants and more.
The author does a marvelous job of bringing the two time periods to life. The social mores of each era are well portrayed and these societal rules definitely impact the characters.
The complex plot that kept me engaged and always eager to read another chapter. I was always wishing for the very best for Celia.
Historical fiction lovers, this is surely worth a read. The 1960s is a time period that I have seen less in historical fiction but one that is full of the conflict that makes for a good read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.
Like many, I adored DuMaurier’s Rebecca and have read it more than once. After reading Rebecca for the first time, I read other DuMaurier titles including My Cousin Rachel, Frenchman’s Creek and Jamaica Inn. I’ve also seen some of the movies and streaming adaptations of this author’s titles.
All that said, I had never read any of DuMaurier’s short stories. This collection is a great place to start or expand one’s knowledge of this author’s eerie talent. I was quite struck by The Blue Lenses. Anyone who has had eye surgery will surely have something to think about here.
Some of these stories are really quite creepy. If that appeals, this book is for you! I know that many will enjoy it. I was quite struck by the blue lenses. Anyone who has had eye surgery will surely have something to think about here.
Note that there is an introduction by Stephen King. It is well worth reading.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book was published in September 2025
What it’s about:
from the publisher
From Daphne du Maurier, “a writer of fearless originality” (The Guardian), comes a collection of her thirteen most mesmerizing tales—including iconic stories such as “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now”—with an introduction by Stephen King.
Daphne du Maurier is best known for Rebecca, “one of the most influential novels of the 20th century” (Sarah Waters) and basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film adaptation. More than thirty-five years after her death, du Maurier is celebrated for her gothic genius and stunning psychological insight by authors such as Ottessa Moshfegh, Maggie O’Farrell, Lucy Foley, Gillian Flynn, Jennifer Egan, and countless others, including Stephen King and Joe Hill.
After Midnight brings together some of du Maurier’s darkest, most haunting stories, ranging from sophisticated literary thriller to twisted love story. Alongside classics such as “The Birds” and “Don’t Look Now,”—both of which inspired unforgettable films—are gems such as “Monte Verità,” a masterpiece about obsession, mysticism, and tragic love, and “The Alibi,” a chilling tale of an ordinary man’s descent into lies, manipulation, and sinister fantasies that edge dangerously close to reality. In “The Blue Lenses,” a woman recovering from eye surgery finds she now perceives those around her as having animal heads corresponding to their true natures. “Not After Midnight” follows a schoolteacher on holiday in Crete who finds a foreboding message from the chalet’s previous occupant who drowned while swimming at night. In “The Breakthrough,” a scientist conducts experiments to harness the power of death, blurring the line between genius and madness.
Each story in this collection exemplifies du Maurier’s exquisite writing and singular insight into human frailty, jealousy, and the macabre. She “makes worlds in which people and even houses are mysterious and mutable; haunted rooms in which disembodied spirits dance at absolute liberty” (Olivia Laing, author of Crudo). Daphne du Maurier is mistress of the sleight of hand and slow-burning menace, often imitated and rarely surpassed.
“Taken together, the 13 tales in After Midnight offer every shade of eerie. Du Maurier’s best stories here also affirm that art remains one of the few reliable forms of immortality.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air
“Du Maurier is an expert invoker of atmosphere and environment… spellbinding… These stories are the work of a protean, restless, and rather dangerous spirit with a decidedly pagan bent and a craving for solitude. The stories in After Midnight are wild at heart, like the woman who made them.” —Laura Miller, Slate
“A delicious title. An iconic writer. A compendium of her finest gothic tales. After Midnight brings together some of du Maurier’s most celebrated shorter works of psychological terror.” —LitHub
“Du Maurier’s stories have aged extraordinarily well and can still fill modern readers with dreadful unease.” —Library Journal, starred review
This book is one that an adult and child can (and should) share. It could lead to helpful discussion. In this short title, the author invites children to be curious about their emotions and to learn how to identify them.
She encourages children to name emotions and to think of when they may have felt them. She also suggests keeping a “detective” notebook in which to keep track.
Recognizing, as the child does here, what boredom looks like, they become more able to think of how to respond. Several different emotions are depicted in these pages including curious, excited, confused and more. I like that the author observes that emotions change over the course of the day.
Learning to recognize and regulate emotions is a helpful skill that will last a lifetime. Through this cheerfully illustrated title, children will be encouraged to do this.
The book also comes with a helpful note to the adult in a child’s life.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Free Spirit Publishing for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 09 December 2025
About the book:
From the publisher
Teach children to recognize curiosity, boredom, and confusion
In I Know Curious, a young feelings detective looks for clues to identify curiosity, boredom, and confusion in himself and others. The boy feels bored sitting in a theater and waiting for a movie to start. He feels confused when the show starts because it isn’t a movie like he expected—it’s a magic show! He feels curious watching the magician perform amazing tricks. By noticing the clues in his own body—bouncy legs, a fast heartbeat, raised eyebrows—the feelings detective can also recognize when his family members feel the same way.
Sometimes feelings can overwhelm us. I Know Curious helps readers develop skills they can use in these moments to feel better. To cope with boredom, the characters play games and even put on their own magic show. I Know Curious:
Teaches children to recognize curiosity, boredom, and confusion from clues in their bodies
Introduces the concept of a feelings detective notebook to help build emotional awareness, intelligence, and skills
Gives child-friendly ideas for coping with overwhelming emotions
Offers strategies for caregivers on helping children identify and manage big feelings
The six books in the We Find Feelings Clues series help children learn how to use their bodies’ clues and their past experiences to identify and name their feelings and those of others. Clues are found in facial expressions and body language, sensations within the body, and knowledge of past experiences. After identifying an emotion, children also learn how they can feel better when their emotions are overwhelming. Each book follows a child using a feelings detective notebook to record feelings through drawings and words, as well as information on recognizing and dealing with the book’s featured feelings. The books can stand alone or be used together as a classroom companion to Lindsay N. Giroux’s professional resource, Create an Emotion-Rich Classroom.
It is hard to believe that this is Kristen Perrin’s first novel. She writes with an assured hand and keeps readers turning the pages in her take on a traditional mystery.
The story-Frances Adams was a teen growing up in the sixties when she went to see a fortune teller. She was given a very detailed and particular warning of things to watch out for. Much of her subsequent life was spent trying to evade her own death by nefarious means. On this night, Frances was with her friends Emily and Rose. They have roles to play in the story.
Frances had a niece and grandniece who are living an eccentric London life as the story opens. When Annie is summoned to meet with Frances’s lawyer in the small town where Frances has an estate, off she goes. There she meets Walt, the attorney and his relative, Oliver. She also encounters the annoying Elva and her family.
Not a spoiler because this happens early in the story, Frances is found dead. Who will inherit her money? Who killed her? Find out in this very enjoyable novel.
It is easy to recommend this title. Hopefully, Ms. Perrin will keep writing twisty, fun mysteries.
Many thanks to Penguin Group-Dutton for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 26 March 2024
From the Publisher
A Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club Finalist for 2024
AN INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A GMA Buzz Pick!
One of Amazon’s Top 10 Best Books of April, One of Jimmy Fallon’s favorite books for Spring 2024, The Top LibraryReads pick for March 2024, A Publishers Marketplace 2024 BuzzBook
Named most anticipated by: Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, BookRiot, BookBub, The Nerd Daily, Shelf Reflection, Novel Suspects, Borrow Read Repeat, The Everygirl, The Scout Guide, The Real Book SpyA
“The pace is quick, the red herrings are plentiful, and Annie’s growth from timid wannabe writer to confident sleuth is beautifully rendered. Combining elements of Agatha Christie, Anthony Horowitz, and Midsomer Murders, this is a richly entertaining whodunit from a promising new talent.”—Publishers Weekly
“Perrin juggles characters and clues with aplomb, sketching in the past via teen Frances’ journals and immersing readers in the present through Annie’s determined, good-hearted point of view. Readers will root for her as she gains hard-won confidence in this entertaining exploration of family secrets.”—BookPage
The NYT published a booklist not long ago and this title was on it. Encouraged by someone I know, I finally read this long and immersive novel.
A simple description of the plot-a boy and hismother are at The Met when there is an explosion. Theo’s mother is killed. Theo, without fully meaning to, finds himself in possession of the famous Goldfinch painting. The book is about what happens from that point on.
The novel is rich with characters. To name a few, start with Boris. He is a schemer and survivor who becomes Theo’s friend. There are the females in nTheo’s life, especially Pippa (whom he adores) and upper class Kitsey, sister of close friend Andy. Also important is father figure Hobie. All this just scratches the surface in a book with many people.
There are also many places including. New York, Las Vegas and Amsterdam. All are important to Theo, the painting and the plot.
This is a modern Dickensian novel. I am still thinking about how it ended.
Blog readers, what was your opinion on this one? I would love to know.
Before picking this book up, I did not know that there was such a thing as “culinary therapy.” I can see now how it makes sense as one tool for self-help. In these pages the author hopes to help lessen the anxiety level of those who pick up this interactive title.
This book is written by a social worker who is passionate about her subject. Ohana offers an eight week plan in which she connects cooking, self-reflection and mindfulness in interesting ways.
To give a sense of what is inside. A couple of chapter headings are week four’s Marinate on Mindfulness and week seven’s Self-Esteem, Julia Child Here I Come.
While this book most definitely has recipes, they are in the service of the goal of lessening anxiety and being happier. There is much more written than the recipes in these pages. There are also many journal pages for self-reflection.
I recommend this book more to those who are looking for a way to cope than to those who are looking for a straight recipe book. It may be of service to those who are willing to take the eight weeks and then see how they feel and what good things they have eaten.
Many thanks to NetGalley and John Murray Press US-Sheldon Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Pub date: 20 November 2025
My thoughts:
About the book:
From the publisher
Many of us are consumed each and every day with stress and the daily struggles of life. How do I take care of myself, make time for friends, and still prioritize my health and wellbeing? How do I get all my daily tasks done without feeling like a stressed-out lunatic?
The good news is the answer is already within reach. Take a moment to consider the last time you rolled up your sleeves in the kitchen and finally took the first bite of the food you’ve been craving. Do you remember the satisfaction, the feeling of accomplishment? This is exactly what can lead to lower anxiety. And we have a wealth of opportunities each and every day to try it out.
Cooking Your Way to a Calm Mind is an empowering guide to cook your way to less anxiety, more confidence, and a happier life-whether you are comfortable in the kitchen or a nervous newbie-from a licensed social worker and expert in culinary therapy. Each week, we’ll focus on developing a specific life skill linked to reducing anxiety and tackle a recipe designed to help you learn and master this skill. You’ll find the kitchen is the perfect setting to practice:
Mindfulness Problem-solving Communication Time management and stress management And more!
Advance Praise
“As you read, learn, and cook your way to calm—I promise you’re in the best hands.
This cookbook will help you recognize the value in spending time in the kitchen. Whenever I have a stressful day at work or I’m feeling anxious, making dinner at the end of a long day is my time to unwind, relax, slow down, and reconnect with myself and my family. As soon as I begin, my two-year-old son scoots his toddler tower up to the counter to watch what “Mama” is doing.
As Julie so importantly emphasizes, cooking is an incredible way to express your inner creativity. Personally, I don’t measure anything when I cook. Just like a dancer improvising a routine, I freestyle my way through every meal I make. With practice, you too, will learn that cooking can be one of the most calming and creatively fulfilling experiences in your day—and with Julie as your guide, you will become a master.” – Danielle Brown (Founder of HealthyGirl Kitchen and two-time The New York Times bestselling author)
From the Publisher
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Julie has been cooking all her life. A passion of hers since childhood, it started while baking family recipes with her grandmother. Later, Julie discovered a second love- helping people through therapy. She went on to get her in BA in Counseling from SUNY Empire State College and earned her MSW from Yeshiva University.
A recognized expert in culinary art therapy, Julie has been featured in media outlets all over the world including The Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health Magazine, CNN, The Washington Post, and the TV show The Doctors.
Currently, Julie lives in Michigan with her husband (who also happens to be an outstanding cook) and two sweet children.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 