Here is a rather long (341 page) title that is just packed with information on forthcoming books. In my opinion, this free collection, is a wonderful gift to readers.
There are sections on Mystery, Thriller & Suspense; Mystery & Detective; Memoirs & Nonfiction; Family Drama & Contemporary Fiction; Historical Fiction;Horror; Fantasy & Speculative Fiction; and Middle Grade & Young Adult; so there is much to explore.
For each entry, see the book’s cover, read what it is about and partake of a bit of the story. Many of the authors, though not all, are new to me which is fun.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I have read every title in Peter Robinson’s Inspector Banks series so I can say with full confidence that I found this to be one of his best. The mystery itself is suspenseful. The team and my favorite characters are all present. Relationships are reviewed, explored and in some cases deepened. Banks is just so interesting to spend time with; he (as the author’s surrogate) knows so much about music, poetry and the arts.
In this one, Banks reflects on many of his past relationships. There is a hint of intrigue between him and Zelda, a woman who lives with, long term character Annie’s, father. At times, I found the book elegaic and wondered if it would be Robinson’s last. However, the very end of the book leaves me hopeful that there will be more.
The story has to do with two seemingly unrelated crimes that come together. The story line is pertinent in both the front story and in the story of Zelda as it explores how women are treated and may be sexually exploited.
Don’t just take my word for how good this book is!
“As usual, Robinson provides a solid police procedural enhanced by the rugged Yorkshire setting. Banks himself—jazz and solitude-loving, difficult, somewhat melancholic, unlucky in love—is always fascinating… [F]or series fans, this one is a sure bet.” (Bookliston Careless Love)
“Engrossing… Those who enjoy methodical police procedurals that build to a logical, satisfying conclusion will be amply rewarded.” (Publishers Weekly on Careless Love)
“Robinson fans will enjoy the latest entry in this long-running series…Well-written and believable, with recognizable but multifaceted characters and enough twists to keep the story riveting until the mystery is solved.” (Library Journalon Careless Love)
“Careless Love is another entertaining novel in the Inspector Banks series.” (The Hamilton Spectator on Careless Love)
“A mighty force to be reckoned with in crime fiction.” (Publishers Weekly on Peter Robinson)
I absolutely adored Ruth Hogan’s novel, The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, so I was quite eager to read The Moon, The Stars and Madame Burova.
Around the plot, Ms. Hogan looks at some emotionally resonant issues. These include identity, race, the nature of love, how to treat others and also how to treat one’s self. All is skillfully done and is not too heavy handed.
Madame Burova’s mother, Shunty Mae, was a reader of tarot cards, palms and crystal balls. Her daughter, Imelda (aka Madam B) has taken on her mother’s vardo and profession. She is very good at it and her booth becomes a confessional for many. In the present, Imelda Burova is considering retirement; in the past she led an active life.
Imelda spent time at Larkin’s, a family holiday camp, when she was a young woman. There were many people and acts there. Imelda was close to Jeannie, a talented young singer and to Cillian Burke, a man who was of great importance to her. Readers will find out how Cillian influenced the title of the novel. Also at the camp is Vivienne; she wants Cillian and is used to taking whatever she feels that she needs.
In the present, Billie’s parents have recently died. She finds something out in a note that her father left her. This leads her to connect with Imelda and connect they do! In the present, Imelda offers Billie some answers and all the wonderful aspects of the kind of person she is. Readers will root for both of them.
This book is not a cliffhanger. It is a slow-ish read that I enjoyed and recommend. Not quite as good as Sally but very good nonetheless.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Mrs B, landlady of the Marigold Cottages, only rents to favoured tenants, and they’re an eccentric (read: odd, slightly broken) bunch. There’s anxious playwright Sophie, agoraphobe over-sharer Hamilton, single mum and sculptor Ocean, perfectionist Lily-Ann, and the ever-mysterious Nicholas. Life in the cottages is peaceful though, until hulking, fresh-out-of-prison Anthony moves in and a dead body turns up.
Anthony is arrested and Mrs B, convinced of his innocence, promptly confesses to the crime herself. Horrified, her tenants band together to clear her name, forming the somewhat haphazard ‘Marigold Cottages Murder Collective’. But as they dig deeper and a second body is discovered, further secrets are unearthed.
Can this motley collection of amateur sleuths solve the case before one of them becomes the next victim?
About the Author
JOEL ROSS is the author of an award-winning fogpunk adventure series that includes THE FOG DIVER and THE LOST COMPASS, the BEAST & CROWN series, and ALLEY & REX series. As Joel Naftali, he wrote a skunkpunk children’s series and co-wrote THE ARMY OF FROGS trilogy which became a Netflix animated series―for which he and Lee wrote the screenplays. He is also the author of two adult WWII thrillers. And as Joel Dane, he wrote the CRY PILOT science fiction series, along with the science fiction podcast, MARIGOLD BREACH that starred Jameela Jamil and Manny Jacinto.
LEE NICHOLS is the author of five chick lit novels including the bestselling TALES OF A DRAMA QUEEN and HAND-ME-DOWN. She’s written the HAUNTING EMMA series for young adults, which is currently optioned for TV and co-wrote the animated Netflix series, THE ARMY OF FROGS.
Lee and Joel met in college and have lived together more years than they have not. They currently reside in Santa Barbara with two cats named Earl and Betty and have one son who pretends to be learning something while away at college. After collaborating on roughly thirty books together for both children and adults, they finally sat down to write The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective, their first mystery.
My thoughts:
This book offers a fun read with delightfully eccentric characters, a well described setting and an interesting plot. It is a perfect book for a bit of escape.
I love the idea of renting out homes only to people that one likes and then REALLY standing by them, even including a (false) confession.
Watching this group of folks solve a case was very enjoyable.
I do hope that this novel is just the first in a series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. All thoughts are my own.
No one in Lily Lennox’s life can understand why, for each of the past five summers, she has left her successful business behind to work a lifeguarding job at the exclusive Riovan Wellness Resort on a sun-soaked Caribbean Island.
Fortunately for her, they also aren’t aware of the mysterious deaths that occur on the island every time she’s there. You see, Lily has a secret. She’s determined to make toxic people pay for the damage they do – and she’s very good at getting away with it.
But this summer, there’s a problem in the form of a very attractive guest, Daniel Black, who is asking a few too many inconvenient questions. Hoping to lead him off her trail, Lily decides to keep her enemy close, but as their attraction grows into something much deeper, Lily’s plans start to unravel. Because Daniel is set on finding the murderer – and Lily plans to get away with it – no matter what.
My thoughts:
I know that recently there has been a spate of books featuring women who kill. It is an interesting sub-genre and one in which I am not widely read.
This time, readers meet an unusual life guard (how is that term meant to be understood in this title?) who is on “A Killer Getaway” in a gorgeous locale. What will happen when Lily and island visitor/journalist Daniel collide? Will there be disaster or will our clever author give them a happy ending?
The pages will turn as readers wait to find out.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this title. All thoughts are my own.
Here is a fun and entertaining mystery that is just perfect for a winter night’s read. The ghostwriter narrator of the first book in the series is back. This time she is going on a cruise (despite not really liking the sea) for a group of would be writers. This is a clue to the double entendre of the Get Lit moniker that is the name of the event.
The cruise is organized by a writer, phenomenon and self-promoter known to our ghostwriter from their MFA days. On this mostly all women cruise, Payton has brought along her wife but also her ex husband and her male assistant. The staffers on the cruise, the guests and the writers are all brought to fun (and somewhat snarky) life.
Not so many of the attendees have signed up for our ghostwriter’s mystery writing class. But no matter, there will be plenty of real life mystery and murder on board.
Come along for a fun trip and feel like an insider in this quite entertaining read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this title. All opinions are my own.
Pub date: 21 January 2025
From the Publisher
Knives Out meets high seas intrigue on a literary cruise to nowhere in this intelligent, wildly funny locked room mystery for fans of Richard Osman, Anthony Horowitz, Nita Prose, and Agatha Christie!
The USA Today bestselling host of the “All About Agatha” podcast injects the spark and fizz of a Golden Age murder mystery into the present-day, as the ghostwriter’s skills are put to the test aboard a bestselling author’s decidedly insalubrious cruise.
Emmy Award-winning reporter Christina Estes uses her twenty-year career for inspiration for her mysteries. In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, Jolene Garcia refuses to stop investigating, but someone is determined to kill the story—and maybe her.
Phoenix, Arizona TV reporter Jolene Garcia is fresh off winning her first Emmy and committed to covering stories that matter to her community. But Jolene’s managers want stories that grab immediate attention and generate clicks, not ones that take time to develop.
When a beloved small business owner dies in a car crash, Jolene isn’t convinced it was an accident. He’d been raising questions about who keeps getting lucrative deals at city hall—questions that powerful people don’t want answered. The deeper Jolene digs, the more suspicious things she uncovers.
Exposing greed, ambition, and deception could become the biggest story of Jolene’s career. Her bosses tell her to drop it. But there’s a story here, and Jolene’s going to find it.
Emmy Award-winning reporter Christina Estes uses her twenty-year career for inspiration for her mysteries. In The Story That Wouldn’t Die, Jolene Garcia refuses to stop investigating, but someone is determined to kill the story—and maybe her—for good.
“Vibrant . . . A brain-teasing, fair-play puzzle.” —Publishers Weekly
“The compelling mystery and pursuit of answers make Jolene a fun and engaging amateur detective.” –First Clue
Editorial Reviews
The Boston Globe – One of the New Books to Add to Your Summer Reading List
“Readers will enjoy the fast-moving plot twists.” –Booklist
“Vibrant. . . A brain-teasing, fair-play puzzle.” –Publishers Weekly
Also by Estes:
My thoughts:
This is a terrific book for our time. It combines a good mystery with the issue of corruption in politics. This may strike a familiar chord to some.
Meet reporter Jolene who is motivated, determined and capable…oh, and stubborn. She will work hard to figure out all that she needs to, even if her editor is not always supportive.
What led to the death of a small business owner? This is a question that Jolene is determined to investigate. Will she get her story? Readers can guess the answer to that.
This is a crime novel that offers an involving story on some timely themes. The pages keep turning.
I look forward to what Estes will come up with next for her readers.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for this title. All thoughts are my own.
The Old Success follows The Knowledge, a book that I really enjoyed. The Old Success is not quite as good but will still be welcomed by fans of Richard Jury and his eccentric circle of friends. Old readers, for example, will probably love Melrose’s latest attempt to get at his aunt. You do not have to have read all the books in the series to pick this up but it may help to know a bit about the cast. In this novel, there are three murders. One takes place in the Scilly Islands, one in Exeter Cathedral and one on a family estate. Are they linked, and if they are, what is the connection? As usual, there are characters who are children and essential to the story. In this case, the reader meets Zillah and Zoe. What did they witness? What is their connection to the bigger mystery surrounding the deaths? The title of the book comes from the name of a pub, as is usual for Martha Grimes. Those in the pubs are witnesses and friends, including a retired police officer who solved all his cases. There is also his granddaughter who is talented at working with horses. Quite a mix. Of course, all is solved. I read this book quickly. I rate it at 3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance read in exchange for an honest review. The book publishes in November.
(
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 