Isabelle Adler
Books: Mystery | LGBT
In the Winter Woods (2020), The House on Druid Lake (2021)
In the Winter Woods (2020)
Declan
has escaped to his family's summer cabin–in December–in the hopes it
will let him write the book he desperately needs to get to his editor.
And it looks like he can't just churn out another mystery with his
hero–he needs something new, and doesn't know where to start.
Aside from one very stupid mistake (which involved alcohol) Declan does not (unlike many other protagonists in cozy mysteries) foolishly throw himself into danger for stupid reasons. He makes mistakes, but he isn't an idiot.
I picked some sensible items— dried pasta, canned tomato sauce, eggs, bread, and some packaged vegetables. Then (because I wasn't living in complete denial) I added instant coffee and a box of sugary donuts.
It was a cute cozy mystery that–although somewhat predictable–was still a lovely escape.
Publisher: NineStar Press
January 2022 | Rating: 7/10
The House on Druid Lake (2021)
Oliver
has taken a job in Baltimore to make a new start, and perhaps a little
bit of escaping his abusive ex. He believes he’s lucked out in finding a
relatively inexpensive apartment to rent, in what looks to be an
historical building, but things are not what they seem.
What did I like about this story?
The paranormal elements for one, and the way Oliver reacted to them. It’s always difficult when reading a story with paranormal elements, because you know it’s a story, so it’s hard not to be annoyed at a main character for not picking up on the fact that Things Are Not As They Seem.
What bothered me was twofold.
First, I absolutely could not mentally place this story in Baltimore.
Second, Oliver’s boss was so much of a nightmare he felt a parody of a bad boss: He continually calls Oliver Daniel (those names aren’t even close?). But mostly, he’s a complete jerk.
Eliminating that one window across all the buildings would save tens of thousands of dollars in building costs, and the residents would never know the difference. After all, they won’t be living there for comfort and luxury, will they?
Here’s the thing that bugged me.
(H)e had a good reason to be wary of entitled men who couldn’t take no for an answer and considered the slightest rebuke as a wound to their ego.
Oliver is thinking about his ex here, but it’s actually a perfect description of his boss.
Yes, he’s made a huge move across the country and has no support system, but… the boss seems to be made entirely of red flags, and Oliver just lets it go.
Ugh.
Characters: Oliver Foster, Nym Brown, Aurora, Sky, Serena, Raphael, Kimona, Amy, Horace Livingstone, Despina Shaw, Courtney, Ela Blum, Richard Cox, Colin Thompson
Cover art by Jaycee DeLorenzo
Publisher: NineStar Press
September 2025 | Rating: 7/10