An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination (2021) Sheera Frenkel, Cecilia Kang This book sets out to tell you how things are, and pulls no punches, right from the start. For years, Facebook had exercised a merciless “buy-or-bury” strategy to kill off competitors. The result was the creation of a powerful monopoly that wreaked […]
A Carriage of Misjustice (2020) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Alas, I am now all caught up with this series. Robin and Adam are newlyweds, but since it’s midterm, it’s back to work for both of them until they can take a proper honeymoon over summer break. Unfortunately, Robin is seconded to Hartwood to lead up […]
Murder Under Her Skin (2021) Stephen Spotswood (Pentecost and Parker) Set in NYC and rural VA in 1946. Will has been working for Ms. Pentecost for more than a year now, and is enjoying becoming a private investigator. But when Will gets a telegram from her old boss–Big Bob Halloway–asking to look into the death […]
Broken Soul (2014) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) Here is where the story starts to steamroll, with major arcs remaining open at the end of each book. Not cliffhangers, mind you, but major story arcs, like the plotting and machinations of the European Vamps, and why they’re coming to the US. The […]
Two Feet Under (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Adam Matthews and Robin Bright are settling into their new jobs: Adam is deputy headmaster at a new school and Robin is Chief Inspector at Abbotston (the nick that had all the issues in the last book). When Robin is called out to a body found at […]
Reflection of a Curse (2022) Lissa Kasey (Romancing a Curse) After getting the second story in this series for free last winter, I’ve been getting Lissa Kasey’s newsletter, and in the fall she started sharing chapters of this story in the news letter, and to her Patreon followers. About six chapters in I finally started […]
Jury of One (2016) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Inspector Robin Bright had been meant to be enjoying the weekend with his partner Adam Matthews, but a murder has him and his team called in while the Abbotston team tries to deal with a serial killer. It’s a cozy mystery, and just what I was in […]
Riccardino (2020/2021) Andrea Camilleri translated by Stephen Sartarelli (Inspector Montalbano Mystery) Andrea Camilleri died in 2019. He had written this book and sent it to his editor, to be published after his death. This is the final novel with Inspector Montalbano as its protagonist. I first started writing it in July 2004 and finished it […]
The Mystery of the Spirits (2021) C.S. Poe (Snow & Winter) This is the fifth Snow & Winter mystery. Sebastian and Calvin are happily married, and Sebastian has managed to avoid getting involved in murders–until now. “We should get one of those OSHA scoreboards for the shop. You know, for recording accidents? Except we record […]
Blood of the Earth, Audio Edition (2016) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (A Soulwood Novel) After helping Jane Yellowrock rescue a vampire and abused women from the compound of her former church, Nell Ingram has been waiting for the help Jane said might be coming. Because the church men are becoming more of a […]
Snuff (2011) Terry Pratchett (Discworld) This is the last Sam Vimes book. I’d put off reading it for years, but now I’ve read it, and I’m almost done with Discworld. Vimes has been ordered to take a vacation, but (to the surprise of no one) he managed to find crime while at Sybil’s ancestral home. […]
Black Arts (2014) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) Publisher: Audible Studios Rating: 8/10
Body at Buccaneer’s Bay (2021) Josh Lanyon (Secrets and Scrabble) This was delayed, and delayed, and delayed. However, a brief check of her website made it clear that she (like the rest of us) was struggling with the pandemic, and would be unable to meet her publishing schedule. Which, good for her for realizing that, […]
Possessed by Shadows (2021) Lissa Kasey (Simply Crafty) Alex may be content trying to let his past go, but his brother isn’t. He’d decided to go from police homicide detective, to paranormal detective. I was not a fan. But he didn’t see the same sort of stuff I did, and it seemed to be a […]
Mango, Mambo, and Murder (2021) Raquel V. Reyes (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery) Miriam Quiñones-Smith has finished her PhD in food anthropology, but instead of becoming an author or education, she has moved back to Miami, where her husband was able to find a better paying job closer to support from his family. “I’m a food […]
Marked by Shadows (2020) Lissa Kasey (Simply Crafty) Micah has a complicated past. But he’s happy where he is now: running a craft shop and spending time with Alexis. Even if the ghost tours can be a little stressful. I watched other ghost hunters, or paranormal enthusiasts as they called themselves, do something called ‘provoking […]
Off the Grid, Audio Book (2015) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) A novella that takes place between Black Arts and Broken Soul, and introduces Nell, whose series begins with Blood of the Earth. Security was so much easier in the modern day, with access to so many public records protected by such […]
Blood Trade, Audio Book (2013) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) Natchez, Mississippi is overrun with rogues, and the Master hires Jane to come help him solve this problem. But when she arrives, things are even worse than she expected. I hacked in amusement. I am bigger. I like bigger. Would like to […]
Unseen Academicals (2009) Terry Pratchett (Discworld) I’ve owned this book for years (as well as the following two) but I didn’t read. First, because I wasn’t reading a lot of fantasy. Then, because I knew there wouldn’t be any more Discworld books, and I wanted to save the reading of them. Which meant I never […]
Perfect Rhythm (2017) Jae (Fair Oaks) Leontyne Blake grew up wanting nothing more than to escape the small town where she grew up, and now she has that, as pop start Jenna Blake. But at the end of her tour she receives a call from her mother, that Leo’s father has suffered a stroke and […]
The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (2021) Mackenzi Lee (Montague Siblings) Nearly 20 years have passed since Monty (and then Felicity) fled England and their father. In the mean time, their younger brother has grown into an adult–but one with his own problems. Adrian has struggled with his mind his entire life, but after […]
The Quid Pro Quo (2021) A.L. Lester (Bradfield Trilogy) Set in England in 1920 Walter met Sylvia when they were both working at the same hospital at Royaumont. They only got the worst cases here now… had done for a while, since the brass had worked out that the lady doctors had a better surgical […]
Making Money (2007) Terry Pratchett (Discworld) The Post Office is going well (to the surprise of Moist as much as everyone else) and perhaps Moist is getting a little bored. Luckily, Vetinari has ideas. “You Have An Appointment Now With Lord Vetinari,” said the golem. “I’m sure I don’t.” “There Are Two Guards Outside Who […]
Murder Most Actual (2021) Alexis Hall Liza and Hannah are having a bit of struggle with their marriage. A struggle that Hannah tried to help by scheduling a vacation for just the two of them: no internet, no cell services, just the two of them in the wilds of Scotland. Except that Hannah didn’t consult […]
Sweetest in the Gale (2020) Olivia Dade (There’s Something About Marysburg) This is actually three novellas, all set in the town of Marysburg: “Sweetest in the Gale”, “Unraveled”, “Cover Me” “Sweetest in the Gale” Griff Conover has worked with Candy Albright since moving to Marysville, and he’s always had his eye on her. But his […]
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent, Audio Book (2013) Marie Brennan narrated by Kate Reading After Michael admitted that he hadn’t read A Natural History of Dragons, I decided that would be our next listen. Isabella loves dragons. As a child she got into trouble trying to see one, and her […]
Raven Cursed, Audio Version (2012) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) Jane is sent to Asheville NC to provide security for a visit by Gregoire to judge if the Master of Asheville, Shaddock, deserves his own territory, after one of his turned vampires came out of the devoveo in only two years. But […]
The Botanist (2017) Dahlia Donovan (The Sin Bin) This story takes place over the course of about two years, and opens with Aled being rescued by Wyatt. (The damage to Aded all occurs off the page, by Wyatt is there for the immediate aftermath.) Although it is a romance, most of the story is about […]
The Caretaker (2017) Dahlia Donovan (The Sin Bin) Freddie Whittle is a cancer nurse. It’s an incredibly hard job, and he puts too much of himself into it, but he doesn’t want to do anything else. Taine stood silent while the nurse gathered himself. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly […]
After the Scrum (2016) Dahlia Donovan Francis Keen is perfectly happy living in Looe with his grandmother. He doesn’t want to leave her alone, and if it helps his anxiety, that’s not a bad thing either. And since he is a somewhat successful interior designer, it’s pretty good. He hated leaving his small workspace in […]
The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (2021) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run) Adam had always wanted to be a father. What he didn’t expect was to end up a single parent, back in the hometown he ran away from as soon as he graduated, relying on his sibling to help him with child care. And Adam is […]
Making Love (2017) Aidan Wayne Carla is a cupid, and she wants nothing more than to go out into the world and find True Love matches for humans. But as good as her aim is, Carla is terrible at seeing possible chemistry between people. A cupid’s arrow only held the Spark of Interest. It got […]
Death at the Crystal Palace (2021) Jennifer Ashley (A Below Stairs Mystery Book) Set in England in 1882. Kat is visiting the Crystal Palace on her day off with Lady Cynthia and her friends (as well as with her daughter), when a woman comes up to her and claims that she is being poisoned, and […]
The Bellingham Mystery Series Volume 1 (2015) Nicole Kimberling Primal Red Evergreen Black Cat Ink Like Grilled Cheese and Goblins, the story is fun and enjoyable. In addition to writing articles, Peter was in charge of circulation, which meant that every Thursday morning he drove bundles of the free weekly to various locations in the […]
Best Laid Plans (2021) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run) This is another story where both characters have dealt with a lot, but we see they learned healthy ways to deal with their shit. He looked at the situation and chose to acknowledge all the dimensions of it. Dimensions (as he thought of them) weren’t positive or […]
The Lawrence Browne Affair (2017) Cat Sebastian (The Turner Series) Set in England in 1816 Lawrence Browne is waiting to go mad. In the meantime, he’s trying to be useful, putting his efforts into various inventions, but refusing to let anyone get close to him, for fear of taking them down with him. Penkellis was […]
Throne of Jade (2006) Naomi Novik (Temeraire) Set in an alternate timeline, 1805 After the Chinese discovered that their treasured dragon egg ended up with an English naval captain, they started insisting Temeraire be returned to China. However, Temeraire will not be separated from Lawrence. First, a major chunk of this book is the journey […]
Transient Desires (2021) Donna Leon (Commissario Brunetti) Two young American women were left on the dock outside the hospital–one with serious injuries. What happened? Why were they abandoned? These and other questions lead Brunetti and his fellow officer Griffoni to find out what happened to the women–and more importantly, why. This is another of the […]
Lords and Ladies (1992) Terry Pratchett (Discworld: Witches) The witches are finally back in Lancre, and Magrat is getting married–much to her own surprise. But it isn’t actually that bad a deal. Verence II was the most amiable monarch in the history of Lancre. His subjects regarded him with the sort of good-natured contempt that […]
Arsenic and Adobo (2021) Mia P. Manansala (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen) Lila Macapagal has returned hom–not just to escape her cheating ex-fiance but also to help her auntie try to save their family restaurant. Unfortunately, that means she has to deal with her family. I don’t know if you’ve ever been stared down by an elderly […]
Minor Mage (2019) T. Kingfisher Oliver is a minor mage. He might become more powerful, because he’s only twelve, but right now he only has three spells. Unfortunately, the town has decided that he must go to the mountains to fetch the rain, before the drought ruins everyone. Of course, the townspeople waited until Oliver’s […]
Where There’s a Kilt, There’s a Way (2021) Ella Stainton (Kilty Pleasures) Set in Scotland and Sweden in 1930 Joachim Cockburn and Ainsley Graham have been looking for summer positions to broaden their fields; specifically Jochaim wants to change how patients in asylums are treated, and hopes that working at a prestigious university will give […]
A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder (2021) Dianne Freeman (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery) Set in England in 1899 Frances is looking quite forward to marrying George Hazleton. She successfully launched her sister, and things were looking up–until a young Frenchwoman is brought to Frances’ house, claiming to be George’s wife. She’s also […]
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (2021) Cat Sebastian Set in England in 1751. After a carriage hold up that cost him the full use of his leg as well as his best friend, Kit Webb decided to take over the running of his coffee shop. There might be some planning and deals and fencing […]
Pierced Peony (2021) Dahlia Donovan (Motts Cold Case Mystery Series) When an inspector from London comes to visit Motts about a cold case from her childhood, the two unexpectedly discover another body–opening another cold case. “You’ll never guess what I’ve learned.” “Marnie.” Motts was amused at how everyone around her, aside from the policemen in […]
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake (2021) Alexis Hall (Winner Bakes All) Rosaline Palmer gave up medical school to become a single mother. “The last bold thing I did was decide I was keeping the baby, and while I’m glad I did, as decisions go it’s not exactly been without consequences.” She loves her daughter, and […]
Out of House and Home (2021) Drew Hayes (Fred the Vampire Accountant) Fred & Krystal are married. And although Krystal is paying for actions she took with a lot of cases that take her away for weeks at a time, they are still happy. Much as I strive for transparency in these accounts, I’m afraid […]
Poisoned Primrose Dahlia Donovan (2020) Poisoned Primrose (Motts Cold Case Mystery) Motts is a 39 year-old asexual, biromantic autistic who is living on her own for the first time in a house left to her by her aunt. Unfortunately, when digging up the untended garden, remains are discovered, which causes no end of problems for […]
Mercy Blade, Audio Edition (2011) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam I love Khristine Hvam’s narration of this series. Every time I reread this series, I like Rick even less. Which doesn’t get better until the Soulwood series, when he finally stops using his looks to get what he wants and grows up. Publisher: Audible […]
Subtle Blood (2021) KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures) Set in London ~1924 Will Darling is finally somewhat comfortable in his relationship with Kim Secretan, even if they continue to have to hide they are more than just acquaintances. Will is also finally doing a decent job with the bookstore he inherited–due in part to […]