Daggerbound (2026) T. Kingfisher (Swordheart #2) Not a decade, but long enough for the impatient, we have the follow-up to Swordheart! This is set about 7 years after the end of the Clocktaur War series, and a couple of years after Swordheart but before The Saint of Steel series. Learned Edmund (from the Clocktaur War […]
The Bell in the Fog (2023) Lev Ac Rosen (Evander Mills #2) Set in San Francisco in ~1952 The story takes place several months after the events of Lavender House. Evander Mills is trying to make his way as a queer private detective, but as he was once a copy, not many people seem to […]
A Murderous Business (2025) Cathy Pegau (Harriman & Mancini #1) Set in NYC in 1912 Margot Harriman has taken over her family business at B&H Foods after her father’s death, but it’s 1912 and people don’t believe a woman can truly run a company. Even her father’s second in command–a man who she has know […]
The Murder of Mr. Ma, Audio Book (2024) John Shen Yen Nee, S.J. Rozan narrated by Daniel York Loh (Dee & Lao #1) London, 1924 Dee stayed in the shadows of the horse stall for some minutes, until, as he told me later, the visions from the trenches had begun to fade. For this was […]
A Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Catching a Killer (2026) F. H. Petford Set in Cornwall, England in 1915 Alma and Alan are excited to plan their wedding, but have things to work out, such as where they will get married (Alan wants a church wedding) and where they will live (Alma wants to live at […]
Lavender House (2022) Lev AC Rosen (Evander Mills #1) Set in San Francisco in 1952 Evan Mills has been dismissed from the SF police department after being caught in a raid at a queer club. Caught–quite literally–with his pants down. Now with no job, and no home (he was thrown out). Even he wouldn’t meet […]
The Missing Page (2022) Cat Sebastian (Page & Sommers #2) Set in Cornwall in 1947 “The letter from the solicitor said the uncle’s will stipulated that all legatees attend the reading at the family home in Cornwall or forfeit their bequest.” Leo’s eyebrows shot straight up. “Was it his uncle’s dying wish to reenact a […]
Murder in Blackfriars (2026) Jennifer Ashley (Below Stairs Mystery #9) Set in London in 1884 This series seems like its winding up. Daniel is disentangled from Mr. Monaghan and Kat and Daniel are settled into a relationship. Daniel and I had come to an agreement to wed, though we were waiting to iron out the […]
Final Heir, Audio Book (2022) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #15) The final Jane Yellowrock book. Well, I finished it. And on audio no less. Did I enjoy it? I don’t really think I did. Most of the major deaths occurred in the last book (and there were some shockers there). There […]
Hither, Page (2019) Cat Sebastian (Page & Sommers #1) Set in England in 1946 Even Edith Pickering and Cora Delacourt, who had lived with Mrs. Hoggett, didn’t seem terribly moved, but then again they had a good deal of practice in losing people, having lived through the last time the world decided to kill off […]
The Muse of Maiden Lane (2024) Mimi Matthews (Belles of London #4) Hampshire, Derbyshire & London, England in 1863 This is the final book in the Belles of London series. Stella wants to marry to escape her older brother, but as she turned completely gray by 16, she doesn’t see how she’s going to manage […]
Steamy Espresso Secrets by Tyora Moody (Joss Miller #4) Joss is starting the first Media Arts summer camp at the Rebecca Montgomery Art Center, and although overwhelmed, she is excited–and not just because she is teaching a day on podcasting. But the man who volunteered to teach a day of photography to the kids seems […]
True Dead, Audio Book (2021) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #14) I fell off reading the Jane Yellowrock series after Dark Queen. It was too dark and too full of cliffhangers for my brain at the time. I eventually read Shattered Bonds, but it was also depressing so I didn’t read any […]
Pack of Lies (2022) Charlie Adhara (Monster Hunt #1) Not everything had to be about hope and love and trust to be worth doing. Sometimes it was just the desire to not feel so terribly alone. I don’t think anyone could ever see you as inept. Not at anything. You positively ooze…ept. It was something […]
Cry Wolf (2021) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf #5) “Did you know the cat is being more cordial than either of you right now? And I know for a fact she was raised in an alley.” “Also, he said to tell you you’ve been demoted to fourth rank.” “We don’t do ranks,” Park protested. “We’re […]
Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (2020) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf #4) I couldn’t justify throwing out sixty years of data. It wasn’t the science that was bad. It was the way he used it. The reasons he used it. “I think I’m going to give therapy another try. You know, real therapy and not informal […]
Thrown to the Wolves (2019) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf #3) Just like any power-hungry man, deep down he was a coward. In her lap Boogie was curled up and purring so loudly the sound practically echoed through the barn. Helena couldn’t have looked more like an evil mastermind if she tried. He comforted himself […]
The Wolf at Bay (2018) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf #2) This book opens with possibly my favorite scene ever. “Birthday, anniversary, or apology?” … “You’ve been standing here staring at that flower shop for fifteen minutes. So is it for her birthday or anniversary, or are you making up for a fight? Because I’ve […]
The Wolf at the Door (2018) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf, #1) The old-fashioned investigative work Cooper had dreamed of doing when he got recruited to the FBI wasn’t really applicable these days. … After cases like Bethesda he felt like a glorified bounty hunter, and that wasn’t why he’d wanted to get into law […]
Shattered Bonds, Audio Book (2019) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #13) “This isn’t a chalice,” I said, straight-faced, holding it up. “This is a silver shot glass.” “If I say it’s a chalice, it’s a chalice,” Molly said, her eyes narrowing. Holy crap. You know where my soul home is. Beast did […]
Dark Queen, Audio Book (2018) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #12) Eli sawed. Bra came loose and Eli peeled bra down Beast legs. Bra was dead. Jane should kill bras. “However, I prefer QaStaHvIS yIn ‘ej chep.” I stopped with the beer held in the air, ice water dripping from my fingers. […]
Lady Mechanika: The Mechanical Menagerie (2026) Joe Benitez, Martin Montiel, Madeline Holly-Rosing (Lady Mechanika Vol 9) Apparently, Image Comics is rereleasing some of the older volumes of Lady Mechanika, which is how I ended up with a second copy of Sangre. The latest story, The Mechanical Menagerie is not yet out in TPB, so I […]
The Prince and the Dressmaker (2018) Jen Wang Prince Sebastian’s parents are searching the country for his bride. They want him to have a say in who he marries (something they didn’t have) but Sebastian has a secret: Lady Crystallia. After following her client’s wishes and getting fired, Frances is saved when a royal courtier […]
Lady Mechanika Volume 6 Sangre (2020) Joe Benítez, Marcia Chen, Brian Ching (Lady Mechanika #6) Well damnit. This is a rerelease, not the newest volume. Weirdly, I remembered the historical Mesoamerican parts rather than the current timeline. Publisher: Image Comics Rating: 8/10
A Blunt Instrument (1938) Georgette Heyer (Inspector Hannasyde #4) Set in London in 1938 A stern glance was directed towards him. ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord, thy God, in vain,’ said Glass deeply. This admonishment was more comprehensible to Simmons, who was a member of the same sect as PC Glass, […]
Check, Please! Book 2: Sticks & Scones (2018) Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please! #2) Publisher: First Second Rating: 10/10
Father Material (2026) Alexis Hall (London Calling #3) This is the conclusion to Luc and Oliver’s story, and unlike the previous two books, doesn’t follow the beats of any particular romantic comedy–or honestly, a romantic comedy. That’s not to say it isn’t funny: there is a good deal of silliness. “What do you want to […]
A Bitter Cut (2026) Anna Lee Huber (Lady Darby #14) Set in Warwickshire, England in 1833 Kiera has decided that they best way to meet the family of the woman her brother Trevor hopes to marry is to invite them to a house party. Hosted by Lord Gage. For his political friends. “What was he […]
The Unmatchmakers (2022) Jackie Lau Leora may find her mother frustrating, but she’s looking forward to a week at the vacation house her mother bought with her two best friends–even if she hasn’t seen the kids she nearly grew up with in years. It’s a bit weird, us all hanging out as adults. Different than […]
Husband Material (2022) Alexis Hall (London Calling, #2) Oliver had been seeing a trained professional for nearly two years because of his parents so I did my best to be sensitive and not poke anything that might be the emotional equivalent of a bear or a mine—or a bear-mine, which would be a bear that […]
Boyfriend Material (2020) Alexis Hall (London Calling, #1) “I’m conscious this could be rather burdensome to hear, but you remain the thing I have most chosen for myself. The thing that’s most exclusively mine. The one that brings me the deepest joy.” if we let happy things make us unhappy when they stopped, there would […]
Murder Under Her Skin, Audio Book Stephen Spotswood narrated by Kirsten Potter (Pentecost & Parker #2) Set in Stoppard VA in 1947 I had some preconceived notions of what to expect from the Pig’s Hole, and it did not disappoint. It had clearly started life as a cheaply made shotgun shack and had only gone […]
Death and Dinuguan (2025) Mia P. Manansala (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #6) This is the sixth and final book in the series, and oddly, the one I liked best. A series of break-ins have hit the small businesses of Shady Palms, made all the more upsetting as all the victims were women. Adeena said, “I […]
Only Murders in the Abbey (2025) Beth Cowan-Erskine (Loch Down Abbey #2) Set in Scotland in 1937 War is coming, and unexpected guests from Shanghai have shown up in Loch Down expecting to be put up in the estate turned hotel. ‘You will pay for their stays, Bella.’ ‘That’s hardly fair!’ she retorted. ‘That is […]
Shadow Rites, Audio Book (2016) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #10) I leaned around Wrassler, to Brenda and Eli. “Which pocket?” “I couldn’t spot a thing,” Brenda said. “Right,” Eli said. He had a fifty percent chance of being right. And he was. “Good guess,” I said. “Not a guess. Wrassler’s got […]
Next to You (2022) Hannah Bonam-Young (Next #2) Lane doesn’t really know what to do with herself. She’s not unhappy, but she’s not happy either. So after her birthday she decides to purchase and renovate a bus–a far cry from her twin who got respectably engaged to a respectable guy. A guy who seems to […]
Cheddar Luck Next Time (2025) Beth Cato Bird is slowly rebuilding her life after losing both her parents and then her grandmother within a single year, but her inheritance gave her one thing: the ability to focus on her gourmet cheese board business. The property she inherited from her grandmother has a commercial kitchen, and […]
A Marriage of Undead Inconvenience (2024) Stephanie Burgis (The Unexpected Adventures of Lady and Lord Riven #1) Set in an alternate 19th century England. After being kept awake for 48 hours by her unscrupulous aunt and uncle, Margaret has been forced into marriage she didn’t want. Margaret set her teapot and cup on a side […]
Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey (2018) Ngozi Ukazu (Check, Please! #1) Publisher: First Second Rating: 8.5/10
Dark Heir, Audio Book (2015) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #9) “There is job-bound, there is emotion-bound, and there is blood-bound—all kinds of binding. Then there is stupid-bound. In this case, I think you’re stupid-bound.” The vibes the place gave out said it had not been a happy place, while the décor […]
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping (2025) Sangu Mandanna Sera was fifteen when she lost most of her magic. Choosing her love for Jasmine over her loyalty to the British Guild of Sorcery wasn’t exactly difficult for Sera. The Guild was strict, stuffy, and entirely too fond of looking down their noses at almost everybody. […]
A Shore Thing (2024) Joanna Lowell Set in Cornwall in 1888 Mrs. Muriel Pendrake has come to St Ives with her best friend James both to vacation and to find a painter for her botanical images for her upcoming presentation in New York. “You have enough people to worry about in London. This is a […]
The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking (2019) Leigh Perry (The Family Skeleton #6) This seems to be the last Skeleton mystery, although I did see a listing for an anthology of short stories. Georgia is back living at home, and working as an adjunct at the other university in town (the one her parents do not […]
The Skeleton Makes a Friend (2018) Leigh Perry (Family Skeleton Mystery #5) Another semester, another college, but this time Georgia is teaching at a summer program for high school students. If I’d been able to afford it, I would have tried to talk Madison into signing up for the program. She’d just finished her sophomore […]
The Skeleton Paints a Picture (2017) Leigh Perry (Family Skeleton Mystery #4) This premise of this series is a little silly–one of the two main characters is an animated skeleton. But once you accept that, it’s a fun cozy mystery. Georgia Thackery is an adjunct professor, seeking the magical grail of a tenured position. “Why […]
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich (2023) Deya Muniz The Count of Camembert has provided many suitors for his daughter to consider, but she has rejected them all because she has no interest in marrying a man. But daughters can’t inherit, so if she isn’t to be left alone and with nothing, she’ll have […]
Broken Soul, Audio Book (2014) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock #8) “Other than proper etiquette, there are few rules,” Gee said, his blade slowing. “One may fight with one blade or two, though two is more common. And most formal challenges are to first blood, though some few are to true-death. Deception […]
A Scandal in Mayfair (2024) Katharine Schellman (Lily Adler Mystery #5) Set in London in 1817 “Do you wish for advice or a distraction?” Simon sighed. “Would that there was a way to detect a poison hiding in a bottle or meal. But alas, our scientists have not yet gained such insight.” “Do you think […]
Murder at Midnight (2023) Katharine Schellman (Lily Adler Mystery, #4) Set in Hertfordshire in 1816 Peter, in spite of having six elder sisters, had long been accustomed to managing the finances of his whole family as his sisters married and moved away one by one. But Lily couldn’t help resenting the implication that, three years […]
Death at the Manor (2022) Katharine Schellman (Lily Adler Mystery #3) Set in England in 1815 “My aunt and Miss Clarke were at school together as girls. When neither of them had married after a few years, they began to talk of setting up their own household together, rather than remaining with their families in […]