Think of England (2014) KJ Charles Set in England, 1904 It had been an extraordinarily modern creation at that time, equipped with the very latest innovations, with running water in all the bathrooms, heated by hot-water radiators and illuminated throughout by electricity from his own hydroelectric generator. This country is heading for a crash, mark […]

Proper English (2019) KJ Charles Shropshire, 1902 The table was inevitably unbalanced, due to the odd number and informal make-up of the party, with two sets of brothers and sisters to be separated plus the married couple. “I’m so sorry. That’s wholly inadequate but I don’t know if there’s anything else one can say.” “Not […]

Subtle Blood (2021) KJ Charles (Will Darling Adventures #3) Set in England in 1924 Lord Arthur recently became notorious for the killing of man-about-town Johnnie Cheveley in shocking events at Lord Waring’s ancestral home. No blame was attached to Lord Arthur by the Coroner’s jury. “They commended him, you shits,” Will growled at the paper. […]

The Sugared Game (2020) KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures, #2) Set in London in 1924 “Do you ever have the feeling the whole world changed while we were away and nobody bothered to mention it to us?” “I know you’ve thought about this,” Will said. “But there are men in the world who aren’t […]

Slippery Creatures (2020) KJ Charles (The Will Darling Adventures, #1) Set in London in 1923 “My grateful nation wasn’t grateful enough to give me a job. I pawned my medals to keep a roof over my head and food in my belly, and I’ll tell you what, the Military Cross doesn’t fetch a great deal, […]

Bloody Acquisitions, Audiobook (2016) Drew Hayes narrated by a full cast: Christopher Walker, Nora Achrati, Marni Penning, Yasmin Tuazon, Shanta Parasuraman, Steven Carpenter, Carolyn Kashner, Christopher Graybill, Anthony Palmini, Laura C Harris, Danny Gavigan, Matthew Bassett, Scott McCormick, Alejandro Ruiz, Bradley Smith, Colleen Delany, Holly Adams, Michael John Casey, Terence Aselford and Zeke Alton(Fred, the […]

Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector (2018) Nicole Kimberling Lulu’s Flapjack Shack inhabited a space that had certainly been continuously used as a hospitality venue since linoleum had been invented. “Mass media doesn’t cover actual vampire deaths,” Keith remarked before he realized how callous his statement sounded. “Have you seen a […]

Undeath & Taxes, Audiobook (2015) Drew Hayes narrated by a full cast: Christopher Walker, Nora Achrati, Danny Gavigan, Scott McCormick, Marni Penning, Alejandro Ruiz, Bradley Smith, Carolyn Kashner, Shanta Parasuraman, Elizabeth Jernigan, Terence Aselford, Zeke Alton, Henry Kramer, Matthew Schleigh, Michael John Casey, Ken Jackson, Matthew Bassett, Colleen Delany and Chris Stinson (Fred, the Vampire […]

The Summer of the Danes (1991) Ellis Peters (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #18) Set in Wales in 1144 It is a blessed thing, on the whole, to live in slightly dull times, especially after disorder, siege and bitter contention. Have you ever seen the sea?” “No. How could I? Until I joined the bishop’s […]

The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant, Audiobook (2014) Drew Hayes narrated by a full cast: Christopher Walker, Nora Achrati, Scott McCormick, Alejandro Ruiz, Bradley Smith, Carolyn Kashner, Ken Jackson, Terence Aselford, Richard Rohan, Rose Elizabeth Supan, Mort Shelby (Fred, the Vampire Accountant #1) “Well, if it sweetens the pot any, […]

A Case for Christmas (2021) J.A. Rock & Lisa Henry (The Lords of Bucknall Club #2) Set in alternate England during the Napoleanic Era Chant was well versed in the difference between rudeness for rudeness’s sake and rudeness born from an anxiety that was rapidly becoming unmanageable. “What do you need from me?” Gale hesitated. […]

Lady Ambition’s Dilemma, Audiobook (2022) Jane Steen and Elizabeth Klett narrator (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries #3) Set in Sussex in 1883 “In any case, we’re not discussing me. Are you trying to tell me Dederick . . .” I searched for the right words, “prefers the company of other men?” “A little in love with him […]

The Missing Page (2022) Cat Sebastian (Page & Sommers #2) Set in Cornwall in 1947 “James has gone to Cornwall.” She said this as if announcing that James had taken up a life of crime and perversion. The more Leo thought about it, the less he liked it. Leo had read this detective story and […]

Still Life, Audiobook (2005) Louise Penny narrated by Ralph Cosham (Chief Inspector Gamache #1) Characters: Frederica Potter, Peter Morrow, Jane Neal, Jean Guy Beauvoir, Clara Morrow, Philippe Croft, Matthew Croft, Suzanne Belanger-Croft, Gabriel Dubeau, Olivier Brulé, Ruth Zardo, Ben Hadley, Myrna Landers, Yvette Nichol, Dr. Sharon Harris, Yolande Fontaine, Andre Malenfant, Bernard Malenfant, Isabelle Lacoste, […]

Hither, Page (2019) Cat Sebastian (Page & Sommers #1) Set in England in 1946 What I love best about this book is she makes the time period (and much everything else) exactly like it does in the Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series. Only with some boinking. You can’t hold it against him. He had a […]

The Potter’s Field (1989) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #17) Set in Shrewsbury in 1143. “Earth is innocent. Only the use we make of it can mar it.” It takes a very short time for earth to seal over the traces of humankind. …he could have his freedom to go and become a monk, […]

Lady Odelia’s Secret, Audiobook (2022) Jane Steen and Elizabeth Klett narrator (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries #2) Set in Sussex in 1882 I felt Michael—who hated to touch, or be touched by, other people—flinch as I rested my fingertips as lightly as possible on his arm. “I enjoy reading about people who are real to me for […]

Fugitive Telemetry, Audiobook (2021) Martha Wells narrated by Kevin R Free (The Murderbot Diaries #6) Characters: Dr. Mensah, Pin-Lee, Lutran, Dr. Ratthi, Gurathin, Senior Officer Indah, Tech Tural, Officer Doran, Officer Aylen, PA Supervisor Gamila, Officer Farid, Officer Tifany, Tellus, Balin, JollyBaby, Soire, Mish, Matif, Fenn, Miro Publisher: Recorded Books Rating: 9.5/10

Network Effect, Audiobook (2020) Martha Wells narrated by Kevin R Free (The Murderbot Diaries #5) Characters: Dr. Arada, Overse, Dr. Thiago, Dr. Mensah, Dr. Ratthi, Dr. Bharadwaj, Amena, Pin-Lee, Farai, Tano, Copilot Mihail, Specialist Rajpreet, Pilot Roa, Adjat, Remy, Hanifa, Kanti, Perihelion/ART, Eletra, Ras, Officer Tifany, Senior Officer Indah, Supervisor Leonide, Martyn, Karime, Turi, Seth, […]

Exit Strategy, Audiobook (2018) Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin R. Free (The Murderbot Diaries #4) Ship’s drones gathered to watch me, confused as to why I was going out the wrong door and beeping sadly about it. (Humans never think to tell their bots things like, say, don’t respond to random individuals wandering the outside […]

Rogue Protocol, Audiobook (2018) Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin R. Free (The Murderbot Diaries #3) Or Miki was a bot who had never been abused or lied to or treated with anything but indulgent kindness. It really thought its humans were its friends, because that’s how they treated it. I signaled Miki I would be […]

Artificial Condition, Audiobook (2018) Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin R. Free (The Murderbot Diaries #2) (Constructs sometimes fall under the same category as bots, sometimes under the same category as deadly weapons. (FYI, that is not a good category to be in.)) How the hell was I supposed to know there were transports sentient enough […]

All Systems Red, Audiobook (2017) Martha Wells, narrated by Kevin R. Free (The Murderbot Diaries #1) The hostile that had just exploded up out of the ground had a really big mouth, so I felt I needed a really big gun. So we didn’t lose our ramp when the hostile came up under it, big […]

Lady Helena Investigates, Audiobook (2018) Jane Steen and Elizabeth Klett narrator (Scott-De Quincy Mysteries #1) Set in Sussex in 1881 “I can’t have you back, so I’m forced to move forward with my life. I let Daniel’s death reduce me to some kind of paralysis, but you rescued me from it in the end. Perhaps […]

A Scandal in Mayfair, Audiobook (2024) Katharine Schellman narrated by Henrietta Meire (Lily Adler Mystery #5) Set in London in 1817 Fanny hesitated, then added in a serious whisper, “My Aunt Judith would not approve of my saying saliva.” “Well, I promise not to tell,” Lily replied, not knowing what else to say. As Lily […]

Murder at Midnight, Audiobook (2023) Katharine Schellman narrated by Henrietta Meire (Lily Adler Mysteries #4) Set in Hertfordshire in 1816 “Mrs. Adler, how many of the rumors about you are true?” “That depends on the rumors,” Lily replied “There’s a door past the kitchen, between the servants’ quarters and the rest of the house. Anytime […]

Death at the Manor, Audiobook (2022) Katharine Schellman narrated by Henrietta Meire (Lily Adler Mystery #3) Set in Portsmouth, England 1816 “Begging your pardons,” Mr. Mears said, speaking up when it became clear that Miss Wright was too occupied with wiping her eyes and catching her breath to say anymore. “She means Isaiah, who you […]

Silence in the Library, Audiobook (2020) Katharine Schellman narrated by Henrietta Meire (Lily Adler Mystery #2) Set in London in 1815 “How horrid!” Lily said, gazing at them with rapt—and encouraging—attention. “He’s not like other boys,” the maid said at last. “He never has been. The family says he’s feebleminded, but I don’t think that’s […]

The Heretic’s Apprentice (1989) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #16) Set in Shrewsbury, England in 1143 ‘There is no sin unless through a man’s own will, and hence the reward when we do right things also of our own will.’ Let Elave commit that to memory, and he could quote it in his own […]

The Body in the Garden, Audiobook (2020) Katharine Schellman narrated by Henrietta Meire (Lily Adler Mystery) Set in London in 1815 I enjoyed listening to the story, although the narrator wasn’t as strong as others I’ve recently been listening to. But this is a first book in a series by a first-time author. “Plenty of […]

Nearly a Lady (2011) Alissa Johnson (Haverston Family #1) Set in England during the Napoleonic wars She pushed forward again, into the noise and smell and great wall of people. She’d never seen so many people. She felt as if she were on the verge of being trampled. Panic began to slither along her skin […]

Stiletto, Audiobook (2016) Daniel O’Malley narrated by Moira Quirk (Checquy Files #2) “I can summon and command wasps,” said Pawn Harriet Collinge, whom Odette suspected of being a little bit tipsy. “Roger disrupts mathematics, and Louis can draw wasps to him.” “Very cool,” said Odette. “Wait, so you can both do things with wasps? Are […]

Burn Bright, Audiobook (2009) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham (Alpha & Omega #5) Brother Wolf didn’t like Leah, either, but he respected her more than Charles did. Hester in wolf form was, like Anna, pitch-black, though Anna’s eyes were ice blue. In build, Anna’s wolf was lithe and graceful. Hester was made for war. […]

The Confession of Brother Haluin (1988) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #15) Set in Shrewsbury, England in 1143 A moraine of crumpled, untidy snow hills formed along the frozen drainage channel, and one unwary brother, who had failed to hear or heed the warning shout from above, was briefly buried by a minor avalanche, […]

Dead Heat, Audiobook (2009) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham (Alpha & Omega #4) Good-bye tears your heart out and leaves it a feast for carrion birds who happen by. “Heaven forbid that we should get what we deserve,” “that is the dual gift of love, isn’t it? The joy of greeting and the sorrow […]

Fair Game, Audiobook (2012) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham (Alpha & Omega #3) Leslie learned two valuable things about the fae that day. They were powerful and charming—and they ate children and puppies. They were passed by a woman with a Pekingese coming the other way. Her little dog hit the end of his […]

Legends & Lattes (2022) Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes #1) In the dimming light she surveyed the interior, amidst horse apples of antiquity and the dust of neglect. She didn’t know much about buildings, but it was clear that this one needed an unbelievable amount of work. But at the end of it? Something she […]

Hunting Ground, Audiobook (2009) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham (Alpha & Omega #2) To make great art, you had to expose your soul, and some things should be left safely in the dark. So often people got it wrong, treating their elders like children, people to be coddled and ignored. He knew better, and […]

Cry Wolf, Audiobook (2009) Patricia Briggs narrated by Holter Graham (Alpha & Omega #1) Sarai had often thumped him soundly on the head for looking at other women, though she’d known he’d never stray. Now that she was gone, he seldom even looked. Flirting didn’t make him feel disloyal to his dead mate, but he’d […]

Paladin’s Faith, Audiobook (2023) T. Kingfisher narrated by Joel Richards (The Saint of Steel #4) Apparently one of the problems they had solved was bribery. You couldn’t bribe a Rat-priest. (Well, you probably could, but only by offering to donate the money to the poor.) Shane wondered if there was a term for feeling guilty […]

The Rose Rent (1986) Ellis Peters (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #13) Set in Shrewsbury in 1142 He had been in the cloister since he was three years old, and knew nothing outside it. Unacquainted with sin, he was all the more haunted by it, as by some unknown monster, and assiduous in confession, he […]

The Raven in the Foregate (1986) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #12) Set in Shrewsbury in 1141 “Domine, ne in furore—O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy displeasure … Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.” The vast inverted bowl of sky, dark blue almost […]

Paladin’s Hope, Audiobook (2020) T. Kingfisher narrated by Joel Richards (The Saint of Steel #3) I think I’ve finally figured out why I find this story so disappointing. It’s not that it’s a bad story, because it isn’t. The problem is that it doesn’t really match the rest of the series. For one, it’s significantly […]

System Collapse (2023) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #7) (According to Martyn, ART is of course capable of doing its own accounting, but it always ends up with extra numbers that no one can trace. So now Turi does it and has to keep a hardcopy ledger because otherwise ART would alter their data. No […]

Fugitive Telemetry (2021) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries, #6) The bag had lights but turning them on would just be stupid plus I didn’t really want to see what was happening. Farid came into the room, spotted me, and came over to say, “Uh, we’re making tea. Do you—” I paused my feed and told […]

Network Effect (2020) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #5) Thiago: “You trust it that much?” Mensah: “With my life, literally. I know what it will do to protect her, and you, and the rest of the team. Of course, it has its faults. In fact, it’s probably listening to us right now. Are you listening, […]

Exit Strategy (2018) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #4) Ship’s drones gathered to watch me, confused as to why I was going out the wrong door and beeping sadly about it. I “liked” these clothes. Maybe I actually liked them enough to remove the quotation marks around “liked.” I was having an emotion, and I […]

Rogue Protocol (2018) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #3) (There needs to be an error code that means “I received your request but decided to ignore you.”) Or Miki was a bot who had never been abused or lied to or treated with anything but indulgent kindness. It really thought its humans were its friends, […]

An Excellent Mystery (1985) Ellis Peters (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #11) Set in Shrewsbury in 1141 As a brother of the Order I would wish to keep my hands from violence against any, but for all that, I hope I would not turn my back if I saw innocence or helplessness being abused. He looked […]

Artificial Condition (2018) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #2) Constructs sometimes fall under the same category as bots, sometimes under the same category as deadly weapons. (FYI, that is not a good category to be in. I could feel ART metaphorically clutch its function. I closed the story by reflex, like that would make it […]