The Ghost Orchid (Alex Delaware: Book 39) by Jonathan Kellerman

Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis are faced with their most perplexing case yet when a double homicide investigation leads them to stolen identities and long-buried secrets worth killing for in this riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Los Angeles is a city of reinvention. Many come to start anew, to strike it big. Many kill the person they once were, the person they left behind. And in turn, someone else can turn around and kill them, too—permanently.

A housekeeper enters a secluded, upscale home and discovers two bodies floating in the The heir of an Italian shoe empire and an unknown woman. The house is untouched, but a “double” in Bel Air certainly makes this case stand out from the usual.

No forced entry means this could have been an inside job. After all, the woman floating in the pool is revealed to be Meagin March, a married neighbor from down the street, who lives in an even more opulent and sprawling mansion. Married woman having an affair? That’s a perfect motive.

But not everything is as it seems. At her wedding, Meagin had no family and a tip from Meagin’s mother-in-law raises their suspicions. Who was she, exactly?

Learning the truth about this mysterious woman—uncovering her identity and motivations—will take Alex and Milo on one of the most shocking journeys of their careers.

First Line

Nearly getting killed can change your life in interesting ways.
The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Fast and stays fast throughout the book.

POV: 1st person (told from Alex Delaware’s POV)

Series: The Ghost Orchid is the 39th book in the Alex Delaware series. Readers can read The Ghost Orchid as a standalone book. But I suggest reading the previous 38 books to understand the relationships and backgrounds of people in the book.

Trigger Warnings: There are scenes of poverty, slut-shaming, incest (off page), rape (off page), sexual assault (off page), sex-worker shaming, child abuse (off page), domestic abuse & violence (off page), foster care, sex addiction (off page), blood depiction, dead bodies, gun violence, stalking, and cheating. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Ghost Orchid. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: The Ghost Orchid is set in and around Los Angeles, California.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Four months after almost being killed helping his best friend, Milo, on a case, Alex Delaware is bored. So, when Milo calls and asks if Alex could meet him at a crime scene, Alex immediately accepts. Milo needs Alex’s insights to understand who could have killed two people in a Beverly Hills neighborhood.

But, when Milo starts digging into the woman victim’s background, he finds a mystery. The woman has no past and didn’t exist until a year before she married over a year ago. A painting of a ghost orchid by the victim is a tantalizing clue about who she was. It is up to Alex and Milo to unravel her past to find her (and her lover’s) killer. Can they untangle a past full of lies and stolen identities? Will they discover her killer before he strikes again?

Characters:

The main characters of The Ghost Orchid are Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis. These are well-established, well-rounded characters who had great chemistry together. But the author did something different at the end of the last book and the beginning of this book. He had Alex almost get killed at the end of the last book and was forced to take a break for four months. And during that time, Milo and Alex grew apart. Milo had extreme guilt over Alex’s near-death experience and injuries. That kept him from visiting and, at one point, even talking to Alex. It was interesting to see them be so awkward with each other and to watch them reform their bond.

I enjoyed the extra depth that the secondary characters brought to the storyline. I liked that the author brought back characters from previous books. It made the book feel more fleshed out to me.

My review:

The storyline of The Ghost Orchid is centered around the murder, the female victim’s identity and past, and the relationship (both personal and professional) between Alex and Milo. I loved how the author kept the storyline minimal initially and then slowly added information. It made for a compelling and exciting read.

The mystery angle of The Ghost Orchid was well written. I liked how the author almost casually dropped clues about the female victim’s identity (both past and present). He also included what seemed to be two random murders and tied them to her in ways that I honestly didn’t expect. There is a twist at the end of the book that did take me by surprise. It shouldn’t have (considering what Milo and Alex discovered in the last half of the book). It also saddened me and just reaffirmed my belief that people are awful.

The end of The Ghost Orchid was interesting. I liked how Milo and Alex wrapped up the case. As I said above, it did sadden me because of what the female victim went through in her life and the lengths she went through to distance herself from everything. I hope there will be a book 40; if there is, I can’t wait to read it.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Jonathan Kellerman for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Ghost Orchid. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Ghost Orchid, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Jonathan Kellerman

The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: January 30th, 2024

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Adult, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Humor

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sometimes, when you ask the universe for your soulmate, you wind up with your hate mate instead.

On Nami’s 30th birthday, she’s reminded at every turn that her life isn’t what she planned. She’s always excelled at everything – until now. Her fiancé blew up their engagement. Her pride and joy, the tech company she helped to found, is about to lose funding. And her sister, Sora, is getting married to the man of her dreams, Jack, and instead of being happy for her, as she knows she ought to be, she’s fighting off jealousy.

Frustrated with her life, she makes a wish on a birthday candle to find her soulmate. Instead, the universe delivers her hate mate, Nami’s old high school nemesis, Jae Lee, the most popular kid from high school, who also narrowly beat her out for valedictorian. More than a decade later, Jae is still as effortlessly cool, charming, and stylish as ever, and, to make matters worse, is planning a hostile take-over of her start-up. sharp elbows and even sharper banter as the two go head-to-head to see who’ll win this time. But when their rivalry ignites a different kind of passion, Nami starts to realize that it’s not just her company that’s in danger of being taken over, but her heart as well.

First Line:

I hate birthdays like most people hate toilet paper hoarders.
The Takeover by Cara Tanamachi

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Takeover is fast.

POV: The Takeover is told from Nami and Jae’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Takeover has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Death of a parent (mentioned)
Bullying (adult and workplace)
Grief

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in The Takeover.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Takeover. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: The Takeover is set in Chicago.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Nami is dreading her 30th birthday. Her life hasn’t gone the way that she planned. Her company, a tech company that she poured her blood, sweat, and tears into, is about to lose funding. Her ex-fiance has moved on quickly, getting engaged almost immediately after the breakup. And her sister, well, her sister, is planning her wedding to the man of her dreams. Nami wonders where she went wrong. So, on the night of her 30th birthday party, Nami makes a birthday wish for a soulmate.

Instead of the soulmate she wants, Nami renews a rivalry with her childhood nemesis, Jae Lee. She hadn’t seen Jae since high school, but he was the same annoying jerk who had one-upped her at everything. Now, he is part of the acquisitions company looking to buy her company. Desperate to save her company, Nami finds herself going head-to-head with Jae. No one is more surprised than Nami when their hatred turns to passion. And just when she dares to let herself believe that she could have love, it is smashed, leaving her heartbroken. It is up to Jae to show Nami that she is his forever. Can Jae do that? Can he win Nami over and have their happily ever after? Or will Jae’s actions (or inactions) hinder that?

Characters:

The main characters in The Takeover are Nami and Jae. I found them to be well-written, well-fleshed-out characters. Their interactions had me laughing out loud while reading. Their enemies-to-lovers trope was interesting, and I liked how much history Nami and Jae had together. The sparks were apparent from the beginning, and as I read the book, I couldn’t wait to see those sparks ignite.

I did go into The Takeover with a preconceived notion about Nami. In The Second Your Single, she is portrayed as a Bridezilla with control issues. It wasn’t until the end of the book, when Sora needed her, that I saw who she was. So, I was a little shocked by how much I initially liked her.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Jae. Honestly, he came across as super arrogant. I wouldn’t say I liked how he got enjoyment over taking over Nami’s company. But then he started hanging out with Nami and became more human (if that makes sense).

I loved the secondary characters in this book. They were excellent, and they had Nami’s back. There was an amusing secondary storyline involving Del (who was a dink), his costly office chair, and a chair napping by someone on staff. It was hilarious, and I loved how it ended (and everyone in the company got involved). The lesson learned from this: don’t piss off your employees because they will get you back.

My review:

As I stated above, I went into reading The Takeover gingerly. I remembered Nami from the previous book and was very interested in how the author would portray her. It took me about a chapter before it registered that this wasn’t the Bridezilla from The Second Your Single. I decided to drop anything I felt about Nami then and went into this book, determined not to hold her to the first impression I had of her. I am glad I did because Nami in this book was excellent.

The main storyline follows Nami and Jae as they battle it out over the acquisition of her company. I enjoyed the witty and often snappy dialogue between Nami and Jae. But I also liked the personal relationships that Nami had. She cared for her employees, and if that meant dipping into her savings to pay for Breakfast Monday to make them happy, she did it. Her reaction to Jae was what I thought it would be (big rival from high school). I was surprised, though, when she started having feelings for him. I shouldn’t have been because this is a romance, but I was.

The romance angle of the story was interesting. Like I said above, I was surprised at and by it. Mainly because Nami was so nasty to Jae and vice versa. But hate is often a cover for love, and that was the case here. I liked the gradual build-up in their relationship (it wasn’t sudden or a surprise). The same goes for when they started their sexual relationship. It wasn’t a surprise (I knew it was coming). I wasn’t a massive fan of the sex scenes. It didn’t do it for me, which is the only complaint I had for this book.

The end of The Takeover was interesting. I loved how the author resolved Nami’s company issues. It was something I should have seen coming (the reason was mentioned a few times), and it delighted me! I also liked the resolution to Nami and Jae’s relationship. I can’t say anything except they did get their HEA.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Cara Tanamachi for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Takeover. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Takeover, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Cara Tanamachi

Playlist (generated by ChatGPT)

“Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor
“Power” – Kanye West
“Radioactive” – Imagine Dragons
“Stronger” – Kelly Clarkson
“Thunderstruck” – AC/DC
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
“Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars
“Lose Yourself” – Eminem
“Titanium” – David Guetta ft. Sia
“Believer” – Imagine Dragons
“Roar” – Katy Perry
“Happy” – Pharrell Williams

Of Hoaxes and Homicide (Dear Miss Hermoine: Book 2) by Anastasia Hastings

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 30th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Historical

Series: Dear Miss Hermoine

Of Manners and Murder—Book 1

Of Hoaxes and Homicide—Book 2

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The second in the delightful Dear Miss Hermione mystery series from Anastasia Hastings—when you represent the best-loved Agony Aunt in Britain, fielding questions from both irate housekeepers and heartbroken mothers is par for the course…

“Dear Miss Hermione—what is a mother to do?”

Sensible Violet Manville and her very ladylike half-sister Sephora are absolutely bored, thank you very much. And though neither of them would ever admit it aloud, they’re missing the thrill of playing detective.

So when Violet receives a letter from “A Heartbroken Mother” sent to her alter-ego, the Agony Aunt known to the world only as Miss Hermione, her pulse can’t help but quicken. The daughter in question has gotten caught up in a cult: the Hermetic Order of the Children of Aed. Rumors of human sacrifices, mystical doings, and a ghost in the ruined Alburn Abbey where the Children pray have gripped the public conscious, helped along by a series of novels about the group, written by the mysterious Count Orlando, and clearly this girl has fallen prey.

Miss Hermione’s investigation soon collides with very real life when Violet discovers that the runaway daughter in question is Sephora’s dearest friend Margaret. Violet sets off to the Children’s compound in Nottintham to convince her to return to London. But with the dashing-but-frustrating Eli Marsh running around and a member of the Children found poisoned to death, Violet and Sephora—along with their ever-trusty housekeeper Bunty—may have more intrigue than they can manage.

First Line:

It is a sad day, indeed, when even an orgy does not interest me.
Of Hoaxes and Homicide by Anastasia Hastings

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of Of Hoaxes and Homicide is medium.

POV: Of Hoaxes and Homicide is told from Sephora and Violet’s 1st person POV.

Series: Of Hoaxes and Homicide is the second book in the Dear Miss Hermoine series. You can read this as a standalone.

Trigger/Content Warning: Of Hoaxes and Homicide have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Sexism & Misogyny
Drugging
Dead Bodies
Cults
Disappearance of a loved one
Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Of Hoxes and Homicide.

Language: There is no swearing in Of Hoaxes and Homicide. Some language could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: Of Hoxes and Homicide is set in London and Nottingham, England.

Age Range: I recommend Of Hoxes and Homicide to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Violet and Sephora are mind-numbingly bored. While Sephora heads out, Violet answers letters that come to the advice column she took over from her aunt. While looking over the letters, she reads one different from the usual trivial questions of how many teapots one serves or how many aprons one needs to wear in one day. This letter asks for advice about a daughter caught up in a cult: the Hermetic Order of the Children of Aed. When Violet attends a meeting in a park with the cult members, she is in for a shock. The girl mentioned in the letter is her sister’s best friend, Margaret. Violet travels to Nottingham with that information, determined to get Margaret out. But, soon after her arrival, a man is found dead of saltpeter poisoning with Margaret hovering over him. Violet must find evidence to prove Margaret’s innocence and take down the cult. With the help of Sephora and their resourceful housekeeper, Bunty, Violet is on the case. But can she solve this case? Can Violet unearth the real killer? Or will Margaret go to jail for a crime she did not commit?

Main Characters:

The main characters of Of Hoaxes and Homicide are Violet and Sephora. While I enjoyed Violet’s character (with her longing for Ezra and her sharp mind), I found Sephora immature and a hindrance to Violet at times. Bunty should have been the ying to Violet’s yang and Sephora as one of the leading secondary characters. Regardless, I liked the characters.

My review:

When I started to read Of Hoaxes and Homicides, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I entered the book knowing it was a cozy mystery and the second book in the series. So, my expectations weren’t too high when I started reading. This book did surprise me with how much I liked it.

Of Hoaxes and Homicides main storyline is centered on Violet, and the cult, her investigation into the cult, and the murder. The storyline was well-written and kept my attention throughout the book. I did think that the POVs from Sephora were a little “meh,” but they did add extra information to Violet’s investigation.

There are secondary storylines that add extra context to what was going on with the main storyline. I found those storylines less well-written but just as enjoyable to read.

The mystery angle of the book was very well written. I liked how Violet, Sephora, and Bunty put together not only who was behind the murder but why and where that person came from. To say I was surprised was an understatement. I also expect that person to appear in later books because of their background.

There was a slight romance angle in Of Hoaxes and Homicide. It mainly focused on Violet and Ezra. For a large part of the book, her affections were one-sided. But then things happened that made me think twice about that.

I loved the letters that were sent in. What they were about were things women in that era were concerned about. I loved that Violet’s responses became grumpier the more the book went on.

The end of Of Hoaxes and Homicides was interesting. The author wrapped up the main storyline in a way that I liked. But she left something unfinished. That made me wonder (along with Violet’s letter) if that foreshadowed book 2.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Anastasia Hastings for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Of Hoaxes and Homicide. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Expectant Detectives, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Anastasia Hastings

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde: Book 2) by Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: January 16th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Adult, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Historical Fantasy

Series: Emily Wilde

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeires—Book 1 (review here)

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands—Book 2

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

First Line:

The foot would not fit in my briefcase, so I wrapped it in cloth and wrestled it into an old knapsack I sometimes carry with me on expeditions.
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands has a medium to fast pace.

POV: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is told from two POVs. It is told from Emily’s (and, in one chapter, Wendell’s) 1st person POV. But, it is also told from a 2nd person POV (the entire book is journal entries.)

Series: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is the 2nd book in the Emily Wilde series. It would help to read Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries before reading this book.

Trigger/Content Warning: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Violence
Injury/Injury Detail
Animal Death
Murder
Animal Cruelty
Gore
Blood
Body Horror
Chronic Illness
Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is very mild sexual content (mainly kissing, but there are hints of more) in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands.

Language: There is mild swearing in Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. There is also language used, while correct for the period, that could be considered offensive to some people.

Setting: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is set in various places. It starts in Cambridge, England, then shifts to a mountain village in Austria. Several journal entries also detail Emily’s time in The Borderlands and Wendell’s kingdom: Court of Silva Lupi in the Faerie Realms.

Age Range: I recommend Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Emily Wilde is off on another adventure. But this adventure has a sense of urgency. Wendell Bambleby, her former rival and exiled Fae king, is being targeted by Fae assains sent by his stepmother. One of the assassins succeeds in poisoning Wendell at a birthday party, and he is slowly dying. He needs to get back to his realm to heal and is having problems finding a door to the realm.

Meanwhile, Emily is trying her hardest to keep the head of her and Wendell’s department, Dr. Farris Rose, from expelling her and Wendell from the college. Everything comes to a head when assassins attack Wendell while lecturing, forcing him to use magic to defend himself. By doing that, he exposes himself as Fae, and Rose is livid. He wants Wendell and Emily gone but will forget everything if Emily takes him on her expedition to the Austrian mountains.

Emily, who doesn’t back down from anything, reluctantly agrees. She plans to complete her map and look for Wendell’s door; two extra people will hold her back. But Emily didn’t expect the village to be surrounded by the Fae or to start seeing apparitions of a discredited scholar and her friend while in the mountains. It will take all of Emily’s knowledge and resources to cure Wendell, find his door, figure out the mystery of what happened to the scholars, and complete her map. Can she do it?

Characters:

The primary and secondary characters were well-written and well-fleshed out. The author was able to keep surprising me by introducing different nuances into characters already introduced (mainly Wendell and his love for Emily).

Emily, who is the main character, is deliciously grumpy and cantankerous throughout the book. I did expect her several times during the book to whip out her umbrella and smack Rose with it (he deserved it). I also didn’t expect her to go to the lengths she did for Wendell.

My review:

It isn’t often that the sophomore book in a series blows me away. So, I was shocked when I ended up loving Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. I could not read this book fast enough and had it finished within a day. I loved everything about it. I couldn’t get enough of Emily and Wendell’s relationship with the Fae, Emily’s relationship with people other than Wendell, and her absolute determination to save him.

The main storyline of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands centers on Emily, Wendell, his sickness, her map, and the search for his door. I found the storyline to be well-written. As stated above, it captured my attention. The storyline had twists, turns, and a few surprises along the way.

My only quibble with this book is that I wished the author had stayed more in Wendell’s court: The Court of Silva Lupi. But, because of the duration of the visit (only a couple of journal entries), she was able to pique my interest. With what happened, I hope there is more of this court in future books.

The fantasy angle of the book was terrific. I liked how the author took fairytales and mythical creatures and put her spin on them (the satyrs will forever be etched into my memory…and not in a good way). Returning to the Faerie Realm, I was fascinated by every person/creature in that realm. There was so much lore and information that it was almost hard to process.

The romance angle was also interesting. I did think that Wendell’s affection was one-sided until halfway through the book. Then it started to spice up. But, when Emily talked to Wendell’s stepmother, his stepmother said something, making me wonder exactly why Wendell was with Emily. I hope it is addressed in the next book because it was disconcerting to read.

The book’s angle with the two missing scholars was interesting up to a point. After they came out of Faerie, I started to lose interest. And besides, I thought that the woman was a complete jerk to Emily (who had a bad case of hero worship up to that point).

I am also interested in seeing how Ariadne will figure into upcoming books. She was an absolute sweetheart in this book, and she was also fearless.

The end of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up the main storyline. But there was so much kept open. I am eagerly looking forward to book 3!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Heather Fawcett for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Heather Fawcett

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 16th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Adult, Suspense, Crime, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can’t say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.

And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It’s a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she’s been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered… and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.

A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

First Line:

One day we were strangers and the next we were friends. That’s usually how it works with girls.
Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Only If You’re Lucky had a medium-fast pace.

POV: Only If You’re Lucky is told from Margot’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: Only If You’re Lucky has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Death
Grief
Murder
Toxic Friendship
Infidelity
Vomit
Alcohol
Drug Use
Stalking
Gaslighting
Animal Death
Domestic Abuse
Eating Disorder
Emotional Abuse
Misogyny
Rape
Toxic Relationship
Injury/Injury Detail
Mental Illness
Physical Abuse
Sexual Assault
Violence
Blood

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in Only If You’re Lucky.

Language: here is moderate swearing in Only If You’re Lucky. There is also language used that might make some readers uncomfortable or offend them.

Setting: Only If You’re Lucky is set in and around the college town of Rutledge, South Carolina. There are also some scenes set in The Outer Banks.

Age Range: I recommend Only If You’re Lucky to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When her best friend, Eliza, dies three weeks after graduation, Margot can barely function. She spends her freshman year hiding in her dorm, studying and playing it safe. That is until Lucy Sharpe bursts into Margot’s life. Loud, brash, and magnetic, Lucy demands attention wherever she goes. And for some reason, Lucy has honed in on Margot as a friend. Before she knows it, Margot starts coming out of her shell. Soon, she is best friends with Lucy and moves into the house Lucy rented with two other girls. But, things start to unravel when a member of the fraternity (who owns the house and shares a backyard) is murdered at the end of a week of pledging. Soon after, Lucy goes missing. What does Margot know? Why was the frat boy killed? Why did Lucy go missing? And who was Lucy?

Main Characters:

The main characters in Only If You’re Lucky are Margot and Lucy. I will offer advice about Margot (since the book is told from her POV): She is a very unreliable narrator. I couldn’t tell, throughout the book, if she was holding back the truth on certain things or just lying. Her grief (and guilt) over Eliza’s death colored her view of certain events and people.

Lucy, on the other hand, was an enigma. She was a whirlwind of activity and seemed to have her hand in everything. I was surprised by her background when it was revealed. But, in a way, it did make sense.

My review:

Only If You’re Lucky is the second book I have read by Stacy Willingham, and it has cemented her as a favorite for me in this genre. I enjoyed reading this book and was utterly surprised at the twists (and yes, there are several) that the author reveals at the end of the book.

The main storyline centers around Margot, her grief over Eliza’s death, her flashbacks to the events leading up to Eliza’s death, Lucy, and the events leading up to and past Lucy’s disappearance. The storyline was well-written and did keep me on my feet. The layers that it had was excellent. Once I peeled back one layer, the author revealed another.

The thriller/suspense angle of Only If You’re Lucky was terrific. The author didn’t hesitate to throw Margot into the thick of things when she started living with Lucy. There was a point where I did think that maybe she was a little crazy (because of her intense dislike of Levi). Let’s remember the twists. Those twists made the book. I figured out one, but the others took me completely by surprise. Like, my mouth dropped, and me saying, “No freaking way,” surprised.

The author switches back and forth between the present day (during the police investigation into Lucy’s disappearance) and the events leading up to everything. I found it a whirlwind, but it worked. The author kept those two storylines apart until the end, when she merged them. And the way she combined them was pretty crafty.

The end of Only If You’re Lucky was terrific. I was surprised by the things that were revealed about Lucy and Margot. Things I didn’t even see coming and that I, like Margot, thought Levi did. I was also surprised at the very end events of the book, where the author explained Lucy’s disappearance. And that was the biggest surprise of them all.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Stacy Willingham for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Only If You’re Lucky. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Only If You’re Lucky, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Stacy Willingham:

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Gothic

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

First Line:

There should be some kind of warning when your life is about to change forever.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Heiress is fast.

POV: The Heiress is told from two POVs. It is told from 1st person POV through Jules and Camden’s chapters and 2nd person POV through Ruby’s letters to an unknown person. There are also snippets told from newspaper/magazine articles.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Heiress has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Murder
Domestic Abuse
Death
Suicide
Kidnapping
Death of a parent
Classism
Alcoholism
Gun Violence
Physical Abuse
Toxic Relationship
Violence
Injury/Injury Detail
Bullying
Grief
Pregnancy
Child Abuse
Blood
Grief
Fire/Fire Injury
Gaslighting
Abandonment
Alcohol
Adoption
Anxiety & Anxiety Attacks
Boating Accident
Electrocution
Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is mild and implied sexual content in The Heiress.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Heiress. There is also language that could be triggering to some people and considered offensive.

Setting: The Heiress is set in Tavistock, North Carolina. Some chapters are also in Denver, Colorado, Paris, and South Carolina.

Age Range: I recommend The Heiress to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When his adoptive mother died, Camden McTavish became her sole heir, which angered his great-aunt, uncle, and cousins. But, to their surprise, he refused to do anything with the money, the house, or the town where he grew up. That all changes when he finds out that his uncle has died, and his cousin emails him and asks him to come home. With the support of his wife, Jules, Cam goes home. There, he is reminded of exactly why he left ten years earlier.

Jules, Cam’s wife, has her own mysterious and messy past that she must deal with. She is also determined for him to claim the inheritance he rejected. As she gets to know his cousins and great-aunt and uncovers secrets they would rather keep buried, Jules becomes even more determined for Cam to claim the inheritance. But Jules’s secrets and her past threaten her plan and her marriage.

On the other hand, Ruby remains the mysterious woman she was while alive. But her secrets threaten to be exposed by her nephew, great-nephew, and great-niece. What are these secrets, and how do they connect to Cam and Jules? Will Cam keep Ruby’s deepest secret? Will Jules’s past and secrets destroy her marriage? Will Ruby’s relatives get her inheritance?

Main Characters:

The main characters of The Heiress are Ruby, Cam, and Jules. These characters were either battling echoes of their pasts, were deeply flawed, or had secrets they could and would not let come out. They were each well-written and well-fleshed out.

My favorite character in the book was Ruby. The letters she wrote, explaining the situation around her kidnapping, the deaths of her four husbands, and her relationships with her family and Cam, were tabloid-worthy. She was smart, proved by how she made money and other things I can’t mention because of spoilers.

The secondary characters did flush out an already great storyline. I couldn’t stand them, but I could understand where they were coming from. Except for the hatred of Cam. That baffled me because he was the only true innocent (well, up until Ruby’s death) in this book.

My review:

I can’t even express how excited I was to read this book. Rachel Hawkins has been on my radar since I reviewed The Villa. So, when I saw The Heiress start showing up on blogs, I knew I wanted to read it. And when St. Martin’s Press sent me the widget, I was over the freaking moon. Now that I have read The Heiress, Rachel Hawkins has become one of my favorite authors.

There are two storylines in The Heiress. One takes place in the present day and features Cam, Jules, Cam’s family, and why Cam came back. The other storyline is letters Ruby wrote that explain everything from her kidnapping to events right before her death. Those two storylines were intertwined but kept separate (if that makes sense). They came together at the end of the book in a way that I didn’t see coming. It was a huge twist that surprised the heck out of me.

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. The author was upfront with everything that had happened (with Ruby) and what was going on (with Cam, Jules, and the family). It was unconventional, but I liked it. I saw everything with Ruby unfold as Cam dealt with the house and his treacherous relatives. A couple of twists in both storylines took me by surprise. One involved who the letters were to (and no, it is not who you think it is), and the other involved the events at the end of the book and what Cam and Jules did afterward.

I do want to mention Jules’s mystery. The author was sneaky about slipping Jules’s past and secrets into the storyline. I was surprised (but nothing like what I said in the above paragraph). But it did explain why Jules was so gung-ho about restoring the house and staying in North Carolina.

The end of The Heiress was jaw-dropping. The author revealed things that I did not see coming. Events also happened that I did not see coming. It was chaotic, and you know what, it suited the book perfectly. Of course, there was the colossal bombshell dropped about Ruby. I liked how the book ended when the dust settled from everything. The author wrapped everything up nicely.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Heiress. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Heiress, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Rachel Hawkins

Northwoods by Amy Pease

Publisher: Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Family,. Suspense, Adult Fiction, Mental Health, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town is revealed in the aftermath of a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic in this unputdownable and thrilling debut. William Kent Krueger, and Mindy Mejia.

Eli North is not okay.

His drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after a deployment to Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is with the local sheriff’s department. And that’s only because the sheriff is his mother—and she’s overwhelmed with small town Shaky Lake’s dwindling budget and the fallout from the opioid epidemic. The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer’s paradise, but amidst the fishing trips and campfires and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking shape.

When the body of a teenage boy is found in the lake, it sets in motion an investigation that leads Eli to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a missing teenage girl. Soon, Eli and his mother, along with a young FBI agent, are on the hunt for more than just a killer.

If Eli solves the case, could he finally get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs? Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?

First Line:

Eli North stripped off his clothes and waded into the water.
Northwoods by Amy Pease

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Northwoods‘ pace is medium.

POV: Northwoods is told mainly from Eli’s 3rd person POV. But, there are also 3rd person POVs from Marge, Alyssa, and Cal. There is one heartbreaking scene from Ben and Caitlin’s POV (the day of Ben’s murder).

Trigger/Content Warning: Northwoods have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Gun Violence
Alcoholism
War
Addiction
Drug Abuse
Mental Illness
Panic attacks/Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Suicidal Thoughts
Blood
Kidnapping
Grief
Death of a parent
Murder
Alcohol
Injury/Injury Detail
Classism
Domestic Abuse (not on page but mentioned to Eli by his mother)
Death
Drug Use
Toxic Relationship
Medical Content
Medical Trauma
Suicide Attempt
Amnesia & Memory Disorders (Eli cannot remember what happened after he entered the hallway of a house he entered in Afghanistan)
Depression
Hospitalization
Car Accident
Knife Violence

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Northwoods.

Language: There is moderate to explicit swearing in Northwoods. The language used could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: Northwoods is set in Shaky Lake, Wisconsin.

Age Range: I recommend Northwoods to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Eli North is battling his demons. His drinking is out of control, and his marriage is over. The only job he can hold down is a deputy under his mother, the sheriff of Shaky Lake. And even then, he is skating on thin ice because of his drinking. So, he thinks it is no big deal when he responds late to a noise complaint at a local campground. Instead of finding tourists partying, Eli finds the dead body of a teenage boy. The resulting investigation leads to a missing teenager, the boy’s girlfriend. The resulting investigation takes Eli from the mansions that line Shaky Lake to the people with an addiction who buy opioids to a pharmaceutical salesperson who is going to blow the whistle on a miracle drug that is killing people. While Eli follows the clues, his life is imploding. Can he hold it together long enough to solve the case? Or will Eli succumb to his demons?

Main Characters:

Eli North is the main character in Northwoods. His well-written, well-researched character made my heart bleed for him. What I liked the most about him was that he was very self-aware of his faults. There were times when I didn’t think he would be able to finish the case and one time when I thought he was going to end his life. If I had to label him, I would say that he was more of a morally gray character and only because he was so tortured by what happened overseas.

There were a lot of secondary characters, and they each added depth to the storyline (and to what Eli was going through).

My review:

Northwoods is Amy Pease’s first book; I can’t wait to read more from her. Northwoods is well-written and well-researched. I was captivated right from the beginning (when Eli was swimming) to the end, which offered so much hope for Eli. I will be on the lookout for more books by this author.

The main storyline centers around Eli. It follows him during the investigation into Ben’s murder. But it also shows a very realistic look into what it is like living with PTSD. To say Eli wasn’t coping well was an understatement. He turned to alcohol to numb himself and to deal with the severe panic attacks that he got (which could be triggered by anything). Everyone knew something was up, but no one wanted to say anything, including his mother. But he did manage to investigate Ben’s murder (and Caitlin’s kidnapping) while battling those demons.

There were a few secondary storylines (centered on Ben’s mother, her drug use, Caitlin’s father, and his work). I was curious how the author was going to tie everything in with Ben’s murder and Caitlin’s disappearance. Well, I wasn’t surprised with how everything was connected. It made sense in a weird, roundabout way. It also paved the way for the end of the book.

The mystery and thriller angles were both well-written. I was kept in suspense over what would happen next during the investigation. I was also shocked at not only who the murderer/kidnapper was but why that person did what they did.

The end of Northwoods was a little bittersweet. I can’t get much into it, but it was good. There was a twist with who the kidnapper/murderer was, and it took me by surprise. I found it interesting that the author didn’t end some of the storylines. Instead, the people behind the killers were still out there. I wondered if there was going to be another book.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and Amy Pease for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Northwoods. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Northwoods, then you will enjoy these books:

The Expectant Detectives (Expectant Detectives: Book 1) by Kat Ailes

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Humor, Adult, Fiction, Murder Mystery, Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Amateur Sleuth

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can they solve the mother of all murders?

For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she’ll learn to make jam? But the rural idyll they’d hoped for doesn’t quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local prenatal class, and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.

With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends set out to solve the mystery and clear their names, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier, and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.

First Line:

For my boyfriend’s thirieth birthday I thought I’d go all out and surprise him with a pregnancy.
The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Expectant Detectives is fast (the entire book takes place within two weeks of Alice arriving in Penton).

POV: The Expectant Detectives is told from Alice’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Expectant Detectives have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Childbirth
Pregnancy
Cancer
Dead Bodies
Death
Grief & Loss Depiction
Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Expectant Detectives.

Language: There is mild swearing in The Expectant Detectives. The language used could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: The Expectant Detectives is set in Penton, England.

Age Range: I recommend The Expectant Detectives to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Wanting to leave London before the birth of their 1st child, Alice and Joe pick the village of Penton to move to. Being from a big city, Alice needed to prepare for rural Penton and wasn’t thrilled with it. Expecting a dull backwater with nothing to do, Alice is surprised by the variety of prenatal options. She is also surprised by how crunchy the town is. She is even more surprised when the owner’s body is discovered during her first prenatal class at the local natural health shop. Determined to clear her name, along with her other pregnant friends, Alice starts investigating the murder. Her investigation takes her from the shop to a commune just outside town. She also uncovers a mysterious death and the girl that the three founding fathers of the commune were in love with. Also, she wants to solve how and why her beloved dog, Helen, was poisoned. How is everything connected? Will Alice clear her and her friends’ names?

Main Characters:

The main character of The Expectant Detectives is Alice. I loved her. She was one of the most relatable characters that I have read. She was socially awkward, so I giggled whenever she had to interact with anyone. Her thoughts on pregnancy were hilarious and echoed mine while I was pregnant (the whole naming conversation with Joe had me rolling). She was also a tiny bit self-centered. The way she investigated everything (and that statement is all-encompassing) was funny.

My review:

I was surprised to like this book more than I did. When I first started reading it, I honestly thought this book was going to suck. Then I got to reading it. The more I read it, the more I liked it. The humor, Alice, the mystery…they all appealed to me. And that is saying something because I can be rather picky about the cozy mysteries I read.

The main storyline of The Expectant Detectives follows Alice as she tries to adapt to a new town while almost ready to give birth. It was well-written, and I could connect with the characters and their situations. Some of the author’s words brought me back to my pregnancies (I have three children) and how I felt. Of course, because Alice was so socially awkward, they were even more amplified and made amusing.

The mystery angle of The Expectant Detectives was well written. I liked how the book started with two mysteries (the death of the store owner and Joe’s pulling away from Alice) and then morphed into five (the two murders, Joe pulling away, who Flora was, and the death that shook the commune). I figured out who Flora was early in the book, but everything else surprised me. A few neat twists to the storyline surprised me (who did the murders and why).

I have to mention the secondary characters, including the dogs. They were as well written as the main characters, but the author did leave a little to them. Out of all of them, I was not too fond of Hen or DCI Harris. They were almost too much (one being bossy and looking down on people, and the other having a laser focus on the only same-sex interracial couple as suspects).

The end of The Expectant Detectives was what I thought it would be. The author connected everything (and I mean everything) that satisfied me as a reader. The last chapter was heartbreaking because of what was recounted and what was lost. But the epilogue, which was a month later, more than made up for it.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Kat Ailes for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Expectant Detectives. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Expectant Detectives, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Kat Ailes

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: January 2nd, 2024

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Historical Fiction, Greece, Literary Fiction, Family, Drama, Cultural, Adult Fiction, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In present-day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, lives a family: Irini, a musician, who teaches children to read and play music; her husband, Tasso, who paints pictures of the forest, his greatest muse; and Chara, their young daughter, whose name means joy. On the fateful day that will forever alter the trajectory of their lives, flames chase fleeing birds across the sky. The wildfire that will consume their home, and their lives as they know it, races toward them.

Months later, as the village tries to rebuild, Irini stumbles upon the man who started the fire, a land speculator who had intended only a small, controlled burn to clear forestland to build on but instead ignited a catastrophe. He is dying, although the cause is unclear, and in her anger at all he took from them, Irini makes a split-second decision that will haunt her.

As the local police investigate the suspicious death, Tasso mourns his father, who has not been seen since before the fire. Tasso’s hands were burnt in the flames, leaving him unable to paint, and he struggles to cope with the overwhelming loss of his artistic voice and his beloved forest. Only his young daughter, who wants to repair the damage that’s been done, gives him hope for the future.

Gorgeously written, sweeping in scope and intimate in tone, The Book of Fire is a masterful work about the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy, as well as the universal ties that bind people together, and to the land that they call home.

First Line

This morning, I met the man who started the fire.
The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The Book of Fire had a medium-slow pace.

POV: The Book of Fire is told through Irini’s 1st person POV. The fire section of the book is told in 2nd person (it is told as a story and is broken up throughout the book).

Trigger/Content Warning: The Book of Fire has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Fire/Fire Injury
Death
Suicide (not the actual act but after it happened. There is also a scene where someone recounts encouraging someone to kill themself by handing them a rope)
Grief
Death of a parent
Injury/Injury Detail
Xenophobia
War (was told as part of Irini and Tasso’s story; it was Irini’s great-grandfather recounting a war he had lived through as a child)
Depression
Anxiety/Anxiety Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Body Horror
Hospitalization
Medical Treatment & Procedures
Scars
Death from Exposure
Animal Injury

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Book of Fire.

Language: There is mild to moderate swearing in The Book of Fire. There is also language used that might offend some people.

Setting: The Book of Fire is set in Greece.

Age Range: I recommend The Book of Fire to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Irini and Tasso are living their dream in Greece. Tasso is a talented artist, and Irini is a music teacher. They live in an ancient forest with their daughter. The dream was shattered when a forest fire decimated their village and the forest their house bordered. Now, Irini is struggling with the aftereffects of the fire. So, when she finds the man responsible for so much death and destruction by an old tree, she walks away. While the police investigate, Irini must summon the inner strength and courage to get her life back on track. And that means coming to terms with what happened and trying to forgive the man who started the fire and destroyed her life. Can she do it?

Main Characters:

The main character in The Book of Fire is Irini. The book is told from her POV. Her actions (or inactions) in this book have far-reaching implications. Her character growth consisted of her growing past her anger at the man who started the fire and starting down the path to forgiveness.

My review:

This is the first book I have read by Christy Lefteri, and I can confidently say it won’t be my last. After I finished The Book of Fire, I added all her books to my TBR on Goodreads.

The Book of Fire’s storyline centers around Irini, her family, their healing (emotional and physical) from the fire, and Irini’s book that she wrote called….The Book of Fire (which recounts the fire and the days after). The storyline was well-written, and I could connect emotionally to the characters. More than once, I broke down into tears because of what happened and what Irini was going through in the book.

What got me the most was The Book of Fire segments. I was horrified by what Irini, Chara, and Rosalie (the dog) went through and how close to death they all came. Chara’s injury was horrific. I also admired Irini’s outward calmness. If she hadn’t been calm and given into the turmoil in her mind (over her husband and father-in-law), I think the outcome would have been different.

This book gave what I thought was a realistic look into the trauma after an event like that. Irini and her family didn’t get off scot-free and only had a house burnt down. No, Tasso’s career as an artist was threatened by the severe burns to his fingers. And Chara’s burn on her back was horrific (as I stated above). Tasso’s father is presumed dead, one of the hundred killed when the fire ripped through the village. The trauma ran deep in this book, and there were times that I wondered if they would be able to start the healing process.

When Irini found the man who started the fire, she went through his belongings and walked away. She did feel guilty and called the police, but still. The path to forgiveness and understanding it was a tragic accident was laid during her interviews with the police. But, there is a twist in this storyline that, even though I saw it coming, still surprised and unnerved me.

The end of The Book of Fire signified hope for me. I won’t go into it because of spoilers, but I did like how the author got Irini to that point. I believe the start was the healing of the jackal pup, and it just went from there.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Christy Lefteri for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Book of Fire. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Book of Fire, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Christy Lefteri:

The Final Curtain (Kyoichiro Kaga: Book 10) by Keigo Higashino, Giles Murray (Translator)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: December 12th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Japan, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime, Detective, Japanese Literature, Novels, Asian Literature

Series: Kyoichiro Kaga

Books 1-3 and books 6-7 do not have English translations.

Malice—Book 4

Newcomer—Book 5

A Death in Tokyo—Book 6

The Final Curtain—Book 7

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of Malice and Newcomer, a confounding murder in Tokyo is connected to the mystery of the disappearance and death of Detective Kaga’s own mother.

A decade ago, Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga went to collect the ashes of his recently deceased mother. Years before, she ran away from her husband and son without explanation or any further contact, only to die alone in an apartment far away, leaving her estranged son with many unanswered questions.

Now in Tokyo, Michiko Oshitani is found dead many miles from home. Strangled to death, left in the bare apartment rented under a false name by a man who has disappeared without a trace. Oshitani lived far away in Sendai, with no known connection to Tokyo – and neither her family or friends have any idea why she would have gone there.

Hers is the second strangulation death in that approximate area of Tokyo – the other was a homeless man, killed and his body burned in a tent by the river. As the police search through Oshitani’s past for any clue that might shed some light, one of the detectives reaches out to Detective Kaga for advice. As the case unfolds an unexpected connective emerges between the murder (or murders) now and the long ago case of the missing mother of Detective Kaga.

The Final Curtain, one of Keigo Higashino’s most acclaimed mysteries, brings the story of Detective Kaga to a surprising conclusion in a series of rich, surprising twists.

First Line:

Despite decades having passed, Yasuyo Miyamoto could still recall that day with absolute clarity.
The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace:The pace of The Final Curtain was slow-paced.

POV: The Final Curtain is told from a 3rd person point of view. It is told from Kyoichiro Kaga, Shuhei Matsumiya, and Hiromi Kadokura (aka Hiromi Asai)’s POV.

Series: The Final Curtain is the 10th book in the Kyoichrio Kaga series. You can read this book as a standalone.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Final Curtain has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Murder
Sexual Assault
Abandonment
Statutory Rape
Foster Care
Adult-minor relationship (a teacher has a years-long affair with a student, who is one of the main characters)
Depression
Abortion
Dead Bodies
Death of a parent
Grief & Loss Depiction
Strangulation

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in The Final Curtain.

Language: The Final Curtain has mild swearing in it. There is no offensive language.

Setting: The Final Curtain is set in and around Tokyo, Japan.

Age Range: I recommend The Final Curtain to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Called to help with the investigation of a strangulation case, Kaga is surprised to discover the victim is an old schoolmate of his. While he is investigating that murder, another murder happens, and he is surprised to find the two are connected. But there are few clues, and the one person who could have answers is not talking. It is up to Kaga to wade through decades of lies and misdirections to find out the answer. And in doing so, Kaga might finally get an explanation about the death of the mother who abandoned him decades earlier.

Main Characters

Instead of listing the main characters and giving my opinion, I will share my overall view of them. The Final Curtain didn’t have a set main character. The book flowed from one character to another. If I had to pick out three characters that stood out the most, they would be:

Kyoichiro Kaga
Shuhei Matsumiya
Hiromi Kadokura (Hiromi Asai)

These characters (well, all of the characters) were well-written and multi-faceted. I was surprised by this, seeing that this is the final book in this series and the first time I have read any book by this author. It was a pleasant surprise and added to my enjoyment of the book.

My review:

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Final Curtain. I was a little iffy about it because it was book 10 in the series, and I figured I would have difficulty getting into it. Not in this case. My only complaint was that it was slow in spots. But, in my eyes, that slowness added to the overall ambiance of the book. It also allowed the author to build up the storyline and tie everything together without looking rushed.

The author did something clever at the beginning of the book. He added a cast of characters. I was thrilled that he did that. I usually go through my Kindle to find names while writing my review. I didn’t have to do that in this book.

The main storyline in The Final Curtain is centered around the murder investigation of Michiko Oshitani and the homeless man. The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. A few red herrings were thrown out that had me thinking that Kaga would never solve the mystery (the bridges angle was fascinating). The twist at the end and how the author tied everything together were well done. I was left shaking my head at who the killer was and why that person did what they did.

The end of The Final Curtain was a little bittersweet. I liked how the author brought everything together and wrapped up the storylines. I also liked that there was a finality to the storylines. Seeing that this is the end of the storyline, the author ends the book in a way that clarifies that there will be no more after.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, Keigo Higashino, and Giles Murray for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Final Curtain. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Final Curtain, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Keigo Higashino

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: