First Lie Wins
by Ashley Elston
First Lie Wins is a deliciously twisty thriller, with so many threads that interweave throughout the story. There were so many twists and turns, and a lot of surprises that I didn’t anticipate.
One of the things I loved most about this book was that the reveals, rather than being saved for the end, were spaced throughout the book. That gives the reader lots of WOW moments along the way, which I adored.
I also loved that the lead was a morally gray heroine. There’s just something fun about that, and the author did an excellent job with creating that character. Morally gray is a hard balance. Too moral and there’s no gray. Too gray, and there is little room to empathise with the character. That balance was perfectly achieved here.
Valdemar
by Mercedes Lackey
Valdemar marks the end of a trilogy that I believe every fan of the series wanted since the very first book in the saga, Arrows of the Queen, was published in 1987. I know, as a long-time fan who has been (re)reading the entire saga continually (literally nonstop) since that first book, it is the series I always hoped for. The Founding of Valdemar allowed us to finally see it from the beginning. Valdemar wouldn’t be what it is without the Companions, the otherworldly creatures that, with their Heralds, protect Valdemar. To see this beginning was deeply emotional and meaningful for someone for whom this series has been a part of her personal identity.
Kordas Valdemar, the OG king, is a wonderful character. He is as flawed as anyone else, but he cares so deeply that he will always sacrifice himself for the greater good for the people who have laid so much faith upon him. It is because of King Kordas and his deep love of his people that Valdemar came to have the Companions.
All in all, a beautiful story in a wonderful saga!
Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween
by Andrew Shaffer
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Mothman's Happy Cryptid Halloween is an adorable illustrated children's book for the youngest readers written by Andrew Shaffer. Due out 6th Aug 2024, it's 42 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.
What a fun, quirky, and humorous holiday themed romp for all ages! Everyone knows how much fun it is trick or treating at Halloween. Farmer Mothman is excited that all the kids will be coming to his pumpkin farm for pumpkins to carve and for trick or treating. He's ready with pumpkins and candy. He's even put on his Haloween costume. Things don't always go as planned, unfortunately, so he enlists the other (adorable!) cryptids to help him with his backup plan. This is certainly aimed a young audience, but it's charming and fun for everyone. The illustrations are simple but colorful and full of humorous small details. There's a series of planned holiday themed books, this is the second. The next one slated for release is a Valentine's Day adventure for Mothman and friends.
Five stars. It would make a good choice for public or school library acquisition as well as home use and gift giving purposes. Definitely worth a look.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Book of Elsewhere
by Keanu Reeves and China Mieville
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Book of Elsewhere is a collaborative science fiction adventure by China Miéville and Keanu Reeves. Released 23rd July 2024 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a trippy, cerebral, often very -odd- SF/fantasy/mystery mashup and feels very experimental both thematically and stylistically. Miéville has the chops to pull it off, but readers who are coming to the read because Keanu wrote it, and have zero prior familiarity with Miéville's often bizarre and (possibly overly) cerebral style will probably be stymied. It's emphatically NOT an easy comfort read.
In a way, it's a sandbox collaboration and ties into the BRZRKR comics world. B is a universal soldier, undying, and deeply tired and wants to be able to die. Black Ops government agents promise to help, but he has to help them first. There are layers upon layers of story, and it's not easy to try to read this book without any familiarity with the tie-ins, background, and without some willingness to dig deeper into the underlying philosophy.
Four stars. Definitely not an easy weekend read, but deep and rewarding of the considerable effort required. Whether the effort is worth the reward will vary a lot individually.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Fan Who Knew Too Much
by Nev Fountain
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Fan Who Knew Too Much is a madcap nerdy sci-fi mystery series opener by Nev Fountain. Released 23rd July by Titan Books, it's 504 (!!) pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a nerdy, action driven murder mystery absolutely packed full of silly puns, SF fandom sendups, trivia, and cultural in-jokes. It's very funny in places, and honestly tries a bit too hard in some places. For fans of Dr. Who (and you better bring your series 1 knowledge to the table), STTOS + NG + STV +++, Blake's 7, and others, you will feel right at home here. Fair warning, there's very little hand holding to get you up to speed. If you've never quoted whole scenes from Red Dwarf and didn't know Logan's Run had a short (blessedly short) run as a TV show, then you're going to have to bring a significant amount of patience to the read, -and- be prepared to miss a lot of context, -and- potentially be willing to phone-a-genuine-nerd for help.
For those of us who have been to more cons that we can remember, who possibly spent 45 minutes stuck in an elevator with James Doohan at worldcon a million years ago (he was a perfect gentleman and wonderfully funny), who know what filking is and can sing a few without breaking a sweat, this book is a treat.
There's a LOT of poking fun at the stereotypes. If it were written by someone who doesn't get it, it would be over the top mean, but as it is, Mr. Fountain seems to be one of us.
Four stars. Genuinely funny, a bit frenetic in places, and with an outlandish mystery plot resolution. Worth a look for the nostalgia and in-jokes.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Rockpool Murder
by Emylia Hall
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Rockpool Murder is the third Shell House cozy mystery by Emylia Hall. Released 19th March 2024 by Amazon on their Thomas & Mercer imprint, it's 380 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (and the others in the series) are currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
This was such a fun and engaging read. The characters, including main protagonist widow Ally Bright, are rendered believably and the author gives readers realistic and natural dialogue and interaction throughout the read. This installment sees MC Ally and (non-romantic) partner Jayden investigating the sudden death of a rock star who recently bought a mansion in the area. The plot is well engineered and the clues are fair play and cleverly presented.
Although not as adept (in the reviewer's humble opinion) as the inimitable Ann Cleeves' Vera books, fans of the latter will find a lot to enjoy with this series. The settings (the Cornish coast and Northumberland respectively) feature prominently in both.
Four and a half stars. It continues to develop and go from strength to strength. It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, home reading, and gifting. With three books extant, and a fourth due out 4th quarter 2024, it would be a good candidate for a light binge or buddy read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Heartbreak Incorporated
by Alex De Campi
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Heartbreak Incorporated is an odd but well written fantasy action romance mashup featuring a female investigative journalist written by Alex de Campi. Released 14th Feb 2024 by indie pub Rebellion, it's 304 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a spicy romance with mystery and fantasy elements. It does a reasonable job of the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink genre straddling, but in the end, the book might have been better served to have tried to find 3 or 4 genres and stick to them.
Nearly every reader of modern romantasy/ romance adventure recognizes the prevalent physical descriptions which abound in the genre. (It's not a bug, it's a feature). This book has it in spades. The action driven plot has all the moving parts in working order, but readers will still need to bring a healthy suspension of disbelief to the read. There are some elements of distressingly ingrained misogyny, including from the female MC. It's sadly typical of the genre... and it's clear and present here, too.
Three and a half stars. It's a standalone read. Definitely spicy/explicit parts, NSFW. Worth a look for fans of the genre; and the author is better than average at plotting and action sequences.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Freaky Crypts
by Amanda M Lee
This is one of my favorites of the series thus far! The reader gets to see Poet’s past reconcile with her present, which is an emotional ride but one that really develops her character. Loa lore also becomes part of the story, which added some new depth to the overall series arc. The story that unfolds in this book is a huge part of the series story!
The Hermit Next Door
by Kevin Hearne
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Hermit Next Door is a witty escapist fantasy novella by Kevin Hearne. Due out 31st July 2024 in a signed limited edition from Subterranean Press, it's 96 pages and will be available in signed hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is an engaging and fun story from page 1. Newly widowed Winnie Mae and her teenage son move from Tennessee to Oregon and try to find their feet in a new neighborhood, navigating a new school, new neighbors, and a seismic shift in culture. There's more to the reclusive Mr. Fisher next door than they were expecting.
Fans of the author's oeuvre will already be familiar with his sly and irreverent send ups of everything from talking dogs to life in suburbia (complete with "Karens"). This is more of that, along with a transportive escapist wish fulfillment fantasy and a healthy dash of Scooby Doo adventures thrown in for good measure.
Four and a half stars. Hearne can write. He can plot. It's a short but engaging read with a great denouement and resolution.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Summer Club
by Hannah McKinnon
I don’t know about you guys, but I like it when I read a book set in my state. So, when I saw that The Summer Club was set in Massachusetts (where I grew up and lived until my late 30s), it was a given that I was going to read it. I didn’t even read that blurb-which I don’t recommend doing. Always read the blurb!!
The main storylines of The Summer Club are centered around three people: Ned, Flick, and Darcy. Ned is the manager of an exclusive lakeside country club. Darcy is Ned’s teenage daughter, who is harboring some pretty dark secrets. Flick moved in next door to Ned and Darcy. The storylines with the teenagers were well-written and well-paced.
I liked Flick. He was a good kid who didn’t ask to be moved from Flushing, New York, to rural Massachusetts. His sense of right and wrong came across strongly in the book. And that sense of right and wrong was heightened around Darcy. He could tell that something was wrong, and when he found out what happened to her, he did what any normal human being would do: he punched the idiot in the face. So yes, Flick was my favorite out of the three.
I also liked Darcy, but I pitied her. From the start, I knew that there was something hugely wrong with her. For her to give up a game (golf) that she loved and excelled at on a dime was a huge red flag. Add in all of her risky behaviors, and it was screaming that something traumatic happened. But I was surprised when the author revealed what had happened.
I liked Ned, but he was too wrapped up in work to even see the cracks going through his family. I did like seeing how his life was at work. He had to deal with some of the most moronic, idiotic, self-centered people that I have read to date. He rises to hero status towards the end of the book when he does what any father would have done once he finds out what happened to Darcy.
The end of The Summer Club was almost anticlimactic after everything went down. But, if things had ended differently, I wouldn’t have liked the book as much as I did. I enjoyed the epilogue from Ned, Flick, and Darcy’s perspectives.
Many thanks to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and Hannah McKinnon for allowing me to read and review North Side Of The Grass. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye
by Briony Cameron
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye is a very well written historical adventure based on a purported historical pirate written by Briony Cameron. Released 4th June 2024 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 368 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is, at the end of the day, a very realistically rendered story about a queer black female pirate from the Caribbean set during the reign of Louis XIV. The racism, sexism, inequality, and danger of daily life during the time period are prevalent and not sugar coated, but it is unquestionably a ripping yarn about pirates, naval battles, looting, pillaging, and mayhem (against a factual historical background which was interesting and immersive).
The story itself is compelling, and the protagonist, 20 year old Jacquotte, is ferociously intelligent, strong-willed, clever, and lucky. She leads her band of ragged adventurers (formerly indentured to a brutish captain) to success for a time, but always fraught with danger and a certain inevitability.
The settings and descriptions are often stunning, the prose adept and honest. The sea battles are on a par with top shelf nautical history adventurers (O'Brian & Cornwell, for example).
The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 12 hours 36 minutes and is masterfully narrated by Angel Pean. She has a rich alto voice and does a good job with the disparate characters of both sexes and a range of accents. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Four stars overall, it would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, or book club read.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Night Raven
by Johan Rundberg
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Night Raven is a very well written YA historical mystery series opener by Johan Rundberg. Originally published in 2021 in Swedish, this English language translation was released 1st Nov 2023 by Amazon on their Children's imprint. It's 192 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.
Set in the winter of 1880 in Stockholm, it's dangerously bitterly cold and a ruthless killer is stalking the population. Mika, a 12 year old orphan, has honed her powers of observation as a survival skill. She's recruited by one of the few competent and honorable policemen to assist in his investigation. The partnership is -very- well written and sensitively handled. He doesn't ignore or denigrate her contributions, and they develop a good working relationship despite the age difference.
It's aimed at young readers (Lexile 680, grades ~5-9), but there are many difficult themes in the book, threatened and actual violence, physical abuse and starvation of vulnerable children, extremely austere living standards for the poor of the period, working conditions for the lower classes (including/especially children). Some parts are scary for sensitive readers. The denouement and resolution are exciting and satisfying. There are currently two books released in English in the series, with a third announced for release in Jan 2025.
The English translation work by A.A. Prime is well rendered and seamless. It flows very well and is accessible and doesn't get in the way of the story at all.
Four stars. Possibly too dark for a younger middle grade audience (school library acquisitions folk should read it before ordering). It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, for home use, or for YA readers who enjoy more dire/tragic mysteries.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Mystery of Locked Rooms
by Lindsay Currie
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
The Mystery of Locked Rooms is a fun action driven mystery adventure for middle grade readers by Lindsay Currie. Released 2nd April 2024 by Sourcebooks on their Young Readers imprint, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out from the same publisher first quarter 2025. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.
This is a diverting action filled middle grade adventure with elements of mystery. The three main characters are best friends, and this is very much a buddy caper. It's over the top outlandish and not to be taken seriously (it's chiefly a book for kids). There are good takeaways here, and the author manages to include them without being preachy at all. There are several good themes for classroom or group discussion such as friendship, loyalty, thinking problems through and finding creative solutions, family stress/money/health issues and how they affect kids, and continuing with challenges even when it's difficult.
The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 5 hours 50 minutes and is capably read by Eleanor McCormick. She has a well modulated alto voice with a generic midwest (USA) type accent. She enunciates very clearly and delineates the characters well (it's a limited cast). Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Four stars. Readers should being a healthy suspension of disbelief to the read. It would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, classroom discussion, or book club selection (for youngsters).
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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No Road Home
by John Fram
When I read the blurb for No Road Home, it caught my attention. I have a strange fascination for evangelical preachers. I don’t know why; they have always fascinated me. Anyway, when I saw that the family of such a preacher was going to be featured, I was super interested to see how messed up they were (and the book didn’t disappoint). With the main character being a man who is parenting a queer child, I was also very interested in seeing how that was going to play into this book. I wasn’t disappointed. No Road Home had me glued to it until the wee hours of the morning.
The main storyline in No Road Home is centered on Toby, his son Luca, and the hellish couple of days he spends with his new wife’s family in Texas. This storyline was twisted. Actually, it was not twisted; it was knotted. Much was happening with and around this family, and the author took his sweet time revealing everything. But the same thing can be applied to Toby. A lot was happening internally with him, and his internal issues added extra depth.
The book gets off to a slow start, but it doesn’t stay slow for long. After Jerome is found killed, everything just snowballs. Throughout the storyline, one surprise after another is revealed, and each reveal explains a little more about Toby and the Wright family. By the end of the book, this storyline was blazing fast.
The relationships in No Road Home did make the book. I liked seeing how the author defined each and changed each relationship. The one that stood out the most to me was Luca and Toby’s relationship. That was pure love. Toby was willing to do whatever it took to shield Luca from bigotry in any form. He was also willing to do whatever it took to make sure that he and Luca left the property. The other relationship that stood out was weirdly Jerome and Cora. I can’t get into that relationship without massive spoilers, but it was similar to Toby and Luca’s….except that Cora did everything for the wrong reasons.
No Road Home is huge on secrets. Every character in this book either had a secret or knew one. I was overwhelmed when the author started revealing everything because it seemed all done simultaneously.
There were quite a few mysteries with some huge twists. The author does a good job of keeping them all under wraps. My biggest one was Willow and her connection to Toby and the Wright family. That was one of the biggest twists in the book. The other twists paled in comparison but still took my breath away.
There is a paranormal angle to the book that interested me. At first, I thought what Luca was talking about was a type of imaginary friend. But the more Luca spoke about it, and what Toby found on the roof, the more I figured out not only who but also what Luca befriended (and, weirdly, who was shielding him from the family).
I have so much more to discuss, but doing so would mean revealing spoilers, and I don’t want to do that.
The end of No Road Home was quick. I liked how the author explained everything and left no storyline open. I rarely end a book like this feeling satisfied, but in this case, I did. Everyone in this book, except the victim, got what they deserved. Why except the victim? He should have been kept alive to face the music with everyone else.
Many thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley, and John Fram for allowing me to read and review this ARC of No Road Home. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
Ne'er Duke Well
by Alexandra Vasti
I will be honest with you all. When I read the blurb for Ne’er Duke Well, I almost didn’t accept the widget. I was drowning in ARCs and barely getting ahead with my reviews (I often do this to myself). What ultimately made me accept was that I love Regency romances. I am glad that I accepted because this book was a good read.
The plot for Ne’er Duke Well was medium-paced and centered around Selina and Peter. I liked that Selina and Peter knew each other before the book started. Their gradual falling into love seemed like an obvious next step instead of being forced upon them.
The plot for Ne’er Duke Well was a dual plotline. One branch followed Selina and her running of the erotic circulation library. The other branch followed Peter as he fought to become his half-sibling’s legal guardian. In the middle of the book, both storylines merge, and that is when the chaos starts to happen. I loved it!!
The storyline with Selina was well-written. The evolution of the erotic circulating library had good roots. Selina’s best friend had found herself pregnant a couple of years earlier, and she did not know how it had happened. Selina took it upon herself to try to educate the ladies of the ton with this library. And, surprisingly, it took off. I wish I could have gotten more glimpses into the material used because it seemed very pornographic (from what Selina read). Selina did her best to keep her ownership of the library secret, but secrets have a way of coming out, and oh boy, did Selina’s.
The storyline with Peter was also well-written. He wanted to get custody of his siblings but got in the way of himself. He was a little scandalous (he said and did things that the proper British ton didn’t like), but he was a good person. But, and this comes up later in the book, Peter does have his demons. Those demons come out in full force when Freddy (his brother) becomes deathly ill. I felt awful for that poor man; he was terrified and was willing to do anything to keep Freddy alive.
Ne’er Duke Well has strong and memorable secondary characters. These characters added much-needed depth (and, in some situations, levity) to both storylines.
As stated in the blurb, the romance angle of Ne’er Duke Well was steamy. The author gradually builds up the sexual tension between Selina and Peter. By the time their wedding night comes around, everything explodes. And it keeps exploding with every sex scene. While the sex scenes were good, the relationship between Selina and Peter caught my attention. They were true partners and stood by each other’s sides during two critical scenes in the book. Selina was even willing to go as far as to annul the marriage so Peter would have a better chance of gaining custody of his brother and sister.
The end of Ne’er Duke Well was an HEA. I liked how the author resolved both storylines. I hope she writes more books in this universe. I am keen to see how various characters find their matches.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Alexandra Vasti for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Ne’er Duke Well. All opinions stated in this review are mine.