Queenswood by Kathleen Schwab

July 16, 2026

Queenswood by Kathleen Schwab

Angus is the High Prince of the Faerie world, destined to become king. He is dismayed when a seer tells him he must find a bride among the mortals, since the fae bloodlines are so weak they are no longer able to produce heirs. Angus finds an acceptable bride in Rhiannon, a girl from a noble family destined to become a nun before he abducts her. But many of his courtiers and the fae are not accepting of his human queen and displeased with his choice, and they plot to take his throne.

This story isn't sure what it wants to be: is it historical fiction, a romantasy, a mythological epic? Adventure, fairy tale, coming of age story? There are also overtones of the Snow White story. I think the author tried to incorporate too many ideas into one book, when maybe she should have written one book about Angus and Rhiannon, and then a follow up book about Angus' struggles to hold onto his kingdom. The moral of the story is that the fae world is a dangerous place for both the fae and humans. Not terrible, but it certainly wandered around. Beautiful cover art. Will appeal to readers who are into atmospheric reads with heavy world building.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

June 26, 2026

Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

After the publication of his third book, Ernest Cunningham and his fiancee Juliette are seeking a bank loan to open a detective agency. But when they arrive at the bank for their appointment, they learn that rather than discuss a bank loan, the bank manager wants Ernest to take on a new case.

Another locked-room mystery in the Ernest Cunningham series, this time set in a bank. All of the mysteries follow the rules of the Golden Age mysteries, such as not introducing a new character who turns out to be the villain late in the story, and a parlor-type reveal at the end. This one was really twisty, with ten suspects and ten thefts. The characters are quirky, there is a lot of dry humor, and the ending is unexpected, although it took a long time to get there. I did think the center of the book dragged. Will appeal to fans of Knives Out or Glass Onion.

Valet by J. P. Lacrampe

June 26, 2026

Valet by J. P. Lacrampe

Cy is a VALET, an AI-controlled robot assigned to be the personal assistant to Grayson, the 35 year old son of the the owner of AI+, Cy's creator. Grayson grew up with Cy and Cy's current assignment is to find Grayson a wife or at least someone who will look after him so his family doesn't have to. This is harder than it sounds since Grayson is something of an oddball. The longer it takes, the lower Cy's success rating drops. If it falls below a certain level, not only will Cy not be eligible for an upgrade, he will be farmed out for parts. Worse yet, Grayson's sister Charlotte, the company CEO, is working on a deal to sell the family corporation to a competitor.

It's impossible to turn on the television or computer these days and not get bombarded with ads for AI, and generally speaking, it's pretty annoying (no, I don't need AI to write an email for me, summarize an article, or tell me how to invest). Set in the not-too-distant future, AI and robots haven't exactly taken over society but humans are dependent on them for everything. The takeover plot is silly and you know from the start that it's not going to work. You can't help but love Cy, who is devoted to his human "brother" Grayson and Grayson's dog, a golden retriever named Sasha III who is a clone of Grayson's childhood dog (non-spoiler alert: Sasha III is fine at the end of the book). The real question here is what makes us human and what makes us a family. I did want to slap Cy's friend Larry by the end of the book. Will appeal to readers who enjoy the quirky fiction of Kevin Wilson or Augusten Burroughs.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery

July 15, 2026

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery

On the eve of the return of Halley's Comet in 1910, Stephen Pike arrives to take up a position as a footman at a country house called Tithe House, located on a peninsula known as World's End. World's End off the coast of Cornwall is a tidal island, which means that when the tide comes in, the peninsula is cut off from the mainland and becomes an island for up to 18 hours until the tide goes out again. Stephen also learns that his new employer is an eccentric who believes that the comet's tail is bringing poisonous cyanide gases that will kill off all life forms. He has all the doors and windows boarded up, and issues orders that all guests, residents and staff are to sequester themselves in their quarters until morning when the noxious vapors will have passed. But after what was otherwise a quiet night in the sealed up house, the staff and the family wake up to discover that one of them has been murdered in the night. And not by the comet. Because of his criminal background, Stephen is quickly singled out as the likely culprit. He realizes he has to discover the murderer and solve the crime unless he wants to find himself back in prison or worse.

I love a mystery set in an English country house. The characters are always guilty of something, not to mention eccentric, and the family here is no exception. Ex-con Stephen is young and naive and good-hearted, just grateful to have a job and wanting people to like him. His unexpected sleuthing partner is Aunt Decima, a foul-mouthed octogenarian who is easily the smartest person in the house and a fabulous character. She does not suffer fools gladly and has no qualms about dropping the f-bomb frequently. A cross between an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery and Downtown Abbey or Upstairs/Downstairs. Very enjoyable.

A tidal island with the causeway connecting it to the mainland underwater at high tide

The Devoted by Catherine Cho

July 12, 2026

The Devoted by Catherine Cho

Eunha is a Korean woman living in Hong Kong. Her father is a Dragon Head, the leader of one of the notorious Triad families that make up organized crime in the city. Although her grandmother tries to shield her from the Triads' influence, it's always there in the background. When her son is kidnapped, Eunha finds herself pulled into the Triads' sphere as she mistrusts everyone around her. Even marrying the love of her life comes at a cost.

An intense story that triggers a wide range of emotions from heartbreak to dread to anger to triumph. Told from Eunha's POV in two separate timelines, the story focuses on her growth and coming to terms with not being able to escape her past, that she has to seize control of her fate with both hands in order to secure the future that she wants for herself and her sons. Up until that point, she is more of a passive observer of life around her, reacting to the actions of the men in her life and doing as she is told. I would like to say that this is unique to her story but women all over the world living in patriarchal or male-dominated societies experience this. At times, I was as devastated as Eunha by the revelations about those she trusted and her realization that she couldn't trust anyone. Characters were well-developed and multi-layered. Themes include family, loyalty, forbidden love, betrayal, honor and revenge. If you're expecting Mafia violence a la The Godfather, this isn't that book.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

July 13, 2026

The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester

After her parents are killed in a freak accident, 13 year old Aria is sent to California to live with her aunt, a former Golden Age actress who lives at the historic Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles. Aria soon discovers the seedy side of the hotel and Hollywood, and is determined to help the young starlets being abused by producers and studio executives.

A retelling of the Jane Eyre story set in Hollywood. But the real story here is the Hollywood studio system, where powerful men expected aspiring actresses to trade sexual favors for movie roles. Although the story here is set in the 1950s and 1960s, unfortunately these abuses continue to the present day as demonstrated by the Me Too movement. The ending was a little too saccharine and unbelievable for me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review. 

Hotel Marmont, Los Angeles, CA

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

July 9, 2026

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Constable Peter Grant is just coming off his probationary period when he is assigned to one of the Metropolitan Police's special units, the one dealing with magical crimes. But he never expects his new assignment will lead him to the Thames family and their many offspring (tributaries?) as he follows a crime spree based on the Punch and Judy puppet story.

An urban fantasy set in modern London that is also a police procedural using a combination of policing and magic to solve crime. The mystery here is based on the traditional British Punch and Judy puppet show which most Americans are not familiar with, which may be a difficulty for readers who are not Anglophiles. The main character Peter is very likable, a mix of intelligent, naive and nerdy. There is a certain amount of geeky science as well as references to historical and cultural figures, and it helps if you are familiar with London since the action moves all over the city. Fans of the Harry Dresden, Discworld or Dr. Who series will enjoy this urban fantasy mystery.

Traditional Punch and Judy puppets - I hate puppets