Middletide by Sarah Crouch

May 15, 2024

Middletide by Sarah Crouch

Early one morning, two fishermen find the body of Dr. Erin Landry hanging from a tree near their favorite fishing spot, an apparent suicide. But the sheriff isn't so sure - something about the scene isn't right. As he investigates the death, someone points in the direction of Elijah Leith, a town resident who wrote a mystery novel over a decade earlier, describing the exact scene of the doctor's death.

This is a debut novel, with multiple timelines that switch frequently. The plot is very slow-moving, crawling for about 75% of the book, with a lot of narrative about eating, nature, and homesteading/living off the land, as well as Elijah's sorry love life. For some reason, the author decided to make up a fictional Native American tribe, which added to the confusion. The characters are all blah, except for the victim. Not recommended unless you enjoy a little bit of mystery mixed with what is mostly high school style romance. Hopefully the author will do better on her next outing.

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

Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

May 14, 2024

Dog Day Afternoon by David Rosenfelt

Lawyer Any Carpenter and his ex-cop wife Laurie Collins return with a new case. This time, Andy is defending a man wrongly accused of a mass shooting at a law firm. The more they dig, the more irregularities they uncover.

The latest entry in a very enjoyable mystery series does not disappoint. The mystery here involves the Dark Web, a complex conspiracy, and a mass shooting, all of which could be taken from a daily newscast. I love Andy's snarky sense of humor, the quirky supporting characters, and there are dogs - what more do you need?

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

Paterson, New Jersey

Joan by Katherine J. Chen

May 11, 2024

Joan by Katherine J. Chen

Biographical fiction about Joan of Arc. Very well written. Joan was an independent, autonomous young woman who went against the prevailing beliefs and expectations about how women should act - reminded me of Anne Boleyn whose only crimes were being smart, educated, and not taking crap from men. Will appeal to readers of well-researched historical fiction about strong women.

Miniature of Joan of Arc, which may or may not be accurate

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

May 2, 2024

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

Cinnamon Hotpepper, a spice trader, stumbles home drunk from a village festival, only to find a demon hiding in her family's cinnamon grove. After she sobers up, the demon tells her that he needs her help, and if she doesn't help him, it could go badly for her family. So she agrees to go with him to achieve his quest, with the stipulation that he return her home safely when the quest is completed. Except of course, it's not that simple.

Fun, steamy fantasy. Reminded me somewhat of Legends and Lattes, but with a lot of sex tossed in, some of it quite explicit. Be warned.

Two dragons (yes, there be dragons here)

The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray

April 29, 2024

The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray

When her grandmother refuses to pay for her final year of college, Annabel Falcone travels from America to the French Riviera to work at her uncle's hotel. It's August 1939, and the first ever Cannes Film Festival is about to get underway, with celebrities, athletes, and actors from all over the world in attendance. When a German tennis star is found dead in his hotel room, Annabel begins to suspect that there is more going on than just a big celebrity party.

Inspired by real events and the first failed Cannes Film Festival. Slow moving Anna plot that takes a long time to get anywhere. Also, Annabel is kind of bland. There are almost too many famous names dropped into the story. If you read everything about the golden age of Hollywood, you will probably enjoy this one. If not, maybe skip it.

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

French Riviera

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

April 28, 2024

The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul

Long before he became the fabulous RuPaul, international drag superstar, he was a gay Black child with a mother who suffered from depression her entire life and a father who was largely AWOL. This is a memoir of growing up poor, Black and queer in San Diego and Atlanta, always feeling different and trying to find a place where he belonged. RuPaul discusses candidly his dysfunctional family, his struggles with drugs and alcohol, and his journey to find and accept his identity. If you're expecting a book with celebrity anecdotes, life as a drag queen, and behind-the-scenes dish, this is not that book.

RuPaul in character - I should have legs like that

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

April 25, 2024

Boy of Chaotic Making by Charlie N. Holmberg

Hulda and Merritt's wedding is only weeks away, when Merritt receives a letter from Queen Victoria (yes, that Queen Victoria) expressing interest in Owein. Owein is Merritt's 223 year old many-times-great uncle who died at the age of 12 and originally inhabited the walls of Merritt's house. Owein currently resides in the body of a mixed-breed terrier, and is also a powerful wizard. The queen's necromancer believes he has a way of transferring Owein's spirit and magical powers to a human body. With plenty of reservations, Merritt, Owein and Hulda travel to England to find out if such a thing is possible and the potential fallout. But almost as soon as they arrive, they realize that not everyone may want the experiment to succeed.

The third book in the Whimbrel House series. I love Owein, so I was happy that we got a book about him. This is a charming historical fantasy series. I recommend reading the books in order.

Example of a Victorian necromancer

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

April 22, 2024

Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony receives a call from his agent, asking him to write another mystery about Daniel Hawthorne, to be ready for release in in time for the Christmas sales. The only problem is, Hawthorne doesn't have a current case that he is working on. Anthony's agent suggests to them that Anthony should write a book about one of Hawthorne's old cases that happened five years earlier. Even though Hawthorne agrees and chooses the case, he seem reluctant to have Anthony write the book, doling out his notes a bit at a time.

The fifth book in the Horowitz and Hawthorne series, with the usual complex plot. This was one of the less successful titles in the series. The plot is a locked-room type of mystery, with the victim and the killer both living in the same gated community. However, there are some holes in the methodology. Anthony complains that he is having a hard time writing the book since he doesn't know how it ends, which doesn't make sense since the case took place five years earlier. It was quite sensational and received loads of media coverage, so it seems he could have looked up the details online. He does an online search for and finds things like information about the obscure organization that employs Hawthorne as well as contact information on another of Hawthorne's cases with only the person's last name. I hope the next book is better.

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

Richmond, the setting of this mystery

Clean(ish) by Gin Stephens

April 18, 2024

Clean(ish) by Gin Stephens

We are surrounded by chemicals all day, every day, especially in the United States, in our food, cleaning products, and personal care products. The author discusses the advantages to consuming cleaner products and food, and finding household and personal care products that contain fewer additives, as well as how to get the added chemicals out of our diets by consuming fewer processed foods.

AC: the Power of Appetite Correction by Bert Herring, M. D.

April 15, 2024

AC: the Power of Appetite Correction by Bert Herring, M. D.

A basic overview of intermittent fasting that digs deeper into our habits and patterns to help the reader understand why we eat - it's not all our fault, the food industry constantly encourages us to eat - and how to relearn healthier patterns. The author provides a collection of "tools" to aid those getting started with IF. I do love the Brussels sprouts test in the last chapter of the book: if you're not hungry enough to go microwave and eat some Brussels sprouts, then you're not REALLY hungry. For a more in-depth look at IF, read the books by Dr. Jason Fung and Gin Stephens.

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

April 12, 2024

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson

Shelley House in the village of Chalcot is a down-at-heel former grand mansion that has been subdivided into six flats. The tenants are the usual mix: the nosy older woman who keeps track of all the comings and goings, the retiree who takes in lodgers to help make ends meet, the single woman with perpetually bad taste in men, the menacing man with a menacing dog, the financially-strapped widower and his teenaged daughter, and the party boy who smokes week, throws frequent parties, plays his music way too loud, and leaves bags of trash in the hallway. They co-exist until they all receive an eviction notice from the building's owner.

Neighbors are a mixed blessing. On the positive side, they're close by - in an emergency, they are frequently the first ones to help, On the down side, they're close by - they know what you're doing, all the time. (I once had upstairs neighbors that I swore stomped around in wooden clogs on bare floors, 24/7.) Reminded me of Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove, with its quirky characters and themes of forgiveness, redemption, letting go of the past, and finding love in unexpected places. This is not actually a mystery, and the plot was somewhat predictable. Reggie the terrier was by far my favorite character. Recommended to readers looking for a heartwarming, feel-good read. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Traditional English village

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

April 9, 2024

The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton

After the sudden death of her parents, Carmen Acosta travels from Cuba to Miami to stay with her sister and brother-in-law, Carolina and Asher Wyatt. They own a grand house on Biscayne Bay, originally built right after World War I for Anna and Robert Barnes, a wealthy New York couple. The house is beautiful but creepy, like the peacocks that roam the property and scream at odd times. Her sister is oddly absent when Carmen arrives, and Carmen quickly senses that all is not right with her sister's marriage. She also comes to realize that whatever is troubling Carolina has something to do with the history of the house.

Atmospheric, reminiscent of classic gothic tales like Rebecca or Wuthering Heights, with all the traditional gothic elements: a big isolated house, creepy grounds, characters who pop up out of no where, an innocent young heroine, an aloof older man. I loved a good gothic when I was in high school - Victoria Holt was a fave! Will also appeal to fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia in addition to readers of gothic fiction.

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

Biscayne Bay

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

April 8, 2024

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her partner and lover Stoker are busy restoring Lord Rosemarran's extensive collection of curiosities, when they receive a delivery of a life-sized waxwork figure known as an Anatomical Venus. They wonder who created the figure and its intended purpose, but the mystery only deepens when they attempt to unlock its secrets.

The ninth adventure in the Veronica Speedwell/Stoker mystery series, filled with questionable science, potential scandal, and eccentricity among the aristocracy. The relationship between Veronica and Stoker deepens. Love the covers. Clever, action-packed and great fun as always. I would advise reading the series in order.

An Anatomical Venus - there were also Anatomical Adonis models

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick

April 8, 2024

We Are the Light by Matthew Quick

Lucas Goodgame is viewed as a hero by everyone who lives in his small town, except himself. His murdered wife Darcy visits him nightly in angel form. Lucas desperately wants to reconnect with his therapist Karl, but Karl is also in mourning. So Lucas begins to write letters to Karl, detailing his suffering as well as his nightly communications with Darcy. But then a damaged young man named Eli sets up a tent in his backyard, and they begin to heal each other and the town. 

Not an easy read since it deals with a story taken from daily news headlines. Those killed in a mass shooting aren't the only victims - how do the survivors and witnesses pick up their lives and go on? Themes of grief, trauma, anger, and ultimately love and healing in its many forms. Less about the shooting than it is about the aftermath.

Classic restored movie theater

The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, M.D.

April 4, 2024

The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, M.D.

Everything you though you knew about weight and weight loss is wrong. It's not a matter of how much you eat or even what you eat, it's the amount of insulin being triggered by when you eat. The American diet is a mess, which is not news to most of us, but Dr. Fung explains what we can do to fix that and improve our health: intermittent fasting. Lots of science but very interesting reading, especially if you're interested in losing weight and improving your health.

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

April 4, 2024

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

The last 122 people on earth live in a village on an island at the end of the world - everyone else has been consumed by a mysterious fog. Technology is gone, the last of it buried somewhere beneath the island. All of the residents work for the greater good, managed by Abi, an artificial intelligence. No one lives beyond the age of 60 - when a villager dies, another appears to take their place. The deadly fog remains at bay, but they all fear that someday, the fog will consume them too. Equilibrium is maintained until a resident is murdered, and the fog suddenly begins to creep closer.

Stuart Turton writes mysteries that are anything but ordinary. I refer to them as "thinking person mysteries," with stories that are complex and original. Like the author's previous books, this one is edgy and a blend of dystopia, sci fi, and mystery. It's a "locked room" mystery, where a group of people are isolated from the outside, and one of them must be the murderer, but it seems to be impossible that any of them did it. Hints of the television series LOST and also The Prisoner. I could have used a map of the island since it was sometimes difficult to picture where the characters were at times in relation to the village and the bay. Not for someone looking for a traditional mystery, but will appeal to readers who like fiction that is "out there."

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

A foggy island at the end of the world

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

March 24, 2024

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Before Ted Bundy, before John Wayne Gacy, there was Belle Gunness, the infamous Black Widow of LaPorte. As a girl in Norway, Belle was beaten by her lover until she miscarried her unborn child. After emigrating to the U.S., Belle lived with her sister's family in Chicago in the middle of a large community of Norwegian immigrants. Tired of men's cruelty and also tired of being poor, Belle vowed to never be under a man's control again and that she would never again be poor, taking her revenge on the men of the world in a gruesome fashion.

Historical fiction based on the life and crimes of the Black Widow of LaPorte, Indiana, one of the first American serial killers. Her crime spree began in Chicago, then later she moved to a farm in Indiana, where she continued her bloody deeds. I had heard of Belle but didn't really know her story. This was another book for Women's History Month, this time about a truly notorious woman who proved that women can be just as evil as men. 

Belle Gunness and her three foster children

Delay, Don't Deny by Gin Stephens

March 21, 2024

Delay, Don't Deny by Gin Stephens

Well-written book about the author's journey to health using intermittent fasting, especially OMAD, the one meal a day method. I became interested in IF after a conversation with one of my nephews, who began fasting intermittently due to his work schedule. While not for everyone, IF can improve many health issues including diabetes, inflammation, and digestive issues.

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

March 21, 2024

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

A family gathers for their granddaughter's coming of age party, and each family member reminisces about the past. Told from multiple POVs, the storyline follows three generations of a middle-class African American family.

Someone recommended this to me, but damned if I can remember who it was. Let me just say that Jacqueline Woodson is a wonderful writer, but this was just okay. I know a lot of readers really loved it, but I found it sad and depressing. Even a celebration of a grandchild reaching the age of 16 has very little joy, since everyone seems to be remembering only the bad times. Even the events of 9/11 get dragged in. Ultimately I found the story to be very unsatisfying.

The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud

March 19, 2024

The Great Mrs. Elias by Barbara Chase-Riboud

Hannah Elias was one of the richest Black women in America in the early 20th century. She started her life as Bessie Elias, a domestic servant wrongly accused of theft. She was sent to prison, and when she was released, she was unable to find a job as a domestic, so she became a courtesan at a high-level brothel. There she met a number of wealthy men, mostly bankers and real estate barons, who taught her how to invest her money and accumulate wealth. She enjoyed her affluent lifestyle, until one of her long-time lovers decides Hannah duped him into giving her money and accuses her of criminal activities.

This is a portrayal of a strong Black woman, born in the 19th century, who rose to wealth, power and fame (or infamy), based on her real life. Hannah was a light-skinned Black woman, and for much of her life, passed for white, claiming to be Cuban. Women do what they need to do to survive, to feed themselves and their children. While I don't think it's as good as the author's previous book Sally Hemmings, it will appeal to readers of historical fiction and is a good choice for Women's History Month.

Hannah Elias

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

March 16, 2024

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

When she was 17 years old, Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that she would be murdered. She and her two best friends Emily and Rose had their fortunes told at a county fair but Frances was the only one who really took the fortune to heart. Although the three girls are inseparable, Emily is more of a frenemy than a real friend, wanting everything that Frances has - she is a typical mean girl (yawn - so tired of high school BS). She scoffs at Frances' concern over the fortune, then ironically, Emily is the one who goes missing a year later. 

Frances spent her life on her husband's country estate, guarding herself from others and perceived threats.  At the reading of her will, her heirs discover that Frances' money will go to the one who solves her murder - and they have a week to do it.

Clever Agatha Christie-esque premise that doesn't quite pan out, particularly disappointing since I am a fan of mysteries set in country houses. There is a large with a large cast of characters past and present that were hard to keep track of. The plot got muddled from the sheer number of characters past and present, with many of them part of family groups that have common last names. Annie, the main character, got a little annoying with her fainting at the sight of blood, syringes, etc. - I did wonder how she managed her monthly period. I would have like to know what Frances was up to for the last 50 years. There are hints that she meddled in the lives of others (including her niece Laura) but there is no follow up to these hints. There are also a number of dangling mini-plots that are left, well, dangling. Real fans of cozy mysteries who are less picky than I am will enjoy the setting and the characters.

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

Hemlock, which turns out to be a complete red herring

The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke

March 10, 2024

The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke

Lt. Dave Robicheaux has a lot of demons chasing him: his wife Nicole left him for a wealthy oilman, he is a recovering alcoholic, his memories of Vietnam, his troubles with the police brass, his Catholic upbringing, his partner Clete who has his own marital and alcohol troubles plus a hair trigger temper and involvement in some not quite legal dealings. When Robicheaux becomes involved with the murder case of a young prostitute, he unexpectedly finds himself involved with drugs, South American drug lords, and arms smugglers, yet he persists according to his own code of honor. At the same time, he realizes that he has reached a crossroads in his life.

After reading Burke's outstanding historical novel Flags on the Bayou, I realized that I had never read any of his Dave Robicheaux series. Robicheaux is a flawed yet honorable hero. The writing is gritty and violent, with lush descriptions of New Orleans (especially the food). There are some disturbing racial epithets that were unfortunately common during the 1980s. The plot is somewhat dated but the character study of Dave is outstanding and sets up the rest of the series. The audio version is really good. Recommended for fans of hard-boiled mysteries or noir fiction.

New Orleans' French Quarter

System Collapse by Martha Wells

March 4, 2024

Murderbot, the rogue SecUnit, is back for another adventure, only this time, something traumatic has happened to it, causing it to experience false memories and flashbacks. Worse, its breakdown happened in front of the crew, ART, and another SecUnit, so everyone knows something is wrong. Both its mechanical and organic parts are affected, and it makes Murderbot question whether it can do its job. For the first time, it is afraid to go into unknown situations, that it will freeze and be unable to protect its humans. And Murderbot has more humans than ever to look after, and is starting to care about many of them.

Love the Murderbot series! It's been a while since the last book, so it takes the reader a few chapters to get back into the story (stick with it, it's worth it). Wells revisits many of our favorites characters, including ART, the Asshole Research Transport and Murderbot's best friend. We get to see Murderbot's human side here, which just makes me love it even more. I'm so sad that I have to wait another year for the next book. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys science fiction and fantasy.

Terraforming a new planet

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

March 2, 2024

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Nurse practitioner Brooke Sullivan takes a job at Raker State Prison out of desperation. She is warned not to develop a personal relationship with any of the inmates or give out any personal information. But Brooke does not disclose that she already know one of the inmates. Not only does she know him, she is responsible for him being in prison.

The synopsis for this book sounded really good, which is probably why I'm so disappointed in it. This is the second book that I read by this author (the other one was The Co-worker, which I felt was better, although it reminded me of Gone Girl). As other reviewers have noted, there is a strong YA feel. Brooke, the main character, gets dumber as the book goes on, almost as though she is reverting to her high school self. Yes, she's had a lot of trauma. But when she runs into the guy she sent to prison, who is now an inmate there, you can practically hear her underwear hitting the floor. The plot was too far-fetched with too many coincidences to ignore. Of course there had to be a corrupt prison guard and an evil Nurse Ratchett type. Not at all original. The epilogue was disturbing rather than satisfying. And in this century, who calls a child being raised by a single parent a bastard? Teens may enjoy her books, but I think I'm done with this author.

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

Prison infirmary

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

February 29, 2024

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintoch

Reality TV is all the rage, and there is a new one set in North Wales. But this one has a nasty twist: instead of being a survival show as advertised, the producer plans to expose each contestant's most shameful secret. It comes as a complete shock to the seven contestants, and after the first show airs, one contestant slips away into the Welsh mountain in the middle of the night, unable to face what may be coming for him. DC Ffion Morgan is assigned to the missing persons case, but that turns out to be the least of her problems.

This is the second book in the DC Ffion Morgan series, and we get to revisit many of the characters from the first book (The Last Party). There are many games at play here, not just the reality show, and everyone involved has their own agenda. The plot moves along at a good pace and kept me turning the pages. I hope Mackintosh is planning another book in the series, since I look forward to watching Ffion and Leo's relationship developing. And for all my dog-loving friends who used to call me wanting to know if the dog is okay at the end of the book (any dog, in any book), not to worry: Dave the dog is still with Ffion at the end of the book. (At the moment, I have a sweet but needy senior golden retriever foster dog who sheds constantly, so I can relate to Ffion's struggles with Dave.)

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

North Wales

Titan's Tears by Chad Lester

February 21, 2024

Titan's Tears by Chad Lester

Three characters are on a collision course in a dystopian world: Seth works for an Amazon-like corporation until he is replaced by a robot. Belle is an odd young woman living in a remote Alaskan town, until she is offered a high-paying job at Eccleston Evolution, a high-level tech company, even though she has no real job skills. Sophia is the founder of Eccleston Evolution, which develops cutting edge and sometimes controversial technology, and created the world's most advanced AI, The Augur.

Strange dystopian book about scientific and bio-ethics and the evils of science gone wrong, as well as greed, megalomania, etc. As soon as I read about the forest full of bio-engineered creatures outside the compound, I knew there would be at least one frantic escape attempt pursued by wild prehistoric animals. My biggest complaint is that the writing is sloppy - it needed a really GOOD editor. There are a lot of errors - at some points, the author forgets that one of his characters is blind. At another point, two of the characters are handcuffed but not to each other, and he has them run holding hands - how awkward is that? Super advanced robots go out in the rain and short out - seriously?? Not sure where the title came from, either, as it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the storyline. I think the author tried to cover too much ground and too many topics. If you want to read a really good futuristic book that covers many of the same subjects, read The Tomorrow File by Lawrence Sanders.

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

What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

February 20, 2024

What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris

Lawyer Deena Wood's life is in tatters: her marriage has gone down in flames, she lost her prestigious job in Atlanta, and she is still reeling from her mother's death. She returns to her hometown of Brunswick, Georgia, where her father married her mother's close friend Ruth a few months after her mother's death. Trapped in a dead-end job, living in her childhood home, Deena is trying to re-make her life, when she encounters an elderly man living on one of the islands off the Georgia coast. When he goes missing, she feels compelled to find out what happened to him.

I don't particularly care for mysteries with a supernatural element, but if that's your jam, you'll probably like this one. For me, it was just okay. I did not find Deena to be a likeable or sympathetic character: she is almost completely self-focused (which she should have grown out of, since she's almost 40), and has little empathy for anyone else. She views her dad's second wife as someone who always coveted what her mother had. It doesn't occur to her that her dad is lonely after his wife's death, or that maybe her mom's best friend misses her too. Unbelievably, a GUY has to explain this to her. 

The plot focuses on the difficulties of lower and middle income people (particularly in the South) when it comes to proving ownership and inheritance of property that has been in their families for years, yet there is no paperwork to support their claims. The author's plotting can be complicated at times. There are also a lot of characters, and it's hard to keep them all straight. I figured out about halfway through the book who the real mastermind was. 

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

Brunswick, Georgia

I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

February 13, 2024

I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh

Clare Mackintosh's moving meditation on grief following the death of her son Alex at five weeks old (Alex would be 18 today). Her writing is so wrenching and intimate at times that I had to put the book down and come back to it later. One such moment: when she talks about her son's funeral and how his coffin was so tiny that her husband carried it in his arms. While this is a book for those dealing with grief (and who isn't), it is also for anyone wanting help/be there for those who are suffering through loss.

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

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

February 6, 2024

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers

After years away, Margot returns to her home town to care for her Uncle Luke. The day after she arrives, a child goes missing, and the case is eerily familiar to the case of a six year old girl who went missing in 1994 when Margot was growing up. The little girl happened to live across the street from Margot's aunt and uncle and was Margot's best friend. Twenty years later, Margot is sure that the two events are linked and sets out to discover who is responsible.

This was just okay. I am a fan of Flowers' podcast Crime Junkie, so I was interested in reading her mystery. I am usually a sucker for missing person stories, especially when set in small towns (I love ID's Murder in the Heartland series), but this one missed the mark. The story is based not-so-loosely on the Jon-Benet Ramsey case - the little girl in the novel who went missing in 1994 participates in child beauty pageants, the parents are wealthy and immediately suspected, and there is no real resolution to the case. As other readers have noted, the ending (or non-ending) was disappointing. I think I'll stick to her podcast, which really is outstanding. 

Child beauty pageant queens - they're six, not sixteen