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

Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

July 5, 2026

Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle

Social media influencer and single mother Poppy Stringer has over 200,000 followers and posts constantly to her social media sites. To support her lavish lifestyle, Poppy has a secret side hustle as a modern day grave robber, stealing bodies by contract, mostly from funeral homes. But on the day her music idol is killed in a freak accident, Poppy receives a commission to steal his body from the city morgue. It seems straightforward enough, not to mention wildly lucrative, but things quickly take a bad turn.

Imagine that you finally get the chance to meet the guy who has been your musical idol all your life, but it turns out that he is nothing like you expect? For one thing, he's dead, and for another, he's on a killing spree. I worry about Chuck Tingle, I really do. What is going on in his head? What kind of childhood trauma did he experience to come up with the kind of stuff he writes about? This is a road trip of a very different kind, full of gore and horror set against the glittering backdrop of Palm Springs. At the same time, there is a a dark humor as Eddie shares unexpected bits of wisdom, like telling Poppy it's always a bad idea to meet your idols. Poppy realizes that she and Eddie are both influencers and have a deeper connection than she could ever expect. Real horror fans will get into this fast-paced novel.

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

Palm Springs, CA

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline

June 18, 2026

The Foursome by Christina Baker Kline

After touring Europe and the large cities of North America, celebrated conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker decided to settle down in a small town in North Carolina. They soon bought land, built a fine house, and opened a general store. Wealthy and educated, the only things missing from their lives were wives and children. They met Adelaide and Sarah Yates, a pair of sisters from a local family with a questionable history. Addie was fascinated by the brothers and immediately decided to marry Chang. She convinced her sister that marrying Eng was the only way to redeem past mistakes and the only way that Addie would be able to marry Chang.

Eng and Chang Bunker were the first pair of conjoined twins to find international fame. Born in Siam (now Thailand), they were the source of the now-obsolete expression Siamese Twins. Their lives were well documented, and the two sisters who married them were distant cousins of the author. Not only did Chang and Eng marry, they went on to father 21 children (!) between them. After their deaths, an autopsy determined that they were joined at the liver, and it would have been impossible to separate them during their lifetime. Today this type of surgery would have been possible and most conjoined twins are successfully separated. I highly recommend this fascinating look at two unique families and the times they lived in.

Chang and Eng Bunker

The Autobiography of Henry VIII: with Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George

 June 11, 2026

The Autobiography of Henry VIII: with Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George

Nearing the end of his life, Henry VIII's fool Will Somers sends a package to Catherine Carey, daughter of Mary Boleyn Carey and very possibly Henry VIII. It is an autobiography that Henry wrote late in life, and Will has added comments to clarify or expand some parts.

This is a huge novel, over 900 pages, written from Henry VIII's POV, which certainly differs from actual historical sources. From Henry's viewpoint, it was always someone else's fault, never his, were someone took advantage of his kindly and trusting nature. Never once does he connect the dots and admit or realize that all of his problems were of his own making. At one point, Henry refers to himself as a "kind and gentle husband to all his wives," which is laughable at best and certainly delusional. He also couldn't figure out why none of the European princesses wanted to marry him after he beheaded Anne Boleyn.

One of my favorite parts was when he advised his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves (my absolute favorite of the six wives), that he is having their marriage annulled and she reacts with delight and grabs a pen and signs the documents immediately. Henry is stunned that she doesn't want to be married to a fine specimen of masculinity like him (25 years older than her, weighing 400 lbs., smelly from an oozing leg ulcer, vindictive if anyone crosses him - yeah, he's a catch all right). The cover art is a painting of a young Henry, which was pretty much how he saw himself his entire life.

I would have like more commentary from Will, since his remarks were frequently witty and demonstrated that while he loved Henry, he had no illusions about Henry's nature. Recommended for readers of historical fiction, especially Tudor fiction, who want a different perspective on Henry VIII.

A realistic portrait of what Henry VIII looked like late in life

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire

June 6, 2026

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire

Nancy disappeared through one of the Doors to the Halls of the Dead long ago to become a living statue, but suddenly she has returned to the School for Wayward Children.  A darkness has come to the Halls and the living statues are dying. To save them and learn why they are dying, Nancy is forced to return to the school and seek help from her friends there.

Part of the Wayward Children series. I haven't read all of the books in the series but I have read enough of them to know the characters. While there was a strong start, the story sort of faded, and I got the feeling that this short book was more of a bridge between books. Like other books in the series, a major theme is finding a place where you belong. I liked Sumi calling out the Lord of the Dead for not taking better care of his people. Possible triggers are child death, murder, fratricide, grief, depression. 

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