One of Us by Dan Chaon

August 15, 2025

One of Us by Dan Chaon

After the death of their mother, twins Eleanor and Bolt flee to an orphanage to escape from the clutches of their murderous fake uncle Charlie. They find themselves on an orphan train headed west, and somewhere in Iowa, they are "adopted" by a carnival owner who specializes in circus sideshow acts. They find a new family among the carnival folk, even though they feel they are not special like the others. But Charlie isn't letting go that easily.

Dan Chaon takes us on a creepy journey through a carnival sideshow and the performers who work there. Like carnivals and circuses aren't creepy enough, he had to toss in a serial killer. Will appeal to readers who enjoyed Geek Love or Nightmare Alley, but with a horror slant.

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

A carnival sideshow

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

July 26, 2025

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

Time traveling detective Mallory Armstrong has been stuck in 19th century Scotland for almost a year, working as the assistant to mortician Dr. Duncan Gray, the mixed race illegitimate son of an upper middle class family. She and Duncan are invited to the wedding of his best friend's sister at her fiance's highland hunting lodge. There is tension among the wedding guests and also with the locals, which only escalates when one of the guests is found murdered on the estate grounds. Instead of being a country holiday with friends, Mallory and Duncan find themselves tying to save the groom from the gallows.

The fourth book in the Rip Through Time series. The author gives enough background that this can be read as a standalone mystery if you haven't read the previous mysteries in the series, or if you're like me and it's been a while since you read the last book. Successfully evokes the customs, attitudes, and class distinctions, as well as police methods of the time. I loved how Mallory almost melted into a puddle when one of the characters finally shows up in a kilt. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for readers of historical mysteries like the Sebastian St. Cyr or the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, or the Outlander historical series.

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

Hunting lodge in the Scottish highlands

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

July 22, 2025

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

After using an illegal spell to create a sentient spider plant, librarian Terlu Pena was punished by being turned into a wooden statue, on display in the magical library as a warning to the rest of the staff not to dabble in the spells that they curated. But she hadn't meant any harm - she was just lonely. Nevertheless, the magic court decided to make an example of her. She stood on a pedestal in the library, frozen in place until one day, she wakes up to find herself in a winter forest on an island with no idea how she got there. Not only that, there is an enchanted greenhouse that is slowly dying, and a handsome gardener who expects Terlu to fix the greenhouse.

Charming cozy fantasy, not exactly a sequel to The Spellshop, more like a companion piece that provides the backstory of the librarian who made Caz the sentient spider plant. Terlu was the only character in the first book whose story was not resolved, so I'm glad the author decided to focus on her in this book. The greenhouses are marvelous creations, as are the green winged cat and the tiny dragons that act as pollinators. Themes are loneliness, forgiveness, and healing. The author has planned two or three more books set in this world. Another beautiful cover, too.

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

A magical greenhouse

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl

June 30, 2025

The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl

Eden Bennett is the producer of Garden State Goddesses, a reality show based around a group of rich women who spend all their time sniping at each other, when they’re not treating everyone else like crap. 

Another mystery based on reality TV, this one on a franchise like the Real Housewives. Usually I enjoy books that are campy and have quirky characters, and this sounded like it would be a fun read. But it was a real slog and I skimmed most of the book. I’m not a fan of reality TV, and I don’t watch the Real Housewives but I know the basic formula. Nothing really happened for the first 2/3 of the book, then finally one of the characters got murdered. Can’t get those hours back. Not recommended.

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

The Real Housewives of New Jersey, who aren't anymore housewives than I am

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

June 20, 2025

The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J. R. Dawson

At the edge of Chicago, there is a Station with a lighthouse that guides the dead to the afterlife. Nera is the daughter and apprentice of Harosen, the ferryman who takes souls across Lake Michigan to the Veil, the entrance to the afterlife. Their dogs guide the souls to the Station and stay with them as they cross over, but some souls don’t want to leave the station, choosing to wait for a loved one. Others fear even beginning the journey, becoming wandering Haunts. When a living woman named Charlie is somehow able to cross the portal to the Station looking for her dead sister, Nera is forced to confront how little she knows about the Station, the city, and her own life.

Let me start by saying, the dogs are the best part! I really wanted to like this more than I did. The first half went quickly, but the second part dragged. Charlie is looking for her dead sister but it takes forever for her to actually get started, and then she gets her answer in one sentence. The waystation is wonderfully creative, as are the dogs and the souls waiting for loved ones. Marketed as a queer fantasy about love and grief, which I think is a fair description. Fans of TJ Klune’s Under the Whispering Door may enjoy it, but I found this to be far darker. Klune’s novel is much sweeter and warmer. 

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

The pumping station out in Lake Michigan - I wonder if this gave the author for the idea of a gateway to the afterlife out in the middle of the lake

A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross

June 7, 2025

A Conventional Boy by Charles Stross

Welcome to Camp Sunshine. It rains a lot. Specializing in cult deprogramming, Camp Sunshine is part of The Laundry, the government department that defends Great Britain from occult threats. Most residents stayed a few months, were rehabilitated, and returned to society. But Derek has been there since 1984, when he was rounded up with some of his mates as part of the Satanic Panic, since they were avid Dungeons & Dragons players, and therefore cultists. Due to what was essentially a clerical error, it took the government too long to realize he was just a harmless nerd, and by that time he was institutionalized. But after many years at Camp Sunshine, Derek gets his hands a local newspaper with an announcement that DiceCon, an annual gaming convention, would be coming to one of the local towns. Derek decides that no matter the consequences, he is going to DiceCon. 

Part of the Laundry Files series. I haven’t read any of the series because it seemed like it was a little too science-geeky (don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against geeky types since I lean toward the nerdy myself), but this was so entertaining that I am rethinking that. Derek has been incarcerated at Camp Sunshine, a cult deprogramming center, for over 20 years, and he interprets everything through a gaming lens, quickly finding a gaming parallel to any unfamiliar situation (enthusiastic women with big boobs trying to sell him something? Obviously a Wandering Monster encounter). Creative and entertaining, recommended for sci-fi/fantasy/horror readers who like a little humor in their reality. 

If you don't know what the Satanic Panic was, look it up on Google and spend a couple of hours down the rabbit hole.

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

Nerds, er, fans at a gaming convention

The Default World by Naomi Kanakia

June 1, 2025

The Default World by Naomi Kanakia

Jhanvi is a trans woman living in San Francisco. Unfortunately she is very masculine looking: over six feet tall, broad shouldered, muscular, swarthy, with a prominent jaw and brow bone. Jhanvi knows she is going to need some serious surgery and drug therapy in order to successfully present as a woman. She learns that some major tech companies have insurance that will cover gender correction surgery, so she starts hatching a scheme to find someone to marry her. Some of her San Francisco acquaintances live in a communal house known as the Fun Haus and earn a lot of money, so her backup plan is to figure out a way to con them out of some of it.

The main character is a transgendered woman who wants to complete her transition who is unfortunately morally bankrupt. That doesn't have anything to do with her gender or her sexuality - she's just a shady person who will use anyone. She doesn't have a job (because even though she graduated from Stanford, working is boring), so she decides to try to scam one of her acquaintances (who graduated from Stanford with her, have good well-paying jobs, and work long hours) into marrying her for their medical insurance - she doesn't care if it's a man or a woman. The people she's living with aren't much better. Unnecessarily complicated, with unsympathetic characters. I did feel sorry for Jhanvi at a few points, like when she catches sight of herself in a mirror and thinks, I'm a man in a dress, I look like a man in a dress. BTW, the default world is what the rest of us call the real world. It's the people and place where, if you need help, people actually help you, stand by you, and support you. They are your real family and community - but there are rules, values, morals, principles, and goals attached to them.. Not sure who if anyone I would recommend this to.

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

Bruce Jenner who became Caitlyn Jenner, one of the best known trans women in the world

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

May 28, 2025

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

Coram House was an orphanage run by nuns, closed down after decades of abuse were uncovered. Alex Kelley is a struggling writer who has accepted a job to ghostwrite a true crime book about the orphanage and the children who lived there. She is hoping the book will restart her career and that the income will help her get back on her feet. The only real downside that she can see is having to move to Vermont in January. But when she starts researching the story, she discovers a very different tale than she was expecting.

Inspired by a true story (St. Joseph's Orphanage in Vermont) and a pretty quick read. Highly atmospheric from the creepy orphanage complete with graveyard that an entrepreneur is redoing as luxury housing (I mean, seriously??) to the shifty locals to the dark Vermont winter. Good plotting that makes you wonder who the real monster is. The main character was the drawback for me - she is all kinds of stupid. Of course, if she acted like a rational person, there wouldn't be a novel ("oh, sure, I'll come alone out to your isolated house and not tell anyone where I'm going, even though you've already threatened me with bodily harm and are suspected of killing at least one person."). I do prefer my main characters a little brighter, although some readers will appreciate her imperfections. Themes include the downside of true crime writing, child abuse, pedophilia in the church, blackmail, and murder, so be warned if these subjects are triggers for you.

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

St. Joseph's Orphanage, Burlington, VT

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore

May 19, 2025

The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore

In 1939, an assorted group of monetary experts from the U.S. Treasury Department set out to crash the German economy.

A look at World War II history from a different angle, this time from a monetary/economic perspective, based on actual events and people. Billed as a page-turning gripping spy thriller, it's not that at all and certainly not what I was expecting. It's slow-moving for one thing, with a lot of discussion about economic theory in the first part of the book. I also didn't find the characters all that engaging, although there is some witty dialogue among some of the characters but not enough to keep me interested, and I found myself skimming over a lot of parts. Some readers called it fascinating and it probably is to the right reader, who obviously isn't me. Not recommended unless you are into economic theory in minute detail. Or need something to help you get to sleep.

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

The South by Tash Aw

May 14, 2025

The South by Tash Aw

After the death of his grandfather, Jay's family travels to a rural area in the south of Malaysia to visit Jay's father's half-brother, who live on a failing farm that Jay's mother has inherited. Jay is sexually drawn to Chuan, his older half-cousin, but all of the family members have their own secrets.

The first book in a planned quartet, a coming of age story. Because there are more books to follow, the ending is somewhat unsatisfying. Themes include LGBTQ, climate change, racism, social class, the growing influence of Western capitalism and culture, and family dynamics.

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

Plantation in rural Malaysia

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

May 2, 2025

Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf

Five contestants are invited to participate in a reality TV show with the chance to win $10 million. None of them know how or why they were chosen. All of the contestants as well as the program host have secrets, and when faced with strategic challenges and isolation, facades start to crack apart. They soon realize that someone brought them together for revenge and the stakes are life or death.

Revenge by way of reality TV show. A twisty suspense novel that is also a locked-room mystery centered around the current popularity of reality "must-see" TV shows, like a combination of Survivor and Squid Game, with notes of Agatha Christie. It's a fast fun read, with a cast of unlikeable characters, unreliable narrators, and a gorgeous but creepy gothic setting. It also offers a commentary on the voyeuristic aspects of social media and how far some people are willing to go for wealth, fame, and influence. A good choice for vacation or beach reading.

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

A creepy gothic mansion, not exactly a place where I'd like to spend two weeks

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

April 25, 2025

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Nadya was born with only one hand, to a teenage mother who abandoned her right after her birth. Taken in by the nuns at the local orphanage, Nadya flourishes there, developing a knack for choosing the correct child to present to prospective parents. Although she does not consider herself handicapped (she reasons she can't miss what she never had), Nadya accepts that it is unlikely that she will ever be adopted because adults are unable to see beyond the one thing that Nadya is missing. That is, until a pair of American missionaries show up at the Russian orphanage, determined to adopt the most unadoptable child they can find. They take Nadya back to America with them, not because they really want a child but because it is the "Christian" thing to do. Nadya adjusts to her new life, learning English and how her adoptive parents expect her to act and react, and everything seems to be going as well as can be expected. But then Nadya falls through a door at the bottom of the pond behind her house and discovers a whole different world beneath the waters and meets the Drowned People.

Part of the award-winning Wayward Children series. This is a novella that tells the backstory of one of the peripheral characters in the series. Themes include abandonment, physical disability, culture and adoption. I didn't like the ending, but that was because it wasn't really an ending, more like the set-up for a future book, so perhaps we will see more of Nadya. Will appeal to readers who enjoy re-tellings of fairy and folk tales, such as Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik or The Bear and the Nighingale by Katherine Arden.

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

There are turtles in this book, a LOT of turtles.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

March 20, 2025

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

In order to gain the respect of their male counterparts, five female mystery writers from the Golden Age of mystery - Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Emma Orzcy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh - join forces to solve the mystery of a young English nurse found murdered in Boulogne. 

Disappointing. Loosely based on an event in Dorothy Sayers' life. I usually really enjoy the author’s books but this one was slow moving, and the mystery itself was not compelling. Usually Benedict writes about real women who worked in areas that were normally reserved for men, and yes, the five women writers had to fight against sexism just to get their books published, let alone be accepted by their male peers. But unlike her previous books, I didn’t learn much about the characters’ lives. I guess I expected more from a story about the five major women mystery writers of the Golden Age - there were a lot of descriptions of where they were having high tea and shopping, and what they were eating and wearing (don’t get me wrong, I love a high tea). They just didn’t seem as sharp or clever as a mystery author should be, and Dorothy seemed like she was constantly prodding them along. Loved the cover, although it reminded me of Laurie Notaro’s The Murderess. 

Many thanks to Edelweiss for providing an eARC for review.

Dorothy Sayers

After Happily Ever by Jennifer Safrey

February 10, 2025

After Happily Ever by Jennifer Safrey

For 30 years, the princesses Neve, Della and Bry have been married to the three Princes Charming. But after all that time, they are finding the princes to be not so charming anymore. Life in the kingdom of Foreverness has always been perfect (at least according to the old king and the princes and the men of the kingdom), but following the old king's death, things begin to change and the women of the kingdom decide they will no longer be silent about how they are treated.

What happens after "and they lived happily ever after" at the end of the fairy tale? Especially 30 years on, when the not-so-charming princes and their brides are heading into middle age? The princesses (better known to us as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty) face some very modern problems: infidelity, fading looks, aging bodies, infertility, the need to be a people pleaser, spouses resistant to change especially in their wives, a new society where people want to step outside assigned gender roles by treated fairly. Plus, the princesses' own origin stories have been rewritten to cast the princes in the most favorable light - the whole awakened-with-a-kiss thing was a pile of nonsense. These are not those princesses that you find in Disney. Will appeal to readers who enjoy strong female characters and a retelling of fairy tales.

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

These are not the princesses in the novel

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

February 9, 2025

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite

Dorothy Gentleman, detective on the Fairweather, an interstellar cruise ship, wakes up in a body that doesn't belong to her. Normally finding oneself in a new body isn't that unusual on the ship, since that is one of the services offered: eternal reincarnations, at least until they reach their final destiny. But Dorothy's mind was supposed to be resting for a few years in the ship's library between incarnations, and she certainly didn't ask to be transferred into THIS body. The ship's AI appears to be on a drunken bender, so it's up to Dorothy to figure out on her own what is going on.

First book in a new noir sci-fi mystery series, although some readers feel it has a cozy setting, on an interstellar cruise ship on a millennia-long voyage to a new destination after leaving Old Earth. All of the passengers live out their lives, die, and are brought back to life in a new body. The science makes sense, like a magnetic storm erasing some of the files where a person's permanent memories are kept. Who doesn't love a cocktail drinking auntie who solves mysteries? Fun setting, fun characters, fun premise. There is even some P. G. Wodehouse-esque humor, with Dorothy's nephew having a boyfriend who strongly reminded me of Jeeves. Recommended for readers who enjoy Becky Chambers' quirky novels.

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

Now THIS looks like a fun cruise ship!

A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi

January 11, 2025

A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi

Emma and Agathe Delorme are sisters, close friends as children with older sister Emma protecting the more fragile Agathe from their mother, other children, and life in general. As adults with their own lives, they have grown apart but remain united in their love for their grandmother, Mima. When Mima dies, the two sisters come together one last time at her house to reminisce about the time they spent there together and how their grandmother shaped their lives.

The format can be somewhat confusing, with two narrators and two timelines, one of which is always moving. I loved their story but the chapters were confusing and I found myself frequently going back to the beginning of a section to see who was talking and what year is was. While I don't have a sister, I do know about the dynamics of sibling relationships (as I tell my brothers, I know them better than anyone else on this planet). Told with love and frequent humor, painful subjects such as child abuse and mental illness are treated with compassion. Lovely writing and a good translation. You may need tissues at the end. Don't be fooled by the cheery image of the two women on the surfboards on the cover. And yes, a good life is something worth striving for. 

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

French Basque country

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

January 5, 2025

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

Grady Green is at the top of his writing career, with his latest book climbing The New York Times bestseller list. The his wife Abby, an investigative journalist, goes missing while driving home, and his life goes to hell. He has no idea what happened to her: no goodbye letter, no suicide note, no ransom note, no body. After a year of drifting and not writing a word, his agent offers him the use of a cottage in the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland. He and his dog Colombo make the long drive north from London, and once he arrives, he begins to see Abby everywhere.

The good news: Colombo the black Lab is safe all the way through the book. I have enough people who call me while reading a book, asking if the dog is okay at the end, because otherwise they won't be finishing the book, that I know to include this right away. Feeney's trademark suspense featuring the ever-popular unreliable narrator. It's a slow plot for almost 2/3 of the book. The twist and the island's backstory start at this point. The real twist is at the 90% mark. This is the third Alice Feeney book I've read and I always figure out at least part of the "twist" well before we get there - with Daisy Darker, I think I figured it out by page 20. The only reason I keep reading is to see if I'm right or to fill in the gaps. Maybe I read too much. I think I'm done with Feeney. Readers who enjoy Freida McFadden will enjoy Alice Feeney's style as well.

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

Outer Hebrides village

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

December 21, 2024

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

Lucas lives a happy life. He lives alone, works from home, enjoys pizza and a glass of good red wine, and plays video games. His secret to happiness: just say no. When other people want you to do something, either politely refuse or just ignore them. He has no interest in changing his life, and it's a great system until someone in his apartment complex discards an old skillet next to the garbage dumpster, and then the trouble begins.

A short story by the author of A Man Called Ove, filled with Backman's signature humorous view of the human race. Enjoyable.

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

And yes, pad thai should have peanuts in it.

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley

December 14, 2024

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley

It's the holiday season in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and against her better judgment, Delilah O'Leary, proprietor of the town's gourmet pizzeria, is catering a swanky holiday party. It's a pretty standard party: obnoxious party goers, drunken arguments, guest sneaking around near the bedroom, drama. The next day, Delilah witnesses an angry confrontation between the party's host and an unknown older woman, right before a dead body is found in the middle of the snow sculpture competition.

Fourth installment in the Deep Dish mystery series. Typical cozy where the bad guys get caught, the good guys prevail, and it all works out in the end. Recipes at the back. Recommended for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a food theme.

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

Who doesn't love a deep dish pizza?

Babylonia by Costanza Casati

November 22, 2024

Babylonia by Costanza Casati

Semiramis is an orphan from an Assyrian village when the king's half-brother plucks her from obscurity and chooses her to be his wife. She travels with him to the capitol city and is soon swept up in court intrigue and national politic, and she has to fight to stay one step ahead of her enemies.

I loved Casati's novel Clytemnestra so I was stoked to read her new book. While I found the story of Semiramis to be fascinating, I didn't love it quite as much as her previous book. Readers of historical fiction will enjoy learning about a lesser known but still powerful queen.

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

Statue of Semiramis