West Kill Heart

West Kill Heart
Dann McDorman
288 pages
Knopff

From Goodreads: An isolated hunt club. A raging storm. Three corpses, discovered within four days. A cast of monied, scheming, unfaithful characters.

When private detective Adam McAnnis joins an old college friend for the Bicentennial weekend at the exclusive West Heart club in upstate New York, he finds himself among a set of not-entirely-friendly strangers. Then the body of one of the members is found at the lake’s edge; hours later, a major storm hits. By the time power is restored on Sunday, two more people will be dead.

I really adored this book because it was unique. And how many reviewers claim the book they're reviewing is unique, but this one really goes above and beyond. The second-person narrative struck me first, which really worked for this book. I was there, having a cocktail at six o'clock on a hot summer evening. By the end, first and third-person narratives had also been used, as well as script format and a variety of other writing styles. Each chapter was a new piece of evidence to explore and it certainly kept me interested until the very last page.

Get ready to meet a lot of people. The story takes place at a private club during 4th of July weekend of 1976, so the club is crowded with families on summer vacation, all of the club's inner circle, and even a new prospective member checking things out to decide if he wants to join. Adam McAnnis is the private detective who is an outsider and everyone is suspicious of his motives immediately. The author does a great job of taking stock of the characters the reader needs to know, but there are just so many I admit to being a bit confused occasionally, though it was nothing I couldn't figure out based on context. 

As the plot rolls on, it becomes clear that a lot of people have secrets. I guess one as it was rather clear, but the other was not what I was expecting. Maybe I'm daft, but I expected a plot twist that never emerged and instead got another. No matter, it was still fascinating. 

A word about the ending: you will either love it or despise it. I have already read some complaints about it in other reviews, and while I understand where they're coming from I think the reader needs to dig a little deeper with this book. This story has layers and things should not always be taken at face value. It's the kind of book where you notice something new every time you reread it. In fact, I think I'll do just that. Overall, West Kill Heart is a very smart book.

Four stars! If you love unique stories, I think you'll really enjoy this book. However, if you're just looking for a straightforward mystery with a dumb cast of suspects and a regular detective, this is not for you. You have to be willing to experience new points of view to enjoy this novel, but really I can't recommend it enough. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. As always, opinions are my own.

Night of the Witch

 Night of the Witch
Sarah Raasch, Beth Revis
416 pages
Sourcebooks Fire

From Goodreads: Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she's determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that's just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjagers burned his innocent mother alive and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they've done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other, despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

Allow me to digress for a moment. While I was reading this book I celebrated my 37th birthday. When I got into modern YA sphere I was in my early twenties and I eagerly fed on every new YA I could get my hands on. I religiously followed my library's RSS feed for new titles and was frequently first on the waitlist and the first year I read over 250 books. I literally gobbled, eye gobbled, books/series such as Beautiful Creatures, Hush Hush, Anna and the French Kiss, Hourglass, Dearly Departed, Wither, Die for Me... I could go on for ages but the point is each seemed better than last and I couldn't get enough. Things are different now. I'm 15 years older and I've seen YA publishing trends come and go, and while I still believe YA knows to no age limit, I can't help but wonder if I've reached a point where I should take a break, but I can see through my 2022/23 reading lists that I've organically moved towards more non-fiction, adult fiction, and thrillers. The last YA I read before this was Fourth Wing, which I adored, but the few others I've read this year have been underwhelming. I could wax on this for a long time, so I'll get on with it now. I guess what I mean to say is take my YA reviews with a grain of salt for the moment.

The title and stunning book cover drew me to this book on NetGalley. The bright neon green on top of a geode-looking swirl with runes is just beautiful. The description promised a forbidden romance with danger and adventure. Sign me up! And indeed there was action and adventure from the start of the book, barely ceasing. This is a great tradition in YA literature and certainly kept me turning Kindle pages until I literally fell asleep. Fritzi is on the run the entire novel and Otto is her unlikely companion. 

Speaking of Otto, his backstory is revealed slowly throughout the book and he's not what he seems. His relationship with Fritzi is cute, but suffers from a bit of "insta-love." I struggled with believing their bond was serious because it felt so unrealistic. But still, they had their moments and it's not like I didn't want them to get together.  At over 400 pages I would have expected better character development, but that would have slowed down the aforementioned fast pace I just praised. You can't have it all! 

One aspect of the book I enjoyed was the Germanic influence because it's not something I've come across before. Many fantasy books seem to have a generic far-east influence or something vaguely British. In the authors' afterward, I discovered that the book is based on actual witch trials that later inspired the Salem Witch Trials. This surprised me and is something I now have to find some nonfiction about. The Black Forest particularly appealed to me, so I'll be looking into that as well since my current knowledge is limited to ham and cuckoo clocks. My German ancestors are rolling their eyes at me right now.

I gave the book three stars because, while fast and fun, I felt like something of substance was missing. Again, take that with a grain of salt since YA and I apparently have a complicated relationship right now. If you love fantasy witchcraft books I think you'll enjoy this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy. Opinions are my own.

Every Duke Has His Day

Every Duke Has His Day
Suzanne Enoch
320 pages
Griffin

From Goodreads: Michael Blumley, Duke of Loriton (age 28), is viewed as an eccentric by his peers in the ton. He does his duty, of course, but his interest—and talent—lies in the science of electricity. He has no interest in what the frivolities of Society. When his favorite aunt, Mary, Lady Harris, leaves her precious, well-behaved black poodle, Lancelot in his care while she travels his life takes an interesting turn.

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Dockering (age 19), third daughter of a viscount, is enjoying her second Season in London. She is a Diamond of the Season and is adored by all—and especially by her precious black poodle, Galahad. To everyone else, however, Galahad is a demon dog. So much so that Peter Cordray, one of Bitsy’s most insistent beaux and a particular victim of Galahad’s bad manners and sharp teeth, has hired a petty thief (Jimmy Bly) to steal the dog, clearing the way for his suit.

When the two dogs and their “people” meet in the park, chaos ensues and unknowingly results in a dog swap. Which means Lancelot is kidnapped instead of Galahad! But when both dogs go missing in an ever thickening dognapping plot, Michael and Elizabeth end up coming together to scour London, recover Lancelot and Galahad all while falling in love.

What a charming novel! I do love a good Regency romance occasionally, though sometimes they tend to blend together after a while. Every Duke Gets His Day is a traditional, no-spice regency romance but it was so different than others I've read recently! While it follows a grumpy-sunshine trope, one I don't personally read often, the characters were so distinctively different in other ways. Aside from their age difference (practically ten years), they couldn't be more different in personality. Bitsy is sunshine-y all the time and brings joy to any event she attends, but Michael does come off grumpy and gruff since he considers any and all social graces a waste of time and would rather hide away in his lab than go to a ball. It was great to see them learn from each other as the book went on.

What really sets this novel apart, however, is the presence of dogs. Were they very popular pets in Regency England? I have no idea but I wouldn't have thought so based on their lack of existence in every other Regency romance I've come across. One time a heroine had a little kitten, but that's the extent to which I've seen pets in this genre. Meanwhile, the people of the ton in this book have so many dogs that it's a lucrative career for people to steal them and offer them back at ransom. Bitsy herself had been subjected to the crime before the book began, and then again after the book started. Several of her friends have been victims of dog-nappings as well! I'd better do a little research on the subject.

The longer the couple spends time with each other in the book, the more charming it becomes. Normally a little spice helps carry the plot, but I think there were only two kisses in the whole book and the plot did not suffer. Instead, I found myself reading far past my bedtime and regretting it the next day. Dang it, adult responsibilities. This book was four stars for me and I highly recommend it to romance lovers, particularly those who also love dogs. 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. As always, opinions are my own.

 

Nine Lives and Alibis

Nine Lives and Alibis
Cate Conte
336 pages
Minotaur Books

From Goodreads: It’s October in Daybreak Harbor, which means everything Halloween. The town is going all out for the holiday, hoping to one-up the festivities in neighboring Salem, Massachusetts, and Maddie James is delighted to be part of the planning for the annual happenings.

But trouble brews when Maddie’s youngest sister, Sam, books a famous medium, Balfour Dempsey, to come to town for the celebrations and stay in the local haunted inn―along with his equally famous black cat. The town busybody books a secret reading with Balfour and doesn’t want anyone to know why. Maddie’s best friend Becky is hell-bent on getting Balfour to help her solve two 40-year-old mysteries―a murder and a missing maid. And the psychic has a stalker who’s followed him here to the island, demanding he connect with her dead husband.

When Balfour is pushed off the cliffs behind the inn to his death and his beloved cat goes missing, it throws the whole town into a frenzy. And Maddie and her family find themselves in the middle of a murder mystery straight out of a Halloween movie.

I adore this series because I love the idea of a cat cafe.  I went to one once when visiting Hawaii and I had a blast; I wish there was one around where I live so I could go as often as I wanted. There are so many kitties in this book, from JJ himself to all the shelter cats taking part in a Halloween costume contest, and the famous Balfour Jr.! Of course, the owner of the cat cafe in Daybreak Harbor, Maddie, always has something big on her plate, including helping orchestrate a Halloween festival and solving a murder, once again. 

This edition of the series seemed a little different to me from the others. Nine Lives and Alibis was a quick and enthralling read, although it required quite a bit of set-up and the killer didn't strike until halfway through, but then as it turns out there are two murders solved in one! I liked how so much of the town was involved in this case, most finding out little bits of information that could be put together. Particularly interesting to me, the police accepted Maddie's help without much of a protest. In some, if not most, cozy series law enforcement is usually pretty strict with whom they share information and like to insist that they are in charge and the cozy heroine should just butt out. But, Maddie must have solved enough murders now for the police to accept her help. 

Three stars! This was a quick, fun Halloween-themed read any cat lover would enjoy. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying a copy of this book. As always, my opinions are my own. 

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas

Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas
Vicki Delany
282 pages
Crooked Lane Books

From Goodreads: It’s the beginning of December in Rudolph, New York, America's Christmas Town, and business is brisk at Mrs. Claus’s Treasures, a gift and décor shop owned by Merry Wilkinson. The local amateur dramatic society is intensely preparing a special musical production of A Christmas Carol. But it’s not a happy set, as rivalries between cast and crew threaten the production.

Tensions come to a head when a member of the group is found dead shortly after a shopping excursion to Mrs. Claus's Treasures. Was someone looking to cut out the competition? Everyone in the cast and crew is a potential suspect, including Aline, Merry’s mother, and Merry's shop assistant Jackie O'Reilly, who was desperate for a starring role.

It could be curtains for Christmas—and for Merry—unless the killer can be ferreted out of the wings.

I was so, so thrilled to see a sixth book in this series by Vicki Delany, which I thought had ended on book five in 2020, but I guess enough fans got together to convince the author to go back to Rudolph, New York at least one more time. If I had known about that effort I would have joined because the Year-Round Christmas series is my absolute favorite cozy series. I sincerely hope Delany keeps writing for this series if she can.

Moving on, this newest installment takes place two weeks before Christmas and someone is murdered in Merry's Christmas shop! What's more, the murdered is a member of the town's dramatic society where there is a lot of infighting a drama regarding the upcoming Christmas Carol production. Of course, Merry's mother is the big start and it's not long before she's spooked by the killer, too! 

I'll pat myself on the back for figuring out who the murderer was ahead of time, but I didn't know why until the end. I thought the way Merry tried to keep herself out of this investigation was amiable, but in the end she had no choice, especially since her own mother was involved.

Four stars! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy; as usual, all opinions are my own. If you haven't started this series yet and love a good holiday setting, this is definitely a cozy series you'll want to check out. 

Delicate Condition

Delicate Condition
Danielle Valentine
432 pages
Sourcebooks Landmark

From Goodreads: Anna Alcott is desperate to be pregnant. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life with a grueling IVF journey, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments get swapped without her knowledge. And even when she finally manages to get pregnant, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone's playing a twisted game with her.

When the increasingly cryptic threats drive her out of her Brooklyn brownstone and into hiding in the cold, gray ghost town that is the Hamptons in the depths of winter, Anna is almost at the end of her rope.

Then her doctor tells her she's had a miscarriage—except Anna's convinced she's still pregnant, despite everything the grave-faced men around her claim. Could it be that her mind is playing tricks on her? Or is something more sinister at play? As her symptoms become ever more horrifying and the sense of danger ever more present, Anna can't help but wonder what exactly she's carrying inside of her...and why no one will listen when she says something is horribly, painfully wrong. 

Whoa, whoa, what a journey. This fast-paced, grueling book left me on the edge of my seat throughout its entirety. The longer the narrative goes on, the more desperate Anna gets and the more her pregnancy sounds... monstrous. She has common pregnancy symptoms, but many negative ones piled together at extreme levels. By the end, she seemed absolutely gaunt, ghostlike, and weak. Very weak. 

But none of her doctors will believe her, neither will her husband! It's frustrating to read a book where no one believes the main character, but this was a whole new level. We see Anna struggle, but almost no one supports her, instead choosing to placate her and urge her to "take a bath." So many baths! There is nothing the reader can do, of course, to help Anna. Where could she go for safety? To find a doctor who would listen and treat her accordingly? I wanted to yell at her, "Just get on a plane to another state and find a new hospital!"

Generally, I don't concern myself with trigger-warnings or content warnings, but this is the one time I will say: trigger warning for pregnancy loss, pregnancy, and birthing. If you're unsure if this is a book for you, I suggest reading the author's afterward and then deciding. 

Overall, this was a fantastic, edge of the seat thriller with a couple twists and an ending that I didn't predict. Thanks so the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. As always, opinions are my own.

Always Isn't Forever

Always Isn't Forever
J.C. Cervantes
384 pages
Razorbill

From Goodreads: Best friends and soul mates since they were kids, Hart Augusto and Ruby Armenta were poised to take on senior year together when Hart tragically drowns in a boating accident. Absolutely shattered, Ruby struggles to move on from the person she knows was her forever love.

Hart can't let go of Ruby either.... Due to some divine intervention, he's offered a second chance. Only it won't be as simple as bringing him back to life--instead, Hart's soul is transferred to the body of local bad boy.

When Hart returns to town as Jameson, he realizes that winning Ruby back will be more challenging than he'd imagined. For one, he's forbidden from telling Ruby the truth. And with each day he spends as Jameson, memories of his life as Hart begin to fade away.

Though Ruby still mourns Hart, she can't deny that something is drawing her to Jameson. As much as she doesn't understand the sudden pull, it can't be ignored. And why does he remind her so much of Hart? Desperate to see if the connection she feels is real, Ruby begins to open her heart to Jameson--but will their love be enough to bridge the distance between them?

Five stars! This book was immensely enjoyable. The author took great care at the beginning of the novel to show the readers how special Hart and Ruby's relationship was, which definitely helped me feel all the feels as I kept reading. Ruby's pain was palpable, as was Hart's frustration at essentially being stuck in Jameson's body. By the end of the book the tears were really flowing!

This is a paranormal romance but it's different from others in that the paranormality, although it certainly drives the plot, isn't the main focus of the book. And as predictable at the plot sounds by reading the description, it certainly took a different, more emotional journey than I was expecting... as did the ending, which was not something I predicted. On the other hand, Always Isn't Forever falls for the typical YA trap of oblivious and absent parents to a fault... why isn't Jameson's mom more concerned about her son WHO JUST WOKE UP FROM A COMA and takes everything he says at face value. 

But overall, Always Isn't Forever is a spectacular YA novel that I didn't want to put down. Five stars! Thank you to Razorbill and NetGalley for the advanced copy; as always, opinions are my own.