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.

The Block Party

The Block Party
Jamie Day
384 pages
St. Martin's Press

From Goodreads: On the night of the annual Summer block party, the Meadowbrook community Facebook page lights up with posts reporting sirens descending on the desirable and exclusive cul-de-sac neighborhood on Alton Road. Bit by bit, the comments trickle in, some taking pleasure in their neighbors’ misfortune and others showing concern. The truth eventually comes out. It's not an accident, or a drowning, or a fire, as some had predicted. For the first time in forty years, there's been a murder in Meadowbrook.

The residents of Alton Road—The Fox family, the core of the neighborhood but each with secrets of their own; the Adair Family, the seemingly perfect all-American family; the Thompson Family, on the brink of an explosive divorce; The Kumars, the mysterious "new neighbors"; Brooke Bailey, the "Black Widow"; and Gus Fisher, the quirky salesman— are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal unbeknownst to the outside world and even each other.

Who was murdered at the block party? Who committed the murder? And why? As the night unfolds, the residents will discover that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems. Propulsive and layered, THE BLOCK PARTY will keep you guessing until the very last page.

What a delightful novel about a group of neighbors who get along splendidly and... just kidding. The Block Party takes readers on a journey through what seems to the outside like an idyllic, wealthy suburban cul-de-sac, but in actuality is a group of families that have so many secrets and desires for revenge, it's only a matter of time before the tension explodes into violence.

The book opens with the crime and then rewinds as we follow the neighbors through the whole year leading up. Collectively the families aren't very interesting, they seem white-washed and stereotypical, and I'm so bored reading about rich white people in general. Several times throughout the book a character says something like, "It doesn't matter, we have the money." In one instance $25,000 goes missing but the family doesn't suffer any financial repercussions. That makes it a little difficult to care about whether or not the husband is cheating, in my opinion.

BUT. I kept reading because the storyline involving the high schoolers was interesting and while they were pretty stereotypical themselves, they held my attention the best. As time goes on the storylines of every family, teens and adults, mingle together into a maze of mystery and the author craftily reveals main characters to be more complex than initial impressions. The sheer number of characters threatens to make the book confusing, but in the end all was well.

The Block Party is more mystery than thriller and though I wasn't at the edge of my sear until the very end, I was invested. If you like a good domestic mystery this would be a great summer read for you! The book releases July 18. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book; as always, opinions are my own.

Riding Jane Crow: African American Women on the American Railroad by Miriam Thaggert

Riding Jane Crow: African American Women on the American Railroad
Miriam Thaggert
208 pages
University of Illinois Press

From Goodreads: Miriam Thaggert illuminates the stories of African American women as passengers and as workers on the nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century railroad. As Jim Crow laws became more prevalent and forced Black Americans to "ride Jim Crow" on the rails, the train compartment became a contested space of leisure and work. Riding Jane Crow examines four instances of Black female railroad the travel narratives of Black female intellectuals such as Anna Julia Cooper and Mary Church Terrell; Black middle-class women who sued to ride in first class "ladies’ cars"; Black women railroad food vendors; and Black maids on Pullman trains. Thaggert argues that the railroad represented a technological advancement that was entwined with African American attempts to secure social progress. Black women's experiences on or near the railroad illustrate how American technological progress has often meant their ejection or displacement; thus, it is the Black woman who most fully measures the success of American freedom and privilege, or "progress," through her travel experiences.

My local library came through for me again, specifically ordering a university press book that piqued my interest. How much did I know about Black women and the railroad? Admittedly, not much beyond the Great Migration, and for some reason the cover really captured my attention as well as the feminized version of Jim Crow in the title. 

There was much to uncover that I had never considered before. For example, the porters on the Pullman trains are ubiquitous but how have I gone this long not knowing about the Black maids! Their stories and accompanying photographs were fascinating, as was the introduction to activist Pauli Murray later on in the book, who introduced the phrase "Jane Crow" used in the title.

As with any good history book, something specific caught my attention and left me wanting more. Thaggert mentions work by Psyche A. Williams-Forson when writing about the food vendors who sold quick meals to travelers through train windows. These women were a major part of the local economy, purchasing vast amounts of chicken, flour, and other ingredients to cook and sell. Thaggert cites Williams-Forson when discussing how women were able to purchase homes with their profits, and so now I have the books Building Houses Out of Chicken Legs and Eating While Black on my shelves waiting for their turn to be read.

I think any reader with an interest in Black history will find this book useful, especially those who like to study the intersectionality between race and gender. The book is meticulously researched and noted and I highly recommend it.

Bellegarde by Jamie Lilac

Bellegarde
Jamie Lilac
320 pages
HarperTeen

From Goodreads: Bellegarde reimagines the 90s romcom classic She's All That in 18th-century Paris, France. The lush pastel world building of Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette meets the modern twist of Bridgerton in this YA historical romcom debut.

Beau Bellegarde, a second-born son, makes a deal: if he can turn Evie Clément, the unapproachable baker's daughter, into the winner of the Court Ball, making her the most desired bachelorette in Paris, he inherits the family fortune, but his target has plans of her own.

Let me start by saying that if you're looking for a book filled with historical realism, this isn't the book for you. Lilac's characters have a familiar countenance and modern turns of phrase, but are still set in a lavish historical setting a la Paris making me yearn for a croissant and les Tulleries. I actually think this is a great way to write a historical YA novel, as it makes it more accessible for reluctant readers.  

Though the book is historical fiction, the problems Evie faces would be just as recognizable in today's world: the occasional callousness of teenage boys, means girls and cliques, and even gentrification take the stage. Class is a constant underlying theme in the novel since Evie's family is working class and barely able to keep their bake shop, whereas most of her classmates are aristocratic. Her determination to make life better for her sister Violette is admirable and heartwarming, though I feel Violette is underestimated.

Of course the love story is why most readers will be picking up this book. The comparison to the movie She's All That is entirely apt. Though the reader will go into the book knowing who Evie will end up with, there is a third party in the middle of the book who makes things very interesting. As for Beau, his backstory piqued my interest and the one interaction he has with his father in the novel left me wishing this plot line had been expanded on.

All in all this was a fun and fast read, perfect for the upcoming summer. Bellegarde releases July 11th so be sure to add it to your calendar! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. As always, opinions are my own.

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library
Holly Danvers
320 pages
Crooked Lane Books

From Goodreads: Summer is in full swing as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. But the summer sun starts to really heat up when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home not long after the first meeting.

Alongside her sidekick and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain discovers that the murder is seemingly inspired by the book club’s recent selection of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel, Sparkling Cyanide. But who would kill Lily, and more importantly, why?

The deeper Rain goes into the story, the more confusing and complicated the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident involving an old classmate years earlier? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess priceless original Laura Ingles Wilder manuscripts and someone killed her for them? And who stands to gain the recently inherited piece of waterfront property that Lily received from a long-lost relative?

With a long list of suspects and motives, Rain realizes that all leads come back to people involved in the book club. Rain and her friends take a page from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to flush out the killer. Will Rain’s plan succeed—or will this librarian’s book be checked out for good?

I fell right into this new cozy by Holly Danvers; it has such an energetic pace I couldn't help to keep reading. Rain is definitely a character you can't help but root for. Despite a tough past, she has such an infectious energy and is extremely kind to her friends and neighbors in Lofty Pines. So it's no surprise that when of her new book club members if found murdered, she starts investigating with her best friend Julia. The book club contains a wide cast of characters (and suspects!) but as each woman was investigated by the duo we got to know them better.

This cozy has some of the best aspects of other cozies: idyllic setting, spunky heroine, slightly disgruntled law enforcement contact, BFF and partner in crime, fluffy pups, and a friendly local library. Still, as I was reading this book felt surprisingly refreshing. Rain is definitely a part of that because her character is so awesome, but she and Julie egg each other on and push themselves further than other cozy heroines. Rain and Julie have a precious friendship, which really shone through at the ending of the book. 

This is the third book in the series but I had no problem jumping right in. Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book, which comes out in August so mark your calendars! As always, opinions are my own.

Homegrown by Jeffrey Toobin

Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism 

Jeffrey Toobin

432 pages

Simon Schuster 

From Goodreads: Timothy McVeigh wanted to start a movement.

Speaking to his lawyers days after the Oklahoma City bombing, the Gulf War veteran expressed no regrets: killing 168 people was his patriotic duty. He cited the Declaration of Independence from memory: “Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.” He had obsessively followed the siege of Waco and seethed at the imposition of President Bill Clinton’s assault weapons ban. A self-proclaimed white separatist, he abhorred immigration and wanted women to return to traditional roles. As he watched the industrial decline of his native Buffalo, McVeigh longed for when America was great.

New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin traces the dramatic history and profound legacy of Timothy McVeigh, who once declared, “I believe there is an army out there, ready to rise up, even though I never found it.” But that doesn’t mean his army wasn’t there. With news-breaking reportage, Toobin details how McVeigh’s principles and tactics have flourished in the decades since his death in 2001, reaching an apotheosis on January 6 when hundreds of rioters stormed the Capitol. Based on nearly a million previously unreleased tapes, photographs, and documents, including detailed communications between McVeigh and his lawyers, as well as interviews with such key figures as Bill Clinton, Homegrown reveals how the story of Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing is not only a powerful retelling of one of the great outrages of our time, but a warning for our future.

I was a kid when the Oklahoma City Bombing took place, but combined with other simultaneous big news stories, it's probably one of the first ones I can recall hearing about - we watched Dan Rather every night during dinner when I was growing up. Scrolling through NetGalley I came across this book and my interest was piqued.

In some ways, I think, McVeigh was ahead of his time. The author continually states that McVeigh couldn't find his people, his army with the same beliefs as him, but as we've seen with the explosion of the internet that army is well formulated today. When McVeigh was arrested during a traffic stop after the bombing it was for his gun. That law is no longer in existence and the trooper would have let McVeigh go if it was today. Even scarier, McVeigh's extreme beliefs in 1995 are far from extreme in 2023. Absolutely if he would have been caught today he would still be found guilty, but I think he would have a lot more public sympathy and it's possible he would avoid the death penalty as a result.

The comparison between Merrick Garland's response and Bill Clinton's was fascinating and I can't help to think what might have been different if Garland had played up the right-wing discontent during the trial. Would domestic terrorism be more on the forefront of people's minds heading into 9/11? The blip about the FBI's domestic terrorism report during the Obama administration was also worth pondering.

The author spends a lot of time comparing the OKC bombing and January 6th. It's an apt comparison and I don't dispute it, but it comes up so much that it gets a little tired. Overall, though, the book is well-written and presented in an easy to understand chronology. The beginning of the book about McVeigh's youth dragged a bit, but things (obviously) picked up when he started collecting parts for his bomb. I had to put the book down for a bit as the bombing was described; it was gripping and tough. The second half of the book following McVeigh's trial was extremely interesting. I do wish a little more had been explained about Nichol's trial.

This is a great read for true crime fans and those who know of the OKC bombing but not much behind it. I learned a lot and thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. As always, opinions are my own.

Africatown by Nick Tabor

Africatown: America's Last Slave Ship and the Community It Created
Nick Tabor
384 pages
St. Martin's Press

From Goodreads: An evocative and epic story, Nick Tabor's Africatown charts the fraught history of America from those who were brought here as slaves but nevertheless established a home for themselves and their descendants, a community which often thrived despite persistent racism and environmental pollution.

In 1860, a ship called the Clotilda was smuggled through the Alabama Gulf Coast, carrying the last group of enslaved people ever brought to the U.S. from West Africa. Five years later, the shipmates were emancipated, but they had no way of getting back home. Instead they created their own community outside the city of Mobile, where they spoke Yoruba and appointed their own leaders, a story chronicled in Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon.

That community, Africatown, has endured to the present day, and many of the community residents are the shipmates’ direct descendants. After many decades of neglect and a Jim Crow legal system that targeted the area for industrialization, the community is struggling to survive. Many community members believe the pollution from the heavy industry surrounding their homes has caused a cancer epidemic among residents, and companies are eyeing even more land for development.

At the same time, after the discovery of the remains of the Clotilda in the riverbed nearby, a renewed effort is underway to create a living memorial to the community and the lives of the slaves who founded it.

The Clotilda is having a bit of a moment, I think (and rightly so). Last year Ben Raines released his book The Last Slave Ship: The True Story of How the Clotilda Was Found, her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning, which became an NPR Best Book of 2022. In 2018 Zora Neale Hurston's work Baracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" was rereleased and this is where I picked up my research of the Clotilda in 2019. Previously, I had only read a few of the news articles that surfaced around the time the ship was found and reading the short Baracoon left me needing more... a lot more.

And here we have Africatown, the latest tome about the Clotilda to be published. For roughly the first half of the book, the author focuses on the history surround the Clotilda's journey to and from Africa and the slaves she picked up. If you have never read anything about the Clotilda before, this will provide a succinct depiction of its history, but I found the history presented in The Last Slave Ship much more engaging. 

Africatown has the unique perspective of showing the more recent history of the town through the lens of environmental racism. Along with Flint, this is perhaps one of the most glaring examples of racism in industrialization; factories contaminated the town for generations with pollution that affected the food its citizens ate and coated the town in ash that had to be regularly scrubbed from houses. The book also spends a great amount of time describing the citizens most recent history of fighting potential oil pipelines from running under their water source. Tank farms are also a large environmental concern in the area. This perspective has left me searching for more books on environmental racism, so Tabor did a great job piquing my interest to an aspect of Jim Crow I have yet to explore.

Finally, the end of Africatown discusses some miscellaneous topics that were very interesting to me, including the Meaher's descendants and their secrecy regarding anything to do with the Clotilda. Also discussed is the effort it would take to make Africatown a historical museum and removing blight. All in all, Africatown is an interesting book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about this one of a kind community.  

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book. As always, opinions are my own. 

Primer and Punishment, Diane Kelly

Primer and Punishment: A House-Flipper Mystery
Diane Kelly
304 pages
St. Martin's Paperbacks

From Goodreads: Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck are looking once again to rehab and resell a house, only this particular house is made of fiberglass, floats, and has been dubbed the Skinny Dipper. The old houseboat sure could use some work, but the unusual project has Whitney bubbling with excitement.

The charming and handsome Grant Hardisty lives on the cabin cruiser in the adjacent slip, but the cousins soon learn he’s left a half dozen angry ex-wives in his wake and made enemies of all sorts of unsavory folks. The man is clearly caught in an increasingly dangerous current with no life preserver in sight.

Whitney and Buck are spraying primer on their houseboat when—KABOOM!—Grant’s boat blows sky high with the man himself inside. Detective Collin Flynn has no shortage of suspects, but the waters become muddied when several of them confess to the crime. Is one of those who confessed truly guilty, or are they taking a dive for someone else? When anonymous threats are made against the cousins, Whitney must quickly determine who killed their neighbor at the lake, or she and Buck might also be sunk.

So the book's description says Grant is charming, but there's nothing charming about him at all; it isn't hard to see why he had five ex-wives and why he's failing at finding a new one. I felt a little bad for him for having injured his leg and being so tight on finances, but he really played up the injury to absolve himself of any responsibility. Not charming. When his boat blew up and he was blown to pieces - literally - I wasn't exactly sad. But of course, Whitney and Buck find themselves in their fifth murder investigation. I guess Buck won't be seeing that 60 bucks he lended Grant ever again.

Primer and Punishment also takes place in the weeks before Buck's wedding to Whitney's roommate. They're planning bachelor/ette parties to take place on their houseboat before they sell it and the end of the book is the wedding itself. If you've read all the books to this point, this is the true charming part of the book. However, I want to point out that even though this is fifth in a series and the character's relationships are developing, you would have no problem dropping in to read this as a standalone. In fact, I think the houseboat setting easily makes this the best book of the series thus far. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the advanced copy of this book. As always, opinions are my own.

A Tempest at Sea, Sherry Thomas

A Tempest at Sea
Sherry Thomas
336 pages
Berkley, 2023

From Goodreads: After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking to recover, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.

Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence, sailing from Southampton for the eastern hemisphere. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder also takes place on the ship.

Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive.

The seventh (!) book in the Lady Sherlock series did not disappoint. The mystery takes place on a a ship heading east and is filled with a diverse group of travelers. Charlotte, of course, is undercover (thanks Moriarty!) but has been given the task of finding a secret dossier onboard. Her beau, Lord Ashburton, is on board with his children and their governess, and most surprising of all, Charlotte's mother shows up at the last minute with her maid, and Charlotte's sister Livia. Also on the boat are a brother and sister pair, a married couple, and a few singletons. Soon the aforementioned brother is found shot to death in his cabin... but wait! Charlotte is undercover so she can't take on the case! Instead she must sit by while Ashburton assists the investigation with the Inspector onboard. Things get even more tricky when her mother becomes suspect number one.

This book has no time to get stale, as there are multiple points-of-view, plenty of sneaking around by the passengers, lots of secrets, and some flashbacks that conveniently shed more information on the case... and also make it impossible to solve unless you're Charlotte herself. Once the murder occurs, I didn't want to put the book down. Of course the first person I suspected seemed quite guilty despite lack of motive, and in the end it was someone completely different. I really enjoyed the ending although by that point I had forgotten Charlotte was even looking for a dossier until she found it. Oops! Finally, I simply want to say "GO LIVIA!"

A Tempest at Sea will be released March 14, 2023 and if you haven't started this addictive mystery series I suggest you start now. I can't thank NetGalley and Berkley enough for continuing to allow me to read this series in advance. All opinions here are my own.