Mystery Archives - The Litertarian

Book Review:: Forget Me Not | Stacy Willingham

Nothing pulls me out of a reading burnout better than a really compelling mystery thriller. Sometimes you just want a book where you can’t stop turning the pages, and for me, Forget Me Not, Stacy Willingham’s newest release, was exactly that.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham Book Cover

After her sister disappeared as a teenager, Claire left home and never went back, eager to escape the weight of the memories. Now as an adult she’s an investigative reporter and she gets a call from her father that her mom needs some help. She feels like she has to go home, despite their difficult relationship. She only lasts a day or two under the same roof before she’s desperate to find an alternative temporary residence. When she visits a local muscadine vineyard and they have an opening, she agrees immediately. Her sister worked there before her disappearance, and they have a live in cabin for her to stay in – a perfect setup for her to do some digging into her sister’s case. But something is a little bit strange at Galloway, she just can’t quite put her finger on it.

I thought this book played perfectly between is Claire just on edge and looking for things to be suspicious when it’s really just a quirky little farm, or is there actually something else going on here? There’s a secret journal, homemade teas, complete seclusion, and lots of room for tension between these pages, and the author uses all of them.

This is a perfect book for an escape. A creepy escape, perhaps, but certainly transportive. I recommend the audiobook. It definitely pulled me in and made the experience quite atmospheric.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Forget Me Not
Author:: Stacy Willingham
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Minotaur Books
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 30m
Audiobook Narrator:: Helen Laser & Karissa Vacker
Published:: August 26th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Sunburned | Katherine Wood
The Ghostwriter | Julie Clark
Saltwater | Katy Hays

Book Review:: Once Upon A Crime | Brynn Kelly

Did you know an audible subscription comes with access to tons audiobooks you don’t have to use credits to listen to (as long as you’re still a member)? I find them to be kind of hit and miss, but I loved Once Upon A Crime by Brynn Kelly so much I had to review it.

Once Upon A Crime by Brynn Kelly Book Cover

Lana and her sister are usually close, but recently, she’s been distant. That is, until she entirely disappears. Determined to find out what happened to her, Lana wiggles her way onto the same tv set her sister worked on as an extra to see what she might find out. But when she sneaks onto the set which is abandoned for the long weekend, she finds she’s not alone. There’s not just anyone stranded there with her. It’s Griffin frigging Hart, the top tier of A-list stars. Not that Lana can fully appreciate that fact, seeing as she only learned who he was last week (she doesn’t get out much). When she explains her goal, instead of calling security or the police, Griffin decides to help.

This is such a fun story! There’s lots of action, twists and turns, and flirting. But there’s also some deep conversations and deeper themes packed in behind a lot of the racket. It’s structured so well and the characters contrast to perfectly complement one another.

Though at the beginning of the story Lana is the only one convinced something is wrong, there is a real story that begins to come together about her sister, and several mysteries to unravel. Though this was quite long for an Audible Original story, I was engaged and interested the entire time. The balance between romance and suspense was done so well and the tone is light enough to be a casual listen.

If you’re an audible member, you can listen to this for free. There is a link to the audible page below, all you have to do is click ‘add to library’ and you’re ready to go. I wouldn’t recommend every title in the audible originals collection, but I certainly recommend this one – don’t miss it!

Details

Title:: Once Upon A Crime
Author:: Brynn Kelly
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Audible Original
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Chase Brown & Rebekkah Ross
Published:: March 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

aUDIBLE

Goodreads

author website

If you liked this book, check out…

All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles
PS I Hate You | Lauren Connolly
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: Love at First Sighting | Mallory Marlowe

Love at First Sighting is no ordinary romance. You might say…ahem…it’s out of this world.

Just kidding. It takes place on Earth. But it is tightly wrapped up in a mystery that has more at stake than broken hearts. It’s fun, it’s a little bit silly, it’s tender-hearted, and absolutely worth a read.

Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe Book Cover

Mallory Marlowe is also the author of Love and Other Conspiracy Theories, so I think she’s nicheing down into a pretty distinctive brand here, and I love that for her.

A close encounter of the romantic kind?

Come on. Pure gold.

El is an influencer who encounters something she cannot explain. An Unidentified Flying Object. Naturally, she livestreams it following her. Carter is the agent assigned to her case, but this time it’s different…because it’s the very same thing Carter saw the night his father died. Together they uncover the truth of what it really was up there.

So it’s a little cheesy, but this book will leave you with a full heart by the time you’re done turning pages. Carter’s story is tragic, and completely entwined in the plotline. It’s El’s background and profession that is honestly kind of hilarious. There is certainly some mild commentary about the career of an influencer, but when it comes up in the climax crisis, it just had me rolling.

The best part of this novel, as all romances should be, is the budding romance between El and Carter. Their connection is genuine and so sweet, and is what will bring me to pick up this book again in the future for a reread. It’s exciting, it’s action-packed, and it has a big, mushy, heart at it’s center. Can’t go wrong!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Love at First Sighting
Author:: Mallory Marlowe
Genre:: Romantic Comedy Mystery
Publisher:: Berkley
Length:: 352 pages
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Sounds Like A Plan | Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith
Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews

Book Review:: Just Another Dead Author | Katarina Bivald

Katarina Bivald’s new book Just Another Dead Author is a cozy mystery set at a French writer’s retreat. When one of the most notable attendees winds up dead, the investigation begins.

Just Another Dead Author by Katarina Bivald Book Cover

Because this is a hungry set of mostly crime fiction/mystery/thriller writers, no one is scared off by a real life crime. Everyone wants to know whodunnit and how, and learn as much as they can about the investigation process as the retreat plows ahead. There are a lot of suspects, and motives aplenty – did one of them take their crime research a little too far?

Like all cozy mysteries I’ve read, this novel is prescriptive. You pick it up and know exactly what you’re getting. If you’re a mood reader, there is so much value in that.

The tone is somewhat detached and the investigation itself is quite clinical. This one had a few snippet chapters in the point of view of the killer which kept things interesting, but I never felt myself in edge-of-my-seat territory.

I believe this is the second book in this series by Katarina Bivald, so if you like this, you should check out The Murders in Great Diddling as well.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Just Another Dead Author
Author:: Katarina Bivald
Genre:: Cozy Mystery
Publisher:: Poisoned Pen Press
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 11h
Audiobook Narrator:: Megan Tusing
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch
10 Marchfield Square | Nicola Whyte
Murder at Gull’s Nest | Jess Kidd

Book Review:: A Killer Getaway | Sienna Sharpe

A Killer Getaway is a twisted new romance by Sienna Sharpe that shines a light on the delicacy of human psychology. There’s a little bit of mystery, a little bit of suspense, set in a idyllic summer resort.

A Killer Getaway by Sienna Sharpe Book Cover

Lily’s first visit to Riovan Wellness Resort was with the love of her life, and she’s found her way back every year since, despite the deadly accidents that tend to happen every year. This year she meets an attractive man who calls himself Daniel Black. A journalist, sniffing around for a story. He’s exactly the kind of kink in her plan she doesn’t need…

This is a bit of an odd story. I think maybe the closest actual comparison I might have is Butcher & Blackbird, though this is nothing like the same level of grotesque, graphic, or explicit.

Lily is hurt people. And everyone knows hurt people hurt people. She once saw a perfect future stretching out before her, and she was thisclose to having it. She blames Riovan and the ‘coaches’ who work there on the disintegration of that future, and she cannot let that stand.

It is an interesting enough story, and I feel like it was probably quite complicated to pull off considering the twist.

I think maybe my reluctance for a high rating stems from Lily being an unsympathetic character and overall muddy messaging. For me, Lily is not really redeemable. It’s not okay that she plays judge and jury and to be honest she plays her game pretty cavalierly. There’s not really any coming back from that for me. In her eyes people make one mistake, or hurt someone’s feelings in the wrong way and…they deserve to die? I mean, she’s a full blown psycho. At least in Butcher & Blackbird the victims are atrocious vicious a**holes who deserve whatever they have coming. For me, that makes all the difference.

Does that mean this book isn’t worth reading? I wouldn’t say that. It’s a quick summery mystery suspense that’ll surely perk up your weekend!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: A Killer Getaway
Author:: Sienna Sharpe
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 320 pages
Published:: August 12th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Butcher & Blackbird | Brynne Weaver
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It | Elle Cosimano

Book Review:: Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes | Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Readers, we have a new amateur sleuth to enjoy! Sapphire (Savvy) Summers is a small town cafe owner thrown into a murder mystery when a man drops dead in her establishment. Along with a small group of other characters interested in digging into the truth, Savvy is determined to get to the bottom of what happened after the dead man ate of her famous sweet potato pie.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku Book Cover

I really appreciate Savvy as a lead character. Her storied past lent a lot towards my interest in this story. She’s been married twice, and death seems to be a phenomenon that haunts her. It’s the little details of character that really make them robust, and I really felt that with Savvy.

This book just impressed me more than many other cozy mysteries I’ve picked up. Maybe this isn’t even technically a cozy mystery? Maybe this is more of a contemporary mystery? I’m no expert, but this book had just enough whimsy and soul to balance the technical details of the mystery to make this quite an enjoyable read.

It looks like this is the first of a series of books, and I am certainly interested in continuing to read what Savvy gets up to next!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes (Savvy Summers #1)
Author:: Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Genre:: Cozy Mystery
Publisher:: Minotaur Books
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 8h 36m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karen Chilton
Published:: July 29th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame | Olivia Ford
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It | Elle Cosimano
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders | Jesse Q. Sutanto

Book Review:: Not Quite Dead Yet | Holly Jackson

What do you do with the time you have left after you find out a traumatic brain injury will kill you within days? For Jet, it is catching the one who did this to her. Solving her own murder.

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson Book Cover

After a vicious attack that left her for dead, Jet is determined, despite objections from her family, to refuse surgery that will almost certainly kill her, to unravel the mystery of her attack. With the help of her oldest friend, Billy, they track down every lead and analyze every lie until they get to the truth. Jet’s injury informs the urgency of their search. Finding her killer is her dying wish and last request, and Billy would do anything for her.

Wow – what a ride. A seemingly normal cuburb family is surprisingly dark and twisted, and history is never erased, only buried, ready to be uncovered again someday.

This story is exciting and tragic, and I couldn’t stop turning pages. Jet’s fate is sealed, but that doesn’t make her story any less interesting. In fact, it maybe makes it more interesting. If it weren’t for her insistence and knowledge of those around her, who knows if the case would ever be solved? No one cares more about a crime than the victim herself, right?

Readers of crime mysteries will love this unique take on a murder investigation. Slam dunk, Jackson.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Not Quite Dead Yet
Author:: Holly Jackson
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Bantam
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 13h
Audiobook Narrator:: Alex McKenna
Published:: July 22nd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Ghostwriter | Julie Clark
Closer Than You Know | Debra Webb
Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister
A Sea of Unspoken Things | Adrienne Young

Book Review:: The Unraveling of Julia | Lisa Scottoline

Julia, still grieving the loss of her older adoptive parents, finds out she is the recipient of an old Italian villa from a woman she’s never heard of. At first she is convinced it is a misunderstanding, but once she arrives in Italy it becomes clear that there’s been no mistake, and that perhaps Emilia Rossi knew something Julia didn’t.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline Book Cover

There are many mysteries to uncover in the old Italian villa, about the proprietress and the family that once lived there. Julia begins almost immediately having vivid visions once she arrives that has her convinced there is a tether somewhere there of Julia’s biological family.

Like any good psychological thriller, the lines of reality get a little bit blurry, and almost everything we think we know is constantly in doubt. Who is this woman who left Julia this decrepit property? Did she really have ties to an ancient Italian duchess with a scandalous history? Are either or both of them of any relation to Julia? And why is she feeling so much pressure to sell and leave the past to be buried with the old crone who left it to her?

This book explores something I don’t often encounter in books: a spiritual intuition. Astrology, horoscopes, intuition, and even communicating beyond the veil as a medium. I tend to believe there is a spiritual realm of some sort of which we normally do not have access to. I love the idea that sometimes, under the right circumstances, or with the right people, we can connect over that bridge. If you are fully anti-‘woo-woo’, you will probably not enjoy this book.

While I did really enjoy this story, it didn’t really grab me fully under its spell. Theoretically I really enjoy the idea of this book, but I just wasn’t able to fully sink in the way I like. It might have been a timing issue, or something about trying to juggle so many theories without knowing up from down for so much of the novel. Was it a good book? Absolutely. Will I continue to read every Lisa Scottoline book I can get my hands on? Also yes. If you’re a fan of the ol’ psychological thriller, I think you’ll find a lot to enjoy about The Unraveling of Julia.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Unraveling of Julia
Author:: Lisa Scottoline
Genre:: Psychological Thriller
Publisher:: Grand Central Publishing
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 12h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: July 15th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley
Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister

Book Review:: The Homemade God | Rachel Joyce

Something I am coming to terms with about myself is that I am absolutely lost over a good family saga. Seriously send me all of your recommendations because I will gorge myself until my dying day. I can’t get enough of them, and The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce was no exception.

The Homemade God by Rachel Joyce Book Cover

Vic Kemp, world-renowned artist, is dead, leaving his four (grown) children orphaned. Their upbringing was quite unusual with no mother and such an eccentric man as their patriarch, but they had one another. His death was unexpected, and his behavior in the weeks leading to the disaster leave the siblings with reasonable doubt as to the truth of what really happened to him. They all set off for the villa at Lake Ora where he drowned to await the autopsy results and to meet his very new, very young, very mysterious, wife for the first time.

Here is a direct quote from my reading journal as I neared the end of the book:: “Wow. What a study of human behavior. A complex web of emotion and the histories we hold about ourselves and those we know or love.”

And that right there sums up my love of the great family sagas I have read. Families are complicated. So many personalities cooped up into one household to be raised in, each reacting differently to events that happen, each revealing a deep knowing of yourself to the others around you (even things you may not want them to know about you), at least, theoretically. There is also a part of us that no one can understand, not even ourselves. And all of it is messy.

Susan, Iris, Netta, and Goose (Gustavo) are each affected differently by the death of their father. As they process what it is to have lost him, and to come to terms with the man he was, it changes them, and even forces them to realize and accept things about themselves that they have denied or repressed for far too long.

I could probably write a dozen essays on the different threads of this novel I find fascinating, but for the purposes of a book review, I hate to spoil a single moment of the discovery of this story. The magic of it is meant to be experienced in the pages. But if it isn’t obvious enough by now, I cannot recommend it highly enough for readers who are equally as fascinated by detailed character studies and families in crisis.

Drama, drama, drama.

I love it.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Homemade God
Author:: Rachel Joyce
Genre:: General Fiction
Publisher:: The Dial Press
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 8h
Audiobook Narrator:: Rachel Joyce & Sarah Winman
Published:: July 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Accidental Favorite | Fran Littlewood
The Most Fun We Ever Had | Claire Lombardo

Book Review:: Sounds Like Trouble | Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith

Sounds Like Trouble is the second book in a fun contemporary mystery series co-written by Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith. Jackson and Mackenzie are back at it, this time officially partners in a joint PI firm, and there is just as much drama this time around.

Their last case caught the attention of some very intimidating crime lords, who “ask” Jackson and Mackenzie for some help with a little problem they have. There’s a package they need tracked down – discreetly.

This pair is electric. They’re sassy, capable, and oh-so-compatible. The level of action and danger is just as high as it was in book one. It’s a breakneck pace that will keep you flying through the pages!

I hope this is just the latest in a looong list of installments in this series, because it is such a breath of fresh air. If you’re looking for a fun and refreshing read this summer, please don’t sleep on this series!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Sounds Like Trouble (Sounds Like A Plan #2)
Author:: Pamela Samuels Young & Dwayne Alexander Smith
Genre:: Contemporary Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 256 pages
Audio Length:: 6h
Audiobook Narrator:: Jaime Lincoln Smith & Angel Pean
Published:: July 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars