If you are a fan of the Hulu Original show Only Murders in the Building starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, you’re going to love this novel. Set in a housing development called 10 Marchfield Square in London, mysterious murders have the tenants looking to find out the truth of the deaths.
The proprietress discreetly hires two of the tenants to investigate the murder of the seedy gentleman who turns up dead. One is a cleaner, the other a washed-up crime novelist. Together, they track down leads and question everything until the truth comes to light.
What an enjoyable debut from Nicola Whyte! This book absolutely reminded me of Only Murders in the Building with ‘normie’, if eccentric, amateur sleuths investigating real grisly crimes. There is a lot to uncover, and strategic processes to follow, and the two lead characters really added some color to the story. In a whodunnit anything is possible, and it’s so fun to read a book where you must question everything you think you know.
I think this would be a great introductory book for those who are new to the cozy mystery genre, and the ol’ pros too. The web of suspects weaves and tangles in a way that satisfies and the ending is of course exactly as it should be.
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.
One day Maggie is at the fair with her young daughter and swears she sees her husband among the crowds. Trouble is, he was killed in the line of duty five years ago.
Calling upon his brother to help her search for him opens up a new world of possibilities neither of them ever expected, and are a little afraid to entertain. But they don’t give up, and eventually are confronted with an impossible truth.
This novel is at once a mystery, a love story, and a story of revitalization. Grief is heavy and comes in waves, some hitting so hard and fast it makes us feel like we’ll never get a breath of fresh air again. But holding stagnant doesn’t allow you to buoy back to the surface, lifted by the spirits of those who came before. By the love and honor you have for them. This is a story about humanity in a lot of ways. Coping with death. Resilience.
An undercurrent of support, love, and understanding runs through this novel. The characters seem to be at least casually religious, though it’s not outwardly discussed much through the narrative. Instead they lead by example, telling truths even when it hurts, finding forgiveness in difficult situations, overcoming shock in favor of compassion. There is plenty of drama in this book, but I could feel the safety net underneath, in the best way possible.
The Summer of You and Me blurs genre lines to bring a story that will tug at your heart strings. I absolutely loved it. I hope you will too.
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 Summer of You and Me Author:: Denise Hunter Genre:: Contemporary Romance Publisher:: Thomas Nelson Length::352 pages Audio Length::9h 55m Audiobook Narrator:: Kim Churchill Published:: April 22nd, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Nobody’s Fool is my first Harlan Coben novel, and wow – color me impressed! This is the second book in the series led by main character Sami Kierce, and I’m going back to read the origin story that left him off the police force as soon as possible, which is where he finds himself at the beginning of this novel.
Speaking of origin stories, in a way, this novel is really the exploration of Sami’s. After college, he had a fling with a beautiful woman in Spain, and was ready to give up everything for her, until he woke up beside her bloody body, knife in his hand. He fled, and it was the series of events set off by this experience that led him to becoming a cop in the first place. Now, he sees a woman he knows is her, alive and well and here, and it changes everything.
Not only is this case from Sami’s past coming back to haunt him, but the murderer of his former fiance is being released early from prison, and he’s determined to get justice from that case, too. He has a new baby, and a wife he loves, and though he’s no longer officially a cop, he teaches a criminal justice class that fulfills him. In short, a lot to lose.
What a skillfully written novel! This one had me questioning everything, fully engaged and wondering where the heck it was going to lead next. There are so many moving pieces and so many corners for spooky things to jump out from behind, it was entertaining as hell. If this is the level of mystery and suspense I can expect from Harlan Coben, I’m adding his entire backlist to my TBR! What more can you ask for from a thriller? That feeling is what you search for in this genre, and Nobody’s Fool absolutely delivers!
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:: Nobody’s Fool (Detective Sami Kierce #2) Author:: Harlan Coben Genre:: Mystery/Thriller Publisher:: Grand Central Publishing Length::352 pages Audio Length::11h 17m Audiobook Narrator:: Vikas Adam Published:: March 25th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
A quaint coastal town. A missing person. A silent little girl who sees everything. A former nun who won’t let it go. Murder at Gulls Nest is a historical cozy mystery set just after the World Wars with suspects a-plenty, and secrets everywhere.
I wanted to read this book in part because I don’t have much experience with what is colloquially referred to as a ‘cozy mystery’. I get it now. It’s essentially equivalent to an old episode of Murder She Wrote. It doesn’t mean that there is not death, or even gruesome things that happen or are described. It’s more of a slow methodical approach to solving a mystery by moving through each logical piece of the investigation. The absence of the ‘thrill’ element that makes a thriller. That’s what ‘they’ mean by low-stakes. The protagonist is not necessarily in direct line of danger. They just have a stake in finding out the answer to the mystery.
Our POV character is a nun who has left the cloister in order to track down her friend, also a former nun, whose letters have mysteriously stopped after implying in one of her letters that the people around her had everything to hide. Nora poses as an innocent guest in a board house with no knowledge of the place or agenda and tries to find out everything she can about the mysteriously missing woman who used to stay in the room there.
If she was trying to be subtle about her investigation, she failed. She wandered around that city asking direct questions that could only have raised red flags to someone trying to hide something. It was a full-fledged amateur investigation, but when a dead body turns up, the real authorities become involved as well.
While I enjoyed the story, I didn’t find myself very invested in the drama. There is plenty of mystery to go around, and I found a lot of the historical elements to be intriguing and interesting, but I didn’t feel engrossed. I think I would have enjoyed a more emotional experience. It almost reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes style novel, if that’s your thing. If you like finding clues and analyzing people, trying to crack the mystery before the characters, you’re going to love it.
I appreciate the opportunity to read this early reader’s copy from the publisher and netgalley, and I will be interested to read the next installment of this new mystery series by Jess Kidd.
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.
Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) is the second book in the Vera Wong series. If you haven’t read Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers yet, start there! This is my review.
Vera is at it again when she meets a young woman named Milly who is too scared to step into the police station (don’t ask why Vera is there…a phone scam. She was phone scammed). Milly is afraid something happened to her friend Thomas, and Vera is happy to employ her considerable investigative skills to help her.
While this book has the same grandmotherly charm and Vera is up to the same level of nosiness-with-care as usual, this one didn’t have quite the same impact for me as the first book.
Vera’s personality still shines in this book. She’s still as nosy and runs just as much interference here, and cooks even more than ever for those she cares about.
“You think I won’t? I am Chinese mother, all I do is create conflict.”
She is not afraid to stick herself into situations she’s not invited to, and to smooth things over once she’s caused some offense. It is her greatest skill.
The cast we love from book one is still around, particularly some characters that weren’t explored much, her son Tilly and his new partner, the police officer Selena. Vera is tired of waiting on grandkids, and she’s not afraid to mention it. Repeatedly.
One issue I had is Vera’s first break in the case, the one that really allows her to make any headway at all, is waaay too convenient. I guess it kind of works given the tone and Vera’s tendency to always find what she’s looking for, but that one really pushed the line for me.
The other piece that bothered me a little bit is that the subject matter is incredibly dark and honestly disturbing. There is justice in the end, but the ones apprehended in the end are not the full scope of the problem, and that haunts me (and it should haunt you too). There is only so much an old Chinese mother can do to warm up coldness like that, and for me, it just wasn’t enough.
HOWEVER
Is it still worth reading? Absolutely. Will I be continuing the series? What…and leave Vera to her own devices? I don’t think so! I’ll be there for her next adventure, and I’m sure she’ll have a bowl of delicious Chinese cooking for us once we get there.
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:: Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) (Vera Wong #2) Author:: Jesse Q. Sutanto Genre:: Contemporary Mystery Publisher:: Berkley Length::336 pages Audio Length::11h Audiobook Narrator:: Eunice Wong Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio Published:: April 1st, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars
If you love contemporary murder mysteries and haven’t yet discovered Vera Wong, you’re in for a treat. She is the fun and spunky lead in an investigation no one invited her into. She’s happy to help, of course, because young people don’t always know the best way to do things these days. She knows because she keeps an eye on things with The Google and The Facebook. You have to, if you don’t want to be left behind.
Vera Wong is a widowed Chinese Auntie with a grown son who never heeds her relentless advice, like how to wake up early when you’re young to make the most of your day. When a dead body shows up in her failing tea shop, she jumps at the chance at helping the police by getting a jump start on the investigation before they arrive. It’s not disturbing evidence if she wears rubber gloves and follows the procedures she’s seen on CSI, right? And no one will mind if she keeps a little something the deceased was holding…no one else saw it, so no harm done! But when the police aren’t convinced the victim has been murdered at all, she continues the investigation herself, pinpointing four suspects who showed up at the tea shop after the body was discovered. Everyone knows the murderer always comes back to the scene of the crime! She is convinced it is one of them: the wife, the brother, an online reporter (The Buzzfeed!), and a crime podcaster, all of whom have their secrets. One of them must have done it, but which one?
I absolutely loved Vera and her steadfast all-knowing ways. There is a right way to do things, and she’s not afraid to let you know it. Life has been lonely since her husband passed away, and having a dead body turn up in her tea shop was unexpected, but certainly cured the monotony of her strict routine in a way she didn’t know she needed.
It is an unusual case, but her sleuthing does turn up some clues but while Vera is searching for a murderer, what she’s actually doing is connecting a handful of floundering individuals over this thing they now have in common – her.
This book is full of heart and humor, good food and matchmaking, family and community. It’s an always interesting story of how an old woman got her groove back and ultimately solves the crime that turned up on her doorstep.
If you’re a cozy mystery fan, you won’t want to miss Mrs. Vera Wong.
Details
Title:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Vera Wong #1) Author:: Jesse Q. Sutanto Genre:: Contemporary Mystery Publisher:: Berkley Length::339 pages Audio Length::10h 41m Audiobook Narrator:: Eunice Wong Audiobook Publisher:: Penguin Audio Published:: March 14th, 2023 The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars
Finlay Donovan’s relentless adventure continues in her fifth book, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave. Not only is it my favorite title of the series, it might be my favorite installment of the series, period.
If you’re new to the Finlay Donovan world, welcome! You’re in for a wild and exciting ride, but you’re going to want to start it at the beginning. To avoid any spoilers for you, start with my review of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and I’ll see you back here in a few books! If you’re wondering if this series is worth the investment of time – my answer is emphatically yes.
Just when we thought she might be out of the woods, the dead body in Mrs. Haggerty’s backyard turns out to have a connection to Steven, and as we learned in book two, Finlay may have her qualms with the man, but she isn’t about to let him go down…especially when she believes he’s being framed. Steven’s ill-renowned womanizing ways are catching up with him (again), and Finlay is the only one who seems to think the woman claiming an affair with him is lying. When two crime podcasters catch wind of the connection, Finlay and Vero have to step back into action with their own investigation to find out what really happened before Steven gets pinned with the murder.
I feel like Cosimano has gotten back to the roots of Finlay’s story in this book. It’s not quite the same ‘caught in a web of consequences I could have never anticipated’ magic as Killing It has, but it felt far more simplified and organic than the last few, which were becoming so tangled and convoluted it was hard to keep track of all the moving pieces. They were still good (my reviews are linked at the end of this post if you need a refresher), but they were almost break-neck in their pacing. This one still has a lot going on, but it felt much more manageable.
More than any other in this series so far, this book is about girl power: female friendship, companionship, and trust. One might say it’s the main theme in the series, and the embodiment in this book was exactly what you might expect from a Finlay story while still being mysterious and surprising as hell. Sometimes we are all each other has, and we shan’t be underestimated 😉
It’s almost stupid how easy it is to pull me in with a little bit of romance…after Finlay’s confessions to Nick in the last book, I couldn’t wait to see the state of their affair afterwards. It’s no secret I’m a fan of that man, and I giggled in delight at the developments between these pages. Speaking of love, Vero and Javi are working some kinks out of their whirlwind relationship behind the scenes, and I can’t wait to see where that leads. That woman deserves a little bit of romance – soak it in, girl!
And did I forget to mention the Hollywood exec thirsting for movie rights to Finlay’s books? Some of his conditions are problematic, and sure to stir up more trouble down the road…
This series is pure, hilarious gold, and I’m so happy to see there are at least two more books lined up in this series. I’m happy to proclaim my love from the rooftops, because more readers mean more books, and that is always welcome news to me. If there’s an author I trust to pull off a long series based on accidental crime and complicated hijinks, at this point, I think Cosimano has proven she’s it.
Details
Title:: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Finlay Donovan #5) Author:: Elle Cosimano Genre:: Contemporary Mystery Publisher:: Minotaur Books Length::320 pages Audio Length::10h 18m Audiobook Narrator:: Angela Dawe Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio Published:: March 4th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
A few years ago I was in a phase of absolutely inhaling books for a minute there. Most of what I read then is now a blur, but one book among them stands out. I still think of it often: Migrations, by Charlotte McConaghy. When I saw she has a new release, I jumped at the chance to read it early, and I’m so grateful to have received an early copy through the publisher and netgalley. If there is one thing I know to be true about her works, it’s that you can count on her for an interesting, intelligent work that includes fascinating scientific facts that are woven into the story so well they become unforgettable. Oh yeah, and the stories are compelling as hell, too.
In Wild Dark Shore the body of a woman washes up on a tiny island called Shearwater far off the southern coast of Australia – closest to Antartica. There she is rescued by the only living souls on the island: a father and his three children. The only other occupants of the island are an abandoned research facility, and a seed bank the rising seas are threatening to drown.
This novel is shrouded in secrecy. The family has secrets, the woman has secrets, and the eerie island itself has secrets. As the woman, Rowan, gets to know the family, the lines of secrecy start to blur, and everything she thought she knew, even the deepest truths of her own character, turn out to be malleable.
I think the closest description I can come up with to describe the genre of this book is a literary thriller. It is moody and dark and mysterious and there is always a sense of impending doom. The island itself is out to get them in a way, between the freezing temperatures, the violent seas, the frequent storms, and the rocky terrain, anything at all could happen. And it has. The island is known for its ghosts, and Rowan is there to find one of them.
The characterization of this novel is wonderful. Each of them is interesting in their own right, and whatever it is that makes them most unique adds something to the story. Things happen the way they do because of the personalities on the island. I like that we have a middle-aged woman who’s been tossed around by the world a little bit, alone, but strong, as the focus of the narrative. It’s an important perspective and I feel like I don’t see it enough.
The writing, too, is gorgeous. Bleak and beautiful. It was something that stood out to me about Migrations as well, her style is very world-weary, but there is always that little spark of hope to keep you going.
The version I read was the audiobook, and the voice actors did a wonderful job. There were multiple voices for the multiple POVs, and each of them seemed to match the characters very well.
Like Migrations, I think Wild Dark Shore is a book that is going to stick with me for a long time. It is haunting and lovely and sometimes disturbing but ultimately about survival and the lengths we’ll go to accomplish it for ourselves and the ones we love.
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:: Wild Dark Shore Author:: Charlotte McConaghy Genre:: Literary Thriller Publisher:: Flatiron Books Length::320 pages Audio Length::9h 35m Audiobook Narrator:: Cooper Mortlock, Katherine Littrell, Saskia Maarleveld, Steve West Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio Published:: March 4th, 2025 The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice is the fourth book in a contemporary mystery series starring a romantic suspense writer (and young mother) who has gotten herself into quite a real-life kerfuffle involving crimes she never imagined being wrapped up in. It is a consecutive series, so please click over to my review of book one of the series, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, to avoid any spoilers. (Links to the other books in this series can be found at the bottom of this post)
So, let’s talk about book four…
After seeing Javier abducted by some goons at the garage, Finlay and Vero are off to solve Vero’s financial problems once and for all. The only thing is, they’ve brought the whole kit & caboodle with them. Fin’s mom, her ex-husband Steven, and the kids are all tagging along for the holiday in Atlantic City. Now they just have to find Javier, get Vero’s debtors off her back, and deal with the two dead bodies they stumbled into on their quest. That’s not all – wunderkind-hacker Cam calls for help when he gets himself in way too deep with Feliks, and to top it all off, the usual entourage of police characters show up unexpectedly soon after their arrival. Should be no problem pulling this off without anyone getting suspicious, riiight?
There’s a lot going on in this installment of the Finlay Donovan series! Maybe the most so far in one novel? Though it always seems that way, doesn’t it? There is a lot of overheard intel and one near miss after another as Fin and Vero struggle to solve their problems without being discovered themselves.
I am so impressed with Cosimano’s ability to constantly raise stakes for these characters while keeping everything relevant to so many aspects of what is going on, and still making it somehow plausible that everyone we care about stays out of trouble. It keeps you so far on the edge of your seat thinking again and again – it can’t keep on this way forever, can it!? But somehow it does, and it’s so yummy to read.
In the last book we got some clues into Vero’s relationship with Javier going far deeper than we might have previously expected, and it raises the stakes immediately in this book when he’s in danger and Vero is the one responsible. I’m hoping the best for a happy future between those two.
Finlay and Nick on the other hand…I fear they may be destined to keep a certain distance between them considering the obstacles standing between them. At the beginning of this book he was a superhero – assuring Finlay that she deserves a man who can handle all her imperfects and standing strong there with her to be that man. But Nick has been burned…repeatedly…in this series…and is all the more protective over his heart. I don’t know how the author could pull this off, but I’m hoping somehow Finlay is able to come clean to him before the series is over and he doesn’t have to choose between her and his career.
I’m dying to read the next book in the series, and lucky for me, I got my hands on an arc copy! The review is coming for book 5, Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave, next week!
What have Finlay and Vero gotten themselves into next? Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third book in a sometimes-hilarious contemporary mystery series led by a novelist mother of young kids who gets caught up in schemes way over her head.
The series needs to be read in order, so to avoid spoilers for you, please click to my review of the first book, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, if you haven’t read the first two books yet!
So here we start: the site is down, Steven is safe, but Finlay is on the hook now for discovering the identity of EasyClean, and Feliks is not the most patient of men. Behind bars or not, Feliks’ people are everywhere and she can’t afford to get this wrong, or waste time. Cam says the suspect is a dirty cop and Nick, with his injuries from the finale of the last book, is on desk duty and volunteered to teach at a week-long citizen’s police academy. His squad invites Finlay along so she can do ‘book research’, and Vero won’t let her say no. Ah, what the hell, Steven has the kids for the week anyway.
The usual shenanigans ensue immediately, and don’t let up.
The first time I read this third book it was my least favorite of the series, but reading through it a second time, I think it was an issue with my own comprehension. There is so much going on, and so much to mentally juggle, I think I just didn’t absorb everything going on the first time. My advice is not to rush through it, as tempting as that may be. I think maybe the greatest flaw of this series is that it’s too easily bingeable. At this point in the larger story there are so many lines of complexity running through it’s more difficult to keep everything straight.
Let’s talk about Nick! I’m a great fan of this clever hot cop. The entire premise of whatever relationship he and Finlay may or may not have is so tension-laden. He’s the cop on Feliks’ case, and there’s no way she can ever reveal to him everything that’s happened to her without severe consequences for one or both of them. I was so tickled that he and Finlay got to spend a lot of quality time together in this book in this sleep-away camp situation 🙂 I also live for the fact Finlay has never outright lied to him. Oh my tender little heart…I fear it is destined to be broken by this…situationship?…sooner or later!
Now Vero: Finlay’s Latina partner in crime who plays waaay too fast and loose for my comfort. I love that she and Finlay can rely on one another – their trust is really the glue sticking everything together in this series. As soon as that starts to fall apart, they’re F*%#ED! I really enjoyed getting to peek behind the crack of her hard-enameled shell to see a little bit of possible-vulnerability in the person of Javier. The two clearly have a history, and that guy seriously caught no breaks in this book.
Though this book is complex as all-heck, it really holds its own in the series overall. I mentioned that it used to be my least favorite in the series the first time through, but this time it changed my mind. So far, I don’t have a least favorite. If one thing is true, it’s that this series is deliciously bingeable.
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It (Book One) Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead (Book Two) Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice (Book Four) Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Book Five)
