Mystery Archives - Page 2 of 5

Book Review:: The Night We Lost Him | Laura Dave

I’m coming to realize that Laura Dave is one of my favorite authors right now. She’s an excellent atmospheric writer. The tone of her books is clear from the first page and blankets the entire narrative in a somber and mysterious aura. It’s right up my alley. Couple that with excellent character work, interesting narrative concepts, and prose as smooth as butter and you’ve got yourself a five-star book all day long.

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave Book Cover

Nora is a strong woman who will be okay no matter which way the story turns. But the death of her father, and her estranged brother’s insistence that there is more to the story, brings up deep personal conflicts within her that she suddenly needs to explore. It is this train of story that we need closure on, and not necessarily the mystery surrounding her father’s death – but because she can’t reconcile her own issues without understanding his last days, we need to know that too. It’s brilliant story building, and I was hooked all the way through.

My one complaint is something that probably makes her books all the more marketable: they’re not longer. I could read 450+ pages of one of her stories happily, and I know she’d fill it all in with scintillating details that would only enhance it all. However, she fits a damn good story into these 320 pages, and I have to call that just about perfect.

I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Details

Title:: The Night We Lost Him
Author:: Laura Dave
Genre:: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher:: S&S/Marysue Rucci Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 7h 49m
Audiobook Narrator:: Julia Whelan
Published:: September 17th, 2024
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Villa | Rachel Hawkins
I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: Read Between the Lines | Emily Kerr

The grouch in the library may not be as bad as he seems…

Read Between the Lines by Emily Kerr Book Cover

Kat is ready for love, and she thinks she’s finally found it through a local dating app. Her new beau is in the military, but he’s finally coming home and they’ll get to meet face-to-face for the very first time.

Then he asks for some money. For a flight! To make their date she bought a new dress for! Just this once!

Red flag.

He’s a scammer. She tries to report him to the app, but they swear he’s a real person and dismiss her. Still feeling uneasy, she decides to take things into her own hands by investigating. Luckily there’s a big grumpy ex-cop who frequents the library she works at who might be just the one to help her.

This story is all about solving the mystery of who this scammer is and getting him shut down. There’s also a little bit of romance on the side. Really, I was hoping for a lot more romance.

For Leo, the grumpy ex-cop who holes up at the library, there wasn’t a lot to work with. He has a bare-minimum backstory and it wasn’t enough to really sink into. For Kat, it’s easy to sympathize with her situation, but again, we don’t actually learn all that much about her. It’s not an actual mystery/thriller…it feels kind of blurry.

In the end the mystery is solved and love is found. There are certainly cute moments, but there wasn’t anything really swoon-worthy. Three stars from me.

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:: Read Between the Lines
Author:: Emily Kerr
Genre:: Romance
Publisher:: One More Chapter
Length:: 384 pages
Published:: June 13th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

I Did Something Bad | Pyae Moe Thet War
Sunshine and Spice | Aurora Palit
Splendid Little Schemes | Robin Strong

Book Review:: The Ghostwriter | Julie Clark

Once upon a time, two children were murdered in their home. Siblings. Leaving one brother, not home at the time, alive. No one was ever convicted. This tragedy is the foundation Olivia’s life is built upon.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Book Cover

The surviving sibling is Olivia’s father, Vincent. He’s become a global sensation for his horror novels, but before that, he was sensational for being the lead suspect in his siblings’ murders. Olivia and her father had a falling out years ago, and she separated herself from him as much as she could. She even married a man she didn’t love in order to change her last name. Blood runs thick though, and she ended up in the same industry as her father, ghostwriting books for other famous authors. Now, on the edge of financial ruin after a big scandal, the only job available is from Vincent Taylor, and he said she’s the only one he’ll work with. It’s the first time returning home for Olivia, and she wants to get back out as soon as possible, but when she gets there, she realizes she might be able to finally learn the truth. Is her father a killer? Or was he always telling the truth about that night?

What a compelling psychological thriller! The backstory of this novel is so rich and murky at the same time. Enough details to create that dark misty tone for the past, but not enough to give away the store.

I always love the devices authors use to add doubt to the information the reader receives, so we don’t know what’s real and what may be a lie. In this case, Olivia’s father has a disease that affects his mind, and we all know human memory is fallible anyway. I love that feeling when reading a book like this that you never really know what the reality is, and what is fabricated. It leaves a lot of room in your mind to sort through evidence and form new theories up until the very end.

In this story there are quite a few scenarios that seem likely as Olivia learns more about her family history. It’s the story of one family’s darkest hour, and it has been shrouded in mystery and doubt all these years.

The characters are believable and well formed, the writing is clear and atmospheric, the plot is complex and interesting, and just look at that stunning cover!

I’m very happy to have received this book for early review via the publisher through netgalley, and I’m excited to have another author’s backlist to add to my TBR!

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 Ghostwriter
Author:: Julie Clark
Genre:: Mystery Suspense
Publisher:: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Length:: 368 pages
Audio Length:: TBA
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: June 3rd, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
The Heiress | Rachel Hawkins

Book Review:: The Gravedigger’s Almanac | Oliver Potzsch

If you have any interest in exploring some of the earliest practices of modern criminology, this is the mystery for you! Oliver Potzsch’s newest release, The Gravedigger’s Almanac, is a twisted historical mystery that will remind you of the late great Sherlock Holmes.

The Gravedigger's Almanac by Oliver Potzsch Book Cover

Leo is a new resident of Vienna, having fled his hometown in shame. He’s got some money and an interest in an emerging realm of study that is criminalistics. Photography, deductive reasoning, logical fallacies…he’s putting all of the strategies to use on a new case of brutal murders in the cultured city.

I love a good mashup of historical fiction and mystery. This will teach you something while keeping you hooked into a quite sinister string of killings. It is quite a complex case that will have Leo and his associates chasing down lead after lead to solve the heinous crimes. The Gravedigger’s Almanac has the perfect balance between interesting historical facts and compelling narrative. I was enthralled!

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 Gravedigger’s Almanac
Author:: Oliver Potzsch (Translated by Lisa Reinhardt)
Genre:: Historical Mystery
Publisher:: HarperVia
Length:: 404 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 49m
Audiobook Narrator:: Rupert Bush
Published:: May 27th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Bone Garden | Tess Garrison
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter | Kristin Vukovic
The Daughter of Ruins | Yvette Manessis Corporon

Book Review:: Closer Than You Know | Debra Webb

Retired cop Vera Boyett is back in her hometown, closer to her sisters, and closer to the secret they’ve been keeping since they were kids. She’s not there long before the sheriff calls her up to help on a case that has ties back to a serial killer she helped investigate and convict a decade ago, The Messenger. Strange things start happening before it becomes clear: Vera is the next target of this torture killer.

Closer Than You Know by Debra Webb Book Cover

Wow, this novel is quite the ride! This is the second book in the series, which I didn’t realize when I signed up for the arc. While the book did a great job rooting the reader in what was happening without having read the first book, it felt a little too explain-y at times, so I feel like having the full context of book one would have helped with that.

This felt exactly like a TV show episode. Back in the day I was really into Bones, and this brought me back. Vera has a history with the sheriff in town which was actually really steamy. Though this is a crime thriller, the romance was a very nice edition for this romance-loving girlie.

There are a lot of things going on in this story. There is the killer still behind bars, a copycat of some kind, and this shadow of the secret Vera and her sisters are keeping…from everyone. Layer in the personal dramas and you’ve got a very busy book here. At times it felt a little too fast paced, which says to me I’m not connected enough to what is going on.

If you’re a fan of crime thrillers, I think this novel is right up your alley. Though I didn’t connect with it as much as I like, it did feel like skilled writing and a properly tangled and exciting plot that will keep you guessing all the way through.

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:: Closer Than You Know (Vera Boyett #2)
Author:: Debra Webb
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas & Mercer
Length:: 317 pages
Audio Length:: 10h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: May 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

Book Review:: 10 Marchfield Square | Nicola Whyte

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.

10 Marchfield Square by Nicola Whyte Book Cover

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.

Details

Title:: 10 Marchfield Square
Author:: Nicola Whyte
Genre:: Cozy Mystery
Publisher:: Union Square & Co.
Length:: 400 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 27m
Audiobook Narrator:: Nneka Okoye
Published:: April 1st, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

The Christmas Jigsaw Murders | Alexandra Benedict
Murder at Gull’s Nest | Jess Kidd
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Guide to Murderers | Jesse Q. Sutanto

Book Review:: The Summer of You and Me | Denise Hunter

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.

The Summer of You and Me by Deinse Hunter Book Cover

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

If you liked this book, check out…

Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
Counting Miracles | Nicholas Sparks
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Book Review:: Nobody’s Fool | Harlan Coben

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.

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben Book Cover

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

If you liked this book, check out…

The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister

Book Review:: Murder at Gulls Nest | Jess Kidd

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.

Murder at Gull's Nest by Jess Kidd Book Cover

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.

Details

Title:: Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1)
Author:: Jess Kidd
Genre:: Cozy Historical Mystery
Publisher:: Atria Books
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 30m
Audiobook Narrator:: Siobhan McSweeney
Audiobook Publisher:: Simon & Schuster Audio
Published:: April 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

How to Solve Your Own Murder | Kristen Perrin
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley

Book Review:: Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) | Jesse Q. Sutanto

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 Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto Book Cover

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