Audiobook Review: Death by the Book by Lucy Connelly

Death by the Book
Author: Lucy Connelly
Narrator: Kimberly M. Wetherell
Series: Mercy McCarthy (Book 2)
Publication: Bookouture (November 12, 2024)
Length: 6 hours and 57 minutes

Description: Irish scones, shamrock shortbread, a local literary festival… and a rather dead author? Join Mercy McCarthy on her next case!

Mercy and Lizzie McCarthy are settling in to the charming seaside village of Shamrock Cove on the west coast of Ireland. Lizzie throws herself into organizing a book festival and mystery writer Mercy even agrees to come out of her bookish hidey-hole to get involved. But then the event’s star author is found dead. James Brandt was killed by a falling bookshelf in his own cottage...

The local detective is not convinced by Mercy’s suspicion of murder but when someone else turns up dead, the police cannot ignore it. There’s just one problem: Mercy and Lizzie’s beloved dog Mr. Poe sniffs out the second body in the storeroom of their own bookstore. And now all the gossips seem determined to pin the murder on Mercy!

Convinced the police are focusing on a red herring in this real-life case, Mercy needs to act fast to clear her name. A meddling mayor, a cheerful chef and a bashful botanist make her suspect list, but it’s not until Mercy discovers a tatty old photograph in the local library archive that she is onto the killer’s trail.

With the police keen to shut her out of the murder investigation, can Mercy play this case by the book, or will she be the next to fall off the shelf…?

My Thoughts: The second Mercy McCarthy cozy mystery takes place during a book festival. Lizzie is busy organizing it and Mercy helps with the organization and is involved with panels and book signings.

Mercy is really irritated at one signing because author James Brandt dominates the discussion and throws in some negative comments about Mercy's books. The next day Mercy and Lizzie go to James' cottage to remind him of his book signing only to find him dead on the floor under a toppled bookshelf.

Mercy and Detective Inspector Kieran are not convinced that it was an accident and the tox screen proves them both right. Someone has poisoned the annoying author. His agent is wandering around throwing her weight around. She has to speak at the wake and make a long, drawn-out speech as she accepts an award he won at the banquet. She's also threatening Lizzie about not sending back the large number of books she ordered for Brandt's signing all the while trying to poach Mercy from her current agent. 

However, finding her dead in the bookshop's storeroom wasn't at all expected. Now there are two murders to solve and a villain from Brandt's past to discover. 

This was another cozy mystery where the writer amateur detective blames her writer's brain for her inability to stay out of the investigation. At least this time Kieran is encouraging her help because he says it will be easier to keep her safe if he knows what she is investigating.

I liked the setting and I like the relationships in the story. Mercy and Lizzie are very compatible sisters. Mercy's relationship with Kieran is also interesting.

I bought this one April 8. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle

Enter the Nightmare
Author: Jayne Castle
Series: Harmony (Book 12)
Publication: Berkley (June 30, 2026)

Description: Nightmares become real when a woman trying to rebuild her life enters the Hotel of Dreams in this exhilarating Harmony novel by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle.

Alice Radstone should have known not to return. Her life before the Hotel of Dreams had been the perfectly cloistered world of a teacher at the Ballantine Academy. When the death of her mentor forced her out, she was left to reinvent herself in the big city. Since then, things have not gone well. Ten months ago, after her first trip to the hotel, she woke up in the locked ward of a hospital for the criminally insane, told that she had murdered her husband on their wedding night. She has no memory of the husband or the wedding but after escaping the asylum, one thing is certain—she is never going back.

Unfortunately, Alice’s second reinvented life is also deteriorating rapidly, which is why she finds herself once again at the Hotel of Dreams—this time hiding in the shadows of her room, a dead body in the shower, and two men wearing masks creeping toward the bed to kidnap her. Again.

When the enigmatic and decidedly dangerous Owen March shows up, claiming he’s there to rescue her, she has no choice but to accept his offer—and hope that he doesn’t intend to kidnap her, too.

With Alice and now Owen in the killer’s sights, time is running out. Alice and Owen must trust each other and the electric passion between them if they are to make it out of this hotel alive.

My Thoughts: The latest Harmony romantic suspense title pairs Alice Radstone and Owen Marsh. Alice has been in hiding since escaping from a mental hospital where she was sent after being accused of murdering her husband on the first night of their honeymoon. Owen has been hired to find her but has become that his client doesn't have Alice's best interests in mind.

Alice and Owen meet at the hotel where Alice had spent her wedding night. She was called back to that place in hopes of finding out all the things she doesn't remember about her wedding night. Owen arrives in time to rescue Alice from the thugs who are trying to drug her and bring her back to the mental institution. Alice wasn't quite alone. She had a dust bunny named Sebastian along with her as backup. He's duded out in sunglasses and sleeked out in his fighting form when Owen arrives.

The trio manages to escape the hotel and the thugs and find their way to the casino hotels of Illusion Town while they work out who wants to put Alice away and why they do. Owen proposes a Marriage of Convenience which provides Alice with some protection from her enemy. The pair fall in love as they solve Alice's problems.

This was another entertaining paranormal romance from a prolific author. I like the snappy dialog between the main characters. I also really like the antics of Sebastian the dust bunny who has all sorts of fun in a casino hotel. The plot was fast-paced and exciting. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Neighbors Are Watching by Aggie Blum Thompson

The Neighbors Are Watching
Author: Aggie Blum Thompson
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 30, 2026)

Description: From the "master of suburban scandal" (Samantha M. Bailey) comes a scandalous twisty thriller about obsession, betrayal, and the price of perfection

Just outside Washington, DC, sits Eastbrook, Bethesda―a leafy suburb with top schools, pristine landscapes, and perfect neighbors. It’s not the kind of place where nannies are killed during robberies gone wrong. And in this picture-perfect neighborhood, someone is desperate to plaster over the cracks in that façade.

A year after the unsolved neighborhood murder, Caren, nearing fifty and staring down an empty nest, has one too many drinks at a graduation party and blacks out on her way home. At least, that’s what everyone says happened. Caren suspects she was drugged by someone. But who?

When Caren teams up with a new neighbor who is obsessed with figuring out who murdered his best friend, they start to uncover what Eastbrook has tried to forget. But in a place where appearances are everything, their search for the truth means not only shattering carefully curated perfection ― but putting themselves squarely in the crosshairs of a killer.

My Thoughts: This domestic thriller is told from three viewpoints. 

Caren is nearing fifty, newly unemployed and she fears unemployable, and facing an empty nest. She attends the graduation party of one of her daughter's former friends and has a couple of drinks. On her way home, she is attacked and put in the basement of the house where a young nanny was murdered about a year ago. 

She awakens with a concussion and no memory of her evening beyond leaving the party to go home and walk her dog. She is told by her best friends from the party that she had too much to drink and must have blacked out. Even her husband is casting doubts on what little she does remember. 

Finn in a young man working as a librarian and living in the basement of an elderly neighborhood resident. He was the best friend of the young nanny who was murdered. He's convinced that the killer was one of the neighbors mainly because he was facetiming with her and heard her tell him that a neighbor was at the door.

Tori is a newly divorced woman living in a house chosen and paid for by her ex. She's the mother of a toddler who spends time each week with his father. She a clinical psychologist who went deeply in debt to soothe herself after her divorce. Her best friend seems to be an AI that she confides in for advice and comfort. Being divorced, she isn't well accepted in the neighborhood filled with traditional families. 

The main viewpoint is Caren's who is struggling to remember what happened on her lost night, but who is also discovering things about her neighbors that reveal deep secrets and shady dealings. She becomes friends with Finn as he investigates his friend's death which she comes to believe involves her daughter. 

This was an enjoyable thriller filled with gaslighting and the things upper class families will do to make life better for their children. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Death in Irish Accents by Catie Murphy

Death in Irish Accents
Author: Catie Murphy
Narrator: Ruth Urquhart
Series: Dublin Driver Mysteries (Book 4)
Publication: Tantor Media (February 21, 2023)
Length: 6 hours and 54 minutes

Description: After a long streak of avoiding murder investigations, Dublin limo driver Megan Malone thought her life had finally settled . . . but even her Irish luck can't keep her out of trouble forever.

It's been over a year since Megan found herself entangled in a murder—much to everyone's relief, including her girlfriend Jelena and Detective Paul Bourke. So when a body of a young woman quite literally lands in her lap at her favorite Dublin cafe, Megan tries to do the right thing and leave the crime-solving to the police so she can enjoy the St. Patrick's Day weekend. After all, she has no connection to the victim. Or does she?

Megan's latest client, world-renowned romance novelist Claire Woodward, is fascinated by Megan's own history of catching killers. Claire also just happens to be the murder victim's literary mentor. So maybe Megan can just sort of stay on the periphery of the case while trying to help out? Just a wee bit without causing too much fuss? Even Detective Bourke would approve since he has personal reasons not to trust Claire. The investigation leads Megan to the victim's writing group, who think that Claire has plagiarized the poor young lady's work. And when another member of the group is found dead, Megan will have to step up her sleuthing before the killer decides to write her off for good.

My Thoughts: This fourth book in the Dublin Driver Mystery series takes place a year after the previous book. Megan has had herself a murder-free year. She's moved to a cottage with her girlfriend Jelena and her two young dogs and life is going well. 

However, when a body literally falls on her in her favorite cafe, Megan finds herself in the middle of a murder again. She wants to stay out of it and her girlfriend and friend Detective Paul Bourke urge her to stay out of it, but her curiosity won't let her. 

Her boss at Leprechaun Limos is also on her case. She wants Megan to work during the St. Patrick's Day celebrations despite the fact the Megan has been scheduled for the time off for almost a year. American romance author Claire Woodward wants to be driven by Megan and Orla wants to charge her the moon to do so. 

Claire is interested in Megan's reputation as the murder driver. Clare is also a mentor to the young woman who ended up in Megan's lap. Megan finds herself investigating the young woman's writers' group and soon learns that all of them have reasons to dislike Claire. Accusations of plagiarism are thrown around. 

When Claire is also found murdered, with Megan being the last to have seen her alive, Megan's need to solve the crime escalates.

This was another enjoyable episode in this cozy mystery series. I liked the Irish setting. As an audiobook reader though, I missed some of the byplay about the oddities of Irish spelling and pronunciation that were sort of theme running through the story. I liked Megan's curiosity and her inability to stay out of the investigation. 

I bought this one April 8. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Storm Tide by Paul Doiron

Storm Tide
Author: Paul Doiron
Series: Mike Bowditch Mysteries (Book 16)
Publication: Minotaur Books (June 30, 2026)

Description: Game Warden Mike Bowditch investigates a series of brutal killings during a life-changing year in Storm Tide, the harrowing new thriller from Edgar Award-nominated author Paul Doiron.

When the magnificent home of entrepreneur Brian Malloy mysteriously goes up in flames, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch tries to pull Malloy’s burning body from the fire but is too late. Malloy was suspected of murdering his young, illegitimate son. Now it looks like someone else has delivered a verdict.

Miles away, on a lonely stretch of icy railroad track, the body of Axl Deming, once accused of a brutal rape, is found literally cut in half. Though the two murders seem unrelated, a cryptic text from an unknown number draws Bowditch to the scene―and hints at a chilling connection. He believes someone is orchestrating the executions of criminals who escaped justice, and for reasons he can’t explain, his own name is on the list, but the state police aren’t convinced. His search for the truth takes him through frozen harbors, trackless forests, and remote islands, far from rescue.

Meanwhile, Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing that could end his career. His wife Stacey, just weeks from giving birth, is being stalked by a stranger in a white van. And when he realizes someone has also been watching their home, the case turns increasingly personal.

To protect his family, Bowditch must work alone to uncover who’s behind the killings―and stop them before he becomes their next victim.

My Thoughts: The sixteenth book in the Mike Bowditch series spans an event-packed year. The year starts with Mike, currently under investigation, on probation, and busted back to patrol, being the first responder at a house fire. A baby is saved but the man and woman who owned the house die in the fire. Mike learns that they are the Malloys. Husband Brian was accused of the murder of his illegitimate son but not tried because the child hasn't been found. 

A neighbor, who was holding the baby girl when he arrived, claimed to have smelled the smoke and seen the light from the fire. Mike is curious about the fire but is being shut out because he's no longer an investigator. 

Mike and his wife Stacey are awaiting the birth of their first child which is almost keeping him busy enough. He is still curious about the cause of the fire even after the fire investigators claim the cause wasn't suspicious. Then Mike starts to get harassing and threatening phone calls and texts. And he and Stacey both feel like they are being stalked by someone with a white van. 

When another body is found, this one run over by a train, Mike begins to think that someone is out for vigilante justice. Convincing those investigating isn't going well for him especially since he's been suspended with pay for six months and the Ranger services seems to have forgotten about him. 

The story is packed with action. Mike seems to be in danger every other page. Interspersed with all the danger are lovely descriptions of Maine and its wildlife. I enjoyed this one for its action and for its setting. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 22, 2026)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a nice June week. Temperatures were cooler than average which was good for the thousands participating in Grandma's Marathon last Saturday. I felt the need to run the furnace a couple of nights this past week. I also opened doors and windows for fresh air on the nicer days. Looks like we might escape June with no need for our air conditioner this year. 

I had a good reading week. I finally caught up on the Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. I do have the next two in the Meg Langslow series on my review stack though. I also have only one book left before I'm caught up on the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt with the newest also waiting on my review stack. 

I ran into a problem when I finished The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley. I had it on my list as coming out on July 14 only to learn that the release date had been changed to December 8. So, I now have one December review already scheduled. I had a lot of calendar shuffling to do to accommodate this change. 

This issue did have me checking the release dates for all the other books on my review stack which showed that most were still accurate but one had its release date moved up a week. I changed my calendar to reflect the new release date which meant only a slight adjustment of the calendar.

I also added nine more review copies to my stack including two which won't be released until 2027.

This coming week should be a quiet one. I would like to finish all my July review books this week, but I still have seven of them. I might also get to the final backlist audiobook in the Andy Carpenter series. I may choose to listen again to favorites from the Liaden Universe series instead. 

It looks like the temperatures will be in the 60s and low 70s this coming week. Next weekend, both the Rhubarb Festival and the Greek Festival are on the calendar. I hope to get to one or both of them if the weather is good and I feel well. 

Read Last Week

• The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon (Review, July 14) -- Historical murder set in London, 1930. A mystery author joins a club of other mystery authors and then has to solve the murder of the club's president. My review will be posted on July 8.
• Crystal Soldier by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook Reread) -- By internal chronology, the first book in the Liaden Universe.
• Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead (Review, July 14) -- Women's power, revenge and murder mix in this contemporary mystery. My review will be posted on July 9.

• The Lightning Girl by Sam Ripley (Review, December 8) -- Psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator. My review will be posted on December 2.
• Crystal Dragon by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread) -- Second book (by internal chronology) of the Liaden Universe series. 
• If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle (Review, July 21) -- A woman makes a wish and finds herself in a story by her favorite romance author. Problem: the author has decided to write a thriller for her new book. My review will be posted on July 14.

• Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt (Audiobook, Mine since June 5) -- 22nd Andy Carpenter mystery takes him to Maine to defend a man accused of murder. Entertaining and humorous mystery. My review will be posted on July 9.
• Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Review, July 21) -- Second Savvy Summers mystery set on the South Side of Chicago. My review will be posted on July 15,
• The Twelve Jays of Christmas by Donna Andrews (Audiobook, Mine since June 5) -- Another humorous Meg Langslow mystery set at Christmas time. My review will be posted on July 17.

Currently

• Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncello (Review, July 21)
• Fledgling by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Audiobook reread)

Next Week

• Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman (Review, July 21)
• The Seance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (Review, July 28)
• Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst (Review, July 28)

• Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath (Review, July 28)
• Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard (Review, July 28)
• Fossil Feud by Maggie North (Review, July 28)

Reviews Posted

• Death of an Irish Mummy by Catie Murphy (Audiobook)
• A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton (Audiobook)
• An Irish Bookshop Murder by Lucy Connelly (Audiobook)

• A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber (Review copy)
• A Liaden Universe Constellation Volume 6 by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (Mine)
• The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley by Mercedes Lackey (Mine)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle (Review, July 21)
• Homeward for a Spell by Jamie Pacton & Rebecca Podos (Review, August 18)
• Until She Dies by Kendra Elliot (Review, September 8)

• Jay to the World by Donna Andrews (Review, October 13)
• Midnight in the House of Commons by Charles Finch (Review, November 3)
• Bad Company by Sara Paretky (Review, November 10)

• Revenge in a Small Town by Delia Pitts (Review, December 1)
• Scream City by Hannah Morrissey (Review, January 26. 2027)
• Tell Me What You See by Samantha Jayne Allen (Review, March 2, 2027)

Bought:

• Dark Summer by Iris Johansen (Kindle $1.99, Audiobook $4.82)

What was your week like?

Book Review: The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley by Mercedes Lackey

The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 16)
Publication: DAW (January 11, 2022)

Description: The sixteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series follows sharpshooter Annie Oakley as she tours Europe and discovers untapped powers.

Annie Oakley has always suspected there is something "uncanny" about herself, but has never been able to put a name to it. But when Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show goes on tour through Germany, Bill temporarily hires a new sharpshooter to be part of his "World Wide Congress of Rough Riders": a woman named Frida, who also happens to be an Elemental Master of Air. Alongside this new performer, Annie discovers that she and her husband, Frank, are not simply master marksman, but also magicians of rare ability.

As they travel and perform, Annie must use her newfound knowledge and rare skill to combat creatures of the night scattered across the countryside, who threaten both the performers and the locals. Annie's got her gun, and it's filled with silver bullets.

My Thoughts: This Elemental Masters story takes place in Europe - mostly Germany - and follows the adventures of Annie Oakley. Annie is the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. She and her husband Frank are hard-working performers. 

A new performer comes to the troupe with her husband especially to meet with Annie.  Frida and her husband are elemental masters who have recognized Annie's talents as being more than just a very skilled shootist. Frida is an Air Master who is convinced that Annie is one too. She convinces Annie to take training to use her gifts. Annie is skeptical, not because she doesn't believe she has gifts but, because she doesn't want to spend her life hunting and killing monsters.

However, the monsters don't feel the same way. Annie had an encounter with a werewolf when she was a child who cursed her and who has never forgotten about her. Now, he has followed her to Europe and is trying to claim her for his pack. Annie, Frank, Frida and her husband also confront other monsters during the winter season in Germany. Sometimes they have to kill them. Other times, Annie is able to use persuasion to make them stop their evil ways.

This was an entertaining episode in the Elemental Masters series. I liked the setting. I liked the mythology. I liked the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one November 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.