James S.A. Corey, Leviathan Wakes

Sometime in the future, humanity has colonized much of the solar system. Mars is thriving, with a society and military to rival Earth’s, and hardscrabble colonies have spread on asteroids throughout the Belt. A fragile peace exists between the wealthier residents of the inner planets and the often dirt-poor Belters—that is, until Jim Holden’s Belter ship, the Canterbury, is destroyed by what appears to be Martian sabotage. Now Jim and his crew are on the run, Mars and the Belt are at war, and the entire solar system is a powder keg. Throw in a mysterious disease, a down-on-his-luck cop, and a missing girl, and the stage is set for catastrophe. This novel is straightforward space opera, and it’s a lot of fun. The world-building is fascinating; I liked the authors’ take on how society (and biology) might evolve in space. There’s plenty of action, characters to root for, and a suspenseful plot. The series is long and the books are thick, but I am somewhat tempted to continue since I really enjoyed this one!

L.C. Tyler, Ten Little Herrings

At the end of The Herring-Seller’s Apprentice, mystery writer Ethelred Tressider has disappeared. At the beginning of this book, his busybody agent, Elsie Thikettle, has tracked him down. He’s in the Loire Valley, in a rundown hotel that is currently occupied by a conference of stamp enthusiasts. Rumors are swirling about a rare Danish stamp that might appear at the conference, but that excitement is superseded by two murders that occur in the hotel. Elsie is determined to solve the crimes, but Ethelred seems to have other priorities. This is a fun little book that relies quite a bit on Elsie’s quirky voice and unreliable narration. I laughed at her but also pitied her, and I found both her and Ethelred pretty unlikable. As a result, I won’t continue with the series, even though it’s often quite funny and plays with some Golden Age tropes in an entertaining way. I just don’t think I need any more of this, and that’s fine—frankly, it’s a relief not to fall in love with another series!

Mimi Matthews, Miss Beresford and the Beast

Charlotte Beresford is visiting a school friend in Yorkshire, where she’s warned that the local estate and the earl who owns it are cursed. Despite her adventurous spirit, Charlotte dutifully avoids Moorcross Manor—until one day she takes a wrong turn and follows an injured dog directly to the crumbling estate. She falls and injures her head while on the grounds, forcing the reclusive earl to care for her until she recovers. Meanwhile, the earl, Magnus Sterling, finds himself unwillingly drawn to Charlotte, but his scandalous past prohibits any relationship between them. I always enjoy Mimi Matthews’ books, and this is no exception. I really loved the first half in particular, as Charlotte and Magnus slowly get to know one another. There’s a lot of top-notch yearning, especially from Magnus, plus many fun allusions to Beauty and the Beast. The second half is a bit anticlimactic by comparison; once they realize their feelings for one another, the external obstacles are easy to overcome. Nonetheless, if Matthews writes more “Daughters of Somerset” books (this one is billed as the first in a new series), I’ll gladly read them.