Mini-Reviews: Dials, Misdirected, Mirror

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Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery

At a lively country house party, the young guests mock their friend Gerry Wade for always sleeping late. They decide to play a prank on him, setting up eight alarm clocks in his room to go off early in the morning—but the joke falls flat when Gerry is found dead the next day, ironically from an overdose of sleeping medication. The death is ruled an accident, but when another of the houseguests is killed shortly thereafter, Gerry’s friends begin to suspect murder. The resulting story is a mashup of thriller and farce that includes sensitive political documents, hijinks at a second house party, and the mysterious Seven Dials society. This novel is a fun romp, with a light tone despite the murders, and Christie puts her own unique spin on the “secret society” trope. I enjoyed rereading the book and seeing just how she pulls off the unexpected conclusion. Not a top-tier Christie, but a good read nonetheless!

Lucy Parker, Misdirected

Hattie Murton is an actress with a major role on the popular (and steamy) historical soap “Leicester Square.” Now she has a problem: Her character is about to embark on a passionate romance with the show’s villain, played by the coldly arrogant Anthony Rafe. She’s not eager to simulate love for the man who treats her and everyone else with cynical disdain, so she’s shocked to feel a genuine spark of attraction during their scripted love scenes—and even more shocked to discover that Anthony might feel the same way. Lucy Parker is an autobuy author for me, so I was hoping to love this book, and I did. Hattie is a sweetheart without being insufferably saccharine, and Anthony is a swoonworthy hero who nevertheless retains his hard edges. His indignation at his growing feelings for Hattie is a delight! Definitely recommended for romance fans if you like the premise.

This book is only available on Audible right now, and it’s narrated by Nicola Coughlan (of “Derry Girls” and “Bridgerton” fame) and Gwilym Lee. I never listen to audiobooks, so I don’t have any basis for comparison, but I think both narrators did a good job, especially Lee. It was hard for me to get into the story at first, and occasionally I got confused about who was speaking, but ultimately the format didn’t prevent me from enjoying the book. Though if it’s ever published in paperback, I will definitely pick up a copy!

Kristen Britain, Mirror Sight

This installment of the Green Rider series is somewhat unusual. At the end of the last book, Karigan was spirited away somewhere; in this book, we learn that she’s traveled 168 years into the future. The Sacoridia she knows has vanished, and the land is now ruled by a tyrannical emperor. Technology has advanced, but magic is virtually unknown and the Green Riders are no more. Karigan is determined to get back to her own time and somehow prevent this future from occurring—but what if she can’t find a way home? I was initially biased against this book, fearing it would be a tedious side adventure with no lasting consequences for the series. But I actually found the book a refreshing change of pace, with an interesting steampunk setting and some new characters for Karigan to interact with. That said, it’s still far too long, and it doesn’t affect the series arc in any real way. My enthusiasm for this series is waning, honestly, but I’m still invested enough that I plan to continue for now.

Mini-Reviews: Love, Wagering, Demon

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Molly Clavering, Love Comes Home

Jane Cranstoun is having a wonderful time visiting friends in England and has just become secretly engaged to handsome naval officer John Marsh. But now she’s summoned back to Scotland to welcome her younger sister, Love, home from finishing school. Though only 18, Love has very definite opinions and plans for the future – plans that include marrying Jane off to their new neighbor, Peregrine Gilbert, much to Jane’s dismay. The ensuing romantic tangle causes a fair amount of turmoil, but it all turns out right in the end. This was my first book by Molly Clavering, but it won’t be my last; if you like the kinds of books published by Virago, Persephone, etc., you’ll like this one too. I must admit, the plot didn’t go where I was expecting it to, and I wasn’t thrilled about some developments. But overall I found this a pleasant, gentle, and occasionally quite funny read.

Eva Shepherd, Wagering on the Wallflower

Lady Hazel Springfield is a socially awkward bluestocking. Now in her fifth Season, she knows she’s unlikely ever to marry, unless some old and/or impoverished man wants her for her dowry. Enter Lucas Darkwood, an incredibly rich and handsome man with a passion for horse racing and breeding. To win an acquaintance’s exceptional broodmare, he makes a bet that he can find Hazel a beau before the Season is over. To make her seem more attractive to other men, he starts paying attention to her himself, only to find that he’s gotten more than he bargained for. I liked the “She’s All That” premise of this romance, but overall the book is just okay. Hazel and Lucas are nice, but they’re pretty flat stock characters, and I never really got invested in their romance. Oddly, I found Hazel’s siblings more interesting, and I think her two sisters each have their own book…but I’m not sure I care enough to seek them out.

Lois McMaster Bujold, Penric’s Demon

Penric kin Jurald, the younger son of a minor noble, is about to finalize his betrothal to a rich merchant’s daughter when fate takes a hand and changes the course of his life. When he encounters a dying woman on the road, he stops to help and ends up acquiring her demon—which means he’s now a sorcerer, albeit an untrained one, able to do magic. Now Penric is suddenly a person of interest to both the local Temple and certain secular powers, who all have different agendas for the demon’s (and therefore Penric’s) future. I really enjoyed this novella, which introduces new characters to the Five Gods universe, where the Chalion books are also set. The plot is simple yet effective, and Penric and his demon, a.k.a. Desdemona, are great characters whom I’m excited to follow in future installments of the series. Another winner from Bujold!

Mini-Reviews: Lake, Simple, Beg

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John Bude, The Lake District Murder

At an isolated garage in the Lake District, a man is found dead inside a car, with an apparatus indicating that he deliberately killed himself by asphyxiation. But Inspector Meredith notices a few things that aren’t consistent with suicide and soon comes to believe the man was murdered. As Meredith investigates, he also uncovers shady business dealings at the garage and searches for the connection between them and the murder. I love a good Golden Age mystery, but this one was often frustrating for me. The plot doesn’t really present a puzzle for readers to solve; rather, the story plods along with what feels like a minute-by-minute account of Meredith’s investigation. I think Bude was trying to make the point that detective work is often dull routine, not dramatic and glamorous—but that doesn’t make it fun to read about the dull routine! Overall, fans of police procedurals might enjoy this one more than I did, but I found it a slog.

Pamela Morsi, Simple Jess

Althea Winsloe is a young widow with a three-year-old son and a good farm property. Her small, tight-knit community is pressuring her to marry again, but she has no desire to give up her freedom or her farm. Still, she needs a man to help her work the land, so she hires Jesse Best, known to everyone as “Simple Jess” because he has an intellectual disability. As Althea gets to know Jesse, she realizes that despite his limitations, he’s very knowledgeable about farming and hunting – as well as being kind, loyal, and handsome. I think this is a book that might be polarizing; Morsi boldly chooses to tell some of the story from Jesse’s POV, and while I think she portrays him with sensitivity and kindness, it’s certainly a fine line to walk. I was rooting for him from the start, and I also liked the various secondary characters who populate Althea and Jesse’s community. Overall, I really liked this one and appreciated the unique premise, but I don’t think it’s a book for everyone.

Sarah Adams, Beg, Borrow, or Steal

This is Adams’s third book set in Rome, Kentucky, and the heroine is the oldest Walker sister, Emily. She’s the one who (seemingly) has it all together, who helps her family with terrifying competence and no hesitation. But lately she’s been feeling lonely and dissatisfied—that is, until her longtime nemesis, Jack Bennett, moves back to town. Emily and Jack have always argued, but now their fights are feeling more flirty than genuinely aggressive. They’ll have to overcome some baggage, however, before they can move past their bickering and truly trust each other. I enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope and think this book does it well. I’m also a fan of prickly heroines who are outwardly competent but inwardly struggling, so Emily particularly appealed to me. Toward the end, I think things got a bit too syrupy-sweet (all the men in this series are annoyingly perfect), but I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the next one when it comes out!

Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors in 2024

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This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic asks me to list my top 10 new-to-me authors in 2024. I was only able to come up with eight, and I think that’s because I was not in a particularly adventurous reading headspace last year. Instead, I gravitated to familiar authors and deliberately focused a lot on series and rereads. Still, I’m excited to have found these eight authors and am eager to try more from them!

1. Delano Ames — After really enjoying the witty narrative style of She Shall Have Murder, I can’t wait to read more of the Jane and Dagobert Brown series!

2. Sheila Simonson — I’m always on the hunt for well-written, steamless historical romance authors, so I was delighted to discover Simonson via Lady Elizabeth’s Comet. I’ve already read the sequel, which I didn’t love quite as much, but I’m happy that I still have one more of her books (A Cousinly Connexion) on my shelves to try.

3. Christianna Brand — I love a good Golden Age mystery novel, and Green for Danger combines a clever plot with a vivid wartime setting and well-drawn characters. I’ll definitely be seeking out more by Brand!

4. Kirsty Greenwood — A friend gave me The Love of My Afterlife for my birthday last year, and I really enjoyed it! This was Greenwood’s first traditionally published novel, but apparently she’s also self-published a few, so I will have to dive into her backlist!

5. Cornell Woolrich — Noir isn’t normally my genre, but I really liked The Bride Wore Black, a stylish thriller in which everything is resolved in the end, but nobody gets what they want. Not cheerful reading, but compelling nonetheless.

6. Sally Nicholls — I was totally charmed by Yours from the Tower, an epistolary novel following three young women in the 19th century who pursue their purpose and find love. I really need to try something else by Nicholls, though so far the plot synopses of her other books haven’t really grabbed me.

7. Charlotte Stein — I liked When Grumpy Met Sunshine so much more than I was expecting to! Alfie Harding, the grumpy half of the title, is a unique hero with a hilarious voice, and he more than made up for my complaints about the book (too much steam, too many one-sentence paragraphs). I’ve already got Stein’s next novel, My Big Fat Fake Marriage (coming out in March), on my TBR list!

8. Jill Bearup — Just Stab Me Now was another unexpected delight that gleefully skewers fantasy romance tropes even while embracing the genre. I’m not sure if Bearup is planning to write more, but I really hope she does because I will read it!

Mini-Reviews: Miles, Plot, Country

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Jenny Colgan, 500 Miles from You

Lissa and Cormac are both home care nurses, she in London and he in the tiny town of Kirrinfief, Scotland. When Lissa is traumatized by an on-the-job tragedy, her boss forces her into a swap: She’ll go to Kirrinfief for three months, where she’ll theoretically have enough peace and quiet to begin healing, and Cormac will take her place in London. At first, both Lissa and Cormac have trouble adjusting to their new surroundings, but gradually they grow and change in unexpected ways. I’ve read a few books by Colgan and found them sweet, uplifting comfort reads. This book definitely has more darkness in it: Lissa’s trauma is described in detail, and many of the patients she and Cormac treat suffer horribly. But the novel retains a gentle feel and warm sense of community, especially in Kirrinfief. Scottish life is a bit too idealized, and the novel seemed to end rather abruptly, but I did enjoy it overall and will continue to read more by Colgan.

Genevieve Cogman, The Lost Plot

In this fourth installment of the Invisible Library series, Irene and Kai are unwillingly roped into political intrigue among the dragons, which puts the Library’s careful neutrality between dragons and Fae in jeopardy. To protect the Library, Irene and Kai travel to an alternate version of Prohibition-era New York City, where they have to evade mobsters and police as well as dragons. This fourth installment of the Invisible Library series is a fun read, consistent with previous books in the series. I enjoyed the new setting with its gangsters and speakeasies, and Irene continues to subtly grow and change as she realizes the Library isn’t always her highest priority. I missed Vale in this book, but it looks like he’ll be more prominent in book 5, which I plan to read next month.

Fiona Hill, The Country Gentleman

Anne Guilfoyle is celebrated as one of the cleverest ladies in London, and she relishes her position and status. But when her fortune is lost due to a bad investment, she’s forced to move to a country manor she’s inherited from a distant relative—and by the terms of the will, she must reside there for 10 months every year. Anne resents the change in her circumstances and views her country neighbors—especially the owner of the closest estate, Henry Highet—as ignorant bumpkins. But as she acclimates to her new life, she grows to appreciate country living, and Highet, more. I’m always on the hunt for well-written, steamless historical romances, and this one definitely fits the bill! Anne is somewhat hard to like at first, as she’s very condescending, but she grows sufficiently throughout the book. I also really liked Anne’s companion and the secondary love story featuring her. Overall, this was a very pleasant surprise, and I’m eager to try more by Fiona Hill.

Mini-Reviews: Blackveil, Scales, Claws

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Kristen Britain, Blackveil

For centuries, a magical wall has protected Sacoridia from the forest of Blackveil, which was originally an Eletian kingdom but was tainted long ago by the evil sorcerer Mornhavon the Black. Now the wall has been breached, and a group of combined Eletians and Sacoridians, including Karigan, is sent inside the forest to discover whether anything good remains. But there are tensions among this group, and they are not the only ones who’ve entered Blackveil. I’m continuing to enjoy this series, though the books are very long and slow-moving – the group going to Blackveil doesn’t actually get there until more than halfway through! But I like that the series doesn’t forget about any plot threads, following up with many characters as they deal with magical destinies, court intrigues, and so on. Things are left very much unresolved at the end of this book (as in, there’s a bona fide cliffhanger), so I will certainly be continuing with the next one!

Stephanie Burgis, Scales and Sensibility

Elinor Tregarth is a “poor relation,” used to being despised and tormented by her spoiled cousin Penelope. But after one particularly awful day, Elinor has had enough and decides to leave her cousin’s home for good—taking Penelope’s dragon with her. (In this world, dragons are fashionable pets, small enough to perch on a lady’s shoulder.) As she decides owhat to do next, Elinor wishes she were as confident and poised as Mrs. De Lacey, one of society’s leading ladies. To her surprise, the dragon has the magical ability to make her look like Mrs. De Lacey—which gives Elinor the confidence to right some wrongs and even find romance. I love a good “magical Regency” novel, and this one is charming. It’s essentially a (steamless) Regency romance, with the fun addition of some dragon lore. I’m not sure the plot would stand up to rigorous scrutiny, but if you’re happy to go along for the ride, there’s plenty to enjoy here.

Stephanie Burgis, Claws and Contrivances

This sequel to Scales and Sensibility features Elinor’s sister, Rose, who has been living with a ramshackle but loving set of distant relations. When Rose discovers a dragon in the buttery, she assumes it must belong to her relatives’ neighbor, Sir Gareth. On her way to return the dragon, she encounters Cornelius Aubrey, an absentminded scholar hoping to consult with Rose’s uncle on some aspects of dragon lore. He convinces Rose not to surrender the dragon to Sir Gareth, and for plot reasons they must pretend to be betrothed. As they uncover a dastardly scheme involving the mistreatment of dragons, Rose finds herself increasingly attracted to her fake fiancé. This is another charming Regency romance with magical elements. I really enjoyed the interplay between Rose’s well-meaning bossiness and Aubrey’s obliviousness. The romance is sweet, the secondary characters are fun, and justice is served in the end. I believe there will be another book in this series at some point, featuring the third Tregarth sister, and I definitely plan to pick it up!

Mini-Reviews: Christmas, Paupers, Garden

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Rupert Latimer, Murder after Christmas

A Christmas house party turns deadly when the guest of honor, Sir Willoughby Keene-Cotton, is found dead on Boxing Day. Uncle Willie was very rich, so plenty of people had a motive to kill him—except that, based on the specific legal circumstances surrounding his demise, it was unclear who would inherit his fortune. Similarly, he died by poisoning—but apparently nothing he ate in the hours before his death could have contained the poison. The increasingly bewildered police must sift through piles of red herrings before they can even verify that a murder has been committed, let alone by whom. This breezy vintage mystery multiplies motives and clues so that it’s nearly impossible to separate the important information from the surrounding camouflage. And that’s what makes it such a fun read—that, and the whimsical characters who needlessly obstruct the investigation. I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it as a good vintage holiday read.

Sheri Cobb South, Of Paupers and Peers

James Weatherly, a poor village curate, is shocked when a London solicitor informs him that he’s the new Duke of Montford. He travels to Montford immediately to claim his title, only to be attacked by thieves and lose his memory in the process. Miss Margaret Darrington finds him at the side of the road and assumes he’s Mr. Fanshawe, the tutor she hired for her teenage brother. James has no reason to doubt her identification and takes up his new tutorial position. But complications ensue when James seems smitten by Margaret’s beautiful sister, Amanda, who must marry a wealthy man — and when Margaret begins to fall for James herself. This is a sweet and steamless Regency romance that I very much enjoyed, despite the fact that it’s not particularly original. I liked that, while there are various moments of mistaken identity, they’re not drawn out too long and are solved promptly with intelligent communication. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of traditional Regencies, and I’ll seek out more by Sheri Cobb South.

Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells

In the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, magic is an understood and largely unspoken fact of life. Everyone knows, for instance, that the Waverley family’s garden produces plants that can influence your mood, and that if you eat the apples from their tree, you’ll have a vision of the biggest event in your life. Claire Waverley has embraced her family’s legacy and uses the magic plants in her catering business, while her estranged sister, Sydney, never liked being a Waverley and couldn’t wait to leave town. But when Sydney unexpectedly returns with a five-year-old daughter in tow, Claire’s carefully cultivated life begins to change. I really enjoy Allen’s books, which are tales of family, romance, and female friendship overlaid with a patina of magic. Claire and Sydney’s relationship is the heart of this novel, and I loved how they slowly grew closer despite years of misunderstandings. Recommended if you like books about small towns and the bonds between women.

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated New Releases

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One of my goals this year is to actually do the Top Ten Tuesday lists on a more regular basis! And this week’s topic is a great one to start with: the most anticipated releases of the first half of 2025. I actually have 11 releases to talk about, and I’m really excited for all of them!

1. Mary Balogh, Remember When (January 7) — I haven’t been terribly impressed with Balogh’s latest series thus far, but I continue to live in hope that her next book will be the one I love! This one features mature protagonists and a class divide, and I’m interested to see how it will compare to the previous installments.

2. Loretta Chase, My Inconvenient Duke (January 21) — I’ve been impatiently waiting for this last book in the Difficult Dukes series for ages! Chase is a reliably great read, and I have high hopes for this marriage-in-trouble story, about which we got some tantalizing hints in the previous two books.

3. Charlotte Stein, My Big Fat Fake Marriage (March 11) — I was so impressed with When Grumpy Met Sunshine that I’ve been dying to try something else by Stein. I know she’s got a long backlist, but I’m most excited for her new rom-com, which looks like it’s going to feature a fake relationship (one of my favorite tropes!).

4. Beth O’Leary, Swept Away (April 1) — New Beth O’Leary! I haven’t loved all her books, but her most recent rom-com, The Wake-Up Call, was excellent and has gotten me excited about her upcoming release, even though the premise (two people have a one-night stand and are then stuck together when their boat washes out to sea) isn’t particularly appealing to me.

5. Emily Henry, Great Big Beautiful Life (April 22) — I’m definitely on the Emily Henry train, and even though I have no idea what this book is about, it’s going on my library hold list immediately!

6. Katherine Center, The Love Haters (May 20) — Katherine Center is another author I consistently enjoy, and I’m especially optimistic after liking her 2024 release, The Rom-Commers, so much.

7. Mimi Matthews, Rules for Ruin (May 20) — Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite historical romance authors; her books are well written, romantic, and steamless. This book is the first in a new series that looks like it might be going in a slightly new direction for her, so I’m intrigued to see how it goes!

8. Maggie Stiefvater, The Listeners (June 3) — Um, excuse me, Maggie Stiefvater is writing an adult novel? Set during World War II? I need this in my eyeballs immediately! I have already preordered this one — you can get a signed and personalized copy from One More Page Books!

9. Ashley Weaver, One Final Turn (June 3) — I have really been enjoying this series of WWII mysteries, and it looks like this new book will be the final installment. I’m hoping for a resolution to the series-long arc involving Ellie’s parents, as well as a happy ending for the romance!

10. Ally Carter, The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold (June 12) — I really loved Carter’s The Blonde Identity, which was a sheer delight of a spy rom-com. That book teased a future romance featuring Zoe’s sister, Alex, and it looks like this is it! Although I’m now seeing conflicting release dates, and maybe this one won’t be out till August. Luckily I have a bonus pick…

11. Connie Willis, The Spanner in the Works (June 19) — Willis is an auto-buy author for me, so obviously I’m going to snap this one up as soon as it comes out. Goodreads gives the pub date as June 19, though I suspect that may not be completely set in stone. Nonetheless, I’m keeping an eagle eye out for this one!

Best Reads of 2024

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With the new year beginning, I wanted to make sure I hit the highlights of last year and share my favorite books read (though not necessarily published) in 2024. The list doesn’t include rereads — if it did, it would be far too long to post here! So without further ado, here are my top 10 reads of 2024, in the order in which I read them:

1. T. Kingfisher, Swordheart – A hilarious, lighthearted fantasy novel about kind people being kind to each other, with a delightful romance at its center.

2. Laura Kinsale, My Sweet Folly – Despite the high levels of angst and melodrama in this historical romance, I loved it for the cheerful, pragmatic heroine.

3. Lynn Painter, Happily Never After – This is Painter’s best rom-com yet, with fabulous banter and characters who, in addition to having mutual attraction and chemistry, genuinely like one another.

4. Kate Clayborn, The Other Side of Disappearing – This intense contemporary romance deals with true crime and podcasting, neither of which I particularly care about. But I still loved the book for the compelling female protagonist and the development of the romance. Clayborn has yet to disappoint me!

5. Kaliane Bradley, The Ministry of Time – This combined romance/time travel thriller has excellent humor and beautiful writing. Commander Gore is a particular delight, as are the other time travelers from various historical periods.

6. Sheila Simonson, Lady Elizabeth’s Comet – This Regency romance actually feels authentic to the period, despite the heroine’s unusual interest in astronomy, and I loved both the romance itself and the book’s first-person narration from the heroine’s point of view.

7. Christianna Brand, Green for Danger – A vintage mystery with all the classic elements – an intricate plot, a closed circle of suspects, and so on – but elevated by the nuanced, realistic characters.

8. Ben Macintyre, Agent Sonya: The Spy Next Door – A stranger-than-fiction biography of a Soviet spy whose work took her all over the world. Macintyre weaves in plenty of history to give context to her actions and also paints a vivid picture of her personal life.

9. T. Kingfisher, A Sorceress Comes to Call – I had to put Kingfisher on the list twice; she’s just so good! This novel is her dark-fantasy take on a Regency romance, wherein an evil sorceress is defeated by her terrified 12-year-old daughter and the 50-something sister of the man she’s trying to ensnare.

10. Katherine Arden, The Warm Hands of Ghosts – A beautifully written and emotionally harrowing World War I tale that examines the nature of evil. It’s a tough read, but there’s just enough hope to carry you through the darkness.