Murder on the Cornish Train - Cornish Murder Mysteries #1

 

Murder on the Cornish Train is the first book in a mystery series by J.M. Hall. Released 28th May 2026 by Hachette on their Hodder & Stoughton imprint, it's 384 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

Despite the cover, and blurb, and vibe, and marketing, this isn't a cozy, it isn't a historical mystery, and there's no murder/death until past the halfway point. There is a fair bit of philosophizing and rumination about the nature of grief, and life, and general *stuff*. The plot is character driven, and the cast is quite diverse, and generally interesting, but cozy mystery fans looking for a closed suspect group and Poirot gathering everyone in the dining car for the denouement are going to be sorely disappointed. 

Three and a half stars. There is currently no available publishing info for book 2. It would maybe be a good choice for a reading challenge/buddy read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.    

Slayers of Old

 

Slayers of Old is a funny standalone fantasy by Jim C. Hines. Released 21st Oct 2025 by Penguin Random House on their DAW imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out from the same publisher in Sept 2026. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

Retired "chosen ones" come out of retirement to save the world. Again. It's really a fun romp and the characters are appealing and well written. There are humorous bits which surprise a chuckle (in a good way), and the story narrative is well constructed and engineered with a very satisfying denouement and resolution. It's surprising how much solid philosophical food for thought the author has managed to sneak in without ever once resorting to being strident or preachy. 

Four stars; it would be a good choice for public or home library acquisition. It would also make a  good buddy or SF/F book club selection. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Murder in the Winter Woods - Julia Bird Mysteries #8

 

Murder in the Winter Woodsis the eighth Julia Bird village cozy mystery by Katie Gayle. Released 25th Sept 2025, it's 2564 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU. 

This is such an engaging modern village cozy with a genuinely appealing female amateur sleuth who's in her late middle age, intelligent and earnest and generally well meaning. Despite a long career in social services in London, she maintains a mostly positive outlook on life. Having acquired a cozy cottage in a cozy village in the Cotswolds, she's built a life around her new life with fulfilling relationships, love, and a support network. The unexpected violent death of a local man (which she and her partner discover on a winter walk) once again draws her into amateur sleuth mode.

The author has a deft touch with humour, and the characters are well rendered and (mostly) believable within the allowable framework of the genre. The dialogue flows well and freely, without awkwardness or unnatural/stilted language. The usual small town eccentric characters are present and the plot moves along at a good pace.

Instead of the usual trope-y antagonistic and incompetent local police force, protagonist Julia has an unexpected ally in the form of young DI Hayley Gibson. They strike up a surprisingly good cooperation to solve the mysteries.

The main mystery is self contained in this volume, so it works well as a standalone. There are currently eight books extant in the series making it a good candidate for a long weekend binge read or buddy read. Genuinely well written and fun to read.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

How My Fake Alien Boyfriend Learned to Cook and Saved the Family Business

 

How My Fake Alien Boyfriend Learned to Cook and Saved the Family Business is a fun light NA SF/romance  by Lacey Hawthorne. Due out 31st Aug 2026, it's 290 pages and will be available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is a cute romance with a lot of heart and a fun storyline, mostly told in alternating PoV between the two main characters, Kal, an alien undercover on Earth (through a series of embarrassing workplace mishaps), and Lola, a human living in Appalachia trying her best to save her family's restaurant. 

There's no spice (which, given that one of the MCs is an actual tentacle-waving alien is probably a good thing), and the language is relatively clean (a few f-bombs, but nothing worse). It's perfectly safe for reading on the bus or work-breaks. 

Both characters are flawed, three dimensional, very sweet in their own ways, and, well, human. 

Four and a half stars, extra stars for fans of light romance and interspecies romance (without spice). 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Juneteenth - Holiday Fun

 

Juneteenth is a volume in the Holiday Fun series by Kim Thompson. Released 30th July 2026 by Rosen Publishing on their Norwood House imprint, it's 24 pages and is available in paperback, ebook, and library binding formats. 

This is a colorful easy to read book for the youngest (kindergarten-primary school age) with a simple age appropriate introduction to the holiday and how it came to be and why. Included in the book are highlighted words and important concepts as well as a short question and answer list and glossary in the back of the book. 

The series also includes holidays from numerous cultures such as Holi, Thanksgiving, Earth Day, and others. 

Five stars. It would make an excellent choice for public, classroom, or home library acquisition, or for gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.     

I Want to Be a Scientist

 

I Want to Be a Scientist is a cute illustrated book for kids exploring some of the possible careers for scientists written by Štěpánka Sekaninová, and illustrated by Honza Smolik. Released 10th March 2026 by Albatros Media, it's 56 pages and is available in hardcover format. 

The perennial question "what do you want to do when you grow up" never stops... and kids are naturally curious and imaginative. This is a fun book, with lots of science career options, explained in easy to understand language and accompanied by fun colorful illustrations. 

Each of the specializations gets its own chapter. They range from anthropologist to UFOlogist (interesting and objective description on the part of the author). Each of the specializations gets a 2 page spread with info about what they do, how they study, what some of their experiments are like, and other interesting facts. 

The back of the book includes some general study questions (with answers) for discussion and self-testing. There's no bibliography or chapter notes included. 

Four and a half stars. This would be an excellent choice for public, classroom, or home library acquisition. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.    

The Best Selling Betrayal

 

The Best Selling Betrayal is a quick, engaging, revenge short story by pseudonymous author Reese Ruthers. Released 7th Aug 2026, it's 67 pages and is available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

This is almost certainly mostly AI generated content. The author has no online presence, it's self published (which absolutely isn't a bad thing, but), it's repetitive in phrase and narrative, and in 67 pages, the author manages to refer to her ex-husband's mistress as a whale 15 times. It's crass but potentially entertaining. The protagonist (dumped by her weasel of a husband after 20some years of sacrifice and commitment at her 50th birthday party) gets even and takes him to the cleaners with the help of her best friend and gallons of prosecco. It's revenge-y, mean girls-ish, and mildly entertaining. 

A run through an AI detector gives a probability score of 5% human, 95% AI. (Don't trust AI detectors on IMPORTANT things.. but this one is pretty egregious). The fat shaming was really bad and unnecessary (even for the weasel's nasty petty mistress), the method of revenge legally -very- sketchy (don't try this in real life, kids), and the denouement and resolution were kinda meta/story-in-a-story inception style.  It's short and readable though. 

There is -no- publishing info, no retail availability, and no author presence. It does read like a writing group exercise. 

Three stars. Mildly readable and very short. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Queen Bee and the Murder of Bugsy Siegel

 

Queen Bee and the Murder of Bugsy Siegel is a well written true crime monograph about the post-WW2 organized crime factions in the USA, especially Bugsy Siegel in Las Vegas written and annotated by Stuart Sobel. Released 16th April 2026 by Blackstone Publishing. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. Audiobook format due out in August from the same publisher.

This is an interesting and well written recollection around the murder of Bugsy Siegel, the dynamics of his family and associates, and much of the background climate in the heyday of Las Vegas of the postwar years. As a work of nonfiction, it's readable and worthwhile. The author is adept at bringing the various players to life. 

It's written in a narrative style, in everyday layman English, and isn't broken up with annotations. There are no chapter notes. The author/publisher have included a bibliography with links which will provide readers with further resources. 

Four stars, not an academic work, but readable and interesting. Worth a look. No illustrations or facsimile documents/news available in the media review copy. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Murder at the Duomo - Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries #14

 

Murder at the Duomo is the 14th Armstrong and Oscar cozy destination procedural mystery by T.A. Williams. Released 2nd Feb 2026 by Boldwood, it's 240 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The other books in the series are also currently available on KU. 

This is a beautifully descriptive and well written destination mystery set in Tuscany. Expat former policeman Dan Armstrong and his trusty canine sidekick Oscar are again drawn into an investigation, in an odd/impossible murder set in a world famous church and in the lavish villa of an international arms dealer. 

The plotting is solid and the dialogue and characterizations are three dimensional and believable. The mystery, denouement, and resolution are self contained in this volume, so it works well enough as a standalone, but the writing is so well planned and executed, that it would make an excellent long binge or buddy read. It would also fit really well in a longer term project for a mystery book club "destination mystery" type project. The overall quality of the entire series remains entertaining and engaging throughout. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 6 hours 26 minutes and is capably read by series narrator Simon Mattacks. He has a beautifully modulated classically trained light baritone voice and does a great job of delineating a range of characters of both sexes and a number of regional accents (including amongst others, German, American, and several Italian), shifting quickly and flawlessly. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

It's not derivative at all, but it calls to mind in a lot of good ways, Leon's exceptional Brunetti books as well as Walker's lovely Bruno, chief of police books. Fans of those authors will find a lot to enjoy here.

Four stars. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

 

Grandpas, Piranhas, and Other Stories

 

Grandpas, Piranhas, and Other Stories is an adorable picture book written and illustrated by Rocío Bonilla. Released 10th March 2026 by Albatros Media, it's 48 pages and is available in hardcover format. Spanish language edition also available from the same publisher. 

Nico and his grandpa Rodrigo have a special bond and get to have lots of fun adventures together, tell stories, build blanket forts, and help each other with challenges like math homework and cell phones. This is a cute book with lots of imagination and heart. The illustrations are full of small details, beautifully colored, and support the story nicely. 

The text is simple and easy to read. 

Four and a half stars. It would be an excellent choice for public, school, or home library acquisition. All content is age appropriate (ca 3-6 years, Lexile 730L). Fun and imaginative. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.   

The Dentist - The DS Cross Mysteries #1

 

The Dentist is the first book in Tim Sullivan's series featuring DS. George Cross. First published in 2020, this reformat and re-release from Grove Atlantic on their Crime imprint was released 21st Oct 2025. It's 384 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. 

This is an exceptionally engaging and well engineered book from a scriptwriter/author who is gifted at scene-setting and characterization. The plot is intricate and the cold-case and current crime (both murders in the same family with a 15 year gap), intertwine inexorably. 

MC George Cross is a detective sergeant in the Met and his meticulously logical (neurodivergent) personality and method help him to see connections many of his neurotypical colleagues miss. There were lapses in protocol with the cold case murder and he is soon involved in working the case from both ends. 

The denouement and resolution were well crafted in a solidly readable whole. Potential content warnings for language, violence (it's graphic in places), and potentially less-than-stellar depictions of Asperger's syndrome. 

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public or home library acquisition, or potentially a long binge/buddy read. There are 8 novels plus some shorter works extant at the current moment. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

A Streetcar Named Shenanigans

 

A Streetcar Named Shenanigans is a fun light series crossover novella by Rob Byrnes and J.M. Redmann. Due out 11th Aug. 2026 from Bold Strokes, it's 109 pages and will be available in ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. 

Both series authors have long running series (3 and 12 books), and this fun novella sees tough PI Micky Knight crossing paths with gay conmen Grant & Chase, battling corrupt hypocrite mega-church, corrupt politicians, living it up in New Orleans, and diverting crypto-funds to keep the money from funding anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. 

It's quite over the top, and there is a lot of silliness, and pratfall humor, but the denouement and resolution are funny and satisfying, and even though (like most crossovers) it's a zero-sum ending, it's fun to see uptight Micky loosen up and live a little.

Content warnings for strong language (lots of "f-bombs"), and some comedic nudity/humiliation. 

Four stars. A fun short romp. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Fancy Dogs

 

Fancy Dogs is a very cute illustrated story for the youngest readers by Tini Malina. Originally released in German, this English language translation from NorthSouth Books is 48 pages, fully illustrated, and available in hardcover format. Publishing date 6th Oct 2026 from NorthSouth Books. 

The art is simple and effective, full of movement and detail. Fancy dogs are fancy of course, but they're also -dogs- and this little book, full of fancy dogs doing doggish things is funny and so appealing. The text is simple and partly written in free-flowing rhyming couplets full of simple words and accompanying illustrations.

The translation work, by Tammi Reichel is seamless, and scans very well and doesn't read as though it has been translated. 

Four and a half stars. It would be an excellent choice for public or home library acquisition, classroom use, or story circle. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

Making History

 

Making History is an ascerbically funny, cynical, dark academia novella by Tom Holt, writing pseudonymously as K.J. Parker. Released 2nd Sept. 2025 by Macmillan on their Tor/Forge imprint, it's 128 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. 

For fans of the author, who are familiar with his biting humor and juxtaposing horrifying elements into absurdist comedy, this is more of the same. This time, a bunch of hapless academics who would much rather be studying dead languages and military history, get sucked into a warlord's plot to change the past as an excuse to start a war. It all predictably goes belly-up, spectacularly. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 3 hours 5 minutes and is well read by Ian Bedford. He has a gravelly well modulated professionally trained baritone in this read and does a good job with a large cast of disparate characters across a range of ages, both male and female. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read. 

For readers who enjoy linguistics (word nerds), for fans of Holt/Parker's other works, especially the Saevus Corax trilogy, and folks who enjoy absurdist humor (Dungeon Crawler Carl, et. al.). 

Four stars. Funny, sharp, sarcastic, and jaded. It would be a good choice for public or home library acquisition. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

Don Troiani's Civil War Uniforms of Union and Confederate Soldiers

 

Don Troiani's Civil War Uniforms is a volume in the meticulous and comprehensive art series about the American Civil war illustrated by Don Troiani, with documentation and comments by Ron Field. Released 19th May 2026 by Globe Pequot on their Stackpole imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in softcover and ebook formats.  It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

It's beautifully illustrated with realistic detailing. The informative captions by Mr. Field are concise and educational, giving interesting background and history, naming conventions, and other info. Although not a strictly academic text, it's perfectly readable and layman accessible, it is very well annotated throughout, and the chapter notes are a rich resource for further reading. 

It's a niche book, but quite engaging, and would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, for fans of history, as source inspiration for historical re-enactors, authors, costumers, theatre folks, and similar. 

Five stars. Complete and (as far as possible to ascertain) deeply researched and correct. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.    

Murder Like Clockwork - Audrey and Lewis #2

 

Murder Like Clockwork is the second (standalone) book in a cozy British crime series by Nicola Whyte. Released 12th May 2026 by Hachette on their Union Square & Co imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.  It's worth noting that the ebook & audio formats have a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is a light, very well engineered, engaging standalone mystery set in London and with an ensemble cast of characters, most of whom live facing in and around a courtyard with homes surrounding it. They're varied, and the titular series main characters are a professional high-end cleaner and a probably slightly neurodivergent, neurotic crime writer. 

It's got such a charmingly Christie-esque setup (stately home, disappearing corpse/crime scene, background machinations, stratospherically wealthy people doing wealthy-people-stuff, some absurdist comedy, a crashing denouement and satisfying resolution, and a foreshadowing for the next book(s)), that it was a lovely light interlude. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 31 minutes and is beautifully read by series narrator Nneka Okoye. She has a well modulated professionally trained alto voice and in this read, does an impressively wide range of accents, and characters across a range of ages and both male and female. The international accents, especially Russian, are more "sketched in/implied" than accurate and present no difficulty in comprehension at all. Much of the dialogue is rapid and she manages the character shifts without problems or hitches. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Although it's the second book in the series, necessary backstory is written in, so it works perfectly well as a standalone. 

Four stars, high quality, classic cozy crime (even a bit of an espionage element). It would be an excellent binge/buddy read, or for public or home library acquisition. Clean language and no sexual content. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

Feeding Tiny Bellies: School Lunches: Over 100 Lunch Boxes and Snacks for Kids

 

Feeding Tiny Bellies is a well organized and graphically appealing tutorial guide with recipes on planning, choosing, and packing perfect school lunches by Lily Payen. Due out 28th July 2026 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in flexibound and ebook formats. 

The author has a warmly encouraging writing style and the tips she gives are usable, practical, safety conscious, and appealing. She has developed a solid system of mix-and-match menus with lots of options for protein, carbs, fruit, and veggies. There are a lot of great tips in the introduction about selecting safe and appropriate containers, drink flasks, bags, and more. She's very very inspirational and so organized. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, readers have a clear plan set out where they can choose one option from each list and get an almost endless variety of choices. 

She includes practical tips about variety (whilst honoring the fact that most kids want their favorites on repeat, until they -don't-), food safety, accessories like fruit and vegetable cutters to make fun shapes, and getting your kids involved in planning and helping making their lunches to help with mastering tasks and independence. She's included numerous sample lunch plans which can be mix-and-matched. All of the tasks also include the rationale and explanations for what purpose they fulfill. It's crystal clear she's an educator at heart (and a very good one, if this book is any indication). 

She even includes a pretty comprehensive overview over cleaning, food safety, and navigating food allergies and sensitivities.  

The following chapters include the varied recipes, grouped thematically: brunch boxes, DIY lunch kits, beyond the PB&J, from dinner to thermos, copycat snacks & treats (including goldfish copycats!), and after-school snacks. Recipes are written with a title/description (including labels for gluten free, dairy free, nut free, and vegetarian (may contain eggs)), followed by a bullet list of ingredients and step-by-step prep directions. Ingredient measurements are given in imperial (American) and metric (yay!). Most ingredients will be readily available at any well stocked grocery store in North America. 

The book is beautifully photographed throughout and the food styling is attractive and realistic. The author and her beautiful family also appear frequently, a homey touch. 

Five stars. This is a wonderful resource and usable - full of good tips and recipes. It would be an excellent choice for public or home library as well as gift giving. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

Bitchy! The Exasperating Existence of Midge McCracken

 

Bitchy! The Exasperating Existence of Midge McCracken is a huge historical compendium of the collected Bitchy Bitch by Roberta Gregory. Released 21st July 2026 by Fantagraphics, it's 506 pages and is available in softcover and ebook formats. 

Besides being a great outlet (primal scream) for all our inner anger management fails, Bitchy represents an important bit of feminist history. She's raw, unfiltered, simple in her vitriol, and surprisingly appealing. Along with other important second wave feminist indie comics folks (Trina Robbins, Mary Fleener, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Phoebe Glockner, et al.), Roberta Gregory is an important creative force in the west coast indie comics scene (especially in women's/feminist spaces). This is pre-DTWOF, back when Alison Bechdel was still in short pants. 

This Bitchy! compendium is huge and contains the entire print history (1991-2004) plus new insights and material from Ms. Gregory herself as well as insightful commentary, including an afterword by Helen Chazan. Midge/Bitchy is certainly angry, sarcastic, bitter, and raw, but she's also surprisingly touching with a horrible childhood and tragic adolescence. It's no wonder she turned out like she did. Whatever else she is and did, it's impossible to look around at the state of the world right now and not feel at least some empathy and solidarity. We're all exhausted, we're all Bitchy! Content warnings for extreme misogyny, implied sexual abuse involving a child, bullying, dysfunctional relationships, stress, violence, and occasional body horror. 

Five stars. It would be a good choice for public and home library acquisition, as well as support resources for more formal study/instruction in a classroom setting (gender studies, comics history, graphic literature arts, and allied subjects). Important history and cultural commentary which is important to document. It's also really funny in places, heartbreaking (in a lot of places), and anger inducing. Art should move us (and not always in a comfortable way). This is art and Ms. Gregory knows what the hell she's talking about. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.  

The Campervan Detectives - Campervan Detectives #1

 

The Campervan Detectives is the debut book in a cozy mystery series by Maeve Haran. Due out 28th July 2026 from Bookouture, it's 287 pages and will be available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a cute series opener with an appealing mature female protagonist who catches her husband and former best friend in flagrante, burns her bridges, impulse buys a vintage VW camper van and hits the road with her faithful pup Sam Spade as her copilot, but without much of a plan otheriwse. Happily, she ends up in coastal village Winching which has fond memories from her childhood, and even more fortunately, she stumbles into a support network in the form of a varied ensemble cast of women who take her in and make sure she lands on her feet. 

The murder of a local harridan draws the ladies (who are all RV adventurers) into amateur sleuthing, and to everyone's surprise, they're quite good at it. The climax, denouement, and resolution are satisfying and self-contained. The final chapter foreshadows book 2 which is due out from the same publisher in late 3rd quarter 2026. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours and 49 minutes and is capably read by (the improbably named) Fenella Fudge. She has a warm, well modulated alto voice and does a super job with a wide range of regional accents, a variety of ages, and both sexes. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read. 

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public or home library acquisition, or for very light summer holiday reading. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.   

 

Dead Men Don't Play Fetch - Andy Carpenter #33

 

Dead Men Don't Play Fetch is the 33rd Andy Carpenter legal procedural mystery by David Rosenfelt. Released 7th July 2026 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

For current fans of the series, this is a good one. It's full of the same sarcastic, warm humor and the same ensemble cast as previous entries in the series (even the ever-work-avoidant Edna is back on scene). Andy Carpenter is, of course, central to the story and still trying to figure out how to stay retired and avoid working. This is such a long running and consistently well written series that saying it's "more of the same, worked around a different mystery" should be enough of a recommendation by itself. Although it's the 33rd book in the series, the mystery is self contained and the necessary back-story is written in without major spoilers for previous books. I heartily recommend the whole series, but this particular entry is especially strong. 

This is pure comfort reading. It's got a likable protagonist, an engaging mystery, humorous dialogue, and a solid climax, denouement, and resolution. Here's another innocent man framed for a murder he didn't commit. Here's Andy and co. coming to the rescue to help him out of almost impossible legal danger by not only being brilliant in the courtroom, but by figuring out whodunnit and putting the fear of Marcus into the bad guys.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 6 hours and 49 minutes and is expertly narrated by series narrator Grover Gardner who manages to juggle the various accents and characters of all ages and both sexes without problems. The read is definitely enhanced by the narrator. The sound and production quality are high throughout the recording. Mr. Gardner's narration really is a high point of the entire series, and he's got to be one of the best voice actors working in publishing today. 

Five stars for both the text and audiobook versions. All around fun read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.