Sleepover Sneak Attack (Adventures of the Powerpuff Girls #1)

 

Sleepover Sneak Attack is the first book in a new series for beginning readers featuring the Powerpuff Girls by Kiara Valdez. Due out 1st Aug 2026 from Capstone, it's 32 pages and will be available in hardcover and paperback formats. 

This is such a fun and cute illustrated book with some good messages about teamwork, forgiveness, and boundaries. The text is easy to understand and the illustrations by Patricio Oliver are colorful and full of action and support the story well. They're full of small details which invite readers to stop and take a closer look. 

It's only 32 pages, so a good length for a story circle or bedtime read. It would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home library or gifting. 

Five stars. Adorable.  

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

Supernatural Crimes Unit: NYPD: The Thin Blue Ley-Line

 

Supernatural Crimes Unit: NYPD is an urban fantasy police procedural comedy series starter by Keith R.A. DeCandido. Released 28th Oct 2025 by Blackstone, it's 390 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 and references throughout. 

Tongue in cheek, with sarcasm and snark to spare, the author does a good turn with rapid dialogue, law enforcement banter and camaraderie alongside professional rivalry, and workplace humor (some quite gritty and off-color). The difference is that these cops are chasing vampires, werewolves, slime monsters, and some lesser known elements from folklore. 

Although not egregious (especially for the UF/procedural genre), there are some mild content warnings for drug use, body horror, and kidnapping of a minor child. There's also standard language and violence warnings. For fans of Hearne and Butcher, this fits in the same general area, and compares well with them. The author isn't quite as polished, and hasn't met a pun he can bear to edit out (see book's subtitle), but overall it's engaging, quite funny in places, and full of cultural references to food, language, and people from all over NYC. There are gender positive representations included in the book which the author manages not to club readers with. 

Four stars. Enjoyable, funny, moderately diverting, and readable. It would be a good choice for public or home library acquisition. First book in a series, though no current publishing info for book 2 is easily obtainable; it would make a fine buddy read. 

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

A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidy - Inspector Ramsay #3

 

A Day in the Death of Dorothea Cassidys is the 3rd Inspector Ramsay standalone mystery by Ann Cleeves. Originally released in 1992, this reformat and re-release 25th March 2025 by Macmillan is 256 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. 

The death of the vicar's much younger wife is distressing enough; she was a paragon of moral zeal and a fearless indefatigable champion of the disadvantaged. Inspector Ramsay's investigation, and his quietly compassionate but equally unstoppable hunt for the truth soon puts him at cross purposes with the local infrastructure and social services. The author deals plainly with often very stark realities: child neglect, abuse, drugs, and mental health issues, so sensitive readers should be aware. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 6 hours 5 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, shifting quickly and flawlessly. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Although it's the third book in the series, it works very well as a standalone. This book is also quite intricately plotted, but there aren't any major spoilers if they're read out of order. The denouement and resolution were satisfying, if melancholy. 

This series is definitely not as polished as her later work, but there are glimpses of the style and development which later gave rise to Vera and Shetland. It has "good bones" and works very well, despite the pervasive sadness which threads throughout the entire series.

Four stars. Well worth seeking out for fans of moody atmospheric British crime.  

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

 

The Cat Who Went To Heaven: A Timeless Japanese Tale for Kids

 

The Cat Who Went To Heaven is a reprint and re-release of athe classic 1931 Newbery Medal winner by Elizabeth Coatsworth. Released in this edition 16th Dec 2025 by Dover, it's 64 pages and is available in paperback format. 

This is quite poignant, but nevertheless a classic fable with good takeaways for modern audiences. Set in ancient Japan, an impoverished artist and his elderly housekeeper find their lives changed by the addition of a small, extremely polite and gifted, bobtail Japanese calico cat. Although the winner of a Newbery for Children's literature, there are good takeaways for all ages. This edition features monochrome illustrations by Lynd Ward. The calm pen and ink watercolor style illustrations enhance and support the story beautifully. 

This is an unabridged reprinting. 

Four stars. It's nice to see classic literature preserved and presented to new generations of readers.

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

Medieval Nuns at War: Rebellious, Resilient and Rowdy Women

 

Medieval Nuns at War is a well written, accessible, and nicely notated monograph on the sometimes surprisingly turbulent lives of medieval nuns by Elizabeth Quillen. Released 13th Nov 2025 by Pen & Sword on their History imprint, it's 224 pages and is available in hardcover 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. 

The author is a doctoral candidate with a special emphasis in the high Medieval period, and became intrigued by a reference to a rebellion in a convent in the course of her studies, and decided to investigate further in the original Latin source material (Gregory of Tours History of the Franks). If the setup sounds placid, the book is delightfully anything but, emphasizing that people throughout history are fundamentally people, with much the same desires and conflicts that affect people of the current day. Women of the period could be quite feisty and the author does a good job of balancing objectivity through the lens of academic responsibility and modern sensibility. It's not dry -at all-, and that's delightful.

The author covers both specific instances of disagreement (including some rather shocking individual physical attacks) alongside larger cultural/political contexts such as the crusades. The book is very well annotated throughout and the chapter notes alone are likely worth the price of the book, just for later reference. The text is accessible for modern readers, and not just for academics and historians. Obviously it's a niche subject, but it reads very well for anyone interested in even ancillary history.

The subject content is enhanced by the inclusion of a cross referenced index (with active hyperlinks in the ebook format), chapter notes and bibliography, as well as an appendix full of facsimile illustrations, artifacts, and period archival pictures and drawings.

Four stars. This is well and deeply researched and interesting.

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

 

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes

 

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is the first in a new cozy foodie mystery series by Sandra Jackson-Opoku. Released 29th July 2025 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out from the same publisher in July 2026. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is an engaging, competently written, and well constructed light cozy with a large ensemble cast of eccentric characters in the orbit of the proprietress and owner of a soul-food cafe and catering business, Savvy Summers. When a local elderly womanizer passes away in her diner Savvy's left with suspicion and rumors, although the death is initially ruled accidental. In typical amateur sleuth fashion, Ms. Summers takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of the mystery with precious little support (and active antagonism) from local law enforcement. 

There's an authentic Black American vibe in the food, culture, and voices, and the author writes well and with deftness (and affection) for these characters. There is a lot of Black cultural slang used, although it wasn't difficult to understand in context. The author/publisher have also included a number of recipes in the back of the book for readers to try out.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours and 20 minutes and is expertly read by Karen Chilton. She has a mellow low alto voice with a slightly raspy quality in this read and does a great job with huge cast of disparate characters of a range of ages and ethnicities. It's impressive to hear her switch ethnicity and diction in less than the space of one breath. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read. 

Content warning for infidelity, drug use (including during pregnancy), child neglect, misogyny (in context) and sexual harassment, and some rough language. Although this is the author's mystery debut, she's a celebrated and respected author of literary criticism, a screenwriter, and poet. 

Four stars. The second book in the series is due out in early third quarter 2026. 

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

The Spiral Staircase

 

The Spiral Staircase is a standalone classic mystery thriller by Ethel Lina White. Originally published in 1933, this reformatting and re-release by Pushkin on 8th July 2025, is 336 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats in this edition. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.

The author uses subtle tension and setting with virtuoso control. Despite there not being a lot of jump-scare moments, the palpable sense of dread is beautifully written, inside well engineered plot. With the limited suspect pool shrinking, a serial killer on the loose, and the isolated setting, it's a gripping read. Apparently set in the 1920s (unspecified), it's surprisingly not terribly dated, and translates quite well for modern readers. For fans who are familiar with the film based on the book, there are major differences and frankly, the book is much better. 

Kudos to Pushkin for reformatting and re-releasing these classics for modern audiences. Although somewhat obscure today, in the interwar period, the author was on a relatively equal footing with Sayers and Christie, and very well known.

Four stars. Definitely a good choice for public library acquisition, as well as for fans of classic mystery thrillers. Pushkin Vertigo have a good collection of these classics, brought to new generations of fans.

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

Splintered Justice: A Linder and Donatelli Mystery

 

Splintered Justice is a quietly competent standalone procedural mystery by Kim Hays. Released 15th April 2025 by Seventh Street Books, it's 368 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.

Although it's the 4th book with these returning characters (detecitves in the urban ingestigative arm of the Swiss Polezei in Bern), the plotting and setting are meticulously written and it's easy to keep the characters straight. It's a multilayered story with several threads entwined which build to a satisfying climax and denouement. 

Even though it's a standalone, the ensemble cast of characters do have a shared backstory, and readers should expect very slight spoilers if read out of order. The city itself, its diverse cultural richness and history are as much an integral starring characters as the actual human characters. The author clearly has a deep and abiding familiarity and respect with Bern and it shines through in the book.

Content warning for graphic sexual assault, misogyny, mental health, suicide. It's resolved well, but they are there, and it's difficult to read.  

Four stars. Well worth a look for fans of modern European police procedurals with a rich dose of cultural history. 

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

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

 

Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a standalone espionage PI nostalgia adventure by Ace Atkins. Released 2nd Dec 2025 by HarperCollins on their Wm. Morrow imprint, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback (lg. print), 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. 

This is a frenetic espionage thriller with a truly eclectic, campy, wonky, cast of misfits. There are rogue Russian agents, murder, and corporate and political espionage. Thriller fans who lived through the 80s will remember the music and many of the cultural references with fondness (or loathing). Although it's not at all derivative, and Mr. Atkins is a *prodigious* talent in his own right, there are definite vibes of Hap & Leonard, with a little Robert Ludlum thrown in the mix. There's quite a lot of strong language usage throughout, with good/comedic effect. There's also some graphic violence and it's melancholy in places. 

Four stars. Very funny in places and very well constructed. It would make an excellent buddy read, as well as a bang-up home or public library acquisition. 

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

Bag Man: The Story Behind the Improbable Rise of Coach

 

Bag Man is an engaging, funny, human story told by Lew Frankfort, the CEO of Coach brands. Released 14th Oct 2025 by the Harvard Business Review Press, it's 304 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 and references throughout.

For anyone who loves solid quality leather goods, especially purses and accessories, Coach immediately brings to mind affordable (as close to luxury as most Americans ever get) quality. From late boomer-gen through millenials, Coach has been the dream for most American high school girls and women a perennial favorite. 

Mr. Frankfort has a brash inimitable solid New Yorker style and attitude and it's by turns touching, nostalgic, and exciting. He took the helm of a struggling business and helped guide it into the 21st century multi-billion dollar entity it is today.

He has an entirely "everyman" pragmatic attitude and is surprisingly egalitarian (for a top-echelon executive). He doesn't seem removed from the realities of everyday life, and apparently never divorced himself from growing up in a blue-collar family, the son of a cop in New York. He had early experience in the public service sector, and never lost that solidarity either. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 11 hours 57 minutes and is beautifully read by the author himself. He has a wonderful, undiluted, brash Bronx accent which, even if he's mugging it up for the read, is a delightful addition nevertheless. Sound and production quality are high throughout. 

Five stars. This would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library, or for loyal fans of the brand. It's a bit of a David vs. Goliath story and the brand's resilience is a bit of a bright spot in an otherwise dystopian current-day. 

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

Snake-Eater

 

Snake-Eater is a very well written trippy standalone fantasy by T. Kingfisher. Released 1st Dec 2025, it's 271 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. 

Inevitable comparisons will be made between this book and American Gods and similar "demigods in the real world" subgenre. It's understandable, but also incomplete; the author's style is unique unto itself and this story isn't derivative or terribly similar. 

The MC is escaping an abusive relationship and uses time away to settle a bereavement as a means of escaping her abuser. Content warnings for domestic abuse/narcissistic behavior (gaslighting), financial and emotional control, animal cruelty/abuse, and graphic physical violence. She flees to her aunt's house, in the middle of the Arizona desert, as a stopgap measure but meets challenge after challenge when she finds her aunt has also recently died and there are lots of weird things about her new home and town which just don't add up to anything explainable by the normal laws of physics. 

The author is exceedingly talented and this story is engaging, atmospherically creepy in places, full of found family, community, and a small pantheon of lesser known Native American gods and demigods both beneficent og malign. The story flows well, but it's the denouement and resolution which were especially fine. 

Four stars. It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home library, or a great weekend or buddy read. 

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

Space Ships! Ray Guns! Martian Octopods!: Interviews with Science Fiction Legends

 

Space Ships! Ray Guns! Martian Octopods! is a fascinating and nostalgic collection of radio interview transcripts from the Probabilities radio show collected and curated by Richard Wolinsky. Released 2nd Sept 2025 by Tachyon, it's 264 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is a great collection of vital speculative fiction history, collected in the interviews from 1977 to the mid 1990s with highlights from the most famous, most integral giants of the golden and silver ages. The interviews read like a literal who's who of SF history: E.E. "Doc" Smith, Theodore Sturgeon, Forrest Ackerman (who knew EVERYTHING about everything SF), Julie Schwartz, Ray Bradbury, A.E. Van Vogt, it's a huge and comprehensive list (se publisher's promotional blurb). 

There's so much *history* included in the volume that it's a contemporaneous account and will undoubtedly become an important reference for future archivists and students of literature. It's a fun read in its own rights as well, there are amusing stories included, told by the people involved (many of whom are sadly no longer living).

Five stars. Well worth a read, as well as an important reference and resource for fans of SF/Fantasy and fan culture. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition as well as home use.

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

These Dreaming Spires: A Dark Academia Anthology #2

 

These Dreaming Spires is a second well curated anthology drawn from the fantasy worlds of dark academia curated and edited by Marie O'Regan & Paul Kane. Released 2nd Sept 2025 by Titan Books, it's 368 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in 3rd quarter 2026 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. 

This is a nice collection of varied short fantasy from 12 top shelf well known contemporary authors including Olivie Blake, Genevieve Cogman, Elspeth Wilson, and MK Lobb. All the stories are new for this collection. 

The stories are varied, there were (as always) some which didn't grab me personally, but all were well written and competently plotted. They were mostly in the 4 star range(ish) with a smattering of really standout stories. This is a well curated solid anthology of stories in the 3-5 star range. 

One reason collections and anthologies are so enjoyable is that short fiction is really challenging.  It's spare, and the author doesn't have a wealth of wordage to develop characters or the plotting.  Well written short fiction is a delight. They're perennially enjoyed because if one story doesn't really engage the reader, there's another story just a few pages away.  

Four stars on average. It's a diverting read.

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

 

How to Survive in Ration Book Britain

 

How to Survive in Ration Book Britain is an all-ages readable look at life (and how it felt day-to-day) in wartime (1939-1945) England written by Toni Mount. Released 30th Nov 2025 and due out (US release) 10th Jan 2025 from Pen & Sword, it's 224 pages and is available in hardback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents and links throughout.

The author takes an actively engaging point of view with this daily-life vignette - the reader is a time-traveler heading to England during the straitened circumstances under wartime bombing to study and experience life. What should they expect? What will they experience? What's food like? How does the culture differ from the modern day?

Chapters are arranged thematically by subject: aspects of daily life (housework, laundry, costs, housing), food (rations, calories, shopping, growing your own food, cooking, eating away from home), health & medicine and safety, jobs and working, clothing, social aspects, supporting the war effort, assorted other issues (pets, blackout, misdirection and sabotage aimed at the enemy, recycling, and life after war (austerity).  The book is meticulously annotated and the chapter notes will provide a wealth of sources for further reading. There's also an abbreviated bibliography and cross-referenced index. 

The book is modestly illustrated throughout with period illuminated pages showing scenes from domestic life, implements such as eating utensils and tools, and drawings of famous (and unknown) people going about their daily lives. 

The fact that the book is layman accessible and engagingly easy to read will make it a very good choice for school or library acquisition. I would recommend it for re-enactors as well, as there are a number of good illustrations for copyable tools, fashions, etc. 

Five stars. 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Indian Block Printing: An Inspirational Project Book

 

Indian Block Printing is a good beginner accessible primer with tutorials for block (stamp) printing on fabric by Tess Grace & Holly Jones. Released 21st Oct 2025 by Bloomsbury on their Herbert Press imprint, it's 144 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents (including supplies and products to do the projects).

There's a lot of history and background as well as aesthetics and placement instruction, with lots of clear photographs to help for visual learners. The introduction gives a good overview of materials and techniques, followed by 14 tutorial with photos. The projects include a number of different items (tote bags, border designs etc) in a number of styles. There is no instruction for actually carving blocks, and the projects included use pre-carved Indian style blocks (the authors include links to buy specialist equipment including blocks).

Four stars. It would make a good choice for public or school library acquisition, for the home studio, for makers' groups, and shared studio spaces.

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

 

 

Death at a Highland Wedding - A Rip Through Time #4

 

Death at a Highland Wedding is the fourth Rip Through Time historical mystery by Kelley Armstrong. Released 20th May 2025 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in 2nd quarter 2026 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

This is a well written and eminently readable fantasy time-slip murder mystery. The main protagonist is an intelligent strong and capable young 21st century Canadian policewoman who has been marooned in the Victorian era in Scotland and begun to make a stable life for herself in the body of a girl in service in a quite eccentric household made up of a core of friends who know her incredible secret (and believe her).

The time-travel aspect as well as the investigation in the past were well built up and executed. The dialogue flows smoothly and the author is good at the period aspects of both dialogue and class behavior as well as social roles. The limits of the period technology, and MC Mallory's internal reasoning are mostly well rendered and believable. 

The plotting dragged a bit at the beginning for and there is a large cast of characters who are nearly interchangeable. It's difficult to keep them straight including their relationships to one another. The denouement and resolution were well done and satisfying. There's a Quantum Leap aspect which is cool and the later parts of the book were engaging and entertaining.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 14 hours 27 minutes and is read by series narrator Kate Handford. She has a rich alto voice and generic North American/Canadian accent and does a good job of the narration with the exception of the bits of Scottish dialogue, which weren't especially accurate. Her voice quite pleasant and well modulated. The sound and production quality are high throughout. 

Four stars. There's a returning ensemble cast with established back-history. If the books are read out of order, there will be spoilers for things that happened in the previous books (but nothing truly heinous). It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, home library, or a buddy read. Content warnings for racism, misogyny, homophobia/violence, and animal cruelty/trapping. 

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

 

Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop - 満月珈琲店の星詠み #2

 

Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop is the second book in a cozy fantasy series by Mai Mochizuki. Originally published in Japanese in 2021, this English language translation was published  28th Oct 2025 by Penguin Random House on their Ballantine imprint. It's 224 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 and references throughout.

There's a vibrant sub-genre in Japanese food related cozy fantasy (Kamogawa Food Detectives, Tales from the Cafe, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Dallergut Department Store (which was Korean, but same basic genre), etc), and this one fits right in with the others. There's definitely a dreamlike, slightly trippy, aspect (the cafe is ephemeral and changes location depending on circumstances dictated by the patrons' needs, always on the full moon, oh, and it's staffed by giant anthropomorphic talking cats).  

The book has a dreamlike quality, and the cats wax poetic to their patrons about Japanese astrology (quite a lot) and philosophy, and music. It contains a fair bit of "woo-woo" pop psychology, but overall it's entertaining, full of whimsy, and fun with a serious bent. The patrons themselves are a mixed lot, but the story is written around their lives and fates and how their stories relate to their larger world.

The prose is beautifully wrought and although slightly discursive and meandering, manages to make some good points about the meaning and trajectory of life, choices (and how they can affect our entire lives), acceptance, and being truthful (and kind) to ourselves. The translation work, done by Jordan Taylor, is seamless and invisible. The text flows very well, and it doesn't read as though it's been translated (which has to be the goal).  

Four stars. Well written, professionally translated, and full of whimsy, it would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, and a challenging and enjoyable book club selection/buddy read. There are currently 6 books in the series in Japanese, this is the second to be translated and published for English speaking audiences. 

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

The Ultimate Pickle Lover's Book: From Condiment to Cocktail—a Flavorful Celebration of the Mighty Dill

 

The Ultimate Pickle Lover's Book is a nice homage for pickle lovers collected and curated by Princess Gabbara and Kelly Jaggers. Released 30th Dec 2025 by Simon & Schuster on their Adams imprint, it's 160 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

This is a nice, upbeat, surprisingly varied bunch of recipes for using pickles in appetizers, dips, and other accompaniments. In addition, it's full of jokes, trivia, and culture tidbits which are entertaining and relevant to pickle-interested readers. 

The book's recipes are arranged a bit chaotically, scattered between trivia, games, and factoids. It's a book to page through for fun, not so much a cookbook. Each recipe is written with yields, estimated prep time, bullet list of ingredients, and step by step prep and cooking directions. Ingredient measures are given in imperial (American) measurements only. 

Most of the ingredients will be readily available at well stocked grocers in most of North America/Europe. 

The vibe throughout is fun, very young (mostly kid-friendly) and casual. There are no photographs or curated/styled serving suggestions. 

Three and a half stars. This would be a fun choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving. 

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

 

The Healers: An Inspector Ramsay Novel 5

 

The Healers is the 5th Inspector Ramsay standalone mystery by Ann Cleeves. Originally released in 1995, this reformat and re-release 6th Jan 2026 by Macmillan is 288 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. 

Back-to-nature "hippies", alternative healing, and a fairly hefty land and property dispute culminates in murder and it's left to quiet, compassionate, intelligent Inspector Ramsay and his team to get to the bottom of the entwined crimes. It's a recurring theme in this series that the stories are quite sad in places and this one is no exception; it deals plainly with mental health issues, ideation/suicide, sexual and physical abuse, housing insecurity/homelessness, and other distressing facts of modern life. 

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 7 hours 48 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, shifting quickly and flawlessly. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Although it's the fifth book in the series, it works very well as a standalone. This book is also quite intricately plotted, but there aren't any major spoilers if they're read out of order. The denouement and resolution were exciting and mostly unexpected. 

This series is definitely not as polished as her later work, but there are glimpses of the style and development which later gave rise to Vera and Shetland. It has "good bones" and works very well, despite the pervasive melancholy which threads throughout the entire series.

Four stars. Well worth seeking out for fans of moody atmospheric British crime.  

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

Murder at Arleigh - Gilded Newport Mysteries #13

 

Murder at Arleigh is the 13th Gilded Newport historical mystery by Alyssa Maxwell. Released 26th Aug. 2025 by Kensington, it's 304 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. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, although this book is not currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow, the first 12 books in the series are. 

This is an engaging light historical mystery series with a returning cast; centrally a young(ish) socialite husband and wife pair and their social circle in early 20th century in the Northeastern USA. The author is adept with characterizations and settings. The houses, customs, and fashions of 1903 grand society are as much an integral part of the story as the plotting. There are numerous descriptions of food, fashion, and houses which go on a bit, but it provides a nice, escape from reality.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours 43 minutes and is capably read by Lauren Ezzo. She has a well modulated east coast US accent, and does a good job with a range of character voices of different ages and classes. Sound and production quality is high throughout the read. 

It works well as a standalone, with the understanding that it's a continuing series, so there will be some spoilers for character development if read out of order. Very much the same vibe as Rosemary Simpson,  Irina Shapiro, and Kate Belli. 

Four stars. Diverting, escapist, comfort reading. With 13 books extant in the series and a 14th due out in 3rd quarter 2026, it would make an excellent long binge/buddy reading project. 

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