Murder Of A Hermit - The Fortune Telling Mysteries #3

 

Murder Of A Hermit is the third shopfront paranormal cozy mystery in this series by Carol Miller. Released 4th June 2024 by Severn House, it's 224 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. 

The setting of Asheville, North Carolina, is well written and believable, with the codicil that readers who are intimately familiar with the environs might find discrepancies which aren't obvious to readers from other areas. The irascible ghosts in the attic are back with a vengeance, banging and rattling and threatening to bring the house down (literally) although the author still hasn't really explored the backstory or explained their presence much. 

Much of the characterization, especially secondary characters, is only sketched in *very* lightly. Readers should be prepared to bring a healthy suspension of disbelief. (Then again, there are ghosts in the attic, so there's that). The mystery itself, denouement, solution (supernatural deux-ex-machina) and resolution will strain most readers' suspension of disbelief.

Three stars. Readable, very light, and mostly enjoyable. It works well enough as a standalone, and with three books in the series, it would make a good candidate for a mini-binge/buddy read. Clean language and content, it would also be good for public library acquisition.

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

Scotzilla - Last Ditch Mystery #7

 

Scotzilla is the seventh cozy(ish) Last Ditch mystery by Catriona McPherson. Released 3rd Dec 2024 by Severn House, it's 240 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback due out in late 3rd quarter 2025 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is such an exuberantly fun murder mystery. An ensemble cast who are a found family of oddballs living in and around a small motel, living their lives in one another's pockets and solving a string of odd/cruel pranks in a local cemetery and the occasional murder. They couldn't possibly be more disparate; plucked from different cultures, socioeconomic strata, backgrounds, orientations, and family makeups, they're knitted together by circumstances and their apparently genuine fondness for one another. 

Faced with an indisputably murdered corpse, they are determined to sleuth out the guilty party and set about investigating in their own inimitable way. The "whodunit" and "how" is an impressively funny comedy of errors which reads like a cross between I Love Lucy, Scooby-Doo, and Queer Eye, with a little comedic Lost in Translation for good measure.

All the dispararate subplots wind together quickly into a satisfying (and exciting) denouement and resolution. The author has quite a talent with comedic timing.

Four and a half stars. Definitely a good one for fans of comedic light murder cozies. It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, cozy fans, or a great series binge/buddy read.

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

 

A Happy Beginning

 

A Happy Beginning is a well written debut novel by B.A. Richards. Due out 21st Jan 2025 it's 359 pages and will be available in hardcover, 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.

This is pure escapist romantic fantasy, genderqueer friendly, told in a dual PoV between the two main characters, a fae princeling who is also living in the human world and working as an attorney, and a human businessman and entrepreneur. There's a fair bit of explicit content (M/M), so readers should be seeking a spicy read, or at least ok with that. The author does a good job with it, and it's surprisingly not cringey at all. The language (and content) are at least R-rated+. Definitely NSFW/commute (unless the e-reader is well figleafed). 

The story is engaging, and the characters are well rendered and not just "body parts"... they have real motivations and thoughts. The plot is complete, with a magic and political systems which are well constructed and thought out (not just tacked on to bridge the gaps between the sexy scenes).

Four stars. It seems to be a series opener. It's an indi-pub, and quite explicitly spicy, so probably not appropriate or easily accessible for public library acquisition, but for romantasy fans, it's a good start.

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

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts - Magical Fortune Cookie #2

 

Star-Crossed Egg Tarts is the second charming light paranormal cozy mystery by Jennifer J. Chow. Due out 21st Jan 2025 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 343 pages and will be available in paperback, mass-market 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.

This is a well written, engaging, series from a consistently prolific *readable* author. The series features a young Asian American protagonist whose family bakery bakes slightly magical sweets. Felicity and Kelvin are again at the center of a murder investigation when they almost literally trip over the body of a member of the wedding party in a wedding they're serving (as caterer and florist)

The character driven plot moves along at a good pace, and the mystery is well engineered and appealing. It's nice to see healthy supportive relationships. Kelvin's always there for Felicity and they make a nice pair of amateur sleuths. It's also nice that the local police detective isn't incompetent or antagonistic, and they semi-bond over the microaggressions and racism-lite that people of color live with every day in the USA. 

Four stars. Eminently readable and pleasant. The language is clean, and there's no on-page graphic violence. The author/publisher have also included some crafty recipes (almond cookies, floral boutonniere, and votive holders) at the back of the book in classic cozy mystery style.

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

 

The Stars Turned Inside Out

The Stars Turned Inside Out is an engaging and well written standalone thriller/SF/mystery by Nova Jacobs. Released 19th March 2024 by Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint, it's 320 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out mid-Feb 2025 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 science rich but entirely accessible mystery set in and around CERN (European theoretical physics lab in Switzerland where the Large Hadron Collider resides). The actual theoretical physics involved is not at all too much for general readers to process, however, the dual timeline, uneven pacing, and almost clinical descriptions might be a little more problematic. 

It's a mystery, and the plot is so well engineered and set up and resolved so cleverly, that readers who enjoy cerebral puzzle mysteries will likely love it. There are integral touches of magical realism which was an interesting choice for a book about physicists, but not a deal-breaker. Generally fair play, full of a generous helping of philosophy, religious musings, society, climate, and the nature of the universe and our place in it, albeit unevenly paced. 

Four stars. It would be a good selection for public library acquisition, science fiction fans, and possibly a book club discussion or buddy read.

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

Fatal Foul Play

Fatal Foul Play is a standalone locked room/isolated classic style murder mystery by David S. Pederson featuring an isolated setting and a group of friends, at least one of whom is a murderer. Released 12th Nov 2024 by Bold Strokes Books, it's 242 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.

Isolated lodge setting, group of 8 friends (including ex lovers, frenemies, and two couples), and a debilitating snowstorm sets the stage for murder which only happens around 80% into the book. (There's a prologue murder which isn't really discussed much until the denouement). Although the characters' ages are firmly in the middle aged (40-60) range, they act and think like young adults. There's so much drama and relationship re-hashing that it was frankly a bit of a trial to get through.

The mystery itself is competently constructed and does eventually tie up all the loose ends, including the prologue political murder/suicide which seemingly has no relation to the plot of the novel. It's told in third person, but the characters are so interchangeable that it's very difficult to keep them straight. It might be worthwhile to have a scorecard to keep track of the dramatis personae, since there are only 8 principal players. 

Three stars. It's full of drama and snark, but the author does get to a resolution in the end. Potentially worth a look for fans of gay friendly classic form mystery.

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

A Talent for Murder - Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #3

A Talent for Murder is the third novel by Peter Swanson featuring Kimball & Kintner. Released 11th June 2024 by HarperCollins on their William Morrow imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. (Paperback due out from the same publisher in late May 2025). 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 cleverly constructed atmospheric and highly character driven mystery/thriller. Although the actual plot works fine as a standalone, the main characters' relationship and background setup are spoiled for the earlier books if read out of order. They're fairly quick reads, so this would be a good choice for a long weekend binge read. 

The pacing is taut and the story moves at an engaging pace at least in the first 50% of the book (which certainly isn't always the case with psychological thrillers). The second half does have some minor pacing issues with a surprising amount of re-hashing and characters evaluating earlier content, but overall, it's not too obtrusive.

The denouement and resolution are a trifle predictable but satisfying and complete. The author is undeniably talented and writes very coherently, readably, and well. It's a murder thriller, so there is graphic content and descriptions of violence (and sexual violence).

Four stars. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, thriller fans, or a binge/buddy read.

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

The Curious Kitchen Gardener: Uncommon Plants and How to Eat Them

The Curious Kitchen Gardener is a graphically appealing and well written volume full of unusual/rare/little known plants for gardeners with recipes written by Linda Ziedrich. Due out 25th February 2025 from Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 268 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is a fun collection of 33 lesser known or not-currently-popular edible plants, fruits, tubers, and vegetables collected in an almanac format by chapters for each plant. The plants include well known plants which are used for other purposes (lavender, poppies) as well as plants which *should* be much more popular and utilized (haskap, artichoke, Makah Ozette potatoes and others). 

Each chapter includes specifics about the history and background of each plant, along with photos (in most, but not all cases), along with a recipe utilizing the fruit/veg/flowering part of each plant. Recipes are varied and interesting, and most of the other ingredients will be easily available from any well stocked grocery store in North America. 

One drawback with the book is that the author does not include culture info for the entries, so it's not clear (without further investigation) what climate ranges the plants will do well in. The author/publisher have included a short seed and plant supplier list to get readers started on sourcing plants and supplies. 

Four stars. Well photographed and full of inspiration for gardeners to explore and stretch their gardening muscles. It would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, gardening groups, smallholders, and gift giving.

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

Frankie

Frankie is delightfully witty, deeply engaging historical fiction from Graham Norton. Released 14th Jan 2025 by HarperCollins on their HarperVia imprint, it's 304 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.

Fans of the author's work in video/tv media will likely be surprised by the depth and quality of the writing (since print media is emphatically not the same as TV), but here is a happy surprise: the author is adept, indeed quite talented, at both. This was a fun read from start to finish. It's quite often poignant, and nostalgic, and especially for readers who remember the 90s and AIDS epidemic, and losing our friends way too young, this story will bring back lots of memories. 

The language is evocative and well wrought and the characters are distinct and believable. Frankie herself is lovely, and honestly someone readers will wish were part of their own real lives. She's irascible (she's broken an ankle and impatient to be up and about) but irresistible and full of history. The pacing is quite measured, it's 100% character driven and there's not a lot of action. 

So intelligent and well written. Highly recommended. It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home reading, or a really fine book club selection or buddy read. 

Five stars. 

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

The In-Between Bookstore

The In-Between Bookstore is a standalone queer friendly fantasy coming of age novel by Edward Underhill. Released 14th Jan 2025 HarperCollins on their Avon Books imprint, it's 272 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.

The author has a good grasp on the technical aspects of writing. The scene settings, descriptive prose, and storytelling themselves are all competent and well wrought. The idea of being able to timeslip and go back and maybe change our future selves, is powerfully attractive. This is a well told story about precisely that. Darby gets the chance to go back to interact with his 16 year old self when he accidentally time-slips into 2009 in the bookstore he worked at as a teenager.

It's a wistfully told story and not always a happily-ever-after (though the denouement and resolution are fully developed). The characterizations are a trifle two dimensional and trope-y, but overall, it's a solid novel and a satisfying read.

Three and a half stars.

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

Murder in Bloom - The Gardener Mysteries #3

 

Murder in Bloom is the third gardener cozy mystery featuring Steph Williams by Rosie Sandler. Due out 21st Jan 2025 from Bonnier on their Embla Books imprint, it's 300 pages and will be available in 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, whilst this book is not currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, the other books in the series are available on KU.

This is a well written, eminently readable, action driven cozy murder mystery. It's got a sympathetic amateur sleuth who's a gardener to the rich and privileged in the main role, a varied selection of quirky-to-downright-dislikable suspects, murder, and lots of fun facts about gardening and plants. It's abundantly clear that the author is a keen horticulturalist or employs a stable of fact checkers/researchers.

The setup mechanic of the series is appealing and fresh; each new book will be set in a new place with the same main character in new gardening situations and with new mysteries to figure out. 

Four stars. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, or a nice weekend binge/buddy read.

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

 

Eat Better, Sleep Better: 75 Recipes and A 28-Day Meal Plan That Unlock the Food-Sleep Connection

Eat Better, Sleep Better is a graphically appealing look at the connections between diet, somatic health, and sleep, presented by Dr Marie-Pierre St-Onge & Kat Craddock. Due out 21st Jan 2025 from Simon & Schuster on their Simon Element imprint, it's 288 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. 

The excerpt provided for review is beautifully photographed and appealing throughout. The author/publisher have not included any recipes in the publicity materials, but the background and chapter excerpts are well written and scientifically sound. The authors draw a line between nutrition and sleep/circadian rhythm.

The recipes are arranged thematically: pantry items, breakfast, salads & soups, side dishes & meatless mains, low-stress evening meals, sweets for sleep, and sleep supporting sippers. The author/publisher have also included (in the release copy) resources, references, and index. 

The recipes as pictured are attractive and appetizing, professionally styled and in color.

Four stars (impossible to evaluate fully without recipes and could well be higher in the final evaluation), and would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition or home use.

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

Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures

 

Modern Chinese Medicine Food Cures is an interesting and engaging look at nutrition as preventative healthcare by acupuncturist Dr. Melissa Carr. Due out 21st Jan 2025 from Jessica Kingsley Publishers on their Singing Dragon imprint, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

Traditional Chinese medicine, referred to as TCM throughout the book, has a history stretching back thousands of years. The author has an acupuncture practice, and nutrition and food-as-medicine are a natural outgrowth of that protocol. The book is quite steeped in eastern philosophy which might be at odds with practice-based western medical philosophy. For readers who are perhaps frustrated by chronic problems (IBS, autoimmune difficulties (including gout and arthritis), allergies, skin issues, and a host of other somatic illnesses) it's certainly worth a look.

The author doesn't confine herself only to readers who already have issues, but also expends a fair bit of effort on preventative maintenance and health-building dietary habits, with an emphasis on eating well, charting potential improvement areas, and even the physical aspects of ingesting food (eating more slowly and mindfully, etc). 

This is for readers who are open to the ideas espoused by traditional eastern medicine and philosophy. The author and publisher have also included useful appendices such as a food diary chart, bibliography, tutorials on TCM herbs and simple guides on how to source and use them, and a cross referenced index. 

Five stars, with the understanding that it's *not* a western medical guide and there's a fair bit of Eastern Philosophy (elemental humours, warm/cold, yin-yang, Qi, organ stagnation, etc). For readers with an open mind. The author's observations on nutrition (carbs, micronutrients, diets, food allergies, etc) are all spot on, and without any controversy. 

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

The Owl Handbook: Investigating the Lives, Habits, and Importance of These Enigmatic Birds

 

The Owl Handbook is a well written, layman accessible, beautifully illustrated monograph on owls by outdoorsman and naturalist John Shewey. Due out 14th Jan 2025 from Hachette on their Timber Press imprint, it's 248 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This book is aimed at the non-professional layperson, and is written in understandable language. The information is well arranged into thematic chapters: fun facts & farcical fiction, Owls of the US & Canada, the art of owling, help the owls, and owls worldwide. The bulk of the book is aimed at North American birders, but there are illustrated entries for species from other areas of the globe. 

It's full of interesting factual (and folkloric) info about owls, but the photography is the star of the show. There are a ton of macro photos with breathtaking detail, so clear and colorful. Owls really are magnificent birds.

Five stars. This would make a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving.

Five stars.

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

Murder in the Dressing Room - Misty Divine #1

 

Murder in the Dressing Room is a campy, glittery, drag-filled cozy whodunnit by Holly Stars. Due out 14th Jan 2025 from Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 368 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.

This is a well written cozy series opener featuring a drag queen amateur sleuth whose alter ego Joe is a mild mannered accountant by day in a hotel chain in London. When Misty/Joe literally stumble over the body of their mentor and when the official powers-that-be are more interested in solving a spate of possibly linked high value burglaries than the murder, Misty decides to take matters into her own well-manicured hands.

The plotting and mystery construction are sound, and the characterization is over the top and full of flamboyant dramatic drag queens and a host of non-drag quirky characters who run the gamut from sympathetic to loathsome. One of the most impressive technical details is the author's mostly seamless use of nonbinary pronouns. For readers who *really* don't like the use of singular "they" (get over it, please), the constant use will likely grate. It is noticeable, but fades over time and doesn't distract much, but it is there. 

The denouement and conclusion are well crafted, a tiny bit predictable, but overall fair-play and within the rules. It's a strong series opener and it will be nice to see how the characters and series develop.

Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library, home library, gift giving (to a drag friendly mystery fan), or a buddy read.

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

Schooled in Murder - Campus Sleuth Mysteries #1

Schooled in Murder is the first book in a new campus cozy mystery series by prolific and bookish author Victoria Gilbert. Due out 7th Jan 2025 from Crooked Lane Books, it's 272 pages and will be 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. 

This is exactly as advertized; a cozy, readably enjoyable, and engaging light campus mystery with an appealing mystery writer and adjunct college writing mentor in the role of amateur sleuth, an appallingly awful loudmouth professor of literature whom everyone loathed in the role of first (unlamented) corpse, and a nice ensemble cast of character who range from appealing and unjustly accused to fun-to-hate. 

It's a cozy, so the actual violence isn't terribly graphic (there are descriptions of blood, but they're fleeting) and the language is squeaky clean and there's a romance subplot, but it's not overpowering.

Four stars. Solidly readable for cozy fans. Publishing info for the second volume in the series isn't out yet, but the author is dependably regular in her output. This would make a good choice for public library acquisition, home use, and possibly a buddy read.

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

The Stolen Queen

 

The Stolen Queen is an engaging historical mystery standalone by Fiona Davis. Due out 7th Jan 2025 from Penguin Random House on their Dutton imprint, it's 352 pages and will be 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 a well written character driven historical mystery with enough Egyptology, history, exotic locations, and intrigue to satisfy, along with a dual timeline mystery/tragedy and lots of high-end NYC glamour centered around the Metropolitan Museum and the wildly successful Tutankhamen artifact exhibit in 1978. 

The author is adept at characterization and setting and they are rendered realistically. Main character Charlotte is likeable, intelligent, driven, and haunted by tragedy from decades earlier. The mystery itself is full of interesting Egypt history, archaeology, and well paced (with the possible exception of the denouement and resolution, which were a trifle rushed and tied-up-in-a-perfect-bow). 

The guilty parties are suitably loathsome and awful, and the ending is satisfying. It's a standalone, without any suggestion of a follow up, which is refreshing in the current publishing climate which generally requires two follow-up books in the bag before publishing the first.

It would make an excellent choice for public library acquisition, home use, or possibly a nice buddy/group read. The author/publisher have included an interesting afterword as well as an abbreviated bibliography for further reading.

Four stars. 

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

Survival Gardening: Grow Your Own Emergency Food Supply, from Seed to Root Cellar

 

Survival Gardening is a no-nonsense, well written, accessible guide to getting started with food production, readiness, self sufficiency, and improving personal and community food security written and curated by Sam Coffman. Released 1st Nov 2022 by Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formast. 

Food security and transportation costs and availability are real and immediate concerns for the vast majority of people worldwide. We only have to look at the supply issues of the last few years to see how vulnerable we are to interruptions and resource scarcity. It's not possible to be self-sufficient with toilet paper and toothpaste (well, not really), but providing for part of our food needs ourselves is a great way to reduce some stress, gain valuable skills, and gain a fun and relaxing hobby. 

The author has a great encouraging writing style and is willing to share his experience to help other would-be gardeners improve their outcomes.  The book contains tangible advice for starting, sourcing materials, planning, seed starting, growing, harvesting, troubleshooting and compensating for less than ideal results, but it -also- contains a lot of useful and thought provoking philosophy and interesting info for ruminating about our consumerist lifestyle, our definition of community, and how we can be less dependent on unstable supply chains for our daily nutrition.

Four and a half stars. This would be a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, activity groups, community garden collections, and home use. There is an emphasis on urban and to a lesser degree suburban gardeners, but there are valuable takeaways for gardeners in all situations. It's especially worthwhile to think about doing something about our self sufficiency and preparedness *before* the proverbial sh*t hits the fan.

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

A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins

 

A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins is a fascinating and accessible monograph told through the lens of 12 particular/significant coins as relayed by Gareth Harney. Released in the UK in 2024, this US release is due out 14th Jan 2025 from Simon & Schuster on their Atria imprint. It's 368 pages and 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.

Artifacts from history or prehistoric times have their own presence. It's compelling to hold a coin or flint knapped arrowhead or knife in our hands and impossible not to feel connected to the long ago ancestor who lived with and used these items in their daily lives. Indeed, the author's own decades long entanglement with coin collecting was started by holding an ancient Roman coin in the palm of his hand. 

This is an eminently readable and engaging book, told informally but with accuracy. The author does a good job of setting each coin in its historical context, describing both the physical characteristics and a snapshot of the world of the time. It's not written in academically rigorous language, but it is well annotated throughout, and the chapter notes and recommended reading list will provide keen readers with many hours of further learning.

Five stars. Fascinating book. It's well illustrated throughout, mostly in black and white, but there are a number of color photos and illustrations of historical sites, coins, and artifacts in the back of the book.

It would make a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, for readers who enjoy ancient history, numismatists, etc.

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

Three Card Murder - Impossible Crimes #1

Three Card Murder is an appealingly convoluted locked room mystery series opener by J. L. Blackhurst. Released 31st Aug 2023 by HarperCollins on their HQ imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook format. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. 

Locked room/impossible mysteries are perennially popular. There are classic examples from the golden age (John Dickson Carr, Fredric Brown, Craig Rice, Ellery Queen) straight through to the modern day (Tom Mead, Gigi Pandian, Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley). This is a promising start to a new series full of impossible crimes. 

The author has a very deft hand with characterization and the settings and pacing are well done (albeit a bit choppy in the back-and-forth time jumps... but once readers find their feet, it's mostly smooth sailig). 

The main protagonists, who are a sister duo, one a cop, one a criminal, are appealingly clever, sharply intelligent and intriguingly convoluted; in a lot of ways, con-artist Sarah is more straightforward and uncomplicated than her detective sister, Tess. 

The ending is surprising, but somewhat unsatisfying, since it ends on a huge cliffhanger which foreshadows the next book in the series. In the plus column, there are now two books extant in the series, so readers can progress to the second book to find out what comes next without any delay.

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 9 hours 49 minutes and is capably narrated by Candida Gubbins. She has a classically trained, well modulated alto voice and handles the disparate regional character accents of both sexes and a range of ages very well. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read. Ms. Gubbins also narrates book 2 for those who enjoy continuity in their series reads.

Four stars. Well written and engaging. It would be a good choice for public or home library acquisition, or for a short binge/buddy read.

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

Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive

Custodians of Wonder is a fascinating look at the living ancient cultural traditions and the last practitioners/guardians of that knowledge curated and collected by Eliot Stein. Released 10th Dec 2024 by Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 336 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.

This is a collection of disparate traditions and crafts from different cultures with the common thread that the practices are under threat or actively being lost to the ravages of modern life.  There are 10 chapters, each covering a different cultural art and the artisan(s) who are keeping it alive. They range from hand painted film posters in Taiwan to the last engineers maintaining the astounding ancient Incan roads, to living repositories of oral tradition in Africa.

The author has an engaging and respectful voice and brings these disparate cultural traditions to life. The book is well annotated throughout and the chapter notes and bibliography alone are probably worth the cost of the book.

Five stars. Very interesting stories. Written like mini travel documentaries, this would also make a superlative series for BBC or NatGeo or the like. The book would be an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or for gift-giving purposes for a nonfiction / culture fan. 

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

The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation: Step-by-Step Techniques for Making More Houseplants . . . for Free!

The Ultimate Guide to Houseplant Propagation is a colorful and accessible guide to propagating some of the more common houseplants written by Lindsay Sisti. Released 31st Dec 2024 by Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 208 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

The author is active in the aroid community (with some of the big, eye-wateringly expensive showy plants like special varieties of philodendron and alocasia) and she really knows what she's talking about. This book is, interestingly, both a beginner's guide and a much more in-depth intermediate-expert guide. It will suit readers of all levels and will be sufficient to most needs. 

She shows the different methods of propagation (leaf cuttings, divisions, air layering, offsets, rhizome and root cuttings, and lots more. The book contains one of the better tutorials on artificial lights and propagation setups (as well as cleanliness and tools) that I've seen. Readers are invited to use as much or as little of the techniques as they wish of course, but her success with a lot of tricky species and varieties is unquestionable. 

The author uses proper nomenclature throughout, happily, and the book is beautifully photographed and illustrated clearly and in color.

Five stars. It would make an excellent choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, gardening groups, activity groups, and home reference.

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

A Conventional Boy: A Laundry Files Novel (#13)

A Conventional Boy is the 13th Laundry Files novel by Charles Stross. Due out 7th Jan 2025 from Macmillan on their Tor imprint, it's 240 pages and will be 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.

Fans adore the sense of gonzo out-of-control wall-to-wall hysterical madness for which the Laundry Files are well known. For readers who adore paranormal bureaucratic fantasy, this is the top shelf good stuff. For fans of Aaronovitch, Doctorow, Simon Green, and the other boys in the band - this is not derivative at all, but ticks the same boxes as the aforementioned. It's funny, full on chaos, darkly humorous, and absolutely full of malicious compliance and government incompetence, with the added bonus of an eldritch horror or three, satanic panic D&D groups, and stopping the end of the world. There's deep nerdiness in the form of a math/physics/programming component to magic and that the agents are really smart (and very very nerdy). Stross has a talent for sarcastic/exasperated/desperate deadpan humour and this is a pretty strong entry in a very strong perennially entertaining series.

For readers who are not already invested in the series, it's convoluted, but this one does work moderately well as a standalone, since it is a prequel and gives readers the backstory for Derek the DM (forecasting ops guy). The series is up to 13 books plus tie ins in the form of the New Management series, a bunch of shorter fiction (stories and novellas) and uses a large ensemble cast of characters, so it's a great candidate for a very long binge/buddy read.

Four stars. Recommended unreservedly to humorous SF/UF fans. 

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

The Good Slug Guide: How to tackle the slugs and snails in your garden and help save the planet

The Good Slug Guide is a well written accessible monograph on slugs/snails/general biodiversity written and curated by Dr. Jo Kirby. Released 19th Nov 2024 by Gemini Books, it's 144 pages and is available in hardcover format. 

This is a layman accessible guide that takes the accepted advice about slug and snail control and turns it on its head in a lot of ways. The author uses current, accepted, peer-reviewed scientific research to refute (to a degree) the idea that attracting hedgehogs, toads, and frogs are always the gardener's best first line defense against gastropod (slug & snail) damage in the garden setting. It's true that they eat snails and slugs, but they also eat vast numbers of their natural enemies (beetles and predatory species of gastropod). 

The author has a chatty and warm style of writing and there's nothing dryly academic about the presentation. It's well annotated throughout and the chapter notes with reference links are likely worth the price of the book on their own. It's sparsely (but clearly) illustrated throughout. The author/publisher have also included some appendices, including a comprehensive species list, a cross-referenced index, and an abbreviated bibliography. 

It's important to note that this volume is slanted -very- heavily toward the various species (including introduced ones), growing conditions, and garden culture of the UK. It certainly has valuable relevance to gardeners outside the UK, but this must be taken into consideration by readers situated elsewhere. 

Five stars. It would be an excellent choice for public (or post-secondary school) library acquisition, for allotment/community garden groups, for the smallholder and home gardener, and for gift giving. 

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

Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman

 

Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman is a well written personal memoir by Callum Robinson of his experiences as an artisan craftsman, his upbringing, and his journey as a woodworker. Released 3rd Dec 2024 by HarperCollins on their Ecco imprint, it's 320 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.

This is a beautifully written, honest (often brutally so) memoir detailing the difficult, frustrating, and most often precarious existence of artists given the economic landscape of the current day. It's a difficult balancing act to acquire tools and materials, run a business, and still manage to be a conduit for artistic expression on a meaningful level, to stay true to artistic vision. 

The author is gifted with his prose, which flows evenly and readably. The writing is lush and painterly, surprisingly evocative and moving in places. (Surprisingly because at the end of the day, the guy is a woodworker of bespoke high end items, but still a craftsman and not chiefly a writer). The book contains some rugged language, but the f*cks are not used egregiously, and work in context. 

Four stars. This would be an excellent choice for library acquisition, home reader use, or for gifting to a woodcrafter who enjoys memoirs. 

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

The Lost Ones - Moonwind Mysteries #3

The Lost Ones is the third Moonwind mystery, in a very well written YA historical mystery series by Johan Rundberg. Originally published in 2023 in Swedish, this English language translation is due out 7th Jan 2025 from Amazon on their Children's imprint. It's 222 pages and will 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, along with the previous books in the series.

Set in the summer of 1880 in Stockholm, Mika's name is finally cleared after the occurrences from books 1 and 2. She has honed her powers of observation as a survival skill. She's soon helping Detective Hoff with his investigation and is determined to bring the notorious serial killer the Dark Angel to ground. The partnership is -very- well written and sensitively handled. He doesn't ignore or denigrate her contributions, and they develop a good working relationship despite the age difference. 

It's aimed at young readers (Lexile 680, grades ~5-9), but there are many difficult themes in the book, threatened and actual violence, physical abuse and starvation of vulnerable children, extremely austere living standards for the poor of the period, working conditions for the lower classes (including/especially children). Some parts are scary for sensitive readers. The denouement and resolution are exciting and satisfying. There are currently three books released in English in the series, with 5 books extant in the original Swedish.

The English translation work by Eva Apelqvist is well rendered and seamless. It flows very well and is accessible and doesn't get in the way of the story at all. This is a different translator from the first two volumes, but it's not noticeable (which is, after all, the point).

Four and a half stars. Possibly too dark for a younger middle grade audience (school library acquisitions folk should read it before ordering). It would make a good choice for public library acquisition, for home use, or for YA readers who enjoy more dire/suspenseful/tragic mysteries.

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

Brownies & Bogles: A Compendium of Enchanting Fairy Lore

 

Brownies & Bogles is a charming and well researched and grounded monograph on the fey folk by Louise Imogen Guiney. Originally published in 1888, this reformat and re-release is due out 7th Jan 2025 from Crossed Crow Books as part of their Texts of Antiquity series. It's 200 pages and will be available in paperback format. 

There's a spectrum of lore about fairies and supernatural creatures, from the utterly fluffy and harmless/humorous, to the very serious and scholarly. This book falls toward the latter classification on that sliding rule. The terms and descriptions as well as the classifications are presented seriously, utterly devoid of snickers and winks. It's a product of the Victorian era, and it does show its age in some ways, but otherwise is charmingly written and presented in a straightforward, serious manner. It's annotated throughout and the author makes an effort to trace the history, etymology, and lore throughout literature and linguistics (there are LOTS of really interesting tidbits to glean here).

It's annotated throughout with copious footnotes, but there are no chapter notes included in this edition. There is a very abbreviated bibliography, but this edition also lacks an index, which is slightly more problematic for a paperback format. 

The book is charmingly illustrated throughout with incidental half page illustrations, margin details, and chapter headings by Edmund H. Garrett. This edition also includes an erudite and well written foreword by Chris Allaun. 

This is absolutely not a cute/silly collection of tales, but a serious scholarly presentation of a supernatural subject within the lore. Whatever readers' personal beliefs are about other realms and beings, it has value as a fairly thorough evaluation and historical snapshot of the fair folk during the late Victorian period. The same care is evident in this volume as other translations and records of similar works (c.f. Evangeline Walton's translation of the Mabinogion). 

Five stars for the execution and care, and for bringing otherwise lost works to a new generation of readers. It would be a good choice for library acquisition, readers' home use, or possibly as a support or supplemental text for allied studies (history, literature, fantasy, speculative fiction, religious studies, etc).

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

Murder at Raven's Hollow - An English Village Mystery #3

Murder at Raven's Hollow is the third English village cozy mystery in a series by Louise Marley. Due out 3rd Jan 2025 from Storm Publishing, it's 356 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 and references throughout. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free (at publication). The first books in the series are also currently available on KU. 

It's told in a dual timeline scattershot format with glimpses of the past interspersed as they play into the current day (human remains discovered in the course of an abandoned greenhouse renovation). It's a hybrid village cozy and credible procedural with a likeable and competent lead investigative duo. The author does a great job with the setting, and there's a sort of creepy, gothic vibe to the village which is less than jump-scare territory and more vague uneasy dread. 

The prologue scene is moderately terrifying and it takes a long while for the story to circle back around to resolution. There are twists and surprising interconnections aplenty and amateur armchair sleuths will likely not guess all the wrinkles before the end. The denouement and resolution are not 100% finished in this volume and strongly foreshadow at least one more book to come.

It's the third book in the series with developing characters, but it works well enough as a standalone, with the codicil that there will be slight spoilers from the earlier books if read out of order.

Four stars. Very well written and engaging story, well told. It would be an excellent choice for public library acquisition, cozy(ish) procedural fans, or a nice binge/buddy read. 

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

Robins in My Kitchen

Robins in My Kitchen is a beautifully written, often meditative, enchanting diary by Bryony Hill of her experiences having a breeding pair of robins (Erithacus rubecula) raise and fledge a family in her kitchen over a number of months. Released 28th Nov 2024 by The Book Guild, it's 88 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

The author has such a gentle and direct, honest and unvarnished way of writing and description. She does a great job of recording and conveying the personalities of the small birds who, for a while, were a big part of her daily life. In addition, the book is enhanced by her simple drawings, picturing the small moments she experiences with her little feathered housemates. 

Four and a half stars. It's a very short book, but would make a delightful choice for public library acquisition, or a gift for a nature loving friend. 

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

Learn to Timber Frame: Craftsmanship, Simplicity, Timeless Beauty

Learn to Timber Frame is a very well organized and understandable tutorial guide for planning and building timber framed structures written by Will Beemer. Originally released in 2016, this reformat and re-release is due out 21st Jan 2025 from Hachette on their Storey imprint. It's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. (Other earlier edition available in hardcover). 

Especially during and after covid, given the frenetic pace under which most of us are forced to live our lives, reconnecting with handwork and having something tangible to show for our efforts is a huge and important source of mental and physical health. This author really *gets* that, and does a great job of making the theory and process of timber framing a basic structure accessible to most readers. It's full of information and people with some "handy" experience should be able to create a small timber framed structure with the information and illustrations contained in the book.

The author does a good job of presenting the basics: design, tools, safety, layout systems, cutting and layout, a *full* step by step tutorial to a small build, variations on the design, raising a frame, and foundations & enclosing the building frame. 

The author and publisher have also included an abbreviated resources and links list (slanted toward readers in North America), as well as a glossary, bibliography, and cross referenced index. The book is beautifully photographed in color throughout.

Five stars. It would make an excellent choice for public or secondary school library acquisition, for a handyperson's reference library, or possibly for activity or community gardening/self sufficiency groups. 

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