The Dawnhounds - The Endsong #1

The Dawnhounds is a dystopian fantasy noir story and series opener by Sascha Stronach. Originally released in 2019, this reformat, re-write/re-release from 2022 from Simon & Schuster on their Gallery imprint is 352 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

The marketing blurb for this book says it's: "Gideon the Ninth meets Black Sun in this queer, Māori-inspired debut fantasy about a police officer who is murdered, brought back to life with a mysterious new power, and tasked with protecting her city from an insidious evil threatening to destroy it", and that's a perfectly apt description. 

Much like Gideon the Ninth and Black Sun, I spent a lot of time not being sure what was going on and having only the most tenuous grasp of where the narrative was headed. Just as in those books, the writing was so superlative that I was willing to go along for the ride. This is a beautifully, lyrically written book which is often disturbing and quite melancholy. It wasn't often a comfortable read, by any means. 

Four stars. Although it's not in any way derivative, it recalls to memory Arkady Martine's excellent Teixcalaan series. Fans of Tamsyn Muir and Rebecca Roanhorse would do well to seek this series out as well. 

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

The Lost Ones - Detective Jackie Cooke #1

The Lost Ones (also published as All the Pretty Ones in the US) is the first Detective Jackie Cooke procedural thriller by Marnie Riches. Released 7th June 2022, it's 324 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free. The second book in the series, The Silent Dead, is also currently available on KU. 

This is a fundamentally well written and constructed serial-killer police procedural featuring a pregnant detective (should this be a subgenre at this point?) and an ensemble cast of mostly capable multi-ethnic investigators and tech support. The antagonistic boss stereotype is thrown in for dramatic effect. Although trope-y in structure, it's twisty and not completely predictable which was delightful. Fans of gritty procedurals will foresee some of the developments, but almost certainly not all.

The writing is more than competent, and the author does dramatic tension very, very well. Some of the descriptions are fairly graphic. Definitely one for the readers who don't mind vivid descriptions of the aftermath of violent acts. 

Four stars. Fans of Jeffrey Deaver, Peter Robinson, and Angela Marsons will find much to like here. 

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

Betraying the Crown - A Guy Harford Mystery #3

Betraying the Crown is the third Guy Harford historical cozy by T.P. Fielden. Released 31st May 2022, it's 302 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats.  For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book (indeed, the whole series) is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

I really enjoy historical mysteries, especially with a royal slant. This is a capably written, engaging, and exciting mystery set during WW2. There's a lot of wit and light humor along with some skullduggery and wartime intrigue. I found that I was drawn in by the likeable protagonist straightaway. He's a man of many talents, practical, trustworthy, and discreet and he brings with him an ensemble pair of eccentric sidekicks: Rodie (a lady burglar) and Rupert (MI6). 

The author has a rare talent for sweeping the reader along.I was engaged in the story and the ensemble cast from the first chapter. The plot, denouement and resolution are self contained in this volume and so it works perfectly well as a standalone read; but all three books in the series are quite good and worth a look.

The story itself is written around a framework of real historical events and people and so well entwined that it's not always apparent where reality shades over into fiction. I was fascinated by the author's note on the story at the end of the book (huge spoilers - don't read the author's note before you read the book). Even if read out of order, readers will have no trouble following the plot or keeping the characters straight. Additionally, the author has included a list of dramatis personae at the beginning of the book, so it's easy to flip back to check if there's any confusion. (One reason I really like ebooks lately is the search feature). 

The language is PG: hell, bloody, damned and so forth, nothing worse. Vernacular and spelling are British English (chips, flat, torch, etc) but shouldn't present any problems in context for readers outside the UK. 

Four stars. This is an enjoyable read and would make a good choice for fans of light spy cozies. It would also make a nice candidate for a buddy or binge read. Fans of Nicola Upson, Kate Kingsbury, and Rhys Bowen will find a lot to enjoy here.

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

Should I Fall - Austin Grant of Scotland Yard #2

Should I Fall is the second Austin Grant procedural mystery by Scott Shepherd. Released 7th June 2022 by Penzler, it's 312 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 2nd quarter 2023 from the same publisher. 

This is a very well constructed mystery thriller. Despite being the second book in the series, it works perfectly well as a standalone and it wasn't difficult to follow the story with the information given. It's a twisty plot, with multiple threads converging in a bit-too-convenient and slightly sappy climax and resolution. 

The book isn't completely problem-free. It was difficult to engage with protagonist John; he's surprisingly unlikable. The ending and resolution were also weaker than anticipated. All in all though, it's a worthwhile and entertaining read, even though the MC makes some decisions in the course of the book which were phenomenally stupid and really, as an officer of the law (current OR former) should have *known* better. 

Three and a half stars.

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

Murder Between the Pages

 

 

Murder Between the Pages is a standalone historical mystery set in the 1940s by Josh Lanyon.Originally released in 2016, it's 157 pages and is 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.  

The author is adept and prolific and usually known for cozy M/M romantic mysteries. This entry starts with a (literal) bang with a shooting in a bookstore. It provides the setting for a perfect locked room puzzle leading to a cleverly constructed denouement and satisfying resolution. 

There are some pacing issues in the first half of the book but readers are compensated for sticking around with a well rounded and engaging solution. As in much of the rest of the author's oeuvre, an enemies to lovers subplot is a significant part of the read. The romance content is between two rival male authors and there's a fair bit of delightful dialogue where they're sparring about their supposed mutual loathing for each other's fictive sleuth (and one another in general). 

Four stars. Short, well written, and fun. 

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

The Marlow Murder Club - The Marlow Murder Club #1

The Marlow Murder Club is the first book in an amateur sleuth village cozy mystery series by Robert Thorogood. Released in the USA 3rd May 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press, 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an interesting and engaging cozy featuring a 77 year old (but quite young at heart) woman and her two unlikely allies, a young dog walker mom, and the local vicar's wife. A series of bizarre murders has stumped the local woefully underqualified police inspectors and Judith and her allies go boldly forward where the official investigative powers-that-be can't easily go.

The book is surprisingly full of misandry and I can't think of one single positively portrayed male character who actually made it to the end of the book alive. The mystery and main plot-line has a fair number of parallels with golden age plots from yesteryear and I can think of half a dozen which are quite similar. That being said, it *is* a clever plot device and the author does a good turn. 

I also liked that the main character is a cruciverbalist and there are lots of crossword clues and wordplay throughout. Additionally, she's the type of person who takes daily skinny-dips, is an excellent sculler, and isn't afraid to take chances (although some of them made me shake my head in disbelief). 

There's a bit of and Agatha Raisin vibe, and fans of MC Beaton, Deanna Raybourn, and Richard Osman will probably like this one as well. 

Three and a half stars.

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

The Shadows of Rookhaven - The Monsters of Rookhaven #2

The Shadows of Rookhaven is the second Monsters of Rookhaven book by Pádraig Kenny. Released 11th Oct 2022 by Macmillan on their Henry Holt imprint, it's 336 pages and is available in hardcover and ebook formats. Paperback format due out in 3rd quarter 2023 from the publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is an exciting and well written fantasy adventure story for middle grades (10-14 years, Lexile 660L). Following on from the events in book 1, Maribelle and her raven friend Lucius are helping the family of Rookhaven monsters with the planning of the once-per-century Great Configuration. Fate has other plans in store, when a young half-human boy stumbles into their midst. 

This is very much an action driven plot with interesting and quirky characters (mostly monsters who are generally ok, and humans who are mostly monstrous). It's a fast moving and engaging story and I never found my interest waning or found myself yanked out of the story by clunky dialogue at any point.

There's a distinctly creepy gothic vibe with both the narrative and the characters. Although it's not at all derivative and the writing styles are very different, in some ways it recalls Bradbury's "Family" stories. The themes of found family, honor, love, charity, kindness, what it means to be a true friend, and the perennial struggles of good vs. evil.

The chapter heading and internal page illustrations by Annie Carbonneau-Leclerc are simple and effective and add a lot to the read.

Fans of TJ Klune and Diana Wynne Jones will likely enjoy this series as well. The book works reasonably well as a standalone, but readers who choose to read them out of order will find a large number of spoilers in this installment for occurrences in book 1. 

Four stars. Enjoyable. It would make a good choice for public or school library acquisition as well as home use. 

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

The Raven Thief - Secret Staircase Mystery #2

 

The Raven Thief is the second volume in the Secret Staircase cozy series which is full of illusions and stage magic by Gigi Pandian. Due out 21st March 2023 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 320 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 and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

I love stage magic and illusions and I'm completely crazy about old houses with hidden rooms and architectural easter-eggs like bookcases which are secret doors and mantelpieces with hidden catches to open secret panels. This series is absolutely full of them. The plot turns around an ensemble cast of specialty builders, stonemasons, and woodworkers who design and install secret rooms and hidden staircases. This is a locked room cozy with hidden rooms aplenty, secret alcoves, puzzle rooms, and eccentric characters. 

Although it's a murder mystery, it felt as though it were written more for a younger (YA/NA) audience. There's a distinct locked room element with a murder victim falling from the ceiling onto the table during a (staged) seance. It has a definite Nancy Drew vibe with a little whiff of Scooby Doo.

Throw in lots and lots of stage magic, a family curse (the eldest child shall die by magic), hidden motives, and crazy architectural prestidigitation, and stir well. Although I'm a few decades beyond the presumed intended audience, I found it engaging and entertaining. I was impressed over the author's expertise describing architecture and scenery; technically that's very challenging and she does it very well. Some of the dialogue is a bit choppy and some of the scenery dressing and illusions are a bit over the top and "Scooby-Doo-ish" but it's all good fun. 

I also thought it was cool that that the protagonist's family is multi-ethnic and the requisite cozy recipes at the back of the book reflect that background and are a really eclectic mix of odd and whimsical (Jackfruit pizza topping? Color me cautiously intrigued).  

The unabridged audiobook format has a run time of 9 hours 34 minutes and is capably narrated by Soneela Nankani. She has a warm and nuanced voice and does a good job delineating a wide range of characters across a range of ages and both male and female. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. Looking forward to what's coming next.

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

Good Dog, Bad Cop - The K Team #4

Good Dog, Bad Cop is the 4th K-Team PI procedural by David Rosenfelt. Due out 14th March 2023 from Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 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 throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function. 

This is a spinoff series from the Andy Carpenter mysteries featuring Simon Garfunkel, the retired K-9 police dog and his handler companion Corey, and with content featuring Laurie, Marcus, Sam, and everyone's favorite "lazy" attorney, Andy Carpenter. 

The characters are so well rendered now, and over such a long period of time, that they live and breathe. I love the lightly sarcastic humor and I can never get enough of them (including the canines, maybe *especially* the canines), so the fact that the books have gotten ever so slightly formulaic seems like a feature to me personally and not a bug. I love the books; I will keep buying and reviewing them as long as he keeps writing them. I found Corey's character/attitude and much of the formula of this novel very similar to the novels featuring Andy. For readers who are fans, that will be a big plus. The climax, denouement, and resolution are quite satisfying and self contained in this volume.

Corey and the K-Team are investigating a series of possibly related cold-case murders in New Jersey. It's not long before they're looking at organized crime, potentially dirty cops, corruption, and seriously bad guys in highest echelons of society. There are descriptions of domestic violence and a moderately graphic murder by firearm which could conceivably be upsetting to some readers. The language is fairly clean (PG-rated) and the writing is, as always, light, fun, and more than competent.

The unabridged audiobook version has a run time of 6 hours 3 minutes and is capably narrated by series narrator Fred Berman. His voice has a gravelly quality and he does an extremely convincing New Jersey accent (no idea if it's authentic, it certainly *sounds* authentic). He does a very good job of delineating the individual characters' voices, both sexes and a range of ages. Sound and production quality are high throughout the recording. 

Four stars for the print version; four and a half for the audiobook. With 4 books extant in the series, it would make a good choice for a series read or buddy binge read.

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

The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z

The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z is a primer and comprehensive pantry resource guide by Tamar Adler. Due out 14th March 2023 from Simon & Schuster on their Scribner imprint, it's 560 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. 

Food waste is a serious problem. Not just from a cost savings viewpoint, but also on a much larger we-need-to-use-our-resources-wisely philosophy This is a masterclass in efficient resource use and the author has a particularly appealing zen-like quality in the way she reasons with the reader and teases the best use out of what most people would consider trash. 

This is *not* a pure cookbook, full of recipes. Rather, it is a book of tips and philosophy for prepping, storing, and using every bit of the food resources to which the reader has access. In ages past, up until around 100+/- years ago, every household had a stillroom or pantry book, full of clippings and recipes. These books were often handed down through generations (I have my maternal grandmother's book, which she had from her mother, and so on). This book has very much the vibe of those earlier how-to books with the addition of modern and up to date knowledge and a much more comprehensive waste-absolutely-nothing philosophy.

The illustrations by Caitlin Winner throughout support and enhance the earnest meditative vibe. They're beautifully rustic and complement the content and raise the whole to another level. 

The layout is quirky and takes a bit of getting used to. It's arranged in roughly thematic chapters by ingredient groups: vegetables, fruits & nuts, dairy & eggs, bread, beans & rice, soup, seafood, meat & tofu, dough & noodles, salads, and much more (including a monumental chapter on pickling). The chapters are arranged roughly alphabetically by ingredients with tips for using and re-purposing where applicable. It really is a NO waste primer. 

The early ARC provided by the publisher did not include the finished index, but there -is- a listed entry for an index in the table of contents, so presumably it will hopefully be as comprehensive as the book's content. 

Five stars. This is a *valuable* resource and would be a wonderful selection for public or school library acquisition, gardening groups, community garden library, homestead, and home use. Not photographed, but reasonably well illustrated and complete. 

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

Bark to the Future - Chet and Bernie Mystery #13

 

Bark to the Future is the 13th (!!!) Chet & Bernie PI mystery by Spencer Quinn. Released 6th June 2023 by Macmillan on their Tor Forge imprint, it's 272 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out late 2nd quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats.

This is another fun and engaging read starring Chet (the dog) and Bernie (the human) doing what they do best, solving crimes, righting wrongs, and keeping each other (relatively) safe and functional. Although it's the 13th book in the series, all the books work very well as standalone novels. There are a few minor spoilers in the background story if read out of order, but nothing major and they're all fun, light, fast reads and can be picked up and put down without losing the plot. The ideal light entertainment comfort food for the brain.

Probably the most unusual aspect of the story is that it's told in the first person point of view of Chet, Bernie's Dr. Watson. Chet's a Very Smart Dog, but he is a dog and so there are many asides about smelling things and sort of a stream-of-consciousness commentary running throughout. I found it very distracting at first, but after a few chapters it isn't nearly as noticeable. 

For current fans of the series, this is another solid mystery; full of corruption, coverups, the "glory days" of high school, and several apparently unrelated plot threads which intertwine ever more closely to an exciting denouement and satisfying resolution. The language is a bit rough in places, but not egregiously so. There is some physical violence and descriptions of violence, but nothing extreme. It's not over-the-top, but it is there.

Recommended for fans of mysteries with strong animal protagonists, and American PI mysteries. This is the 13th book in the series and they're all quite trope-y and similar in narrative arc, but they're all written to a high standard and contain lots of action, good plots, satisfying endings, and humor.

Four stars.

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

The House Witch 3

The House Witch 3 is the third installment of a cozy fantasy series by Delemhach. Released 28th Feb 2023 by Podium, it's 479 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. 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 an impressively long and enthusiastically written fantasy series with a very large cast of characters who all have backstories and long (and often antagonistic) interrelationships. This book feels like it starts uninterrupted in the middle of a paragraph from the last book. 

This is absolutely not a series which can be read out of order or as a standalone without being completely lost. The writing is occasionally quite rough and it could have benefited from a more thorough editing process. There are glimpses of a very engaging story, but the writing is not consistent. The story is fundamentally good v. evil with lots of skullduggery and backstabbing and political machination. The characters are more or less paragons or villains without a lot of grey area or overlap. 

There are moments of humor throughout, and readers who like magical warfare and sociopolitics with their fantasy will find a lot to like here. It is abundantly apparent that the author has spent a massive amount of time researching and world building both the settings and the characters themselves and it shows.

Three and a half stars. The cover art is gorgeous for all the volumes, and as far as I can tell, it's produced in-house at the publisher. 

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

The Immunity Food Fix Cookbook: 75 Nourishing Recipes that Reverse Inflammation, Heal the Gut, Detoxify, and Prevent Illness

The Immunity Food Fix Cookbook is a resource guide with tutorials and recipes by Donna Beydoun Mazzola. Due out 28th March 2023 from Quarto on their Fair Winds imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats. 

This is a companion volume to Immunity Food Fix by the same author which covers a lot of the theory and science behind the relationship between the foods we consume and the health of our immune system. This is a less technically demanding deep dive than the other volume, and is more layman accessible, but the author still manages to cover an impressive amount of physiology and biology in this book as well. For readers who are less interested in the "how and why" of gut health and just want recipes which will provide immune system support, there are 75 recipes included. 

The recipes are arranged thematically: snacks & appetizers, drinks & elixirs, breakfast & brunch, lunch, dinner, and desserts & treats. Recipe ingredients are given in a bullet style list in a sidebar with labels identifying dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan options, grain-free, etc. Nutritional information for each recipe is extensive and includes calories, fats, carbs, net carbs, fibre, protein, etc. Superfood ingredients are also listed in the sidebars. Recipe measurements are given in imperial (American) units with metric measurements in parentheses (yay!). 

The book is beautifully photographed throughout and the food is well styled and appetizing. Many recipes have options for making the food compliant to special dietary needs, and nutritional info for alternative preparations are listed in the recipes. 

There are a fair number of specialized ingredients which might require some substitution or access to specialty markets or specialist retailers. 

Four stars. For serious foodies or people who have a solid incentive to improve their gut and overall health. 

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

Bright and Deadly Things

Bright and Deadly Things is an atmospheric and well written locked room thriller by Lexie Elliott. Released 14th Feb 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 384 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an engaging thriller with a strong (and never fully explored) paranormal element set in a remote and secluded chalet in the French Alps. A group of Oxford academics have gathered at the chalet, operated as a retreat by the university. Based on a factual retreat (blissfully free of malevolent grandfather clocks), it's a perfect setting for a creepy gothic locked room murder mystery thriller, and the author manages to get great mileage out of it. 

The author has a firm grasp of narrative tension and this is a prime example of mastery of setting and atmosphere. I was continually surprised and impressed by how darned *creepy* the book was without resorting to major jump scares, gore, or indeed anything explicit. The ensemble cast is an eclectic, disparate group, and the story is full of dread without anything specific happening in most of the first half of the book. 

There is one short and slightly explicit scene with sex in the book, but even that one is both integral to the plot and infused with a distinctly nightmarish quality, not titillating in the slightest.  The climax, denouement, and resolution are self contained in the story and were moderately satisfying. For fans of Ruth Ware and Valerie Keogh, this one will tick a lot of the same boxes. 

Four stars. Creepy and compelling.

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

On the Subject of Unmentionable Things

On the Subject of Unmentionable Things is a well written YA coming-of-age novel by Julia Walton. Released 23rd Aug 2022 by Random House on their Children's imprint, it's 320 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback due out in 3rd quarter 2023. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

The author delivers a sex-positive story with an impressively believable and genuinely relatable young protagonist who writes a sex-ed blog anonymously in a sadly all-too-believable conservative town. The way the author manages to handle the unequal power dynamics and conflict between conservative religious figures and fact-based understandable sex education is -wonderfully- nuanced and engaging. 

The book does contain good information about sex, which is a nice bonus and a valid reason to access the book for its own merits. In addition, it's engaging and fun, with moments of humor and some pathos, and a solid character driven plot arc. 

Four stars. I'm a few decades outside the target audience, but I found myself rooting for Phoebe/Pom and satisfied with the denouement and resolution which are self contained in this volume.  It's a very well done book, but it *is* a YA book about sex, and library acquisitions personnel & educators should be aware that there are on-page descriptions of sex, sexual acts, and sexual expression. They're absolutely not egregious, and there's nothing objectionable, but I'm 100% sure that it won't stop people protesting and clutching their pearls. 

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

Iconic Fashions of Princess Diana Paper Dolls

Iconic Fashions of Princess Diana Paper Dolls is a well made and beautifully illustrated homage to the "People's Princess" Diana by painter Eileen Rudisill Miller. Released 17th Jan 2023 by Dover Publications it's 32 pages and is available in paperback format.

The author illustrator does a lovely job of rendering both Princess Diana and many of her iconic fashions which will be instantly recognizable to most readers. There are 34 outfits and two dolls in 3/4 poses to match the outfits. Additionally, there are accessories for most of the outfits including hats and tiaras. 

Each of the outfits is accompanied by a short description including designer and where Diana wore the outfit. 

This would be a lovely gift for fans of Diana and/or the Royal Family as well as a nice rainy day activity for a youngster and for quiet play. Due to the nature of the book (cut up and use), it's ephemera and wouldn't be a good selection for public or school library acquisition (without being planned to be used and played with). 

The line drawn art is deceptively simple and detailed at the same time. It would be a good choice for artists working on portraiture and/or fashion illustration. 

Four and a half stars. 

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

The Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

 

The Pacific Northwest Native Plant Primer is a gardening guide with herbal encyclopedia covering a plethora of indigenous plant species for gardeners in the Pacific Northwestern USA. Published 28th Feb 2023 by Timber Press, it's 264 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. This is one of a series of sister volumes on different areas of the USA available from the publisher.

As we learn more about the interconnectedness of local biomes and the desirability of supporting indigenous pollinators, plant, and animal species, more gardeners are moving to reduce or eliminate potentially invasive species and substitute with appropriate native species. This is a regional guide aimed at the midwestern USA and includes a huge variety of native plant species and their uses in the garden.

I liked the layout of the book which is very well organized and easy to follow. The introduction provides a good overview of native plants, why they're desirable for habitat and food for local species, how the choice of these species for our gardens actually benefits us as gardeners (less maintenance, suited to the climate and growing conditions already, hardiness), and more.

The plant primer itself takes up the majority of the page content and is split into plant types: wildflowers, grasses & grasslike plants, ferns, shrubs, and trees. Each of the primer entries contains the botanical and some common names for the plant, habitat/soil conditions and culture requirements, active growing seasons and other special info, size, light requirements, a good description, and a clear picture. There are 225 species contained here, enough to provide lots of alternatives for almost any garden role.The end of the book contains appendices which include a helpful plant chooser for specific garden roles, bibliography, good resources lists, and a cross-referenced index.

This is one of the better regional gardening guides which I've reviewed. Four and a half stars. It would make an excellent choice for school or public library acquisition, home garden, smallholder, gardening club, or community garden use. I really liked that the book's author/s distinguished between the very distinct sub-climates in the geographical area and gave specific recommendations for the lush, rainy western coastal areas, and the more arid inland areas.

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

Because I Could Not Stop for Death - An Emily Dickinson Mystery #1

 

Because I Could Not Stop for Death is the first book in a new historical cozy series by prolific author Amanda Flower. Released 20th Sept 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 338 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is a promising start to a "famous-person-as-amateur-sleuth" cozy subgenre. Emily Dickinson's new housemaid loses her tearaway brother in suspicious circumstances and although it's treated by the police as a mostly routine accidental death, there are troubling inconsistencies which Miss Dickinson and young Willa investigate.

The writing is consistent and engaging, with well turned prose and clear and clearly rendered characters. Some of the characters' motivations are less compelling, and the dialogue is occasionally a bit stilted (not just because it's a period mystery). Overall, however, it's a good start and eminently readable. It's not at all derivative, but for fans of J.C. Briggs' excellent Dickens Investigations, this series checks many of the same boxes and will likely appeal.

Four stars. An entertaining start to a new historical cozy series.

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

Death at the Deep Dive - Secrets and Scrabble #7

 

Death at the Deep Dive is the seventh book in the Secrets and Scrabble cozy mystery series by Josh Lanyon. Released 14th Aug 2022, it's 222 pages and 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. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

As a light and engaging series, this one is so appealing. Protagonist Ellery is drawn into murder and skullduggery again when he stumbles across potential pirate treasure in the form of real gold doubloons and silver coins from the 17th century.

Despite being  the seventh book in the series it would work perfectly well as a standalone. The mystery is mostly self-contained in this volume, and although there are developing relationships and long term plot elements (like the dive bag which started this installment and which was thought lost/stolen), new readers coming to this volume won't have any trouble following the story. The author is technically adept and provides necessary backstory without info-dumping. The narrative is lighthearted, including an ensemble cast of oddball small-town characters. This is one series I recommend without reservation to my cozy/romance/mystery loving friends.

There are some fairly silly and over the top developments and plot twists, but it's a small village cozy, so it's really part of the whimsy. The "over the top" characters and dialogue were always on the right side of whimsical and charming and didn't shade over into annoying or yank me out of my suspension of disbelief, so it was a very fun read. The author/publisher has taken pains to make it clear that the romance is between two men, so I won't mention that, but there's absolutely no content which would scandalize anyone's maiden auntie. This is pure escapist comfort reading, simple and fun.

Four stars. Engaging and well written.

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

Wined and Died in New Orleans - Vintage Cookbook Mystery #2

Wined and Died in New Orleans is the second Vintage Cookbook cozy mystery by Ellen Byron. Released 7th Feb 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Berkley imprint, it's 288 pages and is available in 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 delightfully light and humorous cozy set in and around a fictitious stately home in New Orleans and the shops and tourist attractions associated with it. Protagonist and amateur sleuth Ricki James-Diaz runs a vintage cookbook and kitschy kitchen supply store in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum and is a recent transplant to Louisiana from California.

Some of the characterizations and plot developments are admittedly a bit over the top and there are some twists which require a healthy suspension of disbelief, but all in all, it's a pretty good example of why the shopfront cozy subgenre is so popular. Ricki's internal Zen monologue ("breathe, I choose to feel calm" etc) was slightly intrusive at some points, but overall it added whimsy and a little humor to the read.

The eclectic mix of eccentric characters left an open field for most of the book for "whodunit" and why. The denouement and resolution are self contained in this volume and it works well as a standalone. With 2 books extant in the series, it would be a nice choice for a mini-weekend binge read or buddy read. 

Four stars. The author is prolific and competent. 

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