Review: One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

One Dark Night

by Hannah Richell

Release Date: August 19, 2025

2025 Atria Books

Ebook ARC; 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-1668081334

ASIN:  ‎ B0DJJYSWWL

Audiobook: B0DWYC2CB3

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Halloween

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

On Halloween, a group of teenage students meet in the woods near Sally in the Wood, a road steeped in local lore and rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered girl. By the end of the night, one student will be dead.

Rachel, the school guidance counselor, is trying to keep a handle on her increasingly distant teenaged daughter, Ellie, while students and parents panic and mourn. Her ex-husband and detective Ben, dealing with a personal crisis of his own, has concerns about his daughter’s safety as he investigates the death of one of her classmates. Meanwhile, Ellie is keeping secrets from both her parents, including one about where she was that night.

 

My Thoughts

One Dark Night is one of those books I opted to read because it was about Halloween, and there is something I just love about the creepiness of that time, so here we are. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how effective the atmosphere of the book was with relation to the mystery; the woods, the creepy legend, the secrets with the community, and the general atmosphere certainly led to a menacing tale that was right up my alley, and I stayed up way too late finishing this book.

 

For me, the most impressive thing about this book was the setting. I adored the descriptions of the surrounding area and thought the folly was the perfect setting for such a book. As a teenager, I would have loved exploring the ruins left there and I would have definitely been fascinated by the legend; if you had asked me to go up there at night to go exploring, I would have been all over it. The whole thing had gothic undertones that permeated the whole book and considering the private school was set right beside the woods leading to the folly, you can guess what kinds of trouble teenagers would get themselves into, especially when told it was forbidden or out of bounds.  

 

The plot itself moved along at a good pace and it certainly delivered when it came to twists and turns. Typically I can pick out the culprit in a book such as this, but this book caught me off guard and I missed the mark, so I was pleasantly surprised by that. The murder itself was complex and multi-layered, something that gave me a lot to think about when the book finished as there were a lot of themes running through the story, themes of loyalty, family, neglect, deception, gaslighting, secrets, friendship, mental illness, and self-reflection. I liked how many of the characters were flawed and because of this, made mistakes when it came to judging what happened as well as judging the people in their lives. Some difficult realizations come to people as they realized what was actually going on their lives was not as rosy as it appeared and they had blinders on because they didn't want to see/acknowledge what was in front of them.  I think the only frustrating thing about a book like this is you don't really know if the characters have learned from their mistakes or if they will continue down the same paths that led them there in the first place.

 

Verdict

One Dark Night was a very well crafted mystery and it certainly delivered when it came to twists and turns. I thought the characters were interesting, even if some of the character development was a bit one-dimensional. The atmosphere had a spooky element to it and the author did a great job at including many credible suspects so you had to piece together what was happening with the main characters. Overall, I thought the book was fun and enjoyed it quite a bit. Highly recommend to anyone who likes a good mystery with atmosphere.  

 

Review: The Fatal Folio by Elizabeth Penney

The Fatal Folio (The Cambridge Bookshop Series, #3)

by Elizabeth Penney

Release Date: October 24, 2023

2023 St. Martin's Paperbacks

Ebook Edition; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250787750

ASIN: B0BQGFXGTM

Audiobook: B0DL6GWR72

Genre: Fiction / Cozy / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

After moving to Cambridge, England, Molly Kimball has found a lot to love, including—of course—her family’s ancestral bookshop, Thomas Marlowe-Manuscripts and Folios. And though she’s not quite ready to use the “L” word when it comes to her boyfriend Kieran, she’s definitely fallen for his intimidating family’s library.

His family is paying her handsomely for an updated catalog when Molly discovers the original manuscript of a Gothic novel, A Fatal Folio by the pseudonymous Selwyn Scott. Kieran’s cousin Oliver, a professor specializing in Gothic literature, is eager to publish a paper on the mystery—especially because a troublesome student, Thad, is threatening to file a complaint against him and prevent his long-awaited promotion.

On Guy Fawkes Night, Molly, Kieran, and her friends set out to enjoy the costumes, fireworks, and fun—at least until a stray firework starts a panic, and the group stumbles upon a prone body, their face covered by a mask. It’s Thad, and he’s been stabbed to death.

 

My Thoughts

The Fatal Folio is one of those genres of books I like to read between the heavy-hitters as I am always in need of some easy, fun reads to give myself a break. This one fit that bill quite nicely as it was interesting, fun, but didn't necessarily have a lot of depth to it. 

 

It's always fun to continue a series and see how the characters develop and to be honest, I like a series where the romantic relationship is not full of drama and miscommunications, where the adults actually talk to each other and discuss their issues, so this is always a bonus in my eyes. Both Kieran and Molly are main characters that are interesting and don't typically do anything silly when they are investigating. I enjoy Molly's interactions with her family, with whom she lives, and like learning more about how they manage the bookshop they co-own. I mean, I am a book girly, so why wouldn't I find that interesting? 

 

The plot itself was a bit erratic and while I thought the inclusion of the story within the story was interesting, to be honest, it really had no purpose as it didn't have anything to do with the actual mystery. And while there was a lot going on in this book, and there seemed to be a lot of twists and turns because of all the events, in hindsight, there really wasn't and the actual mystery was pretty shallow and predictable. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but it was quite easy to figure things out as they happened and I would have liked a few more red herrings. And even though I read this just a few weeks ago, I actually had to look at my notes to remember the ending as I couldn't remember what happened; it just wasn't something that was memorable and stuck in my head. 

 

Verdict

The Fatal Folio definitely had some things going for it such as the descriptions of the city as well as some unique background information, something I really appreciated. The mystery itself was a bit muddled and I found it to be quite simplistic and easy to figure out. There were also some contradictory statements with regards to Molly's knowledge of things that I noticed, but not enough to really bug me too much, just something that as a librarian she would have known. Otherwise, even though this wasn't my favourite of the series, it was still fun. The publisher did send me a copy of all the books in the series so on to the next one. 

 

Review: House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama

House of Monstrous Women

by Daphne Fama

Release Date: August 12, 2025

2025 Berkley

Ebook ARC; 336 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593817582

ASIN: B0DMV7RCXZ

Audiobook: B0DNLVGJ3G

Genre: Fiction / Horror / Gothic

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Orphaned after her father’s political campaign ended in tragedy, Josephine is alone taking care of the family home while her older brother is off in Manila, where revolution brews. But an unexpected invitation from her childhood friend Hiraya to her house offers an escape....

Why don’t you come visit, and we can play games like we used to?

If Josephine wins, she’ll get whatever her heart desires. Except Ranoco house is strange—labyrinthine and dangerously close to a treacherous sea. A sickly-sweet smell clings to the dimly lit walls, and veiled eyes follow Josephine through endless connecting rooms. The air is tense with secrets and as the game continues it’s clear Josephine doesn’t have the whole truth. To save herself, she will have to play to win. But in this house, victory is earned with blood.

 

My Thoughts

House of Monstrous Women is one of those books to which I was drawn partly because of its Gothic undertones, but also because it's set in the Philippines just before the return of democracy and government reforms aided by the People Power Revolution. Having lost her family to political machinations, Josephine was just trying to protect her family home the best way she could so when the invitation came from one of her friends, one that could potentially help secure her future, she just couldn't resist.

 

One of the best things about this book was the descriptions about the Philippines, something I really appreciated. I enjoyed the family dynamics, the power plays, and learning more about the political system at the time through the characters and their motivations. While not necessarily a central motivation for these characters, it definitely shaped their lives and their actions and had a powerful influence on the choices they made.  What I often find interesting in situations like these is how some people throw themselves into the midst of everything that is happening while others shut themselves off completely and pretend that nothing is occurring, so we have this dichonomy happening in this book which reflect human nature. 

 

The gothic aspect to this novel was definitely atmospheric and haunting and visiting that house would give me the creeps for sure, I did find the actual story to be somewhat slow. I don't typically tend to mind when horror books are slow at the beginning as long as the tension is there and this was not necessarily the case as I felt pulled out from the book for various reasons. Then the tension would build again, then nothing. However, by about the sixty percent mark, it finally picked up and took off, and I thought the later part of the book was the most interesting. I did like how the horror elements were combined with local folklore. Plus, the many themes running through this book include things like inherited trauma, women's rights and liberties, family, loyalty, trust, betrayal, and friendship. 

 

Verdict

House of Monstrous Women had a very atmospheric setting and I really enjoyed this author's writing style. I did feel like the tension was a bit erratic and if you are going to have the tension build up slowly, it needs to be more consistent so the reader doesn't get thrown out of the story. I like how the political situation was woven around local folklore and enjoyed learning about both of these. Unfortunately, I didn't quite connect with the characters and I really did wish the author had spent more time exploring the game element as that was the most interesting. If you like slow burn horror, this book may be just the thing you are looking for.  

 

Review: There Will be Bodies by Lindsey Davis

There Will Be Bodies (Flavia Albia, #13)

by Lindsey Davis

Release Date: July 22, 2025

2025 Minotaur Books

Ebook ARC; 368 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250906731

ASIN: B0DH4FJ4DJ

Audiobook: B0DSQ71DZ8

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars 

 

Summary

Ten years after the eruption of Vesuvius, the surrounding countryside lies buried and barren. But the destroyed cities and luxury villas on the Bay of Naples are not utterly lost.

Flavia Albia and her husband Tiberius Manlius are tasked with restoring one villa and identifying any surviving remains.

What they unearth is beyond disturbing. When the volcano erupted some people were left to their fate here, unable to escape. They included the previous owner, Publius Primus - laid out carefully and covered by falling ash.

 

 

 

My Thoughts

There Will be Bodies is the next book in the Flavia Albia series, and while I found this one interesting due to the descriptions of the aftereffects of the Vesuvius eruption, I did find the actual mystery to be somewhat less compelling than in previous books and that there really wasn't much to the 'investigation'. 

 

One of the things I truly do like about this series, and the concept does continue in this book, is the very layered discussions around women and their roles within the Roman Empire. A lot of this is done through Flavia's voice and I enjoy her sarcastic inner monologue with regards to what she sees and her interpretation of events compared to how the men are dealing with things. It is always interesting to see how she manipulates those around her to get what she wants; women have certainly developed some skilled negotiation/manipulation techniques over the years and the men don't even know what hit them. I have definitely become more cynical and sarcastic as I've grown older so I empathize with Flavia and the women during this time period who didn't have as much freedom as people would think and had to rely on men to make decisions for them, decisions they didn't necessarily agree with. The author uses Flavia's voice to discuss the problematic nature of women and other people who were struggling and this is definitely a strength to these novels.  

 

While the descriptions of the aftermath of the eruption were wonderful and personally, I don't think I've read too many of those, the investigation itself was fairly predictable, and somewhat mundane. A lot of the actual investigative work got lost within the work Flavia and her husband were doing at the villa and if I hadn't read the previous entries to this series, I wouldn't have realized how shallow the investigation was compared to previous books. There were really no twists and turns and few attempts to try to deter the reader from figuring out the culprit and I was left feeling disappointed in how everything turned out.  

 

Verdict

There Will be Bodies is the first Flavia Albia book to have its setting outside Rome and I am still not sure how I feel about that although I was fascinated with the descriptions of the area around Vesuvius after the eruption. And while I enjoyed the descriptions of what Flavia and her husband were doing to restore the villa, the mystery itself was a disappointment as it was predictable and frankly, this was probably my least favourite of the series so far. If you are a new reader to this series, you could read this as a standalone, but I do recommend starting from the beginning to get a richer experience of the characters and their life. Even better, start with the Marcus Didius Falco series, the series about Flavia's father, to get the full immersive experience.   

 

Veil: A novel by Jell Clulow

Veil: A novel

by Jeff Clulow

Release Date: August 1st, 2025

2025 Third Eye Press

Ebook ARC; 263 Pages

ISBN: 978-1764139700

ASIN: B0FJF4TL7D

Genre: Fiction / Gothic

Source: Review copy from author

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

An old house filled with riddles.
A young woman unable to laugh, unable to cry.
Now, through her dead mother’s wedding veil she will see the house not as it is, but as it once was.
She will glimpse the events of a day nearly thirty years before.
A day of obsession and cruelty.
A day of hope too, where a lost lover hides in the shadows.
Through the veil, she may come face-to-face with her family’s darkest secret.
She might learn the reason for her mother’s insanity.
She may even find a way back to her lost emotions.
And solve the mystery of her own past.

 

 

My Thoughts

Veil was not a traditional ghost story in the same way of other traditional ghost stories, but it was still haunting and atmospheric. It was more of a generational haunting story and how what happens to family members can have a huge effect on those in the current generation, almost floating on the boundaries of generational trauma. I really enjoyed the Gothic atmosphere of this story as well as the setting; the themes running through this book would make some great discussion points.

 

Suze discovers she has inherited a house from her mother, a woman she had never met nor known anything about. As someone who was floundering through life trying to find a purpose, this came as a shock as she had spent years trying to find out anything about her mother who gave her up for adoption, but she was determined to discover whatever she could. And that is one of the things I loved about Suze as a MC, her determination. Growing up in the foster care system, she had learned to hide her feelings and emotions at a very young age, so Suze's character development was immense as she learned to feel and to sympathize with what happened to her mother as she discovered secrets about her family she was not expecting. I thoroughly loved her determination and her willingness to give things a shot even when it was extremely difficult to do so. She had a lot to learn, but was willing to put in the work and do so.

 

The story itself wasn't overly unique, and it was a bit predictable, but I definitely enjoyed the journey. The addition of the veil to the story was fun and I wish the author had done a bit more with that aspect of the story as I felt it was underutilized. What ended up happening was more of a showing us what happened to Suze's mother rather than allowing the reader to discover it and I felt a bit let down by how that happened. I do want to make it clear though, the writing was still strong and I still enjoyed it, but a part of me was a bit disappointed to just be along for the journey rather than trying to figure it out as Suze discovered it. And it was not hard to figure out what was going on although it was still quite tragic.   

 

Verdict

Veil had an interesting mix of gothic tropes in the story, but the inclusion of the veil was unique and I enjoyed that aspect quite a bit. There was also another aspect that I thought was clever as it mirrored Suze's mother's trauma and would make a great discussion point, but I don't want to give spoilers in this review.  I liked the oppressive nature of the house, but have to say I loved the conclusion and what will happen even more.  While the delivery didn't quite work all of the time, and I wished the Gothic aspects had been used a bit more to push the level of tension (which was quite lacking for me), this was still an enjoyable read and I do recommend it to anyone who likes these types of books. 

 

Review: The Mudflats Murder Club by Brian Thiem

The Mudflats Murder Club (Mudflats Murder Club Mysteries, #1)

by Brian Thiem

Release Date: July 29, 2025

2025 Severn River Publishing

Ebook ARC; 354 Pages

ISBN: 978-1648756283

ASIN:  ‎ B0DBRJB1L8

Audiobook: B0FFM3XZ8D

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Former homicide detective and recently widowed Sean Tanner has settled into Spartina Island's private retirement community, hoping to find solace after his wife's death in their chosen paradise. He soon finds himself drawn into the Mudflats Murder Club, an enthusiastic group of retired detectives, prosecutors, and forensic experts who are engrossed in solving the 38-year-old unsolved murder of Theresa Goldberg.

But the quiet of the community is shattered when Sean’s neighbor, Nancy Russo, is found dead in her home. Ignited by the crime, the club jumps into the fray, much to the annoyance of Sergeant Charlotte “Charlie” Nash, the lead detective spearheading the murder investigation. When Sean and his cohorts uncover a shocking connection between Nancy’s murder and their long-standing cold case, everything they thought they knew goes up in flames.

My Thoughts

The Mudflats Murder Club is one of those books to which I was drawn because the main characters were retired and lived in a retirement community, and as someone was had just recently retired, I was drawn to the older characters and to lives that were similar to mine.  However, this was much more than that and I found this to be a well-plotted, very enjoyable mystery. 

 

The MC was a retired homicide detective who inadvertently became involved in the murder investigation of his neighbour. While he's reluctant to give his advice, his natural curiosity and his years as a detective are hard to put aside and he is asked to help which does not endear himself to the local detective. I enjoyed Sean's character development as I understand how hard it would be to not want to get involved even if you are retired as those years you spent on the job just don't go away because you are retired. At first he clashes with Charlie Nash, the lead detective on the case, although in all fairness, the annoyance was all on her side as she felt she didn't need the help. I wasn't a huge fan of Charlie at the beginning of the novel as her uppity attitude got on my nerves, but she did grow on me as the story developed.  The ego trips are sometimes hard to deal with and the book just barely touched on the political nature of the police force in the area, something I think will be incorporated in future books. 

 

The plot itself moved along fairly comfortably and there were enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages.  There were a lot of characters that were introduced, but it was not overwhelming, and many of them will probably feature in future books so I look forward to learning more about them as there are some intriguing characters, with some interesting backstories. What I especially liked is that the secondary characters are not just relegated to background noise, but the author took the time to develop a couple of them so they feel more fleshed out. The setting plays a huge role in the story and I enjoyed the descriptions of both the retirement community as well as the larger community in general.  I have visited the general area, so I was able to picture it in my mind.  

 

Verdict

The Mudflats Murder Club was an excellent introduction to a new series, and one I enjoyed tremendously. While there were a few problems with pace, I did like the attention to character development and setting, and thought the twists and turns were rather good. While I did figure out who was the culprit, I didn't understand the motive until the end, so that was fun.  I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series, A Killer in the Cordgrass, when it releases February 2026.  

 

Review: Codebreaker by Jay Martel

Codebreaker

by Jay Martel

Release Date: July 22, 2025

2025 Wednesday Books

Softcover ARC: 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250355546

ASIN:  ‎ B0D19JY8MV

Audiobook: B0FKK7G3BT

Genre: Fiction / Thriller / YA

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Mia Hayes has peaceful plans for the summer—find a part-time job at a coffee shop and work on her application for Harvard. Those plans are shattered one night when government agents arrive unannounced at her home seeking something they believe her father has taken. When the dust settles, her mother is dead and her father is gone, a fugitive on the run.

Three weeks later, and still reeling from her father’s betrayal, Mia spends her seventeenth birthday at a protest in the heart of D.C., where she meets Logan, a rebellious and charming hacker. Just as she’s enjoying her first happy moment since the night her world exploded, a voicemail from her father arrives to upend everything she believed about her family, her past, and what really happened that night three weeks ago. Even more, the voicemail hides another encoded message inside which, once Mia solves it, sets her and Logan off on a mission from her sleepy suburb straight into the heart of the federal government.

 

My Thoughts

Codebreaker was a fun YA novel about a girl who discovers her family has secrets, ones in which others are willing to kill over. One night, Mia comes home and her peaceful and innocent existence was shattered, sending her on a birthday hunt that she wasn't expecting, one that could shape the future of her world. I loved the fact I could try to solve the clues with Mia and learn more about some of the codes and the code breakers who created them.

 

Mia was a smart and determined character, but she was also vulnerable having seen her mother die in front of her and knowing her father was on the run for something she wasn't sure he committed. With her world falling apart, she had to try to figure out who she was, but also figure out who her parents actually were. I really liked this aspect of the story as it is always a shock when a child discovers there is so much more to their parents than they thought and Mia's parents were hiding quite a bit; Mia had to rethink everything she knew about her relationship with them. I empathized with her struggle to try to fit this new reality into her current world and to re-discover the love she still had for them despite knowing their flaws and what they were doing as this would not have been easy to do. She would no longer be that innocent young girl she was before this happened, that's for sure.

 

The story took place over a short period of time, but moved along rather quickly. It actually reminded me a bit of the movie National Treasure where the main characters moved from one clue to the next with people trying to kill them every step of the way. I thought the story interwove the historical elements, the code breaking, and the current story quite seamlessly and yes, there were plenty of twists and turns, one of which actually caught me off guard as I wasn't thinking that way at all. However, the twist worked really well and I liked it a lot; it would also make a great discussion question about how well we really know about the people in our lives. Mia's sidekick Logan was a good addition to the story and I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop, but there were secrets there as well, something I enjoyed quite a bit.  

 

Verdict

Codebreaker drew me because of the codes and the idea that I could also be immersed in breaking them, but it was so much more than that. The plot moved along quickly, full of twists and turns, and I enjoyed the historical details that were included throughout the story. Both Logan and Mia were fun characters to follow, but I didn't really feel like the concept of the 'enemies' thoughts and ideals was fully fleshed out and I did think more could have been done with that. However, this was still a fun story and I do recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read and is also fascinated with the concept of code breaking and puzzles. 

 

Review: The Paxton's Tower Murders by Stephen Puleston

The Paxton's Tower Murders (A Detective Caren Waits Mystery, #1)

by Stephen Puleston

Release Date: June 16, 2025

2025 Independently Published

Ebook ARC; 315 Pages

ISBN: 979-8284500903

ASIN: B0FDJ71QB6

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from author

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Detective Inspector Caren Waits was ready to prove herself on her first day in a new job—but she wasn’t expecting a murder. When a small-time drug dealer is found dead near The Paxton’s Tower, Caren is thrown into a case that demands her full attention.

Leading an unfamiliar team, she must prove she has what it takes to command respect and catch a killer.

But when a second body turns up at the same location, Caren knows she’s dealing with someone calculated and ruthless. As the investigation deepens, she finds herself chasing a murderer who always seems one step ahead.

 

My Thoughts

The Paxton's Tower Murders is the first book in a new series by this author and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Having read most of the Inspector Drake series, I was happy to read a new series featuring a character who appeared in the Drake series. Caren was starting her new job in a new town and had barely settled in when she was called out on her first case. I would be quite nervous as well if I were in her shoes and hadn't even had an opportunity to check in, to figure out the layout of where I was working, or to even have met my team, so to say she was a bit uptight and nervous was understandable. 

 

Personally, I liked Caren better in this book than in the Inspector Drake series, but it's only because I got to learn more about her. Because the book is about her, reading her inner thoughts as she juggled motherhood and a demanding job was interesting, and I could relate to her struggles to provide a normal childhood for her son while being exhausted. The fact she was a bit cool to her colleagues did not bother me as she is the boss and understands the importance of a functional team. Considering the mystery surrounding her predecessor, her more distant behaviour was understandable, but she definitely opened up as the book progressed. She was determined, fair, and was able to see the strengths and weaknesses in her team members and use them appropriately. My only question mark with regards to Caren is her behaviour towards her underlings and it is something to which I rolled my eyes constantly: a 'please' and 'thank you' would not be remiss once in a while, and if you want a cup of coffee, get off your tuff and go make it yourself. In many offices, the way that was demanded would land you in a behaviour, aka manners and DEI training, course. To me, that speaks of a lack of confidence in yourself to be a leader; there's a way to do without being a jerk.

 

The plot itself had many twists and turns and was quite interesting. The murder investigation itself was done in such a way as to introduce people who lived in the community, people we will probably see in future books, so I liked that a lot. There was also a secondary story woven through the narrative, that of Karen's husband who died in an accident a year ago. That one did not resolve itself in this book, but it definitely made me curious as to know what happened. The investigation did allow Caren to grow as a character and to connect better with her team, something I definitely enjoyed. While the ending was rushed, it was still satisfactory.

 

Verdict

The Paxton's Tower Murders was a strong start to a new series and I enjoyed both the character and the plot development. It is well written and I liked the descriptions of the Welsh landscape and some of the background information the author provided. And as a I mentioned above, while I enjoyed Caren's character development, there were some things that did not sit well with me with regards to how she treated her team so hopefully that is all part of her future character development and now displaying how a leader should behave towards one's team. All in all, the mystery and investigation were fun, and I will be reading the next book in this series.