Review: They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours

They Call Her Regret

by Channelle Desamours

Release Date: February 17, 2026

2026 Wednesday Books

Ebook ARC & Audiobook; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250337702

ASIN: B0F5PCNFMP

Audiobook: B0F7J3C8PF

Genre: Fiction / YA / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Every year horror-loving Simone Washington throws an epic Halloween party for her classmates. Party-planning is her favorite escape from the dark secrets in her past, and this year, she’s taking things up a notch with an invitation-only event to celebrate her eighteenth birthday—something that will leave the halls of Pinegrove Academy flooded with gossip about the big ghoulish bash. The overnight stay at Doll’s Head Lake will be filled with spooky pranks and scary stories told by the fire—including the legend of a local witch named Regret.

But those dark secrets from Simone’s past are forced to the surface at the party when her best friend Kira dies under questionable circumstances. The witch appears and offers Simone a deal: if Simone can figure out how to release Regret from the curse trapping her at the lake within fourteen days, all of Simone’s regrets will be erased. If Simone accepts, Kira’s life will be immediately restored. But if she fails, Kira will die again—and Simone will be the one to kill her.

 

My Thoughts

They Call Her Regret is one of those books that took me two tries to get through as I tried reading it, failed, then the publisher sent me an audiobook and I finally finished it that way. But I will admit to tuning out section of the book because the story was sort of slow at times and I was cringing a lot at the portrayal of mental health in this book. I really should have DNF it at that point.  

 

Simone is the MC and I didn't empathize with her at all.  And let me be clear, I don't have to like a character, but I do need to understand them and their motives, but I didn't like Simone, nor did I connect with her on any level. She tries to come off as so cool as she is the 'great' organizer of these amazing Halloween events every year and everyone waits in anticipation of what she will create every year.  To me, she came across as condescending, mean to most of her friends, and someone who was quite selfish and thought her trauma was so much worse than anyone else's. She was quite dismissive of anyone else's feelings and honestly, any time I thought the author was coming close to a revelation for Simone, she pulled back and Simone went back to just being plain awful and all about me. One of her actions at the beginning of the novel just set me right off from her character and I totally disliked how she treated her friends Kira and Cory. I was actually glad when Kira behaved the way she did and hoped for more from her as the story went on, but I was disappointed in that as well as Kira came across as wimpy and the author didn't bother developing her character in any way.  Simone was so judgmental and critical of everyone, but honestly, I wish the author had her do a little more introspection on her own behaviours and actions as that would have been nice to see. 

 

And Cory? His character bothered me to no end as he seemed to be created to validate Simone's behaviours and didn't have an original thought in his body or brain. Puppy? Even when we learn more about him towards the end, it didn't quite match what was happening in the story so I felt somewhat disappointed. 

 

So, let me explain. The plot was actually somewhat interesting in the beginning and I liked the atmosphere of the teens partying in a remote cabin celebrating Halloween.  This is the kind of thing I like so I was prepared for all sorts of shenanigans.  But Simone's choice left a bad taste in my mouth as it was all as it was all about her being a victim. Hell, no. She was so convinced that her friends needed her to make decisions for them about who to date, who to be around that she was so condescending in her comments and in her behaviours.  The author tried to throw in some twists and turns, and they would have worked better if Simone wasn't so bloody awful. I did think things were turning around when I learned the reason behind Simone's broken relationship with her mom, but it was ruined yet again by the way mental health was treated in this book.  Mental health is NOT EVIL!!!!  I am going to leave that here and you can judge for yourself when you read the book, but it turned me right off as I was prepared to give this book three stars at this point.  

 

Verdict

They Call Her Regret did have a cool atmosphere and I did really like the concept of Regret, but I was not a fan of how the concept was portrayed through Simone's character.  The actual writing style was fine, even if the plot was uneven and there were a lot of good things in this book, such as the twist in the end. Unfortunately, there was little build up or tension in this book for a horror novel, nor was there really a feeling of dread about what would happen should Simone fail at her task. Or perhaps I stopped caring. Hard to tell. As always, check it out and see for yourself.  

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Seven Sisters by Veronica Buckley

Seven Sisters: Captives and Rebels in Revolutionary Europe's First Family

by Veronica Buckley

Release Date: March 24, 2026

2026 Viking

Ebook ARC; 528 Pages

ISBN: 978-0525561903

ASIN: B0FFGM6R6T

Audiobook: B0FGJXWQ2P

Genre: Non-Fiction / Europe / History / 18th Century

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

For three centuries, the astute positioning of their many princesses and princes had kept the Habsburgs at the peak of European power. By 1764, after a generation of costly war, confronted by shaken alliances, immense debts, and restive subjects, the Empress Maria Theresia was seeking once again to assert the dynasty’s power through strategic marriages. Her arsenal was her seven daughters were to serve as her pawns in the ruthless game of eighteenth-century dynastic politicking.  

Delivered to the grandest or dingiest courts in Europe, they made their difficult and even dangerous Marianna the seeker; the grande dame Marie Christine; Elisabeth, the malicious, disfigured beauty; fractious and wayward Amalie of Parma; the tragic bride Josepha; Carolina of Naples, Napoleon’s relentless enemy; and Antonia, youngest of the seven, sacrificial offering to the gods of revolution, better known to history as Marie Antoinette.

My Thoughts

Seven Sisters is one of those books I chose to read from the viewpoint of someone who may be new to the genre or doesn't have a lot of familiarity with Empress Maria Theresia and the legacy of her children during the 18th century. I have quite a bit of knowledge so it wouldn't be fair to judge the book based on my own personal knowledge, nor was the book intended for someone like me. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the research was well done; however, it was the execution that I personally enjoyed as this was a monumental task and I thought the author did a great job with the time lines as well as keeping all the names as easy as possible for those who were not as familiar with them.

 

This book was actually quite engaging, even if ambitious in nature, and it was nice to see the daughters of Maria Theresia have their moment and not merely explained away as appendages to the men who were the rulers as they certainly were influential in their own ways. This book explores the family in its intimate moments, from the way some of the sisters got along to how some of them tried to avoid one of them because she was a pest and a nuisance, all realities of large families. The author made you empathize with them and feel the pain and frustration at the limitations of their roles and how some of them must have suffered. There are a lot of fairy tales out there that show how great it would be to be a princess, but I wouldn't trade my lot in life to be any one of these women considering the fates of Marie Antoinette as well as what Carolina of Naples suffered through the years with her husband's infidelity and subsequent health problems with syphilis that infected her and her children. 

 

Personally, I thought the strength of this book was the fact the author was able to clearly demonstrate a distinct personality from each of the sisters, to show their individual strengths and weaknesses, and how their personalities affected the lives of those around them through the choices they made. Yes, they were princesses who became queens, some of them, but that didn't mean they were necessarily prepared for the roles they were given.  All of these women experienced loss, suffering, death, miscarriage, and so on, while the world around them erupted in revolution and their fortunes and roles changed drastically.  The author was able to infuse the story of their lives with a human aspect that made their stories so much more poignant and tragic.  

 

Verdict

Seven Sisters is one of those books I enjoyed because the execution was fantastic and the rigorous research is clearly showing through the gripping accounts of each women we are shown. The author clearly demonstrates how their strengths and weaknesses affected their lives and their choices, sometimes for good, sometimes ending in tragedy. And while the political and religious aspects of the time period are clearly delineated, the book is not just about dynastic might and privilege, but about the human aspect and how these women were affected and how it affected their children, their marriages, their lives, their health, and their deaths.  While I didn't necessarily learn anything new from this book, I still enjoyed it  tremendously and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a place to start reading about the Habsburgs as I know the amount of literature out there can be daunting for those looking for a starting place. 

 

Review: A Voice in the Dark by Barbara Nickless

A Voice in the Dark (Benedict Hoffman & Helen Belle, #1)

by Barbara Nickless

Release Date: July 1st, 2026

2026 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook ARC; 359 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662533730

ASIN: B0FTGGHSWL

Audiobook: B0G2CZXLZT

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary 

When a husband, wife, and son are murdered in their Denver home and the family’s teenage twins vanish, the case draws the attention of FBI profilers Helen Belle and Benedict Hoffman. It triggers more than professional alarm. It mirrors a horrific case they investigated five years ago, when a boy slaughtered his family and went mute after speaking only a handful of haunting words. Among them: Midnight Man.

Then, nearly thirteen hundred miles away, one of the twins is found dead in a snowy Ohio field, and the parallels between the past and present cases grow more disturbing. Identical suicide notes. The same symbolic blood imagery. And a shared obsession with an online fantasy game. Its mastermind is an influencer who manipulates his most vulnerable and alienated players into killing the people they love most.

The Midnight Man is back.

 

My Thoughts

A Voice in the Dark had an interesting premise and I definitely enjoyed the discussion around the dangers of the internet, gaming, and how predatory it can be for those who are vulnerable, but I quickly got bored with the endless repetition and the constant back and forth between the teams and what was going on. And let me clear, I love a good police procedural, right down to the tiniest detail, but this one felt more like filler, it was unclear as to the actual jobs/roles of the protagonists, and overall, it was a bit messy in its execution.

 

First of all, the main characters were mostly one-dimensional and while I enjoyed them, there was nothing that really stands out about them. Even after looking back at this book a month after reading it, the characters feel almost non-existent and I had to look over my notes to really remember who was who and who did what, which is not like me as I have a pretty good memory for books and stories.  Benedict and Helen have a history (of course they do) and this is reflected in a lot of the story line (completely unimportant to the story) and some of the plot deviates to whatever happened between them, but really it was so fluffy as to be laughable.  Some development of their personalities would have been nice, but I really can't distinguish much between them at this point.

 

I did enjoy the discussion around the dangers around the internet, lurking, and gaming, but some of the terminology regarding gaming was not correct and this irked me to no end.  I am not a huge gamer, but I do know that NPC does not stand for non-character player, but actually stands for non-player character. And the whole discussion around the game master bothered me as well as they don't have control of people's lives like it was discussed in this book. Can people become so involved in video games they lose track of time? Absolutely. Can people become addicted to certain video games? Definitely. Can they have an averse affect on people? For sure. But, to have a game master control your game? No, I don't think so as it sounds more sci-fi to me. However, a group of toxic people interacting in a game can definitely be problematic, but that was not what was presented in this book. 

 

However, that being said, I did find the actual mystery and crimes to be interesting and there was certainly a lot to discuss surrounding the themes of mental health in this book, that's for sure.  I actually don't think the author went far enough in defending some of the mental health issues that were presented in this book, but a good attempt was certainly made and I appreciated that aspect of this story. The author does make some good arguments with regards to how society views mental health and how we respond to it in general, showing how much work still needs to be done.  Unfortunately, I struggled with the execution of the plot as well as the constant repetitiveness of events and explanations every time a new character was introduced and I started flipping the pages to get to the more interesting stuff. 

 

Verdict 

A Voice in the Dark definitely had potential and there were certainly a lot of very interesting, and valid, themes to be discussed within its pages. With the onset of video game therapy, this book presented a scary viewpoint to what could happen when things go sideways or when corporations are looking to monetize solutions that could be potentially harmful if abused. However, I did think the book suffered from lack of character development as they all felt bland and one-dimensional and I did think the execution of the plot was somewhat uneven leading me to become a bit bored by the halfway point.  There was enough in this book however, that I would definitely be interested in seeing what this author will put out in the next book in this series so I will be reading the next one when it is published. 

 

Review: The Invisible Spy by Thomas Maier

The Invisible Spy: Churchill's Rockefeller Center Spy Ring and America's First Secret Agent of World War II

by Thomas Maier

Release Date: March 25, 2025

2025 Hanover Square Press

Ebook ARC; 480 Pages

ISBN: 978-1335000606

ASIN: B0CW1HKMXV

Audiobook: B0D3RYDG1V

Genre: Non-Fiction / WWII

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

As a tough but smart Italian American kid, Ernest Cuneo played Ivy League football at Columbia University and was in the old Brooklyn Dodgers NFL franchise before becoming a City Hall lawyer and “Brain Trust'' aide to President Roosevelt. He was on the payroll of national radio columnist Walter Winchell and mingled with the famous and powerful. But his status as a spy remained a secret, hiding in plain sight.

During this time, Cuneo began a love affair with one of Churchill's agents at Rockefeller Center—Margaret Watson, a beautiful Canadian woman with a photographic memory ideal for spycraft. In one nighttime attack, Watson was nearly smothered to death by a Nazi assassin inside her women’s dormitory near Rockfeller Center. Cuneo’s transformation from a gridiron athlete into a high-stakes intelligence go-between and political influencer is one of the great untold stories of American espionage. He has remained “invisible” in the public eye—until now, with this unveiled look into his life.

 

My Thoughts

The Invisible Spy was a tough read for me and I actually had to put it down the first time as I couldn't finish it, but picked it back up again this year and was finally able to push through.  I actually felt the word 'spy' was used rather loosely for the tale being told in relation to Cuneo which is why I had such a problem with this book. In all honesty, I was much more interested in the rest of the people the book discussed because I felt like it was more of who Cuneo knew and associated with than what he actually did.  The overall information is good, but what Cuneo did was more in the veins of misinformation and redirection than actually spying.

 

As always with such a novel, we get a look into Cuneo's early life and how he developed his connections that would enable him to do some of the things he did during the war. And for pretty much three-quarters of the book, this is what we got.  Yes, some interesting historical figures popped into the book from time to time and although the book wasn't about them, I wish more details had been given about them as they were much more interesting and definitely had an impact on what happened with Cuneo's social circle of people.  There was actually a lot of good information that was included, but it got wrapped up in the mundane details of things going on in New York City as well as repetitive and commonplace goings-on that it was a challenge to push through at times. I think a lot of it could have been edited out to make for a tighter timeline of events that would have been more interesting for a reader. And I have a history background, taught it for over thirty years, and love this kind of stuff.  But when you introduce a person, you don't need to remind the reader over and over again who they are and what they do as it gets old, fast.  

 

The book was very detailed and I appreciated that, but I am not sure it really gave the reader the impression that was intended as the execution was uneven and sort of jumps around in a way that does not make it easy for readers who are not familiar with events to get a good grasp.  Although I am familiar with a lot of things from this book, there was some new information for me and I enjoyed learning about some of these things. However, I was always skeptical throughout the book as the author maintained it was because of his association with Cuneo that influenced Ian Fleming with regards to his 'Bond' books, but having read several biographies on Fleming, I feel like this information is not necessarily factual and nothing in this book convinced me otherwise.  However, the last quarter of the book was probably the best part and I did enjoy reading about the Cold War and the roles both Cuneo and Fleming played although the parts about Fleming were not new to me, Cuneo's role definitely was and I did appreciate learning more about that.  

 

Verdict

The Invisible Spy definitely had its moments and there were a lot of very interesting sections in this book, things that I learned in more detail and things that were new to me so I very much appreciated the amount of research and detail that were into those descriptions.  I'm still not convinced that Cuneo had a role to play with regards to Fleming and the influence he had on his writing the Bond books, but the last quarter of this book was the most fascinating and I wish the author had used that style throughout the book.  For the most part, I found the flow of the earlier sections to be quite different and tough to get through and the good information seemed to be shoved between unnecessary descriptions that could have been edited out. All in all, this really wasn't about a spy but more about spying, Cuneo's manipulations, his associations with actual spies and the people who ran the spy networks, and a very loose association with Fleming.  

 

Review: The Enigma Challenge by S.C. Godfrey

The Enigma Challenge

by S.C. Godfrey

Release Date: August 11, 2026

2026 Pamela Dorman Books

Ebook ARC; 336 Pages

ISBN: 979-8217059676 

ASIN: B0G1X3L12N

Audiobook: B0G1XPLKHF

Genre: Fiction / Thriller / Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Zoe Wilder has the unflashy, solitary life of an academic, studying ciphers in literature at a California university. When her research takes her to a cryptology conference in Madrid, she’s not expecting to trigger the Enigma Challenge, a clandestine puzzle competition few dare to enter.

The Enigma Challenge is an infamous competition with impossibly high stakes: Lose, and your identity is wiped forever. It doesn’t take long for Zoe to realize that she’s in over her head. Enter Dane Seaver: the mysterious hacker who insists they team up. Dane knows the Enigma Challenge—its secrets, its players—and Zoe knows ciphers. For better or worse, they need each other.

Six days, five puzzles, three countries, and innumerable rivals. What’s more, the spark of attraction between them becomes harder to ignore, but distractions are dangerous. With twelve million dollars and multiple lives on the line, the Enigma Challenge is anyone’s game.

 

My Thoughts

The Enigma Challenge was a decent book and I did enjoy the actual challenge even if I found the romance cringey and didn't really feel the connection romantically between the two main characters. I definitely enjoyed the descriptions of the different locales having visited most of them (except Madrid), and could picture myself in each of the locations. And while I did enjoy the puzzles, I wish they had been a bit more challenging considering this was supposed to be a really difficult competition and only the best cryptographers would have a chance at winning. How difficult is it if someone can solve it in less than an hour?

 

I can't say the plot moved along that quickly as there were definitely some slower parts to this story, but while I was hoping for more thrills and action, I didn't necessarily find it boring. However Zoe's teenage crush on Dane quickly became annoying and the constant crushing on him grew old fast. The Enigma Challenge is supposed to be very difficult and people get hurt, and while Zoe and Dane did have a couple of close calls, most of those were avoided due to convenience and I never felt like they were in any danger. And in the wilds of Scotland, the author never really explained how Zoe, who has never hiked a day in her life, managed to get to the location in the wilds even if she was with someone else. As someone who hikes a lot, this sort of bothered me because this would not be easy to do and she was injured on top of it. So yeah, a bit of suspension of belief was necessary for some parts of this book.  

 

So, let's talk about Zoe, a woman who wants to play the enigma challenge, but really has no clue what it is or what the consequences of the game could be. Yet, she goes along with a man she has just met and trusts him with her life to complete a challenge she really knows nothing about.  And gets upset when this same person doesn't reveal his whole life to her as they compete because you know, he should definitely trust a stranger with all his information as well as 'trust is so important'. Holy hell! You're in a game with someone you don't know, the stakes are super high, and you get 'mad' because this person doesn't trust you. I felt like we were in high school all over again.  And don't even get me started on the underwear thing. So cringey I almost DNF the book at that point.  What kept me going were the puzzles and the descriptions of the locations. But then, once they get the puzzles, they dine in public locations to solve the puzzles. The only good thing about this was the descriptions of the food. Considering Dane had played this game before you would thing he would be a lot more aware of how dangerous it could be and know how to take precautions in public areas. But no. Let's just take stroll down a road and hope no one else finds us on this busy street with cameras everywhere. 

 

Verdict

The Enigma Challenge was an okay book and I did enjoy the challenges even if I thought the romance was cringey at best and the suspense and thrills were somewhat lacking. There was little description of the other players in the game except for a couple of them so I have no idea about the game itself, its global power or anything else and for a corporation that is supposed to be everywhere, this information was seriously lacking in this book.  The puzzles were interesting but anyone fascinated with cryptology may find them not as difficult as they should have been considering the prize at the end of the game.  I don't really know to whom I would recommend this book as it's not really a romance, and personally, I hate stupid miscommunications as a trope and they were used a lot in this book, and I don't think there is enough action in it for action/thriller readers.  Perhaps this would be perfect for those readers just looking to start reading the action/thriller genre and are feeling overwhelmed. 

 

Review: The Doll House by D.W. Gillespie

The Doll House

by D.W. Gillespie

Release Date: July 28, 2026

2026 Delacorte Press

Ebook ARC; 288 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593814925

ASIN:B0FY4YDMJS

Audiobook: B0FY51QT9P

Genre: Fiction / Horror / Middle Grade

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Garrett never met his grandfather, Burke, but he’s heard the stories from his mother. Burke was an enormously successful writer, but he was also notoriously cruel, especially to his family. After he passes away suddenly, Garrett and his mother are told that his enormous fortune is hers…if they agree to spend a week at his estate.

The house is a monument to Burke’s obsession with puppet-like dolls, and the attic is packed with cryptic notes and ancient books. It’s clear that his grandfather was up to something, but Garrett can only guess what, and his fear only deepens when he finds a creepily detailed doll with 'Marion' written on the foot.  

As the week progresses, Garrett realizes that the house isn’t what it seems. An old typewriter clicks away on its own. There are sounds in the night that come from the basement. And strangest of all is Marion, who always seems to be watching...

 

My Thoughts

The Doll House was a lot of fun to read and for a middle grade horror novel, it definitely had its creepy moments. I know one of the things that has always creeped me out over the years has been dolls, especially the Bisque Porcelain era starting in the 1850s. I can handle a lot of things in horror novels, but keep those dolls away from me. Even as a kid I didn't like to play with dolls as I found them creepy. 

 

One of the things I really enjoyed in this book was the relationship between Garrett and his mom. Because it has always been the two of them, you could sense the easy camaraderie between them as well as the open lines of communication. So when things start getting a little weird around the house, Garrett doesn't feel afraid to tell his mom about what he sees or hears even though her response is somewhat lukewarm. I did really like that Garrett behaved like a twelve-year-old boy, full of curiosity, and disobeyed his mother once in a while even if it was not necessarily open rebellion. When you have this big, creepy old house that was lived in by a grandfather you did not know, what would any kid do? Explore, naturally. And if they explored in areas that shouldn't be explored? Well, that happens, doesn't it? I would have done the same. I explored my memere's basement even though I was told not to go into certain areas. A big creepy house would have been a gold mine for someone who was curious and wanted answers like Garrett. 

 

The plot moved along rapidly which is something I would expect in a middle grade novel in order to keep a young person engaged, but it certainly kept me engaged as well. There were definitely some creepy moments, and some things that happened to Garrett that were somewhat dangerous, but still at the level of a middle grade novel.  There were quite a few themes running through this book that an adult could unpack quite easily, but may be somewhat of a reach for younger children which is fine as they would enjoy the story quite easily regardless. Some of the themes were: childhood abuse, death, control, generational trauma, spousal abuse, communication, friendship, loyalty, parenting, family, and the list goes on. Most of the themes were not delved into too deeply and were at the level of this book, but they are still great launching pads for those who wish to have deeper discussions with their children. My only negative on this book is there are dozens of MG books that have dolls and a haunted house, so I would like to read something with a different take once a while, like maybe haunted technology or any other haunted item that does not feature dolls. Just a personal thought and this in no way reflects my enjoyment of this book. 

 

Verdict

The Doll House was a creepy MG novel with a fun plot and interesting characters. I did really like the setting as it was atmospheric and haunting, and definitely a kid's playground, especially for one looking for adventure and mayhem like Garrett.  I enjoyed the ending to the book and thought it all tied in nicely in the end although I did feel like the explanation for the motive for Garrett's grandfather was a bit loose and not fully explained.  However, the tension of the story was kept up throughout and I had a difficult time putting this book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is nostalgic for that Goosebumps creepiness or, not having read those books, just want a fun creepy book. 

 

 

 

Review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

This Kingdom Will not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying, #1)

by Ilona Andrews

Release Date: March 31, 2026

2026 Tor Books

Ebook ARC; 470 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250377265

ASIN: B0F5PCSRGN

Audiobook: B0F6G5TRHV

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Portal

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

 

My Thoughts

This Kingdom Will not Kill Me was a pleasantly enjoyable book, but that's not necessarily a surprise to me as I have enjoyed most of these authors' previous works although usually in the urban paranormal genre rather than portal fantasy. So it was an interesting surprise to see them expand to this type of fantasy, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building. I was not as big of a fan of the actual plot and although I did enjoy the main character, she did get on my nerves some of the time due to her reliance on the 'bestest book in the world'. I also think if you are a long-time reader of portal fantasies, you could see a lot of the twists coming, and you could definitely see the many tropes that were used to propel the story forward.

 

I thought Maggie was a fairly strong character and I liked her character development quite a bit. I liked how she thought things through before deciding on a mission, but didn't necessarily trust everyone around her. Even though she relied on the book-within-a-book situation, she realized quite quickly that things had changed with her entrance into this world and adapted by thinking her way through situations and strategizing. Yes, she made mistakes, big ones, but one of the things I liked about her was that she was quick to learn and didn't make the same mistakes over and over again, nauseatingly.  Because this is an isekai portal fantasy, Maggie does have the ability to speak, read, and write languages in the new world. However, one of the things that did annoy me was how much the authors used the 'book' trope to get Maggie out of situations as I found it a bit convenient at times and this did get to be irritating. Naturally, when a new person enters the fray, everything changes so Maggie should no longer be able to use that when dealing with situations. The world would become more unpredictable and those little changes create ripples that cause massive changes. This was not addressed as much in this book. 

 

This book is definitely not a cozy fantasy book as the MC does die violently several times in this book and I am not really giving anything away at this point. The world is grim, dark, and dangerous, but that is what I like in fantasy so this appealed to me. What can I say? I've been reading fantasy for over forty-five years. and have drifted to LitRPG for this reason.  The authors did a great job highlighting the fact there are dangerous tyrants and petty lords who do some awful things to people, including children.  But, the friendships and storylines in this book are decent and make up for some of the things that happen in this book, and the twists and turns kept me turning the pages quickly.  Yes, there are parts that are predictable, but those didn't bother me, and I even figured out the identity of one of the main characters quite early on.  This book is full of tropes, yes, and the authors did rely a lot on convenience (such as a person showing up to save the day or Maggie using something from the book where that should no longer be possible because the timeline changed), but they were used in such a way that allowed Maggie the time and freedom to develop what she needed in order to survive in this new world even if I wasn't necessarily a fan of how that was achieved some of the time. 

 

Verdict

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me was a decent book and I did enjoy it. To be fair, I did listen to the audiobook at a fairly fast speed so I don't know how I would have reacted had I been reading it although I think I would have been more annoyed at the uneven pacing.  I did enjoy the main characters as well as the secondary characters and thought they were the most interesting part of this book. I wasn't a fan of the tropes propelling this story forward as using a convenient event to get your MC out of trouble just speaks of lazy writing to me, but the story did move fairly quickly most of the time and I appreciated that. I don't particularly care about the ending having a cliffhanger ending as a lot of LitRPG books (here's looking at you HWFWM or DOTF) do the same thing, but at this point I will probably pick up the next book to see what happens, not necessarily to Maggie, but to another character I really like. 

 

Review: The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

The Story Keeper

by Kelly Rimmer

Release Date: July 21, 2026 (First published July 30, 2025)

2026 MIRA

Ebook ARC; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-1525805110

ASIN: B0CW1JH195

Audiobook:  ‎ B0D3RPCN1P

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Mystery 

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate she once called home. Intent on restoring it, she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated mansion—beneath the crumbling plaster and dust are secrets that have been buried for a generation.

When a curious book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle’s library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own—a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask herself: Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

 

My Thoughts

The Story Keeper definitely had a premise that I have fascinating for over forty years, but this one lost its fizzle and oomph around the forty percent mark and I had to push myself to push through towards the end. It's too bad as it had everything that I like in a story including an old house, a mystery, a story within a story, a strained relationship between mother and daughter, a woman trying to figure out what she wants in life after divorce, and secrets, lots of secrets. And while I didn't mind the predictability of the story as you could see where this was going quite early on in the book, the execution fell flat for me, particularly about half way through.

 

I didn't really know what to think about Fiona as a character as I don't think her character development was particularly strong, one-dimensional at best. She had just come through a divorce, a nasty one from the sounds of it, but I found it difficult to empathize with her situation because the writing style didn't really make me feel like I could empathize with her too much.  Yes, she had a complicated relationship with her mother and it was only at the end of the story that I actually felt a stirring of compassion for the two of them as the 'secret' was revealed and Fiona finally understood a bit about what her mother went through. But still, as I think about her character, I can't really come up with too many adjectives to describe her.  Was she determined? To a certain extent, I guess. However, the best I can come up with is that she is bland. There just wasn't enough detail or context about Fiona to develop an idea about her personality for me to even think I have a handle on her personality.

 

The plot was interesting until perhaps about the forty percent mark even though it was predictable and I could easily sense where it was going.  However, the predictable part was not the problem as I can live with that; it's the fact that the details around the house, the secondary characters, the past, and other important things were noticeably missing as the story progressed and to me, this is more of an execution issue. I didn't have an issue with the story-within-a-story trope as I thought it was interesting and I did think the way the author highlighted the difficulties of spousal abuse in the 1950s was well done and quite accurate, but again, it lacked emotional depth.  

 

Verdict

The Story Keeper is not my favourite book from this author, but it was an okay read. I thought both the plot and the character development were one-dimensional and flat and the pacing was a bit uneven. I did like the descriptions of the house however, and I liked how the author highlighted the themes of generational trauma as well as abuse as they were well done.  Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but the uneven execution and the lack of character development did not really do it for me.  

 

Review: Time to Play by Erin Ampersand

Time to Play (Apocalypse Parenting, #1)

by Erin Ampersand

Release Date: August 18, 2026 (Originally published independently in 2022)

2026 HarperCollins 

Ebook & Hardcover Editions; 375 Pages

ISBN: 978-0008857172

ASIN: B0H1DTBVXJ

Audiobook: B0BRBSG6BL

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / LitRPG

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars 

 

Summary

Congratulations! Your planet has been selected!

And just like that, Earth becomes the newest unwilling participant in a high-stakes intergalactic game show competition. What that means becomes terrifyingly clear as monsters drop onto the front lawn, an interface appears in your field of vision, and you—and your nine- and six-year-old sons and three-year-old daughter—are each offered a choice of supernatural abilities.

Part of you wants to laugh. Your husband’s away on business, coming home late tonight. Well, he was. But you clamp down on your rising panic. It doesn’t matter how much harder it will be. You’re a mom. Your kids need you; it’s up to you to keep them safe. You can do this.

Then, in quick succession, you discover: 1) your toddler has unilaterally decided her supernatural power should be for her beloved turtle stuffie to come alive. 2) every person on Earth will have to fight, no matter their age. You're going to have to teach your kids to stand on their own—and yourself to let them.

 

My Thoughts

Time to Play is one of those LitRPG book I've been meaning to read since it was first published several years ago, but never really had the time to read so when the publisher reached out and offered the first three books in the series, I was thrilled. And the first one did not disappoint.  And while I definitely enjoyed the LitRPG elements to the story, what I especially enjoyed was the way the MC navigated some difficult times while trying to keep her young children alive and healthy. 

 

Megan is the MC and everything is told through her perspective.  Personally I couldn't even imagine the terror and the other thoughts ripping through her head when the apocalypse happened and she lost all of the technology in her house and in the neighbourhood. Megan is tough, resourceful, a problem solver, and one who is willing to help others, but at the same time, she is cautious and doesn't take unnecessary risks. I like how she interacts with her kids and the conversations feel natural and at their level, but she doesn't accept everything at face value as we often see with her interactions with Pointy, a stuffed AI turtle who has an interesting story line with her three-year-old daughter. The secondary characters were interesting and I definitely hope to see more of them in the next couple of books as I would like to learn more about their backgrounds as well as what they are capable of in the context of this story. 

 

The plot moved rather quickly and I was glad it wasn't overwhelmed with stats and other things that can be typical in LitRPG books. It's not that I dislike stats as I find them fascinating, but the relationship between Megan and her children as well as how Megan interacts with the neighbourhood was the focus of this book and I liked that it wasn't overwhelmed with too many stats. There was just the right amount of tension in this book and there were some secondary story lines building within the main one that could prove interesting as the story progresses. There were lots of twists and turns, and I liked the countdown to when the next dangerous creature would be released as it raised the tension and the interest as I was reading. The actual skills were interesting and I liked how confusing they were for everyone. And there were some funny moments that occurred because of those skills.  Megan was far more stoic than I would have been by then as I think I would have sat down and just bawled my eyes out with frustration.  There were some things happening that do make you realize that indicate future events will be quite serious and potentially dangerous so I am curious as to how it will all play out.

 

Verdict

Time to Play was a fun book to read and while it was serious in tone, there were definitely some comic relief moments that made me laugh out loud.  The MC was somewhat sarcastic and I loved the snide comments that were made when her children laughed at her for the things she said, did, or wore. Kids will be kids even in a moment of crisis!!  While there were elements in the story that did slow down the overall pace and tension, overall I really enjoyed watching Megan struggle to figure out how to protect her family and interact with her neighbours while learning how to navigate the new system. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series.  

 

 

 

Review: The Lost Child by Patricia Gibney

The Lost Child (D.I. Lottie Parker, #3)

by Patricia Gibney

Release Date: October 27, 2017

2017 Bookouture

Ebook Edition; 448 Pages

ISBN: 978-1786812377

ASIN:  ‎ B073SHHY6J

Audiobook: B076PPLZFX

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

An elderly woman is found murdered in her own home, and Detective Lottie Parker and her partner Detective Boyd are called in to investigate. When they discover that the victim’s daughter is missing as well, they start to fear for the safety of the whole family…

Two days later as a nearby house is set on fire and with the body count rising, Lottie and her team begin to unpick a web of secrets and lies, as the murders seem to link back to a case investigated by Lottie’s father before he took his own life.

With little knowledge of what really happened to her father, Lottie knows this is a case that could give her some answers. But how much does she want to know? And how far is Lottie prepared to dig to uncover the truth?

 

My Thoughts

The Lost Child is the third entry in the DI Lottie Parker series and this entry was just as intriguing as the previous books if for different reasons. Because this case has personal ties with the mystery of Lottie's father's death, it impacts Lottie on a personal level and causes her to behave erratically at times. While the mystery was quite intriguing, I really liked Lottie's development and her fall into bad habits to keep the emotional memories at bay and to keep herself from falling apart completely.

 

Okay, three books in and we've been watching Lottie spiral downwards the entire time, so I was waiting for this book to see how an investigation or a connection into her father's death would affect her emotionally and the author didn't disappoint.  If you are looking for a perfect DI, this you will not get as Lottie is flawed and somewhat emotionally unstable, dealing with her children who are also going through some difficulties. Personally, I think this reflects life a bit more and how challenging life can be with a job as difficult as the one Lottie has while trying to raise children as a single mom.  Lottie can be frustrating and she doesn't let anyone close to her, but at the same time, you can't help but root for her and want her to either talk to someone she trusts or get professional help before her decisions affect someone on her team.

 

The plot moves along quickly, but it certainly isn't easy to put everything together and get a clear idea of what is happening, especially with the dual timelines.  And honestly, the thread about Lotty's father has been woven throughout the books already, but it rears its ugly head in this one and creates a lot of havoc for everyone involved. I don't really care about how long the chapters are in books, but I do think the shorter chapters in this one kept me a bit more engaged as I kept wanting to read 'just one more'. As an aside, I do like how the author incorporated some of the history into the book with the insane asylum time line; it's definitely haunting and not something that we should forget. 

 

Verdict

The Lost Child was an engrossing entry into the series, and I like how the author is slowly revealing more depth to the characters as the series progresses. There is a lot going on in this book and at times, I almost felt like there was too much going on and the author wouldn't be able to keep a handle on all the straws, but with twists and turns a plenty, everything does come together in the end in an exciting way.  I thought the balance between plot and character development was good and the story was full of tension and high stakes. I do recommend that you start from the first book in order to grasp the nuances of the secondary plot line running through this story; however, you would probably still enjoy it as a standalone.  

 

Review: Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls: An Interactive Horror Gamebook by Brenna LaFaro

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls: An Interactive Horror Gamebook (#22 Try Not to Die Series)

by Brennan LaFaro

Release Date: June 16, 2026

2026 Vincere Press

Ebook Edition; 404 Pages

ISBN: 978-1961740563

ASIN: B0GHJL4ZYL

Genre: Fiction / Horror / YA

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Slattery Falls is home to the most haunted house on the East Coast, the one nobody's ever heard of. You're Matty Hargrove, a senior determined to become a great horror writer, so when your classmate Nate Tedeschi offers a chance to explore the infamous Weeks House, you'd be a fool to say no. Especially with his twin sister Bex coming along.

The moment you step inside, it's clear something is wrong. The house isn't empty. It never was. For years, something in there has been watching, waiting, feeding, and now it has you.

Every decision sets your fate. A few might keep you alive a little longer. Most lead to brutal, unforgettable deaths.

 

My Thoughts

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls is the first book I've read in the Try Not to Die series, and when I finished this book I actually picked up the first three and read them pretty quickly as I enjoyed them quite a bit. I had heard of this series, but never really had the time to indulge so I took the opportunity to do so after finishing this book. This book brought me back to my childhood and my enjoyment at reading the Choose Your Own Adventure books, so I thought it was quite interesting to see a horror version of this type of book. And let's just leave it at the fact that I was no better at choosing my fate as an adult than I was as a kid as I died multiple times in this book.  

 

I was already a fan of this author's work having read the Slattery Falls Trilogy (Book 3 being my favourite) as well as The Demon of Devil's Canyon, so I was familiar with the town of Slattery Falls and some of its history.  Therefore, I am not really sure how this book would land with someone who has not read at least the first book in the trilogy. This was definitely an interesting read, but I wasn't surprised at how quickly the storyline went darker than you would think as I expected this, and it definitely did go dark very fast as the story twisted and turned until suddenly, oops, I made the wrong choice yet again, and faced some very severe and ouchy consequences.  And I thought I was actually making good and logical choices.  

 

I did enjoy the story and some of the character development, but I did think the character development was somewhat one-dimensional and I also thought the story ended rather abruptly. Now, could the abrupt ending be because of the choices I made rather than the intended purpose, I don't really know, but I did read the alternate endings and I rather liked the darker ending far more. However, I do like twisted stuff so perhaps that was just a personal response.  The twists and turns were quite fun however, and you do learn a bit about the characters, but I still felt like the overall story was not as in-depth as it could have been. 

 

Verdict

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls was an enjoyable choose-your-own-path book and I do have to say I am no longer confident about my chances of surviving a haunted house after this book as I died pretty abruptly not too long after entering the house and multiple times afterwards. The chapters were the perfect length to get invested in the story, but not so long that you got bored and after several poor choices, I could feel the tension in my body going up a little bit as I really wanted to make a good choice.  While I didn't think the characters were greatly developed, they were still relatable and you wanted to root for all of them.  I do have to say that the sentient house was one of the highlights of this book though.  As I've already mentioned, I was intrigued enough by this book to read three more in the series, so if you want something that may remind you of your childhood, or just something a bit different, this may be for you.  

 

Review: Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs by Antony Beevor

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs

by Antony Beevor

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Viking

Ebook ARC; 371 Pages

ISBN: 979-8217061181

ASIN: B0FHJY48KC

Audiobook: B0FKQBN7DG

Genre: Non-Fiction / Historical / Biography

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When Russia's Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she 'lived under the pressure of the prophecy'.

Rasputin had no official position. A barely literate moujhik from Siberia, he had no forces at his command. He was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. And yet, through his uncanny seduction of the imperial household, he contributed more than any other individual to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world. 'This man was unique', observed one writer. 'Like a character out of a novel, he lived in legend, he died in legend, and his memory is cloaked in legend.' 

 

My Thoughts

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs is one of those books I was looking forward to reading as I have had a lifelong fascination with Russia, all of the emperors, the politics, and the downfall of the Romanovs. However, what I was particularly looking forward to was this author's thoughts and viewpoints with regards to Rasputin, especially having read and loved Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege and The Fall of Berlin 1945, both more objective pieces of writing that allowed you to think and grasp the situations as they unfolded.  This one did not do that, implying the fall of the Russian empire had to do with one woman, as if all the other issues with Nicholas, the war, the political system, the plight of the peasants, the peasant revolt, the war with Japan, etc... had little value in what happened and this turned me off completely.

 

You can't have a biography about such a man and not invest time and effort into the political situation that existed, but I don't feel the author did either of those things justice. Maybe because the political situation was quite complex and goes back much further than Nicholas and Alexandra and you need a really good understanding of the people, the politics, the social structure, and so on in order to really understand why Alexandra reacted the way she did.  And believe me, I am in no way excusing her actions as the two of them together were a force of destruction, both being selfish, dysfunctional as well as incompetent. Face it, Nicholas made some really poor decisions, but the whole upper class was a lesson in dysfunctional at the time, and to throw them into a war for which they were completely unprepared would have thrown everything into chaos and allowed those who were waiting for a moment to strike to do so.  Who wouldn't? Do I feel sorry for how they met their ends? Of course, but I also understand why they died. War is a brutal time for everyone and a lot of people were suffering under Nicholas and Alexandra's rule so when you are desperate for change, you do what you must.  This is what the author failed to show in this book, placing the large part of the blame solely on Rasputin and Alexandra's shoulders when the issues are far more complex than that.  The cracks were already there, the people just broke them open.

 

Rasputin is certainly one of those people whom people should have been leery of as here comes this peasant, is invited to court, is invited to the inner circle of the most powerful people of the last autocratic society left, whispers in people's ears and they listen him, and Nicholas and Alexandra not only use him to look after their sickly child, but begin seeking his counsel for matters of state and other political policies. This man had really weird sexual relationships with other women, but Alexandra has no problem leaving him alone with your imperial princesses and doesn't wonder what he may be up to?  Don't forget, the Tsarina was German, so no wonder people thought Rasputin may be a spy. Who knows? And there is so much more. So much more that was convoluted and not explained in this book, something that was disappointing.  But what is clearly done? The woman is blamed for everything.  Does Alexandra deserve the roasting? Absolutely. Does Rasputin deserve the roasting? Yes. But that is such a simplistic view it is almost laughable.

 

Verdict

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs is one of those books in which I was really disappointed having really enjoyed this author's previous works. I felt this was convoluted and a bit messy, and while there were some interesting facts about Rasputin woven throughout the book, there was nothing really new. And I know this author knows his history and has done a lot of research about the time period so it was disappointing the work wasn't more detailed as it felt choppy as if the author couldn't get a grasp as to why the fall of the empire should fall squarely on Rasputin and Alexandra's shoulders. And I think if you try to simplify such a complex subject, or try to eliminate other factors involved, you get exactly that, a piece of work that is simple and somewhat boring.  Will I read more of this author's works? Yes, definitely as I have read four of his non-fiction books, not including this one, and really enjoyed the amount of research and thought that went into them and hope future ones will continue to have the same great content. This one, I can't recommend. 

 

 

Review: When the Wolves are Silent by C.S. Harris

When the Wolves are Silent (Sebastian St. Cyr, #21)

by C.S. Harris

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Berkley

Ebook & Audiobook ARC; 381 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593953891

ASIN: B0FHJSWHTV

Audiobook: B0GD2GYH4V

Genre: Fiction / Historical Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

London, 1816: When a notorious young aristocrat is burned alive on a windswept hill popular with neo-Druids, former cavalry officer Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, finds himself plunged into a murder investigation shadowed by tales of ancient human sacrifices and long-buried secrets.

The victim, Marcus Toole, was the only son and heir of a prominent nobleman. His closest friend—Sebastian’s own nephew, Bayard—claims to have passed out drunk before the attack and remembers nothing. But when Sebastian and his brilliant wife, Hero, delve deeper into the sordid activities of Bayard and his friends, they come to realize that Bayard may not be as innocent as he pretends. Following a tangled trail that leads from a disaffected former soldier-turned-highwayman to a beautiful, courageous journalist and a Jamaican-born fencing master with ties to a radical political movement, Sebastian begins to suspect that Bayard and his friends are being targeting in revenge, by victims who believe they have no other recourse. 

 

My Thoughts

When the Wolves are Silent is the next entry in the long-running Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series and I enjoyed this one quite a bit simply because the author focused on how the privileged can abuse their power during this time period rather than world politics. It's not that the impact of what was happening in the world wasn't mentioned, discussed, or described as that is the purpose behind Hero's actions in most of these books, but it wasn't the center of the story which was a bit of a relief as I needed a bit of a break from the political intrigue. Simply put, I found this one quite intriguing as it gave me a lot to think about in terms of abuse by the wealthy and how the spoiled offspring of the wealthy can have detrimental effects on a society.

 

I have always enjoyed the relationship between Hero and Sebastian, and while it was not really the center of the story it was always good to revisit them and see how they are doing. Because this series has been so long-running, it is not really necessary for the author to develop these characters the way it was done in the first few books as those of use who have followed the books are aware of who they are, what they have done, and their relationships. So, I enjoyed the focus on the secondary characters or the ones who are just appearing for the first time in these pages. I thought the author did a great job highlighting how wealth has come to be seen as a right rather than a privilege and how it has been abused throughout the generations. But what I found particularly interesting is the way people were now fighting that right and demanding answers for injustice against the abuse.  The early nineteenth century was certainly a time of change, especially after the Napoleonic Wars, and people were no longer willing to put up with 'privilege' in the same way. It would take a long time for the thinking to change, but I liked how the author developed the characters to showcase the fight and the tragedy when things go really badly.

 

The plot moved along quickly, and I was glad to see Sebastian involved in a case that did not involve the government, a government plot, treason, and so on. This was more about how young spoiled men abused their wealth and privilege to create havoc and destroy lives when they do not get their way. I liked how this theme was woven around other crises such as drought and the plight of soldiers returning from the war. The theme of slavery in the colonies also rose to the surface in this book through some of the characters and it was interesting to see how the author wove that throughout the story as well.  There were a lot of themes running through this books as well: poverty, abuse, rape, abuse of power, privilege, wealth, war, slavery, drought, helplessness, and so on.  

 

Verdict

When the Wolves are Silent was quite enjoyable and featured the type of storytelling that I think is one of the strengths of this author's as it focused more on the society, the time period, and some of the difficulties the people experienced during this time period without having to focus on the political leaders. The themes running through this book also gives the reader a lot to think about and to reflect on as you read about the plight of the people.  I did struggle with the previous two books in this series, which happens in long-running series, so I was quite happy to see the author focus on what I think are strengths of this series, the plight of everyday people and their fights for justice.

'  

 

Review: 14 by J.T. Ellison

14 (Taylor Jackson, #2)

by J.T. Ellison 

Release Date: May 19, 2026 (Originally published January 1st, 2008)

2026 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook Edition; 346 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662541407

ASIN: B0GHZM7J8R

Audiobook: B003JOAK6S

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Lieutenant Taylor Jackson is no stranger to brutality, but her latest case shakes her to the core. The victims—with their pale skin, black hair, and ruby-red lips—recall a nightmare Nashville suffered decades ago. The Snow White Killer slaughtered ten princess look-alikes and was never caught.

A copycat is methodically recreating the Snow White murders, studying the original crimes and perfecting the craft. As Taylor fights to identify him before he completes his twisted homage, the investigation pulls her into a conspiracy that hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

 

 

My Thoughts

14 is the second book in the Taylor Jackson series, and when I was offered books 2-4 of the series, I immediately jumped at the chance having read the first book all those years ago. It's funny how certain books stick in your mind all these years later as I had no trouble remembering some of the details of Taylor's relationship as well as parts of the first mystery having of course forgotten the minute details. This book grabbed my attention right from the get-go and didn't let up until the end although I could have done without the chapters from a certain person.

 

Taylor is a strong lead and I liked how determined she is. She's intelligent and doesn't put her team into danger by doing stupid things and taking unnecessary risks.  I've always enjoyed it when an author takes things on a much personal level, making cases an emotional and psychological investment and this is exactly what happens with this one, raising the stakes for Taylor both personally and professionally. Because of this, the decisions she made would have profound effects on everyone around her, not just on her personally so the stakes are much higher. I didn't think the secondary characters were as developed in this one and I developed a hatred for Charlotte's chapters which is why I didn't rate this one higher as I didn't see the need for her chapters other than to add silly drama.  I understood why they were there, but they did take away from the tension of the story for me and made it more predictable.

 

The plot moved along quite rapidly which is often the case when you have multiple murders and kidnappings.  However, while I did enjoy the book and it was full of tension, it was a bit on the predictable side.  There were some good twists and turns and there were some that you could see coming a mile away, but it definitely went in a way I thought it would go towards the end. This didn't affect the tension in any way and I did have trouble putting down the book as I was invested.  There were a lot of themes running through this book; abuse, death, murder, the breakdown of family relationships, father-daughter relationships, loyalty, trust, lack of parenting, selfishness, wealth, and the list goes on and on.  

 

Verdict

14 was a decent mystery with a lot of tension even if there were moments that were quite predictable. I do think the newer version was more tightly woven than the older book one that I had read years before so reading the updated version was well worth it. While this was definitely plot-driven, the author didn't ignore the character development, in particular with regards to Taylor and the impact this was having on her as she was analyzing her relationships with her non-existent parents. I am looking forward to continuing this series with Judas Kiss.