Review: Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online by Fortesa Latifi

Like, Follow, Subscribe: Influencer Kids and the Cost of a Childhood Online

by Fortesa Latifi

Release Date: April 7, 2026

2026 Gallery Books

Ebook ARC; 288 Pages

ISBN: 978-1668080504

ASIN: B0FCG5TL3B

Audiobook: B0FP5VD7J1

Genre: Non-Fiction / Social Media / Parenting

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Journalist Fortesa Latifi dives into the lives of children whose parents mine their everyday activities for monetizable content, exposing issues like privacy violations, financial abuse, and the absence of child labor protections. Through expert interviews with psychologists, labor scientists, and even former child influencers and family vloggers, she uncovers the pressures, trauma, and consequences for children thrust into the spotlight.

This timely and eye-opening book doesn’t just reveal the harm of toxic social media it also provides a roadmap to better regulating influencer families, safeguarding children, and questioning the role of audiences in perpetuating these cycles of exploitation.

 

My Thoughts

Like, Follow, Subscribe focuses on mom vloggers who become full-time social media influencers exposing the lives of their families for monetizable content.  Meant to be an exploration of the issues surrounding these influencers including things like privacy violations, financial abuse, trauma, pressure, family, abuse, neglect, etc..., the author attempts to dive into the popularity of these sites to explain why this is this case.  While I don't think this was quite successful as I don't feel like the author went deep enough, there were still some things that make you think and question and wonder about why these sites are so popular.

 

This book is about how these moms film and monetise their content, but in reality, a lot of it is built on lies.  It is also about the immense amount of money they make which seems to justify the reasoning behind why they do it in the first place.  I did enjoy the way the author discussed the evolution of blogging to the way families are portrayed today on TikTok and Youtube as I remember some of the early blogs from when I started blogging myself.  However, I was never a follower of the mom blogs, I just remember some of the advertisements for workshops in Toronto in the early days about them and how you could start your own blog and make money.  I also liked how the author shared a number of different types of vlogs, from the more exploitative ones to the ones who don't share any information about their kids online at all.

 

While I didn't mind the writing style of this book, I did feel it was very shallow, like she was afraid to offend any of the mom vloggers she interviewed.  And anytime she got personal in her book, especially with regards to her daughter, she was very hesitant as if she was afraid to give her full opinion about how she felt so a lot of it felt wishy washy. Either go personal or stay objective. Straddling the line isn't good writing. For example, the chapter with regards to legislation the author spent a great deal of time examining the laws passed by several states, but relied on other people to give their opinion with how effective it would be, and those people who gave their opinion were not even law experts. Why not actually interview kids who tried to sue their parents, tried to stop their parents, or got the law involved? There was little of this in the book to take the book to a deeper level.  However, the author did talk to Kevin Franke to get his views on what happened. WTF? And there wasn't anyone else she could have spoken to? 

 

To be fair, I think I was looking for more from this book.  I was looking for a more researched book rather than something that was more about other people's research and other people's conclusions.  And I know I may get some flack for this, but the author actually got on my nerves some of the time, whining about how difficult it is to be a mom.  Yes, I get it, but she has a part-time nanny, for crying out loud.  And a full support system. I would have loved a part-time nanny.  And this is the part that kept me away from all of the mom blogs over the years, the falseness of it all.  I just wish these mom vloggers would admit to what they do behind the scenes in order to make their videos.   

 

Verdict

Like, Follow, Subscribe is one of those books where the content definitely needs to be discussed and more conversations need to be had with regards to child exploitation.  The issue is complex and there are many factors involved with regards to this issue.  How do we ensure children are kept safe from parents who wish to exploit their children for money especially when the working conditions are in their own homes? How do we ensure kids are safe from online predators? How do we put a system in place to monitor abuse? I would have liked more research into the responsibility of tech companies into this issue as I do feel they play a role in this issue, something the author dismisses. This book was definitely thought-provoking, but while it highlighted a lot of issues, it definitely didn't go deep enough into them nor was there enough research done in the right areas. If you are looking for a lighter read on this topic, this book may be for you, but if you are looking for a deeper explanation I would recommend research articles, not this book. 

 

Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

The Escape Game 

by Marissa Meyer & Tamara Moss

Release Date: April 7, 2026

2026 G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Ebook ARC; 416 Pages

ISBN: 978-8217006120

ASIN: B0FCSQHF88

Audiobook: B0FD4BNMQX

Genre: Fiction / YA / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master, and . . . Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister’s murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra’s not just here to win. She’s here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia’s true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren’t high in this competition, they’re deadly. If these teens want to win—and survive—the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of who killed Alicia Angelos?

 

My Thoughts

The Escape Game was actually a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed the twists and turns quite a bit even if some of them were on the predictable side.  I liked the competition format of the story and I definitely enjoyed the escape rooms and how they were solved as that is something that I really enjoy.  I mean, puzzles are my thing.  While the character development was mostly one-dimensional, I still had a good time with the plot and enjoyed the overall story.

 

The plot mainly followed four contestants, Sierra, Adi, Carter, and Beck, who were one of five teams competing for the cash prize on the show.  All of them were there for very different reasons, but I enjoyed seeing them come together and become friends as the story progressed, as they learned to trust each other and rely on their strength and weaknesses to see them through difficulties.  While I did think the character development was the weakest part of the book, it didn't really affect the overall story as I still felt empathy for each of the characters for very different reasons and wanted them to succeed.  I also felt like each of them had a very distinct voice, a distinct personality, and the author used that to good effect.   

 

I thought the plot moved along rather quickly with a lot of twists and turns; even if a lot of the twists were fairly predictable, it didn't take away from the fun of the story or from reading about it because I enjoyed the dialogue and banter between the characters as things were happening.  Some of these characters did have some serious trauma going on with them and I would have liked to have seen a bit more exploration with regards to that as I thought it was fairly shallow and not explored at all within the context of the story.  However, I will acknowledge that the contestants didn't really know each other at first, so it would be difficult to unload stuff onto people you barely know so as the story progressed I did see a bit more exploration into some of the themes, but only at surface level.  I did figure out one of the twists at the end; I also thought the characters' comments about what was going at the end were hilarious. I liked that aspect as I liked the exploration of incredulity when you learn the lengths to which someone will go to for something so silly. If that sounds obscure, well, I can't give away the ending, now can I?

 

Verdict 

The Escape Game was pure fun and it was exactly what I needed at this time as I am reading some hard-hitting non-fiction books.  I enjoyed the plot, loved the escape rooms, thought the characters were endearing if one-dimensional, and was happy to see that one line at the end of the book that says this book is not the end.   

 

Review: The Girl Uptairs by Jessica R. Patch

The Girl Upstairs

by Jessica R. Patch

Release Date: April 28, 2026

2026 Love Inspired Trade

Ebook ARC; 384 Pages

ISBN: 978-1335001368

ASIN: B0F54BB4P3

Audiobook: B0FR66LZRV

Genre: Fiction / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. 

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

 

Verdict

The Girl Upstairs was a half-decent take on the unreliable narrator thriller that seems to be quite popular lately. But while it was interesting, if you read enough of these you can figure out the twists and turns quite easily. One of the twists was so obvious, but it got dragged on for quite a while and I did get distracted by wondering when it would finally be revealed and how.  

 

Gwen is the main character of the story and most of the story is told through her eyes.  I wasn't a big fan of Gwen in the beginning of the book.  I don't typically mind unreliable/unlikeable narrators, but I did find it very difficult to root for her as she was quite self-centered and whiny, and as a result, I found it quite difficult to connect with her character.  The amount of times she mentioned she was a detective whenever anyone questioned what she was doing was annoying, as if that would answer why she was asking questions or being difficult.  I get that things were suspicious, but the author relied on telling rather than letting the reader figure things out as they went through the story. I would have liked the secondary characters to have more development as well as certain actions from Steven didn't seem to fit and seemed to be used to only further the story.  

 

The plot moved along rather quickly and I didn't mind the writing style although I could have done with a little less tell me how to think versus let me figure it out on my own.  There were a lot of twists and turns, but I'll be honest, there was very little that surprised me in this book, especially the Tara situation. Sorry, that was just kind of creepy, to be honest.  I did like the creepiness of the house and the things that were found, and there were moments when I was second-guessing my guesses, but as soon as something happened, it would give all the secrets away.  I wish I wasn't so cryptic, but I don't want to give away any secrets if you haven't read the book.  I also wasn't a fan of the way grief was portrayed in this book as it seemed like it was something that could be compared to someone else's grief and there was one sentence that kind of stunned me.  Sorry, comparison of grief is never a good thing and it turned me right off, especially when you perceive yours as being worse than someone else's.  I do think the exploration of this theme as well as how miscarriage is portrayed in this book would make for some interesting book club discussions though.  

 

Verdict

The Girl Upstairs is a fairly predictable thriller, but it does have some darker themes to it as well such as child abuse, miscarriage, trauma, and infertility. I don't think it dealt with the theme of grief in a very beneficial way, but it does make for a very good discussion tool.  I am also not a fan of the trope when nobody believes the main character because they have had mental issues in the past or are grieving; personally, I think this trope is weak and is very overused, something that does appear in this book quite a bit.  However, the book was moody and overall, I did enjoy it as it was a fast read and the writing style did keep me engaged, but there was nothing that was surprising and I thought the twists and turns were easy to figure out. 

 

 

 

Review: The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

The Caretaker

by Marcus Kliewer

Release Date: April 21, 2026

2026 Atria/Emily Bestler Books/12:01 Books

Ebook ARC; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1982198817

ASIN:  ‎ B0FCFZ233G

Audiobook: B0FCZM594D

Genre: Fiction / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.25/5 Stars

 

Summary

Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY.

Macy Mullins can’t say why the job posting grabbed her attention—it had the pull of a fisherman’s lure, barbed hook and all—vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she's not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for.

Besides, it’s only three days’ work…

Three days, cooped up in a stranger’s house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness.

What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property—and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity.

 

My Thoughts

The Caretaker is one of those books I really wanted to read because I love an isolated setting and I definitely love houses that have secrets. So, what happened? Honestly, it was the main character who drove this book down for me as I got really annoyed with the constant repetitiveness of being in her head and her constant whining about the problems in her life. I could have lived with the psychological issues, but when those same issues were used as excuses for the silly mistakes she constantly made with regards to the rules she was given for the house, and it started to interfere with my enjoyment of the plot, it became a problem.

 

Let's talk about the plot first as I was truly interested in this book for the first half as I found it interesting and somewhat unique. And I've read a lot of haunted house novels over the years.  The atmosphere was quite eerie and the writing style did pull me in quite a bit as I found what was happening to be quite fascinating as well as spooky.  I also didn't have a clue as to what or why things were happening, but I am patient and can wait for things to be explained.  So I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited.  So, where was the explanation? Well, that is now a problem as there wasn't one.  Just follow the rules you are given and there will be no problems. At some point, I thought, the reason for the rules would be explained.  Or so I thought. Not a fan of the mysterious stuff if there is never, at least even a minimum, of explanation for why things are the way they are.  Sorry, I am not one to just accept things at face value. 

 

So, now we come to the point where the story actually derailed for me, Macy. While at first her thoughts were interesting because they were fresh, by the time you heard the same thing for the fifteenth time, they got old, fast. I don't mind an inner monologue, or two, but don't repeat the same thing over and over again in a different way thinking the reader won't spot it.  And Macy whined about everything. About when she broke the rules when it was her fault.  When she forgot to lock the door.  I can deal with the self-loathing and she definitely had a hard time after what happened to her father, so I didn't mind those flashbacks nor did I mind reading about how difficult life has been for her and her sister, but when those reasons are used for why she made silly decisions in the house, it doesn't ring true. She simply made silly mistakes because she doesn't think.  And because this was a horror novel, I was expecting more to happen in terms of plot and tension, but it became more and more of a pity party and the tension just doesn't seem to go anywhere. It builds, but then...nothing.

 

Verdict

The Caretaker had a lot of potential as it was set in an environment that had a spooky and eerie atmosphere, and the plot was quite interesting.  However, a lack of development in the main character, Macy, created problems in the flow of the story as her inner monologue continuously interrupted the tension and the atmosphere. I also wasn't a fan of the ending as there were too many questions left unanswered, ones that it seemed the author sidestepped in order to focus on Macy's psychological issues. As a result, none of the horror issues are explained, none. It's hard to get invested in a story when you have no idea why things are happening. While this book didn't quite land the way I hoped, the author does have a way with words and descriptions, so I will definitely keep reading his works.   

 

 

Review: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #3)

by Matt Dinniman

Release Date: August 12, 2025 (First published March 19, 2021)

2024 Ace

Hardcover Edition; 532 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593820285

ASIN:  ‎ B08V4QSV6W

Audiobook: B094X214V9

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Dystopian / LITRPG

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

The top ten list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly-complicated subway system built out of the world's subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly-useless book. Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon. 

 

My Thoughts

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook is the third book in the enormously popular Dungeon Crawler Carl, and to this point probably my least favourite one of the series. To be fair, it was still highly entertaining, the story progressed quite well, but I still found the plot to be somewhat tedious at times. Even though I have been reading these books since they were first published, and actually read this the first time in 2021, the re-read wasn't any better; I still missed Mordecai and the AI wasn't quite as entertaining as usual. 

 

The character development is always spot on and this one focused more on Katia's development than on the others which suited me just fine. She went from this quiet girl who follows orders to one who contributes and was much more forceful when throwing out ideas or when disagreeing with what Carl thought, something I liked quite a bit as Carl has this tendency to take over situations.  I also really enjoyed a lot of the things she could do with her character and thought some of them were quite creative and cool. And because I am reading her development somewhat differently this time as I have already read the book, I am seeing a lot that I missed the first time. I have to give kudos to the author for the subtle way he develops his characters as you don't see how he manipulates the character growth until you look back and go, wow, that was great. And because of my review schedule, I don't really have time to re-read books today, something I do regret a lot as I have a Masters in Lit and can spend hours analyzing this stuff.  

 

I am one of those people that didn't mind the train system and found it interesting. I still remember getting lost on the Paris system when I was probably about 17 years old, riding it from one end to the other because I didn't know how to get off and find my stop, so I understand the confusion of the train lines if you are not familiar with them.  That isn't the part that I found tedious, but the constant discussions around the planning and what to do are what actually got tedious.  And I wish more time had been spent on the Cookbook, although it does feature more in future books, but I loved that concept when it was introduced. I also found the whole bounty idea quite fascinating as from a psychological standpoint that would definitely throw a wrench into the whole survival aspect of the game as people's motives are not always the same nor are they altruistic.  In fact, this book was more psychologically fascinating and looking back I can see the impact the relationships formed and developed on this floor will have on future floors.   

 

Verdict

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook was a complex book that had a complex plot/story, but I did feel the overall pacing was somewhat on the slower side than in previous books.  I do really feel like this booksmarks a turning point when it comes to relationships as well as consequences to actions as Carl has a tendency to just jump in and react when things happen even if he has a plan. Having read the other books in the series, including book eight that I got as an ARC copy, I can see how this book sets up some serious stuff coming down the pipeline. While the book may be slower than previous instalments and people don't necessarily like the trains, it was still a fun, wild ride and I highly recommend this series. 

Review: The Stolen Girls by Patricia Gibney

The Stolen Girls (D.I. Lottie Parker, #2)

by Patricia Gibney

Release Date: July 6, 2017

2017 Bookouture

Ebook Edition; 465 Pages

ISBN: 978-1786812186

ASIN: B071Y84BQK

Audiobook: B073RMVCBG

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4.25 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

One Monday morning, the body of a young pregnant woman is found. The same day, a mother and her son visit the house of Detective Lottie Parker, begging for help to find a lost friend.

Could this be the same girl?

When a second victim is discovered by the same man, with the murder bearing all the same hallmarks as the first, Lottie needs to work fast to discover how else the two were linked. Then two more girls go missing.

 

Detective Lottie Parker is a woman on the edge, haunted by her tragic past and struggling to keep her family together through difficult times. Can she fight her own demons and catch the killer before he claims another victim?

 

My Thoughts

The Stolen Girls was a complex mystery with a number of interconnected story lines. Unfortunately, if you have not read the first book in the series, I don't know if the entire book would make sense as one of the story lines from the first book does continue into this one as the characters deal with the aftermath and the trauma from what happened.  Lottie's family was deeply affect by the events and this continue to play out in this book, something for which I am glad as trauma doesn't end just because a particular story has completed.

 

Lottie is very much a type A personality and her months at home, while beneficial, have also left her feeling restless and unmoored. While she does try really hard to balance home and work, her job makes that really difficult at times, so the lines do get crossed quite often, and with the loss of her husband, this makes her job as a single parent that much more difficult. This adds extra stress to her job, her life, and to her relationships with her children.  And because she oversteps the boundaries at work so often, which means she doesn't listen and does her own thing, she puts herself and others in jeopardy which puts her job in jeopardy as well.  This aspect of her personality actually drives me wild as she gets away with things she really shouldn't, then reams out her underlings when they do the same thing. Hypocrite!

 

While I really enjoyed the relationships in this book and the character development, the part that really hit me in the feels was the story line that dealt with the women. It's hard to talk about without giving too much away, but I will mention that some of it is graphic and does deal with sexual assault and sex traffiking so if you have triggers regarding those two subjects, you might want to be careful when reading this book.  I read a lot of horror and I flinched quite a few times reading this book as it was hard to read the women's POV and what they suffered.  There was one scene where I was quite proud of Lottie when she gave a bollicking to a couple of her detectives for doing something offensive, especially when they are the law and should, by rights, be shutting places down. I will leave that there and you can read about what happened.  There are lots of secrets in this book, from Lottie's daughter, to the women, to the men running a women's shelter, to Lottie, to everyone. The pace moved rather quickly and the author really knows how to capture your interest from the use of dialogues to descriptive scenes to flashbacks. 

 

Verdict

The Stolen Girls had a darker theme than the first book and it had a lot of different themes and story lines running through it with a solid resolution in the end, even if it was not quite what you would want.   And the themes were heavy in this one; sexual assault, sex traffiking, self-injury/cutting, secrets, loyalty, manipulation, trauma, death, abuse, loneliness, and the list goes on.  I thought the author did a great job managing a lot of the themes in this book through dialogue and other means, neither dismissing the trauma or excusing the behaviour of people who participated in the events.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to read a gripping mystery. 

 

 

 

Review: Grave Pursuit by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

Grave Pursuit (Rachel Ryder, #12)

by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

Release Date: March 17, 2026

2026 Severn River Publishing

Ebook ARC; 328 Pages

ISBN: 978-1648757044

ASIN: B0FKH51GD6

Audiobook: B0GMKJZY3H

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.75 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Detective Rachel Ryder and her partner Rob Bishop have seen their fair share of brutal crimes in Hamby, Georgia—but nothing like this. Chilling photos of the dead arrive at the police department, the victims eerily preserved in white robes from an exclusive Atlanta hotel. Their faces are obscured. Their a mystery. With no clear jurisdiction and no obvious connection between the victims, the case is already a challenge.

Desperate for leads, the department goes public, casting Rachel as the face of their plea for information. As the inevitable media firestorm erupts, it draws attention from all sides—including the one they fear the most. And when a suitcase appears on Bishop’s doorstep, a corpse inside, it’s clear the killer has made their reply. This time, there’s no mystery about the message. Pinned to the victim’s robe is a chilling Rachel’s next.

 

My Thoughts

Grave Pursuit is the next book in the longish running Rachel Ryder series, and while this one was interesting and I did like the connection to chess, I wasn't sold on the culprit and there was a lot of time spent in Rachel's head.  Normally I don't mind these psychological meanderings, but when it's repetitive, and I mean repetitive, it gets old, fast.  

 

One of the things I did like about this book however, is the development of the secondary characters. Although the entire story is told from Rachel's POV, and we are in her head a lot, we still get a good idea of how the other characters interact with her and her relationship with them. And while she presents a tough outward appearance, she is actually a big softie, and stresses a lot about her actions.  Does it prevent her from making mistakes though? No, but I do like the fact that her partner reams her out several times and even threatens certain actions if she continues to behave in a way that puts others in danger. I really appreciated this as I get so annoyed when a detective goes off alone or goes against direct orders, puts themselves or others in jeopardy, saves the day, and is never called out for their behaviour.  And while I do like Kyle in her life, why do authors make people behave like children whenever they have a conflict? 

 

One of the things I do have to mention here though, and while it may seem like a small thing, it bothered me throughout the book. At the beginning of the story, Kyle and Rachel were having a small friendly running competition.  OK, that's fine.  But as a long-time runner, maybe the author should have looked up running times before using them in this book? Apparently, her main characters can run 4 miles in 16 minutes and change; that's 6.4 km. Would anyone like to know what the world record for 5km is for a woman? 13:58  That would mean Rachel would be a world record holder as running at world record pace means 4 miles would take 17:38.  Huh!!! This may seem petty, but if the author can't check these facts, how many other facts are wrong in this book?

 

The plot moved along rather quickly and while I enjoyed the mystery, I wasn't sold on the culprit nor was I sold on the motive. And while I did enjoy the game of chess as well as the explanations (I tried learning chess and it was an epic fail), I always felt like I had to suspend belief while reading this story including how they got from A to B in their deductions.  For a killer who was so superior and intelligent, what happened just didn't make sense and goes against everything that the killer was portraying about themselves. I did like how the author portrayed Rachel's visits with the therapist as they seemed believable; if you are not ready for therapy and ready to open up, you can't force someone to go through the actions so I always find this aspect interesting.  

 

Verdict

Grave Pursuit was a quick read as Rachel found herself caught up in the middle of a game with a serial killer.  I did enjoy the character development of the secondary characters, but by book twelve, it is hard to develop anything new with Rachel. We do spent a lot of time in her head as she is being psychologically tested, something I always find interesting; how much can a killer push someone before they hit their breaking point.  But we are in her head a lot and some of it is quite repetitive.  While not my favourite in this series, it is still worth the read. However, I do recommend reading from the beginning in order to get a sense of the characters and what happened to Rachel's husband. 

 

 

 

Review: Buried in a Book by T.C. Lotempio

Buried in a Book (A Cozy Bookshop Mystery, #2)

by T.C. Lotempio

Release Date: March 3, 2026

2026 Severn House

Ebook ARC; 240 Pages

ISBN: 978-1448319237

ASIN:  ‎ B0FR9RC9ZM

Genre: Fiction / Cozy / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Retired thriller author and current bookshop owner Charley James is preparing for Halloween in her small hometown of Austin, Pennsylvania—what she isn’t prepared for is discovering the body of a woman at the local inn.

Charley recognizes the stranger as a suspicious customer who popped in just to hide a rather peculiar book at her store—did she already know she was about to lose her life for it?

Pursuing this mysterious case, Charley can’t seem to stay out of trouble, and no one knows this better than Detective Hottie, Ian Grant. But Charley has a mind of her own and, together with cat Poe, sets off on another puzzle-riddled quest, unaware that the killer might be someone she knows . . .

 

My Thoughts

Buried in a Book was a fun read and I enjoyed the Halloween-themed aspects in the story, particularly those relating to Edgar Allan Poe. I didn't read the first book in the series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything in the back story or when it came to the relationships.  I liked the town, the relationships between the characters, the mystery (except for the ending), but had a major problem with the main character, Charley, as I am not a fan when a character is reckless or hides information because they think they are smarter than everyone else. 

 

So, let's start with the positives. I really enjoyed the secondary characters and liked how they interacted with Charley as well as with each other.  For the most part, each of them had distinct personalities and I enjoyed learning more about them.  Because I have a love for books as well as horror movies, this one was right up my alley as the content combined the two concepts by exploring a book about Edgar Allan Poe and some famous early horror movie actors, like Vincent Price and Bela Lugosi, to the point where I dug up my old movies and spent a night watching some fun horror movies.  "The Raven" will continue to be a favourite of mine and have both read it and watched the movie numerous times.  

 

While I did enjoy the plot, I did think it pushed credibility quite a bit and I did figure out the culprit quite early in the book.  Sometimes all it takes is one sentence or one thing that is off and boom, you know who it is and that is what happened.  That is not what bothered me in this book though as I did enjoy the overall mystery.  It was Charley herself, the main character.  I thought she was selfish and quite thoughtless at times, but I'll leave the why for you to read for yourself as it does give away spoilers from the book. She constantly withheld evidence from the police and tried to convince others to do the same, from the same chief of police whom she wants to date. She is told not to investigate, but does so anyways, then cries 'wolf' when something happens to her or to her store.  The store, by the way, which is never open as she just closes it on a whim whenever she needs to investigate.  Yes, a MC can be clever and still investigate, but do so in such a way that makes sense, not because you are sneaky, lie, and go behind someone's back. 

 

Verdict

Buried in a Book was a fun mystery to read, but I was not a fan of the main character as I thought she was inconsiderate, sneaky, and a liar.  I did really enjoy the secondary characters however, and was on the side of the female police detective when she got snarky with Charley.  While the plot was a bit far-fetched, I did enjoy the link between Edgar Allan Poe and early classic horror movie actors as I thought that was fun.  The writing style was fine, but the twists and turns were easy to figure out and you just had to go with what was happening and try not to roll your eyes every time Charley opened her mouth.  All in all, I enjoyed it and will probably try the third book when it comes out.   For the record, Poe, the cat, was my favourite character.