When I saw this one was available on the Netgalley dashboard, it made my day. Having read the rest of the series – see my reviews of Scot Mist, Hop Scot.and Scotzilla – I was keen to once more tuck into the adventures of Lexy and her found family, all living in a motel on the outskirts of a small community in California.
BLURB: It’s egg-hunt season, but Lexy Campbell is spending Easter hunting a killer!
Not even Cuento’s Easter bonnet parade can distract Lexy Campbell from conception woes and missing tourists Bill and Billie Miller. The Millers’ vintage Mustang has been abandoned, its interior covered in blood.
Is this a double murder, and if so, where are the bodies? Why were the Millers spending the night in their car? Did they pitch up at the Last Ditch Motel only to be turned away? Are they really dead? The Trinity for Trouble are quickly on the case!
As they start to identify the guests staying at the motel the weekend before Easter – including a Goth and a barbershop singer on stilts – disturbing evidence comes to light. Can Lexy see though all the deception to unmask the truth and save the Last Ditch?
REVIEW: This isn’t a series you can blithely crash and hope to muddle your way through. Lexy, formerly from Scotland, lives on a barge on the edge of wetlands behind the Last Ditch Motel with her recently-married husband, Taylor. They are now trying for a baby and so far – are unsuccessful. McPherson’s warm humour manages to find the funny aspects of this stressful situation that at times had me laughing aloud, even while blinking away tears at Lexy’s distress. It takes a special writer to achieve that balance.
One of the main reasons why this book is not an ideal introduction to Lexy and friends, is that apparently, a murder has been committed – and it looks as if the Last Ditch Motel has been involved in some way. A married couple on the road and passing through Cuento attempted to find somewhere to stop when the wife became ill with a migraine, so she could manage the pain and get a night’s sleep. It so happens that the motel owners and part of Lexy’s found family – Noleen and Kathy – had taken the weekend off for a get-away of their own. And the locum managers that stepped in made a complete mess of the official paperwork, so no one can work out exactly which guests were staying where. So it’s down to those who live at the motel to describe and identify them.
The muddle continues, with a car found abandoned full of gore, but still no bodies; conflicting descriptions of weird individuals wandering around Last Ditch – and an increasingly exasperated local police officer. It’s hilarious and concerning at the same time. Especially as the motel’s reputation is also on the line. Publicity about a motel where no one exactly knows what happened to a nice, respectable middle-aged couple doesn’t bring extra guests flooding in, apparently. The situation is heightened when their son and daughter show up, traumatised and keen to prove that their parents are still alive. Just missing.
I loved every bit of this one. The twisty plot, the ongoing warmth and generosity of spirit displayed by the Last Ditch families and the constant snarky asides the have me sniggering aloud and prevent this from descending into sentimentalised mush. I’ll be honest – I had sort of guessed who the murderers were about two-thirds through the book. But it didn’t really matter – because these books are about so much more than the hunting of a murderer. They’re about the lives of people who wouldn’t necessarily be welcomed into ‘respectable’ neighbourhoods – not because they’re dishonest or disruptive, but because of their differences – of ethnicity, of sexual preferences, of neurodiversity. McPherson provides us with insights into this disparate group – warts and all – while coping with the challenge of daily life.
I was sorry to come the end, but put the book down with a smile on my face. Because the affectionate tolerance, coupled with laugh-aloud humour, left me warm and happy. I’d love to see McPherson’s books become huge best-sellers – she is a tonic. This series is very highly recommended for fans who enjoy quirky, humorous whodunits. While I obtained a copy of Scot’s Eggs from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 10/10
The lovely cover first snagged my attention – and the title which suggested a romance that involved time travel. Especially with an historical twist – so I requested it.
BLURB:England, 1912. Emmeline Marshall has seven days of freedom left before she returns home to New York with her family, and her overbearing parents—who don’t seem to get the hint she’s not a little girl anymore—stick her into an odious finishing school that will make her into a ‘proper’ lady.
The freedom in question? The voyage across the Atlantic on the newest luxury ocean liner, the Titanic, where Emmeline meets the handsome and mysterious Leon. When their fraternization leads to a falling out between Emmeline and her father, she wishes she could be anywhere else and have a different life …
And suddenly, she does.
England, 1815. It’s not a dream, but it is the fulfillment of Emmeline’s fantasies. Now she’s a rich heiress, engaged to a duke’s son, with friends to love and a library of gothic romances to get lost in. But everything is not as perfect as it seems. Unaware of her family’s involvement in time travel, Emmeline has no idea how she got to this time or why Leon—who is now Theo, an undercover French soldier—is here as well, but doesn’t recognize her.
Between untangling a mysterious treasure hunt from a book—which could lead her to understanding her powers—and navigating the glittering society of Regency London, can Emmeline learn to steer her own heart true? And can she find her way back home in time to save her family from a doomed ship?
REVIEW: Firstly, don’t make the mistake that I did – if you happen to pick up this one without first tucking into the first book, Time Watcher, then put it back. Serzenta’s explanation and rules for time travel are complex and detailed and covered extensively in the first volume of the trilogy. While she alludes to them during TGOoT, said rules aren’t embedded within the narrative as they are in Time Watcher. I got to the end of TGOoT feeling a bit dissatisfied with the rather arbitrary nature of the time travel component and only truly understood how sophisticated and complex they were after tucking into Time Watcher.
Like many romance series, the characters in TGOoT are linked with the protagonists in Time Watcher, providing Easter eggs for readers of the series, which I thoroughly enjoyed. There is a strong romantic component within TGOoT, but the story also encapsulates the dying hours of the Titanic in vivid detail, as well as accounts of daily life in 1815. Serzenta writes with the brakes off and her worldbuilding is one of the strengths of the book, as is her characterisation.
The story isn’t quite as twistedly unpredictable as Time Watcher – which swept me up from the start and didn’t let go until the end. But it still provides plenty of adventure and I enjoyed Emmeline’s progression from a rebellious, headstrong teen lashing out at the stiff conventions surrounding young women of the time to a determined, courageous person who also was more mindful of the consequences of her actions upon others. Any niggles? There were anomalous words and phrases that crept in from time to time, which undermined the period feel, but given the strengths of the time travelling setup, the strong characterisation and enjoyable plotting – it wasn’t a dealbreaker. Recommended for fans of time travel with a strong romantic component. 8/10
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
Seasonal Greetings to everyone who celebrates Christmas and Happy Holidays to those of you who don’t. We didn’t exactly have the Christmas we’d planned. Ethan returned home from uni with a nasty virus and spent the first few days in bed. Then Himself went down with it – and then, on Christmas Day morning, when we were driving to my sister’s house for a gathering of the clan to celebrate the day with the rest of the family, Oscar confessed he was feeling dreadful. Temperature, terrible sore throat, and joint pain. So we immediately turned round and headed back for home. While it was a major change to our plans, we all agreed that we wouldn’t regard the day as a loss – just different from our initial plan.
Himself set to work and cooked a lovely meal and by then, after having dosed Oscar up with various medications, he was able to sit down with us and have some food and open presents. However, it did also mean that a friend who was coming for Boxing Day had to be put off. The virus is nasty. So far, I’m the only one who hasn’t yet gone down with it and I’m crossing my fingers and hoping I’ve escaped. Amari was glad to have us around. She has been enjoying the Christmas decorations – the tree has been knocked over five times so far. Luckily nothing has been damaged. This week’s pics are of Amari – after knocking down the Christmas tree, she is trying to pretend it had nothing to do with her… Amari checking out the new stuff cluttering the mantlepiece… and Amari looking innocent after harassing the decorations on the kitchen dresser.
An early Christmas present to me – I had my hearing aids fitted during the week before Christmas and have been thrilled with the difference they have made. I went to a Christmas party and had the loveliest time, because I could easily hear everything that was being said without having to concentrate very hard. Even when it got noisy. It has also helped the tinnitus. And I had no idea my hearing was so compromised. So if you find you’re struggling with conversations – do get a hearing test. It’s made life so much easier!
I’ve been binge-watching the Voyager Star Trek series as Netflix is no longer making it available after 8th January. As I wasn’t sure I’d reach the end in time – last night I jumped ahead to watch the final few episodes and was really impressed at how good the ending is.
This fortnight I’ve read:- Awkward on the Rocks by Marcel Feldmar Thomas “Awkward Thom” Dante is not your typical bartender. He’s a DarkWaver—a Fire Elemental sworn to ancient laws and even older sins, hiding behind the counter of The Lost & Found, a mystixology bar built on the crossroads of a city where magic and mortal danger mingle.
But when a dark magic book of recipes vanishes and a fellow DarkWaver is murdered within the bar’s smokey walls, Awkward Thom is contacted by his ex-girlfriend—a Detective with the Agentia Obscura. Since the culprit could have used a curse or a cocktail to commit the crimes, Awkward Thom finds himself involved as both a suspect and a consultant. One mysterious murder, one missing book, and all Awkward Thom wants is to hide behind the bar and mix drinks. Unfortunately, he can’t. If evil forces gain control of The Lost & Found, the entire city could suffer the unthinkable.
Now Thom must navigate a treacherous underbelly of immortals, shapeshifters, demons, a Voudou Queen, and the detective who once held his heart. To prove his innocence and help solve the crime, Thom must use his abilities without violating any DarkWaver laws. The only problem is in order to save his city, Awkward Thom might have to sacrifice his soul. Review to follow.
AUDIOBOOK – Time Watcher – Book 1 of Mine Through Time series by Kate Serzenta New York City, 1862. Fabienne Beaumont lies bleeding in a filthy alleyway. Desperate to escape the bloody War of Rebellion, she and her siblings had been trying to hustle passage back home to their native France. Instead, she fell victim to a card shark’s bullets. As everything fades to black, Fabienne thumbs the hands of her old pocket watch – unaware that she’s about to awaken from one nightmare straight into another.
Hartford Connecticut, 1864. Two years earlier, Union war hero Brayden Marshall married the beautiful Fabienne – but she’s been like a stranger to him ever since. Everything changes, however, when he’s summoned back to Hartford on a mission for The Watchers – a secret society that can harness the power of time travel. It’s like meeting Fabienne for the first time all over again. She’s passionate, curious – and desperate to right the wrongs of her past. Could the mysterious pocket watch she clings to explain the sudden change in Fabienne’s behavior? And if so, can Brayden risk his future on a woman so obsessed with her past?
Savannah, Georgia, 2008. Spirited high-schooler Emily Willburne is reluctantly researching her family history for a Civil War assignment when she stumbles across the diary of her great, great grandmother, Fabienne. The diary claims to contain the secret of traveling through time – a secret Emily believes could save her dying mom, and rebuild her fractured relationship with her estranged father. But as Emily literally steps into her own history, a new possibility emerges – that the only way to reunite her family in the present is to tear Fabienne and Brayden’s marriage apart in the past.
Does Emily have the power to fix what once went wrong? Or will she tear apart her future, instead? I read this one as I’d messed up and got hold of Netgalley arc The Girl Out of Time, which was the third book in this time-travelling adventure with a splash of romance. I loved this book. We get a thorough idea of how the time travelling works and why – and I loved Fabienne and felt very sympathetic to her dilemma. It takes a lot of skill to run dual narratives successfully and Serzenta triumphantly pulls it off. I’ve been thinking a lot about this story since I finished it and am looking forward to listening to the sequel. 9/10
Rogues Lie – Book 3 of the Caldryn Parliament series by Jenny Schwartz A whisper campaign threatens Vanda Kavanagh’s hardwon position as Warden of Caldryn Parliament, but are the malicious rumors a personal attack or do they mask an uglier plot?
As Vanda investigates, long-hidden truths are revealed leading her to question everything she believed about herself.
In a city steeped in magic and political intrigue who can Vanda trust? I regard the discovery of Jenny Schwartz’s writing as one of my reading highlights of 2025. This smart page-turner creaks with tension and political intrigue as once again, Vanda finds herself under increasing scrutiny now it has become apparent that she isn’t going to be merely a placeholder, but is working to make the position of Warden significantly more powerful. I’m now eagerly awaiting the next book in the series – but the good news is that I’ve discovered more series that Schwartz has written, in the meantime😊.
We Who Will Die – Book 1 of the Empire of Blood series by Stacia Stark Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.
Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.
She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.
With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.
To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny… Review to follow.
AUDIOBOOK – The Secret Service of Tea and Treason – Book 3 of the Dangerous Damsels series by India Holton Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case.
But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life— pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.
Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target. I read the first two books in this series with huge enjoyment, but for some reason didn’t get hold of this one. So when I saw it as an audiobook being narrated by one of my all-time favourite narrators – I had to get hold of a copy. Elizabeth Knowelden does a fantastic job of playing the humour perfectly. While the growing attraction between the two protagonists produces lots of laughs – as well as a growing and poignant recognition between them that they didn’t have a childhood worth the name. It’s a tricky dynamic to achieve successfully, but Holton’s talent is up to the task. I loved this world and very much hope that Holton will revisit it at some stage. 10/10
AUDIOBOOK – Druid Mystic – Book 10 of The Junkyard Druid Boxed Set 9-12 by M.D. Massey It’s me again—your friendly neighborhood druid, pissing people off everywhere I go in the supernatural world.
After killing a psychotic demigod, I just wanted to retreat to my beloved junkyard in peace. Unfortunately, the Celtic gods are bringing the fight to my doorstep–whether I like it, or not.
Now Austin’s fae queen has banished me from her demesne, forcing me into hiding. To complicate matters, I’ve also been tasked with hunting down an ancient vampire who’s terrorizing the people of New Orleans.
Um, okay boomers—I’m game. Question is, can I evade the Tuatha Dé Danann, all while bringing a dangerous master vampire to heel? And if worse comes to worst, can I survive a direct confrontation with a god? Another gripping adventure – but I am finding the increasing use of major swearwords a growing problem. Massey is clearly an expert wordsmith and while I appreciate Colin is frequently in life-threatening situations, his potty mouth is yanking me out of the story. 7/10
The Crime Brûlèe Bake Off – Book 1 of the Claire Walker series by Rebecca Connolly Amateur baker Claire Walker is thrilled to be a contestant on Britain’s Battle of the Bakers. She can almost smell the fresh pastries wafting through the air. If she can win the grand prize, she can ditch her teaching job and launch her baking career.
The Viscount of Colburn, Jonathan Ainsley, is the custodian of Blackfirth Park and an eligible bachelor. He reluctantly agrees to allow the cooking competition show to film on his estate, but when a contestant is found dead soon after filming begins, Jonathan is forced to get involved. To make matters worse, the baker’s death stirs up rumors of the legendary death of the tenth Viscountess of Colburn two hundred and fifty years earlier.
Even as suspicion falls on some of the bakers, a decidedly different kind of heat begins to simmer between Claire and Jonathan. If they are to have any hope of a future romance, they must first solve the mystery before the show gets canceled or someone else falls prey to what some believe is the Blackfirth Park ghost. I’m a sucker for an enjoyable cosy whodunit and I thought the premise would be entertaining and an ideal setting for a nicely twisty plot. This offering provides a sympathetic protagonist, a sweet romance and a murder with the baking competition continuing in the background. It is readable and enjoyable, but doesn’t have quite the depth and impact I was hoping for. 7/10
There were no posts in the last fortnight – I ran out of time! Wishing you all a healthy week and a very Happy New Year😊.
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
I’m not sure where this week has gone… I’ve bought the majority of my Christmas presents during the week, though we still haven’t decorated the house or tackled writing and sending out cards. Neither have I properly planned our Christmas meal, which we’ll be eating on Boxing Day. Himself had an eye test and ordered glasses with the same frames as last time – thankfully they’re available. The good news is that his eyesight hasn’t deteriorated all that much in the last two years. Ethan returned home on Thursday night for a flying visit as he had a medical appointment on Friday morning. It was great to have him home again and Amari made a huge fuss of him.
The fire in the lounge now works properly after the engineer looked at it on Tuesday. Turns out that the people installing it didn’t allow sufficient airflow around it – which is why it kept cutting out or blowing cold air. It’s lovely to have the room properly toasty when it’s either pouring with rain and blowing a hoolie outside (about half the week’s weather) or clear and a lot colder – though we haven’t had much in the way of frosts or icy weather yet.
Amari has also had a busy week. She’s taken to scuffing the carpet outside our bedroom. While we let her have free access to the room when we’re in bed, I’m not keen on her climbing the curtains and rascalling through our clothes when no one is in there. She has also very much enjoyed the various packages arriving during the week and has been diving into bags, shredding packing paper and adopted a box. Though still won’t go near the expensive and very comfortable basket we bought her… She also ended up on top of the cooker hood where she got stuck and had to be helped down before she slid onto a shelf of storage jars. And has also made a break for the garden. Twice. I’m very aware that she’s more than ready to tackle the outside world and after Christmas we’ll get her spayed and introduce her to the garden. She’ll be so much happier once she is able to spend time roaming around the neighbourhood – though she is only half-Bengal, she certainly has all the feistiness and energy of the breed. The pics are of Amari in Ethan’s arms, playing with a paper bag, climbing the clothes-peg bag and batting at potatoes in the kitchen sink.
This week I’ve read:- Scot’s Eggs – Book 8 of the Last Ditch Mystery series by Catriona McPherson It’s egg-hunt season, but Lexy Campbell is spending Easter hunting a killer!
Not even Cuento’s Easter bonnet parade can distract Lexy Campbell from conception woes and missing tourists Bill and Billie Miller. The Millers’ vintage Mustang has been abandoned, its interior covered in blood.
Is this a double murder, and if so, where are the bodies? Why were the Millers spending the night in their car? Did they pitch up at the Last Ditch Motel only to be turned away? Are they really dead? The Trinity for Trouble are quickly on the case!
As they start to identify the guests staying at the motel the weekend before Easter – including a Goth and a barbershop singer on stilts – disturbing evidence comes to light. Can Lexy see though all the deception to unmask the truth and save the Last Ditch? Review to follow.
AUDIOBOOK – Druid Apprentice – Book 9 of The Junkyard Druid Boxed Set Books 9-12 by M.D. Massey I’m Colin McCool, world-class trouble magnet and druid apprentice extraordinaire. I survived my final confrontation with the Dark Druid by the skin of my teeth. But that stunt attracted the attention of some extremely nasty gods who now consider me a threat to their very existence…
Hashtag FML, amirite?
Now, I’m in a race to master the ways of druid magic, all while staying one step ahead of the immortal assassins trying to kill me. Question is, can I wield enough power to protect the people I love from the divine wrath of the gods? Even I doubt my chances. But with a slew of angry demigods on my tail and a friend’s life in the balance, I only have one choice—fight or be damned to the dead realm of Tech Duinn, forever. I love the world Massey has created – he’s a knack for producing truly horrible odds for poor old Colin to face, which he somehow manages to scramble away from. Though not necessarily unscathed – another aspect of the series that I enjoy. This adventure had me holding my breath as listening to it made some miserable household chores a lot more fun. 9/10
The Girl Out of Time – Book 3 of the Mine Through Time series by Kate Serzenta England, 1912. Emmeline Marshall has seven days of freedom left before she returns home to New York with her family, and her overbearing parents—who don’t seem to get the hint she’s not a little girl anymore—stick her into an odious finishing school that will make her into a ‘proper’ lady.
The freedom in question? The voyage across the Atlantic on the newest luxury ocean liner, the Titanic, where Emmeline meets the handsome and mysterious Leon. When their fraternization leads to a falling out between Emmeline and her father, she wishes she could be anywhere else and have a different life …
And suddenly, she does.
England, 1815. It’s not a dream, but it is the fulfillment of Emmeline’s fantasies. Now she’s a rich heiress, engaged to a duke’s son, with friends to love and a library of gothic romances to get lost in. But everything is not as perfect as it seems. Unaware of her family’s involvement in time travel, Emmeline has no idea how she got to this time or why Leon—who is now Theo, an undercover French soldier—is here as well, but doesn’t recognize her.
Between untangling a mysterious treasure hunt from a book—which could lead her to understanding her powers—and navigating the glittering society of Regency London, can Emmeline learn to steer her own heart true? And can she find her way back home in time to save her family from a doomed ship? Review to follow.
AUDIOBOOK NOVELLA – Extremity by Nicholas Binge When once-renowned police detective Julia Torgrimsen is brought out of forced retirement to investigate the murder of Bruno Donaldson, a billionaire she worked with whilst undercover, she doesn’t expect to find two bodies. Both are Bruno–identical down to the fingerprints–and both have been shot.
As the investigation sucks her back into the macabre world of London’s rich elite, she finds herself on the hunt for a mysterious assassin who has been taking out the wealthy one by one. But when she finally catches up with her quarry, she unveils an entire world of secrets: impossible documents about future stock market crashes, photographs of dead clones, and a clandestine time-travelling conspiracy so insidious it might just mean the extinction of the entire human race.
If Julia is to have any chance of preventing this terrible future, she’ll have to revisit her own past, the terrible choices she made undercover, and the brutal act that destroyed her once legendary career. This near-future, murder mystery, police procedural thriller manages to pack a great deal into a novella-length story – without leaving me feeling short-changed. That’s a feat, because I often find novellas a frustrating read. Binge produces a fast-paced, twisty adventure that had me sitting down to listen, instead of continuing with the chores. 9/10
KU – Centers of Gravity – Book 8 of the Frontlines series by Marko Kloos Stranded light-years from home, Major Andrew Grayson and his crew are on a desperate mission to discover the Lankies’ secrets. They can’t let what they’ve found die with them.
Nine hundred light-years from home, Major Andrew Grayson and the crew of NACS Washington are marooned in a sunless system with limited water, reactor fuel, and food. The last hope for survival is to go where nothing human has gone before.
After embarking on a scouting mission to the only moon with surface signs of life, Andrew and his special tactics team make two startling discoveries. One is a dream: a form of protein and plant life that could save the starving humans in the rogue system. The second is a nightmare: this harvested rock is infested with Lankies. Far from the seemingly mindless aggressors Andrew has battled for years, these show a terrifying awareness, and they have surprising secrets of their own hidden away in the darkness.
When the Lankies sense an uninvited presence in their world, Andrew’s operation becomes an expedition to hell. The odds against his small crew are stacked high. Of all the mysteries of space, how to escape with their lives is the greatest unknown of all. It wasn’t until I began the next series written by Kloos that I realised I’d somehow omitted the final book in his excellent Frontlines series. I’m so glad I tracked it down – it’s a gripping tale that brings Andrew to the end of his adventures against the lethal, gigantic aliens he’s been battling for the past thirteen years. I’m fond of good military sci fi – and Kloos doesn’t put a foot wrong in providing a thoroughly satisfying and believable conclusion for his protagonist. 9/10
Whether you’re an established alpha with a lifetime’s battle honours to your name, or a half-fired lordling – do be sensible about who takes precedence when using mountain flyways. No one will be impressed if you end up a broken heap at the bottom of the gorge, because you didn’t give way.
Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my Picky Eaters series. All proceeds for the duration of the publishing life of Picky Eaters, first book in the series, are donated to mental health charities. The second book, Flame & Blame, and the third book, Trouble With Dwarves, are now available.
I was very impressed by Summers’ The City of Stardust – see my review. So was delighted to get hold of an arc of The Bookshop Below, which has an amazing premise. Any reader loves a story around books and bookshops – so long as it’s well told.
BLURB: If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron’s bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it’s a glimpse into a world of powerful bargains and deadly ink magic.
For Cassandra Fairfax, it’s a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she’s used her skills in less ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys and unscrupulous collectors. Then Chiron dies under mysterious circumstances. And if Cassandra knows anything, it’s this: the bookshop must always have an owner.
But she’s not the only one interested. There’s Lowell Sharpe, a dark-eyed, regrettably handsome bookseller she can’t seem to stop bumping into; rival owners who threaten Cassandra from the shadows; and, of course, Chiron’s murderer, who is still on the loose. As Cassandra tries to uncover the secrets her mentor left behind, a sinister force threatens to unravel the world of the magical bookshops entirely…
REVIEW: If you’re looking for an action-packed, foot-to-floor fantasy adventure, or a cosy read all about the joys of being a second-hand bookshop, then this one isn’t for you. It’s neither of those things.
Summers’ writing is on the literary edge of fantasy, so the prose is beautiful, well-crafted and descriptions often verge on the lyrical, with sumptuous use of all the senses. You don’t just visualise the setting – you can also smell, touch and taste it. This inevitably means the pacing is more leisurely than your usual fantasy adventure – which is fine, so long as the story is compelling and you care for the characters. I’ll be honest – for the first slice of the book, it was a bit of a trudge. Cassandra is riven with guilt and anger. She’s done some bad things – one of which led to a terrible event that still haunts her. Summers needs us to realise she has hit the bottom. It’s a big ask to bond with someone so compromised – especially as the book starts with a very dark scene and then we don’t circle back to exactly who did it until a long way through the story.
But then there is a particular event that put me very much on Cassandra’s side and from then on, it was difficult to stop reading. The story is packed with suspense, while the magical system is complicated and difficult to comprehend – I’m still not sure that I entirely grasped it. Though I tend not to mind too much, so long as I’m confident that the author knows exactly what is going on. After all, with anything fantastical – there’s always a sense of the unexplainable, or it wouldn’t be magic. To a point, of course – I get do grumpy when it goes a bit fey and difficult because the author hasn’t bothered to work out what their magical system is doing.
This magical system has a long history, where Lady Fate – who has control over stories and therefore timelines – has granted her chosen owners of magical bookshops the option to bend or change stories, using the river as the source of the magical power necessary to do so. In return, a price has to be paid and the price is always high – or should be. There’s a constant sense of the ancient pact between humans and the river’s elemental force running through the book that is beautiful and mysterious, but also savage. Firstborn children are often the price, for instance. But at times, exploring that aspect of the magic fights with the pacing necessary in a murder mystery. Summers gets away with it – if she was a lesser talent and the characters weren’t so compelling, this one could well have collapsed in a meandering, messy heap.
As it is, this dark and often violent story explores what happens when a cadre of entitled people, with remarkable power, have to deal with that power trickling away. If and when it goes – they’ll die with it. None of them could be described as nice – and that goes for Cassandra and Lowell, too. Then there is that ending… I’d love to discuss it, but that would mean lurching into Spoiler territory and I’m not doing that. Suffice to say, I’ve been thinking a lot about it since I finished the book, so that means it works. This is an ambitious book dealing with the nastier side of human nature, which has had me musing about it a lot since I put it down. Highly recommended for those who enjoy darker fantasy with lots of tension, nuanced characters and a strong magical system. While I obtained a copy of The Bookshop Below from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:
#romantasy #feisty heroine #vampires
We Who Will Die – Book 1 of the Empire of Blood by Stacia Stark
Release date – 18th December, 2025
BLURB: Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.
Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.
She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.
With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.
To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…
I enjoy Stark’s intense writing, so this offering caught my eye. I love the sound of a Romanesque world with a vampire spin, so I’m delighted to have received a copy.
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
A very belated Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. It’s been a busy couple of weeks as we deal with family birthdays and start to prepare for Christmas. We have all managed to avoid the various illnesses making the rounds – though a lot of folks have gone down with flu, so I’m really glad I got the vaccination this autumn. I had a hearing test to see if they could help with my severe tinnitus. It turns out that I have significant hearing loss, so in a fortnight I have another appointment to be fitted with hearing aids. I’m a bit winded by the news – I thought I couldn’t hear because of the racket the tinnitus made. The audiologist assured me that much of the tinnitus will disappear once I can hear better, so I am very much looking forward to getting that sorted out./
Last week, I went to the theatre with my daughter. We saw Dear England at the Chichester Festival Theatre. The play charted the course of Gareth Southgate’s time as England Manager of the national football team. Although I’m not a football fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the play as it also explored the pressures of the expectation of the country upon the young men chosen to play and the idea of being English means, these days. It’s lovely to have the energy to be able to attend something like that
We have had bright sunny spells interspersed by torrential downpours and though it feels chilly in the wind, temperatures are still above freezing during the day. Ethan is home this weekend as was his birthday last week – his 21st. When did he get to be so grown up?? He’s working really hard as it’s his final year at uni. The pics this week are of Mum’s 90th birthday party. Mum with me and Eliza, with Oscar at the back, Mum’s cake, and my sister bringing the cake in for Mum to blow out her candle.
We are still without a fire in the lounge, so I am making do with a little fan heater which works well when I am sitting in front of the computer – not so much when I’m watching TV. They are coming to fix it today, thank goodness. The reason why this post is late is that on Sunday we were at my sister’s celebrating my mother’s 90th birthday. She is an amazing lady and I feel so blessed to have had a close, loving relationship with her throughout my adult life, despite not being brought up by her. These days, I don’t see enough of her as I am very tied to Oscar’s school timetable at present – though that will all change at the end of June, when he’ll have taken his exams.
This fortnight I’ve read:- AUDIOBOOK – The Judas Monk Murders – Book 4 of the Homefront Sleuths series by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley The peaceful village of Crofter’s Green buzzes with questions when a young commando trainee is found dead at the ruins of St. Swithin’s Abbey. The military calls it an accident—but is it? And what does it have to do with the legend of the Judas Monk, a tale of betrayal that has haunted the abbey for centuries?
Harry Jenkins and the Homefront Sleuths must untangle a web of wartime deception before the truth is buried for good. As the investigation unfolds, each of the Sleuths has their own challenges to face. Evie faces a new threat from an old enemy, while Alice must find a way to delve into a murder mystery dating back to the middle ages. Harry must press on with his investigation despite a military commander determined to stop him at all costs. Dorothy and Tom are busy with the renovations of their cottage—and Blake… well, let’s just say Blake may have the biggest adjustment of all.
Meanwhile, Bonzo the Pomeranian is about to prove that sometimes the best detective work is done on four paws. With danger lurking in the shadows and secrets hidden beneath the ruins, Harry and his friends must navigate military red tape, hidden tunnels, and village gossip to uncover the truth—before some very, very serious damage is done. I’ve grown to like many of the characters in this wartime cosy murder mystery series. One of its strengths – most of the people featured are just trying to do their best in difficult circumstances. But the mystery is compelling and the denouement suitably exciting. And it ends on a huge cliff-hanger… 9/10
AUDIOBOOK – The Murders at Clarion Castle – Book 5 of the Homefront Sleuths series by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley July, 1941. When Evie Harris vanishes after visiting her late fiancé’s parents, the Homefront Sleuths of Crofter’s Green vow to find her. But their investigation takes a bizarre turn when Nigel’s police superiors send him to nearby Clarion Castle.There, the first under-butler has just taken his final bow in the castle’s wine cellar.
Could there be a connection with Evie’s disappearance? Or with a hush-hush VIP visit to the castle? The Sleuths must navigate a maze of deception, and nothing is easy. Harry finds the murdered butler’s journal, but it’s in a code, Blake knows codes, but he and Katherine are busy unlocking secrets in the castle library, hampered by her still-fragmented memory, Alice dons pilgrim garb to infiltrate suspicious travelers (her herb basket now doubling as spy gear), and Dorothy must size up mysterious tea shop visitors and give her friends at the castle a warning.
Not to mention Evie, who must discover where she is and then find a way to escape. With time ticking louder than Harry’s pocket watch, Evie and the Sleuths must reunite to unmask a master spy before a the course of the war is changed forever. This huge plot twist at the end of the previous book – Evie’s kidnapping – meant I needed to know what would happen next. As I already had this book on my TBR, waiting to be listened to, it was a no-brainer that I’d continue the adventure and find out what happened next. Once again, a nicely twisty whodunit plot, along with more interesting developments with our main characters. This series is becoming a firm favourite. 9/10
AUDIOBOOK NOVELLA – In the House of Aryaman, a Lonely Signal Burns – Book 1 of the Sub-Inspector Ferron Mysteries by Elizabeth Bear A man has been turned inside-out.
Fifty years in the future, in the sleek modern city of Bangalore, a scientist working on revolutionary bioengineering techniques has been discovered inside his own locked home, his body converted into a neat toroidal package of meat. It’s up to Police Sub-Inspector Ferron to unearth the victim’s complicated past and solve the crime, despite the best efforts of the mastermind behind the murder, aliens beaming signals from the Andromeda Galaxy, her overbearing mother, and an adorable parrot-cat who is the only witness. I have a real weakness for strong sci fi murder mysteries – and this novella is a little gem. The crime could not have been committed now as we don’t have the technology and I also thoroughly enjoyed my time with Sub-Inspector Ferron. To the extent that I immediately got hold of the next book in the series. 9/10
Brigands & Breadknives – Book 2 of the Legends & Lattes series by Travis Baldree Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!
If only things were so simple…
It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.
A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.
As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way. See my review.
AUDIOBOOK NOVELLA – A Blessing of Unicorns – Book 2 of the Sub-Inspector Ferron Mysteries by Elizabeth Bear A woman has vanished. She reported her disappearance in advance.
In the Bangalore, India, of the 2070s, a young woman who is internet-famous enters an empty police station and tells the virtual assistant that her life is in danger. When she disappears out of her own apartment, it’s up to Police Sub-Inspector Ferron and her partner to determine whether a crime has even been committed. In a world of enhanced tech and extreme interconnectedness, can someone truly disappear?
To find the answers, Ferron will need to enter a braver, newer world of virtual reality – and deal with the small matter of a herd of tiny, vicious unicorns. Another clever, twisty plot delivered by a master of her craft – I am in mourning that there are only two novellas in this wonderful series. I would LOVE to read one of these near-future whodunits featuring Ferron in a novel-length adventure. 9/10
This Gilded Abyss – Book 1 of The Titan’s Wrath trilogy by Rebecca Thorne Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier. She’s also desperate to leave her haunted past deep in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside her best friend, Quian. So, when Subarch Kessandra, Valkesh’s favorite royal–and Nix’s loathed ex–requests Nix’s help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently. She should have known Kessandra would fight back.
Consigned as Kessandra’s bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards the Luminosity, a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. But Kessandra wasn’t truthful–surprise, surprise–and her “investigation” isn’t about the massacre, but rather what caused it: an illness that incites its victims into a violent craze.
When another royal is brutally murdered, Nix and Kess realize the disease has spread–and no one on the Luminosity is safe. If they’re going to survive until Fall, they’ll have to trust each other… but considering Kessandra is responsible for Quian’s death, that won’t be easy. See my review.
AUDIOBOOK –The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels – Book 1 of the Dangerous Damsels series Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.
Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he’s under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.
When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her–hopefully proving, once and for all, that she’s as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them. I read this back in 2023 and loved it – the opening passage is utterly hilarious and had me laughing aloud. So when I saw the audiobook was narrated by one of my favourite narrators – Elizabeth Knoweldon – I couldn’t resist. It was wonderful to listen to it all again – and the best news of all… For some reason I didn’t get hold of the final book in the series when it first came out, so I now have that treat to look forward to😊. 9/10
The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron’s bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it’s a glimpse into a world of powerful bargains and deadly ink magic.
For Cassandra Fairfax, it’s a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she’s used her skills in less ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys and unscrupulous collectors.
Then Chiron dies under mysterious circumstances. And if Cassandra knows anything, it’s this: the bookshop must always have an owner.
But she’s not the only one interested. There’s Lowell Sharpe, a dark-eyed, regrettably handsome bookseller she can’t seem to stop bumping into; rival owners who threaten Cassandra from the shadows; and, of course, Chiron’s murderer, who is still on the loose.
As Cassandra tries to uncover the secrets her mentor left behind, a sinister force threatens to unravel the world of the magical bookshops entirely… Review to follow.
As a half-fired youngling, you’ll be constantly hungry and assailed by all sorts of difficult emotions as your furnace prepares to fully ignite. Try to hang onto your temper and don’t give the cranky alpha lords in your aery the chance to batter you bloody.
Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my Picky Eaters series. All proceeds for the duration of the publishing life of Picky Eaters, first book in the series, are donated to mental health charities. The second book, Flame & Blame, and the third book, Trouble With Dwarves, are now available.
I’d read and thoroughly enjoyed Thorne’s Tea & Tomes series – see my reviews for Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea, A Pirate’s Life for Tea, Tea You at the Altar and Alchemy and a Cup of Tea. While I was very aware that This Gilded Abyss was a completely different cup of tea – recalling the author’s skill in handling the tricky sub-genre of feel-good fantasy, I was confident I’d enjoy this one, too.
BLURB: Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier. She’s also desperate to leave her haunted past deep in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside her best friend, Quian. So, when Subarch Kessandra, Valkesh’s favorite royal–and Nix’s loathed ex–requests Nix’s help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently.
She should have known Kessandra would fight back.
Consigned as Kessandra’s bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards the Luminosity, a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. But Kessandra wasn’t truthful–surprise, surprise–and her “investigation” isn’t about the massacre, but rather what caused it: an illness that incites its victims into a violent craze.
When another royal is brutally murdered, Nix and Kess realize the disease has spread–and no one on the Luminosity is safe. If they’re going to survive until Fall, they’ll have to trust each other… but considering Kessandra is responsible for Quian’s death, that won’t be easy.
REVIEW: The initial premise is awesome, as are some of the twists. However, I wasn’t convinced by the manner of the delivery. In a militaristic, authoritarian society, the Royals have more than they need and those who are born at the bottom of the pile don’t. Nothing new there. The eldest of each family have to serve in a branch of the military – so I get that Nix isn’t necessarily doing what they are constitutionally designed to do. But military training, of necessity, requires a certain amount of desensitisation and, furthermore, we are told – repeatedly – that Nix is a superb soldier. Unfortunately, she didn’t come across like that. I enjoy military sci fi – over the years, I’ve read a lot of it. Some of it written by ex-soldiers. Therefore I have a sense of how soldiers operate when confronting violent situations. They are drilled to act first and think afterwards. And if the threat hasn’t diminished that much – they are taught not to think too much until the threat is over. Nix didn’t ever convince me that she was a battle-hardened anything. She emoted over every violent action scene – and there are a lot of them – and was constantly revisiting the trauma of her best friend’s death. Constantly. Frankly, I didn’t feel she was fit for duty half the time.
And why Kess would bother to take her along still puzzles me. This had a very YA feel – emotions dialled high and everyone very reactive to every triggering event. I’m still not sure why Kess decided to replace a perfectly functioning eye with an artificial one made of a material that was likely to turn her mad – and yes… I read the explanations several times. I found them nonsensical. As was the reaction of the captain of the submarine to the current emergency, who reacted like a flouncing fifteen-year-old, instead of a responsible, experienced professional. If I hadn’t enjoyed Thorne’s previous series so much, I’d have DNF’d this one. However, I was sure that the author would have a twist that would turn all of this on its head and all my misgivings would disappear. She didn’t.
I would add that my opinion of this book is very much in the minority. It’s not a sub-genre I read all that often as I frequently find the plot devolves into unbelievable nonsense to achieve a high sense of danger, which is what happened here. What did work – the setting is well depicted and the pacing is appropriate. The love story between the two protagonists is also powerfully portrayed, with a long explicit sex scene three-quarters of the way through the book. So if you enjoy this genre, you’ll probably love this opening act in this horror science fantasy adventure – though do be aware the story is left on a cliff-hanger. While I obtained a copy of This Gilded Abyss from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 6/10
Brainfluff 