The nitty-gritty: Scandals, secrets and lies abound in this twisty, tension-filled thriller about a dysfunctional family and the multi-million dollar inheritance they’re fighting over. “Roddy Kenmore was a drug-addled fool who I never should have married in the first place, and the only regret I felt when I watched him slip under that dark salt […]
The nitty-gritty: Ghosts, family trauma and close-knit relationships make Louisa Morgan’s latest a delightfully nuanced and layered story. Louisa Morgan always writes the most comforting stories, even though her characters face dangers and challenges, and The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is another shining example of this. At its core, the story is about two women, […]
The nitty-gritty: A skillfully constructed story-within-a-story full of emotion, tension and magic, Dreambound is one of my favorite books of the year. Dreambound is every bit as good as people are saying, and trust me, this is one 2023 release you’re not going to want to miss. Dan Frey has stepped up his game from […]
The nitty-gritty: An unexpected and bloody homecoming awaits the protagonist of Black Sheep, Rachel Harrison’s latest, a thoroughly entertaining surprise of a story. “All happy families are alike, I thought. Every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Once again, Rachel Harrison has surprised and delighted me with an outstanding story that did not […]
The nitty-gritty: Beware the month of September, when the ghosts come out and the walls bleed, in this outstandingly creepy and heartfelt story about coping with all of life’s challenges. “I put my hand in hers and saw the whole scene from the night she died—the candles and the dining room and the laughing man […]
The nitty-gritty: A heartbreakingly beautiful story with an unrelenting sense of danger, Whalefall surprised me in every possible way. “Hope collapsed every morning at six a.m.: Sleepers, arise! Jay began to see Dad’s siren as the opening punch of a boxing match, Mitt Gardiner versus his life. Dad didn’t want the house, not really. He […]
The nitty-gritty: A dark, twisty tale about pregnancy, with horrors both real and imagined, Delicate Condition should be on every thriller fan’s TBR. “My favorite superstition is the one that says more women deliver during a full moon than at any other time of the month. Transforming into mothers instead of wolves. Howling like wild […]
The nitty-gritty: Sweet, emotional and at times heartbreaking, Thornhedge is a perfect, feel-good fairy tale. “You could not hate a child—only a monster would hate a child—but the child was a monster in the shape of a child, an elfin creature whose power was only contained by her youth and her unfamiliarity with the world.” […]
The nitty-gritty: Yume Kitasei tackles the “survival in space” trope but adds emotional themes as well in this stellar debut novel. “What was it about mothers, that they could know you so well? And not know you at all.” The Deep Sky is an exquisitely written SF debut, and I absolutely loved it. This is […]
The nitty-gritty: Wonder, whimsey, science and fantasy come together in Charles Soule’s latest, a highly original ode to finding happiness. Charles Soule comes up with the most unusual ideas for books, and in my opinion he’s outdone himself with The Endless Vessel. This is my third book by the author and my favorite so far. […]