The nitty-gritty: A fun prequel that delves into themes of marriage and communication, Odd Spirits incorporates magic, spirits and emotional ties, all wrapped up in a beautiful package. Odd Spirits is a prequel novella to Evocation, which I read earlier this year, and focuses on married couple Moira and Rhys. At just over a hundred […]
The nitty-gritty: Secrets, lies, blackmail and murder combine in this excellent locked-room mystery. Whether or not you’re a fan of Alfred Hitchcock and his films, I guarantee you’ll have fun reading The Hitchcock Hotel. This is a locked room mystery with fantastic twists, plenty of unreliable characters, a bit of humor and a lot of […]
The nitty-gritty: A.C. Wise successfully combines several genres in this weird, terrifying and emotionally satisfying tale. “An angel could be a terrible thing, but so could a human, sometimes without even trying.” This is my first time reading A.C. Wise, and after loving Out of the Drowning Deep, I’m a fan of hers for life. […]
The nitty-gritty: Despite a strong dark academia vibe and some interesting world building elements, An Academy For Liars lacked a cohesive plot and likeable characters. “Lennon was no hero. And she wasn’t even sure she had the spine to call herself a villain.” I had high hopes for An Academy of Liars, but unfortunately it […]
The nitty-gritty: A highly entertaining debut, American Ghoul excels with standout characters and unexpected humor. You can’t tell from the rather serious cover, but American Ghoul is extremely funny and much more lighthearted than I expected. This is due mostly to the pitch perfect voice of the main character Lavinia, a recently freed slave who […]
The nitty-gritty: Libby Cudmore’s carefully plotted PI story mixes interpersonal drama, music and the emotional pitfalls of addiction. “Junkies will always break your heart.” I have to admit it was the cover of Negative Girl that first caught my attention, and after reading it, I think it perfectly fits this murder mystery that centers around […]
The nitty-gritty: A perfectly paced page-turner that will keep you guessing, The Night Guest is a small gem of a terrifying story. The Night Guest is written by Icelandic author Hildur Knútsdóttir and translated by Mary Robinette Kowal, and even though I don’t read a lot of translated fiction, it’s one of the best I’ve […]
The nitty-gritty: Rachel Harrison takes on vampires in this fun, fast-paced story about friendships and sticking together when life gets tough. The short version: Thelma & Louise with vampires. The long version: I’m a huge Rachel Harrison fan, especially since her last book Black Sheep was one of my top five favorite books of 2023. […]
The nitty-gritty: With larger-than-life characters and an immersive setting, Pay the Piper is an engaging story and an excellent collaborative effort. Ever since reading and loving Whalefall, I’ve added Daniel Kraus to my auto-read author list, and I’m so glad I had the chance to read his latest, a collaboration with the late George A. […]
The nitty-gritty: Light on scares but big on character growth and emotion, Haunt Sweet Home offers up interesting characters but is a disappointing ghost story. Haunt Sweet Home is described as a “spooky ghost story,” but unfortunately, that description doesn’t fit the story at all. There isn’t a single scary moment in the book, which […]