Heartwood is a creatively plotted novel that follows the search for a missing Appalachian Trail hiker. Told from the perspectives of the hiker, the woman in charge of the search, and an unlikely, elderly armchair detective, the story serves up a lot of depth that seems to be absent from so many other current mystery/suspense novels. Continue reading
Category Archives: Mystery
Audio Book Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica, Narrated by Brittany Pressly
Local Woman Missing is a highly engrossing suspense novel that explores the disappearance of two seemingly unrelated people and the toll it takes on family and neighbors over a decade later. A cleverly engineered plot that provides several surprising twists makes this story a winner for me. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, Narrated by Nicola Walker
We Solve Murders is a hilarious romp through the worlds of money smuggling, Internet influencers, hired hitmen, and rogue security agencies. Author Richard Osman, who also wrote The Thursday Murder Club series, brings the same heart to We Solve Murders but ramps up the humor. This novel is the first in a series and I can’t wait until the second book is released! Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Broken Girls by Simone St. James, Narrated by Rebecca Lowman
In The Broken Girls, freelance journalist Fiona Sheridan takes on a story about the renovation of a long-shuttered girls boarding school and suddenly finds herself investigating a 64-year-old murder, as well. An original plot plus an eerie paranormal element make The Broken Girls an engaging murder mystery. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave, Narrated by Julia Whelan
The Night We Lost Him is a suspense novel highly focused on the complexities of family and romantic relationships. When Nora Noone’s father falls off a cliff at his seaside home, her half-brother Sam calls foul play despite the police determining the death was an accident. Nora and Sam, who barely know each other, team up to do their own investigation. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger, Narrated by CJ Wilson
The River We Remember is another terrific historical fiction mystery from author William Kent Krueger. Set in a small Minnesota town in the late 1950s, the novel tackles meaty topics such as prejudice, PTSD, family, and redemption, as well as being a smart murder mystery. Continue reading
Audio Book Review: Love, Mom by Iliana Xander, Narrated by Kira Fixx, et al
Love, Mom is an engaging novel of suspense about a daughter trying to unravel the truth about her dead mother, a successful author who died under mysterious circumstances. Plot twists and a quick pace make Love, Mom an enjoyable read/listen. Continue reading
Book Review: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club is a charming and poignant mystery novel full of great characters, amusing scenes and dialog, and multiple, hard-to-solve murders. With a strong theme of the worries that accompany the aging process, The Thursday Murder Club is also touching and enlightening. Continue reading
Audiobook Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera, Narrated by January LaVoy and Will Damron
Listen for the Lie is a highly entertaining novel of suspense about a cold case murder, the people who were involved, and the true crime podcast that tries to solve it. It’s surprisingly funny and engaging, making Listen for the Lie a novel I would easily recommend. Continue reading
Short Story Review: The Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
The Witness for the Prosecution is one of Agatha Christie’s classic short stories and of a genre she wasn’t known for – courtroom drama. It tells the tale of a man accused of a treacherous murder and the wife who agrees to testify in court…against him. Continue reading
Book Thoughts from Bed 