Is This a Cry for Help?: A Novel
by Emily Austin
Clever and witty read (5/10/2026)
A clever and witty book looking at differences and why they are important. Darcy is returning to her librarian position after a two month leave of absence due to a mental health breakdown. Darcy was traumatized by the death her ex-boyfriend, Ben, and couldn't cope. She's now in a lesbian marriage so Ben's death combined with her transition has fractured her into two cells as she states in the book, carrying a different version of herself through her life. As the book combines the theme of book banning, Darcy becomes the center for advocacy to "unrestricted access to diverse books." She keeps up with a series of emails from a library member about birds. She tackles frayed relations with relatives. And through it all she persists in her recovery.
This is a stellar story about recovery from trauma, fighting for diversity and sharing your thoughts Ruth others. I read this in one day because Darcy was so compelling and the book banning topic so relevant.
Highly recommend.
After the Ocean
by Lauren E. Rico
Family mystery (5/9/2026)
This was such an intriguing read - a mystery and a love story - with no sentimentality, just a wrenching honesty and pure joy. It is a novel celebrating music, offering an exotic setting and finding redemption as well as exposing the dark side of law enforcement in Puerto Rico.
Emilia Oliveras’s life turns from joy for her marriage to Paul Winstead, son of a wealthy family into an unsolved mystery that haunts her for over thirty years. Having met as students at a prestigious music school in the US, Emilia, a budding pianist, and Paul, a talented celloist, elope and honeymoon on a cruise to Puerto Rico where Paul disappears. The Winstead family wants to make Emilia into a murderess but through the help of an honest policeman, she’s able to escape and find a new life until thirty years later a clue as to what happened appears.
The book is told in alternating time frames and from different POVs. We get the backstory of what happened to Emilia and then in present time we learn about her two daughters, Gracie and Meg, as well as what is happening with the other characters associated with what happened thirty years ago. This makes the story more poignant and touching. The musical references are especially finely written.
No spoilers here. You must read the book. It’s a story of love, family and music. It blends suspense with sentiment in a most arresting way. Highly recommend.
Alan Opts Out: A Novel
by Courtney Maum
Finding the right life (5/9/2026)
Funny, proactive and an all around good read, this book takes on “consumerism, class snobbery and greed.”
Alan Anderson and his social climbing wife, Vivian, have moved from the Midwest to Belleport, Connecticut, four years ago. Alan is the creative director for a large firm and has won international contracts and awards while Vivian is set on “rebranding” herself as a New Englander by entering into the cutthroat competition of her closed community to become a member of the exclusive Queen Anne club. When Alan’s big dairy contract sours after the company’s dairy farmer spokesman states that there should be “less milk, less advertising and less excess”, Alan looks at himself and realizes he’s sold himself out. He starts changing his life, living in the playhouse, unplugging his life from the smart house, and confounding his wife.
The book has such interesting pacing - chapters start with Alan and then flow to Vivian with email communications between the Queen Anne club members acting like a Greek chorus to announce almost what’s going to happen next. The snobbery of the women is so ripe and nauseous. Alan’s opting out of the rat race and late capitalism is a daunting feat - not many could do that.
I enjoyed this book. The characters were nicely drawn as were the themes of futility, greed and snobbery. Lots of laughs but also lots of provocative thoughts. This is a gem of a book.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown,& Company for allowing me access to this ARC.
Strangers Behind Closed Doors: A Novel
by Catherine Adel West
Black noir (5/9/2026)
Captivating debut thriller introducing two black protagonists who fight for the voiceless and the lost (Kirkus).
Redding Stark, a Black policewoman, follows a creed of duty that requires giving one’s all. When Natalie Moore goes missing from her room at The Ivory, a surveillance camera picks up Giovanni “Gio” Mason, the first Black concierge of The Ivory, slapping Natalie. Gio and Natalie have had a complicated history and right now her desire to please is not working so well. As things progress Gio is accused of murdering her influencer friend. Redding is not convinced she did as Redding believes the disappearance is part of a bigger plot that goes up to powerful men. Gio joins Redding in investigating the disappearance.
The book alternates between Redding and Gio as the book explores the case and the lives of Black women trying to make ends meet. It also has a delicious noir feel - the city, uncovering evil at high places, a vulnerable detective. This work to heighten the message of the need for social justice. This is best summarized in Redding’s words that when Black women go missing only apathy appears, so Blacks must “save themselves.” It’s a story with twists and turns that keep the pages turning.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Park Row Books for giving me access to this ARC.
Presence: A Hidden History of the Female Body
by Erin Maglaque
Examining the female body in history (5/8/2026)
I am always attracted to books that look at topics I wouldn’t normally read about so when this ARC popped up, I was immediately intrigued (my thanks to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House). It turned out to be an exceptional read.
The author, in her debut book, is on the faculty at the University of Sheffield, England, and offers a fascinating study of women using her own body “as the template.” Drawing on historical, artistic, midwifery journals, legal, scientific and “household guide” sources, we get a bird’s eye view of women’s experiences and self imagineds between 1500 to 1800. This was a period of “profound change” for women and during which men also took over things like births, normally handled by midwives. Another example , in the 16th C it was thought a woman needed to experience organism to conceive by the 18th C it was argued organism didn’t exist.
The book examines birth, abortion, miscarriage, breast feeding, house work and care for the dying. As on French memoirist, Madame de Roland, wrote in the 18th C, about breastfeeding: “In truth, looking at the matter closely, nursing a baby is a course in morals, and I think some women do well not to try it.” Also before the 18th C, sex was non-penetrative, by the end it was penetrative. We get our sexual proclivities from this century. Loved Chapter 8 entitled “A History of Durdgery.” This chapter actually explores women working on textiles and how to keep white linen clean.
There are wonderful paintings and illustrations in the book showing women in various poses and ways of life. This added nicely to historical tale being offered in this book. Highly recommend.
The Windsor Affair: A Novel
by Melanie Benjamin
Wonderful historical fiction read (5/7/2026)
Historical fiction remains my go-to genre anytime I’m looking for a read that takes me back in time and gives me insights into people and times I may or may not be acquainted with. So when I came across this ARC (thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press), I instantly was intrigued.
Wallis Simpson is either a “victim or a predator” as stated in the Author’s Note. Elizabeth Bowles, the wife of George VI (“Bertie”) has always been viewed graciously in part for her role of defiance to Hitler and her reliance in WWII. These two women were at odds - as the book portrays - mostly because of the rigid and staid rules of the British monarchy in the 30s-40s which didn’t work so well for Wallis as they did for Elizabeth. Personally I never liked Wallis I think because for me she fell into the predator category but after reading this book I feel more kindly toward her though the Windsors like of Hitler still rankles.
This is a fascinating fictional biography of these two women - where historical events are mentioned, the author is accurate to them. We are treated to some great writing and story telling. Wallis and Elizabeth become real on the pages of this book.
It’s a great treat to read this book. It’s perfect for lovers of British history or any lover of good historical fiction.
Death of an Ordinary Man
by Sarah Perry
Exceptional memoir (5/7/2026)
A beautiful paean to a father-in-law! While this is a sad book, it is beautifully written, expressing the joys and heartbreak of watching a loved one die. For anyone experiencing the grief of such a loss, this book I think could offer much comfort because it has such honesty and depth. While the title says “ordinary,” this man was not because like many humans, he was loved and treasured by others. In observing his death and assuring his care in the final days, we experience how the living support the person.
This just a beautiful book. I highly recommend this book. I had the privilege of meeting the author in April 2026 at the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing seminar and feel honored she signed my book.
I also want to thank Netgalley and Mariner Books for granting me access to the 2026 ARC - twice read and still an excellent memoir.
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
by Patrick Radden Keefe
Excellent true crime book (5/7/2026)
This is a scrupulously researched nonfiction book that began as an article in the New Yorker. In typical Patrick Radden Keefe style, the events of an early morning in November 2019 unfold when a surveillance camera at Britain's MI6's headquarters captured a "silhouette of a young man on the balcony of an apartment complex on the opposite side of the river. It was dark but the fifth-floor balcony was brightly lit." (The Guardian 4/7/2026). The young man, Zac Bettler, age 19, was found five hours later face down in the mud "face down in riverbank mud, shirtless and in tracksuit bottoms."
The book tackles the complicated elements of Zac's death: his secret life, his unsavory connections with "gangland debt collector and drug trafficker named Verinder Sharma" and Akbar Shamji. The place of the death, a luxury Thameside high-rise, was a far cry from Bettler's middle-class background. The building almost takes on a character-like presence in the book "standingas an emblem of corruption in a London tainted by oligarchic interests and corporate greed. Brettler’s death, is argued by Keefe, was the consequence of both his entrapment by criminal minds and the dangerous allure of speculatively acquired wealth." (The Guardian).
Keefe goes into great depth into the police investigation, the inquest and the wrenching grief of the parent, Rachelle and Matthew. He also explores the Rachelle's family and other ties that fulfill a portrait of Zac, helping us understand he's posturing to be someone he wasn't. This is a very thorough story.
Highly recommend.
The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
by Liza Tully
Great cozy mystery (5/6/2026)
I love a good cozy mystery and this book certainly fits that for me. This one has a healthy balance of suspense, romance and humor - a trifecta for any reader.
Olivia Blunt is tired of her fact-checking job and applies to be an assistant to the "world's greatest detective," Aubrey Merritt. Merritt is a no nonsense, precise and coldish woman and suffers no fools gladly. No one is more surprised than Olivia when she's hired. Thinking this is going to be exciting and "a piece of cake," Olivia soon finds it's a tedious job requiring sharp logic and she may be in over her head. When Merritt is hired to investigate a suicide of a wealthy woman, Virginia Summersworth, by her daughter, Haley, Olivia accompanies Merritt to the New Hampshire resort where the death occurred. An interesting cast of characters is assembled as this closed door mystery is unraveled.
Along side the mystery, we have Olivia's romance with her fiancé, Trevor, that adds some depth to Olivia's character. She's a fun and interesting - a great foil to Merritt who is always judging and critiquing her. But as tough as that can be for Olivia, there are lots of humorous moments when these happen (more often than not in Olivia's head too).
Merritt's uptight demeanor is perfect for a woman with the moniker "world's greatest detective."
The mystery itself is cleverly investigated. The denouement where the murderer is announced is so Agatha Christie - I could almost hear Hercule Poirot saying it! I also will be looking forward to the next book because I think Merritt and Olivia could be the new Holmes and Watson.
I’d like to thank BookBrowse and Berkeley Mystery Books for allowing me to read this book.
I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe: A Life in 100 Takes
by Andrew Wilson
Comprehensive biography (5/4/2026)
A comprehensive look at the life of Marilyn Monroe written on the centenary of her birth. This one delivers new information but remains true to historical accuracy. It’s a book to delight all lovers of Marilyn Monroe.
British author, Andrew Wilson was given unrestricted access to Anthony Summer’s research. Summer is the author of what I considered to be the best biography on Monroe, Goddess, published in 1985; in writing it he interviewed everyone who knew Monroe.
Monroe was a contradiction in many ways. She was loved by the camera but shy and withdrawn in the personal arena. The book reveals unknowns such a letters to her third husband, Arthur Miller, and a quote from Angela Allen, script supervisor on The Misfits, that disparages the myth of her intelligence.
The book goes behind the scenes of her marriages, working with Lee Strasberg, and building a story behind her myth. Much of what’s written is known but is elaborated on at times. The chapters are short but not necessarily in chronological order of her life. What you get is a complex picture of a fragile, troubled woman who desperately wanted to be loved but simply didn’t know what love was because she didn’t love herself enough (my opinion).
This is a great book to add to anyone’s Marilyn Monroe collection.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to this ARC.
Sisters of a Halved Heart: A Novel
by Nayantara Roy
Sisterhood resolved (5/4/2026)
A poignant but revealing story of sisterhood and the publishing world. Mira Guhathakurta is an editor of poetry at a literary publishing house. She's just returned from London where she had worked four years for the publishing house to return to her home in Brooklyn. She had left because she was unhappy with her life, especially the loss of her lover, Jack, to her sister, Joy. Her father is also ill. The story revolves around the complications within her family and Mira's vision for her life. She meets Marlon, a biracial Australian, and pursues a relationship with him. However, the complexity of her family catches up with her and she must deal with hard choices.
Mira isn't a very likable character. She treats both Jack and Marlon poorly and her anger with her sister, Joy, over Jack seems misguided. But I think this is what the author wanted to pursue: how relationships break due to misunderstandings. Also the adding to the plot the anonymous book seemed strange and I didn't understand how that added to the story. But overall this was a very good read.
This is a character-driven story. Mira is complex and torn by life's challenges. She eventually figures it out once she wakes up and smells the coffee. The writing is excellent.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Hachette for allowing me to read this ARC.
The Girl with a Thousand Faces
by Sunyi Dean
Fascinating historical fantasy (5/3/2026)
A gothic fantasy that delivers on suspense and historical elements. I listened to this fascinating book beautifully narrated (thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio) and was captivated by the story.
The book follows Mercy Chan who washes up the shores of Hong Kong during World War II with no memory, no past and no resources. She survives the war by hiding in Kowloon Walled City, a notorious ghost-infected slum. Over the years she becomes a ghost-talker for the local triad. The story is filled with angry spirits, ghost cats, East Asian ghost lore and deep angst over historical injustice. The story takes place in an alternative world where ghosts are real especially in Hong Kong. But it also tells a story about the horrors of war especially to people of the lower classes and women in particular. Soon a malignant spirit appears and Mercy is drawn in to a fight but she soon begins to learn that she may be the cause of this. Vengeance is also a prevailing theme in response to these horrors and atrocities.
The story is very complex and get confusing at times, but the author brings everything together at the end - quite beautifully. This is a book for lovers for historical and cultural fantasy.
The Adventures of Juan Planchard
by Jonathan Jakubowicz
Venezuelan adventure (5/1/2026)
A political thriller centered around a Venezuelan playboy. It's a wild and crazy ride through a morally grey world where a man dares to game the system that destroyed his country. Juan is a middle class nobody. He has a charm that allows him entry to the world of oligarchs and corrupt politicians. He's willing to do what it takes to make money at the expense of his personal morality.
Quitting his job at Proctor & Gamble, Juan takes advantage of the currency control system set up by Hugo Chavez. He's the ultimate anti-hero until he falls in love with Scarlet. When he takes her to Caracas to meet his parents, everything changes for Juan.
Published in 2016 in Venezuela, this book became a "viral phenomenon among the Venezuelan community in exile" (Al Día). It's part political thriller and crime fiction. It takes us into the corrupt and totalitarian Venezuelan world begun in 1998 and those who live and suffer there.
Juan may be an engaging character but his choice of lifestyles is fraught with darkness and morally grey decisions. He has no scruples; he just wants money and fun. The author is quite honest in his storytelling, hiding nothing and being painfully honest - "In the land of cannibals there's no reason to be honest." While there are flaws in the book, the story holds your attention.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me access to this ARC.
Meeting New People: A Novel
by Daniel M. Lavery
The meaning of friendship (5/1/2026)
What do you want in a best friend and how do you keep a best friend are questions asked in this novel exploring friendship. Barbara Foester is 58, twice-divorced and has a rocky relationship with her son. She's a bit of a curmudgeon in a way, so she's shocked when her current best friend, Susan Montgomery dumps list of her faults during a breakup session. Fit Barbara a best friend is a must. So she starts to analyze her past relationships and comes to realize she may be what Susan was saying about her. So Barbara starts to widen her circle to look for friends.
This is a character- driven novel. It's a witty and wry exploration of self and friendship. What does one have to offer to be a friend? Why does one self-sabotage friendship? The author, a man, dies a creditable job with his female narrator as well. Barbara isn't the most likable of characters but she's realistic in her acerbic way.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and HarperVia for granting me access to this ARC.
I'll Watch Your Baby: A Novel
by Neena Viel
Horror with a twist (4/29/2026)
As one review noted, this is "a haunting reimagining of Linda Taylor - known as the original Welfare Queen and the impact her image has had on future generations (Criminal Element)." Also while hyped as a horror story, there are elements of mystery and the supernatural. All together, this makes for magical reading.
The book has two narrators twenty years apart: Lottie Turner (1974) and Bless Stewart (1994). Lottie makes her living through welfare fraud and kidnapping children. Bless is a burglar with a job that has a big payoff but requires she stay five days in the house of a dying woman.
The author takes the Linda Taylor myth and turns it in its head. Lottie becomes the stuff of legends. Now old she lives in a haunted house. She gathers young people around her obsessed with red-eyed white flies there are lots of flies in this book! It also seems there may be a ghost in the house - is there? Lottie has a vivid imagination so she may be hallucinating or telling the truth. What seems clear is that Lottie has remorse for her past she's not the sociopath she seems (like Linda Taylor may not have been either).
Be sure to read the Afterword which mentions Josh Levin's The Queen as this book is about the real Linda Taylor).This is a complex read a metaphor for how myth becomes reality. It's bitingly horror-filled and scary at times. If you are looking for a good horror story with depth, this book is for you.
The Last Mandarin: A Novel
by Louise Penny
Global terrorism mystery (4/26/2026)
Louise Penny is a master storyteller. I’ve loved her Inspector Gamache series, so was excited by this book written with Mellissa Fung. It delivered!
Alice Li, a food blogger, is somewhat estranged from her famous mother, Vivian Li, a famous Chinese dissident. But when strange signal comes out of China, mother and daughter are brought together to unearth the reason for the alarm and to prevent another. Clearly global terrorism is at work. When the second alarm comes, it’s worse than the first. The Chinese are sure it’s American.
The book is suspense filled political thriller as the Li women work to prevent a global catastrophe. It explores many political and family dynamic theme as well.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur for allowing me access to this ARC.
Ode to the Half-Broken
by Suzanne Palmer
Hope and resilience in a post-apocalyptic world (4/26/2026)
A "hopeful post-apocalyptic science fiction novel" following Be, a retired military robot trying to"to live in isolation in the New York Botanical Gardens. It is beautifully written and the nonhuman characters are delightful.
Be is forced out of seclusion because he has lost one of his limbs. He must go out into the "real" world (that which is left after a "30 year cataclysmic conflict") and get himself repaired. He's accompanied by a "chatty" cyborg dog, Atticus, who leads him to a human mechanic, Murphy, who has problems of her own. The three bond and soon learn that recovery has some problems: their world may be facing renewal of a war. This is traumatizing, bringing back the horrors of the past, but this motley crew realizes if they are to heal their brokenness they must confront their past.
As they do this they meet Charp, a drone, and 44-Mongoose, a train mind transplanted in a Volkswagen. These characters become a family of sorts. This is a book about resilience and building community. While some characters in the book are unable to do this, this group shines because they have shared purpose - isn't that what the world should be about? I loved these characters.
This is a book for science fiction lovers or anyone who wants to enjoy a story that is warm, cozy, and full of hope. Highly recommend.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and DAW for allowing me access to this ARC.
Witch Hunt: Grace O'Malley Thrillers #1
by Richard O'Rawe, Bernadette O'Rawe
Exciting police procedural (4/26/2026)
Exciting police procedural set in London as a murderer impersonating a 17th C witch hunter, Matthew Hopkins, is in the loose targeting witches. Hold onto your seats.
This is also the first in a series centered on DS Grace O'Malley of the London Metropolitan Police as well as the first collaboration for father and daughter Richard and Bernadette (job well done.
An impersonator is in the loose to kill modern day witches- his determination! He calls reporter, Juliette Bouchet, to come to London Bridge ten minutes before midnight on Halloween to witness an event - and what a fiery event witnessed by Oxford students, revelers on the bridge. The victim is a famous medium. The death was carefully and technically planned. Pressure is intense before another victim is murdered and when that happens and a clue points a high level person the tension is over 150 to find the impersonator. Lots of great historical data accompanies this story.
I love British police/crime dramas - my Acorn and BritBox subscriptions are sacred - so this book was an added treasure to my love of the British crime shows and novels. Don't miss this one. It's a keeper.
My thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for allowing me to read this ARC.
The Last Mandarin: A Novel
by Louise Penny
Interesting mystery (4/25/2026)
Louise Penny is a master storyteller. I've loved her Inspector Gamache series, so was excited by this book written with Mellissa Fung. It delivered! Alice Li, a food blogger, is somewhat estranged from her famous mother, Vivian Li, a famous Chinese dissident. But when strange signal comes out of China, mother and daughter are brought together to unearth the reason for the alarm and to prevent another. Clearly global terrorism is at work. When the second alarm comes, it's worse than the first. The Chinese are sure it's American.
The book is suspense filled political thriller as the Li women work to prevent a global catastrophe. It explores many political and family dynamic theme as well.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Minotaur for allowing me access to this ARC.
The Tuxedo Society: A Novel
by Paul Rudnick
Funny spoof (4/25/2026)
What a fun read! A crazy addictive spoof of the spy worlds of James Bond, Jason Bourne, George Smiley and Ethan Hunt but featuring a new hero: gay Andrew Birnbaum and his fellow gay spies, the Tuxedo Spies.
Andrew Birnbaum is recruited by his friend to join the Tuxedo Society, an exclusive society for queer men and women, who are dedicated to saving the world.
Andrew is an unemployed and lazy actor and can do voices and the Tuxes need that. Through a series of madcap adventures around the world, Andrew and cohorts recover diamonds, save Reata Pershing, the President's wife (AKA Michelle Obama), take down a mad grandma and other powerful enemies. Andrew is a goofball but actually turns out to be pretty at the spy thing.
The book is filled with so many spy tropes that are snarky, witty and outrageously funny to name - the reader will have no trouble recognizing them though.
It's writing at its best.
This is a book for lovers of satire or just in need of a plain good laugh-out-laugh read.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me access to this ARC.
Power Reviewer
