The Night Hunter
by Natalie Moss
The Night Hunter (6/8/2026)
Estranged sisters attempt to work together after the death of their mother, the famous creator of a wildlife refuge foundation in Africa. Six people begin the journey to the mother's house deep in the bush. The location itself is a major character, with hazards from animals and environment throughout. In addition, multiple mysteries pile up along with bodies as the novel progresses, resulting in a palpable air of omnipresent danger. The final question is whether the sisters can ever resolve their conflict.
The Night Hunter holds the reader in suspense throughout the novel. The descriptions of life and danger in a wild environment read true as do the family dysfunctions, resulting in a gripping read. The mysteries provide a motivation for readers and characters to solve.
The Night Hunter is a stimulating read and lends itself to discussion. Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy and to Goodreads for offering the title.
Summer's Never Over
by Darby Bozeman
Summer's Never Over but Darby Bozeman (4/27/2026)
A fun and satisfying mystery set in a popular summer camp in the North Georgia Mountains. The camp itself is a multi-generational family enterprise with lots (and lots) of secrets. The main character Greer is the 22-year-old daughter of the owner and is set to inherit the multimillion dollar enterprise.
When the story opens, the reader is presented with an unsolved five-year-old fire that killed Greer's close friend causing Greer to separate from her mother and the camp. Along the way we get to see the summer camp experience. The chapters switch the timeline from before the fire to present day. The author leaves tantalizing clues that capture the reader's interest while deepening the mystery itself.
Well written characters and an irresistible mystery make this book stand out as a fascinating weekend read.
Thanks to BookBrowse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Feast
by Catherine Kurtz
Feast (4/14/2026)
Feast by Catherine Kurtz
Minha was born with an extraordinary ability to taste. Her senses of smell and taste were so finely sensitive that even as a child she could distinguish all the flavors and ingredients in a dish. Her beloved grandfather patiently helped her refine her palate further. After his death she stowed away on a ship to France and, quite by accident, became the food taster to the Duc Nicholas de Bellefalaise when she saved his life from a poisoning attempt. Minha was thus required to taste every single food and drink to insure the Duc’s safety. Soon, however, she was off to fend for herself again.
Many of Minha’s experiences will resonate with readers. The author, who is also a food writer, describes food in exquisite detail. This reader was entranced by sumptuous descriptions of sweet and savory dishes.
The writing is truly moving in several places, and those passages lift the book to a higher and more meaningful level. (No spoilers here!). The plot itself though seemed somewhat predictable. And, with the exception of the determined and resourceful Minha, the characters didn’t truly stand out. However, FEAST is altogether an enjoyable book.
Thanks to NetGalley and BookBrowse for the opportunity to read and comment. It will be well received by many book groups and individual readers.
The Young Will Remember
by Eve J. Chung
The young will remember by Eve J. Chung (3/11/2026)
This is the captivating story of a war correspondent's experiences while accidentally stranded in North Korea during the war. The story itself is fiction but is based on real events not well known in 2026. While Ms. Chang presents the awful realities of life in a frozen war zone with accompanying starvation, injuries, fear, sickness and death during the winter of 1950, the book is also deeply human. We witness unexpected kindnesses and connections among people that elevate the story into an unforgettable reader experience.
Particularly moving to this reader is its expression in so many wars occurring right now. The book is totally engrossing. We see the worst but also the best in humans. It's an important book, especially I think for the young. Very highly recommend.
Fireflies in Winter
by Eleanor Shearer
Fireflies in Winter (2/13/2026)
When the novel begins in 1796 we meet Cora, a free Black who has relocated with others from Jamaica to Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia's small Black population includes free, indentured and enslaved living among whites.
Cora is unusual since she's been free her entire life and her personality refuses subservience. As she wanders the strange and cold land around her, she slowly discovers a woman and her dog living in the woods. The story continues as the two find the wonders of the landscape and each other. Their story is very well written and enjoyable.
The novel places the love story within the context of free Blacks from Jamaica living in Nova Scotia. We aren't given many details about the actual reasons behind the Maroons' dislocation nor many day-to-day details of their lives. These details would be welcome, perhaps with the Jamaican history expanded. That story alone would lend the historical veracity behind the move to cold Nova Scotia from tropical Jamaica.
Evelyn in Transit: A Novel
by David Guterson
Evelyn in Transit - perfectly titled (12/22/2025)
Evelyn is unlike anyone she knows. She thinks and speaks with unabashed frankness and acts without fear or hesitation. Her story begins with her childhood and continues from there. Because she doesn't fear change, she moves quite undisturbed through to another location, job, whatever.
After Tsering is injured as a boy, he lives with his uncle, a devout Buddhist, so Tsering was educated toward becoming a monk in Bhutan. But Tsering, like Evelyn, was also in transit. He left his uncle and the monastery heading out on his own, eventually becoming a lama (Buddhist Holy Man, for lack of a deeper description).
When the two characters intersect, we feel both the inevitability and randomness of their transits.
David Guterson tells their stories in a series of vignettes. His language is plain and straightforward so the reader is free to make independent assessments of the characters. At first this seemed a bit awkward to me. It is written in a "just the facts" style. This turns out to be brilliant by offering us a more complete understanding of the characters than if he had used a different treatment. We become swept along with each story. Each vignette provides a unique window. I easily connected with both characters. Evelyn in Transit is a lovely read as the reader's thoughts are continually stimulated.
Reading Evelyn in Transit has inspired me to read more about Buddhism and the Dalai Lama though I already have some per some knowledge. . The book is worthwhile, enjoyable and at times humorous. Definitely recommend. .
This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page
The importance of books (10/21/2025)
A devastated young widow learns her husband arranged before his death for her to receive a book a month for one year. This book will be loved by romance readers. Book lovers will also find other titles to consider. The book addresses grief and its various manifestations and illustrates the significance of friends and family. The novel is well written and paced. The characters are three-dimensional but not extraordinary.
Hole in the Sky: A Novel
by Daniel H. Wilson
Hole in the Sky is fascinating (10/16/2025)
This was a truly enjoyable and thought-provoking read. I'll admit I could not follow all the science, but using Indigenous heritage was a great connecting point. Connecting serious space science to an old and poorly known tradition allowed the reader to view our planet and people with an entirely new perspective, including the idea that different peoples may experience different realities. The characters were well drawn and believable. I can heartily recommend this to non-sci-fi readers. The story is truly captivating!
The Bone Thief
by Vanessa Lillie
Indigenous People are still here (7/20/2025)
First, thanks to Bookbrowse for a prepub copy. The story itself has two dominant subjects: the past and the present of an event in 1675 resulting in massacre of Narragansetts in Rhode Island. While "history is written by the winners," Vanessa Lillie has provided a fascinating story that includes theft, murder, kidnapping, sales of artifacts as well as a compelling view of present community life.
Very readable, a great book discussion book along with her earlier novel Blood Sisters. The novel has several plot lines, and I found myself a little confused by some characters' actions. A little more detail of the minor characters would be helpful.
I'm so glad to have read The Bone Thief because it spurred a deep interest in the history of which so little is common knowledge yet so much is tragic. I look forward to her and other writers' books on the subject. Ms. Lillie has helpfully provided sources of other information.
The Sister's Curse
by Nicola Solvinic
Multi-level mystery (7/15/2025)
Consider a police officer, Lt. Anna Koray, whose father was an infamous serial killer and whose mother forfeited parental rights as soon as the father was out of the picture. As fate would have it, both parents had just enough time with Anna to become deep and lasting influences on their daughter for better and worse. In spite or because of, she devoted her life to being a police officer. The Sister's Curse is a well written novel with enough variety of both plot and characters to keep the reader engaged and offer subjects for further reading. (I finished the book in about 10 hours).
A perfect weekend read. After finishing the Sister's Curse, I discovered it was actually book 2 of the saga. Book 1 (The Hunter's Daughter) provides enough backstory to give more depth to the Sister's Curse, although each book stands on its own. I can't wait to check out the backstory so I'll read it next.
The Jackal's Mistress: A Novel
by Chris Bohjalian
Based on fact unusual Civil War Story (3/4/2025)
Chris Bohjalian’s books are always good reads with unusual but valid situations and clear understanding of human nature. Plus, the man writes well and knows how to tell a story. The Jackal’s Mistress (title explained in book) recounts the story of a seriously wounded captain from Vermont who was saved by a woman in Virginia, her niece, and two freed Blacks.
The reader experiences the horrors of war and the terror of having a Yankee soldier hidden in a Confederate house. The characters are well drawn and entertainingly presented. The book offers many areas of discussion for book clubs. Very highly recommend.
Making Friends Can Be Murder
by Kathleen West
Truly entertaining read. (2/22/2025)
I received the novel knowing nothing but the title—Making Friends Can Be Murder, and I didn't expect much. How surprising to find an absorbing and complicated mystery! It was a very fun read and an instant stress reliever.
Beast of the North Woods: Monster Hunter Mysteries #3
by Annelise Ryan
Good mystery (11/11/2024)
This mystery begins when cryptozoologist (one who studies legendary creatures) Morgan Carter is asked to help prove the innocence of a friend's nephew who is in jail for murder. The nephew claims that the victim was killed by a mythical creature, the Hodag. Obviously the authorities and community are skeptical. Soon though, her mission progresses into more and more mysterious events.
The novel is engaging and well paced, and characters and environment are developed. At some point in the novel, the many situations almost overwhelm Morgan's mission to exonerate the nephew, but the story sustained my interest even as mysteries become more complicated. I consider it a fine and enjoyable weekend read.
While this book is the third in a series, it is a solid stand-alone. Readers might want to try the first two books: A Death in Door County, and Death in the Dark Woods.
Happy Land
by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Happy Land impressions (10/29/2024)
Happy Land introduced me to a part of American History of which I was never even aware—when former slaves relocated from South Carolina to North Carolina and created their own kingdom. We are shown how important continuity of generations can be.
The author alternated between the present day and the early years of Happy Land, and I thoroughly enjoyed the connected but separate stories. In addition to the themes of trials and difficulties, love of the land, appreciation for the earth's bounty and its benefits were emphasized. As we read stories of courageous and hardworking people, we are also reminded of the glory of nature.
The author writes well and with an authentic and natural voice. The book will be well-received by book groups. Individuals who know little about the kingdom (as it was called) will be fascinated.
Follow the Stars Home
by Diane C. McPhail
Follow the Stars Home (5/27/2024)
A welcome trend in historical fiction is to present little-known figures who play significant roles in history. Development of the steam engine included women such as as Lydia Roosevelt, daughter of an architect and married to Nicholas Roosevelt, a man very much her senior. She shared the work with her husband on an experimental journey on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
This book is offered as a re-imagined story of their most important voyage. By re-imagining Lydia, the book creates a character dedicated to the work and her family and a determined colleague to her husband. It is written almost as a diary, detailing daily problems and solutions.
The novel contains an interesting story, but the repetition of affectionate displays between the husband and wife quickly became a bit tiresome. It is true that Lydia Roosevelt began the voyage while eight months pregnant and with a young daughter as well and faced many challenges. While the voyage, its successes and difficulties provided the core of the story, the daily family life and the affection continually expressed were very prominent and without much emotional depth.
I would recommend this book for general readers who would like to learn about a little-known part of history but also remind readers that it is a re-imagining of the character and not a biographical retelling.
Prophet Song
by Paul Lynch
Extraordinary. (1/19/2024)
After reading four pages, I realized Prophet Song is a book that possesses the reader, so I read it fairly non-stop in two days. First, this is the most disturbing book I’ve read in years. Second, it’s also an intimate portrayal of a country plunging into chaos, painstakingly demonstrated through one family and specifically Eilish’s internal journey. The author’s style is compelling and anchors the reader to the characters and action. I had no problem with the author’s dialogue pattern, in fact, the dialog style seemed natural. I know others compare the book to periods of history. What I read felt like a keen understanding of human nature. Prophet Song is an extraordinary book.
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Sisters of the Lost Nation
by Nick Medina
Native American coming of age and a mystery (11/15/2022)
Sisters of the Lost Nation is a good read. Anna is a high school senior who is bullied by her classmates, and even her sister, because she doesn’t fit in. She’s fascinated by Tribal stories and traditions and appalled at the cost that modernity in the guise of a casino is imposing on the reservation. And women are disappearing. She is convinced that the disappearances are connected and also related to Tribal myths, and she begins to dig.
The story is ambitious with many peripheral issues. Tribal history and traditions as well as Anna’s response to the awful bullying seem to be overwhelmed by other issues. Ultimately however they are all connected. This could have been a much longer book and still hold the reader’s attention. Thoughtful and thought provoking, Sisters will encourage interest in Tribal life in America.
Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey
by Florence Williams
Heartbreak (1/4/2022)
The author’s journey to understand her own pain after her marriage ended led her to examine the substance of heartbreak itself. She studied the scientific research into heartbreak’s affect on emotional and physical health as well as the process of healing, and she participated in various forums and programs as speaker and/or participant. I didn’t finish reading Heartbreak. Some studies of our response to heartbreaks confirmed what we already know, and the methodologies used in the animal research were often disturbing in themselves. Readers may find some of her insights personally valuable, but I didn’t find the value of her journey or research enough to carry me to the end of the book.
Honor
by Thrity Umrigar
Honor by Thrity Umrigar (9/24/2021)
Once again Ms. Umrigar uses the relationship of two women to draw attention to India's cultural attitudes and treatment of women. The book goes much further than India, and the reader will recognize similarities in other countries of the human condition in its many facets.
Honor is a captivating read, an intriguing window into a culture as well as a really good story. Book clubs will find endless areas of discussion. Highly recommend.
Migrations: A Novel
by Charlotte McConaghy
An extraordinary read (8/5/2021)
Franny is one with the sea and with birds. She lives in a world apart, deeply intense but also deeply damaged. This is a wonderful book, beautifully written. Its understanding and reverence of wildlife will resonate with any bird lover, and the obsessions that drive her speak to anyone who has been touched watching migrating birds depart.
