⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5 stars) Antihero was my first introduction to Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, and boy, have I been missing out! A friend recommended it, so I jumped at the chance to snag a complimentary copy from NetGalley. I’m glad I took his advice! Evan Smoak is a former government assassin who now uses his considerable talents to help people in desperate situations. His latest mission involves a young woman who has been kidnapped and assaulted. Evan is determined to bring her attackers to justice, but she has one condition: No killing. Easier said than done for a man who has spent much of his life eliminating bad guys! Hurwitz […]
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A Lovely Reminder to Savor the Ordinary: A Review of Life: A Love Story
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ll admit, I expected Life: A Love Story to send my sappy meter straight into the red. Happily, it didn’t. This was warm, thoughtful, and heartfelt without laying the sentiment on with a trowel. At 92, Florence “Flo” Greene knows her time is short, so she begins writing to Ruthie, the young woman who grew up next door and became like a daughter to her. Through those letters, Flo looks back on her marriage, friendships, mistakes, joys, and a few truths she kept tucked away for years. At the same time, she is still meddling—in the best possible way—in the lives of the people around her. This is very […]
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The Gourmet Bookworm’s Picks and Pans—Issue 42
This month’s reading took me from a nearly forgotten Black community in the North Carolina mountains to wartime Genoa, the tunnels beneath Paris, and even the icy shores of Antarctica. Three books earned a full five stars, several historical novels sent me searching for more of the story, and a handful of mysteries reminded me that a clever premise does not always guarantee a satisfying payoff. Here are all sixteen books, beginning with the ones I loved most. Five-Star Favorites Happy Land By Dolen Perkins-Valdez ★★★★★ A Hidden History That Refuses to Stay Buried Blending past and present, Happy Land explores family, identity, and the nearly forgotten Kingdom of the […]
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All the Pieces…But No Puzzle: A Review of The Night We Lost Him
⭐⭐⭐ I went into The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave hoping for a smart, twisty family mystery. Instead, I got a story that looks polished on the surface but never quite pulls you in—and one that’s easy to forget once it’s over. The premise has bite. Nora Noone’s father—hotel magnate, serial husband, and all-around mystery—dies after a fall from his cliffside home. The authorities call it an accident, but Nora and her estranged brother Sam aren’t convinced. They team up to dig into his past and figure out what really happened. The problem is that the stakes feel low. There’s no real danger or urgency—just a steady search for answers […]
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Power, Politics, and Pressure at the Top: A Review of In High Places
⭐⭐⭐ Arthur Hailey built his reputation on turning complex institutions into page-turning fiction, and In High Places pulls readers behind the scenes of Canadian politics. The story centers on Prime Minister James Howden as he pushes forward an ambitious Arctic defense project while navigating political rivals, cabinet tensions, and trouble within his own family. When a potential security scandal erupts involving a key government appointee, Howden must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect his administration—and whether loyalty should outweigh truth. I enjoyed this novel because it reminded me of the recent negotiations between the United States and its neighbor to the north. The political maneuvering, debates, and diplomatic friction […]
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Plenty of Twists—But the Verdict Is Mixed: A Review of False Witness
⭐⭐⭐ Phillip Margolin has long been a reliable name in legal thrillers, so I picked up False Witness expecting a tight courtroom drama with plenty of twists. The ingredients are all there—murder, secrets, and the kind of high-stakes legal maneuvering that usually keeps readers flipping pages late into the night. The story centers on defense attorney Amanda Jaffe, who takes on the case of a young man accused of murdering a police officer. As the investigation unfolds, the case becomes tangled with past crimes, hidden identities, and a web of deception that stretches further than anyone first suspects. Margolin clearly knows the legal world inside and out, and the courtroom scenes feel […]
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Brilliant Women, Clever Lies, and a Surprisingly Slow Read: A Review of Propaganda Girls
⭐⭐⭐½ Women doing daring, mostly unrecognized work during WWII? That is usually my reading catnip, and Propaganda Girlsshould have been an easy win. Lisa Rogak introduces Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Marlene Dietrich—who used forged orders, phony newspapers, radio broadcasts, songs, and carefully planted rumors to rattle Axis soldiers. Some of their schemes were wonderfully audacious. A fake “League of Lonely War Women” suggested German women were keeping soldiers back home company, while bogus Japanese military instructions encouraged troops to surrender rather than fight to the death. Marlene Dietrich even used broadcasts and her famous voice to slip messages to German listeners. Honestly, how did I not fly […]
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A Chilling Journey Through the Darkest Corners of Paris: A Review of Skylark
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Skylark by Paula McLain is an atmospheric, deeply researched novel that brings the darker side of historical Paris vividly to life. I found it highly educational, especially the sections involving the Salpêtrière asylum and the cruel treatment of the thousands of women confined there. Equally fascinating were the Paris catacombs, where human remains were interred after the city’s above-ground cemeteries grew too full of bodies. The images of the bones of more than six million people, carefully arranged beneath the crowded streets of Paris, are absolutely chilling. The novel follows two parallel stories. In 1664, Alouette Voland, the daughter of a master dyer at the Gobelin Tapestry Works, is […]
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Family Secrets Surface in a Tense, Atmospheric Mystery: A Review of Relative Silence
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Carrie Stuart Parks delivers an absorbing blend of family drama, mystery, and romantic suspense in Relative Silence. Piper Boone has spent fifteen years living beneath the weight of her young daughter’s tragic death. When a deadly café shooting suggests that Piper may have been the intended target, forensic artist Tucker Landry joins her search for answers—and old secrets begin rising around her powerful, deeply troubled family. Parks creates an evocative setting on Curlew Island, where gathering storms and an approaching hurricane intensify the novel’s uneasy atmosphere. Piper is sympathetic and believably imperfect, while Tucker brings warmth and steadiness to the story. Their growing relationship adds emotional depth without overwhelming […]
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A Literary Treasure Hunt: A Review of The Lost Story of Even Fuentes
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chanel Cleeton swings big with The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes, and for the most part, it works. This globe-trotting novel moves from Havana to London, Edinburgh, Boston, and Key West, weaving together three timelines and three women connected by a single, dangerous book. It’s an ambitious, intriguing premise—and one I enjoyed far more than Next Year in Havana. The strongest thread, for me, was Pilar’s story in 1960s Cuba. Her quiet courage as a librarian risking everything to protect forbidden books adds real emotional weight. Margo’s present-day hunt for the last surviving copy brings a sense of urgency—especially after an early murder raises the stakes—but the suspense never fully delivers […]
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