Colleen Coble kicks off her new Sanctuary Series with Ambush, a fast-paced blend of romance, suspense, and faith. With a wildlife refuge setting, a decades-old murder mystery, and a rekindled love story, this novel has plenty to keep readers engaged. Paradise Alden returns to Nova Cambridge, Alabama, hoping to heal from past trauma and find answers about her parents’ murder. But her fresh start at The Sanctuary, a wildlife refuge, turns into a nightmare when another murder occurs. The prime suspect? Her first love, Blake Lawson—the man who once broke her heart. Despite her lingering distrust, she’s convinced of his innocence, and together they must uncover the real threat before […]
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A Thrilling Dive into Medici History
Steve Berry delivers another high-stakes Cotton Malone thriller, weaving history, conspiracy, and action into a fast-paced story that kept me hooked. This time, Malone is drawn into a centuries-old mystery tied to the powerful Medici family. Berry blends real historical details with thrilling fiction, making the past feel alive and dangerous. I learned so much about ancient Florence while reading this book. The historical background surrounding the Medici was fascinating, and now I want to attend the annual Palio race! Berry’s attention to detail is impressive, though at times, the sheer volume of historical exposition slows the momentum. Malone remains a solid lead—intelligent, resourceful, and always a step ahead of […]
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Golden Age Crime Queens Unite to Solve a Murder Mystery
Marie Benedict’s The Queens of Crime brings together five legendary female mystery writers—Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy—as they set out to solve a real-life murder. Set in 1930s London and France, the novel follows this fictionalized version of the Detection Club as they investigate the death of May Daniels, a young nurse whose body turns up months after she vanished. What begins as an effort to prove themselves equal to their male counterparts turns into a dangerous pursuit when Sayers herself becomes a target. The historical setting is richly drawn, and Benedict’s research shines through, especially in her portrayal of these literary […]
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A Moving Tale of Survival, Sisterhood, and Resilience in the Face of Horror
Heather Morris returns to Auschwitz with Three Sisters, a powerful novel based on the true story of Cibi, Magda, and Livia, three Slovakian Jewish sisters who vow as children to always stay together. That promise is tested when the Nazis invade, sending Cibi and Livia to Auschwitz while Magda remains hidden—until she, too, is captured. Morris’s writing is straightforward, allowing the sisters’ harrowing journey to speak for itself. Their time in the concentration camp is brutal, but their unwavering devotion to each other gives them strength. Unlike The Tattooist of Auschwitz, this novel extends beyond the war, following the sisters as they struggle to rebuild their lives in post-war Europe […]
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A Diva’s Rise, Fall, and Heartbreak: Maria Callas’s Tumultuous Love Story
Daisy Goodwin’s Diva brings the legendary opera singer Maria Callas to life, capturing her meteoric rise, scandalous affair with Aristotle Onassis, and eventual heartbreak. While the novel is well-researched and offers fascinating glimpses into the world of opera and mid-century celebrity culture, it falls short of delivering an emotionally gripping narrative. Maria Callas was a powerhouse on stage, but offstage, she was hard to sympathize with. She was arrogant, demanding, and selfish, making it difficult to feel invested in her story. Her affair with Onassis, the world’s richest man, was filled with passion and luxury, yet it lacked the depth needed to make readers truly care about their relationship. The […]
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A Haunting Historical Novel of the US-Dakota War of 1862
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars rounded up to 5) Samantha Specks’ Dovetails in Tall Grass is a deeply moving and beautifully written debut that brings to life one of the darkest and most overlooked events in American history—the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Inspired by the true story of the largest mass execution in U.S. history, Specks tells the story of two young women on opposite sides of the conflict: Emma Heard, a settler’s daughter, and Oenikika, a Dakota woman. Their lives collide as tensions rise, treaties are broken, and war devastates the Minnesota frontier. Specks’ writing is immersive and lyrical, painting a vivid portrait of 19th-century Minnesota while capturing the heartbreaking realities […]
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A Haunting and Heartfelt Tale of War, Love, and Redemption
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai’s Dust Child is a beautifully written, deeply moving novel about the Vietnam War’s lasting impact. Through the intertwined stories of an Amerasian man searching for his birth parents, a war veteran haunted by his past, and two Vietnamese sisters struggling to survive, Quế Mai delivers an unforgettable exploration of identity, guilt, and healing. Shifting between past and present, the novel weaves multiple perspectives with grace. Phong, abandoned because of his mixed heritage, yearns for answers. Dan, a former American pilot, returns to Vietnam carrying secrets and regret. Trang and Quỳnh, two young women in 1969 Saigon, make heartbreaking choices to escape poverty. Their journeys converge in […]
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A Twisty Literary Thriller with a Haunting Premise
In this gripping debut, a small town is rocked by the suspicious death of Dr. Erin Landry, with all clues pointing to reclusive failed writer Elijah Leith. As the town turns against him, Elijah must prove his innocence before it’s too late. Elijah returns to his childhood home in Point Orchards, Washington, after his writing career collapses, only to find himself at the center of a murder investigation. When Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on his property, the police suspect suicide—until eerie similarities to Elijah’s own novel emerge. As the investigation deepens, secrets unravel, forcing Elijah to confront past betrayals and an unexpected enemy intent on framing […]
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A Tale of Resilience and Betrayal in 19th-Century China
1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or “golden lilies, are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry, and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. When her mother sells Little Flower into slavery as a maidservant—a muizai—to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery. Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower’s escape. But when […]
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Isola is Historical Fiction at Its Finest
Allegra Goodman’s Isola is a breathtaking novel of survival, resilience, and love, inspired by the real-life story of Marguerite de la Rocque. Marguerite, a young French noblewoman orphaned at three and at the mercy of her ruthless guardian, captivated me from the moment I met her. Her journey—from privilege to abandonment on a remote island—unfolds in vivid, gripping prose. Marguerite’s transformation makes this novel shine. Once pampered and naïve, she is thrust into an unforgiving world where nature becomes both her adversary and her teacher. Her love for Auguste, her guardian’s secretary, is passionate and defiant, but their affair seals their fate. Betrayed and marooned in the harsh Canadian wilderness, […]
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