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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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 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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A Small-Town Mystery with Northwoods Charm but Missing Depth
Murder shakes the quiet Wisconsin Northwoods in Wolf Hollow, the first book in Victoria Houston’s new series featuring police chief Lewellyn “Lew” Ferris. With a sheriff’s race underway, Lew juggles multiple cases—some of which hit too close to home. When local landowner Grace McDonough’s son, Noah, is accused of a sex crime, Lew makes the arrest. But when her own brother, Pete, turns up dead, things take a darker turn. Then Grace is found dead in her submerged car, and Noah is soon murdered as well. As Lew digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets surrounding a controversial mining deal and a conspiracy that could cost her everything. Houston […]
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The Grey Wolf: A Disappointing Chapter in the Gamache Saga
Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf is the 19th installment in her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. While Penny’s skill in crafting atmospheric settings and delving into moral complexities is evident, this novel fails to live up to the standards of her earlier work. The story kicks off with Gamache enjoying a quiet morning in Three Pines, only to have it interrupted by a series of strange events—a cryptic note, a break-in, and a trail of clues tied to a plot to poison Québec’s water supply. The stakes are high, taking Gamache and his team from Three Pines to monasteries, the Vatican, and beyond. While this epic scope adds intrigue, it […]
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Holmes is Missing: A Modern Spin on a Classic Kidnapping Mystery
James Patterson and Brian Sitts team up again to deliver an intense and twisty mystery in Holmes Is Missing. This installment follows the elite detective trio of Holmes, Marple, and Poe—except this time, Holmes has vanished, leaving his partners to tackle one of their toughest cases yet: the abduction of six newborns from a private New York hospital. Marple’s sharp instincts and Poe’s grit shine as they unravel secrets that span continents. Along the way, they uncover startling truths about the case—and about Holmes himself. Patterson and Sitts balance fast-paced action with character depth, giving readers a closer look at the trio’s complex pasts. The case is intense and chilling, […]
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