Whisper Creek

by

Allison Brennan

Release date: June 23rd, 2026 

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

…This is the kind of small‑town suspense that grabs your chest and refuses to let go. The stormy North Texas setting, the relentless rain, and the sense of isolation create a pressure cooker of tension that the author sustains brilliantly from the first ominous cloud to the final, satisfying twist.  …

It’s been a while since I visited the world of Allison Brennan and I have to ask, “what took me so long?” Whisper Creek did not disappoint and had me flipping pages into the early morning.

At the heart of the book is Ellen McKenna, a fiercely determined widow trying to keep Whisper Creek Farm alive for her four children. Her grief feels real and raw, and her grit is at the novel’s center. The family dynamic is beautifully drawn; you root for them as they stumble, argue, and rally together. The practical details of ranching and the daily chores undercut the melodrama and make every threat feel immediate and believable. 

The plot layers are masterful. Corporate pressure from Verdacorp, a string of violent home invasions, a sabotaged barn, washed‑out roads, several hostage situations and severed communications pile on until the stakes are almost unbearable. The storm is more than weather; it is a character that amplifies fear and forces choices. The pacing is relentless and smart, with pulse‑pounding set pieces and well‑timed revelations that kept me guessing without ever feeling contrived. 

And then there were the animals, who steal scenes and hearts. Small touches like having the presence of “furbabies” give the story warmth and humanity amid the danger. The children are vivid and distinct, the neighbors feel lived in, and the moral questions about survival and community linger long after the last page. 

This is the kind of small‑town suspense that grabs you and refuses to let go. The stormy North Texas setting, the relentless rain, and the sense of isolation create a pressure cooker of tension that the author sustains brilliantly from the first ominous cloud to the final, satisfying twist.  I thoroughly enjoyed Whisper Creek with its dynamic cast of characters, engaging plot that twists and turns putting the reader through the ringer of emotions and ending with a satisfying conclusion.  For those who enjoy a page-turning, engrossing read I highly recommend it.

Review

Hemlock Bay

Rachel Savernake #5

by Martin Edwards

 Release date: June 16th, 2026

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of Hemlock Bay (Rachel Savernake #5) by Martin Edwards from NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press in order to read and give an honest review.

“...The Rachel Savernake novels aren’t in-your-face thrillers but slow-burn, elegantly constructed puzzles that reward readers who notice the details. Well-written and thoroughly engaging, especially if you enjoy clue-driven mysteries ...”

The fifth entry in Martin Edward’s Rachel Savernake Series gives us a deliciously old-school mystery that will delight anyone who savours Golden Age puzzles. Set in a glamorous seaside resort that hides darker secrets, the novel drops you straight into a 1930s postcard of a picturesque coastal retreat, where the elite spend their time enjoying all the luxury the town has to offer. The setting itself becomes a character with its atmospheric cliffs and stunning views.

Rachel Savernake is back again and remains an intriguing, slightly impenetrable sleuth; cool, razor-sharp, and quietly ruthless when justice demands it. As usual she is supported by a loyal household and the warm curiosity of Jacob Flint. The unique cast of emotionally repressed suspects, suspicious accountants, fortune tellers, with hidden identities keeps the reader entirely wrapped up in unearthing their secrets one by one. The plotting is intricate in the best Christie tradition: impossible-seeming deaths, carefully calibrated alibis, and a final gathering that satisfies the genre’s appetite for explanation.

I also loved the author’s inclusion of the Cluefinder it holds all the clues the reader needs to explain the solution are laid out to turn reading into a game. Despite spotting many of the hints, I was definitely outwitted and missed quite a few. The Rachel Savernake novels aren’t in-your-face thrillers but slow-burn, elegantly constructed puzzles that reward readers who notice the details. Well-written and thoroughly engaging, especially if you enjoy clue-driven mysteries and seaside atmospherics, Hemlock Bay is a very satisfying read that I would highly recommend!

A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery

A Saffron Everleigh Mystery #5

Kate Khavari

Release date: June 9th, 2026  

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(3.5 rounded up)

I received a complimentary ARC copy of A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery (A Saffron Everleigh Mystery #5) by Kate Khavari from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

… I must admit the cast of characters is endearing, I love Saffron, a brilliant, quirky, and brave woman, who although struggling with her fears thrives in the face of danger. …  

I have been a fan of this series since book one, A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons, I have absolutely loved following Saffron Everleigh’s botanical adventures over the years, but with this fifth instalment, A Botanist’s Guide to Tradition and Treachery, I find myself wondering if the bloom is beginning to fade from the rose. While Kate Khavari’s latest offering treats readers to a wonderfully unique setting, a remarkably sluggish beginning ultimately costs it a star.

This time around, Saffron is leaving the familiar halls of London behind to join an archaeological expedition to the newly formed republic of Turkey. Accompanied by her fiancé, Alexander Ashton, alongside an eclectic group of scientists and historians, it should be the opportunity of a lifetime for a brilliant female botanist fighting to secure her place in a male-dominated field.

As a self-proclaimed armchair archaeologist this high stakes dig site makes for an incredibly refreshing backdrop for Saffron to conquer. Khavari does a beautiful job bringing the atmosphere to life; the descriptions of the Turkish landscape and customs are evocative, and the descriptions of the cost of war chilling. I also appreciate the author addressed the surrounding colonial archaeological practices, cultural heritage, and the true ownership of historical artefacts, treating these themes with genuine empathy and thoughtfulness.

The book although slow to move on the mystery did keep me engaged although seething, when we are introduced to the character a misogynistic, reckless and arrogant  archaeologist named Joseph Clark who goes out of his way to relentlessly belittle, undermine, and dismiss Saffron’s professional expertise even to the point of trying to injure her to get her to leave the dig. As always Saffron handles him in her fierce, intelligent, and sassy manner. Sadly, some of the misogynistic vitriol aimed a Saffron occurred during that time and still does today.

We are nearly halfway through the novel before the central tragedy occurs, the death of an expedition member. Thankfully, the momentum shifts dramatically once the crime takes place and Saffron suddenly finds herself framed for murder and locked in a foreign jail. Watching Saffron and Alexander work against the clock to clear her name from behind bars injects some much-needed adrenaline into the story, complete with a sprawling cast of characters, a trail of clues, and a few clever twists.

I must admit the cast of characters is endearing, I love Saffron, a brilliant, quirky, and brave woman, who although struggling with her fears thrives in the face of danger. Alexander Ashton her fiancé, who loves her dearly, offers support but trusts her without smothering her. I also like Cynthia Henry; although it’s taken me a while to warm up to her I really appreciate her and her interactions with Saffron, and I truly hope she teams up with Saffron in future instalments.

While it works perfectly well as a standalone adventure for readers jumping in for the first time, long-time fans might find that the vibrant spark that made the earlier books so unputdownable feels noticeably muted here. Not my favourite in the series but still a good read!

Whose Body in the Library

Lighthouse Library Mystery #13

by Eva Gates 

Release date: June 9th, 2026

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(4.5 rounded up)

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Whose Body in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #13) by Eva Gates from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

…Nichelle is a welcome, distinct new voice and is a brilliant new angle for the series. She’s not Lucy‑lite; she’s older, rawer, and carrying complicated family baggage that feels real for a cozy...

As a longtime fan of the Lighthouse Library series, I couldn’t wait to read Whose Body in the Library, the thirteenth entry of the Lighthouse Library Mystery Series. This one shake things up in a way that seems to work well making this feel like a new direction for the author and I have to say I’m all for it.

Lucy is still very much the heart of Nags Head, but life has changed for her; she’s a new mom of twins and is stepping into the director’s shoes. With crime fighting a bit too much for this new mom, Gates hands the sleuthing baton to Nichelle Gilchrist, a freshly graduated, newly divorced fifty‑something who arrives expecting a peaceful  new chapter in her life and coastal small talk and instead finds a corpse on the lighthouse steps that looks eerily like the father who vanished decades ago.

Nichelle is a welcome, distinct new voice and is a brilliant new angle for the series. She’s not Lucy‑lite; she’s older, rawer, and carrying complicated family baggage that feels real for a cozy. The reveal about her father, the grief, the betrayal, the messy fallout, lands with surprising weight, and Nichelle’s fierce protectiveness toward her brother gives the mystery personal stakes beyond the usual suspects. Gates balances the small‑town North Carolina atmosphere and library charm with a sharper emotional core, and yes, Charles the cat remains the true authority figure.

Structurally this reads like a transitional season premiere: new lead, time jump, and a lot of re‑establishing to do. That “new season, new cast” energy means the book checks in with long‑running characters often as it finds its footing, and although I figured out the whodunnit aspect it was still a satisfying mystery.

If you love the series, this change of pace will likely charm you; if you’re new, it still stands alone as a well‑crafted cozy with family drama and solid small‑town connections. Nichelle brings a fresh, promising voice to Nags Head, and I’m very curious to see whether she and Lucy will become a proper detective duo in future installments.

Book Review

The Last Book Club

by Joanne Rock

Release date: May 26th, 2026 

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(3.5 rounded up)

I received a complimentary ARC copy of The Last Book Club by Joanne Rock   from Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

…”The story’s emotional center is undoubtedly its strongest asset. Our protagonist, Jordyn, is fueled by a raw sense of grief and a fierce determination to uncover the truth about what happened to her foster sister, Tara…

 This is my first time reading a mystery from Joanne Rock and I have to say, my feelings are a bit of a mixed bag. I didn’t hate this read, but I didn’t exactly fall head over heels for it either. It’s the kind of story that kept me engaged enough to see it through to the end, though it never quite delivered that high-voltage jolt or the lingering “wow factor” I usually look for in a mystery.

The story’s emotional center is undoubtedly its strongest asset. Our protagonist, Jordyn, is fueled by a raw sense of grief and a fierce determination to uncover the truth about what happened to her foster sister, Tara. It gives the novel a sincere, human pulse, and I felt the author did a wonderful job making those emotions feel earned rather than forced.

I also really enjoyed the book club setting, it acts as a perfect pressure cooker for those petty rivalries, hidden resentments, and the small cruelties that can sometimes fester in close-knit communities. Watching the social dynamics and neighborhood tensions unfold was often the most compelling part of the book for me.

Where the novel lost me a little, however, was the momentum. There was a fairly early reveal of some key information that took the wind out of the suspense’s sails, causing the second half to slow down significantly. Because of this, the ending felt a bit longer than necessary. Several of the twists landed quite predictably, and a few of the supporting characters felt like familiar types rather than fully realized people, which made their motives feel a bit unconvincing. I also found that some of the evidence was a little too “in your face,” which took away the pleasure of piecing the puzzle together for myself.

All in all, this is a readable and thoughtful mystery with believable leads. While it occasionally felt more like a reality TV drama than a high-stakes thriller, the bookish backdrop worked for me. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “must-read,” but if you are a fan of character-driven domestic mysteries and don’t need every twist to be earth-shattering, it is certainly worth a look.

Book Review

Disturbing the Dead

A Rip Through Time Novel #5

by Kelley Armstrong

Release date: May 19th, 2026

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I received a complimentary ARC copy of An Ordinary Sort of Evil: A Rip Through Time Novel #5 by Kelley Armstrong from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.  

…but for me, the real joy is spending time with these characters. I’m completely invested in this world, and An Ordinary Sort of Evil definitely reinforced that. I’m already counting down to the next book to see where Armstrong takes Mallory, Gray, and the rest of the crew….…

A huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s work, I have to say she has done it again! She delivers yet another fantastic instalment in her A Rip Through Time series, and this one hooked me right from the start. Mallory and Gray are called to the Adler home after a séance goes sideways and the spirit of a former maid claims she was murdered. With no real proof that anything criminal happened, they agree to look into it anyway, and of course, the deeper they dig, the stranger and more layered the case becomes.

If you love a good mystery, this one keeps you guessing. I didn’t piece things together until the last few chapters, which is my opinion the sign of a good mystery. The Victorian‑era setting continues to bring the story to life, full of rich detail and atmosphere, there’s even a surprise familiar character who we learn about at the end which made me so incredibly happy. For those time‑travel fans, Mallory’s modern detective instincts clashing with 1870s Scotland remains one of the most entertaining parts of the series.

While each book has its own mystery, the character relationships are what really make this series special. Mallory and Duncan Gray’s dynamic takes shows forward  momentum here, both personally and professionally, and longtime readers will definitely appreciate the progression. The supporting cast is as charming as ever: Isla, Detective McCreadie, Jack, and this book’s standout newcomer, Art, all add so much heart and personality.

The mystery is solid, but for me, the real joy is spending time with these characters. I’m completely invested in this world, and An Ordinary Sort of Evil definitely reinforced that. I’m already counting down to the next book to see where Armstrong takes Mallory, Gray, and the rest of the crew. Fast-paced, well-written and filled with a wonderful cast of captivating characters, a touch of romance, quirky humor, heartwarming moments, and a thrilling mystery, Disturbing the Dead is a page-turning historical mystery that I highly recommend.