The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 20: New Books to Make Your Heart Race

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 20: New Books to Make Your Heart Race - I read this sampler on a dark and stormy night which was the perfect backdrop. This collection offers multiple subgenre flavors with touches of espionage, historical fiction, and romance. Despite telling myself "I'll just take a peek but I do not need more books right now" I did indeed end up grabbing full ARCs of I, Spy by L.M. Kemp and The Anniversary by Alex Finlay, two authors who are new to me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Beattie Cavendish and the Highland Hideaway by Mary-Jane Riley

Beattie Cavendish and the Highland Hideaway by Mary-Jane Riley - 4.5 stars This second book in the series charmed me even more than the first and I think as it continues I will become even more attached to the characters. This book featured a terrific sense of place in the chilly Scottish Highlands while expanding the character development of Beattie and Patrick. It also provided more of Beattie's backstory and featured her mysterious uncle. Definitely recommended for fans of historical mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson (NetGalley ARC, pub 2/10)

Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson (NetGalley ARC, pub 2/10) I appreciated the themes around the biracial babies of post-war Germany and the experiences of the three primary characters during the late 40s to late 60s. The story rotates between these three characters before they eventually intersect, but the split focus limits the character development. While some of the story is quite touching, many of the situations feel overly convenient and predictable so it felt somewhat simplistic at times. I think there could be a lot more depth with a tighter focus. It was fascinating to learn that this was largely based on a true story and I hope more of these stories will continue to be told. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (NetGalley ARC, pub 2/17)

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn (NetGalley ARC, pub 2/17) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This story started a little bit slow to me and I found the main character's backstory more tedious than sympathetic. But once we made it to the Astral Library the story picked up and I loved how imaginative it was. There were no huge surprises but I enjoyed the ride and the cast of supporting characters, especially The Librarian. A modern story for the timeless value of books and the sanctuary of libraries. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Humor Me by Chris Duffy (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/6)

I’m glad that Ingrid Fetell Lee chose this as the next book club pick as it wouldn’t have been on my radar otherwise. I liked how he wrote about humor in various contexts such as how and when to laugh at yourself (and when that goes too far), how to use humor for social connection, in a political sense, and even to acknowledge grief and resilience. It was also interesting for me to read this as I started a new job and am thinking a lot about establishing new relationships in the workplace. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/20)

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/20) ⭐⭐ I read a teaser in a Minotaur samplers and was intrigued enough to request the full book when it became available. This book had sections that made me enjoy it, but also a lot of cringe moment. I flat out disliked the main character which is a big challenge, and it felt very slow going for much of the book - it was much longer than it needed to be. There was also an interlude where it was trying to be a romance and I just found that unnecessary. By the end I couldn't understand what anyone saw in the MC and why they stood by her, and her growth was minimal and the unraveling of the mystery was just not that satisfying. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Inside Man (Head Cases #2) by John McMahon (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/13)

Inside Man (Head Cases #2) by John McMahon (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/13) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book makes me willing to reconsider the thriller genre. You know that feeling when you’re worried you are reading a book too fast, and want to make yourself slow down more to savor it? That happened with this book. It had been a year since the first book in the series, but I was able to drop right back in with the characters and it was just as fast-paced and exciting as the first book. I hope there are more books coming and this author is now an auto-read for me. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

That Murder Feeling by Neve Maslakovic (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/13)

That Murder Feeling by Neve Maslakovic (NetGalley ARC, pub 1/13) three and a half stars. This book ended up being a mixed bag for me. I thought the premise (a PI who can see people’s emotions) was interesting and it was set in 1985 so it counts as historical mystery. But as the story went on, it seemed to lean heavily on dialogue between the characters discussing events and suspects and there was not enough action. The soul garden theme also felt convoluted and hard to follow so I grew impatient as I read the book despite liking the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt

Death and Other Occupational Hazards by Veronika Dapunt ⭐⭐💫 I agree with other reviewers who felt like the blurb for this book didn't align with what it actually is. Some of this I liked, but it felt like it need to have 100 pages cut to make for a shorter story - it was really hard to stay with the meandering plot and I don't understand why it didn't have sharper editing. I liked the ending well enough, but it felt like a very roundabout way of saying something not all that original. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Fire Must Burn (Sparks & Bainbridge, #8) by Allison Montclair

Longtime Sparks & Bainbridge fan and quite happy to receive the latest ARC. You know you're a big fan when you wish the page count was longer. I enjoyed learning some of the Cambridge backstory but I found that the flashbacks sometimes took me out of the story. I was happy to be reunited with this duo and seeing the story edge its way into some new territory. For me, the story had darker themes both in terms of the content and ending compared to earlier books. This book also had a sharp focus on Sparks and Bainbridge with limited time for secondary characters. I'm excited to read what will unfold next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook by Sana Javeri Kadri & Asha Loupy

The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook by Sana Javeri Kadri & Asha Loupy (NetGalley ARC, pub 3/3) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was really excited to be given an ARC to preview this cookbook. I’ve followed this company since they only offered two spices. Early in the book there is a page called “where to begin” that helpfully organizes recipes into categories such as beginner friendly, 45 minutes or less, freezer friendly, good for CSA overflow, etc. There is also a section dedicated making your own spice blends, which are key building blocks for these recipes. The spice blends are also very accessible, generally requiring no more than toasting and grinding spices. There are sections based on the families who shared their recipes and details about the land on which these spices are grown, as well as organization of spices by course. This book is a lovely recipe of history, culture, and flavor. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Picasso Heist by James Patterson & Howard Roughan (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/13)

The Picasso Heist by James Patterson & Howard Roughan (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/13) ⭐⭐⭐💫 I was excited to read my first Patterson novel plus the timing of the recent Louvre theft made this book appealing. This book throws a lot of characters at you, but none are memorable or pleasant. The cons are nested inside of cons, like Russian matryoshka dolls. There were parts that were propulsive, but it felt too long and tedious at times for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Daily Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (NetGalley ARC, pub 11/25)

The Daily Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (NetGalley ARC, pub 11/25) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book really lends itself to a page a day format, so it’s hard to review reading it as if it were one story. I really like the writing prompts and the quick summary at the start around morning pages and artist dates. Taking another crack at The Artist’s Way feels doable with the help of this book to guide me over the course of the year. I’m looking forward to rereading it at the start of 2026. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Minotaur Sampler Vol 19 by multiple authors (NetGalley ARC, pub 12/2)

Minotaur Sampler Vol 19 by multiple authors (NetGalley ARC, pub 12/2) ⭐⭐⭐⭐Another good sampler to try out some upcoming releases. Cat on a Hot Tin Woof - I didn’t find the writing to be very clear so I found my attention drifting even though the premise (a dog investigator) was amusing. Harmless Women - This has good writing and was fast-moving but I think a little too creepy/thrillery for my taste. Stakeouts and Strollers - the attempt to blend humor and baby jokes with an investigation didn’t work for me. Liar’s Creek - the setting and story setup piqued my interest, so I grabbed the full ARC of this. Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies - A mystery rom-com with solid writing and the preview gave me enough setup to be invested - grabbed the full ARC. Dark Is When the Devil Comes - dark and atmospheric but didn’t engage me enough to want more. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 18: New Books to Make Your Heart Race

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 18: New Books to Make Your Heart Race

A great sampler of some upcoming new releases in the mystery/thriller genre. Standouts for me were:

-Wreck Your Heart - about a country singer in Chicago (strong sense of place) navigating murder and family drama

-How to Get Away with Murder - following a Scotland Yard detective recovering from a trauma hunting down a serial killer who published a self-help book on murder

-Murder Will Out - another story with a strong sense of place, this time in Maine, investigating the mysterious death of her estranged godmother

These stories give me enough of a taste to determine which books I wish to go back and read in full. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/28) ⭐⭐⭐ I struggled with this book. I really liked the idea of it and the writing was good, but I found the time loop descriptions overly repetitive and in need of much stronger editing. I also didn't find that the romance worked all that well for me. While there were elements I liked, this book took a lot of effort to get through with the last 30% being the most interesting to me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman

Grace & Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/14) ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 This was an interesting take on grief and the holidays and I stayed up late to finish the second half of the book in one go. I found the timeline confusing and unbelievable and I was annoyed with some of the repetitive and crude references to old holiday movies, but otherwise I appreciated the storytelling and character development. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Menu of Happiness (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #3) by Hisashi Kashiwai

The Menu of Happiness (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #3) by Hisashi Kashiwai ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed the first two books in the Kamogawa Food Detectives Novel series, so was excited to see this third one. This book stays true to form, but in this case it keeps it from progressing. In the first two novels there was a little more development of the Komogawas, but this book did not advance there stories and began to feel repetitive. I still enjoyed the lush food descriptions and the poignancy of food and memories and complex human emotions. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Joyride by Susan Orlean

Joyride by Susan Orlean - I've only read one of Orlean's books in addition to seeing the film Adaptation (based on her novel The Orchid Thief) so I wasn't sure if I was the right audience for this book, but once things got moving I really enjoyed it. There were some beautifully written lines that I bookmarked and will add to my commonplace book. The memoir really highlighted a theme she described in her own writing of finding topics or people that seem ordinary ("hiding in plain sight") and then really getting into them and finding something fascinating. As she writes: "My task, always, is to override your misgivings, to keep you t pinned to the page long enough that you fall in fully, and then you become as captivated as I am in this unlikely story..." I appreciated what she shared about storytelling and writing and the evolution of the literary world over the course of her career. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau

A Murderous Business by Cathy Pegau ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed the characters and the storyline for this historical fiction mystery and I think it will evolve into a nice series. I questioned the historical accuracy of some elements of this story but appreciated how they set up the characters' backstories and the experiences of women, and particularly queer women, at this moment in history. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.