Summer Reading 2025 Knave of Diamonds: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

Russell and Holmes are finally back from the continent and ready to relax, after tending to the bees, of course. But then Holmes is summoned by Mycroft in relation to an old case - a case where Holmes was prevented by the British government itself from bringing his investigation to an official close. And while he is away, Russell receives a visit from her uncle. Readers have been given details about a few of Russell's family members (beginning with the odious aunt and cousin who were making her life miserable when she first met Holmes), but this is a relative that has remained in the past until now. When it turns out that Uncle Jake was somehow (is still somehow?) involved in that unsolved case, we are not too surprised.

As the three of them set out to find the missing Irish Crown Jewels, the interplay between them all is fascinating. Episodes that Russell has shared with Holmes are fleshed out with more detail and we start to see where Russell learned a few of the skills she already had before becoming the apprentice of Sherlock. Breaking and entering, safe-cracking, train rides, boat trips, and visits to tea shops are just a few of the activities that take place as we watch Russell become reacquainted with Jake and learn along with her about a few of the shady exploits he has been involved in over the years. The friction between husband and uncle is understandable considering which side of the law they each represent.

It is an intriguing and suspenseful adventure - made more so by our desire as readers for Uncle Jake not to break Russell's heart and for Holmes and Jake to peacefully coexist.

I read an advance copy provided for review purposes by the publisher through NetGalley.
 

Summer Reading 2025 A Novel Murder: A Mystery

Who would decide to murder someone in the middle of a crime fiction festival? After all the place is full of writers who specialize in mystery, thriller, and suspense, not to mention all their avid fans. One would think that would be a place to refrain from mayhem in case all those creative sorts might put their heads together and figure out whodunit. But the killer didn't take that into consideration, because well-known literary agent Carrie Marks is found dead in the middle of the book tent with the Killer Lines prize dagger through her chest.

Jane Hepburn, author of a series of books about Private Detective Baker, only wanted to make sure her books were noticed. She certainly didn't plan to discover a body or team up with a debut author and the young intern of the deceased agent to solve the murder. But after all, WWBD? (What would Baker do?) So the three new friends begin to investigate and the more they talk to the other festival attendees, the more they realize nearly everyone had a reason to hate Carrie Marks. There are the other agents who were competing for the accounts of best-selling authors, the authors whom Carrie had turned down and even publicly denigrated, the former assistant whose career Carrie had sabotaged with lies about her abilities, a best friend she had betrayed... The festival may not last long enough for them to even have time to talk to everyone.

Jane is a relatable character who works as an administrative assistant by day and spends the evenings in her lonely apartment typing up Baker's latest case. She is frustrated by the lack of support from her editor, resents having to pay her own way to the festival, and doesn't seem to have many friends or social skills (unlike her fictional heroine).  The descriptions of the festival with the author panels, lines for autographs, the rather lame escape room experience, and undercurrent of cut throat competition between the agents make a good setting for the inexperienced trio to corner suspects and try out their theories.

It will be interesting to see if Jane makes another appearance to try out her fledgling skills on a different case. This one kept revealing just enough to make readers see the plausibility of each suspect before a new clue would come to light and send Jane and company scrambling to put the pieces together in a different way.

I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes through NetGalley.

Spring Reading 2025 Death and the Librarian: A Blue Ridge Library Mystery

 

Sometimes I think Amy Muir just needs to give up her day job and join the police force. No matter what else is going on, she will always be there when a dead body turns up. This time it is a writer who specializes in turning cold cases into novels. The author points the finger at Kurt, the godfather of Amy's children, then turns up dead. Of course the rumor mill links Kurt to her death, speculating that he wanted to silence her before she could turn up details linking him to an unsolved death in Taylorsford years ago. But Kurt wasn't the only one who was unhappy with author Maureen Dryden. The wife of the local sheriff had a confrontation with her, the podcast team she had been working with aren't pleased with how she was treating them,  her assistant is acting a bit odd, and if someone in Taylorsford is responsible for that cold case they certainly don't want Dryden to expose the truth.

As usual in this series, Amy does some sleuthing. Part of her research is at the request of Sheriff Tucker, digging into the town archives stored at the library to find any relevant facts about the cold case Dryden was basing her next book on. But Amy never leaves it at that, so she also questions those who worked with Dryden, as well as various town residents about their memories of the past crime. Despite receiving threatening notes telling her to drop her investigation, she continues on with her search for the facts. In the meantime her husband Richard's dance troupe is having its debut performance at the local arts festival, Amy's parents have come to town for the show and to spend time with the grandkids, and Amy still needs to run the library. I don't know where she would find the energy if she were doing all this IRL rather than in a cozy mystery.

For fans of the Blue Ridge Library Mysteries, this ninth installment contains all the usual characters we have come to expect. It also mixes in the world of true crime podcasts and novels, as well as the small town festival scene. I received an advance copy for review purposes from the publisher through NetGalley. The book hit store shelves on July 8 - so grab a copy now!

Summer Reading 2025 Kills Well with Others (Book 2: Killers of a Certain Age)

 

I introduced the first book in this series, Killers of a Certain Age, by describing the operatives as similar to the character of Victoria, played by Helen Mirren in the movie "RED" (Retired, Extremely Dangerous). Readers are introduced to the women in that book as they survive an attempt to kill them off while they are on their retirement cruise. This time around they are called out of their well-earned leisure activities to help the Museum (the code name for their organization) discover who is leaking information about past missions and who is using that knowledge to kill off the operatives involved.

With each woman having her own special skills (demolition, breaking & entering, etc.) and the help of friends they have made along the way, they set off across the globe tracking down clues and suspects - and fending off assassination attempts. The main action takes place in our current timeline, so the earlier missions happened years before. There is intrigue, action, and ladies of a certain age demonstrating just why they were top operatives. Readers will be rooting for them to show they still have the skills to get the job done.

I received an advance copy from the publisher for review purposes through NetGalley.

Spring Reading 2025 Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global

 

I enjoy books that take a topic and show how the work from various disciplines can be used to create a clearer picture of the subject matter. In this case Laura Spinney has pulled together the discoveries of archaeologists, linguists, historians, and even geneticists to describe how the Proto-Indo-European language emerged from its original location in the region of the Black Sea 5,000 years ago and expanded across the world. She explains the way experts look at terms in languages from around the world and extrapolate common root words. She recounts her visits to dig sites and how items unearthed at various locations can help map trade routes and migration patterns that carried the language and its offshoots far and wide. She makes the complex genetic testing done to confirm the movement and intermingling of different groups more understandable to curious lay readers. And she even looks at earlier attempts to identify those migratory patterns and create lexicons of earlier language forms - and show how theories and understanding have evolved over time.

If you have an interest in language and linguistics, history, interdisciplinary studies, or well-written books on fascinating topics, then you should pick up a copy of Proto. I was lucky enough to win a copy in a giveaway by the publisher.

Spring Reading 2025 Wat Takes His Shot: The Life and Legacy of Basketball Hero Wataru Misaka

Welcome to the picture book biography of Wataru Misaka, the first person of color to play in the NBA. For young readers it may seem like no big deal to have players of various skin colors and ethnic or national backgrounds on a professional basketball team, but that was not the case in 1947. The book describes how Wat enjoyed the game of basketball as a child and worked on his skills even though he wasn't the tallest player. It also covers how despite the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, Wat managed to persevere through the prejudice and help his college team reach the national championship. His dedication to the game and his sense of teamwork helped the team win and captured the attention of the New York Knicks. 

Wat's story is one of persistence, overcoming obstacles, and succeeding despite prejudice and unfair treatment. The illustrations capture his love and enjoyment of the sport, the way he was made to feel like an outsider at his own college, and the inspiration he gave those living in the internment camps. The back matter gives more details about Wat's life, sports career, and his other accomplishments in later years. I especially appreciate that the book's creators are also Asian American and how they worked together to bring forward this story of a trailblazer in basketball history, as well as a look at conditions for Japanese Americans in that era.

I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher through edelweiss.

Spring Reading 2025 Light and Air

Halle winds up in a tuberculosis hospital in upstate New York and the story takes place in large part within that location. But the action begins at her home with a mother who has suffered through multiple miscarriages, a father who has become increasingly distant with each loss, and then their community cuts them off when Halle and her mother show tuberculosis symptoms. The historical details of 1935 (vehicles, clothing, etc.), the descriptions of the hospital and the treatments, and the societal expectations and gender roles all ground the story solidly in reality. 

Sometimes young readers have difficulty enjoying historical fiction because the setting is so different from their everyday lives. It can even be more difficult if the time period is closer to our own, but just different enough to throw off their expectations. The similarity between quarantining tuberculosis patients and the recent COVID lockdown and quarantines may make this particular story easier to identify with since some of the medical routines are similar.

Another thing that may seem familiar is the breakdown of labor in Halle's home. Although her mother has been through the physical and emotional trauma of repeated miscarriages, her father comes home from his job as a teacher and does nothing to help around the house. 1930s society included the expectation that women (and girls) would be the caretakers of the home and do all the cooking, cleaning, etc. Even though it is nearly 100 years later, many homes still run that way even though the mothers may have careers outside the home. Readers will be able to identify with Halle's frustration.

And as in many stories, the emotional unavailability of a parent after a loss in the family is another element for Halle to contend with. Readers may expect that when possible children are lost due to pregnancy complications, Halle's father would treasure her all the more. Instead she is left recalling times when he was warm and loving rather than the distant figure we see in their interactions.

As the story moves from home and school to the isolation of the hospital, readers see Halle struggle to make sense of her father's emotional absence (as well as his actual physical distance), her fears about her mother's recovery, her loneliness for her best friend at home even as she makes new friends among the other pediatric patients, and the story arcs of the supporting characters. There are moments of tears, but also moments of catharsis and reconnection. This is an enjoyable and moving middle grade novel.

I read an advance review copy provided by the publisher through edelweiss.

Spring Reading 2025 Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus: The Graphic Novel

 

Other popular series have made the transition over to graphic novel format - Magic Tree House, Bailey School Kids, I Survived - and now Junie B. is on the scene. All the plot essentials of the chapter book are there, as well as Junie B.'s personality in full color. While not directly copying the original illustration style of Denise Brunkus, this updated version is easily recognizable to fans. Favorite scenes such as Junie B. hiding in the classroom supply closet and making herself at home in the clinic are captured with the energy and humor so dear to readers over the years. Facial expressions capture her disgust of the "stupid smelly bus," her delight at finding a stash of band-aids to apply (whether needed or not), and her alarm when she finds herself balanced on top of a pair of crutches with no idea how to get down.

This new approach will be popular with those who were already enjoying the adventures in the traditional chapter books, but will also win over new admirers who prefer the graphic novel presentation. It's a win either way.

I read a review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

Fall Reading 2024 A Killer Clue (A Hunter and Clewe Mystery)

Retired university librarian Jane Hunter enjoys her new job working for the rich, but socially awkward Cameron Clewe. They have already solved one murder case where Cam himself was the chief suspect. Now Eloise, the owner of a local bookshop, comes to them requesting help in a cold case. Her father was killed years ago and her mother died in prison, convicted of his death. Now she wants them to help prove her mother's innocence, but before they can even get started the original detective on the case turns up murdered in Eloise's bookshop. The cold case is heating up and it seems that someone is determined to keep old secrets buried. 

Of course, there is never just their mystery hobby to deal with. There could be a bit of romantic chemistry going on, in more than one direction. Jane's daughter comes to town for a visit and it seems Cam might be crushing on her. Or he could be attracted to Eloise instead (or is it just the lure of the mystery?). And there is also his faithful assistant Lauren, who is incredibly attractive, yet Cam never seems to notice. Add in the ongoing search for information about Cam's biological father, and there is never a dull moment around this pair of amateur sleuths.

I enjoy the characters of Jane and Cam for many reasons, including that they have a shared interest in books and research, they make an intriguing "odd couple" detective duo, and they have such different outlooks on life - which definitely helps balance their perspective on a case. 

Fans who already enjoy Victoria Gilbert's Book Lover's B&B Mystery series and Blue Ridge Library Mystery series will be pleased to have yet another set of stories featuring characters who have a love of books and the determination to find the truth.

I read this last fall, but ... life... and so I am posting about it a bit late. It was published September 24, 2024 - so you should be able to find it in bookstores and libraries. I read a review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.