The unusual premise caught my eye. I enjoy a murder mystery with a paranormal twist and having our indomitable hero be able to visualise people’s responses as part of a garden seemed a quirky gift/curse to cope with.
BLURB: Rod Gray isn’t your average small-town detective. He can see emotions — they bloom around people like living gardens, full of strange weather and stranger creatures. It’s a noisy way to walk through life but it helps him see what others can’t.
There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.
Until now. When the richest man in Two Lakes, Minnesota turns up dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. To clear her name, Rod must learn what murder looks like in the soul. But his own feelings keep getting underfoot and time is running out.
REVIEW: Maslakovic immediately pulls us into the story, with Rod going to work on behalf of a young couple who have found their bank account cleared out. However he quickly demonstrates that all is not what it seems.
Establishing the protagonist and acquainting the reader with the extent of what Rod can and cannot do was deftly done. He seems to have sorted out the extent of his gift and is coolly in charge. Until Clementine crashes into his life… Initially he does not recall who she is and how they know each other, until she reminds him that they were close childhood friends until the death of her grandmother meant that Clem no longer spent her summers at Two Lakes. There are strong reasons why Rod doesn’t like recalling this time in his life – in addition to losing Clem, his own family fell apart during the same year.
But when he learns that she has been living in Two Lakes for some time without bothering to get in touch with him – until she needs his help, he is taken aback. Especially as the police chief is convinced of her guilt in killing her boss. And unlike in most murder mysteries – the police chief and Rod have a strong personal relationship and an amiable working one. As details come to light – about the nature of Adam’s death, and Clem’s relationship with him – it doesn’t look good. Meanwhile, Rod is desperately searching for the symbol within the soul garden to denote the guilt of a murderer, while also being forced to confront upsetting memories.
There’s a lot going on in this one. The nature of Rod’s gift isn’t straightforward and exactly what he can do is extensive, but with major limitations. Occasionally ensuring the reader is fully aware of the extent of both his abilities and where they fail him did slightly hamper the pacing in places – but not to the extent that I was ever tempted to break off. However it did prevent me from giving this one 10/10. In the meantime, Maslakovic delves under the façade of this small tourist town, highlighting its strengths. And its weaknesses – there are some ugly incidents that prevents this whodunit from becoming too cosy.
That said, I stayed up later than I should to discover whodunit. And no – I hadn’t suspected the perpetrator, though when the reasons for the murder became clear, it made absolute sense. All in all, this is a memorable, nicely twisty paranormal murder mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’d love to see more in the series. While I obtained a copy of That Murder Feeling from the author via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:
# non-fiction #examination of story structure
A Trip to the Moon: Understanding the True Power of Story by John Yorke
Release date – 29th January, 2025
BLURB: To command narrative is to control a sometimes frightening power. What is it that turbocharges some tales, and how is it possible to harness that potency?
John Yorke has revolutionised our understanding of story structure. In this new book he delves deeper – into how to put that structure to work in the world. Trip to the Moon takes us on a journey not just through drama and fiction but through politics, religion and non-western narrative, to seek out the role of story in all our lives, examining how to utilise its lessons to create life-changing tales – and, in a world aflame with conspiracy theories, to guard ourselves against their darker purpose too.
Revealing the artful symmetry and underlying principles that connect Summer beach reads to Classical Chinese poetry, superhero flicks to Russian arthouse, and classical rhetoric to state propaganda, Yorke makes dazzling connections that show how stories have the power to transfigure the chaos of our existence into a new equilibrium, and make the world anew.
As an author, I’ve obviously got skin in this game as I’m confronted on a daily basis with the complexities of making narrative readable and plausible. But as a reader, this is also going to be an intriguing read. Recently, I read Jennette Winterson’s Two Aladdins, One Lamp which is also about the power of story and narrative. So it will be interesting to compare the two.
The premise of this one appealed to me – and the consideration that I’m not reading nearly enough science fiction these days.
BLURB: Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.
As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.
A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier… (rest of the blurb omitted).
REVIEW: I advise you to avoid the blurb if you can as it’s far too chatty. What I will say is that I got hold of this one expecting a tense thriller centred around a trip to Titan. However that’s not what I got.
John Ward is a billionaire with a strong interest in colonising our solar system. He is also a self-centred narcissist with a knack for spotting talented individuals (remind you of anyone??). As preparations for a human-crewed trip out to Titan to launch a satellite draw to a close, a policeman saves Ward from an assassination attempt. Ward offers Ryan Crane, the policeman, a chance to join the crew as a reward, along with a chunk of money. A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to go, but after discussing the situation with his wife, he eventually agrees to join the two-year mission.
At this stage, I believed there would be all sorts of shenanigans aboard the flight – after all, it’s the classic locked-room setting. However, that didn’t happen. We do get to know all six astronauts reasonably well, but the book skims the long journey there and back and again, because that’s not the focus of the story. There is a glitch in launching the satellite – I’m not going to go into too much detail about it as I don’t want to give any Spoilers and part of the charm of this thriller is that there were aspects of the plot that veered from the predictable course I thought it would take.
Once back on the ground, the six astronauts find nothing is as they expected. No joyous meetings with their families, so meeting with their chief sponsor, John Ward – and above all, they are not allowed to communicate with each other. And if they attempt to break these rules – there are heavy-handed guards watching their every move to remind them to behave. And life is… different. And that’s all I’m saying.
This book was initially envisioned as a TV series. And the reason I mention it, is that I think it would make an excellent thriller on the box. Rake and Hart do a good job of giving each of the astronauts sufficient depth and varying problems that I was rooting for them. The pacing is well sustained, although I personally would have appreciated more details about the space flight. I found it a tad jarring when they were suddenly back on Earth again. But that is when the story really takes off. It was difficult to put down as each of the astronauts rapidly discovers that all is not well with their lives and are desperate for answers. But those who clearly are in the know aren’t interested in sharing.
Any niggles? The book ends very abruptly on a major cliff-hanger. And when I say a cliff-hanger, I mean it. Not a single plot thread or character journey is resolved – they are left in mid-air, waiting for the next book. I was a tad irritated, but that also indicates that I was fully invested in the mystery surrounding the astronauts and wanted to discover what is happening to them and why. And yes – I absolutely want to read the next book in the series, despite thrillers not being a genre I generally enjoy all that much. Recommended for fans of thrillers with a near-future scenario. While I obtained a copy of Detour from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 8/10
This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books they’ve read and share what they have got up to during the last week.
A very happy and healthy 2026 to everyone! I can’t quite believe that we’re already a third of the way through the month. So far, 2026 has proven to be cold with frosts most mornings and even a sprinkling of snow. Luckily it quickly melted – but a lot of the country has been blanketed by snow thanks to the first named storm of the year, Goretti. We got torrential rain on Thursday night which made driving Oscar to his evening class a miserable business. At least the days have begun to lengthen again. Oscar has taken a while to fully recover from the virus that zapped him over Christmas – partly because he keeps thinking he’s completely better when he isn’t.
Ethan is now back at university and working really hard on the three assignments that have to be handed in before the end of the month. I am so proud of his work ethic. Fortunately, the weather so far hasn’t caused too many problems for the trains, so Himself isn’t dealing with too much chaos and turmoil as a driver, which can often happen at this time of year. And Amari has been extremely busy. She has shredded the hall curtains by running up them – they were elderly, but I was hoping they would do another year until our major makeover. She has also taken to ripping up the carpet outside our bedroom door. We’ve bought some coir mats to stop her and it seems to be working, although they are a bit rough on bare feet when we stagger to the bathroom at night. Her most dramatic escapade was to pull down a shelf in the kitchen, which I’d cleared of ornaments before Christmas. The shelf itself crashed on top of her litterbox lid, splintering it, while she leapt clear. I’m so glad I took the china off the shelf! The pics this week – Amari shows the battery-operated Christmas tree whose boss… watching TV – as you can see, she makes a marvellous window… her latest trick of walking along the top of the door in the lounge… and squeezing herself onto a shelf we’d assumed was too small for her…
On Friday night, Rebecca and I went to see Single White Female at the Royal Court Theatre in Brighton – it was the first night, so the performance was a tad uneven. But we had huge fun together – we’d parked in one of the multi-storey car parks near the theatre, but I hadn’t been paying much attention and we lost track of which car park. We were wandering the busy streets of Brighton for over an hour before we found the right one, finding the whole situation hilarious.
This fortnight I’ve read:-
AUDIOBOOK – Pursued by Peril – Book 4 of the Tracking Trouble series by Lindsay Buroker The dragons of the Cosmic Realms aren’t pleased now that Azerdash has recovered a legendary galaxy blade. It makes him more of a threat in his quest to oust their kind from power. To stop him, the dragons have sent one of their own after him, a deadly assassin who likes a challenge…
Arwen wants to help Azerdash, but she has her own problems. She must track down the missing vampire alchemist, Zoltan. It’s her fault that he was kidnapped, and she can’t leave him in the hands of dark elves. But when the dragon assassin comes after her, because of her relationship with Azerdash, Arwen must worry about far more than kidnappers. I’m enjoying this series, featuring sweet-natured Arwen – who is a bit of a change from the feisty heroines that usually take the lead in Buroker’s adventures. However, I think the change works really well. And once again, it was a treat to meet up with characters who have featured in the companion series that I so enjoyed. 8/10
EBOOK NOVELLA – The Blood Locket Mystery: From the Casefiles of the Morpheus Society 1 by Bryd Nash Apprentice Ghost Talker, Twyla Andricksson sets out to solve her own mystery in this charming spin-off that features Twyla’s special brand of exuberant mayhem.
Twyla always does terrible things with great enthusiasm for very good reasons.
When Twyla messes up a seance, she is given the task by Elinor to solve the mystery of a dead servant girl’s locket. So while Elinor is out of town (see Spirit Guide) Twyla tackles the task, visiting lawyers, pestering the coroner, and generally putting her nose into other people’s business.
Working on her first case also provides a very good reason to escape her matchmaking mother and obnoxious brother. I loved the Madame Chalamet series by Nash – a Gaslamp ghost series featuring calm, experienced Elinor Chalamet. While her talented but very impulsive student, Twyla, is quite a different protagonist. My main regret is that this story isn’t longer. I wanted more! 8/10
AUDIOBOOK – Mercenary Instinct – Book 1 of The Mandrake Company series by Ruby Lionsdrake Skulking around in the ruins on a planet swarming with treasure hunters, slavers, and bounty hunters isn’t good for one’s health. But Ankari Markovich needs a few archaeological samples for her latest business venture, a venture that might prove lucrative enough to move her family off the impoverished planet where she grew up. Unfortunately, she has no sooner collected her samples than she’s captured by a band of brawny mercenaries. The captain might be handsome, but he’s intent on turning her over to some finance lord who has, for reasons unknown, put a bounty on her head, a ridiculously large one at that. If she can’t figure out a way to escape before she’s delivered to the lord’s home world, she could be forced into a life of indentured servitude—or worse.
Captain Viktor Mandrake doesn’t usually take on piddling bounty hunting gigs, but when his intelligence officer informs him of a criminal on a nearby planet, he decides it wouldn’t hurt to take a shuttle down to collect the woman. But Ankari Markovich is trouble from the start, nearly eluding his elite forces, then fighting and tricking his people left and right. He finds himself admiring her spirit, but according to her warrant, she’s a criminal. The safest thing is to keep her in the brig and ignore her until she can be handed off to the man who wants her.
But the situation grows more complicated when other bounty hunters show up, wanting to claim Ankari for themselves. Thanks to this woman, Viktor’s ship is in danger, his crew members are going missing, and he’s fighting enemies he never asked for in a jungle in the middle of a hurricane. He’s either going to strangle Ankari… or fall in love. Either scenario could get him killed. This was one I acquired from Audible Plus. Full of adventure, along with an intense, slow burn love affair, which meant it wasn’t quite my cup of tea. But recommended if you like brooding men and feisty heroines. 7/10
AUDIOBOOK – Linesman – Book 1 of the Linesman series by S.K. Dunstall The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he’s crazy… Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level-ten linesman like Ean. Even if he’s part of a small, and unethical, cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he’s certified and working.
Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy. Each of the major galactic powers is desperate to be the first to uncover the ship’s secrets, but all they’ve learned is that it has the familiar lines of energy—and a defense system that, once triggered, annihilates everything in a 200 kilometer radius.
The vessel threatens any linesman who dares to approach it, except Ean. His unique talents may be the key to understanding this alarming new force—and reconfiguring the relationship between humans and the ships that serve them, forever. I loved this one. Using specific lines to travel ftl worked, without getting too technical and the world was nicely complicated and political. Dunstall managed to convey all the necessary information without holding up the pace of the story and Ean’s underdog status had me rooting for him from the start. I’m delighted to have the next two books in the series already to go. 9/10
Detour – Book 1 of the Detour series by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.
As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.
A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier… I’ve cut short the very chatty blurb. Review to follow.
AUDIOBOOK – A Flicker in Time – Book 2 of the Mine Through Time series by Kate Serzenta Boston, 2010. It’s been over a year since Emily Willburne discovered she had the power to travel through time – then sacrificed it forever when to rewrite her family’s fractured past. But just as Emily laments her lost potential, her ancestor and former time-traveling companion Will reappears asking for help – stealing Emily away on an assignment that could restore the ability to travel between the centuries for both of them.
Boston, 1889. Lady Sylvia Ross is on the run. The beautiful British aristocrat witnessed her husband kill a man for a device she later fled with – and she has no idea of what it does or why he’d go to such murderous lengths to safeguard it. In fear for her life, Sylvia promises to hand the device over to a kind, handsome stranger, Will, and his odd companion, Emily – but only if they escort her to America’s wild frontier first, where she hopes to reunite with her disinherited brother James.
Will knows he’s meant to marry a woman named Sylvia one day. But this couldn’t possibly be her – she’s already married, and their paths are bound to diverge soon. Emily knows that this time is only an adventure for her – but it could turn into a heartbreak waiting to happen when Sylvia’s devastatingly attractive, aristocrat-turned-gunslinger brother enters the mix. Amidst their romantic woes, Will and Emily will have to contend with kidnapping, coercion, and a complex time travel conspiracy that spans the centuries … I’ve read the first and third books in this entertaining series and thought I knew what I’d be in for with this second book. I was wrong – it had so many more twists and excitement. I was delighted to meet up with Emily again. The time travelling aspect has rules and limitations that heighten the stakes and make it clear that only a handful of people can ever manage to move through Time. Serzenta knows how to weave a gripping plot and throw in plenty of unpredictability – even for idiots like me who managed to read the books out of order. Highly recommended. 10/10
That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic Rod Gray isn’t your average small-town detective. He can see emotions — they bloom around people like living gardens, full of strange weather and stranger creatures. It’s a noisy way to walk through life but it helps him see what others can’t.
There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.
Until now. When the richest man in Two Lakes, Minnesota turns up dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. To clear her name, Rod must learn what murder looks like in the soul. But his own feelings keep getting underfoot and time is running out. Review to follow.
Last year started really badly – our family were dealing with all sorts of misery and I was still wading through Long Covid relapses. Thankfully, from the end of August onwards, things have been steadily improving. One of the good things was my reading year. I read 212 books overall, of which 5 were rereads or relistens.
As you can see – not a print book in sight. I simply don’t read them these days. The largest slice is audiobooks – I listened to 95 books during the year. They are a joy – I’ve always loved being read to and the quality of narration is by and large excellent.
The 43 ebooks I’ve read are a mix of newly bought, or ones already on our shelves. I don’t log if a book is newly bought or on my backlog, because I don’t want to know. Yes, I’ve bought more books than I could probably read in two lifetimes. And no – I don’t care. Reading is my main hobby and these days, it’s also a major lifeline when the wheels fall off my life. I read and reviewed 74 Netgalley arcs. I keep telling myself that I’m going to cut back on requesting Netgalley arcs, but I don’t. The benefits are that I find new authors that I really like through Netgalley and I keep in touch with new releases, reading and reviewing books I certainly couldn’t afford to read any other way. In 2025, I read 38 books by authors new to me and most of those were through Netgalley, or recommendations by other book bloggers.
During the year, I DNF’d 5 books, with one of those being abandoned because of the atrocious formatting. So I’m very satisfied with my ongoing system for sifting out books I don’t like – 4 clunkers out of 212 books shows it’s working well. Especially as I quickly abandon a book I don’t actively like. Life is too short to trudge through anything that is simply ‘meh’ when there are hundreds of marvellous reads out there waiting to fire up my brain and seep into my imagination.
In the past, I’ve made a conscious effort to read books by women authors, as they used to be under-represented within the SFF genre, particularly within Science Fiction. These days, I simply read a book I like without taking into account the gender of the author. So I was interested to note that in 2025 I read 155 by women compared to 65 written by men. And the sharp-eyed among you will quickly realise that the numbers don’t add up to 212 – this is because 8 books were co-written.
In 2025 I read 31 science fiction books, a wopping 117 fantasy books, 28 crime adventures, 3 non-fiction books and 4 children’s books. Science fiction includes sub-genres such as space opera, colony adventures, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic, time travel, alternate history, military, futuristic crime, literary and steampunk. Fantasy includes sub-genres such as epic, urban, swords and sorcery, musket and magic, sand and sorcery, underworld, historical, grimdark and coming of age.
Once again, fantasy still is my most popular genre by a long country mile, followed by sci fi. This year I didn’t read any historical adventures without a fantasy or sci fi twist, or wasn’t the setting for a crime. While I have tried to increase my science fiction reading – it’s a genre that tends to be darker than fantasy and right now, I’m not up for anything too bleak.
This year, a significant number of my books had a strong humorous thread or included romance, which tends to ensure that the ending is reasonably upbeat. I thoroughly enjoyed the non-fiction books I read and I’d like to expand that genre in the coming year. As for the children’s books, it’s dropped right away, as I’m not so in touch with books for younger readers these days.
One of my goals for 2025 was to get my penchant for reading parts of series under some sort of control – last year I only completed a measly 19 series after reading 195 books that were part of a series. This year, I read 80 books continuing in a series and completed or completely caught up with 27 series. I achieved this by targeting series I particularly wanted to finish and prioritising them over other books. I look forward to doing the same in the coming year and hopefully completing more.
A statistic I’m very pleased about – 75 books I read this year were by indie authors. This is a much better number than the previous year and reflects my ongoing effort to ensure I support fellow authors going it alone. And I’m giving myself an extra pat on the back because the huge majority of Netgalley arcs are traditionally published, so very few of the arcs I’ve read are from indie authors.
My goals for next year? Continue to concentrate on following up and completing series I enjoy, continue to read more independent authors and review their work – even if it’s only a mini-review. And to continue to thoroughly enjoy the gift of being able to choose from thousands of books. I feel so blessed to have such a choice. When I think of how much books have enriched my life – and literally saved my sanity when things have been tough – I feel humbly grateful.
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.
This week’s Can’t-Wait offering:
#paranormal murder mystery #troubled hero
That Murder Feeling: A Soul Garden Mystery by Neve Maslakovic
Release date – 13th January, 2025
BLURB: Meet Rodrick Gray, PI…
Rod Gray isn’t your average small-town detective. He can see emotions — they bloom around people like living gardens, full of strange weather and stranger creatures. It’s a noisy way to walk through life but it helps him see what others can’t.
There’s one soul garden he’s never wanted to enter. A killer’s.
Until now. When the richest man in Two Lakes, Minnesota turns up dead in a blizzard, suspicion lands on Rod’s childhood friend Clementine Baker. To clear her name, Rod must learn what murder looks like in the soul. But his own feelings keep getting underfoot and time is running out.
I do love a murder mystery with a bit of a SFF twist. And this one sounds really intriguing. While I’ve read whodunits with the investigator being able to see auras, I haven’t come across such a deep dive into a soul garden, so I’m really looking forward to tucking into this one.
In 2024, I read the first two books in Stark’s best-selling romantasy series, Kingdom of Lies, which I enjoyed though found it rather dark and brooding. And the reason why I wanted to read this one was the premise – Rome at its height ruled by vampires. This seemed like a really interesting setting and coupled with Stark’s intense style, should provide a memorable read.
BLURB: Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.
Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard. She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.
With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.
To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…
REVIEW: I was hoping for a vividly depicted Rome with powerful vampires in charge and our plucky heroine somehow hoping to upset the status quo. And I got it. Stark does a good job in providing a sympathetic heroine who somehow achieved the unthinkable – only for it all to turn to ashes from the moment she succeeded.
Small wonder, some five years later, she is cynical and closed off to all but her brothers, who she spends most of her time trying to keep alive by taking jobs as a hired guard. Until an unscrupulous vampire crashes into her life and forces her to return to the world of the gladiator, where she has to prove her courage by going onto the Sand again to prove her fighting prowess. Stark’s portrayal of that closed world, where everyone is a potential enemy and Arvelle and her fellow competitors are only valued for the amount of entertainment they can provide a voracious crowd, is vivid and memorable. I loved that aspect of the book.
I wasn’t quite so enamoured of the romance, which in contrast to the setting, settled into a predictable rhythm that felt a tad ordinary. That said, I’m also aware that I’m not the audience for this type of romantasy adventure as I get a bit tired of the emotional and sexual tension pinging all over the place.
I did enjoy Arvelle’s character. Her horror at having to return to the Sand where she lost her best friend and didn’t even get to keep the fortune she’d raised resonated with me. I liked how she struggled to get fit again and wasn’t a match for any of the other, fitter contenders – Stark took care not to depict Arvelle as some Mary Sue. She wins her bouts by a mixture of scrambling desperation and dumb luck. There are also some other memorable characters, who develop and change alongside Arvelle. Particularly Leon, who ends up training Arvelle. There is also a murder mystery wrapped up within the plot, for someone is killing the competitors, one by one. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading the next book in this series. While I obtained a copy of We Who Will Die from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
I had a good reading year in 2025, having completed 212 books, both ebooks and audio versions. I don’t read print books these days as my tired eyes don’t enjoy the effort. To make this list, a book must initially score highly and then stay in my memory, resonating with me. I’ve included links to any available review if you’re interested.
And no – I’m not limiting myself to ten books. I’ve sweated blood and tears to provide this list and any book that’s made the cut has definitely enriched my reading life during a difficult year. So in no particular order…
AUDIOBOOK On the Edge – Book 1 of The Edge series by Ilona Andrews Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.
Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).
But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it. I particularly enjoyed the savage world fraught with danger that leapt off the page and Andrews’ pitching us into the middle of it immediately grabbed me and didn’t let go until I finished this one.
KINDLE Ebook – Secrets of the Dragon Archives – Book 13 of the Jane Austen’s Dragons series by Maria Grace Elizabeth was not running away from danger like prey when she left Pemberley for London, no matter what the Council dragons might be saying behind her back.No, protecting Little Anne and the baby she carried was the right, sensible and courageous thing to do. It was what any maternal dragon would do. And what place could be safer than Blue Order offices in London?
But where dragons were involved, safe was a relative term.
With threats to the Blue Order on every side, everyone is stepping lightly around the Council dragons. After all, with a huge, unpredictable sea drake off the coast, an ineffective dragon king, and an heir who is even worse, who can blame them for being crankier than usual?
Why, then, do they keep haranguing Elizabeth about the Historian’s assistant drake who has been digging up the Archives under the Order offices? Why is the Council so desperate to know what the Historian has found? What could awkward, annoying little Bede have found to warrant the Council’s to threaten to eat her on sight? What indeed? This draconic twist on Jane Austen’s world is produced with deftness and an assured knowledge of the original works. I also really enjoy how Grace goes on developing the characters, both human and draconic, throughout the series. This is now a must-read series.
AUDIOBOOK Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee Gyen Jebi isn’t a fighter or a subversive. They just want to paint. One day they’re jobless and desperate; the next, Jebi finds themself recruited by the Ministry of Armor to paint the mystical sigils that animate the occupying government’s automaton soldiers.
But when Jebi discovers the depths of the Razanei government’s horrifying crimes—and the awful source of the magical pigments they use—they find they can no longer stay out of politics. What they can do is steal Arazi, the ministry’s mighty dragon automaton, and find a way to fight… This is a wonderful, twisting standalone read that weaves art into a magical form that is pulled into the power politics of an authoritarian state. I love the originality and skill of the plot.
AUDIOBOOK Marble Hall Murders – Book 3 of the Susan Ryland series by Anthony Horowitz Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel, and her Greek boyfriend Andreas in search of a new life back in England.
Freelancing for Causton Books, she’s working on the manuscript of a novel, Pund’s Last Case, by a young author named Eliot Crace, a continuation of the popular Alan Conway series. Susan is surprised to learn that Eliot is the grandson of legendary children’s author Marian Crace, who died some fifteen years ago—murdered, Elliot insists, by poison.
As Susan begins to read the manuscript’s opening chapters, the skeptical editor is relieved to find that Pund’s Last Case is actually very good. Set in the South of France, it revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, who, though mortally ill, is poisoned—perhaps by a member of her own family. But who did it? And why? The deeper Susan reads, the more it becomes clear that the clues leading to the truth of Marian Crace’s death are hidden within this Atticus Pund mystery. While Eliot’s accusation becomes more plausible, his behavior grows increasingly erratic.. Then he is suddenly killed in a hit-and-run accident, and Susan finds herself under police scrutiny as a suspect in his killing. Horowitz’s third novel-within-a novel scenario once again triumphantly succeeds as poor old Susan once again finds herself in the middle of tangled web featuring Atticus Pund, the famous fictional detective. I’ve loved all three of these books, enjoying Horowitz’s technical skill in interweaving the two mysteries as Susan and Atticus strive to solve them.
The Tomb of Dragons – Book 3 of The Cemeteries of Amlo by Katherine Addison Thara Celehar has lost his ability to speak with the dead. When that title of Witness for the Dead is gone, what defines him? While his title may be gone, his duties are not. Celehar contends with a municipal cemetery with fifty years of secrets, the damage of a revethavar he’s terrified to remember, and a group of miners who are more than willing to trade Celehar’s life for a chance at what they feel they’re owed.
Celehar does not have to face these impossible tasks alone. Joining him are his mentee Velhiro Tomasaran, still finding her footing with the investigative nature of their job; Iäna Pel-Thenhior, his beloved opera director friend and avid supporter; and the valiant guard captain Hanu Olgarezh.
Amidst the backdrop of a murder and a brewing political uprising, Celehar must seek justice for those who cannot find it themselves under a tense political system. The repercussions of his quest are never as simple they seem, and Celehar’s own life and happiness hang in the balance. There are some authors who never disappoint. Addison is one of them. I was blown away by The Goblin Emperor and this gem is set in the same world. My flesh was actually crawling with tension as I read of Celehar’s terrible journey in the dark, making this a memorable read that I still dream of.
AUDIOBOOK A Drop of Corruption – Book 2 of the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.
To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol. Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.
Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire’s greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.
Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat. This noirish murder mystery series with strong Sherlock Holmes and John Watson overtones takes the genre by the scruff of the neck and gives it a thorough shaking, transforming it into something otherworldly and fantastical. After reading of this latest adventure, I reflected how much poor Dinios has to put up with, when negotiating Ana’s mood swings and sensitivities.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy and one of the most powerful magicians in England. Her days consist of meetings, teaching A-Level Invocation to four talented, chaotic sixth formers, more meetings, and securing the school’s boundaries from demonic incursions.
Walden is good at her job―no, Walden is great at her job. But demons are masters of manipulation. It’s her responsibility to keep her school with its six hundred students and centuries-old legacy safe. And it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from―is herself. I’m a sucker for a really good magic school story – and this is one of the very best I’ve ever read. Tesh’s writing resonates down to my bones. There is an almighty twist two-thirds through that made me shout aloud in a cafe when I got to it. I moped about for days when I’d finished this one, wishing I was still in the world.
The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis When Vivian’s kindergartner, Aria, gets bitten by a werewolf, she is rapidly inducted into the hidden community of magical schools. Reeling from their sudden move, Vivian finds herself having to pick the right sacrificial dagger for Aria, keep stocked up on chew toys and play PTA politics with sirens and chthonic nymphs and people who literally can set her hair on fire.
As Vivian careens from hellhounds in the school corridors and demons at the talent show, she races to keep up with all the arcane secrets of her new society – shops only accessible by magic portal, the brutal Trials to enter high school, and the eternal inferno that is the parents’ WhatsApp group.
And looming over everything is a prophecy of doom that sounds suspiciously like it’s about Aria. Vivian might be facing the end of days, just as soon as she can get her daughter dressed and out of the door… Having been a teacher on the PTA committee as well as a parent – this book was eerily familiar on all sorts of hilarious levels. While at the same time also being deeply poignant. I laughed and cried while reading this one – which doesn’t happen all that often, these days.
A Tangle of Time – Book 2 of The Hexologists series by Josiah Bancroft As the nation’s foremost investigators of the paranormal, Isolde and Warren Wilby are accustomed to bumping up against things that go bump in the night. They have made quite a name for themselves as the detectives of the uncanny, the monstrous, the strange. After a decade of wedded bliss and dozens of fantastical adventures, there is little in the world that can still surprise them.
But when a famous artist dies under suspicious circumstances, Isolde finds herself investigating a murder that may not have happened, and a crime scene that seems to shift beneath her feet. Not one to be easily thwarted, Isolde is compelled to take greater and greater risks in pursuit of her elusive answers. Meanwhile, the laws that govern magic appear to be breaking, and those cracks are spreading to the everyday world.
The mystery will carry the devoted duo to seedy underworlds, enchanted gardens, and subterranean military zoos. Old friends will come to the Wilbies’ aid as they infiltrate secret societies, battle vicious imps, and flee from a pack of venomous wolves. Equipped with Isolde’s hexes, Warren’s muscle, and an enchanted bag full of magical relics, the Hexologists will have to risk life and limb to unravel the riddle at the heart of A Tangle of Time. This intricate and beautifully crafted tale has stayed with me, almost as pin-sharp as the day I finished it. The relationship between the Wilbies is strong and wonderfully portrayed, without lapsing into sentimentality. I flew through this one, desperate to discover what happened and once I finished it, I felt miserable that the amazing adventure was over.
Ring the Bells – Book 5 of The Stranger Times series by C.K. McDonnell When a well-meaning book group turned witches coven attempt to perform a ritual of peace, they get a whole load of anything but. Meet Zalas, a chaos-loving old god who is the reason a university librarian apparently slaughtered the rest of her book group. The Stranger Times is hot on his trail, but it’s hard to track down a being that can pass from person to person just by touch. And contact with this demonic visitor leaves his unwitting hosts bewildered and, more often than not, covered in blood. The team are trying to track him down and also trace the mysterious book that was used inadvertently to summon him. It seems the book group were unwitting patsies, but who would benefit by unleashing a force of sheer chaos?
Mind you it’s not exactly plain sailing for Zalas. The modern world’s proving tricky to navigate. Back in the good old days, all he needed to do was demonstrate his capacity for spectacular violence and followers would flock to him. Now everybody runs away screaming.
Like all gods, to thrive and survive he needs believers, but people don’t seem to believe in anything anymore. And as he passes from host to host he can’t find any faith to latch onto until, that is, he meets Barry Fearns, a down-on-his-luck Santa Claus at Wonderama, the disastrous ‘Christmas experience’ that’s coming soon to a consumer affairs TV programme near you. Thanks to Zalas, it’s transformed into a magical place where dreams really do come true. Because children are the last true believers and Zalas has found a way into their little hearts. Returning home, they find all their Christmas wishes granted – from unicorns and dinosaurs to grandad visiting, even though he died last year . . . This Christmas-based adventure had me howling with laughter. The series has had its ups and downs, but this slice of the ongoing shenanigans is both funny and tragic. It reminded me of the late, great Terry Pratchett at his captivating best.
Kindle Ebook The Green Man’s Holiday – Book 8 of The Green Man series by Juliet E. McKenna When your mother’s a dryad and you’re an only child, you don’t have much experience of big family events. But Daniel Mackmain’s girlfriend, Finele, has a whole load of relatives. They’re all coming to her sister Iris’s wedding. Frankly, Dan’s dreading it. At least plenty of other guests will have connections to the supernatural. The bride and groom can turn into swans, for a start.
Since Dan’s still a loner at heart, he and Fin have planned a few days away together afterwards. Just the two of them in a quiet country cottage should be nice and relaxing. Dan should have remembered what folk wisdom says about making plans. This outstanding series delivers once more. I’ve often read about changelings – but didn’t ever think too closely about the practicalities of keeping such a baby alive until being able to undo the swap. I love Dan and Fin’s down to earth approach to life and stayed up much too late to discover what happens next. This is one of my all-time favourite fantasy series.
Every Living Thing: The Great and Deadly Race to Know All Life by Jason Roberts In the eighteenth century, two men—exact contemporaries and polar opposites—dedicated their lives to the same daunting task: identifying and describing all life on Earth. Carl Linnaeus, a pious Swedish doctor with a huckster’s flair, believed that life belonged in tidy, static categories. Georges-Louis de Buffon, an aristocratic polymath and keeper of France’s royal garden, viewed life as a dynamic swirl of complexities. Each began his task believing it to be difficult but not impossible: How could the planet possibly hold more than a few thousand species—or as many could fit on Noah’s Ark?
Both fell far short of their goal, but in the process they articulated starkly divergent views on nature, the future of the Earth, and humanity itself. Linnaeus gave the world such concepts as mammal, primate, and Homo sapiens, but he also denied that species change and he promulgated racist pseudoscience. Buffon formulated early prototypes of evolution and genetics, warned of global climate change, and argued passionately against prejudice. The clash of their conflicting worldviews continued well after their deaths, as their successors contended for dominance in the emerging science that came to be called biology. I don’t read much non-fiction these days. But this knowledgeable book delivers facts with an easy readable style and is such a fascinating insight into the character of two key men in the striving to understand our world around us – I realise I should be reading a great deal more. I’m so very glad I listened to this one and will probably relisten to it in the coming year.
AUDIOBOOK NOVELLA – A Blessing of Unicorns – Book 2 of the Sub-Inspector Ferron Mysteries by Elizabeth Bear A woman has vanished. She reported her disappearance in advance.
In the Bangalore, India, of the 2070s, a young woman who is internet-famous enters an empty police station and tells the virtual assistant that her life is in danger. When she disappears out of her own apartment, it’s up to Police Sub-Inspector Ferron and her partner to determine whether a crime has even been committed. In a world of enhanced tech and extreme interconnectedness, can someone truly disappear?
To find the answers, Ferron will need to enter a braver, newer world of virtual reality – and deal with the small matter of a herd of tiny, vicious unicorns. I love well-executed murder mysteries set in the future. Especially when the crime couldn’t currently be committed because we don’t possess the technology to carry it out. This is what happens in this little gem – though don’t start here, the first book is also excellent.
Is this a double murder, and if so, where are the bodies? Why were the Millers spending the night in their car? Did they pitch up at the Last Ditch Motel only to be turned away? Are they really dead? The Trinity for Trouble are quickly on the case!
As they start to identify the guests staying at the motel the weekend before Easter – including a Goth and a barbershop singer on stilts – disturbing evidence comes to light. Can Lexy see though all the deception to unmask the truth and save the Last Ditch? This contemporary murder mystery tackles some thorny issues in such a compassionate, funny manner that it left me feeling warm and hopeful as I finally it laid it down. While the story is actually quite dark, Lexy’s first-person narration manages to provide laughter and tolerance alongside the murder and subsequent mayhem.
So there you have it – my list of outstanding reads for 2025. And if you forced me to choose my top three, after stamping my foot and shouting about the impossibility of the task – I’d probably single out The Incandescent, The Tomb of Dragons and The Grimoire Grammar Parent Teacher Association. Though next week, my top three might instead include A Tangle of Time and A Drop of Corruption.
I’m a sucker for paranormal murder mysteries and this one, with the magical bartender helping to keep the balance between Good and Evil by serving up appropriate cocktails seemed like a really cool premise.
BLURB: When a missing book of dark magic recipes threatens a city, a Fire Elementalist bartender might be the only hope to serve an antidote or a hex on the rocks. Thomas “Awkward Thom” Dante is not your typical bartender. He’s a DarkWaver—a Fire Elemental sworn to ancient laws and even older sins, hiding behind the counter of The Lost & Found, a mystixology bar built on the crossroads of a city where magic and mortal danger mingle.
But when a dark magic book of recipes vanishes and a fellow DarkWaver is murdered within the bar’s smokey walls, Awkward Thom is contacted by his ex-girlfriend—a Detective with the Agentia Obscura. Since the culprit could have used a curse or a cocktail to commit the crimes, Awkward Thom finds himself involved as both a suspect and a consultant. One mysterious murder, one missing book, and all Awkward Thom wants is to hide behind the bar and mix drinks. Unfortunately, he can’t. If evil forces gain control of The Lost & Found, the entire city could suffer the unthinkable…
REVIEW: I’ve cut short the overly chatty blurb, but you get the gist. Thom Dante has had a troubled past – after being accused of causing the fire that killed his parents, his Elemental powers have been locked down. That hasn’t prevented him eventually pitching up at The Lost & Found and becoming their most talented mixologist, after being taken in by the owner. So when there’s a terrible accident involving another fire – suspicion inevitably falls on Thom. He finds not only the ruthless agency in charge of keeping supernatural events away from ordinary mortal attention are in his face and all but accusing him of the crime – there are also all sorts of other shady characters, many powerful and supernatural, wanting a piece of him.
Feldmar creates a classic noir environment, thick with cigarette smoke and permeated with alcohol fumes, where morally ambivalent characters lurk in dimly lit bars. Thom’s main weaponry against all sorts of bad behaviour are his cocktails – often slung together while hiding from lethally powerful beings. And yes, that does sound improbable – but whilst caught up in the story, I really didn’t care. While Thom’s situation is bleak, he has an off-kilter sense of humour that provides occasional relief from the dark suspense and air of menace. I wouldn’t call this horror, but it’s certainly on the darker end of the murder mystery spectrum – and I absolutely loved it.
The pages flew by as I wanted to know who exactly is pulling all the strings – we have a large cast of suspects. And while the answer wasn’t a surprise in any way – the denouement is an amazing action scene that brought all the major players together in a really satisfying way. Again – some of Thom’s actions, given the damage he’d sustained, were probably stretching credulity. But he is also a magical being and frankly, I don’t care. Feldmar has wrought a convincing world, peopled by a variety of creepy magical beings, where alcoholic drinks put together in the right way, with the right incantation, can have a strong magical charge. I’m hoping he is busy working on the next book in this intriguing world, because I want more. While I obtained a copy of Awkward on the Rocks from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 9/10
When I saw this one was available on the Netgalley dashboard, it made my day. Having read the rest of the series – see my reviews of Scot Mist, Hop Scot.and Scotzilla – I was keen to once more tuck into the adventures of Lexy and her found family, all living in a motel on the outskirts of a small community in California.
BLURB: It’s egg-hunt season, but Lexy Campbell is spending Easter hunting a killer!
Not even Cuento’s Easter bonnet parade can distract Lexy Campbell from conception woes and missing tourists Bill and Billie Miller. The Millers’ vintage Mustang has been abandoned, its interior covered in blood.
Is this a double murder, and if so, where are the bodies? Why were the Millers spending the night in their car? Did they pitch up at the Last Ditch Motel only to be turned away? Are they really dead? The Trinity for Trouble are quickly on the case!
As they start to identify the guests staying at the motel the weekend before Easter – including a Goth and a barbershop singer on stilts – disturbing evidence comes to light. Can Lexy see though all the deception to unmask the truth and save the Last Ditch?
REVIEW: This isn’t a series you can blithely crash and hope to muddle your way through. Lexy, formerly from Scotland, lives on a barge on the edge of wetlands behind the Last Ditch Motel with her recently-married husband, Taylor. They are now trying for a baby and so far – are unsuccessful. McPherson’s warm humour manages to find the funny aspects of this stressful situation that at times had me laughing aloud, even while blinking away tears at Lexy’s distress. It takes a special writer to achieve that balance.
One of the main reasons why this book is not an ideal introduction to Lexy and friends, is that apparently, a murder has been committed – and it looks as if the Last Ditch Motel has been involved in some way. A married couple on the road and passing through Cuento attempted to find somewhere to stop when the wife became ill with a migraine, so she could manage the pain and get a night’s sleep. It so happens that the motel owners and part of Lexy’s found family – Noleen and Kathy – had taken the weekend off for a get-away of their own. And the locum managers that stepped in made a complete mess of the official paperwork, so no one can work out exactly which guests were staying where. So it’s down to those who live at the motel to describe and identify them.
The muddle continues, with a car found abandoned full of gore, but still no bodies; conflicting descriptions of weird individuals wandering around Last Ditch – and an increasingly exasperated local police officer. It’s hilarious and concerning at the same time. Especially as the motel’s reputation is also on the line. Publicity about a motel where no one exactly knows what happened to a nice, respectable middle-aged couple doesn’t bring extra guests flooding in, apparently. The situation is heightened when their son and daughter show up, traumatised and keen to prove that their parents are still alive. Just missing.
I loved every bit of this one. The twisty plot, the ongoing warmth and generosity of spirit displayed by the Last Ditch families and the constant snarky asides the have me sniggering aloud and prevent this from descending into sentimentalised mush. I’ll be honest – I had sort of guessed who the murderers were about two-thirds through the book. But it didn’t really matter – because these books are about so much more than the hunting of a murderer. They’re about the lives of people who wouldn’t necessarily be welcomed into ‘respectable’ neighbourhoods – not because they’re dishonest or disruptive, but because of their differences – of ethnicity, of sexual preferences, of neurodiversity. McPherson provides us with insights into this disparate group – warts and all – while coping with the challenge of daily life.
I was sorry to come the end, but put the book down with a smile on my face. Because the affectionate tolerance, coupled with laugh-aloud humour, left me warm and happy. I’d love to see McPherson’s books become huge best-sellers – she is a tonic. This series is very highly recommended for fans who enjoy quirky, humorous whodunits. While I obtained a copy of Scot’s Eggs from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own. 10/10
Brainfluff 