Last One Out by Jane Harper (Literary Mystery)

Writing: 5/5 Plot: 3.5/5 Characters: 4/5

A small rural community in New South Wales. A long-term, tight knit community slowly dwindling with the expansions of a mining company installed at its borders. Noise, dust, and buyouts gutting it out from within. Those who choose to leave coming up against those who choose to stay. Five years ago, Sam went missing on his 21st birthday and there is still no trace. This year, on the anniversary of his disappearance, his now separated parents and the remnants of a once vibrant town, get together for a now annual memorial. Guilt, anguish, anger, and regret tug at them all, and none of them want to talk about it.

Harper is a master at bringing a place and the psychic energy of those who inhabit it to life. While this book does have a central mystery, and the mystery is — eventually — solved, the emphasis is far more on the grief and personal reflection associated with the tragedy and the simultaneous unwinding of a community. I found it illuminating, but also quite depressing. However, expertly done.

Thank you to Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 14th, 2026.

The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths (Mystery / Historical Fiction / Science Fiction)

Number two in Griffiths’ latest series which is part science fiction (because: time travel), part mystery (because: dead bodies), and part literary / historical fiction ( because: plenty of character development, some romance, and action in historical climes!). Ali Dawson is a detective that investigates cold cases. Really cold as in Victorian England, using secret time travel technology. With the time travel physicist “stuck” in the past, there has been a definite kibosh put on time traveling until she is returned. But when a suicide is somehow linked to a medium who appears to know something about the whole deal, and a mysterious perpetrator stirs up trouble, Ali decides to go back anyway. Pretty entertaining, some great descriptions of Victorian life (and dress), and intriguing, individualistic characters. While we have closure by the end, definitely get the feeling number three is not long behind…

The People’s Library by Veronica G. Henry (speculative Fiction)

Writing: 3.5/5 Plot: 4/5 Characters: 4.5/5

An ambitious, somewhat dystopic, but certainly thought-provoking piece of speculative fiction, The People’s Library follows Echo London, a dedicated librarian whose job, like many others, has been replaced with AI. She’s lucky, though — she has been given a position in a virtual library where people check out virtual replicas of great minds to converse with, rather than books to read. Once that would have been anathema to London, but she finds herself drawn to the “virtus” as they are called, and becomes far more involved with them than with the flesh and blood people in her community. The action becomes intense with anti-tech rebels attacking the library, invisible puppet masters trying to bring about the next evolutionary step for humanity, and virtual AI beings that appear to have the capacity to suffer. This brings up many ethical dilemmas, and I admit that it wasn’t always obvious to me what the right answers should be, or even what the author thought the right answers should be.

The book explores some of my favorite science fiction questions: the nature of consciousness, the possibility of human-AI pairing, the evolution of the human species. While I’ve read quite a few stories that dabble in these areas, I did think this one captured more of a modern sensibility. The author is known for her African American fantasy, and I liked the African and African American slant the book took in its characters, designs, and references to Black history (e.g. one of the virtual beings was Jesse Cooper, one of the first Black enlisted men who were admitted to Naval officer training in 1944). Also some great Black literary references such as Helen Oyemi’s Icarus girl. I didn’t particularly enjoy some of the plot devices used — I never like plots that depend on one super-powerful and manipulative “bad guy,” and I didn’t really grok the mechanism that allowed the good guys to get out of a bad situation, but I did think the teaser at the end was a good way to leave us thinking about the book rather than simply feeling good about closure. Trying not to give away any of the plot and still let you know what you’re in for!

Worth reading.

A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O’Neal (Historical Fiction)

Excellent historical fiction alternating between London in late 1940, during the Blitz, and the early 1900s in India and England. Elsie has been raised in India, her father in the British civil service. While there she forms a deep friendship with a Sikh prince with strong tendencies towards independence. When her father is called back to England, Elsie is reluctantly sent back as well.

This is a love story that stretches across time, space, class, and political trends, including the recognition of the treatment and consideration of women. It’s quite emotional and there are plenty of scenes I can only describe as “torrid” which is usually not my thing, but the writing was excellent, the situations were quite believable, and I never felt emotionally manipulated. Additionally, the various characters and depiction of life in those times and places were really good — colonial India, war torn England, Cairo after WWI, etc.) . Elsie is an artist struggling to make her way in a world where her responsibilities and the expectations of others don’t always allow her much autonomy. The descriptions of her artistic efforts were very engaging (that’s two books in a row about artistic types that have appealed to me, the unartistic type) and the detailed descriptions of the (completely appropriate to the ages) discussions and interests of the various characters (her Prince, his sister, her own mother, a Bohemian group she connects with, etc) is a marvel. I love the way that the letter exchanges between her and her Sikh Prince always contained “one small beauty” regardless of the deeply disturbing events they were going through.

It was a quick read — a little repetitive (for me) on the love story, but fully compelling from start to finish.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on August 11th, 2026.

Six Little Words by Sally Page (Fiction — Audiobook)

Lighthearted and uplifting, this is a charming tale of a Norfolk (England) community group that comes together around an amateur competition designed to unlock a person’s creative spark. We alternate between the perspectives of Bardy, a retired English teacher suffering from writer’s block, and Kate, an equally frustrated once-painter, but the others in the group each have equally compelling narratives that slowly surface as the group coalesces into something much greater than originally intended.

This could have been simply another piece of uplifting women’s fiction (and nothing is wrong with that!), but I found a lot to love that went far beyond the expected bromides. Bardy experiences synesthesia and the description of how he saw people as intense and specific colors was fascinating. It was as though his subconscious experiences of people manifested as actual visual portrayals. I also found all the discussions about art — making it, recognizing it, expressing oneself through it (without considering external judgement) incredibly insightful and engaging — even though I have no artistic capabilities or experiences trying to produce it. The array of artistic endeavor was both amusing and absorbing — from oils to poetry to photography to fashion designs (on dogs!) to musical theatre. I was particularly interested in the way that any artistic expression is a window into someone — their interests, the way they see things, the way their brain works — I’m always curious about people and very aware of how differently people “work” from each other. I hadn’t really thought about artistic expression as a channel in that. I liked the reminder also that artistic expression is for the artist, regardless of the opinions and valuations of others. With so much commentary and criticism on all sides, it’s sometimes difficult to remember that you paint or play piano or pretend to take on acting roles because it’s fun and internally satisfying, not because you need the approval from others (unless you’re trying to make a living that way, of course!).

The book had a nice happy ending — full of (realistically IMHO) resolved situations with personal growth required for decent closure. The “Six Little Words” inspiring the title are exposed near the end — and they are perfect! Great for fans of Joanna Trollope. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

City of Promises by Victoria Thompson with Ellen Thompson (Historical Mystery)

This latest Thompson book is a crossover novel bringing together the characters from her two mystery series for the first time: the Gaslight Mysteries and the Counterfeit Lady Mysteries. New York City circa 1900 —when the adopted (and highly successful) daughter of Frank Malloy and his wife Sarah (Gaslight Mysteries) becomes enamored with a handsome man who is urging a quick wedding, their worried suspicions take them to the lawyer Gideon Bates whose wife, once a con-woman extraordinaire (Counterfeit Lady Mysteries), helps conceive a plot to unmask the interloper without raising the ire of the bride to be. It’s fun, full of period bits (I love the fact that the ringing of the newly installed telephone terrifies its upper class owner as it is jarring and assumed to be a harbinger of ill!), and the integration of the two character sets done so smoothly it’s difficult to remember that they began fictional life in two distinct series.

It is with great sadness that I report that Victoria Thompson passed away in late 2024. This book, conceived and partially written by Victoria, was completed by her daughter Ellen. I am happy (and surprised) to say that I couldn’t tell the difference — very unusual in my experience. I am looking forward to future installments!

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on July 28th, 2026.

Lidie by Jane Smiley (Historical Fiction)

I love Jane Smiley’s books — they always immerse you in a place and time and unfold at a tempo that mimics the pace of life, rather than that of a novel. In this book, the titular Lidie is a young woman living in rural Illinois in the 1850s. Think Lincoln – Douglas debates, intense polarization around slavery, and rapid westward expansion in the US. She is (already) a widow, her husband having been shot in KT (Kansas Territory) for being an abolitionist. She is very tall and rather plain, and it is the general consensus that her chances of attracting another man onto which the family might offload her are bleak. However, this is the story of her life from her own viewpoint, and she is not terribly bothered by the opinions of others. Her life veers off in unexpected ways (she makes it to Liverpool!) and we go along for the thoroughly detailed ride. This is historical fiction at its best — accurate in physical, cultural, familial, and emotional description.

What interested me was her ongoing thorough observations and reflections. She is not driven towards any particular goal, nor does she worry excessively about the expectations of others, but she is extremely observant and intelligent. She is not well educated in any kind of modern sense, but she reads, sees, converses, and appears to think in a way I found quite absorbing. Through a variety of happenstances, she sees and grabs on to opportunities that lead her to veer off the typical track of a woman of her age and era. I never saw those opportunities coming, but they fit into an older, less propelled style of life. At first I found the pace of the narrative a bit slow, but when I calmed down and stopped expecting non stop action, I was able to thoroughly live a completely (to me) alien life vicariously. This book felt so real! It’s not often that a modern person can put me so thoroughly in the mind of someone from a completely different age.

Great writing, intriguing characters, and a world brought fully to life. And — I absolutely loved the (completely unexpected) ending. I will say no more about that!!

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 21st, 2026.

My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi (Literary Mystery)

<Translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai>

I loved this book — It was gentle, dispassionate, intellectually engaging, and full of human insight depicted through understated, yet beautiful prose.

Kaede is a young, somewhat reserved, woman who shares a love of mysteries and puzzles with her aging grandfather. While the grandfather is suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, he manages to maintain aspects of his intellect and personality amid the confusions and hallucinations of the disease. In fact, one of the things I enjoyed the most about the book was the way he could train his still sharp wits and experimental approach on his own internal thinking apparatus to discern reality from hallucination.

Kaede is slow to connect with others, but she begins to bond with a colleague and his friend over stories, particularly in the Mystery genre. There are four “puzzles” her companions discuss, and these she takes to her grandfather who happily solves them quickly and with a crisp elucidation of his analytic steps. And then there is the biggest — and most impactful — puzzle of all. One that affects Kaede directly.

There was so much that I loved about reading this book — the portrayal of everyday culture in Japan with the small practices of cooking, commuting, fashion, and politeinteraction; the interactions with a beloved but in many ways failing elderly relative; and the broad range of “classic” mystery stories ranging from the well-known (e.g. Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen) to those I hadn’t heard of (e.g. John Dickson Carr, Takeshi Setogawa) to more contemporary series I hadn’t thought of in ages (e.g. Harry Kemmelman). The reader becomes, along with the characters themselves, a connoisseur of the genre in the most delightful and absorbing way.

The book is an ode to storytelling, friendship, and self understanding — the writing (and translation) is detailed, deep, but never loud. I’m always so impressed with an author that can make me feel deeply without hitting me over the head with overly dramatic, world-ending crises. Most of life is filled with the personal — deeply felt, deeply meaningful, but not necessarily attention grabbing calamities.

Thank you to G. P. Putnam’s Sons and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on March 17th, 2026.

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz (Mystery)

The sixth in The Hawthorne and Horowitz series (for newbies, the two main characters are the fictional Detective Hawthorne and the author himself. It can get kind of twisted in a brain that holds too firmly to reality). In this episode, the duo are involved in supporting a production company in making a movie out of the first book — The Word is Murder — when the actor playing Hawthorne is found stabbed in his trailer part way through filming.

A set of irritating and suspicious characters who all had ample reason to want the (thoroughly unpleasant) actor dead, a fair amount of hero worship for Hawthorne alongside a dismissive disinterest in poor Anthony (our real life author co-starring with his fictional detective), and a deeply rooted and surprisingly related mystery of Hawthorne’s past all give this story plenty of spice.

Horowitz’s books are always engaging and well-written with excellent pacing. This one adds some interesting inside scoops on movie making (which Horowitz knows about deeply through his work on Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders). Good read.

Thank you to Harper and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on April 28th, 2026.

Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia (Health)

I’m not terribly into “self-help” books, so I put off reading this one (despite multiple recommendations from people I trust) for far too long. It was fantastic and while saying it changed my life feels over the top, it certainly did shift my thinking in a pretty big way. The writing is clear and goes as deep as you would like, with the well articulated structure making it easy to skip about and explore areas of particular interest. In addition to the depth, I appreciated the refreshing honesty about what is known, what is evolving, and what is still pretty unclear in terms of actual data gathered in the confines of a well-designed scientific study.

The overall theme is “Medicine 3.0,” with a greater emphasis on prevention, personalization of treatment through genetic testing, biomarkers, and continuous monitoring rather than one-size-fits-all, and decision making using on evidence-based data. What was eye opening for me was how much of the “four horsemen” of aging (heart disease, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic dysfunction) begin their silent destruction sometimes decades before becoming symptomatic. We now have the technology to suggest preventative actions (specific steps on diet, exercise, sleep, and emotional health) through early measurement and experimentation. Too bad I’m not reading this in my forties!

I like models and reading through the book I was able to build up a real understanding of how all of these interconnected biological systems work, making it much easier to think about how lifestyle really can impact your health, especially as you age. I get tired of just hearing “eat well, exercise, and don’t smoke” as the generic advice. The deep dives on nutritional biochemistry and different types of exercise went way beyond that vague advice. Even the chapter on emotional health, which didn’t appeal to me at first as I feel like I have plenty of data on that, was actually quite an excellent and insightful summary of how our emotional state contributes to our overall health and feeling of well-being. Surprisingly applicable.

Easy to read — I’m very impressed at how complex systems are explained without oversimplification. Highly recommended.