By Heather Fawcett
** Publication Date 17 February 2026 **
5 stars




I adored Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series. So magical. She created an amazing world where you could actually believe such things existed. I gladly jumped into her new novel.


Agnes runs a cat rescue in Montreal. It was started by Agnes and her late husband Robin, because they wanted to save the street cats. Now Agnes runs the rescue with her sister, Elise and some volunteers. It’s hard to make ends meet when you rely on charity. So when the shelter is damaged during a magical fight, Agnes doesn’t know how she’s going to keep the shelter running.


Until someone suggests she check a rental in a fancier part of town. When Agnes discovers the rent, she’s shocked, but she also can’t say no. Agnes moves the shelter into the new location. Only the location is somewhat strange. Odd characters show up night and day to find their way through a trapdoor into the basement. Eventually Agnes finds out what exactly is in the basement, and while she’s not happy about it, she doesn’t have many options.


This story wove together elements of fantasy, magic, romance, and cats. What could possibly go wrong? It’s a whimsical, wonderful novel. Agnes is a formidable heroine, especially with her sister Elise as a foil. The two appear to be well equipped to run the world. Each cat has a special personality. Truly a fun and endearing story that many will love.


I would read this one again. 
​

By Jarod K Anderson 
** Publication Date 10 February 2026 **
5 stars




My favorite book, so far, of 2026.. I love all the mythology surrounding cryptids. Yeti, Bigfoot, chupacabra, jackalopes, the Loch Ness Monster. There are so many in our folklore both here in the US and abroad. 


In Strange Animals, Green has a near-death encounter with a city bus. Though he remembers the actual experience of dying, shortly thereafter he is not under the bus, but standing on the sidewalk as though it never happened. He has memories of a crow and now has an acorn in his pocket.


This sends Green a bit over the edge. He decides to give up his bland city life and try the wilderness. He happens upon a very strange little gas station in Appalachia where he meets two locals. They direct him to a nearby off the grid campground. This campground leads to a very strange encounter with two creatures that could be called anything but ‘normal.’ And so begins Green’s new life.


From the start this book is so strange and ethereal. Green giving up all the comforts of the city to head into the unknown is mighty brave, and in a way, a little bit stupid. But what he encounters from the time he finds the Candle-fly campground is wild and spectacular. I loved all the details of the cryptids. The transformation of Green from a city dweller to one who was comfortable being in the great outdoors. I especially loved his experiences as the book goes on.


But… I certainly hope that Anderson has a sequel planned. Because while I found the final chapters fantastic, I want to know what happens next. I’m so invested in this story and the characters, I truly want to experience more of this world. 


If you love fantasy and tales of the unknown, you will probably enjoy this one. 

By L.J. Ross
** Publication Date 3 February 2026 **
​4 stars




Serial killers all have unique profiles that help explain why they commit the heinous crimes they do. Dr. Alexander Gregory once worked as a profiler, helping to solve high visibility crimes. Until a tragedy brought him down. Now he works in a mental health facility that contains many such criminals. He just wants to understand why they do what they do.


Alex gets roped into helping local Garda to solve a murder in Ireland. He’s not sure he wants to do this again, but his ability to understand the minds of these criminals makes him the perfect choice. It’s not a paying job. And the local Garda are skeptical. When he has delivered a profile to them, they are able to focus more on the people who might be capable of such a heinous crime. 


There are costs to his own mental health, though, and he must confront his old demons along the way. Hopefully he will gather the loose threads and put them all together before another crime is committed.


Great procedural novel with some interesting twists. Alex Gregory is a charming and forthright profiler with his own secrets. The town of Ballyfinny sounds like a idyllic place until these crimes begin. LJ Ross has provided a very interesting tale of psychology, and its use in the field of police work. Thinking this might be a new series, and if so I’m in. 


Recommending for those who enjoy crime solving.

By Rebecca Ferrier
** Publication Date 27 January 2026 **
​4 stars




Before modern medicine were healers, wise women, herbalists. People who understood what it took to care for others through injury and illness and even death. In Portscatho, Cornwall, a young girl is about to be chosen to become a wise woman.


Kensa is a strong-willed young girl. She is stubborn and wears the face of her father, a pirate executed for his crimes. Her half-sister, Elowen, is fair-haired and good-natured. Some in the town treat Kensa as though she is responsible for her father’s crimes. Kensa herself lives with a chip on her shoulder, brought on by the loss of her father. Not to mention living with her step-father who treats her as though she’s a burden.


One day when Kensa is supposed to be watching her sister, Elowen escapes and runs to the sea. When Kensa finds her, Elowen is standing with a giant sea creature. When the local wise women Isolde asks who found the creature first, Kensa says she did. Thus begins Kensa’s journey to become the next wise woman of Portscatho. 


Along the way, Kensa will encounter a lot of challenges, love, anger, and loss. 


The book dives into Cornish folklore, sea creatures, and mythology. Honestly I did struggle through the first part of the book, which details Kensa’s and Elowen’s childhood. I found the first part of the novel painfully slow, but understood that it was necessary to understand what was to come. The second part of the book flew by for me. While the first part was a slow burn, the second a raging wildfire. 


It’s a beautifully written novel. Loved the history of this part of England with its superstitions and traditions. 


Definitely a novel to be savored, not devoured. 

By Matthew F Jones
** Publication Date 27 January 2026 **
​3.5 stars


Sometimes you read a novel and you aren’t quite sure how you feel about it at the end. This novel had my head spinning, and I really don’t know how much I liked it. I suppose the fact that I hung on until the very end means something. 


Spinks is a former Marine, current insurance salesman with a side gig selling marijuana. One night after a visit to a client’s property off Black Cat Hollow Road, he comes across a young girl. The young girl stumbles out of the forest and up to his truck. When another vehicle approaches, Spinks grabs the girl and hauls her into the truck.


From there, everything becomes kind of a blur. The story hops back and forth between Spinks time in Afghanistan, his current place and time, and before, the time with his wife and daughter. It becomes a confusing mix of reality and fantasy and not knowing what’s real. I think what keeps the reader going through all this is to try to sort the reality from fiction or the hallucinations of a madman. Because there were times while reading this that I had to reread a sentence or paragraph several times just to understand it. 


We know Spinks suffered greatly in Afghanistan. We know that his current situation whether real or imagined sucks. Perhaps you will have a better understanding when you reach the end.


Not quite a mystery. Not quite horror. Not sure what I truly think.