By Madeline Watts 
** Publication Date 18 February 2025 **
4 stars

This was an interesting first-person narrative of the events surrounding a trip through the southwest U.S. At times it did drag a bit, and as it was told only from the eyes of one character, I’m not sure we ever fully grasped the second main character, the husband. However, a lot of the writing was so descriptive and lyrical, it felt like I was traveling along with them.


Eloise is our narrator. She is working on her doctorate dissertation which is about the Colorado River and the effects of drought on the Southwest. Her husband, Lewis, has been called to Las Vegas to meet with his boss. This gives them a jumping off point. 


While this story focuses on the journey down the Colorado River, it is more about the relationship between Eloise and Lewis. Lewis plays a distant supporting role. All we really know about him is Eloise’s reactions to him. He seems childlike in many ways - filming himself dancing in restaurant bathrooms and wanting to be the center of attention. We are merely an audience on the sidelines. 


This novel is unique in many ways. It is also really informative about the region they travel through. There are crises and tragedies, but also sheer joy. It wasn’t the easiest read I had in 2024 but I did enjoy it. Being from the southwest, it reminded me of places I’ve been, but also places I’d love to see. 


I didn't love this novel, but it was a good way to end my reading journey of 2024. 

By Anne Tyler
** Publication Date 11 February 2025 **
​4 stars

This was a nice palate cleanser after a string of suspense and thriller novels. It’s a graceful character study of a woman in midlife trying to figure out what comes next. Anne Tyler is known for her exquisite novels. Three Days in June does not disappoint.


Gail is an assistant headmistress of a private school. When the headmistress decides she’s retiring, Gail thinks she should be a shoe-in for the position, but instead she finds herself being pushed out. She’s only sixty-one. However, now isn’t the time to dwell on this, as her daughter is getting married this weekend. Her husband shows up on her doorstep with a foster cat, her daughter has a moment of pre-wedding doubts, and Gail the perfectionist isn’t quite ready to handle the chaos. These three days are going to give her plenty of time for reflection and a realization of how to move forward.


Anne Tyler truly is a brilliant writer. There is such depth in this novel. Gail is truly not a very likable character, but over the three days, she does look inward to see where things may have gone wrong. It’s the kind of writing that sucks you in. The story unfolds perfectly, just a little bit at a time, with a fulfilling ending. Enjoy. 

By Ande Pliego
** Publication Date 11 February 2025 **
4.5 stars

This one kept me guessing right up until the end. A little bit of horror, a little bit of suspense. The debut novel from Ande Pliego is gripping. Never know what is going to come next.


A group of authors has been invited to a writer’s retreat on a private island. The island is owned by the reclusive author known as JR Alastor. No one really knows who this person is, but Alastor is a successful, published mystery writer. Alastor has invited a specific group of authors to share his private retreat for one week. There will be mystery dinners every night. A lot of games afoot.


Mila is Alastor’s assistant. She has been responsible for rehabbing the entire estate and island to her boss’s specifics. Alastor even insisted on the two staff members - the cook and housekeeper. Mila has been responsible for planning the daily games, but she is also unaware of any secret plans that Alastor has. She’s also never met JR Alastor. 


When the ferry arrives with the invitees, Mila is there to greet them. Each person has their own room, with the exception of the one married couple in the group. They are informed about the dinner plans and left to their own devices until then. Come dinnertime, they are treated to game number one. Later that evening, one of the authors goes missing.


The next day that author is found dead in the island’s cemetery. And the plot thickens.


Really amazing novel. It is a bit long, but it needs to be to cover the amount of information with this group. It’s also a bit graphic and horrific, but not unduly. The novel is a horror/mystery novel after all. I loved it. I enjoyed the wild ride. Each new section made me wonder, is it this person? I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

By S. F. Baumgartner
​** Publication Date 26 November 2024 **
4 stars 


I love Christmas themed books. They’re so much fun to read around the holidays. Usually they’re not murder mysteries, which adds a new twist to this one.


KC is a detective with a small police force in Pine Grove, Florida. She’s the only detective on the force, so when things happen in their town, she gets called. Just a few days before Christmas, a local councilman is killed. When the detective from the Sheriff’s office shows up to help, KC is less than thrilled. But being this was a councilman, she feels like she has no choice but to let him assist.


As the days pile up, so do the bodies. An investigative journalist, a police officer. The pressure is on KC to solve this one. She enlists the help of the local FBI office, one very attractive agent named Nate Tanner. Together they realize this case goes deep into local government. They are on the clock to solve the mystery before another body appears.


This was a short one, but boy was it good. I finished it in one afternoon! Loved KC. She’s tough and driven. Smart. Not easily pushed around by the men. The mystery itself was good. I had my suspicions from the beginning, but it wasn’t confirmed until near the end. Also, there were others involved. Well tied up at the end, but there for the next installment as well.


Good read and will definitely want to read the rest of the series. 

By Jessica Goodman
** Publication Date 4 February 2025**
4 stars 



A good murder mystery has you pointing fingers at everyone before the final reveal of the murder. This novel certainly didn’t disappoint, as I had guessed just about everyone. 


Meadowbrook Academy is a very elite, private prep school in Connecticut. As is tradition, the senior class arrives a week prior to the underclassmen. A time to bond, party, prepare for the final year of high school.


Amy Alterman is a senior from Palo Alto, California. Her best friend since freshman year, and her roommate, Sarah Oliver grew up in the east. Both are only children. Both raised in wealth. Both smart, athletic, beautiful. Until one of them ends up dead, and the other appears to be a suspect.


Fantastic novel with lots of misunderstandings, as will happen in a high school setting. The adults in the room (or in this case, in the school) sometimes seem as childish as teenagers can be. The adults do not set the best example. Meanwhile we have a high school student ending up rooming with the one person she never wanted to, and learning that those you might never consider your friends, might be the next person you rely on.


I truly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and well pieced together. While there are hints of the perpetrator, it isn’t an easy guess. There are lots of life lessons inserted along the way as well. 


Great read. 
​