By Jo Nichols
** Publication Date 19 August 2025 **
​4 stars


Santa Barbara, California, is such a lovely seaside town. The ocean, the architecture, the people. It’s a wonderful place to visit. To live there would be a dream. Over the years Santa Barbara has become rather elite and exclusive. 


The Marigold Cottages, however, have remained affordable, because their owner, Mrs B, rents on a sliding scale. What can you afford? Mrs B will make it work for you. As such, there are a variety of tenants. There’s Ocean and her two kids. Ocean was practically raised by Mrs B, and when she was divorced, she moved back in. Sophie, a young aspiring playwright, whose rent is being subsidized by her parents. Sophie had a very bad experience in the past and now appreciates that she lives in a place where she feels safe.


There is Nicholas. He works for the city. There is some connection between Mrs B and him, but no one is quite sure what it is. Hamilton, who is essentially housebound. Lily-Ann, separated from her husband, left her very large amazing home to live in the cottages while she figures out what’s next. 


And the latest tenant, Anthony, an ex-con that Mrs B swears has a heart of gold.


Almost the Island of Misfit Toys, this is quite a collection. So when a dead body is found outside the cottages, it causes quite a stir amongst the residents. They vow to try to solve the murder to protect the innocence of the residents, and in doing so, make them quite the little, mismatched family.


I love books like this. Creating a place where I would love to live. To be a part of this wacky group of people. Each character has such defining features and mannerisms. Even the police detective is entertaining. The dialogue is fun and sometimes fast paced. It truly is a mystery of who committed the murder - and the final explanation makes perfect sense, or does it? This book has some serious twisting going on.


Highly recommend!

By Poppy Alexander
** Publication Date 19 August 2025 **
​4 stars


I think owning a bookshop by the seashore would be a lovely way to spend my life. Being able to live above said bookshop? Even better. 


Jules grew up in the town of Portneath, where her dear Aunt Flo owned Capelthorne Books. Aunt Flo is just the latest to caretake the amazing small bookshop which has been in Portneath for nearly 100 years. When Jules’s mother Maggie leaves her a message that she must come home immediately due to Aunt Flo’s demise, Jules panics. After all, Aunt Flo was more of a mother/grandmother to Jules than her own mother Maggie. 


In London, Jules works for a small publishing house with an evil headmaster. When Jules asks for a bit of time off to tend to her elderly aunt, her boss will not comply. Furthermore, she essentially tells Jules, be here Monday morning or don’t come back at all. Jules is owed the time off. Family is family however, and Jules is not going to put her job ahead of her loved ones needing her.


Turns out that Aunt Flo definitely did need her, but her demise was seriously exaggerated. In any case, now Jules is home. She realizes how old and frail Aunt Flo is, and that it is her turn to be there for Aunt Flo. Jules goes about getting Aunt Flo settled downstairs and taking over the running of the bookshop.


Until an empty building across the street is unveiled to be another bookshop! Even worse, it is owned by the Montbeau’s eldest, Roman. The Montbeaus and Capelthornes have a longstanding feud. It goes back to a drunken card game some 100 years ago, but it is still going strong. 


Roman is a beautiful man, and Jules is once again smitten, other than her disdain for the family and now the bookshop. Yet, when the two are forced together over and over again, it becomes clear that maybe it’s time to let the feud die with the previous generation. 


Excellent read. Quick, cute, boy and girl enemy trope. Still I loved the play on the Montagues and Capulets with not only the names but the plot. The Capelthorne bookshop sounds like a dream of a place, and there are so many side stories in this novel to keep you enchanted. The characters are very likable, even enemy Roman. I could read about these two again and again. Or even the whole town. Portneath is a place I’d love to inhabit. 

By Archer Sullivan
** Publication Date 12 August 2025 **
​4 stars


I’m fascinated by Appalachian folklore. The tale of the Witch of Quartz Creek is a story that changes with each telling. Every person has a slightly different version of the story. The moral is always the same though. Be careful what you wish for.


Annie is a private investigator. She’s tiny but packs a powerful punch. A former investigator in the military, she’s honed her skills enough to be good, but not very financially successful. She takes the work when she can get it, especially if she finds it fascinating.


Max comes to her with a plea. He’s been saving as long as he could to try to find his sister who was abducted ten years ago. His sister Molly wasn’t the only abduction. There was Jessica, and also Olivia, who was returned after just a few days. Olivia is autistic. Jessica and Molly were better choices, as they were whole.


Ten years have passed, but no one has been able to solve the disappearances. Annie comes to town and stirs things up. Most of the town doesn’t want it all stirred up again. Not the sheriff, not Jessica’s father, not Olivia’s mother. But there are some who are willing to go the extra length to try to help Annie find the answers that Max is looking for.


Really well woven story. While it clearly pointed at just a few suspects from the beginning, the story of this very small mountain town and the folklore of the witch is fascinating. Annie is a tough cookie who simply won’t give up, even when a lot is thrown at her. I loved the friendships that she made while staying in Quartz Creek. The characters of the town were amazing as well. The writing was beautiful and very well laid out. I hope that Annie will be around for a few more books.


Excellent and quick read.

By Ella Berman
** Publication Date 5 August 2025 **
​4 stars


Having grown up in L.A. in the 70s, this was somewhat a trip down memory lane. I remember a lot of the places mentioned in the book. So for me this was a fun ride. While I definitely wasn’t old enough to be into the scene that the characters were, I can say I remember some of my friends’ parents being part of them.


Lane is a writer. She’s done very well as a journalist based in New York, but she wants to tackle a novel. Lane thinks that LA is the place to do it. Since she really won’t be leaving too much behind in NYC, it’s a fairly easy move. 


But LA isn’t what Lane expected. She moves into a small apartment in the Hollywood area. A stone’s throw from Chateau Marmont and Laurel Canyon. When she is invited to a party by an acquaintance, she meets Gala. Gala is everything that screams ‘the scene’ in Los Angeles. Vibrant, wild, reckless all describe Gala. When Gala sees how closed off Lane is, she makes it her mission to break her out of her shell. 


In comes Charlie. Charlie who is beautiful and rich and definitely not into women. But times as they are, Charlie can’t afford for anyone to know for certain that Charlie is gay. He and Lane strike up a friendship that is mutually beneficial. They are best friends. Charlie does everything he can to make Lane the talk of the town. 


But as so true in Los Angeles, things are not always what they seem. Gala’s devil may care attitude may come back to bite her. Lane’s stoicism isn’t going to make her a lot of friends. And no matter how hard Charlie tries to hide his homosexuality, people are going to suspect. Life is going to speed off the rails for all of them, if they continue on their current trajectories.


The dynamics of the relationship between Gala and Lane is so fascinating. Not exactly competitive, at least not for Gala. Lane believes that there is only one right way to go, and it’s not Gala’s way. It’s a quite taut existence. Sometimes they are the best of friends, other times sworn enemies. I really liked the way that Berman was able to dive into the core of these two women. The remaining characters tend to be a bit more superficial, but the story does really focus on Lane, and her brokenness. 


It was good. Slow to begin but works its way up to a pace that means you won’t want to put it down. There are plenty of fireworks to keep you engaged.

By Sarah Stewart Taylor
** Publication Date 5 August 2025 **
4 stars


Agony Hill was the first in this new series from Sarah Stewart Taylor. Agony Hill was really good, and I wanted to find out what happened to Warren, Sylvie, and Alice. 


Turns out there was another death in Bethany, Vermont. This time at a private hunting and fishing lodge just out of town.  It was assumed that the death was an accident. After all, so many hunters in the woods, a stray shot might have gotten him. But there were other things that made it a bit suspicious. The victim was a recently retired ambassador. Not retired of his own accord, but forced out. 


Warren and Pinky are on the case. They get the body to the coroner and begin questioning the group that is on property. It seems that many of the members might have good cause to have shot the man. Alibis abound and suspicions arise. Which one of these men could have wanted him dead? Or was it simply a stray bullet that got him?


Everyone is present in this follow up. Sylvie is still pregnant with her late husband’s baby. Alice is hosting a dinner party for friends, Warren included. Pinky has matured a bit since the last investigation, and definitely appears to be Warren’s right hand man now.


It’s a great group of characters that will be fun to follow through the series. So much intrigue where Alice is concerned. Will Warren & Sylvie become more than acquaintances? I can’t wait to see what comes next. 


I like this little slice of Vermont. While I wouldn’t call these ‘cozy’ mysteries, the town of Bethany is fairly cozy. I hope that we’ll get to see more of Jenny and the others in the next installment.


Enjoyable read.