Category: Book Reviews

A Midnight Puzzle, by Gigi Pandian

A Midnight Puzzle is the third book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries, a delightful cozy mystery series featuring Tempest Raj, a stage magician/illusionist, and her family. The series gets its name from her father’s architecture-and-construction company, which specializes in secret rooms, hidden staircases, and other architectural puzzles. Tempest’s skills in creating and figuring out illusions come in very handy as she and her friends investigate several murders, each involving the Secret Staircase firm’s clients or jobsite in some way.

Inheritance, by Nora Roberts

Inheritance, the first book in Nora Roberts’s Lost Brides trilogy, provides the perfect blend of wish-fulfillment fantasy, friendship, romance, and deliciously spooky atmosphere.

A Short History of the World According to Sheep, by Sally Coulthard

I loved Sally Coulthard’s A Short History of the World According to Sheep! As a fiber crafter and life-long history buff, I found the book fascinating, well-researched, and entertaining. Coulthard explores the ways in which sheep have both shaped and been shaped by human civilization, from our first domestication of the animals to today.

Flash, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Fun, but not memorable
I enjoyed Flash, but I don’t think it’s going on my list of favorite Krentz books. I had read it 12 or 15 years ago, and had forgotten literally everything about it, which tells you something right there.

Nuts and Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World in a Big Way, by Roma Agrawal

In Nuts and Bolts: Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World in a Big Way, Roma Agrawal argues that the humble nail, wheel, spring, magnet, pump, lens, and string are fundamental engineering inventions upon which most of our modern technology depends. I found it fascinating to explore with her the various applications of these inventions throughout history and see how widely they are used today — often in unexpected ways.

The Real Inspector Hound, by Tom Stoppard

Stoppard has a genius for combining humor with really thought-provoking philosophical questions, and he pulls off both with style in The Real Inspector Hound. I’m going to avoid the pretentiousness of the two theatre critic characters, Moon and Birdboot, and simply say that I laughed throughout the entire reading…

Legends & Lattes, by Travis Baldree

Heartwarming cozy fantasy
What can I say about Legends & Lattes that hasn’t already been said? Baldree’s breakout, bestselling debut novel hits the sweet spot for me: low-stakes cozy fantasy, found family, believable (and likeable) main character, interesting secondary characters, and solid worldbuilding with a D&D feel. It’s a well-crafted novel with good pacing and just the right amount of description…enough to bring the scenes vividly to life without overwhelming the action or Viv’s emotional journey.

The Lantern’s Dance, by Laurie R. King

I was very excited to read The Lantern’s Dance, the first new Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes mystery since 2021’s Castle Shade. Once started, I could hardly put it down, staying up until 2:30 in the morning to reach the denouement. Like The Murder of Mary Russell, the novel alternates between past and present narratives, slowly revealing hidden connections that surprised and enchanted me.

Gabriel’s Angel, by Nora Roberts

Gabriel’s Angel is an excellent example of just how good category romance can be when it’s done well, within the strict confines of length and style imposed by the publisher. Gabriel, a reclusive artist on the run from grief, and Laura, a woman trying desperately to protect her unborn child, are both in pain from events in their recent pasts. Each needs something the other can give: inspiration, protection, understanding, healing.

Why Fish Don’t Exist, by Lulu Miller

Why Fish Don’t Exist is a short but fascinating and well-written book which combines biography, memoir, science (particularly taxonomy), and philosophy. Written by Lulu Miller, who cohosts both RadioLab and NPR’s Invisibilia podcast, the book recounts Miller’s fascination and subsequent disillusionment with David Starr Jordan, a prominent scientist and scholar during the late 19th and early 20th century.