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Review

You’ll Be Sorry

by Jeff Ayers

Amanda Grady returns to the small town of Shereford, the place she fled as a teenager, and takes on the role of police chief following her father’s death. At the same time, Raquel and Theo Collins arrive as newlyweds after a whirlwind romance, both aware that secrets from their past could threaten their future. Hoping for a clean start, they purchase a home long believed to be cursed, a house connected to the mysterious disappearance of the Dixon family 30 years earlier. The entire family vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a dog. When Raquel and Theo discover a stray dog on their property that may be the same one from that decades-old case, the town begins to take notice. Some believe that the couple may hold the key to finally uncovering what happened all those years ago. As pressure mounts, Amanda is pulled into an investigation her father was never able to solve. What she uncovers is both unsettling and deeply personal, revealing truths about the Dixon family’s fate while also raising troubling questions about the Collinses. Gardner skillfully builds suspense, revealing clues piece by piece until the shocking truth comes to light. Blending elements of horror, mystery, and psychological tension, this novel is gripping and memorable.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

Please Enjoy Your Stay

by Willy Williams

For 12 years, Mia has obsessed over the murder of her 17-year-old cousin, Tristan, at a notorious castle-turned-hotel in the Austrian Alps. Even though her eyewitness testimony convicted the hotel’s owner, Augustin Aiglar, the media implied that her aunt Iris, a best-selling true-crime author investigating a decades-old killing of an heiress at the castle, might have been involved. When Aiglar demands a retrial, a true-crime podcast reopens the case to prove his innocence. To protect her now reclusive aunt from more damaging lies, Mia goes undercover as a nanny for six-year-old Evie, the daughter of the castle’s new owner. But as she delves into the past, Mia uncovers secrets that mean she might have accused the wrong man. YA mystery author Goedjen (No Beauties or Monsters, The Breathless) makes her adult debut with an atmospheric, moody thriller laced with a touch of the Gothic and the supernatural. If some of the red herrings dropped throughout the text go nowhere, and if Mia is sometimes an irritating protagonist who recklessly exposes her young charge to danger as she seeks clues, Goedjen compensates with genuinely spooky scenes of suspense. A fast-paced read for fans of psychological thrillers.—Willy Williams

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Review

Fighting Edge

by Jeff Ayers

Deputy Mattie Walker and her K-9 partner, Robo, start the day with a grim discovery: a young mother murdered, her two-year-old daughter found alive in another room. The question lingers as to whether the child witnessed the attack. Not long after, Mattie pulls over a speeder, and Robo alerts to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. After the driver is arrested, a boy left behind refuses to speak, raising Mattie’s suspicions that he may be entangled in something far more dangerous, possibly even human trafficking. Meanwhile, Mattie’s husband, veterinarian Cole, stumbles upon a questionable dog kennel that may connect to her cases, deepening the mystery. As the investigation unfolds, the couple, still healing from past trauma, find their personal lives increasingly strained by the dangers surrounding them. Mizushima delivers another strong installment, skillfully balancing suspense with heartfelt character development. The small-town cast continues to deepen, with each character given moments to stand out. The unusual perspective of police work alongside a K-9 partner adds an extra layer of authenticity and intrigue. This series only gets better with each book, making it a must-read for fans of crime fiction and police procedurals. New readers can jump in easily but will likely want to track down the earlier entries once they finish.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

The Grapevine

by Dodie Ownes

Right from the first page, readers will be compelled to follow bull-headed and strangely loveable Lou Gommersall on a one woman (plus 1) quest to solve the mystery of her 19-year-old daughter’s disappearance a year ago. With aspiring journalist and tech nerd Ethan Ito by her side, Lou begins to unravel clues and “coincidences” that the police have yet to put together. Setting off on a desperate, impulsive road trip in her faithful RV Lady Luck, Lou plans to find Abby. She’s also determined to find the person responsible not only for Abby’s vanishing but for the fate of many other young women who disappeared on California’s scenic and often challenging I-5—specifically along the steep, mountainous “Grapevine” section near Los Angeles. Using every connection she can, from local law enforcement to trailer-park mavens, Lou moves in on the “creepo” identified by near-victims with the utmost conviction. But could she be wrong? Lou is the little dog with sharp teeth who will not let go, while her husband, Brian, just wants her to put this all behind her. The cat and mouse game is full on, and Lou finds unexpected allies as the path to the perp becomes clear. I can’t wait to see what Sokoloff and Robertson have in store for Lou and friends in this fantastic new series that’s packed with psychological thrills and propulsive momentum.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

Time to Burn

by Jeff Ayers

Book of the Week April 30, 2026

What if the ultra-wealthy could vacation in the past? In this imaginative premise, time travel is real and commercialized, with Tempus Tours, helmed by the enigmatic Inigo Frank, catering to elite thrill-seekers who are willing to pay a premium for front-row seats to history. Frank invites documentary filmmaker Phoebe Hunt to shadow him for a week, capturing both the behind-the-scenes operation and a group of tourists embarking on a harrowing excursion to London during the 1941 Blitz. The trip goes catastrophically wrong. Most of the party returns badly injured and in need of emergency care, but one traveler, Sasha, doesn’t come back at all. Phoebe’s documentary takes a sharp turn as she finds herself embedded in a desperate rescue mission, filming Frank and his team as they race to pull Sasha from the past. But the deeper Phoebe digs, the stranger things become. Details feel off—one party member was married to someone else entirely, Phoebe’s certain, and she has the unsettling sense that the missing woman is someone from Phoebe’s own past, tied to a mistake she’d rather forget. Lloyd’s gripping, thought-provoking narrative goes far beyond a clever sci-fi concept, using time travel as a lens to examine identity, consequence, and the hidden forces that shape who we become.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

Savvy Summers and the Po’Boy Perils

by Brian Kenney

There’s a lot going on in Jackson-Opoku’s latest book, the successor to her debut, Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes. But one topic is totally overwhelming, and that’s food. A longtime chef, Savvy owns a cafe in Chicago that draws plenty of patrons seeking her delectable, comfortable soul food. But Savvy is a bit restless, and when a long-term friend hires her to cater a company luncheon featuring Creole classics (po’boys, bread pudding…I just can’t stop) at a nearby office, the chef takes the job, only to find someone dead in the company’s conference room. Once again, Savvy has to manage her role as murder investigator while still keeping her cafe afloat. What’s really fun about Jackson-Opoku’s books is the richness of detail—with references to poetry, fiction, and song scattered throughout the text—as well as reports from friends and family. We’re fortunate to have a great new series to enjoy.—Brian Kenney

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Review

Promise Me Never

by Henrietta Thornton

Working at a literary agency while writing her own novel, Savannah meets megastar author Bennett and is smitten. She’s shocked when he seems to feel the same, and soon they’re in a whirlwind romance that rapidly gets serious. Savannah can’t help feeling it’s a little too quick, but tries to put doubts out of her mind. And if Bennett is a little too persistent in his wish for her to move out of New York City to relatively sleepy Bedford and get married, well, she shakes that off too. Who wouldn’t want to quit work and spend her days writing in a mansion? But soon her doubts are back when she hears local gossip that Bennett’s last wife’s drowning death may not have been an accident. And the more she lives with this controlling man, the more she’s convinced that the rumors about that death and other suspicious happenings in Bennett’s past are all too true. Constantine (a pen name for the duo of sisters behind The Next Mrs. Parrish) alternates chapters that impart Savannah’s and Poppy’s points of view, showing each woman’s fall to despair, with the characters’ voices ramping up the tension as the fast-moving thriller unfolds. These authors are already best sellers; this next book will satisfy their fans and bring in more readers who enjoy domestic turmoil and twists.—Henrietta Thornton

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Review

It’s Not What You Think

by Jeff Ayers

Book of the Week April 23, 20226

Nadeeka leaves work early, convinced that her boyfriend, Jamie, is cheating and determined to confront him. Instead, she arrives home to flashing lights, police tape, and the devastating news that Jamie has been stabbed to death in their living room. What begins as a search for his possible lover quickly spirals into something far more unsettling. As Nadeeka digs deeper, nothing about Jamie’s life lines up with the man she thought she knew. His coworkers insist her name is Nadia—the name he used for her. A cherished photo of the two of them is hidden away in a drawer rather than displayed. And then comes the most shocking revelation of all: Jamie’s ties to a white supremacist group called New Dawn, including his role in a local arson. The betrayal Nadeeka feared turns out to be the least of it. With each discovery, the ground beneath her shifts, pulling her into a reality that feels increasingly unreal. Mackintosh crafts a chilling, emotionally grounded thriller that continually upends expectations. Packed with sharp twists and a deeply sympathetic protagonist, It’s Not What You Think lives up to its title in every way, delivering a story that will keep even seasoned thriller readers guessing until the very end.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

Dungeons and Danger

by Danise Hoover

Hotelier and herbalist Nora Althorp lives and works in Ravensea, the family castle, outside of York. It has been occupied by members of her family for around one thousand years. As such, the ghosts that also reside in the castle are well known to the family and regularly communicate. This week is a busy one. A scholar is making a deal with Nora’s father to hunt for a Viking hoard on the property, proceeds to be split of course; a group of TV wanna-bees are on site to film the ghosts, with the hopes of commercial success; and Nora’s brother has set up a Viking fest for the weekend, complete with roast ox and burning dragon ship. The ghosts perform beautifully, leading people to clues, though not everyone behaves within honorable strictures as far as the treasure is concerned. There is a lot of skulking about, minor poisonings, and eventually a murder. Nora outdoes the police but readily shares what she learns. A very comfy cozy with friendly supernatural additions that is a nice easy read.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Storm Tide

by Brian Kenney

Unnerving and heart-pounding, this sixteenth book in Paul Doiron’s Storm Tide series recounts a year in the life of Maine game warden Mike Bowditch. And what a year it has been. It begins with the murder of well-off Brian Malloy, discovered—along with his wife—in a fire that destroyed their mansion. Bowditch tries, but fails, to save them; only their baby lives beyond the fire. Next in the murder line-up is Axl Deming. Once accused of a brutal rape, Axl is found on a frozen train track, severed in half. Are the two incidents somewhat related? Bowditch himself is worried about his small family. His wife, Stacey, is due to give birth in weeks, while finding herself being stalked by a giant with a white van. Bowditch is facing a disciplinary hearing that could destroy his career, while he is still occupied with covering frozen bays and remote reaches while in the line of duty. A deeply felt work of crime fiction that never shies away from discerning good from evil.—Brian Kenney

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