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Historical

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Duel of Beasts

by Jeff Ayers

What starts as a simple mission quickly turns deadly in the Morrisons’ latest chronicle of the life of excommunicated knight Gerard Fox and his wife, Willa. They want to deliver news to noblewoman Madelena about her brother’s death, but others want to keep her from learning the truth as long as they can. Madelena’s sister-in-law, Helvira, plans to seize power once her husband passes away. She’s having a secret affair with the Vizier Nayar, and a letter Gerard and Willa are planning to deliver reveals Nayar’s treachery with Helvira. If the truth of their affair were discovered, it would get them killed, so the two of them will do anything to stop Willa and Gerard from revealing the truth to Madelena. The Vizier has a collection of wild animals he uses to take out his enemies, and if Gerard and Willa are not careful, they will end up on the menu. Spain in the 1350s comes to glorious life in this non-stop action adventure, and the combination of history, culture, and romance will satisfy any reader who enjoys a great, suspenseful read. Though it’s the fourth in the series, it’s not necessary to have read the previous three to dig this one. But you’ll want to get them after finishing Duel of Beasts. Just stay away from the animal cages.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

The Fourth Wife

by Dodie Ownes

Hazel Russon’s life in 1882 Utah territory is defined by three things: the Mormon church, polygamy, and the men, who call themselves priests and bishops, who control both. She knows she’s supposed to suppress her sinful dreams of a monogamous life with her sweetheart and her desire for the freedom to play her beloved piano. But she must, and becoming the fourth wife of Jacob Manwaring, she’s carted far away from her home, family, and civilization. Her new homestead is shared with strangers: Sister Prudence, the most recent; Sister Abby, first wife; and Sister Flora, second wife. Federal agents are pursuing polygamists, so the family must be careful how and where they are seen. When Hazel senses something shifting in the house—the actual building— her fears about being a sister wife ratchet up. Jacob, who promised her a piano, now says they don’t have one—but what about the box piano she finds in the attic? She sees apparitions, but the only one that acknowledges them is one of the children. And who is the seemingly cursed woman, and why will the others not speak of it? And is Hazel really only the fourth wife? Hamilton, a historian specializing in Mormon women in polygamy, drew inspiration from her polygamous ancestors to create this horror story grounded in historical reality. Mormon gothic at its finest.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

The Silent House of Sleep

by Danise Hoover

Book of the Week March 5, 2026

It is 1928 when we meet highly respected pathologist Dr Jack Cuthbert. In a deft combination of mystery and history we follow him from his early days as a medical student to his time in the trenches of WWI and on to his present position of respect and authority. He faces a case that’s a true puzzler: two naked bodies buried together, tied facing each other, but with different times and methods of death. The narration takes readers back and forth in time, from Cuthbert’s war and medical-school experience to his present-day 1928, establishing the basis for the nuances of the characters. Cuthbert’s young assistant, Morgenthal, and a contentious-at-first police inspector, Mowbray, form the team that must sort out the murders, with an unlikely clue coming from Virgil. The author gives us an unvarnished view of the trenches, the social constraints of the times, and the early days of forensic medicine. This is the first in a trilogy, which was published in the UK in 2023 and won a Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, is an exceptional addition to the genre. —Danise Hoover

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Review

The Oxford Guide to Scandal and Lies

by Brian Kenney

A delightful take on espionage fiction, laced liberally with wit, mystery, romance, and a bit of Muriel Spark. It’s 1951, and England is busy putting itself back together, from physical infrastructure to its notorious class system. The setting is Oxford, where we are introduced to two students who couldn’t be more unalike: Honorable Ginevra Bishop (destined to wear red lipstick and earn top marks) and Sidney Braithwaite (from a mining family and now a war veteran who wants a successful career). The two are brilliant at ignoring each other, but M15 has its ways, and soon enough Gin and Sidney are working together to track down a poison victim and seek out a Soviet spy. Who could be next? While there is plenty of antipathy between the two, there’s also quite a bit of romantic tension, which rears itself from times to time. For fans of historical cozies and fun-yet-frightening spy capers.—Brian Kenney

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Review

In the Spirit of French Murder

by Brian Kenney

Book of the Week February 5, 2026

The fourth in Cambridge’s series is a deeply compelling work of historical fiction that’s sure to appeal to a broad range of readers. Set in Paris in the years after the Second World War, these books have 30-year-old Tabitha Knight at their center, living with and cooking for her elderly uncles. She also enjoys occasional visits from her good friend, and Cordon Bleu student, Julia Child (who has just a few cameo appearances, but makes up for that by being loads of fun). In this volume, Tabitha is pulled deep into the world of the Resistance fighters, whose work often went unnoticed after the war, although the differences they made in many people’s lives were enormous. Nonetheless, not everyone is ready to celebrate their work, and when one of the Fighters is murdered, followed by another, and Tabitha’s beloved uncles are threatened, it is time for her to step up and investigate. Fortunately, she has the handsome Inspecteur Merveille on her side, and while he may look critically at Tabitha’s crime solving activities, her bravery and smarts incrementally win him over. Might we be getting close to a kiss?—Brian Kenney

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Review

Thirty Feet Under: A Mystery

by Willy Williams

When an ancient marble sphinx is stolen from a small museum in Italy, the Carabinieri enlist the assistance of the FBI Art Squad in recovering the piece, which may have been smuggled into the United States. Lowly agent Kate Taylor, who has spent the last three years doing dull computer and filing work, is thrilled to be finally assigned to a real case, especially since she’ll be partnering (although via Zoom) with her Italian counterpart, the gorgeous Luca. Meanwhile, failed New York art dealer Paul Krugman has resigned himself to working for his dollar-store-tycoon father until he receives an intriguing call from his British dealer friend, Harry, that will change his life. Both Kate and Paul gradually find themselves involved with an international art-smuggling ring and the lost tomb of Alexander the Great. Ignore the publisher’s blurb; this debut mystery, which was a finalist for the 2024 Crime Writers of Canada Best Unpublished Crime Manuscript, is not the next Dan Brown thriller, and that is a good thing. Wodhams writes with more style and humor than the plodding Brown, and his characters, despite their sometimes irritating and foolish actions, have more appeal than the preachy Robert Langdon. Although the ending feels rushed and a few geographical errors raised this New Yorker’s eyebrows (the 9 subway train was discontinued in 2005), this promising thriller offers an entertaining and insightful look at morally ambiguous art-world trading in looted artifacts. (The book’s title refers to the depth at which significant archaeological findings have often been uncovered).—Willy Williams

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Review

The Spies of Hartlake Hall

by Danise Hoover

The year is 1917, and we begin in a seemingly mundane office of the Admiralty, where a seemingly mundane secretary finds a dead body in a locked room. She is, of course, an agent, as is her supervisor. In the dead man’s possession is a secret coded telegram that belongs in the admiral’s safe. Thus begins an incredibly tangled story of spies and deception with all the players invited to a country-house shooting party. Gallagher, boss of Mrs. Vane, our secretary, has engineered the weekend event at his stepfather’s house with the intent of smoking out the traitors and planting the right kind of misinformation in the correct ears. A greedy underhanded American, a misguided but loyal Armenian, terrible food, and cold drafty rooms liven things up.  Graham pays some homage to Agatha Christie in that members of the group keep dropping off, but there are plenty left to finish up the story. Those with poor name memory will do well to take notes, as this is as convoluted as it is entertaining.—Danise Hoover

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Review

She Made Herself a Monster

by Dodie Ownes

Book of the Week 12.11.25

When Kiril returns to his village of Koprivci after getting medical training in the city, he is struck once again how superstition and the Captain, the man who adopted him, control the townspeople. Preparing to set up a practice in town, he feels betrayed by Anka, his adopted sister; and friends Margarita and Simeon, who are betrothed. And Anka, just 16, will be married to the Captain as soon as she begins to menstruate, which only her caretaker Yulia can help her hide. An eviscerated chicken is found on the church steps and blood is found in eggs, all terribly bad signs for a village that is already known to be cursed. When Yana, a vampire hunter and seer, arrives, the Captain sets her the task of finding a cause for all the misfortune. Who, or what, is responsible? Could it be the pregnant widow Nina, whose husband, the village smithy, was killed by a blow from the Captain’s horse? Or maybe the Devil himself? Anka is seeking a purpose, and believes Yana can provide her with it, if she can escape the Captain. This heady Gothic debut dabbles in witchcraft and superstition while still tackling themes of betrayal and domestic abuse, weaving in stories from Slavic folklore. Eerie, haunting, and captivating.

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Review

Ruby Falls

by Dodie Ownes

Times are hard everywhere in 1928, but when Leo Lambert discovers a huge underground waterfall in a cave system outside Chattanooga, he is convinced it can be a moneymaker and names it after his wife, Ruby. There are curiosity seekers, but Ruby Falls needs something sensational to bring the crowds and their coins to town. Enter Professor Jeremiah Hagathorn, known all over the Midwest for his mind-reading skills, whom Leo challenges to find a hatpin hidden somewhere in the six miles of caves around Ruby Falls. With a small entourage in tow, including a newspaper reporter and Hagathorn’s wife, Editha, Hagathorn embarks on his mission. Unbeknownst to the group, Quinton, a cave guide, and Ada, a recent widower who has been secretly roaming the caves, have been charged with following the professor and others to ensure their safety. When the reporter is found dead after their first night in the caves, Hagathorn insists on continuing his quest before returning to the surface to report the murder, despite knowing that the killer is among them. No one is to be trusted, and as supplies dwindle, suspicions grow. Phillips gives readers two stories here—the sensational hatpin search amidst the danger and grandeur of Ruby Falls, and Ada’s grieving for a life never lived, not knowing about the one that lies before her. A historical mystery in a unique setting, adding “locked cave” to the genre vernacular.

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Review

The Kindness of Strangers

by Brian Kenney

42 Tregunter Road in Chelsea is a sort of glamorous boarding (glamboarding?) house, crowded with quite the menagerie of residents. In this classic golden-age murder mystery set just in post-World War II England—chocolate is finally no longer rationed—it’s a stranger’s arrival that sets the story into motion. The old Victorian houses the owner, Mrs. Honor Wilson, a Bohemian who publishes a literary journal; writer Robbie; Mina, would-be detective; debutante George; and Saul, who would like to forget his refugee past. Then into the cozy home arrives Jimmy Sullivan, whose presence sets everyone else atwitter, and who smoothly moves into the attic (Honor claims he is a friend of the family. No one believes her). From there the story really takes off as Jimmy’s secrets, lies, and schemes come tumbling out, leaving one of the group most resolutely dead. A delightful period piece as sophisticated as it is humorous.

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