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The Author Weekend

by Chris Kahn

Book of the Week April 9, 2026

Faye Wader, NYT bestselling author of the Kitty Howe mystery series, finally makes the plunge with the encouragement of her assistant, Jade, and hosts her first ever author event. On Misery Island, a place of nostalgic fun and hijinks for Faye, the 50 attendees will be able to attend Pre- Post- or Peri-Menopausal Mermaid Meditation; Publishing Confidential: Inside the Book Business, with Faye’s editor and agent; a Kitty Howe-themed Clambake, and more. The swag bags include plenty of kitsch, including signature Kitty Aviators, binoculars, and a lobster bib, along with copies of her last, and newest, title. And never mind that Faye’s number-one fan and critic, Peggy Mercer, will be there, surely with news of a misplaced comma or incorrect tense – all those other loyal adoring Kitty loyalists will lift Faye above that. The arrival of Faye’s franchise series rival, though not a complete surprise, ups the competition for attendees’ attention, as well as that of her editor, Merry, and her agent, Hal. Distracted by concerns with her forthcoming manuscript and lack of feedback from Hatchet, her publisher, Faye slips up on a plot point detail, which Peggy recognizes as a lie in Faye’s own backstory. Meanwhile Xoey, a social media maven who’s crippled without her phone, is desperate to tell the “author weekend story.” Feeling trapped by a prescribed wardrobe and envy, Faye begins to spiral. Before long, the bodies start to pile up. Readers will delight in discovering who ends up on the top of the heap, both literally and figuratively. A sharp, gossipy, and hilarious satire of the publishing business.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

The Whisper

by Henrietta Thornton

Four girls in each generation inherit the spell book and the secrets of magic and witchcraft in the mountain town of Whisper Ridge. Sophie, Joey, Quinn, and Elena were the chosen ones 15 years ago. Fascinated and thrilled by their new abilities, they magically hid a trail among Aspens on the edge of town and used their secret place to practice their skills. Everything fell apart when Quinn was found dead, with only Joey staying in town and dedicating herself to investigating her friend’s death—an investigation that locals think is unnecessary given that the police say Joey died accidentally. Now, curiosity and a film being shot in town have drawn Sophie and Elena back, and the three are forced to confront what really happened and how small-town dynamics can cement both love and toxicity. The magical element stays mostly in the background here but adds an unusual and absorbing twist to the rural whodunit. Still more interesting is how Iversen pits an ancient force against modern dangers to great effect. A chilling friendship tale whose ending readers won’t see coming.—Henrietta Thornton

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Review

Rules for Aging and Larceny

by Henrietta Thornton

A combination of nostalgia, free time, and the same girl-power attitude that saw them the target of an FBI investigation 50 years ago just might bring down a group of 70-somethings who regroup for one last heist. It all fell apart so badly years ago that they haven’t spoken since, but when Frances Deluca learns that she hasn’t got long left, she finagles her old friends, and one friend’s granddaughter, into taking revenge on someone who’s swindled one of the group. This girl gang is of the Robin Hood type and readers will relish both the emotion-filled caper and the ramping up of the bad guy’s comeuppance, which culminate in a high-stakes Ocean’s 11 (if the movie stars wore comfortable shoes and shirts with kittens on the collar). Books starring elderly characters are having a moment, as chronicled in our recent article Senior Slayers and Sleuths, and fans of those titles are the audience for this fun and sharp-witted tale of women who don’t let age stop them.—Henrietta Thornton

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Review

Good Girls Die Bored

by Henrietta Thornton

Working security at an LA stripper club should be an easy gig for Juno Hardwick after time as a marine in Afghanistan when her friend was killed, a loss that haunts Juno. But her surveillance background means she can’t take it easy and that she’s soon back with military colleagues, this time in the high-end security business. From the start, her gig as part of a team guarding journalist Maelle Ruiz—think the crack investigation skills of Ronan Farrow, with a mark on her back from uncovering corruption. Maelle won’t reveal details of exactly why she needs protection at an upcoming celebrity-packed gala, and the team leaders are also less than forthcoming. Secrecy heightens the thrills as Juno moves from one exciting chase to another and ends up in a how-can-she-escape trap as the book closes, with twists thrown in to keep readers’ heads spinning. Juno is a character with guts and flaws to spare, with the several women surrounding her in this breakneck-speed tale equally complicated and interesting. One for lovers of women-led espionage.—Henrietta Thornton

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Review

Death Do Us

by Dodie Ownes

Bea can’t believe her luck when handsome and well-heeled Jake spots her at a bar, a meeting that which blooms into coupledom, and soon , engagement. He is kind and thoughtful, and she should just put her ex- completely out of her mind. That relationship didn’t end well, and this is a chance for a fresh start. Bestie Joy has her doubts, though:  – Bea, with her green hair and archeology degree, has never been the “blushing bride” type, and fitting in with Jake’s large and wealthy family will be challenging. As soon as Bea puts on her engagement ring, a family heirloom and allegedly a relic from an ancient culture, things start to go awry. Her hair and skin begin to deteriorate, weird visions occur, and worse, her ex- starts texting her with increasingly ominous threats. Then there’s Millie— – Jake’s ex- and her mother-in-law Lorraine’s goddaughter—who thinks she should be the bride, and wants to control every element of the wedding. The hen do, the British term for a bachelorette party, is truly cringe-worthy, complete with blow-up dolls and a stripper/bartender. Flipping back and forth between Bea and Joy’s time at university and present day, this slow burn mystery combines elements of obsession, ancient curses, psychosis and otherness.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

It Happened One Murder

by Dodie Ownes

Harriet is a mess. She has just been fired from her job at HUMANS magazine (think People, with more scandal) and is forced to skulk back to her suburban home from NYC. Not that it’s so bad there—her mother’s most recent marriage to George George (yes, that is his name) has elevated her living conditions to a beautiful beach home, and her hometown friends Steven and Maggie are there to console and support her. When her mother decides to throw a lavish party for Harriet’s 26th birthday, all seems to be going well until there’s an outburst in the kitchen—Mr. George confronts Sara, the head chef for All Bright Catering, about an off-tasting canape, and all hell breaks loose. Then Har lays eyes on Nic, Sara’s brother, and swoons. This is when all the fun starts! Nic has changed a lot since he and Harriet had a two-week shagging affair after high school, and she left him just as abruptly, but doesn’t seem to remember him. Then Mr. George is found dead on the beach, with Sara kneeling over him, and her chef’s knife in the sand. What follows is a crazy race to clear Sara’s name by turning over every skeleton in town, run-ins with local police, breaking and entering, a trip to a shady excavating company, and yes, increasingly hot moments between Nic and Harriet. Lawson’s adult debut will have you laughing and guessing until the very end.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

Whidbey

by Dodie Ownes

In her fiction debut, Madden gifts readers with a complex psychological story that explores the lasting effects of violence and who controls the narrative of trauma. The novel unfolds from the alternating perspectives of three women whose lives are linked by one man, Calvin, who has just been murdered. They are Birdie Chang, a woman who was sexually abused by Calvin and is now on the run from him; Linzie King, another victim of Calvin’s, a former reality-TV star who has published a bestselling memoir about her experience; and Mary-Beth, Calvin’s devoted mother, who fiercely defended him throughout his legal troubles and struggles to reconcile the son she loves with the person capable of such actions. Moving across their voices and time, from Whidbey Island’s lush cool green to a sticky, tacky North Pole gas station in Florida, each woman examines what part she played in Calvin’s actions. A cast of secondary characters fills in the blanks. There’s Syl, Mary-Beth’s sister, who wonders why she ever allowed Cal into her home, which put her twin daughters in danger. And Rich, who meets Birdie on the ferry to Whidbey and offers to “take care of” Calvin for her, as well as Trace, Birdie’s girlfriend, who travels to Florida to do that herself. Madden masterfully captures the haze of lost and found memories, the urges to take revenge, and the regrets of those who knew, but did nothing.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

Time Travel for Beginners

by Jeff Ayers

When single-mom Anna gets hit by a car, she makes a life change and accepts a job working for an agency that claims that customers can time travel. Traveling to the past to fix a mistake or witness history seems irresistible, but online reviews of the experience are predominantly accusatory or complain about the high cost. Anna witnesses strange things on the job, including a door she’s not allowed to enter and a recurring visitor who either screams or cries after their trip through time. Then she learns about a mysterious death. Is the company a scam? What is the truth behind what Anna’s supposed to be selling? The reader follows Anna as she tries to uncover the truth along with Teddy, a man whose recent marriage imploded after his wife ran off with his brother; and Jade, who believes the Time Travel Agency is the root cause of her trauma. With compelling characters, a baffling mystery, and an ending that even savvy readers will not see coming, Moriarty’s latest is a winner that explores fate and how we are all connected.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body

by Brian Kenney

Book of the Week January 15, 2026

Dreadful yet droll, disturbing but also delightful, this is the tale of one couple so eager to escape from their hopeless marriage that each is secretly planning to “off” the other in the next few days. Daisy is a seamstress and designer who creates her own bizarre clothes using used frocks, castoffs from other residents, while abusive husband James convinces townies to invest in his sleazy cryptocurrency business.  Living in a deteriorating mansion that is as rundown as their relationship, each has a plan to get rid of. Just when they’re  driving home from a party, with ideas for how to murder each other dancing in their heads, Daisy hits a man. She had wanted James to drive as she felt too tipsy. While most people might call the cops, Daisy and James take an alternate route and drag the dying man home so as not to attract attention. His demise comes rapidly, leaving the couple stuck with the age-old dilemma: what to do with a corpse in your house. Then it occurs to Daisy to haul the corpse off to the family mausoleum, as one does, located in the nether reaches of their estate. All goes well until weeks later a huge storm initiates a flood that washes out the village, exposing decades of James’ family members. Gruesome, yes. But don’t you want to know who got to prison first?—Brian Kenney-

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Review

The Model Patient

by Dodie Ownes

In her late twenties, Evelyn left the glamorous world of modeling to marry charming and wealthy Henry, who encouraged her to settle into the good life, Sunday dinners with his family, holidays with the whole Westbrook clan. But now it’s the mid-sixties, London is swinging, and the set-up isn’t working for her—the pressure to get pregnant, Henry’s parents’ constant interference, and the isolation—and horrible dreams begin to plague Evelyn. At the suggestion of a former colleague, she secretly begins psychoanalysis with Dr. Patrick Daley. As the abuse that she suffered at the hands of a family friend while a teen is revealed, sessions with Dr. Daley become increasingly confusing—he seems to be encouraging her to love him, but gives nothing in return. Her best friend, Diana, tries to stabilize and support Evie, but gets pulled into a swirl of allegations that she is not sure she can trust. And someone is trying to make Evie believe that she is a bad, bad person. Ashe’s tight, smart thriller touches on women’s right to birth control, societal pressures to conform, and the changing mores of the modern world against the backdrop of The Beatles and Carnaby Street.—Dodie Ownes

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