The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland

Title: The God of Endings
Series: n/a
Author: Jacqueline Holland
Source/Format: Publisher; Paperback ARC
More Details: Fantasy; Historical Fiction; Horror
Publisher/Publication Date: Flatiron Books; March 7, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

By turns suspenseful and enchanting, this breathtaking first novel weaves a story of love, family, history, and myth as seen through the eyes of one immortal woman

Collette LeSange is a lonely artist who heads an elite fine arts school for children in upstate New York. Her youthful beauty masks the dark truth of her life: she has endured centuries of turmoil and heartache in the wake of her grandfather’s long-ago decision to make her immortal like himself. Now in 1984, Collette finds her life upended by the arrival of a gifted child from a troubled home, the return of a stalking presence from her past, and her own mysteriously growing hunger.

Combining brilliant prose with breathtaking suspense, The God of Endings serves as a larger exploration of the human condition in all its complexity, asking us the most fundamental question: is life in this world a gift or a curse?

One of the books I had my eye on this year was Jacqueline Holland’s The God of Endings. It’s few and far in between that a vampire book catches my attention in the way this one did, but I was intrigued by everything I’d seen about. The synopsis reminded me of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue—a book I’ve still yet to read—with dual timelines and the exploration of character through the eyes of an immortal across a long period time. Rather than a Faustian bargain like Addie LaRue, The God of Endings has vampires.

This book is a blend of horror, fantasy, and historical fiction. There were many dark aspects of the story, including animal death. It also doesn’t shy from the darkness of history. It's main focus though was the myriad of struggles and all too brief moments of comfort/joy so closely tied into the life of Collette. As a vampire, she lived with the constant turmoil between what she’d been made into—contending with the hunger that comes with it—and her own sense of right and wrong in a reality that was difficult and full of tragedy. The story begins in much of the same manner, joy and sorrow, beginnings and endings. But, that was tied into the themes of the book, which played out in Collette’s present of 1984—as the owner and teacher of an art school for children—and her history beginning in the 1830s as the daughter of a gravestone carver. She didn’t always make the best decisions, reacted with her emotions or on assumptions, but that was the point of the story (where the best/logical/correct action isn't alway the one that's taken). Collette was fallible, but that added another layer of complexity. So, I appreciated the way Holland gradually built the story toward its inevitable conclusion. 

The God of Endings is a slow, contemplative, and meticulously detailed story. As a character study and exploration of the question posed by the synopsis, it worked. And, more often than not, I was anticipating the realizations long before Collette eventually made them. Her story was so haunting, and I was invested from the first page to the very last.

About the author....

Jacqueline Holland holds an MFA from the University of Kansas. Her work has appeared in Hotel Amerika and Big Fiction magazine, among others. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband and two sons. The God of Endings is her first novel.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Flatiron Books) in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Clock Striker Volume 1 by Issaka Galadima and Frederick L. Jones

Title: Clock Striker

Series: n/a
Author & Illustrator: Issaka Galadima; Frederick L. Jones 
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Manga; Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Rockport Publishers/ Quarto Publishing; February 7, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Cast dreams of being a SMITH, and though she’s rather handy with her tools, no one in her small town ever realizes their dreams. Besides, these legendary warrior engineers haven’t been seen in years and were never known for having female members. Fortunately, Cast meets one surviving member named Ms. Philomena Clock, who agrees to take her on as her apprentice, or striker. Now Cast is thrust into one deadly adventure after another! From cybernetic desperadoes to technology thieves and more, Cast has to use her mind and her remodeled robotics-lab prosthetic hand, which offers unfathomable offensive power in the form of scientific experiments. Need lightning? Cast can generate it from her hand! Cast’s mentor seeks to uncover an ominous mystery that explains what happened to the SMITHS and shines a light on a hidden power that may be within Cast herself. Can Cast become a new member of the SMITHS? More importantly, can Cast survive the process to become a SMITH? 

My second read of the year was Issaka Galadima and Frederick L. Jones’ Clock Striker. I saw this manga on Netgalley, and I was instantly intrigued by it.

The opening felt very on-brand for the genre, but I also enjoyed the backstory that was provided in the subsequent chapters afterwards. It was appropriately called the “Origin Arc.” And it clearly illustrated the type of character Cast was, as well as serving as a foundation for what led her to the situation in the first chapter. The characters—Cast, her brother, Fender, their mother, and people from their community—were easily endearing.

The following arc felt like another beginning, which turned out just as engrossing as the first. I easily got invested in the story, particularly with the mystery surrounding the current state of the Smiths.

Clock Striker also felt timely, because of the issues and themes. Even though it was under fantastical circumstances—with technology that on one hand was seemingly based on science and engineering, but it also behaved like magic—there was a frank realness to the story. This was particularly illustrated through the first arc of volume one, which hinted toward a link between the Smiths and the decline of a certain industry. The results were a struggling town and crooks targeting the vulnerable.

The visual storytelling was excellent, and I liked the character designs. There was also plenty of action mixed in with a few lighter scenes. Ultimately, however, it ends on a cliffhanger. That being said, I still had a lot of fun reading Clock Striker. 

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Rockport Publishers/ Quarto Publishing) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Title: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Series: Emily Wilde #1
Author: Heather Fawcett
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Historical Fantasy; Romance
Publisher/Publication Date: Del Rey Books; January 10, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people. So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her. But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.

One of my most anticipated releases of January 2023 was Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I was instantly intrigued by the synopsis and couldn’t wait to start reading it.

This story was delightful and written as if recounted in the titular character’s journal. It was a little like the Veronica Speedwell books crossed with The Invisible Library series. But, instead of a mystery or crime, there was a focus on faeries, folklore, and research. After all, the point of the story was Emily Wilde’s attempt to gather more material for her encyclopedia. Set during winter and its approach, and focused on the area in and around a village called Hrafnsvik.

I enjoyed the academic aspect about Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. There was a lot of effort put in to building the field the characters worked within, and the many footnotes added an extra layer of detail.

Emily Wilde was a thorny and analytical character who was serious about her research, which offset Wendell Brambleby’s eccentric (and suspicious) charms and penchant for avoiding actual work. For much of the story, Wendell is seen from Emily’s perspective, and, while she might be against the idea of him interrupting her trip and thus her research, the two had an undeniable chemistry. They were two characters who understood each other, and their verbal sparring (and Emily’s sometimes dry observations and methods of seeking information) ensured there was never a dull moment. It was so entertaining, and I loved every second of it.

As for the romance, it was on the lighter side. It definitely felt like the beginning of something.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a new favorite.

About the author....

Heather Fawcett is a Canadian author of books for adults, kids, and teens, including the Even the Darkest Stars series, Ember and the Ice Dragons, The Language of Ghosts, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, and more. Her books have been translated into more than ten languages and somehow all include dragons in one form or another. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature and a Bachelor’s in Archaeology. She lives on Vancouver Island.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Del Rey Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

The Keeper's Six by Kate Elliott

Title: The Keepers Six

Series: n/a
Author: Kate Elliott
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Tor.com; January 17, 2023

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

There are terrors that dwell in the space between worlds.

It’s been a year since Esther set foot in the Beyond, the alien landscape stretching between worlds, crossing boundaries of space and time. She and her magical travelling party, her Hex, haven’t spoken since the Concilium banned them from the Beyond. But when she wakes in the middle of the night to her son’s cry for help, the members of her Hex are the only ones she can trust to help her bring him back from wherever he has been taken. Esther will have to risk everything to find him. Undercover and hidden from the Concilium, she and her Hex will be tested by dragon lords, a darkness so dense it can suffocate, and the bones of an old crime come back to haunt her.

I was intrigued by the summary for The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott, particularly Esther Greene’s quest to save her abducted son. Overall, I liked the story. The writing had a certain flow to it, which made reading the novella easy. The story just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

The Keeper’s Six had a great start though. I liked that the story featured a Hex—essentially a motley crew—who had gone their separate ways, and were reunited. And the opening chapters had all the tension I expected as the scenario unfolded. Esther’s anxious inner-monologue and attempts to view the situation in an analytical light—to find as many clues as possible—were fantastic. However, an early reveal sort of removed some of that nail-biting tension from the narrative. And the story took a turn that I was, ultimately, lukewarm toward in the end.

The world building and setting were by far one of my favorite aspects about The Keeper’s Six. It was complicated, and it had all the hallmarks of a sprawling portal fantasy world. The particular rules about the Beyond provided a rigid structure the characters were knowledgeable about and followed to the best of their ability, while also supplying enough environmental obstacles and some not-so-friendly dangers to fulfil the promise of action made by the summary. It was the kind of setting I want to linger with, to catch all the details it had to offer. It was so fascinating, and by the end I wanted more time with it, since the story was bursting with references to prior incidents that had occurred there.

Overall, I liked the Keeper’s Six.

About the author....

As a child in rural Oregon, Kate Elliott made up stories because she longed to escape to a world of lurid adventure fiction. She now writes fantasy, steampunk, and science fiction, often with a romantic edge. She currently lives in Hawaii, where she paddles outrigger canoes and spoils her schnauzer.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Tor.com) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Flight Risk by Cherie Priest

Title: Flight Risk

Series: The Booking Agents #2
Author: Cherie Priest.
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Paranormal; Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Atria Books; November 15, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Inconsistent psychic Leda Foley and Seattle detective Grady Merritt return to solve the case of a missing couple in this sequel to the “delightful” (The New York Times Book Review) mystery Grave Reservations.

When psychic travel agent Leda Foley is approached by a man searching for his sister, she quickly agrees to help. The missing woman disappeared with a vintage orange car, a fat sack of her employer’s cash, and a grudge against her philandering husband—a man who never even reported her missing. Meanwhile, Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt has temporarily misplaced his dog. While he’s passing out bright pink “Lost” flyers at the Mount Rainier visitor’s center, the wayward pooch appears—with a human leg in his mouth. Thanks to DNA matching, Grady soon learns that Mr. Leg has something to do with Leda’s new client, and soon the two cases are tangled. Theories abound, but law enforcement is low on leads. Lucky for Grady, Leda has a few ideas that might just be crazy enough to work. They’ll need one yellow dog, a fair share of teamwork, and perhaps a bit of Klairvoyant Karaoke to piece the clues together.

I requested an ARC of Flight Risk, because the synopsis was intriguing. It seemed to have everything I look for in a cozy mystery—plus the paranormal angle was just an added bonus. There were a number of reasons why I liked this one as well as others that I was more lukewarm toward.

The introduction of the various avenues of the mystery—the dog, the leg, and the missing woman—was just good. It was quickly apparent that the different occurrences were linked together, and the early speculation and realizations made by the characters were engaging.

The paranormal aspects were handled quite well. I liked the fact that while Leda had the advantage of her ability, there was still a limitation to what it could do. It was fairly unpredictable, and sometimes what she saw was too vague to be helpful. That being said, the scenes where its presence was most heavily felt—such as feeding her useful information about the cases—were some of my favorite portions of the story.

I did have some problems toward the middle of the book though, where the story slowed down, and it seemed like the mystery was running laps around the characters. Despite the fact that, with the clues available, I was able to figure out what was happening before they did.

 
Other than that, Flight Risk was a pretty entertaining read.

About the author....

Cherie Priest is the author of two dozen books and novellas, most recently The Toll, The Family Plot, The Agony House, and the Philip K. Dick Award nominee Maplecroft; but she is perhaps best known for the steampunk pulp adventures of the Clockwork Century, beginning with Boneshaker. Her works have been nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards for science fiction, and have won the Locus Award (among others) – and over the years, they’ve been translated into nine languages in eleven countries. Cherie lives in Seattle, WA, with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Atria Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai

Title: Partners in Crime

Series: n/a
Author: Alisha Rai
Source/Format: Publisher (Avon Books); Paperback ARC
More Details: Romantic Suspense
Publisher/Publication Date: Avon Books; October 18, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Indian Matchmaking meets Date Night in this fun, romantic adventure by Alisha Rai — “One of the very brightest romance writers working right now.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Mira Patel’s got a solid accounting career, good friends, and a whole lot of distance between her and her dysfunctional family. All that’s missing is a stable romantic relationship. Armed with a spreadsheet and professional help, she sets out to find her partner in only legal activities, but much to her matchmaker’s dismay, no one is quite right. Including Naveen Desai, the very first match she unceremoniously rejected. Lately Naveen’s been too focused on keeping his sick grandfather’s law firm afloat to think about love, and he’s stunned when Mira walks back into his life to settle her aunt’s affairs. He’s determined to keep things professional…though it’s impossible not to be intrigued by all of the secrets piling up around Mira. If getting back together with an ex is a bad idea, getting kidnapped with one is even worse.... Suddenly, Naveen and Mira find themselves in a mad dash through Las Vegas to escape jewel thieves, evade crime bosses, and follow the clues to untangle the mess her family left behind. As her past comes back to haunt her, Mira despairs of ever finding someone who might understand her…but maybe, over the course of one wild night, she’ll find that he’s right by her side.

It’s been a minute since I’ve picked up a romantic suspense, and I’ve wanted to try one of Alisha Rai’s romances. Her latest book, Partners in Crime (which I received an ARC for), is sold as “Indian Matchmaker meets Date Night.” So it seemed right up my alley. And ultimately, I had a lot of fun reading this book.

Partners in Crime struck a good balance between the romance, suspense, and mystery. The cat-and-mouse situation was written in a way that gave a sense of constant danger, and it was exciting to read. It could have been over-the-top, considering the set-up with the matchmaker, jewel thieves, big family secrets, and relationship troubles. But the dynamic between Naveen and Mira added that personal aspect into the story, which made the whole scenario work for me by drawing all the threads of the story together and raising the stakes that much more. They were both complex and had secrets about themselves and their past they wished to hide, and because of it there was this constant tension between them that was delightful.

At the end of the day, Partners in Crime was excellent. I truly enjoyed the way Alisha Rai put these particular characters together, and the suspense/crime aspects offered all the risks I could want from this type of story. It was a great read.

About the author....

Alisha Rai pens award-winning contemporary romances. Her novels have been featured on the IndieNext and the LibraryReads lists, and been named Best Books of the Year by Washington Post, NPR, New York Public Library, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Kirkus, “O” the Oprah Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. When she’s not writing, Alisha is traveling or tweeting. To find out more about her books or to sign up for her newsletter, visit www.alisharai.com.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Avon Books) in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

In The Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

Title: In The Shadow Garden

Series: n/a 
Author: Liz Parker
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Forever; September 13, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Three generations of witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this riveting debut, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe. 

There's something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes with hints of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear. But twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory for the year; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any idea why. As secrets from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But the only clue Irene Haywood has is in her tea leaves: a stranger’s arrival will bring either love or betrayal…

When I read the synopsis for Liz Parker’s In the Shadow Garden, it seemed to have everything I like about fantasy set in contemporary times: multiple POVs, magic, a small town, family secrets, grudges, betrayal, and a forgotten summer. There were parts I really enjoyed about In the Shadow Garden, and some that I was a little more lukewarm about.

My main frustration with the story doesn’t detract from how well it was written, because it had a certain flow to it that kept me reading. I was, personally, a little frustrated by Addison. She was fine, but I feel like I spent a lot of time waiting for her to learn from her mistakes. When she did, it was great, and I wish there had been more of those moments. The rest of the characters, however, were good, but it was Kaden and Irene who were my favorites. I really loved what Parker did with them. That was something I have to highlight too: the emotional stakes were just as consequential as the magical ones.

I did like the overall themes and messaging, about family and healing over time as well its foil within the story: how forgetting wasn’t the easy solution (or relief) it was originally portrayed to be. The sinister nature of what was happening was like a weed the town, Yarrow, never realized it needed to get rid of. There was a sense of foreboding connected to it, which steadily built over the course of the story. It made sense too, considering how secrets could stay buried forever when there was no one to remember why they were ever important. It all tied back in with the magic, the garden, the bourbon, and the people who made them a focal point within their lives. I’d describe it as a calling. And it was one of my favorite things about In the Shadow Garden.

All-in-all, In the Shadow Garden was good. Besides a few hiccups, I really appreciated certain character arcs, as well as the give-and-take necessary for the magic of the titular shadow garden to flourish. It was pretty cool. I would definitely read another book by Liz Parker.

   

About the author....

Liz Parker loves gardening, a good cup of tea, and the kind of story that sinks it hooks into you and refuses to let go. She grew up with her time split between Tennessee and northern Nevada, giving her a love of the kind of magic you can only find on a hot summer night when the fireflies float drunk on humidity or beneath a cloudless desert sky lit by stars and possibility. Today, Liz lives in California with her husband, dog, and too many houseplants to name (though she could if you asked).

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Forever) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn

Title: Holiday Heroine 

Series: Heroine Complex #6
Author: Sarah Kuhn
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Urban Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: DAW Books; August 30, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

The sixth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series continues the adventures of Asian-American superheroine Bea Tanaka as she takes on demons in Hawaii.

Nobody loves Christmas like Bea Tanaka—so when her family visits her for a special holiday celebration, she’s beside herself with joy. After years of chaos, questionable decisions, and flirtations with the supervillain path, Bea is finally thriving. She’s got a sweet, new gig hunting demons in Maui, she’s working hard to hone her powers, and her big sister Evie is proud of her at last. In fact, everyone is so proud of her that she can’t tell them the truth: she’s feeling lost and adrift. She and her boyfriend Sam Fujikawa are struggling to make their long-distance love work, and her powers are displaying some intriguing new elements—elements that could lead her down an evil, mind-controlling path once more. When her family’s holiday visit is disrupted by otherworldly monsters rising out of the Maui ocean, Bea throws herself into the battle—until she’s suddenly and mysteriously transported to the perfect Christmas back in San Francisco, surrounded by her family and an excess of merrymaking. As she finds herself trapped in the bizarre holiday rom-com of her nightmares, Bea must unravel a treacherous demon plot, save the world from unspeakable evil, and resist the siren song of a supervillain destiny. And hey, maybe she’ll find time for a little holiday cheer after all...

**Note: there may be minor spoilers for books 1-5**

The Heroine Complex series is always such a joy to read. Beatrice (Bea) Tanaka is one of my favorite characters of the series. And after the events of Heroine’s Journey—where she uprooted her life with a big move to Maui—I was hoping for another book from her perspective, to further explore her character directly. That’s essentially what this book delves into, and it does it so well. And with a good dose of holiday rom-con themed hijinks (and nightmare scenarios), time travel and its perils, and an abundance of otherworldly chaos, the sixth and latest installment—Holiday Heroine—to date is one of my top-favorites.

I liked Kuhn’s approach to both the old and new characters. The cast has always been colorful—big personalities, plenty of drama and mishaps—but the series has centered on their deeply personal issues and the strength of their relationships (both platonic and romantic). For me, it’s one of the highlights.

I also enjoyed the holiday themes. Rom-coms are always fun, and I liked how many of the hallmark aspects were incorporated throughout the story.

As Evie’s younger sister, I was used to Bea being in proximity to the core characters and main events of the series. The hub of supernatural activity has, for much of the series, remained in San Francisco, but the past two books have expended on that. And with her being so far away, there was somewhat of a noticeable absence. With the change in location, she clearly viewed it as a chance at independence and proving how mature and in control she was of her life and over her superpowers. Even the best laid plans, however, can have their hiccups, and once the latest threat was established, it proved that there was a lot left Bea had to learn and accept about herself.

I liked the way Sarah Kuhn handled Bea’s doubts. Outwardly, she was a confident and smart character, but inside she had a lot of turmoil and conflict associated with her powers to unpack. It affected her relationships, and made her vulnerable in unexpected ways. The frank realness of that particular end of the story was refreshing.

Holiday Heroine was the perfect mix of action, super heroes, and romance. If you’re a fan of this series, you’re going to love this one.

About the author....

Sarah Kuhn is the author of Heroine Complex—the first in a series starring Asian American superheroines—for DAW Books. She also wrote The Ruby Equation for the comics anthology Fresh Romance and the romantic comedy novella One Con Glory, which earned praise from io9 and USA Today and is in development as a feature film. Her articles and essays on such topics as geek girl culture, comic book continuity, and Sailor Moon cosplay have appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Apex Magazine, AngryAsianMan.com, IGN.com, Back Stage, The Hollywood Reporter, StarTrek.com, Creative Screenwriting, and the Hugo-nominated anthology Chicks Dig Comics. In 2011, she was selected as a finalist for the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) New Writers Award.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (DAW Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

Suburban Hell by Maureen Kilmer

Title: Suburban Hell

Series: n/a
Author: Maureen Kilmer
Source/Format: NetGalley; eARC
More Details: Horror; Comedy
Publisher/Publication Date: G.P. Putnam's Sons; August 30, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Bad Moms meets My Best Friend’s Exorcism in this lite-horror-comedy about a group of women in the Chicago 'burbs, whose cul-de-sac gets a new neighbor: a demon.

Amy Foster considers herself lucky. After she left the city and went full minivan, she found her place quickly with neighbors Liz, Jess, and Melissa, together snarking the “Mom Mafia” from the outskirts of the PTA mom crowd. So, one night during their monthly wine get-together, the newfound crew concoct a plan for a clubhouse She Shed in Liz’s backyard – the perfect space for just them, no spouses or kids allowed. But the night after they christen the space with a ceremonial drink, things start to feel…off. What they didn’t expect was for Liz’s little home improvement project to release a demonic force that turns their quiet suburban enclave into something out of a nightmare. And that’s before the Homeowners’ Association gets wind of it. Just as Liz is turned into a creepy doll face overnight, cases of haunting activity around the neighborhood intensify, and even the calmest moms can’t justify the strange burn marks, self-moving dolls, and horrible smells surrounding their possessed friend, Liz. Together, Amy, Jess, and Melissa must fight back the evil spirit to save Liz and the neighborhood…before the suburbs go completely to hell. But at least they don’t have to deal with the PTA, right?

Suburban Hell wasn’t really on my radar, but, while browsing NetGalley, the title and the book cover caught my eye. Suffice it to say, I was intrigued, and I’m so glad I read it.

Suburban Hell was over the top and dramatic, but it was a horror comedy through and through. There was a certain degree of cheekiness to how the neighborhood was portrayed complete with an idyllic suburb, PTA cliques, and a group of friends who planned to build a backyard clubhouse—dubbed the “She Shed”—as their official monthly meeting place. What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, as Suburban Hell proved, there were a lot of avenues that ordinary setup could go, and it went sideways and dipped right into paranormal territory.

I really loved the gradual build-up of the intensity within the story. It had such an unassuming beginning, so that when things started going wrong, it created a sense of foreboding that carried throughout the rest of the book.

The setting worked well too. It wasn’t isolated per say, but there was a limitation to it, as the events took place in a very small section of a neighborhood (pretty much within a single community). The characters were sorely out of their depths in this situation, and because of it, the friendship between Liz, Amy, Melissa, and Jess was on the verge of a breaking point.

The book was told only from Amy’s perspective, so you never got into the heads of the other characters. Despite that, their personalities showed through, and I liked Amy’s POV. There was a mixture of her dealing with her day-to-day life (with her kids and husband), as well as her trying to unravel what had happened to her friend. Her emotional journey sort of grounded the story in a way, so it wasn’t too over the top with so many comedic aspects.

All that to say: I had a great deal of fun reading Suburban Hell. I appreciated what it did. And with its August release date, it’s right on time to make it onto any October reading lists.

  

About the author....

Maureen Kilmer graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children. She does not have a She Shed, and thankfully has not had to battle the forces of darkness (unless going to Costco on a Saturday counts). SUBURBAN HELL is her horror comedy debut. Under Maureen Leurck, she wrote CICADA SUMMER and MONARCH MANOR, both set in the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin area.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (G.P. Putnam's Sons) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you! 

A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney

Title: A Treacherous Tale

Series: The Cambridge Bookshop series #2
Author: Elizabeth Penney
Source/Format: NetgGalley; eARC
More Details: Cozy Mystery 
Publisher/Publication Date: St. Martin's Paperbacks; August 23, 2022

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

A Treacherous Tale is the second in a charming new cozy series from Elizabeth Penney, set in an English bookshop and following Molly Kimball, who has a habit of bookmarking trouble...

“A cozy mystery that will delight your booklover’s heart and satisfy your hunger for intrigue—and crumpets!” —Paige Shelton, New York Times bestselling author of the Scottish Bookshop series on Chapter and Curse

Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she's reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree. Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children's tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona's tumbles off her roof to his death. Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.

Chapter and Curse was one of my favorite cozy mysteries of 2021, and I was eager to dive into its sequel, A Treacherous Tale. After an incident (and disappearance) on the property of the author they had scheduled for a reading leads to more questions than answers, Molly, her family, friends, and two cats are back and on the tail of another case. My hopes were high, and A Treacherous Tale more than lived up to the strong impression made by its predecessor.

I enjoy books about books and—with the bookshop location—literature is at the heart of this series. One particular aspect that I liked about A Treacherous Tale, were the excerpts of a fictional book called Strawberry Girls. That story was interesting enough on its own, and I mentioned to my co-blogger that I would have read it by itself. That being said, I have to give Elizabeth Penney her props for how Strawberry Girls was used in the story, particularly how it related to the sleuthing that took place. There were so many secrets to uncover that it felt like there were twists around every corner.

The mystery was tightly woven and highly engaging, and from its introduction, I was hooked. The stakes were high, with one person dead and another missing—a number of suspects and no initial motivation beside potential opportunity—ensured that there was never a dull moment.

Besides the mystery and fun literary themes, the characters were a highlight. Strong characterizations abound for the familiar cast, but I also liked the new faces added for this story, particularly Iona. Molly’s personality shined through (she remains my favorite character from the series), and I liked the steady progression of her friendships and romantic life. It was great to see her settled into her life at the bookshop.

Overall, A Treacherous Tale was a fantastic sequel.

 

About the author....

Elizabeth Penney lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, where she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage summer cottages, past/present mysteries, and the arts. After spending early years in England and France, she grew up in Maine, settings that are reflected in her books. Elizabeth is the author of the Apron Shop Series and Cambridge Bookshop Series from St. Martin's as well as over twenty novels, short stories, and hundreds of business articles. A former consultant and nonprofit executive, she holds a BS and an MBA. She's also written screenplays with her musician husband. She loves walking in the woods, kayaking on quiet ponds, trying new recipes, and feeding family and friends.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (St. Martin's Paperbacks) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you!