3 Stars • Famous Last Words is a psychological thriller about Camilla, literary agent and new mother, whose husband, Luke, disappears after seven years, only to resurface as the perpetrator of a shocking hostage crisis. As Cam unravels the mystery behind Luke‘s cryptic final message and violent actions, the story alternates between her perspective and the tense standoff, revealing secrets about their marriage through twists and a poignant climax.

5 Stars • Oh, Freida, you‘ve done it again! The Intruder is a psychological thriller where Casey, a recluse, shelters Ella, a mysterious pre-teen girl, during a blizzard in a remote cabin. As Ella‘s dark past of abuse and hidden identity unravels, Casey faces a deadly game of survival, packed with McFadden‘s signature twists, trauma, and betrayal.

#TheIntruder #FreidaMcFadden #Bookish

3.5 Stars • Frankie Elkin, a recovering alcoholic who finds missing people, takes on a dangerous case from convicted serial killer Kaylee Pierson. With 21 days until Kaylee‘s execution, Frankie goes undercover at a remote Hawaiian eco-resort owned by Kaylee‘s ex, a tech billionaire, to find Kaylee‘s missing sister, Leilani, abducted 12 years ago. ⬇️

4 Stars • Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney is a psychological thriller about Adam and Amelia Wright, a couple with a faltering marriage, who retreat to a remote Scottish chapel. Trapped by a blizzard, secrets unravel, and betrayals surface in a tense, twist-filled narrative. Alternating perspectives and anniversary letters reveal their dark past, leading to a shocking climax. Praised for its suspense and gothic vibe, it‘s a one-sit read,

5 Stars • A Nefarious Plot is a 2016 satirical Christian thriller novel by Steve Deace. Often compared to C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, it blends horror, humor, and political allegory to critique modern American culture, moral decay, and the perceived erosion of the American Dream. The book warns of a demonic conspiracy undermining faith, family, and freedom through subtle manipulations of politics, media, education, and religion.

4 Stars • The Name of the Rose is a historical mystery set in a 14th-century Italian monastery. Franciscan friar William of Baskerville and his novice Adso investigate a series of strange deaths among the monks. The monastery, a hub of learning with a vast library, is rife with theological debates and secrets. William uses sharp logic to unravel the mystery, exploring themes of knowledge, faith, and reason in a gripping, intellectual whodunit.

5 Stars • Welcome to the Monkey House is a 1968 collection of 25 short stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr., blending science fiction, satire, and social commentary. The title story depicts a dystopian world with overpopulation and government-enforced anti-sex drugs. Rebel Billy the Poet kidnaps a Suicide Parlor hostess to restore human connection, critiquing societal control. ⬇️

5 Stars • I Must Betray You is about Cristian, a Romanian teen in 1989 living under Ceaușescu‘s dictatorship. He gets blackmailed by the secret police to spy on people he loves, which makes him question trust and loyalty. As the revolution brews, Cristian risks everything to tell the truth and fight for freedom. It‘s about fear, betrayal, and finding courage in a time of dictatorship.

#IMustBetrayYou #RutaSepetys #Bookish

4.5 Stars • What Lies in the Woods is a twisty thriller about Naomi, who survived an attack in the woods as a kid. Twenty years later, secrets start coming out, and Naomi has to face what really happened that day—and the lies told. The book blends psychological suspense, small-town secrets, and the complexities of female friendship, building toward a chilling exploration of what people will do to protect themselves.

Read in September 2025
15 Books
Three 5-Star reads this month:
• Lions and Scavengers
• King of Ashes
• The South Wind

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #Litsy #Libby #Audible #Kindle #StoryGraph #Bookish

3.5 Stars • Sarah Wynn-Williams‘ Careless People tells what it was like working inside Facebook. She starts out hopeful, but ends up disillusioned as she sees the company chase growth and power at all costs—ignoring hate speech, flirting with censorship to get into China, and letting politics get messy on the platform. ⬇️

Reading on #Litsy with Christie‘s Capers. Hosted by @Librarybelle #AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • In The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928), Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of American heiress Ruth Kettering, found dead on the luxurious Blue Train to the French Riviera, her valuable ruby missing. Poirot explores a cast of suspects connected to Ruth‘s troubled personal life, unraveling a web of greed and deception to solve the case.

5 Stars • The South Wind (The Four Winds 3) by Alexandria Warwick is a standalone romantasy inspired by Sleeping Beauty. Princess Sarai of Ammara, cursed to fall into a deadly sleep, navigates a strategic engagement and the return of Notus, the exiled South Wind god. Set in a vivid desert kingdom, their past sparks tension amid political intrigue and elemental magic.

#TheSouthWind #TheFourWinds #AlexandriaWarwick #Bookish

3.5 Stars • The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) is a gripping debut about Cora, a young mom in 1987 England, choosing her baby boy‘s name while stuck in a toxic marriage. The story splits into three paths, each following a different name, showing how one decision shapes a family‘s future. It‘s a heartfelt mix of raw emotion and subtle what-if vibes, exploring love, struggle, and healing with vivid prose.

#TheNames #FlorenceKnapp #Bookish

5 Stars • In S.A. Cosby's "King of Ashes" (2025), Atlanta banker Roman Carruthers returns to his Virginia hometown after his father's accident. He faces family turmoil—his brother Dante's debts to criminals and sister Neveah's struggling crematorium business. As secrets unravel, Roman navigates a brutal underworld, making ruthless choices in a gritty Southern noir tale of loyalty, vengeance, and moral ambiguity.

#KingOfAshes #SACosby #Bookish

Thank you #DelRey #RandomHouseWorlds and #NetGalley for providing this #ARC Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is January 13, 2026.

3 Stars • Detour (Detour #1) by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart follows Ryan Crane, an everyman who saves billionaire John Ward and earns a spot on a historic manned mission to Titan. ⬇️

4 Stars • The Perfect Roommate by Minka Kent is a psychological thriller about Meadow, a shy college senior who moves in with confident Lauren after answering a roommate ad. Their seemingly perfect friendship unravels as Meadow uncovers Lauren‘s dark secrets, leading to paranoia and a shocking confrontation. A fast-paced, twisty standalone novel.

#ThePerfectRoommate #MinkaKent #Bookish

4 Stars • In Kendra Elliot's "Her First Mistake," Detective Noelle Marshall faces a reopened case of her husband‘s murder from 13 years ago, where she was also attacked. The FBI‘s investigation unearths her abusive past and a hidden secret, blending past and present to reveal shocking betrayals that threaten her life and career.

#HerFirstMistake #NoelleMarshall #KendraElliot #Bookish

3.5 Stars • "On Cats" is a posthumously published collection of poetry and prose by Charles Bukowski, released in 2015. The pieces draw from Bukowski's real-life experiences with up to nine cats at once, including memorable ones like Butch Van Gogh Artaud Bukowski (a one-eared tomcat) and Monday (a battered, cross-eyed survivor he rescued). ⬇️

3 Stars • In A Dead Draw (Tracy Crosswhite 11) by Robert Dugoni, Seattle cold case detective Tracy Crosswhite struggles with her sharpshooting skills and lingering trauma from her sister‘s unsolved murder. A new investigation into a dangerous suspect pulls her deeper into her past, testing her resolve and threatening her family. With suspense and psychological depth, Tracy trains to sharpen her skills for a high-stakes challenge.

5 Stars • In Lions and Scavengers: The True Story of America (2025), Ben Shapiro divides society into "Lions"—virtuous builders of freedom and merit—and "Scavengers"—resentful critics pushing victimhood and anti-capitalist ideologies. He argues that inequality stems from differences in talent and effort, not oppression, using historical and philosophical examples to defend meritocracy. ⬇️

4 Stars • In A Whisper of Death (Raven & Wren #1) by Darcy Burke, set in 1868 London, Hadrian Becket, Earl of Ravenhurst, gains psychometric powers after surviving a stabbing. He teams up with sharp-witted private investigator Matilda "Tilda" Wren to solve his attack and her cousin‘s suspicious death. ⬇️

4 Stars • In T. Kingfisher's A House with Good Bones, Sam Montgomery stays at her late grandmother‘s North Carolina home, noticing disturbing changes: an overly pristine garden, odd insect behavior, and a creepy vulture. As her mother acts strangely, Sam uncovers a sinister family secret linked to her grandmother‘s occult history. This Southern Gothic horror novel follows Sam‘s fight against a malevolent entity to protect her mother.

4 Stars • Bleeding Heart Yard (2022), Elly Griffiths' third Harbinder Kaur mystery, follows DS Cassie Fitzgerald, part of an elite school clique in 1990s London, where a student's death haunts them. Now, at a 21st reunion, a politician from the group is murdered, and DI Harbinder Kaur investigates. ⬇️

3.5 Stars • Birdman by Mo Hayder follows Detective Jack Caffery as he hunts a serial killer in London who murders prostitutes and sews birds into their chests. Battling personal trauma, Caffery tracks the killer through a gritty underworld, leading to a tense, violent confrontation. The dark thriller blends crime and psychological drama.

#Birdman #JackCaffery #MoHayder #Bookish

Read in August 2025
16 Books
Four 5-Star reads this month:
• Lonesome Dove
• The Man Who Fell to Earth
• All the Other Mothers Hate Me
• The Dream Hotel

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #Litsy #Libby #Audible #Kindle #StoryGraph #Bookish

Reading on #Litsy with Christie‘s Capers (Reading Agatha Christie's books in publication order) Hosted by @Librarybelle #AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • In Agatha Christie's The Big Four (1927), Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings investigate a shadowy international crime syndicate known as the Big Four. ⬇️

3.5 Stars • Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney is a psychological thriller about Grady Green, a struggling author whose wife, Abby, an investigative journalist, disappears after stopping to help someone on a road. A year later, crippled by grief and writer‘s block, Grady retreats to the remote Scottish Isle of Amberly. On the eerie island, he encounters unsettling events and a woman who resembles Abby. ⬇️

5 Stars • Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry follows retired Texas Rangers Augustus "Gus" McCrae and Woodrow Call as they lead a cattle drive from Texas to Montana in the 1870s. With a diverse crew, including young Newt Dobbs and tracker Joshua Deets, they face Indian raids, bandits, and harsh terrain. The epic journey explores friendship, duty, and the fading Old West, culminating in bittersweet success with heavy losses.

5 Stars • In The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis (1963), Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien from drought-ravaged Anthea, comes to Earth to build a spacecraft to save his people. Using advanced technology, he amasses wealth but struggles with isolation, alcoholism, and human corruption. His chemist friend Bryce uncovers his alien identity, and government scrutiny leads to his detention and failed mission. ⬇️

4 Stars • Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar tracks Esther, a 12-year-old Jewish girl fleeing 1930s Poland to join her father in Cuba amid growing antisemitism. Penned as letters to her sister, the story details Esther‘s adjustment to life in rural Agramonte, overcoming obstacles through her sewing skills and bonds with diverse neighbors. The novel highlights themes of immigration, perseverance, and cross-cultural friendships.

4 Stars • Clover Blue by Eldonna Edwards follows a 12-year-old kid named Clover growing up in a 1970s California commune. He loves his quirky family of hippies and misfits, led by guru Goji, but starts wondering about his real mom and past. With his friend Harmony pushing him, Clover digs for answers Goji won‘t give. ⬇️

4 Stars • We Are Made of Stars by Rochelle B. Weinstein is a heartfelt story set at a cozy North Carolina B&B, Vis Ta Vie, run by Jean-Paul and Renée, who are struggling to keep it afloat. A weeklong retreat brings together eight guests: three couples—Leo and Penny, Lucy and Henry, Sienna and Adam—plus a mom, Cassidy, and her teen daughter, Rosalie. ⬇️

3.5 Stars • In Kristin Offiler's The Housewarming, five friends—Callie, Meg, Tess, Lindsey, and Zoe—reunite on Block Island five years after Zoe‘s mysterious disappearance. Callie hosts a memorial at her new home, but tensions rise as true crime podcaster Patricia Adele probes their secrets. Through multiple perspectives and flashbacks, the psychological thriller explores guilt, tenuous relationships, and the impact of true crime media.

3 Stars • In Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Fat Charlie Nancy learns his late father was Anansi, the trickster god. His charming brother Spider, who inherited divine powers, disrupts Fat Charlie‘s quiet life. As they navigate family secrets, ancient gods, and a vengeful Tiger, Fat Charlie discovers his own powers and reconciles with Spider in a humorous, mythical tale of identity and family.

#AnansiBoys #AmericanGods #NeilGaiman #Bookish

3.5 Stars • Out of the Woods by Gregg Olsen tells the true story of Shasta Groene, abducted at eight in 2005 by serial killer Joseph Edward Duncan III, who killed her family and held her and her brother Dylan captive for 48 days in Montana. Shasta survived; Dylan did not. The book focuses on Shasta‘s post-rescue struggles with trauma, addiction, and failed support systems, using interviews, court documents, and Duncan‘s writings.

4 Stars • The Outsider by Colin Wilson (1956) explores the "Outsider," an alienated individual who rejects societal norms due to intense self-awareness and a sense of a valueless world. Through figures like Dostoevsky, Kafka, van Gogh, and Nietzsche, Wilson examines their existential struggles, suffering, and search for meaning.

#TheOutsider #ColinWilson #Bookish

4 Stars • In Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell, architect Aubrey Spencer explores the haunted Hotel Seabrink, a former asylum. When her new friend, YouTuber Dimitri, dies suspiciously, she digs into the hotel‘s dark past—murders, abuses, and ghosts—helped by pal Nikki and paramedic Jasper. It‘s a cozy Gothic mystery with suspense, romance, and social vibes.

#AsylumHotel #JulietBlackwell #Bookish

5 Stars • All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman is a funny, twisty debut novel about Florence, a messy single mom and former pop star in West London. Struggling and shunned by the rich moms at her son Dylan‘sl fancy school, she dives into a chaotic mission to find a missing kid, Alfie, when Dylan‘s accused of foul play. ⬇️

4 Stars • In Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers, set in 1960s Britain, art therapist Helen Hansford investigates the mysterious past of a mute patient, William Tuttle, at a psychiatric hospital. Uncovering his reclusive life and a missing woman, Helen navigates her own loneliness, a forbidden attraction, and societal constraints. The novel blends mystery and romance, exploring repression and mental health.

#ShyCreatures #ClareChambers #Bookish

5 Stars • The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami is a dystopian novel set in a future LA where surveillance is next-level creepy. Sara, a Moroccan American mom and historian, gets nabbed at the airport because her dreams—tracked by a brain implant—supposedly show she might hurt her husband. She‘s tossed into a shady detention center run by a corporation called Safe-X. ⬇️

4 Stars • The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is a historical mystery set in 1789 Maine, following midwife Martha Ballard. When a man‘s body is found frozen in the river, Martha investigates, uncovering a scandal involving rape and betrayal. Balancing her role as a healer and truth-seeker, she challenges powerful men in her town. The novel blends suspense, historical detail, and Martha‘s fierce resilience.

#TheFrozenRiver #ArielLawhon #Bookish

Read in July 2025
19 Books
Eight 5-Star reads this month:
• The Drowning (Patrik Hedstrom 6)
• Wild Dark Shore
• Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook
• The Lost Boy (Patrik Hedstrom 7)
• Strangers in Time
• Merivel: A Man of His Time
• Gallant
• Crippen: A Novel of Murder

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #Litsy #Libby #Audible #Kindle #Bookish

5 Stars • 6th in the series • The Drowning by Camilla Läckberg follows detective Patrik Hedström and his wife, Erica, in Fjällbacka, Sweden. When a guy named Magnus is found dead under ice, Patrik investigates, linking it to creepy threats sent to local men, including Erica‘s friend Christian. ⬇️

5 Stars • Gallant by V.E. Schwab is a gothic fantasy about Olivia Prior, a mute orphan who sees ghouls and lives at Merilance School for Girls. A mysterious letter leads her to Gallant, a eerie family estate, where she meets her cousin Matthew and a few loyal servants. The manor holds dark family secrets tied to a shadowy, dangerous force. ⬇️

2 Stars • The Tell: A Memoir by Amy Griffin is a candid story about a successful venture capitalist and mom in NYC whose seemingly perfect life—career, family, and all—gets shaken when she remembers sexual abuse that she experienced as a 13-year-old by a teacher. It‘s an Oprah‘s Book Club pick which I rarely enjoy or find helpful. Why do many of Oprah‘s picks revolve around rape? I will not be recommending this one.

#TheTellAMemoir #AmyGriffin

Reading on #Litsy with Christie‘s Capers (Reading Agatha Christie's books in publication order) Hosted by @Librarybelle #AgathaChristieClubR3

4 Stars • In Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), Hercule Poirot investigates the stabbing death of wealthy Roger Ackroyd in his King‘s Abbot study. ⬇️

5 Stars • In Merivel: A Man of His Time by Rose Tremain, sequel to Restoration, aging physician Robert Merivel faces a midlife crisis in 17th-century England. Struggling with financial woes and a quest for purpose, he fails at Louis XIV‘s court, navigates personal losses, and deepens ties with his daughter and King Charles II. The novel blends humor and pathos, exploring mortality and redemption.

#Merivel #RoseTremain #17Century #France

3 Stars • In The Shadow Box by Luanne Rice, Claire, an artist in coastal Connecticut, survives an attack she suspects was orchestrated by her ambitious husband, Griffin, a state‘s attorney with a dark past. Her shadow box art exposes his old crime, threatening his governor bid. ⬇️

4 Stars • Charlie Fitzer, a down-on-his-luck divorcee, inherits his uncle‘s supervillain empire—volcano lair, talking cats, and all. Thrust into a world of assassination attempts and rival villains, he scrambles to run the show with help from his uncle‘s sharp assistant and sassy felines. Scalzi‘s sci-fi comedy delivers a hilarious, chaotic ride, poking fun at power trips and corporate absurdity.

#StarterVillain #JohnScalzi #Bookish