Month: August 2026

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book

Olivia is estranged from her famous horror writer father, Vincent, because he was a terrible father. But when he asks her to be his ghostwriter to solve the murders of his brother and sister fifty years ago, she can’t turn down the money.

As Olivia digs into her father’s past, she learns more about him, her mother, and what their lives were like in 1975. She relies on her background as a journalist to find and interview people who knew her father and his siblings and can provide her with information to fill the gaps, since her father’s memory is failing.

This book was good, but I’m not a fan of the amnesia trope, in any form. Interspersed were chapters told from the dead sister’s perspective, set when she was alive, but I found that to be an easy way to reveal info rather than have Olivia find it herself. The plot itself was good, and the reveal worked, but I was just a bit let down by the way everything unfolded.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

The Clown series is always fun to return to. Clown in a Cornfield kicked it off with a bang. The second and third installments didn’t just rehash the first one, but brought a new angle on the story. The fourth is definitely more of a throwback to the first.

The story of Kettle Springs is going to be turned into a movie, and, of course, it needs to be filmed at the same location. The actors are holed up in the crappy motel, eating all their meals at the one local diner, and the ever-present corn fields stalk them day and night. When those associated with the movie start dying, Frendo returns in all his glory. Bloody great time, once again.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Another delightful Lady Petra book. The first two are Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord and All’s Fair in Love and Treachery. This time, Petra finds herself investigating another murder while at Windsor Castle. The Queen has invited thousands of people to a celebration, including a patisserie contest, in which Petra will be a judge.

When a famous chef is found dead, Petra and her beloved Duncan are on the case. Unfortunately, some of the suspects are close to Petra or those she loves. She has to face the truth and investigate objectively, knowing the murderer might be someone she cares about. Like the others, this book is charming and so much fun. Petra is a great, likeable, clever character who I will always be happy to root for.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Natalie is a typical tradwife who spends her day cultivating her image on Instagram. She has a bunch of kids, a farm, and a following. However, as we peel back the layers, the reader sees that Natalie has been lying to us all. She has nannies and a full workforce at the farm. When her lies become apparent, her world explodes.

Natalie then wakes up in the past. She is living the life she always claimed she did. There are no cameras. Her husband is similar, but definitely not the husband she’s familiar with. Her kids aren’t the ones she was currently raising. Natalie’s confusion is taken in stride by her family, but she has no idea what happened.

This book was great. As much as I hated Natalie (she was a nightmare, honestly), the entire plot made sense once you got to the end. I had no idea where this book was going and was pleasantly surprised at the reveal. This one deserves the hype it’s getting.