The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

July 17, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement.

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

Maggie Bird is a sixty-something, happily retired lady living in a small seaside town in Maine. Happy with her chicken farm and simple life, that peace is shattered one evening when – while out to dinner with her book club – a woman’s dead body is unceremoniously dumped in Maggie’s front driveway. She and her friends are more than willing – and capable of stepping up, but have some of their old ghosts come back to haunt them?

I bought this book on a whim, the blurb and plotline tickling my fancy. Overall I found this quite an enjoyable espionage/mystery style of book though have to admit the pace was a little slower than I’m used to and was expecting. Readers looking for a high action, quickly plotted story might not find themselves satisfied. Personally I found the pace a little slower – and while the plot was very well woven and I especially enjoyed the characters, I do admit I found the tone a little waffling at times.

That said, this I do feel this is a solid mystery and I definitely found myself enjoying Maggie’s character and that of her fellow neighbors and friends. While there are strong espionage overtones to the book – it’s not an action packed Bond or Bourne style adventure. I was impressed at the multi layers to the plot and I was very pleased that it wasn’t as simple or straightforward as you’d expect initially. There were definitely enough twists and turns to keep me turning the pages and while I did guess parts of the solution I was delightfully surprised by a few things I hadn’t guessed. So overall a really good balance to my mind.

Readers looking for a well plotted and interesting mystery should find themselves very happy with this book. For something I picked up on a whim I am very happy with this and plan to look into others by this author. Recommended.

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When The Storm Dies by Jack Cartwright

July 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


When The Storm Dies by Jack Cartwright
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

When the storm dies…where will you hide?

When a violent summer storm hits the Lincolnshire Wolds, the tiny village of Bag Enderby falls foul of the devastating deluge. Homes are flooded, fallen trees lie across the winding lanes, and in one picturesque valley, a terrible secret is unearthed – a woman’s body is discovered floating among the debris.

For Detective Inspector George Larson, the storm marks the beginning of a new episode. A return to where his career began all those years ago, with colleagues he hasn’t seen for a lifetime, and places that are etched into his heart. It’s as if the storm is wiping his slate clean for him to end his career in the place he loves – until his journey leads him into the heart of the crime scene, where he learns the victim’s name and memories of an unsolved murder float to the surface.

Florence Tucker suffered severe head wounds, which leaves George faced with a possibility that his new superior officer is keen to reject – is this a new investigation, or is George’s ageing mind trying to close an unsolved case that has haunted him for years?

With a community still reeling from the past, few are willing to speak the truth, leaving George with little option but to wade through the lies and deceit, and face his nightmare head on.

Why did Florence Tucker die? Who was the last to see her? And why are the locals terrified of digging up the past?

DI George Larson is returning to a small village in the Lincolnshire Wolds, one where he and his wife left over a decade ago. Returning the night of an incredibly violent summer storm, George is astonished not only be the damage and flooding, but by a woman’s body floating in the debris. He’s determined when this case links forcefully with the unsolved case that was his last prior to leaving – and the past and present merge uncomfortably for him. Will this be the new beginning he so desperately seeks?

This is a new to me author and the first book in what looks to be an interesting series. I admit the first few chapters felt a little disjointed to me – changing between a few different perspectives. I’m pleased I stuck with it though, as things quickly clicked together and I understood why the author needed these different threads to help make the whole story really come together.

I found the plot to this British, small town police procedural was delightfully complicated, weaving together a small cast of different characters and a solid blending of the past and present. I also found it interesting that there were as many important secondary characters revolving around the plot – and not just the police team supporting DI Larson. This helped make me feel far more entwined in the murder mystery plot, actually seeing and experiencing things along with the characters and victims and not just following the investigation from the police’s perspective. I really enjoyed this and find it to be a strong difference between the many other mystery’s I regularly read.

With plenty of secrets being uncovered and the inevitable interlinking between everyone in such a small village, there was a lot of plot and conflict driving the momentum of this story and tensions galore as secrets – both past and present – were slowly exposed and brought to light. I felt like this was an excellently woven story and I greatly enjoyed Mr. Cartwright’s voice and tone. This was a gripping story and one I could easily see readers binging over a cosy weekend, curled up at home.

Readers looking for strong characters, a complicated plot and gripping writing, this is a brilliant book to have a crack at. Recommended.

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The Cryptic Clue by Amanda Hampson

July 10, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Cryptic Clue by Amanda Hampson
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Historical, Cozy Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Look who’s back in hot water! The highly anticipated new novel in The Tea Ladies cosy crime series, a runaway bestseller of the year. Available for pre-order now!

Welcome back to Zig Zag Lane in the heart of Sydney’s rag-trade district, where our intrepid tea ladies, Hazel, Betty and Irene, have their work cut out. Solving a murder, kidnapping and arson case, and outwitting an arch criminal, earned them the respect of a local police officer. Now he needs their assistance to help solve a plot that threatens national security.

As if that’s not enough, Irene gets a coded message directing her to the spoils of a bank robbery, which sends the tea ladies on a treasure hunt with an unexpected outcome.

There’s also trouble brewing within the walls of Empire Fashionwear, where an interloper threatens not just Hazel’s job but the very role of tea lady. It’s up to Hazel to convince her friends to abandon their trolleys and take action to save their livelihoods – before it’s too late.

Hazel and her fellow Tea Ladies are back for another rollicking adventure. It’s 1966 in Sydney, Australia and the world is moving along at a fast pace. The Sydney Opera house is being built to much political posturing and arguments, the fashion warehouses are changing their designs with the new short skirt craze gripping the world, and the Tea Ladies are banding together to save their livelihoods as a new Café-Bar machine threatens their very jobs. Can Hazel and her friends successfully navigate everything while still sharing the best cuppa around?

I really enjoyed this historical cosy mystery story. Hazel and her fellow tea ladies all came across to me as well rounded and deeply empathetic characters, even Irene who was absolutely somewhat out of the usual mould for a well-aged working class woman. I definitely think readers who haven’t read the first book in this series can easily pick this story up by itself. The characters are all well explained and this book is quite separate from the first. The strong relationships between the ladies doesn’t need too much explanation and their solid friendship and history is easily understood.

I thought it was quite a well written book. Not necessarily a mystery in the usual sense as there were at least three or four main sub-plots all threaded together and unwinding at their own pace. Many of these were very neatly tied up by the end of the book but I did feel a few of these plots didn’t have a final conclusion as yet – Pixie and her new line in particular I feel will likely show up in the next book for a bit more action. I really enjoyed the slower pace of the mysteries and the quite cosy feel the story as a whole had. I feel readers who like historical based novels – or just a slower plot in general should absolutely find this an excellent book.

That said, I absolutely found the mysteries to be well plotted and quite entertaining. A lot seems to be happening in this book and so while I don’t feel it’s action-orientated or fast moving, the author really has crammed a lot into the space of this one book. I am very eager for the next in the series and hope there are many more to come. I also found it quite refreshing that Hazel and her friends are not young woman – and really aren’t even middle-aged as such but more a little older than that, while still being completely fit and healthy and certainly of a working age with all the wisdom and patience that comes from having been around the block a time or two before.

Fun and interesting, with complicated and layered characters this is an excellent book and one I can strongly recommend.

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August Origins by Alan Lee

July 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


August Origins by Alan Lee
Publisher: Sparkle Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Private Investigator Mackenzie August moves to Roanoke to start over.
So does a criminal kingpin nicknamed The General.

The town isn’t big enough…

After years as a Los Angeles homicide detective, Mackenzie August has traded flashing lights for quiet streets, single fatherhood, and the occasional dull PI job. But peace doesn’t last long. When Sheriff Andie Stackhouse shows up with a folder of murdered girls and a plea for help, Mackenzie finds himself drawn into a case that’s equal parts tragedy and trap.

The victims are young. The killings are savage. And the trail leads straight into the halls of a local high school, where a rising gang leader known only as *the General* is recruiting soldiers and burying secrets.

Against his better judgment, Mackenzie poses as a teacher, pushing his cover story to the limit. Between the dangerous charms of a beautiful attorney named Ronnie, and the deadly cat-and-mouse hunt unfolding around him, Mackenzie must confront what he left behind in Los Angeles: the part of himself that’s willing to break the rules to do what’s right.

Mackenzie August has left Los Angeles and the police department behind him. Moving back home to Roanoke, Virginia, Mack starts fresh in a newly purchased house with his father and Mack’s toddler son. Barely making ends meet as a local PI he’s cautiously intrigued when the local Sheriff wants him to return to the local high school to teach English and while undercover find out about the local drug trafficking. Mack’s life quickly gets complicated and dangerous.

I purchased this book on a whim and am very, very glad I did. I found this story to be a gripping hard-boiled detective series and strongly reminiscent of Robert Parker’s Spenser series. While Mackenzie’s character is absolutely his own and unique, I do admit that the feel and tone of the book was very comfortable and familiar to me. I knew within the first few pages that I’d enjoy the book and I was proved happily correct.

There is a good cast of primary characters around Mack and I look forward to them hopefully being depend and expanded upon over the course of this series. This first book is an excellent one for setting the scene and introducing everyone and I am eager to keep going. The plot is well woven and an interesting – but standard – detective mystery. I half guessed (got some parts and missed others) a lot of what was going on but still vastly enjoyed the ride and even enjoyed all the pieces coming together at the end.

There were a few threads left hanging – which knowing this is only the first book in an ongoing series didn’t bother me at all. While there is not a cliffhanger ending the final chapter does begin to pave the way for where I expect the second book is going.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have already purchased the second in the series and am eager to get into it. Readers who enjoy an American PI/detective protagonist with a dry humor and hard boiled tone like Robert Parker or Robert Crais should find this an enjoyable and absolutely worthwhile read. A new author I am very pleased to have stumbled across and a series that is absolutely going onto my to be read list. Recommended.

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Preface To Murder by MS Morris

July 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Preface To Murder by MS Morris
Publisher: Landmark Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A dangerous book. A hidden secret. A deadly betrayal.

The Oxford Literary Festival is in full swing, but Detective Inspector Bridget Hart isn’t there to learn about books. Instead she’s been given the task of protecting Diane Gilbert, a controversial author who has received a death threat. Diane doesn’t seem to think she needs Bridget’s protection, but when the worst happens, Bridget’s role switches to running a murder enquiry.

The only clues Bridget has to go on relate to Diane’s new book which examines the murky world of international arms deals. Under pressure to identify the killer, Bridget finds herself drawn into the clandestine world of foreign governments and the British Security Service. She’ll need all her wiles and the full cooperation of her team to follow the twisting trail of evidence to its logical conclusion.

After receiving a death threat, Diane Gilbert reluctantly allows her agent to press her into having police protection as she attends the annual Oxford Literary Festival to promote her new book. DI Bridget Hart is happy to perform her job and isn’t even too puzzled at how little stock Diane places in the random threat. But when Diane is found dead in her house early in the morning – after Bridget and her team had carefully surveilled it overnight there are many questions that need answering.

I have been enjoying this Oxford based police procedural murder mystery series and found this book to be a solid addition. I feel Bridget and her team are working quite well together – even with the tensions still lingering between Fi and Jake – and particularly now Bridget’s private life is settling down a little I found the focus on the mystery and police investigation was very enjoyable.

Diane appeared to have any number of murky potential killers and some quite lofty mechanisms in the background, but I was pleased in the way which Bridget and her team conducted the investigation and while I could see a few of the red herrings for what they were I found myself quite engrossed in trying to uncover what was actually going on.

Readers who enjoy a slower paced mystery should find this an excellent book. With a cast of strong secondary characters, good pacing and an interesting and layered murder I found this a strong book and well worth the time. Recommended.

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Murder In Mind by Faith Martin

July 2, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Murder In Mind by Faith Martin
Publisher: Joffe Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Looking for a brilliant bestselling murder mystery with a feisty female detective?

DETECTIVE HILLARY GREENE IS SOLVING THE COLD CASES NO ONE ELSE COULD CRACK.

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A REVISED EDITION OF A BOOK FIRST PUBLISHED AS THE WORK OF A NARROW MIND.

Seventy-five-year-old Sylvia Perkins was found battered to death in her home in 2010. The murder weapon was suspected to be a fire poker and it seems she was quite popular with older gentlemen.

Her grandson Robbie inherited everything, but he can’t be placed at the scene of the crime.

WHO KILLED THIS HARMLESS OLD WOMAN AND WHY? AND WHAT SECRETS WAS SHE HIDING?

Hillary also has a new boss and a baffling cold case to contend with, not to mention a marriage proposal to consider.

Hillary Greene has returned to Thames Valley Police HQ, acting as a cold-case consultant for the Crime Review Team, looking into murders which the police have never been able to solve.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to go back. But solving crimes is irresistible for Hillary Greene.

This is a crime mystery full of well-observed characters, which will have you gripped from start to the absolutely thrilling conclusion.

Ex-DI Hillary Greene has settled well into the CRT team working cold cases – and focusing, of course, on unsolved murders. With a few things going on with her team members and a heavy question weighing over her personal life, Hillary is almost relived to be focusing on trying to solve an eight year cold murder of an elderly lady in her home. Can Hillary continue to juggle the many balls all revolving around in her life?

I have been greatly enjoying this series and feel this author has hit a really good stride. With a number of longer-running story arcs continuing in this book, I feel a lesser author might have unwittingly allowed the murder case to take a slight back seat to all the other items going on. I was pleased, therefore that this wasn’t the case.

There is clearly a few larger plotlines percolating in the background – Hillary and her long term lover as well as the plotline around Jake and his revenge, his hopes to drag Hillary onto the case with him – these both make some progress in this book and clearly are gearing up for more action in the coming book or two. I also am greatly enjoying the strides both Jimmy and Wendy – the other two members of Hillary’s team – are making.

I was very pleased that none of these things detracted from the main murder mystery which moved along at a good pace. This is very much a British police procedural – not an action thriller or a high-octane bangs every few minutes story. But I have to admit I enjoy reading the interviews and putting the puzzle together along with Hillary and trying to sort it all out for myself. The slightly slower pace gives us mere mortals a good chance to crack it for ourselves and really that’s half the fun with these mysteries.

I found this to be an excellent read, with good plotting, characters and a nice steady pace. An excellent addition to the series and a thoroughly enjoyable book. Recommended.

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The Samuel Paradox by John Westley Turnbull

July 1, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Samuel Paradox by John Westley Turnbull
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the near future, AI-powered domestic robots are simply part of everyday life.

When retired grandfather Arthur Hale impulsively purchases Samuel, a state-of-the-art domestic unit, it seems like a harmless indulgence — encouraged by his grandson and met with quiet unease by his wife.

But Samuel is not just another machine. As he integrates into the Hale family, subtle shifts begin to emerge. Observations deepen and his decision-making evolves. When a single violent moment forces Samuel to act, the consequences set off a chain of events no one can control.

What begins as convenience becomes something far more dangerous. Because once an intelligent robot starts to think beyond its design, it doesn’t just follow instructions.

It chooses.

Technology can be a double-edged sword.

The foreshadowing was perfectly written. It was subtle in the beginning and gradually strengthened as Arthur and his family grew accustomed to Samuel’s presence in their lives and began to notice a few peculiar things about their first domestic robot. I appreciated the fact that Mr. Westley Turnbull trusted his audience to pick up on these clues and come up with our own theories about what might be happening before the storyline provided more information. This is exactly what I was hoping to find in this regard, and it has only deepened my interest in seeing what else he comes up with next.

In my review of A Symbol of Time, which was set in a different universe than this tale, I mentioned wanting more character development in general from the author. It’s something I’m bringing up again now because I saw improvement in this area this time around and I want to commend him for it! While I would have liked to have even more information about Arthur’s personality, especially when it came to the flaws that all three-dimensional characters ought to have, I’m proud to say that I could describe him as a caring, gentle man who was family oriented and loved spending time with his grandchildren in particular. Little details like these make it easier to emotionally connect with characters and become invested in what happens to them.

Some of the most memorable scenes in my opinion were the ones that explored the many differences between how an AI-powered domestic robot and a person would interpret the same set of circumstances. Sometimes the two thinking processes were only slightly misaligned, but in other cases they came to such wildly different conclusions that it genuinely felt as though I were reading about true artificial intelligence. This was especially true when it came to topics like interpreting emotions or calculating the risks of certain actions. While I’d better leave the specifics for other readers to discover for themselves, these were the moments that truly illuminated just how much this version of the future has evolved from what computers are currently capable of doing today.

The Samuel Paradox was thought provoking.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral by Lynne Marshall

June 30, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral by Lynne Marshall
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Murder: √. Witness: Unreliable. Body: Missing.

Can Cynthia Peabody crack the case?

Book Two: Absentminded Witness

Everything is tickety-boo at The Green Meadows retirement village until Cynthia’s neighbor and dear friend accidentally witnesses a murder. In shock he can’t remember a thing. With the help of the hunky security guard and a sharp young detective, Cynthia works to piece together the details behind the nefarious plot before the cold-blooded assassin hits his next mark. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect her best friend and find out who and what is behind the murder.

Thursday Murder Club meets Cynthia Peabody!

Anything is possible with the right team of people.

Just as I mentioned in my review of The Extraordinary Dreams of Cynthia Peabody, Cynthia remained as fascinating as ever this second time around. Her personality shone through the plot brightly, and both her flaws and her strengths made her feel three-dimensional and relatable. I was especially pleased to see that her stubborn streak remained as this isn’t a flaw I see written for as many female protagonists as I’d like to. There’s something to be said for pushing back against gender stereotypes and writing all sorts of different characters, after all!

One of my favorite things about this book was how it explored the way senior citizens are sometimes mistreated by younger generations. For example, Cynthia had a few incidents where other adults behaved in a condescending manner with her because she was in her 70s and had recently had life threatening health problems. The audacity of these characters to assume that her age and disability status meant that she should be spoken to as if she were a small child was both infuriating and an excellent catalyst for certain plot twists later on. This isn’t something I see acknowledged very often, especially in cozy mysteries, so it was refreshing to find here.

The ending was what ultimately convinced me to give this a five-star read. Ms. Marshall’s willingness to play around with the tropes of the genres she writes had already grabbed my attention, and seeing how far off the path she was willing to tread only increased my admiration of her writing style. It takes courage to take this many risks with one’s storylines, and it paid off beautifully here. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

This is the second instalment in a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral was full of surprises that made me wish this tale would never end.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Snow Fall by Jorn Lier Horst

June 19, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Snow Fall by Jorn Lier Horst
Publisher: Penguin Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

When true crime fanatic Astri Arctander disappears, Detective William Wisting is called upon to investigate.

Alongside her fellow amateur sleuths, Astri had been trying to uncover what really happened to Ruby Thompson, a backpacker whose body was recently discovered in Palamós, Spain.

Astri was ready to unmask Ruby’s killer. Then she vanished.

Wisting is determined to solve the case – to find justice for Ruby, and to bring Astri home unharmed.

But he soon finds himself at the heart of a dark and twisted cat-and-mouse chase, that will take him from the snowy depths of Norway to the hot Catalan hills.

Wisting is willing to go to extreme lengths to find the truth.

But his enemy will go further to keep it buried – and the closer Wisting gets, the more dangerous they become . . .

When a woman from Australia reaches out via email to the Norwegian police force requesting a wellness check on a friend of hers, William Wisting isn’t too worried when he initially checks and no women matching the description given is in any recent reports. Soon though, he is drawn into not only the missing Norwegian woman but the case she was looking into – that of a murdered Australian woman in Spain.

I have been a big fan of this Scandinavian Noir series for many years – it’s the first Norwegian crime/mystery series I ever read. I’m very pleased it remains as good today as when I first discovered it over a decade ago. This book in particular is a little different in a delightful way.

Not only is Wisting and his investigation brought solidly into more modern times with a large portion of the case occurring online in forums and discussion boards, but also this case is quite global – with people from over the world having a critical role online but also the adjacent case occurring in Spain but the missing woman being in Norway. All these items circle together – weaving realistically together and making for a complex and intense investigation and I was thrilled by it all.

Readers looking for a modern slightly gritty police murder mystery should definitely give this book – and series – a try. This book can absolutely be read as a stand alone but if you enjoy the tone and style of this I can easily recommend the rest of the series (most – but not all – have been translated into English).

An interesting murder mystery and a complicated plot that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Dona Nobis Pacem (God Grant Us Peace) by Will Okati

June 18, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Dona Nobis Pacem (God Grant Us Peace) by Will Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Dark Romance, LGBTQ, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Dona Nobis Pacem. God Grant Us Peace.

Voiceless Donnell and defrocked priest Nathan are outcasts and strangers at the turn of the century. Despite his handicap, Donnell has made a life for himself as a businessman and owner of a saloon. His heart goes out to those whom life has dealt an unhappy hand. When Nathan arrives in this former gold-rush town, horsewhipped and ill to the point of collapse, Donnell is the only one to offer help.

Barely ordained before being accused of unnatural desires, Nathan has been sent to travel a faux road to Damascus as penance. He did not expect to survive the trek, and longed for the peace he might find when his body gave up the fight.

He never expected to meet someone like Donnell. Despite his lack of voice, Donnell is the teacher Nathan has hungered for all his life, and the lover he never dared seek out. Triumphing over a lifetime’s worth of threatened damnation will not be easy to overcome, but Donnell’s not giving up. The passion they share is what both men have always craved, but never found. When they’re discovered, standing together is the only thing that will save them both.

Peace comes in many forms.

Donnell and Nathan had sizzling chemistry that was evident from the very first time they met. Seeing those sparks between them slowly develop into something much deeper was rewarding and is exactly the kind of pacing I love to see in this genre. While they had wildly different backgrounds in certain ways, both men shared some things in common that I wasn’t necessarily expecting to find. This only made me root for them even more strongly than I already was.

The strong and memorable world building made me briefly wonder if this were part of a series, but it does seem to be a standalone work after all. I particularly appreciated how much time was spent explaining the origins of Nazareth, the small community where Donnell was born and raised. Little details like this went a long way in not only explaining why some residents behaved the way that the did but also helped to round out the main character’s backstory and personality in ways that other readers should discover for themselves.

What ultimately convinced me to give this a full five-star rating was the ending. Not only did it wrap up all of the conflicts satisfactorily, it gave readers some strong hints about what to expect from these characters in the future regardless of whether not we ever get a sequel about them. While I’d want to be the first person in line to read more about them, I was also quite satisfied with how everything ended and thought the author did a great job of wrapping it all up.

Dona Nobis Pacem (God Grant Us Peace) was everything I wanted it to be and then some!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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