A Beautiful Couple by Leslie Wolfe

September 24, 2026 By 1 Comment


A Beautiful Couple by Leslie Wolfe
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Her husband killed someone. She’s the only witness.

Amanda Davis has it all: a beautiful home, a thriving career, and a charismatic husband who is the darling of television news. But when Paul kills someone in a disturbing accident, Amanda’s perfect world shatters. Pulled into a web of manipulation, deceit, and dark secrets, she becomes his unwilling accomplice, trapped in a twisted, dangerous existence that tests the limits of love and loyalty.

As the weight of the secret bears down, Amanda begins to see a side of Paul she’s never known—cold, manipulative, and dangerously unpredictable. His charm fades, replaced by a chilling determination to keep their secret at any cost. The walls are closing in: the police are investigating, strange events unsettle her, and Paul’s behavior grows more menacing by the day.

Trapped and isolated, Amanda realizes she’s not just covering up an accident—she’s become a prisoner in her own life. With her sanity and safety on the line, she must decide: How far will she go to escape the web of lies? And who can she trust when the one person she thought she knew best becomes a threat?

I really enjoyed A Beautiful Couple by Leslie Wolfe. One of the strengths of this book is the author’s descriptive writing style. The use of first-person narration made it easy to get inside the characters’ heads and understand their motivations, fears, and suspicions. It added an extra layer of tension as the story unfolded. The suspense kept me turning the pages because I was constantly wondering how everything would work out and whether one character would eventually turn on the other. The pacing was steady throughout, and I appreciated that the dialogue and internal thoughts felt believable, at times, I felt like I was eavesdropping on a real married couple.

Paul, the husband, was especially easy to dislike. As a charismatic and eye-catching television news personality, his polished public charm stood in stark contrast to his cold, manipulative private behavior, creating a major driving force for the book’s tension and making the character dynamics fascinating to watch unfold. The story also delivered a twist that I definitely didn’t see coming. It was very unusual, but in a good way making the ending truly memorable.

After finishing the last page, I found myself puzzled: in my haste to see how the author would wrap up this snowball of drama, had I somehow missed the explanation of who committed one of the murders, or whether there would be any consequences from the self-defense incident? Those unanswered details left me wanting a bit more closure.

Overall, this was an entertaining psychological thriller that kept me engaged from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend it to fans of suspenseful domestic thrillers, and I’m interested in reading more books by Leslie Wolfe after finishing this one.

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

Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham

September 23, 2026 By Leave a Comment

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Love Story, With Murders by Harry Bingham
Publisher: Orion Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A freezing cold winter. A dead body from the past. A tale of love – and murder. A human leg is discovered in a suburban freezer. The victim is a teenage girl killed some ten years earlier. But then other body parts start appearing. And these ones are male, dark-skinned, and very fresh… Is this a tangled tale of love gone wrong? Or are there more sinister lines connecting the dead bodies to a recent tragedy in a Cardiff prison, and an engineering company that’s up to a whole lot more than is first apparent? Fiona Griffiths starts to investigate, in the midst of the coldest winter on record. Up in a remote cottage in the Welsh Black Mountains, she finds the data that contains the clue to the entire mystery. But, as the first snow starts to fall, she discovers that she’s not alone…

DC Fiona Griffiths is called to join in a very large team of Welsh officers when the leg of a dead young woman is found in the garage freezer of a deceased elderly lady. Soon, many other body parts of the woman is discovered in the neighboring suburbs and the body is identified as that of a missing young woman from ten years ago. Only a few clearly male body parts are also discovered and Fiona is drawn into a complicated puzzle.

This is the second book involving Fiona Griffiths and her unusual outlook and I enjoyed this one as thoroughly as the first. Readers should know that while this book can easily be read by itself – Fiona is quite a quirky character and this book might be easier to grasp having read the first. That said the plot and much of Fiona’s character growth is very well encapsulated in this story.

I loved the setting of Wales. This atmosphere felt quite a bit grittier and harder than many of the British police procedurals I regularly read. Fiona is also quite a complicated character and I find her perspective on things to be unique and highly enjoyable to read. I also clearly acknowledge that this very different perspective won’t suit every readers tastes. With a somewhat grim and non-standard outlook readers who enjoy a cozier style of mystery might not find this clicks quite right with them.

With a strong cast of secondary characters, a very different style of story being told and a strong and deliciously complicated series of murders I found this to be an exceptional book and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I am eagerly looking forward to the next installment. Recommended.

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

Temperament – A Novella by K. Aurum

September 21, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Temperament – A Novella by K. Aurum
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The stroke took his hand. The implant gave it back. Then it kept going.
Jon Finn was a violinist before a stroke stole his right side and his voice. The experimental device his doctors offer is a quiet miracle: it restores his hand, his speech, his playing. His recovery astonishes the hospital. His bowing has never been cleaner. He and the woman he loves have never fought less.

And, note by note, word by word, he is vanishing.

The implant doesn’t take his life. It takes his self: smoothing the edges, finishing the sentences, choosing the notes he used to reach for. Everyone sees a man restored. Only Jon feels his own wanting drain away.

Spare, unsettling, and quietly devastating, Temperament is a debut novella about identity, illness, and the hidden cost of being made better; a story that grows shorter and quieter as its narrator disappears.

Written by a practicing physician, it lingers where medicine can’t answer: when everything you can do remains, and only the you is gone, is that still you?

Sometimes science fiction is about asking questions that many people would rather ignore.

The author did an excellent job of exploring the ethical implications of using a artificial intelligence for medical purposes. Whether or not readers agree with the conclusions certain characters came to didn’t necessarily matter. An intelligent argument could be made for many different points of view, and even the ones I didn’t personally agree with still followed a logical and understandable path from one assertion to the next. This is the sort of discussion I’m drawn to when reading this genre, and it was handled smoothly here.

It would have been nice to see more clues added earlier on in the storyline about what was truly going on with Jon’s cognition. As much as I enjoyed being able to come up with my own theories about what was happening to him, this would have been an even stronger piece of work in my opinion if the author had spent more time developing the beginning and perhaps allowing a bit more of his opinion of how the final scene should be interpreted to bleed through, so to speak.

The deliciously ambiguous ending was what encouraged me to select a four-star rating for this tale. I appreciated the fact that it could be interpreted in multiple ways. While I don’t want to influence how other readers understood those last few sentences, their ability to be understood from so many different points of view reinforced my own assumptions about what was happening and made me shudder in a good way.

Temperament – A Novella reminded me why I like speculative fiction so much.

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

The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch

September 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch
Publisher: Gollancz
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

With this long new novella, bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch has crafted yet another wickedly funny and surprisingly affecting chapter in his beloved Rivers of London series.

If you thought magic was confined to one country—think again.

Trier: famous for wine, Romans and being Germany’s oldest city.

When a man is found dead with his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth. But fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Tobias Winter, an investigator for the Abteilung KDA, the branch of the German Federal Criminal Police which handles the supernatural. His aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork.

Together with frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he quickly links the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men whose novel approach to their mid-life crisis may have reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century.

As the rot spreads, literally, and the suspect list extends to people born before Frederick the Great, Tobias and Vanessa will need to find allies in some unexpected places.

And to solve the case they’ll have to unearth the secret magical history of a city that goes back two thousand years.

Presuming that history doesn’t kill them first.

Investigator Tobias Winter is called in to help the local police when a strange fungal rot appears to have possibly killed someone. The local police are at a loss, and in Germany there is thankfully a procedure to handle everything – even the unknown. Tobias soon uncovers some of the city’s history – and magic – and complications begin to arise.

I have been loving the Rivers Of London series and was rather thrilled to find this novella takes the same quirky, paranormal mystery world and expands it out of England and into Germany. I strongly feel that readers who aren’t sure whether they’re wanting to dip a toe into this series could easily start here. The writing style and general laugh aloud, tongue in cheek banter is very present in this story, along with the strong mystery and very well balanced magical and paranormal world. Basically I felt this story had all the strong points of the main books, just with some new characters, a new country and a shorter length.

While I do admit the shorter story length does mean the plot wasn’t as complicated and convoluted as I’m used to in this series I absolutely feel the author did the plot justice. I also enjoyed the layers to the characters and am rather hoping sometime down the track we shall revisit both Germany and Tobias and Vanessa.

With a fully magical and paranormal world on offer, the new setting of Germany and a bunch of new characters, I found this to be a highly enjoyable story and a quick and wonderful read. Recommended.

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

Buried In The Brambles by Hilary Pugh

September 15, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Buried In The Brambles by Hilary Pugh
Publisher: HouseMouse Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Cozy Mystery
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A Body in the Garden

While Esmé Proudfoot watches the chaos caused by her neighbour’s landscape gardeners from her kitchen window, a shocking discovery is made—a man’s body hidden in the undergrowth. The police quickly conclude it’s a case of natural causes, believing the man to be a lost hiker who tripped and fell on a rock. However, Esmé isn’t convinced. Together with the young lodger in her attic, she embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about the man’s identity and what led him to her garden.

Esme Proudfoot is an elderly but still spry retired widow. She and her young lodger are drawn into the curious mystery of the dead body found in their neighbor’s yard – hidden in the undergrowth and discovered by some landscape gardeners. Can Esme and Amos unearth the truth of what happened to the dead man?

I greatly enjoyed this cozy mystery, set in a small English town and with the unusual combination of a spry elderly lady and young male lodger amateur detectives. I found the main characters to be fresh and delightfully relatable. The authors tone and style were also very comfortable and chatty to my mind and something I could easily pick up and get into.

This is the first book in apparently three, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cozy, amateur mystery and definitely will be picking up the next one. I’ve read a few books by this author – the first books in her two other series – and find that I really enjoy her voice and style.

Readers who enjoy small country town mysteries should absolutely find this as enjoyable as I have. With different but still modern and relatable characters, a well written plot that is both fun and easily followed and a chatty sort of style this is a fun read and one I easily fell into.

A great author and enjoyable book. I’m looking forward to the next one.

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

Unravel – The ADHD Mindset Framework by Blythe Carrow

September 14, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Unravel – The ADHD Mindset Framework by Blythe Carrow
Publisher: Serona Press
Genre: Non-Fiction, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Stop the spiral and start the framework.

Most ADHD strategies fail because they focus on “trying harder” rather than understanding the neurodivergent loop. Unravel: The ADHD Mindset Framework is a comprehensive guide to the NOTICE, ANCHOR, RELEASE methodology—a proven psychological system designed to bypass executive function burnout and build sustainable momentum.

This framework isn’t about fixing your brain; it’s about untangling the friction points that keep you stuck in task paralysis. Inside this guide, you will discover:

The NOTICE Phase: How to identify the physical and mental triggers of an ADHD spiral before it takes over.

The ANCHOR Phase: Practical grounding techniques to stabilize your focus in high-stress environments.

The RELEASE Phase: A structured approach to closing open mental loops and reducing cognitive load.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or a veteran of the neurodivergent journey, this framework provides the “operating manual” your brain has been missing.

Building habits can be helpful for all sorts of people, especially those with ADHD.

The mindful approach to this subject matter was an intelligent one. Paying attention to one’s thoughts and feelings in the moment can be an important part of breaking habits that aren’t working for someone and beginning new habits that will hopefully make life a little easier. Repetition and remaining in the moment as much as one can no matter what else is happening are both important for this process.

I did find myself wishing that the author could have gone into more detail about how the NAR (Notice, Anchor, Release) method works. While there was an explanation given, of course, it needed to be brief due to how short this piece was and how little space there was for sharing multiple examples of how it worked or otherwise expanding the definition of this acronym. This was the only thing holding me back from selecting a full five-star rating as the advice itself was practical, evidence-based, and easy to begin working with.

With that being said, the brevity of it also made sense given the subject matter. Sometimes people who have ADHD can struggle with paying attention, so keeping this a succinct read could be helpful with that possible complication of this diagnosis as well. With only about six pages to work through, this is something that can be enjoyed in a single sitting for those who’d rather get straight to the point and start applying Ms. Carrow’s advice to their own lives.

Unravel – The ADHD Mindset Framework was a helpful read.

Filed Under: Non-Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Charterhouse Remains by Rhys Dylan (writing as Dylan Young)

September 9, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Charterhouse Remains by Rhys Dylan (writing as Dylan Young)
Publisher: Wrynmwood Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

On the hottest day of the year, 11-year-old Blair Smeaton vanishes near a riverbank, leaving police baffled and desperate. Detective Anna Gwynne, still haunted by her recent trauma, uncovers a sinister connection to an unsolved case. A chilling dark web photo reveals Blair trapped in the same room where a previous victim was once held captive ten years earlier. A captive whose remains, found near Charterhouse in the Mendip Hills, form the basis of the cold case she’s investigating.

The killer isn’t hiding; he’s taunting.

With Blair’s life hanging by a thread, Anna turns to a dangerous contact who can navigate the murky waters of the internet. But will trusting him save Blair—or cost Anna everything?

DI Anna Gwynne is almost recovered from the brutal ending of her previous case, but despite that she’s eager to return to work and a sense of normalcy. Her team continues to review and investigate cold cases, and it’s the unsolved child kidnapping that draws Anna fully back to work. When a recent photo on the dark web links their cold case with a very recent similar child kidnapping Anna and her team are once again drawn into a deadly game they still don’t fully understand.

This is the second book in the Black Squid trilogy and I found it every bit as gripping and well written as the first book. This kidnapping case and the particulars surrounding it can definitely be read as a stand alone book I feel – but the overall arc of this trilogy and some of the bigger picture items might have more emotional impact on the reader if they go back and read the trilogy in order. I absolutely enjoyed both these book a lot but as a police procedural and mystery this can be thoroughly enjoyed alone too.

I admit that I really enjoy Anna’s character. She’s different in many ways to Dylan’s other characters – especially those in his main series (DI Evan Warlow – another exceptional series to pick up) in that she uses her intuition rather a lot more than most police detective series that I’ve read.

I completely understand this won’t be every readers cup of tea – using instinct and even their dreams to help lead them down their investigative paths and to be fair Anna is a very long way from fully relying on these tools. There is ample amounts of following evidence, forensics, interviews and all the regular processes. I just really enjoy – and find refreshing and interesting – the fact Anna is a lot more open to listening to her subconscious making connections and even being open minded to rather more unusual voices of opinion. I feel this really sets this book and trilogy apart from the rest and for me, personally, I thoroughly enjoy it and would love a whole lot more of it.

Readers looking for a slightly different police procedural, full of well layered plot, different and interesting characters plus a bit more leaning into the thriller aspect and not just the regular mystery/suspense style of plot – this trilogy should absolutely be up your alley. These themes are a little darker than the usual fare – a little gritter and for those who like a bit more bite to their mystery and not the more cosy style.

A thoroughly gripping mystery and I’m very eager to read the final installment in this trilogy. Recommended.

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

The Band From Another World by Kevin Garone

September 8, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Band From Another World by Kevin Garone
(Alien Survival Guide Book 3)
Publisher: Temor Press
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When Marv traces a mysterious transmission to an abandoned house, he’s ready to finally uncover proof of an otherworldly invasion. But when he and his friends sneak inside, they don’t find aliens.

Instead, they find a dusty basement full of musical instruments.

To Marv’s friends, this means one thing: instant rock band. But Marv was right to be suspicious. Strange shadows reach from the walls. Faces flicker in the dark. Worst of all, his friends start acting off. Like they’re not entirely themselves anymore.

And it’s happening to Marv, too.

Suddenly, he can play guitar like a total legend-no practice, no lessons, no explanation. But every note pulls him in deeper. The thoughts in his head aren’t all his. And the music doesn’t want to stop.

Can Marv uncover the truth behind the transmission before he loses himself completely?

Because something else is listening to the broadcast. And it’s not here for the music.

Not every wish should come true.

The paranormal subplot was a surprising and welcomed addition to this universe. While I can’t go into much detail about it without accidentally sharing spoilers, what I can say is that it added another layer of depth to what I already knew about this universe and could be a fantastic springboard for future adventures if the author is planning to write more about these characters. I don’t know if that will happen, of course, but he left plenty of space here for further explorations of the world Marv and his friends live in which, if nothing else, provides a lot of fodder for the imagination in the meantime.

I mentioned wanting more character development in my review of book one, I Know What UFO Did Last Summer. This was once again something that came to mind while I was reading, but this time it involved the secondary characters instead of the protagonist. As much as I enjoyed the plot and world building, I was hoping to get to know Marv’s friends better by this point. Although I could easily describe his personality and habits, it’s something I’d struggle with a bit if someone asked about what Jace, Kenji, Nora, or Liv were like. If as much attention had been paid to this as was given to describing their interest in aliens, I would have happily gone for a full five-star rating.

This is the third instalment of a series, but it works perfectly well as a standalone story, too. With that being said, there were some wonderful references and callbacks to the first two stories included here. One of them involved a fun plot twist related to previously-introduced characters that I didn’t see coming in advance, so do keep an eye out for it if you’re already familiar with these characters. Balancing the expectations of new and returning readers isn’t always easy, and I must tip my cap at Mr. Garone for making things accessible and amusing for everyone.

The Band From Another World (Alien Survival Guide Book 3) was a wild ride that still has me wondering what might happen next.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Jazz Bang Boom by Will Okati

September 7, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Jazz Bang Boom by Will Okati
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Riot’s attempt to teach his pretty lover to behave himself doesn’t… quite… go as planned.

Jazz loves pretty things and things that go BOOM. Tyger, AKA Riot, is a man on a mission, searching for the bits and pieces that’ll repair his damaged, bio-constructed DNA. It only makes sense for the happily mismatched lovers to turn airship pirates and sneak, snatch or con what they need, right?

Right. One problem. Occasionally Jazz gets a little too fond of explosives, and Tyger gets a tad too focused on his quest. When that happens, they need to vent a little steam. So to speak.

Adrenaline is a drug like no other.

Jazz and Tyger’s relationship was what made this tale gel together for me. Not only was their chemistry fantastic, their dialogue was playful and witty as well. I loved seeing these two characters and thought they made the perfect match both inside and outside of the bedroom to the extent that I briefly wondered if this was a series I’d accidentally jumped into the middle of. It’s nice as a reader when that happens as it can give the characters an additional layer of depth due to all of the effort that’s been put into exploring who they are as individuals.

The ending was something I do wish had been given a little more time to evolve. While the fast pacing worked well for these characters and the world they inhabited in general, it would have been nice to slow down just a tad in the last few paragraphs in order to explain how their time travel worked and why they always seemed to travel together.

One of the things I found most interesting about the mystery and science fiction storylines was how much the author trusted his audience to put the clues together. As much as I wanted to know more about their adventures, this was one of those cases when it wasn’t strictly necessary to have a lot of plot development in order for everything to make sense. A little bit of development went a long way.

Jazz Bang Boom was action packed from the first scene to the last one.

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

Wandering Star and Other Stories by Sarena Ulibarri

September 3, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Wandering Star and Other Stories by Sarena Ulibarri
Publisher: World Weaver Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Twelve stories of mythic fantasy that will transport you to the oceans and mountains of lands where water nymphs long for the touch of a mermaid, a mother’s tears of grief create a river in a desert village, and ancient songs can stop the moon from falling, make a flower bloom, or keep a dark power at bay. A quest to save a princess turns into a mission to escape a cult of giant snails. A selfish older sister seeks the favor of the last magical queen who grants wishes when the two moons align. A refugee journeys to find her lover while a comet hurtles toward their world.

A better world is possible.

“The Riverhead” was a beautiful fable about how a mother’s grief created a nearly endless supply of water for a desert village. I loved the descriptions of how various villagers reacted to her supernatural ability and what happened when the water levels rose so high that nobody knew what to do with them. Not only were they good storytelling, they explored the many faces of grief that not everyone feels comfortable showing in public.

As much as I enjoyed this collection in general, I did find myself wishing that some of the stories in it were given more time to develop. “The Ice Tree,” which followed Mirella as she attempted to kill every lizard in her community, was one such example of this. Her motivation for this and other disturbing changes she attempted to make to her environment was unclear. While I understood the point the author was trying to make, I think this would have been a stronger piece if Mirella had been given more opportunities to explain herself to the audience and convince us that her plan made more sense to her even if others disagreed with it.

I loved the world-building in “A Chorus of Shadows,” particularly as it applied to how a small group of professional singers were responsible for everything from how plants grew to what the future of humanity would look like. The descriptions of their musical abilities and the many years it took for them to perfect their skill made me wish this one could be a full-length novel. It was brimming with beauty and possibility.

The creativity shown in Wandering Star and Other Stories makes me want to read more from Ms. Ulibarri soon.

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