Coffin Island by Kate Ellis

October 29, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Coffin Island by Kate Ellis
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Despite many years living in South Devon, DI Wesley Peterson has never visited the tiny island of St Rumon’s. That is until erosion from a storm reveals three bodies buried outside the local churchyard.

Two are ancient skeletons, but one is far more recent, and Wesley realises he has uncovered a case of murder. But whose remains are they? And who killed them?

The island has only a small number of inhabitants. Yet one resident keeps cropping up in Wesley’s investigation: the author and self-styled academic, Quentin Search.

Meanwhile Wesley’s friend, archaeologist Neil Watson, becomes fascinated by the remains of the island’s old priory. His discovery of a journal, written by a sixteenth century cleric, reveals an eerie tale of strange rituals and disturbing deaths.

As Wesley begins to wonder whether the past might be repeating itself, another murder occurs . . . There is a calculated killer on the island – one whose grip is as deadly as the rising tide.

DI Wesley Peterson and his team are called out to Coffin Island when heavy rains and local cliff erosion uncovers some bones from the church’s cemetery – and a rather recent corpse that shouldn’t be present in that area. While Wesley and his team try and identify the unknown woman, Neil Watson and his archaeology team are called to investigate the skeletal remains and assist in a dig at the local priory. Can they each find answers for their questions?

I have enjoyed this long running series for quite some time. I have always found these books to be a good blend of a British style police procedural mystery and an archaeological based mystery – usually one that winds the two storylines together in some way. This book was exactly that. While I do feel readers might have a stronger emotional attachment to both Wesley’s and Neil’s characters having read some of the previous books, this story really does stand very well by itself and I feel the book can easily be picked up and thoroughly enjoyed just be itself to new readers.

The murder mystery was quite well paced and a fair bit of the book was spent trying to identify the woman found. I thought this was well explored and while I could understand if some readers might find this not a fast paced or more action orientated style of mystery I enjoyed the police procedural aspect to it. I also thought this was well balanced with the more historical and the archaeology plot that was woven into the story in the same small island setting. I thought this was a good balance and readers who are new to this series can get a good understanding of what they can expect from most of the other books in this long running series.

While I admit readers looking for a fast paced or action style of mystery might not find this book really suits their needs, I enjoyed the slower pace to this murder mystery. I also greatly enjoyed the historical aspects and archaeology base to the secondary plot for this book. Readers who enjoy a slightly different police mystery should find this an interesting and refreshing read and good exposure to this series and all it has to offer. An enjoyable read and one I can definitely recommend.

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The Strange Death Of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham

October 27, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Strange Death Of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
Publisher: Orion
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

A woman starved to death in a remote Welsh cottage. A computer guy left to bleed to death, his hands brutally hacked off at the wrist.

When DC Fiona Griffiths and her colleagues realise they’re staring at one of the world’s most audacious robberies, she’s asked to take on the challenge: will she go undercover to penetrate this criminal gang from within?

When Fiona says yes, she has to give up her old life entirely. She becomes Fiona Grey, a homeless woman struggling to get her life back together again. When the criminal gang adopt her as one of their own, she’s totally alone, vulnerable – and dangerous as hell.

DC Fiona Griffiths is desperate to be a real member of Planet Normal, to be just like everyone else. But after completing the police force’s undercover training in an exceptional manner, the lure of undercover work is too strong for her to resist. Especially when what was thought to be a minor level of payroll fraud is shown to be the tip of a very large criminal iceberg and two dead bodies are connected to it, Fiona finds herself wading as far as ever from her regular life and all those links to the normalcy she craves.

I have been very much enjoying this series and found this to be an exceptional book. Fiona is a very non-standard character. I love that she is extremely complicated and multi layered, and with her dual persona’s – her “real” self as well as her undercover self – that is even more exacerbated than usual in this book. I thought this book was quite gritty and even hard/difficult in places. Fiona is a complicated woman even under good circumstances, so under this kind of pressure and case there are a number of parts where I felt for her very deeply. Somehow even with this difficulty there seems to be a spark that keeps the book from feeling too bleak of uncompromising. I love how the author very carefully navigated this as a whole.

While I admit I loved this book, I strongly feel this won’t appeal to all readers. Readers looking for something a bit more cosy, or even a bit more regular police procedural might find some of the complexities a bit too grey for them. I have always found Fiona’s character to be opaque and nuanced and that is very much more strongly present in this book. Being undercover this “shades of grey” sense is even more front and centre than it usually is and I’m not sure that makes for very comfortable or easy reading. Readers should absolutely be aware of this going in.

I do love though how even when things are complicated I never held any doubt that Fiona wanted the bad people put away and wanted justice for the dead. Having that as a strong and solid guideline helped keep the worst of the shadows at bay and helped keep this book from being too dark, in my opinion. Knowing that this was at the core and instrumental in all of Fiona’s actions helped me ease back a bit and enjoy the ride, bumpy though it was.

Readers looking for a very different style of edgier and darker mystery book should find this as gripping and enjoyable as I did. Recommended.

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Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson

October 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Keeper of Lost Children by Sadeqa Johnson
Publisher: 37 Ink
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: Best Book
Reviewed by Ginger

Ethel Gathers, the proud wife of an American Officer, is living in Occupied Germany in the 1950s. After discovering a local orphanage filled with the abandoned mixed-race children of German women and Black American GI’s, Ethel feels compelled to help find these children homes.

Philadelphia born Ozzie Phillips volunteers for the recently desegregated army in 1948, eager to make his mark in the world. While serving in Manheim, Germany, he meets a local woman, Jelka, and the two embark on a relationship that will impact their lives forever.

In 1965 Maryland, Sophia Clark is given an opportunity to attend a prestigious all white boarding school and escape her heartless parents. While at the school, she discovers a secret that upends her world and sends her on a quest to unravel her own identity.

Toggling between the lives of these three individuals, Keeper of Lost Children explores how one woman’s vision will change the course of countless lives, and demonstrates that love in its myriad of forms—familial, parental, and forbidden, even love of self—can be transcendent.

If I had to summarize Keeper of Lost Children, I would describe it as a stunning and phenomenal novel that uncovers a hidden chapter of history.

Keeper of Lost Children is a deeply moving and beautifully written historical fiction novel that gives voice to a neglected part of post-WWII history: the abandoned, mixed-race “brown babies” born in Occupied Germany to local women and Black American GIs. This story not only educates but also lingers in your mind long after you turn the final page.

Sadeqa Johnson expertly weaves together the lives of three distinct individuals across different decades:

Ethel Gathers (1950s, Germany): As the proud wife of a Black American officer, Ethel is compelled to help find homes for the mixed-race orphans she discovers, a mission known as the “Brown Baby Project.” I found this historical detail fascinating.

Osbourne (Ozzie) Phillips (1948, Germany): A volunteer in the newly desegregated army, Ozzie’s forbidden relationship with a local German woman, Jelka, creates a ripple effect across generations. I particularly admire Johnson’s choice to include a male character’s perspective, which added depth to the story. Ozzie’s voice was essential, and it enriched the narrative significantly.

Sophia Clark (1965, Maryland): Sophia is a young woman navigating the challenges of integrating into an all-white boarding school, her journey of self-discovery is triggered by an explosive secret. My two favorite characters were Sophia and Ozzie, as I deeply empathized with them and wanted the best for their futures.

The novel is a hard-to-put-down read, unfolding in a way that grips you. It features smooth writing and strong, relatable character development. Johnson masterfully employs these three perspectives, ensuring that by the end, the reader cares about each character. The book’s greatest strength lies in how the three timelines converge with emotional impact and purpose. The connections between Ethel, Ozzie, and Sophia feel both surprising and incredibly inevitable, demonstrating the historical forces of racism and discrimination, as well as the way others’ decisions can shape or shatter entire families. The ending, which nearly brought me to tears, perfectly ties together the realities of love, loss, and belonging. While the book acknowledges sadness and lost time, its overall tone remains uplifting and hopeful. Keeper of Lost Children is a transcendent story about love in its many forms, familial, parental, and self-love.

This eloquently written novel brings much-needed historical context to light. My only complaint is that I wanted more details about the lives of Walter and Max! Could there be a sequel that covers their story? Keeper of Lost Children is a stunningly phenomenal work of historical fiction that I highly recommend.

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Postcards From Jamie by Hilary Pugh

October 26, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Postcards From Jamie by Hilary Pugh
Publisher: Housemouse Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Can Ian and Lottie solve the puzzle of the postcards?

World famous concert pianist Felix Lansman has a collection of postcards sent to him anonymously. He is sure they are from the love of his life, Jamie McLeash. But Jamie disappeared six years ago – the night Felix’s father was murdered. Police failed to make any arrests and the case was closed. Was Jamie a suspect and if so, why is he sending the postcards? Felix wants Ian to find out.

The trail takes Ian all over Scotland and the more he discovers about Jamie the more he is convinced of his innocence. If he finds him, he could help him clear his name. But it soon becomes evident that Ian is not the only one looking for Jamie. He should report his findings to the police, but this could lead to the arrest of an innocent man.

Can he find the real murderer before the murderer finds Jamie?

Ian Skair has just returned home from a week away and is answering a few work related emails about new investigations that he’s been offered. Remembering a phone call from a friend in London prior to his holiday, he returns the call and is drawn into helping to look for a missing person. Can Ian solve this old crime and stop another injustice from happening?

I found this to be an enjoyable Scottish based PI novel, the second in a series and one I really enjoyed. I thought this author’s tone and style was chatty and enjoyable, very easy to pick up. While this is the second book in the series I absolutely feel like readers could easily start here and read it by itself having no previous understanding. The story and indeed even most of the characters stood well by themselves and there isn’t really much history to delve into.

While I do admit the mystery was a little slow to unfold, I enjoyed watching Ian slowly piece everything together. As a regular citizen and private investigator he doesn’t have a bunch of police resources – nor the huge numbers of other officers – on hand and he has to put the puzzle together in a far more normal and rudimentary way. I found this very interesting and quite eagerly turned the pages.

Finding this an easily readable story and a good and solid plot, this was a lovely book and one I really enjoyed. I’ll definitely be purchasing more books by this author. Recommended.

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The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams

October 23, 2026 By Leave a Comment


The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Genre: Contemporary, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

It’s 1995, and fourteen-year-old Tati is determined to uncover the identity of her father. But her mother, Nadia, refuses to tell her, and her grandmother Gladys is just as determined to keep the past buried—including the truth about why she fled Land’s End, Alabama, in 1953.

Unbeknownst to Tati, the family has been cursed with a mysterious malediction: the Dupree women will only ever give birth to daughters. With each daughter’s arrival, the course of her mother’s life is irrevocably changed. In 1917, Jubi’s attempt to pass for white ends abruptly when she gives birth to Ruby. In 1934, Ruby’s fierce desire to be loved changes the course of the family once again. And in 1980, a single night alters Nadia’s future forever.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree reveals how trauma, love, and hard-won resilience reverberate from one generation to the next. As Tati pieces together the truth about her family—and herself—she discovers that the Dupree women’s ultimate inheritance may not be the curse that has followed them for generations, but the strength that has carried them through.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree is an ambitious, beautifully written novel that traces a century of history, pain, and resilience across seven generations of Black women. Author Nikesha Elise Williams masterfully handles the structure, creating a fluid narrative that moves seamlessly from 1917 to the mid-1990s.

The novel starts with a strong hook: fourteen-year-old Tati’s quest to uncover her father’s identity. This initial suspense effectively drives the plot. Williams excels at defining a large cast and interweaving their stories, making the complex timeline easy to follow. Each Dupree woman’s history marked by difficult choices and survival, is genuinely interesting, illustrating how generational trauma and familial bonds tie their lives together. The Dupree women, bound by a mysterious legacy that ensures only daughters are born. The characters’ raw, heartbreaking lives are depicted with unflinching clarity.

The novel starts strong and has a good structure, but it does not reach its full potential. My main frustration, which affects the rating, is the secret at the heart of the story. The book builds a lot of suspense, but the ending feels disappointing. The uncovering of a long-hidden family truth does not have the impact that the first 300 pages promised. It is sad that the Dupree women lived such hard lives. Each woman has flaws, and there were times when I did not agree with their choices. I felt sorry for Tati because I understand wanting to protect your child. However, I think there was a better way for Nadia to tell Tati about her father. Nadia clearly has not dealt with her own pain and still feels hurt. I also did not understand why Evangeline treated Ruby poorly and refused to tell her about her mother.

While the book does a great job showing the relationships between the women, it doesn’t explore important themes like secrets and intergenerational trauma deeply. These themes are often stated but not fully examined, which left me wanting a stronger conclusion.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree has strong structure and well-developed characters, making it a good read for its focus on women’s strength across generations. However, the less than satisfying central mystery stops it from reaching the potential that its strong premise and beautiful writing promised.

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Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins

October 22, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins
Publisher: G. P. Putman’s Sons
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Carolina Garcia-Ramirez is a rising star in national politics, taking on the establishment with her progressive agenda. Tough, outspoken, and driven, the young congresswoman has ignited a new conversation in Boston about race, poverty, health care, and the environment. Now facing her second campaign, she finds herself not only fighting a tight primary with an old guard challenger but also contending with numerous death threats coming from hundreds of suspects.

When her chief of staff reaches out to Spenser for security and help finding the culprits of what he believes to be the most credible threats, Garcia-Ramirez is less than thrilled. Since her first grassroots run, she’s used to the antipathy and intimidation women of color often face when seeking power. To her, it’s all noise. But it turns out an FBI agent disagrees, warning Spenser that Garcia-Ramirez might be in real danger this time.

It doesn’t take long for Spenser to cross paths with an extremist group called The Minutemen, led by a wealthy Harvard grad named Bishop Graves. Although Graves is a social media sensation, pushing an agenda of white supremacy and toxic masculinity, he denies he’s behind the attacks. As the primary nears and threats become a deadly plot, it’s up to Spenser, Hawk, and a surprise trusted ally to ensure the congresswoman is safe. This is Spenser doing what he does best, living by a personal code and moral compass that can’t ever be broken.

Spenser is hired by political candidate Carolina Garcia-Ramirez’s team to keep her safe when some of her more colorful threatening letters appear to be getting out of hand. Bur Carolina isn’t keen for Spenser’s protection, and he quickly realizes that there are more than a few people who don’t want to see Carolina and her progressive views have any sort of success. Can Spenser keep up with everything being thrown at him?

Spenser is a long running series and while I feel some of the older style of this hard boiled detective series has stayed true to Robert Parker’s original script, I do feel that Ace Atkins has been able to realistically and sensitively added some far more modern elements into the story. The fact that this book blends those older and newer worlds so well together is a big part of the reason I enjoyed this so much.

On the one hand the plotline of “hard boiled detective protects mouthy politician” is a tried and true older style of storyline. And both Spenser and the author rise wonderfully to this occasion. But that would be over-simplifying the plot and story I feel. The current political climate is possibly more polarized than ever before and this story really highlights just how volatile this situation is. The extremes many people feel and are experiencing makes compelling reading to my mind – and the opinions that used to seem like hyperbole and caricatures really do ring as rather honest and current to my mind.

All this is rolled up very neatly into this book along with a healthy dose of snappy come backs and sarcasm which is par for the course with Spenser. But I do feel the author has managed to walk a very fine line between keeping much of the old Spenser novels and feeling alive while thoroughly modernizing it and keeping it current with today’s climate and experiences.

Readers who like a slightly more hard-boiled detective/PI story along with plenty of witty replies and banter between the characters should find this to be as good a read as I did. An enjoyable and well plotted book I shall happily read again in the future.

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Smart Phone by Josh Eber

October 20, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Smart Phone by Josh Eber
Publisher: Peter Goldberger
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

A California Mystery Adventure

It started with a text —
a time, a place, then…

———————–

A mystery set in 2009 Los Angeles — when cell phones seemed innocent.

On his first trip to California, Jeffrey is getting the grand tour of Los Angeles from his cousin and a new friend.

Sun-kissed beaches. A mansion in Brentwood. Hollywood studios. Horseback adventures and moonlight swims. Limo rides. A secret cave in Malibu…

Until things go sideways.

And his new phone suddenly changes everything.

Blending danger, fun, and brain teasers, Smart Phone is a page-turner with a message more relevant today than ever — and one that lingers long past its final page.

Sometimes, right when you feel like a misfit, you meet a person or two who seem to make you feel like you fit in somewhere. That’s what happened to Jeffrey, Diana, and M. Two of them were new and awkward cousins, the other a goddess from the heavens, or at least a beautiful girl who smiles at you. Somehow it all worked out until Jeffrey’s phone started texting them.

This was a neat mix of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and AI technology. What a hoot. Some of the things that happened to the kids were things we’d all have thought were dreams when we were schoolkids.

Somehow, Josh Eber mixed adults, kids, mystery, technology, Cadillacs, and teenage crushes and made an interesting read that would keep anyone turning the pages.

I did think there were a few places that slowed down while the team tried to figure out the analytics of the source of all the clues, but it sure would not keep me from buying this book for any Young Adult or even pre-teen. This is truly a fun mystery, and yet it brings up some of the hurt many of us had to handle growing up. At the same time, it is also clean and nice. Hard to find today, and that makes it a good read in my mind.

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Elvis – Diary of a King by Steven Donahue

October 16, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Elvis – Diary of a King by Steven Donahue
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Elvis is back!

The King of Rock and Roll returns in this speculative novel about the life of Elvis Presley after faking his death in 1977.

Told in a diary form, Elvis recalls the events in his “new” life after relocating to a small Pennsylvania town as part of a Witness Protection Program. Taking the name Jessie Palmer, the music legend settles into a quiet life and befriends 10-year-old Luke Rickter and his family, who live across the street from him. However, that tranquility is tested when Luke’s teenage sister goes missing, and Jessie is pulled into the investigation.

Jessie and the local police department try to solve the mystery of the missing girl and bring those responsible to justice. Along the way, Jessie tries to fit in with his new community, while adjusting to life outside of the spotlight. Jessie copes with the loss of his family and friends, and the challenges of being an outsider in a small town. He also struggles to keep his true identity a secret. If the wrong people found out he was still alive, it would jeopardize the safety of those he loves.

It’s never too late to have a second chance in life.

This genuinely felt like something set in the 1970s, from the prejudice that certain characters unfortunately had to deal with to the social mores of the time that Elvis had a wide variety of opinions about. Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that showed how this character’s early life experiences shaped the man he had become in both positive and negative ways. He was not a perfect person by any means, but he was a genuinely good individual who was doing his best to atone for past mistakes and treat others with the kindness and respect his mother always expected from him.

I would have loved to see more character development, particularly when it came to the main characters. It would be difficult for me to describe who they were as people because the narrator didn’t really go into detail on that subject. As interested as I was in the premise itself, there simply wasn’t as much attention paid to exploring the personalities and growth of the characters as I needed in order to feel comfortable giving this a higher rating.

The speculative and mystery genres were blended beautifully together here. While the latter definitely played a much larger role in the plot, they were both important in order to understand how Elvis Presley survived his final days as a famous musician before the first chapter of this book began. I can’t go into detail about that without sharing spoilers, but I will say that it was satisfying to slowly learn more and more about why Elvis made the transition from being a famous musician to living a quiet life in obscurity and what he did with his time after that.

Elvis – Diary of a King was creative.

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Beneath The Grove by L.T. Ryan

October 14, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Beneath The Grove by L.T. Ryan
Publisher: Liquid Mind Media
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

She walked away from her life…

But what did she walk into?

Maddie Castle is about to find out.

Maddie Castle has taken on plenty of tough cases as a private investigator, but nothing could prepare her for this. When a desperate mother begs Maddie to find her missing daughter, she expects to track down a runaway. Instead, she uncovers the dark heart of Willow Grove—a secluded community tucked deep in rural Pennsylvania.

Jasmine Armstrong had a bright future: a promising career, a loving family, and everything to live for. Then she vanished, leaving it all behind for Willow Grove, a place known for its self-sufficient lifestyle and promises of enlightenment. But Maddie quickly learns that Willow Grove’s surface charm hides chilling secrets. Beneath its idyllic facade lie whispers of disappearances, mysterious rituals, and a community bound by an unspoken allegiance to something—or someone—powerful.

The deeper Maddie digs, the more dangerous the search becomes. Jasmine isn’t missing, but she’s no longer the woman her family remembers. Something in Willow Grove has its claws in her, and getting her out might come at a deadly cost. With time running out, Maddie must decide how far she’s willing to go to uncover the truth—and if she’s prepared to face what she finds.

A desperate mother begs Maddie Castle to find her missing daughter Maddie expects the case to be fairly straightforward. When she realizes the young woman has willingly joined a small commune in rural Pennsylvania it quickly becomes apparent to Maddie that the tiny community is far more complicated than Maddie could ever have guessed. Can Maddie safely extract herself from her most dangerous case yet?

I have been enjoying this series and while there is an overall arc of Maddie and her friends and family this book is an interesting case and addition to the series. I really thought the author did a good job of explaining the main character movements of the previous few books without lessening the pace or impact of the current case. I strongly feel this book can be picked up by itself and thoroughly enjoyed by readers, but I have to admit I’m glad I’ve read the previous installments so I didn’t feel the need to catch up on the history between the characters.

This book is just a well paced and has the same sort of emotional plotline as the other books in the series. I feel this series – and Maddie’s character in particular – is very good at straddling the balance between a realistic and modern outlook but still showing the grey areas in day to day life. In this case, where do the boundaries begin between a young adult woman being able to make decisions for herself and her own life – like taking drugs or living in a commune/cult – verses where her mother or brother should be allowed to step in for her own safety. These are not clear cut or black and white issues to my mind – but riddled in grey and I feel this series deals with those sort of ambiguous and difficult decisions really well.

There are some grey or sensitive topics, like cults and drugs and violence, but I really feel they are tastefully handled and also very realistic on what the real world is currently like. This is a bit of a stretch for many mystery/suspense readers and a little outside the usual PI or police procedural style of book, but I found it gripping reading and the writing and characters kept me eagerly turning the pages. While not always a comfortable read, this was an excellent and well plotted book and I gobbled it right up. Recommended.

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Bad Seeds by Mary Monroe

October 8, 2026 By Leave a Comment


Bad Seeds by Mary Monroe
Book 6 of A Lexington, Alabama Novel
Publisher: Dafina
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

The daughter of a hardworking restaurant owner, Louise Brooks always sees the best in people—and in helping them no matter how difficult her own life gets. She’s lived through tragic loss and working in the family business, even after enduring a failed marriage and raising a child. So she’s delighted when she finds a best friend in Della Thornton, a woman struggling with bad breaks and unlucky romances. Many years later, when Louise’s father and her prosperous second husband pass away, Louise takes Della in and gives her a role in the restaurant as it grows more successful than ever . . .

Louise is now convinced lasting love is not in the cards for her—until she runs into handsome Malcolm Purdy. He’s everything she could want—outgoing, charming, and attentive. Soon they become engaged. And although Louise is dismayed that Della and Malcolm hate each other from the start, she does her best to keep the peace between the two people she cares about and trusts the most . . .

But a chance encounter from the past shows Louise that neither Della nor Malcolm is quite who they say they are—and their deceit runs deeper and deadlier than she imagined. With her illusions in ruins, how far will she go to see justice served? And will her final shocking move cost her more than she’s willing to lose?

Mary Monroe returns to the scandal-filled streets of Lexington, Alabama, with Bad Seeds, a gripping tale of envy and betrayal. The story follows Louise Brooks, a generous businesswoman who has weathered personal tragedy only to find herself ensnared in a web of deceit.
Monroe remains a master of character development. Louise is kind and giving but when those around her aren’t who they appear to be, she knows how to adapt. I appreciated how Monroe transformed Louise from a warm-hearted daughter and friend to a woman driven by her circumstances. I was definitely cheering her on. The historical backdrop of Lexington is always, rich with drama, and suspense that fans have come to crave. Monroe’s creativity shines, providing a shocking conclusion that I didn’t see coming.

If you are familiar with Mary’s writing, you know she takes her time to lay down essential details, giving her readers a full picture. While I sometimes find this frustrating with other authors, I am a fan of Mary’s writing style. While the storytelling is top-tier, there are moments where the pacing drags. However, I enjoyed following the breadcrumbs, engaging in the character development, and getting acquainted with the era and townsfolk. I always look forward to Mary’s endings, as her storytelling keeps you guessing and never disappoints. With her talent for storytelling, you may not know how it’ll end, I just know it’ll be a strong ending where her creativity consistently impresses.

This was a very good read and a fantastic addition to the Lexington series. To be honest, I enjoyed her previous book slightly more, but Bad Seeds still stands as a testament to Monroe’s talent for creating depth and dimension in her characters. Even though it’s a standalone, it carries that familiar energy that makes this world so addictive. If you’re a fan of historical suspense and strong female leads, this is a journey worth taking.

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