Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #571: 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Perfect for fans of The White Lotus, Knives Out and anyone who’s ever wanted to strangle someone over Christmas lunch.

'A hugely entertaining festive murder mystery.’ Julie Lancaster, author of Don’t Forget Where You’ve Buried the Bodies

All Olivia wanted was one last miserable Christmas with her husband’s awful family before moving to Australia. She didn’t expect a murder.

Now the snow has cut them off and she’s stuck in a stately country house, with her increasingly deranged relatives and the rising suspicion that someone is picking them off one by one.

As the bodies pile up and the festive façade starts to crack, Olivia must survive the season, or, at the very least, get through lunch without anyone else choking on a sprout.

Sharp, smart and deliciously twisted, this is Christmas with all the trimmings: cold cuts, warm lies and at least one suspicious pudding.

12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache is expected out October 9, 2025 from One More Chapter books.

Why am I looking forward to this book? Makes me think of And Then There Were None and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone. It sounds like it has a good mystery, an interesting point of view in Olivia, and some good humorous moments - some dark some not so dark. Some of the reviews I've read said it had laugh out loud moments as well as a good twisty mystery. Overall, it sounds like a book not to be missed.

What book are you waiting on? Share it and a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing To Be Read lists. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The October Country by Ray Bradbury

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read 2: Open to a random page 3: Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

"From the age of twelve I knew I was in a life and death match, winning every time I finished a new story, threatened with extinction on those days I did not write. The only answer, then, was: write. I have written every day of my life since my twelfth year. Death has not caught me yet. He will, eventually, of course, but for the time being the sound of my IBM Wheelwriter Number Ten electric typewriter puts him off his feed."

This edition of The October Country by Ray Bradbury was published September 1996 by Del Rey. 

I've heard a similar idea come from those who love to read. "My TBR list is so long I won't have time to die."

At any rate, the masterful way in which Bradbury uses language shows that he has had plenty of practice. It's not too far fetched to imagine him writing a story a day.

If this piques your interest, the Kindle version is available at Amazon for $1.99 I make nothing by sharing that with you.

What book are you reading this week? Got a teaser you'd like to share? Feel free to put it or a link in the comments. Happy Reading!

Book Review: No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams

 

From the publisher:

With an expert hand, Rachel Louise Adams’s debut No Rest for the Wicked reads like an edge of your seat, heart-pounding scary movie.

In one Halloween obsessed Midwestern town, everyone’s on red alert after a local politician goes missing. Little do they know it’s only the beginning.

It’s been close to twenty years since forensic pathologist Dolores Hawthorne left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin. The town is famous for its Halloween celebrations, but also its history of violent deaths linked to the holiday. To Dolores, it’s the place she fled, family, bad memories, and all. Until the FBI calls to tell her that her father--the former mayor turned US Senator--is missing under mysterious circumstances.

Some people count to ten to wake up from a nightmare. Dolores always counts the bones of her head instead: sphenoid, frontal, lacrimal. But no matter how many times she counts them, it doesn’t change the fact that her father is missing, that his final words of warning to her were to trust no one, and that now, the rest of her family is giving Dolores a chilling welcome. With Halloween fast approaching, Dolores must face the past she left behind before it’s too late.

No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams was released September 16, 2025 by Minotaur Books. I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion nor my review.

My thoughts: Overall this is a good book. I gave it 4 stars out of 5 possible. 

The characters are well drawn. Some you will probably like for the most part,  like Dolores. Others you won't like as much, like Charlotte. It was hard for me to figure out who the kidnapper was. It was a surprise twist and a good one. 

The book had good pacing. It begins right away with Dolores finding out her father has been kidnapped. This captured my attention. There's more than one mystery in this book. There is a subplot of what happened to Dolores all those years ago. Flashbacks help tell the tale and don't slow it down. There are also at least 2 other subplots. Most of the subplots enrich the story. The one about the stray cats, though, I felt could have been done without for the most part. It did help characterize the female police officer's place among the other officers though.

I felt like the synopsis was a little misleading. It focuses on the town being associated with Halloween and having deaths around that holiday. I thought it was gearing up for something paranormal to be going on. Don't get me wrong. It is still a very well written mystery/thriller. It's just that Halloween is more a coincidence rather than a plot point.

Also some people may prefer there to be trigger warnings for at least sexual assault and the cat subplot. Neither one is really done in great detail. The sexual assault is mostly behind closed doors. And the thing with the cats is likewise very minor part of the plot.

Overall I would recommend this book to people who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. It's basically well-written and interesting. And there are some good twists.

Have you read this book yet? What did you think? Will you add it to your TBR list? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with us.

Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #570: The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

The unmissable new mystery in the Thursday Murder Club series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Richard Osman, now streaming on Netflix

Who's got time to think about murder when there's a wedding to plan?

It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favorite criminal.

But when Elizabeth meets Nick, a wedding guest asking for her help, she finds the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. And when Nick disappears without a trace, his cagey business partner becomes the gang’s next stop. It seems the duo have something valuable—something worth killing for.

Joyce’s daughter, Joanna, jumps into the fray to help the gang as they seek answers: Has someone kidnapped Nick? And what’s this uncrackable code they keep hearing about? Plunged back into action once more, can the four friends solve the puzzle and a murder in time?

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman is expected out September 30, 2025 from Viking Penguin/Pamela Dorman Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I am hooked on this series. I've just started reading it. I love the characters and the writing. This is the fifth book in the series. I am trying to read them in order, but I know this is one to look forward to. This group of senior sleuths makes for an interesting read.

What book are you waiting on? Share it and a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing To Be Read lists. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death by Laurie Notaro

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along, it is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read 2: Open to a random page 3: Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

"You know, this is how Hitchcock movies start," he warned me. "And then before you know it, I'll be the one running through a cornfield being stalked by a crop duster because my wife had to spend her birthday peeking in other people's windows."

-- page 7

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germaphobia, and Laser Hair Removal by Laurie Notaro was published June 24, 2008 by Villard.

The kindle version is currently available for $1.99 I make nothing by sharing this with you. =0)

Book Review: Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War

 

From the publisher: 

A trip they'll never forget...

Poe Myat Sabei has the publishing career that any writer would kill for: her first novel sold at auction, became an international number one bestseller, and is being turned into a Netflix film. But now on deadline for her second book, Poe is facing a catastrophic case of writer’s block. The solution? Book a two-week getaway to an exclusive island resort for her and her best friend Zwe where she’ll undoubtedly be inspired to write her next bestseller.

But the vacation of their dreams disintegrates in a flash when the resort is taken over by a group of masked women who are very armed and very angry. As they try to leave the island before the group can track them down, Poe and Zwe suddenly find themselves facing the kinds of conflicts that only come up when, well, you’re trapped in a life or death situation on a remote island with your (hot) best friend.

My thoughts: 

Overall, I liked the book. Poe and Zwe were nice characters. The secondary characters of Leila and Antonio gave the plot more depth and helped propel it along. I liked that it was action/adventure too in a way.

I did have trouble seeing the romance developing between Poe and Zwe even though I knew they were the designated couple. They seemed to act more brother and sister than lovers in their verbal exchanges. And they hide their feelings well from each other. Also, I felt that the sex scenes were unnecessary and seemed like an afterthought. And I had a little trouble suspending disbelief at some points.

Even given the flaws, it was overall a good book. The plot was interesting. The characters were likable. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions nor my review.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #569: Mrs. Shim Is a Killer by Kang Jiyoung

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

When a middle-aged widowed loses her job at the butcher shop, she’s at a loss as to how to provide for her family—until she’s offered a position that puts her carving skills to new uses in this darkly humorous bestselling Korean thriller.

Mrs. Shim needs money. She’s lost her husband and her job, and she's got three mouths to feed at her kitchen table. If she doesn't find work soon, she and her children are going to lose their home.

So when she answers a vague job ad for the Smile Detective Agency, Mrs. Shim expects the job will be some kind of cleaning position. But when they only ask her questions about her experience as a butcher and what she can do with a cleaver, she begins to realize they want her to do a very different kind of cleaning—they want her to be an assassin. Too scared not to take them up on their offer, she agrees to the position.

And Mrs. Shim soon finds that her new job isn’t so different from her old one in the butcher shop, quickly becoming the agency's best contract killer—but her rise to the top hasn’t gone unnoticed. Jealous of her talents, her agency’s competitors—and even her own colleagues-- begin pointing fingers (and knives) in her direction.

If she wants to keep her job, her family, and her reputation intact, Mrs. Shim is going to have to take out the secretive leader of a rival agency. But when she has the chance to strike, she's stunned to find a familiar face at the end of her blade.

As it turns out, this just may be one mess she can't cut her way out of . . .

Mrs. Shim Is a Killer by Kang Jiyoung is expected out April 21, 2026 from Harper Perennial.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the premise. I don't expect hijinx like in the Finlay Donovan books, but I do expect humorous situations to arise as this woman finds out she is expected to be an assassin rather than an office cleaner. It looks like an interesting and fun read.

What book are you waiting on? Share it and a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!