Friday Favorites: Female Protagonist Action/Adventure Novel Series

 

Action and Adventure books are more than a mystery. There is a mystery of some sort of course, but the focus is on the actions and adventures of the characters more than the mysteries alone. In no particular order, the following are some of my favorite action and adventure books.

The Revenge Services Inc. Series

Currently there are 3 books in this series by Alex A. King. Kick the Bucket is the first book in the series with a main character who is 44 years old.  The second and third books in the series have main characters in their 30s. All three main characters work for Revenge Services Inc. Someone has wronged you and you want to get back at them with creativity, you consult the Revenge Services. 

A substantial part of all three books takes place in Greece. Come for the mystery, stay for the action, adventure, culture, and humor. All three books are available for purchase or through Kindle Unlimited. I really like that the women are not 20 somethings and that the plots show a good deal of creativity.  

Poppy Fields Adventures

Follow the adventures of Poppy Fields starting with Fields' Guide to Abductions by Julie Mulhern. Poppy is an influencer and rich "IT girl." People follow her on social media and in the news. Then one day her life is changed forever when she is abducted by a Mexican Cartel while on vacation. She rises to the occasion with some missteps. I don't think it's a spoiler to say she survives with plenty of humor and snark since there are 8 books in the series at this point. In each book we get to know her and the other characters better as we follow her increasingly wild adventures. Again, the books are available by purchase or Kindle Unlimited.

Killers of a Certain Age series
 

And just in case pretty, young protagonists aren't your thing, there are Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn.  Four attractive, older women who previously had worked as hitwomen find themselves on the other end of the gun. The women are in their 60s. They find out someone has taken a hit out on them. They must work together if they are going to survive. Book two is a lot of fun too. 

And More:

There are plenty more books that fall into this category that make for fun reads: The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano, the Aunties series by Jesse Q. Sutanto, and the Confessions. of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series by J.B. Lynn to name a few. 

What books in this category do you like to read? Share them in the comments so we can add them to our ever growing TBR list.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #617:The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle

 

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: Small town secrets, a reluctant psychic, and a cold case that could expose them all.

Drew Benson can read tarot cards and get impressions from objects—she just never expected to use her gifts to investigate an infamous cold case.

Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.

But when Drew's arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain—finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging—could change everything.

In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, Vikki VanSickle seamlessly draws readers into an utterly charming world in this unputdownable, small town mystery.

The Mystic and the Missing Girl by Vikki VanSickle is expected out September 8, 2026 from Minotaur Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? Tarot cards are fascinating. Couple that with the gift to get impressions from objects and you have some formidable talent. I'm curious about the main character tapping into her talents. And I want to know more about what happened to her aunt. I want to see a happy ending for her. The plot sounds interesting.

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

Book Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Ana and Din are called on to solve an unusual murder - one where the corpse isn't consistently at rest. Combine that with some Romeo and Juliet type plotting and you get two families at odds with each other threatening the peace of this area of the empire.

There is also more about how the empire works. This book talks about the keys to producing meat and keys for grain to feed the cattle. Din continues to be likable. Ana is weird as usual. Both Ana and Din have their observations and insights questioned before the surprising truth is revealed. I also liked the character of Fo, Din's sister. She was a surprise when he arrives in the canton. As the story goes on, the weirder things get. 

A Trade od Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett was released August 4, 2026 by Del Rey.

I gave the book 5 out of 5 stars. The world-building is excellent. With each new mystery,  new details of how the world works are revealed. The details of each mystery show wonderful imagination. 

While each mystery can be read as a standalone, the series reads better if you start at the building and work your way forward. The characters themselves are well detailed. And again with each new mystery, we learn more about each person. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy well-detailed people and complex characters as well as people who enjoy unusual mysteries and detailed world-building. It's defiitely worth a read. 

I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

Friday Favorites: 2 Sides of One Coin: Reread or DNF

 

This week there are two questions: 1) Do you ever reread a book? and 2) Would you DNF a book? (DNF = Did not finish) Both questions are personal.

There are benefits to rereading a book. It can provide comfort. You've read it before. You pretty much know what happens. And yet you may see things you missed before. I rarely reread books. When I do reread, it's because I really enjoyed the book. It may be also be for comfort or because it had some ideas in it that I felt worth exploring again. Some examples of books that I've reread are Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach, The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal also by Christopher Moore, Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, Mort by Terry Pratchett, and The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Then there is the other side of the coin. Most of the time I muddle through, but sometimes I just can't stand it and don't finish a book. Again I find that most of the time I haven't finished a book it's because I didn't like it and I reached a point where I was avoiding reading it. Other reasons may be because of the mood I found it was putting me in or something happens in the book that I just didn't want to read - found repugnant. Examples of books I've DNF'd are Moby Dick by Herman Melville, and The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts by Kim Fu. There are lots of other people who enjoyed these books, but they just weren't for me for one reason or another.

So, tell me, do you reread books? And which ones do you reread? Have you DNF'd a book? Which book and why? Share your thoughts in comments. Thanks for coming by. Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs asks is what would you do if your husband had lost your retirement nest egg on an investment, has been making you miserable, but has a million dollar life insurance policy? For these women the answer is both simple and complex. You hire a hitman and hope to get away with murder.

Four women, best friends, find out through the death of one of the husbands about the life insurance policies. The men meanwhile are scared by the death of their friend. They suspect foul play. They turn to a member of the community with a plan. The plan is outrageous and creates crazy goings on.

I loved the characters of the women and found them relatable. Not so relatable that I would follow their plan, but they are very human. The men think they've thought things through, but they are mistaken. Between the plans of the husbands and wives there is plenty of humor.

I gave this book 5 stars for the humor and the plotting. I thought it was an excellent first book. I loved the humor, the plot, and in the end all the characters. Surprisingly, I felt this is a book I might read a second time. If you enjoy action/adventure type books with plenty of humor, then this might be a good book for you.

View all my reviews

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #616: Evil Ways by Julie Mulhern

 

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: No good deed goes unpunished.

Ellison agreed to one afternoon of bridge, one favor for a woman whose husband is having a heart attack. She doesn't ask who else is playing. She should have.

When Lavinia Denton dies at the bridge table, Ellison is sure she’s been murdered.

Ellison doesn’t mean to investigate. Really, she doesn’t. But people keep telling her things.

And all that information she didn’t ask for? It just might get her killed.

Evil Ways by Julie Mulhern is the 21st book in the Country Club Murders series. It's published by J & M Press. It's expected out September 1, 2026.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've read the other books in the series and have enjoyed them. They are cozy mysteries where Ellison investigates aided now by her husband, Anarchy, who is on the police force. The mysteries are well written. There are always wonderful twists. And there is light banter and some humorous situations. If you like your cozies with a side of humor, this series could be for you. Join Ellison in the kitchen as she talks to the coffee pot and tries to figure out who is responsible for the death she is looking into. Book one in the series is The Deep End and is available on Amazon for Kindle for $2.99. I receive no compensation for sharing this information.

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

Teaser Tuesday: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

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's 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 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

 "We attend this, ma'am," I said, "because the murder suspect is of another gentryclan. The two families are now on the verge of outright war. One death may become dozens, if not hundreds."

"But none would be interesting!"she said.

The I is the narrator, Din. The she is the brilliant investigator, Ana. And, Ana is complaining that the investigation into the death is too straight forward and not worthy of her brilliance and attention.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett was released August 4, 2026 by Del Rey. It is the third book in the Ana and Din mysteries series.

What have you been reading?