Happy Book Birthday and a Teaser from Dollface by Lindy Ryan

 

From the publisher:

Barbie meets Scream with a 90s nostalgia twist in this horror romp from Bless Your Heart author Lindy Ryan.

Horror author Jill has just moved to suburban New Jersey, hoping to fit in with the new PTA moms and maybe not weird everyone out with her Final Girl coffee mug. You know. Make some real friends.

But then a plastic face-masked serial killer begins slashing their way through town, one overly made-up mom at a time. The police are incredulous. The moms are indignant. And Jill is slowly wrapped into a killer’s murderous spree, until she might just be the last woman standing.

A delightfully murderous novel that is equal parts scathing and salacious, Dollface will win you over with its gossip and gore, one body at a time.

"A juicy, irreverent and bloody twist on the genre." - Variety

Dollface by Lindy Ryan is available today from Minotaur Books.

A Teaser for you:

This is a lie. I will not be going anywhere near the furnace. Horror author or not, I don't do basements-- or dusty attics, or backyard pools. (location 177 on my Kindle)

What are you reading? Is there a book out today that you've been waiting for?

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #583: Killer Vibes by Jack Friday

 

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:

A wild and wickedly funny series debut, introducing readers to the irresistible and irrepressible private investigator, Peter Key.

"Peter Key is my new favorite amateur sleuth."—Elle Cosimano

Meet Peter Key: self-proclaimed “laziest private investigator in Texas” (it’s harder than it looks), full-time bisexual, dedicated stoner, and the surprised recipient of a windfall inheritance from an uncle he barely knew. Peter’s life was a mess before he became the owner of a dilapidated house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin, but now he has a mountain of debt to deal with—and pushy realtors popping up on every corner to convince him to sell the land while the market is hot.

But Peter doesn’t like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash and a suggestion that his uncle's death might not have been an accident, he starts asking questions. When they said “Keep Austin Weird,” they weren’t joking. Just about everyone Peter meets seems to have a hidden agenda, and he soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules. Fortunately for Peter, he’s never been a rule follower anyway.

Sexy, suspenseful, and packed with Austin’s quirks, Killer Vibes is the start of an iconic new series with a singular, unforgettable cast of characters.

Killer Vibes by Jack Friday is expected to be released July 14, 2026 from Minotaur Books. This is the first book in a new series.

Why am I waiting on this book? Peter sounds like an interesting character let alone a private investigator. I want to see how he handles things and what happens to him. And to be fair, the quote from Elle Cosimano makes it more desirable as well since I love her books.

What book are you waiting on? Leave a note about it in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing TBR lists. Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #580: Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies byJenny Elder Moke

 

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: Juliette Winters is used to taking care of business alone. She has no time for petty things like romance, friendships, or emotional commitments. Love is for people who believe in reality TV dating and holding hands in public. She's too busy dominating the publishing world by single-handedly saving her company from financial ruin with the book deal of the century.

Business magnate Warren Ellingham has guaranteed Juliette exclusive rights to his explosive memoir that promises to expose the secrets of his ultra-exclusive country club, Pacific Pines. But when Warren drops dead of an apparent heart attack and the memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone was willing to resort to murder to keep their secrets from being exposed.

Enlisting the help of Charlie Hawkins, a doctor with a heart of gold and abs of steel, Juliette dives into the glamorous and messy world of Pacific Pines Country Club. As the investigation heats up, so does the tension between Juliette and Charlie. But Juliette can't afford any distractions because the bodies keep dropping, and Juliette is tee-d up to take the blame. If she doesn't uncover Warren's killer soon, the thing that was supposed to secure her future might just be the thing that ends it.

Jenny Elder Moke's twisty mystery rom-com blend will delight readers with its outrageous characters, laugh-out-loud jokes, and opposites attract romance.

Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke is expected out January 20th, 2026 from Minotaur Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? It sounds like it will be a fun read. The mystery seems interesting. I am curious to see how the rom-com affects the investigation of the mystery. And I like that it sounds like it will have some humor to it.

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!

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

 

From the publisher:

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets . . . before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano was published March 4th, 2025 by Minotaur Books. This is book 5 in the series.

My thoughts: I was really looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed. There is a really good mystery. A little less Vero than I would have liked, but more Mrs. Haggerty. Mrs. Haggerty is often a scene stealer, but this book couldn't have happened without her.

Characterizations were well done. Finlay continues to grow in her relationship with Nick. Vero and Javi are struggling to grow as a couple. Mrs. Haggerty is gradually revealed as the plot goes on.

The story moves along at a good pace. It kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. As in the other books some of the goings on are a stretch of the imagination, but overall it's a fun read.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. I wasn't crazy about the cliffhanger at the end of the book, but I was happy with the way the mystery was resolved. I would recommend this series to people who enjoy humorous cozies. And it's better read from book one on. This series would make a great beach read.

Teaser Tuesday: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

 

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.

“I’m covered in tree sap, there’s a pinecone jabbing my ass, and a dead dude in fishnets is lying on top of me. Please tell me you have a plan!”

p. 250

I'm still reading Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano. I'm about 80% through. It's really a good and fun read. If you're looking for light reading for the summer, this series could be just the ticket.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #526: Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

 

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:

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets . . . before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano is expected out March 4, 2025 from Minotaur.

Why am I waiting on this book? I have really enjoyed this series since the first book, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. This book will be the fifth book in the series. Finlay and Vero get into such trouble that at times their predicaments rival those of Lucy and Ethel. Each book seems a little more outrageous than the last, but in a good way. There's a mystery. But, there is also humor. And I love a good humorous mystery. 

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 out TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Happy Book Birthday to a Fantasy and a Mystery

 

Through Raspberry Colored Glasses wishes a Happy Book Birthday to The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer and Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos!

From the publisher:

Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer is being released today from Ballantine Books.

From the publisher: 

In the usually quiet high desert of Nevada, Sheriff Porter Beck faces one of his greatest challenges—a series of unlikely, disturbing and increasingly deadly events of unknown origins.

Porter Beck is the sheriff in the high desert of Nevada, doing the same lawman's job his father once did now that he's returned home after decades away. With his twelve person department, they cover a large area that is usually very quiet, but not of late. One childhood friend is the latest to succumb to a new wave of particularly strong illegal opioids, another childhood friend—now an enormously successful rancher—is targeted by a military drone, hacked and commandeered by an unknown source. The hacker is apparently local—local enough to call out Beck by name—and that means they are Beck's problem.

Beck's investigation leads him to Mercy Vaughn, the one known hacker in the area. The problem is that she's a teenager, locked up with no computer access at the secure juvenile detention center. But there's something Mercy that doesn't sit quite right with Beck. But when Mercy disappears, Beck understands that she's in danger and time is running out for all of them.

Shades of Mercy by Bruce Borgos is being released today by Minotaur Books.

Reviews to follow.

Book Review: A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian

 

Tempest Raj is rightly worried. Julian Rhodes blamed his wife's accident on their small family run business when it was his actions that caused it. His subsequent suing of the company has them all frazzled to a breaking point. Then late one night Tempest gets a phone call to meet Julian at the Whispering Creek Theater which she has rented out for her last magical performance. When she gets there, he has been stabbed with a sword through the door. It seems a booby trap has claimed his life. But, who could have done it and why? She decides to investigate the murder herself instead of waiting for the police to do so. Then there is more injury and death. She knows that she has all the information she needs to solve the mysteries, but she can't quite put it together. With a little help from her friends, can she put it together in time to keep anyone else from dying and keep herself out of jail?

A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian was released March 19th, 2024 from Minotaur Books.

I enjoy the Secret Staircase mystery novels. There's always some cool thing they are adding to a home. Plus there are the characters. Tempest and her close grouping of friends work well together. Her family make great supporting characters. And there is pretty much at least one locked room mystery per novel. My favorite characters are of course Tempest and her best friend and partner in crime, Ivy. There is much though that Tempest does alone in her investigations. Ivy always ties the crimes to some novel since she is going to be a librarian and they have that neat library with the train car to showcase.

The plot grabs us early on and the action and deductions keep it moving forward. The writing is well done. You want to keep turning the pages. And the ending is satisfying.

Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well done. The mystery is interesting. The plot moves forward at a good rate. And it keeps your attention. I didn't quite know all the answers to the mysteries and was surprised at some of the answers. It's a good book that does that. If you like your mysteries with a bit of stage magic, found family as well as a nice real family, this could be a good series for you. You could probably read this as a standalone since everything you need to know is explained. It will most likely make you want to read more in the series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions.

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano

 

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is the 4th book in the Finlay Donovan series. It picks up where book 3, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, leaves off.

Finlay and Vero must get to Atlantic City for a number of urgent reasons including saving Vero's crush Javi and locating a stolen car. So they concoct a story saying they need a Girl's weekend and are taking the kids with them. Finlay's ex-husband digs in his heels and says the kids are not leaving the state without him. And Finlay's mom is determined to accompany them for her own reasons.

Because it's Finlay and Vero, it hasn't been 24 hours and already trouble is finding them. Marco wants payment in full of what Vero owes him before he will free Javi. And he wants to know where his nephew Ike is. The women can't own up to that. So, they are at an impasse.

Finlay and Vero decide to break into Marco's suite to look for clues as to where Javi and the stolen car might be. Someone has beaten them to it, though, and left behind a dead Marco. They have no idea who did it. It adds to their workload. Find who killed Marco, they are probably looking for the car as well.

Then Nick, Charlie, Georgia, and Samantha show up at their hotel (all cops.) Nick is very eager to keep Finlay close to him to keep her safe. Rumor has it that the Russian mob boss who owns the car is on his way back to the states flying into Newark.

Finlay has to juggle people and responsibilities to continue to pursue the questions that brought them to Atlantic City. If things don't go off as planned, will she have to confess to the things that lead up to this mess?

This is not a standalone book. You must read them in order to appreciate the mess that Finlay and Vero are in.

Finlay and Vero are fun characters to read about. So often it seems they are going out of the frying pan and into the fire. This is a good escape from reality. The ladies are funny in an almost Lucy and Ethel way. Thing after thing happens to them escalating the danger and action. Basically, the premise for the plot is wild and bears little resemblance to reality which makes it a good read if you want something different. 

The action moves the plot forward at a good rate. There are very few times when Finlay and Vero aren't actively doing something. But, even then you are learning more about them and the other characters.

I gave it 5 stars out of 5. The series would make for good beach reading. But, it also makes for fun reading if you need a break from reality. If you enjoy humorous mysteries with lots of action, this could be a good book and series for you.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano was released March 5th, 2024 from Minotaur Books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.

Happy Book Birthday to Two Very Different Books

 

Two very different books come out today, but they do have one thing in common. They both have at their center female relationships.

From the publisher:

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are—seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car—it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.

Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all—he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.

But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for—Marco's already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike—and after Finlay's night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.

If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down?

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is out today from Minotaur Books.

Next up is Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk which is out today from Dutton.

From the publisher:

It is the twilight of Europe’s bloody bacchanals, of murder and feasting without end. In the nineteenth century, a vampire arrives from Europe to the coast of Buenos Aires and, for the second time in her life, watches as villages transform into a cosmopolitan city, one that will soon be ravaged by yellow fever. She must adapt, intermingle with humans, and be discreet.

In present-day Buenos Aires, a woman finds herself at an impasse as she grapples with her mother's terminal illness and her own relationship with motherhood. When she first encounters the vampire in a cemetery, something ignites within the two women—and they cross a threshold from which there’s no turning back.

With echoes of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and written in the vein of feminist Gothic writers like Shirley Jackson, Daphne du Maurier, and Carmen Maria Machado, Thirst plays with the boundaries of genre while exploring the limits of female agency, the consuming power of desire, and the fragile vitality of even the most immortal of creatures.

What books have you  been waiting for today? Are you more of a Finlay Donovan person or Gothic vampire or both? I'm both. Reviews to follow.