Teaser Tuesday: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

 

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!

 On the whole, when it comes to murder, the stats very much favor the men. The odd woman is thrown into the mix every now and again, but she is inevitably perimenopausal (and having been through the change myself, I certainly understand why). But an elderly woman or a little girl committing murder? It's one in a million. 

(1% through on my Kindle)

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth was published April 21, 2026 by St. Martin's Press.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #600: I Think We Should Kill Other People by L.M. Chilton

 

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 new laugh-out-loud serial killer thriller from L.M. Chilton, author of Don't Swipe Right and Everyone in the Group Chat Dies.

The nation watched them fall in love. Now someone's watching them die.

Hazel and Marc were paired together on a revolutionary new reality TV show Love Synced, in which sophisticated AI matches hopeful lovers based on its perceptive algorithms.

But when it came time to say “I Do” on camera, Hazel couldn't go through with it, leaving her perfect match at the altar, his family furious and the whole TV production in jeopardy.

Now all she wants to do is fly home. Instead, she's trapped in a tiny, isolated airport that's been ground to a halt amidst a massive snowstorm…with her ex and his obnoxiously rich family sitting at the gate with her. But when they start turning up dead, a jilted lover is the least of Hazel's worries—there's a serial killer to catch first.

The heart's a fickle thing, so it's no surprise that AI couldn't predict true love for Hazel…but could it help crack the case when a murderer is picking off her almost-in-laws one by one?

I Think We Should Kill Other People by L.M. Chilton is expected out September 29, 2026 from Gallery Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like that it is billed as a "laugh-out-loud serial killer thriller." These days, laugh-out-loud is precious and a much needed escape. 

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: The Only One Who Knows by Lisa M. Matlin

 

From the publisher:

A disgraced TV news reporter returns to her violent hometown to investigate a series of deadly shark attacks in this nail-biting suspense novel from the author of The Stranger Upstairs.

“A gothic coastal noir about generational violence and the cyclical nature of predation, The Only One Who Knows is visceral, haunting, and impossible to look away from.”—Carter Wilson, USA Today bestselling author of Tell Me What You Did

Something is lurking below the surface . . . and it’s hungry.

With her polished persona as a morning show co-host, Minnow Greenwood seems to have it all. But behind the camera, something’s about to break. When a public meltdown shatters her facade, Minnow flees back to Kangaroo Bay—a grimy fishing town on Australia’s southern coast, where locals vanish and something deadly hunts in the water.

On her first night back, a horrifying shark attack rocks the town, adding another body to the unsettling list of deaths and disappearances. Then a former colleague arrives to investigate, so she reluctantly teams up with him to find answers for herself and keep her own dark secrets buried.

But with danger closing in, Minnow must unearth her town’s deadly past—and face the darkness festering inside her—before she becomes the next to disappear.

The Only One Who Knows by Lisa M. Matlin was released March 3, 2026 from Bantam.

My Thoughts:

This is my first time reading something that is dubbed gothic coastal noir. And I would have to say it met the criteria on all three adjectives as well as thriller. The description intrigued me. All of that, plus shark attacks. I have a love/hate relationship with sharks. Would hate to meet one, but love to know more about them. This does definitely not fall into the knowledge based fiction, but more sensationalist with the deaths by shark attack. And yet the sharks seem to add to some of both the gothic mood and the noir.

Minnow is a flawed character and narrator. We see most of what's happening, past and present, through her eyes. The beginning of the novel serves to show the difference from where she came to where she was currently before she travels home. Home is such a comforting word usually, but for Minnow, it has mixed emotions. She has memories both good and bad, and more violent than peaceful. I would have to say she is the only really well developed character. All the others are supporting characters in some way, shape, or form.

The story itself generally moves forward at a decent rate. There are some flashbacks that can be a little jarring. It is definitely a mystery/thriller as well. 

i gave the story 4 out of 5 stars. It kept my attention and kept me guessing. If you enjoy thrillers with an unreliable narrator and sharks, you will probably enjoy this book. Just a note, it does get a little gruesome at some points. And there is a fair amount of different kinds of violence.

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

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #591: Poppy Montgomery Gets Even by Gordon Jack

 

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: An elderly woman targets online scammers in this charmingly cozy caper from a “riotously funny” author (Publishers Weekly).

Eighty-year-old Poppy Montgomery has always taken a negative view of her life. Her father? A bully. Her husbands? Losers. Her daughter and grandson? Well, they’re probably her fault. And now the police have taken away her license, her daughter wants to put her in a retirement home, and the bossy new fitter-than-thou attendee at water aerobics is taking over her favorite class.

But enough is enough, and when her new friend, Ginny, is scammed on a dating site for seniors, Poppy decides it’s time to finally get even. With the help of Jeremy, her tech-savvy grandson, Poppy launches a vindictive little caper, scamming the scammers that prey on the elderly online. But when two women at Ginny’s retirement home seemingly meet unnatural ends and her newest target is implicated in the murder, suddenly Poppy’s fun online con job becomes a matter of life or death. It’s going to take the whole gang—Poppy’s two new best friends, her in-recovery daughter, and her basement-dwelling grandson—to pull off one last job, before one of them becomes the next victim.

A charmingly cozy crime story brimming with laughs and heart, Poppy Montgomery Gets Even shows that it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf, make new friends, and scam an international crime ring while solving some murders along the way.

Poppy Montgomery Gets Even by Gordon Jack is due out June 9, 2026 from The Mysterious Press.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like the idea of an 80 year old woman getting revenge on scammers, particularly those that prey on the elderly. And the fact that it's supposed to have some humor to it makes it more attractive.

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

Book Review: Killer Tracks by Mary Keliikoa

 

Sheriff Jax Turner of Misty Pines is invited on a getaway by his ex-wife Abby who he is trying to reunite with. This means leaving his second in command, Rachel, in charge of the unit while he's gone. It's not her, but leaving at all that has him anxious. And when Abby requests that they leave their service revolvers behind for the weekend, he has his qualms.

When they arrive at the cabin, there are signs of a break-in.  And soon other events follow that have the hairs standing up on the back of his neck and his suspicions in overdrive. A death with the markings of a serial killer that he put away ratchets up the tension. Meanwhile, they are dealing with a similar death in town. Add in a mysterious young woman and a wildfire for a few more elements and you have the makings of a thrilling mystery.

My Thoughts: This is a good, solid mystery/thriller. The action, thrills, and mystery start early on. They grab you and take you on a ride as the tension only increases. Jax and Abby are in danger in one place. Rachel and his deputies are dealing with dangers back in town. 

The book is told from Jax's viewpoint and Rachel's. We get to know more about both characters. And we get to see them both wrestle with issues and grow as people and law officers.

There's an unexpected twist to the ending of the crime storyline that works quite well. There is a personal twist as well.

I did have a little trouble suspending disbelief that two officers of the law would go someplace isolated and not carry their service revolvers. The shotgun makes a nice compromise.

Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. The thing with the guns was my only complaint. Otherwise the mystery/thriller was well executed. I would recommend it to people who have been reading the Misty Pines series as this is book 3. But, it can probably be read as a standalone as well. Things were explained well enough to enjoy the mystery. So, if you enjoy fast-paced, small town mysteries, this could be a good book for you. It's not quite a cozy because it's professionals doing the crime solving, but it still has a little of that vibe.

Killer Tracks by Mary Keliikoa was released September 30, 2025 from Level Best Books. I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my review.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #573: Murder Mindfully by Karsten Dusse

 

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: In this zen and zany crime debut, a shady lawyer transforms his life through mindfulness—and uses his newfound techniques to kill his way to the top. Original series now streaming on Netflix.

Criminal defense lawyer Björn Diemel has been given an ultimatum: repair his work-life balance, or his wife will leave him—and take their daughter.

He reluctantly starts a mindfulness course, and to his surprise, it’s a revelation. He becomes calmer, happier, and more focused as he starts to understand what’s really important in life. When his worst client, brutal kingpin Dragan Sergowicz, tries to interfere with his precious family time, Björn will stop at nothing—not even killing—to protect his peace.

Why am I waiting on this book? It sounds like a darkfully fun read. I could see where being in the moment for a murder and disposal of a body could make it unbearable. So, I'm curious how this is not the fact. And now of course, I'm curious about the Netflix series. I know there is one season available to watch. The book will be available April 14, 2026 from Soho Crime. 

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: 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 #557: Remember Where You've Buried the Bodies by Julie Lancaster

 

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 brand new darkly humorous serial killer thriller for fans of How to Kill Your Family and The Thursday Murder Club.

What happens when a serial killer forgets that he’s a serial killer?

At Sunset House the tea is barely introduced to a teabag, the carpets are permanently flecked with glitter and care assistant Jolene would rather be watching daytime television than caring for the elderly – but someone might just have confessed to murder.

Most think Gilbert’s sudden claim – ‘When I killed her’ – is likely to be the dementia talking. Or a spoiler for Midsomer Murders. Probably. Now, between bingo, staff drama and a suspicious game of pass the parcel, someone’s about to dig up more than buried memories…

Darkly funny, sharply observant and unquestionably deadly, this is no Thursday Murder Club.

‘So compelling, I couldn’t put it down’ Natasha Bache, author of 12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas

Remember Where You've Buried the Bodies by Julie Lancaster is expected out September 19th, 2025 from One More Chapter.

Why am I waiting on this book: I love the cover. The idea of a serial killer with dementia in a nursing facility is novel. I'm wondering how it will play out. And I like the idea that it is "darkly humorous."

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!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #524: Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn

 

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: Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a call from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later.  This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn is expected out March 11, 2025 from Berkley.

Why am I waiting on this book? I love the idea of senior citizen assassins. I really enjoyed how she used the concept in the first book, Killers of a Certain Age. This one seems to be more complex plotwise. with them both searching for the mole and looking for a person with murder on their minds. 

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!