BOOK NEWS: July 5, 2022

Happy July, fellow readers! Here are some of the books releasing this week for you to add to your summer TBR.

Books for Kids


Ballet Bruce – A new Early Reader starring Mother Bruce! Bruce’s geese want to do ballet. This looks adorable!

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Repairing the World – A young girl feels lost and untethered after the death of her best friend. This is on my wish list for the week.
The Charmed List – When Ellie’s prank against her former best friend, Jack, backfires and puts her relationship with her new best friend in jeopardy, she’s stuck with Jack on a road trip as her punishment. I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Lia and Beckett’s Abracadabra – From the author of The Quantum Weirdness of the Almost-Kiss. While Lia is all in on a magic competition against the Blackwell boys, she doesn’t realize the cute guy she met on the beach is one of them. I’ll be reviewing this one soon as well!

 

Books for Adults


Acts of Violet (Hardcover) – Violet, a magician, disappeared in the middle of her act. Ten years later, her sister Sasha is looking for answers, as is Violet’s niece and a podcaster who won’t leave Sasha be. This sounds intriguing! This one is already on my library wish list.
A Cold Nose for Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the always delightful Chatty Corgi series. I’ll be reviewing this soon!
Dream On (Trade Paperback) – A woman wakes up after an accident with memories of a boyfriend who everyone in her life says doesn’t exist. A year later, she meets him. Yes, please! This is also on my library list.
The Finalists (Trade Paperback) – Six college students locked in a Victorian mansion compete for a fellowship – but not everyone will survive. My library is so amazing, they already have this one coming soon. It’s on my list.
For You & No One Else (Trade Paperback) – To recover after becoming a “worst date ever” meme, Eliza agrees to go off social media for 6 months and learn to live in the “real world.” Fascinating!
Holy Chow (Hardcover) – Book 25 in the excellent Andy Carpenter series. I’ll be reviewing this one soon!
A Perilous Pal (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Friend for Hire Mystery series. I’ll be reviewing this one soon, too.

 

 

BOOK NEWS: October 19, 2021

Here are some of the new books releasing this week! [Due to supply chain issues, release dates are subject to change. It’s happening so much right now, I don’t have time to reset all the books to their new dates. I’ll note the change when I see them. The bottom line is, order your holiday books early!]

Books for Kids


Planting Friendship: Peace, Salaam, Shalom – Three girls from different faith traditions learn about one another during a class planting project. This looks lovely.
I Am Oprah Winfrey – The latest picture book biography in the Ordinary People Change the World series.
Good Dog: Life Is Good – Book 6 in the series sees Bo experiencing his first snowfall.
Sophie Mouse: The Hidden Cottage – Book 18 in the sweet Adventures of Sophie Mouse early chapter book series. Sophie and her friends find a darling cottage that seems to be abandoned.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


A Batch Made in Heaven – Mina is supposed to be starting a mentorship at the local bakery, but the son of the owner won’t let her in the kitchen.
Dust & Grim – Orphaned siblings raised apart try to figure out how to manage the family business – a monster mortuary.
Keeping It Real (Older Middle Grade) – A girl in a special fashion training program discovers some family secrets when she looks for the reason for another participant’s hostility toward her.
A Kind of Spark – A neuro-divergent girl looks for ways to honor the other “different” women her town used to burn as witches.
The Shattered Castle – Book 5 in the Ascendance series by Jennifer A. Nielsen that started with the stellar The False Prince. The king keeps a secret he hopes will help him hold his kingdom, but nothing for him has ever gone easily.
The Unfinished Corner (Graphic Novel) – A girl preparing for her Bat Mitzvah while questioning if she even wants to be Jewish is whisked away to the Unfinished Corner, a place in Jewish mythology where monsters dwell.
Bad Girls Never Say Die – A new novel from Jennifer Mathieu, the author of the outstanding Moxie – this one a gender-flipped version of The Outsiders. I am intrigued by this!
City of Shattered Light – An heiress and an outlaw will have to decide if they are better off teaming up or going their own way when the things most precious to them are threatened. I love the sci-fi angle of this one.
Little Thieves – A maid who magically takes the place of a palace princess is cursed for her greed and left to scrape together a solution in two weeks time before she loses everything. Yes, please!
Out of the Fire – A girl taunted by the man who once kidnapped her teams up with other girls searching for vengeance, but she unearths some unexpected secrets along the way.

 

Books for Adults


Best in Snow (Hardcover) – Book 24 in the fun Andy Carpenter mystery series. You can read my full review of this one here.
A Christmas Courtship (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in the Berlin Bookmobile series. The bookmobile librarian recommends reading romance novels to a man looking for advice for wooing his long-time crush.
Dear Santa (Hardcover) – A young woman trying to recover from a devastating betrayal tries writing a letter to Santa to lift her holiday spirits.
Jackets, Jack-O-Lantern & Justice (e-book, October 21) – Book 22 in the Camper & Criminals mystery series.
Mulled to Death (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 3 in the Colorado Wine Mystery series. A romantic getaway turns dangerous when a resort owner is killed and Parker experiences some mysterious “accidents.”
The Night of Many Endings (Trade Paperback) – An eclectic group takes shelter in the local library during a snowstorm and discovers more about themselves, and each other, than any of them expected.
The Twelve Jays of Christmas (Hardcover) – Book 30 in one of my favorite mystery series! Meg has her hands full when an artist working in their home is killed in the midst of a blizzard and her brother’s wedding preparations.
Well Matched (Trade Paperback) – Book 3 in this Renaissance Faire series. April agrees to be Mitch’s fake girlfriend for a family dinner, but their fake relationship will have to continue when his family later comes to the Faire. Between the fact that I love these two characters and I am a sucker for a fake relationship story, this one is definitely on my list for this week!
Forty Days on Being an Eight (Hardcover, nonfiction) – The latest in this devotional series edited by Suzanne Stabile. Looks like the print version of this has been pushed back to November 23rd.

REVIEW: Best in Snow by David Rosenfelt

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book now releases next week on October 19.]

Summary


It was bad enough that Andy’s dog, Tara, found a dead body in the snow. Finding out it’s the body of Paterson mayor, Alex Oliva, puts the whole town on edge, including Andy’s friend, Vince Sanders.

Vince is the editor of the local paper. And one of his reporters, Bobby Nash, lost his job over an article he wrote about the mayor. The police are looking for Bobby. And Vince wants Andy to defend him.

Things look bad for Bobby, especially when there’s a second murder tied to his article. Andy and his team will have their hands full trying to prove Bobby’s innocence – and trying to keep him alive.

Review


Another fun Andy Carpenter mystery to keep you guessing until the end. There are some fun twists to the case that kept it from feeling like it’s following a pattern. (This is the 24th book in the series – freshness is important.) I read this immediately after Dog Eat Dog, and I enjoyed how Rosenfelt changed things up with his cast, too. While the K-Team was involved with both books, this one relies more on electronic evidence, bringing in a different part of Andy’s team. This was a fun addition to the story.

Series fans will want to pick this up just to stay on top of what Andy and his team are up to. Newcomers can probably jump in here without a lot of issues. You’ll have missed how the team came together and a lot of the history and maybe a few inside jokes. But that just makes it more fun to go back and pick up the stories you’ve missed.

This is a must-read series for me. I always enjoy Andy’s humor – sarcastic and snarky – and court room antics. And the mysteries are usually intricate enough to keep me guessing until the end. Mystery fans should check this out. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


Meg and her family are playing host once again, this time to a group  of actors putting on a production of Macbeth. Thanks to an interdepartmental war at the college, Michael and his actors are using the farm and an amphitheater at Meg’s grandfather’s zoo to practice their play. There’s also a group of historical reenactors staying on Meg’s parents’ property. And the warring English and history professors are dropping in regularly.

In the midst of that chaos, trouble is stirring. A vandal is striking at the farm. The reenactors’ antics are putting them at risk for arrest. Someone seems to be concocting a potion over a risky open fire in the woods. And then there’s the murder.

Review


Another fun mystery with Meg and her friends and family! (This is book 29 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series.)

I have been a fan of this series since the first few books released over 20 years ago. Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is one of my favorite protagonists. She’s such a great character, and her extended family and the community folks are characters I look forward to spending time with when each new book releases.

There’s a TON going on here with the actors and the reenactors and all of the college folks. There’s the Macbeth-related events and the criminal and mischievous behaviors. Evil spells. Vandals. Murder. Puppies. This book has it all.

I loved watching the various mysteries play out. I didn’t really even try to sort out the villain for myself. Instead, I just watched it all unfold. And it was supremely satisfying.

Like the Andy Carpenter series, which I have reviewed recently, the Meg Langslow books are probably easy enough to follow story-wise for someone to start with this book or another one of the latter books in the series. But the cast in this series is VAST and could be hard to track without the history of what – and who – has come before.  Personally, I’d love to go back to the beginning of the series – Murder with Peacocks, Murder with Puffins, Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos – sometime and experience the early days of this great series all over again. I highly recommend cozy fans dig into this meaty series. Book 30 – The Twelve Jays of Christmas – releases in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Dog Eat Dog by David Rosenfelt

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


While out walking their dogs, Andy and Laurie see a man yelling at and kicking his pug. As they move toward the scene, another man comes up and punches the abuser until he is down. When the police arrive, the hero and the abuser get arrested.

The dog’s hero is Matt Jantzen. And Matt is wanted for a double murder in Maine. Andy wants to help the guy, but he can’t find a Maine lawyer willing to take on the case. So Andy, Laurie, and the rest of their investigative team head to the land of lobster rolls for the trial.

Review


This is a great mystery in this fantastic series. I love the humor and snark in this series. The mystery in this one keeps you guessing all the way to the end. I loved the change of setting for this. It introduced a few new characters in addition to Andy’s usual team, including a new dog, which is always fun.

Mystery lovers, dog lovers, and readers who enjoy courtroom dramas should not miss this series. The court case starts a little later than usual in this book which made for another nice change of pace. I enjoyed the ways Rosenfelt changed things up for this novel.

I find this to be a series you can start in the middle without much issue. My first Andy Carpenter book was The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥), which is the 15th book in the series. (This is #23.) I loved the book, but I was intrigued by the team and had to go back to the beginning to see how it all came together. I think newcomers could easily start with this book and then go back and pick up some of the earlier titles as well as checking out the spin-off series, The K-Team. Some of my Andy Carpenter favorites are The Twelve Dogs of Christmas as well as  Bury the Lead (♥♥♥♥♥), and Play Dead (♥♥♥♥♥). The second K-Team book, Animal Instinct, is also terrific. Check them out! Book 24 in the Andy Carpenter series, Best in Snow, will be out this October, and I’ll be reviewing it then.  (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might-re-read

BOOK NEWS: July 6, 2021

Happy July! While I am on a personal sabbatical this month, I couldn’t leave you without news on some of the great books releasing this week. There are a BUNCH! Take a look:

Books for Kids


Bloop – Bloop the alien comes to Earth for conquest, but he thinks dogs are the ones in charge. This sounds fun!
Except Antarctica! – While the narrator is quick to tell the turtle and other animals that they are found on every continent except Antarctica, the animals decide to travel there to prove them wrong. This is already in my shopping cart. The sample pages are hilarious!
The Bad Guys Cut to the Chase – Book 13 in the fun Bad Guys series.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


Babymouse Tales from the Locker: Whisker Wizard – Book 5 in the middle grade Babymouse series. Babymouse gets to experience being an online influencer.
Forever this Summer – While Georgie is feeling left out by her family in their new town, a new friend asks for help finding her biological mother, and the journey changes what Georgie thought her summer would look like.
The Last Super Chef – When Curtis’ long-absent father announces a kid’s season of his show, Super Chef, Curtis sees it as a chance to prove himself as well as to meet his dad.
Secondhand Dogs – Miss Lottie has created a pack – a family – out of the rescues she has taken in. But when a new dog threatens their home and harmony, Gus, the pack leader, will have to find his courage and use it to save his family. This looks great!
Time Villains – First in a new series about a mysterious table that brings historical figures to life – and to dinner. And during a dinner party, Blackbeard the pirate escapes. This sounds super fun!
What Is the Story of Willy Wonka? – The backstory of the character Willy Wonka.
Where Are the Constellations? – A book about the constellations.
Who Was Juliette Gordon Low? – A biography of the woman who founded the Girl Scouts.
If You, Then Me – A young woman at an app incubator program for tech prodigies deals with meeting her idol; acquiring a nemesis; and stumbling into a love triangle between herself, her face to face crush, and the guy she’s been interacting with online – who happens to be at the same event. I have this one on my review list.
It Ends in Fire – A new novel from the author of Royal Bastards. A young woman who lost her parents at the hands of wizards and has grown up in a rebel faction cons her way into the magical academy in order to destroy it from within. I never got to finish the Royal Bastards series, but I loved the first book. I have this one in my shopping cart already.
The Queen Will Betray You – Book 2 in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky series after The Princess Will Save You. The princess and the stable boy she loves face several royals out to claim the kingdom for themselves. I never got to read book one last year, but it releases in paperback this week and both books are on my wish list!
Rise to the Sun (LGBTQ+) – From the author of You Should See Me in a Crown. Two young women at the same music festival find in each other the companion and the support to do what they each need to do that weekend.
Six Crimson Cranes – A princess with forbidden magic is chased away from her home by her step-mother who has turned the girl’s brothers into cranes who will die if she tells anyone what happened. This sounds fascinating!

Books for Adults


The 22 Murders of Madison May (Hardcover) – A reporter is following a serial killer through the multiverse as he kills the same woman in every dimension. Yes please!
Capture the Crown (Trade Paperback) – Book 1 in the Gargoyle Queen series, a spinoff from the amazing Crown of Shards series. A pampered princess hides the extent of her magic and her role as a spy, but during a mission finds she must partner up with her nemesis if she’s going to survive. I have an autographed copy working its way to me this week – I can’t wait to dig into this one!
A Cup of Silver Linings (Trade Paperback) – Book 2 in the Dove Pond series. A tea shop owner finds her special blends having the wrong effects on her customers. A grandmother in town to tie up her daughter’s affairs and move her granddaughter home finds a wrinkle to her plans – her granddaughter doesn’t want to go. So the granddaughter goes in search of her father and a chance to stay in Dove Pond. The full description of both this book and the first have grabbed my attention. These are now on my list.
Death at the Crystal Palace (Trade Paperback) – Book 5 in the Below Stairs Mystery series which kicked off with Below Stairs (♥♥♥♥). Kat gets embroiled in two dangerous mysteries when she agrees to help a woman who believes her own family members are trying to kill her. I might have to pick this series back up – this one sounds fascinating!
Dog Eat Dog (Hardcover) – Book 23 in the Andy Carpenter Mystery series, one of my favorites. Andy picks up a new client when a man wanted for murder stops to help a dog being abused. This one is on my review list.
A Fatal Footnote (Mass Market Paperback) – Book 2 in the Open Book Mystery series after Murder in the Margins. Wedding bells hit a sour note when the Duke’s ex is found murdered at his wedding reception.
Half Sick of Shadows (Hardcover) – A reimagined King Arthur story, focused on a young seer named Elaine of Shalott, from the author of the Ash Princess series.
The Hollywood Spy (Hardcover) – Book 10 in the Maggie Hope Mystery series. Maggie travels to America when the woman engaged to her former fiancé is found dead and he suspects foul play.
Kill All Your Darlings (Trade Paperback) – A struggling writer and professor publishes a novel written by a missing student as his own. The student then shows up on his doorstep. And the police want to know why “his” novel includes details related to an unsolved case, trapping him between two undesirable actions. Wow, that sounds fascinating!
Lost and Found Family (Trade Paperback) – The latest novel by Jennifer Ryan. Hiding the truth of her late husband’s behavior has estranged Sara from her mother-in-law who threatens to take Sara’s children’ from her. This sounds fantastic!
The Moonshine Shack Murder (Mass Market Paperback) – First in the new  Southern Homebrew Mystery series. When a body is found on the doorstep of her business with a broken bottle of her moonshine next to it, and the police discover Hattie and the victim had an argument, she becomes the prime suspect.
Out of Character (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – Book 2 in the True Colors series after Conventionally Yours (a book I keep re-buying because I haven’t gotten to read it yet and keep forgetting I already own it). Jasper wants nothing to do with his ex-best friend, but Milo is desperate and really needs the help. And maybe he’ll even get to a point where he can tell Jasper how he really feels about him.
A Pumpkin Spice Killing (e-book) – Part of the Farm-to-Fork Mystery series. When the staff of the County Seat help out at a veterans home as a team-building exercise, they get drawn into one veteran’s quest to find his son and make amends before it’s too late. But someone keeps blocking their efforts. Sounds like a great mystery!
Tender Is the Bite (Hardcover) – Book 11 in the Chet & Bernie Mystery series. A young woman approaches Chet and Bernie for help but runs off before they can even get her name. But Chet picked up some clues to the case that hinges on the help of a ferret. That description is enough to get me to pick this one up!
Too Good to Be Real (Trade Paperback) – A reporter at a retreat that promises guests the chance at real life meet cutes has a meet cute of her own, but she doesn’t tell the guy she’s just there for the story. This sounds exactly like a Hallmark movie set up! I have to try this one!
Living Brave: Lessons from Hurt, Lighting the Way to Hope (Hardcover, Nonfiction) – I was already following the author, Shannon Dingle, on social media before she lost her husband in a stunning accident in 2019. This is going to be a powerful book!

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Publishers – St. Martin’s Press

Back in February I posted the first of my publisher spotlight posts about Crooked Lane Books. Then, in April, I did a spotlight on Kensington. This month I want to highlight St. Martin’s Press which is a division of Macmillan and includes the imprints of St. Martin’s Paperbacks (Nora Roberts books, Stephanie Plum mysteries, cozy mysteries),  Griffin (contemporary paperbacks – fiction, puzzles, etc.), Minotaur (crime fiction), Castle Point (nonfiction including gift books, cookbooks, activity and coloring books), and Wednesday Books (YA) among others.

Here are reviews for some of my favorite St. Martin’s Press/Griffin and St. Martin’s Press Paperback titles and series:

The Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander
(and other cozy mystery series – Noodle Shop, Apron Shop, Cookie House, House-Flipper, Paw Enforcement,
Ten Rules for Faking It
The Love Scam
A Sweet Mess
The Christmas Town

Here are reviews for some of my favorite Minotaur titles and series:

Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt
The K-Team series by David Rosenfelt
The Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews
The Ancestry Detective series by S. C. Perkins
The Mercy Carr/Mercy and Elvis Mystery series by Paula Munier
The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz
The Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series by Jeffrey B. Burton

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes
A Royal Affair
The Dog Dish of Doom

Here are reviews for some of my favorite Wednesday Books titles and series:

Amelia Unabridged
Tweet Cute
You Have a Match
Not Now, Not Ever

In Another Life
The Mall
You’d Be Mine
Only Mostly Devastated (♥♥♥♥½)

BONUS REVIEW: The Hiding Place by Paula Munier

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


Troy and Susie Bear team up with Mercy and Elvis again when a string of crimes seems to converge around the same time.

  • A moose researcher is killed deep in the woods.
  • A dying man asks Mercy to solve a missing person’s case – the one Mercy’s sheriff grandfather could never solve.
  • The man who killed Mercy’s grandfather escapes from prison and is likely headed back to town to resolve some unfinished business.
  • Someone plants a pipe bomb at Mercy’s grandmother’s house.

And then Mercy’s grandmother goes missing.

Review


Another excellent book in the Mercy and Elvis Mystery series! It’s been awhile since I read book 2, Blind Search, and I was concerned I would have trouble remembering everything. But the author does a great job of building refreshers into the story naturally. I was swept away by the story immediately. Reading this was like visiting with old friends.

As always, the characters in this are a delight – both the human ones and the animal ones. The animals are woven into the story beautifully. I love what they add to each adventure.

The mystery here was vast and engaging. I was able to puzzle out most of it on my own, which was quite satisfying because this one was twisty. I loved that the author included some non-mystery related character development pieces along the way. It makes the story feel full and well-rounded, but never distracts from the mystery at the center of the book. I can’t get enough of these books. This is a must-read series for me!

Fans of David Rosenfelt (Andy Carpenter, K-Team) and other dog-centered mysteries like the Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series should be sure to add this whole series to their TBRs. This doesn’t have the snark of Rosenfelt, but it does have the fantastic plotting and terrific characters as well as a lot of heart.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Animal Instinct by David Rosenfelt

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


When Corey Douglas was a cop, one somewhat random case always bothered him. He didn’t usually work domestic violence cases, but he answered this call about a neighbor hearing an escalating fight. The alleged victim refused to press charges, saying she fell. Her boyfriend was far too smug to be innocent. But Corey was powerless to do much more than file the report.

Now, Corey and his former K-9 partner, Simon, are PIs along with a couple other investigators, including Andy Carpenter’s wife, Laurie Collins. When the alleged domestic violence victim is murdered in what looks like a drive by, Corey is convinced the boyfriend struck again. The K-Team agrees to help Corey look into the case.

What seemed simple at first becomes more convoluted than any member of the K-Team could have predicted. And Corey has the most to lose if they can’t puzzle out the truth.

Review


This was excellent! Come for the fantastically plotted mystery, stay for the terrific cast of characters and the sassy tone of the writing. Rosenfelt is in fine form with the second K-Team book. All of my favorite characters are part of the case including Andy Carpenter, the defense attorney from Rosenfelt’s long-running series.

The mystery in this one is exceptionally twisty. I had no clue what was going on, but I was happy to just be along for the ride. The resolution was supremely satisfying!

I don’t know that readers have to read the K-Team books in order or to have read the Andy Carpenter books first. The case here stands solidly on its own. But I think readers will enjoy the characters enough to want to go back and fill in the gaps if they start reading here. David Rosenfelt fans should be sure to pick this one up!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

BONUS REVIEW: Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary


Andy Carpenter’s status as a retired defense attorney is in jeopardy again when his business partner, Willie Miller, asks Andy to take on a new client. Tony Birch was Willie’s cellmate once, and Tony has been arrested again. The prosecution’s story is that Tony was angry at the guy who testified against him and put him in jail. But when more bodies start piling up, it seems that Tony might have been set up.

As Andy and his team dig further into the case, the frame up becomes more clear, but the reasons are elusive. If the defense can’t catch a break, Tony could go to jail for something he didn’t do.

Review


This is book 22 in the fun Andy Carpenter series. As always, this has a terrific dog as well as Andy and his top notch team.

I am happy to say I puzzled out what was really going on before Andy did, although he did fill in a couple gaps for me in the end to round the case out. This one was tricky, and for awhile I wondered if Andy was going to pull it together in time.

While this takes place around Christmas, the holiday is not a major factor in the story. And other than a new cast member, there weren’t any big non-case-related surprises here for the series.

Series fans will enjoy spending some snark-filled hours with Andy, watching him wrestle through another case. This hits all the usual beats for the series. Newcomers should be able to enjoy this on its own without issue. But if you love the team here like I do, you’ll want to go back and pick up some of the earlier books. Some of my favorites are: Bury the Lead (♥♥♥♥♥), Play Dead (♥♥♥♥♥), and The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (♥♥♥♥♥).

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.