Head Cases by John McMahon

 Excellent characterization, but the plot was a bit over the top.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner

 

I'm normally a big Jennifer Weiner fan because I love how she -- unlike most other writers -- can write thoughtfully about topics like body perception.

But this one didn't work for me. Too many coincidences, and some unrealistic characters.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold

 Solid.

St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters

 Solid.

Heartwood by Amity Gaige

 

Clever, suspenseful, with well-developed characters. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage

 

I felt like this didn't quite know what it wanted to be: dark comedy, quest, modern relationship novel, something else? And, as a result, it didn't quite work as anything.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh

 

I can't say much without spoilers, but this was very well done, and in a suprising way at the end. I appreciate the characterization.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Railway Conspiracy by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan

 

I love this series so much -- the nods to golden age detective fiction, the interesting historical bits, the witty writing.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Rainmaker by John Grisham

 

Solid, and has aged reasonably well.

Gothictown by Emily Carpenter

I don't normally do anything that's even horror-adjacent, but this was clever and interesting (and not too creepy).

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker

 

A very compelling read, but I was not sure about the ending.

Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green

 

So interesting and sad.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

 

I loved this.

The Q by Amy Tintera

 I loved the idea of a dystopia set in Austin, but there was virtually no local color.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

 Solid.

Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler

 

This one's going to stick with me for a long time.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

 Such well-drawn characters for such a short book. Really a little gem.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Rose/House by Arkady Martine

 

This was solid -- but I kind of feel like a mystery about an AI house has so much potential that it should have been, and could have been, a lot better.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn

 

Solid, which was super disappointing because I adored the first book in the series.

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

 Like reading a reality show.

Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland

I was predisposed to like this, but it just didn't work: characters with inexplicable behavior and too much exposition.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths

 Solid.

The Blob by Maggie Su

Solid.

The Korean Woman by John Altman

 

Decent, until the over-the-top ending.

Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

 

Pretty good.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

 

Solid.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

 

The first book in this series was such a delight; each subsequent book has been just a touch less so. There are still rewarding moments and lots of fun, but the arc is worrying.

Review copy provided by publisher.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

 

So good.

Dream State by Eric Puchner

 

Very well done.

Gemini by Carol Cassella

 

Meh

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

 

I really like Gillian McAllister -- I thought this was quite clever and really well done.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Amy among the Serial Killers by Jincy Willett

 

Meh

The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman

 

Decent.

On Call by Anthony Fauci

 

So, so good.

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

 

Meh

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

 

Meh.

The Decent Proposal by Kemper Donovan

Not a great story, but I liked the rich setting in LA.

The Ghost by Robert Harris

 

I'm becoming a huge Robert Harris fan.

Loose Lips by Kemper Donovan

 

Because I read a lot of mysteries, I'm a tough audience -- many characters and plots can seem trite and overdone to me.

But Kemper Donovan consistently knocks it out of the park with a perfect blend of plot, characters, and social commentary.

Review copy provided by publisher.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

 

Meh

Hello, Stranger by Katherine Center

 

meh

Miss Graham's Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees

 

Meh

The Matchmaker's Gift by Linda Cohen Loigman

 

I normally have no patience for split-tine novels, but I really liked this 

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

 

The was objectively ridiculous, but I still kind of liked it.

Queen of Fives by Alex Hay

 

Great until the end, when it jumped the shark.

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Solid. 

I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman

 

Decent 

Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

I loved this because it was quirky.

 

The Last by Hannah Jameson

 

Meh

Penitence by Kristin Koval

 

It's hard to talk about this one without spoilers -- but there were several very clever moves here. Recommended.

Review copy provided by publisher.