#Crooked Lane

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen

With a mother who loved dollhouses, had more than one of her own, and took me to see a famous one in Chicago AND a father who loved mysteries, suspense, and crime stories – How could I not read this book? Finding out this is based on a real person who made miniatures to solve murders and teach the skill to others is just an additional bonus. I am hoping this will be a series but haven’t found out yet if it will or not.

The setting is a small town in Vermont just after the end of WWII. Mable “Maple” Bishop finds out she has less to fall back on than she thought and will need to earn a living. Little does she know that her hobby of creating miniature dollhouses might lead to a very interesting future.

An argument overheard, a murder scene stumbled onto, and realizing she sees what others have not, she recreates the murder scene in a miniature “nutshell”. She then uses her mental skills, legal knowledge, her husband’s medical books and her belief in justice and finding the truth to the best advantage and uncovers more than she or anyone else thought she would.

This story reminded me of stories I had heard about the scrimping and saving, rationing, donating items needed for the war effort, victory gardens, loss, and other issues that were real when my parents were young. I felt a part of the story and loved meeting characters that I hope will show up in a future book. Will Maple and Ben continue to spend time together in his hardware shop? Will Charlotte have more children? Will Kenny grow into his own and perhaps take over the sheriff’s department from his uncle?

This had some darkness to it with the mention of verbal and physical abuse, black market smuggling, murder, fraud and other crimes but it also talked of purpose, joy, and moving forward in a positive manner even when times are not easy.

I am glad I read this book and would recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction and cozy mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

Inspired by the real life Frances Lee Glessner and featuring a whip-smart, intrepid sleuth in post-WWII Vermont. Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband Bill behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start—until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn. Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to see “what’s big in what’s small,” Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in death in a nutshell. With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret—and a grudge. But when one of her neighbors who she never got along withher nemesis goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it’ll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details—and put him behind bars. Drawing inspiration from true crime and offering readers a smartly plotted puzzle of a mystery, Death in a Nutshell is a stunning series debut.

[quirkycatsfatstacks]

Review: The Perfect Ones by Nicole Hackett

Author: Nicole HackettPublisher: Crooked LaneReleased: May 2, 2023Received: Own (Aardvark) Sign up for Aardvark | More Aardvark Reviews Book Summary: A group of social media influencers have been invited to an exclusive trip. It should be a dream come true, right? Yet this story is about to get dark, as one of the influencers goes missing. Worse, there’s plenty of reason to suspect foul…

[hsmagazine254]

Unraveling the Enigmatic Pages: A Thrilling Review of "The Librarian of Crooked Lane" by C.J. Archer

H&S Magazine’s Recommended Book Of The Week C.J. Archer Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction Prepare to be transported to a world of secrets, intrigue, and a labyrinth of mysteries with “The Librarian of Crooked Lane” by C.J. Archer. In this article, we delve into the captivating pages of this Kindle Edition, exploring the enigmatic Glass Library and the adventures that unfold within its walls.…

[mariannedonley]

The Year is Ending, but Publicity is On The Rise!

It’s December. The year is coming to a close. But it appears that book promotion is ramping up even more!

It’s December. The year is coming to a close. But it appears that book promotion is ramping up even more! For one thing, I’m delighted that two of my recent books, my Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel Guardian K-9 on Call, part of my Shelter of Secrets series, plus my—or my pseudonym Lark O. Jensen’s—mystery novel for Crooked Lane, Bear Witness, are both included in a really fun on-line…

[brokehorrorfan]

The Darkest Night will be published in paperback and e-book on September 24 via Crooked Lane Books. The 320-page anthology of winter horror stories is edited by Lindy Ryan and includes an introduction by George C. Romero.

It features 22 stories by Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, Clay McLeod Chapman, Rachel Harrison, Christopher Golden, Tim Lebbon, Jamie Flanagan, Kristi DeMeester, Nat Cassidy, Darcy Coates, Tim Waggoner, Hailey Piper, Thommy Hutson, Gwendolyn Kiste, Sara Tantlinger, Christopher Brooks, M. Rickert, Cynthia Pelayo, Lee Murray, Mercedes Yardley, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Jeff Strand, and Kelsea Yu.

From some of the biggest names in horror comes an Advent calendar of short holiday horror stories perfect for the darkest nights of the year. Edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan and with contributions from masters of horror like Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, and Clay McLeod Chapman, this horrific anthology will chill you to the bone.

Pre-order The Darkest Night.

[womenusingwords]

Long Time Gone

The details… Title: Long Time Gone  Author: Hannah Martian Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Publication date: October 15, 2024  Available formats: ebook, hardcover, audio  Print length: 288 pages Audio length: 7 hours and 11 minutes; narrated by Heather Nichols Genre: romantic suspense   Themes: women loving women, family, love, sapphic romance, secrets, murder, lies Tropes: close…

[im-a-mess-that-works]

I can’t decide what book to read next so I’d love some recommendations! Thanks in advance!

[doodlesink]

There’s No Murder Like Show Murder by M.S. Greene -- A Book Review

Hello!  There’s No Murder Like Show Murder by M.S. Greene has Tasha Weaver whipping up costumes for Annie Get Your Gun & working to solve a murder.  See what I thought about this new cozy mystery.  Happy Reading!

https://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2024/07/theres-no-murder-like-show-murder-by-ms.html

[prose-mortem]

Baby X Book Review

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Wow, what a fun ride!! Baby X is a unique and fast-paced science-fiction/medical/bioethics thriller about the dangers (and rewards) of engineering children. Baby X takes place on a future earth where, instead of having sex to create children, parents provide DNA samples to a lab. The lab then creates pluripotent stem cells from the sample, creates eggs and sperm, and engineers several embryos for the parents to choose from. The parents then choose (based on the stats and risk assessments) which embryo will be implanted for pregnancy.

This book contains everything we want in a sci-fi thriller: Morally grey heroines, total psychopaths, engineered babies, stolen DNA, kidnappings, celebrity stalking, family secrets, and a good dose of bioethical moral dilemmas. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! Baby X is described as Black Mirror meets Gattaca, and this was so true. I am always looking for sci-fi books that parallel the existential themes in Black Mirror, but it is so hard to find good ones that are grounded and focused. Kira Peikoff nailed it!

Kira Peikoff was compared to Blake Crouch and John Marrs in the book's description, and I could not agree more. Since science-fiction can be extremely intimidating to newcomers, especially if it is "hard" sci-fi, the niche sci-fi/thriller genre is an incredibly attractive entry point for people who want to dive in for the first time. As a science-fiction veteran reader, I can honestly say that some sci-fis are just flat out dry. I am so grateful to authors like Kira Peikoff for demonstrating that science-fiction can be speculative in a grounded way, while meeting the needs of readers who want more than jargon and engineering blueprints from their reading experience. Science-fiction does not always have to occur in the "out there" regions of space. Sometimes the most poignant stories are the ones that feel much closer to home… This is one of the ways Baby X sources its power.

Baby X made me feel hopeful, even though it also caters to that delicious "angst" we love from Black Mirror. Perhaps we are not so very far away from a similar earth experience where we can bring children into the world with the confidence that they will have the best chances of succeeding in life without dealing with horrific diseases or unnecessary suffering. Baby X is a symbol of how we are asking the big questions and preparing ourselves for such a time in the near future!

Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC, so I could read this early. I feel incredibly lucky, and cannot wait to buy the hard copy version! Can someone please convince the author to write more Black Mirror-esque books? I am obsessed!

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Rush by Michelle Prak

Jumping from one group to another to set the stage for what is supposed to be a suspenseful thrilling read is what I believe the author was set on achieving. I have to say that I had trouble relating to any of the characters or the situations they found themselves in but was invested enough to skim through to see what would happen to the woman who finds a man in need of care, four people on the road together, and a woman manning the pub on her own. And what will happen when the three different storylines intersect kept me skimming though not reading word for word. There was a twist within the twist at the end of the story, there were some rather horrible characters to be dealt with, there were some evil actions taken by more than one, and at one point I thought of past true crime stories I have read of or seen on the news. The closing seemed a bit of a soft landing after the rather gritty chapter that preceded it but all in all it was an okay if not gripping read. I know that many will love this story even though it was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars

BLURB

In this riveting psychological thriller—perfect for fans of Jane Harper’s The Survivors and Erica Ferencik’s Into the Jungle—a ferocious storm in the Australian Outback sets the stage for betrayal and murder. With a massive downpour and flash floods predicted, Quinn Durand leaves work and races for the safety of home. The first drops start to fall as she spots something strange on the familiar bush route. With no reception and nothing but an empty road for miles in either direction, she investigates and discovers it’s a body, dumped by the side of the road. When she approaches to check for signs of life, an arm reaches out and grabs her. Back at the country pub where Quinn lives, her boss Andrea has prepared for the torrential downpour. She's bunkered down with her toddler son sleeping in the back room when she’s startled by a banging at the door. It's a biker, seeking shelter from the punishing storm. Meanwhile, out on the roads, two young couples on their way across the country struggle against the lashing rains. Tensions rise as they realize that they don’t really know each other, nor are they remotely prepared for the storm. Alone, angry, and afraid in unfamiliar surroundings, flooding isn’t the only threat bearing down on them. Chilling, tense, and twisted, this multi-POV popcorn thriller is “compelling and explosive; you won’t be able to put this book down” (Hayley Scrivenor, author of Dirt Town).

[bookishpixiereads]

“The Last Word” by Gerri Lewis

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“The Last Word” is the first in the “Deadly Deadlines Mysteries” series. Winter Snow is an obituary writer for hire in the comfortable, charming, real-life town of Ridgefield, Connecticut about an hour and half outside of New York City. She gets a peculiar request from Lottie Arlington, the wealthy philanthropist in town. She asks for Winter to write an obituary for her that HAS to be finished in three days. Of course Winter finds this a bit odd as Lottie is still very much alive and appears to be in good health.

A day after a hurricane passes, Winter goes to Lottie’s house to check on her and finds her unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. And that’s where the mystery begins. Winter thinks Lottie was pushed, wondering if she was feeling threatened and that’s why she wanted the obituary. The police originally think it’s an accident until they don’t and Winter becomes the prime suspect.

And then of course Winter sets out to find the guilty party.

In general, I thought this was okay. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I don’t think it was very memorable. I think the overall mystery was good in the sense of the who and the why. I also like that the initiating incident wasn’t a murder as it so often is. The slow burn romance with one of the cops is cute, but also seems ill-advised. Like he doesn’t know that she didn’t do it.

But also in the same vein, it felt very convoluted. There are a lot of characters to keep track of. There is a whole character that is waste of space and I really hope comes more into play in the future. It also drifts toward the over-descriptive. I don’t need to know every right and left turn that Winter takes to get wherever she is going almost every time she goes anywhere. I don’t need to know that the marinara sauce is vegetarian. Like why are you telling me this (more than once) when marinara is in and of itself vegetarian? It feels like the author is trying to hit a word count.

[friendly-neighbourhood-librarian]

The Librarian of Crooked Lane - C. J. Archer

The first book of the sequel series to Glass and Steele.

Having lost her brother in the Great War and her mother to Spanish flu, Sylvia Ashe is struggling to make her way in post-war London where no one wants to hire women anymore now that the men are returning home.

Upon discovering in his old journals that her brother suspected he was a silver magician, Sylvia sets out to find famed magician India Glass in the hopes that she will be able to help shed some light on her family history. Instead, she finds India's son, Gabriel, and becomes entangled in his investigation of a stolen magician-made painting.

This series is shaping up to be just as effortlessly addicting as any of Archer's other books. I am looking forward to uncovering the mystery of Sylvia's past, and it looks like Gabe has some secrets of his own that have me intrigued!

The Glass Library series: The Librarian of Crooked Lane | The Medici Manuscript | The Untitled Books

More bookish books

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Book Review: A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

Book Review: A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari @NetGalley @crookedlanebks #BookTwt #Books #WritingCommunity #Mystery

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the chance to read and review A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari!  A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality is the Kate Khavari’s second book in the A Saffron Everleigh Mystery series. It came out on the 6th of June and is 336 pages long. Like other Crooked Lane books, Penguin Random House Publisher Services handles the…

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover+Excerpt Reveal: The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle

Today on the site we’re revealing the cover of The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle, a classics-inspired literary novel with a genderfluid protagonist set amid Cambridge high society, releasing November 7, 2023 from Alcove Press! (The book even includes five period-inspired illustrations, which are certain to be gorgeous.) Here’s the story: Orphaned young and raised with chilly indifference…

[lilibetbombshell]