The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

Happy Friday! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Ruth Ware's latest, The Woman in Suite 11. 

It's been ten years since the events on the Aurora (The Woman in Cabin 10) and Lo Blackwood has been on pretty permanent hiatus as a travel writer. Which is why it's such a huge deal to be invited to the opening of a new high-end boutique hotel in Switzerland. 

Lo's husband is all for her attending. In fact, he suggests she take the trip and add on a visit to her mom in the UK. Lo hasn't been home to see her mom for ages. And she's never taken any kind of trip away from her husband and her kids. 

When she arrives at the airport, her flight has been upgraded to first class. The hotel itself is luxe! And while Lo was surprised to be invited--surprised she was on anyone's radar as a travel writer these days--she's even more shocked to find that some of her fellow travelers from the Aurora have been invited as well!

Before she knows it, Lo has been sucked into yet another conspiracy. And she's the prime suspect!

It was great fun to return to Lo in this latest from Ware. The Woman in Cabin 10 is one of my favorites of hers, in no small part because it takes place on a cruise ship. 

This time, we're on dry land but visiting an elite hotel in the the Alps. And Lo is at a place in her life I'm sure many have found themselves in over the past few years: trying to find herself again in the early years of parenthood and post 2020. 

And her industry has suffered more than most considering the state of journalism! Even after writing a bestselling book about her experiences on the Aurora, taking time off to have two kids has pretty much taken her name out of the travel writing game. 

And for just a little bit, being back is exactly what Lo wants. But just a little bit. 

Michelin starred food, special foraging outings, and five-star accommodations are just the start. The hotel is the latest in a long line of projects helmed by one of the biggest names in business. Or rather, his son. And if Lo can score an interview with the magnate himself, it would mean a big payday (enough to cover her flight, anyway) and a byline. But as it turns out, not everything is as it seems in this picture perfect resort. 

The Woman in Suite 11 is a perfect summer read! It's out now from Simon and Schuster in the UK and from their Gallery imprint in the US. Order a copy today from your favorite bookstore via Bookshop.org!

Every Dead Thing by John Connolly

How's it going readers? I just had a birthday. And yet another reminder that my memory is kind of shot lately! How? I read the same book twice in a row. Why? Well it all started with the Talking Scared podcast (a personal favorite that you should definitely check out) and Angela Slatter. See Neil (Talking Scared) and Angela love John Connolly. I mean LOVE! Neil did an ep recently with John and has talked frequently about his fondness for the series. He's currently doing a retrospective/full read through of the Dark Tower series with authors Nat Cassidy and Chris Panatier BUT apparently had planned to do the same with the Charlie Parker series—with Angela!

Now the podcast ep with Connolly promised to be as spoiler free as possible given there are something like 20 books in the series so far. And since I listed on a weekend and had already read the first in the series, Every Dead Thing (in 2009), I thought I'd just check it out on audio. Lo and behold there was a version narrated by Titus Welliver. So I dove in. Without first realizing it was an abridged version. 

A highly abridged version. We're talking 5 hours when the fully unabridged is like 15! But I thought, no big deal. It's a reread! 

Wrong! I remembered absolutely nothing about the book. So what I thought would be a nice refresher was simply a reminder that my brain is apparently at full capacity with 80's and 90's song lyrics and quickly going out of date pop culture references. 

So I undertook reading/listening to the whole thing again. 

Y'all I want to reiterate HOW BAD my memory is. I posted about Every Dead Thing back in 2009 when I originally read it! From that original post:

In the first of the series, Every Dead Thing, Charlie has been out of commission for a while thanks to the murder of his wife and daughter. At the time, he was a police officer with a heavy drinking problem. Now, he's retired and working the private sector. In the first half of the book, Parker has been hired to track down a missing woman. He traces her to a small town in Virginia where she grew up. It just so happens, that when the woman was much younger, her own sister was abducted and killed, along with several other children. Parker's nosing about in the long ago crime has riled up quite a few townsfolk who would like nothing more than for him to leave, by force if necessary. Parker solves his case and returns to NYC where he is contacted by someone claiming to be behind the murder of his family. This leads Parker to New Orleans where, with the help of an odd pairing of pals, he attempts to finally track down the man responsible for taking away everything he ever loved. 

Every Dead Thing reads, in some ways, like two novellas brought together to form the beginnings of a series. Not at all a bad thing, and definitely something that makes this book stand out. It's not many authors who start fresh with a new story in the middle of a book. Although, in many other ways, it's not at all a new story. Parker is plagued by the murder of his wife and daughter throughout the entire first half of the novel. Connolly's brutal tale is not for the faint-hearted; it's truly a shocking and suspenseful thriller. Every Dead Thing was a Shamus winner in 2000 for Best First PI Novel.

Y'all! Over half of this book takes place in Louisiana. Where I am from! And I didn't even remember that!

Props to Connolly for doing his research, though. The Louisiana stuff is good. He definitely put a lot of care into researching that considering he's Irish writing a series based in the US. And Charlie even has gumbo twice in one day! (My one note is that the character using chorizo should have been using andouille but that likely could have been an editorial mistake as much as anything. The pronunciations in the audio were amusing to say the least.)

Now I would rag on Neil and Angela except it's not their fault I have no self control. I will stress, though, that I am hugely grateful that the audio books are available on Hoopla as I try to stick to client projects during the week. Audiobooks are my gardening, driving, getting outside, and general break taking treat. 

And since I'm 15% into book 3 I guess I'm making this my summer of Connolly (I think I mentioned online I always thought I'd binge Michael Connelly's early books first since I've read roughly from the halfway point forward—and today is the launch of the Ballard show!) but Connolly seems to be the one this summer!

Every Dead Thing is readily available in print and audio (abridged and unabridged in the case of the latter). Order a copy today from your favorite bookstore via Bookshop.org! (And if you order this week you get free shipping for anti-prime!)

Kill Them With Kindness by Will Carver

Hi, all! (School is out and I'm not sure what day it is anymore!) Today I'm excited to be part of the Random Things blog tour for Will Carver's latest, Kill Them With Kindness out this month from Orenda!

What if it were possible to infect society with empathy? Dr. Haruto Ikeda thinks he can. And he thinks this will solve all of the world's problems. It will make people care. 

But as with all best intentions...

Whoa! This was a really tough one for me right now! I mean, I'm pretty sure we all have some form of PTSD from 2020. 

In Carver's nightmarish thriller, this is all taking place alongside the Covid pandemic. There's a cabal, there's a conspiracy, and the crazy thing is that the further along I got into the book I had a harder time picking out the fiction. 

And the book begins with the "Dignity Pills"—this book is scary and prescient and triggering. It's watching a train wreck as it happens. Who got infected and did what and why. And since we start at the end we never have a minute to hope things will turn out. 

And this is not a bad review. Carver has done an amazing job of leaving at least this reader incredibly unsettled. As a seasoned dark fiction and horror fan that doesn't happen often. Everything that happens in this is book is exactly how I imagine something like this would happen. 

This book is just frighteningly real! It's Contagion behind the scenes. It's like Silent Night without the party. Honestly, I don't know what to say about this book. It freaked me the heck out! 

I enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoy Black Mirror. 

The Burial Witch by Cari Thomas

TGIF, everyone! Today I'm excited to be part of the Random Things tour for Cari Thomas's The Burial Witch, a novella set in the Threadneedle world (The Language of Magic series). 

Miranda has always fought to be the best. It's what's expected in her family. And yet, compared to her brother and sister, she feels like she's falling short. 

While researching a family history project she finds a suitcase she believes belonged to her maternal grandmother. They don't talk about that side of the family history much. She knows they emigrated from Nigeria to the UK. But their African history has always been a sensitive point for her mother. 

Inside the suitcase, Miranda finds a box that can't be opened. And it eats away at her. She starts having nightmares and becomes convinced this is a test from God. Raised an evangelical Christian, Miranda has always been strong in her faith and active in her church. But this box has raised questions she's not sure she really wants the answers to. 

The Burial Witch is a fun addition to the Threadneedle world. Very witchy and mysterious. I loved the Yoruba and Vodun angle. I especially loved the way Thomas explores faith and practice beyond Christianity. 

I should note too, this isn't a religious read by any means. It's witches. Witchy, witchy, witches! Miranda's family and their history and choices are a key part of the story, including raising said family within a Christian religion. 

This fits nicely in my latest reading trends to be honest. Beyond How to Kill a Witch, I've also been spending ample time in Angela Slatter's Verity Fassbinder and Sourdough worlds. I also think we're seeing a strong return to witches lately, which isn't unexpected all things considered. 

The Burial Witch is out now in the UK and will be available in the States later this summer. This is the second of four companion novellas to the Language of Magic series. 

How to Kill a Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy by Claire Mitchell KC and Zoe Venditozzi

Happy Tuesday, all! I hope you're faring better than I. I am ill. I'll survive!

Today I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the Random Things blog tour for How to Kill a Witch by Claire Mitchell KC and Zoe Venditozzi.

Holy freaking hell! This was a book I was incredibly intrigued by and it came through in spades and beyond!

So, and some of this is new to me because I came to the book FIRST: on International Women's Day 2020, Claire Mitchell KC and Zoe Venditozzi started a podcast called Witches of Scotland. The point of the podcast was not only to highlight the women accused of and persecuted for the crime of witchcraft in Scotland but also three additional major goals:

A pardon for those accused of witchcraft in Scotland

An apology for those accused of witchcraft in Scotland

And a national monument 

And the podcast is still going today. 

But now they've come together to write a book that's a narrative history of the 16th—18th century Witches' Act in Scotland. They look at what drove the act as well as those accused, and parallel this history with today's events. 

Now, (in case you're unfamiliar but also a little context on the book) I say narrative history because a. it reads like a narrative rather than an academic text (yay for accessibility) but also because the authors have taken some creative license with those featured. For people like Elspeth Reoch, Janet Wishart, even King James's Lawyer, there are pieces imagining their own insights. As the authors state, there is a lack of documentation in many of these cases so this gives them a chance to breathe life into some of the accused, giving them voice and a chance to "share" their experiences.

And it really is a fascinating history. I'd not actually realized how different it is from the American history of our own witch trials, which are heavily covered and documented. Scotland's own piece of this history is MASSIVE by comparison in terms of the number of victims. And it's disturbing too. 

But the book does have a hint of humor to it. (It has to, how else are we to cope?!) Chapters include: "How to Believe in Magic," "How to Start a Witch-Hunt," "How to Accuse a Witch," and "How to Accuse a Modern-Day Witch," amongst others. 

I'm sure most of us women do know very well how the witch hunts came about. Cross the wrong man or the wrong person in power and that's it. It's something that, if I ponder on it too long, makes me so angry because it still happens today.

This is a book that speaks to me so much at the moment. The authors have an interesting observation in the beginning of the book about their own theories as to why so many women are fascinated by true crime, which aligns exactly with my own theories in that regard (forewarned is forearmed and all). And I've long recognized that I would definitely have been accused of witchcraft had I been around at the time. (Not kidding, a friend of mine commented on my "if looks could kill" face in high school—I absolutely would've rubbed someone the wrong way and found my way to a pyre.)

And honestly, the entire premise of the podcast and the book is so necessary and so timely! I am at a period in my life (perimenopause) where I have so many thoughts and so much anger about the treatment of women on so many different fronts. 

And clearly the authors share a lot of those sentiments. Literally. They share them throughout the book and in footnotes! 

This is an excellent addition to women's history in general and a truly fabulous read for anyone who has ever had an interest in the witch trials—any witch trials. 

How to Kill a Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy is out now in the UK and due out this fall on the States.

(Be sure to visit their website, learn more, join the clan! I WANT one of those tartans!)

The Goal of the Blog

I sometimes get annoyed at folks who feel they need to offer explanations. But it's 2025 and social media and everything else are virtual shitshows. So what do I want to do here?

I want to talk about books and other things that I enjoy and that provide me distraction in difficult times. 

Books (and movies and food) are escapism for me. And I binge read. To the point that I can fully disconnect from "reality" as much as possible.

But books tackle reality in so many ways! Genre fiction is political and timely and focuses on important topics even when it's hidden under layers of zombies and werewolves and radioactive bugs and everything else. 

There's no avoiding it. 

And even if you're reading the most ridiculous fluffy read of all time, I guarantee something will draw to mind the shitty reality facing us all. 

So yeah, I read for escapism. I read to disassociate. But I recognize that most authors, especially the ones I am drawn to, are using their platforms for social commentary, whether it be subtle or not. 

So what do I want to do? I just want to share books I enjoy. It's been this way since I was a bookseller. Though I realized too that not everyone wanted the books I was drawn to. 

It's a special skill: being able to recommend appropriate books to readers who may not share your particular taste. And there's common ground, almost every time. 

But this is my blog. And I'm not interested in shit talking books that don't work for me. I'm interested in connecting readers to books they will enjoy. I'm interested in sharing things I'm excited about. I'm interested in helping people like me find the books that will get them through whatever they're going through.

(As an agent, I do represent some of the authors whose books I'll showcase. I will note at the top of the review if the author is a client.)

So as this rocky road of life goes on, I am looking to revitalize the blog and get back to posting semi-regularly (in addition to tour posts). And if you've been hanging around, thanks for sticking with me. If you're new, welcome!

Son by Johana Gustawsson & Thomas Enger

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today I'm thrilled to be part of the Random Things tour for the kick off to a new series co authored by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger! Son is the first in the Kari Voss series and it's a banger!

Seven years ago Kari Voss's son went missing. She'd already tragically lost her husband but with the help of her father, she and her young son were getting by. And it was a great day. A pool party to celebrate Vetle's birthday. After, he asked to go to a friend's house where Kari is all to aware they'll be playing video games she doesn't allow in her own home. But when Vetle doesn't return home on time and she finds out the friend walked him halfway and had been home for some time, Kari knows the worst has happened. 

As an expert in body language, Kari has consulted for the police many times. But her son's case remains unsolved. And now, two of his friends have been murdered. 

Hedda and Eva, two of the "fantastic four" that made up Vetle's friend group all those years ago, were hosting a Halloween party at Eva's family cabin in Son. But when the caterer arrives, he discovers the two girls have been killed. As unimaginable as it is, Kari's own father is certain the crime has some connection to Vetle's disappearance. And when the last member of the four is accused of the murder, Kari knows she has to get involved. 

What a pairing! Johana Gustawsson, author of, amongst others, Yule Island, and Thomas Enger, half of the writing team that brought us the Blix and Ramm series (again, amongst others) work together seemingly seamlessly to bring us a killer new series to sink our teeth into. 

Kari is a fabulous new lead to follow. And while she is billed as the main character, the authors have definitely put ample care and time into fleshing out a cast of supporting characters to help her along including Kari's father, now retired, and Ramona Norum, who helped with her own son's investigation and is Chief Constable by the time the girls' killing occurs.

As a fan of both authors' previous work and a huge fan of Orenda, Nordic Noir ,and crime fiction in general, I was sold immediately. And they come through in spades! If you're not familiar with them, let Son be your introduction! 

Son is out now in the UK and will be available in the States in August! Order it, preorder it, add it to your TBR! This is a must read of 2025!

Small Fires by Ronnie Turner

Everyone knows about the Pedley sisters. Lily and Della, the sisters who killed their parents. Without enough proof, they were never officially convicted. Which is why they're free to roam, making their way to an unnamed island with a small village of superstitious people called the Folk. 

From the time of their arrival, things are off kilter on the island. The Folk are drawn to one of the sisters in particular, because she is like them. They tell the stories of their beliefs and their history. Stories that are more than they seem at the surface. And the sisters find something of a home there. Until people begin to die. 

Ah! Ronnie Turner's latest is an odd fable/fairy tale for adults. It's a story about sisters and trauma, about stories and the lessons hidden between the lines. 

Tonally, this is all gothic. But it has aspects of folk horror, mystery, and—given the stories within the story—even fantasy. 

The Folk speak of devils. One devil, the Warden, the one they are devoted to in the hopes that he will be merciful when they die, lives under the land. And this devil rules their lives. 

When sisters Della and Lily arrive on the island it's the time of the Harvest. Three people die annually to appease the devil. And if he is displeased...well, worse than that will come. 

Della and Lily don't exactly fit in. They don't not fit in either. It's an island of misfits of a sort. But the girls are indeed very different. And everyone thinks they know the story. 

But in Small Fires the story is never quite what you think it is. 

Small Fires is absolutely excellent. It's perfect for fans of Catriona Ward and Angela Slatter. And it's a perfect introduction to Turner and her work. Honestly, I can't wait to see what she'll do next!

Small Fires is out soon in the UK and will be available this summer in the States from Orenda. US readers can preorder a copy from Bookshop now.

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things blog tour for Camilla Bruce's latest, At the Bottom of the Garden.

Clara never wanted children. And she's never even met her half-brother's two daughters. But then their parents die on K2, it turns out that Clara is the girls' only living relative. Not that she's all that interested in them. Rather, the stipend of their fortune that was to be allocated to their education and care. After all, she herself had not inherited anything from her own mother. It all went to her brother. And she has big plans that may finally be realized. 

Lily and Violet aren't thrilled about the situation either. It's just until Lily is of age and they can live on their own. Until then, they need Clara. Lily can see when someone is lying. And Aunt Clara is surrounded by a lying lime green. 

Violet has her own ability. She can see the dead. All of the animals preserved throughout Aunt Clara's house. An old lady lives in the dining room. And a scary man lives at the bottom of the garden. 

Ha! With three narrators, readers get treated to a full story from the start, even if certain things are only hinted at in the beginning. 

Clara is no good. She tries to pawn the girls off immediately and only changes her mind when she realizes she can get money out of taking them on. And thus her scheme begins. 

But Violet and Iris aren't fools. And Violet especially is suspicious of Clara from the first meeting. 

This is 100% witchy gothic fiction that could easily be set in Victorian England. And yet, it's set in the 70s! Which I think is a fabulous twist! I'm a sucker for a 70's setting anyway but when you throw gothic tropes in the mix, I love it even more!

Camilla Bruce is a jack of all trades as far as I'm concerned. Her range of subjects and settings is wide and new to her readers will love kicking off their reading with this latest! I absolutely love Violet and Iris and Violet's unique abilities in particular.

At the Bottom of the Garden is out now! Quick shout out for the audio narrated by Suzanne Barbetta, Brittany Pressley, and Cassandra Morris—it's fabulous!

Into Thin Air by Ørjan Karlsson

It feels like Monday but it's really Tuesday, everyone! And today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Ørjan Karlsson's debut, Into Thin Air, the first in the new Jakob Weber series!

Things can be fairly quiet in Bodø and when teenager Iselin Hanssen disappears, the obvious suspect is her boyfriend, Casper. Open and shut. 

Except that it's not. Another woman goes missing soon after and Jakob Weber, Chief Investigator, notes the similarities not only to Iselin's case but to a string of older ones as well. 

Ooh I do love a new Scandi Crime/Nordic Noir series! The setting alone makes the sub-genre appealing to me as they usually become a character unto themselves. Into Thin Air is no exception as Bodø and other surrounding areas play such a huge role in the plot. (Not just as places where the bodies are found.)

Jakob is a great main character. An officer in a small region where he started on as a temporary position. He's a widower with a Jack Russell Terrier as his companion. 

I also love, love, love when cold cases are part of the plot! There's something so appealing about the potential for justice to play out years down the line, when everyone else has given up. 

This was perfect timing for the read as well, considering we've been hit by winter weather. I hate winter, so cozying up inside with a good book is usually my preferred way to spend the time. Even better that the weather isn't as inclement as the setting's norm!

This is another fantastic release from Orenda! And another series I'll be keeping my eye on! 

Into Thin Air is out now in the UK from Orenda books and will be out in the US in June. Huge thanks to Random Things Tours for asking me to participate!

The Axeman's Carnival by Catherine Chidgey

Happy Friday, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Catherine Chidgey's The Axeman's Carnival. 

Tama is just a chick when Marnie rescues him. She sang to him. She kept him warm in a box. A magpie, fallen from the nest. A magpie that lives and witnesses Marnie's marriage and life. A magpie who is the narrator of our story. 

But Tama isn't just the narrator. He's also the star. A bit. A bird that learns to speak. Marnie and Rob profit off of it and for a while, Rob is split: one person behind closed doors, who yells and leaves marks on Marnie. Another person when the world is watching. 

At times funny and at times sorrowful, The Axeman's Carnival is a a unique story with a beloved bird that carries us through. 

Tama reminds me a bit of the narrator in Kira Jane Buxton's Hollow Kingdom and Feral Creatures. But where those are set during a zombie apocalypse, Chidgey's novel is set on a modern-day farm. No zombies, but there is a monster. And Tama is a fun character: one who struggles considering he doesn't fit with the other magpies anymore. His father warns him. His sister warns him. But Marnie has become a surrogate mother in the absence of his own. 

And Rob doesn't like it. Even when they begin to profit off of Tama, Rob still doesn't like it. 

They say dogs are man's best friend. Here it's a magpie and he's woman's best friend!

This is a book that first crossed my reading path this fall. People were raving about it and I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. They weren't wrong! Chidgey, a New Zealander, is an award winning author in her home country. I'm so glad that her work is being spread through the wider world! 

Huge thanks to Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part!

The Axeman's Carnival is now available in the UK and the US. Order a copy from Bookshop.org and support your favorite indie bookstore!