Category: Fiction Page 15 of 352

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Dogs, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Humor, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, YA/MG/Children's Books

In an effort to keep my “To Write About” pile from getting out of control (I’ve got another post coming up in the first week in January…or maybe later in the year about the older stuff), I’ve set a requirement to myself to write a catch-up post at the end of the following month (e.g., At the end of February, write about January books; at the end of June, write about the May books I haven’t gotten to yet; etc.). As always, the point of these quick-takes is to emphasize pithiness, not thoroughness.

Dear Committee Members

by Julie Schumacher, read by Roberston Dean

DETAILS:
Series: Jason Fitger, #1
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: August 19, 2014
Format: Unabridged Audiobooks
Length: 3 hrs., 55 min. 
Read Date: January 3-5, 2026

Professor Jason Fitger is a delightful character (in fiction, please don’t sit next to him at a dinner or stand near him at a party. Or maybe don’t be in the same room with him). He’s full of himself, a little self-deluded, put-upon, and (probably) past his prime with a career going nowhere (but hey, tenure!).

We learn about him through a series of letters of recommendation he’s sending to various businesses, schools, programs, and scholarships for his students; interdepartmental emails; emails to old friends/ex-lovers/ex-wife; and maybe one or two others. I like a good epistolary novel, and this is one of them. We learn about Fitger, and a couple of his students, the moves his University is making to gut itself of the liberal arts, and more, in a way that feels incredibly authentic and very entertaining.

Still, I don’t think I could take it if the book was much longer, and I don’t know that I want to read the rest of the trilogy (but I kind of do).

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All the Best Dogs

by Emily Jenkins

DETAILS:
Publisher: Yearling
Publication Date: November 4, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Length: 208 pg.
Read Date: January 5, 2026

This middle-grade novel about a bunch of kids (and a few adults) who bring their dogs to a neighborhood dog park is just delightful. Not just because the dogs are as cute and silly and loving as you want them to be. But the kids and their situations are, too. Even the ones that start off in conflict or sadness get a good dose of resolution and hope by the end (generally tied to one of these dogs). It was cute, heartwarming, and filled with good dogs—the best dogs, actually. What more do you want?

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Children of Time

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

DETAILS:
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: December 11, 2018
Format: Paperback
Length: 416 pg.
Read Date: January 14-19, 2026

I didn’t write a full post on this because I can’t write a sentence about what I think about it without writing one contradicting it. And then one defending the first sentence. And then one defending the second. And then…

I love the concept of this book. Think the execution was wonderful. There’s so, so, so many cool things and ideas packed in here. But it’s also slow and plodding. It could be argued that 80% of the book is setup and only the last 20% is the story. That 20% (an estimate, I didn’t really do the math) is pretty cool and almost makes up for the rest.

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Everyone in the Group Chat Dies

by L.M. Chilton, Kimberley Capero

DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: December 9, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 36 min. 
Read Date: January 15-16, 2026

I enjoyed (and apparently didn’t write about) Chilton’s Swiped a couple of years ago. Almost none of the charm or zaniness of that book made its way here. I’m not saying I expected a carbon copy, obviously, but this could almost have been written by someone else.

A lot of the framing of this story was well done—and the way it was ordered was, too. But I could practically see that all of the heart and character were sacrificed for the sake of clever plotting and telling. And if I have to go on without one of those pairs, I know which one it should be.

I’m not saying that I’m done with Chilton, but I won’t be in a rush for whatever’s next.

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Lit

by Tim Sandlin

DETAILS:
Publisher: Brash Books
Publication Date: October 22, 2025
Format: eBook
Length: 254 pg.
Read Date: January 20, 2026

This is quotable, clever, and filled with interesting characters. It’s also a little too convoluted; it’s hard to believe some of the interpersonal relationships with the characters, and the solution is a bit of a letdown.

That said, from the first page to the last I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading it. Most of it worked in the moment, or was something I could shrug off while reading it. But when I was done and started thinking about it, I the doubts and quibbles kept growing.

Maybe Sandlin couldn’t really figure out the book he was trying to write—tone, characters, and/or outcome—he wouldn’t be the first author to do that. As much as a lot of the passages sang—the book, in retrospect, was just good enough. Read this one to enjoy the journey, not necessarily the destination.

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The Librarians

by Sherry Thomas, read by Louisa Zhu

DETAILS:
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Publication Date: September 30, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 13 hrs., 45 min. 
Read Date: January 21-26, 2026

Individually, these characters were just fantastic—plenty of quirk, plenty of heart, plenty of “I just want to live a quiet life with books and nice people” kind of energy. Sign me up for that! The murder mysteries were intriguing enough, too. But combining the characters and the murders—with too many amateur detectives running around—it all felt very soapy. Very melodramatic.

I flitted back and forth between “Oh, I really like Character X and want to see what happens to them” and “Oh, please, shut up and return to reality! Cut the melodrama!” so often I got whiplash.

I’d recommend it with several caveats and a stress on low-expectations. Then again, I could name worse.

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Through the Ashes

by Irene Hill

DETAILS:
Series: Joe Higgins, #1
Publication Date: April 18, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 239 pg.
Read Date: January 24-26, 2026

This is a solid series premiere and debut novel about a former deputy who used to serve on his area’s search-and-rescue team. Years after personal tragedy struck, he’s called on to leave his drunken stupor behind and find a missing boy. Naturally, it’s not long before this search becomes so much more.

This is Hill’s debut, and it’s not that hard to tell (particularly as she introduces characters early on). But she can tell a good story, and the characters are winners.

It’s a little on the rough side, but this is a good read, and I’m ready for the second book (and probably the third and fourth).

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Memes & Mayhem II: A Comedy of Horrors

by Ashley DeLeon

DETAILS:
Series: Memes & Mayhem, #2
Publication Date: September 11, 2025
Format: Paperback
Length: 249 pg.
Read Date: January 24, 2026

Before I get into this, I thought I had posted about the first book, and I’m more than a little annoyed to find out that I didn’t. I did chat with the author briefly a couple of years ago. (I’m really bothered, I remember working on it) Anyway, this is exactly like the first book—just done a little better and is a little funnier. Experience is a good thing.

DeLeon has picked some great creepy ghost stories and tells them well—even better, she does it with a good (and oftentimes silly) sense of humor.

This is well worth your time (so is its predecessor). I had a blast with this and will do so again.

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The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco

by Michelle Chouinard, read by Stephanie Németh-Parker

DETAILS:
Series: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, #1
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: September 24, 2024
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 51 min.
Read Date: January 26-28, 2026

This really fits in the Finley Donovan demographic. It’s a little more grounded, a little slower on the romance burn (okay, a lot slower), a little less zanier. But the same overall feel. I didn’t get as into all of the plotlines as I was supposed to—and I’d figured out the whodunit, with a pretty good (but growing) confidence in the whydunit early on. But watching our semi-intrepid investigator, Capri Sanzio, wind her way through the investigation was entertaining enough.

I didn’t buy her podcast recording at all (and it would’ve been good to see her do something other than record episodes). But the rest was okay.

It was as entertaining as you’d want this to be—not an inch more. But good enough.

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That’s a Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You

by Elyse Myers

DETAILS:
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 28, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 5 hrs., 32 min. 
Read Date: January 28-30, 2026

This is such a strange, comforting, hilarious, and relatable collection of short pieces. Some are memoirs, some are humorous pieces, some are hard to define. All are absolutely worth your time. They will warm your heart, bring a smile to your face, and make you feel all sorts of things.

I think this would work well on the page—but do yourself a favor and get it on audio. Myers’ delivery is so good (as anyone who’s watched her videos knows), hearing her words in her voice really captures the intangibles of the book in a way that I don’t think that the page is fully capable of.

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

REPOST (and a note): The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers: A charming, earnest and frequently delightful space opera that pretty much matches the hype.

By HCNewton

On March 3, 2026

In 2018 First Reads Challenge, Fiction

We talked about this at Book Club last night, so I thought I’d dust this off and run it again. I think I get what I was going for in the 8th/ante-penultimate paragraph back in ’18, but I wouldn’t write it today, or anything like it, really. I’m also pretty sure that I’d rate it higher, if I were still rating things with stars–at the very least, I wouldn’t dither about it like I did. Still, this is close enough to what I’d say now that I don’t feel like redoing it.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet

by Becky Chambers
Series: Wayfarers, #1Paperback, 443 pg.
Harper Voyager, 2018
Read: July 18 – 20, 2018

We are all made from chromosomes and DNA, which themselves are made from a select handful of key elements. We all require a steady intake of water and oxygen to survive (though in varying quantities). We all need food. We all buckle under atmospheres too thick or gravitational fields too strong. We all die in freezing cold or burning heat. We all die, full stop.

Ohhhh boy. One of yesterday’s posts was easy — I state the premise, say the book lived up to the premise, and there ya go. A finished post. Today? I’m not sure I could succinctly lay out the premise in 6 paragraphs, much less say anything else about the book. It’s deep, it’s sprawling, it’s fun and full of heart. What isn’t it? Easy to talk about briefly.

So I’m going to cut some corners, and not give it the depth of discussion that I’d like to.

So you know how The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy starts off with the Vogon Constructor Fleet constructing a hyperspace bypass right through our Solar System? Well, if the Vogons were the megacorp doing that, the crew of the Wayfarer is your mom & pop-level company doing the same kind of work. But there are no Vogons, and it’s not a hyperspace bypass they’re constructing, but the metaphor works — the Wayfarer is building/cutting/creating ways for spaceships to make it from point A to point B faster — I’ll leave the detailed explanation to Sissix or Kizzy to explain when you read it (I think it was Kizzy, but I could be wrong — my copy is in another state, so it’s hard for me to check things like that).

The Wayfarer is made up of a mix of species — including human (some of which were raised on a planet, others not), the others? Well, they’d fit right in with the customers in the Mos Eisley Cantina (with names like Sissix or Kizzy) — too difficult to explain, but they’re all radically different from pretty much anything you’ve seen or read before. Chambers’ imagination when it comes to their physiology, culture, mannerisms, beliefs is just astounding. Really it’s fantastic. And the crew is a family — when a new crew member joins, they’re greeted with “welcome home.” And that’s just what they mean.

This new crew member is Rosemary Harper, our entry point into this world, too. She’s never been off-planet before, doesn’t understand the science behind the work they do, really only has textbook knowledge of most of the species they run into. As she learns, so does the reader. Phew. Essentially, the plot is this: the captain of Wayfarer gets a chance to make history and make more money than he’s used to — he jumps at it, but his crew has to take a freakishly long trip to get to the (for lack of a better term) construction site (see the title). This long trip is filled with dangers, encounters with family members no one has seen in ages and old friends. And pirates. Even when they get to the construction site, the challenges are just beginning and everyone on board is going to be put through the wringer just to survive.

In the midst of all this is laughter, love, joy, pain, sorrow, and learning. Rosemary becomes part of the family — by the actions of the crew bringing her in, and through her own reciprocal actions. Now, many parts of this book seem slow — but never laboriously slow — it’s the way that Chambers has to construct it so that we get the emotional bonds between the characters — and between the characters and the reader — firmly established, so that when the trials come, we’re invested. I was surprised how much I cared about the outcomes of certain characters at the end — it’s all because Chambers did just a good job building the relationships, nice and slow. The book frequently feels light — and is called that a lot by readers — but don’t mistake light for breezy.

I want to stress, it’s not laboriously slow, it’s not boring. It’s careful, it’s well-thought out. It’s your favorite chili made in the slow cooker all day, rather than dumping the ingredients in a pot an hour or so before dinner. It occasionally bugged me while reading, but by that time, I was invested and had a certain degree of trust for Chambers — and by the time I got to the end, I understood what she was doing in the slow periods and reverse my opinion of them.

I frequently felt preached at while reading this book. There were agendas all around and these characters did what they could to advance them. Most of the speechifying and preaching worked in the Wayfarer Universe, but not in ours. When I read it, I had no problem with it — but the more I think about it, the less I agree and the more annoyed I get. The opening quotation was one of the themes pushed, another had to do with family and/or brothers — but the best lines about those involve spoilers or need the context to be really effective, so go read them yourselves. I don’t want to get into a debate with the various characters in the book, so I’ll bypass the problems I have with just the note that I have them. But in the moment and in the context of the novel, the writing behind the characters’ points/values, the emotions behind them are moving, compelling and convincing — and that’s what you want, right?

It is super, super-easy to see why this won buckets of awards — and probably deserved most (if not all) of those awards. This is one of the better space operas I’ve read in the last few . . . ever, really. It’s easy to see why it got the hype and acclaim it did, and while I might not be as over-the-moon as many readers are with it, I understand their love. I heartily enjoyed it, and can see myself returning to this universe again soon.

As far as the star rating goes? I’ve vacillated between 3-5 a lot over the last week or so (including while writing this post), usually leaning high — so take this one with a grain of salt, it’s how I feel at the moment. (that’s all it ever is, really, but I’m usually more consistent)

—–

4 Stars

Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher: The World’s Wisest Teddy Bear, A Unicorn Birth, and Freakishly Nasty Tea

By HCNewton

On February 26, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction

Nine Goblins:
A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief

by T. Kingfisher

DETAILS:
Publisher: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Format: Hardcover
Length: 160 pg.
Read Date: February 20-23, 2026

What’s Nine Goblins Book Jacket Say?

No one knows exactly how the Goblin War began, but folks will tell you that goblins are stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep-stealing, henhouse-raiding, obnoxious, rude, and violent. Goblins would actually agree with all this, and might throw in “cowardly” and “lazy” too for good measure.

But goblins don’t go around killing people for fun, no matter what the propaganda posters say. And when a confrontation with an evil wizard lands a troop of nine goblins deep behind enemy lines, goblin sergeant Nessilka must figure out how to keep her hapless band together and get them home in one piece.

Unfortunately, between them and safety lies a forest full of elves, trolls, monsters, and that most terrifying of creatures…a human being.

Sings-to-Trees

Nessilka and her troops are not the sole focus of the book. We also spend a lot of time with an Elf who is a veterinarian. We meet Sings-to-Trees when he’s struggling to help deliver a breach unicorn—it took me back to James Herriot books that I read in Junior High—but with a bit more graphic detail than the genteel Herriot would give.

I was very happy to read in the Author’s Note that he was the inspiration of Sings-to-Trees, incidentally.

While the goblins are good for laughs and ridiculous antics, Sings-to-Trees grounds this in a sort of reality, and brings most of the heart and maturity to the book.

There’s part of me that wonders why we got him in this book rather than some other party that seems more thematically on point. But I liked him so much that I really don’t care if it doesn’t make sense to feature a veterinarian in this. (then again, something making sense would feel a little out of place)

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this up on the strength of A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.

I kept reading for a few reasons: it was too short to quit once I started (not that I ever wanted to, I’m just saying); and it was so sweet and amusing that I couldn’t help but keep going.

So, what did I think about Nine Goblins?

I like this side of goblins—it reminded me of Jim C. Hines’ Jig the Goblin. The nasty, grim, killing type of goblin is all well and good. Same for the super-clever tinkerer types. But there’s something about the not-terribly-bright, misunderstood goblin that really gets me.

But this book is about more than that; there’s this great elf—and some okay elves, too. And the wizard turned out to be a lot more interesting than you’d think when we first met him (and an interesting wizard is always a welcome sight).

I laughed, I chortled and chuckled, and I found a lot of this to be surprisingly sweet. It’s a quick read that’s practically pure pleasure. Fantasy fans should pick it up.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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First Do No Harm by S. J. Rozan: A Hospital’s Seedy Underbelly

By HCNewton

On February 23, 2026

In Fiction, Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, S. J. Rozan

First Do No Harm

by S. J. Rozan

DETAILS:
Series: Lydia Chin & Bill Smith, #16
Publisher: Pegasus Crime
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
Format: Hardcover
Length: 320 pg.
Read Date: February 18-19, 2026

My brother needs a lawyer,” I told Bill over the phone from the sky diving hut.

“Your brother is a lawyer. Unless it’s a different brother, in which case his brother is a lawyer.”

“It’s Elliott, he needs a criminal lawyer, and it’s for a friend.”

“That’s what they all say. What happened?”

“The friend was found at the hospital in the company of a dead body.”

“Did he make it dead?”

“No.”

“That’s what they all say. New York City? Long Island, upstate, New Jersey? ”

“That’s as far as your reach extends?”

“God no. You need Nebraska? The Leeward Islands?”

“Just testing. Manhattan.”

“The guy’s in custody?”

“Yes, and he’d rather not be,”

“That’s what they all say.”

What’s First Do No Harm About?

That’s basically all you need to know. Lydia’s brother gets a call from a coworker that he’s friendly with, who’s the prime suspect in a murder at the hospital. After Bill connects him with a good criminal lawyer, that lawyer hires the duo to do the investigating for her.

It doesn’t go well at first—there’s a lot of institutional resistance to helping them—the hospital just wants to put the incident behind them—they’re on the verge of a nurses’ strike, and the additional bad press associated with a murder is too much for them. They’re perfectly willing to let this staff member be arrested and convicted, as long as it happens fast and keeps them out of the news.

Thankfully, Lydia and Bill are good at making allies and cashing in favors—once they start learning secrets and talking to the right people (probably in the reverse order), they start finding more people who will talk to them (willingly or not), and a picture—very slowly begins to emerge.

They’ve had some real doozies of a case before—and honestly, this is one of the more straightforward cases they’ve had (if you ignore all the distractions they encounter along the way)

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this up because it’s a Lydia Chin/Bill Smith book.

I kept reading for the expected reasons: the mystery/crimes they uncovered and their chemistry and banter. It’s also a “Lydia” book, so it’s a bit more upbeat and fun.

The way these two interact has always been something that attracted me to the books, and it continues strong here. There’s a little competition between the two of them early on about who can charm the most people connected to the case—and neither of them does very well. Dismally, really. But it’s fun to watch them go back and forth about it—it’s a nice twist on Spenser’s strategy of going around annoying people until someone does something that leads him somewhere. At least they’re (superficially, at least) trying to charm people.

But really, just getting the chance to watch the two of them talk to each other is enough to keep me reading.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

This is a tricky one, because like most PI Fiction, the core of this book is people being despicable and trying to get away with it. But there’s a focus to this one.

“Seriously,” I said, sipping the cinnamony froth off my mug, “I’ve never seen so many people doing so many nefarious things. It’s a little disheartening. No, it’s a lot disheartening. A hospital? Isn’t it a thing that medical people are supposed to at least do no harm?”

Bill shrugged. “I always thought so.”

Lydia has seen a lot of…well, a lot. Crime, corruption, organized crime, family dysfunction, murder, and so on. A lot of what she’s seen would be too much for many of us (myself included). Yet this case disheartens her. She’s seen the various and sundry corruptions, backstabbing, machinations, poor conditions surrounding the workers at this hospital—and we’re not even talking about patient care/conditions—who knows what would show up if that happened. It’s all behind-the-scenes stuff. And it gets to her. She mentions it frequently.

Even with a brother who works in the ER in this hospital, all of this mess shocks her. Bill doesn’t seem as disturbed, but I don’t get the impression that he expected it to be this bad, either. Even people like them—given their experience, profession, and what they’ve heard—they expect hospitals to be about helping people. Healing people. Not trying to profit at other people’s expense.

I think it says something about how all of us have illusions about institutions. Or that even in the best places for humanity, our collective depravity shows up. Or maybe, that despite all the nefarious things going on, there are people (like her brother) who help people—and that even those who are getting away with things still manage to do some good.

Okay, I’m not sure what this book tells us about humanity. It’s not cut and dry—and on one level, we all know that, but something that Crime Fiction is good at is reminding us all that humanity is a mess, but still some good things happen.

So, what did I think about First Do No Harm?

I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think my only complaints are that we didn’t get enough of Lydia’s brother—because I enjoyed him in his element; and we definitely didn’t get more time with the accused murderer—because he was such a fun ball of chaos and earnestness. Seriously, can he get accused of another crime soon? I’d like to see him back in this series.

Everything else was great—good red herrings, a good twisty mystery that exposed a lot of other criminal/crime-adjacent activities, some winning characters. And more than one scuzzy person that you wouldn’t have minded being guilty of the murder—sadly, some that get to keep being less-than-upstanding and successful. The final reveal of the killer? I didn’t see it coming, but in perfect murder mystery style, once revealed, I couldn’t not see it and was annoyed with myself for missing it.

As one expects, Rozan did it again. And now we get to wait for her next successful outing. This would make a fine jumping-on point for the series. I think every book in the series would, for that matter. You’ve got no excuse not to read it.

Jump by D. L. Orton: Second Verse, Same as the First (which is not a knock)

By HCNewton

On February 18, 2026

In Book Tour, Fiction, Science Fiction

I’m tempted here to take 90% of post about Hive from last May, switch out the titles and say, “good enough.” Because…it really would be. I won’t, because that feels like cheating. But…if things sound eerily similar, there’s probably a reason. I plagiarize myself all the time in real life, I might as well do it here, too.

Jump

by D. L. Orton

DETAILS:
Series: Madders of Time, Book Two
Publisher: Rocky Mountain Press
Publication Date: November 4, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Length: 406 pg.
Read Date: February 14-16, 2026

What’s Jump About?

This picks right up from the end of Hive, but we get to see a more global scale—it’s not just around the Denver area that things are bad all over the world. And getting worse. There are a handful of efforts to save the world—more efforts to save portions of humanity (read: powerful and rich, with a few smart ones to keep things running)—and, of course, our rag-tag group of scientists and dimension-travelers.

And, I really don’t know what to say without getting way too complicated (it ain’t easy recapping multiverse stories and all their varying apocalypses). What’s Jump about? It’s about what happens after Hive, and before Dome (coming soon from D.L. Orton). While the world races past dystopia toward chaos, mass starvation, and general devastation—some people try to save it. Or at least another universe from falling into the same hole.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this up because I was curious about where Orton was going to go with things.

Why did I keep reading? That’s simple—once you read a few pages, you can’t help keep going—I could probably come up with a list of things I could fault Orton’s writing for if I wanted to (I don’t want to, see no need to, etc…I’m just saying I could). But getting the reader to keep turning the pages as fast as they can wouldn’t show up anywhere near that list. Her writing is like that old Pringles slogan, “Once you pop, you just can’t stop.”

What does this book tell us about humanity?

Nothing good, sadly. Well…let me take that back. Before I get too far with the thing that has really captured my mind over the last day, something I thought about while reading is just how immutable certain things in the multiverse may be: Diego and Isabel (in whatever variants of spelling/language/nicknames they may be known by) are gaga over themselves. Have the same interests and pursuits—and name their kids the same thing (although they don’t all have them, they plan on using the same ones). Dave is an evil, manipulative, scumbag everywhere (with some minor variation of degree possible). Matthew is basically Matthew wherever.

Compare that to the multiverses in Fringe for example—some parts of Olivia are the same on both sides, but not nearly as much. The Walters are freakishly different. And so on. Or even the variations in the Spider-Mans in the last movie—differences in powers, Mary Janes, villains, life experiences (only one has been to space!).

Whatever minor variations Orton does show, they are so small as to be negligible. I just think that’s strange.

Now back to the nothing good—there are essentially three groups of people we see in this book (more than Hive).

First, you have the overwhelming mass of humanity—they’re starving (and it’ll get worse), their access to electricity, heat, medicine, is severely limited. It’s a barbaric existence for them—and it’s about to get so much worse. It’s all about survival from one day to the next for them.

Then you have the “Elite”—they’re rich, they’re powerful, they use government resources (and then pretty much ignore all the governments that are helping them) to “save humanity.” As long as that humanity helps them get richer (because that’s important), can give them access to the disappearing resources of Earth, and/or can keep things running. They couldn’t care less about the people outside of the Domes, and will do horrific things to preserve said Domes.

Even our “good guys” who are—to be the one to travel. Period. End of discussion. So what does he do? He takes off on a risky mission for the sake of the woman he loves—and (no offense, Isabel) she really doesn’t seem to have a role to play in the “saving the world” bit. I’m not saying let her die, or anything—but we’re talking about the fate of humanities, here. Also—the princess can save her self, thank you very much.

You still like them, you’re still rooting for them, you still smile at their jokes—but, when the book is done and you can breathe and reflect? They may end up saving multiple realities (or even just one!), but I’m not sure they’re heroic. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, you just prefer them to be a bit more so.

So, what did I think about Jump?

It’s exactly the kind of escapist read that helps you unwind after a long day.

It moves, it’s fun—yes, it’s full of existential despair, but it keeps the focus on the non-despair inducing/horrific things—the characters and situations are compelling. And there’s part of you (well, part of me, and hopefully I’m not alone in this) that keeps thinking “if I just stick with it, I’ll actually understand all the various multiverse strands.” That part isn’t quite as important, but if I tried to diagram it all, it wouldn’t be pretty. It’d also be pretty inaccurate.

I’d love for Orton to show us all how she kept everything straight.

The tech is very cool—particularly the “baby” version of the old AI we meet in Hive. Orton gives you enough to understand how it all works and to visualize it clearly without bogging down the pace with paragraphs and paragraphs of details. The plausibility of it all? Eh, it’s SF, it’s plausible enough if you come with a standard level of suspension of disbelief needed for time travel/multiverse travel.

Because of the pacing, Orton’s able to get away with a few things that maybe she couldn’t in a slower-moving book. The depth of the characters that could be brought out are merely nodded to, or you have to assume them. You have to assume there’s something about the tech elites that got them where they are, despite being horrible people who can miss a whole lot of things their underlings are doing—and to keep working together despite the clear animosity.

I thought this last time, and I’m more certain of it now, most of my problems can be laid at the feet of the pacing—to keep things moving, she can’t develop these things with much more than a nod. I’m not necessarily wild about how things work out because of that, but I understand the reasoning, and can sit back and enjoy it.

I want to stress, however, in the moment, you don’t think about this (and if you do, you brush it off because you don’t want to step out of the movement). Everything works, everything clicks while you’re reading and speeding off to the next twist/revelation. It’s only after you get to the ending that leaves you holding onto the cliff’s edge with your fingers that this might occur to you if you stop and think about it. Mostly, you’re going to be thinking about how long it will be until you can get your hands on the next book, Dome.

It’s easily enjoyable, engrossing, and entertaining. You should give it a try.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Jump (Madders of Time #2) by D.L. Orton

By HCNewton

On February 18, 2026

In Book Tour, Fiction, Science Fiction

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour for Book Two in D.L. Orton’s Madders of Time series, Jump! If you take a look at the feeds https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours and https://bsky.app/profile/thewritereads.bsky.social, you’ll see what several other bloggers have had to say about it. My $.02 will be coming along later today.

Book Details:

Title: Jump by D. L. Orton
Genre: Madders of Time, Book Two
Genre: Science Fiction
Age Category: Adult
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook
Length: 406 pages
Publication Date: November 4, 2025

About the Book:

The multiverse is collapsing. The time machine is broken. And humanity’s last hope? Might already be dead.

Seven months after the EMPs brought the world to its knees, a handful of scientists are racing against extinction—and each other. Somewhere in a flooded skyscraper lies a wormhole generator that might be able to undo the apocalypse. If they can find it. If it still works. If it doesn’t kill them first.

Meanwhile, Diego Nadales wakes in a cell, his face bloodied and his memories fractured. He’s being accused of terrorism, treason, and time travel. The last one, at least, is true.

Isabel is trapped inside a biodome ruled by the man she once trusted. But her bees—microscopic drones designed to save the planet—have been hijacked and weaponized. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, her creation will wipe out the last threads of life on Earth.

Old friends return. New enemies rise. And somewhere in the chaos, one small spark of hope just might be enough to ignite a revolution.
The clock isn’t ticking. It’s blowing up.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The StoryGraph

About the Author:

The BEST-SELLING AUTHOR, D. L. ORTON, lives in the foothills of Colorado where she and her husband are raising three boys, a golden retriever, two Siberian cats, and an extremely long-lived Triops. Her future plans include completing the books in the BETWEEN TWO EVILS series followed by an extended vacation on a remote tropical island (with a Starbucks).

When she’s not writing, playing tennis, or helping with algebra, she’s building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry.

Ms. Orton is a graduate of Stanford University’s Writers Workshop and a past editor of “Top of the Western Staircase,” a literary publication of CU, Boulder. The author has a number of short stories published in online literary magazines, including Literotica.com, Melusine, Cosmoetica, The Ranfurly Review, and Catalyst Press.

Her debut novel, CROSSING IN TIME, has won numerous literary awards including an Indie Book Award and a Publishers Weekly Starred Review. It was also selected as one of only 12 Great Indie Stars by BookLife’s Prize in Fiction.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Dentist (Audiobook) by Tim Sullivan, read by John Heffernan: A Promising Series Start for a Distinctive Detective

By HCNewton

On February 17, 2026

In Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Dentist

by Tim Sullivan, read by John Heffernan

DETAILS:
Series: The DS Cross Mysteries, #1
Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
Publication Date: September 2, 2021
Format: Unabridged Audiobook 
Length: 10 hrs,. 12 min.
Read Date: February 10-12, 2026

What’s The Dentist About?

DS George Cross is called to a murder scene for what the uniformed officers are assuming is going to be a simple, probably unsolvable, murder of a homeless man at the hands of another homeless person. Cross almost instantly sees some things that tell him that’s not the case at all, and saddles up for a complicated case.

It is a complicated one, too (obviously, you don’t want your novel’s protagonist to be wrong at the first thing he concludes in the book). Cross and his not-very-willing partner, DS Josie Ottey, start learning a good deal about this homeless man—who not that long ago was a prominent dentist in the area. Cross becomes convinced that this murder is tied to an unsolved case from over a decade ago and sets himself to solving both crimes.

This sets him at odds with former police detectives who investigated the earlier case, the higher ups in the Service who are looking for a quick conclusion, and parts of the dentist’s own family. Ottley supports him in this, but gets the other side, too—and will try to guide him to the “safer” conclusion (while hoping his obstinacy will show that he’s not the person she should be partnered with for the next case).

I Have to Talk About Cross and the Spectrum

We meet George Cross having a very awkward introduction to a new coworker—it doesn’t go well for either of them (and only one of them understands why). And then he finds calm in leaving that conversation to focus on the murder victim in front of him. A crime to investigate, clues to notice, a puzzle to solve—that’s what Cross needs. Not a friendly (and we’ll learn, clever) new coworker.

In many ways, Asperger’s Syndrome* is what distinguishes Cross from his peers (on the force and in Police Procedural fiction). But Sullivan never makes this out to be a super-power (as so many tend to do), or a disability for him to overcome in some inspirational manner (phew). Nor—and this is the big one—is it played for comedy (think Adrian Monk’s OCD which is portrayed comedically, tragically, and with sensitivity—often in the same scene.)

It’s just who Cross is. He is off-putting, he is borderline rude, he only realizes how to better handle a conversation at work or in private after the fact (and almost never goes back to redress things). He is hyper-focused at times, to the point of obsession. He is very self-aware of his challenges and has done many things to ease his way through them (one would argue, not enough). His co-workers and superiors are also very aware of his challenges and have done things to ease his way through them (one would more easily argue, not enough).

He’s on the spectrum, just the way that Ottley is a black single mom. The way that his father is a hoarder. The way that their civilian aid is anxious to prove herself. The way their DCI is a better politician than a detective (but one who can see when he needs to get out of the way and let detectives detect). It’s just part of him.

That’s the way this should be handled.

* I realize that “Asperger’s Syndrome” is considered an outdated term, but it’s what the novel uses, so I’m using it, too.

How was the Narration?

Well, first I had to cope with Heffernan’s pronunciation of “Asperger’s” (well, the British pronunciation, its not just his). It doesn’t really matter to me, but it, more than anything, reminded me where this book takes place (I really didn’t register the accent otherwise).

Other than that—I really appreciated and enjoyed Heffernan’s work here. He got the tension just right (when appropriate) and captured the humanity of all the characters and Cross’ investigation. He conveyed the rigor of Cross’ style and thought process as well.

I don’t know if I can separate the Heffernan’s reading of the book from my appreciation of it—it’s likely a series that I’ll have to continue on audio, because the two are joined so solidly in my mind. (and, boy, do I hope Heffernan’s got a long-term contract).

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I picked this read “Mind and Matters of Crime: Meike Alana Lokos at the DS George Cross Mysteries” over at The Hard Word and the series seemed like something I should give a shot.

I kept going because I was right—this is totally my thing. Some great characters, a unique way to approach a criminal investigation, and a pretty twisty mystery.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

It feels like the obvious thing here is to talk about Cross being on the spectrum, and the way that others respond to him, avoid him, get frustrated with him, and yet respect his work. Or the way that has learned to make his way in the world. This is valid and important.

It also feels too easy—and like something I could copy and paste for the next however many books there are. More than that, it wasn’t the thing that jumped out at me the most.

What really rises to the top when I think about this book are the connections between the people—what forges them, what strengths (or weakens them), and how that plays out over the course of their lives. Cross and his father have a very solid relationship—it’s predictable, it’s reliable. Cross and Ottley have a…strained and awkward relationship—but one that Cross somewhat depends on, one that Ottley frequently resents (I think she softens a bit). The relationship between Cross and his superiors isn’t what you get from other procedurals—even with “the brass” isn’t wild about a particular detective who does things their own way.

And as for the relationships between the victims, suspects, and others that Cross encounters in this case—those are firmly in spoiler territory, but watching the web be revealed—and add layers as the book goes on was really intriguing. The book really is about human relationships and much of their diversity more than just about anything else—including the murders. (although, well, they’re rooted in them, too.)

So, what did I think about The Dentist?

I was charmed instantly, by the end of Chapter One—I was sold. My appreciation and enjoyment grew from there, and I wasn’t halfway through before I knew I was at least getting the sequel to this soon. And anticipated catching up on the series by the end of 2026.

This satisfied me on every front—mystery, character, storytelling, writing, and promise for things to come. I felt like I understood Cross and Ottley, and wanted to see them ply their craft with another case or twelve.

Lastly, while DS Cross isn’t DC Smith, and no one would confuse the Bristol police with King’s Lake Central—there’s something about this book (and Heffernan’s narration) that scratched a Peter Grainger-itch in my psyche. This is good, because now that I’ve caught up with Grainger’s series, he can’t produce things quickly enough to satisfy me. Also, it’s pretty high praise in my book for Sullivan.

For readers who are into British Procedurals, atypical Detectives, and/or quality fiction. I strongly encourage you to pick this up.

PUB DAY REPOST: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett: A Tale Strays (of various species) Finding New Homes

By HCNewton

On February 17, 2026

In Fantasy, Fiction

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

by Heather Fawcett

DETAILS:
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: February 17, 2026
Format: Del Rey
Length: 368 pg.
Read Date: January 30-31, 2026

What’s Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter About?

A widow in her thirties struggles to keep the charity that she and her husband started afloat in 1920’s Montreal. They find stray cats on the street, get them cleaned up, spayed/neutered, whatever other basic veterinary care they need, and then match them with loving homes.

Oh, and her new landlord turns out to be the most feared and reviled magic user in the world.

I know, I know…that tired plot again.*

That’s all well and good—it’s just a business relationship, right? But at a certain point his business starts interfering with and threatening her charity (and the cats!). So Agnes decides she has to start meddling to keep anything truly harmful from happening. Even if that means spending time with said magician. Who is not at all attractive and charming, thank you very much.

* I truly hope the sarcasm there is obvious. But I’ve been missing a lot of swings like that lately.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

I thought the plot seemed amusing enough, but I was probably convinced to pick this up by my curiosity about what Fawcett could do outside of Emily Wilde‘s adventures.

I stuck with it because of Agnes. Sure, the story and other characters were fun and kept me reading. But for me, it’s all about Agnes. Her attitude, her fortitude, the way she acts as if she can bend reality to her will (she sure seems capable of turning the wills of most around her to hers)—she’s just a dynamo and you can believe that this non-magical person (anti-magic actually) can hold her own with people throwing spells around.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

There’s a good deal we can learn from Agnes about tenacity, about the power of people coming together in a common cause, about grief.

But the thing that stood out the most to me—and given the title, it’s probably to be expected—is the very human magic of pairing someone—man, woman, or child—with a pet fit for them. There’s the initial joy, and then long-term benefits as well. It’s that king of magic that keeps Agnes going. It’s what gets her sister to help, her volunteers to keep showing up, and it’s the way that people she’s matched with their cat that come to her aid—that fills the book with its heart.

So, what did I think about Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter?

It’s not often that I read a book featuring pets that don’t happen to be dogs, so it may come as some kind of surprise when I talk about one—I don’t know that I’d go so far as to say it surprised me, too—but it did seem a little strange.

This book was a pleasure from start to finish—I really didn’t know what to expect. But Fawcett sold the setting, the characters, and the story—it was all perfectly charming and engaging. The magic system seems really fitting for this world, and better than others. You get someone like Raistlin Majere or Harry Dresden running around, and I just don’t think it’d work as well.

There were some plot turns that I didn’t see coming—and maybe should’ve, but I enjoyed being taken unawares—and the bigger reveals at the end were so satisfying.

If you like Emily Wilde, you’ll like Agnes Aubert—they’re not the same character, but the core of each is pretty similar (as differently as they express that core). The rest of the characters are almost as good—the tertiary characters and the people she runs into in the neighborhood are just as well-drawn as the primary/secondary characters. Same for the cats and their personalities. There’s a treasure trove of personalities to get to know here.

This is a fantasy that’s full of charm and heart—you’ll be glad you picked this up.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Del Rey via NetGalley in exchange for this post which contains my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

The Final Score by Don Winslow: Great Things Come in Small Packages

By HCNewton

On February 13, 2026

In Don Winslow, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

The Final Score

by Don Winslow

DETAILS:
 Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Format: Hardcover
Length: 284 pg.
Read Date: January 28-29, 2026

Short Novels?

Let’s address this thing that’s been irking me. The title page calls these “Six Short Novels.”

Nope. Just nope.

I know, there are no hard and fast rules about length of a novel, novella, etc. But five of these works clock in around 40 pages. That is not—no way, no how—a novel.

The sixth, “Collision,” is around 90 pages. I’ll buy that as a novella—or a “short novel.” But even that feels like stretching things too much.

Just had to get that off of my chest—it’s been bugging me since I read the Table of Contents.

Also, that’s the last negative you’re going to see in this post.

What’s The Final Score?

Don Winslow un-retires with this stunning collection of six crime stories. Beyond that, it’s hard to describe them all as a group—they all differ in tone, voice, side of the law, style, and how much you’d like to see the protagonist punished/get away with something.

The Final Score

We start off with the “title track”—a story about a man who’s made a career of robbery, trying to go for his final score to provide for his wife as his career is ending. There’s something sweet about it (if you ignore all the felonies and risks to human life).

But there are surprises waiting for him.

This is a solid start to the book—I liked the characters, the pacing, and story. It’s not Winslow’s best, but I’m not complaining about it.

The Sunday List

This is only a crime story by technicality. But whatever it is, I really enjoyed it.

In the shadow of the Vietnam draft, Nick, a teenager with ambition beyond the hippie life his parents live, works hard to make it to college—and will do all sorts of things to get the money for it. Even if that means crossing a few lines.

The North Wing

There’s an old-school mafia vibe to this story. Family ties are tested when a police officer’s cousin gets into legal trouble.

There are so many beats in this story that feel familiar—even if only from Winslow’s oeuvre. But there’s a freshness to it, and Winslow’s ability to make you care about anything that separates this from the familiar.

True Story

Remember the part in Goodfellas where Henry Hill tells us all the names and nicknames of the men he works with? Imagine if that went on for pages and pages—with some digressions for stories about some of the men with those monikers.

In something that feels like it could’ve been a comic-relief in The Sopranos, this features two guys with some sort of mob ties in an extended conversation over breakfast. They’re basically gossiping about various men they know—what they’ve been up to lately, where their nickname comes from, and whatnot.

It was ridiculously fun—and every time you start to think that the shtick might be getting tired, they say something else that makes you get over it.

I strongly suggest making sure that you have enough time to finish this one before you start it—the end of my lunch break interrupted things for me, and it took a little too much effort to get back into the flow of things when I got home. But it was so worth it.

If it weren’t for the next story, I’d say it was the most entertaining entry in the collection.

The Lunch Break

But in any collection featuring Winslow’s Dawn Patrol, just about everything else is going to pale in comparison—at least for me. Boone is hired to watch over a movie star to keep her from getting carried away with drugs, drink, carousing, or anything else that will derail filming of her current film. He brings along Dave the Love God and High Tide to provide around-the-clock observation.

Things get wild from there.

“She sounds like trouble, bruddah.”

“She’s about five-three, can’t go more than a buck-five,” Dave said. “How much trouble could she be?”

Now he knows.

Bad things come in small packages.

This might be my favorite Dawn Patrol story since the first novel. (in a perfect world, Winslow’s next collection would be all his short Dawn Patrol stories with a few new ones thrown in)

Collision

The crowning achievement of the book. From the beginning you can tell that things are going too well, and that just can’t last.

And it doesn’t. What comes next will cause your stomach to drop. Your blood pressure to spike. Your heart to come close to breaking (if not further). I don’t know what to say that won’t take away from the experience for you—and I don’t want to do that.

It’s just so good.

Why did I pick this up? Why did I keep reading?

When I decided that I want to start talking about this kind of thing, I didn’t really think it through. Sometimes, it’s just this simple.

I picked it up because: Don Winslow.

I kept reading because: Don Winslow.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

One thing that seems prominent through all of these stories (with one possible exception) is the human potential, if not propensity, to change.

It’s not always going to be for the best—or even for the better. Sometimes change will just be change. Sometimes change will be for the detriment of the person doing the changing—or those they love.

But the characters in this book are not static, even in these short pages, they evolve, they develop, they show that whatever their lives may be like at one point in their life (not always in their youth), they can—through their choices and actions (frequently pushed by choices and actions of others), their stories, their lives, are not set in stone—they can change the direction they head in.

It’s both inspiring and a warning.

So, what did I think about The Final Score?

Reed Farrel Coleman pays tribute to Winslow in the Foreword to this collection, talking about Winslow’s dedication to the craft, his gifted writing, and the diversity of stories he tells. Which is incredibly fitting for this book—which really just shows off that ability of Winslow’s.

Every story in this collection was a winner, will likely end up in your personal “all time short story canon,” and will make you want to re-read them again and again to fully appreciate them.

I can’t recommend this enough.

In Medias Res: Banners of Wrath by Michael Michel: Just How Many Other Shoes Does He Have to Drop?

By HCNewton

On February 12, 2026

In Dreams of Dust and Steel, Fantasy, Fiction

As the title implies, I’m in the middle of this book (well, almost the middle), so this is not a review, just some thoughts along the way.

Banners of Wrath

by Michael Michel

DETAILS:
Series: Dreams of Dust and Steel, #3
Publisher: Chainbreaker Books
Publication Date: February 12, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 873 pg.>

What’s Banners of Wrath About?

In short, Namarr is at war–from within and, pretty soon, from without. Some characters are trying to stop the war (which, at this point, equals winning it before it gets worse), some are trying to take advantage of it, some are ignoring it in favor of their own concerns, and some are just trying to survive.

Obviously, the bulk of the book is picking up where Book 2, A Graveyard for Heroes left off. But there are some smaller plots that were largely absent from the last half that get picked up, too. And there’s one storyline that wasn’t really a factor in that book, but is coming back into the spotlight (although not as much–yet–as it was in The Price of Power).

A Huge Plus

We get several pages of a recap of the series before the novel kicks off. With something as intricate as this series, that’s so helpful.

I really appreciate the way Michel keeps even this on theme, calling it, “The Cost Thus Far.” This whole series has been about prices to be paid. And this recap underlines many who have already paid.

Dramatis personae

There’s a lengthy dramatis personae at the beginning of the novel–if you’re like me, keep it open on your phone while you use an e-reader for easy reference. If you got your hands on a paper copy, keep a bookmark there–you’re going to want to check it often for the first third or so (results may vary on your attention span or memory).

Michel breaks it down into the 6 major plotlines of the book, so you can easily find who you’re looking for.

I’m almost far enough now that I don’t need to be checking names–but I find it reassuring that I can go back to it just in case.

New Characters

That reminds me–there are (understandably) a good number of new characters–I’m sure some of which will survive until the end of the book, and maybe even until the next. My only problem with any of them that I’ve come across is that the more of these new ones there are, the less time we’ll get with those already established. But other than that, there are a number that I’m eager to get to know better–and a couple that I hope find themselves at the pointy end of a sword soon.

I assume that Michel is going to terminate most that I want to see more of, and will allow the others to prosper. But a guy can hope, right?

So, what am I thinking about Banners of Wrath?

This book hits the ground running, and doesn’t let up. There’ve been some pretty exciting scenes already, some good fights–and they’re all precursors to sometime more–you can tell.

In each storyline there’s a very imminent threat of doom–very likely doom brought about by betrayal. The reader will have been told about some forms of betrayal soon to be seen–and the rest you’re pretty sure where they could come from. I don’t know that each storyline is going to take a big turn due to betrayal of some sort–but most of them will. I’m just sitting here on the edge of my seat wondering which, when and how.

I’m finding some characters that I really enjoyed previously leaving me feel pretty ambivalent at the moment. And there are two characters that I didn’t care much about–if I didn’t outright dislike/distrust them–that I’m coming around on. I’m not expecting that they’ll turn out to be heroes of the piece or anything, but I can see wanting more of them on the page.

I’ll come back in a few hundred pages–following several character deaths and a lot of harrowing moments for the survivors–with some fuller thoughts, but for now, here’s where I am. If you’ve read books 1 or 2, you’re probably waiting for this book already–and, at best, need this post to remind you that this is available. If you haven’t read any of these yet, let me encourage you to give them a try.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author but this my honest opinion—but also, the copy I ordered months ago downloaded to my e-Reader before I posted this, so…I only got a little bit of a head-start.

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