Category: Fiction Page 2 of 348

DETAILS:
Publication Date: March 17, 2026
Format: Paperback
Length: 501 pg.
Read Date: August 8-11, 2026

What’s Crownfall About?

For as long as most people can remember, the island of Burunt was politically independent—but its neighbors kept getting closer, and the island’s government opted to join an Empire. How that particular government came to power isn’t necessarily the cleanest or prettiest story.

This is particularly true for a certain ethnicity, the Draumer. The Draumer have existed in this world always, and are largely accepted in much of it—but not in Burunt anymore. There, they’ve been stripped of everything, hunted down, and locked up away from everyone else. The Draumer possess mystical/magical abilities that make them stand out from others, and are easy to demonize them over—and the Viceroy has made a campaign of it. Many have left Burunt, many have been incarcerated (at best). And then there are a handful like Kyndel Heim, the first character we meet—he’s on the street, thieving to survive. Kyndel also dreams of murdering the Viceroy in revenge for the suffering he’s brought to his people.

Amara, excuse me, Lady Amara is the last representative of a noble house. Her family’s wealth had been built on exporting and importing goods—following the death of her father, Amara’s mother, Dhonya kept the family’s business going. Until age-related dementia robbed her of her ability to do so, but she did a great deal of damage to the family’s business before anyone realized what was going on. Amara has now stepped up; she’s stopped the bleeding—but can she rebuild in time to stave off the debtors nipping at her heels?

Lastly, we have Major Jelert Egarro—an Imperial engineer of some renown and a lot of ability. He chose to be transferred away from the capital—and its proximity to power and access—to come to Burunt for one reason only. There’s a ban on the invention and development of weapons. The first time you read that, you like him—and worry for him. The second time he says that, you really start to worry about him. By the third time…well, you know it won’t be long before he and the reader learn what’s happening with his projects. The only question is what he’s going to do about it.

Take these three and toss them into a political system dominated by power struggles, deception, simmering rebellious movements, and deadly consequences for everyone involved, and you’ve got yourself one exciting read.

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

I picked this up because of some of the online buzz around it and the essay I talk about below. I was curious about Vadney’s goals and the story sounded pretty cool.

I was relieved, I have to say, when the characters came across as older than they appear (to my eyes, anyway) on the cover—which helped me get invested, somehow. But really after the second chapter from each POV, I was well and truly invested. I wanted a better understanding of the magic system that Kyndel’s throwing around; I wanted to see how Amara’s work and planning and scheming played out, and I wanted to see if Jelert’s idealism was able to remain intact. As more characters got involved, my investment grew.

And then, boy howdy, when the big surprise weapons were unveiled..forget it, I had to finish.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

I feel pretty solid about this take, after I outlined it, I noted that the back cover opens with the words, “Trust is the hardest lesson.”

Because trust was, if not the dominant theme, it was close enough that you’d be forgiven if you called it that. Trust you should exercise and extend, and trust that you shouldn’t have.

Almost every moment of this novel (and, I suppose you can say this about other novels, but this one stands out to me on this point) hinges on exercising trust—showing a moment of vulnerability, withholding confidence, deciding to go one way or the other. In a city built on mutual distrust, on fear of the Viceroy and his government—that’s really a brave act.

And throughout the city you can tell that there are a lot of people trusting/distrusting each other. Because that’s what societies are based on. You can’t live in peace for long without trusting someone or something. Humans are trusting creatures. It doesn’t always go well for us as such—as many citizens of Burunt can testify, but it’s often rewarding. And nothing can happen—nothing lasting, anyway—without it. As many other citizens of Burunt can also testify.

Nobledark in Practice

Earlier this year, Vadney wrote an essay, The Rise of Nobledark Fantasy and What It Says About Us Right Now, that I just loved. It sounded great, it resonated with what I want to see in a novel (pretty much in any genre).

And I still think that.

But in practice, Crownfall felt like…Fantasy. It really didn’t strike me as that much different from any Fantasy that I can recall, other than most Grimdark or Cozy. This is not a bad thing—there’s a reason I read Fantasy. I like Fantasy that reads like the Fantasy I read as a kid/teen (or as an adult), with similar outcomes and motivations.

Maybe I’m missing the nuance, the fine points that make Nobledark similar to “traditional” (for lack of a better term) Fantasy. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that, actually. But I wouldn’t mind someone coming along and pointing it out to me.

So, what did I think about Crownfall?

I thought the opening chapters were a little rough. It almost felt like Vadney was just trying to get some basics about the island and the characters established so he could get on to the story, which is what he was more interested in. And I get that impulse—and once he’d established all that, the novel picked up and the writing that bugged me disappeared.

This is one of those novels that built up momentum early and then took off—but even after things got moving, it continued to build up speed. Vadney really didn’t seem to have any brakes installed on this runaway train. Which could’ve led to disaster. In this case, however, it just made for a nail-biting read up until the last few pages. It absolutely worked. Seriously, there’s a 100+ page run leading up to the quiet pages at the end, that will knock your socks off.

While there are no truly “good” characters in this novel—there are a lot of people trying their best, and while you will question a lot of the decisions they make, you will want success for them. On the other side, there are some easily identifiable “bad guys”—if not fully evil, they’re only out for themselves and care not for who they have to destroy to get their way. And there are a significant number of people caught in the middle, some tragically so—reduced to mere tools of one side. Those are the clear victims of everything going on, and if you have anything but pity for them…you should probably read it again.

On the whole, readers are going to identify who’s who in that categorization (even if you end up phrasing it differently, you’ll know what I’m talking about)—the characters will take some time coming to the right conclusions on that point. Some might call this a simplistic way for Vadney to lay things out—I think it’s just straightforward storytelling that doesn’t have to rely on that kind of twist. You get just what you think to you get character-wise, not necessarily plot-wise.

I just realized that I didn’t touch on this world—the mix of magic and tech, Vadney’s rather smooth way of showing it to the reader and explaining enough to get grounded in the world without anything feeling like an infodump. If I had a little more time, I’d add a few paragraphs about that—and I probably should. But my pillow is calling, so this will have to do: top-notch world-building, and it’s a place I wouldn’t mind getting to spend some more time in.

There’s some lightness, a hint of romance, and some good moments of friendship. There are big betrayals, disasters, and events you don’t see coming—which are all great to read. When you populate those situations with characters you’re rooting for (and against) with a plot that moves like a bullet train, you’re in for a good time.

I recommend this—I think you’ll enjoy this, reader. And you’re going to start looking for Vadney’s next novel, too.

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.

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

Squeaky Clean by Callum McSorley: The Cars (or most of them) Are the Only Things Clean in This Thriller

By HCNewton

On August 21, 2026

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

Squeaky Clean

by Callum McSorley

DETAILS:
Series: DI Alison McCoist, #1
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: June 11, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 382 pg.
Read Date: June 12-13, 2026

What’s Squeaky Clean About?

There are two characters that this book focuses on—although you can make the case that the number should be 4 or maybe 5, or… let’s stick with two—just for the sake of keeping this post in check.

The first is DI Alison McCoist—after a case went south in a pretty spectacular way, she’s been relegated to only the most basic of cases—things that barely call for police attention. Why? Well, she’s either horribly incompetent, or she’s corrupt. One of the two. Now, to be fair—after this, she does take a piece of evidence home with her.* But aside from that, from what we see early on, McCoist is a good detective who stumbled into some bad luck, and maybe got a little ahead of herself once.

Our other character is a guy named Davey Burnet. And it’s really hard not to feel bad for him—not nearly as bad as he feels about himself, but still. He can’t really hold a job down for long—although the job at a car wash is working out pretty well. Well, he can pay rent and the occasional toy for his young daughter (on the rare occasions he’s allowed to see her).

Okay, I lied—we need to also talk about Paul “Paulo” McGuinn. He’s a criminal into this and that—and, occasionally, a few other things. He starts frequenting the car wash and starts doing a little business with it and through it. After a really stupid move by Davey (that goes wronger than anyone could’ve expected), Davey becomes an indentured servant of sorts. This is not something he wants, and he actively looks for a way out of—I mean, he doesn’t want to become a grass. But aside from that…

Still, there’s this detective who keeps dropping by because of something else…

* And when you read about her doing it, you will kind of root for her.

The Glasgow Of It

It’s been a long time since I sounded out words as I read—aloud or in my head. But this book had me doing that constantly—sometimes I’d have to take 2-3 runs at a word before I could really hear it correctly. But somehow, this didn’t slow me down at all—in fact, it felt like it sped up my reading (I’m pretty sure I didn’t). But man, you couldn’t accidentally skim something, either—I had to pay attention to it all, just to make sure I didn’t miss something.

Here’s a little snippet to show you what I mean—I’ll have you all know, it took a bit of work to get something this long without any “adult language.”

McCoist held her ID closer and he snatched it right out of her hand—held it up to his nose. McCoist found herself going for the CS spray in her pocket, fingers gripping the small tin, palms starting to sweat.

“Detective Inspector Alison McCoist right enough.” He looked between her picture and her face like a doorman, feigned familiarity in his voice. “Good name fir a polis in Glesga.” He handed the card back. “Yer pals call ye Ally?”

“No.” Emphatic, humourless, “There’s been a report of someone squatting in this office.”

“Is it the bloke oer the hall? That web designer. He never goes hame.” He grated out a laugh.

“Could you tell me your name, sir?” McCoist got her notepad and pen, having to let go of the pepper spray.

“Bootin oot squatters is a bit below yer pay grade is it no? Fir a detective, a mean.”

“Sir. Name, please.”

“Am just tryin tae get some work done here,”

“What kind of work?”

“The honest kind. A promise.”

“Can I come in?”

” No.” He didn’t even pretend to think about it.

“I can come back with a warrant to search the premises.”

“Al huv the kettle ready when ye dae.”

(this was such a pain for me to proofread)

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

I heard a couple of crime writers on a podcast—actually I think it was 3-4 people on different podcasts—talking about how much they were looking forward to the third book in this series coming out a couple of months ago. Their praise of the earlier books and excitement made me think it was worth checking out.

The Prologue was intriguing, and the first couple of chapters’ voice drew me in. By the time Davey made his critical mistake, I was hooked. And each chapter drew me in further. The combination of twisted humor; pathos; and gritty, gritty crime is executed so well, McSorley writes with the confidence of someone like Ian Rankin.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

It’s really hard to get too deep into this without talking about just about everything I shouldn’t talk about with people who haven’t read the book.

But I’m going to say the biggest commentary on humanity that this novel has to offer is about the universality of hope—and how that drives our actions. McCoist believes she can do something to earn her way out of the doghouse with her superiors and colleagues. She also hopes that she can establish a good relationship with her kids. Davey hopes he can find moderate success, straighten up his life, and get more access to his daughter—and, who knows, win her mom back, too. There are several other characters I should mention here, but again, stuff you need to read for yourself.

I guess one exception is Paulo—I don’t see hope for him at all. He’s so convinced that he’s got control of things that he doesn’t need to think about hope or anything. He just wants money and power; that’s really all he can think of. Exception that proves the rule? (probably not, but I don’t want to rethink this section too much)

So, what did I think about Squeaky Clean?

McSorley is just a fantastic writer—again, the way he balances humor, pathos, and the grittiest of crimes—mixing noir sensibilities with a bit of the absurd, and heart. It’s just fantastic.

These characters—from the several I didn’t talk about to the three I did, are all so well drawn you can imagine having conversations with them off-page. You can practically hear each voice thanks to the way McSorley does dialogue.

The way that the plot moves and turns is another example of a writer running on all cylinders—even when you think you know how the next couple of chapters—if not the whole book—is going to go. You’ll either be wrong, or so thrown by something he throws at you that you’ll get a surprise or two—and maybe start to doubt yourself. It’s really not until the last couple of pages that you can be confident in what he’s got up his sleeve. I just love that.

I really can’t think of a negative about this novel—at least not one worth talking about.

This is one of the strongest Crime Novels I’ve read this year—and will likely retain that ranking. Although I do have the sequel, and it might challenge this one. Squeaky Clean is one to check out for sure.

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

Grandpappy’s Corner: School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex, Christian Robinson (Illustrator): It’s That Time of Year

By HCNewton

On August 19, 2026

In Fiction, Grandpappy's Corner, YA/MG/Children's Books

School’s First Day of School

by Adam Rex, Christian Robinson (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: June 28, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Length: 40 pg.
Read Date: July 30, 2026

What’s School’s First Day of School About?

Anthropomorphizing everyday objects or animals is a pretty standard thing in Children’s Books and Picture Books. But it’s not often that we get a whole building depicted this way. (at least from what I recall) If you’re going to do it, why not do it with a school?

Which is what Adam Rex does here–this building, Frederick Douglass Elementary, to be specific–is freshly constructed and eager to open up. It’s a little nervous, too. Thankfully, it’s befriended a custodian who calms it down and assures it about what’s going to happen.

Like many children, the school is excited to start the first day, but it doesn’t go like it expected and nerves start to rule the day. The custodian steps in and helps out again–and by the end, the school is ready for Day Two.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

Robinson’s pictures are painted–which I always appreciate. They’re just detailed enough to keep the attention and conversation going. There’s a solid, comforting emotion that comes through.

Everything seems juuuust slightly skewed–like 2-3 degrees off from being at 90-degree corners. (I didn’t set a protractor on the page, however). Which works–and I had to stare at a couple of pictures and the cover before it dawned on me. Which also means I could be out to lunch on that observation. Whatever it was that I’m seeing adds some life and movement to the pictures–like a school day, nothing is static on the page.

How is it to Read Aloud?

It’s not a rhyming tongue-twister, which is nice–so you can focus on the text and pointing out/talking about the details in Robinson’s pictures.

So, what did I think about School’s First Day of School?

How relatable is this for the audience? You’re nervous about school (or day care or preschool), guess what? You’re not alone! Even the building feels this way! What student doesn’t want to hear that? And then the school models for the child how to think about the day and be ready for the next. It’s fun, and it’s helpful.

Which sounds pretty good for a Picture book.

Especially this time of year.

School’s First Day of School is cute, imaginative, and easily relatable. Basically, it’s a winner.

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.
Grandpappy Icon

Reposting Just Cuz: HC Chats with Adrian M. Gibson about Jeff VanderMeer

By HCNewton

On August 18, 2026

In HC Chats, JCM Berne, Miscellany, News/Misc., The Hybrid Helix

If you’ve been on Bookish Social Medial at all in the 6+ months, I’m willing to bet you’ve seen the name Adrian Gibson or at least the cover of Mushroom Blues. You may also know him from the podcast he hosts with M.J. Kuhn, SFF Addicts. Last week, Adrian was gracious enough to struggle with StreamYard (and it was in a mood) in order that we could sit down and talk about Jeff VanderMeer–an author that I’ve been intimidated to pick up and try, but who has been instrumental in Gibson’s career. I walked away excited to try VanderMeer, and I had a good time in general. I hope you watch this and walk away thinking the same.

As I said, StreamYard wasn’t happy, so the video freezes a couple of times on both of us, but the audio is fine.

Adrian M. Gibson Links:

Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Website ~ Newsletter ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads

Are you a Reader of Things and want to chat with me about an author/series/something other than promoting your own work (which we will do, just not primarily)? I’d love to keep trying this, but I’m not ready to start pestering people about it. So please let me know.

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto: Is it a Crime Comedy? Is it a Rom-Com? Is it a Family Farce?

By HCNewton

On August 17, 2026

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

Dial A for Aunties

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

DETAILS:
Series: Aunties, #1
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 27, 2021
Format: Paperback
Length: 320
Read Date: August 12-13

“Easy,” Big Aunt sniffs, shaking her head. “I don’t think it’l be that easy.”

“Why not?” Second Aunt says, raising her chin,

Big Aunt shrugs. “Because it’s never easy. Otherwise people would get away with murder all the time.”

I wince at the word “murder,” even though she said it in Mandarin. And even though I want to have faith in Second Aunt’s simple plan of “get there, find cooler, bring cooler back,” I have a feeling that Big Aunt is right. When it comes to hiding a dead body, it’s never simple—a lesson I’m quickly learning from the previous night.

What’s Dial A for Aunties About?

I feel compelled to assure you that I am not making this up—Jesse Q. Sutanto did. But as I try to summarize this, it feels like I’m just typing random words onto the screen.

Meddy Chan is a photographer for her family wedding business—one auntie does the baking, one auntie helps with makeup and hair, her mother does the floral arrangements, and another auntie is in charge of the entertainment. Meddy wanted to do other things with her photography, but being a good filial daughter, she went along with her mother and aunties when they started the business. Their biggest wedding to date is just around the corner; there’s a pair of children of billionaires getting married at a resort and the Chans are on-board.

But first, Meddy’s mother has a surprise for her. For the last few weeks, she’s been posing as Meddy on a dating site, and things with one suitor have gotten to the point for their first in-person meeting. In just a few years. Meddy doesn’t have the time (or willingness) to explain to her mother how inappropriate this all is—so she goes on the date. Fast-forward: by the end of the night, he’s dead (accidentally). In her panic, Meddy doesn’t report this to the police or anyone. She drives home with the body in the trunk. Her mother calls her sisters in to help. They come up with a hare-brained scheme to dispose of the body after the big wedding and get some sleep before the big job.

Naturally, a mix-up happens when the helpers come and pack up things like the cake to take to the resort. They include the cooler the body is hidden in. While they scamper around trying to decide how to hide and/or dispose of the body while at the resort, Meddy’s college boyfriend, the love of her life, the one who got away (and the one her mother and aunties never knew about) shows up.

And then things start to get weird with the wedding.

And then…well, that’s about enough to get you started, right?

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

I got this from a Blind Date with a Book last year at some event at Shared Stories—which was fine with me, I’ve enjoyed Sutanto’s Vera Wang books, and the one YA book by her I listened to wasn’t bad. But I put it on the back burner, and it likely would’ve stayed there except I needed”a book by an author who is not from the UK or USA” for The Book Tempter’s TBR Challenge, and this was the only one that fit. So…

I kept at it because I started laughing within pages—and then you add the dead body and everything else? You have to find out where it goes. I was still laughing and chuckling up to the end (along with uttering the occasional “awwww”). Because as goofy as the above section was…it gets wackier.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

“Meddy is probably cautious because last time when you tried to set her up with Wang Zhixiang’s son, he turned out to be, you know,” Fourth Aunt says.

Ma waves an irritated hand. “Why do you keep bringing up Zhixiang’s son? So he turned out to be some maniac. How was I supposed to know?”

“Kleptomaniac,” I mumble. By the time our date was over, he’d stolen my makeup bag from my purse and, somehow, one of my shoes. I mean, the guy’s an asshole, but you’ve gotta give it to him. Or let him steal it.

In a letter to the reader before the prologue, Sutanto talks about the origin and inspiration of the book (and explains the broken English of many of the characters) and writes, “I hope that this book gives you a little peek into the fierce love with which my family raised us and protects us to this day.” To go with that, there’s a lot about the role of family in the book. Not just Meddy’s family (although that’s so pervasive you could be forgiven for not noticing any others), but Nathan’s (the college boyfriend), and the families of the bride and groom.

These families are sources of comfort, security, aggravation. There are petty rivalries between the aunties that go back decades and will never be resolved—which doesn’t alter in the slightest their devotion to each other—it just flavors it (I’m not 100% certain they even notice them). I’m sure at least one auntie realizes how insane it was for Meddy’s mother to pose as her on a dating site, but doesn’t say anything.

And whether it’s family by blood and birth, a family by choice, a found family, or…whatever. There’s something that everyone can identify with, something that everyone can see themselves in. Something we can all learn from and see humanity in. It might be easier to see it in an eccentric collection of fictional relatives than in our own—but we can then transfer that into our non-fictional families.

So, what did I think about Dial A for Aunties?

Now we know, when it comes to fight or flight, I am neither. I am: freeze like a hamster and then melt into a useless shivery puddle.

Before I get into anything else—I love Meddy’s description of groom-zillas, and how they’re a bigger problem than any supposed bride-zillas. And then this is borne out by the actual bride and groom for this particular wedding.

If you just had the long-lost love showing up at the wedding gig, the story wouldn’t have been as good. If you just had the Chans dealing with the corpse and the wedding, it would’ve been funny, but it wouldn’t carry much emotional weight. If you had the corpse and the long-lost love storylines…I’m not sure any comedy would’ve survived. But somehow when you combine the three elements with Sutanto’s gift for storytelling and comedy, it’s just magic. Madcap magic, but magic.

I’m sure there’s more to be said about the book, but I’m drawing a blank on it. It’s just… Ridiculous. Deliciously ridiculous. Ridiculously sweet. You’ve gotta read this.

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.

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Driftborn by Simon Bullock

By HCNewton

On August 13, 2026

In Book Tour, Fiction, Science Fiction

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome The Write Reads tour for Simon Bullock’s The Driftborn, a nifty looking Space Opera. Be sure check out https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next week and change to see other bloggers talk about it. Let’s learn a little bit about the book, shall we?

Book Details:

Title: The Driftborn by Simon Bullock
Genre: Space Opera
Release date: July 28, 2026 (digital edition) May 26, 2026 (hardcover edition)
Length: 480 pages
Publisher: 42nd Parallel Press

About the Book:

A forgotten wreck. A forbidden map. A gate that should never have been opened.

On the salvage moon of Veyra’s Fall, Kade Renn only wants one thing: a working air filter for his sick sister, Lira.

Instead, he finds a buried courier ship older than the official history books. Inside it is a dying Driftborn pilot, a forbidden star map, and a message from Kade’s mother, Elian, who supposedly died nine years ago.

The Directorate says the gates saved civilisation. It says the Driftborn are criminals, free-route smugglers and a threat to every recognised human world.

The Directorate is lying.

Forced to flee with Lira, their strange scrap-mech Nix, and a half-illegal ship called The Moth, Kade is pulled into a hidden war over the true origin of the gates. The deeper they travel beyond authorised space, the more dangerous the truth becomes.

The first crossing was not what humanity was taught.

The gates were not built by us.

And something has been waiting for us to understand what we woke.

For readers who enjoy grounded space opera, ancient alien mysteries, damaged ships, found family, dry humour and human stakes beneath the scale of the stars.

The Driftborn is a tense, character-driven science fiction novel about control, memory, survival and the danger of mistaking every door for an invitation.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Simon Bullock is a British-born author living in the Netherlands. He writes psychological thrillers, historical fiction and speculative novels with a focus on believable characters, emotional tension and dark, understated humour. His work often explores ordinary people under pressure, hidden truths, and the consequences of systems that fail the people inside them. He also writes selected speculative fiction under the pen name Richard Randon.

My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2025 Finalist badge

Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman: When Fear Conspires With Pride

By HCNewton

On August 12, 2026

In Abbi Waxman, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, V-Z

Deadly Does It

by Abbi Waxman

DETAILS:
Series: A Mason and Mann Mystery, #2
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: July 21, 2026
Format: Paperback
Length: 364 pg.
Read Date: August 5-7, 2026

“Prison’s very dull, apart from the all-pervading fear of violence and the occasional bug in the food. Trust me, you’d hate it, not because it’s scary, but because it’s skull-crushingly boring.”

“I have no intention of going to jail.”

Julia laughed. “No one intends to go to jail, Mason, yet there they are.”

What’s Deadly Does It About?

It’s been six months or so since Mason has gone to work as an investigator/assistant to ex-actress turned activist lawyer Julia Mann. They’ve taken some cases to make money, and keep some room handy to take con cases to help people they like (and/or hurt those they don’t).

It’s the latter that comes into play when Mason’s sponsor reveals she’s been getting threatening notes, and someone seems to be following through with them—Alexa is an event planner and two of her recent events have gone spectacularly, headline-makingly bad. The threats promise to do more than just ruin her reputation soon. Julia and Mason assume it has to do with Alexa’s past—back decades ago when she was drinking, doing drugs, and some minor crimes—and was associated with people who were doing some more serious crimes. So they start looking into the past she’s tried to put behind her to uncover who’s trying to make her present unlivable.

Meanwhile, Mason’s father had a minor heart attack and she has to visit home a couple of times, connecting with her semi-estranged family. Also, Julia teams her up with a P.I.* to get some actual training rather than just fumbling around has she has been—it forces Mason to think about her future in a way that I’m not sure she’s done since she got sober, in addition to giving her some tools she needs for this case.

* The similarity between this P.I. (Teddy) and Peter Key’s mentor from Killer Vibes are pretty strong, but Teddy seems like a better guy to hang out. I’m curious if I’ll think the same after one more book featuring each.

Recovery

This book, more than One Death at a Time and similarly to the Assassins Anonymous books, is a tribute to AA and similar programs. Many things—many things near and dear to the characters—will be mocked by characters in the book—but not their sobriety and recovery. Characters will talk about getting to a meeting, their need for one, talks with their sponsor, etc.—and the investigation will stop for them to do so.

There’s even a clear need and justification to investigate people at a certain meeting, and discussion about it is shutdown by Julia so quickly it’ll make your head spin. She might get pushed to it by circumstances, she makes it clear—but it’s going to take a lot for her to go there and things never got there.

Due to the nature of the investigation, almost everyone they talk to is an addict in recovery or has been avoiding it for decades. Either way, Julia and Mason can relate to them, sympathize and empathize with them. This adds a different flavor to their interviews/conversations than you get in most P.I. novels. It endeared me to them even more than I already was.

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

Because Abbi Waxman has been an auto-read for me since 2019 and because the fist book in this series was so good that any future books in it would’ve been a reflex pick up as well.

The short version of why I kept reading it is that I have more fun with it than its predecessor. The longer version is that when it comes to heart, humor, convincing mystery, believable characters, and compelling story-telling—this book nailed it all.

What does this book tell us about humanity?

This book is about the capacity for change, and how that capacity (exercised or not) is something we all possess. It may be major changes—like working the 12 Steps—or something relatively minor—like Julia’s cook realizing she’s a cat person and starting to pamper Mason’s cat with cooking better than many people ever get.

Mason’s father has to make some changes due to his health, Mason’s sister and Mother need to acknowledge that Mason’s made some positive changes in her life (whether they do or not, I won’t say). Mason has to make some decisions about changing her life. Many of the characters in this book have made significant lifestyle changes due to substance abuse and addiction. There might even be a couple who haven’t made the changes they need to which creates the mayhem our duo takes on.

Regardless, the opportunity is there for the taking, the possibility is there.

So, what did I think about Deadly Does It?

“I think I can still write by hand, but on the few occasions I have to, it looks like a centipede has done two lines of coke, stepped in a tiny pot of ink and scrambled across the page in a hurry to get to somewhere else. Not exactly legible.”

There was a pause.

“Thanks for the colorful image, Mason,” said Julia, “no sure who would sell a centipede the minuscule amount o¢ drugs they could take, but your rich and vivid imagination will eventually come in handy, I expect.”

The interaction between Julia and Mason—and between Julia’s employees/friends/odd family—is the heart of this novel, in terms of character growth, the plot, and for entertainment. Most of the laughs come from them interacting with each other. It’s in this that the link between Waxman’s earlier novels and this series can be seen.

But the mystery and the investigative work are no slouch. As with One Death at a Time, Waxman shows she knows away around this kind of story. Yes, I was yelling at them (rightly) to pay attention to one character far earlier than they did, and I cottoned on to the motivation to the notes before they did—but it’s only because Waxman laid out the clues so clearly for the reader.

I like these characters—including the new ones and the new layers we saw in our old friends—I thought the main story was really well executed. I think Waxman could’ve done a little more with the arc about Mason’s family, but what was there was great. And the set up for future books is clear and I look forward to seeing what she does with the seeds she planted.

This would work wonderfully as a jumping-on point for the series, but it might resonate a little better with the reader if they go back to the beginning (which isn’t that far)—but either way if you’re looking for a mystery novel with dazzling characters, some genuine humor. great dialogue, and plenty to chew on, Deadly Does It fits the bill.

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.
Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon

REPOSTING JUST CUZ: One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman: You’ll Laugh All the Way to the Morgue

By HCNewton

On August 11, 2026

In Abbi Waxman, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, V-Z

(not that you actually go to a morgue in this book, I was just struggling with that headline)

One Death at a Time

by Abbi Waxman

DETAILS:
Series: A Mason and Mann Mystery, #1
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 400 pg.
Read Date: April 11-15, 2025

What’s One Death at a Time About?

Natasha Mason is a twenty-something still trying to figure out what to do with her life—her alcoholism led to her leaving law school, and now she’s paying bills by delivering food and doing other gig economy standbys in L.A., and making sure she makes at least one meeting a day.

At one of these meetings, a vaguely familiar-looking woman shows up—and is not the friendliest of people. She seems—well, is—more concerned about getting her court-mandated signature than in anything else. Mason volunteers to be this woman’s interim sponsor. Now this older woman had been sober before, but on the night that led to the court-mandated meetings had a blood-alcohol level that stunned a rowdy twelve-step meeting into silence. She’d also come out of a blackout next to the dead body of a former lover/decades-long antagonist and what was probably the murder weapon. For a night she couldn’t remember—it’d clearly been eventful.

The next morning, Mason shows up at the gate of her obviously well-off sponsee. Thanks to some time on the internet, Mason knows her to be Julia Mann—a former box office star, now a lawyer taking on cases for as many Davids as she can in a city of Goliaths. Oh, and in between careers, she’d been in prison due to the death of her husband—the former business partner of the dead man she’s currently suspected of killing.

This meeting didn’t go the way Mason suspected—for one, Julia Mann’s housekeeper is an amazing cook, as Mason learned. Also, the two kept butting heads—Mason wanted to talk about Julia’s sobriety, but Julia was rather fixated on the murder. And yet…something clicked between the two. In between verbal jousts,* Julia ends up hiring Mason to be her personal assistant and help with the investigation. Mason justifies this to herself as a way to stay near Julia and keep her sober. The chance to eat more of Claudia’s cooking and make more money than an app can pay doesn’t hurt.**

Before you know it, these two have got themselves involved in a separate murder investigation (another David for Juila to work for), arson, tensions around Julia’s former career in the film industry, tensions around Julia’s future career in the film industry (she wants none of it, but no one seems to care), brushes with organized crime, multiple reasons for both or either of them to ditch their sobriety, and more things that I can fit into this rambling sentence.

* The back-and-forth between these two is reason enough to try this book. Waxman will supply several others, it should be noted.
** Yes, this makes two books in as many months about an LA-based delivery driver turning amateur investigator.

The Murder Mystery(ies)

Murder mysteries surrounding the film industry tend to have a few things in common—secrets, petty grievances that get nurtured into full-blown rivalries (or worse), scandals (for an industry reputed to be filled with amoral hedonists, there really are a lot of moral scandals), and organized crime.

One Death at a Time ticks all of these boxes—and a few others that I should’ve listed above, but forgot to. This may be Waxman’s first mystery, but she clearly understands the genre and knows how to construct a classic whodunit in a contemporary setting.

You get all the twists, turns, red herrings, and layers upon layers of competing motives for multiple suspects that you need—doled out in just the right pacing with dollops of shocks and action along the way. The final reveal is satisfying, and every loose plotline is tied up. It’s a textbook example of the genre—pleasing in every way.

The Humor/Tone/Relationships

This might be a clumsy way to tackle these ideas, but it’s where I am.

Yes, Waxman is known for Rom Coms—or Rom Com-adjacent—books, so we all know she’s funny. This seemed to me to be more overtly comedic. There are jokes—many of them—not just funny situations and loveable, quirky characters doing goofy things. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of those (as well as non-lovable, quirky characters).

This reads like Dave Barry’s kind of crime novel, with the restraint of a Richard Osman. The verbal jousting is great, and the physical comedy is almost as good. The situations are frequently ridiculous, but never so much so that you get taken out of the moment.

The technical term that best describes Mason is “wiseass,” and one with poor impulse control. Someone who doesn’t know how to keep her trap shut, powered by Waxman’s wit is a fun character to read. Julia’s no slouch in that department either, but she’s more mature, she knows that she should pick her targets with care—and is therefore usually more effective.

The rest of Julia’s team (I will not tell you about them, so you can meet them properly) and some of the other characters the reader encounters have drier wits, largely fitting into the typical Waxman model. Oh, except this one actress…nope. You wouldn’t believe me if I tried to describe her.

Mason’s support system consists of the meetings she attends, her sponsor, and her cat. Julia has a strong team of employees and friends (the Venn diagram there has a large area of overlap)—they’re just not that effective on the sobriety front, but they make up for that with their loyalty. Julia also has a pretty strong network of former friends, employers, and employees in and around the film industry. These are loyal to their grudges against her and their own self-interest—however, they (or at least most of them) want her to succeed in her search for the killer, so they can move on with their lives and careers.

You combine all of this—with a (slowly) growing relationship of affection, trust, and appreciation between our protagonists—and you’ve got yourself a great basis for comedy with heart.

Sobriety

One thing that Waxman never made light of in all of this was the sobriety of the characters. Yes, Julia would mock Mason’s approach to being her sponsor, but that was about the characters’ personality differences—both of them took it seriously.

Not all of the characters appreciated the struggle and what the characters did to preserve it—but none of the comedy was about the drinking.

The opening meeting did get me to chuckle frequently, but that was character-based humor. The book never gets preachy at the reader, just to each other.

So, what did I think about One Death at a Time?

I had a blast with this—if you couldn’t tell. This is my fifth Waxman novel, so I went into it expecting that I would. I just wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it, because of the genre. But if I didn’t know who she was before I picked this up, I’d be scouring the library for her Abbi Waxman now.

It does—as it should—feel very different than her previous works. I’d say this is closer to last year’s Christa Comes Out of Her Shell than the rest, but even saying that, this is different. The stakes are (obviously) higher for these characters; there are potentially lethal consequences for failure. Which might explain the more heavy-handed approach to the comedy.

I think I’ve said everything I wanted to above—the mystery part is really well done; the characters are well-designed and well-excecuted, the relationships between them are strong and obvious—you like the people you’re supposed to like enough that you wish you sat around the room with them, watching them go back and forth while eating whatever wonderful treat/meal Claudia has prepared. Also, it’s funny. That’s a one-two-three combination that I’ll always enjoy and recommend.

This feels like a standalone, but it could easily spawn a sequel or more. If it does, I’ll be first in line. If it doesn’t…well, that’s okay, too. It works really well either way.

Basically, reader, if any of the above tickles your fancy—you need to add this to your TBR. I practically guarantee you’ll have a great time.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for this post, which contains my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

5 Stars

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: No Saints Only Killers by Luke Deckard

By HCNewton

On August 10, 2026

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

This morning, I’m very pleased to welcome Paste Creative’s tour for Luck Deckard’s No Saints Only Killers. This is a slick-looking PI novel that I need to find time for on my TBR. Hopefully by the time you’re finished with this post, you’ll be thinking the same thing.

Book Details:

Title: No Saints Only Killers by Luke Deckard
Genre: Mystery, PI Novel
Publisher: MX Publishing
Release date: May 7, 2026
Length: 345 pages

About the Book:

American ex-pat Logan Bishop is a war-damaged, morphine-dependent private investigator.

When his estranged father, Reverend Daniel Bishop, arrives from Chicago, Logan refuses to see him—until his father is brutally attacked.

Before slipping into a coma, Daniel leaves Logan with a desperate plea: find Greta Matas-a woman tied to his past-before she’s killed.

Logan heads to Edinburgh in search of answers.

But from the moment he arrives, nothing adds up. Greta is missing. Her son is wanted for murder. And Logan is being watched.

By the police. By gangsters. By men who don’t want the truth uncovered.

As Logan is pulled deeper into a web of lies and corruption, he realises the truth may cost him his life.

Book Links:

Amazon UK ~ Amazon US

About the Author:

Luke Deckard is the author of No Saints Only Killers, which was shortlisted for the Amazon New Voices Awards and a finalist at Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect. He is the co-host of CINEMA SLEUTHS podcast, a reviewer for Get Your Comic ON, and mentors creative writing students at the University of Westminster.

Author Links:

TikTok ~ Instagram ~ Threads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Bluesky ~ Cinema Sleuths Podcast

My thanks to Paste Creative for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett: Two Households, Both Alike In Infamy

By HCNewton

On August 7, 2026

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

A Trade of Blood

by Robert Jackson Bennett

DETAILS:
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan, #3
Publisher: Del Rey
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Format: eARC
Length: 400 pg.
Read Date: July 23-29, 2026

What’s A Trade of Blood About?

The book opens with Ana Dolabra going on a screed about why the murders of young, rich women get so much more attention—and seem to shock the general populace more—than any other murder or other crime. And anyone who’s watched cable news in the last couple of decades (or read a newspaper ever), will instantly understand what she’s saying—just one of the many ways their Fantasy world reminds a reader of ours.

Ana and her assistant, Dinios Kol. are called to investigate a gruesome murder of a young, rich woman, not-at-all-coincidentally. Well that’s officially what they’re about. But really, they’re on hand to keep an all-out feud from exploding between two rich and powerful families in the primary meat-producing canton in the kingdom. If these people go to war, it’s going to have a devastating impact on the food supply.

The victim was a young “Capulet” woman, and the presumed killer—butcher, really—is a young “Montague” gentleman. And the remaining members of their families and many of their allies and all of their servants are ready to go. Ana and Din quickly ascertain something’s fishy about the whole thing—and what Ana’s initial experiments prove gives a new definition to unnerving. But it definitely shows that there’s more to this murder than meets the eye.

The crimes multiply—especially as the pair starts asking questions about the recent past for these families. This murder is just the latest in a cleverly disguised series, and the killing isn’t done. In fact, the victim count is about to skyrocket. And if these investigators don’t stop the killings, it’s going to be even worse than that.

Before they arrive at the crime scene, Ana is afraid this case is going to be boring. By the time it’s over, I think she’d have been happier to have been bored.

Dinios Kol

As Ana’s assistant—the one who interacts with people for her, gathers clues and witnesses, and basically does all the legwork so she doesn’t have to risk over-stimulation—we’ve spent more time with Din than Ana over the course of the series. And that’s still true. So reader feel like we know him pretty well—and that’s true. (he’s also the first-person narrator, but his reporting is so frequently as dispassionate as a third-person narrator, so it’s forgettable)

But putting him in a region that reminds him so much of home? Well, now we’re really getting to know him. We’ve known since the first book that he came from a poor family and that he entered government service to pay off some debts incurred by his dead father. Well, we get more details about that—and the financial status of the family (and more about the family as well).

More than that, Din’s looking around at circumstances like he knew growing up from fresh eyes. Eyes that have seen the sea walls protecting the nation, seen a leviathan, seen areas of the kingdom that are so far away and so different from his home that it’s hard to believe they’re part of the same kingdom, seen horrible deaths and the blackness of the human heart. And, given his augmentations, he’ll never forget any of that. Now he comes back to see this area through different eyes. That’s got to do a number on him.

And his boss uses this to poke at him a little, too. In mostly good fun.

The Worldbuilding

Bennett has put on a clinic on how to do worldbuilding in the first two books of this series—and he follows it up in this third book by doing it again. I want to go on and on and on about it, but I don’t know how to do that without spoiling anything.

Let’s see if I can do this obliquely enough that Del Rey won’t get so annoyed that I won’t get approved for the next book in the series. We get introduced to a species of cattle, a feline species, some fungal types that have some fascinating properties, new religious figures, a take on a type of economy, and a sign of some truly devastating ecological problems on the horizon. And more, too.

It’s just amazing to watch him at work over these three books—and I cannot wait to see what we learn about this world next. If you thought Ana revealed some mind-blowing stuff last time (in addition to what they learned through the case, which was staggering in itself), buckle up, cowpokes.

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

I picked this up because before the first book in this series was finished, I knew I was going to read every book in it. I finished it for the same reason—and it’s probably my favorite of the three. Which is saying something when I recall that the first two books were among my favorites of their respective years. If I’m not talking about this in December/January, I’ll be shocked.

So, what did I think about A Trade of Blood?

I really shouldn’t have had as much fun reading this as I did, because this book is grim. In a way, worse than what Michel, Abercrombie, Martin, or Fletcher put out. But the characters are great, they’ve been established so well with readers that it’s like visiting a friend. Moreover, Ana Dolabra was on fire this outing. Yeah, she’s creepifying and off-putting as usual (in addition to strange and brilliant), but she made me grin in almost every conversation, and I laughed more than once because of her.

As far as the mystery goes—Bennett got me. I repeatedly wrote in my notes who I thought—no, who I was convinced—the killer was and shot down various other theories and lines of dialogue that suggested otherwise. It’s rare I’m that convinced in a mystery novel that I’m right, although I have a pretty good average when I am that certain. I should’ve known that Bennett wouldn’t make it that easy. I was correct once, but I talked myself out of it for a far lesser candidate, and really didn’t reconsider the actual killer until unmasked.

There’s a lot of ugliness to be found in tis book, as I alluded to earlier. The motives for the crimes are bad enough. But the actions and attitudes that led to those motives are possibly worse—not to justify any of the crimes or anything—but you can take it in and say, “yeah, I see where someone could break because of that.” And then, when you take in the economic and scientific context and conditions…and where it looks like those economics and science are going to leave the populace. Well, I tell ya, “ugly” and “grim” don’t seem to go far enough.

At the end of the day, though, this is a story about very relatable people and very relatable wounds. It could be fair to say that heartbreak is at the core of it all. Bennett just wraps it up in a fantastical package.

In case I’ve been too subtle—go get this. Like now. It’d work as a jumping on point, but I think you’d be better off starting from The Tainted Cup. Either way, read all of this series.

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.

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.

Irresponsible Reader Pilcrow Icon