Tag: Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller Page 2 of 61

DETAILS:
Series: The Thursday Murder Club, #5
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: September 30, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Length: 352 pg.
Read Date: November 24-26, 2025

Elizabeth is being mysterious.

It’s something of a relief, of course, because it has been some while since she’s been mysterious. She tells me we are taking the minibus to Fairhaven tomorrow morning, and it’s also been a while since we’ve done that. What are we to do there? Information has yet to be forthcoming. “A nice stroll along the front” is what Elizabeth said, and if you believe that you’ll believe anything.

What’s The Impossible Fortune About?

Joyce’s daughter, Joanna, is getting married. During the reception, Elizabeth is approached by someone wanting help. He’s heard about Elizabeth from Joanna and would rather go to her for help than anyone else.

Then he goes missing. The Club mobilizes to try to find him—with some help from Joyce’s daughter and new son-in-law, too.

Ron’s a little distracted by some family trouble (trouble he doesn’t realize the depth of, either), but that won’t be enough to derail the Thursday Murder Club, will it?

Elizabeth

“Screenshot the messages,” says Joanna. “We have to find Nick.”

“Screenshotting them,” says Paul. “I’ll send them straight to the police.”

Joanna puts her hand on his.

“Honestly? God bless the police, but it’ll be quicker all round if we just show them to Elizabeth.”

The core of this book is Elizabeth moving on from full-time grieving. She’ll be grieving for the rest of her (hopefully long and sequel-filled) life. But equipped with a puzzle—and potential danger to others—some of her old spark comes back.

Something noted by the rest of the Club—and Donna, too.

This doesn’t mean she’s as sharp as we’re used to—she notes that herself. By the end of the book, that’s done with. Still, even an out-of-practice Elizabeth is better than the police assigned to this case (sadly, not our friends—nor are they likely to be seen again).

We are treated to seeing her alone—or almost alone sometimes—and vulnerable. It’s Elizabeth at her most human, which is wonderful to see (even if we all probably prefer Elizabeth the super-hero).

Joyce and Joanna

The relationship between Joyce and her daughter has been a frequent topic to return to, and change has been slow—if not imperceptible. But we get some strong movement here—and some frustrating delays in it, too (designed to be frustrating, this isn’t Osman flubbing things).

Overall, we see the two of them working together here—on the wedding and on the case. It warms the heart to see. They both make some healthy compromises—and conspire together in way that’ll make you smile.

So, what did I think about The Impossible Fortune?

Danny Lloyd has had guns pointed at him before, but never by a woman. It makes, he notes to himself now, very little difference. The gun is the thing. Well, the bullets inside the gun are the actual thing, arent they?

Keep the bullets inside the gun, that’s the trick.

Frankly, it feels like Osman was a little off his game with this one. And it makes sense—after the big events of The Last Devil to Die, almost everything is going to feel like a letdown. He also needs to re-establish the feel for the books now.

We’ve added a new character or two, made some pretty big changes for some (at least one of which is going to stick with the books for a while). Just the sheer amount of time we spend with Johanna and Ron’s son, Ritchie, makes this feel different. I don’t want to get into the Ron-and-his-family storyline, but man, it’s good.

My biggest concern is Ibrahim’s depiction. He didn’t get that much space—which makes sense; there’s a lot of competition this time. But in most of the space he was given, he seemed…off. He felt sillier and dafter than usual, almost like the novel was gently mocking him. But that eventually went away, and he really came through for the team more than once in pivotal ways. Also—he’s great, as usual, with Ron’s grandson.

All the charm, all the wit, all the heart is there—so whatever I (or you) may think about the quality of the book as a whole, it doesn’t matter that much. Everything that makes a Thursday Murder Club book a Thursday Murder Club book is there. There’s just a little less luster than usual.

Now that Elizabeth has her groove back (mostly), I expect this to be a minor aberration and that we’ll get back to his usual level.

Still, this was about as entertaining as you can want in a mystery—if you haven’t gotten to it yet, fix that.

4 Stars

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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Second Lies the Son by Matt Phillips: You Are Your Family

By HCNewton

On December 1, 2025

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

Second Lies the Son

by Matt Phillips

DETAILS:
Publisher: Runamok Books
Publication Date: November 8, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 196 pg.
Read Date: November 7-8, 2025

What’s Second Lies the Son About?

I’m not sure how to sum this book up. I really don’t. Honestly, all you need to know about this to decide to pick it up are the two words in yellow at the bottom of the cover: Matt Phillips.

But if you need more, here’s what Runamok provides:

Set in the high deserts of California, Second Lies the Son is a tale of small-town friendship, love, disloyalty, and violence. Sam and Hayes grow up together-brothers in spirit. But their lives take different turns. Sam fumbles his way to family and work. Hayes bloodies his hands in Afghanistan. Returned a reluctant war hero, Hayes is dead set on avenging his conversion into an instrument of war. Sam tries to head off his best friend’s brutal plans, but the haunting sins of his own past come calling. From one of America’s authentic noirists, Second Lies the Son depicts the irredeemable violence of American masculinity and tracks that violence to the darkest depths of cold-blooded murder.

Likeability

Obviously, in noir, the majority (if not all) of the characters are not going to be that likable. Boy howdy, is that true here. Your instinct is to like Sam, if only because he’s our central POV character. At least to feel a degree of sympathy for him. But there’s something about him…

Hayes, on the other hand…life has not been kind to him. And while I feel nothing but sympathy for him, the only reason I care about him is that Sam does.

Outside of Sam’s wife and infant son, those are the most likable characters. There’s a lot of broken humanity on display here—in all of its beauty and depravity.

So, what did I think about Second Lies the Son?

I avoided the second Matt Phillips novel that Fahrenheit put out because I loved Know Me From Smoke so much and I didn’t want anything to taint that experience (by falling short or exceeding it)*. I honestly only read A Good Rush of Blood because I didn’t pay attention to the author name, I just read whatever Runamok book shows up in my mailbox. I don’t remember how far along I was in the process before I realized he was the same writer. I’ve now seen the error of my ways and will just read whatever Matt Phillips book I come across.

There’s just something about his lean prose that grabs me in a way few do. Lean, but that’s not to say plain or worse. Phillips will regularly write one of those sentences/phrases/passages that you have to stop and re-read a few times to fully appreciate.

These characters—except for the infant—are so well-drawn and developed that I’d have no trouble believing Phillips had spent time interviewing them all before committing them to page. Or maybe living with them. I’d believe that, too.

At this point, I’m going to just give up on talking about Phillips’ writing. And move on to the bigger pictures.

It’s hard to really describe what this book is about, the blurb above is fine, but I’m not sure that’s what I’d have chosen (it’s a better sales pitch than my description would be)—and I honestly fumbled when talking to people while reading. Honestly, if you’re talking “plot” or “action”—you’re not going to get it for about 80% of the book, that’s all set-up time. But, of course, that’s not true—you just might have a hard time articulating what the plot is until then.

At the heart, this book is about friendship—what you’ll do because of a deep friendship, what will happen to you because of one, and how it’ll shape (possibly deform) your life. It’s also about the fight for the souls of these two men. Sam is fighting for his soul and the soul of Hayes. Meanwhile, Hayes is fighting for his and Sam’s. While they’re not really working against each other, they’re really working in different directions. They’re both doing it out of love. I think it’s pretty clear that one of them has a healthier end in mind. But it’s a comparative, not an absolute.

Also, the collateral damage from these struggles is pretty devastating. Obviously, I can’t talk about that—but it’s something I keep coming back to chew on. And it should be kept in mind when you try to decide if the fights for souls were worth it.

This is a fast, lean novel that will leave you moved (disturbed might be a better word) and chewing on it for days. Second Lies the Son is a great example of what Crime Fiction can do beyond the expectations of the genre (while remaining in the genre).

* Does this make sense to anyone else? Please say so.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this ARC by the author. But I jumped on the offer.

4 Stars

Robert B. Parker’s Showdown by Mike Lupica: New Media and Old Problems

By HCNewton

On December 1, 2025

In Authors, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Robert B. Parker, S-Z, Spenser

Robert B. Parker’s Showdown

by Mike Lupica

DETAILS:
Series: Spenser, #53
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: November 25, 2025
Length: 339 pg.
Read Date: November 26-27, 2028

What’s Showdown About?

Rita Fiore comes to Spenser for some help—she has a client, Daniel, a young man who has come to Boston to confront the man he thinks is his biological father. Daniel’s mother has recently been killed and while going through her effects, he found some things that made him believe what he’d been told about the father he’d never met was untrue and that Vic Hale was his actual father.

Vic Hale is a podcaster with an audience close to Rogan’s and politics several yards to the right of Rush Limbaugh. A frequent obsession for Hale is illegal immigration. Daniel’s mother had been an undocumented worker employed by Hale. If Daniel went public, it could likely bring down (at least shake) Hale’s media empire and possibly damage the multi-million dollar deal he’s on the verge of signing. (it’s up in the air which is more important to Hale)

Daniel, an up-and-coming immigration activist, would relish that. But before he does that, he wants to confront his father personally (and Rita would like a little more proof of his paternity). This is where Spenser comes in.

Then Spenser uncovers connections to a local mobster. And then more money gets introduced into the picture. Then someone is killed. And well…you know how things go from there.

A Couple of Quirks (no, not Martin)

These aren’t problems with the book, and if these things disappear with next year’s novel, I won’t mind. But if they continue for long, Lupica will have altered these characters in a way that I’m not wild about.

Susan winks a lot in this particular novel. Perhaps as often as she had in the previous 52 books combined, I could be exaggerating, but it doesn’t feel that way. Parker (and Atkins) typically let the dialogue lines carry that connotation—perhaps with one of Susan’s variety of smiles. If she winked once, I wouldn’t have minded. But when it happened twice within a few pages, it got my attention, and then screamed at me every time afterward. Just roll it back a little.

The other thing that got under my skin is the way that Spenser keeps dropping bits of trivia that those around him (Hawk, Susan, Quirk, Belson, and others—maybe even Tony Marcus) find annoying, and will mock him for. Spenser even engages in a bit of self-mockery about it, as if this is something he’s spent years doing. Spenser doesn’t go out of his way to show off his knowledge like this—yes, he’ll drop a historical note when appropriate, he’ll use a sesquipedalian word from time to time (particularly to needle someone who is condescending toward him), he’ll make literary allusions/drop quotations often. But he’s not the kind of guy who’ll hit pause while watching a TV show/movie to inform others in the room about some point about an actor, script note, or a directorial choice.* Spenser’s only a show off when he thinks it’ll impress Susan—not in a way that will annoy anyone.

Also, the constant references to Spenser’s age feel a little dangerous—Parker had left him frozen in time, and while Atkins had made it clear that he was on the older end of things, he kept it vaguer than that (which fit the direction Parker had set up).

* I know it’s annoying and I really shouldn’t, but I only do it for things that are illuminating or incredibly interesting (to me, if no one else).

So, what did I think about Showdown?

There were two major reveals in store for the reader—I was certain I’d had one sussed out from almost the beginning, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m not sure if I should’ve come up with it on my own if I hadn’t been so distracted, maybe…just maybe. The other might as well have had neon signs pointing to it throughout. I do buy Spenser et al. not seeing it, however. 1 out of 2 ain’t bad (for Lupica or me).

I think the story meandered a little bit, chewing up pages for the sake of chewing up pages—making me think of Lupica again as emulating latter-day Parker. So that’s a plus, in a strange way. And really, none of the meandering hurt anything—much more of it would’ve.

The addition of a new character—Spenser’s intern Cassius, was a choice—as my kids used to say. Perhaps a good one (it certainly helps with the technophobic PI getting help with databases, social media, and whatnot). I’m holding my tongue on it for at least one more novel. I sort of wish that Mattie Sullivan would’ve filled that role, at least to an extent. Or maybe Sixkill.

At the end of the day, readers pick up a Spenser novel for the characters, the banter, and a little action. Lupica delivers those here (even if the characters are a little out of focus). There’s a bit about Noah Kahan that made me hoot (and annoyed my daughter). I think Hot Property was a better Spenser novel—and will be the standard by which I’m going to judge Lupica going forward. Still, while not as satisfying, it did the job and I’m more than ready to return to the series in a year or so.

3.5 Stars

And to All a Good Bite by David Rosenfelt: Andy Carpenter’s Back Out of Retirement Again

By HCNewton

On November 20, 2025

In A-F, Andy Carpenter, David Rosenfelt, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, P-U

And to All a Good Bite

by David Rosenfelt

DETAILS:
Series: Andy Carpenter, #31
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 14, 2025
Format: Hardcover
Length: 293 pg.
Read Date: November 13-14, 2025

“Will you help me?”

“I believe I will,” I say, proving once again that my mouth has a mouth of its own. It did not consult with my brain before saying it, which is a major breach of the decision-making chain of command.

What’s And to All a Good Bite About?

Two years ago, Jeff Wheeler watched the building his girlfriend was in explode while he engagement ring he got for her was in his pocket. In vain, he ran into the building to try to save her, but the fire was too intense. He was, however, able to save a dog.

He ends up—with Andy Carpenter’s help—adopting the dog, and the two of them are happy. Jeff has come to think that the building’s explosion wasn’t an accident, but was caused by the building’s owner. Jeff starts hounding the man, trying to get him to admit to it and trying to take him to court over it.

When that man is shot, Jeff’s an early suspect. When some evidence is uncovered conveniently close to Jeff’s home, he’s arrested.

Now it’s up to Andy to admit he’s not retired (again) and to do what he can to save Jeff’s life.

The Holiday-ness of it

This is about as far from a Christmas book that Rosenfelt could do—the holiday itself is dealt with in maybe 5 pages, and those are fairly early-on. It really could be a case of “which of these three novels I’m almost done with could I most easily insert the holiday?”

This next sentence is not really a spoiler, but it kind of is, so skip to the next heading if you want. Also, the body count in this book is high for this series (and potentially even higher), and the motive behind it seems to make it even worse. It’s hard to reconcile that with the Season of Cheer. (not that it needs to, I’m just thinking holiday stuff).

So, what did I think about And to All a Good Bite?

So my son eats vegetables….I find it hard to come to terms with that. I’ve been assuming for years that he will outgrow it, but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen. But it still pains me when the waiter comes over and Ricky asks how they prepare the brussels sprouts.

We back up a little on Marcus’ intelligibility here—which felt odd, maybe Rosenfelt realized he’d taken too much of the mystery away from him—maybe even the superhumanness of him. Or maybe it’s a case of perception—I thought that Andy was fully capable of understanding Marcus recently because relative to most of the series, he could. But compared to Willie or Corey (check spelling of Simon Garfunkel’s human), Marcus is unintelligible. It could just be some re-calibration in general. Marcus’ super-humanness is seriously reinforced on other fronts this time.

The client’s dog is far more important to the story than usual—something I appreciate, as much as I like a cute dog photo on the cover, or a canine-related pun in the title (which has nothing to do with the plot at all). When the dog actually plays a role in the story, I like it.

Andy seems to make a call on the whole retirement/semi-retirement thing, which is nice. Otherwise, this is your standard Andy Carpenter book—some solid wisecracks, a clever mystery, some nice reveals, some convenient breaks, some courtroom hijinks, Andy’s familiar (yet fresh and entertaining) thoughts on jury selection and jury deliberation. There’s just enough that’s not typical to keep long-time fans engaged. Up to, and including, more Vince-related action than we’ve seen in a bit—up to the part where I could throw in a click-baity “You won’t believe what Vince does” kind of headline. But I won’t stoop to that. Really.

Oh, wait—Ricky is 16 now? I’m sorry, when did his actual aging creep into these books? How is Rosenfelt not keeping him a cute kid/tween for forever, the way that Tara is not a senior dog yet? Has Rosenfelt been giving us higher numbers for a while now and I just haven’t noticed?

Anyway, back to the “standard Andy Carpenter book” remark. That’s really what this is—that’s good news. It’s not a let-down, it’s not a rare stumble for Rosenfelt, it’s not shaking up the entire series with a gritty turn—it’s a reliable author giving his fans just what they want, quality entertainment with old friends. And that’s just the kind of gift an author like Rosenfelt should give his readers for the holidays.*

* That’s one of the cheesiest things I’ve written on this site, but I kind of like it.

4 Stars

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: Love and Death by Vicky Earle

By HCNewton

On November 20, 2025

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

I’m pleased to welcome the Book Tour for the sixth book in Vicky Earle’s Meg Sheppard Mysteryseries, Love and Death. You’re going to want to look into this one.

Book Details:

Title: Love and Death by Vicky Earle
Series: Meg Sheppard Mystery, #6
Format: Kindle/Paperback
Length: 324 pg.
Publisher:‎ Wordzworth Publishing
US Publication Date: October 18, 2024

About the Book:

A cheating racehorse trainer is dead, and someone close to Meg is under suspicion.As she digs for the truth, past gang members involved in a murder, and a zealous animal rights group bring danger to Meg.

Wounded by a gunshot, Meg is reluctant to continue as a sleuth.

Does she have the resilience to face the danger and investigate a stolen horse, another death, and two attempted murders while struggling to cope with the likelihood of a devastating personal loss?

Book Links:

Amazon ~ Indigo (Canada) ~ Waterstones (UK)

About the Author

Vicky Earle is a recipient of a Canada Book Award and was CEO of the Ontario SPCA for several years. Her experience with owning and breeding thoroughbred racehorses, as well as country life, inspired her to write the Meg Sheppard Mystery Series. The series features fast-paced, action-packed mysteries which unfurl within the worlds of thoroughbred horse racing and country living.

Animals have always been a big part of Vicky’s life. She couldn’t imagine writing a book without including some.

Vicky currently lives on a small horse farm near Uxbridge, Ontario, with her husband.

Website ~ Instagram

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

BBNYA SEMI-FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: Magical Girl Blues by Russell Isler

By HCNewton

On November 19, 2025

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

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for Russell Isler’s Magical Girl Blues! This book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

Also, come back in few hours when I will finally get my post about the book up–almost 3 months after I read it.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

Pilcrow

Book Details:

Title: Magical Girl Blues by Russell Isler
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Age Category: Adult
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 478 Pages
Publication Date: November 26, 2024

About the Book:

Some things are worse than death… Or high school

Xenia Findlay should be dead—just like her parents, and her best friend Bethany. After the crash, she moves to the tranquil small town of Porter Valley to live with her great aunt. But her recovery is plagued by terrible headaches…and hallucinatory visits from her dead friend.

Worse, the students of Porter Valley High have begun to disappear.

As the missing teenagers join Bethany in Xenia’s visions she begins to suspect that everything she thought she knew—about the world, about death, and about herself—is wrong.

Which means a ghastly force really is lurking in the shadows of her idyllic new home.

And unless Xenia can unlock the power she’s discovered, she might just lose herself, her town—and her very soul.

Book Links:

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

About the Author:

Russell Isler was born in Champaign, Illinois. As a child, his fate was sealed the evening his parents took him to see Star Wars. Practically obsessed with spaceships, robots and dragons for his entire life, he pursued a career in animation. After a couple decades jumping between the video game and commercial television VFX fields he stumbled into a new group of friends, who went on to create the award winning Adventures of the League of S.T.E.A.M. web-series. In addition to becoming head of VFX for the League, Russell also acted in several of the episodes. The League also gave him his first taste of writing. His writing on the series finale won “Best Screenplay” in the 2017 Dublin Web Festival. By then he realized that he’d had so much fun writing those screenplays that he should probably write down that book idea that had been living in the back of his head.

Website ~ Instagram ~ Bluesky

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 Semi-Finalist badge

Kickstarter Announcement: Book Blasts: Short, Thrilling Fiction for People on the Go

By HCNewton

On November 18, 2025

In Fiction, Miscellany, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc.

I’ve talked about some of Troy Lambert’s over the last couple of years, and now he’s teaming up with Vincent Zandri for a new project.

Book Blasts: Short, Thrilling Fiction for Readers on the Go

A year-long journey of bite-sized, heart-pounding stories delivered straight to your hands.

What if you could unwrap a brand-new thriller every six weeks?
With Book Blasts, bestselling authors Troy Lambert and Vincent Zandri bring you fast-paced, short fiction duets designed for busy readers who still crave excitement, intrigue, and unforgettable characters.

This Kickstarter makes you part of the action from the very beginning—and guarantees your seat at the front of the ride.

What Are Book Blasts?

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Duets of short stories (two per release) every six weeks throughout 2026.

Thrilling, noir-inspired tales for readers who love quick but powerful fiction.

Multiple formats available—digital, paperback, or collectible hardcovers.

Think of it like a literary subscription box: always fresh, always thrilling, always on time.

This campaign is going for another 6 days (until November 24 at 7:29am MST), and it could use the support. If you think the idea is as promising as I do, kick that start and throw some money at the project!
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Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson: The Future is Fungal

By HCNewton

On November 17, 2025

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

I keep getting distracted from working on this post, but when I saw this on the schedule for BBNYA Spotlight posts, I figured it was about to time to force myself to write something. If I’m doing one post about this novel today, I might as well do two, right?

Mushroom Blues

by Adrian M. Gibson

DETAILS:
Series: The Hofmann Report, Book One
Publisher: Kinoko Book Co.
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 371 pg.
Read Date: August 20-26, 2025

What’s on the back cover of Mushroom Blues?

In addition to glowing blurbs from people who know what they’re talking about, we get this description:

BLADE RUNNER, TRUE DETECTIVE, AND DISTRICT 9 meld with the weird worlds of JEFF VANDERMEER, PHILIP K. DICK, AND CHINA MIÉVILLE in Adrian M. Gibson’s award-winning fungalpunk noir debut.

TWO YEARS AFTER a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hōppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. Its fungal citizens are in dire straits, wracked by food shortages, poverty, and an influx of war refugees. Even worse, the corrupt occupiers exploit their power, hounding the native population.

As a winter storm looms over the metropolis, NKPD homicide detective Henrietta Hofmann begrudgingly partners up with mushroom-headed patrol officer Koji Nameko to investigate the mysterious murders of fungal and half-breed children. Their investigation drags them deep into the seedy underbelly of a war-torn city, one brimming with colonizers, criminal gangs, racial division, and moral decay.

In order to solve the case and unravel the truth, Hofmann must challenge her past and embrace fungal ways. What she and Nameko uncover in the midst of this frigid wasteland will chill them to the core, but will they make it through the storm alive?

The Worldbuilding

My biggest—probably only (or only worth writing down)—complaint about this book is that we just don’t get told enough about the Hōpponese/Human relations before the war. I’m having a hard time understanding what things were like, what kind of cultural/technological/commercial relationships/understandings existed. I also have a hard time believing that there wasn’t anything worth talking about before the war started.

Now, let’s set that all aside for a moment—I don’t want to spend more time on it, it’s not worth it, and if the novel itself can, I can. The rest of the worldbuilding, the Hōpponese culture, the despicable way that the humans are treating them, the way the Human-Occupier mini-culture is operating, the Hōpponese resistance (s), the Hōpponese themselves, the way that humans risk some kind of infection every time they breathe the air, the…yeah, the list is getting out of hand. So let’s just sum it up with “everything I didn’t mention in the above paragraph” are close enough to perfect that you can’t tell me not to consider it.

As you read this book, you can see the city, you can smell the environs, taste some of the food described, feel the atmosphere, you can hear the language, and you can viscerally sense the non-humanness of the Hōpponese and just how off-putting it is. Gibson utterly nailed this.

I’ve Just Gotta Say This…

I know I haven’t read everything out there about this book—even if I ignore Goodreads, online retailers, The Story Graph, etc.—so maybe I missed this. If I did—I’ll happily eat my hat and credit others. But I haven’t seen anyone talk about Alien Nation in relation to this book—the movie, the TV series, the tie-in novels (and, yes, I watched and read them all). I don’t get it—other than age (we’re talking late 80s/early 90s), these are the perfect comparisons to this work.

Sure, Gibson’s book is so much better—if only because the Fungal people don’t get drunk off of something as silly as spoiled milk. But the prejudice, the cultural mixes, the attitudes (both within the police and both races) toward the non-human partner, and the attitude of the human detective about the whole partnership…these works are of a piece.

Anyway, I just had to say something about it because I couldn’t stop thinking about it for a moment.

So, what did I think about Mushroom Blues?

Just by talking about it as little as I have already, I want to set everything (book, employment, family obligation, writing project—including this post) aside for the next few days and re-read the book; it’s got its hooks in me that deeply. Something I didn’t realize until now.

Most of the time, I don’t really think about how unnerving it has to be for a human to walk around in a fictional world and encounter an elf, a Vulcan, an orc, or a…whatever it was that Rocky from Project: Hail Mary was. At least after the first encounter. But there’s something about a mushroom-person that gives me the willies—Gibson has filled this species with a lot of facts and theories about how mushrooms on our planet live and communicate, just put them in humanoid bodies capable of speaking English (or Common).

The other-ness, or non-humanness, of the Hōppon is as much part of the atmosphere of the book as is the tobacco smoke that Hofmann fills the air around her with. And I do feel a little speciesist just saying that. And then once you learn what it is—beyond bringing some diversity to the force—that Koji does for the police? It’s worse. But I don’t for a second lose any affection for or curiosity about Koji. It’s just one more reason that I feel unnerved by the Hōppon.

I had guessed the who—but not most of the why—behind these crimes pretty early on—and I’m not sure that Gibson’s herrings were of a red-enough color to capture my attention. But the way that Koji and Hofmann go about their investigation and slowly reveal the truth—and what that truth means? Gibson was near-perfect again on that front.

I really just want to keep going on about all the things about this book that I loved—note how I haven’t talked about the characters, because that’d be another few hundred pages just to start.

The mystery/police procedural part of this was great. The alternate world was outstanding. The worldbuilding is top-notch. The primary and secondary characters were drawn so wonderfully. The motives for the crimes (and the crime fighting) were complex and messy—and almost entirely understandable. The genre-hybrid of this feels entirely natural to an extent that you can almost wonder why anyone hasn’t been approaching these genres in a similar fashion for decades.

I’m just babbling now—I don’t have anything coherent to say anymore (assuming I started that way). If you haven’t taken the plunge with this book, you really should. That’s all I’ve got to say.

4 1/2 Stars

BBNYA SEMI-FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson

By HCNewton

On November 17, 2025

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

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for Adrian M. Gibson’s dynamite Mushroom Blues! This book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

Also, come back in few hours when I will finally get my post about the book up–almost 3 months after I read it.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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Book Details:

Title: Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Age Category: Adult
Format: Hardcover/Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 408 Pages
Publication Date: March 19, 2024

About the Book:

Blade Runner, True Detective and District 9 meld with the weird worlds of Jeff VanderMeer and China Miéville in Adrian M. Gibson’s fungalpunk noir debut.

NKPD homicide detective Henrietta Hofmann begrudgingly partners up with fungal patrol officer Koji Nameko to investigate the mysterious murders of fungal and half-breed children, a case that drags them deep into the seedy underbelly of a war-torn city.

Book Links:

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

About the Author:

Adrian M. Gibson is an award-winning Canadian SFF author, podcaster, illustrator and tattoo artist. In 2021, he created the SFF Addicts podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow authors M.J. Kuhn and Greta Kelly. The three host in-depth interviews with an array of science fiction and fantasy authors, as well as writing masterclasses. Mushroom Blues is his debut novel.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Bluesky

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

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BBNYA SEMI-FINALIST SPOTLIGHT: My Dark Self by Jessica Huntley

By HCNewton

On November 15, 2025

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

I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for Jessica Huntley’s My Dark Self! This book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.

BBNYA:

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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Book Details:

Title: My Dark Self by Jessica Huntley
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Age Category: Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Length: 395 Pages
Publication Date: July 1, 2021

About the Book:

A dark and addictive psychological thriller that will have you turning the pages long into the night. Meet Josslyn and Alicia … your new best friend and your worst enemy.

Josslyn is a mild-mannered vet who prefers animals to people. Alicia is a ruthless and psychotic killer. But there’s a problem … They are the same person.

When Josslyn finds a clue as to who Alicia really is, she sets out on a mission to discover the truth and hopefully get rid of the psychopath in her head before she kills again.

However, Alicia has her own agenda and isn’t afraid to mess things up for Josslyn. She wants control of their body and won’t rest until she gets her way.

Someone is stalking them and clearly knows more about them than they do. Will Josslyn and Alicia ever be able to see eye to eye and work together to overcome adversity?

My Dark Self is the first book in the My … Self series, a gripping thriller series with a big difference … the two main characters are one person. If you like fast-paced psychological thrillers with plenty of twists and turns and witty banter then you’ll love this dramatic series from Jessica Huntley.

Book Links:

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

About the Author:

Jessica Huntley is an award-winning and best-selling psychological thriller author. She’s an ex-British soldier and Personal Trainer and has been writing almost non-stop for the past four years.

She is now the author of nineteen books. She is both self-published and traditionally published with Inkubator Books and Joffe Books.

She writes books for thriller readers who like their stories dark and twisty with complex, yet memorable characters, who often suffer from relatable mental health disorders.

When she isn’t writing, Jessica is either keeping fit, walking her dog or looking after her young son.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram

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

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