Month: March 2025

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

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You Are Fatally Invited is a twisted story with damaged characters, I would compare to Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Was None which will find you racing to the end to figure out all the sordid mysteries and hidden agendas.

As authors arrive on a secluded island, fortunate enough to have been graced with an invitation by the recluse author J.R. Alastor, whom no one has ever met, the feeling is that of the television show in the eighties called Fantasy Island. All six of the famous authors seem to try and one up each other as to their relationship with their host. They are met by the hostess or party planner for the weekend, Mila del Angel, herself a former unpublished want to be writer.

She knows what is expected of her and she too has a hidden agenda, but as she explains what this weekend’s writer’s retreat will accomplish and the games which will be played the main concern of the guests is when they will finally meet the mysterious Alastor.

Unfortunately, immediately things begin to go wrong when the next morning one of the writer’s goes missing. At first, they think perhaps they had gone for a hike, but to everyone’s horror that seems to not be the case.

Mila who only communicates with Alastor via her watch gets no response from him. When she decides to look at the camera footage from the previous night, hours seem to be missing.

She soon begins to realize there is something else going on, something sinister. And when she announces the first game to be played by the authors, they too begin to see something is amiss. For all intents and purposes the “clues” to this game hit too close to home for each one of them and is about something they have hidden from their past.

When a second body is discovered they all decide they need to get off this island and Mila who feels she is being set up agrees. But with a storm coming up, that might not be possible.

As the writers begin to turn on each other and new games are added daily, they realize someone is taking great pleasure at scaring and killing them. Unfortunately, Mila looks to be the main suspect. What they don’t know is Mila herself has never met Alastor in person. Could one of them be the killer?

You Are Fatally Invited cordially invites YOU, the reader to try and figure out who the killer is and what past secrets for some reason are expected to be exposed. The cost of losing one of the games? Well, perhaps their life! You will be holding your breath to see who makes it to the end and finally discover all those sordid, shocking secrets!

Thank you #NetGalley #BantamBooks #AndePiegro #YouAreFatallyInvited for the advanced copy.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

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Buckle up for the ride of your life in The Family Game! This book will have brides-to-be looking sideways at their soon to be in-laws. The story is an explosion of anxiety, shock, horror and mystery. The ending an amazingly surprising masterpiece.

When writer Harriet fell in love with financer Edward, who came from one of the wealthiest families in the United States, the Holbeck’s, although she had never met them, she never imagined what people with that kind of wealth would be like. Edward had kept them at a distance while they courted and yes, Harriet was curious as to why but was told there had been a bit of a rift. So, when Harriet and Edward got engaged and she received a call from his sister welcoming her into the fold she found herself agreeing unbeknownst to her (she is British and from England) that the meeting of the family would be on none other than Thanksgiving.

But right from the start she felt something was off. The family seemed very competitive and well, strangely odd. But she chalked it up to her own jitters until Edward’s father calls her into his office. Alone. And hands her a tape. Then explains to her she needs to listen to it and understand it and that he knows everyone makes mistakes and is well aware of her own hidden secret. Is this some sort of warning? How on earth could he know? What is on this tape? He also threatened if she told anyone including Edward about this revelation, he would expose her.

As she is on deadline, she puts the tape away and when she finally begins the process of listening to it, well, it’s time for another family gathering. This time it is called “Krampus” which has to do with a monster near Christmas time. Harriet and Edward attend without Harriet knowing the “rules of the game” and when she is picked to play, well it does not go well and turns out to be the most horrible experience of her life.

The tape which she reads in pieces is extremely disturbing and she can’t quite understand what is actually going on in the Holbeck family. She decides to do a bit of research and what she discovers is to say the least very, very disturbing and expanding over many years.

But Harriet and Edward must get through one last holiday, Christmas and Christmas Eve with the family. When she arrives at the estate in upstate New York, well once again she learns there will be a game on Christmas Eve and she must play, only this time Harriet knows she will be playing for her life. She somehow must try and outwit who she feels are a bunch of unhinged rich people. But what we shockingly discover is that there is much, much more to this family and the games they insist on playing.

The Family Game will have you on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns. As for Harriet well, she must protect her own secret no matter what the cost. Who if anyone will survive the final family game? You MUST read this book to discover, and you will be happy you did.

Published by Ballentine Books

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai

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The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is the delicious second book of the translated into English Japanese series which revolves around a father and daughter (and their cat Drowsy) who own a diner called The Kamogawa Diner but are also known to be food detectives for people who have somehow learned about them and come to them to try and recapture a food dish with a memory, sometimes good and sometimes bad attached. It is up to Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi to work their magic and try to discover and then cook the dish which their clients sometimes desperately need to continue on their journey or make peace with their past.

The stories are lovely and beautiful and are filled with delicious delicacies and mysteries. Nagare will scour the earth to help anyone who needs his special service and Koishi will take care of all the paperwork. And of course, Drowsy their beloved cat will always make their guests feel better.

Some of the stories in this book include Fried Rice in which a model who is engaged is desperately searching for a Fried Rice she remembers from years ago so she can present it to her fiancé and be proud.

Another is an Olympic Swimmer who is looking for the special Beto Box his father who he is estranged from use to make for him daily.

The most poignant story to me was Christmas Cake in which a married couple comes to the diner to look for a particular cake their late son used to love, but they never tasted as it was given as an offering at the time of his death and neither wanted to try it. This story shows the love of the parents for their lost son, but it also shows the love of the young son to his parents as past and present collide.

Every story has a beginning, middle, and moving ending the last few sentences always an homage to Nagare and Koishi’s late wife and mother.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes is a feel good, gloriously happy read with mouthwatering delicacies and mysteries to be solved for those seeking answers through food.

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.Putnam’sSons #HisashiKashiwai #TheRestaurantofLostRecipes for the advanced copy.

All The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman

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All The Other Mothers Hate Me is a humorous look at how sometimes school bullying doesn’t just happen to the children, but to the mothers as well. It’s a full-blown mystery when a child disappears during a field trip, but it’s also about how a woman who was living her best life, accidentally got pregnant, married and then got divorced and is now trying to cope with a 10-year-old son who likes to play with the elderly man across the street rather than children his own age. It’s also about how deep depression can impair said mother, but when a crisis happens involving her child, well them is fighting words!

The story is about a woman who finally picks herself up, decides to grow up and be as best a mother as she can, although completely flawed. It’s about a mother’s love for her son she never imagined she had. But trust me when I say it is so comical, and you will fall in love with her, warts and all!

Florence Grimes is a mess. A single mother of ten-year-old Dylan she can barely get out of bed to get him to school. When she got pregnant all those years ago the life she had in the music industry forever changed because of a one-night stand. Now Dylan who is in a private school in England (thanks to her ex) and Florence who is from the United States who because of a “situation” at said school last year was ostracized by the other mothers. Yes, Dylan is quirky and may not have many friends (except his turtle at home which Florence forgets to feed), but she tries, well, sort of…

So when she sends him off to school to go on a field trip and the child they paired him with Alfie Risby, a bully who dislikes Dylan and whose parents are so rich they just about own London what could go wrong? Well, Alfie disappears during the trip, well of course, they all think Dylan did something. Of course, Florence doesn’t believe this but when she gets home, she discovers the backpack Dylan took home was Alfie’s. Oh Lord…what should she do? He couldn’t do anything to another child could he? No… but…

So, Florence decides to attempt to investigate this mystery and decides to become “friends” with a new mother Jenny who doesn’t know her ahem, history and who is an attorney. Perfect in case Dylan needs one, right?

But Florence has so much going on, getting her nails done, picking a dress for a promising meeting, she sort of blows Jenny off and lets her take the lead. But, when Florence is unable to make this important career making meeting because well, she’s a mother, her depression really kicks in. And that’s when Jenny bails.

So now Florence is on her own and need to figure out what happened to Alfie before they discover it may have been Dylan. But of course, in the process makes very, very bad choices. And what she discovers and what she does will have a domino effect no one could ever imagine. If only she could find this bratty kid.

All The Other Mothers Hate Me is so witty and such a terrific mystery you will hope Florence gets into more trouble in the future. But that’s wishful thinking. Florence will learn many valuable lessons through this journey of lies and come out of it a better, stronger person but perhaps with a few less teeth!

Thank you #NetGalley #G.P.Putnam’sSons #SarahHarman #AllTheOtherMothersHateMe for the advanced copy.

Needy Little Things by Channelle Desamours

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Needy Little Things is a wonderfully suspenseful, mysterious story which will keep you reading and on the edge of your seat the whole time! Although a young adult novel, this adult was engrossed from the first page. It’s imaginative, poignant and heartfelt. But also filled with peculiar characters and relatable family issues.

Sariyah Lee Bryant is a “hearer”. What does that mean? Well, she is able to hear what some people need by somehow listening to their thoughts. For example, as she walks by a school mate she may hear pencil, candy, tissue. She actually carries a bag she calls the Santa Claus bag in which is packed with things she feels she will need to distribute.

She can read most people, except for her family and best friend Malcolm. She does not understand this. But feels it’s perhaps for the best. Her family life is difficult. Her younger brother is ill, and her single mother is always depressed. Sariyah tries desperately to keep the family together. That is her main goal. She worries about everyone but herself. But suddenly her mother has lost her job and won’t come out of her room which now Sariyah feels she must once again become the mother and provider.

Worst of all her friend Deja disappears at an outdoor concert which Sariyah was supposed to be watching her friend knowing she had asked her for pepper spray. This hits too close to home for her and Malcom as his sister Tess disappeared years ago never to be seen again. She was Sariyah’s best friend whom she still dreams about.

Now Sariyah feels she must figure out what happened to Deja as the police are not very interested, as well as make some extra money as her mother has taken to her bed. She begins to sell her services in a bad part of a bad city.

As she begins to put the pieces together as to what could possibly have happened to her friend, what she discovers makes no sense. This information will put her life in jeopardy. But she will not allow what happened to Tess to happen to Deja.

The ending is shocking but will make Sariyah realize what is important in life as well as reevaluate herself and her future plans.

Needy Little Things is an inventive, creative story with a wonderful mystery, which addresses many present-day issues but also takes a somber look at life and family issues but gives a spark of hope, togetherness and friendship.

Thank you #NetGalley #WednesdayBooks #ChannelleDesamours #NeedyLittleThings for the advanced copy.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

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I know I say this ever time, but Marie Benedict is brilliant! The Queens of Crime is a juicy murder mystery which is trying to be solved by none other than the greatest women mystery writers of their time. Actually based on an incident which happened to writer Dorothy Sayers in the 1930’s, Benedict has created an exciting story as the five women writers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham and Sayers herself decide after being belittled by a group of men authors in a club the woman were “allowed” to join, dub themselves The Queens of Crime and take it upon themselves to figure out how a nurse from England went missing in France and was found dead. As they rely on their own masterful created detectives, they are able to piece together the extraordinary circumstances as to what happened and quite honestly embarrass the police.

May Daniels and her friend, both nurses, decided to spend their few days off together, going to a play and vising France. But unfortunately, May never returned to England. She went into the woman’s bathroom at the end of the trip before boarding the boat back to England and not only never came out but was never seen again and months later her body was found in woods with blood under her body and a syringe nearby. The police felt the case was closed and considered it a drug overdose. End of story.

But Dorothy Sayers, who was married to a journalist, felt something was off. She decides that the police don’t know what they are doing and suggests to her new friends the women in mystery, Queen of Crimes that they begin their own investigation into what could have happened to the young girl. And to add to this mystery, they are able to find a letter, which of course the police missed, which will send them down a path they could never imagine.

Thus begins their investigation into murder and the antics and their intuitiveness used to begin to piece the puzzle back together one step at a time. But unfortunately, this process will put one of their lives in jeopardy and will have a deep dark secret this writer has been keeping exposed. But through it all as they retrace May’s steps and sometimes get on each other’s nerves, these five strong women will discover they are better together than alone.

The Queens of Crime is a wonderful mix of their imaginative detectives…Poirot of course, Inspector Roderick Alleyn, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Albert Campion and Lord Peter Wimsey. It was truly enjoyable and of course shows women empowering women which is Benedict’s main achievement in her writings. I am sure if still alive these women would be beaming at her!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #MarieBenedict @TheQueensofCrime for the advanced copy.