The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn

 I love a good story about witches, my favorite being A Discovery of Witches. This is a different take on witches and their powers, and I got sucked into the story from the first page.

Piers is trying to escape an abusive marriage by faking her death and making it look like her husband murdered her. She has made her way to an elderly aunt's home in a remote village in New York, where she learns her high tolerance for poisonous plants is not only a family trait but a weapon used by the female members of her family. Calling themselves Bane Witches, they use their poisonous powers to kill men who prey on women and children. As a new member, Piers must prove herself worthy or face death at the hands of the Bane Witches. As the body count rises, Piers finds herself not only the focus of her witch sisters but also the local sheriff. When a predator gets Piers in his sight, she faces her biggest challenge--kill or be killed.

This is a cautionary tale about strong women who possess the power to eliminate evil men. Piers faces a moral dilemma and must come to terms with dishing out justice outside the law. The reader is carried along on Piers's journey of discovering and then honing her powers, all while she is under a possible death sentence herself. Hers is a tightrope balancing act with deadly consequences. I sometimes had to suspend disbelief, but overall, this is a satisfying read. 

4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 18, 2025.

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The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

 

I was looking forward to this book because the premise sounded similar to the movie Minority Report. While there are similarities, The Dream Hotel fell short of capturing the suspense and drama of the film.

Dreams are used to predict possible crimes in the near future. After returning from a conference in London, Sara, a wife and new mother, is flagged by the Risk Assessment Administration as a danger to her husband. She is sent to a retention facility for twenty-one days of observation. Still, as the observation period turns into months, she wonders what it takes to prove her innocence. Learning to adhere to the unwritten rules, Sara's world is upset when a new detainee, Eisley, shows up and upsets the norm.

This book starts slowly and never gains momentum until the end, which feels rushed. I felt frustrated for Sara and her fellow detainees but could never fully relate to them. For these reasons, I had difficulty caring enough to finish the book—I kept thinking it would get better, but it never did. Given today’s AI controversy, I did find it thoughtful and a bit scary. 

3/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pantheon, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 4, 2025.

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Lethal Prey by John Sandford

 Once again, John Sandford hits it out of the park with his latest addition to his long-running Prey series. Teaming the Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport characters is a winning combination.

Twenty years ago, Doris Grandfeldt was brutally murdered, and her body was left in a St. Paul, Minnesota, area park. Few clues were found, and the case quickly went cold. Now, Doris' twin sister Lara, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, decides to offer a five-million-dollar reward and publishes all of the case materials online in hopes of renewing interest in the case. This attracts the attention of true-crime bloggers and law enforcement. U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport and state investigator Virgil Flowers are assigned to the case. They must deal with the bloggers and media attention and try to find the elusive killer. Recognizing the power of crowd-sourcing, Lucas and Virgil use the bloggers to their advantage, and when one of the bloggers discovers the murder weapon, the race is one to see who can find the killer. Unfortunately, what works to their advantage is also a detriment. With progress available online, the killer stays one step ahead of the investigation and begins to influence the case. Lucas and Virgil now struggle to handle the information flow while still needing the blogger's resources.

 I like that Sandford combines characters from his other series and that readers don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy the current offering. He always gives enough background material so new readers don't feel lost. Once again, Sandford demonstrates that he is the master of snappy dialogue: the Davenport and Flowers exchanges are dynamite, and the twisty plot is the icing on the cake. 

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 25, 2025.

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Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

 

This is the second time T. Kingfisher has dabbled in retelling fairy tales, A Sorceress Comes to Call being the other, and she does a masterful job. In her take on Sleeping Beauty, she twists it with dark humor and charm.

Toadling was switched at birth by fairies. The fairies loved and nurtured her, and she developed some magical skills, such as turning into a frog. Time passes faster in faerieland, and the adult Toadling is asked to return to her father's house to attend the Christening of the changeling, Fayette. She is to bestow a blessing that will stop Fayette from harming those around her. Unfortunately, Toadling doesn't work the magic correctly and spends several years trying to protect animals and humans from Fayette. Toadling eventually uses her magic to put Fayette under a sleeping spell, builds a thorn hedge to protect her, and spends centuries defending Fayette. All is going well until a hapless knight comes looking for the beauty in the castle. Now, Toadling must convince him to keep Fayette under the sleeping spell.

I love Kingfisher's writing and imagination. This is an excellent, thoughtful, and entertaining twist on Sleeping Beauty. Toadling is a wonderful character whose sense of duty overcomes her lonely task. This is another winner from T. Kingfisher. 

4/5 stars.

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The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton

 I enjoyed Edward Ashton's science fiction books, Micky7 and Antimatter Blues, so much that I was thrilled to see this standalone book. It is similar to the other two books in that he has crafted an alien culture in which a bumbling human must try to survive. Written with wit and odd situations, The Fourth Consort is another winner.

Dalton's life is going poorly: his father died, and his girlfriend dumped him. Faced with few prospects on Earth, he joins a group of multi-species space explorers called Unity, whose lofty goals include first contact with alien civilizations. On his first mission as an ambassador, Dalton's crewmembers consist of an alien pilot who looks like a giant snail and fellow Earthling Neera, a fellow scout. They encounter an alien culture, only to find a rival organization, the Assembly, that has gotten there first. Things go badly between the two groups, and Dalton and Neera get stranded on the planet with a crewmember of the Assembly, Dalton calls Breaker. They are in a race to see who can win over the alien culture first.

I loved the moral dilemmas Dalton faced and the diplomatic tightrope he walked. Ashton does an excellent job of world-building and describing the alien beings. First-contact stories are my favorite science fiction reads, and The Fourth Consort ranks right up there as one of the best. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is February 25, 2025.

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Copper River by William Kent Krueger

 

This sixth book in the series continues the story that began in book five, "Mercy Falls."  Krueger deftly weaves the old and new storylines into an intense tale of murder and intrigue.

With a bounty on his head and a bullet in his leg, Cork is hiding out in the small Michigan town of Bodine with his cousin, Jewell, and her fourteen-year-old son, Ren. Ren and two friends, Charlie and Stash, find the body of a teenage girl, endangering their lives and threatening to expose Cork's hideout. They discover the girl is only the latest victim of men preying on runaway teens who now have Charlie in their sights.

I liked how Krueger intertwined the two plotlines—Cork's run for his life and the danger the teens are in—to form a unique story that is both dark and compelling. As I continue to read this long-running series, I highly anticipate each installment as Krueger continues to flesh out characters and build atmospheric locations. 

4/5 stars.

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Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

I enjoyed McAllister's "Wrong Place Wrong Time. " It had an original premise and good plot twists that kept me guessing. I wasn't sure she could top that, but while "Famous Last Words" isn't anything like "Wrong Place Wrong Time," it is equally as entertaining.

Camilla returns to work after a lengthy maternity leave when breaking news of a hostage situation captures her attention. She is astonished to find that her husband, Luke, is involved--not as a hostage, but as a gunman. How could this be? The hostage negotiator, Niall, calls Cam to help diffuse the situation, but before she can get involved, the situation escalates, and Cam's life is forever changed. Cam's quest for answers takes her on a perilous journey where every decision she makes has unintended consequences.

This psychological thriller explores the moral dilemmas the characters face and tests the marriage bonds. Told mainly from Cam's and Niall's points of view, it is a situational study of marriage, love, and personal and professional relationships. It made me wonder what I would do in similar circumstances. It is a quick read with twists and "oh, wow!" moments that kept me turning pages. 

4/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is February 25, 2025.

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