The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

 

I am a fan of Elizabeth Strout. Not only does she create memorable characters, but her knowledge of human behavior with its many quirks always makes for a beautifully crafted story. This book is no exception.

Artie Dam is an outwardly stable high school history teacher, but the inner turmoil he is experiencing, specifically whether he wants to go on living, makes for a highly conflicted person. Hiding his inner feelings from his wife and adult son, Artie is caught up in the 2024 presidential election, which compounds his feeling of doom. Serendipitously, he is almost drowned in a boating accident that makes him appreciate life and those around him with renewed vigor. As for the presidential election, he still has his misgivings.

This is an empathetic look at how isolated a person can become even surrounded by family and friends. In Artie, a seemingly normal person, Strout has created a tool for self-examination and takes a magnifying glass to society as a whole. What the reader finds can be both uncomfortable and illuminating. The politics are left-leaning, but do not dominate the storyline; instead, it looks at where we were as a country and the power of the presidency. An entertaining and highly satisfying book. 

5/5 stars.

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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

 

Two friends, whose literary taste I trust, recommended this author. What a find! I loved this book so much that I have placed holds on two more of hers at my library. 

Dominic Salt and his three children are the remaining caretakers on tiny Shearwater Island near Antarctica. It is home to a lighthouse, a large seal population, and one of the world's largest seed banks. Unfortunately, rising tides and severe storms are eroding the island, and it is up to the Salt family to save what seeds they can in anticipation of their own evacuation. 

After an especially severe storm, they find a woman, barely clinging to life, washed ashore. The woman, Rowan, is less than forthcoming about her reason for coming to the island, and Dominic and his children, wary of her, have their own secrets to keep. Trust is slow to come, and when Rowan begins exploring the former research station and questioning what happened to the researchers and who sabotaged the radios, the tension rises. Faced with a pending evacuation, Rowan and the Salt family set aside their misgivings and band together to salvage what they can from the seed bank before time and the elements destroy what remains.

This is a beautifully written novel that is about love, self-preservation, and tough choices. In the bleak island landscape, McConaghy creates a world that is both dangerous and starkly beautiful. The dilemmas facing Rowan and the Salt family members are juxtaposed with the island's impending destruction and the need to save themselves and the seeds. All lead to a tense and suspenseful story. 

5/5 stars.

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Agrippa by Robert Harris

 

I have read Robert Harris's books Conclave and Pompeii and found both to be riveting. In the novel Agrippa, Harris again writes about a period in ancient Italy that is both illuminating and gripping. Focusing on a shadowy figure who was instrumental in turning Rome into a dictatorship, Harris brings the period and the people to life.

Agrippa, a young commoner, stands up to the bullies picking on Octavius, a grandnephew of Julius Caesar.  His actions catch the eye of both Octavius and Caesar, and he is eventually lifted out of his humble beginnings to become a major player on the world stage. Together, Octavius and Agrippa are a formidable pair whose successes are intertwined. It is hard to imagine the success of one without the other. 

The novel follows the pair from their boyhood encounter to a parting of the ways that only death can cause. The pair play off of each other's strengths to alter the course of history. This historical novel is full of political intrigue, highlighting the course of history through the battles won and the expansion of the Roman Empire. It is fast-paced and reads like a beautifully written historical thriller. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is September 1, 2026.

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Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen

 

Paper Ghosts has just the right combination of magical realism and plausibility to draw the reader in and prompt them to ponder what reality is for the Wester women. Do they see ghosts, or do they have overly active imaginations?

It's 1976, and young Willamena Wester, a popular high school senior, has her future set. While her friends are considering marriage or college, Wills is determined to stay at her ancestral home with her grandmother and carry on the family tradition of being a know-all in a small North Carolina town. Some townspeople call the Wester women witches; others say they use information to their advantage. Either way, the women of Wester House are both revered and feared. All is going according to plan until Wills meets a charismatic musician who charms her and makes her see another possible future. Fate has a heavy hand on the Wester women, however, and Wills' future is unexpectedly sealed.

Fast forward to the present: Bailey Wester is returning to Wester House and to her grandmother, Willamena, under less than ideal circumstances. Bailey's troubled past is again coming to the forefront and threatening to overshadow Bailey and those around her. Trying to make peace with her grandmother while rectifying past wrongs consumes her.

I found the premise interesting and the characters intriguing. Wills and Bailey are at odds because of their similar natures, which makes the reader wish they would overcome their differences and be honest with each other. Wills withholds family secrets from Bailey that would help Bailey understand herself and erase some of the guilt she feels about her past. Theirs is a complicated relationship full of heartbreak and miscues. The writing is excellent and the story compelling.

4.5/5 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 September 1, 2026.

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The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

 

Silvia Moreno-Garcia can be counted on to write a moody, noir book that is both rich in characters and has an attention-grabbing plot. Her books Mexican Gothic and The Bewitching are two of my favorites. The Intrigue, while not containing that magical realism touch, looks into the heart of a grifter and makes one root for him to get his big payoff.

Ulises, an aging con artist, needs to make a quick exit from 1940s Mexico City. Usually preying on lonely women through letters, he decides to take the next step and meet Perla, his intended target. Moving into the boardinghouse she runs in Veracruz, Ulises goes to work charming her. Perla isn't a pushover, however, and her niece, Ines, sees through Ulises' scheme and demands to be let in on the scam. As things get more complicated, Ulises begins to question his decisions and wonders if involving himself in Perla's life was a good idea. Seeing no way out, Ulises is caught between Perla and Ines, with few options.

This is a beautifully written and imaginative story. The three main characters are, at times, both sympathetic and conniving. They are well matched in terms of what they want and their determination to get it. Their deceptions--to themselves and to others--make for a good tale. 

4/5 stars.

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Not a Word by Linwood Barclay

 I've just added Linwood Barclay to my list of must-read authors. Not a Word is a family drama at its best, with interesting characters put into unusual situations. 

When Reece discovers what looks like a murder-suicide at the family home, with his father as the perpetrator, his world comes apart. He knew his parents' marriage was rocky, but this seems a bit extreme. Trying to shield his son from the horror, Reece begins to question the circumstances of the crime. And he's not the only one; the police have their doubts as well. With both digging into the family's past, secrets are uncovered, and relationships are strained in pursuit of the truth.

This is an excellent psychological thriller. I expected plot twists, but unlike some thrillers, these twists are believable. Told from multiple points of view and different timelines, this well-plotted story unfolds at a breakneck pace. Its plot is compelling and, while I wasn't sympathetic to all of the characters, I felt they were genuine. 

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 August 25, 2026.

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Crooks by Lou Berney

 I love the characters Lou Berney creates. They are always conflicted and put in challenging situations. The book Crooks is no different. This is a story about a crime family that spans four decades and very different life choices. 

Buddy and Lilian Mercurios are minor mob members who flee Las Vegas with their five children and hide out in Oklahoma City. Even when their disco club becomes a profitable business, Buddy and Lilian can't leave behind the con-artist ways that put them at odds with each other and their children.

Flash forward in time. The Mercurios children are adults and trying to make their own way. Some try to shed their crime family ways, while others embrace it. Each takes a different path, but is bound by blood and a shared past that shaped them. 

This is a generational story with richly drawn characters and focuses on how the five children cope with their past. All are influenced by their parents, even as they try to become individuals who strive for their own place in the world. It is interesting to see how each child turns out and in which direction they go. This is a family not soon forgotten. Beautifully written and fast-paced, the Mercurios family is memorable, and the book is hard to put down. 

5/5 stars.

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