The Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen

 This is another winner in the Department Q series. With Adler-Olsen's signature humor and interesting characters, I found myself rooting for the killer. Her vigilante justice was, to me, justified.

In the 1950s, Nettie Hermansen was the victim of forced sterilization and unjustified incarceration. Thirty years later, she plots her revenge against those who wronged her. Now she is a wealthy widow whose past may be catching up with her in the form of Carl Morck and his Department Q assistants. 

Carl and company are focused on the cold case of a brothel owner who disappeared in the 1980s. When they begin investigating, they uncover similar disappearances and a link to a current extreme right-wing political party leader. Just how they are connected is a dangerous puzzle they must solve.

I liked how the story used flashbacks to Nettie's life and her later revenge against those who had harmed her to weave the past and present together. Nettie is a sympathetic character pitted against an unjust society that facilitated the despicable treatment of innocent women. The intricate plot, combined with some truly evil characters, made this a book I couldn't put down. The fact that actual events inspired it made it more compelling. 

4.5/5 stars.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King

 I liked King's Holly Gibney character in the first book she was featured in, Mr. Mercedes; she was unusual and quirky. Over the following books, however, Gibney lost those characteristics. In this book, she is a bland, predictable character, as is the plot. I quit reading halfway through and, as a devoted Stephen King fan, that says a lot. I have read all of his books and have always finished and enjoyed them.

Holly is unofficially consulting with Buckeye City Police Department Detective Izzy James on a case in which the police department received a letter outlining that "thirteen innocents and one guilty" person would die. They assume the letter is related to an innocent man who was murdered in prison. When the bodies begin to pile up, with each left with the name of a jury member who convicted the man, Holly and Izzy gear up to find this vigilante. 

Meanwhile, outspoken women's rights advocate Kate McKay is on tour promoting her controversial agenda with a planned stop in Buckeye City. When threats against McKay's life escalate, she hires Holly as her bodyguard. Now it's up to Holly to help find a serial killer and whoever is behind the threats on McKay's life.

This is a slow-moving book with a predictable plot. As stated above, Holly has become a one-dimensional character whom I no longer care about. I'll pass if King writes another book featuring Holly Gibney. 

2/5 stars.

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No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams

 

This is a promising debut novel by Rachel Louise Adams. It has an interesting premise and a couple of quirky characters--including the main protagonist. 

Dolores Hawthorne left her hometown of Little Horton, Wisconsin, almost twenty years ago and has been estranged from her family. When the FBI calls to inform her that her father is missing, she hurries back to see what she can do to help. She arrives just before Halloween, a holiday the town is famous for, its celebrations as well as tragedy. What's going to happen this year? A celebration, or another tragedy?

Even though I figured out who the murderer was early on, there was still a twist that surprised me. This is a well-crafted book, with the tension mounting with each body that is discovered. I liked the characters and the setting. The build-up to Halloween made me wonder what else could happen. 

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is September 16, 2025.

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The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

 

I liked Day's two previous books, The Block Party and One Big Happy Family, and was looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it didn't measure up to her earlier books. While good, it didn't have the "oh, wow!" ending of the other two.

The cabins at a Vermont lake have been in their families for generations, so when Erika, Julia, and David get together with their families for a two-week vacation, they are expecting fun and relaxation. But when David's girlfriend goes missing, it brings up similar disappearances of two women from the lake fifteen years apart. Add in the strained relations in Julia's marriage, and the tension created by David having renovated his home, which now blocks the views of the other homes and the lake, and not all is idyllic. 

The book started slowly, and as more characters and subplots were introduced, it became increasingly confusing. I think the last straw for me was when mobsters were added--the mob in Vermont? Really? None of the characters were particularly likable, and each had their own agenda. I do give credit for Day not taking the obvious path to an ending, however. For once, a character faced a moral dilemma and did the right thing. I admit that I was sucked into the story, and couldn't put it down, despite the gripes mentioned above. 

3/5 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 July 15, 2025.

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