All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall

In this post-apocalyptic world, where global warming has melted all the glaciers and water levels have risen dangerously high, All the Water in the World forecasts a future full of uncertainty.

Thirteen-year-old Nonie, her family, and other scientists have found high ground on the roof of New York's American Museum of Natural History. Using Central Park to grow food and hunt animals, this small group is also cataloging the exhibits with an eye to the future. A hypercane strikes and breaches the flood walls, killing most of the people at the museum. Nonie, her sister, her father, and one scientist survive. Taking a canoe from an exhibit, they head north on the swollen river, hoping to reach the family farm in the Berkshires. It's a trip filled with dangers, both natural and human.

This wonderfully written book depicts a world where the best and worst of human nature and society are displayed. It also shows what might happen if the climate crisis is not addressed. It's a chilling tale that is engrossing and frightening. 

4/5 stars.

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Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben

 I discovered Harlan Coben when I saw some of his books adapted into movies on Netflix. I loved what I saw and decided to try his books. This is the third book I've read, and I can safely say I've become a fan. This is the second book featuring Sami Kierce, Fool Me Once is the first. This book is classic Coben, fast-moving and twisty.

A young Sami Kierce is backpacking with friends in Europe when he becomes enamored with Anna, a woman he meets in Spain. Their brief affair ends when Sami wakes up one morning and discovers Anna dead and his hands covered in blood. A panicked Sami flees the scene.

Flash forward twenty-two years. Sami is now married with a newborn son, working as an investigator for a law firm and teaching night classes. When a woman briefly appears in his classroom, Sami is sure that the woman is Anna. Sami follows her and discovers her name is Victoria, and she is a member of the wealthy Belmond family. Victoria has a mysterious past, and as Sami begins digging, he uncovers secrets the family would rather not have revealed. Determined to solve the Anna/Victoria mystery, Sami soon endangers his own life and that of his wife and child.

This is an excellently plotted thriller with twists I did not see coming. The characters are interesting, and the mystery surrounding Anna and Victoria is compelling. Although one does not need to read Fool Me Once to enjoy this book, I recommend it. Not only is it a good book, but it contributes to Sami's backstory. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing, 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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A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves

 

A Lesson in Dying is the first book in Ann Cleeves's first detective series. Written in the late 1980s, it is the first of six Inspector Ramsay books. Other than the fact that the characters don't have cell phones, the book does not seem dated.

Headmaster Harold Medburn is despised or feared by the faculty and staff at the school he runs in the village of Heppleburn. When he is found hanging in the school's playground, Inspector Ramsay quickly arrests Medburn's wife, Kitty. This does not work well for retired miner and school caretaker Jack Robson. Jack, a widower, is smitten with Kitty and is determined to clear her of the crime. But when he and his daughter begin investigating, they uncover long-held secrets whose exposure threatens their lives.

True to form, Cleeves's Inspector Ramsay is a flawed character. Unlike the police inspectors in her three other series, Stephen Ramsay does not appear to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. Jack and Jack's daughter, Patty, saved his bumbling investigation by doing most of the investigative work. Cleeves always creates memorable characters, and this book is no exception. The story did get bogged down in places, but overall, this series shows promise. 

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 March 25, 2025.

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The Vanishing Kind by Alice Henderson

I enjoy Alice Henderson's Alex Carter series premise: a wildlife biologist working to save endangered species always finds trouble—usually murder. I learn something and am entertained.

Alex is in New Mexico tracking jaguars at a wildlife preserve. She goes into a small town for supplies, where she encounters a white supremacist group wreaking havoc and harassing the locals. The members wear masks, so law enforcement officers have no idea who they are. In addition to threatening locals, the group targets an archaeological team excavating the gravesite of a sixteenth-century conquistador, whose members include minorities; when the group learns that Alex's research may endanger a wall on the United States/Mexico border, she becomes a target as well. As the violence escalates, Alex's life is in danger, her work threatened, and the jaguar she is tracking is in peril.

What I love most about this series is the facts about endangered species. Henderson's previous books focused on wolverines, polar bears, and mountain caribou, all of which are losing their habitats. Alex is a great character, and I enjoy the situations in which she finds herself. Henderson does a good job of depicting nature and animals. I was caught up in the dangers that Alex faces in this book. The book is suspenseful, and the action scenes are dramatic. I had a problem with how Alex got out of the deadly situation; however,--it was highly improbable. The writing is good, but the dialogue is clunky at times, and the use of exclamation points is distracting. That said, The Vanishing Kind is a good addition to the series. 

3/5 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 March 4, 2025. 

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Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger

Thunder Bay is the best of the Cork O'Connor mystery series so far. Rich in characters and atmosphere, the complicated plot reveals much of the old medicine man Henry Meloux's past.

Henry Meloux is in the hospital on death's doorstep. When Henry gives Cork O'Connor a watch containing a woman's picture and pleads with him to find a son he has never seen, Cork heads to Thunder Bay, Ontario, to search for the reclusive, wealthy man Henry Wellington. Cork is granted an interview with Wellington and finds the rumors that the recluse is unhinged true. Wellington wants no part of his father, and when an attempt is made on Meloux's life, it is apparent that Wellington is behind it. But why?

Miraculously recovered, Henry calls on Cork to help him get to Canada to meet his son. It's not an easy task, but Cork's ties to the older man make it a request he cannot deny. Despite the dangers, Henry is determined to right a wrong in his past.

I've always liked the character Henry Meloux, and Krueger uses this book to explore his past. Combining Henry's story with the present-day adventures makes for an interesting read with some good plot twists. The plot is complicated, but Krueger does an excellent job of propelling the story forward with insightful looks at Henry and Cork. 

5/5 stars.

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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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