Book Review: A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell, #10) by Deanna Raybourn

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Ghastly Catastrophe
Series: Veronica Speedwell, #10
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: March 3, 2026
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Historical fiction / mystery
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide, and Veronica and her intrepid beau, Stoker, know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Roma boy may know more about their first victim, but the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

After a two-year gap, we return to the world of Veronica Speedwell — and this latest installment offers just the mix of danger, snark, and Victorian manners as we’ve come to expect.

I intuited Stoker’s restlessness as clearly as I felt the itch in my own blood, and the cause of it was the same as my own: we wanted a mystery. It had been nearly six months since our last investigation, and while we were certainly not professionals, we had fallen into the habit of murder — the sleuthing and not the committing, I hasten to add.

Veronica and Stoker are drawn into yet another murder mystery thanks to their association with both a Scotland Yard detective and a disgraced woman journalist. In this new adventure, two men have been found dead under suspicious circumstances, and their powerful families are keeping the details hushed up. As Veronica and Stoker learn, one man — Maurice Quincey — was found dead in a carriage, drained of blood and with puncture wounds on his neck, while the other — Jameson Harkness — supposedly accidentally fell from a balcony to his death.

Do those names ring a bell? How about when I mention two other key figures, Seward Johnson and Horace Von Hilsing?

If you suspect an homage to Dracula, you’re correct! As Veronica notes at the outset, a certain Bram Stoker not only seems to have appropriated her lover’s name as his own surname, but has obviously gotten access to Veronica’s private case notes. The nerve!

Veronica and Stoker are scientists, not particularly inclined to believe that vampires are real. But as occult mementos, a secret society, and a pair who seem to have inexplicable powers of control and persuasion come to light as part of the investigation, it’s harder to believe that there may not in fact be something otherworldly at play.

As always, it’s a delight to spend time with Veronica and Stoker, whose banter and flirtation are as entertaining as ever. The mystery itself is oodles of fun, with all sorts of shenanigans that put our heroes in danger, but also give them the opportunity to get the best of any situation, something they absolutely excel at doing.

Fans of author Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey series will enjoy seeing Lady Julia pop up in A Ghastly Catastrophe. I have not read those books myself, but I’ve been wanting to, and now I’m even more determined to pick up the first book in the series, Silent in the Grave, during the current year.

The Veronica Speedwell books can be counted on for their clever mysteries, quippy dialogue, and excellent chemistry between the lead characters. Here’s hoping there are many more adventures yet to come for Veronica and Stoker!

6Mar2026

Book Review: First Sign of Danger (Haven’s Rock, #4) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: First Sign of Danger
Series: Haven’s Rock, #4
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 17, 2026
Length: 337 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong continues the atmospheric Haven’s Rock series as Casey Duncan investigates a threat to their off-the-grid Yukon town.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven’s Rock, they realize they’re in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they’re no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven’s Rock. Only by tracing the hikers’ movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock–and their safe, secure new existence–are at risk.

After seven Rockton books, a bridging novella, and three Haven’s Rock books, Kelley Armstrong delivers yet another terrific installment in what’s become one of my very favorite fictional worlds.

Set in a remote Yukon village that’s completely off the grid, the Haven’s Rock series focuses on husband and wife team Eric and Casey as they manage their little town, keep its residents safe, and solve the murders that seem to crop up every time they turn around. In First Sign of Danger, book #4, about six months have past since the events of the previous book, Cold As Hell. Which means that Eric and Casey’s baby girl is now six months old — and it’s endlessly entertaining to see this crime-busting duo juggling baby care with dealing with dead bodies, among other job-related duties.

Haven’s Rock provides shelter for those needing to disappear for a while, a refuge for those fleeing a variety of threats in their real lives. In exchange, residents give up their phones, the internet, and all contact with the outside world, and must live by the very strict rules that keep the town and its resident hidden. While the location of the town was chosen for its isolation, a shady mining camp set up shop just a few miles away soon after Haven’s Rock opened its doors, much to Casey and Eric’s dismay. And now, in First Sign of Danger, these unpleasant neighbors might be causing even more havoc than usual.

As First Sign of Danger begins, Casey and Eric stumble across a pair of hikers needing assistance. This is alarming — their area is so remote that odds are very low that anyone from the outside world would just happen to approach their town. And what if the hikers go back home and mention that they’ve run into a couple (with a baby!) out in the woods? This seemingly random encounter could mean exposure for Haven’s Rock, putting everyone there at risk.

The situation becomes even worse when one of the hikers is found dead, clearly murdered. Suspicions are immediately raised — were they truly random hikers? Are they spies connected to the mining camp? Or could they possibly be connected to Haven’s Rock itself, perhaps in pursuit of someone Casey and Eric have sworn to protect?

As with the rest of the books in the series, there are no easy answers. As Casey and Eric chase clues, the twists and turns and red herrings pile up. The mystery is complex and confusing — in all the best ways! — and the overall plot ties back with earlier events in the series, bringing together a complicated web of conspiracies and bad guys and manipulations.

Meanwhile, we get to go along for the ride as Casey and Eric do what they do best, while also handling parenthood and interacting with the broad cast of characters, who at this point feel as familiar as long-time neighbors. The author has created a unique community through these books, and simply seeing the main characters going about their days — even without murder and mayhem — is oodles of fun.

I appreciated the fact that we get through this book without horrific threats to Casey herself, other than the usual line-of-duty danger she faces due to her job. After the extreme danger of the last book, it’s something of a relief to not have her personally targeted. That’s not to imply that there aren’t high stakes here. The murder mystery is terrific, and the always-present threat presented by certain outside forces comes to a head in startling ways.

First Sign of Danger is a an excellent installment in the series. It seems to wrap up a major overarching storyline, so it’ll be interesting to see what comes next.

Sadly, the book wraps up with these heartbreaking lines:

Watch for Casey and Eric’s final Haven’s Rock adventure, coming in February 2027.

Noooooo!!! Don’t say it’s the end! If this means that Casey and Eric get to have a murder-free life from that point on and live happily ever after, I guess they really deserve it. But still, I’ll be heartbroken when it’s all over.

It’s obvious that I adore the world of the Rockton and Haven’s Rock series, and wish it could continue forever. Meanwhile, I’m happy (and not surprised) to share that First Sign of Danger is a terrific read. Once again, let me encourage anyone who hasn’t tried this series yet to pick up the very first Rockton book, City of the Lost… and be prepared to be hooked!

Interested in the worlds of Rockton and Haven’s Rock? Check out my reviews of these previous books:
City of the Lost (Rockton, #1)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton, #2)
This Fallen Prey (Rockton, #3)
Watcher in the Woods (Rockton, #4)
Alone in the Wild (Rockton, #5)
A Stranger in Town (Rockton, #6)
The Deepest of Secrets (Rockton, #7)
Dead Letter Days (Rockton, #7.5)
Murder at Haven’s Rock (Haven’s Rock, #1)
The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2)
Cold As Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3)

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

4Mar2026

Book Review: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: A Town Like Alice
Author: Nevil Shute
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: 1950
Length: 262 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. But it turns out that they have a gift for her as well: the news that the young Australian soldier, Joe Harman, who had risked his life to help the women, had miraculously survived. Jean’s search for Joe leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.

I first encountered A Town Like Alice at some point in the 1980s. The mini-series was a hit, people were swooning over the love story, and naturally, I had to know more, so I picked up the book. All these years later, I still remembered some of the basics, and was glad to have an excuse to revisit the story when my book group selected it for our February book.

One of author Nevil Shute’s best-known books, A Town Like Alice in some ways is two stories in one — or even three, if you count the framing device. An aging British lawyer, Noel Strahan, becomes the trustee of one of his clients, and in the years soon after the end of World War Two, learns that the main benefactors of his client’s will have both died. The inheritance now goes to the remaining heir, a young woman named Jean Paget, for whom the estate will remain in trust until she inherits fully at age 35.

When Noel tracks down Jean, he finds her working in London as a shorthand typist for a leather goods company. At age 26, she’s eligible to receive a yearly stipend from the trust — enough to allow her to quit her job and enjoy herself, within reason. What Jean most wants to do is to build a well in a small village in Malaya.

As Noel gets to know Jean, he learns the extraordinary story of her wartime experiences. Jean had been living in Malaya at the time, and as she and other women and children were about to be evacuated, they were captured by the Japanese army instead. Lacking a prison camp for women, the Japanese officers in charge sent them onward to a different destination, and then another, resulting in months of endless marching in horrible conditions. Jean witnessed more than half of her fellow prisoners dying along their brutal march. At one of the lowest points, she encountered an Australian prisoner named Joe Harman, whose remarkable courage led to a moment of horror that left Jean scarred and grief-stricken.

Jean narrates her experiences to Noel in what is the book’s most powerful and moving set of chapters, evoking the terror and torment of what she’d lived through, while also making clear why she feels the need to return to Malaya.

From there, the second half of the book takes on a very different focus. In Malaya, Jean learns that Joe did not die, as she’d believed, but survived and eventually returned home to Australia. Jean can’t rest without seeing Joe again, and thus begins a complicated set of travel itineraries during which Jean and Joe keep missing each other.

Eventually reunited, a love story blooms… and Jean also discovers herself drawn to the rather dismal outback town near Joe’s cattle station. It’s a dull, run-down place with little to attract anyone who doesn’t need to be there. But Jean is inspired, and devotes herself to bringing the little town to life, creating opportunities for young women to work and thrive there, and before long, making it a place where people actually want to be.

The book can be seen as portraying two very different stories — a horrific war story, and a hopeful story about building a community based on sheer determination — and yet, it’s an interesting mirror to the structure of Jean’s life, which definitely also has a before and an after. Jean’s life story in some ways seems to end with the end of the war. She’s safe, she’s working a steady if not especially exciting job, and she doesn’t seem to have anything particular ahead of her. And then, suddenly, there’s the after: She returns to Malaya, she travels to Australia, and finds both love and a meaningful future when she never truly expected either one.

Joe and Jean’s love story is quite special. They crossed paths for only a few days during the war, but left an indelible mark on one another. Their reunion years later is sweet and tentative. They believe they’ll want to be together, but they don’t actually have any real-world shared experiences upon which to build a life, apart from those intense few days. And yet, there is something real pulling them together, both attraction and connection, so that they’re able to quickly establish that they do belong in each others’ lives.

I found A Town Like Alice to be a beautiful, inspiring read. Joe and Jean both exhibit extraordinary bravery. Jean’s spirit is full of hope and charm once she has a vision of what their dull little town could be, and I admired her dedication and commitment to making a life with Joe work.

The book isn’t perfect, of course. Published in the 1950s, the attitude toward Australia’s indigenous population can be very off-putting. References about “Abos” and “boongs” abound, and when asked how many people work at a particular station, the answer often is separated out into the number of men (meaning white) and the number of “Abos”. Reading this book today, the racism and derogatory language is disturbing. Still, as a representation of the social climate in that place and time, I’m guessing it’s pretty accurate.

Overall, I’m very happy to have had my book group as motivation to pick up A Town Like Alice again after so many years. I found myself completely absorbed, and really loved reading it.

The only other Nevil Shute book I’ve read is On the Beach, but I’m eager to read more. As of now, I have Pastoral, The Breaking Wave, and The Far Country on my list of possibilities. Recommendations are welcome!

Did you know?

A Town Like Alice has been adapted twice:

Movie, 1956 — available via Prime Video

Mini-series, 1981 — does not appear to be streaming anywhere at the moment, although I did find a few uploads via YouTube that I may check out.

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

1Mar2026

Audiobook Review: Is She Really Going Out With Him? by Sophie Cousens

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Author: Sophie Cousens
Narrator: Kerry Gilbert
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: November 19, 2024
Print length: 368 pages
Audio length: 11 hours 42 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?

In this feel-good romance, 37-year-old Anna is trying to bounce back from divorce — which is especially hard now that her ex has moved his much younger girlfriend into his home, yet can’t be bothered to do the kids’ laundry or make sure their homework is done when they’re with him. What’s more, Anna’s career as a columnist is at risk when Bath Living is acquired by someone more focused on profits than on great writing. Anna’s new publisher wants her column to be edgier and more personal, and she just doesn’t know if she has it in her. But, her annoying (and attractive) coworker seems to be angling for her column space, and she’s determined not to let him win… so she pitches one last desperate idea for a new dating-themed column.

After trying online dating, with the expected awful results, Anna wonders if it’s possible to find romance in real life anymore. Her kids are eager to set her up, and a concept is born: Anna will go on seven dates, with people selected by the kiddos. What could possibly go wrong?

From a fishing trip with a painful ending to a Regency encounter to a setup with the grumpy widower next door, Anna goes on a series of dates — some ending with awkwardness, one proving that you should never meet your idols, and one that results in an ill-advised tattoo. None are exactly successful, but they do make for entertaining column material.

Meanwhile, the office rivalry with Will goes from barely tolerating each other as coworkers to something much more NSFW… but Anna doesn’t see a future with Will, who seems to be destined for jetsetting career success while she is firmly tied to her roots in Bath. But they do have undeniable chemistry, so even as she continues to date according to her kids’ whims, she can’t help but wonder if there’s any possible scenario where she and Will could actually have more than casual hook-ups.

Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a charming look at the ups and downs of reentering the dating scene after marriage, with an engaging, bright main character who’s a delight to get to know. A devoted mother, Anna struggles to balance her home and work commitments, and can’t imagine ever putting herself first… but through the dating experiment, she’s reminded of experiences that bring her joy, such a rediscovering her creative, artistic side and finding an upbeat, life-affirming new friend when she least expects it.

One of the many pleasures of this book is seeing Anna coming out of her dates with new connections — not in terms of romantic partners, but finding people to engage with outside of her worlds of home and office, and finding ways to break out of her routine in a way that benefits all the people in her life.

Of course, the romantic storyline is important too, and while I was initially skeptical about reading yet another enemies-to-lovers story arc, this is a good one! There are plenty of reasons why Will and Anna shouldn’t work, and while it’s clear from the start that their pairing is the book’s endgame, it’s quite fun to see the ups and downs along their path to figuring it all out.

The less said about the 3rd act break up, the better: It’s one of my least favorite tropes — the old “breaking up with you for your own good”, with a smattering of “pretending never to have cared so it’ll be easier for you to walk away”. Fortunately, this part flies by pretty quickly and honesty prevails, but still… this was the only part of the book that annoyed me.

The audiobook narration by Kerry Gilbert is light and whimsical, with the humor very well captured by her character voices and delivery. I enjoyed the listening experience very much — it kept me engaged and entertained.

All in all, Is She Really Going Out With Him? is a lot of fun, and I look forward to trying more by this author.

Any favorites to recommend?

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

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25Feb2026

Book Review: Where the Girls Were by Kate Schatz

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Where the Girls Were
Author: Kate Schatz
Publisher: The Dial Press
Publication date: March 3, 2026
Length: 368 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
Rating:

In this electrifying and heartfelt historical coming-of-age novel, set against the tumultuous backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, a pregnant teenager reckons with womanhood and agency after being sent to a home for unwed mothers.

It’s 1968, and the future is bright for seventeen-year-old Elizabeth “Baker” She’s the valedictorian of her high school, with a place at Stanford in the fall and big dreams of becoming a journalist. But the seductive free-spirited San Francisco atmosphere seeps into her carefully-planned, strait-laced life in the form of a hippie named Wiley. At first, letting loose and letting herself fall in love for the first time feels incredible. But then, everything changes.

Pregnancy hits Baker with the force of whiplash—in the blink of an eye, she goes from good girl to fallen woman, from her family’s shining star to their embarrassing secret. Sent to a home for unwed mothers, Baker finds herself trapped in an old Victorian house packed with a group of pregnant girls who share her shame and fear. As she reckons with her changing body, lack of choice, and uncertain future, Baker finds unexpected community and empowerment among the “girls who went away.”

Where the Girls Were is a timely unearthing of a little-known moment in American history, when the sexual revolution and feminist movement collided with the limits of reproductive rights—and society’s expectations of women. As Baker finds her strength and her voice, she shows us how to step into your power, even when the world is determined to keep you silent.

Where the Girls Were is a powerful look at the changing world of young women in the late 1960s, centered on high school senior Baker — the bright, ambitious daughter of a suburban family that hides financial woes behind a veneer of pool parties and social engagements and neighborhood clubs. Baker is her parents’ pride and joy — until she ends up pregnant after her first sexual encounters with a hippie named Wiley.

Devastated and in denial, Baker first attempts to access an abortion through an underground provider, but is scared off before she can go through with it. When she finally confesses to her parents, her mother secures her a spot at a home for unwed mothers in San Francisco, where she’ll stay for the remainder of her pregnancy. Meanwhile, Baker’s family concocts a cover story for her: She’ll be spending a semester in Paris, before returning in the spring to start at Stanford.

At the home, Baker is surrounded by other pregnant teens, all with their own stories to tell. The girls are not allowed outside except for supervised walks — for which they put on fake wedding rings, so as not to scandalize the neighbors. The longer Baker stays at the home, the more she comes to understand about her limited choices, and how little control she has over her own body or decisions about her baby.

“We can tell you’re confused. But let me remind you: you got yourself into this situation. We are helping you out of it. Do you realize how lucky you are to be here?”

Where the Girls Were offers a spot-on depiction of the convergence of 1950s morality and 1960s rebellion. Baker’s world is full of political unrest and anti-war protests and the “turn on, tune in, drop out” mentality, but the free love vibe doesn’t last once pregnancy roles around. And how free can these girls truly be without safe access to either birth control or abortion rights? Baker and the other girls at the home have their choices taken away from them by their families, who seem to value appearance and saving face much more than the feelings or well-beings of their daughters.

Because what she realizes as she talks to the other girls is that she’s not as isolated as she’d believed. She’s not the only one to feel this, to have this happen. Other girls are angry and ashamed. Other girls are embarrassed. Other girls are full of rage. Other girls know how she feels, even if they don’t talk much.

I found Where the Girls Were to be a compelling, moving read, with a realistic depiction of the era and with a main character to truly care about. We get to really know Baker and understand her struggles and her inner life. Seeing her navigate life in the home and figure out how to stand up to those who try to manipulate her is quite inspiring.

At the same time, it’s shocking to see how little information even a well-educated girl like Baker has. Yes, she knows the basics about how pregnancies come about, but she has no information about pregnancy itself — how it progresses, what to expect, what labor entails — not to mention a very fundamental lack of knowledge about how to avoid pregnancy other than being a “good girl”.

Two very minor quibbles to note: First, I wish the ending had been a little less ambiguous. I can understand why the author chose to leave the story where it ends, but I would have appreciated a more definite wrap-up. (Not going into details here in order to avoid spoiling anything…) Second (and this is largely my own reading pet peeve, not necessarily a flaw in the book), I tend not to like when books introduce a large group of characters at once. Here, Baker meets all the girls at the home in one big round of introductions, and perhaps as a result, all but a few particular girls seem to blend together. I wished for a bit more to distinguish some of the girls who figured more as background characters.

Those quibbles aside, I enjoyed this book very much, and strongly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, women’s history, and/or fiction set during the 1960s. The story and main character are both terrific and make a big impression.

Reading note: This is actually my 2nd book within a year about a home for unmarried pregnant girls set during roughly the same time period. The other, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix, is a horror novel, but the two books share many of the same themes and feature girls in similar circumstances. Really interesting to compare and contrast!

For further reading: In the author’s notes, she references a non-fiction book, The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade by Ann Fessler. Sounds fascinating! I’ve added this to my TBR, and hope to track down a copy. Find out more, here.

18Feb2026

Book Review: Cold as Hell (Haven’s Rock, #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Cold as Hell
Series: Haven’s Rock, #3
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 18, 2025
Length: 341 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

SPOILERS AHOY: Even the synopsis for this book is spoilery, so if you prefer to know nothing in advance, skip the details below!

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Haven’s Rock in Cold as Hell as Casey Butler hunts down a dangerous killer during a deadly blizzard.

Haven’s Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they’ve settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven’s Rock.

When one of the town’s residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she’s dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She’s saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven’s Rock, covering the forest. It’s there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman’s last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust—and who they can’t—in their seemingly safe haven.

Is it enough for me to review Cold as Hell by saying THIS IS ANOTHER EXCELLENT HAVEN’S ROCK STORY and just leave it at that?

No?

Okay, then… As I’ve said repeatedly, I’m a big fan of pretty much everything I’ve read by Kelley Armstrong, fell head over heels for her Rockton series, and am now tearing my way through the Rockton spin-off series, Haven’s Rock. This 3rd Haven’s Rock book is just as terrific as all the rest, and its particularly high stakes had me on the edge of my seat throughout.

As I do whenever I discuss these books, I’ll provide a summary of the premise in a tiny little nutshell:

Husband/wife, sheriff/detective team Eric and Casey now have their first set of residents in their secret little town of Haven’s Rock, a remote place deep in the Yukon wilderness, where people needing safety and anonymity can hide away for a few years. There are rules, of course — no cell phones, no contact with the outside world, do your share of work, and stay out of the forest! That last piece can be hardest to enforce. For newcomers, the dangers of being outside town limits aren’t necessarily as obvious as they should be, which is why Eric and Casey have their hands full keeping people safe.

In Cold as Hell, several months have past since the events of the previous book, The Boy Who Cried Bear. It’s March, still a very cold time in the Yukon wilderness, but there are signs that spring may be poking its head out in the coming months. The town is functioning well, with some more recent arrivals bringing the total population up to about seventy, including staff, individual residents, and a small number of couples and families.

I’ll add ONE MORE SPOILER ALERT at this point. While I won’t give away secrets related to the central mystery plot of Cold as Hell, the status of some of the main characters will be a spoiler for anyone who hasn’t gotten to this point in the series yet. You have been warned! Ready?

OK, the big development here is that Casey is about eight months pregnant. It hasn’t been easy — due to the attack she survived in her teens, doctors have never been sure that she’d be able to get pregnant, and if she did, whether she could carry a pregnancy to term. She’s had a couple of scares, but at this point, she’s approaching what would be considered a safe delivery date. While Casey’s physician sister April is now a resident of the town and available to provide care if needed, the plan is for Casey and Eric to fly to White Horse — where the region’s major medical center is located — well in advance of her due date.

Casey and Eric should know by now that their plans never seem to go exactly as intended. When one town resident is roofied and then rescued from an attempted kidnapping and assault, tracking down the perpetrator is the most urgent priority. And when this crime is followed by another resident going missing during a blizzard, only to be found frozen to death outside the town limits, a full-scale murder investigation is required. With Casey under strict orders to limit physical exertion, there’s only so much she can take on, and she finds herself frustrated by not being able to fulfill her responsibilities as town detective, even though she’s well aware that her and her baby’s well-being have to come first.

The murder in Cold as Hell is particularly horrific, as are the details we later learn about other crimes the perpetrator may have committed. Meanwhile, Casey’s investigation is fascinating. As she herself acknowledges, this is essentially a locked-room mystery: Given the town’s isolation as well as the recent blizzard, the only real answer is that the murderer is someone living within Haven’s Rock — possibly a close friend or ally. With fingers pointing in both expected and unexpected directions, and the very strong possibility that the killer could strike again, Casey and Eric have to work around the clock to solve the case, while making sure that she doesn’t overdo anything and put herself at risk.

The mystery is incredibly well structured and plotted, with the myriad twists and turns that are hallmarks of this series. Nothing is obvious, and when the answers finally come, they’re all most too much to take in… not that the plot isn’t believable, just that the resolution isn’t one I ever saw coming.

I did have a bit of a quibble with a plot decision, which — I get it! — may feel necessary in terms of ratcheting up the stakes and the excitement, but which left me totally appalled at the characters’ decision-making. FURTHER SPOILER ALERT: Just when I was thinking to myself that this would be the rare book in the series where Casey herself wasn’t in direct physical danger because of her investigation… she’s back in danger! Casey and Eric had already left town to get her situated nearer to medical care… and then they go back to Haven’s Rock when a scary new fact comes to light about the case! Again, I do get that for drama’s sake, you really can’t beat having the pregnant lady rushing (or waddling) back into danger… but Eric could have gone without her! Is it really believable that she’d rush out into the wilderness to chase further clues and hide the fact that she’s going into labor so as not to interrupt the tracking? Noooooo…. but I loved the book anyway.

OK, wrapping this all up. Cold as Hell blew me away! I was completely absorbed by the crime/thriller aspects, and just as drawn in by Casey and Eric’s personal story. Plus, it’s always good spending time in Haven’s Rock, even if it’s just to see how everyone is staying busy these days (although daily life in Haven’s Rock is never ordinary or without fresh surprises). Kelley Armstrong has built a well-developed little world in this series, and each book provides fresh insight into what the experience of actually living there might feel like.

Book #4, First Sign of Danger, is being released this week! I plan to dive in ASAP… but then I’ll be caught up, and I’m feeling torn about that. On the one hand, I’ve loved every moment of exploring the world of the Rockton and Haven’s Rock books… but on the other hand, I know I’ll hate the moment when I realize that there are no further books in the series for me to read — presumably, until another new installment gets released next year.

14Feb2026

“It’s not you, it’s me” two-fer: A pair of mini-reviews for books that didn’t work for me

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Two of my anticipated books for February just didn’t work for me… and I’m left wondering how much of my reaction is due to the books themselves… and how much was more about being the wrong books for me in the moment. I think it’s probably somewhat of a mix — but here’s what I read and what I thought.

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean: I have loved previous books by this author, especially her Tokyo duology (Tokyo Dreaming and Tokyo Ever After), so I was primed to love this new YA novel as well. Sadly, I did not.

In Love Me Tomorrow, a promising young violinist who lost her faith in love after her parents’ divorce starts receiving letters from the future, from someone who claims to have always loved her and who, thanks to the invention of time travel, can write to her in the past and offer encouragement on taking chances and believing in love once again.

Emma becomes obsessed with figuring out who the letter writer might be, looking for clues in each of the three boys in her life. Meanwhile, she cleans houses to support her mother and grandfather and is on the verge of giving up the opportunity to attend a prestigious music conservatory in order to stay home and care for her family.

The family dynamics are interesting (although I didn’t see why her father, an apparently successful author, doesn’t seem clued in to the fact that his daughter needs financial support), and the different connections Emma share with the three boys develop in unexpected ways. The time travel element is more annoying than innovative, however, and is not at all convincing — it distracts from an involvement in Emma’s life and choices, rather than enhancing the story.

As for the “it’s not you, it’s me” element: I no longer read much YA, and perhaps that has something to do with my lack of engagement with this story. Still, given that I have really enjoyed this author’s previous YA novels, my suspicion is that if the plot itself had appealed to me more, I would have found myself drawn in regardless of genre or target demographic.

Publication date: February 3, 2026
Length: 352 pages
Rating:

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett: Unpopular opinion time! I’ve seen bunches of rave reviews for this book… and for the life of me, I just can’t get into it.

The story revolves around a young widow who runs a charity cat shelter in a version of Montreal where magicians are seen as a threat, slinging around dangerous spells and endangering the non-magical people around them.

I’m stopping at 25%. I’ve tried — really tried — to push through, but this story simply isn’t grabbing me. Oh, there’s a dangerous magician living in the basement of the cat shelter! Oh, the feuding magicians are wreaking havoc and disturbing the cats! Sigh.

On the “it’s not you, it’s me” front, I suspect that my interest in cozy fantasy has dried up. There are plenty of examples from this genre that I’ve loved, but I’m feeling like the concept has run its course. I’m a bit sad about my reaction to this book: I loved the author’s Emily Wilde series. Here, though, the subject matter and characters have not piqued my curiosity, and I’m finding it a slog to get through each chapter.

I’m calling it now, and setting aside the book. Maybe at some other point I’ll feel the urge to pick it up and try again. Meanwhile, I’m off to find something to read that actually feels like it’s calling my name,

Publication date: February 17, 2026
Length: 368 pages
Rating:

So, was it me, and not the books? Clearly, I wasn’t in the mindset for either of these books… but I also feel that if the stories themselves had been stronger, I would have gotten into them anyway.

If you’ve read either of these books and have other opinions, I’d love to hear them!

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12Feb2026

Book Review: The Bullet That Missed (The Thursday Murder Club, #3) by Richard Osman

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Bullet That Missed
Series: The Thursday Murder Club, #3
Author: Richard Osman
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication date: September 15, 2022
Length: 413 pages
Genre: Mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

It is an ordinary Thursday, and things should finally be returning to normal. Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club are concerned. A decade-old cold case—their favorite kind—leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.

Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill or be killed. Suddenly the cold case has become red hot.

While Elizabeth wrestles with her conscience (and a gun), Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim chase down the clues with help from old friends and new. But can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

From an upmarket spa to a prison cell complete with espresso machine to a luxury penthouse high in the sky, this third adventure of the Thursday Murder Club is full of the cleverness, intrigue, and irresistible charm that readers have come to expect from Richard Osman’s bestselling series.

Our favorite gang of septuagenarian crime solvers is back! What more is there to say?

As established in the first two Thursday Murder Club books, the fabulous foursome of Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron have a weekly club meeting in the jigsaw room of the Coopers Chase retirement village — not to work on conversational French or play cribbage or do a bit of knitting, but to crack open cold case murder files, track down clues, and solve the case.

This time around, they focus on the case of Bethany Waites, an up and coming young TV reporter who disappeared while investigating a major tax fraud scheme. Her car was found crashed at the bottom of a cliff, but her body was presumed carried away by the tide and was never found. As the gang digs in, they apply their unique investigatory skills to conversations with police officers, money launderers, convicted drug dealers, TV stars, and more.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s past as a secret agent comes back to haunt her, as it tends to do. A shady figure threatens the life of someone important to her, unless she carries out an assassination on his behalf. She doesn’t want to do it… but there’s another life on the line, and she has very limited time until the threats become reality.

As always, the main characters’ lives intersect with friends, love interests, local crooks and law enforcement, and all sorts of colorful new people to involve in their schemes. Danger, subterfuge, and lots of tea and cake are involved.

I’ll admit that the details of the main crime in The Bullet That Missed didn’t enthrall me quite as much as in the two previous books… but that’s okay. The crime is only part of the point of reading these books. The real fun is in hanging out with the characters, seeing them in action, and enjoying their very funny dialogue and escapades.

I’m eager to continue the series, and plan to do so as soon as my library hold comes in for the next book!

*Up next: Book #4, The Last Devil to Die*

6Feb2026

Book Review: The Lark by E. Nesbit

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Lark
Author: E. Nesbit
Publisher: Dean Street Press
Publication date: 1922
Length: 269 pages
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating:

“Everything that’s happening to us—yes, everything—is to be regarded as a lark. See? This is my last word. This. Is. Going. To. Be. A. Lark.”

It’s 1919, and Jane Quested and her cousin Lucilla are pulled suddenly from school by their guardian, who sets them up in a cottage on the fringes of London and informs them (by letter, since he’s already fled) that he’s gambled away their inheritance but is leaving them the house and £500 to carry on with. Lucilla is disheartened, but Jane is certain it will be a lark.

With the help of a handsome man, a classic example of a “capable woman”, and a war veteran with a green thumb, the two unflappable young women set up a market garden, which develops into a guest house, which develops into—well, you’ll have to read and see. It’s true they have some difficulties as businesswomen, not to mention with housekeeping, but this is ultimately a tale fully living up to its title.

Forgotten for decades, despite Nesbit’s fame as a children’s author, her final novel for adults, first published in 1922, is a delight that’s ripe for rediscovery.

The audiobook synopsis (Audible):

E. Nesbit (The Railway Children; Five Children and It) is best known for her children’s classics. In 1922, she published The Lark, a story for adults that writer Penelope Lively calls “[A] charming and brilliantly entertaining novel…shot through with the light-hearted Nesbit touch”.

Orphaned cousins Jane and Lucilla, both 19, receive the exciting news that their guardian is at last allowing them to leave boarding school. But their rosy future is thwarted when they find he has made some bad investments and fled, leaving them with a cottage in the English countryside and a modest bank account.

Finding a way to earn their living is daunting, but Jane insists that instead of worrying, they must regard their new situation as a lark: “When did two girls of our age have such a chance as we’ve got – to have a lark entirely on our own? No chaperone, no rules, no…” “No present income or future prospects,” said Lucilla.

The plucky girls begin by selling flowers, but when they deplete their own garden, they look for more opportunities. Good luck arrives along with a cast of characters who provide help and romantic possibilities, as well as new streams of income. But good fortune can’t last forever, and not all their new friends are as they seem….

Audiobook narrator: Anne Hancock
Audio length: 9 hours 15 minutes

I’ve heard of E. Nesbit, of course… but until now have never read any of her books — and while she’s best known for her children’s fiction, she also wrote several novels for adults. The Lark, published in 1922, is E. Nesbit’s final published book… and it’s a total delight. I came across The Lark while looking for a book to complete my 20th Century Decades Challenge. I ended up flipping back and forth between the audiobook and the print edition, and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

In a nutshell, The Lark is the story of two vivacious young women who seem to be smiled upon by good luck, even when things go wrong. Jane and Lucilla are orphaned teenage cousins attending boarding school, looked after financially by their guardian, who never particularly have to fret about anything. At ages 18 and 19, they’re summoned to London at the behest of their guardian, only to be informed that he’s lost all their money due to speculation gone wrong. He’s fleeing the country, but leaves them with the two asset remaining to them from their inheritance: A small country cottage, and the sum of 500 pounds. While the girls are delighted to find that they own a little house of their own, they must also face the harsh reality that the money won’t last forever.

Jane is the more carefree, optimistic of the two, while Lucilla seems more practical and even something of a downer. Jane’s happy outlook is irrepressible — she insists that they are, actually, quite lucky, and that what lies before them is a lark:

Life is a lark—all the parts of it, I mean, that are generally treated seriously: money, and worries about money, and not being sure what’s going to happen. Looked at rightly, all that’s an adventure, a lark. As long as you have enough to eat and to wear and a roof to sleep under, the whole thing’s a lark. Life is a lark for us, and we must treat it as such.

The girls immediately come up with the first in a series of schemes to support themselves. They start by selling flowers from their little cottage garden to the workmen passing by on the street. It’s a success… until they realize that they’ve already used up all of their flowers. Rather than looking for jobs, they decide that what they need is a bigger garden, and on their daily walks, discover an abandoned old mansion called Cedar Court, which has spectacular (if unkempt) gardens.

By way of all sorts of shenanigans, the girls first convince the absent property owner to allow them to use his garden and the adjacent garden room for their little business. Before long, he’s also decided to allow them to move into the mansion itself, at no charge, simply because they amuse him. But how to manage such a huge property and afford to keep it? The next scheme is to start talking in paying guests… and before long, Jane and Lucilla have a full staff, a house to run, a full-time gardener, and a variety of lodgers.

There’s an air of silliness and delight throughout The Lark, as Jane and Lucilla’s schemes go from one mad idea to another. Somehow, they always come out on top, even when their lodgers are not so honest, or when they get locked out in the middle of the night in the rain, or when they’re forced to invent an elderly aunt as a chaperone. There’s such a sweet heart to it all — the girls are genuinely delightful, their adventures are good-spirited, and even the love stories have a twinkling good humor to them (and remain nicely in the background, factoring into the story without becoming the most important thing about it).

Interestingly, a thread of sadness hides in plain sight too. Set in the years after the first World War, Jane and Lucilla meet a variety of people dealing with the lingering economic woes, displacements, and emotional traumas of the post-war era. As with the romantic subplots, these element don’t take over or overshadow the joy of the story — but the stories of the people they encounter add specificity to the time period and show the struggles that would have been very much a part of life at that time.

Overall, though, The Lark is… well… a lark! It’s a joyful, heartwarming story. There are plenty of reasons to laugh, delightful little set pieces, mishaps, and goofy encounters. Jane and Lucilla are a hoot — and while it initially seems as though Jane is the fun one and Lucilla is the wet blanket, we come to see more depth to both of them, and appreciate how clever and all-around terrific they both are.

I’m so glad to have discovered this gem of a book! I’ll be looking forward to reading more of the rediscovered classics from Dean Street Press, and would welcome suggestions regarding E. Nesbit books too!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

5Feb2026

Book Review: The Boy Who Cried Bear (Haven’s Rock, #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Boy Who Cried Bear
Series: Haven’s Rock, #2
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: February 20, 2024
Length: 339 pages
Genre: Thriller/mystery
Source: Library
Rating:

In The Boy Who Cried Bear, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong keeps readers on the edge of their seats while detective Casey Duncan tries to locate the threat before it’s too late. . .

Haven’s Rock is a well-hidden town surrounded by forest. And it’s supposed to be, being that it’s a refuge for those who need to disappear. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton already feel at home in their new town, which reminds them of where they first met in Rockton. And while they know how to navigate the woods and its various dangers, other residents don’t. Which is why people aren’t allowed to wander off alone.

When Max, the town’s youngest resident—taught to track animals by Eric—fears a bear is stalking a hiking party, alarms are raised. Even stranger, the ten-year-old swears the bear had human eyes. Casey and Eric know the dangers a bear can present, so they’re taking it seriously. But odd occurrences are happening all around them, and when a dead body turns up, they’re not sure what they’re up against.

I think I’ve made it clear by now just how much I love Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series and its spin-off, Haven’s Rock. I’m happy to say (no big surprise!) that the 2nd Haven’s Rock novel is just as strong and engaging as the previous books. Take a terrific premise and setting, mix in a twisty, high-stakes crime to solve… and you get a book like The Boy Who Cried Bear, which kept me hooked from start to finish.

In a nutshell: Husband/wife, sheriff/detective team Eric and Casey now have their first set of residents in their secret little town of Haven’s Rock, a remote place deep in the Yukon wilderness, where people needing safety and anonymity can hide away for a few years. There are rules, of course — no cell phones, no contact with the outside world, do your share of work, and stay out of the forest! That last piece can be hardest to enforce. For newcomers, the dangers of being outside town limits aren’t necessarily as obvious as they should be, which is why Eric and Casey have their hands full keeping people safe.

Among the town’s new batch of residents are a widowed mother and her two sons. After witnessing a crime and providing testimony, the family entered a witness protection program, only to be tracked down and attacked in retaliation, leaving the father dead and the survivors traumatized. At Haven’s Rock, they hope to find both refuge and a place to start healing. But when 10-year-old Max disappears after venturing into the forest, Haven’s Rock goes on full alert. It’s up to Casey and Eric to track the missing boy, and to figure out whether the potential kidnapper is an outside threat or someone sheltering within their little town.

Once again, it’s fantastic to see Casey and Eric in action. Their investigations are always a thrill. Here, the crime itself is up for debate: Has the outside world caught up with the family, threatening not just them but also the very existence of Haven’s Rock? Is there a madman out in the forest, potentially stalking town residents? Or does the threat have something to do with the heavily armed mining camp located several miles from Haven’s Rock, with which Casey and Eric have established an uneasy truce?

Meanwhile, a new development in Casey and Eric’s relationship leaves them reeling and with plenty of questions about what their future might hold. No spoilers from me… but I will say that they’ve never been stronger as a couple, and their honesty and commitment continue to be powerful and inspiring.

The mystery itself takes plenty of twists and turns throughout the book, with misleading clues, people acting badly even if not directly linked to the crime, and questionable characters providing information that’s not entirely reliable. The ending is very interesting — the crime is solved, but not every last bit of the puzzle has an answer, setting up what’s likely to be an ongoing source of tension and danger within the world of the Haven’s Rock series.

Obviously, I love this series, and recommend it highly! I’d suggest starting right at the beginning of the Rockton series, and going on from there. While the mysteries are always excellent, my favorite elements are those related to Casey and Eric’s relationship and the various close friends and associates who make up the communities of Rockton and Haven’s Rock. The character development over the course of these series is excellent, and is a big factor in how very compelling these books are.

I’ll be diving into the 3rd book in the series, Cold As Hell, just as soon as I can… and after that, I’ll be ready for the upcoming new release, First Sign of Danger. Here’s hoping Kelley Armstrong continues writing many, many more books in this series!