2026 #32 Blessed Water (Sister Holiday #2) - Douaihy

 

Blessed Water by Margot Douaihy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.75 stars
While I'm still invested in the series, Blessed Water didn't quite work for me as well as its predecessor Scorched Grace. With the first book, I noted that everything seemed to accelerate at the end for the sake of resolution, and that was also the case here. But the main issue I had is that the elements of the story seemed to be uneven in how they popped up. Sister Holiday's brother makes a weird appearance, which is welcome if he's going to stick around, but seemed quite extraneous to the mystery. We don't really get any more reveals about her shady past, although "Nina" comes through a bit more.
There are some subtle clues that I got only after reflecting on the story, so I enjoyed that. Sister Holiday's foul mouth is fine, but her penchant for violent thoughts, particularly against Detective Grogan and the purposeless Alex, got a bit tiresome (just overdone, I would say). Her relationship with Riveaux develops nicely, and holds a lot of promise.
You don't need to have read the first one (there are plenty of references to it), but I'd recommend it before launching into this one. A good installment, and I look forward to seeing where this goes.

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2026 Reading Goals 32/60

2025 #42 The Fifth Woman - Wallander #6 (Mankell)

 

The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having been a fan of the series with Kenneth Branagh (we didn't have the opportunity to watch more than one episode of the original Swedish series), I was eager to compare the experience of reading one of the books. This did not disappoint. There's a lot happening. Lots of character development for Wallander, who is going through his own stages of grief. My only real complaint is that I wanted more of the catalyst to be involved in the plot. Instead, we get the trigger, and we know who the culprit is, but I was left feeling like the plot took a huge left turn, and used insanity as the defense. Still, there are truly interesting characters and it was a rich experience for a book that I'd normally designate as a "beach read" (nothing wrong with that, but this book was more intense and deep than anticipated!).

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2025 #35 Cocaine Blues -- Phryne Fisher #1 (Greenwood)

 

Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a big time fan of the TV series, I was excited to finally start the book series!
Phryne Fisher is delightful, although her character is even more "scandalous" in the book than portrayed on the series (well, at least it is, unsurprisingly, more graphic). I'm impatient to see how Detective Robinson develops, and that is what I get for breaking my own rule about not watching a TV/movie adaptation before reading the book.

This installment is good, if a bit uneven. Firsts are hard -- the author has to hook you on the characters AND tell a good story. Greenwood deftly uses the dancer Sasha and the impressionable Dot to help show us Phryne's character, but also as pivotal plot pushers. Phryne is hedonistic, yes, but not just that, and it is ultimately a pleasure to get some insights beyond her roaring 20s persona. It does bite off a lot, however: poisoning, illegal abortion, drug smuggling, thugs, Turkish Baths. The whirlwind sometimes overwhelmed, but overall I'm happy to continue with the series!

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2025 #29 I Have Some Questions for You (Makkai)

 

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
My rating: 3 of 5 stars (3.75 stars)

This novel tries to be a lot of things, and it is, but it feels like there is a lack of pacing because of it. I couldn't get a solid grasp on Bodie Kane, but this is, at least in part, due to the fact that the novel is largely about Bodie getting a grasp on Bodie--so, fair enough! Interspersed with the self-reflection is a murder mystery alongside a larger message about how women are treated in/by society--both are worthwhile, but both were somewhat diluted by the lack of focus. The book does offer some real warnings about nostalgia and memory, and this was for me, the core value of the novel. I did not feel any real attachment to any of the characters, but this was a rare case where I think that was useful. Justice is often paraded as some sort of process of objectivity (although we know it isn't), and Makkai's novel helps reveal how justice can only ever be relative in the messy-ness of the human condition. We also come to realize how many details we likely miss in a given day of our lives--what we see, but don't watch, for example. Makkai reminds us that "memory" is a fabrication, and the split of the book into two parts is masterful in driving that home. A worthwhile read, but I suggest lowering expectations for the "mystery" aspect, and allowing the reflections on how we co-exist to be front and center.

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2025 #22 St. Peter's Fair (Peters) - Brother Cadfael #4

 

Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Perhaps fairs just aren't my thing, but this particular installment in the series felt like a real slog. It did not hold my interest, but I'm too stubborn to DNF, so thank goodness my library does automatic renewals. I'd be tempted to give it two stars, but I want to honor the writing here, which is, as always, excellent. Only the last 30 pages or so sparked my interest (no pun intended and that is a very weak spoiler). Emma made for an interesting character at the end -- a good balance to the angelic Aline.

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2025 #21: Her Last Moment (James) - Jake Cashen #5

 

Her Last Moment: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 5 by Declan James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I seem to be invested in Worthington County, although I think Alexander Cendese's readings are half of it. Poor Jake still doesn't have a longer story arc to save his soul, but we get a clearer sense that he is a ticking time bomb in terms of his pent-up trauma and anger regarding his father. As I listened to the preview when I finished Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4, I was prepared for who the victim was. It felt a bit of a shame -- it isn't like a TV series where they have to write someone off the show. We hardly knew ye...But truly, it made me care less about her secrets since we had to get her entire backstory posthumously.

Things felt a bit formulaic without the interesting characters of the previous installment -- deadbeat ex clichés abound. This one brings back wrestling, albeit in small doses, so I found it tolerable. While I'm glad Birdie and Jake haven't gotten together (I was worried after Kill Season), the former also hasn't had much of a storyline either. In fact, everyone in Blackhand Hills is pretty much where we left them -- Jemma is about the only one with something new and interesting in her life. Grandpa Max gets to be a bit more than grouchy, semi-senile, and obsessed with dinnertime in this one. Meg Landry doesn't shine as much. Zender is starting to bore me.

Still-- a fun read, enough of the usual suspects to feel a comfortable familiarity, and a few new ones that I would hope would return but probably won't (go Grandma!!).



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2025 #19 The Burning Island (Young) - Charlie Cates #3

 

The Burning Island by Hester Young
My rating: 3.75 of 5 stars


As with some other readers, I was surprised to find out that this was no.3 in a series of books that feature Charlie Cates, a journalist with gently paranormal abilities. Set primarily on the Big Island of Hawai'i (and a bit in Arizona), the story leads us to vulcanologist Victor Nakagawa and his family, as Charlie and her BFF Rae travel to Hawaii allegedly for some R&R and a bit of a workcation for Charlie, who is writing an article on Victor. Hester Young has a degree from University of Hawai'i at Mãnoa, so her descriptions are as lush and vibrant as the island itself.

There are a few red herrings, and the characters are generally fairly complex and multi-dimensional, which helps things stay interesting and not obvious. Charlie's inner dialogue occasionally felt tedious, but some of it helped provide backstory so the reader/listener doesn't feel the "series gap". Charlie can be a bit preachy, even just inside her own mind, but is generally strong-willed and a good protagonist. Rae, as the effervescent bestie, provides a good counterpoint without resorting to too much caricature. January LaVoy offers a solid reading, with a particular gift for voicing the surf-loving pothead bro.

I found myself a bit relieved to be wrong about how I interpreted one of Charlie's main visions--the one at the core of why she "takes the case"--although that relief was short-lived in that a related subplot covered the territory I was hoping to avoid. Still, it made for a dynamic story. I wasn't a fan of the ending, although I have to give Young major props for not tying everything up with a neat little bow. And while the ending does seem to hint at perhaps more to come in the series, it is not with a cliffhanger for the major plot points (thank goodness).

3.75 stars for me.

Serious About Series challenge 2025 (May)


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2025 #18 Red Sky Hill (James) - Jake Cashen #4

 

Red Sky Hill: Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series, Book 4 by Declan James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.75 stars
Well, I guess I'm fairly invested in the citizens of Worthington County by now. Red Sky Hill gives us a better look at the Knoxes and the Bardos, the latter familiar from the previous book. The book opens with the grisliest murder yet in the series, and we soon learn that relativism looms large as we see a whole lot of "wrong place, wrong time" and "in over his head" sorts of explanations for bad behavior. There is a definite red herring, but it turns out to be a bit more interesting than usual, because it calls up some moral questions for our detective Cashen, as well as others. This one does not wallow in wrestling or hunting, so I'm impressed that James has managed to keep these things contained to their respective books (for the most part). There is some sloppy editing--for example, Jake says "We'll burn that bridge when we get there" instead of "We'll cross that bridge when we get there" -- which made me laugh, but I don't think it was meant to. As far as the audiobook goes, Cendese is still great, although I noticed an unevenness and some obvious retakes in the recording.
His voicing of Meg Landry is still my favorite part of the entire series (as is her character) and I'd welcome a Meg-centric installment (or spin-off series). Disappointing here is that we get a Meg-centric subplot that fizzles out, although we hope it will be continued in the next book (Her Last Moment). If you haven't read the synopsis of Her Last Moment yet, do yourself a favor and do NOT, until you've finished this book. That's all I'll say.

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2024 #53 The Twist of a Knife (Horowitz) - Hawthorne and Horowitz #4

 

The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I did not know when I started that this book was part of a series. I got to know Anthony Horowitz's work through the PBS/Masterpiece Magpie Murders, which I enjoyed so much I watched it twice (second time through for my husband's benefit). So when I saw this in a Little Free Library, I picked it up. The front cover gives no indication that it is part of a series, but I'm also happy to report that it didn't matter much, and I love that. Hawthorne is, presumably, a fictional detective, but Horowitz writes himself into the stories--I imagine with a fair bit of truth. As this is the fourth book in the series, references are made to the other three books, by title, within the narrative. This creativity with narrative is what I loved about Magpie Murders so I was happy to see that it seems to be a trademark.

The story is an entertaining, fairly "cozy" mystery, and Horowitz manages to blend enough naivete, self-deprecation, but also a sort of good-natured crankiness (if that can be a thing) into himself as the narrator, and the characters have enough tried-and-true cliches to be memorable, but not completely predictable. No doubt those familiar with the series will enjoy certain characters and interactions even more (such as those with Cara Grunshaw), but Horowitz really does a great job of bringing the uninitiated up-to-speed without resorting to that backfill that mars many a good story. Theater references abound, but again, not to a saturated level at which one feels they are missing out on all the inside "wink-winks". Truly entertaining, and I didn't even mind the big clichéd "reveal" at the end because it was a self-conscious nod to the age-old practice in mystery writing.


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2024 #51 Burial of Ghosts (Cleeves

 

Burial of Ghosts by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really, this is a 2.75 for me. At first I thought perhaps I was jaded by the fact that I read this before bed, so therefore only got a few pages in at a time. But after reading the reviews of others, I feel my complaints are valid. I generally like Ann Cleeves' work, however, so that's why this is a three, instead of a two.

First, everything from the cover art to the blurb on the front and the back oversell this story. Lizzie Bartholomew's terrifying secrets? Still not sure what they are. I found her character very unlikeable, or at least inconsistent, and none of the other characters were that interesting. Her "past" pops up at the strangest of times, but I didn't care enough about her in the present to be invested. I truly didn't care about either of the main deaths, and the whole premise seemed a bit flimsy. Not my favorite.

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2024 #50: Monk's Hood - Brother Cadfael #3 (Peters)

 

Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited to see Derek Jacobi as the reader, I failed to notice that this edition is abridged. Still, worth it to hear Jacobi's reading (and no doubt fans of the TV series will enjoy it even more). I much preferred Monk's Hood to the previous One Corpse Too Many as it returns to the cast of characters at Cadfael's abbey, including the imperious and somewhat comical Prior Robert. I'm very pleased to know that Hugh Beringar, introduced in the second book, will be a recurring character in the series. I understand that this second book was the first in the TV series to allow them to introduce Beringar, and I can see why. The subtle quips and dry humor makes this series particularly engaging.

As the book was abridged, I won't comment too much on the pacing or the plot. We do get more of Cadfael's backstory in the form of a new character, Richildis. The reveal was not hugely surprising, but still complex enough to be interesting! Sadly, while I will miss Jacobi's reading, I will return to the unabridged audiobooks read by narrated by Patrick Tull, as I enjoyed his reading of the first in the series.

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2024 #48 One Corpse Too Many - Brother Cadfael #2 (Peters)

 

One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I might go back to the audiobook format for the series, but I did enjoy this read. The characters are great, including the foe who becomes a friend. The political aspects between Stephen and Maud are left a bit blurry, with King Stephen getting more airtime, but the introduction of Godric near the beginning makes for a fun ride. This is definitely character-driven, although I found Cadfael's manipulation a bit tedious at times. Aline Siward is hard to picture in my mind, and I found it difficult to sympathize with her character, but I did love Godric, Torold Blund, and especially Hugh Beringar, one of the more interesting characters.

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2024 #42: A Morbid Taste for Bones - Brother Cadfael #1 (Peters)

 

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Given that I'm generally a fan of monastic medieval mysteries, I'm not sure why it has taken me this long to finally read Cadfael! Perhaps I was unduly biased against Derek Jacobi's rarely smiling face in the promotions for the TV series in the 90s. My mother pushed me toward Peter Tremayne's (aka Peter Ellis -- now THAT's confusing/strange) Sister Fidelma series, which I love, but somehow did not seem interested in Cadfael. I'm going to guess renegade Celtic nun beat out male Crusader-turned-monk in my mother's hierarchy of protagonists/sleuths.

I adored it--the audiobook, narrated by Patrick Tull, was wonderful in picking up the subtle wit of Cadfael's thoughts and generally didn't feel it necessarily to inject gendered artifice into the voicings, relying more upon character differentiation. Many of the characters were surprisingly loveable -- including the good-natured and impish Brother John, and Father Huw--the parish priest at Gwytherin. I also appreciated that it was four chapters before anyone died (it is a mystery, so that's not a spoiler!) It did make it a bit predictable as to who would be the victim, but it was refreshing to have so much character building first. I might quibble with the end -- a bit too much effort to ensure we get closure on the various subplots, but it is a small quibble. The pro-Welsh quips and writing of scenic detail more than make up for it. I'm excited to read the rest of the series (finally!)

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2023 #26 Scorched Grace (Douaihy) - Sister Holiday #1

 

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If nun mysteries are a sub-genre, then queer-ex-punkrocker-nun mysteries must be a sub-subgenre. And we are better for it. Margot Douaihy's Sister Holiday is as engaging a sleuth as you will ever meet--she has a dark past like Luther (the cop, not the monk-turned-Protestant icon), the chutzpah of Vera, and some certain original je ne sais quoi that made this a very enjoyable read.

Douaihy, who has published several collections of poetry, has jumped into the genre with welcome audacity. Set in New Orleans, at a Catholic school run by a small cadre of Sisters of the Sublime Blood, the book is brimming with humidity, sweat, music, smoke, and all the distinctive sounds and smells of New Orleans. The characters are bold, although there were times I felt Sister Honor and Rosemary Flynn were overwritten. Most intriguing is Detective Riveaux who tangos with Sister Holiday as equal parts protagonist and antagonist, depending on the context. Douaihy's gift of language sets this apart from a lot of offerings in the genre, and sometimes descriptive language pours forth like an exploding geyser when you least expect it. But it makes for amazing multi-sensory grit.

She slowly reveals just enough of Sister Holiday's secrets to make us want the next installment. Where the rhythm became a bit too rushed is at the end. When we finally learn who has set the fires and committed the murders there's too much that doesn't get explained. I could offer more nuance in that critique, but I'd have to post spoilers and I'd rather not.

This is a fresh and unique heroine--extremely flawed, but heroic all the same. I hope we get a series because there's a lot to unpack in this character, and Douaihy writes a great mystery.

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