ARC Review: Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley

Sisters in the Wind
Author: Angeline Boulley
Publication: Henry Holt and Company (September 2, 2025)

Description: From the instant New York Times bestselling author of Firekeeper’s Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed comes a daring new mystery about a foster teen claiming her heritage on her own terms.

Ever since Lucy Smith’s father died five years ago; “home” has been more of an idea than a place. She knows being on the run is better than anything waiting for her as a “ward of the state”. But when the sharp-eyed and kind Mr. Jameson with an interest in her case comes looking for her; Lucy wonders if hiding from her past will ever truly keep her safe.

Five years in the foster system has taught her to be cautious and smart. But she wants to believe Mr. Jameson and his “friend-not-friend”; a tall and fierce-looking woman who say they want to look after her. They also tell Lucy the truth her father hid from her: She is Ojibwe; she has – had – a sister; and more siblings; a grandmother who’d look after her and a home where she would be loved.

But Lucy is being followed. The past has destroyed any chance at safety she had. Will the secrets she's hiding swallow her whole and take away any hope for the future she always dreamed of?

When the past comes for revenge; it’s fight or flight.

Angeline Boulley's award-winning canon of books puts compelling characters and fast-paced action at the center of narratives rich in historical context. Read Firekeeper's Daughter; Warrior Girl Unearthed; and the soon-to-be-released Sisters of the Wind in any order; but like the world itself; there are echoes within each for the other stories.

My Thoughts: Lucy Smith is an escapee from foster care. Her father died of colorectal cancer when she was 13. He had married a woman he hoped would take care of Lucy after his death. But the woman had no interest in anything about Lucy except her inheritance. She neglects her and then voids the adoption when Lucy sets off fireworks in the storage garage where she has kept the loot accumulated with her new inheritance.

Lucy is sent into foster care. After being told to deny her Native American heritage which she is ready to do since her father told her she was Italian not Native American, she is set to Miss Lonnie on an isolated island. There she meets a foster care veteran named Liz and the two form a tight friendship. But a fire causes them to be split up with Lucy going to the Sterlings who are religious fanatics with a criminal and abusive son that they cover for. When she learns that the son is abusing his nine-year-old sister, she tries to tell her social worker who doesn't believe her especially since the Sterlings deny everything.

Lucy's next stop is an isolated farm run by the Hoppy's. She happy in the rural setting and enjoys the farmwork and the companionship of other foster kids. But things get suspicious when she notes that the Hoppys take in a lot of pregnant girls and arrange adoptions for their babies. Then the girls rather mysteriously disappear. When Lucy gets pregnant by one of the other foster kids who conveniently disappears, she has to figure out what to do for herself and her baby. 

She goes on the run where she meets Jamie Jameson who recognizes her by her likeness to her unknown-to-her mother and her likeness to her deceased sister. He calls in his friend Daunis Fontaine who was her sister's best friend. Together they try to get Lucy to meet with her mother and fight off charges of arson when the diner she worked at was bombed. Lucy has secrets and an enemy who isn't willing to let bygones be bygones. 

But trusting Jamie and Daunis might be more than a girl who spent five years in foster care and learned that no one can be trusted can do.

This was an excellent story with lots about foster care and the care and treatment of Native American children. I loved the characters.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (August 25, 2025)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

Want to See What I Added to My Stack? links to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality.

Other Than Reading...

This was a pretty quiet week again. We had some rain and thunderstorms and some unusually cool days for August. I did a lot of reading and listening and some watching of Braves Baseball.

I have the eARC of the next book in the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series by Julia Spencer-Fleming on my review stack. I decided to read the earlier books in the series again since the first came out in 2002 and the ninth came out in 2020, Luckily, I had snapped up the first six when they were on sale at Chirp January 4, 2024, and the seventh is currently available on Audible Plus. Since besides each book's mystery the series deals with the lives and changing relationship of the two main characters, I was very tempted to binge the whole series back-to-back to back. However, I decided to space them out a bit more in fear of getting too far behind on books appearing earlier on my calendar. 

I have an interesting history with that series. I bought the first six in paperback on March 25, 2009, but they sat on my shelf for quite a few years before I read them. I had the idea that they were historical mysteries based mainly on the titles, and I kept skipping over them. Once I did pick up the first in 2019, I read them all and eagerly purchased the rest of the available titles in print in 2019 and read as I got them. Then the wait began for book ten which will be published this November.

I also, tentatively, set up my posts for October this week too. So, when I was approved for Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose and I discovered that I hadn't yet read the book that came before it in the series, I had to do some calendar adjusting. I moved A Death in Door County onto my November calendar which is good because it means I have one scheduled post already for November. I might move it again if any of my planned October books don't grab me though. 

I don't have any plans or appointments for this week. After having today (Sunday) and Tuesday off, my brother begins and 8-day stretch at work. While all of them don't have him working until 11PM, all do have him working during the dinner hour. We're both looking forward to his vacation which is coming up from September 7 through the 13th. We don't have any plans. He just takes a week when he maxes out his accumulated vacation hours. 

Read Last Week

• No Rest for the Wicked by Rachel Louise Adams (Review, September 16) -- A contemporary thriller in which a woman fled her home in Wisconsin, moved to LA, and became a forensic pathologist. She has to come back home when her father disappears. My review will be posted on September 11.
• Die Like an Eagle by Donna Andrews (Chirp Audiobook, mine since August 13) -- Baseball and murder are stars in this entry into the Meg Langslow humorous mystery series. My review will be posted on September 9.
• The Shattering Peace by John Scalzi (Review, September 16) -- Scalzi returns to the Old Man's War series after a ten-year absence. Great space opera! My review will be posted on September 11.

• A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Audiobook, Mine since August 18) -- A contemporary mystery set in Wisconsin starring a cryptozoologist. My review is currently set to be posted on November 8.
• The Adventure of the Demonic Ox by Lois McMaster Bujold (Kindle, Mine since July 11) -- This is the latest in the fantasy novellas starring Penric and Desdemona. 
• Wonderment in Death by J. D. Robb (Audiobook, mine since June 5) -- A novella in the In Death series with ties to Alice in Wonderland.

• Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen (Review, September 23) -- The second Maple Bishop mystery set in Vermont in 1950. My review will be posted on September 16.
• Out of the Deep I Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Chirp Audiobook, Mine since January 4, 2024) -- Third book in the Clare Ferguson/Russ Van Alstyne mysteries. My review will be posted on September 23.
• Murder at King's Crossing by Andrea Penrose (Kindle, Mine since January 25) -- 8th book in the Wrexford & Sloane historical mysteries. My review will be posted on September 13.

Currently

• To Darkness and to Death by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Chirp Audiobook, Reread)
• A Tour to Die For by Michelle Chouinard (Review, September 23)

Next Week

• Murder at Blackwood Inn by Penny Warner (Review, September 23)
• You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan (Review, September 23)
• A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly (Review, September 23)

• Dark Horse by Felix Francis (Review, September 23)
• The Librarians by Sherry Thomas (Review, September 30)
• The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves (Review, September 30)

Reviews Posted

• Claws Out by Cate Conte (Review copy)
• Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman (Review Copy)
• A Lonesome Place for Murder by Nolan Chase (Review copy)

• Death at an Irish Village by Ellie Brannigan (Review copy)
• Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander (Review copy)
• A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber (Review copy)

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

Review:

• Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose (Review, September 30)
• Vows and Villainy by Elizabeth Penney (Review, November 25)

• The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz (Review, January 6)
• Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson (Review, February 10)

Bought:

• All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz (Kindle, BookBub, $1.99; Audible Add-On, $7.49)
• A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Audible Credit)

What was your week like?

ARC Review: A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

A Moment's Shadow
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Series: Verity Kent Mysteries (Book 8)
Publication: Kensington (August 26, 2025)

Description: Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .

My Thoughts: It is August 1920 and Verity and her husband Sidney are still in Dublin hunting down a missing shipment of phosgene. They know Lord Ardmore stole it and they know he must have some sort of nefarious plan. However, they don't know what the plan is or where the gas is now. 

This is a very political novel. Keeping track of the various factions who are working for Ireland's future is a complex task both for Verity and Sidney and this reader. Verity's friend Alex whom they were originally sent to Ireland to locate has switched to the Irish side rather than the British which Verity and Sidney have neglected to inform Verity's British bosses about. 

Verity herself is very conflicted about the whole war going on. She's seeing behaviors that remind her way too much of the way the Germans behaved in occupied Belgium. She also doesn't hold a very high opinion of the official British Intelligence in Ireland.

Just to make things more complicated, there is also a jewel thief removing valuable jewelry from the British upper classes in Ireland. They are tasked with locating the thief which gives them a reason to stay in Ireland after Verity's boss C demands that they come back to England. 

Despite the overabundance of politics, this was an entertaining story. I sympathized with Verity as her loyalties are tested. My only complaint about the story was the cliffhanger ending which will leave readers distressed until the next story in 2026.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

"Got no use for phosgene." The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Least not until the British use it first. 

Friday 56:

"Who says I'm here at Ardmore's bidding?"

I turned to look at him fully, arching my eyebrows in open skepticism.

This week I am spotlighting A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber. This is a review copy. It is the eighth book in her Verity Kent series. Here is the description from Amazon:

Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern—the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary . . .

August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he’s stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels’ help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs—including targeting Verity and their friends—the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs—or the consequences will be devastating . . .

ARC Review: Laying Down the Latte by Ellie Alexander

Laying Down the Latte
Author: Ellie Alexander
Series: Bakeshop Mysteries
Publication: Minotaur (August 26, 2025)

Description: Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, Oregon!

Baker Jules Capshaw, along with her husband, Carlos, and Torte’s resident barista, Andy, are packing their bags and preparing for the ultimate coffee excursion in Costa Rica. A fortuitous invitation from one of Carlos’s former colleagues, Valentina, has them venturing to the coffee capital of the world for a tasting tour and an immersive weekend at her family's organic coffee farm.

They soak in the tropical breezes, the vibrant colors, the sounds of morning birdsong, and the sweeping views of the historic coffee farm. Valentina is the ultimate host, offering them traditional meals and thrilled to have their input as she’s preparing to open a coffee counter and bakery on the farm.

The getaway is just what Jules needed. A chance to relax and unwind, curl up with a book and iced latte by the pool, and tinker in Valentina’s kitchen, dreaming up new recipes to bring home. Except her tranquil weekend quickly turns into a nightmare when one of Valentina’s employees is found dead in the pulping machine. Now, Jules will have to put her vacation on hold to try and uncover the murderer before one of Torte's beloved workers becomes the next body thrown into the mix.

My Thoughts: Jules Capshaw, her husband Carlos, and barista Andy travel to Costa Rica to spend a long weekend with friend Valentina. They bring Andy because Valentina owns and lives on a coffee plantation. They expect a quiet weekend of reconnecting with old friends and learning more about coffee production but find themselves involved in solving a murder when Valentina's cousin and co-owner of the plantation is killed while operating some machinery. 

There are all kinds of things going on. Miguel had decided to sell his half of the plantation to a huge corporation which displeased and angered everyone else on the plantation from his cousin to his workers to the man who buys most of the coffee for his coffee shops. When the farm manager is arrested, Jules, Carlos and Andy get involved in finding the real killer since none of them believe the manager is guilty.

Lots of information about coffee growing and production and lots of recipes fill this culinary cozy. It is also rife with possible suspects who, in Jules's mind are more probable, than the young farm manager. Engaging story with interesting characters and a great setting. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Lonesome Place for Murder by Nolan Chase

A Lonesome Place for Murder
Author: Nolan Chase
Series: Ethan Brand Mystery (Book 2)
Publication: Crooked Lane (August 26, 2025)

Description: In this dark mystery, perfect for fans of C. J. Box, one wrong step leads Ethan Brand to the most dangerous case of his career...and the most personal.

Hoping to surprise his sons, Ethan Brand, the chief of police of a small town in northern Washington state, is contemplating buying a horse. But when the horse literally stumbles upon an abandoned smuggling tunnel, Ethan and his lead investigator Brenda Lee Page discover a dead body connected to a decade-old mystery.

Ten years ago, Tyler Rash, a troubled friend of Ethan’s, vanished without a trace. The body in the tunnel has Tyler’s ID and personal effects.

As Ethan and Brenda Lee investigate Tyler’s disappearance, they follow a trail that leads them to a cross-border smuggling operation connected to the town’s notorious family of smugglers. And when a bomb is sent to Ethan’s own house, the case takes a deadly and personal turn. A killer is stalking Ethan Brand–a killer he’ll have to face if he wants to see his family again.

My Thoughts: The second Ethan Brand mystery has Ethan taking a look at his past. When he is looking at a horse to buy for his sons, the horse stumbles into a tunnel built on an isolated ranch. Exploring the tunnel leads to a body with a wallet giving the name of Tyler Rash.

Tyler had been taken in by Ethan's family when he was a boy. Ethan's dad Jack really bonded with Tyler since they were both outdoorsmen and survivalists. Finding what looks to be his body, Ethan is faced with his relationship with his father who disappeared into the wilderness when Ethan was a teenager.

But, when Chief Deputy Brenda Lee discovers that the body is not Tyler's, the mystery deepens. It makes Ethan wonder if Tyler is still alive out there somewhere. A visiting DEA Agent is also wondering if Tyler is still out there since the tunnel mirrors other smuggler's tunnels that she has investigated. 

Ethan is also involved in the local race for mayor since he has had a bad relationship with the current mayor since firing his corrupt nephew and admires the woman who is running against him. Stolen campaign signs and harassment of the candidate opposing the mayor takes up some of his time too.

When a letter bomb is delivered to Ethan's house, he knows he's getting close to something but isn't sure exactly what. 

This was an intriguing mystery. I really like Ethan Brand's character. He's a Vet who came home from Afghanistan with a prosthetic and oxy addiction but managed to straighten up to become the Sheriff. He's dealing with the fact that his wife left him and took his sons to Boston. He's had some relationships including one with a married woman who decided to go back to her husband. And he has a sort of relationship with Sissy McCandless who is running the biggest crime family in the area. 

I liked the story and look forward to more in the series. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Death at an Irish Village by Ellie Brannigan

Death at an Irish Village
Author: Ellie Brannigan
Series: An Irish Castle Mystery (Book 3)
Publication: Crooked Lane (August 26, 2025)

Description: Entrepreneur Rayne McGrath’s wedding venue is open for business until a dead and unburied body is found at the cemetery in the third Irish Castle mystery.

With six months left to fulfill the provisions of Uncle Nevin’s will and save the fixer-upper castle she and her cousin inherited, Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith’s bridal venue venture is finally bringing in money. To unite the reluctant villagers, some who’d vehemently protested their efforts to modernize the village, they agree with Father Patrick’s idea to create a group of volunteers to clean the old cemetery behind the beloved church. When a body is found by one of the historic tombstones, the cousins must work overtime to solve the newest case.

The plot thickens and an unsolved crime from the past is unearthed when it’s discovered that the body was on top of a fake grave that has connections to Rayne’s ancestors. With two weddings scheduled at the castle and her mother on the way, Rayne fears she won’t be able to balance it all, yet she rolls up her sleeves and dives into old family journals in hopes of puzzling out not one but two mysteries.

Perfect for fans of Carlene O’Connor and Sheila Connolly, this whimsical cozy will charm mystery readers everywhere.

My Thoughts: The third Irish Castle mystery has Rayne McGrath and Ciara Smith searching for ways to fulfill the terms of Rayne's uncle's will. They have a year to make the village and castle solvent. Things would go smoother if murders didn't keep happening. 

This time, with a wedding to take place at the castle, Rayne and Ciara discover a body leaning against a tombstone during a clean-up of the graveyard. As Rayne and Ciara look into Aiden Dennehy's death, they soon learn that he had a number of people who might prefer him to be dead. The garda are convinced that the bartender who punched him the previous night because Aiden was messing around with his sister is at the top of the list. 

Rayne and Ciara don't believe that Beetle the publican killed Aiden but don't have a stronger possibility. They are busy getting ready for the weekend wedding which will provide funds for the winter which is only one thing on their massive to-do list. High on the list are finding a lawyer to help answer some of their pressing questions, dealing with the property management firm to discover just what they own, and finding a way to draw younger people to the town to bolster the population and the economy.

A trunk found in the attic filled with photo albums from the 1920s raises more questions than it answers and doesn't help identify the Thomas McGrath supposedly buried in the main cemetery instead of the McGrath plot. 

Adding even more complications is Freda Bevan who wants to annex the village Rayne and Ciara are trying to save and an elderly and wealthy lady from Dublin who is demanding the Rayne and Ciara look into the death of her 90-year-old brother who lived in the village. 

Throw if a few romantic relationships and Rayne's sociopathic ex who has escaped from prison and may or may not be hiding out in Mexico and you have a plot filled to overflowing. 

The story is filled with a large cast of characters between people working at the castle and the people living in the town. It was hard to keep track of them all. Also, the story could likely have been 20% shorter if the constant repetition of plot points was eliminated. It was like the author wrote each chapter months apart and felt that the reader needed the reminders. 

Fans following the series will want to read this one despite its flaws and clear lack of resolution of the plot concerning whether or not Rayne and Ciara will be able to save the town and the castle. Various other plots introduced in this episode are solved or partly solved. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.