A Book A Week

I've been a devoted fan of John Sandford's crime novels ever since I first discovered his Virgil Flowers series in college. Sandford’s signature blend of sharp humor and breakneck plotting instantly hooked me, making Flowers one of my favorite protagonists in the genre. Back then, he was releasing a Virgil Flowers novel annually, alongside a new installment in his more famous, and arguably more popular, Prey series, featuring Lucas Davenport.

In recent years, as Sandford continues writing into his 80s, he’s shifted to a single yearly release that brings both heroes together in the same book. After taking a break from this approach last year, Lethal Prey marks the return of Davenport and Flowers as a duo, so I was eager to get my hands on it. Fortunately, Sandford’s publisher sent me a copy, meaning I didn’t have to wait long to dive in.

In an age obsessed with internet sleuthing and true crime, Lara Grandfelt is wagering $5 million that someone can finally solve her twin sister Doris’s decades-old murder. Brutally stabbed over 20 years ago, Doris’s body was found in a dense thicket at the edge of an urban park, but her killer was never caught. Now, facing her own mortality after a cancer diagnosis, Lara is determined to uncover the truth, offering a fortune to anyone who can bring the murderer to justice.

Lara knows the flood of online sleuths chasing her $5 million reward will need oversight. Enter Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, reluctantly called in to verify leads as a favor to a politician Lara generously supports. Skeptical of crowdsourced crime-solving, they dismiss the frenzy as internet noise. That is until a blogger uncovers the murder weapon. As real clues emerge, so does a chilling truth: the killer is watching, adapting, and staying one step ahead. With every new revelation broadcast online, Lucas and Virgil must race to solve the case before the killer claims more victims—including themselves.

I've come to take great comfort in the familiarity of John Sandford's writing, and Lethal Prey, the 35th installment in his longest-running series, delivers plenty of what I love. Once again, Sandford pairs his best characters to solve a decades-old case, using his signature approach—giving readers insight into the killer’s perspective while letting his heroes race to uncover the truth. It’s a formula he’s mastered and one I always enjoy.

That said, this installment didn’t hit quite as hard as previous ones. The sharp, witty banter between Davenport and Flowers felt sparser, and the investigation's momentum stalled in places. But what really lessened the impact for me was the abrupt ending. The story simply stopped, leaving a major cliffhanger rather than a satisfying resolution. Even so, I’ll be first in line for the next book. Sandford has a proven track record in crime fiction, and a few missteps won’t keep me from diving into whatever he writes next.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 26)

One of the most common icebreakers I’ve encountered is the dreaded question: If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be? No matter how many times it’s been asked, I always freeze, struggling to come up with an answer. But perhaps the more interesting follow-up question is: What would you hope to learn from them? That shifts the conversation from a surface-level fantasy to something deeper, exploring the lessons we can take from history and those who lived through it.

In Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert, Bob the Drag Queen takes that idea and runs with it, crafting a reality where historical figures miraculously return to life, confront the modern world, and force us to reexamine the past. It’s a bold, imaginative debut that turns a familiar hypothetical into a thought-provoking and wildly entertaining read.

No one can explain how or why it happened, but everyone agrees—it’s a miracle. Long-dead historical figures have inexplicably returned, alive and well, picking up where they left off while adapting to the modern world. 

"It's been a very strange news cycle since The Return. Cleopatra is now an Instagram model, Rockefeller is having public battles of wealth display with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, and everyone is waiting on pins and needles to see if Jesus will return. I'm not betting on it."

For Darnell, a once-successful record producer whose best days are behind him, the phenomenon takes an even stranger turn—one of these legendary figures not only knows who he is but wants to work with him.

When you think of Harriet Tubman, you likely picture the fearless abolitionist who risked her life to lead hundreds to freedom through the Underground Railroad. But now that she’s back, Harriet quickly realizes that while progress has been made, the fight for freedom and equality is far from over. The journey to the Promised Land must continue, and she’s determined to tell her story in a way that resonates with this new generation. The best way to do that? A hip-hop album.

If that sounds crazy, just ask Alexander Hamilton.

Harriet enlists Darnell to help her bring her vision to life—producing an album and a concert that could change the world. Along the way, he might just rediscover his own purpose, too.

Bob the Drag Queen is a comedian, reality TV star, drag performer—and now, he can add author to that list. Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert is one of the most imaginative, original, and provocative novels I’ve read this year. His distinctive voice leaps off the page, infusing this speculative historical fiction with sharp humor and insightful commentary.

Bob fully embraces the what-if of it all, crafting a fish-out-of-water scenario that places Harriet Tubman in the modern world, balancing levity with moments of deep reflection. While some passages lean a bit repetitive, his undeniable charisma and clear perspective keep the story moving, smoothing over any technical hiccups.

By bringing Tubman into the present, Bob draws a compelling parallel between the abolitionist movement of her time and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights. The struggle for equality is never-ending, but it’s one worth continuing. This novel serves as a powerful reminder that, no matter our race, gender, or sexual orientation, we all deserve to live fully, freely, and without fear. As Harriet herself puts it: “The biggest struggle in earning your freedom is feeling like you deserve it."

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 25)

I first discovered Hannah Morrissey’s writing through her fantastic debut, Hello, Transcriber, where she introduced the bleak and crime-ridden town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin. Her atmospheric prose, combined with a gripping murder mystery, made the novel a standout. I quickly devoured her next two books set in Black Harbor, each featuring new characters and mysteries while remaining interconnected through their shared setting.

So when Morrissey’s publisher offered me a chance to review The Unlucky Ones, the fourth book in the Black Harbor series, I jumped at it. Learning that this novel would revisit the main character from her debut only heightened my excitement. 

She wouldn't have believed you if you had told Hazel she’d return to Black Harbor. She was more than happy to leave the town and everything it represented behind. Black Harbor had given her nothing but misery: an emotionally and physically abusive ex-husband, a toxic workplace romance, and a job that entangled her in a murder investigation that nearly cost her life. She escaped, and she never looked back. But now, against all odds, she’s back, and the darkness she left behind threatens to consume her once again.

With the Fourth of July approaching, tensions in Black Harbor are rising. A deadly new drug is flooding the streets, the summer heat is suffocating, and, of course, there’s been another murder. Sergeant Nikolai Kole has seen plenty of crime scenes, but this one is different. A body, wrapped in garbage bags and doused in bleach, lies in the back of a clubhouse. The victim? Tommy Greenlee—Hazel’s ex-husband.

Hazel and Kole, former lovers with a complicated history, must work together to uncover the truth. They both want justice, even if neither of them particularly cares for Tommy. But can they trust each other? They once used each other for their own ends, and their reunion threatens to dredge up old wounds. As the chaos in Black Harbor escalates, Hazel and Kole strike an uneasy truce. To solve this murder, they’ll have to navigate the city’s darkest secrets and confront their own secrets along the way.

There’s something liberating about hitting the open road, leaving behind schedules and responsibilities, if only for a little while. Just you, your thoughts, and the miles stretching ahead. Of course, reality has its limits—gas, speed limits, food, and sleep all play a role—but for a brief moment, a road trip can feel like the perfect escape from life’s burdens.

For Livia and her friends, that escape is precisely what they need. Reeling from the discovery of her husband’s affair, Livia is desperate to get away, and her friends are more than willing to help her forget her troubles for a few days. Their trip through the Cascade foothills of Central Oregon starts as a simple getaway, but a reckless tow truck driver tailing them turns their carefree ride into something far more unsettling.

Hoping to lose him, they veer onto County Road 95, an unremarkable backroad with a chilling local reputation. Known as The Devil’s Driveway, the 15-mile stretch quickly turns their road trip into a nightmare. What starts as a detour soon becomes a desperate fight for survival, pushing the four women to the edge of their sanity. And with every twist and turn, something even more terrifying waits ahead.

I was immediately drawn to the concept of a haunted highway and gladly accepted the audiobook version of White Line Fever from K.C. Jones’ publisher. Kate Hanford’s expert narration added a chilling urgency to the story, keeping me hooked and looking for any excuse to keep listening. Jones gradually unveils the full scope of the horror his characters face, starting with eerie instances of lost time, dissociation, and hallucinations before escalating into true, unrelenting terror.

Throughout the novel, Jones weaves in flashbacks to Livia’s past, adding depth to her character. While I appreciated these insights, they occasionally disrupted the pacing, and I often found myself more eager to return to the escalating tension on the road. Still, White Line Fever hurtles toward a harrowing climax that delivers thrills and meaningful character growth. A solid horror thriller, it’s an especially gripping listen.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 23)

Some are born with the gift. Others have it thrust upon them. Olivia never expected to possess it at all. The ability to commune with the dead had always belonged to her sister, Naiche. But when Naiche died under mysterious circumstances, that gift transferred to Olivia, a final, unasked-for inheritance that changed her life forever.

Olivia has fully embraced her abilities, becoming a sought-after paranormal investigator. But the loss of Naiche still leaves an ache she can’t shake. When she’s called to investigate unsettling occurrences at the historic Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, she assumes it will be just another routine haunting. But this case is anything but ordinary. Every few years, a woman is found dead in room 904, no matter which room she initially checked into.

As Olivia delves into the chilling pattern of deaths, the past and present begin to blur. Her investigation pulls her into the orbit of a mysterious cult, a relentless journalist, betrayals from those she trusts, and shocking secrets about Naiche’s hidden life. What started as a ghost hunt quickly becomes something far more dangerous and personal.

In The Haunting of Room 904, Erika T. Wurth weaves a deeply personal tale of family, grief, and cultural identity within the framework of a gripping paranormal thriller. From the start, the eerie atmosphere sets the stage, evoking the unsettling tension of The Conjuring films. While the supernatural elements are undeniably chilling—delivering plenty of moments to send shivers down your spine—it’s the richly drawn, diverse cast that makes this novel stand out.

Wurth seamlessly integrates Indigenous history, particularly the lasting impact of the Sand Creek Massacre, alongside nuanced representations of LGBTQ+ and Jewish identities. These layers of cultural and historical depth unfold organically, adding weight and resonance beyond the scares. Through the terror, Wurth challenges readers to reflect on identity, politics, and belonging. The pacing isn’t always even, but the novel remains compelling and thought-provoking—a haunting on multiple levels.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 22)

Martha has always believed she’s cursed when it comes to love. Every relationship has ended in disaster, leaving the quiet librarian to embrace a solitary life with nothing but her beloved books for company. But then she met Alan. He was older, yes, but he was kind, devoted, and truly seemed to love her. Before long, they were married, and for the first time, Martha thought her luck had finally changed.

Yet, even in marriage, loneliness lingers. As a traveling salesman, Alan spends most of his time on the road, peddling teacher-themed tchotchkes at education conventions. A year into their relationship, Martha realizes she barely knows the man she married. Then she finds blood on the collar of one of his shirts. Her unease grows as she digs deeper, uncovering a series of murdered women, each killed in a city that coincides with Alan’s travels.

Could her husband be a serial killer, or is it all a terrible coincidence? Unsure of what to believe, Martha reaches out to an old graduate school friend, Lily Kintner. Lily has a knack for handling dangerous men. Eager to uncover the truth, Lily agrees to investigate Alan. What she discovers is far more twisted and sinister than they ever imagined.

In A Talent for Murder, Peter Swanson once again proves his knack for crafting gripping, twist-filled thrillers. Having long admired his stand-alone novels, I grabbed this one when I spotted it at my local library. It wasn’t until I was well into the story that I realized it’s actually the third book in a series that began with The Kind Worth Killing. Fortunately, A Talent for Murder works just fine on its own.

Swanson wastes no time pulling readers in, opening with a tragic perspective from one of the victims. The story was heading toward a fairly predictable conclusion until Swanson flipped the script entirely. The twist caught me completely off guard, shifting the novel’s trajectory to make the final act even more intense and satisfying than I had expected. Fast-paced and full of surprises, A Talent for Murder is a sharp, exhilarating mystery that proves Swanson is writing at the top of his game.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 21)

Stay with me on this train of thought. I find a certain comfort in the thrill of a classic slasher movie. I know what you’re thinking: How do you find comfort in something meant to terrify you? Fair question. But hear me out.

I’ve always enjoyed those formulaic horror films, you know, the ones where an unsuspecting victim is relentlessly pursued by a crazed maniac, hellbent on destruction. Classics like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Scream perfected this formula, and while modern slashers often follow in their footsteps, there's something undeniably satisfying about watching these familiar beats play out. The predictability isn’t a flaw. It’s part of the fun, a rhythm I can sink into as I let the latest variation work its magic.

In the literary world, I've enjoyed how authors like Stephen Graham Jones and Christopher Golden have made their mark by honoring horror’s beloved tropes while carving out fresh, inventive narratives. Now I can add Adam Cesare’s Clown in a Cornfield to that list. His take on the teen slasher is bold, gruesome, and instantly gripping. It lures you in with its familiarity, only to keep you hooked with its clever twists on a well-worn genre.

Kettle Springs is the kind of small Midwestern town that time forgot. Nestled among sprawling cornfields, it’s littered with remnants of what it once was. The now-vacant Baypen Corn Syrup Factory looms over the landscape, a stark monument to economic collapse and the deepening rift between generations. Even more prominent is the town’s faded mascot, Frendo, a grinning clown in a porkpie hat, his image still plastered on buildings and rusting signs, a ghost of better days. The older generation clings desperately to the past, determined to make Kettle Springs great again. The younger generation couldn’t care less. They’re just trying to have fun and escape as soon as possible.

For Quinn Maybrook and her father, Kettle Springs represents a fresh start, something they both need after the death of Quinn’s mother. Her father has traded his high-pressure job as an ER doctor for the slower pace of life as the town’s primary physician. But Quinn isn’t exactly thrilled. This sleepy, dead-end town wasn’t what she had in mind for a new beginning. At this point, her only goal is to keep her head down and make it to graduation.

But Kettle Springs has other plans.

The town’s simmering tensions reach a boiling point when a masked killer—dressed as Frendo himself—decides that the best way to restore Kettle Springs to its former glory is to rid the town of the rotten kids who live there now. Suddenly, Quinn finds herself caught in the crossfire of a town at war with itself, running for her life in a place she never wanted to call home in the first place. 

With Clown in a Cornfield, Adam Cesare uses the framework of a classic slasher to explore small-town politics, grief, and the inevitability of progress. It’s a story that feels both timeless and eerily relevant, capturing the political divide of our current moment. Sure, it gets a bit over-the-top at times, and the climax ties things up a little too neatly, but I didn’t care. Cesare delivers a brutal, fast-paced horror novel that had me completely hooked. He brings classic slasher tropes into the modern era in a way that feels fresh, subverting expectations just enough to keep things unpredictable. With two more books in the series already out and a film adaptation coming later this year, Clown in a Cornfield is a bonafide hit. It's a fun, clever horror novel that has me eager for more.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 20)

It’s a late summer night in 1995 when newlyweds April and Eddie take a wrong turn. Their honeymoon isn’t off to the smoothest start. They’ve been driving for hours, struggling to find the small resort town where they’re supposed to be escaping from the world. Still, they’re basking in the glow of newlywed bliss, content to be lost as long as they’re together. A little detour will just be another story to laugh about someday.

Then, in the glow of their headlights, they see her—a lone hitchhiker standing by the side of the deserted road. Against their better judgment, they stop. What’s a little more of a detour, after all? But as the young woman climbs into their car, April and Eddie notice something chilling: blood is seeping through her jacket. Before they can ask what happened, a pair of headlights appears in the rearview mirror. A truck is coming—fast. And whoever’s behind the wheel isn’t stopping.

By the time the night is over, the hitchhiker is dead, April and Eddie are shaken but alive, and the local police have more questions than answers. A string of unexplained murders has plagued this stretch of road, and now, with no one else to blame, the honeymooners find themselves at the center of it all. Determined to clear their names, April and Eddie begin digging into the town’s shadowy past, only to uncover something far worse than a killer. There’s something unnatural at work here, something that has haunted this road for years. And if they’re not careful, it won’t just take the town’s secrets to the grave. It’ll take them, too.

I was first introduced to Simone St. James through The Broken Girls, and I was immediately drawn in by her ability to blend a gripping mystery with a supernatural touch. Executed with such skill, that combination made me an instant fan and eager to read more of her work. Over the years, she’s released two more novels—each intriguing, though with diminishing returns. The supernatural elements that once captivated me started to feel formulaic, more of a gimmick than an organic part of the story.

Would Murder Road fall into the same trap? I’m happy to say it didn’t. From the start, St. James pulls readers into a deceptively simple setup: a couple wrongly accused of murder. Setting the novel in the 1990s adds a nostalgic, retro feel that heightens the atmosphere, making it easy to sink into the eerie, slow-burning tension. And while the supernatural is still present, it feels more naturally woven into the narrative this time. Ultimately, Murder Road plays like a classic B-movie. It may not be the most groundbreaking thing I’ve ever read, but it is undeniably entertaining. With its ghostly murder mystery and cinematic feel, it delivers precisely what it promises: a chilling, fast-paced thrill ride.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 19)

When I read Charlotte McConaghy’s sophomore novel, Once There Were Wolves, in 2021, I was captivated by its quiet profundity, sweeping exploration of nature, and deeply intimate character development. It became one of my favorite books of the year and left me eager to read more from the Australian author. So when her publisher offered me an audiobook copy of her latest release, Wild Dark Shore, I jumped at the chance. Once again, McConaghy dazzles, maintaining her signature exploration of the connection between humanity and the natural world while expanding her storytelling into a deeply personal tale that functions as both a gripping mystery and an unexpected romance.

Dominic Salt and his three children are the caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica and home to the world’s largest seed bank. Once bustling with researchers, the island is now nearly abandoned, its last inhabitants preparing the seeds for relocation as rising sea levels threaten its future. But while Shearwater’s wild beauty is undeniable, its isolation has taken a toll on the Salt family. Reeling from his first heartbreak, eighteen-year-old Raff takes his frustration out on a punching bag. Seventeen-year-old Fen spends her nights among the island’s seals. Nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears losing the natural world he loves. And Dominic, burdened by the past, can’t seem to move forward from the tragedy that led them to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes ashore. As the Salts care for the stranger, Rowan, their initial suspicion turns to affection, and for the first time in years, they begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, who has long guarded her heart, is also drawn to them. But she isn’t being entirely truthful about why she came to Shearwater. And when she stumbles upon sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, it becomes clear that Dominic is keeping secrets of his own. As the storms surrounding Shearwater intensify, the characters must decide whether they can trust one another enough to protect the precious seeds in their care—and whether they can finally let go of their pasts to build something new together.

In Wild Dark Shore, McConaghy expands on her signature themes of nature’s intrinsic value and our fragile, complex relationship with it, crafting an intimate and atmospheric story about family, grief, and survival. Her prose is breathtaking, bringing Shearwater’s rugged landscape to life with a vividness that makes even the smallest moments feel vast and significant. The novel’s characters are among the most deeply drawn I’ve read this year. McConaghy alternates between the perspectives of the five main characters, allowing us to fully inhabit their inner worlds until we understand them on an almost instinctive level. It all builds to a gut-wrenching conclusion that left me breathless. Wild Dark Shore is a profoundly moving novel that lingers, not with bombast, but with the quiet, lasting power of its exploration of people and the world they share.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 18)

Last spring, I traveled to Washington, DC, to celebrate my birthday. With its convenient public transportation, incredible food scene, and deep historical roots, it’s a city that’s both easy to navigate and endlessly fascinating. It had been nearly a decade since my last visit, and one of the stops I was most eager to make was the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. During my previous trip, the museum was still under construction, so finally experiencing its vast collection was something I had anticipated for years. The exhibits are extensive and impossible to take in fully in just one day.

Tucked into a quiet corner of the museum is a small room designed to resemble a Southern chapel. At its altar rests the original coffin in which young Emmett Till was laid to rest. Standing in that space, I was overwhelmed with emotion, completely transported to one of the darkest moments in American history. A photo inside the coffin shows Till’s brutalized face, nearly unrecognizable, while soft hymns play in the background. Elsewhere in the museum, a vandalized metal sign commemorating Till’s murder, riddled with bullet holes, serves as a chilling reminder that the hate that took his life is still alive today.

Wright Thompson understands the deep-seated history of racism in the South all too well. His family farm in the Mississippi Delta sits just 23 miles from the site of one of the most infamous and consequential murders in American history. In The Barn, he digs into the hidden truths surrounding Emmett Till’s death, exposing a long-standing system of deception and silence that has protected those responsible for generations. As Thompson reveals, the true story is even more complex and harrowing than many realize.

Money, Mississippi, has long been marked as the place where Till was killed, but the exact location of the murder has mostly been erased from the history books. The crime took place in a barn owned by one of his murderers, nestled in a six-square-mile stretch of land officially designated as Township 22 North, Range 4 West, Section 2, West Half. It is steeped in Delta history and myth, not far from the legendary Dockery Plantation. That barn still stands today, an unassuming relic of an unspeakable atrocity. The current owner now uses it for storage, keeping Christmas decorations in the very space where Till’s body once hung, a stark and unsettling contrast to its horrific past.

Through his deep ties to the region, its people, and its culture, Thompson meticulously reconstructs the true events of that fateful night. He holds accountable those who committed the crime and the system that shielded them from justice.

The Barn expands our understanding of the Emmett Till case, shedding new light on the circumstances that led to his tragic and inevitable death. It is a stark reckoning with America’s legacy of racism and a sobering reminder of how a single lie can spiral into irreversible consequences. I was stunned by how much of this history I had never been taught. Growing up in South Texas, Till’s story was only briefly mentioned in my school history lessons. The full weight of it only became apparent as I sought the truth on my own. Thompson’s account is unflinching, often uncomfortable, but undeniably essential. What struck me most is just how recent this history is. This isn’t some distant past. Many of the people involved are still alive. The Barn is a necessary read, both as a reflection on our past and a warning of how easily history can repeat itself.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads. 

(2025, 17)