fiction

Book Review: THE BOOK OF WITCHING by C. J. Cooke

| Jessica Crawford

The Book of Witching by C. J. Cooke is a 384 standalone novel published by Berkley in 2024.

Genre:

Horror, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Supernatural, Witchy

Opening Line:

It’s almost sunrise.

My Thoughts:

In sixteenth century Scotland, wife and mother Alison Balfour is a spaewife whose charms have helped her remote community with various ills and injuries many a time. But she must be careful, as it’s a time when the king has a mind for hunting out so-called witches and eradicating them. This part of the book is written in first person present tense.

In 2024, Clem’s daughter has been horrifically injured in a fire, a blaze that killed the young woman’s boyfriend, who was found with his hand’s bound. The third person who had been present at the time is missing. What were the three of them doing on such an isolated beach? How did the fire start? This part is in third person present tense.

This book answers these questions, and explains how these events 400 years apart are connected to one another via a black book of dark mysteries.

The historical fiction aspect of this book is based off of a true story, but that doesn’t change the fact that the book world has been flooded with stories of women who dabble in natural remedies getting accused of witchcraft, and that portion alone does not do much of anything that these others haven’t done already (although the writing is certainly a step or two up from Weyward). But it was the current day part of the tale that I found myself most invested in. Learning along with Clem how exactly Erin and her friends wound up in that fire in Orkney, and how it related back to the events in the other part of the story, was what kept me turning pages.

This is a witchy mystery story that is part historical fiction, with an element of horror introduced by the black book that is definitely supernatural and won’t let itself be easily disposed of. There is some violence on the page (executions sixteenth century-style), and some descriptions of serious burn injuries. Any sex occurs off page, except for one scene in which it is glossed over quickly as you are told it happened without being subjected to any descriptors.

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Book Review: A GRIM REAPER’S GUIDE TO CATCHING A KILLER by Maxie Dara

| Jessica Crawford

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara was published by Berkley in 2024, and is the first in the SCYTHE Mystery series, although this story works as a standalone.

Genre:

Mystery

Opening Line:

I tapped the address in my file with the lid of the pen I’d been chewing on.

My Thoughts

I took this delightful mystery in via audio (the narration was fantastic!)

Kathy works for a company called S.C.Y.T.H.E. as a collector–she goes to the scene of a death and transports the person’s soul to the appropriate location for processing into the afterlife. But the soul of 17 year old Conner convinces her he was murdered by someone in her organization. They must investigate what really happened and why it was covered up, all before Conner’s soul becomes fated to be stuck on Earth forever as a ghost. All this while 42 year old Kathy is going through a divorce and pregnant with her first child.

The mystery was all well and good, but it was the relationships that made this one so touching. Conner really felt a lack of love from his parents, and Kathy worries she will be a terrible parent. The two of them wind up helping each other out far beyond working together to save Conner from an eternity as a ghost. This found family aspect was so sweet!

The narrative style of this book is super amusing, and I let out some laughs here and there. The story definitely left me with some questions about details (what exactly does Kathy do at her cubicle in the office all day every day for a job as what amounts to a currier?) But it was sweet and funny enough that these things didn’t bother me overmuch. I really enjoyed this one!

🔥 No steamy content

🔪 No on-page violence or gruesome content

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Book Review: HOUSE OF FRANK by Kay Synclaire

| Jessica Crawford

House of Frank by Kay Synclaire is a standalone novel coming October 15th from Bindery Books.

Genre:

Cozy Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA+

Opening Line:

“Sing for me,” you whisper. “Please.”

My Thoughts:

3.5 stars for this is a cozy fantasy story with grieving as a major theme throughout, and an LGBTQIA+ romance.

Saika is a music witch mourning the death of her sister. Fiona made her promise to see that her ashes were planted at the arboretum at Ash Gardens, where they will grow into something beautiful. Even after she arrives at Ash Gardens, Saika finds she is not yet ready to part with her sister’s ashes, and she winds up staying on and helping out around the place. She gets to know the others employed there, including cherubs, an elf, a half-gargoyle, and a one-of-a-kind beast. It turns out they are all suffering their own losses, and develop relationships that allow them to help one another navigate through their grief.

This was nice story of love, loss, friendship, and healing. The range of characters was nice, although you only get to know a few of them beyond surface level. I wasn’t really feeling the romance between our two lovebirds, personally–their interactions with one another were more irritating than anything, in my opinion, but it made for a sweet story. This is a slower-paced character driven tale, and though it takes place in a fantasy world, we are only shown this one specific part of it at Ash Gardens (with one day trip into the city). Potential readers should also know the narration often veers into second person, as Saika addressing her departed sister. It’s not like the entire book is written in second person point of view, but some people may be turned off even by a portion of it being so.

Now if I may grumble a little bit – when Saika reads that a dragon laying eggs means it’s trying to start a family and explains this to others, and their response is, “I had no idea!’…what exactly was their understanding of how eggs work?! Also, this is another case of me being taken by surprise by the occasional F-word sprinkled throughout–cursing in books doesn’t bother me (as long as it’s not excessive), but was surprising in what otherwise seemed like such a wholesome story.

But overall this was a decent cozy, emotional yet hopeful read.

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

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Book Review: THE HAUNTING OF MOSCOW HOUSE by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

| Jessica Crawford

The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is a 383 page standalone novel published by Berkley in 2024.

Genre:

Historical Fiction, Horror, Gothic, Romance

Opening Line:

If someone from their past should catch a glimpse of the formerly aristocratic Goliteva sisters, they would find two wraiths instead of countesses.

My Thoughts:

…the ghosts wouldn’t have returned unless there was space for them among the living…to let them and the past in, maybe in hope of healing it and themselves.

Irina and Lili were Russian countesses, but after the revolution they are “former people” living at the mercy of the Soviet regime. In 1921 they live in their family’s Moscow estate with their grandmother, aunt, and young cousins, although electricity has long since been shut off and they have had to resort to selling valuable family heirlooms in order to be able to feed themselves. A group of Bolsheviks arrive one day and commandeer their home, forcing the family to move into the attic. But then things start happening in the house, frightening things, and people start dying.

A good portion of this book is historical fiction about post-revolutionary Russia, the Cheka, the Bolsheviks, the American Relief Administration providing former aristocrats with jobs helping to ease the famine. There are two separate romances, which I’m not sure were really needed. The Gothic part is due to the fact that the main characters live in a derelict mansion where spooky things are happening. The horror and folklore parts were by far the most interesting to me.

There is no slow, creeping build up of suspense here, as right from the get go our sisters are confronted up close with footsteps from behind, a growl, an earsplitting screech, something skittering past in the dark, glowing red eyes, an implosion of air throwing them off balance as furniture crashes and things smash, culminating with the discovery of a dead body in their home–all in one go. Well, okay then, you can’t have imagined ALL of that, I guess there’s no questioning an actual haunting going on here, then! (Although actually, Irina sees dead acquaintances sporting their fatal wounds appear before her very eyes at her dining table, and “still doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but it’s growing harder and harder to refute its existence”…ya think?!)

The last, I don’t know, 15% or so of the book really ramps up on the horror and excitement, and I enjoyed it the most.

The rest I only felt lukewarm about. There were a couple of things about the writing that I didn’t love. It is understood, even mentioned, that except when speaking to the Americans, everyone is speaking Russian and we’re just reading about it in English. So why mix the two languages in some sentences, like with, “Your family, nothing but upyrs” (vampires)? If all of those words were actually delivered in Russian, why present it mostly in English with one word randomly in Russian? It seems just because the author wants to impress.

Also, we are treated to several diary entries, one of which reads, “‘What happened, Marie?’ I demanded in rapid French.” No one would write like that in a diary. It’s like me writing, “Dear Diary, ‘What would you boys like for breakfast?’ I cheerfully inquired this morning”.

There was also a parakeet in the book, a somewhat anthropomorphized one that was never caged but just flew around the estate wheresoever she wished, and I couldn’t help but think, “Gee, there must just be bird shit all over that house.”

For me this was a case of “Come for the horror, stay only for the horror”, because the romances and the historical fiction just weren’t that engaging to me. But that Domovoy sure was!

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Book Review: A LETTER TO THE LUMINOUS DEEP by Sylvie Cathrall

| Jessica Crawford

A Letter to the Luminous Deep: The Sunken Archive: Book One by Sylvie Cathrall is a 400 page novel published in 2024 by Orbit.

Genre:

Cozy Fantasy Romance/Mystery

Opening Line:

Dear Scholar Clel,

Instead of reading further, I hope you will return this letter to its envelope or, better yet, crumple it into an abstract shape that might look quite at home on a coral reef.

Synopsis:

A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of  A Marvellous Light  and  Emily Wilde’s Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.’s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.’s sister Sophy, and Henerey’s brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery, piecing together the letters, sketches and field notes left behind—and learn what their siblings’ disappearance might mean for life as they know it.

Inspired, immersive, and full of heart, this charming epistolary tale is an adventure into the depths of a magical sea and the limits of the imagination from a marvelous debut voice.

My Thoughts:

This epistolary novel is told through a formal academic yet delightful tone, and is full of fantastical mystery and cozy romance. There is queer and disability representation, which is great. Although there is a romance, there is no steamy content, and there is no violence. The overall story was intriguing, but the execution was kind of a miss for me.

This book is comprised entirely of letters, journal entries, excerpts, reports and such. And while the writing is amusing and did in fact have me laughing out loud at times, every character has the exact same voice. Everyone sounds absolutely indistinguishable from anyone else in their manner of speech…er, writing. Though the ideas behind the story are enchanting, with this voice problem and the relatively slow and plodding pace, it wound up being a bit boring to get through. I had to talk myself into picking it back up to read on.

And then of course it doesn’t really end because it turns out it is the first book in a planned (series? duology?), a fact I was not aware of until after I had it in my hands.

I generally don’t like comps because they so often disappoint, as reading is such a personal and unique experience for each reader, but I personally agree with the comparison between this book and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, tone-wise, although I myself enjoyed the latter much more.

Epistolary, cozy academic romance, and underwater sci-fi/fantasy mystery are all terms that appeal to me, but in the end the detractions outweighed the delights for me, and I don’t think I will bother picking up the sequel.

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Book Review: THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore

| Jessica Crawford

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is a 496 page novel published by Riverhead Books in 2024.

Genre: Literary Mystery

Opening Line:

The bed is empty.

Synopsis:

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

My Thoughts:

This character-driven mystery was super engaging, managing to be both propulsive and emotionally resonant. It’s a missing persons mystery (two, actually, and the question of whether or not they’re related) with a generous helping of Rich People Behaving Badly. I don’t know that it really does anything that new or different, but a short way into reading this book I found I didn’t want to set it down, and finished it all in what I think was basically two sittings!

Rich people, thought Judy–she thought this then, and she thinks it now–generally become most enraged when they sense they’re about to be held accountable for their wrongs.

The story takes place on a wilderness preserve in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State, where characters have learned a healthy respect for the forest, its bounty as well as its dangers (AKA it’s features as well as it’s…bugs. Ha!) Chapters follow a rotation of several people: the missing teen’s bunkmate, their camp counselor, the investigator looking into her disappearance, and the mother of the missing children. The timeline also jumps back and forth from the 1950s, 1961, 1973, and the summer months of 1975, and the author makes this clear through the use of a header at the beginning of each chapter. I think Alice’s chapters hit me the hardest–how small her husband made her feel, the purity of her love for Bear.

Only with her son did she have a connection that existed outside any hierarchy of authority. She loved him plainly, without condition or complexity. And she believed he loved her the same way.

I’m going to miss being with these characters. I’d say there is an excellent chance this book will wind up as one of my top ten reads of the year!

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Book Review: A MOST AGREEABLE MURDER by Julia Seales

| Jessica Crawford

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales, is a 300+ page debut novel published in 2023 by Random House.

Genre:

Cozy mystery/historical fiction with a hint of romance and heaps of humor

Opening Line:

In the English countryside there was a small township called Swampshire, comprised of several lovely mansions and one disgusting swamp.

Synopsis:

When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder.

Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township–she is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters– beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she’d be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.

For her family’s sake, she’s vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family’s estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior . . . which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.

Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire’s infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires–before anyone else is murdered.

My Thoughts:

This is a delightfully humorous Regency era locked room mystery! I agree with the comparison to the Bridgerton TV show crossed with an Agatha Christie novel, plus some hilarious ridiculousness added for flavor.

Miss Beatrice Steele and her sisters are expected to make advantageous marriages. There are very strict rules of decorum in Swampshire, England, and unfortunately, Beatrice’s interest in reading about murder investigations is quite explicitly forbidden in The Lady’s Guide to etiquette. She is therefore delighted when, one stormy evening at a ball at Stabmort Park, a guest is murdered. Here is her chance to conduct her own investigation while seeming helpful rather than morbid! The investigation is a twisty one, as it seems there are multiple members of Swampshire society hiding their own unseemly secrets.

This was a good mystery story, but the best part is the humor! From Mr. Steele’s constant silly pranks at the most inopportune times, to the frequent allusions to the fact that Beatrice’s youngest sister might be a werewolf without ever addressing it head on, and the explanation that no one else ever attended Miss Bolton’s theatrical productions because all of Swampshire happened to misplace their invitations in their fireplaces – this book was a hoot! The letters, article excerpts, play scripts and other little bits in between chapters are also a nice touch.

There is a bit of a romance burgeoning in this story. At the end of the book is a sneak peek at Book 2, which is the first I learned that this was going to be a series – this book could work perfectly well as a standalone, only the romance has not yet come to full fruition. I, for one, look forward to reading more about Beatrice and Inspector Vivek Drake simultaneously antagonizing and growing to care for one another as they solve crimes together in London.

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Book Review: THE SQUARE OF SEVENS by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

| Jessica Crawford

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a twisty 528 page novel published in 2023 by Atria Books.

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Opening Line:

People like to say they seek the truth.

Synopsis:

An orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England searches for answers about her long-dead mother and uncovers shocking secrets in this immersive and atmospheric saga perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and Sarah Perry.

Cornwall, 1730: A young girl known only as Red travels with her father making a living predicting fortunes using the ancient Cornish method of the Square of Sevens. Shortly before he dies, her father entrusts Red’s care to a gentleman scholar, along with a document containing the secret of the Square of Sevens technique.

Raised as a lady amidst the Georgian splendor of Bath, Red’s fortune-telling delights in high society. But she cannot ignore the questions that gnaw at her soul: who was her mother? How did she die? And who are the mysterious enemies her father was always terrified would find him?

The pursuit of these mysteries takes her from Cornwall and Bath to London and Devon, from the rough ribaldry of the Bartholomew Fair to the grand houses of two of the most powerful families in England. And while Red’s quest brings her the possibility of great reward, it also leads to grave danger.

Laura Shepherd-Robinson, “the queen of modern Georgian literature” (Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora), has written a dazzling and Dickensian story of mystery and intrigue, with audacious twists and turns.

My Thoughts:

Three cheers and a round of applause for The Square of Sevens!

Our story takes place in eighteenth century England. Our main character is Red, a girl who travels the countryside with her father, the two of them telling fortunes for money and never staying in one place long. When her father falls ill, he asks a kind gentleman to take his daughter in after he dies, explaining that her mother was a lady and he wishes her to be raised as one as well. The man balks at first; surely there is family who can look after her? But the answer comes that her father has no family, and her mother’s family does not know she exists, and must never know.

Years later, sixteen year old Red is filled with curiosity to know who her mother was. She finds some hints in the belongings her father left behind, and comes to believe her mother was part of the wealthy De Lacy family of British high society. Her father probably only said what he did about it being dangerous for them to learn of her existence in order to persuade her guardian to take her into his care…right?

The De Lacys are a family at war with one another, in the midst of years of legal proceedings arguing who the rightful heir to the family fortune is. Red coming in and announcing herself as the late patriarch’s oldest grandchild is going to look like she is lying for the sake of putting in a claim of her own. So Red keeps her true identity hidden while infiltrating her own family, searching for proof to offer them in order for them to accept that she is actually one of them.

I enjoy family sagas and love court intrigue and machinations in my books, and this was a combination of these things. The story reaches from the fortune teller tents of county fairs to the grand estates of nobility. While attempting to uncover proof of her legitimacy as a De Lacy, Red digs up plenty of other dark family secrets as well. And I loved every minute of it!

AND THEN…I think my jaw literally dropped with the final reveal of many. I mean, this is historical fiction, not a psychological thriller – who would have expected such a twist?! Wowee!

I did notice that this book seemed very long. As I was enjoying it all along, this did not bother me, but I can definitely see how some readers might take issue with the length. As it is, this is hands down my top pick for books I have read so far this year!

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Book Review: SIPSWORTH by Simon Van Booy

| Jessica Crawford

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy is a 198 page book published by David R. Godine May 7, 2024.

Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction

Opening Line:

Helen Cartwright was old with her life broken in ways she could not have foreseen.

The Synopsis:

Over the course of two weeks in a small English town, a reclusive widow discovers an unexpected reason to live.

Following the loss of her husband and son, Helen Cartwright returns to the village of her childhood after living abroad for six decades. Her only wish is to die quickly and without fuss. She retreats into her home on Westminster Crescent, becoming a creature of routine and “Each day was an impersonation of the one before with only a slight shuffle—as though even for death there is a queue.”

Then, one cold winter night, a chance encounter with a mouse sets Helen on a surprising journey.

Sipsworth is a reminder that there can be second chances. No matter what we have planned for ourselves, sometimes life has plans of its own. With profound compassion, Simon Van Booy illuminates not only a deep friendship forged between two lonely creatures, but the reverberations of goodness that ripple out from that unique bond.

My Thoughts:

Well, if this wasn’t the sweetest thing!

Helen Cartwright was raised in England, moved to Australia, spent sixty years there, many of them as a pediatric cardiologist. She lived an entire happy life there. But after her husband and her son both pass away, she moves back to her hometown in England and waits for her turn to die.

Walking helped, and she tried to go out every day, even when it poured. But life for her was finished…Each day was an impersonation of the one before with only a slight shuffle⁠—as though even for death there is a queue.

But then Helen encounters a mouse.

At first she intends to get it out of her home, then to bring it to a wildlife rescue center…but then she finds purpose and meaning again in caring for this little creature, whom she names Sipsworth.

Helen is certain now that the creature in her sink must surely have been a child’s pet that outlived his use as a companion and was left to die. Except he is downstairs in a pie box. Not dying. And for the first time in many years, against her better judgement, neither is she.

She even tells her new companion that if he passes away before her to keep an eye out for her husband and son:

“I want you to let them know that I’m fine. I wasn’t for a long time, but I am now.”

Not only do her interactions with the mouse bring her joy, he also winds up bringing other people back into her life: the owner of the hardware store where she initially intends to buy mousetraps, the librarian from whom she checks out books on mouse care, and others.

“You know what your gift to the world is, Sipsworth?” Helen asks him. “It’s that you bring out the best in people.”

A heartwarming tale about a renewed lease on life, meaningful connections, and found family, this story made me tear up while simultaneously pasting a wide grin on my face. I think fans of A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman might enjoy this (although I hesitate to make comps because I personally always find them disappointing – like although books share some similarities, what I loved about the other book, such as the tone or voice, is not one of them). A real treasure!

(Side note: I was originally concerned about HOW MUCH TEA the people drink in this book – but the internet tells me that each cup only contains 26 mg of caffeine, so really 15 cups per day should be safe for consumption–which is good, because these characters are probably not far off from that!)

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