Most of the books in this sampler were thrillers and I do not read thrillers. I liked the One book about Enola. This sampler gives a sample of mostly thrillers to be published by Minotaur Publishing.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche
By Nancy Springer RELEASE DATE August 31st
I watched the Netflix original movie of these novels. I was thrilled to see that the author included the movie highlights and then brought in another fascinating adventure that has Enola Holmes on another case but this one is personal. It involved her brother Sherlock. Enola is a fun, witty character I could not get enough of in these few chapters to satisfy my curiosity. These chapters left me wanting more. I look forward to reading the entire novel. I hope they make this one into a movie too.

Hello Transcriber
by Hannah Morrissey RELEASE DATE NOV 30th
Haunting mysterious suspense debut novel about a transcriber for the police. Hazel Greenlee has transcribed a lot of suicides lately. People are jumping off the bridge nearly every week. It makes her think about the people and why they did what they did. Then a body is pulled from the river and an unscratched lottery ticket is found at the scene. Hazel questions the jump. She thinks wouldn’t he look to see if he won before jumping. Her mind can’t stop thinking and questioning everything. Where these people jumping or being pushed. This is a dark story haunting story with well-timed humor to lighten things a little. If you don’t mind that mixed in with cussing and gritty dead body descriptions, then you’ll enjoy trying to solve this mystery.

These Silent Woods
By Kimi Cunningham Grant RELEASE DATE October 26th
I was instantly swept away into the woods where the author introduces a father and daughter living off the grid in an isolated cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. Why are they living like this? The father is running from his past, but how much longer can he live like this? His daughter is starting to ask questions as to their past. What Is he going to say? Then their only contact with the outside world has gone missing. Now what will they do? I wanted to know more about this father, daughter team living off the grid. It’s a story of survival, love, sacrifice and what a dad will do to keep his girl safe as he battles the ghosts from the past.

The Missing Hours
By Julia Dahl RELEASE DATE Sept 14th
NYU freshman Claudia Castro has it all. Although everyone thought so until she turns up missing, her sister is looking for her. Claudia had planned to be at the birthing of her baby girl. They even took classes together. But according to her facebook post she had been partying the night before. No doubt she would be sleeping things off. The story opens with the audience seeing Claudia as she (and the audience) wonders what happened to her the night before. She was in a pretty bad way, black eye and all. If you like a gritty tale, do not mind language and “f” bombs within a story that does not appear to be on the happy spectrum then this story is for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Thank you Net Galley and Minotaur Books for this tasty sampling of upcoming thrillers. Tasty they were, just enough to wet my appetite for fall reading. Here are a few thoughts on each:


1. Hello Transcriber- seems dark, suicidal ideations, husband is a piece of work - hunter, taxidermy, prepper.

2. These Silent Woods-nice atmospheric setting, off the grid father and daughter, hiding from something yet to be revealed. A lot going on here.

3. The Missing Hours - so scary what she remembers, but more what she doesn’t. Curious to see how possible violent trauma will be revealed and handled.

4. Enola Holmes and The Black Barouche-amusing take-off on Sherlock Holmes family. His sister a Female PI in the 1890’s should be interesting.

I’m interested in all of them except Hello Transcriber. It just set off my dark warnings.

Another fantastic Minotaur sampler! This is such a wonderful way to get a quick taste of a new book or author coming out soon. I'm definitely intrigued by many in this sampler, especially the new Enola Holmes. Thank you Minotaur for the opportunity to preview these books!

This selection of samplers all look great! I love that you can read the first few chapters to see if the book will hold your interest. It's also a great way to discover authors you haven't heard before.

Hello, Transcriber - Hazel has just been hired as the nighttime police transcriber. She reflects back on her troubled marriage and looks forward to this new job. Within the first few chapters she's already encountered someone who makes a puzzling statement, which now has Hazel curious and wanting to know more.

The Silent Woods - Cooper and eight-year-old daughter Finch have isolated their life in the mountains. Finch has had very little contact with other people. Cooper's past is the reason he remains hidden from society. Within the first few chapters I have some predictions as to what secret he's hiding.

The Missing Hours - when Claudia awakes one morning, she can't remember what happened the night before. But she is aware something did happen - something not good. When her sister does not hear back from Claudia and eventually gives birth without her in the room as promised, she is left wondering what happened to Claudia.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche - Enola is making a name for herself when she takes on sleuthing mysteries just like her older brother. Sherlock introduces the readers to his younger sister, trying to figure out how she's always outsmarting him.

Looking forward to reading these exciting new mysteries! Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the sneak peek of these upcoming books.

I’ve loved all of the Minotaur Samplers, and this one is no exception. A fab way to try out “new to you” authors and “taste” their offerings. Especially excited to see an Enola Holmes story in the bunch. After reading this excerpt, I’m a fan girl now! Out today.

5 of 5 Stars
#MinotaurSamplerVol3 #NetGalley

Thanks to the authors, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

This is a great way to discover new authors. Each bit of the story will either peak your interest or not. I have read 3 of these samplers and have looked into several of the books identified based on what I read.

This is an opportunity that should not be missed.

What an excellent grouping of four nail-biting books in one sampler, just enough of each novel to tease you and pique your interest. I definitely must read them all.
I haven't read any Enola Holmes books yet and from this snippet, I can see it's my loss. Lots of catching up to do.
These Silent Woods is a mystery thriller about a father and his young daughter living off the grid. Lots of "whys" floating around in my head after this one.
The Missing Hours starts off with a jolting shock and doesn't let up from there. Our worst fear put down on paper.
Hello, Transcriber is a courtroom thriller from a totally overlooked aspect: the studious transcriber who sits invisible but documenting each and every word.
Hook, line, and sinker: I'm allowed a glance at just enough of these new thrillers to want to finish every single one! Thanks so much to St. Martins Press- Minotaur Books!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the chance to read an early copy of this sampler!

I continue to enjoy using these samplers to get to know what's out there in the mystery genre. I was pleasantly surprised to get to the author bios at the end and realize all four of the authors were women! I don't know actual details but I'd suspect that mysteries and thrillers, outside of the cozy subgenre, were male-dominated.

As is always the case with samplers, this was a mixed bag for me. I was really intrigued by the concept of HELLO, TRANSCRIBER but oof the opening pages alone were much too depressing for me. Our setting (crimes, drugs, suicides galore) and our narrator's situation (horrific husband but too poor to get out) are both so bleak as to be dystopian and almost satirically over-the-top, though it seems to ostensibly be set in the real world (or at least one where FARGO exists!).
*Note* the heroine has some suicidal ideation (in addition to the book's mention of other suicides occurring), which is pretty much a hard pass for me

THESE SILENT WOODS was interesting because it reminded me of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (which I adored), with its characters fending for themselves in nature. I am a little curious to see what Cooper did that was so awful, though I'm nervous that this book would also be too emotionally taxing for me (I teared up a little bit over the death of Susannah the hen! and I am very worried about his daughter Finch who has no knowledge of the world outside their remote home).

THE MISSING HOURS by Julia Dahl reminded me of EVERY LAST FEAR by Alex Finlay (one of my favorite reads this year!)--the cover copy doesn't sound like my thing but then I start reading and I'm into it. I wasn't immediately entranced like in EVERY LAST FEAR, but I liked that we are jumping around from person to person filling in the story. This excerpt isn't gory but weirdly personal, where we have urination and childbirth and breastfeeding and masturbation and STI testing and PrEP and rape kits all mentioned in these opening chapters. I was a little shocked when we went right into it on the first page but it adds this sense of realism. And the reference to social media/use of hashtags actually rang true, which is pretty rare in my reading experience! This book is definitely going on my TBR.
*Note* this does handle some themes of sexual assault and violence against women. Most of this is wrapped in mystery but on the opening two pages we see that Claudia had sex while blacked out but she has no idea who her partner was, if it was consensual, if they used protection, AND her face is all beaten up. So buckle up for some heavy stuff. I did think at the end of the excerpt the college nurse was treating her very well and being matter of fact and not judgmental about finding out what she needs and offering her resources, which gave me an indication that matters would be treated with care.

I didn't watch ENOLA HOLMES on Netflix. I have a weird thing where I like retellings but not world expansions, so for example I love PRIDE & PREJUDICE retellings but would never watch LOST IN AUSTEN or read MR DARCY TAKES A WIFE or whatever. Or, more relevant here, I adore Sherry Thomas's LADY SHERLOCK series but wasn't interested in Laurie King's Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes series. So the excerpt was kind of doomed from the start. I also found the structure a little odd--Chapter 1 seems like a typical Holmesian setup where we're hanging out and a client comes to call. But before it there's this long prologue by "Sherlock Holmes" that seems to be recapping all of Enola's previous adventures? I'm a brand new reader so I can't tell if this is catching me up on the events of the Netflix show or events of previous books or what, but it is a little ironic that exposition which I'm guessing is supposed to get me up to speed just left me confused. I feel like I could have jumped into Enola's narration of the first chapter easily enough.

This was another interesting batch of mysteries--even if some of them weren't my taste, I did make a new discovery!

NetGalley offered a “read now” collection of four partial novels to be published sometime in the fall of 2021. Each sounded compelling in its own way, so I thought, “Why not?” Thanks to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and the authors for this preview edition. My opinions are my own.

Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey This novel introduces Hazel Greenlee, a transcriptionist in her early twenties, who takes a job on the graveyard shift transcribing police officers’ dictation. She and her husband are new to the town of Black Harbor, Wisconsin, and there is something spooky about this town, the river, and the things Hazel hears through the voiced recordings each night. Early in her employment, she sees something very, very odd.

After reading only a few chapters, I knew this book is worth reading! The suspense is already building. I will definitely request this book.
4 stars

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Ah, the rustic life! But what is a man doing living in a cabin in the far from civilization with his eight-year-old daughter? Grace Elizabeth was just a baby when Cindy, her mother died. I was immediately enamored with Finch, an intelligent, assertive young girl who reads American Literature, Walt Whitman, and Ovid, among others. She is a gentle girl, also, too sensitive to eat one of their chickens that has been attacked by a predator.

Cooper meets their distant neighbor, a man called Scotland, and is immediately suspicious. And Scotland seems to know something about Cooper, who he really is, and why he and his daughter are living like hermits in the Appalachian wilderness. This is something I really want to find out! It looks like I will be making another request to NetGalley.
5 stars

The Missing Hours by Julia Dahl

Claudia Castro, a freshman at NYU, awakens in her dorm room the day after a party. It’s apparent that she had too much to drink and that she had a sexual encounter with someone. When she looks in the mirror, she’s shocked. Was she assaulted? Raped? As her sister is at the hospital having her baby, she and the rest of the family wonder, where is Claudia? She was supposed to be here to help with the delivery? The scenes are well written, and while it may be obvious where this story is going....isn’t it?

The opening chapters are well written, and the character of Claudia seems quite believable. I could enjoy this book; however, it is not one that I would put near the top of my list at present. The story did not strike me as really unique, although I think that from the little that I read it may have something important to say.
3 stars

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer

I was totally prepared to dislike this story. I based this preconception on the fact that other pseudo-Holmes items that I have read just struck me as poor imitations. From the Prologue by Sherlock Holmes, however, in which the great detective introduces his much younger sister – not kindly, by the way – I was hooked. Enola, spelled backwards, is “alone.” Hmmm. We’ll see.

I am definitely going to request this one!
5 stars

Overall rating for this collection is 4.25

I love reading these samplers - it's the perfect opportunity to try out new authors and see if the stories are right for your personal taste before committing to reading the whole book.

Hello, Transcriber - I thought this was the most unusual of the four samples. The setting and main character had a really bleak feeling and it hooked me in straight away. It didn't give too much away about how the story would unfold but I am really interested to continue reading.

These Silent Woods - A father and daughter living in isolation after running away from unknown events in their past. This has all of the elements of a great mystery and again I would be intrigued to find out what happens.

The Missing Hours - From the four samples, this is the book I would probably have picked as my first choice to read, and it didn't disappoint! I love the idea of the story and it is exactly the type of mystery/thriller I love to read.

Another fantastic Minotaur sampler!! These samplers are such a perfect way to get a quick take and a teaser of a new book or books coming out soon. Thank you Minotaur for the opportunity to preview these books!

It was great having this sampler to read. It helps me know whether or not to buy the book for the library.

I really do enjoy these book samplers. I get to hear about some new books soon to be released and get a sneak peek at them as well, which really helps me to decide if I will like them. This one only has 4 thriller/mystery type samples. I think 2 of them sounded really good, but would probably only read one due to the seriousness of subject matter in the other. Anyhow, pretty good sampler. Thanks for the snippets!

I honestly cannot explain how excited I get every time I see a Minotaur Sampler available on NetGalley, they're such a good way to preview upcoming books. This one contained four previews of four very different books so there should be something for every mystery lover here.

Hello, Transcriber - Nov 30th 2021 - this novel is about an aspiring writer named Hannah who works as a police transcriber and ends up getting caught up in solving a crime. The sample really doesn't get too far into the plot but based on the preview I can tell this one is going to be a doozy. The language in incredibly descriptive and evocative - I'd honestly describe it as intense and it seems like this one is going to be quite dark and potentially morbid (early mentions of suicide, animal death, and descriptive mentions of corpses). I personally will be holding off on this one for now but if you're okay with darker themes then I would absolutely recommend this to you!

These Silent Woods - Oct 26th 2021 - this one is about a father and daughter who live off the grid in the Appalachian mountains and what happens when the isolated existence they've known suddenly changes. Their supply delivery doesn't show up for the first time, someone disappears, and for the first time ever a stranger appears in the woods and this seems to set off a chain of events that will change their lives forever. I love rural settings in my thrillers and this one seems to have quite a few mysteries going on so I'm definitely looking forward it!

The Missing Hours - Sept 14th 2021 - !!! this is definitely the one that I'm most anticipating after this sampler. The Missing Hours is about a trust fund college student who experiences memory loss after a night of black out drinking. The preview only shows her trying to figure out what happened during the time she can't remember but from the description it seems that she also ends up going missing which leads to a city wide investigation looking for her. The sample of the book features three different POV characters and I thought all of their voices were great so I'm really looking forward to this one. I do think trigger warnings for sexual assault will likely be necessary for this one so consider that before you pick it up yourself. While some of the content does have me a little hesitant to read this I'm still going to pick it up because I found the preview really engrossing.

Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche - Aug 31st 2021 - this is the 7th book in the series about Sherlock Holmes' younger crime solving sister and while I've heard of the netflix movie I had no idea it was a whole book series as well. The preview gives an overview of some of Enola's previous escapades but doesn't really get into the mystery so I can't really comment on plot but the description of the book does sound very interesting. This book, and the series in general seems like a great fit for any young adult or middle grade fans of Sherlock Holmes or mysteries in general but it being the 7th book in the series I think I will probably skip it for now.

Even though they weren't all for me these books all seem very well written and if any of them sound interesting to you I would definitely recommend picking them up!

Rumor on the street is that my #feedback ratio is ridiculously low. And I’ve just requested like 10 titles that come out later this year including YOU FEEL IT JUST BELOW THE RIBS by Jeffrey Cranor, published by: @harperperennial
Coming November 2021.

And HEARD IT IN A LOVE SONG by Tracey Garvis Graves, published by: @stmartinspress coming November 2021 as well.

Both of those titles blew me away and I can’t imagine my birth month happening without reading these.

So ✨ pray that I get approved...

Anyways long story short I need to RAMP UP my #ratio. So this entire weekend will be dedicated to just that.

I’m going to throw a lot of titles at you all at once. I think you can handle it.

Let’s start with one
I’ve already requested..

HELLO, TRANSCRIBER
By: Hannah Morrisey
Publishes 11/30/21
Pub: @minotaur

How many times have you heard a scream carried into the wind? Have you ever once felt inspired to respond. Or did you chalk it up to screams of joy. Perhaps it was none of your business. I’d like to know how you’d answer that question.

First of all the cover is awe-inspiring. It draws me in and tells me we’re going for a ride.

The Main Character, aptly nicknamed Fargo, is cold, smart, efficient like your secretary. Full of secrets and objectives, like your mistress.

True story... I know someone who was once on police dispatch. I used to work on the crisis line. We’ve never swapped work stories. I’m too afraid to ask which is worse.

One during the event
The other enduring.

Here is my 6 word pitch for
#hellotranscriber

Clever, smart, & quick as a whip!

✨

NUMBER TWO

THE SILENT WOODS
BY: Kimi Cunningham Grant
Comes out: October 26, 2021
Pub: @minotaurbooks

I feel distanced immediately upon reading just a few passages.

I think it’s intentional.

Characters are steadfast with trauma-induced attention to details and surroundings.

The writing effectively raises your anxiety, pointing out things you would never notice as a passer-by. It is raising your level of sensitivity, making you hyper aware of characters motives and behaviors.

I’m going to pass on this one and might regret it. With a 4.69 early rating it may be very appealing to the appropriate audience.

I recommend this book to readers who are:
✨Fans of male protagonists
✨Not looking for a show, the writing is not flashy. But is super effective
✨ Looking for a thriller with a side of adventure.

Here is my 50 words or less pitch for THESE SILENT WOODS:

Rugged in the best of ways, Grants writing and characters take you on a journey through the Appellations you’ll never regret.

Thanks to @minotaurbooks for this #giftedcopy✨

⭐️

Number three

So you all know this or at least you should I do not on a regular basis post trigger warnings.
I know some readers like them. I find them to be spoilery and extremely self-centered as a reviewer. This may be a regular practice I change at some point but until then I'll insert trigger warnings with discretion.

So here are the trigger warnings for
THE MISSING HOURS
BY: Julia Dahl
Coming: September 14, 2021
Pub: @minotaurbooks

👉🏽 Abuse, sexual, physical, and alcohol
👉🏽 Rape trauma
👉🏽 Violence
👉🏽 Trauma

Just in the first couple chapters.

The read felt heavy but pertinent. A discussion we should be having.

I just read an article the other day. I'll try to link in it stories, it said that during a blackout your brain does not record the memory.
It's not that you don't remember or perhaps that you were too drunk to remember. To your brain it never happened.

But, do you know what remembers?

The BODY REMEMBERS

Love the title, love the cover, love the premise.

Handle with care.

Did I request this one...stay tuned!

⭐️

ENOLA HOLMES AND THE BLACK BAROUCHE.
BY: Nancy Springer
Out: August 31, 2021
Pub: @minotaurbooks

Hi. Welcome. If you're still here let's get this party started as I round out THE MINOTAUR SAMPLER VOLUME 3 quartet with this fun one.

Sampler is available for request on @netgalley. I love samplers and this book is one of the reasons.

I never would have reached for this book on it's own. I wasn't expecting it on this sampler.

It's left me curious if the name Tupper is a n #agathachristie reference. Maybe I'll never know.

Let's talk about the book. More specifically the writing.

I can tell immediately this is not the writers first rodeo. Or shall I say... This is not the first time she's laced up a corset and put on a literary show.

I was captivated by the carriage, tone and lilt in the writing. It felt light, easy, breezy, like spring air.

Something akin to what my favorite bookstore smells like.

I recommend this book to:
👉🏽 Literary Savants
👉🏽 Readers looking for a pleasurable, quick and easy read.
👉🏽 Everyone

It was pleasure!

Thanks again to @minotaurbooks for this sampler in ebook format. #gifted ✨

Thanks again to @netgalley for providing such a great platform and for this gifted copy! ✨

Minotaur Sampler...
The Minotaur Sampler Volume 3 with a promising selection of sample chapters from up and coming mystery/ suspense due to publish in Autumn 2021. Enjoyable reading and a promise of things to come. A great resource.

Really enjoyed this! The only book I’m requesting in full is ‘Hello Transcriber’ but I enjoyed them all.

Yay for another Minotaur sampler. I love these - the next best thing to going into a bookstore and leafing through the first chapter to see if you like the author, but this time, on the couch at home. And all mystery/thrillers!

The highlight of this one for me was The Missing Hours, which I’m compelled to request immediately, about a trust fund college kid and an apparent sexual assault, very compelling writing here that grabs you from the first page. I also very much liked Hello, Transcriber, which has an extremely unique premise and a quirky style. Fans of the historical mystery will also definitely love Enola Holmes..

Another great set of mysteries here, and I bet you’ll find at least one to add to your TBR.

I love these samplers! The best way to discover new books and new authors. I found a couple I added to my TBR list!