I went into this one not knowing what it was about because this was a judge a book by its cover request and I’m so glad I did! I really could not to put this down.

Thank you BlackstonePublishing & NetGalley for the ARC!

I love some family drama or crisis. I was very intrigued with where the narrative was going. Especially after one of the main characters being blind sided right from the get go. The entanglement of characters was great. However I think the flashbacks were a bit to much for me and made the story feel so slow. I liked it just didn't love this one.

The following review was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024:

Booking a full year of reading

Review by Tom Mayer

If only us readers could just spend our days … reading. What would a year look like? Here, the editors of Home for the Holidays present their yearlong list of books, culled from the past 12 months of reading and reviewing. A few of the titles you’ll immediately recognize, and you’ll likely have more than few in your own library. But just in case you missed a title or two, we’re showcasing the whole year’s worth of books that we’ve read and reviewed, month by month.

Except for the first title, the list is simply a list. To find the reviews of many of these titles, visit our newspaper parent, The (Athens) News Courier at enewscourier.com — with a slight caveat. Our newspaper webmasters are currently working overtime to improve our content management system, the foundation of any website, and while many of our archives are now found there, it may be a few weeks before everything is fully re-uploaded — including the most recent editions of Limestone Life and Home for the Holidays. For now, though, enjoy our literary stroll through 2024.

And about that first title: Not every college professor can make statistical analysis approachable, let along interesting to their students and the general population, but Athens State University emeritus professor of psychology Mark Durm is not every college professor. After spending nearly five decades teaching thousands of students, the “ol’ psychology professor” decided that he’d best get around to writing the one book out of his nearly 100 published pieces that’s he always wanted to write. Call it a legacy piece, but what it really is is a “best of” Durm’s peer-reviewed, book reviews, non-peer reviewed and magazine articles from his 47 years in higher education.

The result is “Professional Publications of an Ol’ Psychology Professor” (Dorrance) with full previously published articles ranging from studies on the effects of glasses on a child’s self-esteem to his ever-popular parapsychology pieces, Durm presents his internationally recognized efforts with a twist.

“It’s a different kind of book because it doesn’t talk about the research, it presents the research,” the professor says from his second-career office at Durm Properties in Athens, about a half-mile from where he first presented that research in person. “I’ve spent hours on all of these articles, especially in the peer-reviewed journal articles.”

And so, articles on divorce, sex, religion and other topics now populate the pages of Durm’s most recent book in an effort to both continue his teaching and satisfy what has been a lifelong wonderment.

“You know, most people don’t understand statistics, so it’s all in there,” Durm said. “What I’m trying to do is a more critical approach to ‘just don’t believe everything you’re told.’ … It’s things that were in my life that I wanted to see if they were so, by using a psychological analysis.”

And like any good professor, Durm didn’t do that research on his own — or take all of the credit. Among the co-authors of many of his articles in the book were students — many of who he’s lost touch with, but all of whom who he credits by name in his acknowledgements and for each of who, if they look up their ol’ mentor, he has a signed book ready to hand over. For the rest of us, you can find the book at any online bookseller — just as you can with the remainder of our list, presented by the month in which the book was published, read and reviewed.

JANUARY

Unbound (Blackstone) by Christy Healy NG/F

The Devil’s Daughter by Gordon Greisman NG/ARC

FEBRUARY

Almost Surely Dead (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Amina Akhtar NG

The Chaos Agent (Gray Man 13) (Berkley) by Mark Greaney NG

The Lady in Glass and Other Stories (Ace) by Anne Bishop ARC

A Haunting in the Arctic (Berkley paperback) by C.J. Cooke NG

Ghost Island (Berkley) by Max Seeck

MARCH

Hello, Alabama (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock

The Unquiet Bones (Montlake) by Loreth Anne White

I am Rome: A novel of Julius Caesar (Ballantine Books by Santiago PosteguilloMarch 5: Murder Road (Berkley) by Simone St. James

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson

Ferris (Candlewick) by Kate DiCamillo

After Annie (Random House, Feb. 27) by Anna Quindlen

Crocodile Tears Didn't Cause the Flood (Montag Press) by Bradley Sides The #1 Lawyer (Little, Brown and Company) by James Patterson, Nancy Allen

Lilith (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad

Life: My Story Through History (Harper One) by Pope Francis

APRIL

Matterhorn (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich

Friends in Napa (Mindy’s Book Studio) by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

City in Ruins (William Morrow) by Don Winslow

The House on Biscayne Bay (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton

Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (Peachtree) by Sarah L. Thomson

For Worse (Blackstone) by L.K. Bowen

A Killing on the Hill (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoini

The Clock Struck Murder (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb

The Book That Broke the World (Ace) by Mark Lawrence

The Forgetters (Heyday Books) by Greg Sarris

Lost to Dune Road (Thomas & Mercer) by Kara Thomas

Warrior on the Mound (Holiday House/Peachtree) by Sandra Headed

Pictures of Time (Silver Street Media) by David AlexanderBare Knuckle (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner

Murder on Demand (Blackstone Publishing) by Al Roker

Home is Where the Bodies Are (Blackstone) by Jeneva Rose

MAY

Matterhorn by Christopher Reich

The Hunter's Daughter (Berkley) by Nicola Solvinic

The House That Horror Built (Berkley) by Christina Henry

In our stars (Berkley) by Jack Campbell

Freeset (book 2) (Blackstone) by Sarina Dahlan

Southern Man (William Morrow) by Greg Iles

Camino Ghosts (Doubleday) by John Grisham

JUNE

Specter of Betrayal by Rick DeStefanis

Lake County (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

Serendipity (Dutton) by Becky Chalsen

Shelterwood (Ballantine) by Lisa Wingate

The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra’s Needle (Holiday House) by Dan Gutman

Jackpot (Penguin) by Elysa Friedland

The Helper (Blackstone) by M.M. Dewil

Winter Lost (Ace) by Patricia Briggs

Shadow Heart (Blackstone) by Meg Gardiner

Lake Country (Thomas & Mercer) by Lori Roy

The Out-of-Town Lawyer (Blackstone) by Robert Rotten

Love Letter to a Serial Killer (Berkley) by Tasha Coryell

Sentinel Berkley) by Mark Greaney

JULY

Three Kings: Race, Class, and the Barrier-Breaking Rivals Who Redefined Sports and Launched the Modern Olympic Age (Blackstone) by Todd Balf

The Night Ends with Fire (Berkley) by K.X. Song

Echo Road (Montlake) by Melinda Leigh

It’s Elementary (Berkley) by Elise Bryant

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman

Back In Black (Blackstone) edited by Don Bruns

The Recruiter (Blackstone) by Gregg Podolski

AUGUST

You Shouldn’t Be Here (Thomas & Mercer) by Lauren Thoman ARC

Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer) by Yasmin Angoe NG

Fatal Intrusion by Jeff Deaver/Isabella Maldonado

Death at Morning House (HARPERTeen) by Maureen Johnson

Fire and Bones (Scribner) by Kathy Reichs

Some Nightmares Are Real (University of Alabama Press) by Kelly Kazoo

The Brothers Kenny (Blackstone) by Adam Mitzner

Blind to Midnight (Blackstone) by Reed Farrel Coleman

The Wayside (Blackstone) by Carolina Wolff

Enemy of the State (Blackstone) by Robert Smartwood

You Will Never Be Me (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (W.W. Norton) by Adam Kirsch

We Love the Nightlife (Berkley) by Rachel Koller Croft

Talking To Strangers (Berkley) by Fiona Barton

An Honorable Assassin (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton possible interview see email

Dungeon Crawler Carl (1 of 6 but see next two months) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

SEPTEMBER

Fatal Intrusion (Thomas & Mercer) by Jeffrey Deaver and Isabella Maldonado

When They Last Saw Her (Penguin) by Marcie Rendon

American Ghoul (Blackstone) by Michelle McGill-Vargas

First Do No Harm (Blackstone) by Steve Hamilton

A Quiet Life: A Novel (Arcade) by William Cooper and Michael McKinley

One More From the Top (Mariner) by Emily Layden

No Address (Forefront Books) by Ken Abraham.

Tiger’s Tale (Blackstone) by Colleen Houck

An Academy for Liars (Ace) by Alexis Henderson

Rewitched (Berkley) by Lucy Jane Wood

Gaslight (Blackstone) by Sara Shepard and Miles Joris-Peyrafitte

Counting Miracles (Random House) by Nicholas Sparks

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society (Ace) by C.M. Waggoner

The Hitchcock Hotel (Berkley) by Stephanie Wrobel

In the Garden of Monsters by Crystal King

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (2 of 6 see next month also) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

OCTOBER

The Hushed (Blackstone) by K.R. Blair NG

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer (Berkley) by Maxie Dara

On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice (Norton) by WSJ Weekend review editor Adam Kirsch

Framed (Doubleday) by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey

This Cursed House (Penguin) by Del Sandeen

The Puzzle Box (Random House) by Danielle Trussoni

Two Good Men (Blackstone) by S.E. Redfearn

Dark Space (Blackstone) by Rob Hart and Alex Segura

This Cursed House (Berkley’s open submission)by Del Sandeen

Vindicating Trump (Regnery) by Dinesh D’Souza

The Book of Witching (Berkley) by C.J. Cooke

The World Walk (Skyhorse) by Tom Turcich

The Waiting Game by Michael Connelly  ARC, possible interview see email

Beyond Reasonable Doubt (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni

Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook (3 of 6, with bonus material) (Ace) by Matt Dinniman

Frozen Lives (Blackstone) by Jennifer Graeser Fronbush NG

Vincent, Starry Starry Night (Meteor 17 Books) intro by Don McLean

Paris in Winter: An Illustrated Memoir (PowerHouse Books) by David Coggins

NOVEMBER

The Waiting (Little, Brown) by Michael Connelly

The Teller of Small Fortunes (Penguin) by Julie Long

Shadow Lab (Blackstone) by Brendan Deneen

Trial by Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

Devil Take It (Heresy Press) by Daniel Debs Nossiter

SerVant of Earth (Ace) by Sarah Hawley

All the other me (Blackstone) by Jody Holford

The Perfect Marriage (Blackstone reissue re-edit) by Jenny Rose

DECEMBER

Trial By Ambush (Thomas & Mercer) by Marcia Clark

The Close-Up (Gallery Books) by Pip Drysdale

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Methos

Leviathan (Lividian Trade HC) by Robert McCammon

The Silent Watcher (Thomas & Mercer) by Victor Method

Assume Nothing (Thomas & Mercer) by Joshua Corin

One example link:
https://enewscourier.com/2024/11/29/in-review-booking-a-full-year-of-reading/

I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job. I also loved the story - it kept me engaged and has great characters.

Sean Kenney used to be on top of the world. As a former track star, he had everything. Now Sean is estranged from his family and eking out life on his own. When tragedy strikes, Sean is once again called back into the fold. A fold that doesn’t have a lot of faith in him. Part mystery, part family drama, this book was a good read. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of this book which was released on August 13, 2024. This book intrigued me as a runner and it also had a hint of mystery in it. Two brothers who hadn't spoken in years, one is now dead. The circumstances dont seem believable and the surviving brother is hell bent on confirming his suspicions. There is a family and relationship element in this book as well. Overall, a solid 3 star book. It kept my interest for the most part, but definitely somewhat predictable in the outcome.

New to me author (confused him with the author of the chain!). This was a bit too heavy on the drama for me but there is a mystery to be solved! Will probably give other books a try.

Sean Kenney used to be close to his brother, Michael. They were both competitive in high school track, and Sean was destined to be selected for the next Olympics. However, he failed to win, and ran away. He is living in a darker existence, feeling like a failure and estranged from the family he used to be close to. Michael went to college and became very successful in the finance world. Sean gets a call from his sister telling him that Michael committed suicide. Sean feels so much guilt at the estrangement he caused, and returns home hoping to find answers about why Michael killed himself. He is also looking to forge a bond with his family again.

This book is so much more than a mystery. It is also about the family and healing, and Sean's journey of discovering who he is. All the characters have secrets, and the story begins as more of a slow burn. I feel this was the right move on the author's part, because we really get to know the characters- flaws and all, as well as the dynamics of the family. Once the reader has a good grasp on the characters, the story really takes off! There are some twists and turns.

I really enjoyed this book, and how the author seamlessly merged the two genres of mystery and family drama together, I was really engaged, and was turning pages to discover what really happened, and if Sean would emerge knowing more about himself!

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC. This is my voluntary and honest review!

A psychological thriller with all sorts of family drama. Sean is a former high school track star whose goal was the Olympics. His older brother Michael, also known as Kick, was also a track star. The 2 brothers Kenney had some sibling rivalry going on. But when Sean's Olympic dream ends, his life goes downhill slowly, and he becomes estranged from his family.

His sister Katie brings him back home under the ruse that their father has died, however, when Sean gets there, he discovers that it's his brother Michael who is dead. And he committed suicide. Sean doesn't believe it and he is intent on finding out what exactly happened, so he starts digging into Michael's life - his job, his marriage, and his extra-curricular activities.

The beginning was a little choppy for me, but as I was drawn into this story, I felt bad for Sean and how his life turned out. The author did a great job of making me an empathetic reader. There were some good twists in this book that I didn't see coming. A quick read that keeps you guessing!

Once rising track stars, Sean and his brother's bond was unbreakable. Now grown, Sean has been estranged with his family for many years. Now called home in the aftermath of his brothers death, Sean must face the past to piece together the circumstances of his brothers death. This family drama is a bit of a mystery as Sean unravels the police findings to truly understand his brothers life.

There's a lot of track references, and Sean's culpability to overcome to enjoy this story. It's a fast-paced book, hitting its stride toward the end.

Thank you, Blackstone Publishing

Really good storytelling and plot. Love this author, they always know how to get me hooked from the get go and wanting more from the characters. Really enjoyed it and definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

So enjoyed Adam Mitzner’s story about two brothers, Sean and Michael, focusing on their relationship over the years. So appreciated the depth of their love for each other in spite of their estrangement. This story served to remind me of the many bonds formed between siblings as children. As they age and other people enter their lives sometimes the bonds are stretched and twisted, sometimes to the breaking point. This book seemed like such a true depiction of such a relationship.
The addition of the mystery surrounding a death and the pursuit to determine whether it was suicide or murder added another layer of interest. I greatly enjoyed this read.
Many many thanks to Adam Mitzner, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just published book.

The Brothers Kenney by Adam Mitzner is a great mystery and suspense novel.
The book's pacing was excellent, keeping me engaged and very entertained.
I was completely engrossed from the beginning and could not stop reading.

Thank You NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sean Kenny receives news that his brother has committed suicide. He and Michael had a falling out two years ago, but Sean is certain that Michael would never do this. So, he starts to dig.

For me, this was more of a family drama/saga than mystery, which was disappointing. The story does touch on some interesting themes like how people cope with missing out on professional success in sports and the complex relationship between siblings. Also the writing and characters are strong, likable, and enjoyable. The author is very talented and I will definitely continue to read his books. However, there is no mystery here but a contrived fantasy, and the final twist was not believable at all. I think that the story would be improved if the resolution was rooted in reality especially since the initial premise of familial relationships, regrets and remorse was so relatable.

3.5 rounded up.

Sean and his brother were once track stars. But now Sean is grown and his brother, “Kick” has just committed suicide on his 39th birthday. But Sean doesn’t believe it was actually suicide, since the estranged brothers has recently reconnected and Kick was positive about the future. No one else seems to agree with him based just on that, including their sister or even Kick’s widow and certainly not the police. Despite all that, Sean persists in looking into what might have really happened to his brother and along the way he hooks back up with an old flame, Rachel, who was also at one time involved with Kick, and who is at least willing to entertain the idea that maybe it wasn’t suicide. She even offers her firm’s private investigator to help out with Sean’s investigation into the truth which may uncover some secrets about the family members that they don’t want revealed.
There were a lot of details to get through and some points about the money laundering and stuff felt a little sluggish but necessary. Sean is a relatable character and someone you want to root for.
This was my first book by this author and I’m sure I will look for more in the future.

With an exciting synopsis, I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately it fell a little flat for me with the second half dragging a bit. I was shocked at the ending - it seemed to be a full 180 on the way certain people were portrayed throughout the book and seemed unnatural. This was a short, quick read. I would be interested in trying more by the author.

This is story of love, loss, grief and healing. A brilliant portrayal of families and all of their imperfections.

I have to say this - my family is a running family. We have always been track athletes and coaches and this endearing backdrop just resonates with me. I think it’s difficult to understand how important sports (especially track/running) are to the individual and what you can learn about yourself and your boundaries.

Michael, Sean and Katie are more than siblings. They are each others support system through grief and trials. They will call each other out and pick each other up.

The who dun it- getting to the truth - portion of the story keeps the pace and the pages turning, but the best part is the growth is the characters. Highly recommend

Growing up the brothers Michael (aka Kick) and Sean Kenney were close, both high school stars on the track, specialising in the 1600 metre Michael went on to college to complete a business degree and forge a successful career in finance as a fund manage. Sean would go on to be a State High School Champion and was fully expected to be selected for the next Olympics. When he failed to win at the Olympic trials his world collapsed and unable to cope with failure he ran away to lick his wounds. Living a marginal existence Sean became estranged from his wife and daughters, and especially the brother he loved.

Two years later, Sean’s sister Katie tells him Michael has committed suicide and he returns home, regretting the time he has squandered while wallowing in his misery. Sean finds it hard to believe Michael would kill himself and decides to work out what was going on in Michael’s life to result in his death.

This is as much a family drama as it is a mystery and it’s the relationships and Sean’s journey of self-discovery that make it the most interesting. The plot builds gradually giving us a good view of the characters and their lives with Sean soon learning that none of them are perfect and they all have secrets they keep from each other. As he uncovers things he didn’t know about Michael, the pace increases and the plot starts to grab as a few twists are thrown into the works. I wasn’t totally convinced by the plausibility of the resolution but enjoyed this was overshadowed by the strong portrayal of the characters and a family riddled with regrets and poor decisions.

After reading and enjoying several books by this talented author, I certainly consider myself a fan. Even if I weren't one before, though, this one would pretty much seal the deal even though it didn't end the way I'd have preferred.

Sean Kenney's older brother, Michael ("Kick") died on his 39th birthday - according to the police, a suicide by gunshot. But Sean, once a hotshot track runner who's been estranged from his brother and largely with his ex-wife Meghan and their two daughters, doesn't buy it. Despite having a relatively solid reason for his disbelief, though, nobody else in the family including their sister Katie and Michael's widow, Jenny, will even entertain the notion that he could have been murdered.

Still, Sean persists; basically, the story follows his attempts to prove that he's right. Along the way, he rehooks up with old flame Rachel - who once was involved with Michael and is at least willing to discuss the possibility. She even offers the services of her firm's private investigator to give more legs to Sean's investigation - which includes family members (okay with me since I didn't find any of them to be someone I'd want to go have a beer with).

The devil is in the details, of course, and also of course, I'm not at liberty to explain them. All in all, the story was engrossing all the way to the end, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

An astoundingly first chapter that leads right into an astounding book. Author Adam Mitzner pulls no punches; he gets right to it and sets up the uncertainty, confusion, mystery and suspense that will be with you until the equally astounding final chapter. Sean Kenney’s sister Katie travels to New Orleans to bring Sean home to East Carlisle, New Jersey, where their father has died of Alzheimer’s. But it’s a lie, as Sean quickly learns when his father shuffles into the dining room. It’s not a complete lie, though; someone has in fact died. Instead of their father, it’s their older brother Michael who has died. Michael, the big success to Sean’s big failure. Sean and Michael have been estranged for two years and Katie knew Sean would never come home if he knew it was Michael that died, especially once he found out that Michael committed suicide. Sean immediately rejects that idea. Why would Michael commit suicide? He had a great job, loving family, beautiful house, everything Sean lost when he could no longer be the track star he once was. If Michael is dead, it’s because someone killed him. Neither Katie nor anyone else will believe Sean is right. He ran away from East Carlisle, has alcohol issues, stability issues, what does he know. Well, what he knows is that Michael – Kick – called him the night he died and said he would see him again. And Kick never lied to Sean.

With that astounding start The Brothers Kenney envelops you in dark foreboding and keeps you off balance. For several chapters I kept hoping that Kick wasn’t really dead; if their father wasn’t maybe he wasn’t either. But he is dead, and everyone but Sean is ready to accept the verdict of suicide and move on.

No one is off limits for Sean’s suspect list. And author Mitzner makes Sean’s suspicions of each person just plausible enough for you to believe it might be so for a while. Michael’s widow Jenny doesn’t seem to be grieving too hard, and she’s awful friendly with Katie’s husband Ben. Is something going on there and Michael needed to be gotten out of the way? Kick told Sean he was in some kind of trouble and things seem a little fishy with Kick’s work colleagues. Bad business deals? Bad business associates? As Sean digs deeper everything and everyone seem shadier and somehow sinister.

As Sean is fumbling through his amateur investigation his personal life is bumping along. His ex-wife Meghan has remarried but she seems ready and willing for Sean to re-establish a relationship with his daughters if he’s sincere and will put in the work. Michael’s ex-girlfriend Rachel and Sean had a thing for a while after Rachel and Michael split up, and Rachel is suddenly back in Sean’s life and acting as if she wants to pick right up again. Sean is hopeful, more hopeful than he’s been in two years, but is it too good to be true? There’s something vague about Rachel, something that doesn’t quite ring true with her stories and the man Dolev she brings in to “help” Sean find the truth.

The Brothers Kenney speeds along, introducing people to wonder about and threads to pull to try and find out what happened, and dives into family relationships and history and wounds that maybe never heal, and distrust that pops up when you least expect it. The last 45 minutes of the book are almost unbearably suspenseful; you think you’ve found the answers – and peace – but you’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing an advance copy of The Brothers Kenney via NetGalley. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is well written, smoothly and believably plotted and completely engrossing. I recommend without hesitation that you read it, and that you read author Adam Mitzner’s backlist as well. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.