3.25 stars! This story follows Kat, whose life was shattered when her father was convicted of her mother's murder, a case solved by the brilliant detective Alik Lisser. Years later, Kat meets Lisser and forms a surprising friendship, but things aren't as simple as they seem. This was a fun read that I recommend.

3.5* rounded up

Having totally fallen behind on my TBR list, I’ve been effectively selecting books off random first-few-pages tasters.
So that’s the first good thing about ‘Assume Nothing’; in those first few pages, we’re pulled back to the ‘90s, to AOL, to chat rooms, and to a time when meeting someone off the internet was the ‘stranger with sweets’ in our childhoods.
Kat is an interesting character; raised by her abusive uncle and wonderful but long-suffering aunt, she is a huge fan of mystery novels. In particular, she’s a big fan of a woman who wrote a novel about Kat’s mother’s murder by her father.
I really enjoyed the sections that took place in the chatroom; it brought me back to hours spent on movie forums and whatever else I followed at the time.
The plot mixes a coming-of-age story with a mystery to be solved by our heroine and her chatroom friend, Dev, and school crush, Pedro. I don’t want to give away anymore than the book jacket does, suffice to say that I really enjoyed this.
It’s undoubtedly written for a slightly(!) younger audience than myself but the elements of ‘90s nostalgia had me hooked right from the start.
The voice of Kat, who narrates in first person, is also very strong and we can certainly get a sense of her world and how she navigates it; we recognise both the street smarts and naivete of her age, and she’s an easy character to root for.
I also enjoyed the other main character, that of famous detective Alik Lisser – a kind of anti-Jesscia Fletcher (depending on where you fall on JF’s ability to turn up at EVERY murder ever) whose pompousness and pride are his fatal flaws.
There’s a bit of suspension of disbelief, for sure, but it’s more in the line of ‘ooh, that’s unlikely but stranger things have happened’ style of disbelief.
I did find the ending a little rushed, with little in the way of follow-up. We don’t get any real update on certain ancillary characters, and it was a little bit of a let-down.
But mostly, a really enjoyable little read with strong characterisation.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer, via NetGalley for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Quiet, bookish Kat McCann is an unassuming teenage girl living with her aunt and uncle in Boston, Massachusetts. She isn’t shy, exactly, but she doesn’t like to draw attention to herself either. She’d had enough of the spotlight after her artist mother was brutally murdered and her father arrested for the crime.

She doesn’t have any friends at school but, this being the 1990s, has found a community of like-minded individuals on the internet:

QUOTE
The chat room was the closest thing I had to a place where I could be myself. I didn’t have to keep my mouth shut in the chat room. Not like in school, out of fear my classmates might think I was too dumb for my own good. And not like at home, out of fear my uncle might think I was too smart for my own good. The regulars in the chat room were my friends. We had running jokes. For example, whenever someone new showed up and tried to wow us with some iota of trivia about Carissa Miller, we all played along and pretended to be astonished [...] It was all in good fun.
END QUOTE

Her hangout space of choice is devoted to the works of Dame Carissa Miller, the celebrated novelist whose murder mysteries were often based on true crimes. After a lifetime of fame and fortune, Carissa disappeared at the age of seventy-five, leaving a note urging her loved ones and fans alike not to look for her. But it isn’t just this intrigue that has Kat hooked on discussing Carissa’s life and career. The case of Kat’s parents was actually the subject of one of Carissa’s books. The murder was solved by Alik Lisser, the real-life investigator Carissa modeled her most popular detective on. Kat even remembers being interviewed by Alik when she was six, and how kind he was to her as they played cards.

So when she hears that he’s flying over from England to give a guest lecture at Harvard, she knows that she can’t pass up the opportunity to speak with him again. She’s agonized over her memories of her parents for so long, and still can’t believe that her loving father would slaughter her devoted mom. The topic of Alik’s speech, on wrongful convictions, further convinces her that she needs to talk to him about her mother’s death.

To her surprise, he agrees that there was something odd about the case. Even more astonishingly, he invites her and her family to come visit him in London so that he can show her his evidence instead of just telling her about it. Kat’s aunt is a huge Anglophile but both she and Kat know that Kat’s uncle needs to be handled carefully if the trip is to happen for them:

QUOTE
We were going to London! I still had trouble believing it. Most unbelievable of all: my uncle wasn’t standing in our way, wasn’t putting up a fight, nothing. At the time I didn’t question it [...] Only later did I realize my aunt had been strategizing. She called all those people to brag (including her priest) so she could set up a fail-safe. What happened behind closed doors was one thing, but now these people were telling other people, and if my uncle turned around and said no to London, he’d be turning all these other people into liars.

So smart. So sneaky. So brave.

I’ll bet my uncle probably thought he had beaten all the bravery out of my aunt. But he was wrong.
END QUOTE

And so Kat and her aunt travel to England to learn the truth about what happened to her mother… which turns out to be the beginning of Kat’s nightmare, as she finds out that nothing, as the title implies, is as she’s believed for so long.

Saying any more would be spoiling this terrific rollercoaster of a murder mystery, as Kat’s already less than perfect life careens towards greater disaster. Joshua Corin expertly writes jaw-dropping twists that have readers like myself feeling deeply invested in Kat’s seemingly impossible struggle. The 90s setting is perhaps uniquely perfect for this. Alik rails against modern technology getting in the way of good detective work – he would definitely loathe the advances of the 21st century – but the relatively primitive technology of the era is what allows this plot to work so well.

As a 90s kid myself, I was deeply nostalgic for Kat’s experiences online, as well as her devotion to the Agatha Christie-like Carissa. But it isn’t just nostalgia or even the undeniable ingenuity of the plot that carries this novel. Kat’s relationships with the people she cares about – even when she can’t confide in them or, even worse, when they don’t believe her – make for the most compelling reading. You’ll be rooting for courageous, clever, kind-hearted Kat till the very last, satisfying page.

This was a difficult book for me to get through. I am going to need to try the audiobook, but even that may be difficult with no chapters.

I am going to need to give it a second chance and I am giving it 3 stars because everything came together from what I can remember.

great book and I loved the action and the romance . I loved seeing the friends and family. I loved that they were able to figure things out. Overall a great book .

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"Assume Nothing" by Joshua Corin is a relentless, adrenaline-pumping thriller that grabs you by the throat from the very first page and doesn't let go until the stunning conclusion. Corin's narrative is a masterful blend of suspense, intricate plotting, and psychological depth, making this a must-read for any thriller enthusiast.

The novel follows the journey of Esme Stuart, a former FBI agent who has left her high-stakes career to lead a quieter life with her family. However, her past comes rushing back when she is drawn into a case involving a deadly and elusive adversary known only as "The Stranger." As Esme delves deeper into the investigation, she uncovers a series of chilling connections and is forced to confront her darkest fears and deepest secrets.

Corin's writing is sharp and evocative, with a keen eye for detail that brings each scene to life. The pacing is impeccable, with the tension ratcheting up with every chapter. The plot is meticulously crafted, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing and on the edge of their seats. Corin deftly balances action-packed sequences with moments of introspection, creating a well-rounded and immersive reading experience.

One of the novel's standout elements is its protagonist, Esme Stuart. Corin has created a strong, multi-dimensional character whose resilience and intelligence shine through in every situation. Esme's internal struggles and determination make her a relatable and compelling heroine. The supporting cast is equally well-developed, each adding depth and complexity to the story.

"Assume Nothing" excels in its exploration of themes such as trust, deception, and the cost of keeping secrets. Corin delves into the psychological intricacies of his characters, making the stakes feel real and the suspense all the more intense. The novel's setting, with its atmospheric descriptions, adds another layer of tension and enhances the overall sense of danger and urgency.

"Assume Nothing" is a masterfully crafted thriller that showcases Joshua Corin's talent for creating gripping and thought-provoking narratives. It is a standout entry in the genre, offering readers a roller-coaster ride of suspense, action, and psychological intrigue. This novel is a must-read for fans of intense, high-stakes thrillers and anyone looking for a book that will keep them up late into the night.

For those that need chapters, this has none, and while it doesn't bother me since a story is a story, it may bother some. This was more young adult but still worthy of an adult read and very nostalgic of the 90s. While some of the protagonist's actions may be a bit hard to believe, again, it is a story and an entertaining one at that. With a steady pace and surprising twists, this was a solid four star for me.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

3.5 rounded down

Basic Premise: When Kat was young, a famous detective solved her mother's murder pinning it on her father. We meet Kat as a teen who has read all of the novels that were inspired by the detective's cases. Not surprisingly, Kat and Alik Lisser cross paths again and the story ensues from there.

I enjoyed this book, but it felt was geared more to Young Adults. Definitely nothing wrong with that, but I was hoping for a little more. I did recommend this book to my 14-year old. I appreciated the 90s references and each one brought a smile. It mostly kept my interest, but I had to suspend disbelief as some of the plot was pretty contrived. Sometimes I'm able to suspend disbelief and others not. This was one of those times where it was more challenging.

I'm interested to read more Joshua Corin as I did like his writing style once I had decided this was more YA in nature (and is possibly not categorized as such). I also appreciated the length was just under 300 pages, which makes it a nice quick read for me! The last ~25% had me the most intrigued compared to the build up.

Thank you to Joshua Corin, Thomas & Mercer, and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The storyline is unique and original. The mystery is really entertaining. I liked the pacing. There's no actual chapters which I didn't mind but if it's something that you are very particular about that might bother you. Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it. Special Thank You to Joshua Corin, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Assume Nothing is an engaging story about a very well known detective (Adrian Lescher), a prolific thriller writer (Carissa), and a teenager (Kat) who had her mother killed (and her father condemned for it). Kat lives with her aunt and uncle in Boston and all her communication with her father ended when she left California, she'll only know that her father wrote her letters after he passes away in prison and they'll only add to her loneliness and need to understand whar happened. She's also a huge fan of Carissa's thrillers which are based upon Adrian Lescher's cases and their paths will once again cross. Kat will get to know the detective and his quirks in depth and her life will be turned upside down until she's able to devise a plan and reach vengeance for her parents' death. Captivating, well-written, it keeps on building tension and mystery till the end.
I thank the author, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

If you grew up in the '90s, you can probably still hear the sounds of AOL dial-up internet and remember an embarrassing chatroom username or two. Those elements give Joshua Corin's Assume Nothing, a fun murder-mystery novel, its unique flavor.

Full review at Eulalie Magazine: https://eulaliemagazine.com/2024/12/assume-nothing-is-a-quirky-thriller-with-90s-nostalgia-book-review/

This was a quick read with some crazy plot twists. Kat was only 6 when her father was convicted of murdering her mother, the crime solved by the dazzling detective Alik Lisser. Since then, she has devoured mystery novels to cope with the loss of both parents - especially those written by an author styled after Agatha Christie - who writes about the cases Lisser solves. When Kat has the chance to meet the detective 10 years after her mother’s murder, she is awed. When she gets the chance for a friendship with him? She is in thrall. However, not everything is as it seems in this novel and Corin absolutely keeps you on your toes until the very end.

Kat, fifteen, develops an unlikely relationship with a famous detective Alik Lisser. She's a little obsessed with him for a few reasons. He is the model for a fictional detective from one of her favorite mystery writers. Oh yeah and he's the one who solved her mother's murder when Kat was six years old.

This story is kind of a Kat and mouse (ha ha), almost a cozy but not quite, could be considered YA (it's told from Kat's perspective and her thoughts are, well, those of a fifteen year old). It's a fun read that is all over the place with nutty twists and turns. Were there plot holes? Big ones. Did I stay glued to the story? Certainly.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC.

Assume Nothing by Joshua Corin is an intriguing and compelling mystery.
I really enjoyed reading this story. I was compelled to race through it and truly enjoyed it.
I love the writing style of Joshua Corin and found his storyline easy to follow.

We start in the past. In 1985 six year old Kat McCann's mother was murdered. The crime was subsequently solved by the famous Austrian detective Alik Lisser. Sadly it was Kat's father who turned out to be the perpetrator. She was sent to live with her Aunt. Back in the present, 10 years later, Kat Is still obsessed with Lisser. This has been facilitated by the fact that Lisser and the crimes he solved were incorporated into a series of detective novels penned by the successful author Carissa Miller.
Kat finds a kindred spirit in University student Dev and together they attend a lecture talk given by the man himself - Alik Lisser - who they are both fortunate to meet afterwards. But Kat fails to ask the questions she has been wanting to ask him. In the cold light of day she kicks herself for not asking and fears she has missed her only chance. Until she receives a phone call from him with a rather strange but intriguing offer... But... will she like what she finds out or will she regret not letting sleeping dogs lie?
Firstly, this book has no chapters. There are obvious breaks so it's easy to find somewhere to be able to put it down etc, but I can understand that some people might not warm to a book with no usual chapter structure so I wanted to forewarn you.
The story starts off well enough. I can understand Kat being mature beyond her years due to what has gone before in her life, and from where they met, I can also understand her" relationship" with Dev. As I can also with her obsession with Lesser, her mother's death and her father's guilt. Although I thought this was an adult book, something in the way it was written, coupled with the main protagonist's age, leads me to wonder whether it should (also) be YA, looking again, it appears to have a foot in both camps; and I would probably agree.
The story is compelling, intriguing and held my attention may all the way through. spitting me out at the end, pretty satisfied. Characters are believable and all play their parts well.
Pacing is also on the whole good, although it does slow down a tad in places.
All in all a good solid read which I enjoyed. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Arc provided by Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer. This did not influence my review.

This short novel follows the story of Kat, a young teenager living with her aunt, who is obsessed with mystery novels by a mysterious author called Carissa Miller. What makes her special from all her author fan club chat site friends is that a character from the novels was inspired by her. In fact, Carissa Miller had written a murder mystery inspired by the murder of her mother- and her father who was convicted of that crime.

She becomes particularly close to a university student named Dev from the chat site and one day, when the chance to meet the real life detective who inspired Carissa Miller (and solved the murder of Kat’s mother) is given to her, she takes it. They go together to meet Alik Lisser and listen to his talk on criminology at Harvard. Kat however had other motivations than just fangirling over the real life detective.

In reality, the discovery of the murderer did not liberate Kat from guilt or stop her from wondering. After her father refused to admit he killed her mother, Kat has been wondering if the police got it all wrong. Her chance to ask Alik Lisser this question never comes, however, as her anxiety makes her unable to muster up the courage to go and talk to him.

But God is on her side as later on Alik Lisser calls her and a chance of a lifetime is given to her.

Now onto some technicalities for the mystery aspect. I think it was very obvious (for me I suppose because I read so much I noticed a lot of foreshadowing) which is why I didn’t rate this any higher. Obviously, I think I understand this is YA and Kat is a child so it would not be as logical as if she was an adult. But some of the actions were unrealistic to a massive degree. Also, the novel is written from a first person point of view with no real chapters. There are cuts but they are not proper ones. This was quite annoying because there was no organic place I could stop reading. However, this book is so short I finished it in one setting. If this was any longer then it would be a bigger problem.

The mystery itself was original and different from normal mysteries I have read and I enjoyed all the world building with the novels mentioned. Kat talks like she is a big fan of a series. In fact, she kind of talks like how I used to talk about Agatha Christie when I was younger. This is what makes the novel interesting. Kat is a booknerd at her core and her analysis of moments based on books is interesting.

However, as Kat learns from Alik himself, assume nothing.

When I first agreed to review Assume Nothing by Joshua Corin I did not realize it was considered young adult. I don't read a lot of YA because it often is too simplistic for me to really enjoy. This one, however, was fantastic. I would not have thought it to be YA from reading it. It was definitely a quick easy read, that kept me wanting to know what happens next. It was set in the 90s which I loved!

It is an intricate web of a mystery that asks what would you do if everything you thought you knew was a lie? Kat McCann's mother was murdered when she was just six years old. Famous Austrian detective Alik Lisser was the man who solved her mother's murder and ultimately identified her father as the murderer. As she grows up she is introduced to the novels of Carissa Miller, who writes mystery novels based on the many cases Alik Lisser has solved. It just so happens that Miller had written a novel based on the murder case of Kat's mother. Kat struggles to define what she actually remembers about the murder from the details of the case in the novel.

Kat is part of an online fan club that idolizes Carissa Miller and Adrian Lescher (Alik Lisser's detective alias). When the opportunity to meet Alik Lisser arises, Kat sets out to attend a lecture he's giving on criminology at Harvard. Kat hopes to talk to Lisser to gain insight into the murder of her mother and how he determined her father was guilty. Little does she know that not only will she get the answers she seeks but will find herself with more questions. One's that will challenge her perception of her favorite novels, author, and character. She will once again find herself in the middle of a murder mystery, that only she can solve. And in so doing may just re-solve the murder of her mother.

Some of the plot was a little hard to believe, like Kat getting invited to England by her favorite detective to unlock the secrets surrounding her mother's murder. Like Kat being the only one who can bring about the demise of a serial killer. However, it definitely encompasses the vibe of Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes, which I'm here for. I also would have loved a more neatly tied up conclusion, but the semi-cliffhanger was also well executed. It leaves room for additional novels but also provides enough of a conclusion on its own. I just wanted more time with the characters!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a physical copy of the book, along with the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own!

Kat McCann was six years old when renowned Austrian detective Alik Lisser solved her mother’s murder. And unfortunately proved Kat’s father as the culprit.

A decade later Kat is still obsessed with the heroic criminologist. She’s also addicted to the bestselling novels inspired by Alik’s ingenious deductions—penned by the grande dame of whodunits, who’s a bit of a mystery herself. Kat has devoured them all. Even the one based on her father’s crime.

When Kat and Alik fatefully cross paths again, a friendship evolves, and Alik is delighted to share the secrets of his success with such an eager and clever girl by inviting Kat to solve a murder of her very own. One that challenges everything Kat believes about the detective, an elusive author, and Kat’s notorious past.

Now, as fact and fiction and truth and deception collide, it’s all Kat can do to survive the shocking twist ending to her own life story.

A perfect read for a dreary day. Loved the plot and the characters. Will recommend to others.

I think this is marketed as an adult fiction mystery but they way it's written does feel more YA. That the protagonist in a teenage girl, and we read her narrative voice, only further solidifies that feel to the story.

The concept is interesting. Blending meta-fiction, mystery, thriller, and suspense into a tale of revenge and the exposing of a serial killer. There's a lot in the concept that appeal to this reader. Where this stumbles is the age of the protagonist, and her inconsistency in her state of mind, does not match what feels needed to survive this story. There's a lot of shock value in this book - and it's all aimed at the protagonist who, when me meet her, is in a fragile state of mind. I find it difficult to accept she suddenly found the strength to face all those challenges. It is one of those books where you just need to accept whatever happens and not question it too closely.

Where the book shines is in the depiction of Alik. He's written well and is convincing, eve a little ghoulish, which I think only made him more engaging in the story. His appearances, his dialogue, his interactions with the protagonist, where the highlights for me in the book. I also enjoyed that this is not written in the present day, so there was a bit of nostalgia during the read, especially with the whole waiting for somebody to free up the phone line so characters could dial online. Thankfully, those days are long over!

The following roundup was published or updated in several Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia newspapers and magazines in November and December 2024. The review for this book will be updated upon publication date.

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/