This sampler was EXACTLY what I was needing! What a perfect idea to help you decide which book to add next to your TBR (or how about all of them?!). This needs to be more common for publishers to do this! I struggle to start a new book every few days (once i'm intrigued it's easy to stick with a book though!) so this sampler was the perfect way to get the ball rolling on so many books I've got my eye on for the spring and summer!

Looking forward to vol.15 and beyond!

As usual, a sampler that makes me want to read every book in the collection! They look like great summer read. I especially appreciate the "About the Authors" section. I wish that every book on NetGalley had a sampler.

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 14 is always a great way to get a sneak peek at some titles before they publish.
I’m always excited when they release TMS.
Here we have five can't-miss novels publishing Spring/Summer 2025.

Erin Dunn's He's to Die For, Gillian French's Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell, Sandra Jackson-Opoku's Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes, Archer Sullivan's The Witch's Orchard and Jo Nichols's The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective.

I enjoyed diving into the first couple chapters. It definitely ramped up my excitement.

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

St. Martin's Press is an excellent publisher partner and I deeply appreciate that they make these samplers available. I am looking forward to requesting (and hopefully reading!) Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell and The Witch's Orchard.

The Minotaur sampler. Just sample of five novels. I enjoyed the He’s to Die for and Savvy Summers and the sweet potato crimes.

I like the idea of getting to read the first few chapters of a book before deciding whether I want to purchase a book. I know most of the sample we get of books tend to be just the first few pages or the first chapter if we are lucky. I think this gives a better idea of whether or not a book will be a good fit for you. This was my first time reading one of these Minotaur samplers and I think I actually will end up buying Shaw Connolly Lives To Tell for my wife when it comes out in June. It seems like something that’s up her alley. All the books in this sampler are mystery books but they could not be more different when it comes to overall vibes.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and the authors of these books for the chance to preview them early.

I always love reading these Minotaur Samplers, and I get super excited to finish the works of which I get a sneak peak!

He's To Die For: great character development & inventive storyline! A police procedural with a queer love angle.

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes: excellent character voice - I could hear the two main female characters as if they were speaking in my head as I read.

Shaw Connelly Lives to Tell: the main character is developed in a way that I love - giving the reader hints as to what's to come without spelling everything out right away. She is a flawed character, and incredibly complex.

The Witch's Orchard: it's important to me when the location is such a strong piece of the narrative that it's practically another main character, and this preview doesn't disappoint! Appalachia is such a special place, and depicting it as such is revelatory.

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective: a well-written take on a modern cozy mystery. Characters are on-point, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!

What an excellent selection of samples to choose from. I can't wait to dive into these full books and see what all they entail.

Always up for a Minotaur Sampler!! This one had a queer romantic mystery, a sweet potato pie murder, California cottages that experience a murder, a cold case kidnapping mystery and a woman looking to find her missing sister. The one that interested me most was Archer Sullivan's The Witch's Orchard.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to sample these books.

This sampler is a great way to try out an author's work or to decide if a book might work for you. I'm glad I read this sampler because I was previously interested in Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimea and The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective. I hadn't previously heard of the other three books.

He's To Die For has a great police TV show vibe. I enjoyed the opening scene.

Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell has a creepy vibe that many readers will like.

Savvy Summers looks to be a charming read although the beginning confused me.

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective seems to be a different type of mystery with perspectives from multiple characters.

The Witch's Orchard has some creepy vibes. There is a brightness to the writing that balances things out. I definitely became interested in the case and characters.

Out of all.of these books The Witch's Orchard is the one I can see myself reading.

I love these sampler books. It’s as great way to find new booms that otherwise I may not notice! I am
Looking forward to requesting and reading a few of these.

Thanks Net Galley and Minotaur books foe putting these samplers together!

As a fan of horror, thrillers, and mysteries, I’m always on the lookout for new books to read. This season’s Minotaur Sampler, Volume 14 promises five “can't-miss debut novels publishing Spring/Summer 2025,” and I am absolutely intrigued! All five books here come with an excerpt of a few chapters, giving readers a hint of what to expect… and a hunger to learn what happens next!

First up is He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn. I admit that I already have an arc of this, but the sample here made me even more excited to read it. This mystery follows Detective Rav Trivedi of the NYPD as he investigates a murder, and his prime suspect is a rock star. But suspect or not, Rav can’t deny the attraction between them. I love a good romantic mystery! This one looks like a humorous and fun read.

Second is Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku. This cozy mystery is set in Chicago, where Savvy Summers finds herself investigating possible murder after an older man died at her café. Death by natural causes… or her sweet potato pie? This book looks perfect for readers of Mia P. Manansala.

Next up is Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell by Gillian French. Though known for her young adult fiction, this is her first adult novel. A woman’s sister went missing years ago, and she’s been getting phone calls from the man who may have played a part in her disappearance. This book has a stark, emotional quality to it. I’m prepared for this to be heart-wrenching.

Following that is The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan. An unlikely private investigator returns to North Carolina to solve a decade-old case of three missing girls. Only one was ever returned, while the other two remain missing. I loved the writing style of this one and am very interested in where it goes next. And if witches and folklore are involved, consider me even more eager to read this in full.

Finally, the sampler ends with The Marigold Cottage’s Murder Collective by Jo Nichols. An older woman, Mrs. B, has made a home for people who could use a lending hand, taking in an array of characters. But when someone is killed and one of her tenants is accused of the crime, Mrs. B admits to the crime. The rest of her tenants are sure of her innocence and determined to find out the truth. This book looks fun and sweet, and I’m sure it will be popular this summer.

These five debuts all look captivating, and their excerpts here promise enjoyable reads all around. I’ll have a full review read for He’s to Die For soon, but I hope to read the other books as well!

Absolutely LOVE these samplers I get a preview of exciting upcoming titles and I can get a sense of whether these books will be ones that I will want to request from Netgalley for review or to simply enjoy as a reader. I am always on the look out for new mystery writers to follow and appreciate the "introductions." Thank you!

I love a sampler because I like all sorts of books and I am never sure from just the description if a book or writing style will work for me. I had all ready gotten two of these books, another was on my radar but I did not like the writing, and another was not on my radar but hooked me.

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur for the DRC. All opinions are my own!

Regular readers of my blog know that I love the Minotaur samplers. They always offer an advance peek at forthcoming mysteries that fans of the genre will want to read.

This time, learn about books by Erin Dunn; Gillian French; Sandra Jackson-Opoku; Jo Nichols; and Archer Sullivan. There are descriptions of the books along with generous excerpts, info on the authors and, BEST OF ALL, the sampler is free.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Minotaur for this title. All opinions are my own.