Early Reader Review: The Replacement: A Short Story by Liv Constantine

The Replacement: A Short Story by Liv Constantine
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date:   June 1, 2026

 

Format: Ebook
Source: From Amazon First Reads (May)

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A Hollywood icon struggling to revive her career befriends a gifted newcomer with a secret agenda in a twisty short story about the true price of fame by a New York Times bestselling author.

Once Hollywood royalty, Veronica Van Arden has been upstaged by box office flops and tabloid gossip. But when she lands a role in a promising film, a comeback finally seems possible, especially with the support of her young and adoring costar, Sienna Vale. As Veronica weathers a new scandal, Sienna stays firmly by her side, a bright spot in Veronica’s days. But as Veronica welcomes her protégé into every part of her life, they both might find that the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows.

Review: 

Short stories tend to be very hit or miss for me, so I was surprised that this one landed somewhere comfortably in the middle. It did not completely blow me away, but it also kept me invested enough to finish in one sitting.

The story follows Veronica Van Arden, an actress hoping her latest film will help rebuild her career after a string of flops and public scandals. She is excited to play the older sister to an up and coming actress named Sienna Vale. As they film, Veronica and Sienna become close.. while Veronica is unsure about her from the beginning and Veronica's closest people warn her about it. 

The book is a Hollywood drama mixed with a mystery. It is both a fast read but at times feels incredibly slowed down, which is very interesting to experience as a reader. Most short stories fly by and this one lingered in weird ways that attached to plot points really well. 

The writing also captures the fragile nature of fame well, especially through Veronica’s perspective. Her desperation to reclaim relevance and her growing attachment to Sienna make her an interesting, sometimes frustrating protagonist. That emotional vulnerability added depth beyond the mystery elements.

There is a twist near the end that I found intriguing, but it felt somewhat rushed once everything was revealed. I actually wanted more exploration of the final reveal and its consequences because it was more compelling than some of the buildup that came before it. The ending wraps things up quickly.

Overall, this was an entertaining and atmospheric read with effective tension and a solid mystery, even if the conclusion felt slightly underdeveloped.

Recent Reads: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards

Source: From Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review. 

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
Publisher:  Head of Zeus -- an Aries Book
Publication Date:  September 11, 2025 

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Six contestants. One chance at a new life. Who wouldn’t be tempted to cheat?

Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.

Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people's minds.

The game is set - but playing fair isn't on everyone's Christmas list.

Review: 

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery to curl up with this winter, this one will be a great fit. It has all the right ingredients: a snowed-in Yorkshire village, a cast of down-on-their-luck contestants, and a game that promises to change their lives. But with that many secrets in one place, it was never going to stay cozy for long.

The story unfolds through journal entries from some of the contestants, each with their own motives and secrets. I liked getting inside their heads since everyone has lost their way within the publishing world and seems a little haunted by the outcomes. It makes for a surprisingly eerie and lonely atmosphere beneath the cozy holiday trimmings.

I also really enjoyed the game element, the puzzles, clues, and layers of mystery were well done and fun to participate in and try to solve. The book encourages you to “play along,” but honestly, as a murder mystery reader, isn’t that half the fun anyway? I found myself doing that naturally, scanning every scene for a hint of who might be cheating or lying.

There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but they’re well defined, and the tension among them builds nicely as the group starts to dwindle. The setting gave me The Shining vibes: isolated, snowbound, and just unsettling enough to make you want to keep the lights on.

Overall, it’s a decent murder mystery with a great wintry feel—equal parts cozy and creepy, perfect for a quiet night by the fire.

Cover Reveal: A Claim to Murder by Jean G. Goodhind

COVER REVEAL!

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A Claim to Murder by Jean G. Goodhind

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A Claim to Murder by Jean G. Goodhind
Series: Honey Driver Mystery Series
Publisher: Joffee Books
Publication Date:   August 5th, 2025

 

About the Book:

Life couldn’t be sweeter for Honey Driver, floating around the Med on her own private yacht, with her dishy detective husband Steve.

But dark clouds are gathering on Honey’s perfect horizon. And the forecast looks like murder!

When Honey’s love boat sinks in a freak accident, she has no choice but to return to rain-drenched Bath. But now that Honey needs him, her insurance broker, silver-tongued Norman Glendower, is nowhere to be found.

He’s not at his luxury offices in town and he’s not answering his phone.

Honey could kill Norman for leaving her in this fix. But what if someone got there first?

Behind the gates of leafy Regency Gardens, the exclusive complex where Norman lives, something is terribly amiss. Norman’s mewling cat leads a curious neighbour straight to his dead body!

He’s been bludgeoned and left for dead on the pristine tiles of his designer kitchen. Which of his many enemies was the one to strike the fatal blow?

Honey’s on the case — with a  killer watching her every move . . .

About the Author:

Jean, the alter ego of bestselling historical author Lizzie Lane, has lived in and around the Bath area for some time and was indeed a member of Bath Hotels and Restaurants Association — so well in touch with the hospitality trade in that fair city. However, unlike Bath hotelier Honey Driver, she was never asked to be Crime Liaison Officer and neither does she collect antique underwear! However, her daughter assures her she is just as zany as the quirky Honey Driver and will never grow old gracefully.

Recent Reads: The Secret of Poppyridge Cove by Rimmy London

The Secret of Poppyridge Cove by Rimmy London

Series: Poppyridge Cove #1
Publisher: n/a
Publication Date: June 4, 2020

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Freebie during a Stuff your Kindle day.

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A hauntingly beautiful seaside mansion has been abandoned for decades... and for good reason.

When Abby stumbles on the crumbling estate, she's uncommonly drawn to it. Not even the chilling sight on the back porch or the two million dollar price tag can keep her from wondering... what if it were hers?

A cozy mystery and on-again, off-again romance that will have your toes curling in delight. This series starter promises to have pages turning and hearts warming, and will leave you anxiously awaiting your next trip to The Inn at Poppyridge Cove.

Review: 

If you have been here long enough, you know that I judge a book by its cover and this cover won me over. During a recent Stuff your Kindle day of freebies, that is the first step... looking through all the covers and titles then doing a deeper dive into the synopsis so I can pick a few. Always a hard decision with so many great books available. 

The Secret of Poppyridge Cove is a cozy mystery about a young woman named Abby that stumbles on a vacant mansion in the woods and cannot stop thinking about it. Sadly there are a bunch of murdered animals on the porch and no one knows why. 

The book is cute and shorter in length, but felt more like a jumbled romance than a cozy mystery. They mystery dynamic was 2-fold, who / what is killing things at the house and who/ why did this random relative leave Abby all this money. I enjoyed the book and it pushed forward easily but in the end felt a bit rushed. Abby as a main character was an interesting one, it was like the author wanted a lot of cahracter development along the way but was stunted a bit by the plot and how to feed it to the readers. While Abby moves through her emotions and wonderment about the house, the reader is on that journey but it feels like a whirlwind. 

I also hated the male lead, her boyfriend, Chase. He gave me red-flag bad vibes, even though he was supposed to be the 'nice' guy in the book... yes, there was another... even more ick. 

I am intrigued that this is a 7 book series thus far and how the author spins out more tales about this location, but I am good with just this one for now. 

If you are looking for something short and a start of a series, this might be for you. But be prepared for a lot of animal death and blood in this first one.... but the cover is super cute.

Recent Reads: The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell 

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date:  March 7, 2023

 

Format: Audiobook
Source: Bought with Audible credits.

Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: 

For six amateur bakers, competing in Bake Week is a dream come true.

When they arrive at Grafton Manor to compete, they're ready to do whatever it takes to win the ultimate The Golden Spoon.

But for the show's famous host, Betsy Martin, Bake Week is more than just a competition. Grafton Manor is her family's home and legacy - and Bake Week is her life's work. It's imperative that both continue to succeed.

But as the competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it's small acts of sabotage. Someone switching sugar for salt. A hob turned far too high.

But when a body is discovered, it's clear that for someone in the competition, The Golden Spoon is a prize worth killing for...

Review: 

I listened to the audiobook of this one. The audio is read by multiple readers as a full cast. I generally listen at more than 1x speed, but there was one character that sounded far too anxious and mousey for me to do that with this one which was an immediate bummer. 

The book follows six contestants on a baking show. The audiobook is read by a full cast, which is always nice for these kinds of books with multiple POVs. Betsy Martin is the grandmother of baking, like a Martha Stewart meets baking but she is feeling threatened about her show and her age and the new guy they hired to co-host with her. 

I liked the cast of characters, they played well as single characters and as a group off each other throughout the book. I found Betsy so rude and annoying all the time. She was entitled and showed it. I liked the competition aspect of the book, and it felt like watching a show to some degree, but the whole thing was predictable in a lot of ways. If I go into too much detail it will spoil it, so I won't. There was a mystery... but it wasn't necessarily the dead body from the beginning, but that was a flashy start.

Other thoughts - Lottie and Pradyumma's friendship was so cute, like mom and son and I appreciated their helping each other. (apologies for any name misspelling, I listened to the audiobook). Stella was too frantic for me and I had to slow down my listening speed to hear her properly. I liked that the reader got into her character in that way because she was anxious all the time. I didn't like Hannah, she was there for fame and would have done anything for it, which was a bit gross. I wish I had more time with Peter he seemed interesting and Gerald was weird, in a nerdy way... (which so am I) he has some OCD and perfectionist issues which were great for this setting. I wanted more of him being sneaky. 

Overall this book was ok. I liked the characters but wanted more from the mystery - it fell really short. 

Recent Reads: Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
Series: Hercule Poirot #19
Publisher: Black Dog and Leventhal
Publication Date: March 30, 2007 (this edition) 

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Borrowed from the library for book club.

Rating:
 


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

Among the towering red cliffs and the ancient ruins of Petra sits the corpse of Mrs. Boynton, the cruel and tyrannizing matriarch of the Boynton family. A tiny puncture mark on her wrist is the only sign of the fatal injection that killed her. With only twenty-four hours to solve the mystery, Hercule Poirot recalls a remark he overheard back in Jerusalem: "You do see, don't you, that she's got to be killed?" Mrs. Boynton was, indeed, the most detestable woman he had ever met.

Review: 
I enjoy Agatha Christie and as a teen I read A LOT of her books, but they are mysteries and you really have to be in the mood for them...I picked this one up for a book club, it was surprisingly one that I had not already read. I found it to be entertaining but I wasn't really in the mood to read at all so it fell into that 'I liked it' category versus the more swoony ratings. 

This mystery followed a family who was traveling and while away their mother dies. It is originally called a natural death but then another person traveling with them realizes that it may be foul play and Hercule Poirot happens to be in the area to help out with the mystery of her death.

This was a strange mystery there were a lot of jumps in the end to get to the result and I know that happens at times but it was a very long-winded explanation and I found it to be a bit of a pain. That isn't to say that I didn't enjoy finding out who -done -it but still. 

If you have not read any Agatha Christie but enjoy mysteries I think you should give her a try, they are classics.     

Recent Reads: Mug Shot by Caroline Fardig

Source:From Chatterbox, Random House and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

Mug Shot by Caroline Fardig
Series: A Java Jive Mystery #2
Publisher:  Alibi
Publication Date:  April 19th, 2016

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis: 

Former musician Juliet Langley has barely had a day off since taking over management of the coffeehouse owned by her best friend, Pete Bennett. But there's always more to be done—such as prepping for the annual Holiday 5K Race organized by Pete's snobby socialite girlfriend, Cecilia Hollingsworth. This year, Java Jive has a booth right at the finish line, and since Juliet and Cecilia don't always see eye to eye, everything has to be perfect. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing . . . like Juliet stumbling over Cecilia's dead body on the morning of the race.

When Pete is arrested for Cecilia's murder, Juliet sets out to clear his name. She'll do whatever it takes—even if it means standing up to the police, her ex-boyfriend, and the grande dames of Nashville. But there isn't enough espresso in the world for the greatest challenge in her path: infiltrating Nashville's high society to uncover the hidden hotbed of scandal without running afoul of the law herself. With her last dime staked on Pete's bail bond and her staff growing jittery, the last thing Juliet needs is for her trademark temper to land her behind bars. As time drips away, Juliet needs to crack this case before the killer comes back for another shot.

Review: 
I love to read mysteries and this one was a very good one. I have not read the first book in the series so there was a little confusion about Juliet's backstory but the plot was fine without really knowing too much about book one.  

In this installment Juliet's best friend Pete is accused of murdering his girlfriend but there are a lot of other suspects and Juliet is determined to find out who did it. In her eyes, it certainly was not Pete's doing. Juliet tends to get herself into a lot of trouble and while I loved her devotion to her friend she was a pretty crazy girl. I liked her character though and she was to the point and funny.

The book flowed very well, there was enough information to get you questioning who-done-it but also still full of questions. This book was a very light read even though it was a murder-mystery, I was not emotionally attached to any of the characters but it was still a fun read. Maybe if I had read the previous book there would have been more attachment with the characters. 

Overall, I think that this was a fun mystery to get out of my comfort of YA and MG books. It was light, funny, and I love a good mystery. I was surprised in the end at who the culprit was and I love when mystery's throw in a twist.
 

Early Reader Review: The Skeleton Garden by Marty Wingate

Source: I received The Skeleton Garden from Netgalley, Alibi, and the Chatterbox program in exchange for an honest review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

The Skeleton Garden by Marty Wingate
Series: Potting Shed Mystery #4
Publisher: Alibi
Publication Date: March 15, 2016 

 

Format: Ebook


Rating:


 




Goodreads Synopsis:

USA Today bestselling author Marty Wingate’s Potting Shed series continues as expert gardener Pru Parke digs up a Nazi warplane—and a fresh murder.

Texas transplant Pru Parke has put down roots in England, but she never dreamed she’d live in a grand place such as Greenoak. When her former employers offer Pru and her new husband, former Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Pearse, the use of their nineteenth-century estate while they’re away for a year, she jumps at the chance. Sweetening the deal is the prospect of further bonding with her long-lost brother, Simon, who happens to be Greenoak’s head gardener. But the majestic manor has at least one skeleton in its closet—or, rather, its garden.

Working on renovations to the extensive grounds, siblings Pru and Simon squabble about everything from boxwood to bay hedges. But when the removal of a half-dead tree turns up the wreckage of a World War II–era German fighter plane and a pile of bones, the arguments stop. That is, until a rival from Simon’s past pays a surprise visit and creates even more upheaval. It’s suddenly clear someone is unhappy their secrets have been unearthed. Still, Pru’s not about to sit back and let Simon take the fall for the dirty deed without a fight.

Review:
The Skeleton Garden is the 4th book in a series about a gardener who seems to have bad things, i.e. bodies, turning up around her. And in this book there are actually a few. Pru, the main character is a gardener working with her older brother on the large garden of an English home, when they start digging up the yard to find out why a tree didn't grow, they come across a WWII plane and a skeleton. Not much later in the same hole another body appears and the town is excited to find out who committed the crime or if it was an accident.

This book had a very slow start, I have not read the first books in the series, so I really didn't have enough background about the characters to really feel for them - and even through the book, didn't really feel for them either. So it was hard to read. Yes the book picked up when the bodies started appearing and the investigations started but overall I was not feeling it.

I love a good mystery and this book did provide a few, which was nice, but not having connected with the characters I felt that something was missing for me. But like I said if you read the other books in the series, that may add to the connection with the characters that I did not have. 

Mini Review: The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie
Series: Miss Marple #3
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: 2000  

 

Format:  Paperback
Source: Own

Rating:

 


 


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A beautiful but dead blonde is discovered in the library of Gossington Hall. And only Miss Marple can read the clues to find the killer.

Mini Review:
Classic cozy mystery with murder and lots of characters and suspects. Quick read but with lots of information thrown at you. Miss Marple is the main character who ties everything together but this book really didn't have too much of her in it. One of the first Agatha Christie books I read as a teen and is still just as enjoyable. Can you figure out whodunit? Great if you love mysteries and classics.