May you receive many good reads as gifts!
Wishing this world Peace, Love, and Light…
Warm wishes to those who celebrate…
Spotlight on: Check In, Check Out by Tomislav Liočić
Shouting it out today for a book by an author connection I have in Europe: Check In, Check Out.
Dark, symbolic, and unforgettable, this book is a journey into the heart of exhaustion, rebellion, and the illusions that keep us standing on crumbling ground. The novel unfolds as a relentless and haunting meditation on chaos, loss, and the fragility of human existence.
Its strength lies in the layering of mythic imagery and raw realism, merging visions of apocalypse with
intimately human struggles. The prose flows with both lyricism and brutality, carrying the reader through
a landscape of violence, despair, and fleeting tenderness.
The narrative excels in its ability to capture collective collapse while never abandoning the individual:
a blind mother, a struggling daughter, a desperate angel, and survivors caught between worlds.
Symbolism is dense but effective, painting a portrait of a society in decay while evoking timeless fears
of mortality and destruction.
At times, the density of imagery can overwhelm, risking fatigue in the reader, but it is also precisely
this excess that gives the work its unique texture. It refuses to simplify, refuses to offer comfort,
and instead insists that the reader dwell in discomfort. This makes it an uncompromising but rewarding
piece of literature. It is not just a novel; it is a warning, a prophecy, and a confession all at once. It is not only a story to be
read, but an experience to be endured and remembered.
Overall, the novel stands as a powerful allegory and a profound critique of contemporary civilization,
resonating long after its final scene.
(summary from Amazon via the author)
Spotlight on: Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill by Ray M. Schultze
Every answer has a cost—especially in a city where the truth is protected by those who fear it most.
A vanished crime sets the foundation for Jack London and Murder on Nob Hill by Ray M. Schultze, which begins in 1898 San Francisco as Jack London witnesses a murder denied by authorities. His search takes him beyond familiar territory and into districts where unrecorded disappearances and quiet negotiations define everyday life.
Jack’s attempt to understand the event leads him into places where boundaries between groups remain constantly under negotiation. Chinatown’s inner pathways reveal the presence of longstanding disputes and missing young women whose cases attract little official attention. A woman connected to these undercurrents complicates Jack’s efforts, offering direction while adding further uncertainty. As he observes how influence moves discreetly across these areas, he becomes increasingly aware of structures designed to avoid scrutiny. The narrative follows Jack’s efforts to connect the unexplained moment he witnessed to the larger tensions shaping the city’s internal networks.
Ray M. Schultze is the author of six novels, five of them works of suspense—The Last Safe Place, Combustion, The Devil in Dreamland, Decatur’s Dig, and Beranek’s Stand. His most recent novel, Russian River, is historical fiction. His interest in writing began in childhood with a handmade, folded-paper “magazine” that his mother encouraged. After graduating from the University of California at Riverside, he pursued newspaper reporting as a practical way to support himself while writing fiction. Over a twenty-five-year career, he covered politics, the legal system, and education for newspapers in California, Florida, and Arizona. When he turned to fiction full-time, he drew inspiration from authors such as Alan Furst and Ken Follett. Ray now lives in Santa Rosa, California, with his wife, Judi. They enjoy tennis, hiking, exploring the region’s beaches and headlands, and international travel—experiences that often shape his novels’ settings. He is also an award-winning woodworking artist. Visit him at his website.
Amazon: https://bit.ly/48AI8UB (not affiliated with BBNB)
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/244308185-jack-london-and-murder-on-nob-hill
Publisher: Ray M. Schultze
Publication date: December 2, 2025
Genre(s): Mystery, murder mystery, historical fiction, historical mystery, literary fiction, biographical fiction
Thank you to Melissa at Author Marketing Experts for sharing this tour information with me!
My Favorite Reads of 2025!
It’s time for my yearly post of what were my favorite books of the year! (And how do you like that AI image I created. Read any of those? LOL!)
Here – in no particular order – are the books that I just did not want to end this year (interestingly, all can be considered Historical Fiction):
Finding Flora by Elinor Florence
Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen
The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay
The Guest in Room 120 by Sarah Ackerman
The Last Assignment by Erika Robuck
and my favorite read of the year…..
Skylark by Paula McLain
I read many good books, but these ones were super memorable to me. I hope you enjoy them if you choose to check them out! (all were gotten through Net Galley)
Happy Reading in 2026!
Blog Tour for Murder on a Frosty Night by Verity Bright
I do love this series and this installment was a fun one to read while we were dealing with frosty weather ourselves, here in New England. Number 24 in the series, and yet the plots never get boring!
Here’s the scoop:
Wrapping presents and singing at midnight mass on a frosty night… Lady Swift is determined to enjoy Christmas at home this year, until another body turns up!
Winter 1925. Eleanor and Hugh are decking the halls for their first married Christmas together when butler Clifford arrives with a mysterious telegram. A lucrative case awaits their new detective agency… but in the most remote county in England. The note insists they must be there by midnight to accept the job.
After a snowy journey, they arrive at the tiny hamlet of Yorelow to find their client, Osmund Unwin, dead in the churchyard as midnight mass ends. They realise they are now in the absurd situation of having to solve the murder of their client – who they never met – to solve a case they know nothing about and officially never accepted!
There is very little festive goodwill to go around, as it seems half the village had a grudge against the rich man. Was it one of the Frisham sisters, owners of the tavern and rumoured to be in a love triangle with Unwin? Or perhaps his maid, who never had a nice thing to say about him?
When another body is found in the ruins of the castle overlooking the town, Eleanor is baffled. Clearly there’s more to this nightmare before Christmas than the gang first thought…
A totally unputdownable historical murder mystery set in an English village at Christmas, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles!
About the Author:
Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Harper-Collins Tour for The Time Hop Coffee Shop by Phaedra Patrick
This was such a fun novel to read – so clever and engaging. Main character Greta wants her life to be different and finds a way to do that by visiting a magical coffee shop that puts her into the coffee commercials that she used to star in long ago. The premise reminded me a bit of the movie Pleasantville (which I also love!). Greta needs to learn that she doesn’t need magic to find happiness, but can make her own magic. I was thinking that this would be a good Hallmark movie and I see that her previous novel was made into a Hallmark movie!
A fun read – thank you for having me as part of the tour and for my copy!
Here’s the “scoop” (pun intended!):
The Time Hop Coffee Shop
Phaedra Patrick
December 9, 2025
Park Row Books Paperback Original
Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0778310906/keywords=magical%2Brealism
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-phaedra-patrick/1146709761
harpercollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-phaedra-patrick?variant=43812618010658
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-time-hop-coffee-shop-original-phaedra-patrick/22162824
Social Links:
Author Website: https://www.phaedra-patrick.com/
X: https://x.com/phaedrapatrick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phaedrapatrick/
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14203653.Phaedra_Patrick
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phaedrapatrick
Author Bio:
Phaedra Patrick is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, which has been translated into twenty-five languages worldwide. Her second novel, Rise and Shine Benedict Stone, was made into a Hallmark movie. An award-winning short story writer, she previously studied art and marketing and has worked as a stained glass artist, film festival organizer and communications manager. Phaedra lives in Saddleworth, UK, with her family.
Book Summary:
Greta Perks was once the shining star of the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials, everyone’s favorite TV wife and mom. Now fame has faded, that once-glittering career a distant memory. Her marriage is on the rocks, her teenage daughter is distant, and she can’t even book any acting jobs.
When Greta stumbles upon a mysterious coffee shop serving a magical brew, she wishes for the perfect life in those past Maple Gold commercials. Next thing she knows, she’s waking up in the idyllic town of Mapleville, where the sun always shines and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and second chances fill the air. Given the opportunity to live the life she dreamed, Greta is determined to rewrite her own script. But can life ever be like a coffee commercial? And what will happen when Greta has to choose between perfection and real life, with no turning back?
Harper-Collins Blog Tour for NO ONE ABOARD by Emy McGuire
So thrilled to be here today to dish about this mystery/thriller: No One Aboard by Emy McGuire. This was a mystery told in part in flashback. It was suspenseful and engaging. I did not figure it out!
Here’s the scoop:
No One Aboard
Emy McGuire
On Sale Date: December 2, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The White Lotus meets Laura Dave’s The Last Thing He Told Me in this debut domestic mystery about a luxury sailboat found floating adrift in the ocean and the secrets of the missing family who set sail aboard it weeks before.
“No One Aboard is a riveting, astonishing debut, and Emy McGuire is an important new voice in fiction. I will read anything she writes!”
—Sarah Pekkanen, #1 New York Times bestselling author
At the start of summer, billionaire couple Francis and Lila Cameron set off on their private luxury sailboat to celebrate the high school graduation of their two beloved children.
Three weeks later, the Camerons have not been heard from, the captain hasn’t responded to radio calls, and the sailboat is found floating off the coast of Florida.
Empty.
Where are the Camerons? What happened on their trip? And what secrets does the beautiful boat hold?
Set over the course of their vacation and in the aftermath of the sailboat’s discovery, No One Aboard asks who is more dangerous to a family: a stormy ocean or each other?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
EMY MCGUIRE holds a bachelor’s degree in theatre/creative writing from New College of Florida. She has toured nationally in the Edgar Allan Poe Show, sailed from Rome to Antigua, and written everything from ocean thrillers to pirate musicals. She lives in Colorado.
Social Links:
Author website: https://www.emymcguire.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emy_mcguire/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emy.mcguire/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@emymcguire?lang=en
Twitter: https://x.com/AuthorEmy
Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/no-one-aboard-emy-mcguire/63fa7273f5ac1803
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-one-aboard-emy-mcguire/1146730882
Thank you for my copy and happy reading!!
The Woman Downstairs by JD Kirk
Bookouture publishers in the UK always sends me the most tantalizing books! I love psychological thrillers and this was a great one.
Here’s the scoop:
‘Hi,’ she says, ‘I’m your new neighbour.’ Her smile is bright but her shoulders are tense as she stands on the leafy green Edinburgh street. She seems friendly. But soon I’ll discover her dangerous secret…
On the first day I meet my new neighbour, we share a glass of wine and talk into the night. We swap numbers and I vow to get to know her better. But as I get closer to her, I discover something about her past that changes everything. She isn’t who I thought she was.
Then when I step into her home, my jaw drops. Everything in here is identical to my own flat – every cushion, every picture on the wall.
Except for the knife, covered in blood. My heart pounds in my chest. What has she done? What is she capable of?
I should never have come here. I should never have got close to her. I need to run.
But then I hear a creak outside the door. And I realise, it may be too late…
An absolutely gripping psychological thriller from multi-million-copy, bestselling author JD Kirk. This book will have you flipping the pages until the final jaw-dropping twist! For anyone who loves Freida McFadden, John Marrs and T.M. Logan.
This was SO GOOD – I could not put it down!
Thank you for my review copy!!
Skylark by Paula McLain
Paula McLain is one of my favorite authors and her new novel did not disappoint. Coming out in January, it tells two stories of Paris, one from the 1600’s and one from WWII, and two sets of characters that work to resist the ones who try to take their freedoms away.
Here’s the scoop:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940s, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.
1664: Alouette Voland is the daughter of a master dyer at the famed Gobelin Tapestry Works, who secretly dreams of escaping her circumstances and creating her own masterpiece. When her father is unjustly imprisoned, Alouette’s efforts to save him lead to her own confinement in the notorious Salpêtrière asylum, where thousands of women are held captive and cruelly treated. But within its grim walls, she discovers a small group of brave allies, and the possibility of a life bigger than she ever imagined.
1939: Kristof Larson is a medical student beginning his psychiatric residency in Paris, whose neighbors on the Rue de Gobelins are a Jewish family who have fled Poland. When Nazi forces descend on the city, Kristof becomes their only hope for survival, even as his work as a doctor is jeopardized.
A spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few—the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above—Paula McLain’s unforgettable new novel chronicles two parallel journeys of defiance and rescue that connect in ways both surprising and deeply moving.
About the Author:
Paula McLain is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin, as well as two collections of poetry and a memoir. Her work has been published in over thirty-five countries, and featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Town & Country, Real Simple, and elsewhere.
Such a beautifully written story and so engaging! Definitely one of my top reads this year.
Thank you for my copy!
Bookouture Blog Tour for MURDER ON THE CLOCK by Lucy Connelly
I was excited to receive a copy of the latest installment in the Mercy McCarthy Mysteries. Mercy and her twin sister run a bookshop in Ireland and are US transplants. I love these cozy mysteries and the characters in them!
Here’s the scoop on this one:
The town of Shamrock Cove is gearing up for a grand summer festival… but the fête turns fatal when a clockmaker is killed. Can amateur sleuth Mercy McCarthy crack the case?
When Mercy McCarthy takes her beloved mother’s watch to be fixed, she’s completely charmed by the little repair store and the father-and-son duo who run it. Little does she know that the clock is ticking… when she returns, she finds the father lying unconscious amid broken glass, and her mother’s watch is missing.
The police think Mr. Flynn was attacked in a burglary gone wrong but soon suspects closer to home start coming out of the clockwork. Mercy, her sister, and their canine sidekick, master body sniffer-outer Mr. Poe, set out to gather clues and help the local detective find the killer.
Could it be the family next door to the Flynns who’ve been feuding for decades? His fiercest rival, who’s long dreamed of shutting him down? Or was his son less devoted than he seemed? As the hours tick away, another murder and the discovery of a long-buried secret changes everything…
The summer festival is fast approaching. Can Mercy solve the mystery in the nick of time, or will someone stop her clock?
A completely charming and page-turning Irish cozy mystery. Fans of Agatha Christie, Carlene O’Connor and Faith Martin will absolutely love the Mercy McCarthy series!
About the Author:
Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA’s, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards and National Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation’s leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. Candace runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews with Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.
Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!
Beth's Book-Nook Blog 