September 2026's Reading Summary

Time again for a reading summary since we've reached the end of September 2026.  Had more firsts in new series than I've had in quite a while this month.  And some old favorite series as well.

I've updated the index.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

 

Murders in the Marquee by Dana Mentink (Murder Most Fowl Mysteries #1) – 5

It’s 1905, and Saul has just landed a new job at the Grand Mallard Marquee.  But, on his first day, he thinks he sees someone fall from an upper floor.  When his new friends, Kitty and Henry, convince him to investigate, they are left with more questions.  There’s also the question of what happened to the man that Saul replaced.  Can the trio figure out what is going on?

I’ll admit, this book took a couple of chapters for me to full get into, but once I did, I loved it.  The main characters came to life, and I loved them and their growing friendship.  The rest of the cast is strong as well.  The mystery had quite a few different things going on.  I figured a thing or two out early, but there were plenty of things I didn’t.  Yet it all made sense at the end.  I also enjoyed the time and place, and I’m already curious to see how a certain famous event that takes place the next year will be handled.  This is a great debut, and I’ve already booked my room for a return visit.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Probable Caws by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow #39) – 4

When Meg gets a phone call from her dad, she learns that a horse rescue organization in a neighboring county has to move their horses, and Meg’s neighbor and friend Ragnar has agreed to take the horses in.  But they need people to help settle the horses, so she goes over to help.  As the day progresses, Meg begins to learn about the fight between the owner of the farm the horses came from and his brother, who has just inherited half of the farm.  That night, Meg finds a dead body in one of the barns.  Can she figure out who the killer is?

Series like this walk a fine line between giving us information on the hook of the series, in this case animals, and focusing on the mystery.  This one errs on the side of animal talk, which did slow things down.  Don’t get me wrong, there was a good mystery here, with some twists I enjoyed and a logical climax, but it could have been stronger.  The suspects are interesting.  We don’t have the full cast of regulars in town, but those who are in town are their usual charming selves.  The humor didn’t seem as strong either, but there were some laughs and grins.  While not the strongest in the series, it will entertain Meg’s many fans.

 

The Dark Hours by Michael Connelly (Bosch #23 and Ballard #4) – 4

As 2020 wraps up, Renee Ballard is hoping to get a lead on the two men who are attacking women in their homes.  But then she catches a murder case.  Someone died of a gunshot just minutes after midnight, but it doesn’t look like it was a random gunshot.  In fact, the bullet matches a cold case that Harry Bosch worked on but never solved.  Can the two team up to figure out what happened?

Given the setting of this book, the pandemic is still in the background, and other events from that time period are mentioned but not dwelt upon.  While Bosch plays a part, Ballard is the only character we follow here.  While I do like both of them, I do wish they would accept the consequences of their actions when they don’t follow the rules.  Instead, they come across as arrogant, which happens here.  Both cases kept me hooked.  I thought I had one figured out early on, but it turned out I was wrong, and the solutions were logical.  As always, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens to the characters next.

 

Belinda Blake and the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by Heather Day Gilbert (Exotic Pet-Sitter Mysteries #2) – 3

Belinda’s a little leery when the owner of a wolf preserve just outside of town contacts her looking for someone to help with chores for 10 days.  But Belinda needs the money, so she agrees.  Her orientation goes fine, but on her first official day, she finds the body of a tour guide inside one of the enclosures.  Did the pack attack the victim?  Or is there a more sinister motive?

After starting this three-book series earlier this year, I decided to try to read the other two books before the end of the year.  Sadly, this one wasn’t as good as I had hoped.  It took the characters quite a while to learn what we knew early on – that they are dealing with a murderer.  We do get a couple of enjoyable twists and a logical climax.  I enjoyed spending more time with Belinda and the other returning characters, but the suspects could have been better developed.  I’m hoping book three will prove to be stronger than this book was.

 

The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D. Brinkworth (Pie & Mash Detective Agency #1) – 3

Jane Pye and Simon Mash are taking an introduction to private investigation class.  Simon might not be taking it seriously, but Jane is determined to solve the practice case their instructor gives them.  It involves a woman named Nellie Thorne who has recently vanished from an area in England.  Over the last few decades, several women with that name have all disappeared without a trace.  Can Jane and Simon solve this urban legend?

The premise sounded fun, so I decided to give it a try.  Overall, I did like Jane and Simon, although they can be a bit immature at times.  Fortunately, they did grow over the course of the book.  Likewise, we met some interesting characters along the way.  But the mystery has too many fits and starts, and I got frustrated.  Having said that, the book does lead to a logical, exciting, and satisfying climax.  While this wasn’t as strong as I would have liked, I am glad I picked it up.  Still, I probably won’t be back for the sequel.

 

Home Sweet Homicide by Rosalie Spielman (Hometown Mysteries #5) – 5

Tessa Treslow had agreed to be a bridesmaid in the wedding of her first love, Joe Ericksson, and her former frenemy Jessie St. John.  With two weeks to go, Tessa thinks things are falling into place until a friend of Jessie’s arrives in town threatening to undo all the planning they’ve done.  But that’s before the body of Jessie’s first ex-husband shows up.  With Jessie and Joe logical suspects, can Tessa figure out what is going on in time to save the wedding?

I didn’t intend to let so long go before returning to this series.  But I am glad I got to revisit the characters since I enjoyed finding out what is going on in their lives.  They are a fun group.  The suspects were strong, and the mystery kept me guessing.  There were some subplots to help draw us further in to the story.  Fans old and new will enjoy this entry in the series.

 

Thicker Than Water by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mystery #6) – 4

When a college student walks into Sally’s office asking for protection from a man, Sally is willing to help.  But the young woman doesn’t give many details before she disappears.  Two days later, Jim is pulled into the hunt for a missing autistic young man.  While the man is found, he is talking about a “sleeping blue lady” he saw in a nearby shack.  Sure enough, there is a dead young woman there.  And it’s the woman that came to Sally for help.  Sally just can’t let it go, so she starts investigating on her own.  Will the two be able to figure out what happened to the victim?

The plot quickly pulled me in.  I appreciated that, as always, we got just the detail we needed on certain things to bring the story to life without going too far.  There were a good number of twists, but the climax was a little messier than I would have liked.  Still, it did tie everything up.  I loved watching Sally and Jim take another step forward in their relationship while learning from what has come before.  I’m as invested in their relationship as the mysteries in each book.  As always, reading this book is time well spent.

 

Holmes Away from Home by Samantha Larsen (Althea Adler Mysteries #1) – 5

Althea Adler has a complicated relationship with her mother, Irene, but when she gets a postcard from Irene, she thinks it is asking her to break into Sherlock Holmes’s safe.  What she finds there sends her on a quest that lands her at a weekend party in an English estate.  That first night, the earl is murdered.  With the help of William, one of the other guests, can Althea figure out what happened?

This book sets up some storylines I’m sure we will follow over the course of the series while focusing on the murdered earl.  That story includes plenty of twists on the way to the logical climax.  Althea and William share viewpoint character duties, and I really do love them both, even if the chemistry between them was a bit much a couple of times.  The suspects are also well drawn and really kept me guessing as I read.  I’m already anxious to find out what happens to Althea and William next.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Old Habits Die Hard by Melissa Westemeier with Mariana Damon (Nun the Wiser Mysteries #1) – 2

Sister Bernadette retired from teaching and her life as a nun, but she’s found herself living in The Abbey: Senior Living, the sight of the school where she taught for years now renovated into senior apartments. The residents are becoming a close-knit community, which is why, when the body of one of the residents is found, it upsets everyone. Especially since it doesn’t appear to be the obvious natural causes. The detective assigned to the case is AJ Lewis, one of Bernadette’s former students. Can the pair crack the case and figure out what really happened?

This series sounded promising, and the book started well. But then it stalled. The revelations and twists were few and far between. Part of that is that Sister Bernadette, while a viewpoint character, doesn’t add much to the story. Some, but not enough. Detective AJ is better at advancing the story, but even then, it’s slow. Which is a shame because they were both good characters. Also be away there is some foul language, something I wasn’t expecting for a series featuring a retired nun. This debut just didn’t work for me. 

 

Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding by Liz Ireland (Mrs. Claus Mysteries #7) – 4

December is always busy for April Claus, wife of Santa.  But this year, a baby elf is left at the castle with a note asking April to take care of the baby.  While she tries to track down the baby’s family, she is also involved in the current stage production of A Christmas Carol, and one of the actors is poisoned during a rehearsal.  Can April solve both mysteries?

I am always thrilled when a new entry in this series finds its way to me.  The pacing was off in this book, but both storylines did reach satisfying conclusions.  The characters continue to charm, and I loved catching up with them again.  The new cast are just as strong.  And I couldn’t help but laugh and smile as I read.  Whether new to the series or a fan from the beginning, you’ll be glad you picked up this book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.