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Book Reviews by vicki rock
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A Bad, Bad Place
by
Frances Crawford, Soho Crime
Published
March 3, 2026
352
Pages
Janey Devine, 12, lives with her grandmother, Maggie, in the tight-knit community of Possilpark, Glasgow, Scotland. It is 1979. She walks her grandmother’s dog along an unused railroad track one day and comes across the murdered body of Samantha Watson. Samantha was the daughter of Billy Watson, a crime boss.
Janey insists she doesn’t remember any details of that morning. The police keep questioning her because they think she knows more than she is telling. They are right: there is something she knows that she isn’t ready to talk about. Janey is traumatized and can’t be sure what she has seen. Watson also pressures Janey for answers.
This is told in alternate chapters through the voices of Maggie and Janey. The warm relationship between Janey and Maggie, her grandmother, is the heart of the novel as they both cope with the aftermath of the discovery. Janey’s parents and sister were killed in an explosion and Maggie is struggling with poverty.
The novel is written in a heavy Glaswegian dialect, which will be difficult for some readers. The setting is vivid and the murder itself is secondary to the lives of the main characters. The ending is ambiguous. While some will like this novel, I struggled with it.
I rate it three out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Away to Me
by
Patricia B. McConnell, Kensington Books
Published
February 24, 2026
320
Pages
Maddie McGowan lives on a 40-acre sheep farm in the Wisconsin countryside. In addition to training sheepdogs, she has a practice treating dogs with behavioral problems. Maddie moved to Wisconsin from New Mexico after divorcing her abusive husband.
She is at a sheepdog trial outside Portage, Wisconsin, where her friend and mentor, George Hughes, is about to run his dog, Jess. Maddie’s border collie, Jack, is Jess’s brother. George whispers “away to me,” the signal for Jess to run counterclockwise around to the back of the flock.
As Jess works the flock, a rifle is fired from the woods and George is killed. Who would be shooting out of season and near a sheepdog trial? George was co-owner of the H&H Working Dog Center along with Thomas Hutch. Hutch trains dogs for law enforcement.
Soon after the funeral, the director of an animal shelter calls Maddie. A German Shepherd that they are calling Cisco was found injured alongside a highway. He is too aggressive for the shelter staff to help. They can’t get him to eat or drink. Maddie decides to foster him. Then Cisco is stolen from her house.
It is well written, but it is more of a cozy mystery than a traditional one. The identity of the murderer is a surprise. The dog training is fascinating.
Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D., is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, and is the bestselling author of “The Other End of the Leash” and “The Education of Will.”
I rate it four out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Kin
by
Tayari Jones, Knopf
Published
February 24, 2026
368
Pages
Vernice Davis and Annie Johnson, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood.
Vernice was raised by her Aunt Irene after her mother was murdered by her husband who then killed himself when Vernice was six-months old. Vernice leaves Honeysuckle at eighteen for Spelman College. When Vernice gets to college, she makes a good friend, Joette Cunningham.
Annie was raised by her grandmother after her mother abandoned her in infancy. Annie’s mother, Hattie Lee, came back once when Annie was 16, but didn’t visit them. She did leave her Memphis address at a bar. Annie becomes so determined to find her that she runs off with Clyde, his girlfriend, Ruth, and his cousin Bobo.
This is a novel about mothers, daughters and friends. It is about survival. It is complex and well-written. The story carries both heartache and hope.
I rate it five out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
A Study in Secrets
by
Jeffrey Siger, Severn House
Published
February 3, 2026
224
Pages
Michael A. lives a quiet life in New York since his retirement from the intelligence services. He spends his days watching people in the park outside of his window. The only person he regularly talks to is his housekeeper, Mrs. Baker.
For weeks, a young woman, she appears to be in her 20s, has sat in the park alone every morning at dawn. She leaves after sunrise. But one day her routine changes.
When Michael realizes she is planning on sleeping on the bench, he sends Gabriel, a local cafe owner, to keep an eye on her. Gabriel tells her that Michael is an old friend of his mother’s. She tells Gabriel that her name is Angel and she is only 16. Michael hires her to assist Mrs. Baker.
Dr. Brackett Fielding III is a psychiatrist as is his sister, Dr. Marilena Sinclair. They share an office and they have a secret. Fielding is trying to reach Dante Carlucci. But Marilena reads in a newspaper that Carlucci was murdered. He was a fence for high end goods and was a police informant. They are all connected to Angel’s predicament.
The characters and dialogue are good. It is an enjoyable read, despite the plot being implausible.
I rate it four out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Wolf Hour
by
Jo Nesbo, translated by Robert Ferguson, Knopf
Published
February 3, 2026
400
Pages
September, 2022. Holder Rudi, a Norwegian, travels to Minneapolis to research 2016 serial murders to write a book.
Flashback to 2016. The shooter is waiting to ambush Dante, a small-time criminal who ironically had sold him the weapon. Dante survives. After more people are shot by the same weapon, all clues point to a lone wolf sniper. Police believed it to be the work of a gang shooter known as Lobo. They suspect Tomas Gomez, a man with gang connections. But Gomez disappears.
Homicide Detective Bob Oz, who has been suspended for assaulting a man, becomes obsessed with the case.
This is a gritty noir novel about loss and retribution. I didn’t get drawn in to the story line or the characters. I’m adding a content warning for foul language.
Jo Nesbo is also the author of the Harry Hole novels. He is known as a master of misdirection as his novels have misleading clues and mistaken arrests.
I rate it three out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Jigsaw
by
Jonathan Kellerman, Ballantine Books
Published
February 3, 2026
256
Pages
Psychologist Alex Delaware hasn’t heard from Homicide Lieutenant Milo Sturgis in about a month. That isn’t surprising since Delaware is only called in to consult on what Milo calls “those cases.”
A couple of weeks earlier, Milo was called to the homicide of Sophie Barlow, who was found dead in her kitchen. DNA on cigarette butts were linked to Michael Heck, her ex-boyfriend, who has a criminal record. So it was thought to be a slam dunk. Until Heck’s attorney provides proof that he was over 100 miles away at the time.
Then Martha Matthias is found murdered and her mutilated body is found in a deep freezer. Martha, 72, was one of department’s first female homicide detectives. She was also a hoarder. Alex soon comes to believe that the two cases are related.
This is the 41st book in the series. The characters and the plotting are good. One of the strengths of this series is the clear definition of Alex’s role as a consulting psychologist, which is separate from detectives. The reveal of the guilty person and the motive are a surprise.
I rate it four out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Evelyn in Transit
by
David Guterson, W. W. Norton & Company
Published
January 20, 2026
256
Pages
Evelyn Bednarz is a single mother of a son, Cliff, 5. As a child she was easily bored, unsuited to life at school, asked odd questions about faith and time, and saw through conventions others take for granted.
When she graduated, Evelyn hitchhiked across the American West taking odd jobs. In distant Tibet, another life unfolds as remote from Evelyn’s as can be: the life of a boy named Tsering, raised as a Buddhist monk in the mountains of Tibet, who eventually becomes a high lama.
Evelyn’s and Tsering’s lives are strangely linked. Three Buddhist lamas show up at her door to announce that her five-year-old son Cliff is the seventh reincarnation of the illustrious Norbu Rinpoche, recently deceased. The lamas’ visit sets off a family crisis and a media firestorm over Cliff’s future.
The novel’s format of short sentences and unexplained jumps between paragraphs is really annoying. If you prefer tightly plotted narratives, this will seem very disjointed to you. Even at the end the story wasn’t clear to me.
David Guterson is best known as the author of the bestselling novel “Snow Falling on Cedars” which is one of my favorite books. Unfortunately, I really struggled with “Evelyn in Transit,” and can only rate it three out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
The Cyclist
by
Tim Sullivan, Atlantic Crime
Published
January 13, 2026
272
Pages
Detective Sergeant George Cross of the Somerset and Avon Police Force is called to a garage demolition site where the body of a man has been found. Cross, who is on the autism spectrum, is an exceptional detective.
Cross is assisted by his partner, Detective Inspector Josie Ottey, who is trying to teach him more social skills. Ottey tried to avoid being partnered with Cross, but she works well with him and others don’t. Detective Chief Inspector Carson is their supervisor. Alice Mackenzie is a trainee police staff investigator.
By looking closely at the body, Cross deducts that the man was a cyclist, possibly professionally. He is then identified as Alex Paphides, 32, a cyclist who worked at his family's Greek restaurant in Bristol. He was a member of the Avon Cycling Club. He had texted the team captain and said he was injured and couldn’t go to a training session. His brother, Kostas, tells police that Alex recently became aggressive with almost everyone.
There are several misdirections in the plot, but of course, Cross solves the murder. The writing is rather stilted and it is annoying that Sullivan continually explains that Cross’s anti-social behaviour is because he was on the spectrum. The overall plot is good.
I rate it three out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
First Do No Harm
by
S.J. Rozan, Pegasus Crime
Published
January 6, 2026
336
Pages
With River Valley Hospital in the midst of negotiations to avert a nurses' strike, Seymour Larson, a wealthy benefactor, is set to give a large donation to honor of the Chief of Emergency Medicine: Dr. Elliott Chin, the brother of private investigator Lydia Chin.
Larson is giving the donation because Chin once saved his daughter, Hartley’s, life. But before the donation is finalized, Sophia Scott, a member of the nurses’ negotiating committee, is found dead. Jordan Kazarian, a morgue assistant, is arrested. He denies even knowing her, but he found her body. She overdosed and police believe it was murder.
Dr. Irwin DeBreng, Jordan’s father, is chief of medicine and his brother, Bradley, is also a doctor. They have different last names because Jordan changed his to his mother’s name. They want him to have a family friend as his lawyer and for him to plead guilty.
Bill Smith, Lydia’s partner, asks a friend to recommend a criminal lawyer. He recommends Juanita Cohen, who in turn hires Lydia and Bill who start to dig into the events and personnel at the hospital. Then someone they interviewed, Alon Bacay, quits the negotiating committee and another employee, Barry Sivek, cleans out his locker and disappears.
“First Do No Harm” has a complex plot as Lydia and Bill discover some people employed by the hospital are dishonest. I didn’t see the ending or the motive coming. The characters are great, including some new ones. While this is the 16th in one of my favorite series, you don’t have to read the others first.
I rate it five out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
The Storm
by
Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press
Published
January 6, 2026
304
Pages
Deadly hurricanes regularly hit St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama. The Rosalie Inn, a beachfront building, has survived every one. During Hurricane Marie in 1984, Gloria “Lo” Bailey, was accused of the murder of her married lover, Landon Fitzroy, 30, who was the governor’s son. Lo Bailey was 19.
When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears that a writer, August Fletcher, is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she hopes a successful book will help the struggling inn’s bottom line. Edie Vargas is her assistant. Geneva’s mother, Ellen, has early onset Alzheimer’s and is in a nursing home. Her father died years ago.
But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. Lo Bailey comes with him. She says she’s there to finally clear her name. The prosecution couldn’t prove that Fitzroy’s death wasn’t accidental because of the hurricane. Her trial ended in a mistrial and she wasn’t tried again. And now there is a storm building in the Caribbean and St. Medard’s Bay may be hit by another hurricane.
This has a fast-paced plot with a shocking reveal midway through the book and a surprise ending. The characters are good. Readers who like slow-burning domestic thrillers will really enjoy this one.
I rate it five out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
The List of Suspicious Things
by
Jennie Godfrey, Sourcebooks Landmark
Published
December 30, 2025
416
Pages
Miv Senior, 12, lives in West Yorkshire, England in 1979. Britain’s first-ever female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, has just been elected.
It’s been almost two years since Miv’s mother, Marion, stopped speaking. No one has explained to Miv what is wrong. Her aunt Jean moved in with them to help. Now her father is talking about moving the family away to London because of serial murders occurring in their area.
Aunt Jean is a list-maker, so Miv decides that is what she and her best friend Sharon will do. Miv begins to make a list of suspicious characters and places in her town. Omir Bashir, the corner grocer from Pakistan, is suspicious because he has dark hair and a mustache. But he is kind. He has a son, Ishtiaq, who is in the girls’ class. They then suspect Mike Ware, one of their teachers. Helen, a librarian, helps the girls do research, but she seems to be accident prone.
When Sharon’s enthusiasm for their project wanes, she tells Miv, “I don’t know if any of the people we know are suspicious or whether they’re just trying to live their lives.” That is the bottom line of the novel.
This was a bestseller in the U.K. in 2024 and has now been released in the U.S. It is a coming of age story about family, friendship and racism. The murders are in the background as Miv and Sharon learn more about their town. Miv is naïve, but the friendship between Miv and Sharon is one of the best aspects of the novel. The dialogue is good, but the ending falls short. Content warning: this book contains references to child sexual abuse, domestic violence, alcoholism and mental health.
In interviews, Jennie Godfrey said she wrote her debut novel after seeing a television documentary on Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper. She had almost forgotten that her father had serviced vehicles where Sutcliffe worked and the two men interacted frequently.
I rate it four out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
Spasm
by
Robin Cook, G.P. Putnam's Sons
Published
December 9, 2025
368
Pages
When Laurie Montgomery Stapleton temporarily steps down from her position as chief medical examiner in New York City, she and her husband Jack, also a medical examiner, decide to embark on a weekend getaway.
Meanwhile in Essex Falls, N.Y. Ethan Jameson, one of the founders of a paramilitary group, the Diehard Patriots, is angry that only two of the four Russians who are observing the group showed up for a night training exercise.
When Ethan leaves for work at a pest control company the next day, there is an odd substance on the door handle of his truck. He cleans it off, only to have a major reaction to a chemical. He goes to Dr. Robert Neilson’s office.
Neilson, who was in medical school with Jack, calls him about two strange deaths and their potential association with the upswing in Alzheimer's cases in Essex Falls. Neilson is also the county coroner. Laurie and Jack agree to help him and head upstate. Before they can do an autopsy, the body disappears.
While the plotting and pacing are good, the dialogue is rather stilted. The ending is not what the reader will expect. This is the 15th in the series.
I rate it four out of five stars.
In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for a review.
