From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly, the Lincoln Lawyer is back with a case against an AI company whose product may have been responsible for the murder of a young girl.
Following his “resurrection walk” and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.
Representing the victim’s family, Mickey’s case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy’s digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake.
It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM’s Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called “the knight’s sacrifice.” Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.
My Review:
Does it get much better than the Lincoln Lawyer? I love these books and devour any new installment that comes up in print, digital, or Netflix.
Even better, this one tackles AI, a current hot topic, a novel that grapples with so many moral questions over the legal. Haven’t we been talking about our children watching violent cartoons? Now with computer games the kids of eight years up are playing, do we have any clue what kind of intelligence they are dealing with?
AI generated by Gemini
What about the mind of a sixteen year old? Who has written the code for the chatbot he calls Wren? And who is to blame when that sixteen year old violently acts on a suggestion from Wren?
I love the character of Haller. He has left criminal law for civil. The narrative examines in detail the question: who is ultimately responsible for games coded with possible explosive code? We’ve all heard of GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out, “bad programming, programming contradictory to the purpose of the app?”
Lincoln Lawyer cover-US
That is the supposition of this extremely complex legal thriller. The storyline boils over with tension, almost from the beginning. All your favorite Haller characters are included, though I never warmed up to a new character who provided deep intel on AI while gathering journalistic juice. A layered plot from main to sub, each adding depth, creating a fully rounded story from professional to personal, those of his family and close associates.
I love the way the writer mentions or includes characters, including Harry Bosch, from his other series in his current narrative, consolidating the Haller world. In his world, he is up against a multi-billion dollar corporation, and he’ll have his work cut out for him.
Lincoln Lawyer cover-UK
He has his flaws but he brings an intelligence to the legal science of law that is downright compelling. He has wit, energy, and charisma you can’t beat. And, by the way, I enjoyed the author’s little humorous zinger by naming the judge in the case, Judge Ruhlin. RUHLIN? Funny, Mr. Connelly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
PS: No AI was used in writing this review. (Or perhaps that’s obvious. )
Book Details:
Genre: Police Procedurals, Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers Publisher: Little, Brown and Company ISBN: 978-0316563840 ASIN: B0DZ24GYPN Print Length: 400 pages Publication Date: Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.
To save a client accused of murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan must fight a complex web of corruption in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
In a quiet South Seattle neighborhood, a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend are murdered in their home. When a young man named Michael Westbrook is accused of the brutal double homicide, his uncle JP Harrison turns to Keera Duggan to defend him. JP is Keera’s trusted investigator, and he desperately needs Keera to save his nephew against escalating odds.
The evidence is circumstantial—Michael worked with one of the victims, drugs were found in his possession, and he bolted from authorities. Ruthless star prosecutor Anh Tran has gotten convictions on much less. With the testimony of two prison informants, the case looks grave. But Keera never concedes defeat. To free her client, she must dig deep before Tran crushes both of them.
As the investigation gets more twisted with each new find, Keera is swept up in a mystery with far-reaching consequences. This case isn’t just murder. It’s looking like a conspiracy. And getting justice for Michael could be the most dangerous promise Keera has ever made.
My Review:
The CE doesn’t get to have all the fun! I got Book 3 of the Keera Duggan series, Her Cold Justice and Book 2, Beyond Reasonable Doubt. Between the two of us, however, we’ve read a number of Dugoni’s books, particularly Tracy Crosswhite, his last, A Dead Draw, early this year.
Keera was a chess champ as a girl, often played with her dad, who taught her the strategies of the board that could parallel her work as an attorney, facing off in high-stakes cases with equals in court room drama. She followed in her father’s legal footsteps, now often recognized as the daughter of the “Irish Brawler,” known for his unexpected and swift courtroom gotchas.
No question Michael Westbrook has all the circumstantial evidence stacked against him, made more credible by a few small omissions he failed to divulge until the twists caught up with him. Still, it appeared he was an innocent pawn in a game of power, broken justice, and weak kings.
You might guess that the plot gets complex, sussing out conspiracy, secrets, and an end game you might not have imagined. The plot is well paced.
No question I’m a fan of the author and feel all his books are great, with varying degrees of great, of course. I’ve come to love the Keera Duggan series, the characters relatable with complicated personal lives. This series hints at the possibility of a blooming relationship between Keera and Rossi, a good thing.
If this were read as a standalone, I’d wish for more character development of Keera, whereas we got a clear and definitive picture of Kim Tran, described beautifully down to the cold, impervious stare. There may have been a deeper dive into Keera and family in Book 1, but the CE caught that one, and I came into the series with Book 2.
As the book weaves its way through the twists and revelations, the storyline moves smoothly into the conclusion with, at this point, some predictability. Any reader who enjoys legal thrillers, though, will certainly appreciate the Dugoni writing style. It’s intelligently written, gripping, and entertaining.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Legal Thrillers, Murder Thrillers Publisher: Thomas & Mercer ISBN: 978-1662524646 ASIN: B0DFZ47Z2B Print Length: 380 pages Publication Date: January 27, 2026 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 10 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, the Keera Duggan legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels including the literary novel, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell – One of Newsweek Magazines Best Books of All Time and Suspense Magazine’s Book of the Year. Dugoni’s narration won an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also written critically acclaimed historical novels based on true events: The World Played Chess a coming of age story and the Vietnam War; Hold Strong an untold story of WWII; and A Killing on the Hill, about a 1933 killing and trial in Seattle. HIs nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, was a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. His novels have been optioned for movies and television series. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and multiple awards for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He has also been a finalist for many other awards including the International Thriller Award, the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, the Silver Falchion Award for mystery, and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award.
Robert Dugoni’s books are sold in more than forty countries and have been translated into more than thirty languages.
Visit his website and follow him on Amazon, Goodreads, twitter, Facebook, Tik Tok and other social media sites.
A lawyer who was set-up, imprisoned, and disbarred, only to be vindicated and reinstated, is determined to find out who set her up and cover their tracks with a trail of dead bodies
Defense Attorney Karen Wyatt exposed corruption in the police force and the District Attorney’s office while getting her client exonerated in court. But in doing so, she put a target on her back and she was set-up on fake drug charge, imprisoned and disbarred until the conspiracy unraveled and her innocence was proven. Now reinstated to the bar, Wyatt is still interested in finding out who ordered her to be set-up – but the key figures were either killed or are in Witness Protection.
In the meantime, Wyatt is a practicing defense attorney, whose current client is either guilty of a heinous murder, or is a too-trusting patsy for an acquaintance set-up for a crime he didn’t commit. It will take all of Wyatt’s genius to defend her client successfully but that’s just one piece of an increasingly complex puzzle.
With a deadly criminal drug gang, a powerful, corrupt figure hiding in the D.A.’s office, and a Congressman who turned up with an unbelievable story after disappearing for days, False Witness is twisty, breathtaking, and unpredictable thriller.
My Review:
I do enjoy a good legal thriller from time to time. The last I read by this author, An Insignificant Case was a good standalone case in point. Unique main character and one I hoped would signal the beginning of a new series. Maybe not.
Defense Attorney Karen Wyatt definitely got herself in a pickle when she exposed corruption, not only in the police force, but the District Attorney’s office as well. She set herself up to take the fall, and fall she did, deep into prison. When she was finally exonerated, she came out with a bit of a chip on her shoulder and a burning desire to get some well-earned retribution.
The author keeps the tension ratcheted up as she goes about the business of practicing law and three years later taking pro bono cases. In the meantime, she continues to filter through her list of suspects, working to find the mole in the DA’s office. So much going on, the plot can get complex and there is a real mixed bag of characters from every spectrum.
All the twists and turns are there, moving the storyline along fairly briskly.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
The Author:PHILLIP MARGOLIN has written over twenty-five novels, most of them New York Times bestsellers, including Gone But Not Forgotten, Lost Lake, and Violent Crimes. In addition to being a novelist, he was a long time criminal defense attorney with decades of trial experience, including a large number of capital cases. Margolin lives in Portland, Oregon.
Former Marine sniper Lew Gale, now a detective with the Orange County California Sheriff’s Department, is assigned to track and shoot a mountain lion that has killed a man in the rugged country east of Laguna Beach, California. The victim is Bennet Tarlow, a rich developer and man-about-town in upscale coastal Orange County.
The investigation takes a chilling turn when Lew and his new partner, Daniela Mendez, discover that Bennet was dead long before the lion got to him. And while he might have been the first to die, he certainly will not be the last.
At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
His Review:
Bennet Tarlow III is shot dead and the most influential person in Texas must be avenged! His grieving sons are fighting over his substantial fortune and must never turn their backs on another family member.
This story focuses on the greed and corruption that come when spoiled offspring scramble for the position of heir. The father has written a will and it defines the child he wants to become his heir. His sons and daughters care about their father’s riches but particularly where they stand in the heir position. A story about family greed and discord.
I found the tale a bit of a ring road with danger to each sibling at every turn! Can their father mean so little to the heirs? Read and experience the calamity! 3 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
The Author:T. Jefferson Parker is the bestselling author of 28 crime novels, including Edgar Award-winners “Silent Joe” and “California Girl.” Parker’s latest work, “The Rescue”, explores the strength of the human-animal bond and how far we will go to protect what we love.
Parker was born in L.A. and grew up in Southern California. He studied English at UC Irvine and worked as a newspaper reporter for five years while writing his first book, “Laguna Heat” on evenings and weekends. HBO made “Laguna Heat” into one of its first original television movies in 1987.
Although the “T” is part of his legal name it does not stand for a name. It is a decorative initial put there by his parents, who once told him they thought T. Jefferson Parker would look good on the White House door.
Parker lives in north San Diego County, and enjoys fishing, hiking and just about anything outdoors.
A luckless thief’s wrong turn becomes a crooked cop’s fortune in a wild ride of a thriller by a New York Times bestselling author.
Failed lawyer Robert Green has such a good plan: Crack three hundred safe-deposit boxes and sail off to South America with his brilliant, morally flexible sister, Penny. If it weren’t for the damned freezing rain.
In the dying resort town of Granite Shores, cop Jack Biddle is self-appointed king—mostly of bad decisions. Between his family’s crumbling legacy, a wife who just joined the city council, and life-threatening gambling debts, Jack’s looking for a way out. Then he spots a van spinning off a mountain road into the valley below. In the wreckage, Jack finds a very dead Robert, millions in heisted loot…and opportunity.
All Jack has to do is clean up the mess, disappear Robert’s body, make off with the fortune, and not get caught. One hitch is Penny. Another is Mitch Diamond, a wild card ex-con who knows more about the missing fortune than he lets on. Jack, Penny, and Mitch each have an endgame. But there’s only one way out, and they’re crashing headlong toward it.
His Review:
Penny Green had always been the smartest person in any room. Her IQ being above 220 meant her mind captured anything she saw or read. She was required to work with a criminal element that held her on the threat of death. There seemed to be no way out.
Those hired to “Protect and Serve” were no help whatsoever. Work with them or expect a bullet in the back of the head. This was the path Penny seemed to be following. She had no alternative and no way out. The crime boss got immensely wealthy while she remained under his thumb, literally!
Jack Biddle has been the Chief of Police in Granite Shores for two decades. He knew where all of the bodies were hidden and how many of the citizens owed him special treatment. Near the end of the book, he finds himself on the wrong side of some very vindictive people. Granite Shores has been controlled by the criminal element for as long as anyone could remember. Mercy and compassion are not in the city father’s vocabulary.
This book highlights some of the cruel elements that run some of the coastal cities. Gritty, unlikable characters tends to the profane. 3.5 stars – CE Williams
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.
Rosepoint Publishing: Three point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Dark Humor, Heist Thrillers, Police Procedurals Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN-13: 978-1662525636 ASIN: B0DWPF2ST2 Print Length: 367 pages Publication Date: November 4, 2025 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Tod Goldberg is the New York Times bestselling author of over a dozen books of fiction, including The Low Desert: Gangster Stories, Gangsterland, a finalist for the Hammett Prize, Gangster Nation, The House of Secrets, which he co-authored with Brad Meltzer, and Living Dead Girl, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His essays, nonfiction, and criticism appear widely, including in the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal, as well as Best American Essays, and have earned five Nevada Press Association Awards. He is also the cohost, along with Rider Strong and Julia Pistell, of the popular podcast Literary Disco. Goldberg is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside, where founded and directs the Low Residency MFA program in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @todgoldberg and on Facebook at facebook.com/todgoldberg or visit todgoldberg.com.
A daughter reconnects with her estranged parents before it’s too late in an emotional novel about memories, secrets, and finding home by the bestselling author of When We Chased the Light.
Charlie McFadden was fifteen years old when CPS removed her from her hoarded home. Her mother, Betty, chose her worthless collectibles. Her father chose Betty. Neither chose Charlie.
Thirty-one years later, a mother herself and cohost of a popular reality show with her husband, Charlie is proud of what she accomplished without her parents—relative strangers she never saw again. Until the day Charlie’s father pleads with her to come home and to say goodbye to her mother, now confined to a memory care center. Betty has her good days, recognizing her daughter with familiar resentment. And her bad ones, lost in the past as a blissful young mother with a cherished newborn. Those days make Charlie feel loved.
For Charlie, each memory is a journey and a revelation. She sees a mother she never knew—bright and beautiful with so much promise. But hidden away is also a fiercely guarded secret. Shared, it could finally bring hope and healing to a broken family. If Betty can bear to remember it.
My Review:
Extreme cases of hoarding. Good grief. Something I’d never read about before nor took terribly seriously. It’s as insidious as alcoholism, slowly taking over the person and then that person’s close members to the point of their very class of living.
My mother lived through the depression. When I tried to help my sister with the storage shed behind their mobile home, I was confronted with a quarter of the shed stacked with toilet paper. Funny then, years later when Covid hit that mother was gone too late to see her stash come in handy. But she was not a hoarder. Not in this definition.
Charlie (Charlotte, Lottie) McFadden is a TV host ah la Joanna Gaines who, at a crisis in her own home, is called by her father that he needed help with their home. Her mother, Betty, is in memory care, had been a hoarder to the point that Charlie was removed from the home at age 15 to foster care. She never went back and estranged all this time, reluctant to go back now except for the predicament with her marriage. He will lose the home if it is not cleared and cleaned up.
The time line as remembered through her dad then switches back and forth between the present day and Betty’s history is becoming exposed with the extensive cleaning. Her dad has always supported Betty to the exclusion of Charlie, something she grew very bitter about.
And the “good” days? That’s according to the nurse handling Betty that day who sees the real Betty—the one who is angry, disagreeable, and recognizes Charlie with vehemence. Not at all the loving mother of “Laura,” who on “bad” days doesn’t recognize Charlie as Charlie but a soft spoken, kindly, and loving mother. It’s the disease, the dementia.
As Charlie hammers away at Betty on bad days, trying to get to the truth of her history, there are hints of a twist. Who is…was…Laura? What’s with her father? Why won’t he talk to Charlie, fill in all the blanks?
A powerful story that examines, dissects, and disseminates dementia, painting the character scary and beautiful at the same time; sympathetic, clueless, difficult. That the house and hoarding was chosen over Charlie, their daughter, is a mantra throughout the book. Themes of a fractured, enabled marriage, damaged family dynamics, secrets, and emotional dimensions.
The setting of Lake Geneva is lovely, bringing to mind our one trip there to explore and taste the food, drink in the scenery. A tourist destination.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
Rosepoint Rating: Four point Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Marriage & Divorce Fiction, 20th Century Historical Fiction Publisher: Lake Union Publishing ISBN: 978-1662531255 ASIN: B0DXG9J6ZT Print Length: 379 pages Publication Date: October 7, 2025 Source: Publisher and Netgalley
The Author:Emily Bleeker is a former educator who discovered her passion for writing after introducing a writer’s workshop to her students. She soon found a whole world of characters and stories living inside of her mind. It took a battle with a rare form of cancer to give her the courage to share that amazing world with others. Emily lives in suburban Chicago with her family. Between writing and being a mom, she attempts to learn guitar, performs with the house team of a local improv troupe, dabbles in karaoke, and embraces her newfound addiction to running. Connect with her or request a Zoom visit with yourbook club at emilybleeker.com.
A novel so good I had to share with the CE. His review below.
Book Blurb:
From the bestselling author of Submerged: Life on a Fast Attack Submarine in the Last Days of the Cold War.
In the spring of 2001, Hiram Bleeker, a lonely, guilt-wracked Vietnam veteran with severe PTSD, is holding a gun to his mouth. As he is about to pull the trigger, an enchanting woman who does not seem to be of this world introduces him to something that restores his soul—rescuing immigrants in the desert and flying them over the internal checkpoints of the US Border Patrol in southwest Texas. As he flies immigrants in his small plane and saves them from the killing dehydration and heat of the Texas desert, the darkness in his heart begins to fade. But when America is attacked on September 11, it succumbs to fear and hysteria. What was once a simple act of human kindness is now a serious crime against the state, potentially a capital offense. Hiram must woo the love of his life and elude the clutches of the Border Patrol while flying over the desolate and hostile plains of Texas. In this book, you will learn about the healing power of love, redemption through sacrifice, and how to hot-wire an airplane.
My Review:
Don’t you just love that title?
I’ll confirm first thing that the novel delivers on the title. Okay, yes, I’m attracted to stories first about dogs and also Vietnam veterans since my husband is one—the latter, of course. So, with that title and the promising blurb, I had to read this one.
I loved Hiram Bleeker who returns from service with PTSD, guilt-wracked, and with no close discernible support. His failure to end it all comes when he begins to transport rescue animals for delivery to their forever homes. And he does this, finding satisfaction in saving so many canine lives for some time.
It’s when he is approached to rescue humans in desperate circumstances that the whole operation becomes dicey. Each mission is unique and comes with perilous circumstances. His plane is a mess and often provides misgivings even from his passengers, but he loves her and knows her inside and out and can wrench out some death-defying aerobatics.
In the meantime, he meets a lady with whom some serious chemistry evolves. Most of my readers know I’m not big on romance, but I loved Lucy. Cerebral and well versed in most subjects, there is a magical quality about her that mystifies Hiram. The author has created an endearing, charismatic character who is equal to Hiram’s, both empathetic and forceful. She becomes a staunch supporter, an advocate, rallying around his undertaking to provide life support for fleeing immigrants.
“Another day with Lucy, another stop on the train to Weirdville. ‘Well, I’ve never seen a luggage rack on a hearse!’“
The storyline provides scenes of desolate vistas, heat-ravaged Texas landscapes, along with the life-threatening wretched conditions of those seeking sanctuary.
“…You have been classified as an Enemy Combatant.”
”What’s that?”
“It’s something we invented. Orwell was right: Control the language, control the narrative, control the population…”
The authorities are relentless and often brutal while the narrative shares in equal measure the support of humanity from unexpected resources.
The novel carries themes of compassion, courage, and redemption. A unique and emotional tale of liberation more than political commentary. The action-packed climax is satisfying and provides closure as well as food for thought.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own. Heartily recommended!
My Rating: Five Stars
His Review:
There are many dogs to be rescued in Texas. Hiram, a Vietnam veteran and pilot, has been flying these animals in his old Cessna 172 from the Texas border to a rescue for years. Prior to that, his life was a constant swirl downward and he decided life was not worth living.
He could completely dismantle the plane and reassemble it as necessary. His job transporting rescue dogs from Texas to the northern states saved many animals’ lives and kept his old plane flying.
He is approached by a lady who wishes to have a few desperate families flown from Mexico into various locations in the states. A quick flight of a few hundred miles and the cargo was delivered into the country without dealing with U.S. Customs but the Customs Agents became aware and want to shut his operation down and destroy his relic of an airplane.
This story moves well and paints the Border Patrol as little more than a lawless group of thugs. The overall storyline is very entertaining and enlightening. Enjoy! 5 stars – CE Williams
His Rating: Five Stars
Book Details:
Genre: Absurdist Fiction, Metaphysical Fiction, Political Fiction
ASIN: B0DHV4VVHX Print Length: 346 pages Publication Date: June 1, 2025 Source: Publisher and NetGalley
The Author:Henry Rausch graduated from Stanford University and after earning a commission at Officer Candidate School reported to USS L Mendel Rivers (SSN-686) in August 1985. There he served as an Engineering Assistant, Communicator, and Sonar Officer. The ship conducted four classified missions for which they were awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation, two Navy Expeditionary Medals, and the Arctic Service Ribbon. After that tour he served as Weapons Officer onboard USS Sunfish (SSN 649) which conducted deployments in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. He left active service and served in the Reserves, primarily in NATO Submarine Command and Control. He retired as a Commander in 2005 with 22 years of service and lives with his wife in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. He enjoys outdoor activities and flying small planes and has over 3800 hours of experience as a pilot in command.
In the gripping conclusion to The Secret Bookcase series, Annie Murray races to untangle the ultimate plot twist…
Life is good for Annie: she’s found healing at the Secret Bookcase, her beloved Agatha Christie-themed mystery bookstore in the cozy town of Redwood Grove, and is on the brink of launching her very own detective agency. But she’s still haunted by one unsolved case: the murder of her best friend Scarlet ten years ago.
When Annie heads to Santa Clara for their annual book fair, she’s looking forward to meeting fellow booklovers. And she’s also got a secret mission: she’ll be close to Silicon Summit Partners, the powerful investment firm she just knows had a hand in Scarlet’s death. But when an industry colleague is murdered at the book fair, Annie is first on the scene to investigate. The suspect list reads like a book lover’s who’s who: a celebrity author with a suspicious agenda, a rival with a grudge, and even a kindly grandmother pursuing her lifelong dream of owning a bookstore.
With her fellow bookseller and crime-fighting partner Fletcher playing Watson to her Holmes, can Annie catch the killer before they strike again? And will it distract her from her mission to finally bring her best friend Scarlet’s murderer to justice?
This fun-filled and clean cozy mystery will keep you guessing until the very end. Perfect for fans of Lauren Elliott, Merryn Allingham and M.C. Beaton, and book lovers everywhere.
My Review:
I’ve been a fan of this author for some time. She can weave a great cozy mystery at the same time as infusing the storyline with engaging atmospherics.
“A hint of a strong antiseptic cleaner hung in the air, mingled with the distinct scent of corruption.”
Annie Murray has been looking forward to this book fair for some time, not just because she’ll hook up with industry colleagues, but it will give her access to the Silicon Summit Partners, who Annie has long suspected was instrumental in the death of her best friend, Scarlet, who was soon to be her partner in their new detective agency, Novel Detectives.
It’s not like Annie hasn’t gained some experience in the latter and, fortunately, she has a close associate, Fletcher Hughes, who’ll have her back at the book fair and at the investment firm she’ll investigate while there.
While Annie is attending the book fair and learning about virtual reality reading, there is a suspicious death. The victim was pushing his virtual reality reading device heavily surrounded by contentious activity. Was it the motive for murder?
Perhaps the headset wasn’t fully ready for market? Annie is working, unofficially, with the slightly green detective on the case while she proceeds with plans to secure evidence from the investment firm.
It looks like Annie has a strong set of support characters for her work with her new agency as well as backup for her bookstore, the Secret Bookcase. This series culminated with the exposure of Scarlet’s killer, so while this might have been the final episode of this series, the spin-off, Novel Detectives is slated to start early in 2026. It’s looking to be a good one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.
The Author:ELLIE ALEXANDER is a voracious storyteller, a lover of words and all things bookish. She believes that stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over thirty published novels and counting, her goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.
She loves inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and is passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. As a writing teacher and coach, she guides writers in crafting the story they’ve always wanted to tell while navigating the path to publication that’s right for them.
Find out more about Ellie, her books, and writing courses by visiting her online:
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The Author: Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and one work of nonfiction. With over eighty-nine million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into forty-five foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent New York Times bestsellers include The Waiting (2024), Resurrection Walk (2023), Desert Star (2022), The Dark Hours (2021), The Law Of Innocence (2020), Fair Warning (2020), and The Night Fire (2019). Michael is the executive producer of Bosch and Bosch: Legacy, Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver and streaming on Amazon Prime/Amazon Freevee. He is the executive producer of The Lincoln Lawyer, streaming on Netflix, starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films, “Sound Of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story’ and ‘Tales Of the American.’ He spends his time in California and Florida.
I found the tale a bit of a ring road with danger to each sibling at every turn! Can their father mean so little to the heirs? Read and experience the calamity! 3 stars – CE Williams
Rosepoint Publishing 