Off the Shelf -- Under Lock & Skeleton Key

Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This book was so much fun! Tempest is a fifth generation magician whose family is haunted by a curse. A tragedy during Tempest's Vegas show results in her returning home to Hidden Creek, where she is feeling sorry for herself, until the body of her former assistant turns up in the wall of a house Tempest's father is working on.

I love the characters in this book and their relationships, their connections. The inclusion of heritage resonates. The locked room mystery is intriguing. All in all, an engrossing, well-plotted novel.

This review is freely and honestly given.

Off the Shelf -- All the Queen's Men

 

S.J. Bennett delivers again.  The second book in Her Majesty Investigates is as delightful as the first.  A staff member is found dead in the palace.  Was there foul play?  Also troubling is a beloved painting turning up in the office of a Sea Lord.  Her Majesty asks Rozie to look into the painting and how it wound up there.  The tale is set in 2016 amid Brecon, the US election, and many other current events.  The cast of characters is engaging, the mystery intriguing, and the queen is a true delight. I can't wait for more.

Off the Shelf -- Love & Other Disasters

I devoured this in one day. Dahlia and London meet on the set of the cooking competition show Chef's Special, where London is the first nonbinary competitor. As they get to know each other, a connection forms. This book is so well written, the characters so fully developed. The pronoun usage flows seamlessly as we root for these all too human characters. It is a delight to read a queer nonbinary romance. I eagerly await more from this author.