Smart, Fast-Paced Cozy Mystery

 

image copied from Bookshop.org

Murder at the Agency was a great cozy mystery to read leading into the end of summer to help get me ready for fall. It features a smart, relatable main character, a clever plot, and small town setting off the coast of Lake Michigan. All things to love in a cozy whodunnit. 

The story opens with Cassidy at her lowest point. She's lost her job after finally standing up for herself, her boyfriend has dumped her, and the building where her apartment is has been sold, meaning she's going to have to move. Fortunately, a kind stranger who overhears some of her woes offers her a chance at an interview for her dream job at a well-respected marketing agency. Things begin to look up once she lands the job. Cassidy even manages to make a new friend in need of a roommate. But then things quickly unravel when her boss is killed and she finds the body. 

As a main character, I found Cassidy someone I could easily root for to solve the mystery and win the day! She is resilient and smart as well as being very good at wheedling information out of people without them even realizing it. This makes her a natural as an amateur sleuth. 

The setting of the small mid-western town and the fast-paced marketing agency where Cassidy works made the world easy for me to imagine and get lost in. I especially liked the way that Forsythe described Cassidy's job and the marketing ideas she comes up with for the variety of companies seeking assistance with promoting their product. I began to suspect near the end of the book who the key players might be in the murder and why, but I was surprised by the twist at the end when the killer is revealed. 

Murder at the Agency by Kylie Forsythe was a smart, quick read, and a fun mystery to try and puzzle out. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with smart, relatable amateur sleuths, well-paced clever plots that also have a lovely small town setting, then grab your copy and settle in for a delightful fall read!

My next book that I'll be reviewing to wrap up my August reads will be The Excitements  by C. J. Wray featuring two incredible WWII veteran nonagenarians intent on pulling off one last grand adventure. I truly loved the humor, mystery, history and heart in this one. The book cover image and blurb for it are both copied from bookshop.org.

A brilliant and witty drama about two brave female World War II veterans who survived the unthinkable without ever losing their killer instinct…or their joie de vivre.

Meet the Williamson sisters, Britain’s most treasured World War II veterans. Now in their late nineties, Josephine and Penny are in huge demand, popping up at commemorative events and history festivals all over the country. Despite their age, they’re still in great form—perfectly put together, sprightly and sparky, and always in search of their next “excitement.”

This time it’s a trip to Paris to receive the Légion d’honneur for their part in the liberation of France. And as always, they will be accompanied by their devoted great-nephew, Archie.

Keen historian Archie has always been given to understand that his great aunts had relatively minor roles in the Women’s Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that’s only half the story. Both sisters are hiding far more than the usual “official secrets”. There’s a reason sweet Auntie Penny can dispatch a would-be mugger with an umbrella.

This trip to Paris is not what it seems either. Scandal and crime have always quietly trailed the Williamson sisters, even in the decades after the war. Now armed with new information about an old adversary, these much decorated (but admittedly ancient) veterans variously intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist before the curtain finally comes down on their illustrious careers.

Ghostly Middle Grade Suspense Set in America's Most Haunted City

image copied from Google Books

This is the first book that I've read by Tiffany Jackson and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The fact that this novel is set in Savannah, GA, one of my favorite southern cities to visit, captured my interest right away. Then when I read the blurb and discovered that it also involves a mystery surrounding a haunted mansion, I was hooked. 

Ghost in the Night follows twelve-year-old Harmony who is traveling on tour with her jazz musician father after the loss of the grandmother who raised her. Harmony's recent loss has led to her fascination with ghosts and proving their existence. When she and her dad settle in Savannah, GA for his latest tour stop, Harmony is excited to learn that it is the most haunted city in America. While on a ghost tour, she even believes she might have captured an image of one in the window of an abandoned southern mansion. Intent on investigating further, Harmony soon learns that the ghost she thinks she saw might be linked to the recent death of a beloved member of the community. Delving into what happened and who the apparition might be leads Harmony into more than she could've ever bargained for.

One of the things I loved most about this story was Harmony as the main character. Her voice leapt off the page for me from the very start. She's lively, independent, smart and very brave. Though I did find it a little worrisome that she was given so much independence to wander about strange cities on her own. However, being raised by a single parent who is also a touring musician did lend some credence to this for me. It was enough to suspend my disbelief for the purposes of the story. The other elements I enjoyed about this book were the historical details that were woven into the plot. As someone who has visited Savannah many times, I truly appreciated the Black history woven into the story. Especially, about one of the historic squares and why that particular one is believed to be so haunted. Jackson included this information in a way that made it an integral element of the plot. For instance, we learn right along with Harmony the backstory of the formerly named Calhoun Square and why it's so haunted while she's on her first ghost tour in Savannah. In another part of the story, one of the places Harmony and her friends visit in their search for clues actually offers up interesting bits of history along with further leads for them to follow. It is a clever way to give the reader historical facts about the setting while also moving the plot forward. 

Another important aspect about this book is its portrayal of the different ways people handle grief while also tying it to mysterious paranormal elements. It also reveals the different ways people view the supernatural, as well as questioning whether tragedies of the past should be commercialized for entertainment and profit. Should the spirits, if they're out there, be allowed to rest in peace? I recommend you read Ghost in the Night  to come to your own conclusion about that. 

Stay tuned for my next review of debut cozy mystery Murder at the Agency by Kylie Forsythe. The blurb and book cover are both copied from bookshop.org. I'll also be doing a book spotlight in a couple of days for YA suspense thriller, The Hardest Ones to Fool by Christina Li. The book blurb and cover for it were also copied from bookshop.org.

Who knew the marketing world could be so dangerous?

Just when it seems like everything in twenty-eight year old Cassidy Blayne's life is falling apart, a thrilling coffee shop encounter leads to the opportunity of a lifetime. Landing her dream job as Creative Director with an elite advertising firm in a nearby lakeside town fills her with renewed purpose. She's no longer going to allow herself to settle, and resolves to rebuild her life on her own terms.

But from the moment she steps foot out of the elevator, she senses things may not be as they seem at Turner & Nash Advertising. Despite her wariness, Cassie puts all her energy into landing her first big account. Arriving early on the day of the presentation, she's shocked to find one of the owners dead and herself a suspect.

She embarks on a desperate search for answers, unknowingly putting her and the people she cares about in danger. As she pieces things together with some help from her spunky new roommate, twin childhood best friends, an uptight detective, and a gorgeous up-and-coming rock star, warnings and threats escalate. It's clear the killer will stop at nothing to keep her quiet.

Cassie must risk everything to unravel the murder before someone takes her off the market for good.

Amelia Wu is great at relationships. So great, in fact, that she’s in three of them. Why choose between the suave debate team captain, the charming indie filmmaker, and the tennis star when she can be with them all?

The catch? None of them know about each other. It works perfectly. They’re in love with her—or the versions of her that they get. Amy. Ellie. Mia. And she’s in love with the lavish dinners, fancy yacht trips, and expensive gifts. Times three.

But schemes always get complicated, don’t they? When Amelia's best friend ends up dead, her alleged murder shocks their placid beachside city. And soon, Amelia's carefully planned relationships start to dangerously unravel.

In a fit of desperation, Amelia teams up with her academic nemesis Jackie, the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper and a self-proclaimed true crime junkie, to get to the bottom of this.

After all, Amelia needs to keep her boyfriends close and her enemies closer if she wants to keep her scam—and herself—afloat.

 

Steamy Romance, Mystery and Historic Glamour Du Jour

 

image copied from bookshop.org

Today's hot summer reading review focuses on Emily Henry's Great Big Beautiful Life. I've long been a fan of Henry's rom-coms. But this novel marks a bit of a departure for Henry from straight romantic comedy. Instead, Great Big Beautiful Life mixes romance, mystery and historical fiction all into one story.

It all begins with Alice Scott, the main narrator of the novel. She's scored an interview with the former tabloid princess, Margaret Ives. Alice became intrigued with tracking the reclusive celebrity down after getting a tip that Margaret was living in seclusion on a small island off the coast of Georgia. Her persistence pays off and Margaret agrees to meet with her to consider writing Margaret's biography together. The only fly in the ointment is Hayden Anderson. It seems that Margaret is also considering the grumpy, Pulitzer-winning memoirist to do her story as well. In the end, Margaret claims to be unable to decide between the two and instead tells them each that she will do a trial series of interviews with both writers over the course of a month, at the end of which she will select her biographer. 

I found this Henry novel to be refreshing in its divergence from her normal fair. It still contains plenty of romance tropes in the story, such as grumpy/sunshine romantic leads, rivals-to-lovers, and forced proximity to an extent. But it was also full of interesting details about the glamour of the past when tabloids and newspapers hounded celebrities and were fascinated with mogul families and their empires. It was clear that Henry put a good deal of research into this book. She wove in the glitz and glamour of mid-twentieth century public icons into the story in a way that made her characterization of Margaret's life and that of her family very believable. At the same time, I really appreciated how she managed to also connect this with Alice and Hayden's stories as they unfold. Both have secrets of their own they're carrying. Alice is still struggling with grief over the loss of a loved one. While Hayden, who has grown up under public scrutiny of his own on a smaller scale, has learned to be very reserved and careful about who he trusts or confides in. There is also the mystery about why Margaret seems to be giving both different sides of her story and why she is adamant that they both stick around for a month before she can decide who she wants to work with. 

The competition between Alice and Hayden also forces them to put the breaks on any physical relationship while they're together on the tiny island even though they are very attracted to each other. This compels them to find alternative ways to spend time together where they won't be tempted to hook up. It also causes them to develop a much deeper emotional bond over such a short time span, helping them to become friends with the potential to someday become something more. It kept the sexual tension high while allowing me as a reader to get to know each of them as individual characters. Henry is a master of that in many of her novels and she sets up this romance cleverly here as well. I also loved the historical details of Margaret's family history. I found myself drawn in gradually to that the same way Alice was with each encounter she has with Margaret. 

I know that some might find this book to be a disappointment because it is different from Emily Henry's other books. However, if you love stories that mix a bit of mystery with some 20th century historical drama along with a steamy, slow-burn will-they-won't-they romance, then I urge you to give this novel a chance. I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

For my next review, I'll be focusing on a middle grade urban fantasy set in one of my favorite cities, Savannah, Georgia and in August, I also hope to review a fun mystery by a debut author. The covers and blurbs for both those books that are releasing in early August are listed below. Both the covers and blurbs were copied from bookshop.org.

Savannah, Georgia, with its mossy trees and ornate old homes, is a place rich in history...and ghosts. Ghosts are what pique Harmony Roundtree's interest. Still reeling from her losses back home, Harmony wants to believe in ghost stories...but isn't sure what's real. When she goes on one of the many ghost tours around town, she takes a photo of what might be a ghost. Or is it a hoax?

With two new friends, Harmony sets out to investigate... and stumbles upon clues leading to an unsolved murder. The deeper she digs, the more Harmony realizes that what she saw on the ghost tour might be connected to a shocking crime. But making connections can be dangerous--even more dangerous than ghosts.

New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson delivers another action-packed mystery full of surprises and secrets that will give readers goosebumps.

Who knew the marketing world could be so dangerous?

Just when it seems like everything in twenty-eight year old Cassidy Blayne's life is falling apart, a thrilling coffee shop encounter leads to the opportunity of a lifetime. Landing her dream job as Creative Director with an elite advertising firm in a nearby lakeside town fills her with renewed purpose. She's no longer going to allow herself to settle, and resolves to rebuild her life on her own terms.

But from the moment she steps foot out of the elevator, she senses things may not be as they seem at Turner & Nash Advertising. Despite her wariness, Cassie puts all her energy into landing her first big account. Arriving early on the day of the presentation, she's shocked to find one of the owners dead and herself a suspect.

She embarks on a desperate search for answers, unknowingly putting her and the people she cares about in danger. As she pieces things together with some help from her spunky new roommate, twin childhood best friends, an uptight detective, and a gorgeous up-and-coming rock star, warnings and threats escalate. It's clear the killer will stop at nothing to keep her quiet.

Cassie must risk everything to unravel the murder before someone takes her off the market for good.

Heists and Hot Second Chance Romance

image copies from bookshop.org

Jewel Me Twice is the first of many caper-style novels that I anticipate reading as I work on my second Emily Monroe mystery. The glimpse it gave into how the team of thieves is established and how they pull off some of their heists was helpful in offering me tips as to how my own crew might be established. 

This is also the first novel by Charish Reid that I've read and it will not be the last as I thoroughly enjoyed it. It employs some popular romance genre tropes such as second chance love, rivals-to-lovers, and forced proximity romance. 

The story starts right off with both main characters, Celeste (CeCe) and Magnus, stumbling across one another after years apart when they endeavor to steal the same priceless jewel. Cece and Magnus both assume this is a one-off encounter. However, fate or their old mentor in thievery, Doris, have other plans. Each receive notes from Doris after her death asking them to meet at her New York Brownstone. There they are reunited with their old crew and are given a challenge, to carry off the steal of the century. 

What follows is a fun scavenger hunt of clues, leading them to the final job. I loved the way that Doris set all of this up for them and the fact that she included a personal journal for Cece to help her see why Doris chose to mentor her and the others in the first place. It was fun following the crew as they seek out each new clue. There were also some unexpected twists near the end as they plan the final theft. The romance between Celeste and Magnus as their forced alliance heats things up was delightfully steamy. I'd give it a 3 chili pepper rating on the spicy scale. 

All in all this was a fun summer read perfect for the beach or even a staycation at home. I listened to the audiobook and read the ebook while traveling on my sisters' trip to Nova Scotia. I was able to do this on my Hoopla app that is available through many public library systems and is a great one for reading or listening to books. It might be worth looking into with your own local library. As for Jewel Me Twice, if you enjoy steamy, second chance romantic adventure, then give this one a try.

My next blog book review will be an Emily Henry book that is a romance with a bit of mystery incorporated into the story. The cover and book blurb for Great Big Beautiful Life were both copied from bookshop.org.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.

Sweet and Enchanting Queer YA Fantasy Romance

image copied from bookshop.org

The Boy With the Heart of Sea Glass is a terrific and romantic coming-of-age story with some lovely Cornish folklore woven into it. I was immersed in the narrative right away.

It follows Sam as he runs away to a remote Cornish island to seek refuge with his aunt after a heart-wrenching breakup. There he slowly begins to heal and to develop a found-family of sorts with the other people his age on the island.

As a main character Sam's inner monologue and voice was strong and very relatable. He has had a hard life with a strained relationship with his mom, Nessa. But his Aunt Alva takes him in and offers him the nurturing he never fully got to experience growing up. It's a balm for his wounds that he carries with him onto the island. But this internalization on the part of the character never gets repetitive or adversely affects the pace of the story. Instead, we get bits and pieces of his narrative and clues about the inner demons he's battling a little at a time. We also learn early on that there is a mystery surrounding what happened to Sam's father and why his mother could never return to the island. This and the love story that develops between Sam and Tryste had me turning pages wanting to figure out what was going on and how the past events would impact Sam's journey toward self-discovery and healing.

I loved the secondary characters in this novel as much as I did Sam. Tryste, of course, was one of the best. He's so tender and patient with Sam. Their meet-cute was so sweet and awkward and Sam's reaction to having this hot fisherman who likes to read help him was funny and endearing. I also loved Sam's Aunt Alva and his friend Eowyn.

There are some nice twists and turns as well. The threads of Cornish folklore in the story lead up to some interesting revelations and danger at the end. The sea glass that is in the title and that Sam collects on the beach was lovely in its symbolic elements. Just like Sam, something broken is slowly transformed by the sea and the elements on the island into something new and beautiful.

And while the ending does wrap up the plot for this story, I can't help thinking there is still room for a sequel. I'd love to see how things unfold from here with Nix, Nessa, and Tryste.

If you love slow-burn, tender queer romance with elements of folklore woven into the story, then definitely give this one a try. It will be well worth your time.

Stay tuned for my July reviews as I think I'm going to focus on romantic suspense for the heat of summer. Below are some of the options that I'm considering. All covers and book blurbs were copied from bookshop.org and all titles have clickable links to that bookshop site as well.

Two career thieves reunite for one last job and must put their messy romantic past behind them to pull off the jewel heist of the century in this scorching, action packed romance!

He was her partner--both in crime and between the sheets. It's been five years since professional thief Celeste St. Pierre laid eyes on Magnus Larsson. These days, she runs a Manhattan antique store, but her talent for stealing beautiful, shiny things hasn't faded. And as a chance reunion over a locked safe proves, neither has the heat between her and the gorgeous, ice-cool Magnus.

For Magnus, only one thing beats the thrill of getting away with robbery--and that's the woman he's tried hard to forget. Their last job together ended in disaster. But if they're going to honor their mentor's last wishes to pull off the theft of the century, they'll have to temporarily put their grudges behind them.

Crisscrossing Europe on a real-life treasure hunt, Celeste and Magnus quickly rediscover how well they work together. The higher the stakes, the hotter the sexual tension. But one slipup and it won't be only jewels on the line, but a future that, just maybe, has been the ultimate prize all along...

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad . . . depending on who’s telling it.

 

New Release Spotlight for the Reimagining of Thornwood House

Image provided by Penguin Random House

I'm so happy today to spotlight this wonderful cozy fantasy that is out tomorrow, June 9th. I was able to read an ARC of this book and loved it! Here is a short introduction to what this book is about provided by the publisher:

THE REIMAGINING OF THORNWOOD HOUSE follows land witch Evelyn Sharpe as she begins her new job as the caretaker of a sentient, walking home in the village of Iskendra. When she and her adopted daughter Ruby arrive at the house, it is not in the mood to welcome new residents, and it’s up to Evie to turn the house into a home again. She soon discovers that something deeply damaged about the building is seeping into the forests surrounding Iskendra, and it seems the only way to heal Thornwood House is by unraveling the mystery of what happened to its former caretaker. Evie must rely on her magic and the help of the townspeople—including her charming next-door neighbor—to save Thornwood House and protect the roots she’s started to grow there.

As for my opinion, The Reimagining of Thornwood House has so many things that I love in a cozy fantasy. A magical village, diverse magical talents among the characters, found family, whimsy and lots of heart. I especially loved the Studio Ghibli vibes the character of the sentient house gave this story. But I was also invested in the stakes for Evie and Ruby as bonding with Thornwood house and being accepted by the villagers was needed for Ruby and Evie to have an opportunity to build a real life together. Their neighbor Gil was also a fun character and a sweet potential love interest for Evie. There is an intriguing mystery that involves the house and the Thornwood Forest surrounding it as well. All of these elements combined to keep me turning pages to read more. This is a book I would definitely read again and again. I can't wait for it to come out so I can add a print copy to my shelves.

And just to give you even more of a taste for the book, here is an excerpt of the beginning that was also provided by the publisher:

THE REIMAGINING OF THORNWOOD HOUSE by Jaleigh Johnson

Ace Hardcover | On sale June 9, 2026

Excerpt

Mr. Tansling shuffled some papers and glanced over at Evie with a smile that was probably intended to be kind, except it looked like he'd practiced the expression by studying a wax doll.

"I'm sure you and Miss Keeler are anxious to have this matter resolved," he said. "While it's true that you've assuaged some of my concerns regarding your fitness to adopt Miss Keeler, I'm afraid there are certain doubts that remain."

"Oh?" Evie felt a flush creep up her neck, but she forced herself to ignore his patronizing tone and spoke with all the politeness she could summon. "I wonder that there can be any doubts about my capabilities. Ruby came into my care when she was seven years old. She's eleven now, and has become a capable farseer witch under my tutelage-"

Mr. Tansling raised his hand to stop her, that facsimile of a smile still fixed in place. "Rest assured, all that has been taken into consideration." He cleared his throat. "Forgive me for stating the matter bluntly, but being her teacher is not the same as being her parent. Your inexperience in that area is one of my concerns, and, as Mr. Cinton pointed out, going behind the committee's back and applying for a position outside the ECRA's jurisdiction hardly does you credit. It points to a lack of maturity, which isn't surprising, given that you're only twenty-five years old."

"I didn't go behind anyone's back-" Evie cut herself off. Her voice had risen in frustration, causing Mr. Tansling's brow to arch.

And just like that, she was losing control of the conversation. Were they really going to deny her this, after everything she'd given the ECRA? She hadn't been considered too young to risk her life for the agency, and she'd done so countless times over the last seven years. She'd earned pebble-like scars along her collarbone from hurricane debris, walked through forest fire smoke as black as her hair, and broken more bones than she cared to count. Even if they never acknowledged it, she knew she was one of the best earthwalkers they had.

She'd never asked for a single thing from them in return, until now.

"In addition"-Mr. Cinton again waved the letter from the mayor of Iskendra-"it sounds as if this position as caretaker is a tenuous offer at best. Ms. Cartwright admits in her correspondence that the house has rejected all previous applicants." He sniffed. "What makes you believe you will succeed where others have failed?"

Evie met his gaze. In this, at least, she could summon confidence. "I may be inexperienced as a parent"-four years, I've cared for Ruby, raising her as my own-"but my record as a land witch and an earthwalker in the ECRA is exemplary, and I possess all the traits Ms. Cartwright spoke of as necessary to restore Thornwood house." She raised an eyebrow. "Am I wrong in that assessment?"

"You are not," Mrs. Shields acknowledged. "The committee has taken that into consideration as well, and we have decided to put forth this compromise." She glanced at the other members, who nodded for her to continue, though Cinton seemed as if he would have liked to keep on lecturing Evie. "We will grant you leave to pursue the position in Iskendra on a trial basis for the next four months. If you are accepted as caretaker, the leave will become permanent, and we will release you from your contract."

Evie held her breath. It sounded too good to be true. "And the adoption?" she pressed.

Mr. Cinton and Mr. Tansling shared a glance, but it was Cinton who spoke. "As advocate, Mr. Tansling will conduct a final interview with Miss Keeler before you leave. Provided the adoption is still what she wants, we will approve it, on the condition that you are accepted as caretaker of Thornwood house. However . . ."

Here it comes, Evie thought.

"If, for any reason, you are unable to secure the position of caretaker, you and Miss Keeler will return to the ECRA, where you will stay with the agency as an earthwalker, for the duration of your contract, without seeking employment elsewhere."

Evie remained silent, turning the offer over in her mind. This was a gray area, and everyone here knew it. Not that it came as a shock to her. Gray areas were where the ECRA lived and breathed.

Technically, they were within their rights to summon Evie back if she wasn't accepted as caretaker, but they didn't have the authority to prevent her from seeking employment with a different organization that worked toward the preservation of magical resources.

No, this was all about control. Now that she'd found a loophole in her contract, the ECRA wanted to close it. They didn't like surrendering power, and they didn't want to lose one of their best earthwalkers, not to mention a farseer like Ruby.

That wasn't the worst of it. If she and Ruby were forced to return, if Evie had to continue as an earthwalker, with all the dangers that job entailed, the committee would have the justification they needed to deny the adoption and separate them for good.

It was unimaginable. Evie knew if she let herself think about that outcome, it would destroy the facade of calm she'd built to face the committee.

Gray areas and a devil's bargain-she should have expected nothing less from the ECRA.

But if she agreed to their terms and successfully became the caretaker . . .

Evie didn't even have to consider it. If it meant that Ruby would be her daughter, forever and always, she'd promise the ECRA the moon, and then she'd find a way to get it for them.

In the end, what she was actually promising was going to be much easier-not to mention more pleasurable-to accomplish. She just had to become the caretaker to an aging sentient house, in a quiet little village, far from the ECRA's influence. Cinda Cartwright had declared that all it would take was time, patience, and magical resources.

Evie had those in abundance. Compared to what she had faced being an earthwalker, this job would be a dream.

"I'll do it," she vowed.

Excerpted from The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson Copyright © 2026 by Jaleigh Johnson. Excerpted by permission of Ace. All rights reserved. 

About the Author

Jaleigh Johnson lives and writes in the wilds of the Midwest. Her middle grade debut novel, The Mark of the Dragonfly, is a New York Times bestseller. Her other books from Delacorte Press include The Secrets of Solace, The Quest to the Uncharted Lands, and The Door to the Lost. She has also written fiction for Dungeons & Dragons, Marvel, and Assassin's Creed. Johnson is an avid gamer and lifelong geek.

 

An Engrossing YA Suspense Thriller

image copied from Bookshop.org

In Case I Go Missing is an engrossing YA suspense with flawed, relatable characters and a strong and compelling voice in its protagonist, Fenny. It was a fast-paced read that did not sacrifice narrative elements or characterization to keep me turning pages.

Set in a small town in South Dakota, it follows Fenny and Sam as they work to discover what happened to their ringleader best friend, Sarah, when she goes missing. Because Sarah was a determined vigilante for justice, she was not always well liked. After she disappears, the local police assume she ran away and that Fenny or Sam helped her. But neither of Sarah's best friends know anything about what happened to her. In the months before she disappeared, Sarah had grown increasingly unreliable and secretive. When Fenny finds a binder that she gave Sarah years ago as a prank gift that's entitled "In Case I Go Missing" and sees that it is now filled with puzzling clues, both Fenny and Sam realize that Sarah didn't run away. Instead, something more sinister is behind her status as a missing teen.

The setting and mystery were both very immersive. I felt that I was in this town working to find Sarah along with Fenny and Sam. As someone who lived in the neighboring state of Montana as a teen, I could easily envision this place and its vibe. The interactions between the people in this community, Fenny's feelings about her peers at her high school, and the family dynamics between her and her mom, and Sam and his family were realistic and very relatable. But the one thing I appreciated most was the way Swann hones in on the theme of friendship in this story. Sam, Fenny and Sarah have been inseparable since elementary school. The clues that Sarah leaves for them to help them figure out what became of her could only be followed by them. Sarah knew them. She trusts them to be able to understand what the notes in the binder mean in a way that only they can. That builds the story into something much more complex, heartbreaking and dark than an ordinary mystery. It also made it harder for me as a reader to immediately guess who the culprit was. There are plenty of people with secrets both in the past with Sam's family as founding members of the town, and in the present involving a cold-case disappearance that Sarah was trying to solve.

The way the threads are eventually woven together at the end to reveal what happened was truly satisfying. I didn't see the final twist coming at all. If you love mysteries set in remote, small western towns that incorporate themes of friendship, and the consequences of seeking out truth at any cost, then you should read this masterful debut. I look forward to reading more by R. N. Swann.

Next time, I'll be discussing a queer YA fantasy romance by Laura Livingstone, The Boy with the Heart of Sea Glass. It was a sweet and mysterious contemporary fantasy set on a remote Cornish island. It is in my opinion, a perfect read for Pride Month if you enjoy slow-burn romance with fantasy elements mixed in. Both the cover and blurb for this one were copied from bookshop.org. Also, click on the titles for any of the books in this review and you'll be taken to bookshop.org where you can order your own copies. 

"An impressive debut with moments of brilliance." -Richard Hall, author of I'm Fine

Eighteen-year-old Sam returns to the tiny Cornish island where he was born hoping to mend his broken heart and learn more about the father he never knew. Instead of finding answers, Sam's life becomes even more complicated when he begins to dream of the sea every night.

Falling for the first boy he meets also doesn't make Sam's life any easier. But Tryste is the perfect distraction. His thunderstorm eyes and their instant chemistry make Sam wish he still believed in happy endings. But Sam's wounds run deep, and he's worried about having his heart broken again.

As Sam's dreams intensify into eerie visions, he suspects there's so much more to his family, and his new boyfriend, than meets the eye. Embracing the truth will blur the line between reality and fairytale forever.

Will Sam choose to stay on dry land or follow his heart to the bottom of the ocean?