Never Flinch by Stephen King

I have to admit, my experience with Holly Gibney’s earlier series wasn’t the best. But with Never Flinch, Holly and King truly make a comeback.

In this fourth installment, the police receive a threatened letter from an anonymous figure calling himself the mastermind behind the Surrogate Juror Murders. Victims are found with slips of paper naming the jurors from the Alan Duffrey trial. Duffrey was a man falsely accused of being a pedophile, framed by his own colleague, and left to die in prison. Justice failed Duffrey. Now the killer has taken it upon himself to deliver punishment. Cold, merciless, and strangely righteous, his message is simple, if the system won’t hold the guilty accountable, he will.

Meanwhile, Holly Gibney, now running the Finders Keepers agency, takes on bodyguard work for feminist speaker Kate McKay. Kate is controversial, branded a zealot for hearing the voices of oppressed women. But not everyone admires her. One religious zealot is convinced Kate is defying God and will stop at nothing to silence her.

These two psychos intertwined in the last hundred pages, creating a finale that is messy, unsettling, nerve-wracking, and absolutely unputdownable. I dragged this read over ten days just to savor it though believe me, it begs to be devoured in one sitting. King reminds me why he’s my favorite storyteller. This one gets a solid 4.8⭐ from me. And since nobody asked, I’m now reading Mr. Mercedes. 😅

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah

This novel is unlike anything I’ve read before. It’s a book about a book, told by an unnamed writer who recounts the outrageous story of the Lamberts: Sally, Mark, their children Rhiannon and Tobes, and their beloved dog, Champs. But Champs isn’t just a pet. In Sally’s eyes, he is more than family.

The trouble begins when a policeman arrives at the Lamberts’ home with shocking news. Champs has been accused of biting Tess Gavey, their prickly neighbor. Devastated, Sally is swept into a bizarre escape party organized by Corinne Sullivan, another eccentric neighbor. From there, everything spirals wildly out of control.

The Gaveys are portrayed as overreacting, callous, and repulsive, but it’s the Lamberts, with their chaotic, surreal, and magnetic antics, who steal the show. Honestly, they deserve a movie series of their own. Their ridiculous adventures make the whole situation feel even crazier.

What fascinated me most was Sophie Hannah’s balancing act. So much of the story feels painfully real, yet just as much is deliberately distorted, filtered through the lens of an unreliable narrator. I was constantly asking myself what’s true, what’s fabricated, and who can be trusted.

This was my first Sophie Hannah novel, and despite the mixed reviews I’d seen beforehand, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her writing is sharp, playful, and unnerving all at once. For its originality and wit, I’d give it 4.5 ⭐

A Beautiful and Terrible Murder by Claire M. Andrews

Set in 1872, this story takes us to Oxford University, divided into two colleges: All Souls, reserved for the most brilliant men chosen once a decade to compete for Queen Victoria’s favor with Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty among them. And Lady Margaret, where women finally gain a foothold in academia.

At the center is Irene Adler, living a double life as Isaac Holland. The illegitimate daughter of opera singer and courtesan Elena Adler, Irene is unwillingly brought from France by her father into the shadow of the Moriarty name. Despite the suffocating misogyny of the era, she rises as one of Oxford’s sharpest minds.

But brilliance soon gives way to horror. Students begin to die one by one, their deaths increasingly suspicious, rattling Oxford to its core and casting a heavy fog of dread. Someone is framing both Isaac and Holmes, and Irene suddenly finds her every move under scrutiny. Red herrings abound so many that at times I felt overwhelmed, even as the pacing kept me turning the pages. Holmes doesn’t stand out much here, but that’s understandable given the focus.

Overall, A Beautiful and Terrible Murder delivers atmosphere, suspense, and intrigue in abundance. Though the sheer number of red herrings may test your patience, the tension of Irene’s double life and the gothic Oxford setting kept me hooked until the end.

Sound Like Love by Ashley Poston

I really enjoyed this one! It's a mix of celebrity trope, small-town charm, and a dash of magical realism. Sounds Like Love is a fun romcom that balances humor with emotional depth. It’s not overly spicy, but it still gives you all the feels, and it’s hard not to root for Joni’s romance from the very beginning.

Joni Lark is a songwriter who once penned hit songs, but after her mother’s illness, the music just stopped flowing. Returning to her hometown of Vienna Shores, a small vacation town, she finds herself torn between staying to care for her mom, who now struggles with dementia, or chasing her old dreams in LA.

Then something unexpected happens. Joni starts hearing a man’s voice in her head. Not just a voice, but a melody like an earworm she can’t shake. The two of them are somehow linked in this strange telepathic connection. Their attempt to finish the song together, and the fact that they can hear each other’s thoughts, had me smiling through the pages.

What really stood out for me was how the story explores dreams, family, friendship, and finding joy even in the hardest moments. Joni’s relationship with her mother was heartfelt and genuine, and I was touched by how the story shows that it’s never too late to set new goals or ask the right questions about where life is leading us. 4.5 ⭐

Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin

Detective Aunty is a cozy, lighthearted murder mystery with an amateur sleuth, small-town charm, and just enough twists to keep you guessing.

An unlikely detective is Kausar Khan, a woman in her fifties who suddenly finds herself thrust into an investigation when her daughter, Sana, is accused of murder. One phone call drags Kausar back into her old neighborhood, where she must face not only the suspicion circling Sana but also her own grief for her late husband and son.

Sana’s landlord, Imran Thakur, is found stabbed to death in her shop. He wasn’t well-liked, but the police are quick to assume the worst when they find Sana’s clothes covered in blood and the murder weapon belonging to her. Instead of treating her as a witness, they charge her with first-degree murder.

However, Kausar refuses to believe her daughter capable of such a crime. With curiosity, and a knack for asking questions no one else dares to, she starts piecing together clues alongside her quirky sidekicks.

I loved how Uzma layers the story with more than just the mystery. Themes of culture, grief, and even marital betrayal weave into the plot naturally, giving the book real emotional depth. I personally felt the ending was a little rushed and less satisfying than I’d hoped but that’s just my view, not a flaw in the writing.

Overall, Detective Aunty is a warm and witty mystery that balances heartache. I’ll definitely be waiting for the sequel to see if the missing X factor comes into play.