NetGalley – Carol's Notebook

Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove

February 18, 2026February 18, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

I am not an organist at heart, but I have played the organ for churches in the past. I think Murder Will Out might be the first book I've read with a main character who is an organist, which of course grabbed my attention. Willow is a grad student/organist who comes back to Little North Island, Maine for her semi-estranged godmother, Sue's, funeral. Of course, it turns out Sue was murdered, the island and Sue's house are haunted, and no one wants Willow poking her nose into the island's secrets. Willow is not, at least at first, a great lead. She's quiet, afraid of confrontation, and easily intimidated. She does grow and become more confident both in herself and the people around her. I like her, but not as much as I wanted to. Most of the story is told from Willow's point of view, but once in a while we gets pieces from another person's outlook, which was a...

Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

February 5, 2026February 5, 2026 by Carol4 Comments

I like this series. I enjoy Ernest's narration and how often and well he breaks the fourth wall. I typically find them amusing and clever. This time around, however, the choices he makes just seem ridiculous. Ernest and his fiancée, Juliette, go to a bank trying to get a loan to open a detective agency. They've been to several banks and this one is essentially their last hope. Instead, the bank manager hires him to find his brother who has gone missing along with the code to the vault. Then a bank robber takes them all hostage and things start to spiral out of control. I like the set-up, that everyone is a thief of some kind, and there were a couple of very good twists. Some parts were downright funny and took full advantage of the characters and world the author's created. The hostages are an interesting bunch and it would be tough to keep control of. I'm fine with storyline...

A Very Novel Murder by Ellie Alexander

February 2, 2026February 2, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

Annie and Fletcher, from the Secret Bookcase Mysteries, have opened up their detective agency and have their first case. Kelly Taylor, a talented surfer and activist, recently drowned in her bathtub, but her elderly neighbor is convinced the young woman was murdered. I like Annie and Fletcher and their friends. They're smart and dedicated. They also have a good relationship with the police and have no problem keeping them updated or calling them in when necessary. Annie's boyfriend is handsome and caring and supportive and her best friend is adorable and a whiz with coffee. Annie's life is pretty good, aside from almost getting killed. There are no conflicts with her friends or employees. The town she lives in is appropriately cozy and walkable. Even the crows like her. Yes, we're told parts of her background have been tough, but it's really no surprise that with her first case, she solves a murder, uncovers a drug dealing operation, and gets...

The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery

January 30, 2026January 30, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

The Murder at World's End is a fun locked-room mystery. The characters are quirky and the setting is unique. It's 1910, Halley's Comet is about to pass overhead, and we're at Tithe Hall on an island off the Cornish coast, Word's End. Lord Stockingham-Welt believes the comet will bring dangerous gasses with it and has decided to seal his staff and his family members into the mansion over night, complete with air tanks and gas masks. Stephen Pike arrives, ex-convict turned manservant, arrives in the midst of the chaos and is hired, despite his original offer of employment not being legitimate. While the comet obviously doesn't cause environmental disasters, Lord Stockingham-Welt is killed that night, in his locked study. The family members are rather unlikable and the staff are acting suspicious. Our sleuths are Stephen, who has been targeted as the main suspect, and the elderly Lady Decima, a difficult,, frustrated scientist who is also Stephen's only alibi. Lady...

Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger by K.C. Grifant

December 10, 2025December 10, 2025 by Carol1 Comment

I don't read a lot of westerns but an interesting one will always grab my attention, so a western with fantasy monsters and a female main character made my list. Melinda West and her partner, Lance, make a living killing monsters in a bizarre wild west. The book starts right in the middle of the action. The pair are doing their last job, ridding a town of giant flying scorpions, before buying a ranch to settle down on. Nothing in Melinda's life is ever simple though. After they get paid they head home, but a stone Melinda takes back with her sets off a series of events that puts those most dear to her at risk of losing their souls. She's in a race against time to catch the bad guy and rescue the souls. Melinda is capable, smart, and no nonsense. Lance, when he's feeling up to par, is charismatic and can charm just about anyone. They make a...

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 by Carol1 Comment

I thoroughly enjoyed The Storm. The main story follows Geneva Corliss, owner of the falling down Rosalie Inn in St. Medard's Bay, Alabama. Writer, August Fletcher, books a room at the inn for several weeks while he writes the story of Lo Bailey. Lo was 19 when she was accused of murdering her lover, up and coming politician, Landon Fitzroy, but was found innocent at the trial, with the death blames on a hurricane. Geneva is happy with the income the stay will provide and the possible publicity the book might give the Rosalie. Turns out Lo comes with August - another room rental - and Geneva finds herself wondering if Lo did kill Landon, and what connection Lo has to the inn and to Geneva's family. The story alternates between the present and the past, slowly revealing the connections between Geneva’s mother, Ellen, and her two friends, Lo and Frieda and the murder forty years ago. Now there's another...