NetGalley – Carol's Notebook

Split Screen by Lee Goldberg

August 25, 2026August 25, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

Split Screen is the 7th in the Eve Ronin series and I've read most of them. Eve is a homicide detective with the LASD. She's not universally like, to say the least. She got her promotion thanks to a video that went viral, uncovered some cops dirty secrets, and now has a tv show based loosely on her life. Her partner, Duncan, who she actually listens to and trusts is stuck behind a desk. There's a lot going on in this one. First, we've got a murdered doctor with an ex-wife whose new boyfriend swears he didn't do it and an actress dead of an overdose. Then, Erin, the actress playing Eve in the tv series, is shot in broad daylight, apparently mistaken for Eve. Add in a half-sister Eve didn't know she had who is in to something shady. And finally, we've got a crossover with Goldberg's Sharpe and Walker series, when a firearms training trailer explodes. It's fast-paced,...

Probable Caws by Donna Andrews

August 20, 2026August 20, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

The Meg Lanslow series is one I dip in and out of. I always enjoy them, but it never quite makes it to my must-read list. I think I actually liked this one more than the last couple, even if the solution was a little unbelievable. I actually thought we were going to get to see Meg doing some blacksmithing at the beginning of this one, but no. Hoof and Hearth, a horse rescue, has temporarily lost the pasture they'd been using for their horses due to a legal battle and have to move the whole herd to Ragnar's estate, so it's all hands on deck. The horses have barely got settled in on the first night, when a storm blows in. And Meg and her husband find a dead man in the barn. We've got several potential suspects and some good clues, but really it's the horses that stand out in this one. Several of them have clear personalities...

On the Hook by Rae Keech

July 7, 2026July 7, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

I think this might be the first sailing cozy mystery I've read. Anne is a teacher at the elementary school in her hometown and is a member of the local boat club. Following the women laser regatta, one of the competitors is killed and Anne becomes a suspect. She and her friend, Tim, the dockmaster at the club, start to investigate. The mystery was good. We had several plausible suspects, good clues and a few red herrings. I do wish the author had trusted the reader a bit more, instead of repeating points over and over. I liked Anne, but I didn't quite understand her. She's been a widow for 18 years, her husband died suddenly when they were in their twenties. Why is she now, right when a murderer is loose in town, becoming interested in Tim, whom she has known for at least a couple of years. And the whole couple of chapters where he leaves town and somehow...

The Dog Park Murders by Angela Barker

June 24, 2026June 24, 2026 by Carol2 Comments

I actually enjoyed The Dog Park Murders. Sometimes mysteries with too much romance make me roll my eyes, but I think it was balanced pretty well in this one. And the blurb made it clear what to expect. Yes, this book felt like a Hallmark movie, but in a good way. Labrador Falls is an adorable small, dog-obsessed town where Juliette has lived her whole life. It's not always an easy place to live - small towns can be tricky. Everyone knows everyone else and their backgrounds and families. When Juliette finds a dead body at the local dog park, with evidence pointing to her pet grooming shop, she immediately becomes the prime suspect, thanks in part to her family history. Joel owns the coffee shop, but is relatively new in town. However, he can't just stand aside and let Juliette get railroaded by a lazy, biased detective. The mystery was decent. The dead man was not nice, so we had several...

Murder and Mayheim by Ronica Black and Toni Logan

June 17, 2026June 29, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

Murder and Mayheim should have been one I thoroughly enjoyed. Our amateur sleuth, Cassie, is a bookstore owner on a murder mystery cruise in Alaska with her best friend. They team up with a pair of elderly sisters who are just hilarious. Cassie meets a potential love interest, Hannah, within seconds of boarding. It's Hannah's sister who ends up dead after falling down the stairs. Cassie and Hannah are convinced she was murdered and are determined to find the killer. The mystery was actually pretty decent. The clues tied together well and we had several potential suspects. The problem for me, which I didn't realize from the blurb, was just how much the growing relationship between the two women would overshadow the mystery. I didn't realize we would have full-fledged graphic sex scenes between these two people who just me. And that's probably my fault for not reading more reviews or knowing the author, but it took me out of the...

Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by CarolNo Comments

Dungeons and Danger is the second in the Ravensea Castle mystery series, but I think it could be read as a standalone. The mystery is self-contained, and although we have several characters returning from the first, the author does a good job of introducing everyone. The Asquith family has turned their centuries old castle into a B&B, complete with resident ghosts. Their current guests include a professor specializing in Viking history who believes there's a treasure hidden on the grounds and a group of ghost hunters filming a show. And the castle is hosting a huge Viking festival. "Accidents" start piling up and it's no surprise when someone ends up murdered. The returning characters are all well-developed and interesting, without going over the line into quirky. I like Nora Asquith and her family. Their interactions feel genuine and they work together well. Nora is dating the local detective inspector, Finlay Cole, but they both act like adults and their relationship is...