Tag: no romance

Review: Pork Pie Pandemonium: Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers Recipe 1 by Steve Higgs

Rating: 3.75⭐️

Yes, the German Shepherd on the exquisite cover trapped me once again, along with the “must have” note that the dog doesn’t die.

The setup is really good . 

There are multiple terrific aspects of this book. Higgs does a wonderful job in bringing his main character of Albert Smith to life. 

Higgs has crafted Albert Smith’s character so beautifully that we see him . A once tall man, now stooped in his age, struggling with his aged body and his retirement. But it’s as a recent widower of one year, the loss of his beloved wife of decades that’s left him with an empty house that’s prompted him to set off.

Albert, when we meet him is engaged in a cooking class. Aged 75, a retired detective superintendent from Kent, he decided after his wife’s death to attack his bucket list of taking a trip to learn to make his favorite foods , some of the British Isles famous meals.

 

He’s in Melton now learning to make their famous pork pies. And he’s got company. A recently acquired German Shepherd dog called Rex Harrison. 

Part of getting away from home and away from his grown children’s oversight was the acquisition of an assistance dog to accompany him, that ensure that his family would be agreeable to his plans. 

I liked the murder, the location, the investigation and even learning how the famous Molton pork pies are made. Interesting and it makes the whole story credible in this aspect. 

Less believable and more problematic is how the author uses a two character perspective and, unfortunately, an unrealistic view of an assistance dog, especially one who was once a trained in police work. 

Albert Smith is great as the narrator of his new journey through baking adventures but to include Rex’s perspective is a error, imo, of the author’s that the story and more likely the series doesn’t recover from.

Rex is never treated like an assistant animal. Here in the US, people who are lucky enough to have one, go through extensive training, as does the animal. Separately and together. It’s an extraordinary partnership. 

Here Rex, a police dog, who’s dismissed after training because of his attitude ( another poorly written element) is purchased online. I have no words for this. No training whatsoever. Here’s your dog. Which is not only dismissive of the actual trained dogs but the service they provide for the people and organizations. 

The entire story has Albert ignoring Rex’s “tells” about the crime and criminals which the reader hears from Rex’s pov. And we also then have repeated as well as Albert stumbles away from whatever Rex is trying to direct him to. Consistently frustrating for dog and reader. 

Does this change? No. This relationship stays much the same. I’m not sure why. Does Britain not have the same level of respect or training with assistance animals that we do here? 

Anyway, I was less interested in the fact that it was about British food than about how the investigation was handled and the dog/human interaction between Rex and Albert developed. 

So this has its good points and those that made it clear that it’s probably not for me. 

Elements that are of interest to others include the fact that each book visits a new location to learn about and cook a different famous dish.

Lancashire hotpot, Eton mess, Eccles cakes, Cumberland sausages . And The Melton Mowbray pork pie .Each book includes a different location and dish. As well as a murder and recipe at the end.

If the dog aspects don’t bother you as much as they do me, check it out. 

Along with writer Steve Higgs’ note about how the book came about and the inspiration behind the characters, he’s added a real plus for those fond of British food.

Don’t miss out on the recipe and history of The Melton Mowbray pork pie at the end of this book. Great idea. 

I do love the covers although I can’t find an artist credited. 

Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers (16 book series) complete series 

Pork Pie Pandemonium #1

Bakewell Tart Bludgeoning #2

Buy link

        Pork Pie Pandemonium: Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers Recipe 1

    

Blurb 

When a retired detective with a nose for trouble wanders into a town hiding a deadly secret …

‘When Steve Higgs writes, he hits it out of the park. I find myself laughing out loud and often.’

** Complete Series. Read every book (the dog doesn’t die) **

Melton Mowbray is world famous for its pork pies, but beneath the façade lies an undercurrent of lies and deceit, and Albert Smith just saw something that made him curious.

The operation hiding in plain sight is worth a lot of money. The kind of money people will kill to protect and now they need to make him vanish.

Quietly. Permanently.

Good luck with that. Albert spent decades taking down criminals and his mind is as sharp as it ever was.

Get ready for pandemonium.

‘This series has it all; everything I want in a story and series … humour, suspense, and colourful characters. It’s one of my top all-time favourite series.’

This series of books contains no cussing and no graphic descriptions of violence or bedroom activities. It is suitable for all ages.

May 29, 2020

Language

‎English

Print length

218 pages

Book 1 of 16

Albert Smith’s Culinary Capers

Review: Storm’s Reckoning (Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series Book 2) by Sean Cunningham 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I love it when the second book is better than the first and that’s certainly the case with Storm’s Reckoning by Sean Cunningham.  

The next novel in his Storm Herald series, it picks up directly from the end of Storm’s Edge and Vanessa trying to decide what she wants to do next. Try to stay low key or resume her high risk courier jobs that are making her more noticeable to those of power and influence. The very ones she has been avoiding. 

But working full time for Odd’s Transport and doing a new job for the mysterious Edric seems to be her next step forward towards her new path. 

Storm’s Reckoning takes her and Leo on a new mission for Edric and straight to a location where there’s a divisive battle taking place for dominance among a powerful werewolf pack as its current Alpha is in poor health. 

Cunningham’s story always includes multiple strong plots layered into the main investigation and mission for Edric. Vanessa’s powers continue to grow without her understanding how that’s possible and Leo’s seeking knowledge about himself and his own magic and background. All while they face dangerous situations and new challenges. 

Vanessa and Leo, a non romantic main character duo, are new favorites. Both complicated characters with personalities that are changing and developing as the series and circumstances demand more from each of them. 

The action sequences are fierce and powerful , magically charged and full of emotion. Mostly blinding rage. 

The secondary or new characters are just as strong as the established ones. Which makes both the narrative richer and their occasional loss during the story more realistic and raw. 

The backgrounds and mysteries of Edric, Vanessa and even Leo continue forward to the future stories. I can’t wait to read more. 

Highly recommended. 

Cover art © MIBLArt.com 2025

Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series (3 book series)

Storm’s Edge #1

Storm’s Reckoning #2

Storm’s Awakening #3

Buy link 

 Book 2 of 3: Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series 

Blurb 

She’s not hiding anymore. Neither is what’s inside her.

Vanessa Montiero has a new employer, a vampire partner, and a job that should be straightforward: negotiate with one of England’s most powerful werewolf dynasties for access to the ghost of a witch, one they’ve kept secret for a century.

Behind the manicured hedges of the Godwins’ country estate lies a succession war sharp enough to draw blood, a string of mysterious murders, and something in the forest that doesn’t leave survivors.

She’s faced monsters before. She’s been one.

But the Godwins are a family of predators – and whatever hunts their forest is worse. Getting out alive will require everything she has, and possibly everything she’s been trying not to be.

Storm’s Reckoning continues the brutal, emotionally charged Storm Herald series. Perfect for fans of Alex Verus, Kate Daniels, and The Dresden Files.

Falconbrook Press

Publication date

April 15, 2026

Language

‎English

Screen Reader

Supported

Print length

326 pages

Book 2 of 3

Storm Herald – An Epic Urban Fantasy Series

Review: Family Ties The Crossroads Chronicles, Book 1 By BR Kingsolver 

Rating: 4⭐️

I enjoyed this book, picking it up first because of its author and then reading the description of an urban fantasy trio of magical grownups siblings caught up in their adventures. 

It has imaginative world building, multiple worlds and intriguing characters that meet the main characters who, as adults, have built and life enormously successful and varied lives from each other. And from their beloved parents too. This isn’t a dysfunctional family, an element I enjoyed. 

The main characters, Diana Smith is a half-fae elf and sword smith who has a shop in the stalls in the Marketplace in the World of Irilor. She’s a Walker, one who can walk the roads between worlds and the Marketplace is at the center of the hub where the intergalactic roads lead to. 

Diana is the oldest of triplets, born to a  father with a Smith’s magic and a mother of fae royalty. Once Diana saw the Great Marketplace at the Crossroads of the Worlds that’s where she decided she wanted to be.  Her siblings had other plans. Her mirror image sister, Karina,  became a scholar in an isolated place devoted to knowledge, while her brother, Bjorn, married a Queen. 

When all three are attacked by assassins, Diana and Bjorn set off to their mother’s Fae realm for answers and a visit to the “family “.

This is entertaining but a little too lacking in any emotional connection. Either between the characters or within the storyline. It’s packed with fae intrigue and political treachery within the fae itself court. Plenty of murders, mystery, and bloodshed to go around. But any feeling of actual caring is lost or not looked for. Indeed, some very disturbing types of inter family relationships are noted here as examples of common practice or consenting behavior within the Fae community and culture. 

It’s briefly mentioned and then onto other topics.  I think that this is an issue here where there’s so much overlap of important information and too little exploration of the history behind all the regions and politics that the reader really has nothing to connect with.

We get briefly acquainted with Bjorn’s family and wife, the Queen. But again, no background on him other than one mention by Diana that he’s the most dangerous person she knows. But she says that at the beginning of their journey and we actually never see this side of him. He’s extraordinarily handsome and the fae women at court are all enamored with him, but the most dangerous man? Where’s he?

It’s too much “as told to”. And the actual action is fast paced but without any narrative context.  Their journey and this entire aspect of the story is wrapped up way too quickly and the resolution happens “off page”.

The ending of the book returns to an entirely different aspect of Diana’s life. And it doesn’t really ring true.

I feel this was a fun read but I have found others that she has written more enjoyable. I may return to this series later on. 

Cover art by Lou Harper

Crossroads Chronicles 

Family Ties 

Night Market 

Ruby Road

Buy link

 Book 1 of 3: Crossroads Chronicles 

Blurb 

Sometimes family is there to love you, and sometimes family is there to kill you… 

When a man came into my shop in the Great Marketplace at the Crossroads of the Worlds and tried to kill me, it completely ruined my day. Not only did I have to clean up the blood, but disposing of his body made me late to meet my friends for drinks.

A nagging little detail kept bugging me, though. As he died, he said he was hired by my mother’s family—people I hadn’t seen for more than a decade. Then I discovered that assassins had made attempts on my brother and sister as well. As much as I didn’t want to, I decided I should find out who wanted us dead, and put a stop to it.

Talk about stepping out of the pan into the fire…

date

February 27, 2022

Edition

2nd

Language

‎English

Print length

280 pages

Book 1 of 3

Crossroads Chronicles

Review: Demon Dance and Other Disasters (A Spirit Mage’s Journey, Book 1 ) By BR Kingsolver

Rating: 4.75 ⭐️🌈

Demon Dance and Other Disasters, the first in an urban fantasy series, A Spirit Mage’s Journey written by BR Kingsolver, is such an amazing story.

We immediately meet the main character on a vicious hunt for a dangerous vampire. She’s a bounty hunter, 16 year old orphaned Katy Brown ,tough street mage. Thrown out on the streets with nothing by her grandparents after the murder of her parents, she’s done what it takes to live for 5 years, learning how to use her magic, hunt, and barely get by on bringing in the bounties posted. 

Kingsolver’s story is dark, gritty, and grounded in details of rawest realities of homelessness, especially as a child, meshed with a fantastical urban fantasy world building. Using the sort of spare fast paced narrative that I’ve come to associate with Kingsolver, it’s that detailed concise scenes, the street children relating their current experiences or circumstances calmly without any real emotion, that lends this it’s own despair and reality of their lives.  Or the homeless tent cities that Katy visits for information. It’s believable and heartbreaking. 

That it’s fantasy too. Because we’d expect it not to have changed that this aspect of life would have disappeared. 

Katy’s recent kill brings her to the notice of the head of the Guild Mages, an offer of a job and perhaps even more. 

Such an incredibly well woven tale, horrifying, full of mystery and complexity as well as the realities of life as a teenager with no real support or trust only trauma in her background. Katy is fantastic, so convincing as a street worn teen, tough, yet still vulnerable underneath all those walls she’s erected. Just a fabulous connectable character. 

And when I read this, I was unaware there was a second book in the series and. Kingsolver ties up all the plot points, bringing to a satisfying resolution all the storylines of the book and for Katy Brown. When it comes to the finish, she’s ready for a new stage of her life.

Even if I hadn’t seen the second one, I would have been so happy with this novel. 

That’s saying something about how completely well written and beautifully crafted it is. 

Grab it up if you love urban fantasy fiction. There’s no love or romance. The characters identify themselves in multiple ways, bi, gay heterosexual, nonbinary

Honestly, she’s a teenager. And as many of the street kids here see sex as transactional, a form of survival. FYI 

Highly Recommended. 

 

Cover art by Lou Harper

A Spirit Mage’s Journey:

Demon Dance and Other Disasters #1

A City of Swords and Fangs #2

Buy link

        Demon Dance and Other Disasters: (An Urban Fantasy Book) (A Spirit Mage’s Journey Book 1)

    

Blurb 

I hunt the lost, the dangerous, and the damned. It’s how I survive. This time? It’s how I might die.

Since my parents were murdered, I’ve survived by hunting down whatever—or whoever—needs finding. Rogue vampires, runaway dogs, missing kids, even deadbeat spouses. If it comes with a paycheck, I take the job.

This hunt is different. A master mage offered me a reward I couldn’t refuse—track down a rogue summoner, stop the demon, and get out. Simple.

But as the bodies pile up and the vulnerable start vanishing, I realize this job is darker, deadlier, and more twisted than anything I’ve faced before. It isn’t just about stopping a summoner—it’s about stopping what comes next.

The hunt is on. Dare to join me in the shadows?

Publication date

August 18, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

264 pages

Book 1 of 2

A Spirit Mage’s Journey

Welcome to Queen City—Where Magic Hunts in the Shadows 

for readers who crave dark, gritty Urban Fantasy 

If you love high-stakes magic, relentless action, and heroines who refuse to back down, Demon Dance and Other Disasters will pull you in and never let go. 

Set in the same world as BR Kingsolver’s bestselling Rosie O’Grady’s Paranormal Bar and Grill—twelve years after Erin’s journey—the story introduces a new kind of fighter. 

Katy Brown isn’t a warrior trained in secret or a chosen one destined for greatness. She’s a survivor. When the Mage Guild hires her to stop a rogue summoner, she takes the job for the payout—until the hunt turns into something far deadlier. 

This is urban fantasy at its most intense, packed with magic, mystery, and danger lurking in every shadow. Fans of BR Kingsolver’s work will recognize the sharp storytelling, immersive worldbuilding, and unforgettable characters that make every page pulse with energy. 

Join the Hunt: What Lies Ahead 

  • A world where power is rutheless and the vulnerable pay the price. 
  • A fierce, street-smart heroine who never wanted to be a hero. 
  • Dark, high-stakes magic—raw, unpredictable, and deadly. 
  • Mystery, action, and da

Review: Dark Running Exile of the Winter Court By BR Kingsolver 

Rating:  4.75⭐️ 

Books with fae characters and/ or fae realms are prevalent in current fantasy and romantasy genres, so much so that I sort of look for stories with elements outside of this genre. But Kingsolver, a gifted author who’s novels I don’t read enough of, has written a fabulous novel of adventure, fae privateers, complex fantasy political betrayal, royal scheming and fiery battles on land and sea, set on alternate historical landscape. 

This is a world where one event, wherein King Charles II, in 1680, kidnaps the fae daughter of the Summer King has catastrophic consequences. The fae invade England across the very Veil erected to keep the races and realms separate , destroying multiple European cities and England’s empire forever.  Leaving the human landscape, political parties and governments changed. 

These aren’t your typical Fae, the ones that are human coded as written by other authors. Kingsolver has created fairies and a variety of different fae that are as alien to humans as I would like and hope to read. Even the fae courts look and act differently to humans and to each other. Not that any human being would ever want to willingly go to either court or the Fae realm. 

From their physical appearance to their personalities and perspectives on the human race and humanity’s ideas of emotions, from love to empathy, it’s clear they are a complex, and clearly defined older race. Apart and superior. 

Which makes Alanis Nightshade, the fairy pirate and trader, a fascinating character. A high born daughter of the dark Winter court, she’s the owner and Captain of the unique magical Fae ship, the Merry Prankster, who sails the seas through both sides the Veil in search of cargo to sell and profit to make. 

It’s her ship that makes her a target of political scheming and hidden enemies.  It’s a ship that is prized by more than one group of individuals who have their own agendas. 

The fabulous tale of intrigue and high suspense and survival is nerve wracking, complex, and highly entertaining. It’s beautifully detailed with Edinburgh’s landscape, imaginative creatures and wildly appealing designs of the Fae Realm. And the indescribable beauty and horror of the fae who rule there.

The only reason this doesn’t have a 5 star rating is that i wanted the ending to have been fully executed, more details and the drama that was expected given everything that came before. 

And honestly? I wanted to see those fae on their dangerous unicorns riding into battle, obliterating the army before them. What an amazing scene! My mind is still engaged with their wild journey. 

Highly recommended, the author included. 

No romance. All action and suspense. 

Love this cover. 

Cover art by Heather Hamilton-Senter

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comDark Running: Exile of the Winter Court eBook : Kingsolver, BR

Blurb 

When Charles II kidnapped a Sidhe princess in 1680, her father didn’t send diplomats—he sent armies. The Fae stormed through the Veil, leveled cities, and rewrote history. Centuries later, Humans and Fae still share the Mortal Realm uneasily… and England never recovered its empire.

Alanis Nightshade, Winter Court Fairy, smuggler, and occasional pirate, prefers to stay far from royal drama. She flies under the radar, smuggling rare goods between worlds and minding her own business. But when she’s stranded in Edinburgh during a coup, she’s dragged straight into the kind of trouble she tries to avoid.

A new Sidhe king has seized Scotland.

He’s hungry for conquest, and he wants what Alanis possesses—

a ship that can cross the Veil and carry an army straight into Faerie.

If she doesn’t outwit him, outrun him, or outright kill him, both realms may pay the price.

Review:  The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

Rating: 4.5⭐️🌈

This is a harrowing excellent short story by Alix Harrow, an author I associate with imaginative, thoughtful fiction. 

Set in a dystopian world, hundreds of years after a catastrophic event has permanently changed earth’s environment as well as humans beings themselves, Harrow has intriguingly narrowed down the location to a dying community of outsiders, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow.

They, like other struggling poor people, live outside the walled compounds of the rich.  High in the Mountains, living in the hollers near the poisonous streams and changed vegetation, they live life hard, dying young and often, sometimes from the very monsters emerging from the mountains itself.

Harrow creates, in the richly colored, sometimes horrifying world, a tale of love lost, love deeply mourned, and finally, love changed and found again. 

It’s not a romance. Each main character has lost their wives. Both Shrike the Secretary, the young mountain woman and the legendary Knight who’s come to slay the monster. 

What follows is an amazing story. One of anger, ruthless determination, dedication and finally, deep love. 

I absolutely love that ending.

Highly recommended, both story and author. 

Cover design by Tree Abraham Cover illustration by Colin Verdi

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Knight and the Butcherbird: A Short Story eBook : Harrow, Alix E.

Blurb 

In this dystopian fairy tale from the New York Timesbestselling author of Starling House, a small town’s storyteller struggles to protect a local demon from the knight hired to kill it.

Hundreds of years after the end of the world, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow finds itself beset by demons. Such horrors are common these days in the outlands, where most folks die young—if they don’t turn into monsters first.

When a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest unearthly beast to haunt their woods, the town’s new oral historian, Shrike, has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still herself, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he’ll do anything to protect it.

Review: The Wizard’s Cat (The Wizard’s Butler Book 2) by Nathan Lowell

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The Wizard’s Cat is a great sequel to the wonderful urban fantasy novel, The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell. 

Picking up right after the dramatic events of that book, Shackleford House should be settling back into its original shape but that’s not the case.

As Roger notes immediately as he goes through his day as butler to Shackleford himself, in his multitude of duties, the house seems “off”. A bit of dust there, a dandelion there, unheard of when everything is maintained meticulously by pixies and fairies. 

But as more things go awry, the narrative building suspense and mystery, it’s up to Roger, cousin Barbara, and a new character to solve the problem and come to the aid of the House.

Lowell builds on Roger’s character development as well as Barbara’s along with the House’s, giving the story and group a fuller sense of them as a unique family, with Roger, perhaps as a fundamental element as a non-talented person but a important grounded member here. 

Gideon is equally impressive in his role, one that will be more fully explored in future stories. As one would expect from a magical being of his years. 

Barbara is interesting but still needs some more layers. Or maybe interaction with other characters in central roles here. I really like her when she’s discussing roles and jobs with Roger as his profession as a Butler was making her uncomfortable at one point. 

Just an engaging story and one I highly enjoyed. Will be watching for the next one to be released. 

Read the series in order they are written. No romance or violence. Great characters and terrific writing.

Cover Art: Alexandre Rio

The Wizard’s Butler:

The Wizard’s Butler #1

The Wizard’s Cat #2

Buy link

 Book 2 of 2: The Wizard’s Butler 

Blurb 

It started with a dandelion.

Innocuous. Ubiquitous.

Who knew it was a warning?

After claiming his big bonus, things are coming up roses for Roger Mulligan. A job he loves. A house that feels like home. Money in the bank. A solid roof over his head and job security.

But when he finds a dandelion on the pristine grounds of Shackleford House, he starts down a twisted, garden path. Old man Shackleford says the fairies have a problem, the pixies keep falling down on the job, and the house seems to grow weaker by the day.

He’s soon tossed into a confusing mixture of fact and fantasy, accompanied by Shackleford’s cousin and – of all things – a stray cat. Surrounded by the fantastical, it’s hard to tell magic from mundane.

Publisher

Durandus, Ltd

Publication date

December 7, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

344 pages

Book 2 of 2

The Wizard’s Butler

Review:  Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher 

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Selena ,with her dog, Copper, has fled an abusive relationship after the death of her mother. Broken and desperate with dollars to her name, she’s bought a train ticket and traveled days to a small desert town of Quartz Creek in search of an aunt she barely knows. 

Kingfisher’s novel pulls us immediately into the character of Selena, as it’s her voice that’s telling her story.  Quietly contained, tense, and worried as we watch through her eyes, her journey to a town so dry , so small that there’s nothing to see when she’s deposited at her final destination with her few belongings and gentle old lab, Copper. 

We’ve no idea exactly how broken Selena is or how horrific a relationship and past she’s fled. That is slowly revealed throughout the narrative as she starts to find her own way and new foundation in this quirky community. 

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher is a richly woven, beautifully written tale of a broken woman who finds in small dusty desert town full of secrets, small Gods both frightening and dangerous and some benign a refuge and home, along with a found family. People who are ready to support her, give her comfort and the space she needs to recover and develop her own strengths. 

It’s a remarkable journey. Full of humor, compassion, joy and yes, horror.  

All the characters are remarkable in their design and detail, human and otherwise.  The mythology and mystical elements are incredible. 

And I appreciate that even in the “horror “ aspect of this tale, there is a grey area attached to the “villain” here. Yes, its actions now are wrong but all the characters can see their origin came from a very different place.  I really like having a broader perspective on subjects like this. Nothing is ever black and white. 

T. Kingfisher  or author Ursula Vernon is a writer whose work is quietly thoughtful and insightful. Her love for this desert and its beauty is apparent here, it flows through the landscape of the narrative in every sentence. 

As does her approach to life and wildlife. Roadrunners are indeed far more than the cartoon characters would have you believe. Authors notes are a delight. Check them out. 

Highly recommended. Both author and book. 

Exquisite cover that carries major themes of the story.

Cover design by Logan Matthews Cover illustration by Tristan Elwell

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comSnake-Eater: Kingfisher, T.: 9781662525094

Blurb 

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award–winning author T. Kingfisher comes an enthralling contemporary fantasy seeped in horror about a woman trying to escape her past by moving to the remote US desert—only to find herself beholden to the wrath of a vengeful god.

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

Review:  The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Naomi Kuttner

Rating: 4.5 🔍⭐️

Another great new to me author, another new book and series that I found absolutely fascinating and thoroughly entertaining.

Naomi Kuttner’s new paranormal cozy mystery is unusual in its use of multiple main character voices to provide the story. It took me a while to get the feel for the flow and framing of how these three highly detailed, yet very different characters would be pulled together to form a compelling trio of unlikely friends who solve a mystery. Or mysteries. 

The town of Te Kohe, New Zealand exhibits plenty of main character energy on its own, due to its unique community and character, including its citizens who have a tendency to reveal unexpected sides to themselves. 

It starts with Dante, a retired assassin, who’s moved to Te Kohe, New Zealand and now, mostly due to his choice of homes, finds himself living with a life he never anticipated. He expected isolation, and instead he gets a nonstop flow of visitors, and then a gardener. 

That arrival of Charlie Wilson, a lovely gardener with his own secrets, sets off an entire ripple of events and murder mysteries to solve. The redoubtable Eleanor is right there , to help them, especially Dante, navigate through the town in their investigations. 

Each is such a fantastic character. Dante has been focused on his work as an assassin so now adjusting to being an actual person who’s a part of a team and community is a challenging process. As written by Kuttner, Dante’s personality is realistically chilling in places, hilariously lacking in social skills, and his growth is a result of his own decisions to act on Charlie’s behalf. Eleanor is one revelation after another, a woman of strengths, ingenuity, and a hidden past. And then there’s Charlie, a young man whose story is the basis for the mystery. 

Set in New Zealand, the story and characters are well defined by their location and their respective nationality. From the nature, plants and fauna ( I had to look up several of the birds and trees Charlie referenced to my delight), to the languages and foods, I absolutely knew I was in a small town community in New Zealand. That dynamic of the real nature of a type of place where everyone knows everyone is a prerequisite of a cozy and Kuttner has it down. 

The small trio of strangers that becomes friends through mystery investigations is a fascinating and great storyline.  It fit perfectly into the classic cozy format albeit with a paranormal addition of ghosts here. 

There’s no romantic element between the three main characters. They are, at least here, firmly in the friend zone.  Eleanor appears to have the promise of one in the future with a great side character.

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Naomi Kuttner is just terrific. Self published, it’s full of amazing twists, great storylines, wonderful characters, and a fascinating town of citizens to explore. 

I can’t wait for the next book to be released. 

Highly recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries and fantastic stories.

Retired Assassin’s Guide (2 book series)

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening #1

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting #2 – Dec 16,2025

Buy link 

        The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery

    

Blurb 

Dante has come to the small coastal town of Te Kohe, New Zealand, for a fresh start in life. But he doesn’t want to open a BnB, or save a charming bookshop, or start a romance with a single mother in need of rescuing.

He just wants to forget about his past career (which involved a lot of dead bodies) and have everyone leave him the heck alone. Unfortunately for Dante, life has other plans…

  • Publication date: January 25, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 471 pages

Review: Lady (Noble’s Luck Book 1) by Mel Todd

Rating:  5⭐️

This book is my first experience with this author and I’m so very excited to have found Mel Todd. What an incredible immersive experience and magnificent tale Lady is. 

Set in the Ternion Universe, same world as Todd’s Twisted Luck series (which I haven’t read and this is a prequel to), it’s an alternate timeline in Victorian England. Magic has just started to appear, Prince Albert never dies, Disraeli stays in office longer. And Victoria never retires because she never falls into grief and mourning, but remains a strong monarch. 

So much feels believable and powerful in its depth of detail because of the incredible characters, the emotion and pull of the storylines, and the magical power that is being created.

Especially when it comes to the Lucks.  Each of these is focusing on a specific Luck sibling. The stories run concurrently with each other so we see many of the same events from different perspectives and where they were, if missing from the other person’s narrative at the time. 

Miss Emmeline Luck, the youngest of the Earl’s children and the one the Earl favors the least, gets the first story.

Emmeline’s journey from a powerless object to be bartered by her father to a striking woman who has magical abilities and a sense of her own power to direct her life is gripping and incredibly satisfying.

It’s wound through with the political drama of that day, court proceedings and battles that mark the disparity between races, status and gender of Victorian times. 

Emmeline’s development, however, includes her own family as well as new members who have the power to train her magic and influence her own destiny. 

As she says herself:

“I wanted to be Emmeline Luck, someone that was irreplaceable and in control of her own destiny, not pawned off or used to further someone else’s.”

I started rooting for her and remained so inspired and invested in her life that the pages flew by. 

There’s no romance but very stirring moments as she fights for her control over her destiny. 

Fantastic side characters that I would love to see more of, including her dress designer, Diante, a fascinating person whose history I’m dying to read. 

I’m quickly heading to Lord which is Duncan’s book. 

What a fantastic book and find. It’s one I’m highly recommending!

 I adore the covers. Each and every one.  Detailed to fit the character. 

Cover by Ampersand Book Covers”

Noble’s Luck:

Lady #1

Lord #2

Bastard #3

Buy link 

        Lady (Noble’s Luck Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Miss Emmeline Luck has always strived to be a dutiful daughter, but thinking for herself has never won her favor with society—or her domineering father.

When Earl Luck announces her engagement to a slimy man unfit to be left with a scullery maid, she tries to comply. But the reality of the despicable nature of her fiancé reveals a power buried deep within her: Emmeline is a mage.

Magic is a new and controversial force in Victorian England; its emergence stirring unease while the Queen remains silent. Desperate for training, Emmeline turns to Miss Antoinette Carlton and her mentor, the Bengali mage Rohan, who has a familiar. As Emmeline delves into her training, she realizes magic could upend her family—and threaten the security of Britain itself.

When her father kicks her out, Emmeline faces an impossible choice: conform to a life without freedom or carve a path on her own terms in a society that deems a woman without a man worthless. Armed with magic, intelligence, and the law, she sets out to challenge her father’s tyranny. But with powerful forces seeking to use her as a pawn, Emmeline must summon all her strength and cunning to claim her own destiny.

In a world where magic is both feared and coveted, can she rewrite the rules—or will she remain at the mercy of others?

  • Publisher: Bad Ash Publishing
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: February 3, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 346 pages
  • Book 1 of 3: Noble’s Luck